BMA Mag 332 03 Sep 2009

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JEBEDIAH #332SEPT2

Nick Cave

The exhibition FIND YOUR FAVOURITE BAND OR DJ right here in Canberra with our ONLINE MUSIC DIRECTORY Go to www.bmamag.com and click on MUSIC DIRECTORY to see what the region has to offer

LITTLE BIRDY

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The best things in life are free.

If you want some, go on, email me. Send answers to

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editorial@bmamag.com

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and if you’re good enough, and quick enough, you too can bask in the glory of free stuff.

1 SOSUKE METHOD Ponyo is soon to be showing at Dendy, and it’s not the English dubbed version! That’s right; Dendy is playing the original Japanese version of Ponyo, the story of Sosuke, a five-year-old who lives by the sea. One day, Sosuke finds a goldfish named Ponyo stuck in a jar, and the two start a beautiful friendship, promising to stay friends forever.

When Ponyo’s father, a sorcerer who lives under the sea, forces Ponyo to return with him, an underwater adventure begins.

The movie was directed Hayao Miyazaki, best known for his films Howl’s Moving Castle and Spirited Away. We have four double passes to give away for this exciting movie. To win one, tell us your favourite anime movie.

2 HOPE AND INSPIRATION! On Monday September 7, the South African Zulu Choir will bring their inspirational music to Canberra as part of a three week national tour of Australia.

Following the overwhelming success of their 2007 tour with the Connections Zulu Choir, the audience will be taken on a musical journey of perseverance, hope and inspiration. The Choir is coming to Australia as part of Collaboration 4 Change (C4C), a global movement that is creating positive social change through music. C4C was conceived by two young people from opposite sides of the world, Nic Mackay (Australia) and Dawn Mlotshwa (South

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Africa). We’re giving away two adult tickets – to win, tell us what inspires you to make a positive difference in your community.

3 SMELLS LIKE… triple j’s Hottest 100 started 20 years ago, and there’s no doubt that the Hottest 100 Of All Time was a stroke of genius. In June this year, over half a million votes were placed for 13,000 songs. 100 of them became the triple j Hottest Of All Time, and 36 were chosen for the two CD set. It includes the song that was voted number one, Nirvana’s Smells Like Teen Spirit, as well as Radiohead’s Paranoid Android, The John Butler Trio’s Betterman, The Pixies’ Where Is My Mind?, Massive Attack’s Teardrop, The Stone Roses’ Fools Gold, Violent Femmes’ Blister In The Sun, The White Stripes’ Seven Nation Army, Powderfinger’s These Days, Bowie’s Life On Mars?, Muse’s Knights of Cydonia, Hilltop Hoods’ Nosebleed Section, Midnight Oil’s Beds Are Burning and a whole lot more.

To win one of five copies tell us your alternative top five of all time.

4 JUST CHILLIN’ Chill out this spring to Ministry of Sound’s brand new super relaxing release. Chillout Sessions XII has everything you need to cool down. From beautiful acoustic tunes to funky disco beats, the doubledisk set is a must-have. It features Sarah Blacko’s All I Want, Duffy’s Stepping Stone and more tunes from artists like Daniel Merriweather, Josh Pyke, Lisa Mitchell and MGMT. For those who are more inclined to indie artists, the compilation also includes tracks from Lost Valentinos, La Roux, Phoenix and Grizzly Bear. We have five copies to throw your way. To score, tell us how you chill out.

5 AND YOUR BIRD CAN SING! Now finished with their national sold out Confetti tour, Little Birdy are hitting the road again.

They wowed us with their new album, which spent a number of weeks at the top of the charts. They’ll be joined by smooth rockers Red Riders and jaunty popsters Hungry Kids of Hungary, and they’ll all be at the Hellenic Club on Sunday September 13. We’ve got

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three prize packs to give away, consisting of a double pass for the show and an autographed copy of Confetti. Aren’t we wonderfully generous folk!? To score one, simply tell us your favourite species of bird.

6 MARITIME MADNESS Stick eight DJs on a boat and what do you have? The Boat That Rocked. Director of Love Actually, Richard Curtis brings us this comedy set in the late ‘60s, a time when the BBC only played two hours of pop every week. In The Boat That Rocked, eight DJs rebel against this despicable lack of pop by running a pirate radio station from a boat in the North Sea. The movie kicks off when Carl (Tom Sturridge) goes to stay with his godfather Quentin (Bill Nighy), the ship’s captain.

There, he meets the DJs, led

by The Count (Phillip Seymour Hoffman), and the fun ensues.

We have seven rockin’ copies of the DVD to send your way.

To score, tell us what your DJ name would be.

Watching a good movie at the cinema can have a profound effect.

For a dramatic person, it’s a natural drug for your emotions. The big screen blast is eye ecstasy while the surround sound is audio cigarettes for your swelling heart. The cocktail of adult themes and special effects soothes your troubles and gives your inner coil a buzz on. I leave the cinema riding a wave of grand feelings, replaying the highlights with me in the role of protagonist. We’ve all cast ourselves in our favourite movie plots. I like to imagine the hilarious fallout where fantasy meets reality.

Let’s say The Truman Show is really happening to you. Everyone you’ve ever met in your life is actually a paid actor. That’s a pretty solid performance by your family, huh? The last person to mention a band or TV show was actually fulfilling a paid sponsorship agreement. Your partners, past and present – all pretending! (But they are method actors and actually into you.) I like the idea of slowly cottoning on that my life was a television show and it’s the reason I’ve never left Australia – there’s no more set! My friends have simply staged all their travel photos. The country I know is no bigger than a small town located in a massive dome in Hollywood.

All the vehicles I’ve been on are simulators. Just like Truman I’ll get to the point where I’m ‘onto it’ and do a runner out into the ocean.

Once outside I’ll be told by a bored Centrelink official that my show was cancelled in my early 20s due to poor ratings. Audiences were alienated by my self-consciousness and obscure humour. (I’ll then be told that I was so lovely to work with, the actors kept the show going by volunteering their time.) Once out, I’ll put myself straight into counselling to help deal with the real world (something I do anyway) and sip a ginger beer in a park while I go through the past like a hungover person goes through their actions at a party. (My ‘alone time’ in the bath! Good grief.) I’ll be told that while The Truman Show was for a mainstream audience, my life had been directed by some edgy New York filmmaker for an arty channel and that’s why I was given such a bumpy ride.

What about Fight Club? Imagine if that was happening to you.

Goodness knows, you’re tired all the time, wouldn’t this make sense?

You’re not really in bed, you’re actually sleep-racketeering. It would explain the weird looks you get, not to mention the missing money and that email spam is your minions communicating with you in code. If Fight Club were happening to me and I had my own Tyler Durden alter-ego, I wouldn’t be doing anything cool like organising my own army of urban vigilantes – I’d just be booking gigs and trying to flirt with girls. Sure enough, some ‘Jason Hazlehoff’ character would emerge, who was in a band and actually going to bed with all my attractive friends. I’d wonder why people in the street would say ‘great show last night’ even though I didn’t go out and my female friends would get uppity when I gave them a modest hug hello.

Breaking point would come during a gig when I’d wake up as Jason on stage, only to have a massive heckling and wrestling battle with myself (something I do anyway). I’d eventually convince Jason to manage me, so I could get networking and admin stuff done literally in my sleep. Eventually he/we would flip right out and I’d wake up in a Centrelink basement with a bunch of dynamite hooked up to a timer. Yep, the day you feel a small rumble and find your HECS debt mysteriously cleared – that’ll be us.

JUSTIN HEAZLEWOOD www.bedroomphilosopher.com Justin performs as The Bedroom Philosopher. New album Brown & Orange is out now. He also hosts sketch radio show Lime Champions on Melbourne’s 3RRR on Mondays at 7pm. The show can be streamed or podcasts can be found at rrr.org.au. www.bedroomphilosopher.com .

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We Are One Beer Beer Beer!

Making dreams come true #332S E P T 0 2 Fax: 02 6257 4361 Mail: PO Box 713 Civic Square, ACT 2608 Publisher Scott Layne General Manager & Advertising Manager Allan Sko T: 6257 4360 E: advertising@bmamag.com Editor Julia Winterflood T: 02 6257 4456 E: editorial@bmamag.com Accounts Manager Ashish Doshi T: 6247 4816 E: accounts@bmamag.com Sales Executive Danika Nayna T: 0408 657 939 Super Sub Editor Josh Brown Graphic Design Jenny Freeman Exhibitionist Editor Naomi Milthorpe Film Editor Mark Russell Principle Photographers (The Flashbulb Posse) Andrew Mayo Nick Brightman John Hatfield NEXT ISSUE 333 OUT SEPT 16 EDITORIAL DEADLINE SEPT 7 ADVERTISING DEADLINE SEPT 10 Published by Radar Media Pty Ltd ABN 76 097 301 730 BMA is independently owned and published. Opinions expressed in BMA are not necessarily those of the editor, publisher or staff.

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Lagerfest is back! The lineup is going to be a random draw on the night but will feature Melbourne’s Thundabox, Sydney’s The Bunhill Blues, Butt Nigget, The Toxicmen and All in the Crawl. There’ll also be beer promotion, CD giveaways and a Champion Jug Drinker competition. It’s all happening on Saturday September 5 at The Basement. Tix $10 at the door.

What Becomes of the Broken Hearted?

Sydney’s Heartbreak Club are fighting for the geeks and the misfits. With songs of narcissism, lost love and alienation their next album will be released in early 2010. HBC have toured Australia and the US, and played alongside artists including Faker, The Sleepy Jackson, Bodyjar and Karnivool, and they’re about to embark on yet another mind blowing tour. Catch HBC at Phoenix on Saturday September 12.

Bondi Beach Shorts Want a career in the film industry? The Bondi Film Festival is a great place to start; acting as a launch pad for young film makers the festival accepts a wide range of short films.

The ninth annual Bondi Short Film Festival will take place on Saturday November 28. For more info contact megan@ secret-service.com.au .

Corin At Ya! From February 26-28 Corin Forest will be intoxicated with a wild party atmosphere and surrounded by alternative arts and music. Corinbank has showcased the best emerging musicians and performing artists in the region to large, appreciative audiences and reserves at least 50% of their performance slots for local artists. Grab your presale tickets in mid-September. For more info visit www.corinbank. com.au or contact Mark at mark@corinbank.com.au .

With the support of WA’s Department of Indigenous Affairs, Skinnyfish Music and MGM Distribution, One Movement For Music (OMFM) are offering an Australian Indigenous Music Scholarship, focusing on professional development opportunities for Australian Indigenous artists.

The scholarship will provide the opportunity to showcase at the OMFM festival as well as gain professional and performance development experience in a studio. More information can be found at www. onemovementmusic.com/AIMS .

Come On And… Want your music heard? Lift Off ’09 is a competition for any performers or bands aged 12-21.

Two heats will be held at Woden Youth Centre on Friday October 16 and Friday October 23 from 6-10pm. Lift Off ’09 will also be a component of the Woden Valley Festival on Saturday October 31st where Lift Off performers will be showcased.

Sign up now for your chance to win a two day recording session with distribution, a feature story in this fine rag and many more prizes. Registrations close on Friday September 25.

Contact Sindy on 6282 3037 or sandy.pearson@wcs.org.au for more info.

What Can You Do? Ever wondered what you can do to help the environment? The Office of the Commissioner for Sustainability and the Environment (OCSE) has recently launched a campaign titled What Can I Do? focusing on what individuals and families can do to save energy, water, money and minimise waste.

For more information contact Angela Maan on 6273 0232 or 0414 413 537 or at ange@ contentgroup.com.au .

Softly, Softly Tokyo is a city of endless tiny streets and sprawling parks but there is a new generation of curious sound makers who define a

new vision of electronically manipulated Japanese song. Two artists key to this movement are aus and Cokiyu, who are performing on Saturday September 12 at Soft Focus in a special afternoon performance at The Street Theatre. Also performing will be An Infinity Room, a duo featuring ABC Classic FM’s Julian Day and local artist Rachael Freeman.

Soft Focus starts at 3pm with tix available from The Street Theatre box office.

Aston Shuffle takes Bronze! inthemix are back with Australia’s Top 50 DJs for 2009, and the results are hotter than a potato in its jacket. First place was taken out by the man of the hour, TyDi. Competition was hot on his heels with second place being nabbed by Andy Murphy, who managed to climb a whopping 20 spots since last year. In bronze was local duo Aston Shuffle, proving they still have the power to please a crowd and beat out the likes of acts such as Bag Raiders and Bang Gang DJs. The high hope now is that we all start to remember it’s Aston, not Ashton Shuffle.

Red-y to Rock!

On Saturday September 5 ANU med students will host Canberra’s first Red Party charity concert. The concert will feature some of the state’s best acts, including triple j Unearthed winners Hancock Basement, indie heavyweights The Trivs, and a total of 13 DJ acts such as Team Wing and Sean Kelly. Tickets ($15/$25) can be purchased from the ANU Bar or online at anuredparty.com . hancock basement

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YOU PISSED ME OFF!

thing…

“Music was better in my day.” It’s an oft-used put down, employed (usually) by parents in the face of hopeless odds as their kids, deafened and rendered insensible by the useless music they’re listening to, go about their business with nary a nod of respect or indeed understanding of the music of yesteryear. I know, as I repeatedly shout the phrase at my 15-year-old stepson as he gyrates, slack-jawed and drooling to the ‘beats’ of Flo Rida. And that’s okay, because I’m 27 years older than him and, yes, Judas Priest are better than Flo Rida.

It’s merely an extension of the nature of things. I would imagine our grandfathers standing in the public bar with their own dads during the six o’clock swill discussing the relative merits of the Buddy Rich big band and Richard ‘Salome’ Strauss in much the same fashion.

So imagine the amount of chortlement I was indulging in on the bus the other day when I heard two young people loudly debating their own particular taste in choons. Kid B, about 15 and resplendent in some sort of spike/tartan arrangement, was being lambasted by the older Kid A who, and I’m not making this up, was expounding, at high volume, his theory that all of B’s music was substandard (the actual word he used was “shit”) and his views invalid because, and I quote: “Limp Bizkit are the greatest fucken band that ever lived, dude.”

The conviction in his eyes was frankly alarming – and let’s face it, who’s going to argue with a man mad enough to risk embarrassing himself on the bus in front of a packed audience of old age pensioners, the unemployed and what looked like a lost trade delegation from the Sri Lankan embassy? He’ll probably stab you with a chocolate starfish as soon as look at you, but Kid B was not taking this lying down. Although we’d now established that Fred Durst’s brave yeomen and, to a lesser extent, Hot Action Cop had chiselled the way we listen to modern heavy metal in their own, acne-ed visage – nothing before or since has or ever will come close to these twin musical apogees – and handed down this wisdom for the use of the young people for ever more, he persisted in fighting his corner.

Arch Enemy?

“Shit.” (I have to say I disagree again with ol’ Mr Rollin here, but anyways, on with the story).

Dimmu Borgir?

“Fucking gay shit.”

And so on. Kid B was, by now, almost in tears as everything he thought he knew was ruthlessly dismantled by his older counterpart.

I briefly entertained thoughts of informing my stepson that he was listening to ‘fucking gay shit’ in the form of Hilltop Hoods when the final and unutterably last word was spoken in the argument just as we motored past Woden Tradies.

“Anyways, youse had better stop listening to that crap, man. I’m telling you. Your mum and me love each other and I’m moving in next week, you fucker. Give us the smokes.”

And so they stepped down from the pantechnicon, like a modern day Vladimir and Estragon, heading for the bright lights of Woden Westfield and leaving me reeling at the stupendous conversation I’d just heard. People keep telling me I should learn to drive, but frankly, when you can get entertainment like this for ‘less than the price of a cup of coffee’ AND help the environment, why would you bother? scott adams thirtyyearsofrnr@hotmail.com

Has someone yanked yer chain recently? Well send an email to editorial@bmamag.com and have your sweet vengeance.

And for the love of God, keep it brief! [All entries contain original spellings] To the narc of last issue’s ‘you pissed me off’...your final sentence traumatised my ‘very young mind’ more than letterbox explosives at the GHASTLY hour of 9:30pm ever could. Butterfly knife? Scattered bloody remains? Good heavens! It was YOU who killed the Lin family wasn’t it!! When they stole your solar lights/badged your car/tricked you with a knock’n’run!! But those sneaky devils had it coming didn’t they! Jesus, go hang out with Captain Hook or the Grinch or something. Square.

To all the Canberra parking inspectors. Your reliability pisses me off. If anyone has leave to be bad at their job for the good of the public it’s you. Instead, your recent pick-up in job competence has put me $500 out of pocket thanks to the six tickets since the start of the year that I’m almost certain required you to wait in the bushes while I ducked into a café for five minutes. Take your work-efficiency down a notch, you bastards.

FROM THE BOSSMAN What. The fuck. Is going on in our town?

