BMA Mag 335 14 Oct 2009 by BMA Magazine

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DVDs, CDs, concert and film tix... ain’t we nice!? Send answers to editorial@bmamag.com and take yer lassie to the flicks on us, ya wee gadge.

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1 Heath’s Last Film The much anticipated The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus will be released nationally on Thursday October 29. Dr Parnassus stars Heath Ledger in his final role as well as critically acclaimed actors Johnny Depp, Colin Farrell, Jude Law and Lily Cole. The film follows Dr Parnassus who has made an agreement with the devil that in exchange for immortality and youth his daughter will become the property of ‘Mr Nick’ on her 16th birthday. As his daughter’s birthday approaches Dr Parnassus seeks to protect her but in order to do so he must face many obstacles and correct his past mistakes. The film is a surreal and captivating story that you won’t want to miss, and because we’re so gorgeously generous we’re giving away 20 in season double passes. To win, tell us what you’d make a movie about.

2 The Micallef Album Shaun Micallef is one of Australia’s favourite comedians. He’s starred in many successful TV series such as Full Frontal and Newstopia, and is currently the host of the popular quiz show Talking ‘Bout Your Generation. Micallef is now about to release his first album titled His Generation. The album stars only Micallef as a one man show, and features many funny skits, like murderous doctors, Al Qaeda operatives that love watching Oprah, and Satan worshipping gospel singers, as well as a swag of impersonations,

such as hilarious takes on Christopher Walkin and Charlton Heston. It also contains a side splitting satire of The Who’s My Generation sung by Micallef himself. His Generation will be released on Friday November 13 on CD and will also be available for download from iTunes. We have ten copies to give away. To win, tell us (and yes, we’ve used this one before) your favourite joke.

3 STATE OF the Nation From Director Kevin Macdonald comes political thriller State of Play, based on the 2003 British TV series of the same name. The film, which received rave reviews and stars Russell Crowe, Ben Affleck, Helen Mirrren and Rachael McAdams, follows investigative journalist Cal McAffery (Russell Crowe) who while researching two seemingly unconnected murder cases discovers a plot involving a big corporation and their plan to secure a contract that would give them access to all American homes. McAffery must work alongside Congressman Stephens Collins (Ben Affleck) to uncover the truth. The music was scored by Alex Heffes, who also worked with Macdonald in The Last

King of Scotland. We have seven copies to give away. To win, tell us what you’d do if you had access to every American home.

4 Off With The Birds Spermbirds are Germany’s hardcore punk legends, and they’re coming to Australia for the first time. The band that brought us the classic youth anthem My God Rides a Skateboard will be playing old favourites and killer new tracks when they hit up the ANU Bar on Friday October 23. The speedy tempos and soaring melodies of Spermbirds will be ably supported by the renowned Melbourne punk/thrash outfit Mid Youth Crisis. Tickets are on sale through Oztix. We’re giving away an awesome prize pack containing one ticket to the ANU gig, two Spermbirds CDs, and two Spermbirds shirts. To score, tell us why you think they named the band what they did.

5 See Saw Following in the tradition of its predecessors Saw VI promises to be just as gruesome and unnerving. The notorious jigsaw games take a new turn in which anybody could become a candidate, and we finally learn

what Jigsaw’s grand scheme really is. The film is released in Australia on Thursday October 22. We have 25 double in season passes to give away. To win, tell us what your favourite scene from the Saw series is and why.

6 Kiss Me Kate! Kate Miller-Heidke is one of Australia’s favourite singersongwriters. Perhaps you own her platinum album Curiouser or bought the touching ballad that is her smash hit single The Last Day on Earth, or maybe you saw her striking performance of the single on Rove. Perhaps you’re a fan of the award winning song Can’t Shake It or the International Songwriting Competition Grand Prize winning Caught in the Crowd. At any rate, you should be excited to know that Kate is about to embark on an Australian tour and will be stopping in Canberra as part of it. The Aria Award winning songstress will be captivating audiences with her chic blend of catchy pop tunes and emotive ballads at The Hellenic Club on Tuesday November 17. For tickets call 02 6281 0899. Alternatively you could win a double pass to the concert by telling us what you’re curious about.

INTERVIEW WITH THE INVENTOR OF THE GOLDEN GAYTIME (CONT.) John informs me that for every Golden Gaytime success story there were another ten ice creams left splattered on the factory floor. “There’s dozens of them we went through. They brought one out called the Aniseed High Top. It was a delightful thing to eat but any white clothes it marked, so that didn’t last too long. A delightful ice cream we called the South Pacific as they’d brought out the movie and everyone was going troppo about it so we brought out this half banana half something else and that failed within three weeks. Our greatest delight was to manufacture dandy cups of ice cream and raisins with a hard dosing of rum. They were pretty well over proof ice cream. They used to have them after the RSL Anzac Day marches but unfortunately one year they got mixed up and a lot of them ended up in the Country Women’s Association. They didn’t order them next year.” .While for many of us working in an ice cream factory sounds like a dream job, John speaks of an intense workload. During summer, when production was at its highest, he would sometimes work around the clock, sleeping at the factory. This was on top of the constant pressure to come up with the next ‘hit.’ “When you’ve got to sit down and come up with a new ice cream every three months it’s a bit daunting. We used to go out to the schools and talk to the kids. You’d produce a line, take it out to the primary school, line up all the infants and say ‘well what do you think of that?’ Try and get an opinion out of them. They liked anything free anyway so it was a bit of a lost argument.” After about a decade, John left the dairy game to work in other areas of food production. While he can still enjoy an ice cream, life has delivered an ironic fate. “I’m not supposed to have them because I’m diabetic. I still go three or four a week. There’s a wrapper under the front seat of the car I think. I’ve got to hide them from the wife. I bought a Golden Gaytime the other day and they’re pretty thin so they must be making their profit out of it. They used to be a larger wedge, a heavier weight in ice cream, so maybe it’s only half gay.” John isn’t able to shed much light on how the name came about. He says it was the result of a ‘toss-around’ by the advertising company at the time. “How it related to ice cream I never knew but it sounded all right at the time. I think the name is the thing that keeps it going. Everybody looks at one now and oh, I don’t know what their movements are but there’s nothing gay about the bloody ice cream I can tell you that. I suppose if you made an ice cream called a virgin ice cream it might sell like hell as well. The lesbian fruit-choc or something like that.” In the late ‘90s Streets brought out the Chocolate Golden Gaytime and one in a cone. To me both were like eating a pot plant. “That’s the variations by bad management. It’s how far you can push a name. To me, a Holden’s a Holden and a Gaytime’s a Gaytime. You bring a Holden out as a Vauxhall Vectra, it’s lost the name again. If you bring out another ice cream that’s not quite the same as the original Gaytime people will go off it. There was a Cherry Golden Gaytime but that didn’t last. We tried fudge in one at one stage.” At this point I remind myself that I’m listening to a man talk matter of factly about packing fudge into a Golden Gaytime, right after comparing them with cars. I finish the interview by thanking John for creating my favourite ice cream, which raises a wry smile. For him the Golden Gaytime is just another ice cream on another stick, but for generations of Australians it is a socially complicated but ultimately rewarding love affair of yum. JUSTIN HEAZLEWOOD www.bedroomphilosopher.com Justin performs as The Bedroom Philosopher and writes for Frankie, Jmag and The Big Issue.

Trackside Wants You

Until next year the dragon dreams # 3 3 5 O C T 1 4 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 Natalie Runko Exhibitionist Editor Naomi Milthorpe Film Editor Mark Russell Principle Photographers (The Flashbulb Posse) Andrew Mayo Nick Brightman John Hatfield NEXT ISSUE 336 OUT OCT 28 EDITORIAL DEADLINE OCT 19 ADVERTISING DEADLINE OCT 22 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.

Trackside 2009 has a stellar lineup, but there’s still one act to be announced. triple j Unearthed and Trackside are offering one local band the chance to join the fun, so if you think you’ve got what it takes upload your tracks at www.triplejunearthed.com and select Canberra, South East NSW or Illawarra as your region. Entries close midnight, Sunday October 18.

Sinners Are Grinners After the success of their Straight to Hell EP and tour of the same name Roland K Smith and The Sinners are doing it all over again. They’ll be hitting The Phoenix on Saturday November 14 with Billygoat and The Mongrels in tow. For more info on tour dates head to www. myspace.com/rolandsings .

Gone Troppo Are you a young filmmaker who dreams of having your work shown to an enormous audience? Young people aged 15 and under are invited to enter this year’s Trop Jr, the largest film festival for kids in the world. 16 films will be picked by judges and screened at the domain in Sydney on Sunday February 21 2010. Tropfest is an integral part of the Australian Film Industry. For more info head to www.tropjr.com.au .

Jazz It Up Critically acclaimed jazz keyboardist/composer Sean Wayland and jazz drumming sensation Mark Guiliana will be joined by Australian bassist Brett Hirst and celebrated guitarist James Muller for both concerts and masterclasses, held at the ANU School of Music on Tuesday October 20. For more info head to www. seanwayland.com .

Bards Love Beer The Canberra Institute of Technology is proud to announce its brand-spanking

event, Poetry and Prose at the Pub. The forum kicks off at Filthy McFadden’s at 2pm on Sunday October 25 and is a great opportunity for writers of all skill levels to showcase their writing in a friendly, relaxed environment. For more info visit www.facebook.com/ pages/ACT-Writers-EditorsNetwork/149279322048 .

Summer’s Just Around the Corner The Summer Sessions is a night of music and film at The Front on Thursday October 22. There’ll be a screening of surf/ art/lifestyle film Seaworthy, directed by NSW filmmaker Nathan Oldfield, and then performances from Mike McCarthy and Sam and the Circle Cycle. Tix $15 at the door.

5, 4, 3, 2, 1 Lift Off 09 is a new youth music comp kicking off at Woden Youthie on Friday October 16. Heat One features Robert the Bruce, Slovac, Turbulence, Soheyla, Makeshift and West of the Sun, while Heat Two, on Friday October 23, features Dramatic Effect, Please to Jive You, Fallsuit Theory, Retraspec, The Naddiks and Fight the Fall. Six performers/bands will then be selected to compete at the finals at Edison Park on Saturday October 31 as part of the Woden Valley Festival.

Here Comes the Sun The first Festival of the Sun lineup has been announced. Spiderbait, Children Collide, Little Birdy and Urthboy join a swag of others at Sundowner Breakwall Tourist Park in Port Macquarie on December 11-12. Early bird tickets are already on sale. Head to www.fotsun.com. au for more info.

European Hippopotamus? Hippo took off to Berlin a few times recently, edging Canberra’s music scene a bit closer along the way. Three promotion crews are playing cutting edge electronica in an attempt to stir those bruised and shaken by the local

commercial scene. Local and national DJs and producers have ignited Hippo’s dance floor with tech, prog, schmick breaks and high-class d’n’b. uniVIbes, Effigy Entertainment and Canberra Drum n Bass & Dubstep host monthly nights unseen and unheard in Canberra. Expect subtle lighting, live fusion and a sound smooth enough to levitate a Hippo towards Europe.

Snap Dragon “Dragon Dreaming ’09 was one of the best festival’s I’ve been to”; the resounding feedback from 1600 festival goers who danced and sang and drank up the electric atmosphere for three magical days in the verdant Kowen Forest from Oct 3-5. The wet weather may have dampened the earth but in no way did it dampen spirits, and it was all captured perfectly by Dragon Dreaming’s official photographer, Elena Thomas. Says Karolina Russell, one of the founding mothers of the fest, “out of all the photo collections I have seen, Elena’s are not only the most colourful but also bring out the emotions we felt at the time”. All of the DD ’08 photos used within BMA, like the dragon below, were taken by Thomas, and we look forward to publishing her images from this year next year. Dragon Dreaming 2010, we’ll see you there.

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YOU PISSED ME OFF!

thing…

It all started when I got a phone call at about eight o’clock one Monday night from my friend Martin. “Michael’s just rung me from Germany. Kansas are touring there next April, with Blue Oyster Cult. If you’d like to go he can put you on the guest list at one of the shows.” Michael was, and still is, a music promoter in Germany. He used to come over to England and visit Martin occasionally – just a couple of months earlier we’d gone to see QPR play West Ham followed by a trip to the Reading Festival to see Magnum and Status Quo. The chance to see my favourite band of all time, Kansas, was too good to turn down. Without thinking, I said yes. This would have been late in 1988, just after Kansas had released their finest album, In the Spirit of Things, and I was, quite literally, in the grip of Kan-mania. They never toured in England in those days, believing no one was interested (possibly they were right about this – save for me, obviously), although they did occasionally make forays over the Atlantic to play for US troops stationed overseas. Earlier in that same year I’d been refused entry to USAAF base Dawes Hill, which was just down the road from where I lived, trying to convince the meatheaded goons on the gate to let me in because “Kansas are my favourite band.” They laughed at first, but as I became more persistent they became frankly menacing and I was forced to slink off into the night (the Morning Star pub, actually) for an evening of intimidation at the hands of the local skinheads. But I digress. I booked the time off work (I was in those days what is known in Australia as a ‘public servant,’ still dreaming of the day when my own glittering career in the music industry would take off) and counted down the days to the great adventure… Unfortunately counting down the days took up so much of my time that I forgot to save any money for the trip and, when the day dawned (an archetypal English April morning – it was snowing), myself and my travelling partner Richard Hall, were skint. Not skint enough to stop us going you understand, but still short enough on the ol’ readies front to make eating a luxury. We arrived at Victoria Station in London without any tickets for the boat-train to Holland, but got on it anyway. As you’d expect, we were soon challenged by an inspector, who miraculously accepted our excuse that the ticket clerk we were waiting to buy our passages from was taken ill just moments before we were due to hand over our money, leaving us with a death-or-glory chase down the concourse to board the train before it left, and processed our return tickets on board, using Richard’s Mum’s cashpoint card (which he thought was a credit card) to pay for the tickets on one of those old push-me-pull-you machines they used to use in ‘the old days’ for such things. We were up and running. The train journey to Harwich, where we were due to board the night boat to the Hook of Holland, passed quietly, the time spent drinking beer whilst Richard attempted to chat up two German girls who had the misfortune to be sharing our carriage. The look of horror on their faces when he attempted to ask if we could ‘stow our bags in their cabin’ on the Ferry led me to believe that the boy’s High School German had led him to request something far less innocent, and, despite being booked on the same ship, we never saw them again.

