Blank Gold Coast Edition 4, 26 Feb 2014

26 Feb ‘14

free

BLEACH* FESTIVAL Elizabeth Rose

issue #004

Fibro Coast Karl S Williams

Violent SoHo

humans of Gold Coast

“What’s the hardest thing you’ve ever been faced with?”

“Well, I look at life differently. I’ve never found anything hard as I see all things in a more positive light, even negative things.

I guess I see hardships as more of a spiritual awakening.”

“I just opened my third restaurant; A smokehouse and blues bar in Byron Bay called Mr Jonsons. My other two are in Palm Beach...

I’ve actually come back to the Gold Coast to detox.”

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#004 26 FEB 2014 Editor: Samantha Morris Design: Chloe Popa, Blunt Pencil Design Music coordinator: Mella Bunker Advertising and distribution: Melanie Brennan Contributors Jake Wilton, Christie Ots, Emily Hosking, Leisen Standen, Kemii Maguire, Anthony Gebhardt, Gina Martin, Keiren Bond, Marj Osborne, Pip Andreas, Katie Hooper, Terry “Tappa� Teece, Nev Pearce, Catherine Coburn, Sly Steve, Naomi Edwards, Anna Itkonen, Roselle Tenefrancia.

Photography Luke Sullivan Jake Wilton Leisen Standen, Lamp Photography

Editorial: news@blankgc.com.au Advertising: advertising@blankgc.com.au Blank Gold Coast PO Box 878 Broadbeach QLD 4218 www.blankgc.com.au Blank GC is independently owned and published.

Opinons expressed in Blank GC are not necessarily those of the editor, publisher or contributors.

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point blank Anyone who thinks the GC is some cultural backwater has not taken a glance at our gig guide for coming months. As well as Billy Bragg coming to Byron next month (oh yeah), we also have Aussie chart-toppers Ball Park Music, Cloud Control, The Paper Kites and Yacht Club DJs all making stops on the Gold Coast. Check the gig guide for all the details and stay tuned right here for interviews and reviews.

RÜFÜS will also be here, announcing that their Worlds Within Worlds national tour will kick off at the Gold Coast, amongst a raft of other regional locations. 2014 has been good to RÜFÜS, and it’s only February. They blew crowds away at this year’s Falls Festival and Big Day Out, scored 3 songs in the Triple J’s Hottest 100 and are about to spend March and April touring the US and Europe, including a stint at SXSW. They return to Australia in May for their biggest tour to date, and it will also be the last time RÜFÜS will tour their #1, gold selling debut record, Atlas before returning with new material. Having sold out their last 17 shows on home turf, tickets are expected to be snaffled quickly. RÜFÜS will play The Cooly Friday 9 May. Tickets from Oztix. They also play The Tivoli Brisbane on Saturday 10 May Surf, free dive, swim, row, explore. Immerse yourself in our glorious oceans at the 2014 Ocean Film Festival Australia.

Screening for only one night, $1 from every ticket sold goes to the Australian Marine Conservation Society. Thursday 6 March, Ocean Film Festival, Reading Cinema Biggera Waters. Dive More at oceanfilmfestivalaustralia.com.au.

Djuki Mala Eco challenge Gold Coast is a wooden surfboard expression session taking place Sunday 16 March as part of Bleach* Boulevard at Currumbin Beach. Handplanes, bodyboards, alaia, standard shortboards and standard longboards will feature with surfers judged on how much fun they are having by the stoked crowd. The event will be documented by filmmaker Dave Johnston. More information at http:// http://www.climatewave.com/green-events/sustainablesurfing-events/.

The Tracks Pro Surf Party will see a huge lineup of DJs to keep your heart pumping between glimpses of surfers here for the Quiksilver Pro. Cut Snake, DCUP, Benjo, Tom & 4

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Jarry, Webber and Teknizm hit the decks at The Cooly Hotel, Friday 28 February. Tickets from Oztix.

Hailing from the Galiwin’ku community in North East Arnhem Land, Djuki Mala, otherwise known as the Chooky Dancers, fuse traditional Aboriginal and contemporary dance, comedy and clowning with athleticism. They’ve appeared at festivals in China, Taiwan, Solomon Island and Canada, so it’s only logical that their next stop is the Gold Coast. It’s traditional dance meets pop culture. And it’s on at the Arts Centre Gold Coast on Tuesday 11 March. Dewayne Everettsmith, who’s shared stages with the likes of Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu, Black Arm Band and Paul Kelly will warm up the crowd. Get all the details at artscentregc.com.au.

Boom Crash Opera have announced the release of a new greatest hits album, The Best Things features two brand new songs, as well as a four album box set, Rattle It Out, containing their first three albums digitally re-mastered and a bonus 14 track rarities disc of never-before-released material from the 80s and 90s. They’ll be celebrating these catalogue additions with an energetic and engaging national tour. As well as playing A Day on the Green, they’re here at the Lone Star Tavern on Friday 28 March, and at the Racehorse Hotel Ipswich on Saturday 29 March. Tickets through Ticketmaster.

Buskers by the Creek has received approval to go ahead, with the event scheduled to take place 18 – 19 October on the banks of Currumbin Creek. The festival will include some 80 acts: musicians, jugglers, magicians, mime artists, singers and more. It’s shaping up to be a weekend of unique entertainment. Get the event’s updates on Facebook.

The Greenroom Project is Australia’s first live cabaret talk show with host, Matt Ward. As well as performances by celebrity guest artists, it also showcases each month five of the hottest up and coming musical theatre and cabaret

Boom Crash Opera

talented musician. And we’re biased because she also writes for Blank. You can catch Jessie with The Bellows, Teigan Le Plastrier and The Shorefires at The Loft, 6 March. Follow Jessie at facebook.com/jessieryanallen www.jessieryanallen.com Opera Queensland recently announced that Gold Coast would be one of eight regional communities involved in a world-first project that will give 400 everyday people the opportunity to perform in the chorus of a brand new production of La bohème. The production, as part of Project Puccini will come to the Coast on Saturday 9 August. The project will train 48 Queenslanders in each region to sing and act alongside OperaQ’s principal artists and Queensland Symphony Orchestra musicians in a professionally staged opera. Auditions will be held 7 – 9 April and more information is available at theartscentregc.com.au.

Got a creative idea? RADF grants support the cultural revolution happening on the Gold Coast and are available to artists, creative businesses and organisations. $100,000 is available in the next funding round which closes 4 April.

Your project should be bold and collaborative and fuel the cultural charge that’s happening on the Gold Coast. Visit cultural.goldcoast.qld.gov.au for all the details.

Surfers Paradise Festival brings you Launch It on the beach.

Featuring acts as diverse as DJs Bombs Away and Mobin Master, Aussie rock legends, The Angels and Jon Stevens and ABC’s Exhumed finalists from 2013. It’s a three day beach concert from 4 – 6 April and you’d be mad to miss.

It’s part of nearly a month long celebration of GC music, art, food and culture. Get all the details at surfersparadisefestival.com This doesn’t have much to do with music, but Mudd Rush will be an epic test of your fitness and stamina. Taking place Saturday 31 May, it’s an 8.5km long course with 24

Jessie Ryan-Allen

performers in Queensland, who are given mentoring by industry professionals prior to the performance. It happens on the first Monday of every month, starting in March and more information (including how to participate) is available from thegreenroomproject.com.au.

Jessie Ryan-Allen has been likened to New York musician Sufan Stevens and described as Nirvana meets Missy Higgins. She’s certainly not your average singer/songwriter.

Having been compelled to write songs since she can remember there is confidence and occasion when she is onstage. Her songs fly acoustically with grace but when unleashed with a full band, they are unstoppable. She’s a

obstacles. Start training now, because this is not something you can take lightly. Thanks to the muddy crew themselves, we have four free entries to give away. We need to get them out the door quickly so that the “lucky” winners have plenty of time to get in shape for the event. To enter, tell us about the most physically challenging thing you’ve done up until now in 50 words or less in an email to news@blankgc.com.au by Wednesday 26 March and we’ll be in touch soon after so you have at least 2 months to train.

Get all the details about the event at muddrush.com.au/qld.

Send your news to news@blankgc.com.au.

February FRI 28 FEB

Tijuana Cartel

Regional Arts Development Fund (RADF)

March

While it’s not all about the money, it certainly helps.

FRI 07 MAR

If you’re a local artist, creative business or organisation, grants are available to bring your big idea to life.

Bleach* Festival Opening Party

Elizabeth Rose + The Trouble with Templeton + Hey Geronimo

Your project should be bold and collaborative and fuel the cultural charge that’s happening on the Gold Coast.

FRI 14 MAR

Find out more and apply now! Applications close 4 April.

Bleach* Festival Event

Violent Soho + Bad//Dreems + The Sinking Teeth

P 07 5581 6075 E cultural@goldcoast.qld.gov.au W cultural.goldcoast.qld.gov.au

FRI 21 MAR Bleach* Festival Event

RADF is a Queensland Government initiative through Arts Queensland in conjunction with City of Gold Coast to support local arts and culture.

The Transparentsea Voyage Movie Screening with music by Band of Frequencies + special guests FRI 28 MAR

Mark Wilkinson

April FRI 04 APR

...

...

Darren Middleton

...

(Powderfinger) FRI 11 APR

Uncle Jed with special guests The Firetree THUR 17 APR

The Bad Shepherds Featuring Adrian Edmondson (Vyvyan - The Young Ones)

Tickets at soundlounge.com.au

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BLANK GIVEAWAYS Bleach* bundles of musical joy Thanks to the crew at Bleach* and Footstomp Music we have double passes to give away to each of the Soundlounge gigs happening as part of Bleach*.

• • •

Friday 7 March: Elizabeth Rose, The Trouble with Templeton and Hey Geronimo Friday 14 March: Violent Soho, Bad//Dreems and The Sinking Teeth Friday 21 March: The Transparentsea Voyage with Band of Frequencies (film and live performance)

To enter, send an email to news@blankgc.com.au by midday Tuesday 4 March with the gig you’d like to see as well as your full name and mobile phone number. You can get more information about these shows and the rest of the Bleach* program at bleachfestival.com.au.

Bobby Alu pack Thanks to Bobby Alu and the kind folk at Heapsaflash we have a very special prize pack to give away. It includes a copy of Bobby’s CD Take It Slow, and a copy of his new single Skippin’ Stones on both 7” vinyl and CD: both with unreleased b-side Hello Again. To be in the running, send an email to news@blankgc.com.au telling us what’s so cool about afros. You must include your postal address to be eligible. We’ll pick a winner around midday Friday 14 March, so get your entry in before then.

Djuki Mala – Chooky Dancers Our friends at The Arts Centre Gold Coast are rightly excited about the Djuki Mala dancers coming to town on Tuesday 11 March. So much so that they’ve giving us five double passes to hand over to you guys. To be in the running for a double pass valued at $76, send an email to

SURFERS PARADISE

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news@blankgc.com.au with your postal address no later than midday Tuesday 4 March. The event starts at 6pm with an Indigenous art and music showcase on the Terrace.

More details at artscentregc.com.au.

Mudd Rush Thanks to the muddy crew themselves, we have four free entries to give away. We need to get them out the door quickly so that the “lucky” winners have plenty of time to get in shape for the event. To enter, tell us about the most physically challenging thing you’ve done up until now in 50 words or less in an email to news@blankgc.com.au by Wednesday 26 March and we’ll be in touch soon after so you have at least 2 months to train. Get all the details about the event at muddrush.com.au/qld.

A ROSE BY ANY OTHER NAME She challenges the gender divide in the music production industry, draws influences from Missy Elliot and is a self-confessed homebody. Keiren Bond gets her fan-girl on with Sydney songwriter and producer Elizabeth Rose.

Congratulations on your deal with Universal Music Publishing!

Thank you! I have a lot of goals for my career as a writer and producer and I’m excited at the prospect of reaching them with Universal representing me. It’s not a record deal, but it still means lot more coverage in the US so that’s a good thing!

The Good Life is a song about moving out of home and finding the good life, yet your Facebook page pays homage to the very real and cute relationships you have at home, like your Mum leaving jelly in the fridge after your gigs. *Laughs* Yes, it’s a very normal home situation. No one treats me any different like I’m famous or anything. I just sit around, eat and watch TV most days. I really do need to move out of home, it’s time. I’m 23.

You scored 181 in Triple J’s Hottest 200! How does one celebrate that, knowing they’re in the running? Listen intently or chill out, acting nonchalant?

Thank you! It’s better than nothing yeah! To be honest I didn’t do anything for Australia Day. I just stayed at home with the family.

Classic homegirl.

Exactly!

There are very few female producers on the scene down-under so it’s very cool to see you doing so well. How did 16 year old Elizabeth Rose go from playing around on GarageBand to touring all over Australia?

My brother Anthony is a producer himself (of HookNSling fame) so I used to sit and watch him for hours. He helped me along, showed me the basics and it went from there. I used to play acoustic guitar back then, so the sound was a mix of acoustic cut up guitar with electronic and dance beats. I’m self-taught and I prefer it that way. I stopped using the guitar in tracks when I was 19, started using Ableton and switched over to synths. I guess you can say I’m more productive now. The song writing and mixing process comes a lot more naturally to me.

Well it’s definitely paid off. Since your self-titled EP dropped in January it’s has been on high rotation through Triple J and managed to stay on iTunes top 10 electronic charts since!

I know, it’s insane. I cried when I first saw it. I’m so appreciative for the support.

You’ve worked with quite a few big names this past year including Rufus, Chairlift and most recently Chvrches.

Tell us about that.

It was so much fun. Chvrches were great, (lead vocalist) Lauren is tiny and crazy and so much fun, jumping around

the stage. Collaborating with Flight Facilities at Splendour In The Grass last year was also really good. They pull huge audiences plus I got to dress up in an airhostess outfit because of the whole flight theme. That was pretty cool.

Already you’re a bit of a festival veteran, having played Parklife, Harvest, Peats Ridge NYE Festival, and Field Day. Do you prefer the festivals or solo gigs?

Festivals I think. They have such a great energy about them and you get to meet lots of cool people.

Who’s been the most interesting person you’ve met?

Well… I nearly met Lorde.

Nearly?

She was standing a metre away from me. That was pretty cool. And James Blake.

Did you chat with him?

No. I was too nervous to go over *laughs*. Maybe next time!

Your music carries a vibe of feminine empowerment, similar to the influences of Missy Elliot and Destiny’s Child that you grew up listening to. How does it feel knowing girls are getting the same kind of inspiration from your music?

Amazing! I grew up loving that sound and have tried to incorporate it into my own music. It’s unusual and I wasn’t sure how people would receive it but I’ve worked really hard and it’s paying off.

Celebrating her self-titled EP launch, Elizabeth Rose is touring the country through February and March, landing 7 March at the Soundlounge as part of Bleach* Festival and 8 March at Alhambra Lounge in Fortitude Valley.

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“Matt Webber, one of the fill-in presenters on the station, saw me play at a café in Palm Beach and since then he’s had me on the air a few times doing some songs, as well as featuring the record. Last time I played on the station, immediately after the segment finished there were people calling in and asking where they could get the album. That kind of immediacy really impressed me - I’m after the radio generation so that kind of thing is a bit of a mystery to me.”

As Karl’s profile has steadily risen, interstate touring opportunities and festival slots have now begun to present themselves. October last year saw him head down to Melbourne for a series of intimate shows in the Fitzroy and Brunswick districts.

“The crowds were exceptional. It’s one of those cities where people give you mixed reports about what the audience is like. Some say that they can be a bit detached and are over-saturated with quality music. My experience was the opposite though.”

And March sees him featured as part of the bill for A Festival Called Panama, a two day music festival in the pristine surrounds of Tasmania’s north east.

I ask Karl if he’s happy with how the album turned out, or if it’s a case of him being too close to the creative process to listen to it objectively?

HEARTWORN HIGHWAYS With my banjo called Bettie Mae, my guitar called Ida Belle and my piano wearing a pink feather boa, I’m telling the Blues my own way.

So goes the self penned blurb on the SoundCloud page of Karl S Williams, his musical manifesto and tools of trade laid bare and inviting. Anthony Gebhardt chats with the man in the hat ahead of his Bleach* performance in March.

The music of Karl S Williams is at the rootsier end of the musical spectrum, from rustic blues and gut-bucket Appalachian fire and brimstone sermons through to wandering minstrel style vignettes and emotive piano ballads, all underpinned by a voice in turns fiery, swooping, soulful, melancholy.... sweet redemption via dusty roads less travelled.

Catching up with Karl within the inspiring surrounds of The Shed Café at the Rabbit+Cocoon precinct in Miami, I commence proceedings by asking him about his debut record Heartwood, which was released in August 2013.

“I had about three albums’ worth of songs when it came to recording the record, and the songs that made it on there are the songs I like to play the most. And that hasn’t really

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changed even though I’ve been playing them for quite awhile now. The album itself still feels new, as it’s only been out in the public for six months, even though many of the songs have been around for quite a bit longer.”

The Loft was where I launched the album on the Gold Coast.

It’s a great venue, and the very first gigs I ever played were there. They’ve been such amazing supporters of mine - even through times when they were struggling themselves as a venue they’d still have me in. So it was nice to bring that full circle.”

Having received a bit of exposure via Triple J Unearthed, Heartwood was also featured recently as ‘album of the week’ on local radio station ABC 91.7 Coast FM. I asked Karl how that came about.

“When we’d finished recording the album I think I got a bit of tunnel vision coming out of the studio. I wasn’t sure if we’d done things the right way, there was a lot of uncertainty for awhile. But since the launch of the album it’s been really gratifying to see how people perceive it, and that gave me a new perspective on things.”

And as for the shelf life of Heartwood, Karl feels the record still has plenty of mileage yet.

“I feel like I owe it to the album to give it time to do its work.

It’s a funny thing with recorded music, I can hear an album that’s 40 years old, but if I haven’t heard it before then it can still be brand new. These things have a life of their own once they’re out in the world. It kinda ensures your immortality is some small way.”

From musical immortality we move on to artistic influences, with Karl discussing the personal impact that three emotionally powerful artists have provided him with, sounds resonating across decades.

“Sun House has been a really big influence, just in the manner of his primitive, droning Delta blues style. It always used to frustrate me when I was first jamming around the place, people just getting stuck on the whole 12 bar Chicago blues thing. That kind of style often comes exclusively to mind when people think of the blues and sadly people who don’t look into it further may get discouraged. I actually do a few Delta blues style covers in my set every now and then just to expose people to that other side of the blues. To me that one chord, droning, Mississippi blues style feels very ancient and harkens back to Africa.”

“The artist that got me onto the banjo was actually (American indie singer-songwriter and composer) Sufjan

Stevens! As a performer his whole discography is very expansive and literary, with a strong element of traditional Americana sounds. So he was a discovery that I made awhile back that really influenced me a lot.”

“And then there’s Nina Simone, from a piano and vocal delivery perspective. Seeing footage of her playing live at the Montreux Jazz Festival in 1976 really showed me what you can do with performance, she’s pretty exceptional.”

I also asked Karl if he has any left field musical influences well outside the realm of his sound that may surprise his general listenership?

“My musical collection is pretty far ranging. I really enjoyed some of the Lana Del Ray tracks. In my mind it’s very interesting, slightly sophisticated pop music. I can’t wholeheartedly love it, but there’s a certain vibe in a few of those songs that I really dig. Good music is good music if it gives you a feeling.”

From feelings to humble musical beginnings then.

“I’ve been playing on the Gold Cost for at least six years now.

I spent a lot of time initially just kicking around playing blues. I originally came from Woodburn in Northern NSW, about 30 kilometres south of Ballina. I got started performing down there - some friends of mine were running a jam session. When I moved to the Gold Coast it was a bit of an eye opener, just the way that people jammed was different. All the jam nights I turned up to, all the people there were doing these really polished cover songs, which kinda knocked me for a six and I went back to the bedroom for awhile. But that’s how I got started playing live here, on open mic nights and then I started getting my own gigs at places like The Loft and it all went from there.”

Chevron Island’s live music venue The Loft holds a special place in Karl’s heart, allowing him to organically develop stagecraft and confidence during his formative forays into the live music realm.

“I was kinda lucky that I had this venue with a grand piano and a PA, and I got to sit there and play three sets a night, initially to just a few people. Now I feel really lucky that I had that, because it enabled me to develop my performance without too much pressure from an audience. These days when I’m on stage I feel very comfortable. I’m conscious of the audience, but not as an intimidating force. But before I play I tend to get a little bit nervous…maybe more anxious and excited to play…it’s a funny sensation but I feel that it makes the performance better.”

In addition to his own canon of work, Karl also moonlights as a member of local dream-psych band Tsun (pronounced sun).

“It’s a really fun band to play with. We originally digitally released a two track single. We were hoping to do it as a seven inch vinyl single. I guess we had this vision at the start that we wanted to release our music as a series of seven inches, two songs at a time. So we’ve got another single coming out soon, and this time we’re actually doing vinyl.

We recorded it late last year, but then realised that one of the

songs went for eight minutes, which is far too long for a seven inch! So we sorta re-jigged that and we’ve got it all ready to go now. We’ve gotten a really great artist, Coco Monier, to do the front cover artwork for the record. He’s originally from Byron Bay but he’s living in New York at the moment.