Within the space of what’s turning out to be a very dark week for the region, we’ve seen funding for the Fringe Festival slashed, fireworks banned, and now – the stupidity to end all stupidities – businesses in Garema Place being told to do away with their outdoor racks of merch because, apparently, they’ve been deemed “unsightly”.

What’s unsightly is this single minded desire to make Civic more sterile than it already is, by ensuring the term Fun Police is a realas-you-and-me, living, breathing entity. You can crack out all the Live in Canberra and Wrapt in Winter campaigns you want, but no-one’s going to come here if there’s NOTHING TO DO OR SEE. I’m a small business owner. I understand only too well that if there’s not the money for something, there’s not the money for something, but telling businesses they’re not allowed to spruik their wares outside of their own shops in a bid to make enough money for the princely rent they’re expected to pay is mind-boggling.

If you care, and by the look of those puppy dog eyes of yours you do, make a stink, write a letter, change your vote, lest your favourite store is bullied right out of town altogether.

ALLAN “TAKING A STAND FOR STANDS” SKO

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WHO: PEZ WHAT: MIND OF MY OWN TOUR WHEN: WED SEPT 16 WHERE: ANU BAR

With awesome number one hit single The Festival Song the most downloaded track EVER on triple j’s website, Pez has taken the local music scene by storm. After touring with Aussie hip-hop legends Bliss N Eso and working his magic across the country, Pez will be hitting the road again this September on his A Mind of My Own tour.

Supported by Seth Sentry, DJ Matic and Haley Cramer this hot hiphop event is definitely not one you should miss. Pez will be appearing at ANU Bar on Wednesday September 16 so grab your tickets from Ticketek now.

WHO: South African ZULU Choir WHAT: 2009 Australia Tour WHEN: MON SEPT 7, 7.30pm WHERE: John Lingard Hall, Canberra Grammar School

On Monday September 7 the South African Zulu Choir will bring their music to Canberra as part of a three week tour of Australia.

The incredible choir, who have worked with Bliss n Eso and Evermore, will take audiences on a musical journey of perseverance, hope and inspiration as they tell the story of South Africa through a wide variety of musical styles including traditional Zulu, township jive, songs from the apartheid era and more. The choir are part of C4C, a global movement that aims to create positive social change through music. All funds raised through C4C will be directed to sustainable education programs in South Africa.

WHO: The Folk Kitchen radio show WHAT: wants local CDs WHEN: weekly WHERE: for national airplay

How do you get national radio airplay if you’re a Canberra muso/ band? Well, when Guy Gibson aka Guy The Sound Guy isn’t doing sound at The Merry Muse, running his own gigs (like the Dylan and Woodstock tributes), or mixing and mastering in his studio, he’s producing The Folk Kitchen. It’s a weekly, hour-long show, reaching over 60 stations, showcasing contemporary acoustic, folk, blues, bluegrass, alt country etc. So if you have your own CD, email guy@guythesoundguy.com . The Folk Kitchen is broadcast in the ACT on ArtSound 92.7FM on Sundays at 7pm, as well as on 2XX and Valley FM (check guides).

WHO: ACT HARD ROCKERS WHAT: HARD ACT TO FOLLOW LAUNCH WHEN: FRI SEPT 25 WHERE: WODEN YOUTHIE & THE BASEMENT

If you’re into ACT bands, whether they be rock, punk or metal, then you should be excited about Hard ACT to Follow. The CD aims to promote and strengthen live and local music in Australia and includes tracks from Futility, Loud so Clear, System Addict, Bent Hen, The Chuffs (pictured) and more. The Hard Act to Follow CD will be launched on Friday September 25 across two different venues; an all ages event will be held at Woden Youth Centre at 6pm and an over 18s event will be held at The Basement, starting at 9pm. For more info on these two exciting events contact Tim Duck at hardactlive@gmail.com .

WHO: NADENE PITA WHAT: TURNING ARROWS INTO FLOWERS LAUNCH WHEN: WED SEPT 16 WHERE: THE FRONT CAFE AND GALLERY

I’m Nadene Pita. I sing, play the viola, and mess around with electronic sound processing. I’ll be launching my new album Turning Arrows Into Flowers with Abel Cross on bass (3ofmillions,Trio Apoplectic) and Evan Dorrian on drums (The Pollen Trio). The album was recorded by Tony Dupe (Holly Throsby, The Woods Themselves), who is also featured on the record, and mastered by Casey Rice (Dirty Three, Liz Phair).

The music is eclectic, with experimental jazz, folk, and world influences. The songs weave everyday feelings and experiences into surrealist stories. www.myspace.com/nadenepita .

WHO: BEAUTIFUL BUSKERS WHAT: TILT BUSKING FESTIVAL WHEN: FRI SEPT 18 - THURS OCT 1 WHERE: ALL OVER TOWN

It’s time to dust off those harmonicas and check your guitar strings because Tilt Busking Festival will be hitting Floriade this year.

Kicking off Friday September 18 and spreading its seed all over this fine town, novices and experts, youngsters and oldies are all encouraged to participate. There are prizes up for grabs, with rewards of the finest busker kind: money! It’s running all day and night in various locations around town until Thursday October 1.

So if you want to get your hats off make sure you register at www. inthecitycanberra.com.au or office@tom-tom.com.au by Friday September 4.

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MB VE DU RE R FO PETER KRBAVAC “I have to be on my toes,” laughs Kat Spazzy. “I was going to have a glass of wine before (this), but then I thought ‘take it easy Kat!’” The usually forthright frontwoman of Melbourne punk rockers THE SPAZZYS has to choose her words carefully as, after three years of courtroom wrangling with their former record label, there are issues of confidentiality and all kinds of indecipherable legalities to consider.

Last time we heard from the girls they’d returned from LA after polishing off sophomore LP Dumb is Forever with Charles Fisher the man behind such Australian classics as Radios Appear and Mars Needs Guitars - and were gearing up for the Big Day Out. Then, as Kat explains, “everything just went to shit really.”

We thought it was really important to start afresh and emancipate ourselves... We were fighting for freedom

Unhappy with their record label, The Spazzys were thrown into a lengthy legal battle which essentially put the band on hold and left Dumb is Forever on a shelf gathering dust. “The main problem was we weren’t okay with the way (the label) were managing us and the way they were dealing with us,” Kat explains. “We thought it was really important to start afresh and emancipate ourselves from them. We were fighting for freedom.”

“The record’s changed a lot since we recorded it,” she continues, “and I guess in some kind of weird ironic way we are lucky to have the record sitting there to go back to, make adjustments and get it perfect before we put it out. We’re really looking forward to getting this record out.

We still love it! I think it’s a fantastic record and, you know what, to be sitting on a record for that long and still love it is a good sign.”

And, thankfully, rock ‘n’ roll has once again prevailed, kicking ‘the man’ to the curb and returning its attention to giving those pesky jams a good stomping. Footloose and label-free - “We’ve been playing in a band for ten years and we can take care of ourselves” Kat excitedly reveals that the now decidedly independent Spazzys will be unearthing Dumb is Forever from the crypt this October.

Having kept her arm in axe-slinging for Spencer P Jones, Kat is raring to hit the road with the girls and re-establish their name.

WELCOM E BACK JEBS !

PETER KRBAVAC

It’s been a while since we’ve heard from Perth indie supremos JEBEDIAH; years, in fact. After their Tenth Anniversary Tour in mid2005, the band essentially disappeared but for the odd show here and there. As bassist Vanessa Thornton explains though, Jebediah never intended to stay away for that long – it was simply a break that stretched on a little longer than expected.

“Kevin’s wife was in Geneva and I was playing in End of Fashion at the time,” Vanessa recalls. “We’d been touring non-stop for ten years.

Jebs took priority over everything. We decided to take six months off so everyone could go and do what they wanted to do. There was never any doubt that we would get back together.”

But it wasn‘t too long into the hiatus before those incorrigible Jebs fell back into music: singer and guitarist Kevin Mitchell adopted his Bob Evans moniker, while drummer Brett Mitchell filled in for The Fuzz and Vanessa joined Perth singer/songwriter Felicity Groom’s backing band, The Black Black Smoke. The downtime also allowed members to go back to uni, as the band’s burgeoning success in the mid-‘90s had forced them to put their academic pursuits on hold. Vanessa is currently juggling a nutrition degree between band commitments.

There was never any doubt that we would get back together

“I spent two years in a forest picking fruit and whatnot,” Vanessa explains. “Having so much time to think while I was doing that, I came to the decision that I would like to use my brain ‘cause I had been doing my best to destroy my brain for the previous ten years.”

In spite of this, she instantly perks up when talking about the band’s 2007 comeback shows after a year and a half off the road. “Pure excitement!” she exclaims. “Obviously we were all feeling refreshed.

We did a run up north in WA – we were thinking that the crowds might not be so discerning, they might just be quite drunk and ready to hear whatever the band was playing. Once we got through half of the first song we were right.”

“We’re starting to play some more shows again, we’re doing the Blueprint Festival here, some festivals over the summer, getting back into things,” she says. “It’s really great to be playing music again.

For the last three years I was in a band but it was all just business.

Even though it was the fight of our lives and we’re so much stronger because of it, it’s great to forget about that and just play music because that’s what we were fighting for.”

Soon after, in early 2008, the band began recording sessions for their fifth album, taking the same relaxed approach that has become the band’s new ethic. Vanessa expects the album to be done by the year’s end, though nothing is certain. “We started it about a year ago and this is the first time we’ve gotten back in the studio, so that’s an indication of our quite casual approach to the band at this point,” Vanessa says. “We don’t even know when we’re going to have it finished – it’s up to us. We don’t have any obligation to do anything for anyone, but it seems to be working well for us at the moment. I’m thoroughly enjoying what we’re doing!”

The Spazzys play the brand new Blueprint Festival in Ararat, VIC from Friday September 18 to Monday September 21, alongside The Panics, Blue King Brown, The Beautiful Girls, Tim Rogers and many more. For tickets and further information, visit www.blueprintfestival.com .

Jebediah play the brand new Blueprint Festival in Ararat, VIC from Friday September 18 to Monday September 21, alongside The Panics, Blue King Brown, The Beautiful Girls, Tim Rogers and many more. For tickets and further information, visit www.blueprintfestival.com .

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ALL AGES A huge amount to fill you in on this fortnight! So I’ll get right into it.

Break Even are one of Australia’s freshest hardcore outfits. This Perth five-piece have created for themselves a massive, loyal fanbase since forming in 2005. Fresh off the Drunk and Disorderly Tour with Deez Nuts and The Amity Affliction, these guys are about to hit the road again for their massive headlining tour, The Bright Side Tour, in support of their most recent album release, The Bright Side. The Bright Side is a story of birth, death and everything that comes in between. These guys are a hardcore band with a difference; whilst their peers play anger-filled songs, Break Even break the mould by playing about the bright side of life. So get down to the Tuggers Youth Centre on Tuesday October 13.

Hard ACT to Follow is a CD that encompasses a range of live recordings of some of the ACT’s best rock, punk and metal bands. The album captures the atmosphere and energy of the local underground music scene. This is all in a bid to encourage and promote live and local music in Australia and we Canberrans know how important it is to get out and support local bands, to show the big guys how much fun we are! The all ages Hard Act to Follow CD Launch will be held on Friday September 25 at the Woden Youth Centre. Entry is $5 and it kicks off at 6pm and runs ‘til 9pm and will feature local acts Stigmata, Friend or Enemy, Corgi Crisis and Inpowered.

On the topic of supporting local bands, make sure you get out to Digbyfest #3 at the Woden Youthie on Saturday September 12 at 5pm. Featuring Los Capitanes, Paqman, Pleased to Jive You, Astrochem and Slovac (as well as some ultra-special guests), make sure you pop out and support some local boys doing what they love and have a good time! You can grab your tickets by emailing your name to: tickets@post-op.net .

One of my favourite bands at the moment and definitely one of the most exciting gigs to look out for is The Red Shore at the Weston Creek Community Centre this Sunday September 13. The Red Shore are one of Australia’s most prominent metal bands at the moment and even if you haven’t heard them before, I assure you they’re bloody amazing! Joining them will be For the Fallen Dreams and Shinto Katana. Tickets are on sale now from Moshtix and Landspeed Records. Yet another brill’ lineup of local talent – pop out and see Point Of View, Zero Degrees, Fallsuit Theory and West of The Sun at the Woden Youth Centre this Saturday September 26. And you’ve got no excuses not to, because it’s free! Yep, free! Now how often do we get such a talented group of bands coming together for free!? So get on your bikes and get yourselves down there.

Deez Nuts, Miles Away, Antagonist AD, In Trenches and Blkout! are coming together to put on a fan-bloody-tastic little do for us young Canberrans. Deez Nuts are one of the most popular bands on the hardcore scene at the moment and all the cool kids are going to be there, so get on down to the Southern Cross Woden Basketball Stadium on Tuesday October 6. Yet another epic hardcore/metal gig coming up for us kids of Canberra – Terror, Stick to Your Guns and Against will be hitting up the Tuggeranong Youth Centre on Friday October 9. So if you aren’t all moshed out after the array of hardcore and metal gigs we’ve got coming up, get on down and check it out! Tickets are on sale from Moshtix and Landspeed Records.

I’m out! Catch ya!

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LIZ ROWLEY elizabeth_rowley@live.com.au

LOCALITY Hello again lads and ladies! I’m pleased to say that we have another busy fortnight in store, complete with a huge fundraiser, a midmorning blues gig, and everything in between. There’s also big news for Canberra musicians, with the organisers of Corinbank putting out their annual call for artists. Last year’s Corinbank Festival was a great success, and now the organisers are looking to make next year’s event even bigger and better. If you’re interested in performing, simply fill out the online form at www.corinbank. com/apps and provide recordings of your two best songs. We at Locality can’t say enough good things about this event, so get off your butts, apply online, and we’ll cross our fingers for you.

Applications close on Monday September 14 and the festival is being held from February 26-28 2010.

If you’re one of the many fans who enjoyed Canberra’s 2008 Megafauna Festival, you’ll want to get along to this fortnight’s fundraiser for the 2009 event. Minifauna #1 is being held at The Basement on Thursday September 3 and will feature sets from indie rock supermen Super Best Friends, rock merchants Penguin and up-and-coming surf band Radical Surf Ninjas From Hell On Fire. Tix are $10 on the door, and proceeds from the resulting 2009 Megafauna Festival will go to the Australian Cancer Research Foundation. Rock out for a good cause, kids!

On a similarly warm and fuzzy note, ANU’s inaugural Red Party will be held on Saturday September 5 from 7pm at the ANU Bar. This

event will raise awareness of the international spread of HIV/AIDS, with proceeds being used to purchase medical equipment for a hospital in the Philippines. The lineup is packed; including local acts such as Hancock Basement, The Trivs and Team Wing as well as a veritable smorgasboard of Canberra’s best DJs, and, if Facebook RSVPs are anything to go by, it’s shaping up to be a huge night. Presale tickets range from $15-$25 and are available at the ANU Bar or online at www.anuredparty.com .

Also at the ANU Bar, local act The Adam Hole & Marji Curran Band will be supporting Kim Churchill (NSW) and Dallas Frasca (Vic) on Friday September 11. Doors open at 8pm and tickets are available for $15 from Ticketek. Hoodlum Shouts are keeping busy again this fortnight, promoting their new EP at Pot Belly alongside rock five-piece The Red Vest. Get along to The Pot from 8pm on Friday September 4 and shell out for an EP if you like what you hear.

Once again, the Canberra Musicians Club and Cardboard Charlie join forces to bring you the Domus Adultus sessions at Hippo Bar. On Thursday September 3, the lineup includes Owen Woolcock, Amber Nicholls, Little Sister and three-piece Margaret Helen King.

On Thursday September 10, be serenaded by Julian Hay, Blue 2, Waterford and Sean Smeaton. The music starts at 8pm and tickets are $7, or $5 for CMC members. And for something a bit different, you can catch one of two daytime gigs scheduled for Sunday September 13. Award-winning soloist Jono Zilber will bring the blues to New Acton’s Du Jour Restaurant from 10.30am. Meanwhile, Queen Juanita and the Zydeco Cowboys are playing at the Hush Lounge in Woden between 1 and 5pm.

That’s it from Locality for another fortnight! Hope you guys have a good one and we’ll catch you next time, CATHERINE JAMES locality.bma@hotmail.com

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DANCE THE DROP The word on The Drop’s lips, don’t miss out on this year’s Foreshore.

First and second release tickets were snapped up in record time and with the full lineup now released, don’t let yourself become the only one who can’t join in conversation about Deadmau5’s ridonkulous tattoos and mask come Saturday November 28.

Looking into the near future, there are some tasty events to hit up over the next fortnight. Pang! is bringing their crew to Academy on Friday September 4 to present the Boys Noize Records Night. With a slew of local support and five headliners including DJ Edjotronic (France), Shadow Dancer (UK), Strip Steve (France), Ajax (Sweat It Out, Syd) and The Aston Shuffle (MOS), the Academy bar staff are certainly going to have their work cut out ‘cause up and downstairs will be pumping!

