BMA Mag 389 Feb 29 2012 by BMA Magazine

CANBERRA’S NO.1 FREE ENTERTAINMENT GUIDE #389 F E B 2 9

“You AraleofHthere fre inges

is a festiv . ue d s it t ge ’t sn oe d at th ty ci in a ” ed v ol v in t ge d an , d ou pr t Ge Your city. INSIDE

enlighten + canyons CANBERRA FESTIVAL + moneykat summer of the 17th doll + los caps

www.bmamag.com

KRS-One Is Coming to Canberra Q: There’s so much to do this month in Canberra. What are you doing? A: I’m going to sit at home and complain there’s nothing to do in Canberra.

# 3 8 9 F E B 2 9 Fax: 02 6257 4361 Mail: PO Box 713 Civic Square, ACT 2608 Publisher Scott Layne General Manager Allan Sko T: 6257 4360 E: advertising@bmamag.com Advertising Manager Paul Foley T: 6257 4360 E: sales@bmamag.com Editor Julia Winterflood T: 02 6257 4456 E: editorial@bmamag.com Accounts Manager

Yu Xie T: 02 6247 4816

E: accounts@bmamag.com Graphic Design Chris Film Editor

Melissa Wellham

NEXT ISSUE 390 OUT MARCH 14 EDITORIAL DEADLINE MARCH 05 ADVERTISING DEADLINE MARCH 08 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.

KRS-One is a fascinating gentleman. He has a morbid fear of flying and so only travels to foreign countries by boat. He doesn’t drive at night. He insists people have read a copy of his autobiography so he can quiz people on it. He also happens to be one of the most significant names in hip-hop; one of the genre’s godfathers, pioneers and mainstayers all rolled into one. As a result of KRS-One’s dislike for flying, it is a rare thing to get the man out to Australia. But thanks to those incorrigible Koky Prik promotion cunnies, we finally get the chance to witness the legend first hand. Playing out at the Southern Cross Club Events Centre top room - the same venue as the highly successful Bone Thugs N Harmony gig - on Friday (huzzah!) April 13, KRSOne will be joined by Def Wish Cast and the KP Records stable. Tix are $85 + bf and available now from Moshtix.

Put On Ice Continuing the hip-hop tip, the much anticipated Ice Cube show, scheduled for last year, is finally happening at the AIS Arena on Thursday April 19. He will be supported by DJ Daz and the rest of the KP Records roster. Tix are $91.50 + bf and available now from Ticketek.

In 2011 Rattlehand established themselves as serious players performing live with Justin Townes Earle, Wagons and Peter Rowan Bluegrass Band and playing to sold out crowds at Tamworth, Woodford and Apollo Bay festivals. Joviality and contagiousness is at the core of their music, and anyone who loves a good blues or rock beat will get as much from Rattlehand’s new album as the most hardened alt-country fan. Acclaimed in particular for their tight, vibrant and entertaining live shows Rattlehand are not to be missed on their East Coast Album Tour. They’ll be stopping by The Phoenix on Friday March 2. Free entry.

Stonefield Play Black Opal Stakes Day In a little bit of a different move for the regular race meet, the 2012 Kamberra Wine Company Black Opal Stakes Day will this year play host to Stonefield, the triple j Unearthed winners for 2010. Often described by journalistic wags as “the female

Wolfmother”, the four-froma-farm in Victoria have been playing together since 2006 and have rocketed along in their career since winning Unearthed with invites to play at the Glastonbury festival and a show at The Roxy in LA. They began 2012 with the east coast dates of the Big Day Out and gained a spot in the Hottest 100. The band have just finished recording a new six-track mini album with Lindsay Gravina at Birdland Studios with the first single Bad Reality due out this month, so you can expect some new material. Rather than the standard set structure, Stonefield will be playing throughout the Kamberra Wine Company Black Opal Stakes Day with sets between races four through to eight, followed by a one hour concert commencing after the last race at 5.30pm. Staged tickets start from only $10 and are available for purchase online at www. thoroughbredpark.com.au or at the gate on the day for $25. This is a family friendly all ages event (but perhaps don’t send the kids to the tote bag).

stonefield at the races

Rattlehand at The Phoenix

FROM THE BOSSMAN We all get busy, and sometimes we get extremely, skull-boringly, terrifyingly busy. So inevitably, as our professional lives intertwine with each other, we can find ourselves involved in one of humankind’s most ironically timewasting enterprises - The Busyoff - a notion as useless as it is grammatically awkward. The Busyoff occurs when two professionals find their work routines hitting that fever pitch where stress bubbles like magma, urgent files hang like dead albatrosses from heavy heads, and the cold hard grip of deadline is being desperately prised from throats. It is a dangerous, volatile time where professionalism, logic, and common sense is cast ineluctably into the wind at the smallest provocation. We all understandably want the people we’re forced to work with to make us their #1 priority and when this doesn’t happen due to said person also having 20 equally important things jostling for their attention, we get steamed and enter into an ill-advised bout of oneupmanship. “I have five meetings today/Yeah? Well I have six! I have a budget to prepare by 12pm/Well I have two budgets to prepare by 11pm! My wife died and I’m planning her funeral whilst preparing a 100page document that needs to be submitted by this afternoon/ Well my whole family died in a freak windmill accident so I’m organising three funerals, plus a 200-page document plus I’m bleeding profusely! I’m just so much busier!!!” I am not innocent of such a charge. Moons ago as Editor I felt the hot breath of the Deadline Dragon on my neck and was inflamed that a certain Melbourne DJ hadn’t got his interview answers back after two long weeks. “Now look here!” I unwisely wrote to said DJ’s management. “I’m trying to do you gits a favour here and give you some free editorial that will increase your artist’s profile and lift sales of their latest shit-mix by as many as seven units. And you have the sheer audacity to drag your heels!” Needless to report, the agent threw the gauntlet down and put the fists up. “Rah-rah-rah the artist DJs six nights a week and runs his own studio by day blah-blah-blah he’s working on 70 mixes simultaneously and visits Children’s Hospitals to heal the sick in his spare time rant-rant-rant where do you get off talking to us like that...“ etc etc. Sometimes these encounters can be exactly what’s needed for both parties to blow off a bit of steam. But that’s only if you both eventually cool down and apologise. This rarely happens because let’s face it, you hate everyone and everything, life sucks, it’s not fair, you never asked for this crap in the first place and this person, this bastard right here, is the proverbial backbreaking straw and you will hit them in the face until they die.

YOU PISSED ME OFF! Has someone yanked yer chain recently? Well send an email to editorial@bmamag.com and have your sweet vengeance. And for the love of God, keep it brief! [All entries contain original spellings] To the Australian Government, re: their misleading, hypocritical joke of an advertising campaign concerning ecstasy [“Ecstasy: Face Facts”], which featured on the inside back cover of BMA’s last issue. Ok, so riddle me this: ecstasy producers presumably know some reasonably high-level chemistry to be able to manufacture their wares – if this is the case, what the hell are drug poindexters doing in a room that looks like it has had human shit flung all over it, as the ad so outlandishly depicts? How is it, Mr Government, that such persons are able to engage with complex neurochemistry, yet are unable to aim their buttocks at the toilet when they do a number 2? If ‘drug pushers’ are earning so much money, why indeed are they using a toilet bowl as a sink? Surely with all the cashola they are making, that camp-stove should be a Miele and they should at least have enough dinero to be able to pay for a cleaner to mop up their errant bowel movements. Ecstasy, the ad proclaims, is made using “drain cleaner, battery acid or even hair bleach”. Well, I’d implore the government to take some of its own sage advice, and “face [these] facts”: ammonium bicarbonate, which is used in detergents and stain removers, is also a common ingredient in cocoa products. Yeah, that’s right: you’re feeding your little daughter spray’n’wipe before she goes to bed. And hydrochloric acid is used in the manufacture of beer and cheese, as well as hair dye and bleach. What the bleach! In short, chemicals are everywhere, and whilst this is certainly a cause for concern in general, it is beyond retarded to suggest this is limited to ecstasy manufacture in some nefarious way. National Drugs Campaign: you can stick it up your arse (apparently it gets you higher that way).