It’s gonna be a pretty special package I think and we’re really proud of the songs. It’s a different sound altogether to the previous two songs we released. Not so different that people will be alienated by it, but I think people will definitely notice that the sound has evolved into strange new directions.”

Is This Love, one of the standout tracks from Heartwood, is a touching piano ballad with a Jeff Buckley-ish vocal range.

Yes he can sing, boy can he sing! Much more than just a piano and a voice though, I question Karl on his additional musical virtuosity.

HANG 5: ARTY FARTY BLEACH* PARTIES

“I started on guitar and had never played it until I was about 19. And the banjo seemed to call to me always. I never really listened to a lot of banjo music as such, but in my mind I could hear this banjo sound all the time... there’s something kind of primal about it.”

And as for adding any other instruments to his burgeoning musical repertoire?

“I’ve always really liked the fiddle. There’s a guy I listen to who goes by the name of Possessed By Paul James, he plays solo blues with fiddle and I really love that sound. I’d also love to pick up a saxophone, but I can’t sing and play it at the same time, so I guess I just need to focus on instruments I can sing with for now!”

In addition to his music, Karl also dabbles in pen and ink drawings and sketches as an additional artistic outlet, even compiling a limited edition art book of his drawings that was made available at recent gigs.

“I put together that book for the album launch events. I just wanted something sorta special for people to take away from those shows. A lot of those drawings were things I’d scribbled in the pages where I write my songs.”

I finish off on a non musical bent, asking who Karl S Williams is outside of his music. Being the modest guy that he is, Karl leaves it to his lovely girlfriend Yanina to jump in.

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Saturday 8 – Sunday 23 March | Something Concrete will explore life on the GC set against a backdrop of skateboarding, corner stores and arcade games. Dust Temple Gallery, Currumbin Waters. Entry by gold coin donation.

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Thursday 13 – Sunday 16 and Friday 21 to Sunday 23 March | The Golden Sans Project is an exhibition of the Gold Coast’s iconic type-based signage. St Thomas Studio, Chevron Island from 10.00am.

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Saturday 15 March | We Heart Words celebrates words with a collaborative exhibition drawing inspired by short stories from fresh GC writers. Crown Studios West Burleigh from 6.30pm. Tickets $5 at the door.

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Sunday 16 March | Eco Challenge Gold Coast evolved from a love of the ocean, surfing and sustainable events and takes the form of a wooden surfboard expression session. More at ecochallengegoldcoast.com.

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Sunday 23 March | Urban Canvas is a party that showcases the work of local contemporary artists, photographers, fashion designers, performance makers, musicians and more. Rabbit+Cocoon, Miami from 3.00pm.

Tickets $12.

“We generally spend a lot of time outdoors, he’s a forest man!

We spend a lot of time camping,” she said.

Be sure to catch prodigiously talented ‘nature boy’ Karl S Williams on one of his regular forays into the Gold Coast live music scene.

22 March, Karl S Williams at The Loft Chevron Island 6 March, with Tsun supporting The Growlers at The Cooly Hotel

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BOARDSHORTS TO BLEACH* It’s a big job putting together a music program for an event like Bleach*. But Graham Ashton, owner of Footstomp Music and Music Director for the festival which hits town in a few days relishes the task. Our Editor, Samantha Morris caught up with Graham to find out how he goes about programming events and what events like Bleach* mean to up and coming bands.

Graham Ashton likes simply to be called Asho. He’s been around the music scene for a long time and he’s the kind of guy who just knows what sounds right, what looks right, and who’s going to make it big sometime soon. He’s brushed shoulders with some of the music world’s most impressive and talented acts and now he’s living on the Gold Coast.

He’s only been here three years and he’s already been involved in Bleach* for two.

“I hope to be a part of the Bleach* team until I’m a very old man,” he says. “Like everything, you just hope that the momentum of the event is heading in the right direction.”

This year’s main musical offerings happen at The Soundlounge, a change from the 2013 program. “Last year the central venue was The Cooly,” Graham said. “But The Soundlounge is our spiritual home – it was being renovated last year so we had to move temporarily.”

“We have those three key events happening at The Soundlounge over those first three Friday nights in March.”

He’s talking about three events with their own distinct flavour, something he seems quite proud of.

“Elizabeth Rose with The Trouble with Templeton and Hey Geronimo – they’re basically our indie party,” he explains.

“Those bands are the hottest bands on Triple J right now.

Any city in Australia would sell hundreds of tickets like that to this show.”

to decide what acts to throw in the mix?

Then there’s Violent Soho with Bad//Dreems and The Sinking Teeth on Friday 14 March.

“I’ve been programming festivals for a few years now,” Asho says. “I was programmer for BigSound for the last five years which really threw me into the deep end for programming.

We had around 1000 applications for 120 spots so that experience taught me a lot about how to do it, but also where to find that talent in Queensland and northern NSW.”

“The real highlight from last year was our rock and roll party, which Violent Soho headlined as well. We’ve invited them back this year and tickets are selling fast.”

“I’ve spent my whole life immersing myself in the local music community, so I have a fair idea for what feels right for each event.”

To top off the three Fridays at The Soundlounge is a special screening of the film The Transparentsea Voyage, with a live soundtrack performed by Band of Frequencies. The Gold Coast’s surfing community will be out in force with legends like Dave Rastovich appearing in the film and hopefully in person.

“This is only my second year involved in Bleach* so I learnt a lot of lessons from last year on balance and also learnt about the best way for local artists to get their best opportunity to play in front of lots of people.”

But those three events are just the tip of the iceberg with top notch acts scattered throughout the three week program of Bleach* events. How the hell does a programmer even begin 10

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“Really, it’s a mix of gut feeling, a fair bit of research and then availability. We did get most of our dream targets this year,” he smiles.

It’s clear Asho is passionate about music. As well as having programmed BigSound and Bleach* he also has Teneriffe

Festival, Live It Up (under 18 festival) and the Sydney Folk Festival happening this year. It’s an impressive track record given that Footstomp Music is only four years old.

“I’d worked at record labels for 20 years,” he said. “But decided to go out on my own and my first big contract was to program BigSound.”

That passion for music extends to a passion for getting music to the people who need to hear it most. He’s adamant that Bleach* is an important launching pad for local artists.

“For every artist, no matter what level, it’s about connecting with an audience,” he explains. “Bleach* provides an opportunity to connect with the Gold Coast community. But the other thing is that tens of thousands of surfers from around the world are on their annual pilgrimage to Australia this month. And a lot of them will be right here on the Gold Coast. You could be playing a show on the beach at Burleigh or Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary and there could be a bunch of Brazillian surfers there, and then all of a sudden you’re on a surf film soundtrack and a tour of South America.”

“It’s the best thing about music. It’s an international language. There are surfers from all over the world here in March – it’s no coincidence as to why Bleach* is on then.”

Graham’s other great love is surfing. Like most of the Gold Coast. He says surfers are very loyal to their musical roots.

“There’s always been this thing with surfers and music – the two things have coexisted forever. With surfers, surfing is the be all and end all but music is a pretty solid second. If the surf community embrace your brand, they’re very loyal.

Much more loyal than others. There’s certain elements of people who commit to an artist forever. That’s the kind of audiences that Bleach* bands are going to be playing to.”

HANG 10: MUSIC OFFERINGS AT BLEACH* Friday 7 March – opening night party at The Soundlounge with three of Austtalia’s hottest indie artists of the moment. Elizabeth Rose, The Trouble with Templeton and Hey Geronimo. Tickets $22 at the door.

Thursday 13 March – a music jam at Rabbit+Cocoon with Jeremy Marou (Busby Marou). Luke Peacock (Halfway / The Painted Ladies) and Karl Wallis (The Medics) for an evening of songwrting and performance workshops. Bleach* music programmer Graham Ashton will also be on hand for Q+A. To register attendance email info@bleachfestival.com.au.

Of course the Bleach* program is chockas full of all sorts of cultural offerings – from sculpture to film, theatre to ukeleles and even opera.

Saturday 22 March – Hang out with Ash Grunwald, MTNS, GOVS and Robbie Miller for an afternoon of live music, rolling waves and shimmering sand when Bleach* pays a visit to Burleigh. From 2.00pm – 5.00pm, bring a picnic rug and enjoy the quintessential Gold Coast backdrop.

“There’s some opera as part of Bleach*, happening on the beach in May,” Asho says. “I’ve never been able to connect with opera, personally – I came from a punk rock background – if it wasn’t short and angry I didn’t like it.”

Saturday 22 March – As Bleach* rolls into Tugun for Eat Street you can feast on tasty treats beneath Tugun’s 88 year old Moreton Bay Fig while lapping up Dave Dow’s infectious roots, soul jazz and funk and Barksdale Brass Band’s musical offerings with a mix of New Orleans and Balkan roots. Toolona Street from 5.00pm.

“But my mind is pretty open now. I’ll be there at the opera with an open mind.”

We talk for a while about how this is what Bleach* is actually all about. Offering people the chance to experience things they wouldn’t normally seek out. Opera on the beach, barefoot on a picnic blanket might just be the way to a whole new generation of Opera fans.

“For me, my two great passions are music and surfing,” he says. But I’ll find some culture around the sides and learn some things on the way.”

And that, we agree, is the gift that Bleach* gives to the Gold Coast.

View the full program at bleachfestival.com.au

Thanks to Footstomp Music and Bleach* we have a double pass to give away to each of the Soundlounge gigs happening as part of the festival.

• • •

Friday 7 March: Elizabeth Rose, The Trouble with Templeton, Hey Geronimo Friday 14 March: Violent Soho, Bad//Dreems, The Sinking Teeth Friday 21 March: The Transparentsea Voyage with Band of Frequencies (film and live performance)

To enter, send an email to news@blankgc.com.au by midday Tuesday 4 March with the gig you’d like to see as well as your full name and mobile phone number.

Sunday 23 March – live at Bond with Nicky Bomba and his band Bustamento, a tropical shaking six-piece that pays homage to the upbeat rhythms of the Carribean. From 2.00pm at the amphitheatre.

Friday 14 March – rock and roll at The Sounlounge with Violent Soho, Bad//Dreems and The Sinking Teeth. Tickets $22 at the door. More at soundlounge.com.au.

Saturday 15 March –free live entertainment from 11.00am to 7.00pm which includes Dubmarine, The Gin Club, Little Scout, Eden Mulholland, Marcus Blacke, Akova and Felicity Lawless. Tomewin Street Precinct including Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary and SurfWorld Gold Coast. Take public transport. Parking will be at a premium.

Sunday 16 March – Bleach* goes on the road – to skate parks at Pizzey Park Miami and Oxley Drive Runaway Bay with the Funky Hips who are revolutionishing live music using loop stations, effect pedals and synthesisers to create a unique sound, recording and layering their music live.

11.00am – 3.00pm at Pizzey Park and 3.00pm – 6.00pm at Runaway Bay. Friday 21 March – the Transparentsea Voyage is a film that draws attention to coastal environmental issues. Experience the voyage first hand as a crew, in tandem kayaks trace the southern migration of whales from Santa Barabara to the US border. The film features Dave Rastovich and OJ Newcomb from Band of Frequencies with appearances by Angus Stone, Lauren Hill and more. The evening features live performances of songs from the film by Band of Frequencies. Tickets $22 on the door.

Sunday 23 March – another year of Bleach* comes to a close as Palm Beach Parklands plays host to the Bleach* BBQ. With hammocks, music and the aroma of sumptuous food, join Jeremy Maruo, Dave Dow and the Community Ukulele strum-along as well as Ukelele Orchestra, Sahara Beck, Karl S Williams and Tyrone & Lesley for an island-style fiesta.

2.00pm – 8.00pm.

www.blankgc.com.au

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FIBRO COAST EXHIBITION OPENS Saturday 15 February It was standing room only last Saturday at the Gold Coast City Gallery at the Arts Centre. The small gallery was packed with locals who were there to listen to a panel of speakers in conversation about a part of our history that has been viewed as relatively unimportant until now. It was the opening of the Fibro Coast exhibition depicting photographs, paintings, stories, images and nostalgia of the fibro dwellings that made up a large part of the southern Gold Coast from the 1920s to the 1970s. Virginia Rigney, one of the curators, commented that back in the day, we would all have been at the beach on a sunny Saturday afternoon. How we’ve changed.

I had expected that mid 20th century nostalgia of the brightly coloured buildings and associated kitsch would have given me a warm, comforting sense of a more innocent time.

Instead I couldn’t help but feel an overwhelming sense of sadness at the rapidly diminishing numbers of the buildings that were responsible for the development of southern Gold Coast as a family holiday destination.

The fibro in question was asbestos sheeting, a cheap building material that Queensland began manufacturing in the 1920s. The exhibition now aptly describes it as the silent killer but at the time its affordability and availability meant that families from Brisbane could build simple homes at the beach, and make the three hour drive on summer Fridays to spend the weekend, or indeed the entire summer holiday at the southern beaches now called the Gold Coast, or the northern beaches, now called the Sunshine Coast.

Sitting in on the conversation at the gallery was Malcolm Cummings, an architect who lives in Currumbin. He fondly remembers his family building garages on land at Currumbin post war, which they filled with bunk beds and basic amenities. They did, however, have the luxury of a gas fridge which took an entire day to get working every time they visited their beach shack. In that post war period, most families would have to buy ice to keep their food cool.

The simplicity of the design of the fibro houses came about because the families building them simply couldn’t afford anything more salubrious.

Sunshine Coast writer, Jane Hyde who wrote The Place at the Coast recalled spending her childhood summers at Kershaw House, her family’s fibro beach house built in 1948 at Dickey Beach on the Sunshine Coast. She also spoke of the simple architecture coming about due to affordability.

The skillion roof, or single slanting roof now used frequently in Australian beach architecture, was often used on fibro homes because it was cheaper to build. Jane described those times as a gentle era in the way we thought about the beach, coast, and architecture. However, she was cautious about over sentimentalising the period. Boredom, for example, was a huge part of beach holidays for children last century in the days before theme parks, XBox and mansions at the Sovereign Islands. Jane recounted a story of passing the time by going up to the road with friends and placing sharp rocks

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on the bitumen when they heard cars coming. She said they were able to successfully while away many hours bursting car tires.

Fortunately, Kershaw House is still standing. Jane’s family unsuccessfully attempted to have Kershaw House heritage listed in the 1980s. It may seem absurd to preserve buildings fabricated out of a material responsible for the asbestosis, death and misery of employees of James Hardie Industries, the main manufacturer of asbestos sheeting in Australia.

However, these buildings are a major part of the history of the Gold Coast and beach house design in Australia. As Jane pointed out, there is a need to recognise the value of fibro because these houses will soon be gone.

Recently a Facebook campaign was started to save the Miami Ice building on Gold Coast Highway. However, the building was demolished in November last year after the all too familiar real estate agents’ Prime Development Opportunity sign had appeared at the site as it has done at the front of many fibro buildings before their demolition.

The pale yellow Miami Ice building with its cheery Party Ice sign has been preserved in a painting by artist Dean Cogle (pictured), and is featured in the exhibition. Dean’s other featured painting, the Point Danger Lodge which still stands on the border of Queensland and NSW, evokes a sense of urgency. I felt a need to drive to Coolangatta to take in as many of the bright blue, green and yellow buildings while they are still there.

Anna Carey is an artist who has provided images of fibro houses for the exhibition recreated from her memories of growing up in Palm Beach. From afar her art appears to be photos of houses. As you get closer, you realise the images are vibrant reconstructions from her childhood memory.

Fibro Coast has many more images capturing relatively recent memories: photographs, real estate advertisements, signs, a panoramic image of the inside of a beach house, bunkbeds crammed into a small room, a kitchen with lino floors and cupboards painted and repainted until it becomes almost impossible to open them, kitsch souvenir mugs, Sandman panel vans, house blueprints, and black and white pictures of children on the verandah. Memories I also have.

But as the curators said, we don’t realise we are part of history when we are in it.

Jane’s book The Place at the Coast ends with the beach house falling into the sea: a prophetic reminder that we need to experience and value the history around us right now before it’s all gone.

Bleach* Festival officially opens on 7 March, and there will be a special Fibro Coast exhibition at Kirra Hill Community Centre from then. This year Bleach* is also co-hosting the Fibro Coast exhibition as part of Bleach* Extension in various venues around the southern Gold Coast. Tugun, Bilinga and Coolangatta are some of the last remaining

pockets of the Gold Coast where the fibro beach shack still exists. There will be various installations of the Fibro Coast exhibition at the following fibro buildings: • • • •

La Costa Motel, 127 Golden Four Drive, Bilinga.

Bardon by the Sea, 192 Pacific Pde, Bilinga.

Coolangatta Ocean View Motel, Cnr Clark St & Marine Pde, Coolangatta.

Sunhouse, 39-41 McLean St, Coolangatta.

Check the Bleach* website for times and dates.

The Fibro Coast exhibition is presented in partnership with the University of Sunshine Coast Gallery, and will be moving to the Sunshine Coast in June.

Pip Andreas

HELL F#CK YEAH Last year was a massive year for music. The reunion tour of Neutral Milk Hotel, Daft Punk’s eight year album gap broken by the international smash Random Access Memories as well as the monumental Reflektor from, arguably, the world’s biggest band at the moment, Arcade Fire.

But 2013 was also the year that Brisbane lads Violent Soho, broke from the underground and released Hungry Ghost, the group’s most ambitious and grand piece of work yet. The band’s guitarist James Tidswell spoke to Jake Wilton recently about Bleach* Festival, his love for the Gold Coast and the band’s escalating success.

Hell yeah. They took the number 14 spot in Triple J’s Hottest 100 with Covered in Chrome, they finished a nation-wide sold out album tour and their name was plastered on just about every festival bill imaginable – Falls Festival, Splendour In The Grass, Big Day Out, Groovin’ The Moo. But does it feel surreal?

“Until we did Falls Festival I would have said no. We were playing like two hours earlier than what we were five years ago at Falls so we thought we’d gotten less popular but still so stoked to be playing. Then we walked out and there were way more people then we’ve ever played to before waiting to see us and ready to sing our songs back to us. Going from Falls into Big Day Out, again the crowds were massive. We’re sort of used to it now. One time on stage, it was in Lorne I think, I saw Mikey [Richards, drummer] and [Luke] Henery (bassist) looking at me saying ‘Holy shit!’”

Violent Soho have been a band that appear everywhere you look so it’s been fairly easy to see how their career has progressed. James, for one, now has a raging beard that would make most European men quiver in fear. Frontman Luke has developed his songwriting ability exponentially with the release of Hungry Ghost and the band, simultaneously, have come to be one of Australia’s most exciting live acts.

Seeing the band (for the fifth time mind you) at Falls Festival in Byron not too far back allowed me to see how the boys handle a festival crowd for the first time. With strictly no complaints on this side, James said that the Byron show, and the crowd, was intense.

“That one was awesome because it was close to being a hometown show - a lot of people came from Queensland.

Again, even after Lorne and Marion Bay, having massive crowds, we really thought in Bryon that we wouldn’t have one because it was quarter past midday on New Year’s Day so people would be nursing hangovers. We were pretty heavy considering the rest of the lineup so it was good to see so many people. It was an awesome crowd, everyone got into it right from the get-go which was rad.”

“We just do what we do and if we’ve gotten better at it, I guess that’s a good thing. I think the first few years of being in a band a lot of people wouldn’t have known about us,

because we were pretty terrible at promoting ourselves. Still now a lot of people are finding out about us by seeing us live or their friends dragging them along at a festival. It seems like we must be getting better at it because the crowds have gotten bigger and better!”

“We had no idea that people were going to sing the lyrics back to that extent, it’s not something we’re used to. To just be playing the songs and everyone getting so naturally vibed on it and start just yelling out the words, that’s the coolest for us.”

It seems like the Violent Soho wrath of domination won’t stop any time soon with the band already added to the Groovin’ the Moo lineup along with international acts such as Holy Fuck, Action Bronson, Disclosure and a bunch of other amazing Australian artists. The band also have an undisclosed new single coming out very shortly also taken from their third LP, Hungry Ghost.

And of course they’re headlining Bleach* Festival’s rock ‘n’ roll party at The Soundlounge next month.

“We’re really looking forward to Bleach*, it’s going to be sick.

Good work to the Gold Coast for having something like this that puts on awesome bands to play for everyone.”

Violent Soho play with Bad//Dreems and Sinking Teeth at The Soundlounge, Friday 14 March.

Visit bleachfestival.com.au for all the details.

Thanks to our friends at Bleach* and Footstomp Music we have a double pass to give away to Violent Soho’s show. To enter, send an email to news@blankgc.com.au by midday Tuesday 4 March with the subject “Violent Soho gig” and include your full name and mobile phone number in the email.

www.blankgc.com.au

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NIGHT//MARES North America is producing some of the best rock bands at the moment: Cloud Nothing, Parquet Courts and Canada’s Japandroids.

This new breed of rock bands have something in common and it’s phasing into Australia. It’s slacker rock and the genre can range from garage rock to lo-fi or just some well tuned surf rock. Bad//Dreems are one of the bands representing Australia in this new musical genre. Hailing from Adelaide, the band take a hefty liking to America’s Superchunk with a healthy dose of Australian goodness from the Go-Betweens, Dick Diver and Crowded House.