The following evening, pop on your charitable boots and head down to ANU at 7pm for the inaugural Red Party. The event is raising funds and awareness of the international HIV/AIDS epidemic and, as the name suggests, dress in all things RED to further promote awareness. Support is coming from all corners of the Canberra music scene. The DJ contingent alone includes Team Wing, Sean Kelly, Staky, Cheese, Peekz, Stunami, Hubert, Saad & Jonty, Faux Real and Celebrity Sextape. For more information visit www. anuredparty.com .

Also on Saturday September 5 is another instalment of tha sheezy +one at Transit. If you missed out on round one of this new night, to quote the Fresh Prince, “a lesson could be learned from this musical fusion.” Deep Cycle and MC Conduct are down from Sydney to purvey their particular style of DnB/breaks and dubstep. If you like the whampity whamp, the lineup is filled out by DJ Harlequin, Poser and Shifty Business.

Tom Piper returns to Academy on Saturday September 5 too, with support from Ashley Feraude and B-Tham. The Bam Bam Music main man has recently refreshed Riverside and, with a ream of ARIA chart hits under his belt, Academy will surely reap the benefits of his hard drive.

Another night I am looking forward to in the next few weeks is the launch of Full Frequency at Transit Bar. The first of these Thursday night ventures on Thursday September 3 features NY-based Kill the Noise. If you are unfamiliar with their work, think Bag Raiders meets Surkin. Full Frequency backs up on Saturday September 12 with Detroit Techno ‘Grandson’ Omar-S and also promises more big names in coming weeks.

Before I sign out a few props need to be given to The Aston Shuffle lads who landed themselves an impressive #3 in the country at the recent ITM50 DJ poll. Of course this feat secured them the #1 act in the ACT. Alliance @ Academy netted best club night and Foreshore took best festival. Congratulations guys, much deserved salutations. mi favorito… Reminiscent of Fridays in a far gone era, hopefully Pang!’s Boys Noize Records Night will help rejuvenate TGIF clubbing at Academy. With both levels open and a cacophony of genres on offer this is a party I eagerly await!

STAKY staceymanson@gmail.com

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NOISE RESTRICTIONS ALLAN SKO KILL THE NOISE’s Jacob “Ewun” Stanczak answers three questions in three words to open the batting of our conversation; not exactly the bubbling torrent of information us journalists thrive on. Opening pleasantries (‘Keeping well?’ ‘How was Adelaide last night?’ ‘Got milk?’) are met with the monosyllabic answers of a man more intent on being in bed than talking to some slightly English-sounding stranger from Canberra.

But hell, who can blame him? Stanczak has just touched down in Australia for the charmingly titled Fire and Hell Tour, is touting his Kill Kill Kill EP and Turn Off/Tune In mix series, working hard on a new yet-to-be-named album due to drop in the next few months, and all whilst making the big move from New York Whether it’s the glitchy, to LA just before distorted side of things, straight up house, or deep touching down on our dusty soil. driving basslines, I make

sure I switch the tempo up

“I think you enjoy a better quality of life [in LA],” the man reveals from a Sydney hotel room. “For the kind of music I do, America’s got a really vibrant scene at the moment.”

The kind of music Stanszak does spans the spectrum of house, whether it be the Metroid-sampling The Mother Brain, the tight loops and interstellar synths of the All Too Vivid remix, or the smooth disco of Estelle featuring Kanye West’s American Boy remix.

It’s a breadth the man promises to bring to Canberra this week. “I like to run the gamut of styles within house music,” he says. “Whether it’s the glitchy, distorted side of things, straight up house, or deep driving basslines, I make sure I switch the tempo up.”

Similarly, Stanczak has switched the tempo on his own career.

The end of 2007 delivered a vicious re-working of the Kitsune signed Thieves Like Us which put Kill the Noise on the radar, swiftly capitalising on this newfound attention with remixes of Chromeo’s Call Me Up, Vega’s All Too Vivid and CSS’s digital moistener Music Is My Hot, Hot Sex. Now comes the big test of any dance-o; the crucial first artist album. What to do? A set of dancefloor smashers, or a rounded ‘artiste’ piece filled with that light and shade stuff those bearded impresarios on TV keep going on about?

“I’m not writing it for the dancefloor in mind, no,” Stanczak confirms.

“That’s what remixes are for; you can turn it into a dancefloor monster from there. It’s been really hard trying to keep it locked down, and not leak any of it before it’s done. I won’t be playing much of that out – there may be a track or two – but I’m saving most of it to be released all at once.” But fear not you trembling KTN kids, there will be plenty more shiny newness to enjoy. “I have a lot of new tunes I’ve done that not many people have heard yet, as well as plenty of records from artists I’m good friends with.” Hopefully the man will be treated to some well-deserved sleep before then.

Kill the Noise play a free show at Transit Bar on Thursday September 3 with supports Sean Kelly, Staky, Cheese and Bricksta. Tickets through noone, I told you already, it’s free.

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DRAGON DÉCOR

JULIA WINTERFLOOD

Forest parties, bush doofs, festivals; they’d be shivering skeletons without the constantly evolving, consistently astounding, wacky and wondrous garb that is décor. Dragon Dreaming Festival ’09 promises to have no skeletons in its magic closet, as countless creative folk are working tirelessly as I type to construct a multitude of marvellous artworks and installations, designed to inspire, amaze and invigorate.

Dave Mankey is one of these creative folk. Under the moniker ATOMIC DAVE, Mankey creates what he calls Atomic Art; dazzling, tranceinducing, hyper-coloured screenprints of the geometric patterns produced by silicon crystal. “I started back in 1986; I saw the original images under a microscope. Something caught the corner of my eye; it was this pattern… I stared at it all night, and it just blew my mind,” he muses.

Mankey’s prints are indeed mind-blowing. Regulars at The Front would remember his exhibition this time last year; a series of ‘hypercubes’ and other geometric patterns in a veritable UV rainbow of psychedelic colours that stimulated the senses in a marvellously Magic Eye-esque manner. Says Mankey, “I did all of these prints mainly as colour experiments and also because I just had an unlimited number of ideas for artworks. With atomic patterns I’m exploring a new dimension and a new concept in art. It reaches levels where others just don’t seem to get to.

It’s an awesome feeling.”

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About a dozen of Mankey’s prints will be exhibited at Dragon Dreaming, including one that is ten metres long. And as if this wasn’t enough, there will also be projections of his works incorporated into what will no doubt be mind-bogglingly brilliant state-of-the-art lighting.

Says Appleby on the inherent nature of doofs and décor at Dragon Dreaming: “You can’t really separate my art from my doofs. They’re so intrinsically linked. The whole festival is our art piece and we’re all co-creators. Everything there is part of the composition. It’s something not just seen but experienced and every person who takes part, is a part of it. A doof isn’t something you just go to. It’s a lifestyle. It’s a way of being. It’s an experience which resinates infinitely.”

You heard the man. After all, it’s been the word on thousands of people’s lips of late: Dragon Dreaming ’09 is going to eclipse all previous doofs and forest parties by immersing the festival-goer in a holistic threeday festival experience.

Leaves, logs, dirt, clay; anything can become medium for an artist Another local artist who will be contributing to this tremendously tantalising visual feast is one of the founding fathers of Dragon Dreaming, KEN APPLEBY, who combines his Celtic heritageinspired spiral drawings with the effects produced by developing salt crystals to create striking works of seemingly infinitely swirling flourishes.

What Appleby creates on site for outdoor events, however, is different to what he produces in his studio. From “giant UV active dream catchers” to “huge bone totem poles”, his outdoor works “are still about representing energy, but one does have to work with the place. You should reflect the energy of the land… Sticks woven together in particular ways, stones piled on top of each other and placed in patterns on the ground.

Leaves, logs, dirt, clay; anything can become medium for an artist.”

In addition to the two amazing artists profiled here there’ll be works from many others, as well as independent films in the outdoor cinema, a gastronomic galaxy of international food, a market village and healing village, theatre and dance performances, as well as 14 separate workshops from how to find bush tucker to how to be more time efficient. And that’s not even mentioning the music.

For a complete rundown on the festival be sure to read the full page story in our next issue, out Wednesday September 16.

Dragon Dreaming Festival will be raging from Saturday October 3-5.

For further details and ticket info head to www.dragondreaming.net .

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Euchrid’s Crib, Nick Cave in Yorkestrasse, West Berlin, 1985 Photograph by Bleddyn Butcher

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It was to be about Cave ‘the artist’, rather than a chronological, This Is Your Life type of project. “To do a show like this involves an incredible amount of trust,” Barrand says, when discussing her first few meetings with Cave. “He really got on board when he realised he could choose the songs that he wanted to explain the history of, and that he could imagine that it wouldn’t be simply biographical, but that it would be about something which is very important to him, which is his creative endeavour and his role as an artist.”

ALLEGORY OF THE CAVE bEN hERMANN In the photo Euchrid’s Crib, we see a boyish Nick Cave sitting upright on his narrow bed in West Berlin, circa 1985. His head is an explosion of long, thick black hair, almost obscuring the pen he’s clutching in his mouth as he reaches for a book on a nearby shelf. He has a notebook open on his lap, and surrounding his bed in his shoebox room are mountains of books, artwork, scribbled notes and newspapers, with lyrics sticky-taped to the wall alongside photos and locks of hair. Although taken over 20 years ago, the photo captures the true essence of what NICK CAVE: THE EXHIBITION seeks to portray – namely, the creative process of one of the greatest Australian artists of the past century.

The exhibition invites visitors to explore the mind of Cave via original photos, as well as lyric sheets, notebooks, artwork, souvenirs, books and videos, and to give us a glimpse of the stories and tales behind his music. And although these products of Cave’s psyche may now be tidied, structured and labeled for our viewing pleasure, in a sense their state is reflective of Cave’s life and mind now, compared to that of West Berlin in 1985; a life and mind which may have become more ordered and stable, but certainly no less creative, captivating or enigmatic.

The exhibition first took root when curator Janine Barrand travelled to Brighton in 2003 to discuss with Cave the possibility of staging an exhibition based on his creative history.

The result is that there is no particular chronological or thematic order to the exhibition. In the centre of the main room lies Cave’s ‘office’, symbolic, says Barrand, of Cave’s mind, with all the snapshots of his work existing around it. “Visitors who come should realise that it’s a bit chaotic, that there is no real beginning or end. That’s because when you work with a contemporary performer, they’re still creating their work. It’s a living theme, hence this almost labyrinth-like design.”

Accompanying many of the exhibits are pink slips of paper or ‘voice boxes’, where Cave gives brief explanations of the inspiration behind his lyrics or other displays, whether it be his first encounter with his wife, or the story of how he came into the possession of a bright pink handbag with ‘Kylie’ emblazoned on it. As Barrand points out, this gives the visitor two perspectives – “you’ve got my version of events, then you’ve got Nick’s version of events alongside it.”

Additionally, peppered amongst all the exhibits are 50 small framed pictures of things or people, chosen by Cave, which have inspired him. Unlike the other pieces on display, these have no explanation or even labels; a penguin here, Johnny Cash there, Quasimodo to the left, and so on. So while at times the explanation of Cave’s work might make you feel like your curiosity and voyeurism into Cave’s mentality has almost tainted his appealing mystery – almost as though you’ve just been told how a magician does his tricks – these unexplained additions ensure we realise that perhaps not every dark corner of his mind has been explored.

But then, of course, these could be red herrings, designed by Cave to throw us off course. While there is always a subtle slash of jet black humour lurking beneath his lyrics and prose, Barrand explains that in person Cave is more forward with his wit.

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ALLEGORY OF THE CAVE CONTINUED

“He’s got an absolutely wonderful sense of humour, and I guess that was a bit surprising when we worked together. When you see him perform, he’s in your face and very dominating, but when you work with him he’s full of ideas, creative, and always very funny.”

What do you do?

With Canberra as the exhibition’s final stop, Barrand has also been able to witness the effect it has had on its visitors, whether they be devoted fans of old or people who simply know him as ‘that guy who did the song with Kylie’.

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ARTISTPROFILE: PJ Williams

I’m an actor, director, lighting designer and improv-er.

When did you get into it?

Like most people, in school. I was lucky to have a teacher who really knew the business. Then I started working in theatres in Sydney…

Who or what influences you as an artist?

One of the most intriguing insights presented by the exhibition is that of Cave as a manic list-writer and drafter; as someone whose art is not formed in a brief moment of spontaneous genius, but is edited, honed and revised. “What I found most interesting about the whole experience was that Cave became almost a source of inspiration for people,” Barrand explains.

Sunsets (particularly over the Brindabellas), people on buses, watching other actors (good and bad).

“People would come up to me and say ‘wow, I write a notebook like that’. So the exhibition has encouraged other people’s creativity as well, and made it possible for them to imagine their own writing.”

It’s almost impossible not to come away from the exhibition with a different impression of Cave. A man who might have come across as a dark, intimidating character and crazed artist now seems less daunting; a hardworking, organised artist, possibly more normal than you thought before. But then again, it could be that Nick Cave is not more like us than we had previously thought, but that we are all much more like Nick Cave.

What are your plans for the future?

Nick Cave: The Exhibition is a free exhibition and is on display at the National Library of Australia until Sunday November 29.

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What’s your biggest achievement/proudest moment so far?

Standing with my Mum and Dad under my name, up in lights, at The Seymour Centre in Sydney.

Lose weight, get fit, make the best theatre I can and then think about next week.

What makes you laugh?

Really good observational humour. Impro, old classic comedies, my friends and kids.

What pisses you off?

Racism, tailgating, inane bureaucracy, ‘reality’ TV, Axl Rose’s voice and much more.

What’s your opinion of the local scene?

I moved to Canberra partly because I knew it had an active and growing theatre arts sector. I think those brave enough to commit to the profession need the support of Government and the community.

We have that, but could always do with more.

What are your upcoming performances/exhibitions?

I’m about to direct my first opera for the ANU School of Music, Grimm & The Blue Crown Owl by Joshua McHugh. A very bloody gothic fantasy story. Then I’m doing the lighting design for Janine Ayers’s JAAD production, set at a house party, The House That Jack Built.

Both shows are playing during The Street’s Made In Canberra season.

For more info on Made In Canberra shows, check out The Street Theatre website, www.thestreet.org.au .

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SO YOUTH THINK THEY CAN DANCE catherine woods Nobody puts the SMOKE FREE YOUTH DANCE FESTIVALin the corner! If you are a Dirty Dancing romantic, you’ll know what I’m talking about. If not, rest assured that you don’t actually need any dance skills to get along and support the biggest youth dance event in Canberra, on this year from Wednesday September 9 to Friday September 11.

Ausdance’s SmokeFree Youth Dance Festival was founded in 1985, the same year some of the greatest dance outfits in history were invented – think Madonna’s lacy gloves, cut-off t-shirts and lime green leggings. That’s 25 years in which the festival has nurtured the work of thousands of dance teachers, youth dancers, musicians and choreographers, and grown to be a highlight of the Canberra cultural calendar. This year, Ausdance will celebrate their quarter century at the Canberra Theatre, with 31 secondary schools and colleges, 1300 dancers and 42 dance works exploring the theme ‘Changes 25 Years’.

The SmokeFree Youth Dance Festival has been the testing ground for a number of well-known names (albeit when they were still in school uniforms) over previous years, including Sibylla Budd (The Secret Life of Us), Kate Denborough (Chunky Move) and Pia Miranda (Looking for Alibrandi) amongst them.

Melbourne-based freelance choreographer, Alison Halit, has been assisting this year’s teachers and choreographers to develop their works, and has been intrigued by how each school has interpreted the theme.

“Preparations have been going since March,” Halit says. “Some of them have looked at the journey from childhood to adolescence to adulthood. Some of them focus mostly on their dreams and aspirations for the future.”

Apart from what Halit describes as some beautiful contemporary work, each five minute performance can span the genres of classical ballet, ballroom dancing, belly dancing, “a bit of swing, bit of jazz and a bit of tap dancing!” No knowledge or love of dance is required to enjoy the festival, but a willingness to embrace a variety of performance styles is a must.

“What’s interesting is it’s unusual to see a lot of dancers on stage at the same time,” Halit says. “Some of the groups have 40 dancers on stage at one time! Most of the pieces are about five minutes in length but they’re very energetic works. Vibrant and exciting.”

The popularity of So You Think You Can Dance might be partly responsible for the impressive number of schools and dancers this year. They think they can dance. Come along and judge for yourself.

Ausdance’s SmokeFree Youth Dance Festival plays at the Canberra Theatre at 7.30pm for three nights only, from Wednesday 9 to Friday 11 September.

For tickets call Canberra Ticketing on 6275 2700.

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parallels there. “You don’t want to watch a comedy show where the guy’s like, ‘my life’s super!’ and the blues is written like a punch line.

Both of them are taking pain and making them into something that makes you feel good.”