So likely what occurs is that the rant continues for email after email, call after call, in a seemingly ceaseless time wasting loop when you could be getting on with some actual work making you both look temperamental, emotional, unable to cope and will likely forever put a silent black mark in your relationship for the rest of your working lives. Even though in the meantime they have probably been putting in 12 rant-free hours of hard work every day and saved over Eighty Children in the years since The Busyoff happened. Right, that’s it for today. Now piss off, I’m extremely busy. ALLAN SKO - allan@bmamag.com

WHO: BMA Mag and Transit Bar WHAT: Women of Notes & rhythm: International Women’s Day Edition WHEN: Fri March 9 WHERE: Transit Bar

The brainchild of longtime Canberra devotee Jem Natividad, with loving local music musings from BMA Magazine editor Julia Winterflood, Women of Notes was launched to a joyously appreciative audience at Transit Bar in August last year. For the You Are Here chapter, Women of Notes will become Women of Notes and Rhythm, with female DJs added to the bill to enrich the broader musical spectrum. It also happens to be a fitting celebration of International Women’s Day. On the bill are Freyja’s Rain, Ruth O’Brien, and Jacqueline Nicole, followed by delectable DJing from Eddie Shaggz, Riske, and Staky. 8pm start, free.

WHO: Closure in Moscow WHAT: The Impeccable Beast Tour WHEN: Thurs March 15 WHERE: The Greenroom, Woden Tradies

Hot on the heels of supporting My Chemical Romance on arena stages, Closure In Moscow are back with new single The Impeccable Beast, which introduces an amazing new rhythm section and a fresh direction for the band. The track is a giant step forward for CIM with killer beats influenced by Motown grooves, a huge chorus, a good time feel, and the bands’ signature guitar riffing. The track is now available for free download from www.closureinmoscow.com in exchange for an email address and joining the band’s mailing list. They’ll be able supported by special guests Strangers and locals Escape Syndrome. Tix through Oztix and Moshtix.

WHO: Pieta Brown and the Sawdust Boys WHAT: Mercury Tour WHEN: Fri March 16 WHERE: The White Eagle Polish Club

Pieta Brown is being hailed as a modern American troubadour. With a deep abiding saturation in blues and folk beyond her years, Pieta continues to bend forms to suit her unmistakable style and mesmerising melodies. She has gained the attention of music lovers and media from across the spectrum and counts artists Amos Lee, Iris Dement, Mark Knopfler, JJ Cale and John Prine amongst her biggest fans. Her seventh album Mercury evokes the sounds of her native Alabama with raw folk and Americana songs that have strains of Gillian Welch and The Civil Wars with the radio-friendly allure of Feist and Ray Lamontagne. With special guest Lucie Thorne. 8pm.

WHO: Aril Brikah WHAT: Presented by Effigy and Lollygag WHEN: Sun March 11 WHERE: The Clubhouse

Over the last six months Aril Brikah has been drafted in by some of the scene’s most respected names and labels. His remix of B Kollektiv Turmstrasse’s Uneins on Connaisseur Recordings received heavy support from the likes of Ellen Allien, Stephan Bodzin, Dominik Eulberg, Agoria and more, whilst his remix of Joel Mull’s Sensory proved yet again why he is one of the most respected names in techno. December saw Aril unleash the Palma EP on his own Art of Vengeance label; a release which featured his razor sharp production skills and keen understanding of melody. Don’t miss the return of one of the most original DJs in music today.

WHO: Super Raelene Bros WHAT: Nuclear Kop Tour WHEN: Tues March 6 WHERE: The Front

Alice Springs’ Super Raelene Bros’ performances are a celebration: a brash, joyous, intimate stomp-out, and they’re swooping into town to launch their brand new EP featuring Redgum’s classic Nuclear Kop. Recorded entirely during half-time breaks at Sadadeen Football Club, Super Raelene Bros not only take on the Australian Uranium Industry but also the UN and the good citizens of Darwin. A spanner in the works of the uranium spin machine since their first single Wiya Angela Pamela went number one on Unearthed in 2010, Nuclear Kop promises to do the same. It’s no wonder they’ve supported the likes of Paul Kelly, Cat Empire and Yothu Yindi. 7pm.

WHO: Opiuo and Russ Liquid Live WHAT: Album Launch WHEN: Sat March 10 WHERE: The Clubhouse

The Clubhouse and Disco Ninja are teaming up to bring Canberra a night of glitchy electronic goodness. Opiuo will be performing material from his upcoming album Butter Snap Part One, released March 1. Opiuo will be joined by Russ Liquid on keys and trumpet. Favouring fun and funk-fuelled body shaking sonic manipulations, the Opiuo sound is being included in DJ sets from some of the world’s most respected, from Z-Trip to Bassnectar, KraftyKuts to Tipper and everyone in between. In conjunction with the gig The Clubhouse is running two competitions. There’s a DJ comp and a punters’ comp. Find The Clubhouse on Facebook for all the info.

ALL AGES Finally, plenty to choose from in the all ages scene. Don’t forget to book your tickets soon for Groovin The Moo 2012! This year the line-up will feature such big names as Hilltop Hoods, City and Colour, Kaiser Chiefs, Chiddy Bang, Parkway Drive, Bluejuice, Public Enemy and The Getaway Plan, alongside so many more spectacular acts and even more still to be announced. This magical day out on Sunday May 13 at the Meadows of the University of Canberra is one of the most popular all ages events of the year, so book your tickets in advance to guarantee your spot. Tickets are on sale now and cost just $99.90 (+ bf) through any Moshtix outlet. Unfortunately, much of the time internationally known artists tend to skip the nation’s capital when touring Australia. But not this time! Coming all the way from America, renowned rock five-piece Evanescence will perform for their masses of Canberra fans at The Royal Theatre (National Convention Centre) on Friday March 23. They will tour the country with Blaqk Audio, the electronic side project of AFI members Davey Havok and Jade Puget. Tickets cost $99 (+ bf) through Ticketek. The show starts at 8pm. Although many of you may have already made the trip to the Soundwave Festival, don’t be a bitch! Man up, and plough through round two! Iconic heavy metal five-piece Lamb of God from the

USA have included Canberra on their Sidewave list. This gig on Thursday March 1 with supporting acts In Flames and The Black Dahlia Murder will be the only Sidewave event to come through the capital. The action will take place at The UC Refectory. Tickets can be purchased through any Oztix outlet for just $62.35 (+ bf). On Friday April 3, Australian music legend John Butler will put on a unique and intimate performance at The Canberra Theatre Centre. With special guest Mama Kin, Butler will enchant us on the Tin Shed Tales tour, which will bring us a night of songs and storytelling. Tickets to this magical evening cost just $50.50 (+ bf) through Ticketek. On Saturday March 24, you can be taken away by the alternative orchestral and ambient sounds of My Friend The Chocolate Cake, from Melbourne. They shall be performing at The Street Theatre for one night only, starting from 8pm. Tickets can be bought through the venue and cost $39 standard pricing and $35 with concession. Master ventriloquist David Strassman is bringing some of his crude, confronting, quirky and crazy magic to Canberra on his Be Careful What You Wish For tour. This show is not appropriate for people under 12 years old, so you know it’ll be good. Unfortunately people under the age of 15 must be accompanied by a responsible adult. Strassman, Chuck and Ted E. Bare will be doing eight shows at The Playhouse Theatre. The hilarious genius and his crew will be in Canberra from Tuesday February 28 to Sunday March 4. The starting times of each show vary from day to day. Sunday through Thursday tickets cost $54.90 for adults and $49.90 for concession. On Saturdays and Sundays adult tickets cost $59.90 and concession is $54.90. All tickets can be bought through the venue. NAOMI FROST allagescolumn@gmail.com