Alex Cameron took some time out of his afternoon to chat with Jake Wilton about their upcoming Bleach* Festival appearance, the coveted Triple j Unearthed Laneway spot and working with star-studded producers.

You’re playing Bleach* Festival in March, are you excited for the show with Violent Soho?

Yeah, I haven’t been to Bleach* Festival before but from what I’ve heard it sounds pretty cool. We’re retty excited to play with Violent Soho for the first time – we’ve all been enjoying their album, like thousands of other people. We’ve met the guys a few times and they’re really good blokes. We’ve only played a show on the Gold Coast once with Step-Panther at Neverland.

Bad//Dreems have been playing a few shows recently including the huge Laneway Festival show. How did that one go?

Yeah, that was really good! I’ve been to Laneway for a fair few years, on and off, so it was very exciting to play there. It was also very exciting to play at the new location (in South Australia): they’ve shifted it to Port Adelaide. That’s where we made our first video clip and we love hanging out down there – it’s a decaying port so there’s lots of big empty warehouses.

It was a really cool lineup this year and it was bloody hot. A good crowd came out to watch us, bright and early – we had a few beers afterwards and enjoyed the bands.

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I’ve heard that Bad//Dreems have new material to be released very shortly.

We’re about to put out a new single in the next month or so, that’s a bit nerve wracking when you’re unveiling your creation to the world. We put our EP out in July last year then we went back into the studio in December. We were in there for a few days and recorded two new songs – it’s going to be released as a double A 7”. At this stage it’s not a part of an album or EP, it’s just a stand alone release while we get ready to record our album.

For your past releases, you’ve worked with Johnny McKay [Children Collide]. How did this relationship begin?

I’ve known Johnny for a few years from when I was living in Melbourne. I met him through my old band and I’ve enjoyed watching the success that he’s had with Children Collide. That was his first official job as a producer, assisted by Jack Farley [Twerps, Scott and Charlene’s Wedding] who’s also recorded heaps of other good stuff. Lots of bands get to a position where they’d like to record their own material, like self-produce, but I think, for the foreseeable future, we really enjoy the challenge to work with different producers. Woody Annison [Black Cab, Rocket Science] helped us with the EP and then we’ve just done this single with Mark Optiz [INXS,

Cold Chisel]. It’s always good to get that objective, outside point of view – you have to make sure you’re working with the right person so you can trust what their input is going to be.

You obviously like working with different producers, if you were to find a producer that you really liked and trusted would you stick with them?

When we recorded this single it was the first time working with Mark Optiz and we really enjoyed working with him. We plan on continuing to work with him all the way through the album. Mark is a really famous Australian producer, he started off working with AC/DC and he’s also done a lot of big Australian albums in the 80s like the Angels, Cold Chisel, the Models. Name an iconic Australian single from the 80s and he produced it. He hasn’t really worked with any new bands for a while so when we spoke to him we didn’t even know if he was still doing production but thankfully he was. A lot of the stuff he does is tied up with the older bands he’s worked with, like recently he’s been working on that INXS telemovie and a lot of remastering of albums he’s produced 20 years ago so I think he liked doing something fresh. I mean, the stuff that he’s produced has sold millions in album sales like INXS’ Welcome to Wherever You Are and Full Moon, Dirty Hearts. When they were at their peak he went along on tour as a producer and his job was to watch the shows and give them feedback.

So what made you go with Mark?

When you read about the work he’s done, he’s a very song-based producer – he helps with arrangements and doesn’t mess around with lots of instrumentation and overdubs, we just want to recreate what we do when we play live but under that write really good songs that speak for themselves. That’s why we wanted to work with him because he shares that idea that the song is the thing that comes first and then captures the energy within the band.

Bad//Dreems are playing Bleach* Festival on Friday 14 March along with Violent Soho and the Sinking Teeth at the Soundlounge. More at bleachfestival.com.au.

A STELLAR YEAR FOR STELLAR GREEN Christie Ots chatted with Dave Aurora and Sean Dalton from Gold Coast alt-rockers Stellar Green about their upcoming tour, secret possible talents and just what we’re all made of.

Returning from a recent hiatus Stellar Green are going straight into a tour and a new single. Chatting with Dave (vocals) and Sean (drums) I asked what exactly we can expect from Stellar Green in 2014.

Describing their writing process Sean says it usually starts with a guitar riff or a part that just develops in the jam room.

“It’s very much a group effort with different people taking the lead when it feels right.”

“I think it’s going be a really fresh, energetic experience” Dave says. “Millsy and I are both new to Stellar Green, and it’s all brand new material, so we don’t have any of the baggage you often have in bands with long histories. There’s no safety net of guaranteed crowd pleasers in the set because hardly anyone has heard the new stuff yet, so this tour is basically going to be …” Sean laughingly interjects, “Loud noises!”

With a busy year ahead, including the release of a video for Refuge, Dave says we can expect more touring and an EP with both already in the planning stage.

The guys are touring from Brisbane to Melbourne from 21 February.

Have they had any crazy hometown gig experiences?

“Nothing too crazy at a hometown show yet,” Sean says, “But Melbourne on the other hand… let’s just say I limit the number of ‘pre-show shots’ I have now!”

Sean laughs and says “world domination” when asked about plans for 2014.

“Or maybe we will have to delay that until next year, but there will be another release this year for sure!”

With the upcoming tour, there is bound to be those small mistakes and technical errors that occur, Dave explains how the band deals with the ups and downs.

Dave adds “in a nutshell, it’s the “let them eat cake” mentality of people with first world problems.”

“With mistakes you’ve got to be able to laugh them off because they WILL happen. Sure, if there’s a huge issue you address it in the jam room or car park after the show with a stern but loving beating of the offender. But with little mistakes, don’t sweat it. As for nerves, I don’t really get them from performing, just the behind the scenes stuff like dreading bad monitors or set times getting cut and things like that. I think the best cure is preparation though - if you’re confident and you know you’ve worked hard it’s much easier to roll with the punches. I’ve done enough miles by now to not get caught by surprise anymore when things don’t go to plan.”

The song reflects the bands alt-rock leanings, with a conscientiousness that if refreshing.

With a few of the members playing in other bands I ask which musicians they would most love to play with. Sean

The band has recently released their new single Refuge; the message behind the song being a complicated one.

Sean says coyly, “It’s a bit of a controversial topic that we have discussed in depth numerous times - that’s all I will say.”

excitedly says, “I would love to play a show or even just hang with Dave Grohl and the Foo Fighters. Grohl is my hero!

One day… It’s on my bucket list.”

Dave adds, “it would suit my other project much more than Stellar Green, but I’d have to say The Frames. The actual gig would be torture because I’d be petrified of doing a bad show in front of a band that good, but I’d kill to sit down with them afterwards and ask Glen a million questions about vocal technique, or find out what caught fire during the live version of Fitzcarraldo on the Set List record.”

While the guys are confident with their instruments, Nathan Mils (guitarist) has a secret talent. Dave laughs, “Millsy is pretty decent at invading our personal space in rehearsals,” Sean chimes in, “Yeah, I think ‘Uncle Millsy’ has an unusual attraction to nipples.”

The guys seem excited to hit the road and really introduce audiences to the new Stellar Green material, so what is one thing they want everyone to know? Dave says with a smile, “We’re all just a pile of borrowed atoms, try to make the most of the fluke that is your existence.”

A filmclip for Stellar Green’s new single Refuge is out now on Youtube and you can catch the band at Surfers Paradise Beer Garden on Thursday 13 March for only $5. More info at stellargreen.com.au/.

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ROCK IS NOT DEAD Rock is dead – an argument that has been circulating between music geeks for some years now. Perhaps the Triple J sound does exist and Australia is being fed a claustrophobic taste of music. But in the depths of Bandcamp and on the sunny side of the Gold Coast, rock lives. It goes by the name of Sassin Fras. Jake Wilton talks to drummer Adam Adams and guitarist Robert Cosgrove about their new single.

They’re only a year old, they jam out grunge classics that hark back to Silverchair and they think that sound is making a comeback.

“We’ve got a heavy sound, a more 90s grunge sound, which I think is coming back and which I think people will resonate with,” Robert said.

“I used to play songs by myself using augmented chords that would be really complex and at the time, I’d think it was the best. But I’d listen back the next day and think, ‘If I didn’t make this, would I actually listen to it?’ We’ve based our band around playing music that we really like, not what other people like. The simplicity of the early ‘90s, with Nirvana and Silverchair, that’s what we really love.”

Madeline, the band’s latest offering continues Sassin Fras’ grunge attitude – both in the song’s composition and the story behind it. Nirvana, in a closely sealed nutshell, prided themselves on not caring what people thought of them and Robert and Adam seem to feel the same. Whether they’re Israel’s Son or the new descendants of Nirvana, Sassin Fras are rock’s revival.

“The song made so much sense - about not giving in to doing exactly what you’re told and Madeline is the scapegoat of someone who’s the opposite of that. Yet the next morning, when we weren’t in the same mind frame, the song meant something different to us. It’s the first time we’ve put proper effort into lyrics – we’ve always been about the melody and the song’s groove but this time we put extra effort into both and I think it’s payed off,” said Robert.

“Howie Weinberg, who mastered Nevermind and Blood Sugar Sex Magik, mastered the song. Howie was in LA, he listened to the song and straight away he agreed to work with us. It was only the single so it was a taster to see if we had the sound and the impact. We wanted to take that next level in production and stand out beside all the other bands like us,” continued Adam. “[Howie] doesn’t take everything that’s sent to him, he only works with something that he likes. So when he did accept to work with us it was a real positive.” added Robert.

Beside having that direct relationship with arguably the world’s most influential grunge album by working with Howie Weinberg, everything about Sassin Fras’ music is pure 90s grunge – Robert’s vocals capture the sound and naivety of a young Daniel Johns as well as the passion of Kurt Cobain. Adam and Robert discussed their influences and how they developed their sound, drawing from Queens of the Stone to Audioslave, but always leading to the apex of Silverchair.

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“Daniel Johns influences me so much… I don’t even think it’s in the songwritting, I’m in total awe just listening to his songs from Silverchair and everything beyond that,” boasted Robert.

The boys have put pen to paper and planned a quick tour of the east coast in support of Madeline. With exact dates yet to be announced, you can expect to see Sassin Fras in mid to late March. But before that tour, Robert and Adam recently played shows with Perth lads the Love Junkies.

“That tour was awesome! It was basically just one night with them but we got to know them really well – to get along with a bunch of guys from the other side of the country and play music with them is just the sickest feeling,” said Robert.

“That’s what I love about touring! You meet so many new people and become friends for life, really. We hit it off with them so easily and hopefully we get to do it again sometime soon,” reminisced Adam.

Sassin Fras have also announced that they are opening for Queens Of The Stone Age who are DJing at Frankie’s in Sydney. After QOTSA’s show, the band will spin tracks from midnight, while Sassin Fras and Sydney dudes the Owls will open from 10pm.

“Queens of the Stone Age are my favourite band in the whole entire world! I’ve been listening to them since I was thirteen. Songs for the Deaf is a life-changing record for me – it changed my whole view on music. That was the first album

I heard, from start to finish, where every single song is a hit,” said Robert.

“It’s ridiculous, it could set off a whole bunch of really cool things for the band. Maybe we’re being a little optimistic about it but they are one of the biggest rock bands in the world at the moment so all we can do is stay optimistic,” interjected Adam.

With their minds excitedly set on playing before QOTSA, and dreams of one day playing a big name festival, Adam and Robert discussed how over-playing the Gold Coast could potentially make-or-break a band.

“A lot of bands play in their hometown too much and it becomes over saturated. They’ll play the same clubs, maybe two or three times a month and people get bored of that, and, to be honest, the Gold Coast isn’t big enough to support that. We love music but we even get bored when you start to see the same band every second week,” Robert said.

“We think it’s important that we take the time and money and travel north, south, west, wherever, and then come back home and play a show. We love the Gold Coast, this is where we live, we just don’t want to play here so much that it becomes routine. We think that’s important; there’s a formula to it and it works. We’ve seen bands fail from it and we’ve seen bands become huge successes from it,” said Adam.

After the band out-stage Queens of the Stone Age in Sydney, you can catch Sassin Fras at Swingin’ Safari in Surfers Paradise on Sunday 23 March.

REAL//TALKS Local boys, Real//Talks don’t really fancy themselves a Gold Coast band, nor a Brisbane band for that matter.

They don’t particularly wish to belong to any music scene and instead, just want to focus on being a hard working band, writing and playing their songs and to pick up loyal fans along the way. Emily Hosking caught up for a coffee with Aldo (lead singer/guitarist) and his brother Hamish (lead guitar) to talk about the March release of their self-titled debut EP. So where did the name Real//Talks come from?

I’m not really sure… We just decided we’d change the name (from The Lion’s Children) and I think it came from wanting a neutral name that didn’t rub anyone the wrong way. Plus it’s actually a slight R. Kelly reference.

7 band members…. That must take a bit of coordinating. Could you paint us a picture of a typical Real//Talks rehearsal/jam?

Yeah, it’s pretty hard getting everyone to practice but somehow we pull it together. We don’t really practice our sets, it’s usually more of a really long jam where band members come in and out.

The EP was recorded at a bunch of different places including Incremental Records and the Griffith University Con Studios. Was this a DIY effort and how did you find the process of recording your first EP as a band?

Essentially it was a DIY effort. We just tried to record it all as simply as possible so we recorded with some friends around the place who were interested in helping us find our sound.

The recording process is always a hard thing, and sometimes it is the approach that is most important. We’re definitely improving in the studio and I think we’ve found a sound people can follow.

While the music of Real//Talks manages to fit in perfectly with the popular indie genre of today, there is something really unique about your sound as a band. Who would you say were the biggest musical influences through the creation of the EP? Oh that’s kind. I think that it’s definitely a result of the weird mixture of people in the group and the range of everyone’s influences. While we were writing the EP, I was listening to a lot of different music, but I think the main influences that shone through were The Smiths, Frightened Rabbit and Wild Nothing.

The EP features some awesome art by Theresa Grace Fryer, Dan Ward, your brother Jeremy, and yourself (Aldo). The back cover also reads a quote by Kurt Vonnegut…“Of all of the words Of Mice and Men, the saddest are, ‘it might have been.’” What relevance did this quote have to the EP? The EP art was an idea I had floating around for a while but it was the photography of Theresa, and Jeremy’s design that made it possible. Kurt Vonnegut is an author I am very fond of and the quote represents the importance of literature in my lyrics. Writers such as Vonnegut, Ernest Hemmingway and John Steinbeck influence a lot of my words and thoughts, plus the quote itself is just a perfect truth about any dream or desire.

Congratulations on the release of the EP! What’s next for Real//Talks?

Thanks! Our next step after the EP release will be to keep writing and to cover new ground. We’re also playing a heap of shows in the coming months around the Gold Coast and Brisbane.

Catch Real//Talks at their Gold Coast EP Launch show at The Loft of Saturday 8th March with Jakarta Criers and Alaska Homer.

It’s a Saturday night and we’re keen to catch a Real//Talks show. What should the audience expect, and what’s a venue we are likely to catch you at?

Whenever we actually manage to get everyone together to a show, we arrive like a gang of strangers, and possess the stage. It’s always great having to squeeze all of us on little stages; it’s good bonding time! And you’ll definitely catch us on the streets. We spent a lot of time last year playing warehouse shows around Brisbane and Toowoomba so it’s good to be back in venues. You can catch us play The Loft (Gold Coast) 8 March and The Waiting Room (Brisbane) 14 March.

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LANEWAY FESTIVAL

Images Courtesy of Jake Wilton

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THERE’S NO END FOR THE LIVING END The Living End’s Scott Owen talks about upcoming shows and the bands he’s most excited to catch at Soundwave with Christie Ots. Having played for twenty years with legendary punk rock and pyschobilly band The Living End, Scott is a veteran in the world of music. Making the interview rounds to promote the band’s Soundwave tour he is still as fresh, funny and personable as when the band formed in 1994.

“Its really refreshing to get back to music, in the sense of being able to focus on the meaning of someone’s music and the feelings they’re putting out there. It’s definitely interesting to have those times where I’m not blasting rock music and just listening.”

With Soundwave kicking off last week in Brisbane, I ask which band he is most excited to see.

I ask if he is still playing piano, the instrument he first learnt, and he shakes his head laughing. “No I don’t really, I’ve forgotten how to play piano! I started learning when I was younger because my mum and dad made me. I would rather have been outside, kicking the footy or something, but I’m really grateful to them for that. I don’t really have what I would call proficiency with anything besides the double, I just play around with stuff.”

“We’ve toured with the guys from Green Day twice before and we’ve stayed mates with them. You know how it is, when they’re here or we’re in the US, we always catch up. So I was really excited, not just to be playing Soundwave, but to see they’ll be there too!” With a brief pause he says, “You might be surprised to hear this, but I also want to see Clutch. I’ve never seen them before, but I’ve had heaps of fans come up to me and say we sound like them. I’ve listened to their stuff and they’re good. I don’t necessarily think we sound like them, but different strokes for different folks; they have to sound good if people think they sound like us right?” he says laughing, “I also love Rocket From The Crypt, those guys are awesome, whether it’s live or recorded.”

After touring with bandmate Andy Strachen and local blues musician Ash Grunwald in 2013 Scott brings a fresh perspective to playing with the band again.

“Ash is spontaneous and disorganised and he gets on stage and plays the way he lives his life -very in the moment” he said.

“Whereas playing with The Living End, we’re quite structured and everything goes the way it’s supposed to. It was great for Andy and I to be able to be a little free with what we were doing on stage and also to pull Ash back a little. I think we were able to learn a lot from each other. It’s definitely different, but fun.”

One artist he would love to play with is Elvis Costello. “He has that smooth voice, and that bad-guy vibe, and he has made so much good music. From his classical to pop to rock, he recently collaborated with The Roots, which was awesome. I think you would be able to play a lot with him!”

Sounding enthusiastic, he reminisces about some of his favourite touring moments. “Big Day Out tours are always awesome, they’re so well organised and just great fun; a lot like Soundwave. You play music on the weekends and you get to chill out during the week, plenty of time for rest.

Though rest isn’t really on the agenda when you have that many bands travelling together.” he laughs.

Having been nominated for, and winning multiple Aria awards for his work with The Living End I ask Scott what one thought he would leave fans and readers.

Laughing he says, “when you’re in a boat wear thongs, or you might end up with a fish hook in your foot.”

That’s not to say that The Living End don’t have their spontaneous stage moments. One of Scott’s favourite songs to play with the band is one giant jam. He explains, “E Boogie would have to be my favourite. It’s a song played entirely in E, and it’s not recorded, but we’ve been playing it for years. Chris will play his guitar with random objects like a beer bottle, spilling beer everywhere. It’s the kind of song where we look at each other at the beginning and just say ‘see you at the end’ - it’s a real rockabilly song.”

Having been on stage for a large portion of his career, Scott still finds himself appreciating the simple moments of a backyard jam session.

“Down in Byron Bay there are a lot of moments where you end up jamming with people in a backyard, the wild and wonderful people you come across.”

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ANTIMATTER’S UNDERGROUND SOUNDS HARMONY

Carpetbombing In the 1995 Australian film Little Fish, one of the movie’s pivotal scenes featured a children’s choir delivering a spine tingling version of the Cold Chisel track Flame Trees. It was witnessing this moment when I realised what a great track this Oz rock staple actually is. But not only that, I could then also acknowledge that I didn’t feel quite the degree of loathing towards the pub-rock behemoth ‘Chisel’ as I previously thought I did.

So what do Cold Chisel and Harmony have in common, besides playing what could be (very) loosely defined as rock music? Well in the Closing of the Day, the opening statement of intent from the new Harmony record Carpetbombing, we’re greeted by the weather-beaten tones of respected Cold Chisel songwriter Don Walker, whose bleak spoken word intro, accompanied only by a haunted guitar motif, sets the scene perfectly for the sounds that follow…

Harmony are a six piece collective from Melbourne, with members moonlighting in various other respected non-mainstream acts such as The Nation Blue and in the case of bassist John Chappel as a founding member of Welsh rabble rousers McLusky. Carpetbombing is the bands second full length release, following on from their ‘bolt from the blue’ debut self titled effort of 2011.

Heavy gospel or gothic gospel are genres often bandied about when describing the sound of Harmony, and no doubt the band’s approach is very much defined by the contributions of three girl vocal trio Amanda Roff, Quinn Veldhuis and Maria Kastaniotis. It is their ever present, choir-like, gospel tinged harmonising that is very much the calling card of the band, adding a unique and light inducing slant to their dirge-like template of guitar, bass, drums and vocals. And within this unique framework front man and guitarist Tom Lyngcoln takes the role of downtrodden, howling preacher, delivering weighty sermons of anguish and redemption.

Picking out individual tracks to latch onto is somewhat of an exercise in fruitlessness, the album best imbibed as a collective whole. Moments of reflective stillness co-exist with outbursts of sound, with Tom Lyngcoln’s anguished vocals often sounding like they’re being delivered from the bottom of a pitch black well, vein bulging shouts from out of the abyss.