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 my dear office mate, I want to pull my eyeballs out and stuff them in my ears! Why do you have to give me a play by play account of what you are viewing on the internet? Can you not make selections on a drop down list or look at a map without telling me? SHUT-the fuck-UP! Thoughts are for the inside of your head you moron! You Piss Me Off! Fuck! To the bogan fuckwit who decided that it was hilarious to shout racist jokes at me while he was driving past last Saturday: dude I have never seen you before in my life, let alone done you or your loved ones (assuming you have any) any harm. So why do you feel compelled to make fun of my Asian heritage? Instead of using racism to hide the fact that your penis is less than one inch long when fully erect and that you’ll never get out of your dead end job (because you couldn’t be bothered finishing primary school) why don’t you do us all a favour and take a fatal drug overdose. That way both myself, and every other normal Australian, will have one less trailer trash asshole to worry about consuming this planet’s resources. You pissed me off!

FROM THE BOSSMAN Benjamin Franklin was an alarmingly smart git. As well as inventing extreme kiting, the man also came up with the idea of Daylight Saving. What a magnificent and terrifying concept that must have been on first imaginings; to warp the very essence of time itself to suit man’s desire to read a book well into the evening or, indeed, to gaze handsomely upon one’s pantaloons. With the seemingly haphazard nature of the seasons these days, I don’t think it will be long before we see that concept grossly expanded. The time will come (pun rejected) when we shall put our clocks forward not merely by an hour, but a whole month. The seasons aren’t what they used to be after all. Let’s face it, you could hardly call the September/October weather we’re experiencing spring, now, could you? However, if we tinkered with the months here and there, we’d be apples. Global warming? Fixed. Hottest November on record? No, you goose, it’s December innit? That makes the average perfect.* I can see it now; people “accidentally” turning up to work a month late. “You mean it’s the first of October?!? Silly me! I forgot to wind my calendar forward. O shit, I missed my wedding!” I had about 87 different versions of that last gag. Hope it worked for you. ALLAN “FATHER TIME AIN’T GOT SHIT ON ME” SKO

scott adams thirtyyearsofrnr@hotmail.com

WHO: LITTLE BEATS ZINE DISTRO WHAT: An evening of zines, music, art and fashion WHEN: FRI OCT 30 WHERE: GRASS STAINS 2, ITRIP ISKIP

Hitting you like a fistful of awesome comes Little Beats Zine Distro; the brainchild of two local ladies who love all things photocopied, stapled, and distributed on the sly. Bringing you the best, the worst and everything in between from the zine world, Little Beats is collecting from all corners of the world and making a grand entrance at itrip iskip’s Grass Stains II on Friday October 30 for an evening of festivities. To find more info check out www.littlebeatszines. blogspot.com or if you want to contribute, email littlebeatszines@ gmail.com. They’ll be your new best friends in no time.

WHO: YOU AND YOUR DRINKING MATES WHAT: SUMMER COCKTAILS WHEN: FRI OCT 30 WHERE: TRINITY BAR, DICKSON

What better way to celebrate the onset of the year’s best season than by combining your two favourite past-times - drinking and dancing? Trinity Bar is launching a divine new list of cocktails especially for the warmer months, complemented by free entertainment from summertime resident DJs Nathan Frost, RyFy, Bicipital Groove and Larry Blaze, all to be enjoyed in a beer garden bathed in afternoon sun. Whether you’re sweet toothed, a savoury lover or keen to try something new and exciting, Trinity Bar’s experienced staff have something on their delicious menu of cold concoctions that’ll kick-start your summer in style.

WHO: ROLLER GIRLS WHAT: ROLLER DERBY HALLOWEEN BOUT WHEN: SAT OCT 24 WHERE: SOUTHERN CROSS STADIUM, TUGGERANONG

Roller Derby is HERE! Girl v girl, action, athleticism, dress ups, music, beer, food and fun… Canberra Roller Derby League’s inaugural public Bout will take place from 5pm at Southern Cross Stadium, Tuggeranong on Saturday October 24, featuring half time entertainment from the Jumptown Jammers and DJ Lex Dizzle. See the likes of Bambi Von Smash’er, Peachy Keen and the DutchASS show that they have the skills to pay the bills. Come one, come all to the most entertaining sporting event to hit the Capital since the Harlem Globetrotters! Tickets from Felt and Smith’s Alternative Bookshop and at the door. Only ten bucks!!

WHO: SUNS OF KYUSS WHAT: STONER ROCK WHEN: FRI OCT 30 WHERE: ANU BAR

Plenty of people have heard of Queens Of The Stoneage but not as many know they were formed from the ashes of one of ‘90s stoner rock’s genre defining bands, Kyuss. Releasing four albums between 1989-1995 they toured Oz only once as a support to Metallica in 1993. Local lads Suns Of Kyuss have been giving their all to recreate the sound of the much loved band in a live setting for the last nine years. Having played shows around Canberra and NSW they are back again to show you why performers as varied as Björk to Tool , credit Kyuss as a band that you should not miss listening to.

WHO: MUSIC PROMOTERS WHAT: PODWARS: WHAT’S THE SCENARIO WHEN: FRI OCT 23 WHERE: TRANSIT BAR

Podwars: What’s The Scenario will put budding podsters +One, Strangeways, Llik Llik Llik and a yet to be announced team to the test by forcing them to draw random topics/scenarios from the hat, such as Getting in the Mood, Song You Want Played at Your Funeral, Breakup Song and Club Monster, and produce an epic tune to both match the chosen song type and out-select the competition. Hosts Roshambo and Skoface will control and direct the action and ensure the stage erupts in pod-buffoonery, crazed antics and terrible dance moves, while you – the crowd – will choose the winner. Free entry, 8pm start. Competition kicks off after 11pm.

WHO: GOOD WILLED ROCKERS WHAT: MEGAFAUNA WHEN: SAT OCT 24 WHERE: THE BASEMENT

MEGAFAUNA is back on Saturday October 24 at The Basement and it’s hairier than ever! As usual it’s a list of the finest local acts with a few friends from across the border. Here’s who’s playing: Looking Glass, Hytest (Gong), Buttnugget, Kimbo (Melb), Super Best Friends, The Chuffs, Bent Hen, Radical Surf Ninjas from Hell on Fire, Inside the Exterior and Leisure Suit Lenny. Plus we’ll be cooking up some snags for a small price as usual so there’s no need to go anywhere! Doors open at 6pm. It’s all for a good cause, with all proceeds benefiting the Australian Cancer Research Foundation.

never a ben hermann

dead end

Thanks to such modern developments as internet downloading, MySpace, MP3 players and – if all else fails – the pimpin’ sound system rigged up at Woden bus interchange, we live in an age where new and potentially exciting music constantly saturates our ears. We can indulge in new music whenever we feel the urge, and gone are the days of having to listen to Dude Ranch over and over until I – oh, I mean the collective ‘we’ – scrounged together $25 to buy another album (one with maybe a few less gay jokes). But even in an era of single-serve, quick-dispose plastic musical acts, there are still groups who stay on the scene and gain our undivided attention. Sometimes it’s out of a sense of commitment, sometimes out of sentimentality, or, in the case of THE LIVING END, simply because they continue to grace us consistently with stellar music untarnished by the shallow panache of whimsical music trends and fashionistic scenester posers. And although I can’t guarantee that there’ll be no posers at Stonefest this October, I can guarantee you that The Living End will be there to help you rock out and feel less guilty about those white canvas slip-ons and fauxflannel slim-fit shirt you bought from Cotton On the day before.

I think we can stand the test of time

The group is in the midst of a string of New Zealand dates when I catch up with Scott Owen, the group’s loveable giant and double bass master. Ever keen for a chat and likely to chew your ear off, he quips about the group’s recent extensive tour of the UK and their upcoming return to mainland Europe. “It’s different, but many of the crowd favourites are the same because our following over there is pretty loyal and I get the impression most of the fans have all of our records,” he says. “But overall it’s just a blast to be in that part of the world and to experience the different cultures.” The group released their fifth full-length, White Noise, in July last year. After Modern Artillery and State of Emergency, two albums laden with solid tracks but little musical exploration, White Noise marked a slight shift towards a heavier focus, keeping their fans on their toes and reminding the industry why they’ve been around for so long. “It felt like the harder sound, that we found in ourselves and explored for this record, was always there, but we’d never

really tapped into it before,” Owen says. “But I think it’s definitely something we will continue in the future.” Owen admits that the group has as yet not begun writing for their next album, yet it would appear that any upcoming material will see them broaden their horizons, with Owen stating that the group will continue to move beyond their traditional rockabilly influences to “many different styles.” Hell, with Owen suggesting that Wilco and The Raconteurs are the most played albums in the tour van at the moment, no one can be sure what to expect. Yet while their albums may diversify and evolve, their reputation as one of Australia’s greatest live acts is unlikely to change. While some acts seem to rely on people’s devotion and love of their music to get through a show, The Living End seem to treat every show like it was their first – never taking the audience for granted, always giving every last ounce of energy they have, and never failing to electrify the crowd into a manic frenzy. And who could ever forget that song. While many groups with seminal, almost institutional songs appear to weary of playing them, no such signs of weariness or boredom appear on the boys’ faces when they bust out that song at every single show. “It’s a funny question, because there are times when we don’t really feel like playing it,” Owen mentions. “But it always gets such a great response that it’s hard for us not to get enthusiastic about it.” Here here. And even after so many years of touring, Owen seems lacking in any of the disillusionment or feelings of monotony that are prone to overcome groups of such age and experience. “Touring definitely has its ups and downs,” he says, “but the buzz from playing every night and seeing the world by far outweighs the negative aspect of being away from home and living out of a suitcase.” With the group now having been firmly cemented in the Australian music scene for well over a decade, it’s hard to see them fading away or breaking apart any time soon. Although members of some groups often have vague desires to explore other career paths, begin families or – god forbid – begin solo careers, Owen admits that he and the lads are still committed 100% to the group. And with such a bonza string of albums and high-selling tours under their belts, why wouldn’t they? “For the moment we want nothing more than to get our band across to as many people as possible,” he says. “I think we can stand the test of time. I feel that between the three of us there is so much diversity in our tastes that we still have a lot of records in us.” The Living End are part of the sumptuous Stonefest lineup. The festival takes place at the University of Canberra on Saturday October 31. Tickets through Ticketek.

ALL AGES My fellow underage Canberrans, being my first time writing the All Ages Column, this is the first time that I’ve realised what a lack of all ages gigs there really is in Canberra and I’m sure you’ve realised too. It seems as though most bands have conformed, shuffling stealthily away from all the venues that allow you entry over to venues like Transit and ANU Bar and personally, it shits me. Therefore I shall feed the gig-hungry children and adolescents all that I possibly can and always remember – I feel your pain. Any reader of BMA would already be well aware that once again the triumphant Trackside Festival is now fast approaching. On Saturday November 21 Trackside will bring you its petit and pleasant little stalls, food that’ll make you drool all over your lovely new shirt and rides designed to make fully grown men cry with glee and clap their hands together like an excited five-year-old. But, as you know, these simple pleasures are not by any means the primary affair of the event at the scenic Thoroughbred Park, but are merely the cherry on the cake at what will be one of the most fun and undoubtedly epic musical events of 2009. This year will bring you the ever so notorious Hilltop Hoods as well as Karnivool, Midnight Juggernauts, Parkway Drive, After The Fall, Tame Impala, Purple Sneakers DJs and oh so many more! Also performing will be the 2009 triple j Unearthed winner. Tickets are on sale for $85 +booking fee from Landspeed, Moshtix, Ticketek and Oztix. But don’t fret; I’ll be sure to remind you in upcoming columns that you cannot miss Trackside this year. All the way from Perth, Break Even are coming to the Tuggeranong Youth Centre on their The Bright Side Tour after the release of their debut album, The Bright Side, which came in at number seven on the national AIR chart. This punk/hardcore band is already taking Australia by storm and for $12 you can see them live on Thursday October 5. You can get your tickets at the door. Just to make the deal that much sweeter Break Even are being supported by homegrown bands I Exist, Vera and Final Lies. On Thursday October 29 the hardcore party boys known as The Amity Affliction will give you fans your absolute last chance to experience the heat and thrill live before they jet their way across the globe to tour the UK. They will be doing so with London band We Are The Ocean, who have hurtled south of the equator to accompany Amity on their Australian tour, before both bands are off to England. We Are The Ocean are a five-piece post-hardcore band, whose spine-tingling mixture of angelically melodic vocals and heart-wrenching screams blew last year’s Taste of Chaos away. They also sold out most of the 24 shows on their headlining tour in January. On top of these two obviously unforgettable performances will be another supporting band Hopeless, who are the final piece to this spectacular and ever so anticipated trio of hardcore bands. Tickets cost only $17 from Moshtix, otherwise it will cost a heftier $25 at the door of the Tuggeranong Youth Centre. Race on down, grab tickets and I will see you there. Keep those pearly whites a-shinin’! Naomi Frost allagescolumn@gmail.com