LOCALITY

I best come clean, dear readers. That was a high-on-wanderlust-Julz spouting lines like “Mum, Dad, I’m moving to Vietnam!” a couple of columns ago. This plan involved walking away from my BA you see, but after shouting from the rooftops that I was heading overseas indefinitely a very dear friend sat me down (to an extraordinarily extravagant dinner at Sage – I love you Dave) and talked me out of it, for the time being. Best to finish what I’ve started, etc. True, true. And so I’m going to knock off the old Bachelor of Attendance (I’ve dragged out a three year degree to seven!) and postpone the overseas immersion for a wee while. It’s a good thing, because deep down I just ain’t ready to leave this town. I am heading home to Alice for the second half of this year to spend some quality time with the fam, but come 2013 I’ll be back in my beloved ‘Berra, and about this fact I could not be happier. There’s just so much going on at the moment! I spent the best part of Saturday uploading squillions of listings to the now swollen BMA Mag Gig Guide. On Sunday the Bossman put up a Facebook poll asking what people were doing on the first weekend of March. Corinbank? ENLIGHTEN? Canberra Festival? The launch of The (new) Greenroom? Come the second weekend in March You Are Here will be in full swing. To quote ex-Canberran Jordan Prosser whose play Going to Hell in This Handy Basket is showing at Phoenix on Thursday March 15 at 7.30pm, You Are Here is “one of the most exciting arts events currently happening in our country”.

Jordan continues, “It is one of my pet hates – people in Melbourne having a dig at Canberra. Obviously Canberra is the youngest and smallest of all Australia’s capital cities and hell, some things, like a genuine and thriving arts culture, cannot be forced. But festivals like You Are Here and the ever-growing reach of the city’s artists are the kinds of things that are going to slowly steer it in that right direction, so that in not so many generations’ time it can be a cultural hub on par with other, far larger, far older Australian capitals.” Couldn’t have said it better myself. For the full story on Going to Hell… turn to page 29. As well as the mountain of gigs and festivals happening throughout March, another thing I’m excited about is that MusicACT, the board of which I’m on, is now accepting members through our site www. musicact.com.au. MusicACT is a new umbrella association that is aiming to unite and assist everyone in the ACT music industry by providing advocacy, Professional Development Workshops (the first of which is happening just hours after this ish hits the streets) and a comprehensive online Member Directory. If you check out the back cover of this ish you can read a bit more about it, and feel free to shoot me any q’s you have too. Exciting times ahead Canberra. Get involved! JULIA WINTERFLOOD julia@bmamag.com

DANCE THE DROP

I hypothesise even the most ironically tattooed musical connoisseur would dip their fedora agreeably to the notion that every genre has had or will have a ‘golden era’. For rock music it was the ‘70s, pop music the ‘80s and horrible throwaway commercial garbage, the modern day. Dance music is harder to pin down, as what young humans prefer to dance to in the alcohol and drug-fuelled world of clubbing changes almost as often as Lady Gaga. People often muse over this conundrum and if I happened to be tied down and water boarded to within an inch of my life, I would probably be forced to cough and splutter an answer similar to ‘the early noughties’. The onset of Y2K (rather than destroying all life on earth) seemed to birth quite a large number of timeless club anthems and superstar DJs that still appear in a lot of clubs today. Anthony Pappa is one artist who thrived during this grace period and who continues to enrich the scene with his forward thinking musical mantra and mind-blowing technical wizardry. Unbelievably, you can catch the legend for free in an up close and personal show on the West Side stage at The Canberra Enlighten Festival on Friday March 2 from 6.30pm. Supporting the big man are Rollin Connection, Hypnagog and Sun in Aquarius who will all contribute to what promises to be quite an interesting evening. On the same night at Academy, Kid Kenobi has reformed with hetero life-mate MC Shureshock for a rare one off club show that is guaranteed to raise the roof. For those of you who aren’t familiar with the duo, consider them to be the Brad and Angelina of modern bass music. Two amazing shows are happening at The Clubhouse in March. Kiwi tastemaker Opiuo appears on Saturday March 10 alongside locals Luko Fiasco, Dred, T:Mo and Paddymelon, and Sunday March 11 heralds the return of Effigy and Lollygag who present world leading Assyrian Techno musician Aril Bricka. Miss at your peril.

SINSATIONAL MIDWEEK DEAL! Half price entry, $4 basic beers and $5 basic spirits when you show your student ID card on Wednesday and Thursday nights. Exotic dancers four nights a week. Fully licensed bar. Non stop podium shows and lapdances available. Sinsations is the home of Miss Centerfold Australia and Exotic Angels Australia competitions! We cater for bucks’ nights, birthday parties or any occasion that requires a great time. Ladies very welcome. Positions available. Like us on Facebook Sinsations Adult Nightclub Canberra. 32 Grimwade St Mitchell ACT | 02 6242 9996

By god there is some amazing club music filtering in from all across the globe and I simply have to share it with you. Young gun Matt Zo has just released his debut EP fittingly entitled Bipolar. The four track journey takes you through a meld of progressive, trance and electro that is definitely one of the most impressive releases of 2012. Tech house duo Orkestrated have just dropped a monster with Night Crawler, Uberjak’d have released a beefed up remix of Uberhammer’s record Disco Disco Disco, Drummatic Twins’ new tune Meeting Point has been given a wicked 4/4 treatment by Rory Lyons, Harris Robotis has funked things up with his new Hot For You EP, AC Slater has dropped a new monster two track EP called Sidewinder Little Chronic and local hero Basskleph has proven he is still the man with his remix of Hands High – We Got The Swag. TIM GALVIN tim.galvin@live.com.au

COME TO PAPPA

NOT FOR THE FAINT HEARTED

ALLAN SKO

ANTHONY PAPPA has been DJing for nearly as long as I have been alive; a humbling thought for us both. This is attributable to an early introduction to, and a maintained passion for, music. He started on the drums at two – an age where most of us are finding our feet and rhythm for walking rather than finding the slap of a snare with a rhythm for music – before snuggling behind the decks at the tender age of 13. 25 years on and the man known as “the DJ’s DJ” is working on a ninth mix for the revered Renaissance series and gearing up for his headline set at the ENLIGHTEN festival opening night.

Electronic music has split into so many exciting forms over the past decade, and the proliferation of the broadly termed ‘bass music’ has taken many drum ‘n’ bass artists with it. Instra:mental has drawn a close to D&B production to focus on a techno/old electro sound; Clipz changed his name to Redlight and his production to bass/ dubstep/house; Breakage now favours dubstep... The list goes on. But not for Hardline Recordingz label boss PAUL BLACKOUT though. He continues to proudly fly the D&B flag with his trademark hardcore-tinged sound and a new live set up that he’s about to test out on us unsuspecting Canberra punters.

“I’m averaging 200 flights a year,” the jet-setting Pappa reveals. “I never in a million years thought it would get this far. It’s not easy to make a name for yourself let alone maintain. So many come and go as fast as the music we play does.”

I’m averaging 200 flights a year...