Creepy, echo-laden ambient sounds drift in and out, the raw, bleeding guitar tones are in turns lilting, brooding and implosive and the drumming of Alex Lyngcoln (wife of front man Tom) sounds live and organic in a way that Steve Albini in Audio Engineer guise would no doubt approve.

an exercise in cartoon angst though, it’s the heaviness inherent in the dark heart of the human condition.

But it’s not all downtrodden doom and gloom, with the rousing gospel-soul interjections providing a beacon of light, delivering catharsis from the introspective, bruised blues template from which the band chisel their sound.

An oppressive air pervades these slowly unwinding songs, embellished with bursts of salvation via the gospel tinged crescendos of the aforementioned three girl choir. This isn’t

With Carpetbombing Harmony have forged a dense, somewhat uneasy but ultimately cleansing listening experience, best immersed in the lateness of the hour.

local Umeå label Garageland Records in 1989. Happy quarter century Meshuggah.

Elm Street. Tickets at thehifi.com.au

METAL BYTES Gold Coast metal band Prepared Like a have just released their amazing debut album Overcomer and will be heading out on tour in support of it this March.You can catch the boys at Expressive Grounds for an all ages show on Sunday 23 March. Tickets through Oztix.

4 Dead in 5 Seconds have released the artwork and title of their new EP. Bestiary: The Book of Beasts was recorded in the Netherlands with producer and Textures guitarist Bart Hennephof and will be released this Autumn.

Carnifex will release their amazing new album Die Without Hope physically and digitally on 7 March through their new label Nuclear Blast. Stay tuned to Rabid Noise on Rabbit Radio in the next couple of weeks to hear an interview with frontman Scott Lewis.

Industrial metal maniacs Mushroomhead are set to release their brand new album The Righteous & The Butterfly on 13 May. The album also celebrates the return of J Mann to the band (that’s right, 3 singers), I am really excited to hear this album.

A tribute album to the late great Ronnie James Dio will be released on 28 March. This is Your Life pays tribute to the legendary front man and features newly recorded tracks from Anthrax, Halestorm, Rob Halford, Metallica, Motorhead, Scorpions, Corey Taylor and Tenacious D. The album will benefit the Ronnie James Dio Stand Up and Shout Cancer Fund.

Meshuggah turn 25 this year. That’s right it has been 25 years since the tech metal kings released the selftitled (though often referred to as Psykisk testbild) EP on the small

Iced Earth are returning to our shores next month as part of their Worldwide Plagues Tour. It kicks off at the HiFi Brisbane on 14 March with support from Aussie thrashers

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Dark Tranquility are finally returning to Australia in support of their latest album Constuct, also at the HiFi Brisbane. They hit the stage on 28 March with special guests Be’lakor + Orpheus Omega. Tickets at thehifi.com.au. Stay tuned to Rabid Noise on Rabbit Radio in the next weeks to hear an interview with front man Mikael Stanne.

Buried in Verona are heading out on tour in support of their new album Faceless. You can catch them live Saturday 19 April at the Crowbar (18+) or Sunday 20 April at The Lab (AA), both in Brisbane.

Got any metal news we should know about? email rabidnoiseradio@hotmail.com. And tune in to Rabid Noise every Wednesday night from 9pm at rabbitradio.com.au.

Nev Pearce

gig reviews PAGING JIMI + JOSH CALDWELL, SARAH SHA (feat. WOLFBOY) + DAVE AURORA The Loft | 15 February It was another sweltering night at The Loft as the venue began to fill for the launch of Paging Jimi EP, Antitrust. This Gold Coast supergroup comprised of members from local bands like Dogtags, The Midnight Antics and Stellar Green consists of Scott Teelow (vocals), Nate Mils (guitar), Grant Butler (drums), Dan Aurora (bass) and Jarryd O’Brien (guitar). These guys rock, not just because that’s the style of music they play, but also because their energy and sound will literally rock your socks off.

The night kicked off with three opening acts: Josh Caldwell, Sarah Sha (feat. Wolfboy) and Dave Aurora. I want to start off by saying that I have found there are generally two archetypes when it comes to gigs and their support acts.

The first is where the support acts are in a similar vein and just as amazing as the headliners. The second is where the opening acts are completely different and not as enjoyable

Paging Jimi @ The Loft as the headliners. While the band wins in either instance, unfortunately the audience doesn’t in the latter scenario. The Antitrust EP launch was, for me at least, the latter.

Josh Caldwell was enjoyable; but his soft voice and relaxed style didn’t really match the energetic expectations I had for the night. He ended his set with a surprising cover of what can only be termed a Christian-rock song and exited the stage to make way for the next act, Sarah Sha. I have seen Sarah perform a few times now and find her gentle and quiet performance nice, but it was definitely out of place in this lineup. A point of detraction was that, while she had timed her songs well, she hadn’t allowed for generous speaking time in between songs and ran over her set by more than a few minutes.

Dave Aurora was the third musician to step into the spotlight wielding an acoustic guitar. As with all of the other supports he had a palatable voice and skill set, however the songs blended into one another in a way that made each song indistinguishable. Unfortunately the opening acts were rather quiet as a whole and I was excited to see Paging Jimi take to the stage.

The lads were in fine form as they launched into their set.

Scott’s gravelly vocals punch through the dueling guitars of Jarryd and Nate and create a sound that makes it impossible to sit still. A perfect example of this is their song How To, where the influences of old school bands like Silverchair and Pearl Jam can be felt. Dan’s steady bass pulses through songs like Reaction, and Grant’s drumming adds the extra kick, that melds with Scott and Jarryd’s vocals to create an EP full of rock anthems. As the smoke snaked around the guys and the music resonated through the room the set came to a close. To mass chanting from the audience they launched into the title track, Antitrust, as an encore.

A friend and I wandered over to grab a copy of the EP and were treated to a show-bag of goodies like stickers, posters and guitar picks. These guys are not only great musicians, but also generous ones, and if you don’t jump onto iTunes and grab a copy of their EP you’re doing yourself a disservice.

Christie Ots

Street 66 @ The Loft

STREET 66 + ASTRO TRAVELLERS + ANIKA MANTELL

comfortable on stage and her banter with the crowd between songs (and during) has us all giggling with her and when her set comes to a close I’m completely moved by her romantic voice.

With the perfect cocktail of hip-hop and jazz, next to hit the stage were Brisbane boys Astro Travellers. The set began with a warm jam that broke into a solid groove when MCs Ali The All Seeing and Da Cruz stormed the stage. As Astro Travellers move through their set, improvising and grooving, there is an air of inspiration over the crowd. I look to the other members, Kollecta X on drums, Pringle Face Villain on saxophone, The Professa on keys and Captain Anarchee on percussion and every one of them has a smile on his face. The electricity and vibe of this outstanding act is admirable and to be honest, whether the room was filled with people or empty, I think they would have had a good time.

Hailing from the Gold Coast, Street 66 are a hip-hop inspired group that bring a fresh and tasty flavour to the stage. I walked back inside to Street 66 bursting into their opener, That’s The Spot, an up beat track that saw a crowded Loft grooving. With Puer MC at the front of this band, his high energy and enthusiasm for their art is all encompassing.

Inviting violinist Harriet Straker to the stage Street 66 move into a new track that begins with a super smooth bass line from Liam Butler and Harriet picking at the strings of her violin. They all seem so at ease on stage, drummer Jackson Martens and guitarist Julian Holland included. With Harriet still on stage Positive Heads is next to blow us all away and as they move through their extensive set of original tracks, by the time Gunja Grunge hits, familiarity sets in.

When I hear the intro to the brand new track from Street 66, Beyond The Flow, I get a shiver. Beginning with a stunning guitar riff from Julian, when Liam’s bass and the gentle drums from Jackson come in with Puer MC’s smooth as silk vocals, I lose myself to it. Next, there were some surprise appearances including MCs Big Jak and Temper MC with Adam spinning vinyl. These guys rocked it!

Bouncing between each other with slick rhymes that flowed effortlessly and Adam bringing a whole other layer to this already well-developed band. The set closes with Ghost Town and after Street 66 thanks the crowd it’s grins and handshakes all round. Street 66 are a band that continues to grow and learn from each other and, more than that, love doing what they do.

Gina Martin

The Loft | 14 February

THE NATIONAL

I’m always hit with a wall of nostalgia when I walk into The Loft. That and the mind boggling heat that swelters inside that place. There have been some great times up there and February 14 saw another killer line-up bless that stage.

Brisbane Riverstage | 11 February

Anika Mantell kicked off the night with a brand new track and her sultry blues vocals had me captivated from the start.

As her set progressed, the crowd began to gather and by the time Mantell plays Skin On Skin, a song about lust and sexual desire, she has sunken into a smooth groove. She is

“I’m going to drink lots of red wine, get moody and cry”.

Drinking overpriced house wine and basking in the afternoon sun on the hill at the Riverstage, I recited this covenant to my friends. They agreed to not abandon the panda-eyed girl crying the words to Conversation 16. As we laughed it off, the stage went silent.

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Lights on. Backdrop lit. I ran down the hill midconversation, leaving my friends in the dust. It was time.

Here, in front of me, stood The National. The dark, broodingly beautiful accompaniment to past poignant moments where self-indulgent sorrow felt appropriate.

Matt Berninger paced the stage as if contemplating a life altering decision before launching into Bloodbuzz Ohio in all the rock glory this seasoned five-man-band deserve. What followed wasn’t just my reaction to years of sentimental attachment.

The experience felt from being surrounded by hundreds of bodies who are responding to their own nostalgic attachment far outweighs one’s own inward affection.

Spotlit faces fixated on the stage, collectively responding to the sorrow in Berninger’s baritone voice as he struck himself with the microphone, punishing the agony flying through his thoughts as he recited dark recollections of Graceless to our eager ears.

The stage felt too big for the intimacy The National delivered. Perhaps it’s the use of collective terms in their lyrics, such as “we”, “let’s” and “our”, allowing personal attachment, inviting us to relate to the heartache of I Should Live In Salt and sentiment of I Need My Girl.

It’s not the overblown stage show they aim to deliver, but through complimenting musical and personal skill-sets, The National requited the crowd’s musical ravenousness.

Bryce Dessner’s brilliance goes beyond lead guitarist with a side of crowd-pleasing exuberance. His experience as a composer is evident in his execution and the intensity to which the band looks to him for musical provision. Similarly, drummer Bryan Devendorf was both rhythmically responsive and authoritative, determining how swiftly the crowd moved or how steadily we swayed.

Hundreds of voices banded together for an acoustic version of Vanderlyle Crybaby Geeks led by a humbled and smiling band, making for the perfect end to an exhaustingly engaging set.

We wandered away disorientated and content, exchanging smiles like we had just shared something too incomprehensible to converse. You’ll have to go see for yourself.

Keiren Bond

OLIVER TANK + OSCAR KEY SUNG The Zoo | 8 February With one hand on synth and the other on his mic, 23-year old Melbournian Oscar Key Sung wooed The Zoo’s patrons in a wave of soft crooning and super sultry sounds.

Drawn-out ascending vocals were magnified by his solo stage presence. He sang softly, taking advantage of the full silences and mesmerised eyes in front of him.

Tour, so us Brisbanites and Gold Coasters were lucky enough to see him in all his ambient glory.

Tank could have been lost in a sea of tanned, abstract pattern wearing skegs, complete with Vans and a mop of hair a young MJ would be proud of.

After stalling his entry by awkwardly standing by the green room he mustered enough courage to walk onstage and entered to a crowd heavy applause with “yeow”ing and “woo-hoo”ing.

In a cloud of yellow smoke-lit ambience, Oliver kicked off his set with Up All Night; an ethereal dreamy track. He almost weeps “Can you teach me how to dance, real slow”, much to the satisfaction of the stage-straddling devotees.

His folk-ballad Help You Breathe was intensified by the noise ringing in your ears. The combination of soft electric strumming and pop xylophonic beats made for a sound like a sunrise.

If Oscar Key Sung provided 2014’s songs to make love to, Oliver Tank made music for the modern day slow dance.

Opening act Bree Tranter joined Tank for The Sounds Of Silence; a track with electronic drums and violin sampling with lyrics that spoke of starry-eyed lovers, something they pulled off remarkably well.

As lights beamed behind Tank’s hair giving the impression of a higher being, I looked around the room to enjoy the expressions of my fellow music-loving beings: mouths agape and boys holding their beers to the sky, eyes closed in an overwhelmed state of euphoria.

“It’s been a while since I’ve done my own show,” Oliver laughed. “I get all nervous and paranoid before these shows and I’m just so grateful for you all”.

Well if we didn’t think he was the sweetest being we did now.

The National @ Riverstage

Oliver Tank @ The Zoo

In perfect synchronisation, Berninger launched offstage after the soft, nonchalant harmony of Terrible Love escalated to a textured instrumental, running through the crowd of outstretched hands brushing his suit, mine one of them.

Conversation 16 began with a wave of electric strumming, rushing over us in a surge of shivers before Berninger’s sonorous speech broke through the swell, a sombre sonnet to the trials of marriage.

The painstakingly honest admissions had strangers standing within a few inches of each other singing their repentances together, hands on their hearts. Its lyrics “Everything means everything” is an accurate summary of the band’s musical deliverance.

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Oscar Key Sung @ The Zoo

The a cappella odes of Hologram had the crowd hanging on his every octave, the only percussion a slow hand click into the microphone. Harmonised by looped sampling, Oscar created a sweet and fulfilling one man show.

In It’s Coming, Oscar experiments with minimalist RnB and drum progressions, making for the perfect chill session match. With Prince-like scatting and very smooth RnB sounds, it looks like we have love making music for 2014 right here.

Only 23 and already having Falls, Meredith and St Kilda Festival under his belt, Oscar Key Sung is killing it on the singer/songwriter/producer scene. Keep an eye out for his debut EP Holograms, released 3 March.

The Zoo was the first stop of Oliver Tank’s Slow Motion

He took the set out with a cover that solidified him as my new favourite electro being. Sampling Snoop Dogg’s Drop It Like It’s Hot and Beautiful, Tank combined his signature euphoric riffs and a little pop and locking on his behalf. And the crowd dropped it like it was hot.

The cover climax was softened as he drifted back into the beautiful serenade of Last Night I Heart Everything In Slow Motion and walked off stage, leaving us swooning and questioning everything we knew about life.

Songs of airy lullabies and bassy heartbeats are typical of Oliver’s style, yet he manages to play an expansive set which incorporates glitter-rock hooks and elements of folk, RnB and pop into the electro genre.

Keiren Bond

THE LOVE JUNKIES The Loft | 6 February Why is this kid walking behind the drumset? How are they executing musical precision not seen by artists under the age of 30? Needless to say, my mind was blowing in tiny explosions throughout The Love Junkies’ set at The Loft.

Hailing from Perth, these dudes have already worked up a reputation as one of the Top 5 up and coming bands from NME, scored sets at 2013 Perth Big Day out and Groovin’ The Moo, and supported British India, La Dispute, Band of Skulls, Papa vs Pretty, Birds of Tokyo and Kingswood. Hello Australia’s new rock lovechild.

To a fresh groupie’s request of “Play me a love song”, Mitch said “Alright, here’s a love song dedicated to my girlfriend back in Perth”.

Cue sombre faces.

This romantic shout out turned out to be the heaviest song of their set, with Blowing On bringing heavy scattered breakdowns lightened by soft crooning vocals. I wanted to get up and kick down the table and start air-guitaring but didn’t think I would match up to Gramps killing it on the d-floor.

You can pre-order their EP Flight Test on thelovejunkiesmusic.com

By the end of the second song, the drummer had to tighten his set and I had lost my hearing. Not even angry.

THE MISTAEKS + NOWHERE ELSE + PIRATES OF THE TEMPEST

Hip popping opening of Chemical Motivation gave way to a bass led chorus, with lead Mitch McDonald turning up the vocals to a raspy yet upbeat lullaby (there’s three words not seen together before) with a band heavy scream out, drummer Lewis Walsh keeping solid timing all the way out.

We were given a spontaneous brief intermission due to noise restriction negotiations with the vendors downstairs. How these guys had enough breath left in their bodies left to sing is beyond me. Their pant-heavy interval was cut short as the crowd pleaded for them to continue. That’s showbiz boys.

The Loft’s infamous characters were there in full force; a man who I guess was in his 70’s was shredding the makeshift dance floor with Mick Jagger inspired moves while Mitch got sassy with the microphone during Television, expressions for days and bitter yet hilarious lyrics condemning ex-lovers.

Maybeline has been getting a lot of love across Triple J and it’s easy to see why. Packed with attitude, this jam starts off with brat-like harmonies and a simple yet hard-hitting hooks. The chorus has guttural and obnoxious vocals perfectly paired with guitar-induced noise that could easily become a tortured-teenage anthem.

The slapstick guitar intro and minimal percussion fooled me into thinking the next song was light on the sound. Wrong.

Oxymoron turned into a garage-indie jam of fingershredding hooks evocative of The Vines, with vocals as blatantly mutinous as Crag Nicholls.

Christie Ots

Just having wrapped up their Aussie tour, The Love Junkies will be back on the road in March supporting Calling All Cars.

Jumping into the high-energy garage rock track Heads Down, the boys cut the tempo in half for the bridge making for a head banging, riff screaming ascent to a hypo chorus complete with “la da da da”ing reminiscent of 50’s surfrockers.

Baby, Come Home opens with a bluesy soul-groove sound that could have complimented Pulp Fiction’s soundtrack.

Grungy noise followed by a minimal bridge and crooning that could have come out of Kurt Cobain’s mouth made for a Nirvana inspired rebellious track.

songs. Drummer Dan Zullo had an ear splitting grin on his face as the band launched into a cover of the Scissor Sisters song Gay Bar, and bassist Jake Fountain kept his trademark cool as they wowed the crowd with new songs like Astronauts. With a special guest appearance on the drums by Grant Butler (The Midnight Antics) the band played Comprehensive Lisp with dual drummers and Markella danced her way up the staircase, involving the crowd. The show drew to a close with demands of “encore” being screamed out and thankfully Markella’s melodious vocals pulled the crowd into one last frenzy of jumping, rattling and rolling.

Keiren Bond

The Loft | 31 January It’s a Friday night and The Loft on Chevron Island is beginning to fill, as folk eagerly await the EP launch of Brisbane band The Mistaeks. Following on from their debut EP Noob, comes the sophomore EP Interrobang. As space began to fill I could already spot one enthusiastic fan wandering around in a band tee, and the energy began to build.

The Mistaeks @ The Loft

The place was buzzing as opener Pirates of the Tempest, a solo indie act, stood quietly under the spotlight. Gabrielle Lamb, the vocalist and guitarist, swayed softly as her husky piercing voice melded with her acoustic guitar to create a stunning sound. With an amazing cover of Jeff Buckley’s Lover you should have come over she had the crowd mesmerized and chanting “encore” when she finished her set.

Speaking to a fellow music lover about the next band up I was interested to hear they were veteran musicians who had recently come together to form a new band. Unfortunately the second band to the stage, Nowhere Else, made me want to be somewhere else. Now that’s not to say there weren’t enjoyable elements to this set, the lead singer Jodie Maloney has a great sense of power to her vocals and the foundations are solid. However with a similar set up, genre and experience to The Mistaeks the performance lacked the energy of the headliners.

Finally, as the hour grew late The Mistaeks stepped into the spotlight, amidst welcome cheers. One thing you can always rely on at a Mistaeks gig is energy that will rock your socks off. Front woman Markella Vergotis never fails to shake, twist and groove her way around the stage; and the band fits together perfectly. Guitarist and vocalist Tom Stephenson blends perfectly with Markella, cracking jokes in between www.blankgc.com.au

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off the record

Tamam Shud

Summer 2013-14 has been spectacular. It has been filled with road trips, plenty of live music, festivals, friends and frivolities.

Nevertheless this glorious season is quickly coming to a close. It’s getting to that point in the year when everyone is returning to work and uni and settling back in to the routines of day-to-day life. It’s time to put away the frisbee and pull out the knitting needles! Oh summer, these last few months we have shared sunshine and sweat and so this edition of Off the Record is dedicated to you. This is my ode to summer.

NEW RELEASE

Alex Bleeker and The Freaks Okay so the album I’m going to tell y’all about is not a new release but it’s just too perfect for summer for me not to include! Alex Bleeker is the bass player for New Jersey band Real Estate and has a side project of his own, Alex Bleeker and The Freaks. The Freaks are made up of members from other Brooklyn based bands that play on various tracks, including Jackson Pollis (also from Real Estate), Jarvis Taveniere (Woods), Amelia Meath (Mountain Man) and Kevin Morby (Woods and The Babies), just to name a few.

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The sophomore release from Alex Bleeker and The Freaks, How Far Away, released in May 2013 has an exciting summer vibe. It’s up beat and uncomplicated with a fresh sound that makes you want to slow down and take your time, no matter what you’re doing! I ordered this record from the Woodsist label website and waited by the mailbox for two weeks until it finally arrived and it has been on high rotation ever since.

all of that really come into light, making Greetings From L.A. Tim Buckley’s most critically acclaimed album and one of the sexiest records in my collection.

