Blank Gold Coast issue #42 - March 2017

March '17

issue #042

MUSIC

CULTURE

ALBUMS

The Living End Spiderbait Dope Lemon Bobby Alu Ash Grunwald

Flickerfest Swell Enter the Map Kyoto Blanc de Blanc

Circa Waves Neville Staple Wren Klauf Datura4 Aversions Crown

FOOD Stone’s Throw Mavis’ Kitchen Best vegan eats Cactus Coffee GC Food & Wine Tours

MUSIC Pixie’s new Zoo Austen Clawmachine Benny D Williams Young Warriors

Eskimo Joe / Mental as Anything Pseudo Echo / 1927 / Taxiride / tigertown 3 DAYS. 3 NIGHTS. MULTIPLE GENRES Presented by

JARRAH RECORDS, RHYTHMS AND THE MUSIC PRESENT

THE 25TH ANNIVERSARY TOUR LD OU TH A L L | B A N GA LOW N S W T U E S A P R I L 4 B A N GASOLOW W E D A P R I L 5 B A N GA LOW H A L L | B A N GA LOW N S W T H U R S A P R I L 6 T I VO L I T H E AT R E | B R I S B A N E Q L D SAT A P R I L 8 T H E N I G H TQ UA RT E R | G O L D C OAST Q L D

TICKETS AVAILABLE FROM THEWAIFS.COM THE WAIFS 25TH ANNIVERSARY ALBUM “IRONBARK” OUT NOW

4 MARCH Libby Harward, Carlotta and Scott Redford feature in Enter The Map, an exhibition at The Walls Gallery in Miami that opens 4 March. There are artist talks on 4 and 5 March as well and the exhibition runs until 18 March.

#042 MARCH 2017 Editor in Chief: Samantha Morris Cultural Editor: Natalie O’Driscoll Design: Chloe Popa Advertising: Amanda Gorman Music Coordinator: Mella Lahina Money Coordinator: Phillippa Wright Partnerships Coordinator: Simone Gorman-Clark Sub editor: Cody McConnell House Photographer: Leisen Standen, Lamp Photography Lifestyle cover photo: Lamp Photography Contributors: Natalie O’Driscoll, Kylie Cobb, Samantha Morris, Chloe Popa, Trevor Jackson, Glenn Tozer, Nev Pearce, Erin Bourne, Anthony Gebhardt, Emma Whines, Richard Scott, Cam Alexander, Pip Andreas, Damian Papworth, Nae Kurth, Anna Itkonen, Terry “Tappa” Teece, Marj Osborne, Catherine Coburn, Jamie-Lee Rowley, Leisen Standen.

With thanks to online contributors: Dan Maynard, Peter Wheeler, Nadia Achiles, Leigh Kelly and Kyle Butcher.

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.

Editorial: news@blankgc.com.au Advertising: advertising@blankgc.com.au Gigs: gigs@blankgc.com.au About us: Blank GC is independently owned and published by Samantha Morris and Chloe Popa. 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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10 MARCH Nominations close, Gold Coast Music Awards. No extensions.

Nominate via gcmusicawards.com.au.

Flickerfest – the leading Academy Accredited and BAFTA recognised short film festival hits the Gold Coast for one night only. More at flickerfest.com.au/tour.

Womanhood group exhibition opens at OneArts at 7.00pm with dance by Rita Markwell and music by soprano Shirin Majd.

11 MARCH Mother’s Milk Gala event at Currumbin RSL features Electrik Lemonade and Hussy Hicks for one hell of a good cause. More at mothersmilkbank.com.

18 MARCH Cooly Beachfest – five bands in five hours with The Rubens, The Beautiful Girls, Bec Sandridge and more. Grom tickets available.

More at coolybeachfest.com.au.

12 MARCH Umami is Maddison Kellie’s debut exhibition and it runs until 25 March at Maverick Hair & Artspace.

Bitter Sweet opens at 19Karen from 6.00pm and runs until 29 April – an international group exhibition curated by beautiful.bizarre.

Explore the magical world of Harry Potter with a free children’s event as part of Somerset Celebration of Literature and Professor Francesca “Franki” Falconette.

19 MARCH Pop-up food truck fiesta on the rooftop at Miami Tavern Mudgeeraba Pool open day and street party, Swan Lane and Railway Street from 10.00am. Free family fun day.

23 MARCH Kung Fu Thursdays at Stingray Bar, QT, every Thursday from 6.00pm with hawkers market food, Asian fusion cocktails and $10 dumpling baskets.

25 MARCH Rabbit Radio Rampage with Goons of Doom, Mylee & The Milkshakes, The Cinema Wristys and Straays, Miami Sharkbar. Continues Sunday 26 March with The Ruminaters, Donny Love, Vanilla Gorilla and Party Wave.

Live Art Battle as part of Signs of the Time at The Arts Centre GC will see a bunch of local artists battle it out right in front of your eyes.

29 MARCH Champagne cabaret Blanc de Blanc opens at the Spiegeltent, located in Queen Victoria Park, Broadbeach and runs through to 16 April for Bleach Festival.

27 MARCH International Surfing Symposium brings James Reyne to Currumbin RSL with flamenco goddess Felicity Lawless in support. More at goldcoastworldsurfingreserve.com

31 MARCH The magical dance theatre of Frank Enstein has its world premiere at The Arts Centre Gold Coast in the opening days of Bleach* Festival. It runs for just two nights.

Tickets at theartscentregc.com.au.

1 April Sign off street party. To wrap up the Signs of the Time exhibition, the team at Gold Coast City Gallery is throwing a bit of a street party, complete with Electrik Lemonade and Some Jerks providing the music, food trucks, hands-on art and more. Starts at 3.00pm.

Icehouse hits Harrigan’s Drift Inn at Jacob’s Well as part of a 40th anniversary tour.

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blank of Doom, The Ruminaters, Straays, Sea Legs, Sleepwell, Feeling Dave, Donny Love, Vanilla Gorilla and Israeli Chicks all have shows on the horizon. Get all the details in our gig guide, but be on high alert for Rabbit Radio Rampage which happens over Saturday Saturday 25 and Sunday 26 March.

Felicity Lawless scores International Surfing gig Scott Cooks up a storm for Austinville A roots balladeer with a rare personal warmth, Canada's Scott Cook has distilled stories collected over a decade of nearincessant touring across Canada, the USA, Europe, Asia, and Australia into straighttalking, keenly observant verse. His fourth release, One More Time Around, was nominated for a Canadian Folk Music Award, and its opening track Pass It Along won the Folk and Acoustic category in the 2013 UK Songwriting Contest, with UK magazine Maverick Country naming him "one of Canada's most inspiring and imaginative storytellers.” Come and see why when Scott plays Mt Nimmel Hall, Austinville with his band on Sunday 5 March. Tickets $15 at the door and doors open 1.00pm with a pot luck lunch adding to the appeal.

Candice Dianna’s secret garden single launch

Look, it really is a secret, so we can’t tell you much, but Candice Dianna is launching new single Soldiers on 26 March at a secret garden launch. Guests are meeting in a carpark before being whisked away to a secret venue for the launch. We’ll be at the launch with a camera, so we’ll keep you posted about how it all goes down. In the meantime, read more about Candice at candicedianna.com.

Cooly Beachfest brings The Rubens to town

It will be the biggest beach party to hit Cooly and it’s no coincidence that it happens at the same time as the Quicsilver Pro. Cooly Beachfest brings The Rubens, The Beautiful Girls, Dorsal Fins, Bec Sandridge and The Vanns to town for five hours of epic music at the most beautiful time of year on the Gold Coast. As well as five bands the event will feature food and market stalls, and while it’s an all-ages event, it will also be licensed. Even Cooly Hotel is in on the act hosting the after-party.

Tickets and details for the 18 March event at coolybeachfest.com.au.

Massive month of music at Miami Rabbit Radio continues to present an epic lineup of music at Miami Tavern Shark Bar for Sharky Sundays. This month is pretty big. Alex the Kid, Tropical Zombie, Goons 8

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James Reyne Band is coming to Currumbin RSL on Friday 27 March and flamenco Goddess Felicity Lawless will open the stage. The event is happening as part of the International Surfing Symposium and more information is at goldcoastworldsurfingreserve.com.

Apes announce album preview for Gold Coast

After adding the final touches on their forthcoming debut album, Stranger Than Strangers, due out May 2017, Melbourne rockers Apes have just announced an album preview tour and new single. The band will play five shows across Australia including one at the Gold Coast. New single Filter is out March 10 and is mixed and by Grammy Award winning engineer and music producer, Mark Rankin (Adele, Queens of the Stone Age, Foster the People, Florence and the Machine, Bloc Party). Having only played a handful of tracks live from the new album in the last 12 months, these shows are a special treat for fans to hear what’s to come. See for yourself at Rattlesnake Bar on Saturday 8 April.

Icehouse 40 year anniversary tour A new box set from Icehouse celebrates the band’s 40-year milestone but it’s not the only big news for fans. The ten-album set, which is available now also marks the reissue on vinyl of the album Icehouse (by the then Flowers) which went on to score quadruple platinum accreditation. But wait, there’s more. Icehouse will also hit the road and they’re playing the Gold Coast. They’ll be at Harrigan’s Drift Inn (Jacob’s Well) on Saturday 1 April. Tickets via ticketmaster.com.au.

Beyond the Status Quo Kings of the Sun

Mae Trio announce Gold Coast date

Kings of the Sun will perform their first live show to launch new album Razed on Rock.

It takes place 11 March with 2 Tone Nath in support and tickets for the Currumbin Pub gig are just $15 online. There’ll be a meet and greet table after the show for CD signings, a live auction for Clifford Hoad’s drumsticks and merch at the door. More at kingsofthesunband.com.

One of the world’s biggest rock bands, selling in excess of 118 million units worldwide with 27 studio albums, 11 compilations and five live albums under the belt is Australiabound. Yep, Status Quo have just announced an Australian tour. The Last Night of the Electrics tour will see the band stop in at The Star, Gold Coast (Jupiters) for one last hurrah before unplugging their telecasters and turning off their amps for the last time. They’re here Friday 13 October and tickets are on sale Monday 6 March. More at ticketek.com.au.

Melbourne’s The Mae Trio return with their unique contemporary twist on folk music with sophomore album, Take Care Take Cover set for release on April 13. Well Enough Alone is the opening track to the album and the first taste for fans itching to hear new material. The Trio also hit the Gold Coast on 28 April for a show at NightQuarter.

Pray for Black Rabbit George

Best known for his outstanding guitar work, for penning dance tunes and as one half of Australia’s prominent festival band Tijuana Cartel, Paul George has performed an unexpected u-turn to release a solo project of blues-roots-folk. Pray is the first single to emerge from Black Rabbit George’s second EP The Cause. It’s a warm and reflective number that evokes imagery of dusty highways and spaghetti Westerns while beckoning the listern to follow in a manner that borders on sensuous. Black Rabbit George hits up NightQuarter on 10 March and Pray is out now.

Animals unleashed on Southport RSL

The Animals were “one of the most important bands” in the British Invasion. Whilst The Beatles and Rolling Stones were the headliners, The Animals were the backbone of blues! With their legacy undeniable, Gold Coast is in for a treat when original members John Steel and Mick Gallagher along with Danny Handley and Scott Whitely bring The Animals live experience performing all their greatest hits to Southport RSL on 6 May.

70s reborn at Broadbeach Live 70s music with the Jealous Monks and Owl Valley Bluegrass will be a feature of the 70s night at Albert Waterways Community Hall on Saturday 4 March. There will be 70s music trivia, meals and a licensed bar. Tickets $10. More at goldcoastfolkfestival.com.au.

Allah-Las reach Australian shores

Forming in 2008 while three of the members were working at legendary Amoeba usic record store, Allah-Las will reach Australian shores for the first time this year. Their 2011 self-titled debut was nominated for independent album of the year by the A2IM Libbys and in 2014, their sophomore LP Worship The Sun received critical acclaim.

Third album, 2016’s Calico Review was recorded in Los Angeles’ historic Valentine Recording Studio. For the album, AllahLas experiment with new instrumentation adding violin, harpsichord and Mellotron to their sound. On the road the band, has built a dedicated following with extensive, sold-out tours and high profile festival dates throughout North, Central, and South America, Europe, South Africa, Russia, Mexico and Israel, with a recently announced appearance at Coachella 2017. They’ll be at Miami Marketta on 14 May. Definitely a highlight on the Blank gig calendar.

Darkcell play rare Hard Rock Café show Darkcell are kicking off 2017 with seven new shows for their Show Me The Money tour throughout. They’ll play Hard Rock Café, Surfers Paradise on Friday 3 March with Versus Fate and Hell and Whiskey in support.

Friday 3 March

GRAMECY / DIE FOR MUSHIES / WIGG / RACHEL GILLIGAN

Saturday 4 March

SATURDAY REGGAE FEVER: KIMMY & CREW / MACHADO & FAMILY

Friday 10 March

THE BYZANTINES (ADEL) / MARY HANDSOME / THE GOLDHEARTS / ATTICUS CHIMPS

Saturday 11 March

KINGS OF THE SUN / 2 TONE NATH

Friday 17 March

TRAPSDOOR / MNVR / DJ DINJITAL + SPECIAL GUESTS

Friday 24 March

MY ECHO (MELB) / LOUD GOES BANG / COLLINS CLASS / FUTURESPEAK

Friday 31 March 8pm / $10 Entry

COMMONSIDE - EP Launch / SKORE / ZABICAMUSICA / DJ FUNKY D

Friday 7 April

THE REKINDLERS / DAVE IS A SPY / RA RA RUBY / FIGHT IBIS

Saturday 29 April

THE BLACK SWAMP - Single Launch / FLAMING WREKAGE (SYD) - Album Launch / BITTER LUNGS / EVIL EYE

8pm / $10 Entry

6.30pm / $10 Entry 8pm / $10 Entry

8pm / $15 Online-$20 Door 8pm / $10 Entry 8pm / $10 Entry

8pm / $10 Entry 8pm / $10 Entry

GOLDEN DAYS FOR KINGSWOOD Kingswood’s new album After Hours, Close to Dawn was named as one of Rolling Stones Australia’s 50 most anticipated albums of 2017 for good reason. The record – which is their second – puts the band in a whole new category of Australian music-makers.

While still recognisable as the songs of Kingswood, the record is like a best-of “I love to be able to do interesting things with album of tracks you haven’t heard yet. There’s a mix of R’n’B grooves, soaring sound, it’s a form of musical ADHD,” Alex said. rock, garage soul and spage-age experimentation. It is anything BUT a predictable follow-up to their debut album Micro Wars.

All that aside, the thing I like the most about After Hours, Close to Dawn is that it hasn’t had Songwriter and guitarist Alex Laska spoke to Samantha Morris from his the edges polished off it. Which isn’t to say it’s not a polished product – more that it hasn’t been Melbourne home about the album. made to fit a certain aural mould.

“This is us deciding to be incredibly bold and dangerous musically,” Alex said.

While the first single off the album - Creepin’ – is not a major departure from what the band has done in the past, the eleven tracks on the new album show distinct personalities, which cross genres and capture a mix of emotions.

“We just wanted it to be incredibly creative and diverse,” Alex said. “We played it to our record label and they thought we were playing a practical joke on them. They were like ‘good stuff, good music, really cool, but where’s the real album?’”

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“I don’t even know what kind of music it is or where it’s from,” Alex said, with more than just a tinge of pride. “I know it’s from some internal, creative dialogue, but it’s so weird… it’s super hard to define and I think that might be what is charming about it.”

Alex says he’s blessed to have been educated in all manner of musical realms – he learned piano and clarinet, he had classical training from the age of seven, he studied jazz. Diversity has always been part of his musical upbringing.

“My grounding in music is so vast as far as composition and genres, who I was exposed to and who I fell in love with,” he said. “So all of that stuff, combined with the modern greats have morphed into this conglomerate of sounds I need to explore.”

“I constantly want to be able to make any kind of music I want,” Alex said. “So I’ll forcefully put that into a song of my own. I’ll rebel against my own foundation in a way.”

This unique approach to making music looks like it will continue for the band into the future.

Alex says Kingswood is already working on the next album and it too will be an investigation into modern sounds with traditional roots – Alex says “modern hip-hop and EDM sounds while referencing old blues and mashing it all together.”

And that’s not the only thing they’re doing differently with that album, although Alex is vague about what that might be.

“As far as I can tell you at the moment, it’s going to be the same process we used for this current album, but when we finish it, welllllll that’s just step one.”

When I press for more information he says he’ll just have to leave it with me. “Let’s just say we’ll see where our imagination is lifting off from that.”

The band has been honing their live performance too and they’re bringing some extra sensory goodies on tour with them.

“Similarly to challenging ourselves with the creative quest on the album, we’re doing the same thing with the show,” he said. “We’re developing a whole lighting experience that aids all the new music and we’re developing it for the old catalogue as well. It’s coded and engineered to assist in the live presentation of this album to a very specific and creative level.”

“There’s also lots of additional guests and instruments and voices. It’s a whole thing of its own… its own little monster.

“We’re really excited about it,” Alex said.

So are we, Alex.

ANY PERSPECTIVE ON WHAT WE SHOULD SOUND LIKE HAS BEEN THROWN OUT THE WINDOW.

” KINGSWOOD’S NEW ALBUM AFTER HOURS, CLOSER TO DAWN IS OUT 3 MARCH VIA DEW PROCESS AND YOU CAN CATCH THEM AT MIAMI MARKETTA ON 6 APRIL AND THE TRIFFID IN BRISBANE ON 7 APRIL.

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LIVING ENDLESSLY It’s a bit of a scramble when I’m put through for my The Living End interview, as due to some crossed wires I’m speaking with drummer Andy Strachan instead of bassist Scott Owen.

Suddenly all my carefully prepared questions about Scott’s notorious double bass playing are useless. I try not to panic.

Fortunately, the laid back Andy takes it all in his stride.

“It’s all good,” he chuckles as I explain why I’m discombobulated. “We’ll make it work. I could probably answer some of those questions for him, anyway.”

more band members over the years. Andy has his own list of dream collaborators.

“We’d love to work with Josh Homme from QOTSA that’d be really fun. I love the way he creates. He’s obviously an incredible musician, and he doesn’t let the rules get in the way of a good song.

“Jack White would be really great. The energy he would bring, particularly with Chris’ guitar playing!

“I would do almost anything to get in a room with Neil Finn and do some work. Chris did a really great version of a Crowded House song. Neil Finn would be incredible.”

So we chat about Scott’s double bass collection, and whether or not they need a bunch of Batman-style reinforcements due the bashing he gives them. They must, I’m sure.

2016 saw The Living End release their seventh studio album, Shift. Peaking at No. 4 on the ARIA charts, Shift gave fans both a healthy dose of the driving rock they expected, and also a slightly shifted (sorry!) perspective with some downtempo tracks, pop melodies and even a full string section.

“He’s got a lot, and they certainly do need to be hot-rodded,” says Andy.

Introspective track Coma received critical praise, something Andy agrees with.

“He’s got this guy in Melbourne who basically gets a bass and then rebuilds it for Scott. The bridges are all reinforced and stuffed with pillowy stuff to stop it feeding back.

“I really like Coma, which is probably the most different track on the whole record.

“Essentially it’s an orchestral instrument being played in a loud rock n roll band, so they’re bastardised versions for sure.”

“Then there’s Death, which that’s pretty ballsy and that was the song that sort of got the whole thing rolling, it felt like we really got a hold of something.”

Andy is charming and down to earth as we shoot the breeze about the music industry and the craziness of 2016.

“It’s a real challenge to survive as a band or musician these days,” he says.

“We’ve been lucky and we’ve got a good strong fan base and we can play shows. But for some there’s not a lot of support.”

Of course many musicians didn’t survive last year, in a more literal sense. I wonder if any of them hit him particularly hard.

“They all did in their own little way,” he says.

“George Michael the other day - you just don’t expect it - he’s too young! Bowie was one of the ones that - you know in his genius he knew exactly what was going on and he’s having the last laugh watching the world.”

Back to living artists. The Living End have collaborated with a veritable who’s who of the Australian music industry, with Jimmy Barnes, Jet and Paul Kelly all working with one or 12

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The trio is bursting with energy following their long hiatus, and excited to be touring the new album. Andy mentions his musical heroes all have one thing in common – that they’re having the best time doing what they do. I wonder if that is the key to The Living End’s reputation as one of the best live acts, ever.