There’s lots of news this fortnight punters, and the biggest news of all is the arrival of The Speakeasy Fringe Club. Local legends Cardboard Charlie, the CMC and Matt Ellis are joining forces to bring us four massive nights of original Canberra music at The Street Theatre. The lineup is too huge to list here, but highlights include Mr Fibby, Cathy Petocz, The Big Score, Julia and the Deep Sea Sirens, Sanjiva de Silva, Fire on the Hill, The Fuelers, Hashemoto (and my fav, Joe Oppenheimer - Ed.). It’s going to be massive, so check out the full lineup at the Canberra Musicians Club website and book your tickets early. The action takes place between Wednesday October 14 and Saturday October 17. The Kremlin Bar is again hosting Le Chat Noir – a showcase of fashion, burlesque performances and live music. Local four-piece Little Sister will be joined by Miss Kitka’s House of Burlesque, fashion designer Penny Murdoch, harpist Madame Q and DJs metaVirus and IDOC. The fun starts at 8pm on Thursday October 22 and entry is $10 on the door. On Friday October 16, the Adam Hole and Marji Curran Band will be playing at The Merry Muse, along with NSW blues act Delta Glide. The music starts at 7pm and tickets are $17 (full) / $14 (concession) / $12 (Monaro Folk Society members). Simone Penkethman is playing a mid-afternoon set on Sunday October 18, accompanied by Paul Christiansen and Chanel Cole. Be at the Parlour Wine Room in New Acton from 3pm5pm for tunes and tapas. Entry is free. This fortnight’s instalment of SLAMFEST! is being held at ANU Bar and features another lineup packed with rock, punk and hardcore acts. Locals I Exist are playing with Melbourne’s Mid Youth Crisis, Sydney’s A.V.O. and Germany’s Spermbirds on Friday October 23. The fun starts at 8pm and tix are $27.75 from

LOCALITY Oztix. Beyond Q Books in Curtin is hosting an afternoon of jazz on Sunday October 18. The MP3s, the Sienna Aguilar Quartet and Frater Milton Campbell will be playing from 2pm-8pm and entry is free. Local punk/metal act Final Lies are releasing their debut CD this month and are playing two launch gigs to celebrate. On Thursday October 15 they’ll be playing at the Tuggeranong

Youth Centre with I Exist, Vera and WA’s Break Even. The music starts at 7pm and entry is $12. On Friday October 16 Final Lies will be playing at The Basement with Escape Syndrome and Corporate Takedown. The music starts at 8pm and entry is $10. Get along to Hippo on Thursday nights for the Domus Adultus sessions. The lineup on Thursday October 15 will feature Joe Oppenheimer, Matthew Simpson Morgan, Waterford and Fun Machine and on Thursday October 22 you can catch The Amazing Brainboy, Rachael Cooper, One Foot in the Gravy and Bec Taylor and the Kits. The music starts at 8pm and entry is $7/$5.The mighty

Bootlegs are on at Phoenix on Mondays. Sally Holiday, Duncan Sergeant, Army of Ignorance and The Feldons are playing on Monday October 19 and you can catch Judith Kohn, Owen Woolcock, Manouche a Trois and Fierce Beige on Monday October 26. The music starts at 8pm and entry is free. Finally, a selection of Cool Weapon’s favourite and most influential tunes, as well as tracks off their new CD, will be spinning at The Hush Lounge in Woden from 7pm onThursday October 15. More about this online. Until next issue, CATHERINE JAMES locality.bma@hotmail.com

DANCE THE DROP We are only three quarters through the year and are already being forced to consider our New Year’s options. Long gone are the tween years, when deciding upon some house party three days before the 31st was kosher. With tickets to most events selling out faster than the speed of sound and big parties already announcing headliners, the time is nigh. The great Danny Tenaglia has been added to the Summerdayze tour and is sure to help boost ticket sales. The Field Day lineup includes Krafty Kuts, 2manyDJs and DJ Yoda and as always should see a slew of Canberrans make the trek up. As per usual Canberra is late to announce its big NY parties. Garema will hold its obligatory community affair, but the notable dance events are likely to be at Academy and Transit. Watch this space for details. Looking to the nearer future, this weekend will be huge for those in the trance scene. On Friday October 16 Mercury Bar will host Trancentral. The focus is obviously on trance, but the lineup also includes DJs who will pump out tech and progressive trance too. Don’t miss Pang! DJ Comp #1, Peekz, and #2, Mr. Wilson, as well as my personal favourite Beat It. If you want to listen to trance of the harder variety, Subsonic returns to the Canberra Indoor Rock Climbing Centre in Mitchell on Saturday October 17. If you have never been to a CIRCC event the atmosphere is unlike anything else in town. The Lighter Massive Crew always ensure a great amount of time is spent on intense production so a gargantuan laser show is expected. Hardcore master Weaver (Raver Baby Records) headlines, plus Sydneysiders Tempa and Nemesis. Locals include Lighter Massive kingpin Nomad and the vivacious Nasty. Pang! is putting up the biggest competition to the trance parties the same weekend, although I doubt the crowd is likely to cross over much. On Friday October 16 Pang! features Hostage (Nightshifters, UK) at Lot 33 where the musical flavour will be broad. Hostage is renowned for his heavy electro rave-esque sound championed by the likes of Annie Mac and Kissy Sellout on BBC Radio1. I am certain there will be some breaks and dubstep in the mix as Shifty Business, Crooked Sound and DJ Dred break their Pang! cherry. The scratchtastic Stunami and James Marshall are also in support. Pang! has also invited Dim Mak Records founder Steve Aioki to cut loose on Saturday October 17. The Californian wild child has more slashes than Fabio in Zoolander. He is a DJ slash producer slash restaurant owner slash club promoter slash record label boss slash headphone designer slash clothing and footwear designer! Fortunately he found some time in his busy schedule to head to Canberra for what is sure to be a massive night. I’m excited by a new concept due to launch on Saturday October 24 at Belconnen’s cool-cat haunt Ha Ha Bar. If you are an upcoming DJ or a DJ who just wants to have a bev coupled with a sneaky mix, come down to the bar from 6pm and sign yourself up for a 40 min slot on the open decks. DJs of all abilities are welcome, but are encouraged to be mindful of the patrons when selecting tracks. “You’ve read all the books, but when it comes to the crunch – where are you?” As the event’s main promoter The Crunch will be on hand to sort out logistics. mi favorito… The Lighter Massive Crew have been putting on quality parties for many years and their Subsonic 2009 is sure to be no exception. It is good to see a dedicated few keeping this scene alive.

STAKY staceymanson@gmail.com

MPP UM BU HUMP-DE--B

CROOKED LOGIC

STAKY

JESSICA CONWAY

A new dance craze has been sweeping Jamaica. Basically the en vogue move involves male dancers using their member to ‘dagger’ women in time with the music. Seriously, check out this dry humping phenomenon on YouTube and see for yourself. Steve Lind has raised his hand to cement his place as the founder of the move and its impact on his production duo THE HUMP DAY PROJECT.

It has been over a year since Italian duo THE CROOKERS, of Day ‘n’ Night fame (as if you didn’t already know!), tore up Canberran dance floors and things have not slowed since; more killer tracks, an album (still) on the way, a very different video clip and their upcoming performance amongst a stellar lineup at this year’s Foreshore Festival. After a long day in the studio Bot picked up the phone at 1am Milan time and gave Canberra a buzz. Speaking to the heavily accented man, I may have discovered the ‘secret sauce’ that makes the Crookers such standouts; a continuous blend of surprise and unpredictability along with their flawless capability to hit all the right notes.

“You know the dagger dancehall craze that has been sweeping Jamaica? Yep, we started that… but ‘The Dagger Day Project’ just didn’t have the same ring to it,” boasts Lind. Although THDP’s affiliation with ‘daggering’ may not be entirely believable, the pair have released a series of Baltimore-influenced tracks which are as infectious as the West Indian dance fad. Steve Lind created The Hump Day Project with Heath Jansson (who is also known for his work with the Impossibles) back in 2007. “In December ‘07 when breaks were dead, electro was boring, fidget was in its infancy and house music was all but forgotten, Baltimore club came along,” says Lind. “We fell in love with the sound and raw punk-like approach to production. It seems we weren’t the only ones feelin’ the vibe with peeps like Utah Saints droppin’ our Chemical Brothers bootleg on Annie Mac’s BBC Radio 1 show and Stanton Warriors opening their Glastonbury set the next year with the same tune.”

I think the scene in Canberra is fantastic!

From the outset THDP went from strength to strength. Initial bootlegs such as Faithless’ Insomnia and C&C Music Factory’s Gonna Make You Sweat helped establish the duo’s tongue in cheek approach to performing and solidified their reputation as party starters. In September 2008 the pair were asked to host their own monthly club night at Sydney’s renowned Chinese Laundry. With the help of designer friends, their night, Big Trouble, also gave birth to the website troublemakers.net. “At first the website focused heavily on our bootlegs, edits and mixtapes,” says Lind. “But unfortunately with the current music climate the way it is – with corporate fun police handing out fines and closing down blogs (R.I.P. Deckheads) – we decided to shift the focus onto the individual artists. Now the site has come full circle and music is the focus once again with the launch of TroubleMakers Music.” Much to the appreciation of their growing group of revelers TM Music has enabled The Hump Day-ers to launch their music for free online. Canberrans have been among the first to jump on the bandwagon reminiscent of the days when Steve Lind called the capital home and was a regular at Trinity and Academy. With many DJs here having a story or two about the former Devil’s Advocate, Steve has only great things to say about the town. “I think the scene in Canberra is fantastic!” he says. See The (outrageous) Hump Day Project and their dagger dance antics at Exposed @ Transit Bar on Saturday October 31 for the Official Stonefest After Party. Locals include Beat It, Cheese, Kiss Off Electric and Chairman Wow & Fidel Maestro.

Speaking of unpredictability the boys are still plugging away on their next highly anticipated album, with the present release date set for early next year. My curiosity heightened as Bot told me “it is more of an album to listen to rather than an album to dance to.” A Crookers album to listen to and not move to? Get out! I must admit to having a bit of a ‘WTF?!’ reaction to their latest video clip for Put Your Hands On Me (with Kardinal Offishal). If you are yet to see it, here is an overview – after a back-story the clip climaxes in a lesbian make out scene between two senior citizens. Personally I don’t have a problem with mature age experimentation, but it was not an obvious plot for a Crookers clip. “We receive a lot of scripts that all have sexy girls dancing or something like this. So after a couple of weeks of seeing stuff like this we decided to make something that you really did not expect… and that’s it,” explains Bot. Responses to the clip have gone to extremes. “I think some people hate it and think it is not a great video. But there are some people who love it and that’s what we expect from a video clip.” Bot did later add that Kardinal Offishal had nothing to do with the clip.

It’s more of an album to listen to rather than to dance to

Though the Crookers are known for some of their big name remixes, they now shy away from that particular musical venture. “They ask you specific things to do so you don’t really feel free… it’s the reason why we don’t do big remixes anymore because they really tell you what to do.” Surprise, unpredictability and unexpectedness seem to be the Crookers’ theme and their music will be taking another turn soon. “It is not fun only to do one thing,” Bot says. “I think next we may go back and do some club tracks. It is a cycle I think.” Well whichever way the wheel turns I will be sure to catch the boys at Foreshore ‘09 (oh, those butterflies you’re already experiencing every time that eff word pops up is called extreme anticipation, just embrace it). The Crookers are a part of the awesome Foreshore lineup, playing at Thoroughbred Park on Saturday November 28. Tickets are available through Ticketek, Moshtix and Landspeed Records.

shock Horror

staky

The disco revival has well and truly established itself as a credible genre in dance circles, and leading the charge on the home front is Melbourne-based MIAMI HORROR. The newly formed live act can thank producer Benjamin Vanguarde for generating a buzz with past work that involves a series of remixes as well as standout work with the tongue in cheek Gameboy/Gamegirl. Vanguarde though is quick to sing the praises of his new bandmates. “I had collaborated with our guitarist Josh Moriarty [ex-Young & Restless] before and Dan [Whitechurch, keys] and I have been friends for about five years,” explains Vanguarde. “Then I met Josh’s mate Aaron [Shanahan, drums] and we all started throwing ideas around together. The live show has turned out really well. They were all the right people for the job.” Like most aspiring musos Vanguarde started as a teenager creating loops and riffs in his bedroom but found band life too erratic. After maturing his sound with solo work which included his EP Bravado, Ben decided the best way to promote Miami Horror’s unique mash of pop and italo-disco was through the incarnation of a live show. “Sometimes people come to one of my Miami Horror DJ sets after coming to the live show and I think they are a bit disappointed,” says Vanguarde. “I mean the live show has a lot going on and it completely outshines the DJ show. The response to both though is generally good.”