How Far Away is essentially a pop record but it has this cool country twang that gives it the warmth that only someone like Neil Young can bring. Listening to the lyrics from Bleeker it becomes apparent that, like most of my favourite records, it is undeniably about a breakup. With tracks like Don’t Look Back and All My Songs clearly written about a specific lover, his use of tone and melody make these songs easily relatable and they resonate with the listener.

Every Gold Coaster has seen or at least heard of Morning Of The Earth, the iconic surf film by Australian filmmaker Albert Falzon and produced by David Elfick. The film explores the lives of surfers on the northeast coast of Australia, Bali and Hawaii in pursuit of the perfect wave.

Making their own homes and boards, these men are in true spiritual harmony with nature.

Alex Bleeker, with the collective of like-minded creatives around him, has managed to build a record with musical delights that is strewn with emotion and vulnerability. You might not be able to find this at your local record store but if you are intrigued you can order online from the Woodsist label website.

BLAST FROM THE PAST Tim Buckley

Do you have one of those albums that you throw on at the end of the night and groove to, not caring if you are alone or in a house full of people? No? Well I sure do and through summer it gets totally flogged! Tim Buckley’s 1972 album Greetings From L.A. is usually the last thing I hear after a big night and when I wake up in the morning there is always a half empty glass of wine nearby.

The album cover is a sweeping image of Los Angeles, smog and all and the inside gatefold is set out, cleverly, like a postcard and there he is, gas mask and all. You can see where Jeff got his good looks!

The album opens with Move With Me and Buckley describes a scene of adultery. Following on to Get On Top, Buckley’s lusty vocals continue throughout the entirety of Greetings. It just oozes sex and Tim is the man of pleasure. Buckley’s lyrics, coupled with rolling bass lines and jungle rhythms keep you grooving and sets you up for what’s to come.

Usually by the time Sweet Surrender hits and Buckley is exploring his own infidelity, the girls have joined me in the lounge room and we’re swaying and singing into the remote controls.

Buckley displays an air of confidence in Greetings, which is something unseen in his earlier music. He had experimented with song structures and style in the past but this album sees

ODDBALL

Morning of the Earth

While down in Melbourne we picked up the original soundtrack on vinyl and all throughout this summer it has been spinning quite often. Produced by G. Wayne Thomas the soundtrack features a compilation of artists playing cool, folk-rock tunes that are perfectly matched to the Australian coastline. In 2010 the soundtrack was actually included in a book titled The 100 Best Australian Albums compiled by music journalists and industry folk Toby Creswell, Craig Mathieson and John O’Donnell.

The album opens with a very moving track by G. Wayne Thomas with the same title as the film. The track runs so smoothly and really sets the vibe for the soundtrack. It builds and builds without getting over the top and when it’s all over, I want to start it again. Although the entire album is great I’m always excited to flip it over because the second side is standout! Opening with a beautiful instrumental track by Tamam Shud, Bali Waters, it has a beautiful melody from delightful wind instruments coupled with the twang of the electric guitar to keep it grounded. It’s surprisingly catchy!

Other standout tracks include Making It On Your Own (Brian Cadd) and I’m Alive (Peter Howe). I feel so lucky to have this in my growing collection and I urge you to keep an eye out for it too.

Gina Martin

album reviews The band still have the ability to confound and delight after all these years, as evidenced here on the track Adore Your Island, which starts out with a stadium-rock sized bombastic riff, before a woozy vocal and abrupt tempo change return things to a more Wire-like equilibrium. Stealth of a Stork delivers a faster, more abrasive vibe with a modern rock sheen, yet with a chorus still unmistakeably of the band’s hand. Time Lock Fog and Magic Bullet are moody, keyboard driven numbers which wouldn’t be out of place on third album 154.

Meanwhile Eels Sang (an upate of the track Eels Sang Lino from Document and Eyewitness) updates the original’s rantingly playful, faux-funky no-wave template with a more measured musical and vocal delivery while still staying true to the soul of it’s original incantation.

Anthony Gebhardt

REAL//TALKS

WIRE

BOMBAY BICYCLE CLUB

self-titled EP

Change Becomes Us

So long, see you tomorrow

Humble 7 piece GC outfit, Real//Talks have released a classy yet energetic debut EP which will no doubt help nudge them a few steps further up the music industry ladder.

Back at the dawn of the first wave of English punk in the late 70’s, London collective Wire signalled their arrival on the musical landscape with three astounding albums of eclectic genius. Pink Flag, Chairs Missing and 154 are rightfully regarded as post-punk classics, delivering a thrilling hybrid of minimalist art-punk, off kilter, twisting pop songs and moody, electro tinged soundscapes.

London’s Bombay Bicycle Club have come a long way from their joyously humble folk as their fourth studio album welcomes some anthemic, expanding sounds.

Recorded at a number of studios across the Gold Coast and Brisbane, the EP is a collective DIY effort that has works as a compliment to their unique take on the indie rock sound.

The opening track Liars is a clear stand out with its catchy melody grabbing you from the get-go. After learning that each song featured on the EP was written around the theme of classic literature tragedies, I couldn’t help but fall further in love with the evident depth in each individual track. This EP isn’t just a collection of songs it’s a carefully constructed piece of art.

While Real//Talks’ sound and songs don’t particularly demand a 7 piece set-up, it is obvious that this larger collective of musical minds has allowed their songs to explore more depth than the majority of music you find classified to this genre.

This is one of those EP’s that you’ll most likely end up saying ‘I bought that before they were even famous.’ You should probably grab a copy now.

Emily Hosking

By the time the early 80’s rolled around the band were a fractured unit, with fourth album Document and Eyewitness delivering experimental sketches of songs in progress, performed live by a unit in the throes of self imploding. This was not the end though, with the band able to move beyond and re-invent themselves more than once across the continuation of their career, their sound never stagnating in watered down repetition or familiarity while exploring such disparate genres as electronic pop and industrial tinged sheet metal punk.

Fast forward to the present day, with most recent Wire record Change Becomes Us re-examining some of the originally maligned Document and Eyewitness tracks. And to the band’s credit they have done a stellar job in re-imagining these original templates into a cohesive whole that acts as a worthy and contemporary follow up to their well received 2011 album Red Barked Tree.

Opening track Doubles & Trebles, a re-work of the track Ally in Exile, smoothes out the original’s spikier, under-produced vibe and brings the track kicking and screaming into the present day, without removing the chugging, atonal menace inherent at the heart of the song.

Three years since 2011’s A Different Kind of Fix, the longest gap between album releases, Bombay Bicycle Club were inflating their indie rock sound. So Long, See You Tomorrow meanwhile reaches a new apex of resonance – thanks to their first #1 record in the UK. In spite of that, Bombay Bicycle Club haven’t flipped their sound on its head, they have just grown it. Comparing Flaws, the band’s 2010 record, to So Long… is an easier task than it sounds. The group still take influence from folk legends past such as Joni Mitchell, only they induce the music with charming indie melodies that no other band could pull off.

First single Carry Me begins with an infectious synth line and carefully overdubbed vocals that lead to an explosive riff. Of course, with a song like Carry Me or the melodious Luna, could not have been pulled off by the band until now.

If you’ve ever wondered why the UK band is called Bombay Bicycle Club, then Feel may give you some light answers. The edgy “Bombay inspired” keyboard in the song is possibly the most adventurous song to date. Come to Me is also another track which screams change for the band. The droning guitar riff gives Bombay Bicycle Club’s first taste of shoegaze which then becomes part of the song’s backdrop. So Long, See You Tomorrow is another gigantic leap of development for the UK group. It doesn’t matter if they can find a way to top this record, so long as BBC continue to advance I’ll remain a listener.

Jake Wilton

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singles

on the sly

IMOGEN BROUGH Heart

There seems to be a spotlight right now, internationally at least, on the North American scene particularly on the west coast of Canada, with cats like Lunice and Ryan Hemsworth going big. Is there much of feeling of that on the ground or are you guys just going about your business and making music?

Heart, the new single from Imogen Brough, perfectly captures her soft and ethereal sound. With resounding vocals and a beautiful piano score Imogen definitely tugs on the heartstrings with this symphony of sound. Released on Valentines Day, Heart is a song of sweetness, with lyrics like ‘Your halo’s not around your head it’s around your heart’ that bring to mind movie-worthy romantic moments.

I mean the vibe is like crazy over here, there’s the same vibe in America and like Canada. I’m happy for Montreal to have their own scene now, there’s a bunch of young producers which are now blowing up, it’s a pretty cool vibe you know?

You could say in Australia it’s a different vibe, it’s like more crazier down there.

Heart provides a view into the soundscape of light and shadows that Imogen captures in her music and was produced by Michael Paynter, whom she is touring with this year. With her Celtic-pop sound and heady lyrical ability 2014 is set to be a great one for this talented songstress. For dreamy days filled with thoughts of loved ones I definitely recommend jumping on to iTunes to download Heart. You can also see Imogen live on her tour which kicked off 12 February.

We try our best.

Oh please, oh please (laughs) So do you approach a festival set any differently to a club show?

Christie Ots

SCENIC Ride the Thrill I’m always a little sceptical when I play a track on Soundcloud that’s tagged as “psychedelic”. My scepticism flew away though, in a trace of kaleidoscopic psychedelics as soon as I started Scenic’s new single, Ride the Thrill. Scenic have some grand shoes to fill considering they are up against their biggest opponents in the psychedelic music scene. It doesn’t help either that their hometown is Perth, home to some of music’s finest in said genre – Tame Impala, POND, the Growl just to name a few. But thankfully, now with a delightful new single to add to their repertoire, it might be time soon to start adding Scenic’s name among the list of great Perth bands.

What’s said to be a psych reinvention of Fat Boy Slim, Scenic are a mash of Jagwar Ma, Air and Tame Impala. Roll these together and out comes a dance orientated psych trip that is good enough to smoke. Following from the band’s debut EP, Shockwaves, Scenic experimented with droning, glitchy and wavy sounds that made sense as music, but didn’t quite operate too well under their defined genre. Yet with Ride the Thrill, the long-awaited new track, who’s to say that Scenic want to be confined by the boundaries of genre? So many artists and bands are genre jumping and get away it. So what’s there to complain about?

Ride the Thrill employs whirling acid beats and bouncy electronics that do not over stay their welcome. Being introduced on the Future Classic record label, Scenic have easily picked up influences from their fellow label mates.

Flume’s choppy beats and distressed vocal breakups can be seen leaking into Ride the Thrill – just with a heavier acid trip.

Scenic have topped the bands to watch list because you’ll soon be seeing these guys rubbing shoulders with the best in the business.

Jake Wilton 26

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Sly Steve catches up with beat maker and Montreal native Kaytranada

I mean I’m going to try and do something different for 2014, my sets weren’t that much different from every tour I did, my US tour and my Australian tour weren’t that different but I think for like 2014 I’m going to try a bunch of different stuff, still going to keep the party rockin’ you know though, no matter what.

You’ll be down here as part of the Future Music Festival, is there anyone on the bill you’re keen to see as a fan?

Is the live scene a good place to test out some new beats and sounds that you’re working on?

I’m looking forward to seeing like Brodinski he’s a homie and all that, but there’s plenty of artists I want to see, I’m really looking forward to that festival.

I mean yeah, I’m working on plenty of original songs, beats and instrumentals but I’ve got a bunch of collaborations.

I’ve been working with Vic Mensa and a singer named Riva DeVito those are going to be some amazing songs coming out soon. Like you guys are not ready, you guys are not ready.

Are you going to sneak out for some club shows while you’re down here?

I mean probably but I’m not sure yet, I’ll be doing some New Zealand club shows at this stage.

Your debut on the Huh, What and Where Label (HW&W)’Kaytra Todo’, dropped last year, that’s been doing really well, how did you start working with those guys?

Those guys are my brothers like, the HW&W people, like contacting me back in um 2011, I was just like making beats and hip hop but it (the label) used to be more about beat heads but now it’s more versatile. Like BAHWEE, who is one of the A&R’s he’s like one of my brothers, I’m really tight with him.

Right on, so you just dropped the new single At All, a couple of months back, is that a little taste of what we can expect from Kaytranada in 2014?

Yeah, yeah I’ve got like this tape with my little brother whose an MC and I make all the beats and we’re called The Celestics, I mean you can check out our song Charles Barkley on my Soundcloud. Then I’m working on my own album, myself, that’s going to be out this year.

(Laughs) Alright you’ve heard it here first we’re in for something special, we’ll try and get ready. Down here we’re still catching up to ‘At All’ but we’ve been diggin’ that sound.

Thank you, thank you.

Thanks so much for taking the time out, I know you’ve got a busy schedule. We really look forward to having you down under again.

I’m looking forward to it to man.

Future Music Festival descends on the RNA Showgrounds in Brisbane on 1 March. Kaytranada appears alongside Pharrell Williams, Deadmou5 and a whole heap of artists to keep your eyes poppin’ and your heart racin’ as we farewell summer and welcome autumn.

The single At All is available now through Huh, What and Where.

gig guide FEBRUARY Thursday 27 February United States of Oz, Just Monday, Tash Le Strange, Conspiracy of One, The Loft Chevron Island Friday 28 February Tijuana Cartel, Soundlounge Currumbin Pirates Alive, Elegant Shiva, Elsewhere Surfers Paradise Friday Brew Jams: Dakuta, Burleigh Brewery D At Sea, Millie Tizzard, Alisha Todd, The Loft Chevron Island Tracks Pro Surf Party: Cut Snake, DCUP, Benjo, Tom & Jarry, Webber, Teknizm, Cooly Hotel

MARCH Saturday 1 March Hell and Whiskey, Southern Cross Tavern Coolangatta Sticky Fingers, Cooly Hotel Tijuana Cartel, The Northern Byron Bay Horror My Friend, Dead Books, Take Me North, Pirates of the Tempest, The Loft Chevron Island Sunday 2 March Dinkum Bohos, Gold Coast Markets at Bundall Racecourse from 8.00am Touch Sensitive, Millions, DZ Deathrays (DJ set), The Ottomans, Drag Mondays, VICES, Cooly Hotel Thursday 6 March The Growlers, Tomorrow Tulips, TSUN, Cooly Hotel The Holidays, The Cairos, Elsewhere Surfers Paradise The Bellows, Teigan Le Plastrier, The Shorefires, Jessie Ryan-Allen, Mentally Twins, The Loft Chevron Island Friday 7 March Bleach*: Elizabeth Rose, The Trouble with Templeton, Hey Geronimo, Soundlounge Currumbin Sarah Frank, Genki Café Frenzal Rhomb, Coolangatta Hotel The Lyrical, Brewhouse Bash, Burleigh Brewery Songwriters Circle: Ella Fence, Kate Leopold, David Aurora, Jorja May, Katie Who, The Loft Chevron Island Saturday 8 March Jakarta Criers, Real//Talks, Alaska Homer, The Loft Chevron Island

Shave for a Cure Fundraiser: JJ Speedball, Eureka Funk, Pick It Up, F1 Eleven, Nowhere Else, Cactus Dill-Dos, Collins Class, Southern Cross Tavern Coolangatta from 2.00pm.

Mat. McHugh, Cooly Hotel Sunday 9 March Sarah Frank, The Bluff Café Kerry Kennedy Double Barrel, Southern Cross Tavern Coolangatta Thursday 13 March Jon Cleary, The Monster Men, The Northern Byron Bay Stellar Green, Surfers Paradise Beergarden The Stained Angels, Wren Klauf, Lani and Lecia, Angharad Drake The Nicky Convine Duo, The Loft Chevron Island Friday 14 March Bleach*: Violent Soho, Bad//Dreems, The Sinking Teeth, Soundlounge Currumbin The Sunnyboys, The Northern Byron Bay Sarah Frank, Mandala Organic Arts Café Lachy Doley, Mojo Bluesmen, Kenny Slide, The Loft Chevron Island Nick Laganin Band, Brewhouse Jams, Burleigh Brewery Saturday 15 March The Sunnyboys, The Northern Byron Bay Baby Animals, The Strums, Coolangatta Hotel Eureka Funk, Southern Cross Tavern Coolangatta My Fiction, Amy Shark, Michelle Xen & the Neon Wild, Ellie Hopley, The Loft Chevron Island Sunday 16 March Kerry Kennedy Double Barrel, Southern Cross Tavern Coolangatta from 3.00pm Friday 21 March Bleach*: Band of Frequencies presents The Transparentsea Voyage, Soundlounge Currumbin SLAPSHOT, Shackles, The Lost Cause, Driven Fear, Bitter Lungs, Coolangatta Hotel Billy Bragg, Courtney Barnett, The Northern Byron Bay The Storytellers, Brewhouse Jams, Burleigh Brewery Saturday 22 March Hell and Whiskey Mister Jonson’s Blues Bar Byron Bay 8.00pm Sunday 23 March Bleach*: Nicky Bomba and Bustamento, Bond University Sassin Fras, Swingin’ Safari Prepared Like A Bride, Expressive Grounds

Friday 28 March Sarah Frank, Café Urbia Dinkum Bohos, Pizza Paradiso, Suffolk Park Byron Bay Ben Amor, Brewhouse Jams, Burleigh Brewery Mark Wilkinson, Soundlounge Currumbin Boom Crash Opera, Lonestar Tavern Mermaid Waters Sunday 30 March Dub FB, Opiou (Australian album tour), The Northern Byron Bay

APRIL Friday 4 April Launch It: DJ sets with Bombs Away, Mobin Master, Chardy, Orckestra and Tate Strauss, Surfers Paradise Festival on the beach Saturday 5 April Launch It: Aussie Rock featuring The Angels with Dave Gleeson, Jon Stevens, Daryl Braithwaite, Surfers Paradise Festival on the beach Hell N Whiskey, Southern Cross Tavern Coolangatta from 2.00pm Hell and Whiskey, The Loft Surfers Paradise from 8.00pm Sunday 6 April Launch It: ABC Exhumed Finalists 2013 Aunty HuHu, Bec and the Big River Trio, Diddly Squat, Glitter Gang, Jahsifik, John Johnson and the Johnsons, Surfers Paradise Festival on the beach Thursday 10 April Ball Park Music, Papa vs Pretty, Holy Holy, Cooly Hotel Friday 11 April Uncle Jed, Soundlounge Currumbin Yacht Club DJs, Elsewhere Surfers Paradise Saturday 12 April Ball Park Music, The Northern Byron Bay Sunday 13 April Cloud Control, Komune Coolangatta

MAY Friday 9 May RUFUS, Cooly Hotel

Send your gigs to news@blankgc.com.au

Thursday 27 March The Scientists (original lineup) 35th anniversary tour, The Trans Brisbane www.blankgc.com.au

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EAGER BEAVER SURF MEMORIAL CONTEST Images Courtesy of Luke Sullivan photography

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DOING IT FOR BEAVER The Eager Beaver Memorial Surf Contest 2014 Nathan “Beaver” Jager was the life of the party. He was the party. He had friends from the top pro surfers to people from all walks of life. Most of all he was a Palmy boy through and through. He gained the nickname “Beaver” when the Palm Beach Boardriders made a trip to Bali and he was so keen and frothing all the time that the eager beaver moniker just became “Beaver”.

SANE Australia CEO Jack Heath applauded the efforts of Palm Beach Boardriders in staging the event and said the support for the cause was testament to Nathan’s popularity.

Nathan was a popular man with the ladies as well, some confusing the nickname, thinking it was to do with his prowess with tuning the ladies, but if you spent any time with Nathan, you knew how the name came about: it was always go, go, go.

“Research suggests men in Australia are four times more likely to die by suicide than women, so education and support among the male population is incredibly important.”

Unknown to his friends and family, Nathan had a dark cloud above him that no one really knew about: inside that boisterous, out-going exterior there was something most guys don’t talk about, and that is a struggle with depression and mental illness. This resulted in the world losing Nathan to this disease, breaking hearts, and leaving many to question why and what they could do to stop something like this happening again.

From the afternoon after Nathan’s death, the Palm Beach boys made a pact, that no matter what, they would look out for their mates and ask if they were OK. They promised if they were ever in that dark, dark place that could call each other and talk.

Then Palmy Boardrider Daniel Binskin, came up with the concept of The Eager Beaver Open Pairs Surf Compeition.

The objective of the event was to raise awareness of mental illness within the surfing community, with proceeds going to charity group SANE Australia.

Mental illness is not prejudiced, nobody is immune and many suffer from it without support.

The idea is that through education we change attitudes within our community so nobody else has to go through what Nathan did.

“It’s important to educate the community about mental illness while tackling the stigma associated with it and events such as this go a long way in doing so,” he said.

“The funds raised will also aid our efforts in campaigning, education and research which will ultimately help Australians living with mental illnesses lead better lives.”

In the end it was former WQS surfer just back from the US, Leigh Sedley and his team mate, Burleigh lad and former Big Brother star Kane Dignum who took the win from Burleigh lads Jye Brazenas and Paul Surman. Brydon brothers James and Nick came in third.

Latest data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics suggests there are six deaths by suicide each day in Australia, and one in five Australians is affected by mental illness each year.

A win was had, but funds were also raised for SANE Australia and most importantly, there was acknowledgement from all that were there that no matter what happens in life, you always have a mate you can call on when times are tough.

So the event would be all about community, teamwork and support, with an Ambrose tag-team format that would encourage everyone to compete, regardless of age or skill level. The format promoted working as a team rather than an individual.