BLUES IN THE FACE (LAUGHIN’ ‘TIL YOU’RE) NAOMI MILTHORPE “They’re both about taking something negative, like being poor or getting cheated on, and turning it into something positive like music or laughter.” So says Melbourne comedian and sometime-harmonica player Michael Connell about the unusual mash-up – stand-up comedy and blues music – of his new show, THE BLUES, touring to The Street Theatre in September.

Connell has been performing as a stand-up comic for over eight years, touring around Australia and New Zealand and performing everywhere from the Melbourne Comedy Festival to live on Rove.

And, after picking up the harmonica four years ago, Connell has performed at the Wangaratta Festival of Jazz and Blues and the Australian Blues Music Festival in Goulburn. But The Blues is the first time he’s mixed his harp with his ha-ha.

“I’ve always kept my comedy and music very separate,” Connell explains. “They’re two very separate sorts of worlds (but) there’re

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The show mixes jokes and music, with Connell performing bluesy harmonica versions of tunes from Muddy Waters to Rage Against the Machine. “I know there are some hardcore blues traditionalists out there who don’t like anything written after the Second World War. I’m not one of them. I’m a big fan of harmonica players like Little Walter and Howlin’ Wolf, who became great because they were innovators and broke from tradition.”

Joining him in The Blues are Canberra supports from both sides: music-comedy duo The Stevenson Experience, blues guitarist Jonno Zilber, and stand-ups Tom Gibson and Jay Sullivan, the winner of last year’s Green Faces. “In a recent article it was suggested that I was arguably Canberra’s most successful comedian,” says Sullivan.

“Which is bullshit.” Sullivan does have a few fingers in the comedy pie, however, running the Canberra Comedy nights at Civic Pub as well as working on his own shows. “He’s Canberra’s comedy mogul – the Puff Daddy,” jokes Connell.

Meanwhile, a brief chat with guitarist Jonno Zilber - whose style, “sinister swing”, is music based on the idea of “why have a wife when your neighbour’s got one?”, shows that blues does indeed have a funny bone. “It’s hard getting away with the blues when you’re white and 26,” says Zilber.

“And living in Weston Creek,” quips Sullivan. “This is a big part of the show,” says Connell. “You can’t be the dude from Mississippi if you’re 26 and from Melbourne. You have to find your own blues.”

The Blues plays from September 17 to 19 @ the Street Theatre, 8pm.

Tix $18/$16. Call the B.O. on 6247 1223 or jump to the website at www. thestreet.org.au .

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UNINHIBITED One of Uninhibited’s favourite phrases is, ‘what you lose on the swings you gain on the roundabouts’. It describes, I think, most of the experiences of modern/adult/young adult/young modern life. There is a certain ‘o well, mustn’t grumble’ charm about it, an attitude to life that rolls with whatever punches life gives one. And Glory Be, as my Ma would say, doesn’t life just keep on giving. Although what I am about to narrate doesn’t really relate to the phrase, because it involves two entirely separate phenomena which do not at all bear the one upon the other, instead of – as the phrase ‘swings and roundabouts’ implies, being in a causal or at least geographically close relation – I’ll continue anyway, because... well, because I’ve already begun ranting and I’ve never learned how to stop.

SWING: The news that the ACT Government has, in its infinite and untrammeled wisdom, axed the Multicultural Fringe Festival and redirected the (severely reduced) funding to the National Folk Festival to stage a Folk Fringe has left a lot of hippies wailing this week, including (though I enjoy personal hygiene and loathe reggae) this one. Although Fringe wasn’t entirely a cutting edge Mecca of avant-garde experimentation, it certainly nodded (and sometimes positively staggered) in that general direction in a genuinely enjoyable way. One of my favourite Fringe events last year was seeing David and Chris Finnigan performing licks of leccy guitar with a spoken word reading of Roald Dahl’s The Witches. Methinks you wouldn’t see that elsewhere, mon frère.

I’m sure you’ll all be wondering what the horses’ mouth has to say, so here it is via its conduit, Minister for Multicultural Affairs John Hargreaves: “The decision to provide this support (i.e., $30,000 funding previously allocated to the Fringe) to the National Folk Festival was made in the context of providing a sharper focus on the purpose of the National Multicultural Festival and ensuring its financial viability going forward”.

Of course, the budget of the Multicultural Festival proper was also slashed, so for ‘financial viability’ read ‘cheapness’, and listen to the sounds of sobbing as artists across the Can watch the rivers of arts funding dry up. To my mind, the Multicultural Fringe was one of the best things ever to have developed in Canberra, a tiny little sign that our town isn’t all pubes drinking lattes and caipiroskas or however you spell those fruity little drinks and whining about their mortgages while scoffing tapas.

Now. There is nothing wrong with giving more money to our beloved Folky. And yes, I understand in these difficult financial times there is less call for arts of even a moyen-garde variety. However. The government has found a sweet $500,000 to throw the NGA’s way to pay for the Masterpieces from Paris blockbuster exhibition that is coming to town in December. Surely even a leetle of that dough could be sidewaysed to the local, living arts scene? Then again, what would I know? As J.Stan himself stated, “In the current economic climate, with economies across the world feeling the effects of the global downturn, (Masterpieces from Paris) will provide a boost to the ACT economy as well as giving locals and visitors a once in a lifetime opportunity to experience this unique exhibition of postimpressionist art”. Note how the art comes second to the money.

ROUNDABOUT: I saw Alice Cooper in the Canberra Centre.

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NAOMI MILTHORPE princessnaea@gmail.com

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bit PARTS WHO: University Medallist Fiona Fraser WHAT: CAPITAL WHEN: Friday September 11, 8pm WHERE: The Street Theatre, Childers Street 2008 University Medallist Fiona Fraser has written the libretto and music of this new Canberra opera, CAPITAL. Audiences can enjoy a semi-staged performance of this brand new work, playing for just one night on Friday September 11. CAPITAL centres on two Canberra couples, exploring the work of Marion BurleyGriffin (wife of Walter) in the design and vision of Canberra, and its relevance for a modern day couple in the public service.

The performance will feature a chamber orchestra, with musical direction from Dr David Kram. Tickets are only $15 – so be quick!

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WHO: Canberra Youth Theatre’s 2008 commission, The Messenger WHAT: Queensland Premier’s Literary Award Shortlist WHEN: The winner will be announced Tuesday September 8 WHERE: www.premiers.qld.gov.au In 2008 Canberra Youth Theatre commissioned and held the premier performance of a new Australian work The Messenger, adapted

by Ross Mueller from Markus Zusak’s award winning novel. The production itself was a great success – but artistic director Pip Buining must be grinning in her seat with the news that Mueller’s playscript has been shortlisted for the prestigious Queensland Premier’s Literary Award, in the Drama Script (Stage) category.

Mueller’s script sits beside new works by Oz playwrights Lally Katz, Tony McNamara, Damien Millar and Paul Galloway.

WHO: Boozehounds WHAT: 2009 National Capital Craft Beer Festival WHEN: Saturday 26 and Sunday 27 September WHERE: Olims Hotel Sots and soaks breathe freely, for the 2009 Beer Festival is here!

September 26 and 27 will see Olims Hotel grounds covered in the trappings of all things beer, including 17 craft breweries showcasing up to 80 different types of beer. If that isn’t enough for you (and how greedy are ya, anyway? THAT’S 80 TYPES OF BEER) there are gourmet food stores, a Crafter Chef competition, and live entertainment including performances by Mental As Anything and Casual Projects. Hoorah! Your $25 entry includes a free commemorative tasting glass and ten tasting tickets. For information head to the website at www.canberrabeerfest.com .

WHO: Canberra Contemporary Art Space WHAT: New work in both spaces WHEN: This fortnight, various hours WHERE: CCAS Gorman House and CCAS Manuka This fortnight there are exhibitions of new work showing at both CCAS Gorman House and CCAS Manuka (on Furneaux Street). At the Manuka space is Peta Jones’s exhibition of works titled Rock Paper Scissors, showing until Sunday September 6. Meanwhile, over at the Gorman House space is Borderlife, a group exhibition curated by Exhibitonist’s Yolande Norris. The works shown in Borderlife, by artists Julia Boyd, Rachael Freeman, Rose Montebello, rea, and Tess Stewart-Moore “exude a creeping, nameless dread, revealing a built environment that is at odds with the country in which it exists”. Oooh. Both exhibitions are free of charge. Check out the website for details: www.ccas.com.au .

WHO: Musos and performers alike WHAT: Applications for Corinbank 2010 WHEN: Get ‘em in by Monday September 14 WHERE: www.corinbank.com

WHO: Anne K. Brown WHAT: Flora, Fauna and underwater WHEN: September 3 – 27, Thurs to Sunday,10am to 5pm WHERE: KIKU ARTs Gallery, 10 Gibraltar Street, Bungendore

If you’re a muso in need of a stage then you should think about the lovely festival atmosphere of Corinbank. Performer applications are now due, with only a few weeks left until deadline on Monday September 14. And now applications are easier for the electronically inclined – all you have to do is fill out the app online and copy in links to where on the interwebs your songs can be found. For all the details on the festival and on what you need to do to get there, head to the website. Questions? music@corinbank.com. Too easy.

Showing until Sunday September 27 is this exhibition from Royal Arts Society of NSW member, Anne K. Brown, featuring gorgeous images of flowers, plants and animal life; on September 5 you can go to a Meet the Artist session between 1 and 2pm. KIKU ARTs was established in 2005 to help provide emerging artists with business, marketing and promotional skills; the gallery shows work by KIKU ARTs members. For more information on the gallery call 6238 1971 or 0409 368 814.

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LOCAL ACT THINKS GLOBALLY

katherine woods

STEVIE EASTON

This might be naive, but I always assume rock stars will be interesting. They’re meant to be charismatic and suave, with the Pied Piper ability to attract hoards of groupies. On top of that, they usually have PR training and heads the size of hot air balloons. (My Mum: “Stay away from them, darling. They’re all egomaniacs.”)

Having just returned from an overseas tour taking in Europe and North America, Melbourne’s most socially conscious reggae explosion BLUE KING BROWN are back touring nationally, and will also have a new album out soon, featuring the single Moment of Truth. I spoke with singer, songwriter and frontwoman Natalie Pa’apa’a about recording their new album, touring globally and the power of music to connect people and support social change.

But there is something strange about Dom Simper of TAME IMPALA. He’s not your typical rock star. I feel more like I’m talking to a friend’s 14-year-old brother than the bassist for one of Australia’s most promising new rock bands. He keeps saying “I don’t know” and I feel like any second he may grunt at me.

An obvious question is about their influences. Tame Impala’s new single, Sundown Syndrome, is so infused with ‘60s rock that you could easily confuse them with Cream or The Doors. When I tell him I think the vocals on Sundown Syndrome sound very Beatles, he seems genuinely pleased, admitting “I’m a Beatles obsessed freak!” I ask if it’s difficult to follow in the footsteps of these musical giants. “Not really,” replies Dom, “‘cause we don’t even pretend to be anywhere near as influential or massive as them; it’s just kind of the music we grew up with.”

We’re playing on the same day as Beyoncé. How rad’s that?

So why did they choose to draw on the past so substantially? “I don’t really know. We never really set out to make any particular type of music,” Dom offers. “The new stuff doesn’t sound quite as ‘60s as the stuff on the EP, so hopefully it will be a new kind of music.” Clearly they intended to draw on the past to some extent, with their version of ‘90s hit Remember Me by Blueboy set to be released with Sundown Syndrome as a nice little package deal. It might sound like a weird choice of song, but it’s a lot like when The Byrds covered Bob Dylan’s Mr Tambourine Man – they’ve made it something completely different.

Halfway through the interview Dom’s still unresponsive and I’m flagging, so I trot out an old faithful – coming from Perth, what does he think about the booming Perth music scene? “I’ve got no idea to be honest, it’s just another town in Australia.” Even people who’ve never BEEN to Perth have an opinion about that one!

Soooo I resort to asking him if there’s anything he’d like to add. “Um, we’re going to Japan on Tuesday.” Awesome! Tell me more! “We’re playing a festival over there called Summer Sonic, and yeah, we’re playing on the same day as Beyoncé. How rad’s that?” Pretty damn rad. And I was right – definitely like a 14-year-old boy.

At the end of the day, the music’s interesting – amaaaazing – and that’s all that matters. Maybe Dom is just a nice, normal person with a normal-sized head. Mum would much prefer I brought him home than Mick Jagger. Even if he does grunt at her.

Tame Impala roll into town on Friday September 18 for a show at the ANU Bar. Tickets through Ticketek.

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Blue King Brown’s music reflects the band’s campaigning on a wide range of social issues, and the first single from the new album is no different. “Lyrically, Moment of Truth is really about this shift in consciousness that we are witnessing everywhere we go,” explains Pa’apa’a. “I think it’s really powerful when people realise that they’re not alone in that struggle for a better future.”

A big part of our live show is to connect with the audience on a spiritual level

With so many acoustic instruments in the band, making this album has been all about getting the band’s huge live sound and energy recorded inside the studio. Anyone who’s seen them live will know that Blue King Brown has a full-size sound and so much energy that it’s easy to see how the task of capturing that in the studio could be a concern. “We use more electronic elements to fatten out what we do with the live instruments, so it still sounds like us – just maybe a little bit fatter in the bottom end and tighter up top,” Pa’apa’a reveals.

Everywhere they go, the band seems to have praise heaped on them from all directions. A quick read of their bio shows some of their favourite tributes from artists they have supported and a search for them on Youtube reveals gushing comments from excited new German fans. The overall message of the band is, in the spirit of reggae, to get up and get involved in making society better and has been well received throughout the English-speaking world, where reggae has become a universal language. “We’re all thinking the same way. We’re hearing the same and thinking the same. Also, in those countries there’s a very strong and long-standing history of socially conscious music and a big support network for that.”

The message behind their music is also the reason that Blue King Brown work so hard on the way they communicate with every audience. They aim to convey some of that positive energy to the crowd and to inspire those people who are thinking about maybe doing something to make the world a better place, but need a shove. “We’re all about the live show,” Pa’apa’a says. “We really pride ourselves on our live performance and we really work on it. A big part of our show is to connect with the audience, not just musically, but also on that spiritual level. We like to get them involved and jumping up and down and if we didn’t, then I guess we wouldn’t be doing our job properly.”

Blue King Brown play the brand new Blueprint Festival in Ararat, VIC from Friday September 18 to Monday September 21, alongside The Panics, Jebediah, The Beautiful Girls, Tim Rogers and many more. For tickets and further information, visit www.blueprintfestival.com .

RATTLE THE CAGE josh brown Anyone who’s been to more than one gig in their lifetime will know that live music has an uncanny knack for attracting an eclectic clientele. You know the types. There’s the shirtless, dreadlocked stoner who’s too far gone to care if he brushes you repeatedly with his sweaty arm. The screaming teenage fangirl who lined up for hours outside the venue to ensure her chances of securing a front row spot and setlist after the show are as high as possible. I could go on.

Keeping such a varied audience placated must surely be a tough job for a band. Not so says Simon Leach, guitarist in Perth-via-Melbourne four-piece LITTLE BIRDY, as he discusses the punter-friendly idea behind the band’s latest tour.

Theatres are the new pubs for this tour according to Leach, with the rawness of the venues the band started off in now replaced by an air of sophistication. “[We want] the building itself to become part of the show,” he explains. “People can sit down at the back, if they wish, and watch music. People who want to dance can go to the front.

We’re just trying to cover all kinds of fans so that they can get what they need from a live show.” When pressed about what kind of fan stereotype he fits into, there are no doubts for Leach. “All my type of people will be up the back. I like to sit down and watch, rather than dance,” he laughs.

You’re in the hands of people paying to see you tour

A quick glance over the band’s recent gig itinerary reveals that singer Katy Steele has been branching out into solo side project territory. A little alarmed, I put it to Leach – does this new venture pose any threat to the future of Little Birdy? “I guess ‘threat’ isn’t the right word,” he says, downplaying the significance of Steele’s solo aspirations. “If she became successful in that way, we’d just work stuff out. We’ve all got hobbies and stuff that we do in our down time. It wouldn’t be fair to say to her ‘you can’t be creative in your own time.’”

While Leach is seemingly at ease with the prospect of Steele flying solo, the question of what the future may hold post-Little Birdy does inevitably come to mind. “You have to be mindful of what’s down the track,” he admits, “‘cause the band is day to day, month by month.

You’re in the hands of fans and people buying your records and people paying to see you tour.”

Having already bought a house and establishing his credentials as a graphic designer prior to becoming fully involved in music, should the band go belly up tomorrow I have a feeling Leach will survive. “Next year you might not be doing it,” he says warily. “You don’t really know and that’s the best way to be, so that you don’t take it for granted.

We’ve been really fortunate to have lasted this long and have this as our work. As long as we’re all happy, we’ll just keep doing it.”

Little Birdy, with supports Red Riders and Hungry Kids of Hungary in tow, will play the Hellenic Club on Sunday September 13. Tickets through Ticketek.