We have a very ‘70s influence. It’s very dreamy.

The vintage throwback feature video for their 2008 track Don’t Be With Her skyrocketed to popularity online and it was with this success that Miami Horror were gifted a contract with EMI. Their first studio effort is set for release early next year. “Our next album is set to come out in mid-January,” the 22-year-old producer enthuses. “It will be quite different to our earlier stuff. There will be a vintage pop element and although it is unstructured and varied it still flows together. Our sound is a bit different to a lot of other electronic production out there. We have a very ‘70s influence. It’s very dreamy. To be honest we haven’t thought too much about it.” The Miami Horror live ensemble has so far impressed audiences at renowned festivals like Good Vibrations and Splendour in the Grass. Canberra has its turn to catch the show at the third Trackside Festival in late November and Vanguarde is eager to show the nation’s capital what they have to offer. “We are aiming to play songs off our upcoming new album,” he says. “It is different from what we have done in the past because we are probably not going to play remixes, just about ten originals. The visuals will be similar to our film clip.” Catch Miami Horror at Thoroughbred Park on Saturday November 21 as one of Trackside’s headline acts. Tickets are $85 (+bf) and are available from Moshtix, Ticketek, OzTix and Landspeed Records.

HERE COMES THE SON KATHERINE QUINN “When you know you want to make music, you just can’t do anything else. I don’t have a choice.” That explains why producer, drummer and DJ Matt Aitchison, aka FAVOURITE SON, has spent most of his life doing just that – making music. He’s played drums in a death metal band, produced 15 albums in genres ranging from world music to relaxation and he spins ‘80s classics at Galaxy Nightclub every Saturday. And amongst all this, Favourite Son has finally found the time to make an album of his own. The launch party will feature Canberra favourites Tijuana Cartel and is set to go off at The Street Theatre later this month. Matt’s band comprises a horn section, a guitarist (Steve Gray from local act Tonk) and a singer called Supernova Jade (I haven’t even seen her yet and already I have a crush). “I think it’s really important to put on a show – you’ve gotta give an experience. That’s why I wanted to have it at The Street Theatre,” Matt says. “It’s not quite the same when you’re playing a pub and d goo it’s if I figure everyone is drinking it’s , U2 enough for and yelling out ‘play good enough for me! some Barnesy!’” Far from the gravelly hard rock of Cold Chisel, Matt and his band peddle luscious, laidback beats; fusing seemingly disparate genres such as funk, old soul, ambient and rock. On first listen, his self-titled album puts me in mind of Groove Armada and Faithless, but he also lists Curtis Mayfield, Eurythmics and godfather of soul James Brown as influences. Matt doesn’t use a computer in his live shows, but switches between keyboards and drumkit. “I have two drum machines for this gig, so I can trigger awesome drum and bass loops,” he says. “I figure if it’s good enough for U2, it’s good enough for me!” As if this gig wasn’t shaping up to be a melting pot of influences already, add to the mix the delicious flamenco/dance fusion of Tijuana Cartel. Hailing from the Gold Coast, the Cartel have packed out Hippo Bar on two occasions, as well as appearing at Woodford and the Blues n Roots festival. Their debut album They Come is an unusual mix of flavours which don’t seem to work in theory, but definitely work in practice. Matt encountered the Cartel after he moved to Byron Bay to focus on his music. “I’ve done Melbourne and I’ve seen the New York music scene. But it depends where your soul belongs – that’s where you’ll write your best music and be most comfortable.” Lucky for us, Matt has decided that his spiritual home is Canberra, which means we’ll be treated to a certified unique experience. “I’m really excited to finally be doing this. I’ve known that I wanted to be a musician since I was nine years old and watched Live Aid on the telly.” In that case, what’s next after the album launch? “More albums,” he replies without hesitation. Ah. Definitely born to do it. Favourite Son and Tijuana Cartel will play at The Street Theatre on Friday October 23. Tickets available from thestreet.org.au .

does at a sound check blows us away. He drinks nearly two bottles of red wine a night and smokes cigarettes and he pisses all over anybody else. I mean – what the fuck is that all about? They were incredible. At one point I had a moment of self realisation… of what I do and how lucky we were. It is one of my favourite tours of all time.”

whip it justin hook

A few years ago I was shuffling around listlessly at the first Great Escape Festival on Cockatoo Island in Sydney when I happened upon GOMEZ playing the Turbine Stage. As perennial tourists they were a band I had pushed down my to-do list with a sense of resigned safety. And besides – hadn’t they gone off the boil a bit? What followed was 90 minutes of my ass being served quite vigorously to me. It was, quite simply, one of the gig-going highlights of my life. And I don’t work in public relations. I had mistaken Gomez for the garden variety indie-blues-rock thing and was utterly blown away by the incredible otherworldly torrent of melodic, oh-god-what’s-happening white noise that followed. It sure didn’t sound like the records. Seems I wasn’t alone. The band’s drummer Olly Peacock, speaking from his home in Brooklyn, also remembers it fondly. “There was definitely something going on that day and honestly we regard that show as one of our best experiences,” he says. “There was something really indescribable about that day… the stage, the people. Everything clicked.” Fast forward half a decade and Gomez are still revelling in the visceral thrill of the live performance and forging that “click.” The band have just finished a run of European dates with revitalised survivors Pearl Jam, leaving a few heads scratched in bafflement. “You’d find a lot of people that would be very confused by that choice and a lot of people that maybe knew us more personally would understand it. We were jumping around the clubs going mental to that sort of stuff when we were six or seven years old,” Peacock explains. Of course it’s one thing to stand in front of the mirror with the tennis racket miming to Even Flow but another thing altogether sharing the stage with one of the more misunderstood bands of the last 20 years. “They are really quite inspiring, Peacock says. “To see how well they’ve done and how they’ve maintained credibility. What Eddie [Vedder]

Anyway, this isn’t a Pearl Jam feature and alcohol should always be enjoyed in moderation, rock kids. Like Pearl Jam, Gomez are also often misunderstood. Hitting their straps remarkably early, they won the 1998 British Mercury Prize with their debut release Bring It On. They were the Next Big Thing. They were the Dixie-swamp-blues band d’jour. Or maybe not. “People ask us what sort of music we play and the answer is really simple. We’re all music lovers so we made those first few albums from the point of view of what Beck was doing which was fusing together all these different styles because it seemed like an easy and natural thing… hip-hop beats, mix it up with some rock and a bit of folk shit going on; that’s gonna inevitably end up with an original and cool sound. We’ve always been in the mindset that you can just chuck it in and have a go and see what happens. People can get a bit too caught up in the labels for us. We were the Dixie-blues-swamp band. I mean what the fuck are you talking about?” At the time, the shopping trolley aesthetic, whilst common, was rarely executed with any degree of nuance or skill. Beck was clearly the ‘90s lodestone and bands like Gomez and The Beta Band offered a strange Atlantic-Anglo blancmange with genres bumping into each other like… um… shopping trolleys. Yet that Mercury Prize in a strange way also gave the band an initial free pass allowing them to cut through the notoriously fickle and snarky UK press, I theorise randomly with the disarmingly relaxed Prize winner who kindly agrees. “I think so, but obviously there’s the other side of the coin. They might have given us a free pass for a couple of years but then we got the old ‘well this band won two years ago but where are they now?’ Probably off recording or touring or something!” answers Peacock to himself, incredulously.

We challenged ourselves from the very beginning

In a more reflective mood, he continues. “I was thinking about it the other day. The competition was pretty outstanding that year [Massive Attack’s Mezzanine, Pulp’s This Is Hardcore and The Verve’s Urban Hymns were all contenders] and anyone else could have won and won very convincingly. But at the time we certainly didn’t put ourselves at that level or even close to that par.” Since then, the band have proven quite empathically over six absorbingly explorative albums those fading Brit Pop era accolades weren’t just beginners luck. “What we were a part of was being openminded, anything can go,” Peacock says. “We challenged ourselves from the very beginning. We’ve never had any [record company] pressure which has really allowed us to develop our sound and I think we’re one of the few bands around that have had that good fortune. That industry ‘shoot you down’ thing… I dunno, it’s just a joke. It’s a funny old business.” Gomez are playing ANU Bar on Saturday October 24 with special guests Parades. Tickets through Ticketek.

E X H I B I T I O N I S T

Drysdale is hard-pressed to find a single highlight. “The whole thing is one of the most fun and exciting ways to see your local musicians doing something a little bit different from usual. A lot of people have put in work to make it happen, so it’s a great chance to come and support them.” He also reckons you’ll want to go every night—and you’re encouraged to dress in your best sassy twenties fashion. Vital LMTD

HOME GROWN emma gibson The Street Theatre’s MADE IN CANBERRA season is all about creating fresh new theatrical experiences and supporting local artists. But it’s not just ‘theatre’ in that traditional sense. A cross-art collaboration exploring the science of life, an aural gallery of sound art, and a prohibition-style speakeasy, are just a taste of what’s being made in Canberra. Speakeasy Fringe Club Rebuffing prohibition and inhibitions from Wednesday October 14 to Saturday October 17, The Speakeasy Fringe Club promises a cavalcade of local original music in a way that has never been seen before - except in illegal gin joints during the prohibitionist 1920s. Gin in a teapot, anyone? The Canberra Musicians Club, Cardboard Charlie and Matty Ellis (of The Ellis Collective) have teamed up to create a series of performances. There’s something different to see every night. “It’s like a fringe club or a Spiegel tent where there’s lots of interesting stuff going on, and you can sit and enjoy a drink,” explains Cardboard Charlie’s Ben Drysdale. He says the idea of setting the theatre space up as a speakeasy came from Nigel McRae of the Canberra Musicians Club. “We liked the idea of having a musical event in a theatre space and making the shows as interesting as we could.” Over the four nights, there’ll be something in the realm of 40 shows, with up to 25 performers hitting the stage each night. It’s a mix of the tried and tested, and new twists. Kicking it all off is Los Duos Deranged, which sees artists from two different acts paired up on stage. The alliteratively titled Canberra Cannibalism Cabaret (local covers) and Allstar Acoustic nights follow, before the extraordinary Finale Night. Each night begins with The Band Broke Up, which features Matty Ellis hosting a chat and a jam with two or three musicians from different bands.

From the wayward past to the questionable future, Vital LMTD hits the stage on Saturday October 24. The cross-art performance looks at life and scientific advances, and was created by The Last Man To Die actor Hanna Cormick, visual artist Benjamin Forster and percussionist Charles Martin. “Cross-art collaboration, also known as hybrid art or interdisciplinary art, is a form that melds different art forms together in our case theatre, visual art and percussion,” Cormick explains. “We try to move toward art that is not simply theatre with some music and pictures, but a melding of the three where it is difficult to distinguish where one ends and another begins. It’s like going to a gallery, concert and play all at once.” The three performers formed a strong partnership while working on cross-art performance for the Hunting Season in 2008 and decided to continue working together. “We each bring something very different to the creative table,” Cormick says. “We are all practising solo artists and have Masters or equivalent degrees in our respective fields, but we also work in fairly specialist fields within those forms.” Martin plays the alletkat, Forster works in digital and projection art, and Cormick specialises in trance mask technique. With such diverse backgrounds, it’s probably no surprise that the process of building a performance can be eclectic. “Our current show involves an intellectual debate in costume with tea and scones. But our rules are fairly clear in that whoever’s art form any dispute falls most into, that person has veto. We have also had some wonderful support from The Street Theatre, particularly through a dramaturgical process with Peter Matheson, and also a condensed showing at the Crack Theatre Festival at This Is Not Art in Newcastle.” Abstraktions 10 For one night only on Wednesday October 21, Abstraktions 10 is a festival of contemporary sound arts, curated by hellosQuare recordings. “One of the aims of hellosQuare as a record label is to present sound art with a strong melodic base,” says organiser and hellosQuare founder, Shoeb Ahmad. Continued on page 22

That’s why Ahmad began running Abstraktions, held once a month at The Front Gallery and Café in Lyneham. “The aim of Abstraktions is to bring in interstate/national artists and showcase them in Canberra,” he says. “We don’t just want to make a three-act bill of sound artists with laptops and processing devices. We want that, plus a three-piece band on the same night!” The Street Theatre will play host to the end of year celebration, and promises some truly high calibre artists - Lawrence English, Candlesnuffer, M Rösner, The Ghost Of 29 Megacycles, Scott Morrison and Ahmad’s own duo, Spartak. You can expect plenty of unique listening experiences, from improvised instrumental performance to digital technology and recorded work, as well as new sound for screen work, self-made sound making devices and audio/visual installations. “I try to keep a high quality to everything I do. I’d love all of these artists to perform live for me, if for no one else - so we’ve been given a great opportunity to bring good artists to Canberra.” Made In Canberra is a season of locally-produced works performed at The Street Theatre in October and November. Get all the details on the Made In Canberra season at www.thestreet.org.au .

ARTISTPROFILE:

Continued from page 22 “There’s not enough improvised music, electronica, and experimental music coming through Canberra. We want to show the wider audience that it’s not just something for academics or people into high art. It’s something that sounds nice, and is quite enjoyable,” Ahmad says.