“Absolutely,” states Andy.

“Every show to us - whether it’s for ten people or ten thousand - we get completely caught up in the whole thing. ‘Cause it’s a three piece band, there’s no room for anyone to be lazy. When it’s really rocking it’s a pretty powerful experience.

“Still after all these years it’s the best job in the world.”

Natalie O'Driscoll

YOU CAN CATCH THE LIVING END AT NIGHTQUARTER ON SATURDAY 18 MARCH.

FOR TEENS ABOUT TO ROCK, WE SALUTE YOU Young Warriors is bringing their program to the Gold Coast, offering up a fun and free ten-week program.

Specifically designed for teenagers who want to rock, the program offers young people the chance to gain experience rehearsing and playing in a band as well as performing live gigs.

The program includes a rock choir, song writing, studio workshop and a heap of rehearsals and gigs. There’s an all-ages concert to wrap things up.

To be involved, register by 16 March. Orientation and first jam takes place Saturday 18 March at Robina Town Centre with all other sessions at Helensvale Cultural Centre.

Get all the details at youngwarriors.com.au.

RACK ROCKIN’ ADVANCETOWN One of the hardest working bands on the Gold Coast will rock Advancetown for one of the biggest Sunday sessions ever.

With the raspy vocals of frontman Mason Rack (described as one of the sexiest voices on the Gold Coast), killer percussion from Jules Keshan (the man born with sticks in his hand) and freak bassist Jamie ‘Robo’ Roberts, Mason Rack Band is a blues rock show with a difference – for example, when the band members all swap instruments mid-show.

If a Sunday session with chilled vibes and lounge music is your thing – you will want to give Advancetown Hotel a wide berth. This Sunday session will be chockas full of blues riffs and raucous energy – the things that Mason Rack Band so popular. They hit Advancetown Hotel on Sunday 5 March.

FRIDAY 3RD FEB

SATURDAY 4TH FEB

SUNNYBOYS ONLY QLD SHOW

HOUSE OF SHEM

$75 +BF/ VIP $135 +BF

WAITANGI DAY (FREE)

SAFIA

FRI 10TH FEB

SAT 11TH FEB

PAUL DEMPSEY

ADAM BRAND

$35 +BF

ALBUM LAUNCH (FREE)

SAT 18TH MARCH

SAT 8TH APRIL

THE LIVING END

THE WAIFS

$45 +BF/ VIP $95 +BF

$55 +BF/ VIP $105 +BF

LIVE IN THE PADDOCK FRIDAY 3RD MARCH RUMBLEFISH MICKA SCENE

SATURDAY 4TH MARCH KIWI CARNIVAL KOI BOYS MATT SAUNOA & HANLON BROTHERS SOVEREIGN FOXY FUSION FRIDAY 10TH MARCH ANN VRIEND BLACK RABBIT GEORGE SATURDAY 11TH MARCH BLUES IN THE NIGHT MOJO WEBB DEZZIE D & THE STINGRAYZ BLUESCORP FRIDAY 17TH MARCH ST PATRICK’S DAY BARLEYSHAKES GOLD COAST PIPE BAND

SATURDAY 18TH MARCH* THE LIVING END THE BENNIES GOOD BOY FRIDAY 24TH MARCH SHINING BIRD CHRIS FLASKAS

SATURDAY 25TH FEBRUARY NICOLE PARKER-BROWN & THE LATE LATE SHOW FRIDAY 31ST MARCH SHAG ROCK LUKE MORRIS JACOB LEE SATURDAY 1ST APRIL ROUND MOUNTAIN GIRLS FRIDAY 7TH APRIL STEELE SYNDICATE FRIDAY 8TH APRIL* THE WAIFS

*ticketed events in The Paddock. NightQuarter markets open 4pm-10pm every Friday and Saturday regardless.

nightquarter.com.au

1800 264 448

town centre drive, helensvale

Deck Acoustics

“There were issues I guess, with any venue reopening we knew there would be problems.”

Some of the issues were quite major, with the bar not being built to spec, items not delivered in time, and the building having insufficient power from the grid, to name a few. But Pixie remains determined to soldier on.

MEET PIXIE WEYLAND: THE NEW OWNER OF THE ZOO Twenty six year old Pixie Weyland is the definition of a self-starter. Bored with the drudgery of nine to five living, she took off to the mines and scrubbed toilets for a year, saving every penny she made and pouring it into her own business, a fashion label.

Pixie’s latest acquisition is beloved Brisbane live music venue The Zoo. Most of us have fond – if blurry – memories of nights out at The Zoo. So we were dying to chat with her about the just-gone opening night and her vision for the iconic institution.

Clearly bitten with the entrepreneur bug, the intrepid Pixie then opened carbon-neutral Lost Boys café in Brisbane’s CBD, with vegan juice and smoothie outlet The Tree House following not long after.

“Overall I feel like [the opening] went really well,” said Pixie, sounding cheerier than you’d expect someone operating on a few hours’ sleep per night to sound.

“We’ve got Butterfingers playing on Saturday, I’m really rapt. And two local shows on Tuesday and Friday night.”

As the first place Pixie ever went out, and as a musician herself, The Zoo holds a special place in her heart. She’s determined to be thoughtful with the new direction.

“For the first six months I didn’t do anything with it,” she says.

“I felt like I didn’t have a right to rip things out and change things around and I felt it was important to work in the venue and understand the venue and figure out the changes that need to be put in place.

“Everyone can come into a new position in a job and have pre-emptive ideas, but you can never know what the case is until you’ve physically done the job.”

Enterprising from the start, Pixie’s childhood is full of stories of her doing little jobs in the neighbourhood, trying to make money.

“I struggled in a corporate environment,” she admits.

“It’s been a long process learning how to be a strong leader. Running a business is really, really hard. I found it hard at the café, but The Zoo is emotionally harder. Lots of people are watching and have something to say about it.

There are a lot of people to be mindful of.”

So is the empire going to continue to grow?

“I think I want the growth to be around music, now. The biggest thing I want to work on is music and take a bit of a back seat.

Getting The Zoo up to scratch in itself will be a great asset to the music industry.”

Natalie O'Driscoll

1ST SHO W SOL D OU T! 2ND SH NOW OW O SAL N E!

IVY & THE BIG APPLES LIVE THE COMPLETE ALBUM FROM START TO FINISH

WITH SPECIAL GUESTS

THE MEANIES MAJOR LEAGUES THU 30 MAR TIVOLI THEATRE BOOK NOW

SPIDERBAIT.COM.AU

7–11PM

Presented as part of Bleach* Festival™ Sunday, 2 April from 3pm ADCO Amphitheatre bond.edu.au/bobbyalu FREE CONCERT SERIES

2017 GOLD COAST MUSIC AWARDS GOLD COAST

MUSIC AWARDS

2017

SPIDERBAIT TOUR IVY AND THE BIG APPLES AND OH YEAH, IT’S THE NINETIES You could be forgiven for thinking it was the nineties again with the abundance of awesome bands re-forming and touring of late. (If only!) The most recent Aussie nineties fave to excite fans with a tour are multi-ARIA award winners Spiderbait.

Although never officially broken up, the trio did take a nine year hiatus from 2004 to concentrate on their personal lives and solo projects, before recording 2013’s Spiderbait and selling out all their gigs in 2014.

INTRODUCING CLAWMACHINE: THE MASTER OF CHILL

MIDGE URE – STILL FEEDING THE WORLD THIRTY YEARS ON

Dylan Lindquist is ClawMachine and you’ve probably never heard of him. But if you’re a fan of chilled pop with soft, mesmerizing vocals (or even just wind chimes), then you need to hear him, stat. He’s just released a beautifully crafted single titled huh – with vocals by local songstress TØBI – which comes on the back of his debut self-titled EP. Samantha Morris had a quick chat to Dylan on the eve of the song’s release.

Thirty plus years after Band Aid and then Live Aid Midge Ure continues his charity work in Africa.

On the eve of his Something From Everything tour Trevor Jackson talks to Midge about the event that continues to impact on his life.

This time, however, they’ve decided to go right back, and tour their classic 1996 album Ivy and the Big Apples in its entirety.

Tell me about your music?

The band’s press declares fans can expect all 16 tracks from start to finish including some songs that have never been played live before, plus a few other favourites as well.

It's so challenging for me to describe music, especially my own; the first thing that comes to mind would be chill, but at the same time it's not slow. Some of it is stuff that you could dance to just as easily as relax to, which is a quality I really like.

Obviously, this move has seen them selling out shows across the country as excited fans clamour to experience a live set they thought they would never see and hear again. Gen X-ers are dusting off the Doc Martens for what will no doubt prove to be a fabulous trip down memory lane.

Fortunately for Brisbane and Gold Coast fans who missed out on the first Tivoli gig, the band have added a second show on Thursday 30 March. Another nineties stalwart still going strong – The Meanies – will support.

Wally Kempton from The Meanies reminisces about the band’s long history.

“I’ve witnessed so many Spiderbait milestones and felt extremely proud each time, from their Tell ‘Em It’s Healthy gigs with Guttersnipes and The Throwaways selling out every time, getting to filling the GB two nights in a row, then to filling the Prince, then to having a JJJ Hottest 100 #1, then to being major draw cards at major festivals - the list goes on & on.

“And now their biggest selling album is getting the reissue and birthday treatment and The Meanies are a part of the proceedings - couldn’t be happier and prouder, we’re chuffed I tells ya, chuffed!

Natalie O'Driscoll

YOU CAN CATCH SPIDERBAIT WITH SPECIAL GUESTS THE MEANIES AND MAJOR LEAGUES AT THE TIVOLI ON THURSDAY 30 MARCH 2017. GRAB YOUR TICKETS QUICKLY THOUGH! 18

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Your single huh features the vocals of TØBI- can you tell me about her?

TØBI lives here on the Gold Coast. We went to the same TAFE, but didn't meet until 98 Collections - who we both work under at the moment. I asked if her voice would fit on my instrumental; which turned out pretty well and we're both stoked with the final product. She's in the middle of writing and producing her debut stuff (which is sounding absolutely HOT).

You sampled wind chimes for the track - what else have you sampled in the past?

The wind chimes are beautiful, right? You can also hear the sound of my friend fountain pouring into the pool, as well as bird noise. If you're a Simpsons fan I actually also sampled Can I Borrow a Feeling that Kirk Van Houten sings in the divorce episode, which you could probably find buried on my Soundcloud.

I’ve never heard of you before, why is that? And what's on the horizon?

I wouldn't be surprised if almost nobody has heard of me. I've got big plans for this year though! I have a few collaborations with some talented vocalists coming out and then I'm also working on the live show - we're going to start gigging around May.

You couldn’t have gone to Ethiopia and not been affected by what you saw first hand, how did it change you?

I was in awe of the people running those camps, they worked tirelessly and selflessly and they had the most harrowing, hideous jobs – choosing who could get in and who couldn’t. It was unbelievable – what a choice for anyone to have to make.

The experience really affected me. I went home to my eight bedroom house with my garage full of classic sports cars and thought this is ludicrous so I proceeded to get rid of them all.

It changed everything. It changed my thought process and it made me think about what was really important in this world.

What are the differences you’ve seen as a result of Band Aid? Twenty years later you could see the dramatic improvements to people’s lives, but by then we also realized that we weren’t just fighting famine, we were fighting climate change. In 1985 we didn’t understand that because we didn’t know about it.

The local farmers can’t depend on the rain, the crops fail and the famine continues. What we changed was infrastructure.

Farmers have been taught not just to rely on one crop as a source of income, so now they keep bees and make honey, they keep chickens – they diversify a little bit. They also used to chop down trees to keep themselves warm, but that led to deforestation and the desert would then further encroach on their land, but now they’ve learned not to do that. There’s been a huge difference because the ones that I first saw that were about to die are now young, educated adults. They now think differently, so it would never go back to the crisis level that it once was.

How does it make you feel to have been instrumental in that change?

You know I can’t think of it that way. I’m just a guy who strums a bit of wood with six strings on it. We just came along at the right time and used a medium that everyone understood which was music. Maybe if we tried to do the same thing now it wouldn’t work because it’s a different world, there’s a million other things to distract you. We used music at the right time for the right reasons and it worked.

We engaged people to get involved and in doing that we changed the image of what a charity could be.

MIDGE URE PLAYS THE TRIFFID IN BRISBANE SUNDAY 12 MARCH

SWEET GOODBYES FOR BOBBY ALU AT BOND Image: Hannah Hervall

March 8 marks a special day in the world awareness calendar - International Women’s Day. And what better time to talk about sex, the so-called ‘fairer’ sex that is, and the challenges facing women in the music industry?

The World Economic Forum predicts the gender gap won’t close entirely until 2186. That’s 169 years until our great, great, great granddaughters will finally enjoy: F Fair representation on conference panels; F Being considered in the first instance for opportunities for which they are equally qualified; F Headlining line-ups without organisers wondering if tickets will sell; F Be invited to sit on advisory boards; and

Bobby Alu plays his last Gold Coast show for Live at Bond as part of Bleach* Festival right before he heads off for an extended sojourn in Switzerland. He has new vinyl, which he’s touring before he departs and some of those dates have sold out. It’s a fitting departure for the Gold Coast man, who spoke with Samantha Morris before his tour.

Bobby Alu says he feels honoured whenever he plays the Gold Coast. That he loves being a part of our growing live music culture.

“It feels nice for this to be my last show for a while,” he said of the Live at Bond gig.

“Bleach* Festival has played such a large role in developing arts culture on the Gold Coast. It’s become the consistent arts-focused event that the city owns providing so many arts workers with access to something they need most... an audience!”

The tour Bobby’s rolling out before his departure is focused very much on a new vinyl release, which is like a best-of album of work to date. He says vinyl is unique in that it forces people to sit down and listen to the whole thing rather than skipping so easily through an album – and this is where the idea of releasing on vinyl came from.

“Me and Paulie B just picked 44 minutes worth of music we've already released that flow nicely together,” he explained. “This way you can put the record on, sit back and relax.”

Bobby Alu is definitely a man of the world. With Polynesian heritage yet growing up on the Gold Coast, travelling the globe in Xavier Rudd’s band and now setting himself up in Switzerland for a year or so, there’s no doubt that multi-culti lifestyle has an impact on his work. He says, though, that this Swiss sojourn is mostly about taking a break.

“I've been working so hard and touring so much that it feels right to stop for a moment. I have new music almost ready and could so easily pull the trigger and keep on pushing, but

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right now feels like a good time to pull up, slow down and take a look around.”

“There's certain things about my personality and flow that are all pointing to the need for some downtime. A change of scene can be the perfect way to slip into this mind set. Being in a foreign environment can trick you into going back to the simple act of just being present in the day and the place you are,” he said.

We wrap up by speaking about the city he loves, that’s changed so much over the past 30 years. Bobby Alu believes Gold Coast’s cultural identity is vitally important, particularly as we grow.

“Cultural practice is something humanity needs and has been doing for thousands of years,” he said. “Events like Bleach* Festival help develop arts culture and give people a chance to get involved.”

“The arts can serve a community so well. Get your mind off work, bring people together, encourage conversations about everything and anything, provide many different viewpoints on a subject.”

“As a tourism destination, we get people from all over the place coming to share their experiences and stories,” he said. “But for me most importantly, it encourages emotion something that we tend to bury deep down.”

Samantha Morris

LIVE AT BOND FEATURING BOBBY ALU AND THE PALM ROYAL PLAY IS ON SUNDAY 2 APRIL FROM 3.00PM.

F Hold proportional high level positions in labels and industry organisations - there are currently no female artist and repertoire representatives working at the major record labels, an article by Leanne DeSouza reports.

A welcome exception to the current rule, recently appointed Executive Director for the Association of Artist Managers (AAM), DeSouza said, “For women business owners, access to the two key resources - time and money - can be challenging. Money for investment in the business to weather the cyclical nature of the music industry and time - when needing to attend to family and domestic duties.”

“Until women have equity of access to be paid what they are worth and support services for the time and energy demands of the music business, gender parity will remain illusive.”

While gender gap issues have been highlighted in recent times, we still have urgent work to do. Two centuries is just too long to wait.

“Decision makers need to appoint on merit, skills and expertise and not just who is in established networks alone,” said DeSouza.

You too can be a leader of change in the music industry. Here are some ideas to get you started: F Question your own conscious and unconscious bias.

F Pull yourself others up on exclusive language.

F Challenge stereotypes.

F Put qualified women forward for opportunities.

F Support or back a woman-owned business or initiative.

F Invite women into situations where they’re not already present or contributing.

Tag your ideas on the socials #BeBoldForChange #IWD2017

Kylie Cobb

ASH GRUNWALD HAMMER Ash Grunwald’s latest single Hammer signifies a new chapter in his 15 year career.

It’s a blues rock stomper that sees Grunwald channel classic bluesmen like RL Burnside and John Lee Hooker with hat-tips to contemporary roots musicians like Butler, Rudd and Harper. His single tour brings him to the Gold Coast in April for Bleach* Festival and he spoke to Samantha Morris at Blank GC about his upcoming album – his tenth studio recording and the biggest lessons he’s learned.

You’ve been making music for more than 15 years yet you keep refining your sound.

What have been the biggest lessons for you, over that time?

It’s been a really interesting journey for me, both in life and in music. When I first started, recording was all about me being in a room with just a guitar and nothing else.

I was against multi-tracking my recordings.

Step forward and I’m sitting in a studio in Adelaide with Trials, surrounded with instruments, putting hundreds of layers of tracks down. Step forward a few more years and I’m playing rock music with three other musicians - something I never would have thought I’d do for one reason or another. I think the biggest thing I’ve learnt is that at different times, different things feel right, and it’s OK to do a 180 degree flip if it feels like the right move.

You’ve said that this new single Hammer feels like a rebirth. How so?

I’ve moved through a lot of phases in my career. My first records started off as acoustic-blues, and then I went through a lot of different albums searching for a sound that was a hybrid of modern recording techniques and my own blues sound, before transitioning into rock. After almost 20 years of exploration I’m ready to return to my first love of making really grounded blues music.

There’s no doubt you’re a hard worker.

Touring, recording, performing sold out shows all over the world. How do you keep the energy levels up?

I think you have to have an obsessive personality and be the kind of person that wants to achieve these things. You’ve also got to be obsessed with hard work. But, it’s also really important to know when to step back and to know that you don’t need to base your entire life around your career, you need balance. I’m actually doing this interview from Bali at the moment and I spent most of last year travelling back and forth for shows and recording, just to give myself that lifework balance. Spending more time surfing, keeping healthy and being with my family has definitely been a big part of that balance.

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SURF’S UP! TAMAM SHUD RETURN TO THE GOLD COAST It was the 70s when prog rock / surf band Tamam Shud last played some of their tripped-out live shows on the Gold Coast, but most will recall them for the timeless tracks they contributed to Australian surf film classics, Evolution, Hot Generation and the seminal Morning of the Earth. Pioneers of the genre in Australia, they initially shrugged off the label, before succumbing when it became all too clear.

Australian pop-weekly mag Go-Set at the time stated “The Shud are a surfing band.

“Now that their LP is selling faster than CBS can press it, they have stopped denying this fact.”

When you’re here for Bleach* people can join in a jam session with you at the Cooly Hotel. Have you done something like that before as part of a public event? What’s so cool about just jamming with other musicians?

I’ve never done a public event that’s specifically about jamming before, but I’m really excited about it. Blues jams are actually how I learnt to play music in a live setting.

I used to turn up to two or three blues jams a week. I was obsessed with them, and they played an integral part of me being a profession musician.

This upcoming tenth studio album - any surprises?

I know it’s always been my ambition to be prolific and do a hell of a lot of records, but I think once you’re on your tenth album the surprises become less and less. There’s always been a pressure to constantly do something different with each new record, but my last record was very, very different for me. I think I’m at the stage where it’s OK to go full circle, go back to what I know best and not worry so much about the pressure of needing to be different. I’ve done such a broad range of stuff that I can now cherry pick elements from my back catalog and weave them in and out – and that’s what people can expect on the next record.