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PROGRESSION FOR METAL’S SAKE SS FAUST It’s nearing two years since Canberran progressive metal quartet ALCHEMIST released their sixth studio album, the cryptically titled Tripsis. Now, after two European tours and a national tour with Meshuggah, Alchemist appear to be working on a new offering that, if it follows the success of their previous releases both in the national and international market, should garner some much deserved and anticipated praise from old and new fans alike.

“The ideas are really strong and should see an interesting and evolved new record,” says guitarist Roy Torkington. “It won’t be another Tripsis – we have a bunch of songs in prototype stage which just keep building and building. This will probably be a more organic, rhythmic and experimental release but it is still early days. We’re all pretty excited by the new music.”

Every new release is a new challenge

In 2008, Alchemist toured Europe extensively following the release of Tripsis. “We got an amazing response in Europe last year,” says Torkington. “We toured in their summer and played three enormous open air festivals – Hellfest, Graspop and Waldrock – in between our own shows.” The band got to play with legendary acts such as Iron Maiden, Slayer and Death Angel – just a few of the bands that the guys in Alchemist listened to when they were growing up.

So where are Alchemist at now, 16 years after their first release?

“We have always been expected to be experimental and explorative in our releases,” muses Torkington. “It’s almost the band’s style, so every new release is a new challenge. It’s not like we are just recreating the last record.” So how do they maintain the group cohesion and dynamics that make such a band work? “We really don’t know any better. I have been in this band since I was 17 and still love doing it. We are like brothers and share a clear vision for the band and the music.”

After years of rumours and on and offs regarding the band’s DVD release, it appears that it’s finally going ahead. “It’s all done and is a pretty interesting doco. We are going to release it sometime – perhaps as a bonus, maybe a standalone release,” Torkington reveals. “It is on Youtube and is getting a bit of attention.” This documentary can be found easily on Youtube, but a physical release will be a great addition to any Australian metal collection.

According to Alchemist’s Myspace blog, they’re going to hit the studios towards the end of the year to record the new album and will follow the release up with another European tour, an Australian tour and hopefully also include New Zealand and Japan. It certainly seems that great things are afoot.

When asked about what is in the future for Alchemist, the band had this to say: “More good times, more good music, travel, adventure, fun! It’s going to be awesome and hopefully take us somewhere new.”

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Catch Alchemist in home territory at The Basement on Saturday September 12.

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THE REALNESS I mentioned their new release last month, but Kings Konekted’s new offering Trails To The Underlair: The Prequel definitely warrants further attention. More than just your average mixtape, the crew from up north have poured their passion into their debut offering; a release which serves as a taster for their forthcoming album proper. Carefully

selecting notable jacked instrumentals from the likes of Evidence, Necro and Prowla which all compliment and accentuate their lyrical styles, the release plays like a cohesive journey into the minds of the Kings. Throughout the tape, beat-makers Stricknine, Dontez and even Lyrical Commisson’s Trem all also supply a barrage of original selections which form

the backdrop for a collection of original and exciting tunes which hint at what’s to come. Trails To The Underlair: The Prequel is out now through the prolific Class A records. Also prolific and hardworking is The Herd/ Elefank Traks head honcho Urthboy. He’s just unveiled his third solo LP Spitshine, further cementing his hard working originality and swagger. With a defiant fist in the sky, Urthy again tackles real issues with a no-nonsense approach, as well as enjoying himself and relaxing on a number of optimistic numbers throughout the record.

Essential listening. Spitshine is out now through Elefank Traks.

Australian legends Cross Bred Mongrels (aka Flak, Debris and Flea) have returned with their latest offering Certified Wise. Named after the famous Adelaide hip-hop crew (which includes Hilltop Hoods and Funkoars, amongst others), the album is both a celebration of and homage to Australian hip-hop history and a warning to those who seek to jump on the bandwagon for the wrong reasons – in other words, the Mongrels are not fans of lil’ chumps and ignorant shittalkers. Produced by DJ Debris and Chris Bass, the album is drenched in a classic old school vibe, rolling along with sweaty funk loops and no-holds barred lyricism from Flak and Flea.

Featuring guest collaborations with Mystro, Simplex, Hons and Melbourne’s Reason, Certified Wise is a boomin’ assault of classic sounds punctuated by a passion for the scene and the hard hitting prowess of the Adelaide streets. Melbourne’s Requiem is set to follow up on the promise of his limited edition EP with his debut LP Grassroots Anarchy. In stores shortly, the album features beats from Ciecmate, Defiant, Doc Felix, Pabstrakt and Wizard (UK). Guest verses are laid down from the likes of Fluent Form, Maundz and songstress Tahireh Thampi. Canberra’s fave DJ Mexi has also contributed a killer artwork design for the LP – check it out and some preview tunes at www.myspace.com/ mcrequiem. More next month on this release. Live-wise you can check out Melbourne’s Phrase at Transit Bar on Thursday September 10 with Illy, DJ Flagrant and M-Phazes in support. Ex-Canberra group Casual Projects will also be making a welcome return in October and Muph & Plutonic look poised to pay another visit to the ACT in the coming months. Stay tuned.

To hear music from all of these releases and more, tune to The Antidote on Tuesday nights from 9:30pm on 2XX 98.3FM or stream at http://www.2xxfm.org.au .

ROSHAMBO roshambizzle@yahoo.com.au

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PUNKSKA

Harder than the hard, hard as hard can get, it’s the BMA Punk n ‘Hardcore’ column.

Deutschland’s hardcore/punk legends The Spermbirds are finally touring Australia for the first time in 29 years! Inspired by early Britpunk bands like The Ruts, Angelic Upstarts and The Buzzcocks, as well as the punk sounds coming from the US through bands like Minor Threat and Black Flag, the Spermbirds were born in 1983 with a classic ‘80s punk/thrash melodic sound. Several releases and a few lineup changes later, the original lineup of the band are taking up the 16 year old invitation to play down under. Touring in October, with Melbourne’s Mid Youth Crises (formerly One Inch Punch), you can catch them at the ANU Bar (Friday October 23) with A.V.O. and I Exist.

There is a possibility that Toe To Toe could also appear. Check out the Spermbirds at their myspack – www.myspace.com/spermbirds .

Re-emerging from the late ‘90s, Lagerfest is back for another round.

The Basement in Belconnen plays host to five bands on Saturday September 5. Melbourne’s degenerate punks Thundabox, Sydney’s Dunhill Blues, the recently reformed Butt Nugget, The Toxicmen and All In Brawl will be appearing in no particular order on the night. Besides the bands, your $10 at the door gets you in for beer promotions, CD giveaways and the Anual Lagerfest Champion Jug Drinker.

Since 2005, Byron Bay’s 50 Lions have been a hardcore band on the rise. This fierce five-piece eschewed the metalcore craze that was prevalent at the time of their formation and instead went for a more traditional hardcore sound, taking inspiration from the likes of New York greats Cro Mags and Madball. Together with US band Trapped Under Ice, 50 Lions will tear up the Tuggeranong Youth Centre this Sunday November 8 (AA). Tickets from Moshtix outlets and www. moshtix.com.au .

Before that, the Tuggeranong Youth Centre will host Perth’s Break Even on Thursday October 15 (AA). The band are touring in support of their just-released debut album, The Bright Side, taking in five states in a month.

Italian hardcore outfit Gold Kids have announced a November tour. Joined by Ghost Town on their trek around the country, they can be seen at the Majura Community Centre in Dickson on Friday November 13. No further details as yet.

Bridge Nine Records are combining and re-releasing Agnostic Front’s first two genre-defining albums, United Blood (1983) and Victim in Pain (1984), as a single CD. Check back at www.bridge9.com for more details as they come to hand.

Hatebreed released For The Lions, a covers album, on Monday May 11.

The band give their rendition of tracks by The Misfits (Hatebreeders), Cro-Mags (It’s the Limit), Bad Brains (Supertouch/Shitfit), Black Flag (Thirsty and Miserable), Sick Of It All (Shut Me Out) and loads more.

Visit www.bombshellzine.com/newspage/modules.php?name=New s&file=article&sid=4065 to see the full tracklisting.

Oi Oi that’s yer lot!

SIMON HOBBS Next deadline is September 28. Send news, views, gig promos and abuse to rudebwaay@gmail.com .

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POURING HER HEART OUT katy hall The first real contact I have with acoustic singer KRISTY APPS is an apology left on my voicemail, saying that she slept through our scheduled interview and sounding gravelly to say the least.

My assumptions jump to late night gigs and too much celebrating, despite her citing a late night at work as the real reason. When we finally speak to each other later in the day, I’m pretty taken aback to learn that next to soulfully strumming guitars and writing heartstripping lyrics is her part-time reality of semi-trailer trucks.

“At the moment I’m at a warehouse, packing them up before they head out. It’s really long hours but there’s a light at the end of the tunnel and this job is filling up my soul for things I want to do. It’s kind of nice having something mindless because I can put all of my energy into what I’m doing musically,” she reveals.

I definitely lay it all on the line

As an established artist, Apps returns with her third album, entitled Pour Me Out, but has taken a completely different route to the one she’s previously trodden. “I didn’t want to so much change my sound, but I definitely wanted to change the way I went about delivering the music,” she says. Heading into the studio and teaming up with producer Anthony Lycenko to collaborate on the album was something she’d never done before. “In the past it had just been me and my guitar, going in and laying down what I wanted and that was it. This was a lot more collaborative though. I went in really excited, having someone else’s directions and ideas that they had for where the album could go.”

Collaborating with other musicians she’d never met meant she could “work out what was best for each song. I think sometimes being in a band for years can make you think ‘this is how the song goes’ and develop habits with your music, which is something I don’t want to do. This way they were built up from their bones, doing it in bits and pieces, and it’s now a finished thing that’s real,” she says.

After solidly plugging away at the scene, it seems the recognition is finally coming home. Be Patient, one of the released tracks from the album, recently found itself in the top ten Q Song nominations, which is quite a feat considering the 1500 entries. The product is a truly beautiful piece of Australian guitar playing and soulful vocals, something that sheds the layers of Apps and exposes such intense, honest harmony to your ears. “I definitely lay it all on the line; songwriting is my way through everything. It’s so personal when I’m lost in it but I never walk away and feel like I’ve left too much of myself up there on the stage.”

And sadly, just like that, as most people are leaving work for the day, the truckie industry begins and it’s time to farewell this multitalented woman.

Kristy will play at Phoenix in Civic on Saturday September 5.

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ES MES FUM THEE FU NG TH LING HALI INHA IN SHAILLA VAN RAAD THE FUMES are a force to be reckoned with. Exploding on the live music scene in 2004, the northern NSW outfit have built a reputation of rollicking beefcake blues and soaring guitar chops which is no simple feat for a duo.

Steve Merry (guitar/vocals) reminisces just how the band came into existence shortly after meeting Joel Battersby (drums). “It seems like a hundred years ago when Joel and I ended up having a jam.” Interestingly, it seems that the space taken up by a clichéd four-piece wasn’t big enough for Merry alone. Instead he felt a two-piece would suffice in order to create the music he wanted. “I like a lot of blues guitar, and I was playing in a band that wasn’t living too close to each other,” he recalls. “I started playing with another drummer because the rest of the band was one and a half hours away. The rest of the band eventually booted us out and I also replaced the drummer.

That’s how our duo was formed.”

The music business is dictated by money

Since the release of their debut album Guns of Gold in 2006, The Fumes have risen up through the live music circuit and have enjoyed some critical acclaim. However, the duo still remembers their musical dignity and that money doesn’t just appear from pure success. “In order to make the band survive we have day jobs too,” Merry reveals. “I’m a carpenter and Joel drives trucks…

The music business is a pretty funny industry; it’s dictated by money.

Somehow though, that doesn’t bother us that much, we fit into our genre pretty well. It’s good to hear positive reviews of our music, although I wouldn’t put the album out if I didn’t like it myself.”

Harnessing the origins of rock music, The Fumes are obviously heavily influenced by African-American blues, heavily nodding to the 12 bar chord progression seamlessly throughout their sound. The constant reference and expansion of this style for Merry has transcended geographical location and alludes more to a particular type of cultural attitude than to a place. “I reckon there is probably an Australian influence to our music, but it’s not entirely geographical,” says Merry.

“I think it’s more about where the blues came from; the underside of life, those who are unfairly downtrodden and also about accepting our own fucked up existence.”

The Fumes are now touring NSW and ACT, in celebration of their new album Sundancer. After successfully touring Japan, Canada and the US and making an appearance at SXSW, Merry looks forward to being back in Australia, but also making this smaller tour “about stopping hitting my fingers with nails and a hammer. It’s always really cool when you get people out to come and listen.”

Catch The Fumes on Thursday September 10 at the ANU Bar. Tickets are $18 through Ticketek.

DINING AL FRASCA

KATY HALL

From the spotlights of operatic stages to slide guitars and roots rock, it doesn’t seem like there could be much of a link. Travelling from the glorious world that belonged to Dame Nellie Melba, face of the $100 note, to country Victoria, you’ll find DALLAS FRASCA, a descendant of the Australian great; the red-dreaded woman whose face has been fast tracking itself around the globe.

Growing up with “music always in the house,” it’s strange that Frasca’s vocal chords only began to bloom at 18, when discovered at a friend’s party. However her late start almost ended after she developed nodules and was forced to lay off, deciding to learn guitar instead.

“Because I couldn’t sing for so long and really had to start listening to things, it’s made me a better musician,” Frasca feels. This connection of the two has culminated beautifully on her debut album Not for Love or Money.

“With the album there’s a real emphasis on positive outcomes. I spent a lot of time on lyrics and listening to great songs and found elements we loved and pulled them apart. It was basically written to have an empowering impact on the listener. But they’re songs about things we can all relate to.”

Music is a wonderful job to be in

The album also reflects closely on the truths and beliefs of Frasca’s life. The song I Like You Better When You’re Straight tells forthrightly her dislike for people who are something they’re not. In Strong Man it’s clear what Frasca is on about. “Yeah, I fell in love big time and that song is the product of meeting him,” she admits. Then there are tracks like Loaded Silence that haunt your ears about tales of injustice that happen in this country. “You know, it’s kind of something I’ve fallen into over the last 12 months. If I was a total activist every song would be about that. But it’s really important things that we’re talking about and if we all get together it can make a difference.”

With recent tours in France and plans for a world tour later next year, you’d think Frasca would be starting to ease into her role of frontwoman, with the role perhaps running in her blood; but every time I ask questions about her, I’m met with responses of “we.” It’s clear that the woman from Wangaratta is not letting it go to her head, and is humbled by the experiences being thrown her way.

“Music is a wonderful job to be in… you get to travel and meet all of these great people,” she says. “In France I got to meet B. B. King!

The guy’s 83 and still does 200 shows a year! So I’m standing outside his door shaking and waiting; when I finally got to walk in it was just amazing. Oh, you should see the photo I got with him – I look like such an idiot!”

Dallas, supported by Kim Churchill and Marji Curran Trio, will play the ANU Bar on Friday September 11. Tickets through Ticketek.

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the word

BLACKBOX

Don’t let anyone tell you spending all day making Youtube videos is a waste of time – the guys behind the popular Youtube video that spread faster than swine flu are about to have the fruits of their labour air as a new ABC2 series. Beached az (ABC2, Thu Sep 10, 9.25pm) goes beyond the seagull encounter that made ‘I’m beached bro’ part of the lexicon but promises it will be the first kiwi animation never to feature a sheep.

Of course we will never agree to steer clear of the kangaroo and the star of them all gets her just recognition in Skippy: Australia’s first superstar (ABC1, Thu Sep 15, 8.30pm). Not only does the doco show us what happened to the kid who played Sonny, it also features an interview with the ageing diva herself – Skippy’s frank admissions make compelling viewing.

BBC Comedy FM (ABC2, Thu Sep 10, 9pm) has finally arrived.

Featuring familiar faces from the IT Crowd and Teachers, it depicts life in an FM radio station – kind of. For a laugh at ‘80s rock, check out Rock of Love (SCTEN, Sun Sep 12, 1am) a US reality show where contestants are competing for the affection of Poison lead singer Bret Michaels. Scary.

Sad news this week with the final episode of the Cook and the Chef (ABC1, Wed Sep 16), which ensured everyone had heard of verjuice even if nobody still understands what it is. Maggie and Simon will be sorely missed in the kitchen at chez Blackbox. Fortunately Maggie’s delectable delights are available locally.

Jennifer Byrne Presents (ABC1, Tue Sep 8, 10pm) turns, inevitably, to Monsters and Bloodsuckers. Fans of the genre will recognize authors Catherine Jinks and Will Elliott, academic and Australian Horror and Fantasy mag ed Leigh Blackmore. Model turned crime writer Tara Moss, an avid reader of the genre, also joins the discussion. Other new shows to hit screen this week include Gary Unmarried (Prime, Thu Sep 3, 7.30pm) another ‘I can’t help it I’m a guy comedy’ starring the not especially funny Jay Mohr, Billable Hours (ABC2, Thu Sep 10, 10.30pm) a Canadian legal comedy, Little Britain USA (SCTEN, Sun Sep 13, 9.50pm), Nurse Jackie (SCTEN, Sun Sep 13, 10.25pm) and The Urban Monkey with Murray Foote (ABC2, Mon Sep 14, 8.55pm), an Alby Mangels style mockumentary from comedian and Triple J personality Sam Simmonds.