Sam Floyd

What do you do? I’m a comedy writer and actor who often falls into the role of producer/director. Every so often I perform music under the alias Sammy Conscious. When did you get into it? I co-wrote a script for the Dickson College Drama Prize, and based on that decided I was good enough at it. Last year Remy Coll and I founded Freshly Ground Theatre to produce my plays. Who or what influences you as an artist? The audience. With live theatre it’s unavoidable. Particularly with comedy, the feedback is instant and clear cut - laughter or silence. And when you’re charging them to get in… Human beings and the way they behave are also the best source of humour. What’s your biggest achievement/proudest moment so far? Hearing a large group of people laughing at jokes that I remember laughing at when I wrote them is the pay off of the huge amounts of work and the whole reason I do any of it. The fact that the audience gets bigger with every production is what makes me most proud. And we scooped the prize pool at the Canberra Festival of One Act Plays last year. What are your plans for the future? The next theatre project will be a touring one. To use the same material for longer will mean I have to write less. Then television, then hopefully fame. That’s as far ahead as I’ve thought. What makes you laugh? It’s the most serious situations that most need to be diffused with humour. So the more serious something is the more I feel the need to laugh at it. This can come across as callous, and arguably is. But you don’t need to make fun of a clown, cos clowns are already funny (they‘re often not, but the point remains). What pisses you off? Small things that I blow out of proportion. Thankfully this helps with the comedy writing. “Sharp eye, wild mind” as somebody once said. Certain neuroses and social hang ups are a significant advantage. What’s your opinion of the local scene? It needs more confidence in itself! Canberra’s ‘scene’ is outstanding comparative to its size, even while leaking so profusely. Artists evacuate this place at an alarming rate. What are your upcoming performances? Freshly Ground Theatre’s Not Axel Harrison, Nov 26 - Dec 5, at The Street Theatre. A guy has to impersonate a hit man after he kills the real hit man in self defence… with Tom Watson as Axel Harrison. Contact Info freshlygroundtheatre.com samfloyd@freshlygroundtheatre.com 0432 106 915

WHAT DO YOU DO WITH A BA IN ENGLISH? shailla van raad Muppets and real people co-existing on stage is the latest thing to come out of the United States in AVENUE Q, now showing at the Canberra Theatre Centre. Avenue Q is a tantalising blend of colourful script and saucy muppets. It tells the story of a naïve and enthusiastic college graduate, Princeton, who moves to New York City with little money and big plans. Princeton moves to Avenue Q, a cheaper neighbourhood with seemingly nice neighbours - an unemployed comedian, his therapist fiancée, a warm-hearted bludger and his roommate, an internet addicted prowler, a pretty kindergarten teaching assistant, and Gary Coleman. Muppets and jokes may make you think this show is around only for the school holidays. In fact, Avenue Q, a smash-hit on Broadway and the West End and now in its Australian incarnation starring Michaela Banas, is aimed at the adult show goer. It’s a feel good comedy not appropriate for children because it deals with issues such as sex, porn and our usual generational symptom: the existential crisis. Luke Joslin, who plays (or rather totes) the characters of Nicky and the Trekkie Monster, explains why he was initially attracted to Avenue Q. “The show is primarily comedy and loaded with inappropriateness but it has a strong foundation and a strong heart.” Although Avenue Q was conceived in the States - receiving rave reviews and being extended four times in its Broadway run – it deals with issues that are not country-specific. “Even though the show originated in the States, the story and the jokes are applicable on a global scale,” says Joslin. “The production deals with issues such as racism, sexism, and homophobia and is loaded with political incorrectness.” The production was a perfect choice for Joslin who enjoys “tackling comic roles because it makes people laugh.” Working with muppets is a difficult task, mainly due to the physical challenge. Joslin “lets the muppets do the work” in an emotional and character-sense. On the other hand, operating both his two-man muppets can be “quite physically demanding” especially because they are the only two-man muppets in the show. With a raunchy muppet sex scene, a fantasy dream ballet sequence and nostalgic and amusing recitals, Avenue Q is full of light-hearted and touching material. “The play has a sense of real originality. It’s something that hasn’t been done before,” says Joslin. “The muppets play larger than life characters and this encapsulates a sense of fun in the production. It makes people laugh and this is really important.” Avenue Q opens at The Playhouse on Saturday October 24 and plays until Sunday November 8. Tix through the CTC website, www.canberratheatre.org.au .

Since the late 1980s Fairey has been sharing his artwork with the world via street-based poster, paste-up, sticker and stencil campaigns, such as Andre the Giant Has A Posse and Obey Giant. With a background deeply rooted in punk and skateboarding, Fairey started out as a teenager in the ‘80s creating artwork for t-shirts and skate decks. Nowadays, although he is still actively involved with skate culture, Fairey’s name is synonymous with his own punchy brand of political poster art: screenprinted series that combine a retro aesthetic with pertinent social issues. Long before he exploded onto the collective public conciousness with his poster for the Obama campaign (which has since been called the “the most efficacious American political illustration since Uncle Sam Wants You”) Fairey was working with political subjects, chiefly antiwar and anti-Bush messages. More recently, he has been concerned with the fight for democracy in Burma, and campaigning for clean energy in the face of climate change.

GOOD FAIREY YOLANDE NORRIES When National Portrait Gallery curator Michael Desmond first saw Shepard Fairey’s now famous Obama Hope poster he was caught between two emotions. Excitement that the mainstream exposure of Fairey’s work would make it easier to successfully mount an exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery, and sadness, that one of his favourite artists was out of the box. Kind of like when your favourite obscure band suddenly hits the top 40. Now, almost 12 months after Obama’s subsequent election, Desmond has finally been able to realise his goal, in the form of the exhibition OBEY: SHEPHERD FAIREY POSTERS at the National Portrait Gallery in Canberra.

A number of his political posters are currently on display in the NPG, coupled with a selection of Fairey’s pop-culture portraits, all drawn from the last ten years of his practice. Throughout his career, Fairey has created screenprints of a wide range of iconic figures, many of them from the music industry. The exhibition includes representations of Public Enemy, Johnny Ramone, Tupac and Joan Jett, as well as a nod to Andy Warhol, the Grandaddy of the screen-printed poster portrait. After the fervour of 2008, 2009 has been another big year for Fairey. In February the Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston launched a retrospective of Fairey’s work (only to find he was unable to attend the opening celebration on account of being arrested for grafitti charges en route to the gallery). Obama Hope was acquired for the permanent collection of the Portrait Gallery in Washington. Now Obey: Shepard Fairey Posters is on display in Canberra. Obey: Shepard Fairey Posters continues at the NPG until Jan 17, 2010.

Harrison to do a matinee performance of My Fair Lady before moving next door to catch Glenda Jackson do Charlotte Corday in Marat/Sade.

UNINHIBITED Last week (or so) the STC announced their 2010 season. Accompanying much guff “from Cate and Andrew” (a bit like reading celebrities’ tweets, the ‘personalised’ direct address-style from the Upton-Blanchetts gave Uninhibited a touch of the shudders) was the real meat, fresh and tasty and full of Vitamin A(wesome). Sydney’s 2010 season promises theatrical treats. There are reworkings of classics - see Tom Wright’s new adaptation of The Oresteia, and Upton’s new translation of Uncle Vanya with Blanchett, Hugo Weaving, Richard Roxburgh and John Bell in the cast. There are blue-ribbon imports doing blue-ribbon moderns: Phillip Seymour Hoffman directing Wayne Blair in True West! William Hurt and Robyn Nevin in A Long Day’s Journey Into Night! Steppenwolf Theatre doing August: Osage County! O my! It seems like a dream season, offering something to tickle every theatregoer’s fancy. Bell have also announced their 2010 season, with a twisted reworking of Twelfth Night, and the wondrous Marion Potts directing John Bell in King Lear. All this got us to thinking about a fantasy arts festival – something along the lines of the Triple J Impossible Music festival. Oh, the possibilities! I’d do Hamlet, and invite Sarah Bernhardt and Richard Burbage to alternate as the gloomy Dane. Maybe get Julie Andrews and Rex

In the lobby Yves Klein would be trapezing a dozen naked bluepainted Ballet Russes ballerinas into blank canvas; afterwards Picasso would wrap them in cardboard to dance in Parade. Dylan Thomas would perform drunken poetry readings before being politely ejected by some toughs hired by T.S. Eliot to safeguard poetic tradition. Some bright young thing would organise a secret performance of Arvo Pärt’s Tabula Rasa. Kenneth Patchen and John Cage would do a live performance of their radio play The City Wears A Slouch Hat and The Velvet Underground would perform with Andy Warhol. The reason why so many of these performances are on my Impossible Arts list is that so many of them are just that: impossible. You can’t go back in time and see Parade as it was originally performed, and while there is a silent film of Bernhardt playing Hamlet, it’s not really the same thing as hearing the Divine Sarah tearing up the Bard, and there’s no way of knowing anything about what Burbage was like except through history books and a vivid imagination. Whether the STC’s 2010 season goes down in performing art history the way some of these performances have, we cannot tell. But unlike these delicious impossibilities, at least we can go and see for ourselves. For details on the STC 2010 season head to www.sydneytheatre.com.au and for Bell go to www.bellshakespeare.com.au . You know what Uninhibited would like for Christmas… NAOMI MILTHORPE exhibitionist@bmamag.com

bit PARTS WHO: Architects and portraitists WHAT: Portraits + Architecture WHEN: Until November 15 WHERE: National Portrait Gallery The NPG has always aimed to be more than just a collection of images of faces. Having gained a new lease on life thanks to a swanky new building the NPG has begun to push the definition of portraiture more than ever before. The recently opened exhibition Portraits + Architecture is perhaps the first real evidence of this push. Portraits + Architecture not only gives you a peek into the mind of an architect, but opens your eyes to the ever-present art of designing the buildings which we inhabit every day, an art we may not often stop to think about.

WHO: Geoffrey Borny and Bill Boyd WHAT: Ron Blair’s The Christian Brothers WHEN: October 15 - 24 WHERE: Tuggeranong Arts Centre From the press release: “Ron Blair’s enormously successful play The Christian Brothers, written in 1975 and set in the 1950s, might at first sight appear to be a period piece with little relevance to audiences living at the beginning of the 21st century. Nothing could be further from the truth… Blair’s play is a satirical picture of the limited skills of some of the Christian Brothers who taught him in the 1950s, but it is also an affectionate and sympathetic depiction of a flawed human being undergoing a deeply moving crisis of faith”. Call 6293 1443 for more info.

WHO: Italo-cinephiles WHAT: Lavazza Italian Film Festival WHEN: Until Sunday October 25 WHERE: Arc Cinema, National Film and Sound Archive The Lavazza Italian Film Festival is one of Oz’s major national touring cinema showcases. Proudly showing off the best in new Italian cinema (and Italy is arty shwank cinema what it is to coffee: the first and last word), the Lavazza festival will screen new films by directors such as Marco Bellccohio, Pupi Avati, and Maria Sole Tognazzi. Tickets to opening night are $20, and afterwards $16/$13.50. Call 1800 067 274 for info and bookings. Bella!

WHO: NUTS (National University Theatre Society) WHAT: Having Fun With Cement WHEN: Thursday 22 – Saturday 24 October WHERE: ANU Drama Lab, Union Court ANU Having Fun with Cement is a night of short plays by local playwrights, produced by NUTS. Hadley’s Sock Yeti, directed by Will Coward, and Zara and the Sea, directed by Duncan Ragg, are paired with David Finnigan’s Hate Restaurants, directed by Tasman Vaughan. Rounding off the night is the hilarious product of NUTS’s 24 Hours of Theatre Festival: Slow News Day written by Will Coward, Peter Dabro and Sam Power. Tix at the door.

WHO: Young filmmakers WHAT: The Leonid Film Awards 2009 WHEN: Entries due November 9 WHERE: Tuggers Arts Centre

WHO: Val Johnson WHAT: Me, Myself and Others: A Journey In Portraiture WHEN: October 23 – November 8 WHERE: Belconnen Arts Centre

Press release: “Last year Tuggeranong Arts Centre created the Young Independent Filmmakers Award to recognise talented young college filmmakers in the Canberra area, giving them the opportunity to have their films screened publicly. The awards are back with a bright new outlook on life! This November, the Leonid Film Awards, named for the meteor showers that will light up the sky while the finalists light up the screen, will blaze their way on to the Canberra filmmaking scene.“ For more info head to the Tuggers Arts Centre website: www. tuggeranongarts.com/leonids .

Says Johnson of this retrospective exhibition: “The selected works in this exhibition will show how my painting has changed from tonal and traditional to being much more expressive. I like to explore colour, shape and pattern. My self portraits are influenced by what is going on in my life at that moment. Because drawing forms an important part of my art practice, I am also including some works on paper”. There will be an artist’s talk with Johnson on Saturday October 31 – for details head to the Belco website at www.belconnenartscentre.com.au and follow the links to What’s On.

IDEE LLID COLL EM CO THEM LETTTH AND YOUR BIRD CAN SING! LE katy hall

MONIQUE SUNA

It’s been a slow rise to fame for Sydney duo THE MESS HALL. What started out humbly in 2001 has progressed steadily over the past eight years to see the band become one of Australia’s truly great bands. On the eve of the release of their fourth studio album, Feed the Birds, I was lucky enough to speak with both Jed Kurzel and Cec Condon. The only problem with this being it often left me confused as to who said what, though The Mess Hall have never been ones to do as they’re told. “Well, we were both free and thought why not. That way we can’t say anything too damning about the other,” they both laugh.