ASH GRUNWALD IS ON THE GOLD COAST FOR BLEACH* FESTIVAL WITH A LIVE CONCERT AND BURLEIGH ON 1 APRIL AND THEN A JAM SESSION AT THE COOLY HOTEL. GET DETAILS AT BLEACHFESTIVAL.COM.AU.

Internal conflicts and lineup changes saw a shift in the band’s sound and dynamic, with a more experimental approach taken, and many genres covered. By 1971 the group was touring Australia with a more rock vibe, but by 1972 the years of hard work had taken their toll, with band members wishing to go in different directions.

Reformations and break ups continued throughout the 90s and early 2000’s, until finally in 2016 Tamam Shud released a new album Eight Years of Moonlight. With this

release is an opportunity to celebrate their latest recording.

“It starts with some surf-sounding stuff, but quickly goes into a tougher, almost punk sound,” describes guitarist Tim Gaze.

“It’s all guitars, bass and drums.”

As for band leader Lindsay Bjerre, he simply states “I haven’t changed – there’s still some pretty weird shit going on the songs I’m writing now!”

Andrew Kidman has been busy working on visual projections for Tamam Shud’s live shows with some ‘lost’ footage from the Albe Falzon archives along with some classic period visuals from the era.

TAMAM SHUD PLAY THE GREAT NORTHERN IN BYRON ON THURSDAY 16 MARCH AND THE AFTERNOON OF SUNDAY 19 MARCH AT SOUNDLOUNGE, CURRUMBIN.

Summertime Sessions in the Village 3 March – 17 March Cuddihy Park, Swan Lane, Mudgeeraba (5.30pm-7.30pm) f: SummertimeSessions Mason Rack Bank 7 March Advancetown Hotel, Nerang Murwillimbah Road, Advancetown (1pm-4.30pm) f: Advancetownhotel Movies under the Stars – BFG 11 March Firth Park, Somerset Drive, Mudgeeraba (Movie commences 7pm) w: goldcoast.qld.gov.au Celebration of Literature 15 - 17 March Somerset College. Somerset Drive, Mudgeeraba w: somerset.qld.edu.au/celebration-of-literature Mudgeeraba Street Party and Mudgeeraba Pool Open Day - Free Family Fun Day 19 March Swan Lane & Railway Street (10am-2pm) f: goldcoast.qld.gov.au The Beauty Pagent (Bleach Festival 2017) 8 April Mudgeeraba Memorial Hall, Railway Street, Mudgeeraba (5pm-8pm) w: bleachfestival.com.au Angry Anderson 16 April Advancetown Hotel, Nerang Murwillimbah Road, Advancetown (1pm-4.30pm) f: Advancetownhotel Parkrun Mudgeeraba Saturday weekly Darcy Doyle Park, Somerset Drive, Mudgeeraba w: parkrun.com.au/mudgeeraba

Summer Time SESSIONS In The Village

5:30-7:30 pm Feb 3 Feb 10 Feb 17 Feb 24 Mar 3 Mar 10 Mar 17

CUDDIHY PARK: CNR RAILWAY ST & SWAN LN MUDGEERABa

Mrs Miyagi + Captain Dreamboat Taylor + Foxfires Marshall Okell + The Long Johns Bare Bones + Kirsty Abrahams Satisvibe + Andrea Kirwin trio Micka Scene + Phil and Tilley Ofa + Jah Butu

music art event s

HANGIN’ FIVE WITH BENNY D WILLIAMS Seriously, who doesn’t know Benny D Williams? This awesome GC musician is always playing soon, at a GC venue near you, we promise. Natalie O’Driscoll hung five with the wonderful weirdo for Blank GC. We hear a rumour about new music! Tell us it's true, and what can fans expect?

New music?? Me?? YES. Affirmative. This is correct. :D I'm releasing a new single each month this year culminating with an elaborate album-scape concept thing at the end of the year with all the previously released singles on it and a few new ones as well. In January I released Blue which is available in all the regular spots on the interwebz. February I've released Free Falling.

Both of these songs are from completely different genres. Blue is a weirdo, psychdrenched, trip-hop number and Free Falling is pretty much a straight up, stomping 12 string blues song. But hey, ya know, variety is the spice of life. I like a heap of different styles of music so I make different styles of music.... based on the heart in the moment, I feel confined and rigid within a specific genre. Well, mostly. I feel like most people are musically evolved enough now to appreciate many different styles of music

relative to the moment they're listening. For example, Van Halen for skydiving....and maybe Mozart for gardening.... and of course, there’s nothing like a bit of Aretha Franklin when you're spending a quiet Sunday building meat helmets out of smallgoods for the children and their friends. Or maybe that’s just me?

Your Bleach* performances. Where, when, how?

BLEACH FESTIVAL!! Man, I'm so stoked to be part of Bleach* this year... I'll be playing at the Burleigh Heads stage on Sunday 16 March in the arvo. It's a whole day of music down there so grab a blanket, some supplies and share the grass and shade with your neighbours. Oh! And when the day is over, don't forget to take your rubbish with you! Luv ya GC. xo

TO READ THE REST OF THE INTERVIEW, HEAD ON OVER TO BLANKGC.COM.AU

GOLD COAST ARTIST JACOB LEE HOLDS KEY TO SPOTIFY SUCCESS If you haven’t heard of Gold Coaster Jacob Lee, then we can only assume you don’t listen to music online. The young musician is killing it online, with his singles racking up listens in the millions on Spotify. He took the time to chat to us ahead of his new EP release.

Since we last spoke in 2015, your single Chariot has really gone stratospheric on Spotify! Can you tell us about that?

It's gone ballistic, it's quite hard for me to comprehend, to be honest. I spend hours upon hours sending my music to people around the globe and I'm always trying to find avenues other artists neglect. I find that artists tend to be too selective in where they send their music... I just send it to anyone with ears.

It seems like you have something of a winning formula, with your debut EP also racking up the streams. What do you think is the key to catching online listens?

Well written, well-produced music mixed with unwavering tenacity to market, promote and provide value is the blueprint. The music industry is about so much more than music and nowadays artists need to be entrepreneurs. My advice would be to hit up as many independent Spotify playlists in your genre as possible, construct your message in a way that provides the playlist creator value and they may end up

featuring your songs. I try and come in from an angle where I am doing the favour, not the other way around.

When and where will Gold Coast fans be able to catch you live?

I'll be performing throughout the Gold Coast mid-March through April, you'll mostly find me at Ravens Chevron, SkyPoint Q1, Waxy's and Jupiters Casino. I try my best to post gig guides on my Facebook, so that'll be your best bet at finding me!

To be honest, these months could potentially be the last few I perform in Australia. My vision for 2017 is to take my originals international, and the only way to do that is to travel to the places I want my music heard.

Samantha Morris

SO CATCH JACOB WHILE YOU CAN! CHECK OUT HIS FACEBOOK PAGE FOR HIS MOVEMENTS. VISIT BLANKGC.COM.AU FOR THE FULL INTERVIEW.

ANGUS STONE’S DOPE NEW PROJECT “It’s a bit more psych to what I’ve released before and there’s more looseness to the crowd. It’s a bit more of a party for us, and they’re all mates on stage, guys I’ve grown up with, so it’s cool in that way,” Angus said.

That concept of mateship – on and off the stage – comes through pretty clear in Dope Lemon’s songs. Their first record saw Angus and his collaborators rent a house on the beach, set up a little studio and literally hit the record button.

“We jammed and drank beers and yeah, just let it all unfold really naturally and recorded everything,” he explained. “At a later stage, we went back through, looked at all the jams and pieced together a record from it.”

Angus Stone first garnered attention as one half of wildly successful folk duo Angus & Julia Stone. With smoky and confident vocals complementing his sister’s ethereal style, their debut album A Book Like This was critically acclaimed in 2007 with 2010’s Down The Way debuting at #1 on the ARIA charts. Angus had a stint working on solo projects, including under the pseudonym Lady of the Sunshine before a third album with his sister in 2014. Dope Lemon is his new project, with a brand new EP under their belt and we’ll see Angus and his band visit the Gold Coast for Bleach* Festival next month.

It’s only been a year since Angus Stone announced his Dope Lemon project and not long after his debut album Honey Bones and he says it’s been “really good.”

It’s obvious that that communal process of making music is an environment which Angus Stone both enjoys and thrives in.

The tracks on that first album Honey Bones list co-writers Rohin Brown (The Walking Who) and Elliott Hammond (The Delta Riggs) and there’s a song recorded on a whim in New York City and that format is something Angus has built on for the new EP Hounds Tooth.

“The songs were recorded in the same situation, but with a different crew,” he said. “We were rehearsing for the Dope Lemon Honey Bones tour and just pressed record and got an EP out of it.”

The first taste of Hounds Tooth comes with cheery vibration, horns and a decent dose of 1950’s South American funk in the form of lead single Home Soon. And that sets the tone for the rest of the album - with swarms of notes buzzing and sounds melting you can hear the jams that brought this latest offering to life.

“We’ve been adjusting our set and we feel like it’s in a really great place,” Angus told Blank Gold Coast. “We’re just stoked to play shows.”

Samantha Morris

“Triple j were really supportive… the fans were really stoked. I didn’t really know what was going to happen.”

“It’s sort of out of your hands whether people will connect with it or not,” he said of any new music project he rolls out. “I sort of approach music in the way that what I write is just what I’m doing. If people want to come along for the ride, that’s great.”

Angus said Dope Lemon attracts a different crowd to things he’s released in the past and naturally attributes that to the music.

DOPE LEMON IS AT BLEACH* FESTIVAL WITH ASH GRUNWALD, TIA GOSTELOW AND EMILY WURRAMARA FOR SALTWATER SESSIONS, COOLANGATTA ON 1 APRIL.

BLUESFEST LINEUP GROWS WITH ADDITION OF NEIL FINN The worst thing about Bluesfest is that the lineup announcements come so thick and fast yet the event seems so far away. And the latest lineup additions don’t really help.

Bluesfest last week announced that Neil Finn was being added to the Monday lineup for the festival with a heap of Australian talent also added to the bill.

Neil Finn and his band will close the festival with a set expected to leave hearts full and faces smiling.

Also on this 11th announcement (yes, eleven), is Vintage Trouble who blew audiences away at the festival in 2016, as well as Nic Cester – better known as the frontman of massive noughties band Jet. He has a solo album due this year while he’ll be debuting at the festival and will be backed by a collection of Italian session players, strings and horns.

Playing for Change are also back (for their fifth festival) and soul man Ellis Soul, fiery guitar maestro Vasti Jackson, triple j favourite REMI and three-time ARIA Award nominees The Wilson Pickers are on the bill as well. Local favourites Round Mountain Girls and Bluesfest Busking winners IVY round out the announcement.

All these incredible artists join other notable musicians including Santana, Jimmy Buffett, Zac Brown Band, Patti Smith, Mary J. Blige, Buddy Guy, Madness, Bonnie Raitt, Mavis Staples, Billy Bragg, Courtney Barnett, Slightly Stoopid, Beth Hart and The Lumineers on what is one of Australia’s most eclectic festival line ups. Bluesfest attendees will enjoy five days of music at the beautiful Tyagarah Tea Tree farm, just outside Byron Bay over Easter from 13 – 17 April.

1/37 Currumbin Creek Rd

COFF EE

FRE S H GR A B & GO

R AW TR E AT S

A C A I & P I TAYA B O W L S

F U N C T I ON S

SHARED WO RK S PACE

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S t r u t & Fr et a n d B l e a c h* Fe s t i va l p r e s e n t

’êêêêê AN ABSOLUTE MUST SEE’

WE ST END WILMA (UK)

AUSTEN’S DARKSIDE

Austen may be a new name for readers of Blank GC, but the young songstress has already garnered Triple j airplay, toured Australia, released two singals and hit festivals such as Jungle Love with fervour. Her latest track Faded has ticked over more than 300,000 Spotify streams and garnered acclaim from Australian tastemakers like us (and Pilerats, Project U and AAABackstage). Darkside is Austen’s new single and she spoke to us about the track, her upcoming tour supporting Asta and how she connects with fans.

B L E A C H * F E S T I VA L SPIEGELTENT GOLD COAST 29 MAR - 16 APR

“Finding out that Faded had over 300,000 streams was crazy,” she told Blank Gold Coast. “I was a completely new artist with no PR team and it was really cool to see people responding to the music I like to make.”

Despite her digital success (and relative youth), Austen has come to terms with the importance of connecting with her audience while acknowledging most of her generation is connected via social media.

“I feel super lucky that I can connect with someone and make a new fan, or friendship, just because they decided to message me on Instagram,” Austen said. “It breaks down the barriers and is the biggest advantage we have as young people with everything that’s going on in the world.”

“The best way to connect with fans is definitely at shows,” she said. “The atmosphere and the vibe at a live gig is probably half of the reason most people decide to pursue a music career in the first place, so the fact that you have an opportunity to give people that experience is sick.”

Austen’s says a new track Mon Amour - a collaboration - is pretty personal and she’s happy with how people have responded to it.

“Working with Kuren was such a great experience. We got the chance to play it live together before it was released a few times.

His live show is super energetic and he incorporates pretty much everything - he plays keys, drums, samples, DJs, and sings.”

You probably won’t hear this track at Austen’s shows though, because she has too much of her own material to play. Speaking of which, Austen hits the road with Asta this month and has a bunch of new, unreleased tracks she’ll be playing for the first time.

“As far as my live show goes, it’s a mix of electronic and organic elements, we have live drums and guitar incorporated in with the electronic vibes which lets us just jam out and be a bit more free creatively through the set,” she said.

S I M P LY MIND-BLOWING

IF BAZ LUHRMANN MADE A NIGHTCLUB, THIS WOULD BE IT

THE HIGHLIGHT O F T H E F E S T I VA L

ME T RO (UK )

T I ME OUT S Y DNEY

WEE KE ND NO TE S

Samantha Morris

AUSTEN IS AT BLEACH* FESTIVAL FOR VARSITY DAZE ON 31 MARCH AND IS SUPPORTING ASTA AT THE COOLY HOTEL ON SUNDAY 12 MARCH. 28

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BLANCSHOW.COM

The way it should be

MARCH THURSDAY 2 MARCH The Zookeepers (Covers) | Southport Sharks

GOLD COAST GIG GUIDE

FRIDAY 3 MARCH Kallidad | Miami Marketta Rumblefish + Micka Scene | NightQuarter Felicity Lawless | Elephant Rock Cafe Josh lee Hamilton Duo (3.00pm) | Burleigh Brewing Co. Gramecy + Die for Mushies + Rachel Gilligan | Currumbin Pub Satisvibe + Andrea Kirwin Trio at Summertime Sessions In The Village | Cuddihy Park, Mudgeeraba Candice Diana at Deck Acoustics (5.00pm) | Currumbin RSL Darkc3ll | Hard Rock Cafe Greg Wall | Cabana Bar & Lounge, Southport Sharks Big Music | Brunswick Hotel Monster Fodder + Secondhand Toothbrush + Speedball + Drop Ins + Cactus Dildos | Coronation Hotel, Ipswich Gavin Doniger Solo | Boardriders Coolangatta Bliss N Esso – Tribute to Johann Ofner | Coolangatta Hotel Screamfeeder | Miami Shark Bar The Feramones | Southport Sharks Wally & The Gators (Covers) | RSL Club Southport

SATURDAY 4 MARCH Kiwi Karnival: Koi Boys + Matt Saunoa and The Hanlon Brothers + Sovereign + Foxy Fusion | NightQuarter The New Savages | Sheoak Shack, Fingal Nowhere Else + Payments In Gold + Aralunar Beagle + Ruddzen | Kirra Sports Club

SUNDAY 5 MARCH Bobby Alu + Mrs Miyagi at Seaside Sounds | Queen Elizabeth Park, Cooly Alex The Kid + Feeling Dave + Sleepwalk for Shark Bar Sundays | Miami Tavern Ondre Davis (2.00pm) | Burleigh Brewing Co. Sublime with Rome (SOLD OUT) | Miami Marketta Scott Dalton | Cafe Catalina The Feramones | Brunswick Hotel Mescalito Blues | Bearded Dragon (1.00pm) Dean Gray (1.00pm) | Cabana Bar, Southport Sharks Shotgun Duo (Covers) (1.00pm) | RSL Club Southport

MONDAY 6 MARCH Mandala Monday Reggae with Bearfoot | Mandala Organic Arts Cafe Marco (Covers) | Southport Sharks Tommy Memphis (Covers) (11.00am) | RSL Club Southport

TUESDAY 7 MARCH Matthew Armitage | The Cambus Wallace

WEDNESDAY 8 MARCH The James Street Preachers | The Cambus Wallace

Chocolate Strings | Miami Marketta Rob McMullan l | Cabana Bar & Lounge, Southport Sharks South Wall | Brunswick Hotel Late for Woodstock | Southport Sharks Rockks (Covers) | RSL Club Southport

SATURDAY 11 MARCH Blues in the Night: Dezzie D and the Stingrayz + Mojo Webb + Bluescorp | NightQuarter

Kallidad + Dinner for Deux | Miami Marketta Felicity Lawless | The Boatshed (1.30pm)

Barefoot Friday (3.00pm) | Burleigh Brewing Co.

Saturday Reggae Fever: Kimmy & Crew + Machado and Family | Currumbin Pub

Mescalito Blues | Kingscliff Beach Bowls Club Ann Vriend + Black Rabbit George | NightQuarter The Byzantines + Mary Handsome + The Goldhearts + Atticus Chimps | Currumbin Pub

TUESDAY 14 MARCH Matthew Armitage | The Cambus Wallace

WEDNESDAY 15 MARCH The James Street Preachers | The Cambus Wallace

THURSDAY 16 MARCH

Felicity Lawless | Marrakesh Blues Bar Benny D Williams | Kingscliff Beach Hotel Kimmy Crew | Mandala Organic Arts Cafe Luke ‘Fergo’ Ferguson at Deck Acoustics (3.00pm) | Currumbin RSL Marshall OKell (duo) | Brunswick Hotel Kings Of the Sun + 2 Tone Nath | Currumbin Pub Mothers Milk Gala: Hussy Hicks + Electrik Lemonade | Currumbin RSL. Tickets at mothersmilkbank.com Dance On (Covers) | Southport Sharks Catfish & The Deejays (Covers) | RSL Club Southport Jackson James Smith| The Kitchens, Robina Town Centre

Brad Butcher (2.00pm) | Burleigh Brewing Co.