Docos in the must watch category include the final ep of Stephen Fry in America (ABC1, Sun Sep 13, 7.30pm) which heads to any grunge fan’s mecca, Seattle and Hawaii where fry meets a real Magnum P.I., Artscape: Marc Newson in Conversation (ABC1, Tue, 10pm) – the Aussie designer tells why he doesn’t own one of his famous Lockheed lounges. Rove presents: Hamish and Andy’s American Caravan of Courage (SCTEN, Thu Sep 10, 7.30pm) builds on the popular Rove (SCTEN Sun 8.40pm) segment as the hapless duo take the RV from Miami to LA. Not much sign of Rove though, thankfully. Speaking of Hamish, Spicks and Specks (ABC1, Wed Sep 9, 8.30pm) celebrates its 200th episode with Paul Grabowsky, Ella Hooper, Meshel Laurie and almost-permanent-fixture Hamish.

Blackbox just pips them at the post celebrating its 202nd column this issue – sure its traditional to mark the 200th but Go’s arrival had Chez Blackbox just too damn excited (and Blackbox doesn’t have an enormous marketing team to keep tabs on these things).

TRACY HEFFERNAN tracyheffernan@bigpond.com

36

on games Downloadable content – I’m still not sold on it. Yeah, it’s cool to extend your gaming experience and hell, it finally calls those developers on their claims of how multifunctional their game engines are, but in many cases, one could easily argue that the content should have just been there from the get go (I’m looking at you RE5!). And what’s with all these patches? Thanks for fixing the bugs ‘n’ all, but how about you put out a working product next time, you lazy pricks? So whilst downloadable content does have the ability to be sweet, it also facilitates some rather disturbing trends in the industry, including milking old ideas. In some regards, Wipeout Fury is guilty of this, but at least it still proves to be a great game.

Wipeout Fury Published by: Sony Computer Entertainment Developed by: SCE Studios Liverpool Length: 10+ hours Platform: PS3 Score: HD – 4.5, Fury – 4 I’ve loved the Wipeout series since its conception. With its mix of masterful racing, tripped out visuals and banging soundtracks, it’s hard not to be a fan. But with admiration comes blind devotion – a concept Nintendo relies on when it comes to selling some of their core titles (‘cause they certainly aren’t relying on much originality). So in vowing to uphold my reviewing integrity, here’s a (hopefully) unbiased opinion of Wipeout Fury. Fury extends upon the already impressive Wipeout HD. Yes, that’s right, Fury is an add on, which for me presents a conundrum. Because it’s merely an extension, most of its qualities, such as the stunning high-def visuals, are inherited from HD. While Fury does admittedly improve on these (the molecular ship explosion is a particular highlight), let’s focus on the new things it does.

Firstly, the game boasts a handful of new racing tracks, all of which are superbly crafted and decently enjoyable to play. Unfortunately though, there’s not much variety between tracks. On a whole, they’re all pretty short and offer the same kind of experience HD had to offer. Hopefully they’ll draw inspiration from grandpa Fusion next time, given that it boasted some of the series more outlandish tracks. Where Fury does shine though is with the number of race modes on offer. Thrown into the regular Wipeout mix is a handful of new game modes, including a reinvented survivor mode. Whilst this mode is occasionally drawn out, moments where you take out half of the trailing pack using a single reverse shockwave will definitely have you smiling. Likewise, not only will the new zone modes sex up your eyes, they may also be life changing if experienced on some form of illegal narcotic. They’re also pretty fun to boot. This is all topped off with a sublime soundtrack.

Everything Fury brings to this series is executed with meticulous precision. Unfortunately, having been there and done that, it just feels a bit same-old, same-old. Although, in the case of this series, the old is brilliant.

TORBEN SKO

the word

on albums

album of the week Jay Reatard Watch Me Fall [matador] Reminiscent of Jack Torrance’s demise in the final scenes of The Shining, the cover artwork for Watch Me Fall depicts a slightly deranged Reatard, hunched over, cold, with a pine hedge behind his right shoulder and a cloud of mist arising behind his left. With the release of Watch Me Fall, Reatard, like Torrance, may well become further estranged from those who once loved him; although which party did the most to catalyse the process of alienation it is hard to say.

Reatard fans of old would have noticed the gradual shift in sound from his days with The Reatards and The Lost Sounds - when mangled fuzz, gritty low-fi punk and an overdose of synthesizers would engulf vocals and melodies in a wave of noise – to the strikingly more poppy inclination of his Matador Singles ‘08. However, with simplicity and charm still his greatest tools, Reatard has now crafted an album that is just as captivating as any of his past work. The song structures are basic and pop definitely his reference point, but thankfully Reatard’s overwhelming character is channeled gushingly through his chiseling, bratty, yet charismatic vocals and delightfully sardonic, cynical and sometimes depressive lyrics. Chin up, Torrance.

BEN HERMANN

Jenny Wilson Hardships! [etc etc]

municipal Waste Massive Aggressive [Earache/Riot]

Not entirely sure whether to blame Rufus, Sufjan or Antony, but someone has to take responsibility for the propagation of highlyaffected, fussily arranged, Venus fly trap torch songs.

The sort that tricks you into thinking it’s more than it really is. Jenny Wilson has an inclination to favour technique and artifice over substance.

Take for example We Had Everything – an attention grabbing song, held together by a genuinely interesting hook and bold melody, it displays a restraint and simplicity lacking elsewhere – only to throw it all away with an unnecessary coda diminishing all that came before. Hardships! seems designed to appeal to the all-knowing, insider-y, hip, bon vivant demographic. All up – it’s a bit of a chore.

Of course the key here is how old you are. If, like me, you’re in your forties and were a fan of thrash metal the first time around, one listen to MA will have you chortling fondly at the remembrance of times past and, maybe, reaching for your old Anthrax or Crumbsuckers albums for a bit of mosh-related nostalgia.

If you’re half that age, there’s a good chance you’ll not have experienced the likes of chugfests such as Massive Aggressive before – and you’ll probably love what you’re hearing. In which case, can I suggest you buy Among the Living (Anthrax), or anything by Gang Green or Nuclear Assault, to see how this thrash thing is really done?

justin hook

modest mouse no one’s first and you’re next [epic] A captured midpoint between the 2004 and 2007 releases, No One’s First and You’re Next takes inspiration from moments before during and after, but sets you down at a completely different destination to what is expected. Unlike most EPs of unreleased tracks, it holds itself independently from its parental albums, rather than just a tide over until the next full length. One for the die hards, this is a beautiful showcase of Brock’s great questionings, rather than his demand-and-answer warblings.

For a band that receives so much mainstream attention, this album cements the reality that the path they’re treading is completely their own.

KATY HALL

Nambucco “Game Over” Deliria

major chord the rabbit hole [vitamin] True to the band’s name, this CD is full of cheerful tunes (as major chords produce a brighter sound). Melodies are simple, but a richer texture is provided through the use of an accordion in Joy to Everyone and a ‘70s era organ in Hey My Name is Joe. It’s a great package, with Dan Flynn’s mellow voice, minimal instrumentation cunningly combined to produce an entrancing melody, home-spun wisdom about life that has a real ring of truth to it and a liberal use of black humour. Dan has drawn on his experience as a social worker, with song themes that include making the most of now (without worrying about what has gone before or is to come), and being your own person.

RORY MCCARTNEY

singled out

with Dave Ruby Howe

Girls Lust For Life [Matador/Inertia] Girls keep it simple. From their matter of-fact name to the title of their debut album – literally just titled Album – and to their stripped-back, sun-soaked reworking of garage rock. And you know what? Simplicity works really damn well.

Muse Uprising [Warner] Muse. My mortal enemies.

They’re back. But I think I’ve finally figured them out. Muse are like bad science fiction.

Think Stargate Atlantis or the painfully obscure spin-off novels from Star Wars, all ridiculous and excessive. That’s Muse. Hell, they’ve even got Dr Who-aping electronics and bullshit lyrics about space in this track. And again, much like bad sci-fi, Muse get hordes of followers praising their fearless courtship of the overblown, without a lick of irony in sight. Well Muse, congrats on that. This will certainly only bring more followers to your poorly ventilated conventions/ arena shows. I’ll stay where I am though, middle finger raised and praying for an out of control meteor to hurtle towards your tour bus.

Shakira She Wolf [Sony BMG] A glowing review for a Shakira single? Crazy, right? Well bear with me, because this is so worth the leap of faith. Sure Shakira’s voice is still nigh-on intolerable but the production is top quality, sounding like a cross between upper class pop and Franz Ferdinand or The Bravery at their catchy disco best. You’ll be howling along with this in no time, promise.

37

the word on dvds

watchmen

retro rage

THE READER

Directed by Zack Snyder (of 300 infamy) and adapted from the graphic novel by Alan Moore and David Gibbons, Watchmen follows the lives of the Watchmen (funny, that) – a group of former superheroes who, after gaining recognition in the 1940s, subsequently help the USA to win the war in Vietnam and thus change the course of the Cold War. Now, in a dystopian 1985, their vigilante activities have been outlawed and most members live hugely disparate lifestyles. When one of the original members of the superhero team – the violent, misogynistic Comedian (played

by Jeffrey Dean Morgan) – is murdered, the volatile loner Rorschach (Jackie Earle Haley) gains the impression that someone is attempting to eliminate all former Watchmen.

The film is compelling in its earlier moments, most notably the stunning opening credits where Snyder recreates the history of the superheroes’ formation, their actions and their subsequent decline in a brilliant, compelling montage set to the tune of The Times They Are a-Changin’. However almost immediately after the murder of the Comedian, when Rorschach begins attempting to reform the Watchmen in order to investigate a possible plot against them all, every scene feels rushed, making them often confusing. Snyder attempts to squash in far too much background, action, plot twists and character development into what is – at 160 minutes – a relatively small amount of time. Unluckily for Snyder, the film would also have come across as far more interesting for its dark exploration of the lives of pariah superheroes, themselves struggling with issues of identity and purpose, had audiences not so recently experienced the exceptional production of The Dark Knight.

The result is that, although still engaging and impressive, the film is a vast underachievement compared to its potential.

Now in its third decade, venerable ABC clip show Rage is taking a wistful glance back at its salad days, a bygone era of big hair, big snares drums and Big Audio Dynamite (sadly not included here). From the counter-culture video collage of Sonic Youth’s Teen Age Riot to hyper-coloured cartoon world of De La Soul’s Eye Know, via the Mary Chain, Bowie, The Specials (Jerry Dammers’ truly awkward skanking is a particular highlight), Neneh Cherry’s immortal Buffalo Stance and, err, Yazz, there’s hardly a dud within. However, considering Rage launched as hip-hop was entering its golden age and beginning to infiltrate the mainstream, the selection on offer is somewhat light on ‘rap,’ as it was called back then. I also take issue with the Fine Young Cannibals quotient - Johnny Come Home over She Drives Me Crazy? Really? - but that’s an argument for another day.

Retro Rage is somewhat of a wasted opportunity though, as the videos are presented cold, one after another, without any context or commentary. The main attraction of Rage is that it spares us the zany ‘youth’ presenters that usually helm these programs, gurning and leering at the camera with their mad hair, and goes straight to The Talent. The artists program the selection and interject at will with anecdotes and history lessons - amongst a good deal of indecipherable slurring and cackling - providing fans with crucial insight into their heroes’ influences. An introduction before each song here certainly wouldn’t have gone astray. But while one may question the validity of these kinds of DVDs - and indeed Rage itself - in the Youtube age, consider this: who, after stumbling home, wants to huddle over your mate Phil’s 9” x 7” netbook screen at four in the morning and expend what precious few brain cells remain trying to remember who sang The Riverboat Song? That’s right.

Based on the novel by Berhnhard Schlink, The Reader delivers an incredibly powerful adaptation from page to screen that sends viewers spiralling on an emotional rollercoaster.

Brilliant and at times disturbing, the film takes place in Germany where teenager Michael Berg (David Kross/Ralph Fiennes) becomes ill and is helped home

by Hanna (Kate Winslet), a stranger twice his age. After Michael recovers, he seeks out Hanna to thank her. The two end up having a secret affair and their meetings begin with Michael reading aloud to Hanna, followed by lovemaking.

The affair comes to an abrupt end when Hanna mysteriously disappears, only to reappear many years later when Michael, now a law student observing the Nazi war crime trials, sees her again as a defendant. It is here that Michael uncovers a deeply hidden secret that will impact both of their lives.

BEN HERMANN

38

Peter Krbavac

The Reader is a dramatic and engaging story about truth, guilt, corruption and coming to terms with the past. The structure of the film flashes backwards and forwards between the young and old Michael, allowing the viewer a closer connection with the characters. David Kross and Ralph Fiennes deliver exceptional performances but the stand out by far is Kate Winslet who received a long overdue Academy Award for Best Actress. In addition, The Reader was also nominated for four Oscars including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Cinematography and Best Adapted Screenplay.

As it delves deep into descriptions of the Holocaust and contains a physical relationship between an older woman and a teenager, The Reader may leave some viewers feeling uneasy. Nonetheless, this is a gripping, thought-provoking film and viewers should be prepared to invest their minds and emotions in the experience.

LAUREN HERNANDEZ

the word

on films

WITH MARK RUSSELL

QT’s back, with the latest bit of therapy to treat his complex of cool. Inglourious Basterds gives us everything he loves – popcorn dialogue, quirky characters and ultra-stylised violence. It also confirms him as the last great auteur. No other director is able to create the response from audiences that Quentin does. How many other directors are even known by name by general film-goers? This is the film to let us forgive him for dropping the ball on Death Proof. What more is there to say? See it, enjoy it; or be ostracised at the water-cooler.

quote of the issue Bridget von Hammersmark (Diane Kruger): “Since you didn’t see what happened inside, the Nazis being there must look odd.”

Lt. Aldo Raine (Brad Pitt): “Yeah, we got a word for that kinda odd in English. It’s called suspicious.”

Inglourious Basterds

inglorious basterds

the young victoria

beautiful kate

Inglourious Basterds is a film about people with reputations that precede them – and the film itself is no different.

Everything you’ve heard is true – yes it’s bloody, yes it’s bloody good. It follows Lieutenant Aldo Raine (Brad Pitt) and his band of Jewish soldiers, who’ve taken it upon themselves to exact a savage and personal revenge on Nazis. They purposely make their attacks as vicious as possible in order to gain notoriety and strike real fear into the hearts of the Germans.

A fair amount of celluloid is also devoted to Colonel Landa (Christoph Waltz), the ‘Jew-Hunter’, a Nazi officer with a special gift for sniffing out Hebrew targets. This offering from Tarantino takes a long and well-measured time to say anything. The long uncut shots and extended dialogue are tools used to eke out tension and draw us in. These combine to give a masterclass in exactly what Tarantino has always done best: showing us he knows every rule of filmmaking, then bending as many of them as he can. In truth, some sections of this film could have lost a little flab. There are occasional stretches of dialogue and characterisation that build up, then are promptly and violently dispersed. But we figured this would happen when we sat down. Almost everyone is pitch perfect in their role, with Waltz bringing a particularly delicious menace to Landa. Only the ‘British’ roles are inadequately filled, with Mike Myers far too laughable to be effective.

Overall though, Inglourious Basterds is a strong film that will undoubtedly get even better on repeat viewings.

Good, compelling costume dramas are few and far between. Unfortunately, The Young Victoria, while adequate in many ways, is not one of the great few. The Young Victoria follows the life of the feisty Queen Victoria (Emily Blunt), from her days as a princess to the early years of her reign as a young queen. There is romance, of course, with the beautiful and slightly bumbling Prince Albert (Rupert Friend), though it’s not without a few hurdles along the way.

Beautiful Kate is a story of family, and family secrets.

Forty year old writer Ned (Ben Mendelsohn) is returning to his childhood home, way out in the back of beyond. He’s brought with him a much younger woman (Maeve Dermody) and a whole bunch of unresolved and painful memories. The only people left on the farm are his younger sister Sally (Rachel Griffiths) and his dying father Bruce (Bryan Brown).

MARK RUSSELL

MEGAN McKEOUGH

Unfortunately, The Young Victoria falls short of being outstanding or particularly engaging. It really wants to showcase Victoria as a headstrong young woman determined to be a great ruler – but unfortunately, while Blunt does have the occasional shining moment, she is largely under-whelming in the role. The film is also oddly constructed, and some sections feel far too rushed and all over the place, while others drag on. The disjointed pacing isn’t helped by some very bizarre filmic devices, weird shot choices and a corny use of dissolves. That being said, the style and look of the film is wonderful and rich, as are the costumes.

Harsh, perhaps, but this film just seemed far too tame to me.