It is on a lazy Monday afternoon that I answer the call that connects me to CHILDREN COLLIDE’s modest drummer Ryan Caesar. This is how I came to be briefly acquainted with a harassed and fraying operator. “Can we set the time back? Wait, everything’s ready! You have 15 minutes, please hold.” It is with promising beginnings that I launch into the interview. “I’m still in bed,” yawns Caesar. “I’ve been talking to journalists all day.”

After winning the 2008 Australian Music Prize, the album has come at a welcome time, with a view into what life has been like since then. “That was a really amazing thing. It gave us an opportunity to do things with our sound that we hadn’t been able to before.” A step away from their trademark ear-smashing sound, Feed the Birds takes the road of the muddier side of things, with long rolling guitar solos and drawn out warbles for vocals. “We always have two intentions with our sound; one is that immediate noise that reaches you and the second is that more beguiling sound that uses the instruments in a totally different way. We haven’t really gone towards that in the past but I’m definitely glad we did. With every album we step away from the last one, but they’re always done in the same spirit – that fly by the seat of your pants manner, which isn’t usually what people do.”

The challenge of winning over the crowd at a festival is great!

In anticipation for the release The Mess Hall are now preparing for another long stint on the road, something they say they’re not new to, though that side to life still holds appeal for them anyway. “It’s nice knowing that once you’ve recorded you don’t have to do that again for a while and then you can go out and play all your new live songs, and when they start to get old, you can always return home and do it all over or do something totally different.” For The Mess Hall, the formula of touring and returning home to start work on an upcoming album shortly after seems to be a winning one, with the band rarely taking an extended break. “We’ve never been good at writing on the road. Music has a totally different meaning when you’re travelling, you can staple it to places and things that happen and stamp it with memories, but it’s when we’re back at home and settled that things seem to flow naturally.” Including Trackside in their schedule, they both enthuse “festivals are good because not everyone’s there to see you, but that challenge of winning over the crowd is great! It’s something we always look forward to.” Catch The Mess Hall at Trackside Festival at Thoroughbred Park on Saturday November 21. Tickets through Ticketek, Moshtix and Oztix.

Although Caesar has doubtlessly had the same tired questions asked for much of the morning, he is perfectly kind, charming and patient when reacting to my own hasty enquiries about his relationship with his musical colleagues. “I met Johnny and Heath in Lismore,” he explains. “I was working at a bar and they were drinking with friends – romance blossomed.” Caesar, who is the newest member of the trio, is making reference to his fellow collaborators, bassist Heath Crawley and lead vocalist Johnny Mackay. So why is poor Ryan Caesar suddenly finding himself flooded with adoring journalists, battling away for his attention? Do you even need to ask? Well in case you do... Children Collide are an

We were in the overachieving rock band from Melbourne who plan same studio on taking their fabulous g llin Ro as the selves to Australia’s biggest Stones and uni campus music festival, Led Zeppelin Stonefest. This majestic

event will be occurring this All Hallows’ Eve (Saturday October 31) and will coincidently mark the anniversary of Children Collide’s first gig five years previous. When talking about the first gig Caesar is surprisingly wordy. “It was at an open bar on Halloween.” Despite spending their beginnings at “strip joints” and the dark, nefarious clubs of Melbourne’s underbelly, the potential exuding from the talented trio resulted in their impressive 2005 EP launch of We Three, Brave & True. Their second EP, Glass Mountain Liars, was equally impressive and those devoted fans that have never strayed were treated to the bragging benefits of remaining faithful to an ‘unknown.’ Incidentally, only last year Children Collide finally released their debut, The Long Now. This was an A-grade achievement and when musing over his involvement Caesar is charmingly forthright. “The Long Now is named after a clock in London that ticks over every hundred years... or something like that,” he laughs. “Actually our first album we did in the middle of Hollywood over two months. We were in the same studio as The Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin. We got to stay in the same mansion Charlie Chaplin used to live in! It was very exciting!” Caesar’s voice becomes brighter and relaxed and it makes one wonder if there isn’t some magic in having others truly appreciate something you helped create. Catch Children Collide as part of the stellar Stonefest lineup on Saturday October 31. Tickets through Ticketek.

KASHING IN SHAILLA VAN RAAD KASHA are a band to get excited about. Fairly new to the music scene, the four young aspiring musicians – Josh (bass/vocals), Hugh (drums), Austin (keys) and Adam (guitar/vocals) – are in the process of finishing off their jazz studies at the ANU School of Music. Boasting pleasure-inducing live performances throughout many Canberra underground venues since 2008, the bright young things have only just begun their musical exploration. During an interview with Josh and Adam in a small bustling corner café, a sense that the band is ready to rear their musically-inclined heads into the wide world overcomes me. “We’ve been talking about creating a rock band for a long time, but never got round to it,” Adam reminisces. “So one day we all just got together and had a few jams with some wine. I think that music really reflected the wine.” Musically Kasha enjoys playing with “textural layers; lots of sounds are slowly being layered and create a new inflection on the sound. Rhythmic allusions and a rhythmic climax are created from this process.” The band fuses synthetic and traditional rock sounds seamlessly and treats all sounds as instruments part of a greater whole. Heavily influenced by a number of musical acts such as Fugazi, The Mars Volta, Sigur Rós and My Disco, Kasha are Canberra’s home grown version of post-rock.

That music really reflected the wine

Kasha just recorded their debut EP after winning a Soundclash grant from the Australia Council. The creative process brought the foursome to “get together for a week in an old theatre” which helped the band achieve a tighter set. Adam describes the experience as “intense but cool” because it was the middle of winter but also because it gave the band an opportunity to iron out any kinks or trample down divas before the EP recording process begun. Josh recalls the band worked hard that week, stating that “we played late into the night and got an idea for the EP, subtle things got added to each song… they were like happy accidents.” Kasha believed that their five track EP, Five Songs for Sunstroke, “should have a live sound, so it sounds really raw and harsh. A lot of the parts are cued… even the mistakes have added to the atmosphere of sound. It creates a harsh landscape.” Adam says the EP essentially “is almost like a live album in a studio,” and speaks with bright eyes on what the future album could sound like. “We’d like to explore more layers and more dubs and make our future records more open to post production.” Kasha obviously have big plans. They hope to tour outside Canberra and who knows, maybe later the rest of the world. Adam and Josh both gush, “Japan and Europe would be amazing places to play.” Kasha will launch their EP at MacGregor Hall on Saturday October 17, with support from locals Hoodlum Shouts and Sydney band Fats Homicide. Tickets are $5 on the door.

myself and Heather Mansfield – so it makes things easy. We like it simple.” Forming in New Zealand a little over ten years ago, The Brunettes’ hard work is finally paying off. The Shins took notice of the group and invited them to support their 2005 American tour; one that led them to headline their own, plus score a spot on Sub Pop Records. Not bad, eh? “It’s fun to open for people,” says Bree. “It’s their night, so you have to make a strong impression in

your 25 minutes. We especially like the southern states like Mississippi where the kids really party because they’re not spoilt with bands like New York.” Bree seems amused when I ask him if he has any memories from their last Canberra gig. “Ha… yeah. It was in a dance club or something, yeah?” Bree asks. Bar 32 to be precise. “There wasn’t a stage, which was really weird. Also a bunch of girls had this choreographed dance for our song B.A.B.Y. It was flattering, but weird,” he chuckles. I was there and informed him that his live band was impressively huge and took up most of the space in the annoyingly small ‘hallway’ that is Bar 32. “Yeah, we play with a bigger band in Australasia,” he says. “We got to 12 members at one point, but these days we stick to between five and seven. Also we can’t take too many overseas for cost reasons, which is a shame. It’s better with a big band because it doesn’t matter if no one shows up, it still looks packed. An illusion!”

We like it simple

brunette ambition travis heinrich Jonathan Bree, lead singer of adorable New Zealand pop group THE BRUNETTES, is a very humble man, which is quite refreshing to see

considering his band seems to be skyrocketing in popularity. “We like the ‘duet’ style our band has,” Bree explains. “There’s only the two principle members –

Bree is eager to get the band’s new album Paper Dolls out at the end of this month. “I finished recording it ten months ago, I just want it released!” he says. I can imagine, especially since Paper Dolls shows a definite improvement on Bree and Mansfield’s songwriting abilities. The Brunettes’ previous album Structure and Cosmetics was their first big US release; the album that they knew everyone would be watching. “The new album is a lot more fun and relaxed now that we’re past that point,” he says. “We’ve got a Japanese label now, so we’re keen to play some shows over there. We’ve also been invited to play some gigs in Beijing which is going to be amazing.” It’s clear talking to him that he’s a workaholic and that’s what’s keeping him going. When asked if this cute band has any TV-out-the-window rock star stories, he replies with “um… yeah, but nothing that I want printed, okay?” Don’t want to ruin his twee image, huh. Fair enough. The Brunettes play The Front on Saturday October 17. $10.

too fat for the stage though? “Yeah, she’s too big.” The friendship started when the band got on the road “and [were] too young to hire a van, but now I’m old enough,” Gow says.

HAVE MERCY MARY LUCKHURST A waving figure fades into a speck as the OH MERCY tour van wanes further and further into the distance. Whispers in the air coo ‘farewell Lisa Mitchell tour… and hello, Oh Mercy tour!’ On the road from Newcastle to Burleigh Heads, vocalist Alexander Gow calls up to talk writing and the return to Canberra to launch their new album, Privileged Woes. Days away from the first Oh Mercy show, Gow is spending his day teaching bassist Eliza Lam how to drive. “She’s on her learner’s permit and she’s just jumped in the driver’s seat and it’s a little bit nerve-wracking.” How’d OM’s future designated driver go? “She almost cleaned up a couple of kids finishing school, but it’s okay.” Not before long the van comes to a halt – Gow announces that they’ve “just pulled into a country town.” Minutes later a roar of disgusted laughter comes through the phone – what is so funny? “Well, I don’t really want to tell you, it’s pretty disgusting,” so he doesn’t. Whilst avoiding the strange gestures of country locals, Gow discusses the wonders of the band’s 12 month old tour van, Pauline. “She’s our friend; she’s the fifth member of Oh Mercy.” She’s a little

Having spent the past year on the road as a supporting act, how does Oh Mercy feel to be taking the stage as the lead? “It’s great because people will be there to see you,” Gow says. “Also, hopefully people would have listened to other songs within the album,” other than just triple j spinners Lay Everything On Me and Seemed Like A Good Idea. It’ll also add to OM’s own performance – “you can stop trying to win over the crowd and just perform.” With Privileged Woes out of the womb, surely the band can drop their notepads and just focus on the tour? Wrong. No matter how busy OM’s Thomas Savage and Gow may be, there must always be time for writing lyrics and notes. This bond between the two just resonates with the ability to make music instantaneously. “Me and Thom have been playing guitar and writing for like five years now, so we kind of know exactly what the other person’s next move is,” Gow explains. The ability to read minds must be a very useful quality? Gow es com it When laughs, “Thomas is pretty to playing it’s like unpredictable in every we’ve got our own other kind of way but when it comes to playing little language it’s like we’ve got our own little language.” The van kicks off with a mighty roar and Oh Mercy is off again. Canberra isn’t too far away. “I’m excited,” Gow says. “I’m excited to play anyone in a game of pool, but I’m not into competition.” That’s because Oh Mercy’s all about the music. Oh Mercy will launch their debut album Privileged Woes when they return to Canberra on Wednesday October 21. They will play a free show at Transit Bar with Washington supporting, so get along!

bright sparks shaun bennett CHASE THE SUN – extremely experimental, with no grand plan, they came together coincidently but just happened to win the Australian Blues Award for Best Group and Best Song in 2007 for You Gotta Go. This is the story behind an up and coming Sydney blues rock trio who recorded their debut album within days of meeting each other. “I was running a jam night in Parramatta and Jan came and had a jam and Jon was a fellow teacher of mine at TAFE so it all formed from there,” says bassist Ryan Van Gennip. One may think that the band knew what they set out to do from the word go, but as is the spirit of Chase The Sun it was all spur of the moment. “We went into the studio for a bit of a play just for a bit of fun, not thinking we could come up with anything but then we came up with a whole album.” The only hint of an explanation behind the speed of their success is in their musical backgrounds. Frontman Jan Rynsaardt, formerly of hard rock blues outfit Freeway, has shared stages with the likes of Jeff Lang, Ian Moss and John Butler. Van Gennip has lent his bass playing abilities to Diana Anaid, Charlton Hill, Sandrine and iOTA and drummer Jon Howell provided the backing beats to ‘90s pop sensation Leonardo’s Bride. Therefore, with all these musical forces under the one roof no one can predict what will be produced. Not even the members in the band. “No song is done the same way, ever,” Van Gennip reveals.

She took all these old Christmas tunes and funked them up a bit

Work on their upcoming album has kept their creative juices flowing as it is (you guessed it) different to their last one and involves songwriting from all members. “Jan wrote most of the songs on our first album, but this one has a more collective feel as we all figured out the songs together,” says Van Gennip. The album, which is due for release in March 2010, relies solely on their rock influences and not as much on their blues ones, as Jan spent his childhood listening to AC/DC and Metallica. The boys have even found time to contribute to a Christmas record produced by Cath Eager and Doug Williams. “She took all these old Christmas tunes and funked them up a bit,” Van Gennip says. “We did it in Jimmy Barnes’ home studio, it was great fun. We’ll be doing a run of dates around Christmas to promote it.” With their history it is hard to ask what their plans are after they wrap up this tour. But since their band even confuses them sometimes, I’d be surprised if they had an answer! Chase The Sun will play at ANU Bar on Thursday October 29 with Claude Hay and Point Of View. Tickets are $15.