Pappa’s words come tumbling down the phone line; a testament to his fiery Italian background and his unbridled verve for playing. “My passion started at such a young age I never thought of a backup plan,” he says of an alternative career. “If I had that mentality it wouldn’t have worked. Music has been a part of my whole life, so it felt natural.” Over this time Pappa has largely stuck to his sound, and maintained his stance as a “DJ first, producer second”. In other words, you can forget about an artist album. “I’m more house, tech-house and techno,” he says. “I never completely change direction and go with something that’s not me. But if you don’t change, you get left behind. If I wasn’t into something, I wouldn’t do it. I’m not a jukebox you know! This is my career; it’s been shaped as my life has. It’s me. “[As for an artist album] I have no aspirations to make one. I like producing tracks, and with a remix I can hone in but I’m a perfectionist; I would never be able to write the album I wanted. And to be honest, electronic artist albums don’t really sell.” Pappa’s new mix for Renaissance, his first in three years, will be a two disc affair exploring a more downtempo vibe. “I don’t get to play that kind of music; personally I love listening to that summer stuff. It’s a self indulgent mix; it’s all stuff I’m into. It’s pitched at not being too chillout but not so banging as to do your head in when you’re at home.” Of course when he arrives we won’t be at home but at the West Stage bigtop near The National Library, and the man is gearing up. “I’ve played Canberra before but not at a festival. Regardless of style, people just want to get there and be happy, and that’s what I intend to bring.” Anthony Pappa plays at ENLIGHTEN Festival on Friday March 2 alongside Sun In Aquarius, Hypnagog and locals. His set will start between 9.3010pm. Food and drink available, free entry.

“There’s a lot of good stuff around at the moment,” Paul enthuses. “A good variation of styles keeping things interesting. The stuff I hear more is the more old school and jungle influenced D&B, but with modern production techniques and new producers keeping things fresh. A lot of the more established producers and DJs seem to have finally wised up to the idea of variation rather than mindlessly pumping out the same old; Raiden of course being one of the best at this.”

...producers and DJs have finally wised up to the idea of variation rather than mindlessly pumping out the same old

Paul and his label produce instantly recognisable tunes, favouring the high-energy face-smashing dark side of the genre, blending elements of hardcore and metal for an unrelenting sonic assault. A sound perhaps not suited to a busy deadline afternoon in the office (as my poor ailing Editor discovered recently) but perfect for losing all sense of abandon in a club. “I was a hardcore DJ and producer long before I started writing D&B, and people like Eye-D and Mark N who played all kinds of stuff in a set rather than stick to one genre made me think of combining it all into one sound. DJ Producer is my number one; that guy is a machine. I probably wouldn’t be doing any of this if it wasn’t for him, in particular his mix for Helter Skelter Technodrome in 1995. That was the moment I said ‘I want to do this’. Also the Newcastle/Bloody Fist crew, DJ Hidden, DJ Ruffneck... Outside of D&B and hardcore though I mostly listen to rock and metal, but almost anything is fair game. I’ve always been into heavier music from metal through industrial; I take bits and pieces of influences and make my own sound.” So just what can we expect from the show? “I have an Ableton set with a controller for the fx. I’ve broken up all the tracks into a few parts so I can do live fx and edits on them. I’m looking forward to getting back to Canberra and giving the people in the capital the first opportunity to see me play live.” And can we expect any dubstep? “I can’t stand dubstep, it’s horrible ‘music’. Let’s just leave it at that!” Everyone loves a purist, and you can bear witness to Paul Blackout’s unwavering ways and new set at The Clubhouse on Friday March 2. Support from Kanevil, Killosis, Centaspike, Buick, Tidy and Ced Nada. $10 on the door.

MAKING WAVES

SPACE CADET

Alistair Erskine

morgan richards

Something crackled about a year ago, possibly two. Just around the time that their mates Tame Impala were winning over east coast audiences, CANYONS started making waves too. Just like Tame Impala, they were drawing on forgotten records seemingly found in a really hip dad’s record collection, and breathing new life into them at a time where it was completely appropriate. Having had some singles and remixes both get critical acclaim, their debut album came out at the beginning of the summer, and now they are taking their show on the road, complete with a full band.

So who (or what) is THE ORB, exactly? That’s a question best answered by founding member LX (Alex Paterson). Whether or not he actually answers this ponderance is another matter, but we did manage to have a great little chat about life, the universe and ambient music. The Orb came into existence in the late ‘80s – just before the Second Summer of Love swept the UK. Free parties were everywhere and ecstasy was the drug of choice. But the scene was less druggy than that of today, recalls LX. “We didn’t do much spirits and beers back then and the marching powder wasn’t about as much, either. But chill-out bars and spaces were all so new back in the ‘90s.”

Leo explains expanding to a band from a duo. “Because of the way we wrote the record, we wrote it all and played all the instruments. I guess because of the nature of the songs we record we have never been able to perform it live with just the two of us. We just played our sixth show as a band down in Hobart, and it’s getting better all the time.”

We just played our sixth show as a band down in Hobart, and it’s getting better all the time

Having seen Canyons play live earlier this year, audiences are presented with a dynamic and wonderful sounding representation of how their album translates live. One thing I had to ask about is how they manage to make the live drums sound so good – something that many electronic groups really fail at when deciding to enlist a live drummer for their tours. “Well for the kit that Julian plays, we have it set up as a mix of real drums and v drum pads – live snare, live toms, then a v drum for the kick, which we have set up to trigger the sampler. So we have the same kicks that we use on the record now being played live essentially – it keeps the sounds tight, and gets the exact same sound as the song on the album. “Actually the biggest job was programming the sampler, all the different sequences, not just for the drum to trigger but I will trigger some from the midi keyboard, and then ages of cutting off and looping, and then rehearsing and getting the arrangements. Because we had to teach the new bandmates things – in Under The Blue Sky for instance, the arrangement is nonsensical. So we had to explain to them ‘oh, it’s not just blocks of 16 bars, some of them go for 14 bars, which makes it harder to learn’, and we are still totally honing it. The plan is to keep on working on it as we tour around Australia, and then take it over to Europe for the start of their summer.” When they touch down in Canberra, you too should enhance the summer with Canyons. “With any music we write, that draws from all the good energy, good times, that always gives off a summery vibe.” Catch Canyons live at Transit Bar on Saturday March 3, supported by Pelvic, The Gentleman, Eddie Shaggz, Architect DJs and Celebrity Sex Tape. Tickets are $15 + bf through Moshtix.

[The album]’s about the future; life in the 23rd century

While ecstasy and dance music fuelled the raves, it was ambient that ruled the waves. The Orb’s second album U.F.Orb managed a #1 on the UK albums chart while the single Blue Room reached #8 – not bad for a 39-minute ambient piece. Even after the rave scene had come and gone, The Orb continued to record albums and produce/remix for other artists. LX is the chief creative force although he has been joined by a number of producers over the years including recent collaborator Thomas Fehlmann, better known for his productions on Cologne-based techno label Kompakt. The Orb’s most recent effort, 2010’s Metallic Spheres, saw them team up with David Gilmour – fitting, considering that critics have often called them “the rave generation’s Pink Floyd”. The album melds Gilmour’s guitar mastery with the duo’s sweeping synths and eldritch arps to create a galactic sound odyssey that the notoriously hard-to-please Pitchfork Media referred to as “gorgeous and hypnotic”. It’s music for headphones, primarily – lie back on the couch, roll up, and enjoy. I wouldn’t recommend it for the gym, and neither should you put it on for sultry mood music after bringing a girl home. Unless, of course, that girl is a space alien in which case she’ll be going gaga before you can say Galaga. So how about the future? LX drops a few clues on the upcoming album due in September. “It’s called The OrbServer. It’s a mixture of soul, minimal and reggae with a ‘basic rhythm’ feel. It’s about the future; life in the 23rd century.” With reggae/dub legend Lee “Scratch” Perry on vocals the album will surely prove a treat for old fans who miss The Orb’s earlier, more dubby endeavours. In the meantime, they’ll be jiving up their repertoire for the dancefloor. LX assures us that the OSS – The Orb Sound System – is “harder and leaner” than the usual armchair fare, and accompanying this two-man galactic orchestra will be some seriously trippy eye-candy, which beats having to look at a couple of guys behind glowing Apple logos for two and a half hours. I’ll leave you with Alex’s parting words – “Thank you for reading, and may your days be full and bright!” The Orb play at Playground Weekender on March 2-4 at the Del Rio Riverside Resort, Wisemans Ferry NSW. To buy tix, head to www.showclix. com/static/playground2012 .