Everything is utterly PG-rated, and there’s very little rousing conflict or drama – at least, none that isn’t tied up in a neat bow by the film’s end. It’s all just a little too pretty, inoffensive and unassuming to incite any real passion in a viewer. It’s not a bad film, by any means – but I probably wouldn’t have seen it if Friend wasn’t such a dish.

Writer/Director Rachel Ward takes her time getting the pieces of this film in place. A lot of the characterisation is gradually turned on its head as people we like turn out to be not so sympathetic and vice versa. All of this is a plan to subvert our opinions and keep us guessing.

Beautiful Kate is a sumptuouslooking bit of cinema that is unafraid of facing the darker issues. Instead, the earlier sections embrace them with a subtlety and understatement that immediately hooks us.

Unfortunately the wheels start to fall off in the later stages.

Ward seems to lose a little faith in us as an audience and, rather than continuing to whisper in our ears, she bludgeons us over the head with controversy. Of course, this has the complete opposite effect than hoped for as the climactic events don’t have the desired emotional impact.

A solid and challenging film that tips its hand a little further than needed.

MARK RUSSELL

39

the word

on gigs

Hilltop Hoods/Briggs ANU Bar Tuesday August 4 To mosh or not to mosh? That is the question I am faced with as I enter the ANU Bar for the sold out Hilltop Hoods gig. It’s set up sensibly for once, meaning that there is a very appealing vantage point from the steps which lead down into the refectory. It’s tempting to loiter there so I can actually see, but the mosh is already stewing in front of the stage, arms in the air and bodies writhing to hypnotic hip-hop beats.

We stay on the steps – in the nosebleed section, if you will (I see what you did there! Ed) – to watch the openers. Canadian supporter Classified is a no-show, so Briggs performs with Vents from Funkoars. They put on a good show, but Hilltops fans are notoriously uninterested in anyone but Hilltops. The crowd is fairly unresponsive and continues to call for the headliners throughout the set.

There’s a long break before Hilltops come on, punctuated by the usual cries of “hillllltops, hilllllltops.” We use the time to make our way through the crowd towards the stage. Down here, the air is intoxicatingly hot and thick and sweaty. Guys crack open cans of beer and it fizzes and runs down their Southern Cross-tattooed arms. Soon I’m so god damn thirsty that I want to lick it off them.

As is typical of a hip-hop gig, the fans are mostly male and people have beanies on despite it being about 45 degrees. There are also couples, middle-agers, girls in heels and freshie guys in fluoro t-shirts – a testament to the Hoods’ universal appeal.

When they finally take the stage, it’s worth the wait. They begin with The Return, the first track off State of the Art, and Suffa and Pressure take the stage with their usual captivating bravado. They have the audience on a string – you can’t help but jump because the whole crowd lifts you as it moves and all Pressure has to do is say “put your hands up!” and a sea of limbs fills the air. I feel like a butterfly caught in a herd of rhinos. And it’s fantastic.

Debris reminds us what an incredible DJ he is; scratching like a superstar and winding the beats faster and faster until the MCs are rhyming double-time to keep up. He fuses old and new Hilltops, does an awesome remix of Classic Example and even throws some Led Zeppelin into the mix. Of course, Messrs Suffa and Pressure take it all in their stride, performing with the polish and confidence that comes from 12 years in the industry. The Hard Road absolutely goes off, as does The Nosebleed Section, with the entire crowd delightedly screaming “BITCH!” at the top of their lungs.

I barely saw a thing once I left the steps, but there ain’t nuthin’ like a Hilltops mosh pit. It’s almost an extreme sport. You’re getting knocked about so much you’re going to be black and blue, you’re high from all the marijuana you’re passively smoking, you’ve lost your friends, your shoes and your dignity, and on top of all that you’re crying like a baby because this is your favourite god damn band in the whole entire world. You might be heartbroken. You might have lost your job. None of it matters. You’re free.

KATHERINE QUINN

40

the word

on gigs

Grafton Primary/Hey Now DJs/Cassette Kids Academy Friday August 14 How much fun one has at a gig depends upon a wide range of factors.

Key ‘fun determinants’ include factors such as how much one likes the band/s playing, the venue in which they are playing, how long one had to wait in line before entering said venue, how cold the wait in the line was, how much one’s friends bitched and whinged about being cold while waiting in the line... you get my point. On some nights – the very best, golden nights – only good things happen. And on rare occasions, only bad things happen (so far, my friends and I have only experienced one of these wretched occasions, and it goes down in our history as ‘Black Thursday’). Most outings, however, are a yin-yang mixture of positive and negative events, hopefully ending up weighted towards the good side by the end of the night.

The following is my account of the positives and negatives of the Grafton Primary gig. Call it a social experiment if you will. (I wouldn’t, though. It’s not scientific in the least.)

The night began with pizza and ice cream with one of my best friends (plus). We got glammed-up and set off for Academy and we got in straight away (plus!). However, we soon realised that there was no line because, erm, there was nobody there. Cassette Kids opened to a near-empty club and while lead singer Katrina Noorbergen did her best to get the energy levels up, their self-consciously sparse sound fell somewhat flat on the glittering Acad floor (minus). Is it just me or were you told this gig was sold out? Weird.

Then, just when the funometer needle was swinging towards the negative end of the dial, Hey Now DJs took control of the decks.

And can I just say that I LOVE THEM. They reminded us of the joys of some quality ‘80s synth with Sweet Dreams by The Eurythmics, whipped out some classic dance anthems from Sneaky, Fedde and Armand van Helden, as well as playing Gettin Jiggy Wit It by Will Smith (plus, plus, PLUS). Even Grafton lead singer Josh Garden hit the floor, limbering up with his trademark fluid dancing.

By the time Grafton Primary took to the stage the club was buzzing, but by no means full. I had initially thought Academy was an odd venue for this gig, but the acoustics are fairly fantastic and the larger space and many levels meant that I could actually see. GP’s set was FLAWLESS – Josh and Ben were so well-rehearsed that you couldn’t even notice their cues. All Stars absolutely went off, of course, as did other tracks from Eon like Records For the Righteous and We Are the Music. During Telling Lies we started talking to some cute guys who were dancing with their backs against the speakers (one of my favourite things to do in the world, if you don’t mind the hearing damage), but soon found out that they had only recently turned 18 and were therefore FAR too young for us (boo, hiss, minussss). However, mad dancing to I Can Cook off the Relativity EP made us forget all about our near-cougar experience. Overall GP played an impressively long and energetic set and Academy’s amazing lighting setup complimented them perfectly.

So: venue was great, lighting was great, openers were good and headliners were amazing. On the whole, the night was one big fat plus sign. Kind of like the Red Cross symbol, but not, ‘cause if we’d needed the Red Cross that definitely would have been a negative and as we know, a negative is not a positive. Oh dear. Told you I was bad at this science stuff. All I know is that E = MC2 and that’s because Grafton Primary told me so.

KATHERINE QUINN

41

GIG GUIDE Sept 2 - Sept 5 wednesday September 2 Arts Short + Sweet

The biggest little play festival in the world presents the top 10 min plays from Canb. ‘Til Sept 5.

CANBERRA THEATRE CENTRE

Magpie Blah Blah

An interesting exhibition demonstrating how art therapy is used to help people with disabilities.

BELCONNEN GALLERY

Painting with Parkinsons

An exhibition by the Canberra art group for people with Parkinson’s & their carers. Runs ‘til Sept 13 STRATHNAIRN HOMESTEAD GALLERY, HOLT

Sid’s Waltzing Masquerade

The Sydney Dance Company present their latest work.

THE PLAYHOUSE

Nick Cave: The Exhibition

Discover the sources of his iconic vision through lyrics, notebooks, artworks and more. ‘Til Nov 29.

NATIONAL LIBRARY OF AUSTRALIA

Rock/Paper/Scissors

An exhibition by Peta Jones. Until Sept 6.

CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ARTS SPACE - MANUKA

National Campus: Band Comp ACT Final

Live

Live

The winning ACT band gets a trip to Gold Coast plus $500 and the chance to win $5000 cash prize.

Minifauna #1

Amber Lawrence and Travis Collins

Wednesday Lunchtime Live

THE BASEMENT

ANU BAR AND REFECTORY

Talented ANU students, Donna Peet (flute), Alexina Hawkins (viola) & Rachel Howie (flute). $2 entry.

Domus Adultus

WESLEY MUSIC CENTRE

Owen Woolcock, Amber Nicholls, Little Sister and three-piece Margaret Helen King. 8pm.

Reuben Lewis Quintet & Andy Campbell

HIPPO LOUNGE

Fayrouz

THE FRONT CAFE AND GALLERY

(Named after an Egyptian fizzy drink).

An acoustic night with Jess Hooper, Bears With Guns and more.

Something Different

Charles Chatain

Presenting a night of original contemporary music. 7:30-10pm, $5.

Jumptown Swing Lindy Hop/ Swing No experience or partner required. www.jumptown.org .

WHITE EAGLE POLISH CLUB

$5 Night @ Transit

An ‘Other’ Visions

Exhibition by Nicola Dickson. Until Oct 3.

CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ART SPACE GORMAN HOUSE

Deadman Monologue

An exhibition by Lily Hibberd. Until Oct 3.

CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ART SPACE GORMAN HOUSE

Borderlife

An exhibition by Julia Boyd, Rachael Freeman, Rose Montebello, Tess Stewart-Moore and r e a.

CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ART SPACE GORMAN HOUSE

Live Captain, My Captain

With Sage, The Eko’s, Ben Drysdale and Beth Monzo, and Johnno Zilber.

THE PHOENIX PUB

42

Dead Letter Circus

With support from Sydonia. Tickets from Oztix.

ANU BAR AND REFECTORY

Karaoke Night

HOLY GRAIL, KINGSTON

thursday september 3

ERINDALE THEATRE, WANNIASSA

TUGGERANONG ARTS CENTRE

KING O’MALLEY’S, CIVIC

Watch amateur comedians battle it out for the biggest laughs.

TRANSIT BAR

An exhibition by Anne K Brown featuring images of flowers, plants and animal life. ‘Til Sept 27.

Installations by Amina McConvell. Until Sept 14.

Free live music at King O’Malley’s.

Something Different

Arts

Another World is Possible

THE FRONT CAFE AND GALLERY

2 pizzas and a pint $15 all day. Get fed and watered and still have change for pool. Result.

West Side Story

Presented by the Canberra Philharmonic Society. Bookings: www. philo.org.au.ticketing . ‘Til Sept 12.

With Super Best Friends, Penguin and Radical Surf Ninjas From Hell On Fire (phew!). $10 on door.

Flaura, Fauna and underwater

KIKU ARTS GALLERY, BUNGENDORE

Arc: New Korean Cinema

The Good, The Bad, The Weird (2008, MA15+). The mega-budget, mega-hit ‘Kimji’ Western.

ARC CINEMA, NATIONAL FILM & SOUND ARCHIVE

Greenfaces 3rd Grand Final: Cameron Knight

TRINITY BAR

Trash Thursdays

$2 drinks ‘til 2am and discounted cocktails. With DJs Adam, Esscue and Enz. ACADEMY NIGHTCLUB

Kill the Noise

All the way from the US of A, with supports Sean Kelly, Staky, Cheese and Bricksta. Free entry.

TRANSIT BAR

P J O’REILLY’S, TUGGERANONG

Hoodlum Shouts

With The Red Vest. From 8pm.

POT BELLY BAR

After Work Jazz From 5 to 8pm.

KING O’MALLEY’S, CIVIC

3rd Exit

Free live music at King O’Malley’s.

KING O’MALLEY’S, CIVIC

Identical Strangers HOLY GRAIL, KINGSTON

Snob Scrilla

On his Fairwell Monkey Tour, supported

by Dash and Will. Tix through Moshtix.

ANU BAR AND REFECTORY

Fire on the Hill

Supported by From the South. Diverse, dynamic and at times, well, odd. 8pm. $5.

THE FRONT CAFE AND GALLERY

Leanne Melmoth

Leanne Melmoth tours her debut album Perfect Day. ORIENTAL HOTEL

CANBERRA IRISH CLUB

Outcome Unknown

Karaoke

THE BASEMENT

Cash prizes and 2 for 1 basic spirits and tap beer. DJ Peter Dorree from 11pm – 5am with FREE pool.

CUBE NIGHTCLUB

Uni Night Thursdays

Over studying and just wanna party!?

We’ve got your Thursday night covered.

Happy hour all night!

BAR 32

Carry On Karaoke PJ O’REILLY’S, CIVIC

Karaoke With Grant

PJ O’REILLY’S, TUGGERANONG

friday september 4

Dance Ashley Feraude

On the Crossing the Country Tour.

dance Boys Noize Records Night

Shadowdancer, DJEdjetronic, Strip Steve, Ajax, Jahla Gato, The Aston Shuffle and more. $23+bf. www. boysnoize.com .

ACADEMY NIGHTCLUB

Ug Beats

TRANSIT BAR

Rev

Canberra’s weekly alternative club night with two levels of DJs playing rock/ indie/dance/punk/pop.

BAR 32, SYDNEY BUILDING, CIVIC

Local hardcore group.

Finn

Funky, rootsy, rhythm and bluesy band Finn on at the Chisholm Tavern.

CHISHOLM TAVERN

Something Different DJ Jazzenator

Playing solid gold retro vinyl ONLY! DAS KAPITAL

Cube’s 4th Birthday

Wit DJ Matt Chavasse and special guest drag queens Shelley Legs Diamond and co. Doors from 9pm.

CUBE NIGHTCLUB

saturday september 5 Arts Arc: New Australian Cinema

Lake Mungo (2008,M). J-horror-style Aussie ghost story.

ARC CINEMA, NATIONAL FILM & SOUND ARCHIVE

Arc: Deep End (1970,M)

Directed by Jerzy Skolimowski. Life in a steamy East London bath-house, with music by Cat Stevens.

ARC CINEMA, NATIONAL FILM & SOUND ARCHIVE

GIG GUIDE Sept 5 - Sept 10 Dance

Wolf

Tom Piper

WALSHS HOTEL

With Ashley Feraude. B-Tham and Frank Madrid are in the Candy Bar. ACADEMY NIGHTCLUB

Live band Wolf comes to Walshs Hotel.

Something Different

Ry-Fi

Lager Fest

TRINITY BAR

THE BASEMENT

Oh No Disco! Party

DAY PLAY

With Deckhead DJs and support from Relay, Skulls and Celebrity Sextape. $5 before 11, $10 after.

BAR 32

Chrome

Gorman House Markets GORMAN HOUSE

sunday september 6

Syd’s mistress of harsh EBM Jenetik will be joining Salem, Stealth.Elf and metaVirus. $6.

Arts

Candy Cube

Silver Sundays Film Forum

HOLY GRAIL, CIVIC

DJs Peter Dorree and Matt Chavasse.

CUBE NIGHTCLUB

Live Oscar

Free live music at King O’Malley’s.

KING O’MALLEY’S, CIVIC

Meet and greet those in the film industry on the first Sunday of every month. From 5pm.

KNIGHTSBRIDGE PENTHOUSE

Tony Manero (2008, 18+)

Encore screening for Chile’s John Travolta wannabes.

Topshelf

ARC CINEMA, NATIONAL FILM & SOUND ARCHIVE

Dub Dub Goose

Dance

HOLY GRAIL, KINGSTON

They’re back to bring the house down once again! 8pm. $5.

THE FRONT CAFE AND GALLERY

Red Party Featuring Hancock Basement

And more! An HIV/AIDS fundraising and awareness initiative. This is gonna be huge! anuredparty.com .

Mikah Freeman and Hubert TRINITY BAR

Cube Sunday

Party on after the weekend is over with DJ TJ from 10 ‘til late. Free pool.

CUBE NIGHTCLUB

ANU BAR AND REFECTORY

Live

Organ Recital

Kosmos Lounge

By Czech concert organist Frantisek Vanicek. Tickets at the door. Enquiries 6232 7248.

WESLEY MUSIC CENTRE

Kristy Apps

Pour Me Out Tour. With Julia and the Deep Sea Sirens and Maxine Kauter.

Fabulously free.

THE PHOENIX PUB

Alex Hallahan

On the As I Sleep tour. Book online: www.thestreet.org.au .

THE STREET THEATRE

+One

Deep Cycle and MC Conduct, DJ Harlequin, Poser and Shifty Business.

Free entry. Whampity whamp!

TRANSIT BAR

Finn

Funky, rootsy, rhythm and bluesy band Finn bring their tour to the Oriental Hotel.

ORIENTAL HOTEL

Come and lounge the day away. 4pmlate. Free.

THE FRONT CAFE AND GALLERY

The Passionate Counter-Tenor Art Song Canberra’s Season of Song Concert 4, Enquiries 6295 9613 or www.artsongcanberra.org .

tuesday september 8 Something Different Trivia Night

HOLY GRAIL, KINGSTON

TRANSIT BAR

Made in Canberra: Vertical

Open up your pipes and murder the classics for your chance to win big.