THE VERDICT IS... KATY HALL You’ve got to question a band that after one LP compares themselves to greats like Sly and the Family Stone, but it seems PHILADELPHIA GRAND JURY frontman Berkfinger thinks it’s where they’re headed. “We’re feeling ready for everything that might come our way,” he says from the backseat of a cab. “This album [their debut, Hope is for Hopers] is just the first step in a big plan that we’ve got. I think we’ll hole ourselves up like Sly did with the next and see what comes from it.” With such certainty and conviction, they’re a band that’s almost impossible to go unnoticed. The humble beginnings of the duo are pretty legendary, really. Berkfinger was playing a solo gig when, after years of not seeing each other, one old friend (aka MC Bad Genius, the other half of PGJ) wandered on and started playing along. Since then the band have smashed airwaves with their monster hit Going to the Casino and created what’s sure to be a sensation in Hope is for Hopers. “I wrote that song [Going to the Casino] about four years ago actually,” Berkfinger explains. “Then I came back to it one day and it’s ended up being huge for us. Some of the songs are so old and others are really new. None of the stuff on the album matches up, but it makes a fun mess.”

None of Spending his days as an the stuff on engineer at Sydney’s Big Jesus Burger Studio and all the album night working on the record, matches up, you’d think the process would but it makes a be a relatively pain-free one but Berkfinger admits fun mess it was the exact opposite.

“Making it drove us crazy for a while,” he says. “I thought I’d know exactly what to do with it, but I just wanted to change it all the time. Most of this album ended up being recorded at my grandparents, actually. There’s a loft above the garage and over time I turned it into a little studio and have recorded so much stuff there, but I think I’m starting to drive them crazy.” Visits to grandparents are likely to be few and far between as the lads kick off a nationwide tour, with Berkfinger admitting “we’re always on planes or in taxis zooming around the country. But it’s good you know, we’ve put in a lot of work to get here and it’s crazy and there’s not much sleep but it’s a lot of fun and it’s always exciting. We’ve reached the point where we can look out into the audience and it’s not just our friends.” At this point Berkfinger laughs and concedes “MC Bad Genius gets pretty excited and has been known to hurt a few audience members in the past, so Canberra should watch out.” By this time his certainty extends to knowing there’s a plane to catch and a gig to play that night, aspirations of musical greatness still to chase, and no signs of slowing down anywhere in sight. Philadelphia Grand Jury will make a stop in the capital for a free show at Transit Bar on Thursday October 29. Get there early!

METALISE With a good deal of you likely nursing sore heads and necks from Slayer/Megadeth last week and the Slayer Reign In Blood show this week, the thing to keep in mind is that it will keep you in good condition for a summer of thrashing. While at the Slayer/Megadeth show, I had an opportunity to meet Slayer and hear some tracks from their World Painted Blood record. It’s in keeping with the more ‘traditional’ Slayer sound ala the last album Christ Illusion but sounding a little more mid-paced. Also had an opportunity to hear the new record from my favourite heavy band at the moment, High On Fire. Suffice to say the forthcoming ten track album is going to lay waste when it comes out either late this year or early next. It was a treat to watch the show from the side of stage and see the slick Slayer touring team go about their business. As you would expect from an international touring juggernaut, they make well oiled machines look rusty. I think they packed down both Slayer and Megadeth’s gear in less time than it takes for a band to change over at some local shows I’ve been to! Following the Big Day Out announcement, you will now know that Mastodon is the token metal act this year. At $147 per ticket, if you could get one in the schamozzle that was the ticket disaster this year, the Soundwave show is actually stacking up as the big summer festival ticket of choice for many metal fans. The Screamfest shows over New Year’s offer the more discerning, extreme leaning ears another alternative. Plenty of choice nonetheless! Tickets for the latter two are on sale if you’re up for it. International visitors in the coming weeks include Arch Enemy with the ever brutal Suffocation and Winds of Plague at The Roundhouse in Sydney on Friday November 6, Obituary at the Manning Bar on Friday November 20, Amon Amarth at The Metro on Saturday November 28 with Eye of the Enemy and Bane of Isuldur, and Brutal Truth and Blood Duster at The Manning Bar on Monday December 21. Locally, there’s a few notable black thrash type shows coming up in Sydney as well. Nazxul at Manning Bar this Saturday October 17 with The Veil and Erebus Enthroned, Destroyer 666 on Friday January 15 at The Metro, and The Amenta with Subtract (NZ), Demon Foetal Harvest and Our Last Enemy at The Bald Faced Stag on Friday October 23. Also, regardless of what you might think of the awards component of the evening, The Australian Heavy Metal Awards are on Saturday November 7 at The Forum in Moore Park and a rare as hen’s teeth performance by seminal Australian metal pioneers Sadistik Exekution make the show tempting. Good luck to Alchemist in their respective nominations. JOSH NIXON doomtildeath@hotmail.com Now playing: Shrinebuilder - Pyramid of the Moon – Shrinebuilder

the word

BLACKBOX

on games For urgent sale: 10,000 PSPGos, new out of the box, use outdated Wi-Fi technology to download games (much like how you can with the old PSP), uses a proprietary cable (which unfortunately I lost, but I’m sure replacements won’t be that expensive, right?), no longer acknowledges the existence of those ugly UMDs you’ve amassed, save just over 50 bucks on the price of a PS3 (cause they’re pretty much as good as each other) and they’re like smaller and shinier ‘n’ shit. So what’s stopping you from buying one today?

Scribblenauts Platform: DS Length: 10+ hours Published by: Warner Bros. Interactive Developed by: 5th Cell Rating: 4

I must admit, Scribblenauts is difficult to review because it’s a game of extremes. Yes, it’s one of the year’s most ingenious titles, but it’s also hampered by some major control issues. So let’s start with what makes it so great – the gameplay. Scribblenauts presents to the player a shitload of small puzzles ranging from breaking open a piñata, to reuniting a father and son in an unlit cave. The twist - rather than providing a concise set of tools to complete these tasks, the game lets you use any kind of item you can think of, by merely entering its name. From riot shields to dart guns, the game’s repertoire of items is both extensive and impressive (and before you ask, no it doesn’t recognise ‘penis’). As you can probably imagine, this makes for some pretty interesting puzzle scenarios, even if most just boil down to having to work out what the hell the level designer was thinking of. Admittedly, after your umpteenth approach to a problem yet again yields no love, the game can become quite frustrating, but that gripe pales in comparison to the control issues. For reasons unbeknownst to me, both the movement and object manipulation is controlled simultaneously using the stylus. As such, once things start getting fiddly – such as when you’re trying to attach small shit together – the main character frequently starts dashing about like a blind idiot, screwing as much up in the process as possible. Even just to get him to do something sensible can often become a pain in the arse, be it’s either because he’s incapable of doing such a thing or because the AI controlling him chose to do something far more retarded instead. Worst of all, had they just simply decided to use the buttons for control instead, this whole issue could have been avoided. So does one reward original thinking or punish unrefined ideas? For me, originality wins out. Yes this game pissed me off at times, but it still beats playing one of the mindless shit heaps EA pumps out each year. What with the immense amount of bite-sized content on offer, this game will keep you busy (and frustrated) for a while. TORBEN SKO

Don’t worry loyal readers, Blackbox is not going to devote an entire column to moral outrage over the ‘Red Faces incident’. It is interesting to note though that most commentators missed the irony of the Michael Jackson face paint changing from black to white since the skit’s original outing in 1989. And while everyone has racial issues on their mind, whether it’s the stupidity of Hey, Hey or the more serious issue of the safety of Indian students, in steps John Safran with a show that is bound to start a race debate (or at least have him banned from television if he was a commercial TV personality). Aside from comparing the merits of an Asian wife vs a white one, the show sees Safran go black and go undercover in Chicago, become a ladyboy in Thailand and be nailed to a cross in The Philippines. A show guaranteed not to be picked up by CBS. FlashForward (Prime, Mon, 8.30pm)? Another Lost? Chez Blackbox will give it one more ep before unconditional commitment… The Sunday night lineup on Go! has drastically improved. Following two eps of The Big Bang Theory (Go!, Sun, 7.30pm), two eps of South Park (Go!, Sun, 8.30pm), Curb Your Enthusiasm (Go!, Sun, 9.30pm) and two eps of Weeds (Go!, Sun, 10.05pm). Now that the devastation of losing The Cook and the Chef is over, foodies should turn their attention to the Wild Gourmets (ABC, Sat, 6pm) who travel Britain creating meals out of naturally occurring ingredients – part Bush Tucker Man part Galloping Gourmet. Other foodie delights to look out for include Luke Nguyen’s Vietnam (SBS1, Thu Oct 15, 7.30pm), River Cottage Autumn (ABC1, Wed Oct 21, 6.10pm) and Jamie’s American Roadtrip (SCTEN, Mon Oct 26, 7.30pm). Other new shows and docos to look out for include The 39 Steps (ABC1, Sun, Oct 18) – a British spy drama set in the ‘30s, Hope Springs (ABC1, Sat Oct 24, 7.30pm) – a UK comedy about four ex-cons trying to go straight, The Great Contemporary Art Bubble (ABC2, Sun Oct 18, 8.30pm) – a doco looking at the 800 percent increase in the price of contemporary art in the past five years, Conspiracy Files: Lockerbie (SBS1, Sat Oct 18, 9.30pm) – a doco that examines allegations the Libyans were set up, The Bisexual Revolution (SBS1, Sun Oct 18, 9.30pm), Getaway’s European Road Trip (Prime, Thu Oct 15, 7.30pm) and Wuthering Heights (ABC1, Sun Oct 25, 8.30pm). Chris Lilley’s newest mockumentary, Angry Boys, a joint venture between ABC and HBO, has just gone into production with air dates yet to be announced. Sure he’s not as famous as Ringo Starr but Craig Lowndes is about to take a leaf out of the ex-Beatle’s book, voicing Roary the Racing Car when the kids’ series starts on ABC next year. Also slated for release next year on ABC1 is Sleuth 101, a whodunit gameshow hosted by comedian Cal Wilson. It comes from the team behind Spicks and Specks (ABC1, Wed, 8.30pm), which airs the longawaited (at least by Chez Blackbox) ‘80s episode on November 4. If you’re bored with the antics of Australian TV personalities, consider a move to Brazil, where reality crime show host Wallace de Souza is accused of commissioning murders to boost his show’s ratings. The former policeman and ex-politician is also facing charges of drug trafficking and criminal association. The 2016 Olympics should make for interesting viewing. TRACY HEFFERNAN tracyheffernan@bigpond.com

MONKEYS HUMBUG the ARCTIC word [domino recording co]

on albums

album of the week bluejuice head of the hawk [universal] Here’s my review prologue: Vitriol – yes, it was a brilliant song, and no, I’m not sure if the group could ever make something like it again. But that stroke of absolute genius shouldn’t allow us to compare all their proceeding work against such an unfairly high yardstick. I mean, even after Exerciser, Rhubarb put out some pretty good stuff, didn’t they? I’m fairly sure they did. At any rate, the point of this gratuitously long introduction is that although none of the tracks on Head of the Hawk quite match Vitiriol, the album as a whole places Problems well and truly in the shadows. The boys have focussed here much more on their endearing pop sensibilities and lyrical finesse , crafting an album that might be less aggressive, but at the same time is more focussed, less floundering, and as a result it lands a much harder punch. Gone is the excessive bravado of Problems, and instead they’ve dished up pure pop pay-dirt. What remains is an album that will stay in your CD player for many more months, and in your head for much longer. BEN HERMANN

Letting the hype pass me by, I approached the ‘difficult third album’ by these once precocious teenagers with no barrow to push. But the Josh Homme produced Humbug has problems. Firstly, it sounds like the Arctic Monkeys through the Homme filter –slinky, high pitched, squeak-slide and background wobble… a sound so recognisable it’s rapidly turning into cliché. Here it doesn’t gel or fit. Crying Lightning is a simple tune lost with extraneous sonic waffle. My Propeller finds the right balance of atmospherics and propulsion and yet it still doesn’t feel right. Pretty Visitors is practically a Songs for the Deaf throw away. Pathetic. Turner is an ambitious songwriter but these tracks all feel like co-writes with their heavy handed producer. Turner needs to wrest control back from the ginger.