The day finished with local hip hop Palmy punks Boned playing their tunes to a big crowd at the Palm Beach Allstars Sports Club, and stories of the adventures and escapades of “Beaver” being told into the evening.

Come Sunday 9 February, nearly 100 of Nathan’s mates came to compete and celebrate his life. There was a roll-call of top surfers and Palmy locals, former WCT surfer, Dean Morrison, high wave charger Ryan Hipwood, and many top surfers from the qualifying series of the World Tour.

The format was exciting and fun, and just like Beaver would have liked, there were a few beverages on the beach with all his mates, a bit of skylarking and fun.

The waves were pumping at Palm Beach and a good sized crowd was enjoying the excellent standard of surfing, and the fun and excitement of the teams surfing format. Beaver had sent the waves, and everyone was having a good time.

“Beaver” was a personal friend of mine and his passing was a tragic loss that could have been prevented.

It’s for this reason that we ask you to remember to be a mate to your mates. If you know of a friend who changes their habits or withdraws from social outings all of a sudden, it just takes a phone call to ask “are you OK mate?” You never know what a difference that could make.

If you or someone you know needs support, contact: MensLine Australia 1300 789 978 Lifeline 13 11 14 Suicide Call Back Service 1300 659 467 Terry ‘Tappa’ Teece

OCEAN FILM FESTIVAL HITS THE GC The Ocean Film Festival brings the wonders of the ocean to Australian audiences this March as it hits cinemas in 15 towns and cities. Eleven short films and 6 Australian premiers will light up screens from 3 – 27 March with stops on the Gold Coast as well as Byron Bay and Brisbane.

The event showcases more than two hours of sublime footage taken above and below the water’s surface. The films document the beauty and power of the ocean, and celebrate the divers, surfers, swimmers and oceanographers who live for the sea’s salt spray; who chase the crests of waves; and who marvel at the mysteries of the big blue.

Heart-stopping shots of surfers riding wild waves and adrenalin-inducing scenes of divers swimming with white sharks will leave audiences on the edges of their seats.

6 March, Reading Cinema Biggera Waters 27 March, Palace Cinema Byron Bay More at oceanfilmfestivalaustralia.com.au.

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event guide MARCH Sat 1 March Broadwater Parklands 11.00am – 2.00pm, Fretfest singer-songwriter showcase sign on day. Sign up for the music mentorship for teenagers on the GC. Learn the art of songwriting and sing your own songs on stage. Go on mini tours, play festivals and get paid to play your own songs.

Contact 0438 386 237 for more information or email info@ fretfest.com.

6 March Ocean Film Festival, Reading Cinema Biggera Waters, www.oceanfilmfestivalaustralia.com.au.

4 – 6 April Surfers Paradise Festival brings you Launch It on the beach.

Featuring acts as diverse as DJs Bombs Away and Mobin Master, Aussierock legends, The Angels and Jon Stevens and ABC’s Exhumed Finalists from 2013. It’s a three day beach concert you’d be mad to miss. Get all the details at surfersparadisefestival.com 5 – 6 April Supanova, Australia’s Comic-con, anime expo and dragoncon all rolled in to one, Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre.

7 – 9 April Auditions for La Bohème which will be performed Saturday 9 August. Singers 16+ sought in unpaid capacity to form chorus.

No opera training required. Email mccaig@theartscentregc. com.au for more information or visit theartscentregc.com.au/opportunities.

MAY 1 May Submissions open for independent theatre makers for works to be staged at Arts Centre Gold Coast in 2015. More information from buenen@theartscentregc.com.au. Submissions close 31 July 2014.

7 March Swell Sculpture Festival entries close, www.swellsculpture.com.au.

9 – 24 March Gold Coast Art Festival, www.goldcoastartfestival.com.au.

23 – 25 March Auditions for Jesus Christ Superstar which will run from 20 – 29 June. Singers and dancers sought for unpaid roles.

Email mccaig@theartscentregc.com.au for more information or visit theartscentregc.com.au/opportunities.

APRIL 2 - 4 April Auditions for roles in a play inspired by Fibro Coast. Hotel Beche De Mer will run from Thursday 30 October through Saturday 8 November. Paid opportunities exist. Email mccaig@theartscentregc.com.au for more information or visit theartscentregc.com.au/opportunities.

JUNE 20 – 29 June Jesus Christ Superstar, Arts Centre Gold Coast, theartscentregc.com.au.

AUGUST 6 – 17 August, Short+Sweet Gold Coast will feature up to 20 new plays from around the world, all performed by local artists. There will also be up to 12 original cabaret acts to tease, delight and carry people away. More information at www.shortandsweet.org.

OCTOBER 18 – 19 October Buskers by the Creek, Currumbin. More details as they become available. facebook.com/buskersbythecreek.

Send your events to news@blankgc.com.au

BLEACH* FILM HIGHLIGHTS Sunday 9 March Beachside Flicks, Coolangatta Beach from 7.15pm.

Immerse yourself in a moonlit film festival that celebrates surfing, music and filmmaking. Films include Australian film Spirit of Akasha featuring Mick Fanning, Steph Gilmore, Tom Curren, Kelly Slater and Beau Young as well as Last Paradise which includes 45 years of unseen footage including the Al Byrne story.

Saturday 15 & Sunday 16 March Bleach* Boulevard Film Festival from 11.00am at SurfWorld Currumbin. An impressive lineup of films including feature films Missing, Dogtown and Z Boys, Raw the Movie and Shored Up. Tickets $5. More at bleachfestival.com.au.

Friday 21 March Saltwater Cinema #2, Tugun Progress Hall from 7.00pm.

The Musica Surfica doco features a unique gathering of classical musicians and top surfers and was awarded best film at the New York Surf Film Festival.

Friday 21 March The Transparentsea Voyage, Soundlounge Currumbin 7.30pm.

What started with a goal of engaging coastal communities because a journey of discovery for those involved. Experience the voyage in tandem kayaks, starring Dave Rastovich and OJ Newcomb from Band of Frequencies. The film will be accompanied by live music from Band of Frequencies.

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QUEENSLAND HAS HAD A GUTFUL A National Litter Index report says Queensland is the most littered mainland state in Australia.

To combat that alarming statistic, Queensland’s peak environment group is pushing for a ban on plastic bags and is encouraging Queenslanders to commit to go plastic bag free in the month of March.

Queensland Conservation’s Executive Director, Toby Hutcheon said that in Queensland alone 1 billion plastic bags are used every year and that the average household collects 60 bags a week.

“As the most littered mainland state it’s time that the Queensland Government got behind Queensland Conservation’s aim to have a ban on single-use plastic bags by 2015,” Toby said.

Plastic bags have only been in use by consumers since the 1960s, so theoretically it should be an easy habit to break.

Toby said that finding an alternative to single-use plastic is easy. “When shopping, you can take your own bags – any kind you like. Or ask retailers to provide alternatives, like compostable plastic bags or boxes.”

“At home, you don’t need to rely on single-use plastic bags either. You can use newspaper in your rubbish bin, or there are compostable plastic alternatives if you prefer to use a bin liner,” Toby said.

David Curtin, CEO Keep Queensland Beautiful said that plastic bags are one of the leading man-made everyday pollutants on the planet.

“Almost 20% of plastic packaging items picked up around Queensland since April 2013 has been plastic bags,” he said.

The organisation has also partnered with George Patterson Y&R to release a web film highlighting the wasteful and deadly phenomenon of the plastic bag.

Plastic bags – Queensland’s had a gutful aims to bring home the reality of releasing millions of shopping bags into the environment to hurt our wildlife. It highlights that each year 1 million sea birds die an agonising death after ingesting plastic.

Toby said that without the support of the agency the film would not have been possible.

25 years later when they were discovered on property in the Mary River.

Four adult turtles were collected and the Mary River Turtle was formally described as a new species within a new genus.

No other turtle in the world is closely related to it.

But that sheer volume of eggs collected for the wildlife trade resulted in an entire generation of turtles being removed from the wild, leaving a reduced and aging population. The turtle is now listed as an endangered species internationally and by both the Queensland and Australian Governments.

But Wildlife Queensland, in partnership with a Landcare Group on the Mary River have a plan to give this turtle a much-needed boost. Now the biggest threat to the small number of turtles in existence is predation by foxes, dogs and goannas and the trampling of their nests by cattle.

“It’s organisations like this, who get behind not-for-profits that really make a difference to the environment and the lives of others,” Toby said.

The film can be viewed online at qldshadagutful.org.au. The organisation is crowdsourcing funds to air the film on TV. For more information about Plastic Bag Free March visit plasticbagfreeqldmarch.org.au.

Samantha Morris

around 50 days and hatchlings emerge throughout December and until February,” she said. “This is when we do most of our monitoring.”

This dedication and absolute commitment to the Mary River Turtle by local volunteers is the reason why many clutches of eggs have successfully hatched that would otherwise have been lost. But of course, there is only so much a small volunteer team can achieve and with limited resources, only so many turtle hatchlings that they can help survive.

So Wildlife Queensland and Tiaro Landcare Group are working together to raise $30,000 to protect every turtle nest this year. Every $30 raised saves one Mary River Turtle.

“We’re going to expand the program until 1,000 hatchlings are protected every year,” Marilyn said. “But we can’t do this without financial support.”

BOOST FOR BUM BREATHING TURTLE

Wildlife Queensland and Tiaro Landcare Group will protect all nests of this unique bum breathing turtle. They’ll identify the nests, place guards, install electric fencing and monitor around flood time so that eggs can be moved to safety.

Dr Col Limpus is a world renowned turtle biologist who’s studied the Mary River Turtle for over 20 years. He’s seen the population of turtles decline, he’s also seen the recovery actions that are successful.

It took only one man, collecting and trading penny turtles to nearly wipe out a bum breathing turtle.

Marilyn Connell is the Coordinator at Tiaro Landcare and she’s been working on the turtle’s recovery for more than 20 years.

“We know protecting the nest will work and that by implementing these actions we’ll save the Mary River Turtle from extinction,” Dr Limpus said. “Nests that are protected and fenced the morning after eggs are laid result in 80% of protected eggs producing hatchlings”.

Every year between 1962 and 1974 this one man collected 15,000 eggs of the Mary River Turtle and sold them into the pet trade.

Thankfully turtle biologists who saw them in pet shops could see they were a unique species. But those turtle traders refused to reveal where they were getting the turtles from and so scientists were unable to formally describe them until

“The Mary River Turtle is faithful to traditional nest sites,” Marilyn said. “And the same females go back to those same spots each year. Their location is a strongly guarded secret.”

“Each female turtle lays one clutch of 12 to 25 eggs. They begin laying in mid October and continue throughout November and December. Natural incubation periods are

You can donate online and help save a species at rainforestconnections.org/projects/MaryRiverTurtle.

You can learn more about Tiaro Landcare and their work to save a species at maryriverturtle.com.

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beach bits

GET YOUR HANDS DIRTY FOR A CLEANER GOLD COAST It’s the biggest clean up in the country. And you’re invited to lend a hand. Gold Coast has more than 70 registered sites for Clean Up Australia Day this year from Jacob’s Well and Oxenford down to the border, up to Advancetown and even offshore on South Stradbroke Island.

Eleven year old Imogen Potts has become the ambassador for Clean Up Australia Day on the Gold Coast in 2014.

A passionate young Gold Coaster, she has been spreading the word for a cleaner, healthier environment for years already and has been participating in clean ups all over the Gold Coast for almost 10 years.

BEYOND THE HORIZON WE OUGHT TO SEE

“A cleaner Gold Coast means cleaner oceans which then again means better life for all everyone,” Imogen says.

In our last edition, Naomi Edwards wrote about sand movement along Gold Coast’s beaches. There is no doubt that the management of our river of sand presents many challenges for individual beaches. In this story, Naomi helps us understand the regional context and how it impacts good coastal management decisions.

”I encourage everyone to stop using single use plastic. It is easy - take your own bag, your own water bottle, a reusable coffee cup and use your common sense,” she said.

Decisions on how and why Gold Coast beaches are managed are directed by detailed assessments of natural coastal processes. This includes assessment of short and long-term trends of sand movement along the coast between beaches, and onshore and offshore – from sand dunes to sand bars. This constantly moving “sand river” directly affects the health of the beach. Sometimes the beaches reflect these coastal processes on a larger or regional scale, for instance sediment budget trends from northern NSW to beyond the Gold Coast Seaway.

Responding to coastal issues from a regional perspective has been detailed in a report commissioned by the National Climate Change Adaptation Research Facility to understand the approaches to coastal risk assessments across Australia.

Understanding these large-scale, regional “sediment budgets” must be the foundation for decisions made today that incorporate long-term trends of beach movement, historically and projected into the future.

As sand doesn’t stop at jurisdiction boundaries but dynamically moves freely in the active coastal zone by a diversity of un-controllable variables, decisions will still have unknown components with various risks. 1 This is why it is important to continue to study the science of the coast to build on previous knowledge to ensure right decisions are made from regional to local scales.

Dr Darrell Strauss from the Griffith Centre for Coastal Management highlighted how such conclusions can be reached through numerical models of coastal processes.

“Simulating long term changes due to natural variations in sand supply can assist managers to estimate volumes of sand which may be required to increase beach width in a particular area. This information can be integrated into a more simple output approach, for instance, a Beach Volume Index, a measure of the amount of sand in an area at a particular time. Coastal managers can then start to answer the challenging questions of why a beach may experience an increase net loss of sand or why another beach has more sand.”

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The report titled, Approaches to risk assessment on Australian coasts: A model framework for assessing risk and adaptation to climate change on Australian coasts, discusses various conclusions for regional coastal management, which can be approached by sediment cell planning.

“Just as what happens in your neighbours’ yard can impact you, what happens across the border can influence Gold Coast’s beaches”, said Dr Darrell Strauss.

More information at griffith.edu.au/coastal-management.

1 Woodroffe, CD, Cowell, PJ, Callaghan, DP, Ranasinghe, R, Jongejan R, Wainwright, DJ, Barry, SJ, Rogers, K & Dougherty, AJ 2012, Approaches to risk assessment on Australian coasts: A model framework for assessing risk and adaptation to climate change on Australian coasts, National Climate Change Adaption Research Facility, Gold Coast, 205 pp.

Every action makes a massive impact to the landscape. If you can only do one thing, join us for Clean Up Australia Day and get your hands dirty for a cleaner Gold Coast.

There is a Clean Up site near you. Trust us. To find a location visit cleanupaustraliaday.org.au or contact Gecko – Gold Coast and Hinterland Environment Council on 5534 1412 or events@gecko.org.au.

Burleigh to Surfers Landcare will clean up North Burleigh Join BTS Landcare to tidy up the dunes directly in front of the Miami Tavern. Sunday 1 March from 9.00am – 10.00am with refreshments afterwards. For more information visit www.btslandcare.org.au.

REBUILDING COMMUNITY IN THE WAKE OF DESTRUCTION permaculture in the Philippines According to local volunteers, Barbaza on Panay island in the Philippines was ranked number 3 in the area for malnourishment, even before Typhoon Haiyan hit. But a Gold Coast woman, with the help of other motivated volunteers has a vision for ensuring no child goes hungry, while helping to rebuild community in the wake of destruction.

Brittany Laidlaw has only just graduated from uni. Now based in the Philippines, she will stay in Barbaza for two years with a team of volunteers who have identified the need to deliver sustainable aid rather than just immediate response type aid.

Brittany and her team have formed a new organisation called Green Warrior Permaculture and they’ve just been given the green light by local officials and the Mayor to continue their work.

In the Philippines with her fiancé Mark, Brittany is on a mission to make Barbaza a model of true ecological and economic sustainability in the Philippines.

“Our goal is to make Barbaza a local and global leader in recover and resilience,” Brittany said. “To do this our team will be based here for 2 years; offering training in permaculture, organic farming, disaster-resilient construction design, animal husbandry and sustainable livelihoods.”

“With the help of a borrowed bike, we have recently begun designs and construction of new permaculture gardens with the children at two local schools,” Brittany said.

The team is also aiming to support communities to learn about healthy home gardens and environmental care and to build a nursery to grow 40,000 trees to replace those destroyed by the typhoon or burned in local villages for cooking charcoal.

As an alternative locals will be introduced to the lorena stove, which uses around 10% of the firewood required for existing fires.

Brittany and her team are hoping to purchase a Permaculture Rural Extension Package (PREP Kit) which will arm them with the tools and transport needed to help rebuild the communities they’re working with. The kit includes tools required to construct and maintain the gardens such as trowels, shovels, forks, hoes and small hand cultivators. The kit also includes organic, non-hybrid open-pollinated seeds to be planted in the gardens with children.

“Currently the only seeds that are available in Barbaza are chemical-laced hybrid seeds that are pre-dipped in fungicide, making them strange colours like pink, blue and fluorescent green,” Brittany said.

“These kinds of seeds create a dependency on chemical inputs to keep them in best health but good organic seeds will eliminate the need for this.”

The kit also includes an off-road 200cc trail bike built for tough terrain. The bike would allow the team to access remote parts of Barbaza where the poorest and most undernourished people live. “To transport all the tools, seeds and the team to the schools, this package also includes an off-road 200CC trail bike that can handle rough terrain. This would allow us to access the most rural areas of Barbaza where the poorest and most malnourished people often live.”

A PREP kit costs $5000 AUD and Brittany and her team are hoping to raise funds through crowdfunding.

“Every donor will receive a photo of their donation being used in the field, a Green Warrior Support Crew certificate and their name will feature on one of our earth bag designs at the local school,” Brittany said.

“We’re also seeking Australian schools to parter with us and support Barbaza schools in a Sister School Program.”

To help contact brittany_laidlaw@hotmail.com.

Read more about Green Warrior Permaculture, permacultureaid.tumblr.com Join on Facebook FB.com/greenwarriorpermaculture. www.blankgc.com.au

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TO MARKET, TO MARKET When one of the little pigs decided to go to the market, I doubt that she was off to an air-conditioned grocery store across the street, somewhere among the high rise buildings. In the little pigs’ time, there was no such thing as a supermarket, I suppose.

I grew up in an Asian city and when we were young our weekly trips to the markets involved seeing live fish in tanks, chicks for sale, chickens dressed as you order, tons of leafy vegetables and a huge array of tropical fruits. We were so used to the scents of fresh produce markets that we knew the difference between the smell of beef and pork, and the spices and pungent vegetables.

Today in supermarkets, almost everything is sterile, packed for safety and convenience. Most of the produce has been frozen and washed so clean that some of the flavours and nutrients have disappeared.

And so when my family of three moved to the Gold Coast, I found reassurance knowing that farmers markets are alive and well.

What is a farmers market A farmers market is a market where local farmers and growers sell produce directly to the public. They serve not just as a place for farmers to get the best price and consumers to get the best products, but as venues for producers and consumers to come together and exchange information.

So what is the advantage of going to a farmers market when everything you need is in the supermarket?

On the Gold Coast, farmers markets generally open once a week in each location. That means there’s something to look forward to on a weekend, or on a specific weekday. And because most farmers markets on the Gold Coast are also food markets, it’s a great place to experience a variety of gourmet and fresh artisan delights. And when there’s food, there’s a reason to come together with family and friends for a weekly catch-up or simply to have a fun in a vibrant outdoor shopping and eating space.

But more than the taste-bud treats, farmers markets offer us a wide variety of produce options. Our family goes to the Gold Coast Turf Club market in Bundall every Sunday because it’s near our home and we have established which stallholder we buy our favourite vegetables and fruits from. But we also try new ones every now and then, and because there are many vegetable and fruit stalls, there will always be something new to buy. The best part is you get to taste them before you decide which one you want to buy.

A smaller market we also visit is the Emerald Lakes Gourmet Food and Farmers market in Carrara. We go here because it’s open on Thursdays, a time when most of the Sunday purchases have already been consumed. There are fewer produce stalls, but the variety of gourmet food to choose from makes it an attractive proposition.

Although we have our regular markets, we do explore around the city and have been to most of the other farmers markets (and the non-farmers’ ones) around the Coast.

Buying local Australia’s vast landmass is home to many farmlands, commercial or otherwise. There’s always a wide variety of 34

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produce grown within the state. If you want the best quality of produce, it will always come from the nearest farm. Why? Because there’s less time needed to transport it to the consumer, hence, less need to apply preservatives or freeze it.

A community will benefit most in selling and buying within that community. The glitter strip may not be known for farmlands, but its neighbouring hinterlands and regional townships are its main source of local produce. Unless you grow your own, these farmers markets are your best place to shop.

One may be surprised at the number of farmers markets within the city. Because of varied venues, each one has its own character and its own vibe. Take for instance Produce at the Pier every Saturday at the Broadwater Parklands in Southport.

It is located near the pier and is beside the rock pools, so families can enjoy the park activities and do a bit of shopping.

The Emerald Lakes Gourmet Food and Farmers Markets every Thursday are set against a European backdrop, with a lake just a stone’s throw away. The Burleigh Farmers Market every Saturday morning is in the Burleigh State School, so it makes it safe for children to run around and play in the school’s playgrounds.

get them out in the markets before they’re even in season. This means you get more of the nutrients and flavours from the produce that you buy.