Peter Cirovic at Deck Acoustics (5.00pm) | Currumbin RSL

Michael Whitmore (11.00am) (Covers) | RSL Club Southport

Rose MissChief and TK BassDread (2.00pm) + SkankstarZ | Sheoak Shack, Fingal

THURSDAY 9 MARCH

FRIDAY 10 MARCH

Lloyd Saniel (Covers) | Southport Sharks

Mescalito Blues | Sonny’s House of Blues, Brisbane

SUNDAY 12 MARCH

The Zookeepers (Covers) | Southport Sharks

MONDAY 13 MARCH

Wayward Suns + Dinner for Deux | Miami Marketta

Luke Kennedy: His Voice | The Arts Centre Gold Coast

Mickascene + Phil and Tilley at Summertime Sessions In The Village | Cuddihy Park, Mudgeeraba

Kyle Lionhart | Brunswick Hotel www.blankgc.com.au

Gemini Duo (Covers) | RSL Club Southport

70s Music Fest | Albert Waterways Community Centre, Broadbeach (from 5.00pm)

Ben Hanns at Deck Acoustics (3.00pm) | Currumbin RSL

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O.L.B | Southport Sharks

Benny D Williams (2.00pm) | The Avenue, Surfers Paradise

Foxfires + Satisvibe at Seaside Sounds | Queen Elizabeth Park, Cooly Jason McGregor | Cafe Catalina Felicity Lawless (12 noon) | Beach Burrito Hanlon Brothers | Brunswick Hotel Gavin Doniger solo (4.00pm) | Cabarita Beach Hotel The Cloacas + Mini Skirt + Israeli Chicks for Shark Bar Sundays | Miami Tavern Eleea Navarro (1.00pm) | Cabana Bar & Lounge, Southport Sharks

Dogtags + Mr Clyde + Joshy Dredz | O’Malleys Surfers Paradise The Zookeepers (Covers) | Southport Sharks Salt and Steel | The Kitchens, Robina Town Centre

FRIDAY 17 MARCH Matty Rogers (3.00pm) | Burleigh Brewing Co. Ofa + Jah Butu at Summertime Sessions In The Village | Cuddihy Park, Mudgeeraba James Reyne + Felicity Lawless Band | Soundlounge Currumbin St Patrick’s Day: Barley Shakes + Gold Coast Pipe Band | NightQuarter ILUKA + James Bennett | Miami Marketta Daniel Irwin | Cabana Bar & Lounge, Southport Sharks Gold Coast Jazz & Blues: Emma Pask & Trio | The Arts Centre Gold Coast Margie Barker at Deck Acoustics (5.00pm) | Currumbin RSL Dirty River duo | Brunswick Hotel Trapdoor + MNVR + DJ Dinjital + special guests | Currumbin Pub Local Revolution (9.30pm) | Mandala Organic Arts Cafe Gavin Doniger Solo | Cardigan Bar, Sandgate O’Leary and the Munster Bucks Traditional Irish band | Southport Sharks Celtic Beat (Covers) | Jupiters Hotel & Casino Long Gone Daddys (Covers) | RSL Club Southport

Abbigayle Anderson (Covers) | RSL Club Southport

DISCOVER GOLD COAST'S BEST NEW MUSIC

SATURDAY 18 MARCH

WEDNESDAY 22 MARCH

SUNDAY 26 MARCH

Violent Femmes | Twin Towns

Cooly Beach Fest: The Ruben + The Beautiful Girls + Dorsal Fins + Bec Sandridge + The Vanns | Queen Elizabeth Park, Coolangatta

The James Street Preachers | The Cambus Wallace

Jason McGregor | Cafe Catalina

The Ruiins + Austen + Th’Fika as part of Bleach* Festival 2017 | Varsity Parade, Varsity Lakes

THURSDAY 23 MARCH

The Ruminaters + Donny Love + Vanilla Gorilla + Party Wave for Rabbit Radio Rampage day two | Miami Tavern Shark Bar

The Living End + The Bennies + Good Boy | NightQuarter Method | Sheoak Shack, Fingal

“Bandoke” with The Zookeepers | Southport Sharks

Gavin Doniger solo | Hidden, Tugun

FRIDAY 24 MARCH

Chad Wilkins | Numinbah Valley School of Arts Hall (3.00pm tickets $20 at the door) Asa Broomhall + Luke Pauley | Miami Marketta Chris Hutchison at Deck Acoustics (3.00pm) | Currumbin RSL Baby Animals | Twin Towns Mr Clyde + Dan Baber + Dream of Indigo + Mind & Matches | The Loft Chevron Island Broadfoot | Brunswick Hotel Midnight Groove (Covers) | Southport Sharks Elvis: One Night in Vegas (Covers) | Jupiters Hotel & Casino Slique Duo (Covers) | RSL Club Southport Amela | The Kitchens, Robina Town Centre

SUNDAY 19 MARCH Alex Kilsby | Cafe Catalina Kimmy and Crew + Katia Demeester at Seaside Sounds | Queen Elizabeth Park, Cooly Tamam Shud + The Windy Hills | Soundlounge Currumbin Tropical Zombie + Sea Legs for Shark Bar Sundays | Miami Tavern for Shark Bar Sundays | Miami Tavern Benny D Williams (2.00pm) | The Boatshed, Currumbin Kenny Slide (2.00pm) | Burleigh Brewing Co. Asa Broomhall Band | Brunswick Hotel Gemini Duo (Covers) (1.00pm) | RSL Club Southport

MONDAY 20 MARCH Marco (Covers) | Southport Sharks Steve Hill (Covers) ( 11.00am) | RSL Club Southport

TUESDAY 21 MARCH Matthew Armitage | The Cambus Wallace

Wanderers + Mark Ridout and the Rhythm | Miami Marketta AKoVA | Beach Hotel, Byron Bay Shining Bird + Chris Flaskas | NightQuarter Eleea Navarro | Cabana Bar & Lounge, Southport Sharks Matty Ross (3.00pm) | Burleigh Brewing Co. Angus Oastler | The Kitchens, Robina Town Centre Sarah Grant at Deck Acoustics (5.00pm) | Currumbin RSL Ooz | Brunswick Hotel My Echo + Loud Goes Bang + Collins Class + Futurespeak | Currumbin Pub

Josh Lee Hamilton (2.00pm) | Burleigh Brewing Co.

Benny D Williams at Sounds of Sunday (7.00 – 8.00pm)| Broadbeach Tavern Felicity Lawless (9.00am) | Iron and Resin Garage Angus Oastler | Beach Burrito, Coolangatta Mason Rack Band | Brunswick Hotel Ned Walker (1.00pm) | Cabana Bar & Lounge, Southport Sharks Greg Bankx (Covers) (1.00pm) | RSL Club Southport

MONDAY 27 MARCH Lloyd Saniel (Covers) | Southport Sharks Deana Peher (Covers) (11.00am) | RSl Club Southport

Funk N Wagnells (Covers) | Southport Sharks

TUESDAY 28 MARCH

Just The Ticket ( Covers) | RSL Club Southport

The Truman Smith Duo | The Cambus Wallace

SATURDAY 25 MARCH

WEDNESDAY 29 MARCH

Felicity Lawless Band + Luke Pauley | Miami Marketta Chris Flaskas (2.00pm) + Victoriana Gaye (7.00pm) | Sheoak Shack, Fingal

The James Street Preachers | The Cambus Wallace

THURSDAY 30 MARCH

Luke Bennett at Deck Acoustics (3.00pm) | Currumbin RSL

Urthboy | Miami Marketta (ticketed event)

Benny D Williams (2.00pm) | House of Brew, Surfers Paradise

The Zookeepers (Covers) | Southport Sharks

Charmaine Jones (Brazil) (9.30pm) | Mandala Organic Arts Cafe Tina Turner Tribute Show | RSL Club Southport Nicole Parker-Brown and the Late Late Show | NightQuarter GOONS OF DOOM + Mylee and The Milkshakes + The Cinema Wristys + Straays for Rabbit Radio Rampage day one | Miami Tavern Archie Rye | Brunswick Hotel Angry Anderson and Band | Broadbeach Tavern Catfish & The Deejays (Covers) | Southport Sharks Champagne Jam (Covers) | RSL Club Southport Luate | The Kitchens, Robina Town Centre

FRIDAY 31 MARCH Jacob Lee + Shag Rock + Luke Morris | NightQuarter Kimmy & Crew | Miami Marketta Commonside EP Launch Party + Skore + ZabicaMusica + DJ Funky D | Currumbin Pub Benny D Williams (3.00pm) | Burleigh Brewing Co. Sam Buckingham at Deck Acoustics (5.00pm) | Currumbin RSL Paris Lane | Cabana Bar & Lounge, Southport Sharks The Lyrical and DJ Yaki for Stone & Wood launch party | Brunswick Hotel

Devils Kiosk (Covers) | Southport Sharks Matrix Duo (Covers) | RSL Club Southport

APRIL SATURDAY 1 APRIL Old Man Fridays + Ondre Davis | Miami Marketta The Angels, Midnight Oil & Divinyls Tribute Show | RSL Club Southport Icehouse | Harrigan’s Drift Inn Round Mountain Girls | NightQuarter Things of Stone and Wood | Soundlounge Currumbin Mescalito Blues | Hotel Brunswick Dope Lemon (Angus Stone) + Ash Grunwald + Tia Gostelow + Emily Wurramara as part of Bleach* Festival 2017 | Coolangatta Foreshore Pink Tribute | Southport Sharks The Sign Off: Electrik Lemonade + Some Jerks + Katie Who. Farewell Signs of the Time from 3.00pm at The Arts Centre GC.

SUNDAY 2 APRIL Bobby Alu and the Palm Royale at LIVE AT BOND as part of Bleach* Festival 2017 | Bond University Amphitheatre (3.00pm) Johan Danno | The Cambus Wallace Ash Grunwald Jam Session as part of Bleach* Festival 2017 | Coolangatta Hotel Hayley Grace (1.00pm) | Cabana Bar & Lounge, Southport Sharks

MONDAY 3 APRIL Lloyd Saniel (Covers) | Southport Sharks

AKoVA | Beats and Eats, Logan Mescalito Blues | Billinudgel Hotel

* Catch these SEED artists playing at a venue near you

WWW.SEEDSERIES.BANDCAMP.COM

www.blankgc.com.au

31

music reviews

ON THE BLANK STEREO

NEVILLE STAPLE

DATURA4

ALL OUR EXES LIVE IN TEXAS | When We Fall

“Court in session! Hush’up!”

The sonic template of Fremantle's Datura4 has been forged from a rich musical heritage. Frontman Dom Mariani helmed much loved 80's melodic garage proponents The Stems (plus The Someloves and DM3), while guitarist Greg Hitchcock has had stints with You Am I and The New Christs. The band is rounded out by ex-Drones drummer Warren Hall and bassist Stu Loasby.

I sat down to complete a jigsaw puzzle with a friend as we listened to this album. Her impression was a reference to Netflix series, Nashville, where politics, industry and country music collide.

Musically, All our Exes weave lovely harmonies through bluegrass, folk and country-influenced ditties. Lyrically, they don’t take themselves too seriously, planting tongues firmly in cheek. They sing of love, or love lost, and sometimes just the primal urges a lady feels when she is endeared to a loved one, or angry at him. My advice for the interested lover of country folk? Gentlemen, tread carefully. Ladies, enjoy – Glenn Tozer

CIRCA WAVES | Different Creatures The Liverpool lads have created an album filled with everything from upbeat indie rock, to slow and sombre ballads. It’s obvious Circa Waves have taken some time to work on their sound, with more of a heavy presence in their guitars than previously and the drums, at times, have you questioning how someone can even move their arms that fast. Two lead tracks Different Creatures, Wake Up and Fire that Burns display that change in direction with fast and heavy guitars showcasing their energetic side along with trademark catchy melodies and lyrics. Some slower more sombre tracks have also been thrown in for good measure.

These songs are in quite a different ballpark to what we’re used to hearing from the lads, but in no way are they lacking in quality – Cam Alexander

FRACTURES | I’m Still Here I’m still Here is full of heartfelt ballads with brooding undertones and electronic beats keeping the songs modern and current. Withold kicks off the album with beefy drum beats carrying soft melancholy piano chords until Fracture’s sweet vocals enter. Alchemy takes the listener to a more upbeat note showcasing his ability to shift the beat while keeping a nostalgic mood and Time Frame holds back on the production a little focusing on clean electric guitar licks and lullaby-like vocals.

All in all Fractures new album is a great debut and while it won’t be the album you hear blaring at a club, it’s the one that you’ll listen to reminding you of the broken heart you had at 17 - Emma Whines

Return of Judge Roughneck

It’s the return of the original rude boy, Neville Staple, marking the Return of Judge Roughneck, here to preside over a Britain in a Brexit breakdown.

Formally of seminal ska-revivalists, The Specials, and with 35-years of skanking behind him, Staple is back, fondly flying the tattered flag of ska, reggae and dub.

It’s a double album of something borrowed, something new; reworked covers and bastardisations of Staple’s own back catalogue.

Case in point, the reintroduction of Judge Roughneck, last seen on his former band’s Stupid Marriage (1979) - a character itself lifted from Prince Buster’s Judge Dread (1967). It’s a sprightly and familiar opener, full of those Specials hallmarks - electric carnival organ, that distinctive “chkchk-chk” guitar stroke, horns a-plenty.

Likewise, Run, with its invitation to “kick up ya boot and run, come” is certain to have your dad stomping up a sweat in the sitting room.

But where The Specials rallied against Thatcher’s crumbling Britain so effectively, Staple’s attempts to address life in 2017 are a little less so.

Sure, he may rejig his own Lunatics (originally performed with Fun Boy Three in 1982) to include news reports on ISIS defectors and failing food banks. But songs like Crime Don’t Pay (discouraging “looting, booting, robbing and shooting”) and Politician Man sail a little too close to self-parody.

The superb cover of Jimmy Soul’s If You Wanna Be Happy (1963), on the other hand, is a real Trojan horse of a song, veering from mock-chauvinist (“get an ugly girl to marry you”) to an endearingly sweet ode to espousal.

But mostly, it’s a feel-good album following a reliable formula, epitomised by the album closer: the music hall standard and Specials sing-a-long, Enjoy Yourself, delivered in “lounge-room” style, complete with clink of glasses and drunken toasts.

Plus, as a two-for-one deal, the second half of the album is nothing but bassheavy, dub versions of the first. So depending on your mood, or vice of choice, it would appear Neville has you covered.

“Hush’up! Take ‘em away”

32

www.blankgc.com.au

Richard Scott

Hairy Mountain

While a strong grasp of classic hooks and memorable melodies remain, this musical coming together is an altogether hairier beast. On Hairy Mountain they lovingly channel the meatier sonic spectrum of the late 60s and early 70s.

Lashings of harder edged rock stylings, dabs of psychedelia, epic guitar sorcery and boogie rock schwing shape the band’s sonic terrain. These songs are drawn out musical journeys, with most clocking in at the four-minute mark and beyond.

Opening track Gold Rush starts with a meaty, head nodding riff before tasty, 70s inflected harmonising broadens the band’s scope into wide screen territory.

Second track, Trolls is a righteous diss of faceless keyboard warriors, delivering a solid follow up punch and the memorable refrain "while you're sleeping, trolls are creeping." Meanwhile Uphill Climb ebbs and flows, power and urgency melting away within a hazy, psych-blues channelling extended outro.

Mary Carroll Park, Greedy World and Confide In Me are full tilt, boogie rocking delights. While the album’s title track chugs along in the vein of a heavy duty, biker-blues lunker before rising frantically into the stratosphere on the back of turbo driven rifferola and epic guitar manna. The solid rocking pace only lets up on the album’s final, acoustically strummed number Broken Path.

What elevates Datura4 above the pack is that they clearly know their way around a tune, their classic song-writing chops taking them far beyond simply a stitched-up bunch of resin-soaked riffs looking for a song. And with the band’s collective musical pedigree, perhaps this should come as no great surprise.

What is rather surprising is the relative obscurity in which a release of this quality currently exists, so to borrow a line, ‘do yourself a favour’ and go scale the Hairy Mountain with Datura4.

Anthony Gebhardt

WREN KLAUF Gawk’ EP

Gawk is the second EP for Wren Klauf and it sees them solidifying their signature sound with a wide range of vocal and guitar tones that sound like they’ve been plucked from the 90s.

Their psychedelic style is almost enchanting and with the EP being tailor made as an audio, visual and wearable collaboration between Wren Klauf and visual artist Kiah the Label (KTL) this project goes deeper than just tunes.

Lead track on Gawk, Okay, takes you on a wild ride filled with guitar tones and catchy lyrics and Cartwheels starts with a soft keyboard intro, then rips into a chorus that is certified to blow hats off. Phosphorescent showcases the variety of vocal talents Wren Klauf have to offer with a call and response between high and low voices and a highlight of sudden tempo switch that catches you completely off guard. The final track Spellbound is loaded with echoing vocals and reverb which showcasing psychedelic elements entwined in their music.

Cam Alexander

AVERSIONS CROWN Xenocide

The Australian metal scene is as strong as ever and while it’s been hard to keep up of late, one album that has cut through exceptionally is Aversions Crowns’ Xenocide.

Intense is an understatement when it comes to the band’s sophomore release. The song-writing shows a band that can not only set an atmospheric mood, but also one that can take listeners on a heavy and almost cinematic journey. For fans were hoping to hear the bands evolution, your wish has been granted.

The production of the album is masterfully crafted by Adam Merker from Studio Anders debeerz in Brisbane, which really gives this album teeth.

A stand out for me was vocalist Mark Poida's mind blowing vocal work and lyrics that will send your imagination into overdrive with the album’s dark SciFi concept.

Xenocide has so many great moments musically that it is hard to pick one song in particular as a stand out and is best listened to from start to finish. There are subtle layers revealed after repeated plays and there’s no doubt Aversions Crown are gaining momentum, which will no doubt see them step up to larger venues in the near future.

Xenocide is out now through Nuclear Blast.

Nev Pearce

THE WAIFS Ironbark

Nailed it. The Waifs began writing this album by asking themselves what their fans would want and here you have exactly that. Ironbark is a fitting celebration of 25 years making music for The Waifs. The two disc set delivers 25 songs which showcase the incredible song writing talents of Josh, Donna and Vikki. Recorded in 2 weeks in a makeshift studio in Josh’s home, the album carries an earthy, spontaneous vibe.

The songs tell stories and paint pictures in a seemingly effortless way. From the simple and stripped back The Shack to topical and eerie Syria. Ironbark runs through a variety of tempos, instrumentation, genres and topics.

Opening track Ironbark warmly welcomes you back to The Waifs’ sound and gives you a sense of the wisdom that has been accrued by the three over the last 25 years. Sugar Mama provides fun and cheekiness. While from its opening line, ‘someone’s got to wear a dress around here’, the country style of Take Me To Town carries a cheeky and mischievous vibe.

Ironbark is 25 tracks long yet maintains the same level of energy, emotion and interest all the way through. It makes the prospect of the upcoming tour that much more enticing.

Erin Bourne

BONOBO Migration

Surprisingly inspiring, that’s my nutshell review of Migration, the latest release from British producer Bonobo, aka Simon Green.

Migration is the first track immediately creating both mood and ambience. Bonobo says of the album, “my own personal idea of identity has played into this record and the theme of migration. Is home where you are or where you are from, when you move around?”

This worldly and nomadic concept is evident throughout, particularly with tracks like Bambro Koyo Ganda. With its very tribal feel and vocals from Innov Gnawa this track takes you far from home yet 7th Sevens is unmistakably Bonobo and would have been at home on any of his previous albums.

Kerala, the first single released, carries rapturous harmonies beneath almost angelic voices – it’s been at number one on the Spotify Global Viral Chart and has been downloaded over 4.5 million times. Bonobo’s talent for progressive house grooves and layering is evident in the track No Reason which features Nick Murphy (Chet Faker).

I tend to think of this music as pleasant background music and many Bonobo songs are included on my yoga and pilates class playlists. When I first listened to this album though it kept my attention. Migration makes you want to move, whether it’s just your attention, your body or to new lands and it’s well worth a listen.

Gold Coast

Erin Bourne www.blankgc.com.au

33

Food & Drink

NONNA’S Harbourtown Shopping Centre, Cnr Gold Coast Hwy & Oxley Drive, Biggera Waters

“We wanted to bring back a great dining experience to the Northern end of the coast,” Sasha says, acknowledging a market waiting with hungry mouths.

Nonna’s is intent on filling those appetites. From its kitchens come 600g steaks, metre-long pizzas, doorstop parmigiana and schnitzel and 3-foot-high fairy floss. For us, though, nothing beats Nonna’s ribs. Succulently tender and dripping with smoky sauce, they fall off the bone. Served on large platters, each dish is topped up with chips and slaw or salad, ensuring that no one will ever be hungry again! The Mediterranean salad also makes a pretty picture, served in a giant tortilla bowl.

Adding some frivolity to the menu are the crazy shakes – a sure fire hit for every kid’s birthday party. As ‘Happy Days’ plays in the background, you can make your own insane shakes from a toolbox of sweets, sourced from the brothers’ nearby Candyland store.

“You’ve got to have a bit of fun!” Sascha adds. Sweet!

While at night, the new 300-seat restaurant has the feel of a bustling Italian steakhouse, by day, it’s an essential service in the burgeoning Harbourtown shopping complex, whose stores have become increasingly sophisticated.

Every shopping experience requires fortification, and Nonna’s breakfast is one of the best we’ve seen.

“Eat better, Drink happy.”

Opened in 2005, Nonna’s is a good example of a family restaurant that gives the people what they want. Always popular, the recent renovation will make it even more so.

As they’d done with House of Brews, the Kanaghines brothers embarked on a ‘discovery’ trip to the US to uncover food trends before they hit our shores.

“What we found was that fast food was becoming gourmet.

Organic, pesticide free and gluten free food was sweeping the market. Fruit and veg were fresh local produce and the eggs and dairy were organic,” co-owner Sascha tells us, relating the discoveries which have informed their menus, including a separate menu for gluten free diners.