E X H I B I T I O N I S T With two potentially cheesy, and definitely danceable sets to kick off the evening, Petrie Plaza is bound to be rocking from the get-go. Babyfreeze, however, are not entirely confident in their stage-mates, and seem keen on sparking some healthy rivalry. “Babyfreeze are excited to be playing alongside our sworn creative enemies Dead DJ Joke and DJ Dance Captain, and will do whatever we can to undermine their performance. In all seriousness though, both those guys are incredible talents, especially taking into account their prodigious drug habits.”

SHOOTING FROM THE HIPSTER ZOYA PATEL Last year’s YOU ARE HERE was loved by many, and reviled by some few on a particular contentious detail – the assumption that the festival was being made by and consumed by the most hated subculture known to Canberra – hipsters. A term that is generally just used as a snide tag for anyone that is a bit odd, or pretentious, or perhaps just really irritating, the word ‘hipster’ has virtually no meaning, a fact that You Are Here couldn’t resist poking a little fun at in this year’s festival. With their tongues firmly placed in cheek, this year’s YAH crew bring you the outdoor dance party to end all dance parties, SO YOU THINK YOU CAN HIPSTER, being held in Petrie Plaza on Friday March 16. Featuring DJs Dead DJ Joke (Reuben Ingall) and Chris In Da House (Chris Finnigan), as well as ‘electroglam cum luchadore’ trio Babyfreeze (made up of Babyfreeze, Handsome Luke and Face Face), the event is a wink in the direction of last year’s critics, and also an excuse for punters to dress up in their most ironic outfits and dance to music that’s either good, ironically good, or so bad it’s good. The DJs of So You Think… have very little interest in the word or subculture ‘hipster’. “I don’t think anything resembling a coherent subculture of ‘hipster-ism’ exists in the real world,” Chris says. “It’s just a label that’s used to denigrate anyone suspected of acting like they’re culturally ‘above’ other people.” Babyfreeze disagrees somewhat though. “Hipsters are the final bastion of heroism in a world of pointless sincerity. They alone have the courage to look into the cold expanse of God’s creation and say ‘I preferred his earlier work’.” Fun-making aside, So You Think… promises to be an evening to remember. Dead DJ Joke creates danceable mash-ups of anything from Top 40 hits, to hip-hop/crunk to polyphonic ringtones, all at the kind of energy level that creates the perfect atmosphere for some seriously rad dancing. Slightly more mellow, DJ Chris In Da House is hoping to provide a set of classic pop tracks from the ‘90s and early ‘00s, the musical eras that are the favourites of nostalgia obsessed ‘hipsters’.

Rivalries aside, one thing all three performers can agree on is that there is a definite need in Canberra for the kind of events that You Are Here provides. “I think Canberra needs this kind of thing pretty desperately, to unearth and bring together different alternative arts scenes, make them stare at each other awkwardly across rooms,” Dead DJ Joke says. “Mostly, Canberra arts patrons need a good kick up the arse.” Audience engagement can certainly be an issue at Canberra events – could the use of an outdoor, public space like Petrie Plaza be the solution to reeling in the crowd? “[Petrie Plaza] is perfect,” DJ Chris In Da House says. “The area in front of the merry go round is actually perfectly sized for a dance floor and the enclosed nature of the plaza means that the sound quality will be good.” Dead DJ Joke is mildly concerned about annoying people who might just be out for a quiet wander through Garema Place (people do that, right…?). “I think a general problem with public street parties is passers-by who might not be tolerant to the music style. This isn’t really an impediment to my DJ set though, as I’m usually alienating half the audience with my awfulness anyway.” Such modesty! Not a trait Babyfreeze suffer from, but then, according to Babyfreeze himself, they’ve had experience will all manner of venues. “Petrie Plaza is the latest stop on our tour of Civic’s hottest ‘now’ venues, which has also included the Canberra Centre ANZ and Club X’s loading dock,” he explains, with true hipster-like nonchalance. From what we saw last year, at You Are Here’s alternative Skyfire event (also featuring Dead DJ Joke), the Plaza can reel in all manner of punters, from giddy 15 year olds to dudes keen on a crazy dance, to hipsters young and old. “And really drunk people yelling ‘play some ‘80s!’,” Dead DJ Joke remembers. “It’s inspired my DJ set format for So You Think… – as well as playing my own mash-ups I’m going to take requests, then play the worst-best mash-up/remix I have in my collection, can quickly find online, or can quickly edit together.” With instant remixes and trashy ‘90s pop to look forward to, So You Think You Can Hipster is a great excuse to badly dance to loud music in public, without the walls and dim lighting of a club to shield you, and with a few hundred other hipster-haters/wannabes to keep you company. Babyfreeze is certainly looking forward to the musical carnage, but issues this final warning to potential So You Think… attendees: “Remember, So You Think You Can Hipster is only open to hipsters or people who really hate hipsters. And those who are indifferent. That’s hippest of all.” So You Think You Can Hipster will features DJs Babyfreeze, Dance Captain and Dead DJ Joke and will take place in Petrie Plaza near the merry go round at 7.30pm on Friday March 16. It’s free!

Photo: Ruth Ellison, ruthellison.com

IF THESE MALLS COULD TALK…

UNEXPECTED BEAUTY

Zoya Patel

Vanessa Wright

It’s unlikely that you think of malls as inspiring venues for art and literature. Julian Fleetwood – curator of MALL STORIES taking place during this year’s YOU ARE HERE – would disagree. Running over the course of the ten day festival, Mall Stories is a walking tour that takes the listener through Civic and entertains them with recorded stories submitted by local writers (with a few interstate contributors) about the humble mall. Why malls? Well, Julian already had a fascination with walking tours. “Whenever Bonnie my wife and I go travelling I drag her along to these ghost tours which are usually really cheesy, but I really like them,” Julian explains. “They have someone who walks you around a place and tells you a story associated with a particular area, and sometimes they have some lame trick or something as well. I really love that, but Bonnie’s like ‘it’s a bit lame!’” After going on a lot of walking tours himself, Julian got thinking about the idea of places that people regularly frequent and the stories that could be mixed up in them. “There’re a lot of personal stories going on at places that everyone goes to and people don’t really think about it; they’re just passing through a place,” he says. “So I guess I got mixed up with malls being interesting as places because once you go inside, they try and keep you inside, but they also try and move you through the space. So there are no clocks, hardly any exits.” That’s something I definitely hadn’t thought about before, and Julian agrees that people don’t always examine the spaces they occupy. “One of the things we’re trying to provoke with this is thinking of spaces in a different way.” After pitching the event to the Emerging Writers Festival originally – and being turned down as they had a similar event already running – Julian was pleased when You Are Here agreed to take Mall Stories on. Having been involved with the festival last year he knew it would be perfect for You Are Here, and it certainly suits. An advantage to the punter is there’s no fixed time in which you have to experience Mall Stories – the yarns will be available as a downloadable PDF/ recordings from the You Are Here website, and the tour can be undertaken at your leisure. So, what can people expect from the Mall Stories recording? “There was a surprising amount of old-people-hating that came through some of the pieces, which was interesting – I didn’t expect that,” Julian laughs. “There were also a lot of stories from a teenage perspective.” Malls may seem like an unlikely space for an adventure, but Mall Stories proves that there’s a lot more to the shopping centres than we may expect. Mall Stories will be launched at The Newsroom (YAH HQ) at Petrie Plaza on Thursday March 8 from 12.30pm. Head to youareherecanberra.com.au for more info, and for the downloadable PDFs/recordings.