The locations of the Gold Coast farmers markets are in strategic suburbs so most people who go there are locals. It is interesting to know that all of them are only a few minutesdrive away from practically anywhere in the city. If organic and sustainably-farmed produce are your thing, you can visit Miami Organic Market at Miami High every Sunday or check out the LOHAS (Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability) Precinct at the Burleigh Farmers Market every Saturday.

Gourmet food abounds in these markets. And you will enjoy choices of food that you won’t find in commercial centres or anywhere else. Most farmers markets also encourage small businesses to sell their products, whether food or non-food.

This makes it more appealing to those who always look for non-commercial goods. Mind you, most food stalls cook on the spot so you are also assured of freshness.

Benefits of shopping at farmers markets There’s nothing healthier than being outdoors. It’s always good for one’s wellbeing and state of mind.

Then there’s the atmosphere of fun and entertainment, of the familiar and of interactions. Most markets have local and live entertainment from emerging musicians, and it makes a cheap, outdoor backdrop for a friendly get-together among friends and family, much like a public square.

“Outdoor markets have a great vibe; much more relaxing than a shopping centre,” says Tamsin McGuin, Produce at the Pier Market.

There’s the freshness aspect in farmers markets. You can choose from a variety of stalls and actually know where your food comes from. Whether the goods come from regional Queensland or northern New South Wales, you’re always assured that what you get is not imported from somewhere that takes a whole day to drive to or further.

You will always have the privilege of asking the farmers directly about their goods. Having them there to interact with also adds to the “feel good” experience when you shop in outdoor farmers markets. They get to know you and you get to know them. And somehow that makes your vegetables and fruits seem a little fresher and tastier. (Because of the many free tasting activities perhaps?) Markets create a community around food, and the farmers also educate consumers about their food.

Because your goodies are not pre-packaged, these farmers markets actually inspire you to be more creative in your kitchen. You get your ingredients fresh and you are encouraged to make food from scratch. These markets encourage mindful cooking and eating.

Most farmers sell seasonal produce. You’ll be assured that there’s nothing forced in growing vegetables and fruits just to

“These days supporting small business and local trade is in the forefront of people’s minds,” says Tamsin McGuin from Produce on the Pier, “aligning with ideas such as making positive choices for the environment and ensuring a fresh and healthy lifestyle.”

“Buying directly from farmers provides direct benefits to those farmers as well.”

Farmers markets had been overtaken by commercial supermarkets in the past few decades, but we’re seeing a growing trend in Gold Coast communities and a resurgence of the farmers market scene.

Perhaps it is the dynamism and the vibrant social energy of these markets that attract people. Perhaps it is also the need for a fresh and positive change in consumer attitudes that make these markets click. It can be a whole lot of other reasons, but one thing’s for sure: these markets are definitely growing and should be here to stay.

For more information about farmers markets on the Gold Coast visit: www.yourlocalmarkets.com.au/index.cfm www.farmersmarkets.org.au/markets#qld www.goldcoastfarmersmarkets.com.au www.gcorganicmarket.com Roselle Tenefrancia

over fire. From the farmer to the artisan craftsman, this food on our table comes from the sweat of labour.’

THE PADDOCK BAKERY 20 Hibiscus Haven, Burleigh Heads There’s something timeless and elemental about bread.

To me, it’s a given. So, it seems strange to me that a food item which dates back to the Stone Age, the most widely consumed food item in the world whose very name itself denotes staple nourishment, should ever have been out of favour.

But it has been. Until now.

Enter The Paddock.

Carbs are back.

In our house, white bread disappeared long ago. We’ll only buy a handcrafted loaf: light rye sourdough, spelt blend, fruit loaf (read fig and date) or polenta... We’re a fussy lot who seek out the best bakeries on our travels: Jackman & McRoss, Harvest, Bourke Street Bakery, and of course Jocelyn’s Provisions. Sourcing quality bread on the coast has been a mission; a few bakers have come and gone, and we have come to depend on artisan bakers who sell at the weekly Farmers’ Markets. So we’re excited to hear the news.

There’s a whisper about a new bakery in Burleigh which has employed a Bourke St baker (Patrick), as well as the expertise of veteran baker Jesse Downes to get started. The Paddock has their own Alan Scott wood-fired oven, and, as

The Paddock Bakery

Fittingly, the wood-fired oven forms the blazing heart of this house. It’s on display, with the rest of the working bakery behind floor to ceiling glass. Together with the garden dividing the restaurant and car park, it’s an obvious embodiment of farm-to-table dining.

The oven is also the key to The Paddock’s evolving menu.

Dishes such as bacon and egg roll, breakfast in bread, ovensmoked asparagus with house-smoked salmon and gruyère cheese, flatbreads with oven-roasted cherry tomatoes and Bangalow feta, accompany bowls of salad and whole loaves for sale.

The Paddock ticks all the boxes – grounded, concept-driven, whole food, environmentally friendly, great coffee (single origin coffee roasters)... It doesn’t matter that the menu is still evolving, the service flow straightening out; judging by the line up out the door into the yard, any teething problems have been forgiven already! Locals have moved back to this ‘farm in the ‘burbs’, taken it into their hearts, eager for the authentic, rustic fare and artisan bread which is the specialty of The Paddock’s kitchen.

As they did for the multiplication of the loaves and the fishes, the crowds are lining up. “Give us this day our daily bread.”

Marj Osborne Read more of Marj’s reviews at www.foodgoldcoast.com.au

The Petit Snail

we found out, they are making fabulous bread.

In a suburban rejuvenation, Ursula and Ben Watts, together with friends and fellow tradesmen, have transformed an 80-year-old weatherboard house into a shining new bakery.

The restaurant is an airy, light space with seating both inside and around the house in the spacious yard.

“It’s a project of passion,” Ursula tells me.

The reuse of antique pieces as decor, such an original Queensland Rail table, the intricate timber laminate counter from the Milton Bowling Alley, like props on a stage, remind us that nothing about this bakery is new; in fact it’s very old indeed!

An old butcher’s block from Mackay, vegetable drying racks imported from France (used to stack bread behind the counter), bags of flour and antique scales subtly add to the authenticity of a country bakery. ‘Remember,’ they whisper, ‘that from the beginning of time we have reaped grain, ground it to make flour for bread, which was cooked

With a small but competent wine list, there is something perfect to match each dish on the menu with a good variety from both Australia and France.

To start the evening’s taste tour I couldn’t go past the Noix de St Jacques aux poireaux (fresh scallops with leeks confit) as an entrée. Incredibly fresh, cooked to perfection and the leek was a wonderful accompaniment. Monsieur had escargots de bourgogne (snails in garlic butter). How could one go past snails at a French restaurant? Locally grown, the snails were flavoursome bites of garlicky heaven. We wonder why they aren’t served up more often around town.

In between courses our palates were renewed with little dishes of sorbet. Merlot for him and chardonnay for me.

This is the only place I’ve had wine flavoured sorbets and the bursts of subtle flavour were a wonder to behold. I love a place that takes so much pride in their food that they like to offer a palate cleanser between courses. There aren’t too many places like this in our part of the world.

For mains I always have to have the bouillabaisse d’antibes (fresh Moreton Bay bugs, prawns, clams, mussels, baby octopus and fish poached in saffron scented rock fish soup).

Aromatic and heaven sent, the huge array of very fresh seafood is a sight to behold and a delight to the belly. With every mouthful I end with a beatific smile of satisfaction on my face. How many dishes can offer that?

Monsieur enjoyed canard à l’orange sanguine (twice cooked duck legs with blood orange and Grand Marnier). A typical French style dish, done exceedingly well. The perfect mix

Blackboard Coffee

THE PETIT SNAIL 5 Carlyle St, Byron Bay

Byron Bay. A place to love and revere for many reasons. The beaches, the surf, the people, the vibe and of course – the food! I don’t know if I spend more time eating or beaching when I’m at Byron. It’s a tough contest. We have of course our favourite day to day can’t go past places, and then there are the special occasion standouts, and naturally we’re always keen to try a new venture.

So why do we keep on coming back to The Petit Snail for our special occasion meals? It’s just that damn good. I’m salivating just thinking about it.

A small and unassuming place on Carlyle Street, The Petit Snail is run by Chef Igor Persan and a specialised team of friendly, knowledgeable staff.

of rich meat and delicately flavoured sauce served with two vegetables of the day.

The menu also offers some seriously to die for sounding dishes for two, if ordered ahead. Get your taste buds around pan fried foie gras, Swiss or beef fondue, jugged hare, wild rabbit stew, or pheasant with wild mushrooms.

The dessert list offers classic French staples, including some beautiful cheeses. But for us we can’t go past the theatrics of crêpes Suzette flambés au Grand Marnier. Simple, tasty and an exciting way to finish off what is always a winning meal.

For those inclined, Igor Persan also offers cooking classes that you can tailor to your own desires. And for those who like to dabble in their French cookery at home he also publishes some of his much longed for recipes on their website.

We’re clearly not the only ones who adore this little slice of foodie heaven on our doorsteps. The Petit Snail is

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continually receiving awards for best French restaurant, not only in NSW but through all of Australia! Quite the claim to fame.

So do yourself a favour. Next time you’re overnighting in Byron, check out The Petit Snail. Your tastebuds will thankyou.

Katie Hooper

BLACKBOARD COFFEE 7/240 Varsity Parade, Varsity Lakes Walking into Blackboard Coffee is like walking into my minimalist interior decorating dream.

With its crisp white interior, warm wood accents and welcoming open kitchen, you immediately feel relaxed and ready to get your coffee on.

Coffee is clearly a passion at Blackboard where they have recently purchased their own roaster and plan on experimenting with roasting their own beans over the next couple of months.

In the meantime their beans are sourced from the caffeine magicians at Cup Coffee roasters in Brisbane

HANG 10: THE GOLD COAST’S TOP ASIAN EATS Hot steamy nights after a day at the beach, there’s nothing like a cheap night out, a ‘slurp your way to goodness’ heaven with a cheap Asian eat. Here’s our take on the ‘layers of meaning’ meals which give you a bang for your buck, fresh, cheap and cheerful, as well as BYO. Cha Cha Japanese, Broadbeach Cha Cha in Broadbeach is our other dining room. There’s a saying in our house, ‘Let’s eat at Jack’s tonight’ – our ‘home away from home’ tasty quick meal, enjoying owner Jack Suzue’s hospitality.

If you’re new to Japanese food, Cha Cha provides a great introduction - not traditional, but all food is freshly made to order. We have our favourite dishes: agedashi tofu (a generous serve of six pieces in Japanese wine sauce), takoyaki served with BBQ sauce or ginger chicken (all $6.90) for entree, fillet steak Japanese style with seafood, ginger, lime, teppan, garlic butter or wasabi ($18 – $20.80) for main. Friends swear by the seafood, and there are lots of vegetarian choices also.

Try the Japanese roasted wheat tea with your meal, or there’s a bottle shop just down the road. BYO is only $1 per person.

The Noodle House, Chevron Island The Noodle House is Rose Morton’s gift to the next generation of her extended family, where she teaches them her own recipes perfected over years of owning 21 restaurants and cooking professionally. “If you’re going to serve people, it has to be fresh,” says Rose. “When you cook, you must be honest about it, and put love and care into your cooking. No cutting corners. You have to be genuine, not greedy. If you say your fish is barramundi, then it has to be barramundi, not something cheaper.”

The kitchen may only be ‘hole in the wall’ in size, but the meals are quickly and efficiently prepared and served. If you walk past the restaurant before opening hours, the sound of chopping drifts out to the street, as vegetables are cut ready for dinner, the tiny kitchen overflowing with eager young chefs, toiling under Rose’s ever watchful eye.

From soon after 5pm, patrons start appearing to buy their take away meals, and not long after, the first diners arrive.

There’s a large choice of Thai regional dishes: entrées and mains, soup, noodles and rice dishes, as well as house specialties and a specials board. With main courses ranging in price from $13 to $22, it’s fantastic value for such tasty food.

Coffee is the order of the day, as it is first up on their menu with an offering of three ways in which to have it: filter, house blend or coffee of the day.

A volumetric flask soon appeared on the table, a quirky way in which to serve their lovingly prepared filter coffee.

Gentler than my usual long black, the citrusy flavour bursts in your mouth and quickly mellows out into a smooth and surprisingly pleasant tobacco taste.

Blackboard’s house blend, a 50/50 mix of Colombian and Brazilian beans, was sampled in long black form where a strong, nutty aroma enticed me into this well bodied, sharp, and full flavoured drink.

The winner of the day for me, and it was a difficult competition to judge with so many worthy opponents, was an espresso of the coffee of the day Cyebumba: a Rwandan single origin whose sweet chocolate and nutty aroma would drive even the most fervent non-coffee drinker into fits of desire.

This is the sort of coffee caffeine-filled dreams are made of with its big strong nutty hit that instantly smooths over the tongue into a flavour sensation.

I had to have another hit and ordered a piccolo, which was once again sweet and nutty like the espresso, but with the added element of creamy goodness to end my experience on a lighter note.

Blackboard Coffee has recently opened up two more locations at Capri on Via Roma and ESPL on the Esplanade in Surfers Paradise.

With coffee this good they are worth the visit.

Catherine Coburn

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Top Noodle, Coolangatta Top Noodle is the unglamorous sister of the exclusive Ten Japanese Restaurant in Broadbeach, and part of Bob Jones’ hugely successful Sushi Train group who brought sushi trains to Australia over twenty years ago.

Underwhelming? Yes, the venue is, but don’t write off the food! The menu boasts about ninety items: small izikaya-type share dishes such as takoyaki, gyoza and tempura; some of the best ramen, udon, and soba on the Coast; main meals in bowls or on plates, many including rice and salad. There’s a take away menu, with vegetarian and spicy dishes clearly marked.

Our favourites are the sui gyoza (five soft dumplings in a delicious broth, served with chilli on the side: at $5 per serve, it’s absolutely addictive), salmon caviar (the glistening roe balls explode in your mouth), tuna and salmon sashimi: very fresh and cheap and the eel bowl which features the best eel we’ve tasted on the Coast - mild and moist without any fishy after-taste at all. Judging by the quality of these dishes, Top Noodle deserves many return visits!

Muso Ramen Noodle and Gyoza Bar, Mermaid Beach Muso Ramen Noodle and Gyoza Bar serves two dishes: ramen and gyoza in a few varieties – specialty dishes done well.

I accept that ramen has a cult following, but I’m a recent convert, still learning to appreciate the ‘soul and depth’ of the dish. Great gyoza? Now that’s another matter…

Muso is usually packed with Japanese diners and deservedly so. It’s spotlessly clean and you’ve got to love that everything is made from scratch by Chef Akira Takagi: noodles made in house using a machine especially imported from Japan, tonkotsu pork broth cooked for hours to develop the rich flavour, even bamboo shoots prepared in the traditional way!

There’s pretty laid back music filling the airwaves and the service is cheery.

Dine under the mouth of Muso, a giant mural by illustrator Go Suga. As Muso splatters his soup across the wall, carefully slurp up a bowl of muso tonkotsu original with miso, the noodles perfectly cooked, the marrow broth glutinous in consistency and so tasty it must be good for you! Then feed your addiction with a plate of pan-fried gyoza as well, the dumplings tender and sweet, served with a spicy chilli oil. But is one plate of gyoza ever enough?

Malaysia Menu, Mermaid Waters Unpretentious, simple but clean, Malaysia Menu’s the sort of nondescript place you’d find on Little Bourke Street or Dixon Street.

Serving arguably the best roti Channai we’ve tasted, flaky and light (rivalling Kampung Malay’s); steamed dim sum made in house, plump and flavoursome; plates piled high with crisp soft shell crab, another with succulent pork spare ribs, it can be a dining treasure. With most entrées priced at $7 and mains well under $20, they’re generous serves. Takeaway prices are several dollars cheaper again!

“Listen to that wok go!” My attention drifts to the distant sound of a gas burner, furiously ripping through the meals.

Owner Frankie Wong’s skill is this flash-fried wok food: clean and fresh, not too fatty or oily, generous portions of tasty Chinese-Malay dishes: glistening, fresh tender prawns; crisp sesame-dotted beef strip ‘worms’; rich plump BBQ duck… It’s even possible to order Singaporean chilli crab if you phone ahead! Where else can you score Peking duck (2 courses) for $30, singapore chilli bugs for under $30, a banquet for $26 or a deluxe banquet for $38?

of product, friendly service and BYO ($1 per head). Regulars enjoy the $9 lunch specials or dine there any night of the week for the price of a takeaway.

Chef Jason Tan found his niche adapting Malaysian dishes to better suit the Australian palate. His food shows the influence of many other Asian cuisines, is more subdued and not as spicy as that of his homeland, but tasty nonetheless.

We cannot begin a meal without the roti chanai, a flaky short pastry-type bread bundled onto a plate, which you tear off and dip into the flavour-filled curry sauce. From there, choices vary, with everyone having their own favourite main course: sizzling black bean beef, chicken satay, crispy roast duck or yon ya chicken. All meals are priced under $20 and generous in size. There’s something for everyone on this menu, so families dine in a comfortable environment without straying too far from their comfort zone.

Phó VietNam, Southport Phở. My eyes roll back, nostrils sniffing, in memory of dusky evenings in Hanoi, food carts propped up on a corner, diners sitting on crates. It’s hard to describe the layers of meaning in a good phở, achieved by hours of stewing and skimming beef flank, reusing some of the same stock from batch to batch, loading with slices of the cooked beef, noodles and bean sprouts, the richness of the stock cut through with mint, chilli and, most of all, squeezes of tiny native lime.

Phở on the Gold Coast? Truly, there’s not much competition!

Phở Vietnam, in ‘ex’-Figtree Court, Australia Court, is arguably our best version of this dish. It’s not as ‘dirty’ as street fare, no doubt due to food regulations as well as food varietal differences, but add some chilli oil from the counter and it’s got a fair punch!

This tiny shopfront also sells a good range of other soups (sour soup, laksa, egg noodle soup) as well as rice paper rolls, crispy skin chicken with vermicelli, grilled tofu, rice porridge, chicken salad, and another of my favourites - the delicious Viet pancake! Order a fresh coconut juice or Vietnamese coffee to go with your meal.

Not cheap in quality, it’s great value dining to enjoy any night of the week! ‘Homely’? Yes, but with genuine happy service to match.

JFX – Japanese Food eXpress, Southport “Ira shai mase! Welcome!” There’s something undeniably heart-felt about this small diner. It may be hidden around a corner in Southport Central, but when you find it, you know that you’ve stumbled across a special place. You’re not only greeted warmly, but in true Japanese style you’re made aware of the values of the restaurant: energy, smile, greeting, passion, gratitude and cooperation.

JFX is a favourite haunt of local workers and students who indulge in deliciously authentic Japanese food at the lowest price - a good range of Japanese side dishes to share, such as gyoza, teriyaki karaage and takoyaki, or you may just feel like a rice bowl or set meal. A standard lunch box is $9 (or $11 with sashimi) for the meat, mixed salad, miso soup and rice.

BBQ meat in a bowl with rice is $8, noodle dishes (such as the famous chige ramen) $9, or our favourite grilled teriyaki beef stone pot $10. Waygu beef and ramen are also available.

All lunches cost under $15, but for students, there’s also a 10% discount. The food service is fast and friendly, and you can help yourself to a free miso soup while you wait. Express it may be, however it’s not rushed.

Kampung Malay, Bundall, Robina, Mudgeeraba Kampung Malay fills a niche on the Gold Coast for Asian cuisine at a family price: Malaysian/Chinese food, consistency

Daichi by Ten, Broadbeach We were quietly devastated when Mme Grenouille waved her beret adieu and departed the dining scene earlier this year. Say goodbye to the best macarons in town, to French breakfasts and dulcet accents which made us weak at the knees! Say hello to Daichi by Ten – same owner, casual dining with impeccable food quality, including tastes from Ten’s kitchen.

Chef Yusuke Ito, Sous Chef from Ten’s kitchen, brings French and Japanese influenced classics to Daichi: wagyu beef rillette with oven-baked baguette; handmade gyoza still sizzling on the hotplate; soft shell crab with rich tangy homemade tartare; ricepaper rolls filled with wagyu beef and sashimi-grade salmon and avocado (my standout dish). The dishes appear quickly with little attempt to pace their arrival, each one plated with a simple garnish such as microherbs, or a slice of lemon. Not fancy-looking, but all pretty damn delicious and polished off without ceremony…

Order a couple of dishes at a time to pace your meal, working through from cold to hot, or fresh to fried, depending on the specials.

A sidekick for Ten it may well be, a strange juxtaposition of haute cuisine and takeaway, a cultural experience which is sometimes a little lost in translation, but there are culinary treasures to be enjoyed at Daichi if you are patient enough to overlook some of the ambiguities. Daichi (dai-ichi) means number one, so perhaps it provides a worthy introduction to fine Japanese food in an informal setting while we’re saving up to indulge in the gastronomic experience of Ten…

Amimoto, Surfers Paradise It’s easy to get lost to the grunge in the Lido Arcade, Surfers Paradise. You can get a buzz haircut, choose your latest tattoo, buy a surfboard, or eat a meal at Amimoto. A rare reminder of the golden age of Japanese tourism, this hole-in-the-wall restaurant is worn in from over fifteen years of travellers’ use, frayed around the edges, but still fulfilling its core purpose: providing an authentic Japanese meal to passers by.