ARC CINEMA, NATIONAL FILM & SOUND ARCHIVE

Trivia Night

Feat. Eric Ajaye, Christopher Thwaite, Paul Dal Broi and Neils Rosendahl. wwwthestreet.org.au .

PHOENIX BAR, CIVIC

Fame Trivia

From 7:30-10:30pm

THE DURHAM, KINGSTON

Pot Belly Trivia

POT BELLY BAR, BELCONNEN

Trivia Night

PJ O’REILLY’S, TUGGERANONG

wednesday september 9 Live The Wishing Well THE PHOENIX PUB

Wednesday Lunchtime Live Joshua McHugh opera highlights. extracts from Grimm and the Blue Crown Owl, a new fantasy opera.

WESLEY MUSIC CENTRE

Something Different $5 Night @ Transit

2 pizzas and a pint $15 all day. Get fed and watered and still have change for pool. Result.

TRANSIT BAR

Open Mic Comedy Night

Come and jion in! You just need five minutes of material and a few funny bones. 8pm.

THE FRONT CAFE AND GALLERY

Something Different

SmokeFree Youth Dance Festival ‘09

KING O’MALLEY’S, CIVIC

monday september 7 dance Hospitality Night

Featuring Univibes DJs.

Arc: New Korean Cinema

TNT: Tuesday Night Tunes (Karaoke)

Karaoke Night

Come and have a fiddle.

Arts The Chaser (2008, M15+). Frantic, tough and lightening fast Seoul police procedural.

WESLEY MUSIC CENTRE

Irish Jam Session

thursday september 10

HOLY GRAIL, KINGSTON

Celebrate 32 high school and colleges and 45 dance pieces over three big nights.

CANBERRA THEATRE CENTRE

THE STREET THEATRE

Dance Trash Thursdays

$2 drinks ‘til 2am and discounted cocktails. With DJs Adam, Esscue and Enz. ACADEMY NIGHTCLUB

Live Gentlemen Sing

Lots of gorgeous men, including Sean Smeaton, Bacchus, Sandy Meischke, Michael Bones and Aaron Peacy.

THE FRONT CAFE AND GALLERY

Phrase

With Illy, DJ Flagrant and M-Phazes.

TRANSIT BAR

Domus Adultus

With Julian Hay, Blue 2, Waterford and Sean Smeaton. 8pm.

HIPPO LOUNGE

Dos Locos

Free live music at King O Malleys.

KING O’MALLEY’S, CIVIC

The Fumes

Incendiary live act. Toured with QOTSA last year and blew the crowd skyward.

Tix through Ticketek.

ANU BAR AND REFECTORY

The Surrogates CHISHOLM TAVERN

Something Different Greenfaces Best Of

Watch amateur comedians battle it out for the biggest laughs.

CANBERRA IRISH CLUB

SmokeFree Youth Dance Festival ‘09

Celebrate 32 high school and colleges and 45 dance pieces over three big nights.

CANBERRA THEATRE CENTRE

TRANSIT BAR

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GIG GUIDE Sept 10 - Sept 16 Karaoke

Cash prizes and 2 for 1 basic spirits and tap beer. DJ Peter Dorree from 11pm – 5am with FREE pool.

Three on a Tree

The Red Shore

CHISHOLM TAVERN

WESTON CREEK COMMUNITY HALL

Live three-piece band Three on a Tree play the Chisholm Tavern.

CUBE NIGHTCLUB

Dallas Frasca

Uni Night Thursdays

Over studying and just wanna party!?

We’ve got your Thursday night covered.

Happy hour all night!

BAR 32

Promoting her debut album Not For Love or Money. Supports Marji Curran Trio and Kim Churchill. anu bar

Carry On Karaoke

Something Different

Karaoke With Grant

DJ Jazzenator

PJ O’REILLY’S, CIVIC

Playing solid gold retro vinyl ONLY!

PJ O’REILLY’S, TUGGERANONG

DAS KAPITAL

friday september 11

saturday september 12

Arts

Arts

Les Liaisons Dangereuses

Arc: Down From the Mountain (2000, 15+)

Opulence, sex, humiliation and degradation! Presented by Canberra Rep. www.canberrarep.org.au .

The making of the soundtrack for the Coen’s hit film O Brother, Where Art Thou?

THEATRE 3

CAPITAL

A new Canberra opera by Fiona Fraser.

See Exhibitionist’s Bit Parts for more info.

THE STREET THEATRE

ARC CINEMA, NATIONAL FILM & SOUND ARCHIVE

Dance Omar S

Dance

Detroit Techno ‘Grandson’. Free baby, free!

Cheese

TRANSIT BAR

TRANSIT BAR

Keli Hart

Mikah Freeman

With Ashley Feraude, Sean Kelly and Michael O’Rourke.

TRINITY BAR

Rev

Canberra’s weekly alternative club night with two levels of DJs playing rock/ indie/dance/punk/pop.

ACADEMY NIGHTCLUB

D’Opus

D’Opus & Roshambo’s new LP coming soon!

With The War and Shinto Katana. Tix through Moshtix.

Rybycon

DAY PLAY

HELLENIC CLUB

FILTHY MCFADDEN’S

sunday september 13 Dance Vance Musgrove & Mikah Freeman Cube Sunday

Party on after the weekend is over with DJ TJ from 10 ‘til late. Free pool.

CUBE NIGHTCLUB

Live New Acton Festival: Music Art Food

The Luke Carra Project. 7pm-10.30pm.

For more info: 6162 1300.

PARLOUR WINE ROOM

New Acton Festival: Music Art Food

Ménage à Trois with entertainment by The Waldo Fabian Quartet. 7pm-9pm.

For more info: 6162 1300.

FLINT DINING ROOM & BAR

After Work Jazz

CUBE NIGHTCLUB

KING O’MALLEY’S, CIVIC

Indie, alt, dance and electro with residents Skullss, Veda, Celebrity Sextape, Relay and M.E.R. $5.

Free live music at King O Malleys.

KING O’MALLEY’S, CIVIC

BAR 32

Kindred

Live

With Escape Syndrome, Friend or Enemy and Inside the Exterior.

Alchemist

THE BASEMENT

With Captain Cleanoff and Templestowe. $15.

Made in Canberra: Miroslav Bukovsky

THE BASEMENT

A celebration of Miles Davis.

Rubix Cuba

THE STREET THEATRE

The Culprits

THE PHOENIX PUB

Four-piece pub band The Culprits rock the Oriental Hotel in Tumut.

ORIENTAL HOTEL

OUT SEP 16

Made in Canberra

Jamie Eohlers and Sandy Evans. www.thestreet.org.au .

THE STREET THEATRE

Dragon dreaming elvis costello kisschasy mstrkrft

kid confucious

…AND MORE

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Dance Hospitality Night

Featuring Univibes DJs. TRANSIT BAR

tuesday september 15

TRINITY BAR

Live

Leanne Melmoth

monday september 14

GORMAN HOUSE

THE HUSH LOUNGE, PHILLIP

Shakedown!

With supports Red Riders and Hungry Kids from Hungary. Tix $35 pre-sold, $40 at the door.

Gorman House Markets

Candy Cube

From 5 to 8pm.

WESLEY MUSIC CENTRE

Little Birdy

TRINITY BAR

DJs Peter Dorree and Matt Chavasse.

Cellist David Pereira will be joined by Canberra musicians Andrew Lorenz and Wendy Lorenz.

Free live music at the finest Irish pub in the North!

Queen Juanita and the Zydeco Cowboys

BAR 32, SYDNEY BUILDING, CIVIC

Trio Empyrean

From 1-5pm.

New Acton Festival: Music Art Food

Jonno Zilber. 10.30am-2pm. For more info: 6162 1300.

DU JOUR RESTAURANT

Kosmos Lounge

Come and lounge the day away. 4pmlate. Free.

THE FRONT CAFE AND GALLERY

New Acton Festival: Music Art Food

Luke Carra acoustic performance.

10.30am-1.30pm. For more info: 6162 1300.

URBANFOOD STORE + CAFE

Something Different Bad!Slam!No!Biscuit!

Bad poetry, oh noetry! There’ll be none of that.

THE PHOENIX PUB

A Taste of Spring Degustation Bookings: 6162 3656. www.parlour. net.au .

PARLOUR WINE ROOM

TNT: Tuesday Night Tunes (Karaoke)

Open up your pipes and murder the classics for your chance to win big.

TRANSIT BAR

Fame Trivia

From 7:30-10:30pm.

THE DURHAM, KINGSTON

Pot Belly Trivia

POT BELLY BAR, BELCONNEN

Trivia Night

PJ O’REILLY’S, TUGGERANONG

Trivia Night

HOLY GRAIL, KINGSTON

wednesday september 16 Live Pez

Triple J, Illusive and Affinity present Aussie hip-hop phenomenon, Pez. ANU BAR AND REFECTORY

Something Different

New Acton Festival: Music Art Food

$5 Night @ Transit

PARLOUR WINE ROOM

TRANSIT BAR

Mandie Vieira. 3pm-6pm. For more info: 6162 1300.

2 pizzas and a pint $15 all day. Get fed and watered and still have change for pool. Result.

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SIDE A: BMA dj profile

DJ timtulip

Where did your band name come from?

From the old song by Tiny Tim. Describe your sound: Party music. Anything that moves the dancefloor. From abusive electro, smooth tech, to bouncy fidget.

You like that, don’t you?

Who are your influences, musical or otherwise?

Tool – pure brilliance. Then gods like Lavelle, Jon Carter when he was doing wicked dancehall with Monkey Mafia, Booka Shade, Freeland, Stanton Warriors and recently Hot Pink Delorean.

What’s the weirdest experience you’ve had whilst performing?

I’m not sure if I’m prepared to tell you about my actions from in between the sheets.

What’s your biggest achievement/proudest moment so far?

Being able to play gigs in Canberra after being on the decks for just over a year. Absolutely loving it.

What are your plans for the future?

Play parties! Parties!!! PARTIES!!!!

What makes you laugh?

The people that take life seriously. Just have a laugh, eh?

What pisses you off?

Money. Also, see above.

What’s your opinion of the local scene?

I’ve been clubbing in Canberra for ten years and at the moment it’s at its best. The amount of people in the scene now is strong and it’s awesome. Huge international and interstate acts coming to a town that was easily missed years ago. Gigs supported by a massive range of local acts.

Promoters are doing a great job. Canberra is just getting stronger and stronger and doing it pretty well.

What are your upcoming gigs?

Next one is supporting the Boys Noize Records tour at Academy, Friday September 4! Pang!’s first Academy night!

Also my first time being able to play at Academy. SO pumped for this one. Hoping for a wild night.

Contact info: Facebook: timtulip, 0413 554 158

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FIRST CONTACT Aaron Peacey Aaron 0410 381 306 Adam Hole Adam 0421 023 226 Afternoon Shift Adam 0402 055 314 After Close Scotty 0412 742 682, afterclose@hotmail.com Alcove Mark 0410 112 522 Alice 0423 100 792 Allies ACT (Oxfam Group) alliesact@hotmail.com/ myspace.com/alliesact Amphibian Sound PA Clare 0410 308 288 Amplif5’d Classic rock covers band Joy 0407 200 428, joybarac-heath@hotmail.com Annie & the Armadillos Annie 6161 1078/0422 076 313 The Ashburys Dan Craddock 0419 626 903 Aria Stone, sax & flute, singer/ songwriter (guitar) Aria 0411 803 343 Australian Songwriters Association (Keiran Roberts) 6231 0433 Arythmia: Ben 0423 408 767/ arythmiamusic@gmail.com Backbeat Drivers Steve 0422 733 974, www.backbeatdrivers.com Big Boss Groove Andrew 0404 455 834, www.bigbossgroove.com.au Birds Love Fighting Gangbusters/DIY shows - bookings@birdslovefighting.com Black Label Photography Kingsley 0438 351 007 Blister Bug Stu 0408 617 791 Bridge Between, The Rachel 0412 598 138, thebridgebetween.com.au Bruce Stage mgr/consultant 6254 9857 Caution Horses Nigel 0417 211 580 Chris Harland Blues Band 0418 490 640 chrisharlandbluesband@yahoo.com.au Clear Vision Films rehearsals/film clips/stunts - 0438 647 281 wcoulton.clearvisionfilms.com Cole Bennetts Photography 0415 087 833/colebennetts@gmail.com Cris Clucas Cris 6262 5652 Crooked Dave 0421 508 467 Danny V Danny 6238 1673/0413 502 428 Dawn Theory Nathan 0402 845 132 D’Opus & Roshambo hifidelitystyles@yahoo.com DJs Madrid and Gordon 0417 433 971 DJ Latino Rogelio 0401 274 208 DJ Moises (RnB/Latin) 0402 497 835 or moises_lopez@hotmail DNA Vic 0408 477 020 Drumassault Kate 0414 236 323 Easy Mode Daz 0404 156 482, easymodeband@gmail.com Entity Chris 0412 027 894 Epic Flagon band@epicflagon.com Fighting Mongooses, The Adam 0402 055 314 Final Warning Brendan 0422 809 552 Fire on the Hill Aaron 0410 381 306/ Lachlan 0400 038 388 4dead Peter 0401 006 551 Freeloaders, The Steve 0412 653 597 Friend or Enemy 6238 0083, www.myspace.com/friendorenemy Funk Shui Dave 0407 974 476 Gareth Hailey DJ & Electronica 0414 215 885 GiLF Kelly 0410 588 747, gilf.mail@gmail.com HalfPast Chris 0412 115 594 Hancock Basement Tom 6257 5375, hancockbasement@hotmail.com Happy Hour Wendy 0406 375 096 Haunted Attics band@hauntedatticsmusic.com Hitherto Paul 0408 425 636 Infra Retina Kyle 0437 137 775/Michael 0425 890 023/www.infra-retina.com In The Flesh Scott 0410 475 703 Inside the Exterior Nathan 0401 072 650 Itchy Triggers Andrew 0401 588 884

Jacqui Seczawa 0428 428 722 JDY Clothing 0405 648 288/ www.jdyclothing.com Jenn Pacor singer/songwriter avail. for originals & covers, 0405 618 630 Jim Boots 0417 211 580 Johnny Roadkill Paulie 0408 287 672, paulie_mcmillan@live.com.au Karismakatz DJ Gosper 0411 065 189/ dj@karismakatz.com Kayo Marbilus myspace.com/kayomarbilus Kurt’s Metalworx (PA) 0417 025 792 Little Smoke Sam 0411 112 075 Los Chavos Andy 0401 572 150 los.chavos@yahoo.com.au Manilla Green Herms 0404 848 462, contactus@manillagreen.com, Mario Brujo Gordon world/latin/ reggae/percussionist and DJ. 0405 820 895 Martin Bailey Audio Engineer 0423 566 093 Mercury Switch Lab Studios mercuryswitch@internode.on.net Missing Zero Hadrian Brand 0424 721 907 hadrian.brand@live.com.au Moots aspwinch@grapevine.com.au Huck 0419 630 721 MuShu Jack 0414 292 567, mushu_band@hotmail.com MyOnus myonusmusic@hotmail.com/ www.myspace.com/myonus No Retreat Simon 0411 155 680 Ocean Moses Nigel 0417 211 580 OneWayFare Chris 0418 496 448 Painted Hearts, The Peter 6248 6027 Phathom Chris 0422 888 700 The Pigs The Colonel 0422 412 752 Polka Pigs Ian 6231 5974 Premier Audio Simon 0412 331 876, premier_audio@hotmail.com Redletter Ben 0421 414 472 Redsun Rehearsal Studio Ralph 0404 178 996/6162 1527 Rhythm Party, The Ross 0416 010 680 Roger Bone Band Andy 0413 483 758 Rob Mac Project, The Melinda 0400 405 537 Rug, The Jol 0417 273 041 Samsara Samahdi 0431 083 776 Sansutra J-Ma 0403 476 350 Simone Penkethman (Simone & The Soothsayers, Singing Teacher) 6230 4828 Soundcity Rehearsal Studio Andrew 0401 588 884 Solid Gold Peter 0421 131 887/ solid.gold@live.com.au Super Best Friends Matt 0438 228 748 Surrender Jordan 0439 907 853 Switch 3 Mick 0410 698 479 System Addict Jamie 0418 398 556 Taboo Bamboo Greg 0439 990 455 The Morning After (covers band) Anthony 0402 500 843/ myspace.com/themorningaftercovers Tiger Bones & The Ferabul-Zers Danny feralbul@aapt.net.au Tim James Lucia 6282 3740, LUCIAMURDOCH@hotmail.com Top Shelf Colin 0408 631 514 Transmission Nowhere Emilie 0421 953 519/myspace.com/ transmissionnowhere Udo 0412 086 158 Undersided, The Baz 0408 468 041 Using Three Words Dan 0416 123 020, usingthreewords@hotmail.com Voodoo Doll Mark 0428 650 549 William Blakely Will 0414 910 014 Zero Degrees and Falling Louis 0423 918 793 Zwish 0411 022 907

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