There is sometimes nothing more rewarding and magical than discovering a hidden treasure. It could be the last slice of cake you already thought you ate, a secondhand book that changes your life, a new cozy café or even discovering a new friend where you never expected. PETITE PUBLIC ART aims to showcase these hidden treasures of the everyday. Small, intimate artworks hidden within the fabric of our often mundane city centre hope to bring a joyful smile into your day. Part of YOU ARE HERE ’s jam-packed program for 2012, Petite Public Art is curated by YAH co-producer Yolande Norris, who has been particularly inspired by the more discreet forms of public art. Small interventions such as flowers planted in the cracks of the pavements, or a Lego man diorama in a public toilet. Subtle yet surprising additions to the existing landscape, bringing a smile to anyone lucky enough to notice. One intended outcome of this event is to demonstrate that public art doesn’t need to be large scale sculptural work in order to make an impression. The small and the discreet can have just as powerful an impact on the viewer. Particularly work which engages the pedestrian to think twice about what they are seeing. As at first some of these works appear to have been created by chance, but on closer inspection reveal themselves to have been carefully placed in the landscape of the city. Petite Public Art fits nicely within the larger ethos of You Are Here; to encourage the audience, the passerby to open their eyes and look twice at what’s around them. To discover what you may have previously been unaware of, and to take the time to reflect and appreciate everything amazing Canberra has to offer. Bringing together a wide range of artists, including Jacqui Bradley, Dan Stewart-Moore, Jess Kelly, Al Munro, Fiona Veikkanen, Adam Veikkanen, Natalie Mather, Tiffany Cole, Helani Laisk, Simon Scheuerle, Owen Lewis, Jon Webster and Dan Edwards (plus even more), Petite Public Art promises to be a surprising and diverse exploration through the Canberra CBD. Be on the lookout for tiny sculptures in flowerbeds, on signposts, under park benches and every other nook and cranny of the city you can think of. Running for the duration of You Are Here, Petite Public Art will be officially opened at The Canberra Museum and Gallery on Friday March 9. CMAG will also be the launch pad for a walking tour of the city, courtesy of Petite Public Art. Pick up your map and get exploring. You will be rewarded with all kinds of unexpected treasures. Official opening at 5.30pm on Friday March 9, Canberra Museum and Gallery. Petite Public Art will run from Thursday-Sunday March 8-18 around the CBD. Check out youareherecanberra.com.au for more details.

“ready to reveal to you, the fickle unbeliever, which religion is THE RIGHT ONE”. Prosser, however, is less of a fundamentalist than his creation. “For starters, I feel people treat this question [of whether God exists] too often as an absolute; that there either is, or isn’t, and that every person is either right, or wrong in their beliefs. Certainly, Sam and I believe unequivocally that there is no God as put forth by institutionalised religion. What we do believe, however, is in people’s freedom of choice, something which, ironically, we perceive many religions as denying their own faithful.”

GOD FODDER Glen Martin Let’s start with a simple one. God: does he exist or not? And what about religion – lovely idea, or a stupid argument between one group of people who feel their imaginary friend is better than another group’s imaginary friend? Perhaps not so simple. Luckily we have theatre makers The Landlords, who, assisted by their creations Professor Richard Pritchard and Doctor Arthur Downwards, will provide answers, entertainment, and apparently the threat of sectarian violence through their show GOING TO HELL IN THIS HANDY BASKET. The Landlords, aka Jordon Prosser and Sam Burns-Warr, are two former Canberra kids decamped to Melbourne, familiar to local audiences through last year’s Bringing Some Gun To A Knife Fight, a highlight of the 2011 YOU ARE HERE. This year’s YAH offering is a sequel, where Prof. Pritchard and Dr Downwards are apparently

Heady stuff. But Going to Hell... is no lecture. Thanks to our two hosts, things could get messy. “Well, look – with the very best of intentions, Pritchard and Downwards’ projects do generally end up in some manner of scientific misadventure, or occasionally, mass death. That being said, they are gentlemen scientists and anthropologists par excellence, so the pub and theatre goers of Canberra have nothing to be afraid of, as long as they keep an open mind. Refreshments, however, will most certainly be provided.” The Landlords’ return is an opportunity for Prosser and BurnsWarr to connect with their hometown and a festival which Prosser describes as “one of the most exciting arts events currently happening in our country”. Though they’ve left, Prosser remains an advocate of the capital. “It is one of my pet hates – people in Melbourne having a dig at Canberra. Obviously Canberra is the youngest and smallest of Australia’s capital cities and hell, some things, like a genuine and thriving arts culture, cannot be forced. But festivals like YAH and the ever-growing reach of the city’s artists are the kinds of things that are going to slowly steer it in that right direction, so that in not so many generations’ time it can be a cultural hub on par with other, far larger, far older Australian capitals.” Going To Hell In This Handy Basket will be performed at The Phoenix in the city at 7.30pm on Thursday March 15. Entry is free.

It is this idea of dialogue which lies at the heart of the Applespiel project. You may remember them as the team behind The Sexy New Urban Design Team Canberra from 2011’s You Are Here, which asked festival-goers to redesign a colourful cardboard model of Garema Place. The Radio Show, too, is designed to engage its audience with a sense of place and time, to explore the relationship between the individual and the community.

ON THE RADIO GEMMA NOURSE APPLESPIEL’s Morning Breakfast Commercial Radio Show will be hitting Canberra as part of YOU ARE HERE for a string of shows in mid-March. The Radio Show, describes Applespiel member Nathan Harrison, is an improvised theatre experiment which draws from its surroundings and audience input. But Nathan quickly establishes that Applespiel is not an “improv group” which relies on “audience participation”. “We [at Applespiel] all hate ‘audience participation’ but nearly everything we do has it,” laughs Nathan. “We call it ‘a dynamic audience relationship’ because we certainly don’t want people to think we’re a shopping mall kids act or a pantomime or anything. We’re not asking everyone to boo when the villain comes on or to get up and say something,” Nathan reassures me. Instead, Applespiel aims to “build a framework which requires dialogue between people.”

“We want something that people can come and contribute to, so it’s evolving,” says Nathan. One of the most interesting aspects of the Applespiel project is observing how these expressions of ‘belonging’ and ‘citizenship’ shift between cities. Nathan describes the differences between The Sexy New Urban Design Team in three locations. “In Erskineville, the main road of the suburb is very community-minded, so the ownership over that was very different to Canberra in Garema Place, where people just go in to do things. And then the area we had in Adelaide,” chuckles Nathan, “I don’t think anyone really cared about it. They were like ‘aw yeah, just make all the roads into canals of Diet Coke!’” This year’s Radio Show combines the group’s interest in the individual and community dynamic with the playfulness of a live, improvised theatre production. The team will set up in cafes around the city and perform an hour of a commercial radio show, complete with telephone interviews and fake ads. “We run it as a very slick radio show, like the whole Kyle Sandilands thing with all that horrible conservative, borderline sexist, racist, homophobic attitudes that just sit underneath everything. And it’s horrible to listen to, but it’s a lot of fun to do! We’ll be making it up on the spot and we don’t know what’s going to happen.” Applespiel’s Morning Breakfast Commercial Radio Show will be performing from 8-9am on Thursday March 15 at Tonic Café, 8-9am on Friday March 16 at Harvest Café and 11am-12pm on Saturday March 17 at Lonsdale Street Roasters.