Don’t look at the clutter of boxes and containers at the front entrance. Take a seat at a vinyl-clad table under the gaze of the kimono-clad prostitute. The real action’s at the sashimi bar, as owner-chef Hidekatsu Fujino ceremoniously sharpens his knives and begins to carve pieces of shiny sashimi. Sold!

It’s easier than choosing from the pages of menu items which confront me: the popular chirashi sushi, bento boxes, rice dishes, noodles, katsu curries, à la carte grilled, fried and combination dishes.

My sashimi arrives shimmeringly fresh, topped with huge glistening pearls of roe which demand attention. Pick me!

Pick me! The first sac pops open in my mouth, a little Pandora’s surprise of salty tanginess, a suitable entrée to the fishy delights and gyoza to follow. Somehow, when I look up, my surroundings seem irrelevant. The well worn cloak shrouding Amimoto simply fades away with the tang of salmon roe.

Marj Osborne Read more of Marj’s reviews at www.foodgoldcoast.com.au www.blankgc.com.au

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been there done that FENCE JUMP AT LADIES MASTERS Thursday is the day of the week in which professional golf events take off. The first of four days. A huge chunk of players will be culled after day two so there isn’t much time to mess around in sand bunkers or water traps. Two chances only to walk the links, set your place for the final days of competition and look pretty for the cameras. No, just kidding. These ladies are professional. Ruthless f*cking competitors. I smiled at one and her returned glare caused me to pee a little.

Just recently a meeting was held for all Blank writers to discuss article concepts. I raised my hand and suggested that perhaps the sporting scene on the Gold Coast could use a cultural kick. There are the Suns, the Titans, the Blue-Tongues (yes, we have a professional ice-hockey team) and just recently, for the hell of it, a bunch of professional golfers showed up at Royal Pines. Professional women golfers. Can I get a woop woop!

Getting in to the Masters was easily the highlight. We had driven to the event hoping that a kind usher would direct us to spectator parking. When we found said usher, she pointed back at Metricon stadium (miles away on the horizon) and told us we could find plenty of parking there. A shuttle bus would drive us up to the ticket booth and we could formally enter for a day of muffled gasps and tempered clapping.

My partner in crime agreed this was a shithouse idea so we just pulled over on to the side of the highway, grabbed our silly hats and darted across quickly to the course. It was a ridiculously long walk to the ticket booths so we just muscled on to the back nine. A few officials seemed to have their eye on us but we were the two roughest looking lads for miles.

Nobody was going to mess with us today. This moment helped ease the pain of my nil-record for jumping music festivals. We were in!

Finding a group of women to lurk behind is the key to spectatorship at these events. Just stand a few metres back behind some trees and stare. This is not an exaggeration. It’s awesome. Especially once I pulled out the camera to get some happy snaps. I just wish I had worn a trench coat.

Golf is a tremendously difficult game. I have played socially and competitively for a handful of years. At first the standard seemed average but nobody lost their temper or hit a ball two hundred metres in the wrong direction. A typical social golfer’s day out involves both, all the time. So I cheered with praise and tried to egg on the crowd.

Most difficult was fighting the constant urge to streak. Ninety percent of the officials and guards were seventy year old women. I wanted to make them chase me. To feel wanted. I begged my partner in crime to take me home before I became tomorrow’s headline.

So Professional Women’s Golf and lurking after attractive strangers have both been crossed from the bucket list. I am actually excited for the next golfing calendar event and hope to take a busload of Blank enthusiasts with me. Peace.

Andrew Scott

YOGA IN THE SKY Darci Cole-Ensor was suffering from chronic pain resulting from a car accident. She’d heard that yoga helped to heal the body and so began her journey to becoming a yoga instructor.

“I really started for the physical benefits,” she said. “But it wasn’t long before I could feel the mind body connection.”

That was seven years ago and now Darci, a qualified yoga instructor is bringing a new style of yoga event to the Gold Coast.

“I went to see Future Sound of Yoga,” Darci explains. “It was one of the best yoga and music sessions I have ever done.

I love live music and I love practicing yoga with different styles of music. I have a few friends in the music industry and AndyDub gave me a little push to make this happen.”

“I love bringing people together. I love seeing a community of people get together and connect. We spend so much time on connecting on social media these days and i think it’s important to get out, move your body and have fun in the company of others.”

The “this” in question is a live music and yoga session – taking place at QT Hotel on 13 April. The sunset yoga and live music event will feature DJ AndyDub and percussionist MindConTroll in a two hour yoga bonanza.

Darci believes that yoga is for everyone.

“QT has an awesome rooftop location and is central for the Gold Coast. I love the vibe of the place and it has views to the hinterland and ocean,” Darci said.

“It’s not so much about how the posture looks but more about how you feel. It’s going to be a fun and free flowing night where everyone can leave their ego at the door.”

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“The class will be geared towards the beginner to intermediate yogini with options suitable for all,” she said.

With one-third of tickets sold in the first four days, Darci is expecting the event to sell out. “I can safely say I think I’ll do more events at the QT. And I do have a few other events in the making with different styles of live music,” she said.

“The vibe will be ambient and buzzing. A Sunday session with less alcohol and more benefits.”

“It’ll be about wicked beats under the night sky with views of the hinterland and the ocean.”

Tickets for the 13 April event are on sale now at duskndyoga. eventbrite.com.au. Follow this and similar events at facebook.com/dyogaaah.

Samantha Morris

BLANK CANVAS WITH TIMM MURANY Originally from Czechoslovakia, he’s painted and studied all over the world: Florence, Italy, Dusseldorf, Germany, Bratislava, Czechoslovakia, Sydney, Australia. Then a year ago, he and his wife bought a home on the Gold Coast.

Anna Itkonen introduces you to Gold Coast artist, Timm Murany and his Murany Art Studio at Varsity Lakes.

Timm Murany has painted ever since his childhood and creates colourful, expressive paintings on canvas. In front of his pieces, the viewer is sometimes part of the surreal, sometimes the abstract and other times part of a world realistic to the detail. But no matter what, this world is always uplifting and mesmerising. Sunny, bright and happy and yet much, much more when you look beneath the surface – just like the Gold Coast!

The love of art and the gift given to him by Mother Nature naturally led him to a career in visual arts. Timm’s canvases have captivated viewers from different walks of life and he has, and is still, regularly exhibiting in Australia and overseas.

He has left his footprint on the Australian art scene through many successes: representing Australia in 2003 at the International Biennale of Contemporary Arts in Florence; in 1991 he was commissioned to produce two major paintings for the Australian Government for the 100 year anniversary of the Australian Labor Party; and he’s had his work included in major corporate collections such as those of Fortescue Metal Group and Komatsu HQ Australia.

And how about this? Every branch of a Labor Party anywhere in the world has a Timm Murany print gifted to them by the Australian Labor Party to commemorate their anniversary.

For something a bit closer to home, Gold Coasters can appreciate his art in numerous galleries around the coast including the Gold Coast Art Festival pop up galleries at the Arts Centre and Southport in March.

To find out more about where and when these galleries will be open, visit goldcoastartfestival.com.au.

Then again why not release your inner artist and sign up for a class or one-on-one tutorial at his Varsity Lakes studio.

More info at muranyart.wix.com/muranysmus.

BOOKINGS (07) 5588 4000 www.theartscentregc.com.au 135 Bundall Rd, Surfers Paradise Proudly Suppor ted by

The Coast’s best comedy venue brings you a raucous evening of local, national and international performers, with regular appearances from popular TV and radio personalities. Enjoy guaranteed non-stop laughs and hilarious antics.

DATE Every Friday TIME 8.00pm COST $25.00 (singles) $22.00 (groups 6+) Friday 28 February

Friday 7 March

Friday 14 March

chris wainhouse

steady eddy

danny mcginlay

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EXCERPTS FROM A TRAVEL DIARY Champagne Region, France One of the must dos in any food aficionado’s life is to visit the intoxicating Champagne region of France. Not just intoxicating for the beverages, but for the glut of sensational food, beautiful caves and fascinating history. After a relaxing Eurostar trip from London to Paris and then a local train to Reims in the Champagne region we had arrived for our blissful long weekend.

We visited and toured many of the Champagne label’s cellars, it’s important to remember to book ahead for the premier places. All of the champagne houses have their bottles kept in the chalk caves the houses are built on as they remain at a constant temperature, about 10 degrees, year round. They literally have millions of bottles underground and the process of making and ageing the champagne is quite different to wine and very fascinating.

STYLED: ART, FOOD, FASHION Styled is aiming to offer a relaxing afternoon of music, fashion and art when it comes to Southport Sharks this month.

Alex Douglas Newton creates inspirational pieces of women in exquisite clothes. Influenced by inspirational women he sees on his travels as well as celebrities and his own imagination, Alex combines historic knowledge of fashion, culture and society to create pieces of glamour and fashion.

Leina Broughton creates fashion designs which are Australian made and resonate with women who won’t compromise on style.

Ruby Montey is a local musician who brings a relaxed yet upbeat vibe to her shows. She’s influenced by the likes of Matt Coby and Of Monsters and Men. Ruby joins Leina and Alex as focus artists at this special event boasting five cabana lounge booths and open seating areas. This funky location will allow you to relax into an afternoon of tapas, cocktails and an inspirational showcase of fashion, art and tunes.

Styled takes place at Southport Sharks’ Cabana Bar & Lounge on Thursday 20 March from 6.30 – 8.30pm.

Entry is free but RSVP is essential.

Visit cabanabarandlounge.com.au.

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What we loved is that despite each house offering a similar style of tour, they each had their quirks which made them unique, worth doing, and ultimately we felt the tour reflected the standard of the champagne itself.

Madam Pommery was an art lover so the house of Pommery is a delight to visit due to the unique art instillations throughout the caves. One of my favourites was a room of electrified instruments and finches flying around.

Whenever the birds landed or walked on a guitar or drums for instance, the sound was amplified and they were ‘making music’ – very cool. Their standard champagne was very good, with a touch of flair and came in a very artistically labelled bottle.

Veuve Cliquot offered a great tour. At the end we tried a vintage rosé which whilst being very tasty, didn’t really stand out. It sort of popped in your mouth to say ‘I’m here’ and then faded off into obscurity.

Ruinart: what an experience that was. The vintage rosé, which has a distinct smokey flavour, was beyond sublime but at 198 Euros a bottle we won’t be drinking anymore any time soon! The vintage Blanc de Blanc was also phenomenal.

We spent the tasting working out how to get an invitation from the couple who were ordering by the caseload for their

upcoming wedding. The tour was refined, personalised, and intimate, just like the exclusivity of the label, but without false pretentions and snobbery.

We spent the night in Epernay where we stayed at the sweetest place on the Avenue du Champagne – Parva Domus Guest House - run by an 80 year old couple who speak no English. Our exceptionally romantic room was La Prune, meaning everything was done in an aubergine colour. With a lovely view of the mature garden, bath in the middle of the room and a sensational breakfast for two in the vaulted ceiling dining room – we could have stayed for months. Dinner that night was one of the best dining experiences of my life. The Champagne Cave offered 3 course set menus with real French service (rude, swift, disdainful) and demi size bottles of champagne (500ml), why they have yet to come to the rest of the world I don’t know – perfect size for a meal for two. The food was heavenly in a no nonsense French way. My dessert of rice pudding with caramelised orange, doesn’t sound that sensational but it was a real ‘When Harry met Sally’ moment! Do you know what I mean? I would go back in a heartbeat!

On Sunday we visited the Moet et Chandon house where the tour was all very strict and sensible, much like the champagne! Nice stuff and you know exactly what you’re getting every time.

Our best tour of the weekend was at a little champagne house that has only been open for around 30 years, a total newbie in this world of 200+ year old houses – of course I don’t remember the name but the initials were GS. This time we got a tour of the actual production, not just the ageing process. And they were generous enough to let us try every single one of their champagne styles. We were treated to a farmers’ buffet with all the local workers and had a great time miming away with them all. Then sadly, with our suitcases loaded with umpteen bottles of beautiful bubbles to remember our journey, it was back on the Eurostar: business class of course, for full dinner service and more champagne!

Katie Hooper

VALENTINE’S: IT’S ALRIGHT The anticipation which builds in the lead up to 14 February is weird. Flaunting of desires or facing dread. Very little in between. “Valentines is a crock of sh*t” appeared in my Facebook thread. Scroll down and there sits a photo of a necklace with a fancy stone in it. The caption reading “I have the greatest man ever”. I have never had a particular distaste for this day of romance. Nor have I ever cherished the opportunity for a quick accumulation of brownie points for being ‘so thoughtful’. Sitting on the fence for this day is not only an accurate demonstration of my attitude, but it’s uncommon and therefore very appealing. Did I celebrate? Damn straight I did. Like a boss I did. But before this tale is told, let’s wind back the clock.

Luckily for me, someone working at history.com has condensed the basics into a short film. Let’s try in one hundred words or less. Originating in Rome before being Christianised to celebrate more than one saint named Valentine. All characters who had reputations for different deeds. Gaining huge romantic momentum in 18th century England with card exchange and now most recently commercialised by jewellers during the 1980s in the USA. Boom! That wasn’t even fifty words. For anyone who likes murder, Christian propaganda or filthy commercialisation tactics, I encourage you to explore this brutal history further.

My favourite fun fact comes out of twentieth century Japan.

This romantic element, according to Wikipedia, forcefully encourages resentful office ladies to give chocolates to all the men. This is due to a mistranslation of the western custom by a chocolate company executive. Soon enough though, males were encouraged to give back at least three times the bounty or face the shame of being a jerk. I wonder if the older Japanese males complain on Valentine’s about how back in the day “the women just gave us chocolate and went back to minding their own business, stopping only to fetch us more coffee”.

So how was St Valentine’s Day celebrated in 2014 by this Blank man? Simply by putting myself in the shoes of the exhausted, committed male. What would he do if circumstances were

different? No significant other to shower in gifts, nobody to make feel ‘special’. Would he be assembling secret admirer packages? Or would he be spread out miserably, contemplating his lonely existence? No, not a boss-man. He would be revelling in this delightful space. First step then, off to the shops. Time to buy all those treats which, though life-threateningly high in processed sugars and salts, are just so damn good. Especially if there is an accompanying element of spite against that last girl who was always trying to force salad down your face.

Is it possible to wash down a whole frozen pizza with over a litre of coke? Yes. Is it possible to leave the mess strewn all about the lounge without feeling like a pig? Yes again. Is it possible to invite all the single ladies into your private space without actually having to worry about them being there? Not only is it possible. Just to show off, I rented a cheesy action flick whilst eating cheesy left overs off the cushions.

All of these tasks are straight forward. The gem was an open invite to any single gals who wanted interactive on-line romance. I could extend some love without having to spend any money or leave the haven of the couch. Being the sophisticated gentlemen type, I first pondered the creep-factor in this move. After two seconds of deliberation I advertised: “As a special one off Valentine’s treat, I shall be spread out on the couch (wearing my best tuxedo) ready for interactive romance. To let you know how great you look in that thing you just bought. Or how much I understand that stuff which you say... all the time. Just PM what are you wearing and we’ll take it from there. I can be naughty/nice. Don’t be shy, I’m smooth as shit.”

The results from this campaign have been filed under confidential. I will however divulge that in rounding up the day’s events I reflected with a contented sigh.. Valentines is OK. I didn’t feel pathetic, I didn’t get uncomfortable in the face of love-birds flapping gaily. I was just fine. I imagine next year that I will be just fine again. My only real concern was for

those who declared so aggressively how awesome or devastating the whole experience is. I don’t react well to unnecessary suffering nor boasting. One news clip which helped me regain faith in the human capacity to make the best of a bad situation was titled 2014 Free Divorce Valentines Contest. A real heart warmer and a triumph of marketing genius on behalf of Bentley Law. With the event done and dusted for another year, I would like to encourage my readers to become excited for the next day of celebrations coming up in autumn. Not Easter, not Mother’s day. It’s an unofficial holiday held on the fourteenth of March.

It involves intimacy and steak. You may have heard. If not, do your own research. With the majority of Valentines’ being met at the expenses of male wallets, this day gives rise to an awesome opportunity to express gratitude for such masculine thoughtfulness.

Big hugs and love from all at Blank. Thanks for being my Valentine every day of the year.

Andrew Scott

www.blankgc.com.au

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FOOD FOR THE SOUL Music is the food for our soul. Live it, breathe it, own it with these clever accessories slected by Katie Hooper to show the world you’re a music guru and you don’t care who knows it.

A.

B.

C.

D.

A. PASSIVE AMPLIFIER MEGAPHONE:

Made from ceramic the form is designed to amplify and optimize the best sound output. On a thin wooden frame,

the object floats off the table in order to increase the vibration and optimise the emission of sound. Use with your iPhone. $595.00, www.bristolandbrooks.com.au B. THE BEETLES CUSHION:

Can’t buy me love? Can buy me a very cool Beetles cushion to show the world my love of the original awesome foursome. $45.00, www.zingness.com.au

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C.

VINYL RECORD BOWL: Reuse, recycle, upcycle, reinvent and reconstruct ... a great way to make something that was obsolete live again and showcase just how funky you are. $10.00, www.vinylcuts.com.au

D.

WOW BLUETOOTH SPEAKER: Wirelessly streaming music from any bluetooth-enabled device. It can be recharged over and over again, so no need for batteries. Available in red, black, blue, yellow and white. $80.00, www.aerodesigns.com.au

fringe dweller Lying down we got comfortable, closed our eyes and Brian and Alora picked up the first of many strange instruments and began an odd orchestra of music and vibrations which washed over you, through you, and embedded themselves in you. Literally like taking a bath in sound. The resonations of the huge crystal bowl were unlike anything I’ve ever heard before, it really felt like they were becoming a part of your cell structure and altering your mental state. Both exciting and overwhelming at the same time.

Soundbaths are purported to be highly effective in healing physical and emotional issues, relieving stress, calming incessant mind-chatter and promoting deep relaxation and rejuvenation within a resonant high-energy field. Some participants claim physical injuries are healed, old emotional traumas released and great insights accessed as they accelerate their inward journey.

Scientists have long shown that sound and music positively affect our brain waves, metabolism and physiological responses and can create profound cellular change.

Everything in the universe is energy vibrating at different frequencies; every aspect of nature pulsates in an endless interplay of vibrations. Illness or constant stress may cause disharmony in our natural vibrations. So to believe that the rich vibrations felt in a soundbath can penetrate our bodies, hearts, and souls into re-energising or healing it’s not so hard to imagine.

SOUNDBATH A soundbath…isn’t the name itself simply evocative of something beautiful, pure, and enchanting?

I had my first opportunity to try a soundbath when the Soul Fire duo came to the Ecovillage in Currumbin one Saturday evening for a 60 minute session. I really didn’t know what to expect. I took my blanket and cushions and along with 30 other interested souls we lay down in a large circle around a pile of interesting looking instruments.

We started off the evening linking hands, stating our names, the colour we currently felt most drawn to and our intentions for the evening. I felt 20 years too young and bizarrely out of place but comforted at the same time. So when my turn came, ‘pink – restorative health for my family’, I wasn’t so nervous.

Some of the many fascinating instruments that can be used in a soundbath with the intention of restoring natural frequencies within the body and supporting innate healing powers to bring you back into balance, health and well-being are: • freenote: not unlike a xylophone, having metal rods of varying length using a pentatonic scale so all the notes are in complete harmony; • sansula: a beautiful and delicate piece like a thumb piano; • didgeridoo: often played over participants, many sounds produced fall below our hearing range. Sound range can be deeply touching or haunting taking you back to ancient times and offering access to higher consciousness; • the voice: a simple “aah” sound, a whisper or a Sanskrit mantra which has been used by yogis for millennia.

Whilst chanting participants tap into thousands of years of collective intention and focus, thus making it a powerful tool; • gongs: produce a rich continuum of tones and overtones creating a magical sound envelope; • tuning forks: tuned to specific frequencies they can be used individually, in pairs, or struck against each other to create harmonics. Body Tuners are weighted forks that can be used in contact with the body

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so the frequencies can be picked up more directly by the tissues; Himalayan bowls: can be struck or rimmed like a finger around a wineglass to make them sing; crystal bowls: made from 99.8% silicon quartz creating wave patterns equivalent to the alpha waves of the brain. Because the human body has a natural affinity to quartz the pure tones have a powerfully long sustain which interacts with the crystalline structure of our blood, bones and DNA promoting health at a cellular level. Each bowl is keyed to a different chakra of the body; drums: one of the most ancient instruments they have long been used in ritual and ceremony because of their ability to alter consciousness. Played over the body with simple rhythms they can give a wonderful sonic massage; also the shruti box, Mayan chimes, American Indian flutes, rainstick, whirlys, fujara flute, santoor, sitar, guitar and other percussion instruments.

At the end of the evening, we continued to lie back, feeling at peace with ourselves and the world around us whilst watching a Humpback whale photographic movie, admiring the magnificence of nature and knowing that our beings had come back into harmony.

Several groups around the Gold Coast and Northern NSW offer soundbaths so keep an eye out. It’s an experience worth having.

Katie Hooper

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