Visiting 208 bars and restaurants in eighteen days, it was not until the last few hours of their trip that a Boston loft encapsulated the look and feel they wanted to achieve at Nonna’s: exposed brick walls, open kitchen and a huge grill.

Within three weeks of starting, Nonna’s’ million-dollar renovation was complete.

Hugely Instagrammable, Nonna’s imported Argentinian grill, with its showy flame display, demands attention as a prominent feature of the newly refurbished restaurant.

Nearby in the glass-fronted kitchen there’s a highly practical Italian pizza oven, its rotating base capable of producing pizzas with ease and precision.

Catering for everyone, from the $4.95 Nonna’s Breakfast to the Monster Brekkie, a platter packed with eggs, chorizo sausage, grilled pork belly, bacon, haloumi, feta, sautéed mushrooms, roast tomato, leg ham, baked beans, hash browns and Turkish toast. At $28.95 we reckon it’s enough to serve three people! In fact, all the dishes we see are large servings, for example the Brekkie Bruschetta ($19.95) we order is delicious and, on two separate slices of Turkish toast, it could easily serve two. There’s also a huge Milano omelette packed with chorizo, bacon, mushrooms and haloumi plus veg, as well as a trio of sliders with your choice of fillings. So many great choices on the breakfast menu, and Nonna’s only use free range eggs. Way to go!

Top in the value stakes is the Nonna’s brekkie. Scrambled eggs and lashings of bacon served with Turkish toast for under $5? You’ve got to be kidding, we thought, but it’s a mighty fine brekkie which the locals love. Add your ‘bits’ for a dollar or so here and there if you wish.

“You are not going to leave hungry!” the brothers promise on their website. “Fresh and delicious, mountainous salads, our incredibly good value Seafood Platter and our juicy steaks....oh, did we mention our ridiculously good pizzas, our delicious pastas, our to-die-for seafood chowder, our unique beer battered fries, our finger-lickin' ribs, our huge home made desserts, our.... well, the list goes on and on!”

They forgot to mention: “…and the best value breakfast we’ve seen on the coast!”

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

CACTUS COFFEE In the booming food truck scene on the Gold Coast there is a certain “thrill of the chase” that comes with tracking down your favourite truck and feasting on the goodies inside. Now it’s time to add another one to your list with the arrival of Cactus Coffee on the Coast.

Travel-and-cactus-loving owners Bianca Reeder and Jayden Kenna have always wanted to open a café or a bar, and then one day they “had a magical idea” to start the coffee trailer, the best way for them to stay on the move whilst doing something they love.

With Jayden working as a barista at Green Lane Coffee on Tamborine Mountain, and Bianca a born and bred Gold Coaster, they wanted to focus on locally sourced products.

Thus the fair trade organic, locally grown and roasted coffee from Green Lane Coffee was a no brainer for their business.

With the bean blends changing weekly, you’re guaranteed a new flavour experience every time you track them down.

As Bianca and Jayden inform me, the beauty of using Green Lane Coffee is that the beans are freshly picked, roasted and then straight to you, guaranteeing the freshest cup of coffee beautifully made on a La Marzocco Linea 2-Group machine (a controversial choice they inform me due to the trailer always being on the move, but they wanted the very best.)

On my visit the espresso was delectably sharp and tangy with a bold red berry flavour that truly whet the appetite for more. In a piccolo the sharpness felt in the espresso was still present, a unique experience if you are a committed milk coffee drinker as the milk often mellows out the acidity.

Being a hot day an iced long black was the ticket, with the red berry flavour spreading out and pairing wonderfully with the ice and cold water. Cactus Coffee also have a Japanese style, 16 hour cold brew on offer, definitely one for the die-hard caffeine addicts as Jayden said it perfectly, “it’s so strong, it hits you out of nowhere”. Now that is a coffee guaranteed to get you through even the bleakest of Mondays!

Cactus Coffee can be found Monday to Wednesday from 7:30am to 11:30am at 157 Varsity Parade in Varsity Lakes and at various events around the Gold Coast. As Bianca and Jayden say “if you’re having a cactus day, have a coffee” and where better else when you’re on the go than Cactus Coffee.

Catherine Coburn

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www.blankgc.com.au

SIX OF THE BEST VEGAN EATS ON THE GOLD COAST Long gone are the days of vegans having to order a simple side salads and chips. Gold Coast’s vegan food scene is growing rapidly, offering a range of plant-based options. From rustic and artistic restaurants to innovative food and designs, here are the top places for the health-andplanet-conscious diners to fuel their bodies.

Greenhouse Canteen & Bar

STONES THROW

1823 Gold Coast Highway, Burleigh Heads

With so many new cafés opening on the Gold Coast, it pays to offer something different. We’ve heard all the #givethecustomerswhattheywant arguments, and they don’t entirely wash with us.

So, when we visit Stone’s Throw for the first time, we’re really pleased to see no Eggs Bene on the menu. They’ve stepped up and taken a few risks which have paid off. Full stop.

All Time Coffee

1. Greenhouse Canteen & Bar, Miami

4. Giri Kana Cafe, Southport

Since opening in March last year, Greenhouse Canteen has enticed guests into a realm of rare treasures and expertly designed dishes. A full-service bar and à la carte menu create a true dining out experience; a rarity in the vegan food scene. The restaurant contains its own eco and ethical store, Lovechild Laneway, which offers an electrifying range of high-quality vegan designs.

Giri Kana’s wholesome food is freshly cooked for the body and mind. The popular café caters to all, with vegan, vegetarian, organic and gluten free options. Many nonvegetarian customers regulars come simply because they love the food. Delicious and harmonious dishes come from the aromatic kitchen, where spices give an interesting Indian-fusion.

The menu offers culinary delights such as Local vegetable socca pizza, Pulled jackfruit enchiladas, Cauliflower nasi goreng and Vietnamese pancakes. For the truly hungry, iconic “meatball” subs and Big macs are available with all of the flavour and no remorse.

The menu is comprised of well-priced dishes such as Organic pancakes, Kitchari, Kofta pockets, Tofu scramble, great salads and a Vegan big breakfast. Otherwise, cooked dishes, raw treats and homemade cakes are readily available in the display.

2. Mandala Organic Arts Cafe, Mermaid Waters

5. Naked Treaties, Robina

The Mandala staff welcomes you into a warm and intimate environment, hosting a range of events to delight your senses. These include live musicians on Friday and Saturday nights and Food & Film events in which artistic and invigorating documentaries are screened under the stars. Indoors, bricks and timber juxtapose local art and handmade décor on the walls, all of which is available for purchase, creating a hassle-free gallery.

The menu boasts dishes such as Inca bowls, Raw pad Thai and pizzas that motivate customers to return. At the bar the inventive drinks menu includes fermented Kombucha margaritas.

Originating from Byron Bay, the new Naked Treaties location has brought its laid-back style to The Kitchens at Robina. Its forest-like appearance of twisted wood and menu items such as Medicinal mushrooms create a true air of magic.

A hub for vibrant living, their menu includes Nut milkshakes, Fresh coconuts, Elixirs, Alkalising porridge, Raw pizzas and their signature raw BLAT. The Raw Bar provides quick sweets, desserts, granola, supplements, take home spreads and coconut bacon. Artisan products, recipe books and other retail items are also available for purchase.

6. All Time Coffee, Mermaid Waters

3. Cardamom Pod Brickworks, Ferry Rd Market

All Time is an edgy, fast-paced coffee shop. Natural timber pieces of furniture and wall art by Steen Jones house a unique and universal space. Open from 6.00am every day, this place makes the perfect pit stop.

The energy at Cardamom Pod centres on happiness and wellbeing. Clean eating dishes are designed for health consciousness and a lighter footprint on the planet. The staff use a style of cooking that hails from ancient India of prasadam, or kindness.

Vegans are welcomed through the doors with a plant-based Toastie menu and Sugar-coated donuts, or the same items are available as a non-vegan option. A reflection of the owners, this place has created a balance that accommodates everyone.

It’s vegan if you want it to be, but it doesn’t have to be.

Tasty and karma-free dishes include the incredibly photogenic Smoothie bowls: acai, pitaya and peanut butter.

Lavish burgers, Cornmeal waffles, Protein pancakes and Sweet waffles are a few of the other house favourites. Drink your way to wellness with warm delights such as Yerba mate and LSDs (soya-dandelion lattes).

Jamie-Lee Rowley

Taking over the venue formerly occupied by Pigs and Pints Burleigh, Stones Throw is literally ‘a stone’s throw’ from where brother and sister duo Cameron Chartres and Melanie Windsor grew up on Hale Street.

Having worked his way around the world working in kitchens in Canada, France and the UK (to name a few countries, including a few months with Gordon Ramsay), Cameron worked in mining on his return to Australia before joining the Rick Shores team as a chef. Like most chefs, Cam longed for his own kitchen and when Mel admitted she too was at a crossroads, they took the chance to follow their passion, opening Stones Throw with their partners in mid-2016.

The café is a family affair, each member having their own specialty: Cameron infuses the world flavours he’s experienced into Australian cuisine with lots of herbs and spices added to the all-day breakfast and lunch menu; Mel’s the baker, Cam’s partner Amy Kaden is a naturopath, taking care of sourcing and juicing, while friend Katie Chartres fills the cabinet with wholefood baking.

Relaxed and casual with a beach feel, Mel says they’re trying to fill the gap in between fine dining and takeaway, while offering food that’s healthy and full of flavour.

Some of the standout dishes include a Coconut sugar-cured omelette with chilli sambal, green chilli and spring onion; Ricotta and raspberry baked pancakes with crème fraiche; Star anise braised short rib baguette; and Softshell crab brioche. With weekly specials keeping up local interest, passionate fans will never let them take several dishes off the menu, including Cauliflower rice and Avo sourdough with mixed seeds and verjuice.

The brekkie bar is a neat touch, allowing patrons to build their own breakfast from chia pudding, muesli and granola, yoghurt and fruit for $13. It’s only a small part of the wide gluten free offering which includes GF raisin toast and bread always being available, sweet and savoury muffins, at least one salad, as well as three sweet GF options.

With the winning Brisbane-based Fonzie Abbott coffee, Stones Throw has become a favourite for Burleigh business workers and locals. In turn, the group are putting back into the community with fundraising for cystic fibrosis through a book exchange and functions.

Fresh and healthy, this is a café with interesting twists in almost every dish and, in another nice touch, the entire menu is available as takeaway to the beach, just a stone’s throw away!

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

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Food & Drink

MAVIS’S WILD FEAST

64 Mount Warning Road, Uki, NSW

LITTLE BITES STEAMING UP SURFERS Steampunk Surfers Paradise is gearing up to take the Surfers Paradise precinct by storm and will be a never-before-seen dining and nightlife destination. Inspired by the Victorianera science fiction focused sub-genre, the out-of-this-world venue will steam things up in Surfers Paradise with its looming opening and is the first of its kind to be launched on Australian shores. The new venue will feature a delicious food offering, a range of quirky cocktails and entertainment aplenty.

It was to be a ‘wild food’ garden feast – five courses made from local and hyper-local produce held in the gardens of the magnificent Mavis’s Kitchen, Uki. As the sun descended on the afternoon, seventy people gathered to have a dinner with friends and strangers at two long linen-clad tables strewn with magnolia branches, laid out on Mavis’s lawn, just beside the garden.

It’s only a short trip along the Tweed Valley to reach Mavis’s Kitchen, a trip which, in 2007, the restaurant building had travelled to reach its present location. When owners Peter Clarke and Charlie Ebell sold and closed Harley Street Brasserie, located in a stately Queenslander in Labrador, they were dismayed to learn that the house was bound for demolition. Built in the early 1900s, this was the original home of the Loder family before being owned by Peter’s aunty. Once surrounded by a lush dairy farm stretching down to the Broadwater, the house had become enveloped by urban sprawl.

Now it’s beside us, perched on a hilltop, surrounded by national park leading up to a towering Mt Warning. We sit in a giant garden party, our food brought from the kitchen named in honour of Charlie’s mother Mavis. Produce has been sourced from Mavis’s kitchen garden and local North NSW farmers within the rim of the Caldera. Under a tree nearby, two suckling pigs rest, skewed from the spit, prepared by Executive Chef Eric ‘Pepe’ Garcia and his team.

Beginning with a champagne cocktail and melon to accompany avocado and ginger appetisers with housemade duck prosciutto, we mingle and meet other guests, surrounded by tropical beauty. To one side lies an organic vegetable garden populated with statues. On the other side of the house are accommodation cottages overlooking a shimmering lake.

The stunning Ink Gin, with its characteristic purple hue, produced by the local Husk Distillery is available for purchase, with organic wine from The Wine Tradition served to accompany the meal.

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The dishes are rustic, with large platters of food laid out on the table to share. It’s simple wholesome food from a country kitchen: King brown mushroom and potato gratin, Pasta Freda (cold pasta tossed through with tomatoes, olives, and fresh mozzarella), served with an accompanying shot of intensely-flavoured gazpacho, open flame-cooked Suckling pig, Roasted Dutch creams and a Waldorf salad dotted with candied walnuts. Nimbin Valley cheese and crackers follow, together with Lime and passionfruit meringues, tea and coffee.

Really, there's no 'wild' food in sight; no warrigal greens accompanying the gratin, no lemon myrtle crackers with the cheese. Rather, our feast has been farmed and made by artisan producers; well-sourced produce made or finished in house.

But it’s a romantic evening as the sun sets, moving from daylight in this gorgeous location to dining under twinkling strings of light. Fed and watered, the worries of urban living seem far away.

UBER EATS BRINGS FAVES TO YOUR DOOR Food delivery service Uber Eats has been launched on the Gold Coast. Covering Southport to Robina, now you can have food from 80 restaurants delivered to you, even at the beach! From Brooklyn Depot burgers to Bam Bam pastries, from Gnochi Gnochi Brothers' pasta to Doughnut Time's delights, your food cravings can be satisfied in minutes. Some of the restaurants you can order from include Brooklyn Depot, Salt Meats Cheese, Ball Boy, BSKT, Paddock Bakery, Bam Bam Bakehouse, Doughnut Time, Lucky Bao, Grocer & Grind, The Sandwich Bros., Hello Harry, The Loose Moose, Jimmy Grants, Hank Dining, Society of Florida, Paradox Coffee Roasters, Tribeca NYC, Fiery Deli, Randy Wallhole, Honey Eater Kitchen, Fish Lab, Gnocchi Gnocchi Brothers...Just download the app. and start texting!

Mavis’s sales and marketing manager Kristal Smith tells us this is the first in a series of dinners and events, known as The Event Series ($89pp), to be held by the restaurant. With this dinner fully booked (and even oversubscribed), it would pay to book ahead. After all, you don’t want to miss out!

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

THE GOLD COAST FOOD AND WINE FESTIVAL RETURNS Running from Friday 2 June to Sunday 4 June, the Festival will celebrate the Gold Coast’s exciting and expanding foodie scene, the abundance of local fresh produce and wide ranging wineries and breweries. There will be social and interactive events all the way along the Coast. This will include food truck meet ups, barbecue wars, outdoor dining experiences and unique experiences within renown Gold Coast restaurants. Festival organisers are currently accepting expressions of interest from Gold Coast based hospitality businesses, producers, chefs and venues to be a part of this year’s event. Interested parties can go to gcfoodandwine.com.au to apply..

GOLD COAST FOOD & WINE TOURS

When we travel, food is top of our agenda, and we’re not alone in this pursuit. Food and wine top the list of visitor interests on the Gold Coast.

“High quality dining experiences are really putting the Gold Coast on the map as a foodie destination, and food tourism is one of our fastest growing markets,” says Karen Inglis-Turner, the owner and consummate tour guide of Gold Coast Food and Wine Tours, which operates tours of a number of geographic areas on the coast.

We embark on ‘A Taste of Burleigh’ with Gold Coast Food and Wine Tours. Karen greets tour participants, gives introductions, and gives us a potted history of Burleigh Heads, from the first time European explorers saw it from the sea in 1770 until the present day. We’ll visit a building built in 1925 and dine in a butcher’s cold room, she tells us.

Food. It's the interest that we all have in common. Everyone needs to eat, but it’s also a communal activity where people talk and get to know each other. The walking tour is not a progressive dinner; nevertheless, we consume a fair amount of food and wine on our learning journey. It’s a great way to get a quick ‘catchup’ on the food scene from the perspective of a local.

We pass through the Burleigh movie theatre, one of the oldest tourist attractions still in existence. Karen tells us about the building, built in 1925 and what going to the movies was like then. It’s an interactive conversation with older members of the tour adding in their memories of

the theatre from their childhood. Now an arcade, it houses several eateries.

At our first destination, we meet a chef who trained in Canada, France and London under Gordon Ramsay. Now he’s cooking short ribs and softshell crab on brioche for customers in a relaxed lifestyle café. With a glass of wine, we sample from a platter of Asian-influenced food that he has prepared for us.

“We have local artisans serving up incredible fare every day,” says Karen. “I look for their specialties – the things that make them really stand out.”

Gelati is next at an award-winning gelateria nearby, before we head to one of the most impressive specialty food shops on the coast. Owner Selena tells us how she travels overseas to source products for her store. You won’t find anything there that’s in local supermarkets – it’s all from small Australian producers with a focus on organic, and the best she can source from overseas, including her ‘top shelf ’ specialty: limited edition aged balsamic vinegars.

The shop smells gorgeous due to the huge bunches of flowers at the front of the shop, and Selena’s specially made candles which would make the perfect gift.

The next stop, in what was once the coldroom of an old butchery, serves falafel to rival Melbourne’s Ackland Street.

It also rates at the top of Burleigh’s ‘Best Cheap Eats’. From breakfasts in a pocket to lemonade with rosewater and mint, this is healthy fast food at an everyday price.

We finish the tour in style with a black coffee martini at a hidden venue. Coffee, liquor and churros – what’s not to love! Some of the tour participants even have a go at making the martinis themselves, under instruction of course!

"I like learning the background - knowing where the food comes from," one of the participants, says of the tour.

Of course you eat delicious food on a food tour! With food to eat at every venue, a glass of wine and a mini cocktail, you’ve easily eaten a meal by the time the tour ends.

"What I love about this tour is that you can check out a whole bunch of places for a really good price and pretty much know they're going to be good before you go there," someone else adds.

Even for those who live on the Gold Coast there’s so much to discover in our own backyards. A Taste of Burleigh Heads uncovers hidden dining gems, teaches us about food production, as well as introduces us to new friends. It's not only great fun but also terrific value. A tour would make a perfect present for the foodie in your life, or an excellent hen’s or engagement party. Christmas parties, corporate and private tours for 10 – 20 people are available by arrangement.

You’ll find more information on the Gold Coast Food and Wine Tours website.

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

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Lifestyle

IMPERMANENT PERMACULTURE ON THE MOVE

MOTHER'S MILK

Remember that rundown old house on Ferry Road that used to have magnificent permaculture gardens, chook pens, compost heaps, herbs for sale and gardening workshops?

Well developers also thought it was pretty special and Gold Coast Permaculture moved to Carrara behind the Carrara markets as a result. And now they’re on the move again. As the Carrara site is being redeveloped for the biggest night market in Australia – The Fareground – Permaculture Gold Coast needs to find a new home in May.

The Mothers’ Milk Bank is a wonderfully simple idea. It provides screened and pasteurised donor mothers’ milk, to families where the mother’s own milk is not available for their baby. It also provides support to mothers who experience difficulties with lactation.

The important work done by this charity is made possible by donations, support and fundraising in the community. And the upcoming masquerade gala function Celebrating the Families with auctions and evening of entertainment is designed specifically to raise money for the Mother’s Milk Bank.

The gala itself will be family affair with two siblings performing in the headlining acts. Julz Parker and her brothers Sam and Max Parker come from a very musical family – trust me, they’re not the only Parkers with jaw-dropping talent. And they’re all performing with their various bands as part of the Mothers’ Milk Bank gala.

Julz is guitarist and co-hussy with Hussy Hicks. They’ve just released a new single Pirate Flag and are briefly back on the coast between criss-crossing the country (and the globe).

They took out Artist of the Year at the 2017 Gold Coast Music Awards and are one of the City’s favourite acts.

Sam is bassist and Max plays sax with Electrik Lemonade, a fizzy nine-piece funk collective. They were in the top three bands for the Gold Coast Music Awards People’s Choice Awards last year.