SUMMER DAYS, DRIFTING AWAY BEN HERMANN There’s a remarkable sense of appropriateness – some may say destiny – surrounding Neil Armfield’s decision to direct one of the most iconic pieces of Australian theatre, Ray Lawler’s SUMMER OF THE SEVENTEENTH DOLL, as his first piece after retiring as Artistic Director at Belvoir St Theatre. The play premiered in 1955, the year of Armfield’s birth, and follows two Queensland cane field workers who, for 17 years, have returned to Carlton to enjoy five months with city girls Nancy and Olive. Upon returning for the seventeenth summer it is revealed that Nancy has recently married, and the remaining characters are left to face the growing realisation that good things don’t last forever. So was it these themes that inspired Armfield to direct ‘The Doll’ after, yes, 17 years at Belvoir? “It was a play that a lot of people had said they’d like to see me make,” says Lawler. “But I wasn’t sure what I could bring to it in production that could make it fresh. Ralph [Myers, Belvoir’s new Assistant Director] asked me to do it. I read the script, and the play revealed itself in a way that showed my memory had shattered it. I rang up Robyn [Nevin] and asked if she would play Emma. Once she said she wanted to, that was it. We decided to do it.” Lawler – now 91 – received worldwide acclaim after the play’s national and international success in the late ‘50s. He re-visited the script in 1977 when he returned to Australia to adapt it into a trilogy, and this time around has worked with Armfield in tinkering certain aspects. “At first it seemed to me a bit bizarre and problematic. You know, it’s a great play, it’s proved itself. You don’t want an old writer tinkering with it,” he says. “But every one of the changes he made improved it. I realised that when the play took off in the ‘50s it was rushed into publication. The early published editions were just a record of what had been put together for those early performances. But doing it this time, it gave Ray an opportunity to make it a stand-alone play. There was a whole lot of stuff he wanted to change and develop.” The play is renowned as a coming-of-age piece for Australian theatre; a work that was pioneering, and significant in bringing Australians out of their age of innocence. As Armfield explains, “For Australian audiences it was the shock of seeing themselves on stage. It was the power of the theatre to mirror the lives of the audiences in such a deep and playful way, which was new for Australian theatre and its audiences,” he says. Summer of the Seventeenth Doll performs from March 14-17 at The Playhouse. Tickets from Canberra Ticketing or canberratheatrecentre.com. au .

ARTISTPROFILE: Daniel Connell

What do you do? Comedian. When did you get into it? I had my first gig at Green Faces in August 2008. I entered thinking it was a competition for first timers but I was the only one. There were 250 people watching; I did okay, I was so nervous I could barely open the door to walk on stage.

BEHIND THEIR EYES CHLOE MANDRYK GRAEME DRENDEL can spend hours or days alone in the studio with the same characters in various incarnations. I spoke with the artist before Outsiders opened at Beaver Galleries for some insight into his preoccupation with relationships and how the “vagueries of the human condition” affect his practice. In contemporary art composition is not always centre stage, but for Drendel it underscores one important thing. “I paint connections and disconnection between characters and often disconnection can have as much or more meaning. We are conscious of ourselves, our gesture, our stance, but it’s also something other people notice. I see it on the tram, in first encounters.” With cinematic flair two cropped paintings of the faces of the male and female characters in another painting, The Thin Air of Desire, oil on canvas, offer insight into the inner worlds of his “cast”. Drendel explains: “I am trying to get into their heads… to get behind their eyes. I’m curious, what are they thinking about… or seeing?” Drendel’s actors hold feathers, walk a pair of ferrets, carry buckets, hover in space, nurse farm animals, shotguns or tug at long Sovietera braided hair. However, symbols, in short, are our own creation. “We all have events, glances, ideas that keep recurring throughout life, you catch these same feelings or moments,” poses Drendel. Do we notice these things because of something within us or just because it happens? Drendel tempts reality and fiction against the backdrop of Ouyen, country Victoria, where he was raised. Like in a still life it can be a relief not to have to think about the background Drendel explains, mainly because he thinks of his characters “as alone in this group setting anyhow, you know the feeling – you’re always locked within your own thoughts, even in a crowd.” Early in his 20s Drendel visited galleries, read art books and developed a palette for art. He admired the Renaissance artists for their fidelity to the figure and ability to spin a narrative. Later he noticed that a lot of contemporary art he’d observed years before had faded out of fashion, so “I resolved in my early 30s that I would only paint what I wanted.” Balthus galvinised him, famed for his resistance of the tyranny of labels, histories, or biographies. Morandi also inspired Drendel. Painting the same things sometimes can be frustrating but it presents a challenge to stay satisfied. You work harder, refine the ideas. Drendel says the most excruciating moment is calling something finished. “When I think I have finished a painting I come back into the room and I stand in front of it and I look each character in the eye.” Outsiders runs from Thursday-Tuesday March 1-20 at Beaver Galleries, 81 Denison Street in Deakin. The gallery’s opening hours are 10am-5pm Tuesday-Friday and 9am-5pm on Saturday and Sunday.

Who or what influences you as an artist? The crowd – there is nothing better than getting a positive response to something you’ve thought of and created. What’s your biggest achievement/proudest moment so far? Being selected in The Comedy Zone at The 2011 Melbourne International Comedy Festival (MICF). What are your plans for the future? To do comedy all over Australia. I would love to jump in a van and tour the country. What makes you laugh? Any Emo Parsonson joke, especially his good ones. Also Tim Duck is a funny man, he should do stand up. Oh and people who do sideways, back to front peace signs with their fingers when they’re getting their photo taken. They just don’t get it. What pisses you off? People who break into houses and steal things and people who break into houses a second time and steal more things three months later. Come around when we are home, we would love to talk. What’s your opinion of the local scene? It’s growing all the time, great comedians and venues. All it needs is for all of Canberra to know it exists and get right behind it. In the last five years it’s produced three Green Faces winners (Tom Gibson/Jay Sullivan/ The Stevenson Experience), two Raw Comedy finalists (Jay Sullivan and The Stevenson Experience) and last year’s Raw Comedy winner (Dayne Rathbone). Also Capital Punishment, a show featuring Canberra’s best, will be playing at Melbourne Town Hall for the third consecutive year in this year’s MICF. See www.comedyact.com.au for all your Canberra comedy info. What are your upcoming performances/exhibitions? I am performing my debut MICF show Likeable Enough at The Civic Pub Comedy Club in Braddon from Wednesday-Saturday March 7-10. Doors open 7.30pm, tickets $12 from www.comedyact.com.au or $15 on the door. Then from Thursday March 29 until Sunday April 22 I will be performing the show at the MICF. The show will be at Arthur’s Bar in the city, 7pm Tuesday/Saturday and 6pm Sunday. Tickets from $18, available via Ticketmaster. Or check out the festival website, www. comedyfestival.com.au . Contact info: Web: www.danielconnell.com.au, Twitter : @DanielC0nnell3, Facebook : Daniel Connell Comedyan

UNINHIBITED I don’t really understand the hipster thing. Not that I don’t understand hipsters, or those who apparently fall within that pointless descriptor. It’s the hate I don’t get. And the desire to quantify. It’s a meaningless term that says more about the speaker than the target. Because the subtext is always one of mockery, and a separation of outsiders and insiders. It’s nebulous and stupid. Last year’s You Are Here festival is something I’ve written about as a godsend for the capital, a fresh and vital injection of messy creative excellence that countered the worst of the criticism levelled at this city through providing a civic spectacle more interesting and satisfying than anything I’ve seen in recent times. But lurking within the comment streams (and I know one should never read the comments, but sometimes you just can’t pull your hand away from the hotplate, right?) is an ongoing suite of references to the festival’s ‘coolness’, its audience of ‘hipsters’ – a withering critique from faceless scribes. And in this case, the hipster term goes from being nebulous to ridiculous. Was You Are Here 2011 hip? Sure it was, in the language of a branding consultant, or your nanna. A more appropriate cache of adjectives might be: exciting, hilarious, energising, messy, imperfect, and brilliant.