JUSTIN HOOK

THE BLACK CROWES before the frost [stomp] Released in a myriad of different formats (Before the Frost is the single CD version of the full Before the Frost… After the Freeze release, which you can buy in full only as a vinyl double album, the After the Freeze bit comes available as a download only album, or something), this is an album as close to perfect as The Black Crowes will probably ever get. Whether it be their own material or cover versions, the band rip through all the material here in front of an invited studio audience with a fire in the belly and an intensity of purpose not heard from them in many a year. If you thought last release Warpaint was good, then by God… Nambucco “Moneymaker’ Deliria

TINPAN ORANGE the bottom of the lake [vitamin] Brother and sister Emily and Jesse Lubitz have teamed up with Alex (who can play anything with strings you can poke a stick at) in this bouncy pop collection. The sound is akin to Sixpence None the Richer. Emily’s voice is very sweet, so syrupy in fact that you are left at times with that saccharin overload feeling, like when you’re on that third donut and can sense the sugar crystallising in your blood. However, there are real gems here in Chinese Whispers with its wonderful wavering chorus and Every Single Day, about the ephemeral quality of life. In the closer Saudades (Portuguese for tender remembrance of absent people) Emily finds the right mix of sugariness and melancholy. Jesse’s voice provides a good foil for his sister, with a snappy little Latin number in Round ‘n’ Round and the edgy Fitzroy Street. rory mccartney

WHITE LIES TO LOSE MY LIFE [FICTION] This album formed part of my homework for this year’s Splendour in the Grass. The White Lies remind me a great deal of Editors and I mean that as a compliment. The album is not groundbreaking but very enjoyable. Epic songs which are perfectly suited for music festivals. Mature lyrics that manage to (mostly) stay away from the hamminess that can often plague rock songs. Death is the perfect introductory track and sets the tone for the album - guitar led indy rock. One complaint would be that the second half of the album fails to live up to the first but overall still worth a listen. Nicely done fellas. carrington clarke

singled out

with Dave Ruby Howe

Glee Cast Don’t Stop Believing [Sony BMG] This is charting? Awesome. We should be pleased. Not only because it means Steve Perry is somewhere out there getting a fresh colour treatment to his ‘do, but also because this actually kicks arse. Imagine all those awesome acapella/ choir videos you waste time watching on YouTube and then crank up the production values and theatrics and you’ve got yourself some spine-tinglingly good stuff.

Julian Casablancas 11th Dimension [RCA] It’s been a long wait for a new Strokes album, but as the members move onto their fourth solo offshoot with Julian Casablancas’ Phrazes For The Young it looks like we’ve got the next best thing. It’s got some classic razor-edged garage guitars to it, but 11th Dimension veers off traditional Strokes course with its emphasis on casio synths and some particularly funked-up rhythms. Whilst we’ll inevitably compare it The Strokes’ back catalogue, this stands triumphantly on its own.

LMFAO I’m In Miami Trick [UMA] As their name would suggest, LMFAO are a product of the internet age. As such, their steez is riddled with off-themoment trappings, from the farty electro backing track, will.i.am hook ups and bone-headed lyrics. Of course, they don’t give a shit about displaying even an iota of credibility, instead content to coast by on this lazy, and basically kinda juvenile junk.

the elegy word on dvds

i love you, man

the boat that rocked

As Isabel Coixet’s latest film Elegy became increasingly painful, my attention wandered to some notable sexual encounters in cinema. At first thought I came up with that memorable café scene featuring Meg Ryan’s spontaneously simulated orgasm in When Harry Met Sally, and those extraordinary activities that went on in department store change rooms in Bad Santa. These came to mind because I was searching for something to make me laugh as a way of negating the misanthropic drudgery of this utterly humourless and potentially agonising home viewing experience. Elegy seems to be about an aging university professor, played by a committed Ben Kingsley, who uses meaningless sex as a way of avoiding meaningful human interaction until spicily named student Consuela Castillo enters his life and he somehow begins to appreciate the significance of connecting with an actual person. Penélope Cruz certainly plays her role well for various reasons. However, it all becomes a tad laborious. The narrative unfolds very, very slowly and the lengthy still shots featuring Kingsley’s character grappling with his pitiful existence in a tastefully decorated apartment might have better suited a well scripted monologue. But his fragmented ramblings to ex-partners, aggrieved son and Penélope Cruz in the bedroom become ponderous to the point that I began to suffer. The sex scenes certainly have their place in a gratuitous art house kind of way, but I realised that I had run out of beer halfway through the viewing and I wasn’t sure how I was going to cope with the rest of it. What went wrong? Initial reviews were mostly positive; a novel by Philip Roth and actor Dennis Hopper were both involved, and it deals with a potentially accessible theme. In the end, ‘tasteful’ closeups of Penélope Cruz’s undressed body dominate all other considerations. For a much better exploration of non-romanticised despair, I highly recommend Mike Leigh’s 1993 masterpiece Naked.

Bromantic comedy. Whether coined by a payroll PR peep or some dithyrambic journo, I like the term. And if ever there were a poster boy for the sub-genre, I Love You, Man is it. The premise is simple; epitomic Mr Nice Guy Peter Claven (Paul Rudd) is getting married, but soon realises he has no one to call Best Man. After a series of fruitless “man-dates,” charming bohemian Sydney Fife (Jason Segel) saunters into his life. Is this the bromance he’s been searching for? This is a quite remarkable film; it’s largely sans conflict (the drug of entertainment) yet enjoyable. Any trace is handled with light-hearted grace and is usually dissipated with honesty a scene, or even a line, later. Sweet, touching, genuine and, of course, funny are all apt reviewing adjectives. Even the inevitable ‘inmost cave’ (coined by Hero’s Journey author Joseph Campbell describing the moment when everything goes to shit threequarters in before coming good again) is delightfully mild. Sharp writing and lovable characters replace conflict. Paul Rudd, who is quickly cementing himself as one of my favourite actors, turns in another beautifully nuanced and understated performance, creating one of the more likable characters you’ll see this year. He is ably matched by comic foil Segel, and this is where the film sets itself apart. Elsewhere, Segel’s character would be the Hollywood-ised outrageous, over-the-top surfer dood caricature most likely played by an Adam Sandler or Rob Schneider. But in the hands of writers John Hamburg and Larry Levin, and Segel in the driving seat, we have a thoroughly standup guy and the film is refreshing and unexpectedly touching as a result. The only drawback from all this niceness is the conclusion doesn’t quite have that fistpumping retribution we’re used to. But bollocks to that. Add winning cameos from favourite J K Simmons and Andy Samberg (Jizz in My Pants) and you have a delightful comedy you’d happily take home to your mother.

On its release in ol’ Blighty under its original name Pirate Radio, The Boat That Rocked copped quite a pasting in the UK press. But it really isn’t the flotsam most would have you believe. The film is set in 1966, when rock ‘n’ roll was all but blacklisted from the BBC airwaves and the DJs of the day were forced to take to the high seas in order to spin the good stuff. In fact, it was on one such floating pirate radio station that a young John Peel first made his name in the UK.

Dan Bigna

allan sko

Admittedly, the plot is pretty thin: after 18-year-old Carl (Tom Sturridge) is expelled from school, his mother sends him aboard the good ship Radio Rock, captained by his godfather Quentin (Bill Nighy), under the premise that a little bracing sea air will sort him out. Of course, this is merely a means of allowing hilarity to ensue, as it’s the excellent cast – including Philip Seymour Hoffman, Rhys Ifans (resplendent in a purple velvet suit), Nick Frost and Rhys Darby – who carry the film entirely. While the period soundtrack is uniformly excellent, featuring liberal helpings of Kinks, Who, Dusty and the choice inclusion of The Box Tops (featuring a pre-Big Star Alex Chilton), it would have been nice for the filmmakers to unearth some overlooked gems from the time and stretch the audience a little. Pleasingly, and somewhat surprisingly, given that with a two hours plus running time The Boat… is already overlong, the deleted scenes included are very worthwhile, often eclipsing those of the actual feature. Given the sheer amount of talent it features, The Boat That Rocked isn’t quite the sum of its parts but, now Gilmore Girls reruns are off, I could think of far worse ways to wile away a slow weekend afternoon. peter krbavac

the word

on films

WITH MARK RUSSELL

This issue sees two first time feature directors step up to the helm, with varied success. Moon was made for five million and is innovative, fresh and pushes things to a new level. Whip It was made for twice as much, was half as good and will be forgotten within six months. Both have directors who are interesting in of themselves – Moon was made by David Bowie’s son and Whip It by Drew Barrymore. This information doesn’t have much bearing on anything, I’ve just been looking for as many forums as possible to say that Drew Barrymore has zero ability as a director.

quote of the issue

“You look like a radioactive tampon. Or a banana with a yeast infection.” Sam Bell (Sam Rockwell) Moon

moon

julie and julia

whip it

Sam Bell (Sam Rockwell) is an astronaut posted to the moon for three years, mining the lunar energy resource Helium-3. He has nothing for company but some recordings of his family back on earth and GERTY, a helper robot (voiced by Kevin Spacey). He’s in the difficult, final two weeks of his stint when he discovers something a little strange out there on the surface – another Sam Bell.

Julie and Julia is a pleasant, entertaining film – sugary sweet, but perfectly watchable. The film consists of dual storylines – a technique that often leads to a confusing and frustrating mess, but Julie and Julia manages to pull it off quite nicely. One storyline follows Julia Child (Meryl Streep) as she learns French cooking in Paris and pens her famous cookbook, Mastering the Art of French Cooking. The other follows Julie (Amy Adams), a writer who sets out to cook all of Julia Child’s recipes (over 500 in all) in the course of a year, and to document it on a blog – a project which she hopes will infuse some meaning and spirit into her life.

From the minute we’re introduced to Bliss Cavendar (Ellen Page) we’re assured that she’s a misfit – a beauty queen tortured by her inner indie core. But when she discovers the world of female roller-derby, Bliss finally sees somewhere she could slot in.

It’s refreshing to see the amount of buzz this low-budget, highconcept feature is generating. Based on strong ideas and performances rather than special effects, it’s a slow-burner in the greatest sci-fi tradition. It features many nods to other classics of the genre, most notably Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey. The film also treads very familiar science fiction ground in its themes – humanity, emotional isolation and the dehumanising effect of technology. Rockwell is superb in this very challenging role. He brings personality to both Sams and particularly excels in portraying the insanity that’s seeping into their lives. He’s playing opposite himself for the bulk of the film and director Duncan Jones handles this seamlessly. Moon is shot with a very careful eye that perfectly captures the fear, claustrophobia and sterility of the steel-lined moon base. Jones keeps us on edge for the entire hour and a half of his debut feature. Though this effect is strong enough that the experience is not always enjoyable, overall the film makes for captivating viewing. mark russell

All of the characters are portrayed well, but Streep is particularly brilliant as Child. Her charismatic performance completely supports the film and ensures that Julie and Julia is neither boring nor annoyingly saccharine – which it easily could have been with a different cast. While Julie and Julia won’t exactly propel you to an emotional or intellectual epiphany, it is fun and quite easy to warm to. Overall, this film knows exactly what it’s doing and does it well; providing great performances, a strong storyline and a somewhat corny but sufficiently heart-warming conclusion. It’s chick-flick-bynumbers – but it works, so who’s to complain? megan mckeough

Sitting through Whip It was one of the more frustrating cinematic experiences I’ve had of late. This is due mainly to the fact that Drew Barrymore is an absolutely horrible director. On her first effort Barrymore took a relatively strong script and a superlative cast and ended up submitting an overlong, ultra-bland mess. Any bite the comedy might have had is wrung out by awkward pacing and stale lingering shots where the actors merely pause and stare. Added to this, the simple, borderline cliché plot often confuses when she relies on revealing character and exposition with dialogue rather than visuals. This could all be dismissed as yet another mediocre bit of celluloid if Whip It didn’t have the potential to be so much more. It could have been the flagship for a new girl-power movement in film. Every major character here is a strong woman yet it’s not manhating and relies on minimal stereotypes. It’s rare to see Hollywood game to carry a film almost entirely on the backs of female characters, outside of the romantic comedy genre. But this one’s not good enough. The tools are there but the person wielding them is just not up to the challenge. mark russell

the word

The Fumes / Hancock Basement ANU Bar Thursday September 10

on gigs

On a breezy and brisk Thursday evening, prominent Sydney blues rock duo The Fumes blew into the nation’s capital for an electrifying and raw set at ANU Bar. This time around the boys had the opportunity to play to a mixed bunch of punters comprised of loyal diehard fans (who had the hairy beards and raggy clothes to even rival frontman Steve Merry himself) (Oi, them punters’d be me and me mates, geezer! - Ed.), to a casually dressed bunch that inhaled the greatness of The Fumes from a safe distance. Once again Canberra’s premier support band Hancock Basement were on call to do what they do best – energise and enthuse the crowd just enough to leave them exhilarated, but still with enough excitement left for the headline act. This time, however, their unique spell didn’t work quite as well as it usually does, with the majority of punters choosing instead to hang around the bar and pool tables, conserving their energy for the headliners for most of their set. It was a bit of shame for frontman Nick Craven and drummer Tom Spira as this show coincided with their birthdays. This show was in the middle of The Fumes’ extensive Sundancer national tour, in support of their recent LP of the same name, but luckily they’d had a few days rest to fully prepare themselves to deliver a rockiest of rock experience for their Canberra show. On this note the layout of the stage was interestingly designed as frontman Steve was rocking out on the left of stage and drummer Joel thumped away on the drums on the right of the stage, instead of at the back of stage where most drummers are usually located. It is truly remarkable how only two guys can produce such a unique blend of bluesy-roots-rock and make it seem so easy. This notion alone still dazzles and delights fans, so The Fumes weren’t really required to energise or enthuse the crowd as they moshed and banged their heads to all the hits including Python For A Pillow, Automobile and Who Do You Love. After pumping out two albums worth of hits, it was hard to tell when their set was going to end as Joel walked off and had a breather while Steve pulled out a slow bluesy number. But a few minutes later Joel was back onstage as they transcended into a hard rock number again. When they said goodnight and walked off, it was inevitable from the roar of the crowd an encore was coming. The curtain finally came down after all the rock juice had flowed out of the band and fans

PHOTOS: NATHAN WEBSTER

alike, at which point there was nothing left to give. shaun bennett (also writes for fasterlouder)

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