Both bands perform at the masquerade gala, which promises to be a night filled with masks, killer music and Mothers’ Milk madness. And if the event itself isn’t awesome enough to tip you over the line, how about the purpose? For more than ten years, Mothers’ Milk Bank has been feeding babies, but right now they urgently need to raise $70,000 for a new pasteuriser.

Tickets for the gala dinner which include allocated seating, cocktail menu and food are $120. But if you’re just after a killer gig and solid feed, tickets are $65. And it all goes down at Currumbin RSL on Saturday 11 March.

Natalie O'Driscoll

DOWNLOAD HUSSY HICKS NEW SINGLE VIA BANDCAMP. MOTHERS’ MILK BANK GALA IS SATURDAY 11 MARCH WITH HUSSY HICKS + ELECTRIK LEMONADE AT CURRUMBIN RSL. TICKETS AT MOTHERSMILKBANK.COM. 38

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20 YEARS AND STILL SINGLE (FIN) The 2017 Burleigh Boardriders Single Fin Festival went down as the 20th anniversary of the contest and the “best one ever”, according to many who took part in the activities.

The action started on Friday at the annual Single Fin Charity Luncheon with guest speakers Occy and Rabbit and Gold Coast big wave charger Felicity Palmateer.

Gold Coast Permaculture was started by Justin SharmanSelvidge in 2007 and was recently renamed Abilities Plus Permaculture with Jen Stuart leading and Lyn Mansfield organising workshops. Abilities Plus employs around 25 people with varying disabilities to work at their site while running a Cert II in Horticulture through Ashmore TAFE. They also sell herbs and compost, and supply the restaurants at QT Hotel with herbs.

It's not just people with disabilities who can work on site. University students, travellers from overseas and other members of the community volunteer their time in exchange for learning about permaculture. You can get more information, or join the volunteer team via abilitiespluspermaculture.com.

Pip Andreas

The swell picked up the next day and the carnival atmosphere of the Single Fin Festival was underway.

Thousands lined the point to watch 2012 World Champion Joel Parkinson surf a 30+ year old Hot Stuff AB single fin like it had never been surfed before.

In the final it was Luke Hynd and Burleigh President James Lewis trying to chase him down, along with Damien Healy.

But no one was going to stop Parko getting the chocolates.

Luke Hynd Picked up 2nd, James Lewis 3rd. Maddy Job completed his first goal for 2017, winning the junior division.

Parko, (the first World Champion to ever win the Single Fin), was rapt, and vowed to be back next year to try and take the title again.

The Sunday afternoon party with the Hanlon Brothers was epic, with 500 or more people grooving with the tunes on the hill. On the grass and along the balconies of the buildings that lined Burleigh Point there was some serious dancing going on.

The Best Weekend Ever will be back next year, and well done to the Burleigh Boardriders for putting on the first, and the best surfing event of 2017.

Terry Tappa Teece

NEW APP TO TRANSFORM GOLD COAST GARDENS GroNATIVE was launched on the Gold Coast last week – a new app designed to boost the use of native plants in Southeast Queensland. Developed by Burleigh-based Natura Pacific in partnership with Griffith University, the app helps gardeners find out what plants can be used to achieve a certain garden type (cottage garden, for example) or to attract certain animals (mammals or butterflies).

Natura Pacific was awarded a grant of $22,500 under the Advance Queensland Knowledge Transfer partnership program which enabled the company to take on a Griffith University PhD student (now a doctor) to develop content for the app.

You can download GroNATIVE for both Apple and android devices.

Samantha Morris

Lifestyle

THE KITCHENS STIMULATES ALL THE SENSES THIS AUTUMN

Gold Coast’s favourite food playground, The Kitchens, Robina Town Centre, is set to engage all the sense. Live music, art and outdoor cinema experiences join the program of cooking classes and workshops.

The music program is next-level. Collaborating with the team from Bleach* means that some of the city’s best emerging artists have scored shows every Friday and Saturday night at The Kitchens. Jackson James Smith, Luate, Amela have shows on 11, 18 and 25 March respectively and winners of last year’s Battle of the Buskers – Salt and Steel will show diners exactly why they took out that title when they perform on Thursday 16 March.

Louise Bezzina, Direct of Bleach* Festival said she was excited The Kitchens was being activated in this way.

“We know through our experience with Bleach* Festival that locals and tourists alike are screaming out for cultural opportunities,” she said. “They don’t just want to shop or dine. They want a full sensory experience.”

“In the next two months alone, there’s live original music, buskers, painting classes, film and hands-on art for kids.

Some of the Gold Coast’s best emerging talent will be stopping in. It’s a very exciting time.”

In addition to music, The Kitchens is serving up a series of films with an outdoor cinema under the stars, complete with beanbags. The Hundred-Foot Journey and Ratatouille take place on the first Sunday of March and April respectively and you can BYO picnic rug and choose from the incredible diversity of food available at The Kitchens – from wood-fired pizza, Greek souvla or a modern twist on fish and chips.

Once you’ve ticked music and film off your list, you can also try your hand at hands-on art with a ‘paint and sip’ class scheduled for Saturday 25 March. You’ll learn basic techniques of painting with acrylics from 3.00pm. And finally for the food fanatics, The Kitchens’ resident chef Sam Gowing will take the stage every Thursday and Saturday at 11.00am and 1.00pm to share her knowledge around incorporating seasonal ingredients into your cooking – from figs to beetroot, custard apple to rhubarb.

Samantha Morris

THE KITCHENS IS OPEN EVERY NIGHT OF THE WEEK, STIMULATING ALL YOUR SENSE UNTIL 10.00PM.

KYOTO POCKET GUIDE MICHELLE MACKINTOSH AND STEVE WILD It’s always fascinating to flick through the pages of a city guide – particularly when you’ve never been to the city in question.

I’ll tell you one thing about the Kyoto pocket guide though – after just thumbing through its pages, Kyoto will definitely be on your bucket list.

The guide focuses on the city’s best cultural hangouts, shops, bars and eateries and helps the reader navigate Kyoto’s ancient pathways, temples, gardens and narrow lantern-lit alleys, revealing the city’s precincts and secret treasures.

The book focuses on the “new” Kyoto – a dynamic and evolving city taking lessons of the past and using them to forge a vibrant and exciting present – which reminds me a little of the Gold Coast.

The book is easy to navigate and the imagery is absolutely Insta-worthy. The content takes you through Kyoto’s address system and offers an overview of each city precinct before delving into the specifics of sights; shopping; eating and drinking. There’s even a section on ‘the perfect Kyoto day’.

As well as selecting a number of day-trips to get you out of the city, the authors have also compiled a fold-out map to make getting out and about a breeze.

Obviously this book will appeal to people planning a visit to Kyoto, but it’s also a beautiful offering for those seeking visual inspiration or design-freaks who want an insight into a city as diverse as this. We’re talking stationery stores, antiques, record shops, hand-dyed paper, modernist candy, art galleries, museums and more.

If Kyoto wasn’t on your hit-list before, it will be now.

Samantha Morris

KYOTO: A POCKET GUIDE TO THE CITY’S BEST CULTURAL HANGOUTS, SHOPS, BARS AND EATERIES IS OUT NOW VIA HARDIE GRANT TRAVEL.

HIGHLY ILLOGICAL BEHAVIOUR JOHN COREY WHALEY Mental illness is often mishandled in fiction: characters are portrayed as unpredictable, incompetent, or violent, misinformation is peddled, and stereotypes abound. John Corey Whaley’s Highly Illogical Behaviour works to undo some of this damage.

Solomon is a 16 year old Trekkie who’s tended on the shy side. Since age 13, he’s experienced recurrent panic attacks and not left the four walls of his home. But with his treadmill, computer, and home schooling, and the support of his well-meaning family, he’s mostly okay with life.

Lisa is a driven 16 year old who wondered what happened to the boy whom, three years earlier, disrobed while distressed and tramped through the school’s fountain. With her sights set on winning a scholarship to study psychology, she manoeuvrers her way into Sol’s life like it’s a chess game. She intends to ‘cure’ and write about him, without his consent.

What Whaley gets right he gets very right: not only do we get a study of ethics and the humanisation of Sol, but the dialogue is humorous; the story is almost ticklish in its warmth. Sol is as flawed as he is interesting and fun. Whaley gives him agency, and whenever there are jokes about mental illness, they’re where they should be: in Sol’s hands.

HIB missteps on important things. Like other stories about agoraphobia, we are again given the impression it’s always severe and equates to remaining for years at home. Also, Sol’s first ‘panic attack’ contradicts known psychological mechanisms, his age of onset is uncommon, and he has limited risks and many protective factors, which makes the development, continuation, and severity of his mental illnesses harder to fathom.

Overall, HIB is an enjoyable triumph: Whaley’s writing never loses its light, affectionate tone, Sol is rarely treated as the problem, his subsequent panic attacks are visceral, and we are gripped by increasing waves of alarm. But we want what Sol wants, when he wants it. It’s this gift—of dignity and self-determination—that sets the story apart and fills this reader with optimism.

Nae Nurth www.blankgc.com.au

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Lifestyle Pictured above: Artwork by Scott Redford

BOWLZILLA’S BACK!

It’s ba-ack. Bowlzilla Gold Coast is rolling into its second year and getting everyone together for the largest gathering by skaters for skaters in Australia.

Bowlzilla brings the world to the Gold Coast and takes the Gold Coast to the world through music, celebrating and skating. It’s a showcase of the most dynamic and fastest growing discipline in skating; park and bowl. Following the success of last year, organiser Chad Ford is looking to make even more of a splash at this year’s event, and celebrate the end of the summer with a skate-fest like no other. Natalie O’Driscoll fired off a few questions to him in the lead up.

What did you learn from your first year of BOWLZILLA? I learned how passionate Gold Coast City Council and its community are about championing youth, skateboarding, the arts and their communities and industries. That is incredibly inspirational and gives a solid base to build on each year in developing a skateboarding and arts based festival like BOWLZILLA Gold Coast. I believe the wider community that came to be part of the celebrations learned that there is no age in skateboarding. With a 12 year old kid – Keegan Palmer, taking out the Open Division like a seasoned professional three times his age and Brasher skating in the Masters in his 50s showing that age is a theory rather than a reality, they learned about the Peter Pan complex of skateboarding.

Tell us how this year's event will be bigger or better!

This year we have more competitors coming from further afield in Australia and also overseas. We have the Tic Taco art show on at Beach Burrito Company in Coolangatta on the Thursday night, Friday night Yeah Girl and Fiik Skateboards are putting on a great barbecue to show all our travellers what Gold Coast hospitality is all about and on Saturday night after the competition Beach Burrito Company are hosting us all again for an awesome end of festival celebration. For the fans that cannot travel to the Gold Coast we have a live webcast, the TV show is going out to an international audience of more than 640million homes and live updates via all our social media channels.

How has the face of skating in Australia changed over the last five years, or even ten years?

There was a growing and fantastic female skateboarding community based around street skating in the late 90s and early 00s and then it seemed to disappear. Over the last couple of years there is a new and stronger female skating scene that is developing and a lot of that is in the parks and bowls. It is really awesome to see and we're doing our bit to foster it with the incredible support of Yeah Girl. So thankfully now the face of skating in Australia now is more representative of the wider community. The competitive side of skating has really been taken up with a lot of energy from the younger riders, which we're obviously part of. The Masters who shaped what skateboarding is over the last 40 years and

really blazed the path are still there and are probably the happiest kids at any session or competition, which is great because it shows everyone that you can skate for the rest of your life if you embrace the fun side of it and use things like the BOWLZILLA Gold Coast competition as a community celebration rather than a sporting event. So the real change is really the growth in the community and wider appreciation of the culture, all things we love at BOWLZILLA. What is transition skating?

Park, transition, vert and bowl skating are all parts of the same, which is skateboarding on transition, which is another name for a curved wall which is what they are all made up of.

The original inspiration for these designs comes from trying to emulate the walls of old swimming pools (with rounder walls) and storm water drains. If you haven't yet, you should rush to watch the Dogtown and Z-Boys documentary about why this is and how important it is to skateboarding. The reason skaters are drawn to this type of skating is because it has a flow and energy to it that is very similar to surfing a wave, but takes it a few steps further with its possibilities of floating in the air, being able to take the same path over to push yourself further and generate far more speed than you can find in most other pursuits.

Why is it important to nurture and support young skaters?

Skateboarding is an open community. There aren't many other communities that can say that. Nurturing and supporting young skaters within skating has never been so much about developing their abilities as much as it has been about making them feel part of something and good about themselves which then enables them to develop their skills at their pace and in their own unique way. That is why all skaters have differences in their approach and the more unique ones are often rewarded with professional careers in skateboarding.

The importance is in giving them a community and allowing them to flourish.

BOWLZILLA WILL HIT THE COAST 16 – 18 MARCH 2017 AT ELANORA SKATE PARK.

NOW THAT’S GOOD YOGA! If you’re going to go to yoga you want to know that it’s good yoga, and that the teacher is a good one. Trouble is, how do you know if it’s *good* yoga?

I’ve had this discussion with potential yoga practitioners quite often. It is an interesting task to try and explain what defines ‘good’ in a practice that is so varied and where the experience is so subjective. I thought I’d ask a few other yoga teachers to offer their definition of ‘good’ yoga.

I can’t say I was surprised by their responses, but I was inspired. The thing with yoga is, there is magic in it. You will always get more than you thought you would, and often more than you realise from the practice. It has a way of bringing out the very best in us.

All the teachers I spoke to were just as hesitant about the word ‘good’ in connection to yoga as I am, yet they did their best to give me an answer. None of the teachers suggested a particular style, yet there was some general agreement about the qualities of ‘good’ yoga.

Suzanne (Gold Coast Yoga Centre) talks about yoga as deconditioning the mind, even deconditioning societal norms. She uses a flower analogy, just as different flowers need different conditions to bloom so we need different teachers and pathways. For all the seriousness of yoga though she says if your teacher hasn’t got a sense of humour run away!

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Hollie (Seeds of Life Retreats) agrees that it isn’t about the style so much as a teacher who is interested in meeting your needs and intuitively reading the class’ needs. Good yoga is infusing spiritual teachings and providing an inspired and well thought out class.

Laura Humphreys also spoke about a teacher who gives what the student needs rather than wants. It’s about providing yoga that encourages the student to deconstruct the ego and break out of negative patterns in the body, mind and energetic body.

Michelle (Essence of Living) gives a guideline to good practice as one that balances the strength and flexibility of the entire body. The balancing of the physical form allows for easier flow of energy through the body giving us a greater sense of wellbeing. Breathing practices to help balance the brain which gives greater self awareness which in turn opens our compassionate and kind natures.

For me (Erin, Aloka Yoga & Pilates), good yoga is all of the above and a good teacher is one that you connect with. All yoga is ultimately leading to the same place, leading us all home to our true selves without all the conditioning of the world and our old stuff. When you move the body you start to move the energy, then you start to move your thoughts and emotions. This changes how we show up in the world, and as Michelle says, yoga is how you live, not what you do.

Erin Bourne

Lifestyle

WHEN THE RUBBISH IS GONE, NATURE CAN CARRY ON Each year the City of Gold Coast and Gecko Environment Council join forces in coordinating the Clean Up Australia Day, and every year there is overwhelming support from the Gold Coast community. In 2017, our Clean Up Australia Day is led by a truly inspirational Gold Coaster, Patrick Brabant.

At just 13 years old, Patrick has achieved more than most of us will do in a lifetime.

Patrick designed and maintains his own website, patsendangeredanimals.com. He has also been a guest blogger for Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary. Both these projects are committed to spreading the message about the world’s most endangered animals, conservation programs and what people can do to help save wildlife. And as if this wasn’t impressive enough, at the age of six he opened a frog conservation and research facility at Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary where they have now gone to breed the endangered Tinker Frogs, the first bred in captivity.

Patrick’s passion and involvement isn’t all about endangered animals though. He has worked tirelessly to inspire his primary school to compost, recycle and to reduce waste through encouraging students to bring lunches in reusable containers instead of packaging. This project has the school drop from filling 37 bins a week to around six bins per week.

Patrick’s extraordinary commitment has been recognised by many; he has won Griffith University Science Award for his project on palm oil, Environmental Achievement Award in 2017 Australia Day Awards on the Gold Coast, he is a represent on the Queensland Youth and Environment Council and Australia Youth Climate Coalition and he is a NaturallyGC ambassador for the City of Gold Coast.

This year Patrick has come on board on promoting Clean Up Australia Day on the Gold Coast to increase participation and to raise awareness on issues surrounding litter.

“There are over a hundred million tonnes of rubbish in the world’s oceans and over eight million more tonnes are being added every year,” he says.

“Did you know that 420 million plastic bottles enter Australia’s oceans each year? Every year over 1 million sea birds and over 100,000 mammals die because of plastic. If we don’t take action by 2050, 99% of all sea birds will have ingested plastic.

“Plastic Bags are getting a lot of attention because of the damage they do to the environment. At least 180 million plastic bags enter the environment in just a single year. A survey by QLD Parks Service found out that 70% of dead endangered Loggerhead Turtles have eaten plastic bags.”

“My goal in life is to ensure that there are no animals or plants suffering or in threat of extinction and this is more important now than ever before.”

For further information on how to participate contact Gecko at (07) 5534 1412 / events@gecko.org.au or visit the Clean Up Australia Day website www.cleanupaustraliaday.org.au.

Anna Itkonen

BUSINESS CLEAN UP DAY - TUESDAY 28 FEBRUARY 2017 SCHOOLS CLEAN UP DAY – FRIDAY 3 MARCH 2017 CLEAN UP AUSTRALIA DAY – SUNDAY 5 MARCH 2017

PREGNANCY, CHILDBIRTH AND MOTHERHOOD A MIDDLE AGED BUSINESSMAN’S PERSPECTIVE No mums, don’t turn your back. I won’t give an opinion.

Promise.

I’m just a businessman who’s been captivated. Captivated by a mother who helps other mothers. She supports mums through pregnancy, childbirth and early motherhood. It’s a business story that’s stood out among the many I hear. It’s a story that I feel just needs to be shared. The story is about Sara Hoeg-Staun at Teepee Learning.

Sara uses flashcards and affirmations to emotionally support mums through motherhood, encouraging healthy children.

If you were to define “beautiful business” Teepee Learning may just be it. I’ve been lucky enough to enjoy an occasional coffee with Sara, during which she shared the personal stories behind some of her products.

Sara’s “Healthy Flashcards” teach toddlers their A B Cs while inspiring health, matching fruit and vegies back to the A B Cs. It took Sara over 12 months to create these cards, a passion born of her love of motherhood, healthy living and photography.

A year of researching fresh produce, personally taking all photos and compiling vegan friendly recipes. 12 month’s research does make sense - can you find a vegetable that starts with I, X or U? 12 months of love in producing a single product though, a product intended to help your child learn and be inspired to health.

Sara’s Pregnancy Affirmation cards were seeded in deeper personal experience. Her

first pregnancy was difficult. The trauma left a deep fear of childbirth. Recognising this terror, her doula gave her an affirmation to read daily during her second pregnancy.

Stay Present, Fear Does Not Exist Here This affirmation supported her through birth with strength and love. It was such a support through Vander’s birth that she wanted to share and do more, for all mums. This was the inspiration that manifested into her Pregnancy Affirmation cards.

“In business, I want everything to be slow,” Sara explained.

“I am so grateful when people buy what I’ve made, I want to send them with fullest intention.” So, she personally handsews all the pouches for the flashcards despite cheaper mass-production options. She walks her parcels to the post office, projecting all her intentions onto them, before sending. She is fully present in every step of her business.

We all get into business to help someone. Business becomes business though and our focus shifts. We sometimes lose our “help”. This is why I’ve found Sara so inspirational.

She refuses to lose the “help” in her business. Any change that would diminish her gift, even where the loss may be energetic and no-one else would know, in her heart would make a difference and therefore it is just not considered. The result, the mums who buy into Sara, get the very best of her, every single time.

What a world we’d have if every business was run this way.

Damian Papworth www.blankgc.com.au

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Subject to availability, change and cancellation. All guests under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult or guardian at all times.

www.blankgc.com.au

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Arts & Culture

ARTISTS REIMAGINE GOLD COAST MAPS

FIVE BATTLE TO DESIGN ‘GATEWAYS’

“

WHETHER YOU’RE A VISITOR OR A LOCAL, WHETHER YOUR MAPS ARE ON PAPER OR ON YOUR PHONE OR IN YOUR HEAD, HAVING A NEW MAP IS A CHANCE FOR NEW DISCOVERIES.

” Five internationally-renowned artists are bidding to deliver a major public art commission which will act as gateways to the Gold Coast.

Enter The Map is a new exhibition at The Walls which runs 4 – 18 March with a focus on three new maps of the city by local artists.

Those artists were charged with interpreting the meaning of place in terms of their own life and experience. They’re not the usual type of people who make maps and their final products will challenge what maps are for, who uses them and how.

Carlotta is one of Kings Cross’ most famous daughters: a drag queen of the golden era, crossing gender divides and challenging perceptions about living as a transgender person. She’s also one of the artists featured in Enter The Map. As is Scott Redford. Recently announced as one of five artists being considered to design the new gateways to the city, and an acclaimed international contemporary artist with life-long ties to the Gold Coast, Scott is regularly credited with actually putting this city on the artistic map.

Quite fitting that he’s now reimagining that map.

Libby Harward is the third artist included in the exhibition.

A woman of Ngugi and Quandamooka heritage, she shares First Nation’s cultural ways of knowing and moving through Country.

In 2015 Libby undertook a residency at The Walls, and her work for Enter The Map follows from that experience of investigating place as well as her exploration of Traditional language at the Indigenous Artists Camp at South Stradbroke Island.

Libby’s work has developed from working with English words like ‘before’, ‘trodden’, ‘denied’ and exploring words in Traditional language like ‘yabruma’, which means ‘always / still [here]’.

In this project, Libby is working with the Yugambeh word ‘kunga’ which means to both call out and to listen. Libby’s map involves the spectator exploring sightlines from points along Tallebudgera Creek to Wollumbin (Mt Warning) and Jellurgal (Burleigh Headland).

Each of the three artist uses a standard Google map marked with symbols and an explainer on the back about what each point means to them and their experience of ‘their’ Gold Coast.

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Danni Zuvela, the curator of the exhibition and Deputy Director of The Walls Art Space says the exhibition is about using contemporary art as a jumping-off point for thinking about the ever-changing map of the Gold Coast.

“Whether you’re a visitor or a local, whether your maps are on paper or on your phone or in your head, having a new map is a chance for new discoveries,” she said. “What we really hope happens is for people to use these maps as an opportunity to use someone else’s guidance to look at and listen to place differently”.

With the project’s deep dive into local history, the relationship with Traditional Owners continues to be important, and the project continues with their permission and involvement.

“The artists worked with me to develop their stories for the maps, which include cultural knowledge and research, earliest childhood memories and sites of creative encounters, holidays and performances,” Danni said, adding that her research background helped to extend concepts with additional oral history and archival research delving into why Gold Coast’s maps have looked the way they do.

“The artists’ maps themselves are hopefully interesting documents aesthetically, but like all maps, they come to life when they are actually used to orient people in a space,” she said.

Samantha Morris Pictured above: Libby Harward at Tallebudgera estuary. Photo courtesy of Keelan O'Hehir

ENTER THE MAP TAKES PLACE WITH THE SUPPORT OF CITY OF GOLD COAST’S REGIONAL ARTS DEVELOPMENT FUND AND RUNS 4 – 18 MARCH AT THE WALLS, MIAMI. SCOTT REDFORD WILL FEATURE IN AN ARTIST TALK ON 4 MARCH AND LIBBY HARWARD WILL FEATURE ON 5 MARCH. MORE AT THEWALLS.ORG.AU.

Following a world-wide search, an independent panel was united in its selection of five finalists out of more than 70 submissions. The finalists - James Angus, LOT-EK, Callum Morton, Scott Redford and Judy Watson - will now further develop their concept designs.

While Gold Coast entries featured strongly in the competition, comprising 20 per cent of submissions, Scott Redford is the only local finalist for the project. Other Queensland entries made up 40 per cent with 25 per cent from other states and the remaining 15 per cent from international artists.

The gateways project is expected to reflect the character of the coast as well as engage with locals and visitors. The artwork will have a lifespan of 50 years and the selected artists were deemed by the panel to be best placed to create and deliver an artwork that is not only relevant today but also for generations to come.

The Gateways Public Art Commission is expected to create a sense of arrival and welcome for locals, visitors and athletes effectively becoming a “bookend” for the city. Both artworks will be located in high traffic zones. In the north, on the M1 Pacific Motorway, immediately south of the Albert River – the boundary of the city. The southern site is earmarked for a zone near the Gold Coast Highway and airport and is yet to be finalised.

The panel, a cross section of industry and stakeholder representatives, will select the winning entry for noting by Council with an announcement expected by June. Final installation of the northern site is expected in November.

The project is jointly funded by City of Gold Coast and the Queensland Government.

Pictured above: Artwork

by Scott Redford

Samantha Morris

31 MAR – 16 APR The Gold Coast’s signature arts and cultural festival — 17 Days | 23 Locations BLEACHFESTIVAL.COM.AU

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Arts & Culture

SWELL TIME FOR SUBMISSIONS

STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPO AND STRAIGHT TO THE GOLD COAST Jupiters Gold Coast brings the outrageously funny Straight Outta Compo to Queensland on Saturday 25 March for a night of non-stop comedy that’s guaranteed to leave the audience in stitches.

Starring the undeniably hilarious Joe Avati, Acropolis Now’s George Kapiniaris, Logie nominated comedian Tahir, and Fat Pizza’s Rob Shehadie, the dynamic show promises to deliver comedy brilliance with a difference.

Creator of the show, Joe Avati has some amazing achievements to his name including worldwide success and local ticket sale records that supersede most. He’s a prolific comedy writer with seven DVD releases under his belt, and to this day holds the record for the fastest selling comedy show ever in Canada.

One of the country’s most loved stars, George Kapiniaris has had an incredible impact on Australian popular culture over the last 32 years with a career that spans across comedy, music and TV.

It’s that time of year again! One of Australia’s most prestigious sculpture exhibitions is calling on local and international artists working across all mediums to submit proposals to exhibit at the 15th annual SWELL Sculpture Festival.

Showcasing a diverse collection of thought-provoking works by up to 50 artists, those chosen to exhibit will each receive a $500 subsidy and installation support, as they vie for awards worth more than $25,000.

With entries closing on Wednesday, March 15, SWELL Sculpture Festival’s director and curator Natasha Edwards said the exhibition provides artists with the opportunity to spread their wings creatively and professionally.

“SWELL attracts emerging, mid-career and well established sculptors creating installations ranging from traditional to contemporary and monumental to miniscule,” Ms Edwards said.

“This diversity creates a brilliant blend of creativity, experience and knowledge, and presents an invaluable opportunity for SWELL entrants to network, learn and grow.

“Artists experience the thrill of seeing their work connect with the public at a spectacular and iconic venue, while also having the opportunity of selling their work.”

Submissions can comprise of completed works, works in progress or concepts, with each encouraged to be of large scale or have a substantial footprint, be site specific, invite dialogue around place making, instigate creative conversations around craftsmanship, or highlight social, environmental or contemporary issues.

SWELL welcomes the opportunity to work with artists who would like to explore the liminal boundary of the coastal landscape and those who are keen to break new ground in sculpture presentation.

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In 2016, Brisbane artist Alicia Lane’s metal work Rainforest Remnants won SWELL’s major $15,000 cash award, sponsored by City of Gold Coast.

The jewellery and small sculpture specialist described her experience at SWELL 2016 as “challenging, momentous and amazing”.

“It was challenging to scale my work up – I worked right up until installation and it was my first time putting my work into the public context,” Ms Lane said.

It has been a whirlwind couple of years for Rob Shehadie with his acting, stand-up comedy and MC roles as well as stage and screen writing. A co-creator of Channel Nine’s hit comedy-drama, Here Come the Habibs, as well as actor, associate producer, story consultant and original concept for the show, he has been busy to say the least.

One of Australia’s busiest comedians, Tahir has been a feature in all comedy venues around the country and had numerous television appearances. He was named Comedian of the Year and has been Logie nominated as well as working with the who’s who of the industry and has been booked for countless private and corporate functions.

These four outstanding comedians promise to deliver a brand new show full of stand up, sketches, songs, video items and the usual surprises.

Natalie O'Driscoll

“My work felt small and quiet next to some of the other entries, so I was blown away when I won the major prize.

“It was encouraging that people understood and communicated with my work – that was very important to me.”

Ms Lane sold the sculpture just one week after SWELL and has subsequently been commissioned to create other pieces.

As well as the major $15,000 SWELL Sculpture Award sponsored by the City of Gold Coast, additional awards include the popular $3,000 People’s Choice Award, $3,000 Kids’ Choice Award, $3,000 Environment Awareness Awards, $1,500 Emerging Artist Award and $1,000 Artist Peer Award.

TICKETS TO STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPO ARE AVAILABLE NOW FOR $59.90 AND CAN BE PURCHASED THROUGH TICKETEK AT TICKETEK.COM.AU, ON 07 5592 8303 OR FROM THE JUPITERS BOX OFFICE. THE SHOW IS ONE NIGHT ONLY SATURDAY 25 MARCH AT 7.00PM. TOP OF THE WORLD ENTERTAINMENT PRESENTS

Pictured above: Greg Quinton, You should always know where your towel is. Photo courtesy of PeterRyan

ENTRIES FOR THE 2017 SWELL SCULPTURE FESTIVAL CLOSE ON WEDNESDAY, MARCH 15. ARTISTS CAN LEARN MORE AND APPLY ONLINE AT WWW.SWELLSCULPTURE.COM.AU.

www.blankgc.com.au

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THE BEST OF AUSTRALIAN SHORTS AT FLICKERFEST Celebrating 26 years as the home of great short film, Flickerfest continues to present A-list short films recognised amongst the best in the world. On 10 March, Flickerfest and Gold Coast Film Festival partner to present the Best of Australian Shorts program at The Arts Centre Gold Coast.

The program features shorts from some of Queensland’s brightest emerging filmmakers including the powerful Adele by director and recent SAE graduate Mirene Igwabie about 14 year old Adele being torn between high school and the home where she is a wife in an arranged marriage as well as a mother-to-be.

Mirene Igwabe is an African-Australian filmmaker who fled her home country of Democratic Republic of Congo during the devastating civil war in 1996. Her family moved to Australia in 2007 and after initially studying business at university, she found her true passion in filmmaking, studying film at SAE College in Brisbane. Adele is her graduation film about a 14 year old African girl forced into a child marriage in Australia.

She says many other filmmakers simply are not aware of the issues around child marriage.

“When you live in a country such as Australia where human right is inalienable, it's difficult to think that issues like child marriage still exist here in the modern world unless someone opens your eyes to it,” Mirene told Blank Gold Coast.

“When I described Adele's story in class for the first time, students approached me after the pitch, and they truly did not believe child marriage was actually happening in Australia,” she explained. “I remember sitting with some of them for almost an hour talking about under-age marriage.”

According to United Nations’ research, 37,000 girls under the age of 18 are married every single day, and that number keeps increasing. Right here in Australia, more than 70 calls regarding child marriage cases have been made in the past two years alone and that is just the tip of the iceberg,” Mirene said.

Adele is just one of the shorts being brought to the Gold Coast for Flickerfest this year.

Welcome to Country is a tongue in cheek look at a hotshot public servant’s visit to a remote Aboriginal community; and the sweet and tender The Boggabilla Bus, shot in the Toowoomba region is a tale of friendship when Oscar realises he might have missed his final chance to say goodbye to Ashley before her big move and decides to hijack the dusty old country school bus to go after her.

RUMOUR HAS IT Australia’s fastest-rising cabaret star Naomi Price is bringing Rumour Has It back to the Gold Coast after touring the country to standing ovations and acclaimed seasons at Sydney Opera House, Hamer Hall and Adelaide Cabaret Festival.

First performed as a 15 minute teaser at an open mic night for cabaret and musical theatre, Price said the show went down so well they asked when the full show would be written.

Also screening is winner of the Flickerfest 2017 Yoram Gross Award for Best Animation Fish With Legs voiced by Frank Woodley and Barry Otto, and Messiah, a playful collision of cultures in the Australian wilderness, starring David Gulpilil and written and directed by Underbelly star Damian Walshe-Howling.

“We booked our first cabaret festival a few weeks later and the rest is history,” she told Blank Gold Coast and since then she’s toured the show around Australia for nearly five years.

A highlight of Flickerfest every year is the Flickerfest trailer, which usually riffs on a famous movie or star. The 2017 trailer is made by Queensland director Dena Curtis, has a Wizard of Oz theme and stars Miranda Tapsell and an allIndigenous cast.

Adele is a potty-mouthed delight; self-effacing and endearing, taking the audience on a journey from her hometown of Tottenham in 1988 through to the present day, with musings on relationships, fame, music and family.

Pip Andreas and Samantha Morris

FLICKERFEST REMAINS AUSTRALIA’S LEADING ACADEMY® ACCREDITED AND BAFTA RECOGNISED SHORT FILM FESTIVAL AND HITS THE ARTS CENTRE GOLD COAST ON 10 MARCH WITH TICKETS JUST $15 / 14. MORE DETAILS AT GCFILMFESTIVAL.COM OR FLICKERFEST.COM.AU/TOUR. READ OUR FULL INTERVIEW WITH ADELE DIRECTOR MIRENE IGWABE AT BLANKGC.COM.AU.

“Rumour Has It is like having a gin and tonic with an old friend whilst they sing their catalogue of mega-hits,” Naomi said.

Rumour Has It charts the incredible rise of the blockbuster soul sensation of the modern age live in story and song.

You’ll hear Adele’s deliciously frank life story come alive in the words of this world-class performer backed by an electrifying six-piece band (which includes some very familiar Gold Coast faces), delivering the greatest hits from a mega-platinum catalogue, including Rolling in the Deep, Someone Like You, Turning Tables, Set Fire to the Rain and the Oscar-winning Skyfall.

Rumour Has It evokes the inspirational spirit and talent of a mischievous working class diva from Tottenham as she spills intimate details about a meteoric rise that has captured hearts across the globe.

Natalie O'Driscoll

THE ARTS CENTRE GOLD COAST PRESENTS RUMOUR HAS IT WITH NAOMI PRICE AS ADELE ON SATURDAY 25 MARCH FROM 7.30PM. TICKETS ARE $40 FOR STUDENTS AND $45 FOR ADULTS. GET TICKETS AT THEARTSCENTREGC.COM.AU. www.blankgc.com.au

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Arts & Culture

CIRCUS SMIRKUS: BLANC DE BLANC TAKES A TWIST ON TRADITION In a world of schedules, traffic jams and clocking on, it’s always refreshing to chat to someone who has genuinely run away to join the circus. In the case of Spencer Novich, it was more like finding home. Natalie O'Driscoll spoke to the clown, contortionist and consummate performer ahead of the Gold Coast leg of the Blanc de Blanc tour, coming our way as part of Bleach* Festival 2017.

Spencer stumbled into the performing arts as a teenager.

“I basically think my parents were looking for some way to get rid of me over the summer,” he laughs.

“They’d heard of a camp program called Circus Smirkus through a friend. I started doing it and sort of fell in love with it.”

Not just a camp activity, Circus Smirkus brings together high calibre young performers on a gruelling 80 show summer tour. Spencer credits it with his entrance into the world of professional performance.

“It’s the only program I know of that tours in a big top,” he says.

“It was my outlet when I was sixteen, seventeen. Many of [the performers] go onto professional circus training. It really gave me the legs to do what I do.”

We chat about the idea of connecting with something that’s outside the norm. Many artists find themselves growing up on the fringes, feeling like freaks until they find their niche. I wonder if Spencer’s path looked something like that.

“You’re reading my diary,” he says.

“I still do feel that way to some degree. My work in the show is a bit eccentric and weird, so to find a home for something that a lot of theatre people say isn’t theatre – even a lot of circus people say it isn’t traditional circus – is amazing.”

Traditional circus or not, Blanc de Blanc still celebrates the art of clowning. If you asked a bunch of different people what makes a great clown, you’d almost certainly get answers like good comedic timing, animated physicality. Spencer’s answers – much like the man himself – are a little different.

“Listening to the audience, being honest with yourself and being open,” he says.

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“I continually try to listen harder, continually open myself up more and be as honest as I can be, and usually that results in fun work that I enjoy performing.”

The show’s artistic director Scott Maidment is known for being a collaborative operator.

In the case of this incarnation of Blanc de Blanc, he has given Spencer a fabulous opportunity to contribute from the other side of the stage.

“He’s the ultimate creator, but he lets me be a sort of little guy on his shoulder,” says Spencer.

“I talk to him about stuff, and throw in ideas. He’s just so very accepting, and a great collaborator. He asks a lot of his artists for input. It’s super rewarding for me.”

So would a career in the creation of shows be on the cards perhaps, once Spencer’s performing days are over?

“Absolutely!” he declares.

“As you do more and more projects you want to have more and more creative impact on them.”

Blanc de Blanc is champagne cabaret. It’s glamorous, giddy and most definitely for adults only. I’m curious how the show differs from a performer’s perspective, to more traditional type of event.

“This is a pretty wild production,” he says.

Image: Daniel Boud “When we were first building the show, my parents ended up flying to Australia to see it and when they bought their tickets I was definitely nervous about it, because some of the content is risqué and out there.

“But once all the elements came together, the music, lighting, artistic direction, it’s really just fun and accessible.

And that’s so cool to take these things that might seem shocking or risqué and work them so that my parents might be comfortable watching it.”

BLANC DE BLANC RUNS FROM 29 MARCH TO 16 APRIL AT THE SPIEGELTENT IN VICTORIA PARK. BOOK TICKETS AT TICKETS.BLANCSHOW.COM.

BRINGING FILMS TO LIFE 19TH – 30TH APRIL 2017

Catch new films from Australia and around the world, enjoy outdoor screenings, learn more about filmmaking and meet cast and crew.

Zoolander Model Boat Party

SIPFest: Short Films

Movie Trivia Night

Strut your stuff on the red carpet, strike a Blue Steel look at the photo stage and hop on board the luxurious Wyndham Cruises boat for an open-air screening of cult classic, Zoolander. #sohotrightnow

Surfers Paradise beach will transform into a vibrant and unique outdoor cinema, for a film experience like no other! Feel the sand between your toes and embrace the ocean air as you enjoy two nights of short films on one of Australia’s most iconic beaches.

Do you thrive on binge-watching?

Live-tweet the Oscars? Test your movie knowledge with a night of fun, frivolity and cold hard facts with free finger food, cash bar and great prizes to be won, hosted by ABC Gold Coast’s Bern Young.

$29 | WYNDHAM CRUISES

FREE | SURFERS PARADISE

$13 | QT GOLD COAST

Thurs 20 April, 6.30pm

Sat 23 & Sun 24 April 7pm

Weds 26 April, 6.30pm

For times & tickets visit www.gcfilmfestival.com

I am Woman

HEAR ME SING, WATCH ME DANCE, SEE ME PAINT

ONE Arts is celebrating all things woman this month with their free Womanhood Exhibition.

Held during Queensland Women’s Week, the multi-artist showcase is designed to emphasise women in leadership, female creativity and the diverse achievements of local women.

Female visual artists will exhibit their works with the simple subject: Woman. The one night only event will provide opportunities for the participants to talk with visitors and share their thoughts and expand their networking for future collaboration project.

Local artist Shirin Majd will be performing at the event. Born in Tehran, Shirin studied classical singing as a youngster and joined the choir of the Tehran Symphony Orchestra, where she performed as a soloist.

Shirin completed her study in Armenia with Hasmik Hasagorchian and attended courses at the prestigious Universität Mozarteum Salzburg. In 2010 she went on to study opera and music at the Johann-Joseph Fux Konservatorium and at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Graz, Austria.

Since moving to Australia, she has graduated in Master of Music Performance, studying under Professor Lisa Gasteen and Margaret Schindler, and is now the artistic manager of Sweet Sound Ensemble.

Shirin explores many culturally diverse avenues, delving into the deep emotional connections between western and Middle Eastern music and cultures.

Also performing is contemporary dancer Rita Markwell.

Rita explores a fusion between contemporary style, Middle Eastern and Romani/Spanish dance and integrates elaborate costuming reminiscent of the ancient Silk Road.

She is also choreographer and dance teacher who completed two Contemporary Dance intensives with Expressions Dance Company in Brisbane, facilitated workshops in contact improvisation and intuitive dance for women.

Rita has performed with live bands and in recorded sets regularly at Canberra Multicultural Festival, National Folk Festival, Woodford Folk Festival and has taught numerous workshops at festivals around Australia.

Gold Coast Multicultural Arts Group hosts the event in collaboration with Queensland Government. More at gcmagic.org.au

The Womanhood Exhibition will be held on Friday 10 March at 7.00pm at ONE Arts on Isle of Capri.

AUTUMN AT THE KITCHENS

FALL FOR OUR FLAVOURS Start your culinary adventure with a world of unique fresh food and dining experiences. Taste the difference this Autumn.

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Arts & Culture FRANK ENSTEIN CHALLENGES THE IDEA OF PERFECTION IN WORLD PREMIERE FOR BLEACH* 2017 One of Australia's most surprising contemporary arts events, Bleach* Festival has released the first glimpse of its 2017 line-up, exploring the convergence of sport and art, across two weeks and three huge weekends from 31 March to 16 April.

Frank Enstein, one of three world premieres in Bleach* Festival 2017, is a new commission that will bring two of Australia's boldest contemporary dance companies - Gold Coast / Berlin based The Farm and Perth based Co3 Australia together for the first time.

Rising star, actor, dancer and fearless filmmaker Daniel Monks will take centre stage as the eponymous Frank, who creates a series of übermensch or hyper-athletic monsters. The new production, which features magic, breathtakingly physical dance, an original score and a wicked sense of humour, is designed to appeal to children and adults.

willingly choose to love him. He creates these perfect creatures so that he can experience love, and finds safety in what he believes to be the artificial nature of their love; allowing himself to experience relationships without having to face the terrifying risk of actually connecting with real, autonomous humans."

"I can deeply relate to Frank's struggle, as I remember when I acquired my disability at age 11, I spent many years believing as fact that I was now 'lesser' and that I would never be able to experience romantic relationships, and would instead have to spend my life alone. Frank's journey mirrors my own personal journey to self-acceptance and self-love, and one that I hope will inspire audiences to embrace and celebrate their deliciously imperfect selves."

Brad Rush, Programming Director at The Arts Centre Gold Coast, sums up the feeling of excitement around the production.

"Frank has spent most of his life alone, terrified of people, and yet, like most of us, harbours a deep need to connect and be loved," explains Daniel.

“Gold Coast is becoming the home for the development of new works that will find a way onto stages nationally and internationally.

"Because of his physical disability, he feels even more isolated from the predominantly able-bodied society, and believes because he is 'lesser', no other person would ever

“The Arts Centre is pleased to nurture our relationship with Bleach festival to bring this new work to life.

F E A R L E S S C R E ATI V IT Y

expand your horizons 1st & 3rd Thursday of the month - Life drawing last thursday of the month - poetry Now accepting entries for the Neumann Dust Temple Portrait Prize For more information find us on 54 Currumbin Creek Road, Currumbin Waters

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Image: Claudio Kirac “Frank Enstein has been created by The Farm Collective, and the centre is equally thrilled to be able to develop new contemporary works.”

Collaborators on Frank Enstein include Co3's artistic director Raewyn Hill and artists Andrew Searle, Talitha Maslin and

Zachary Lopez, independent dance artist Brianna Kell, Finnish set and costume designer Vilma Mattila, Sydney composer and sound designer James Brown, and international lighting designer and long time The Farm collaborator Mark Howett.

Natalie O'Driscoll

FRANK ENSTEIN WILL HAVE ITS WORLD PREMIERE AT BLEACH* FESTIVAL ON FRIDAY 31 MARCH 2016 AT THE ARTS CENTRE GOLD COAST. TICKETS TO THE THREE PERFORMANCES OF FRANK ENSTEIN DURING BLEACH* ARE ON SALE NOW.

ENROL NOW FOR APRIL LAUNCH YOUR CAREER WITH

DEBORAH MAILMAN ANNOUNCED AS 2017 CHAUVEL AWARD RECIPIENT Actor Deborah Mailman has been announced as the Chauvel Award recipient for 2017 as part of the 15th annual Gold Coast Film Festival.

PRACTICAL HANDS-ON LEARNING BY A TRAINING PROVIDER YOU CAN TRUST.

Courses available in business, community services, education, events, fitness, hospitality, nursing, screen and media, trades, vet nursing and more.

The national screen industry award will be presented to Mailman - the first ever Indigenous recipient - on 22 April.

The prestigious Chauvel Award, which was established in 1992 has cemented itself as a highly respected award within the industry, acknowledging individuals who have made a significant contribution to Australian screen entertainment.

Queensland-born Mailman first received national acclaim in 1998 for her portrayal of ‘Nona’ in the film Radiance, receiving both the AFI and Film Critics’ Circle Award for Most Outstanding Actress, before going on to achieve other film credits including for Mental, Bran Nue Dae, Dear Claudia, The Monkey’s Mask, Rabbit Proof Fence, The Book of Revelation, Lucky Miles and the internationally celebrated and award-winning feature The Sapphires.

Mailman has been recognised for her remarkable work in the Australian screen industry by the 2017 Chauvel Award Committee, which features seven of Australia’s most highly respected and sought-after film industry members.

Mailman will be presented with the award during Gold Coast Film Festival and will appear in conversation with David Stratton. The night will be an intimate look at Mailman’s career on and off the screen, accompanied by footage from her films.

Gold Coast Film Festival Director Lucy Fisher said she was thrilled to welcome Deborah Mailman to the festival calling her an iconic Australian actor.

Held from 19-30 April, the 15th annual Gold Coast Film Festival will bring an action-packed program to Queensland, captivating audiences with a host of film screenings, events and interactive workshops. The event attracted more than 14,000 attendees in 2016 and screened 38 feature films from 15 countries.

TICKETS FOR THE 2017 GOLD COAST FILM FESTIVAL’S DAVID STRATTON IN CONVERSATION WITH DEBORAH MAILMAN ARE ON SALE NOW.

tafegoldcoast.edu.au/studynow 5581 8300 Information correct at time of printing 24. 02. 17 16-0559_Blank Mag Ad_Feburary_02_17

TAFE Queensland trading as TAFE Queensland Gold Coast RTO No: 0083 CRICOS No: 03037G

www.blankgc.com.au

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MURALS BY THE SHEDLOAD “

IT’S SUCH A BROAD GENRE THAT INCLUDES GRANDMAS KNITTING THOSE THINGS AROUND TREES RIGHT THROUGH TO GUYS SMASHING TRAINS.

”

The Signs of the Time exhibition sees some of the world’s most famous street art come to the Gold Coast. We’re talking the likes of Bambi, Banksy and Blek Le Rat. It has also been the catalyst for the commissioning of artists who transformed two drab sheds at the back of The Arts Centre Gold Coast into public works of art.

Elliot Routledge is one of the two artists commissioned for the work. His work is strong, high impact and conceptually references the direction fo the future Gold Coast Cultural Precinct. With splashes of pink and green, what he has created is a bold piece that catches the eye of anyone in its vicinity.

Based in Sydney, Elliott, also known as 'Numbskull' has shown work and installed major public murals all around the world including London, Vienna, New York, Melbourne, Tokyo, Paris, Singapore, Amsterdam, Hong Kong and Australia.

He was recently a feature of the Art & About Festival in Sydney, and has also been shown in the Museums Quartier, Vienna as a part of a 2014 Residency.

Mike Makatron is the second commissioned artist. Based in Melbourne, but known to wander in other dimensions, Mike has also travelled the world creating, painting everything from the Berlin Wall to the River Ganges. At 20 he received a scholarship to study art in New York, which led to a stint working as a bike messenger. That stint lasted ten years and took him across ten cities.

“Adelaide, Sydney, Melbourne, New York, Glasgow, Toronto, Berlin,” he reels them off for me as we sit under a tree directly facing his then work-in-progress at The Arts Centre.

That said, Mike has scored a heap of overseas jobs over the past few years, and commissions like this one which keep things ticking over. Plus “Melbourne is pretty conducive to a lot of different types of work,” he said.

Mike’s installation has had a helping had from Byron artist and previous Gold Coast resident Nitsua. The two men have collaborated in Melbourne as well as here.

“There’s hardly any street art at all on the Gold Coast,” Nitsua said. ”Not many people here are really doing it. Even if someone was interested, there’s not really anywhere to buy the paint – there’s just one shop in Southport.”

“You go somewhere like Melbourne and there’s so many resources because so many people are already doing it,” he said.

“It’s an extreme way to live,” Mike said. “Extremely hard work, extremely dangerous and extremely low money. And the extreme side of the art world is graffiti and street art, so it was always appealing.”

Both artists agree it’s a chicken and egg thing when it comes to street art. It’s not accepted because not many people are doing it and not many people are doing it because it’s not accepted.

Mike said he got into art as a kid and has been painting all his life. “My family’s house was covered in murals,” he said.

“We were six crazy kids and just went wild in half of the house.”

“You get people thinking graffiti art - they think it’s trash,” Nitsua said. “They’re uneducated about it.”

The art stuck too. One sister is a conceptual installation artist, one is a music teacher. His brother has a music degree, two others siblings play piano.

So what makes good street art then? Mike says it’s hard to define exactly what street art is.

“It’s such a broad genre that includes grandmas knitting those things around trees [yarn bombing] right through to guys smashing trains.”

Since 27, being an artist is a full-time job. Although Mike never saw that as a possibility. Being a bike courier meant no secure income.

“The art world is even more unreliable. No-one has a regular income.”

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“The type of genre I like is something that would be a challenge to me. The opposite side of that is when I see things that I would find easy – it doesn’t have the same emotional response.”

And the best art Mike has ever seen?

“Melbourne is quite conducive. There is general acceptance of laneways by council and the average person.”

“Brazil is pretty crazy too. There’s less sense of ownership of public property so it’s seen that anyone painting anywhere is a good thing for the community.”

Mike has travelled extensively for his art. His social media feed has him criss-crossing Australia working on all manner of projects. He’s had group shows in Brazil, Japan, Miami and New York and he has work in private and public collections here and abroad including acquisitions by the National Gallery of Australia. And now, you can see his work anytime you like, on a shed, in the carpark of The Arts Centre Gold Coast.

Samantha Morris Pictured above: Mike Makatron and Nitsua.

Lifestyle cover image: Elliot Routledge and friend.

Images courtesy of Lamp Photography

SIGNS OF THE TIMES RUNS UNTIL 19 APRIL AND EXTENDS WELL BEYOND THE GALLERY WALLS WITH A HEAP OF EVENTS INCLUDING ART, DANCE, SKATE, MUSIC AND A BIG-ARSE WRAPUP STREET PARTY WITH ELECTRIK LEMONADE AND SOME JERKS ON 1 APRIL. MORE AT THEARTSCENTREGC.COM.AU.

BRINGING TOGETHER 25 EXCITING NEW CONTEMPORARY CREATIVES FROM ACROSS AUSTRALIA AND THE WORLD IN ONE EXCITING EXHIBITION.

presents

AN INTERNATIONAL GROUP EXHIBITION CURATED BY

Exhibtion runs until 29th April Head to our website for more information and to subscribe to our mailing list.

RSVP to info@19karen.com.au for opening night reception. www.19karen.com.au | info@19karen.com.au | 075 5545 019

point

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Queensland's first EMF Performance Centre launches at The Kitchens Queensland's first EMF Performance Centre has opened its doors at The Kitchens, Robina Town Centre. The brand new, 24-hour gym will be launching a number of stimulating training zones, capable of reaching altitudes of 5,500m to help gym-goers really make the most out of their training and push their bodies to the limit. The Performance Centre will also launch its very own café. For more information please visit robinatowncentre. com.au/the-kitchens.

Ocean Film Festival Australia set to make a splash Australian audiences will be able to immerse themselves in the wonders of the ocean without getting their feet wet this March as the Ocean Film Festival Australia hits cinemas across the country. The festival, which features seven of the world’s most captivating ocean-themed short films, (six Australian cinematic premiers) will light up silver screens in 20 towns and cities.

Designed to mesmerise and enthral, the Ocean Film Festival Australia showcases more than two hours of sublime footage taken above and below the water’s surface. 9 March at The Arts Centre Gold Coast.

bitter and the sweet, the dark and the light, the love and the pain. In all matters the two extremes must accompany our journey, in order to know the depth of human emotion.

Participating Artists include Alexandra Levasseur, Crystal Morey, Edith Lebeau, Emilio Villalba, Erika Sanada, Ewa PronczukKuziak, Harold Munoz, Hieu Nguyen and many more. Opening night is Saturday 18 March, and the exhibition runs until 29 April.

RSVP via info@19karen.com.au.

Clean Up Australia Day Gold Coasters are invited to join in cleaning up our city by participating in Clean Up Australia Day on Sunday 5 March 2017. Over the last 26 years, our volunteers have donated more than 31 million hours and removed more than 331,000 tonnes of rubbish from their streets, beaches, parks, bushland and local waterways. Please join the initiative and visit cleanupaustraliaday.org.au.

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Melanoma March will return to Coolangatta for the third year in 2017, starting at The Strand at Coolangatta on Sunday 26 March as part of the annual campaign to raise funds and awareness for a cure for melanoma. An initiative of the Melanoma Institute Australia (MIA), the national fundraiser is now in its sixth year, and has raised over $2.4 million for melanoma research and education programs since it began in 2012. Melanoma March is suitable for all ages and children under 5 years are free. Interested participants can now register online and begin to raise funds with the sponsorship of family and friends, sponsor another walker or host their own fundraising event by visiting melanomamarch.org.au.

Bringing the Art to Maverick Hair + Art March and April see two different exhibitions at Maverick Hair + Art Space in Coolangatta. First up is a debut solo exhibition by Maddison Kellie: Umami. Her niche collection of images are a variety of landscape, surf culture and time captured with friends. The exhibition runs from 12 – 25 March. As part of Bleach* Festival, Fran Miller will present Embrace Chaos, the artist’s efforts to capturing the reality of the chaos that encompasses our lives via the act of surfing. This exhibition runs from 1 – 15 April. You can find more information on the Maverick Hair + Artspace Facebook page.

Young Artist Development Salons Friday night just got a whole lot better. Are you a Gold Coast creative under 30 years old? Want to grow your creative career in 2017? This salon series is designed specifically for young people who want to carve out a career in the arts, cultural or creative industries. If you’re a young and emerging artist or cultural worker who wants to push your creative practice, build industry know-how and connect with collaborators and peers, this is for you. You can RSVP and get updates about the events via facebook. com/goldcoastartsandculture.

Coolangatta Marches for Melanoma

Easter Arts Festival features award-winning Go Suga The King's Christian College Easter Arts Festival is a community event designed to provide a venue for Gold Coast artists to showcase their work, and to give people on the Gold Coast a taste of Easter. Each year, they feature the works of a particular artist whose works can inspire other exhibiting artists as well as our students. This year’s feature artist is Go Suga, who most recently won the Gold Coast Cultural Precinct Design Competition. The works of over 50 artists will be on display, with performance and showcases. The event runs from 6.00 – 8.30pm on 28 and 29 March 2017 at King’s Christian College. It is free.

Somerset Celebration of Literature program announced Beautiful, Bizarre, Bitter, and Sweet 19 Karen presents a beautiful.bizarre-curated International group exhibition Bitter | Sweet.

Featuring a selection of over 25 International and Australian artists exploring both the

Rachel Perkins, Yassmin Abdel-Magied, Benjamin Law, Sophie Hardcastle, Oliver Phommavanh, Robert Newton, Emily Gale, Soraya Nicholas and Maryen Cairns have been announced on the lineup of nationally and internationally respected authors who will hit the Gold Coast in March for Somerset Celebration of Literature Festival. In addition to the expected literary programming, Somerset Celebration of

Literature Festival, which runs 15 – 17 March has partnered with Gold Coast Film Festival to bring guests an Adaptation: Script to Screen panel event on Thursday 16 March, featuring Rachel Perkins and a selection of writers and filmmakers to discuss the journey of adaptation, from script to screen.

There will also be a free event for children aged nine to 12 to explore the magical world of Harry Potter books with Nadia Sunde and her alterego Professor Fracesca “Franki” Falconette on Saturday 18 March.

With more than 150 author sessions across the three days, plus student workshops and community events to excite the entire family, the 2017 Somerset Celebration of Literature Festival is set to be a fantastic addition to the Gold Coast calendar of events in March.

More at somersetcofl.org.au.

Queensland Indigenous short film gets national tour with Flickerfest Queensland short film Welcome to Country is screening in 46 locations across eight Australian states over four months, with Gold Coast part of the tour, thanks to Flickerfest. Written and directed by Brisbanebased indigenous filmmaker Dean Gibson of Bacon Factory Films, the ten-minute short tells the story of a hotshot Canberra bureaucrat who goes to an Aboriginal community to try and “fix” it. “It’s a comedic twist on reality and I wanted to highlight the juxtaposition of white people coming into an Aboriginal community thinking they have all the answers,” Gibson says. While Gibson is thrilled to have Welcome to Country screen in his home town of Brisbane, he is also excited that many of the locations included in the National Tour are in regional and remote Australia towns. Welcome To Country was filmed on location in Cherbourg Aboriginal Shire community. Flickerfest comes to the Gold Coast on Friday 10 March at The Arts Centre Gold Coast and Welcome to Country is one of a bunch of films showing at Australia’s leading Academy® Accredited and BAFTA recognised short film festival. More at flickerfest.com.au/tour.

GC Food and Wine Festival Gold Coast Food and Wine Festival, now in its second year, is the Gold Coast’s signature food and wine event. In 2016, the event saw collaborations between exciting and innovative food destinations on the Gold Coast including the new night market based food mecca of NightQuarter, and the biggest names of the Gold Coast food scene. In 2017, it is back with more sizzle, more play and more Gold Coast. The festival will run on the first weekend of June at various locations across the Gold Coast. Stay tuned for all the details over coming months.

THE ARTS CENTRE GOLD COAST PRESENTS

THU 2 MAR

AN ENCOUNTER WITH THE CHINESE ZITHER

MUSIC

FRI 3 MAR

THE STAMP SESSIONS

YOUTH

SAT 4 MAR

PACIFIC PASSAGE

EVENT

SAT 4 MAR

PLAYWRIGHT SEASON – CRAZY PLASTIC LOVE

PLAY READING

SUN 5 MAR

JAZZ ON SUNDAYS

MUSIC

WED 8 MAR

STICKER SLAM - LITTLE ARTLAB

KIDS / ART

WED 8 MAR

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY YOUTH LEADERSHIP BREAKFAST

EVENT

WED 8 MAR

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY LEADERSHIP AND CELEBRATION LUNCH

EVENT

WED 8 MAR

LUKE KENNEDY: HIS VOICE

MUSIC

THU 9 MAR

2017 OCEAN FILM FESTIVAL

FILM

FRI 10 MAR

FLICKERFEST SHORT FILM FESTIVAL

FILM

SAT 11 MAR

ARTLAB: STREET MASTER

KIDS / ART

SAT 11 MAR

PLAYWRIGHT SEASON – EVERYBODY’S DOIN’ IT

PLAY READING

SUN 12 MAR

THE WORLD OF MUSICALS

THEATRE

FRI 17 MAR

GOLD COAST JAZZ & BLUES – EMMA PASK & TRIO

MUSIC

SUN 19 MAR

INSTAMEET

ART / EVENT

MON 20 MAR

SWAN LAKE: MOSCOW BALLET LA CLASSIQUÉ

DANCE

WED 22 MAR

MOVIE REVIEW CLUB

FILM / EVENT

SAT 25 MAR

RUMOUR HAS IT

MUSIC

SAT 25 MAR

ART BATTLE: SIGNS OF THE TIME

ART / EVENT

FRI 31 MAR – SAT 1 APR

FRANK ENSTEIN

DANCE

SAT 1 APR

SIGNS OF THE TIME: THE SIGN OFF

STREET PARTY

Issue #42 MARCH 2017