Was it, as these naysayers suggest, exclusive and particular? In terms of the program, yes, and it was so much the better for it. Rather than a lame attempt at pleasing many (or worse, a lame attempt at pleasing an idea of the many pulled from focus group research), You Are Here asked its curators to play to their own particular strengths. It’s why the thing had form, and felt realised – because the folk involved knew what they were doing. But YAH was and is not something that only seeks to speak to a particular audience. That’s the critical distinction. At the heart of this throwaway critique is something interesting – a feeling of exclusion. Now, You Are Here is curated and particular. It’s elitist in the sense that it aims for excellence. But was YAH ‘11 and will YAH ‘12 be a parade of inscrutability for only those in the know? Not at all. What distresses me about these threads of commentary is that they allege the festival seeks to marginalise, divvy up an audience and pass judgement. YAH is the absolute opposite to that. What was so refreshing about the 2011 festival was its complete lack of pretence. It embraced the weird and put it in the middle of the city with a great amount of energy. There actually was something for everyone. It’s what the 2012 festival looks like doing too. You Are Here is something our city should be proud of. And it’s yours, regardless of how tightly your jeans cup your calves. It’s a festival of the fringes in a city that doesn’t get its due. Your city. Get proud, and get involved. GLEN MARTIN glenpetermartin@gmail.com

bit PARTS WHO: Photographer Nikki Toole WHAT: Skater: Portraits by Nikki Toole WHEN: Now until May 2 WHERE: National Portrait Gallery Since July 2009, Melbourne-based photographer Nikki Toole has been making photographic portraits of skateboarders around the world. Her subjects are captured in still frontal pose against the textured backdrop of their urban environments. Toole’s project is driven by the desire to understand and commune with her subjects, and asks whether there is a ‘global look’ or is there still a place for the individual or the loner to express him or herself. She is interested in the forces of identity that define the lone skateboarder. “Many skaters speak of a solitary mind space while skating; of entering into another state of consciousness,” Toole says. “To make these portraits I asked the skaters to place themselves within this meditative space.”

WHO: Local filmmakers WHAT: Belco Flicks WHEN: Wed March 7 WHERE: theatre@BCS Since its beginning in 2009 Belco Flicks has offered filmmakers an opportunity to screen their work in a theatre setting, and offers audiences a rare opportunity to see locally made, independent films that are often only screened privately. Belco Flicks IV - Reconciliation will be screened to coincide with the launch of BCS’s inaugural Reconciliation Action Plan. Films included in the program must in some way express or explore the theme Reconciliation. Films may explore the issue of reconciliation between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders and other Australians but this is not essential as they may also explore the reconciliation of other conflicts. Email simone.penkethman@bcsact.com.au for more info or head to the BCS website.

WHO: Arc Cinema WHAT: Autumn Silents WHEN: March 3 - 12 WHERE: Arc Cinema, National Film and Sound Archive Autumn Silents is a unique opportunity for an original silent cinema experience. The season is focused on early polar cinema heritage in celebration of the centenary of Sir Douglas Mawson’s Australasian Antarctic Expedition. Autumn Silents’ Antarctic silent cinema showcase - Shadows on White Ice - includes films from the NFSA’s own collection and film archives from around the globe. In the Shadows on White Ice program audiences can see rare films of the early 20th century polar expeditions of Ernest Shackleton, Douglas Mawson and others that are less familiar – expeditions that 100 years ago also visited Antarctic from France, Japan, and Scotland. Head to www.nfsa.gov.au for more info.

WHO: Photographer Astrid Breuer WHAT: Exhibition – Music and Light WHEN: Opening Fri March 9, 6pm. Running ‘til March 25 WHERE: Foyer of Belconnen Arts Centre

WHO: Alliance Française WHAT: French Film Festival 2012 WHEN: Wednesday 14 March – Sunday 1 April WHERE: Arc Cinema, National Film and Sound Archive and Greater Union Manuka A new generation of filmmakers will be showcasing the latest trends in contemporary French cinema, bringing startling cinematic experiences to the Alliance Française French Film Festival. This year the Festival will include two special events; The Francophone Day Special Film Nothing to Declare on Tuesday March 20 at 6.30pm (GU Manuka), sponsored by the Royal Embassy of Belgium - including Belgium chocolate tasting session and free Belgium beer, and the film Café de Flore, on Friday March 30 at 6pm (NFSA) - including a reception sponsored by the High Commission of Canada. Canberra is ready, yet again, to experience this first class event full of emotion, passion and food for thought. For ticketing visit www. affrenchfilmfestival.org or www.greaterunion.com.au .

From the artist: “Music is transcendent. It can touch you deep down and can make you really happy, or it can bring a sense of melancholy. The challenge for photography is to communicate these transcendent moments. This exhibition explores the wealth of talent in the Canberra music scene, capturing the spirit and enthusiasm of these gifted musicians as they take their audiences to new places.” Music and Light is opening at 6pm on Friday March 9, and on Sunday March 18 there’s an opportunity to meet Astrid at 2pm. For more information head to www.bcsact.com.au .

WHO: Impro ACT WHAT: Crescendo WHEN: March 1-3 and 8-10 WHERE: The Street Theatre From Impro ACT: “This band plays reality theatre. You create original song titles. The band creates the songs, right on the spot. Be a fly on the wall as a rehearsal ensues, and discover how each band member feels about each other, public issues, and their music. Be a fan, as the concert follows, and see how their public face changes. What will be hidden and what will be revealed? Music rules OK, but in a band, it’s always a drama.” Tickets are $28/$22. Book on 6247 1223 or www. thestreet.org.au .

LOS CAPS BOOT CAMP ben hermann When Canberra’s favourite sons LOS CAPITANES return home for a long overdue launch of their latest album Rest for the Wicked this March, they’ll bring with them not only the slick ska, punk and reggae beats that have brought them nation-wide love in a decidedly postska and post- err, punk, era, but also a taste of their new material which vocalist Tim Kent says is a natural product of the group’s various influences. “These days, we’re sort of more of a hip-hop type band,” Kent says. “Most of the guys, including me, are completely addicted to hiphop. Half the band has always been ‘jazz’, and half ‘punk’. Hip-hop is the type of music that really unites us. We’re moving away from that double-time punk stuff. It’s still very important to us, and has undeniably shaped us, but Reel Big Fish aren’t really on my iPod much these days,” he says. “It’s not like I feel we’ve outgrown it. But, you know, music is a journey,” Kent adds, with a mocking touch of sarcasm. “We’ll definitely be dropping a few new tunes next week. It’s been over a year since we’ve written and played a new song, so we’re really excited.”

Reel Big Fish aren’t really on my iPod much these days

Although the group’s musical influences are gradually changing, Kent seems to suggest that the most important change is in their desire to create a more coherent collection of music. The group journeyed to the coast for a week in January to lock themselves in a house, play music, and get drunk at the beach in what Kent describes as “sonic boot camp.” “It was a good chance for us to sit down and talk about what we’ve been listening to and what type of music we want to create,” he says. “Rather than just haphazardly throwing tracks down and calling it progressive, we want to make everything on our next album more deliberate and more musical.” Comparing the work to their recent Rest for the Wicked, Kent says the band is more comfortable with itself now than when recording it. “We want to take a page out of the hip-hop book and keep things simple. The last album was a bit coming of age. We felt like we had something to prove; there were lots of odysseys. We’re a bit more mature now. We don’t feel like we have to ride our bike with no hands.” So did the group ever see themselves lasting this long? For a band who began playing together in high school, they’ve done incredibly well to survive the post-school, post-uni pressures that often bring an end to such projects. “I think if we thought it was gonna be a long term thing we wouldn’t have picked such a shitty band name,” Kent says. “School was over and we thought ‘fuck it, we might as well keep going’. I just woke up and it was eight years later.” Los Capitanes play ENLIGHTEN on Saturday March 3 alongside Eagle and the Worm, Damn Fine Gentlemen and The Blue Ruins. The show has free entry and runs from 6.30-11pm in the Western Zone in the Parliamentary Triangle.

PUNK IS HERE dan bigna Joe Strummer once sang “No Beatles, Elvis or The Rolling Stones in 1977,” a call to action that Canberra punk bands thrashing it out in the suburbs at that time took to heart. Chris Shakallis, keeping the punk flame burning with his band The Young Docteurs, has been putting in the hard yards to document the original Canberra punk scene on his CANBERRA PUNK AND BEYOND Facebook page and in esteemed venues like The ANU Bar where a massive gig happened last November. That was then, but courtesy of the You Are Here festival next month local music fans will discover that once upon a time in quiet and neatly manicured suburbia It’s not all about intense rock ‘n’ roll happened from revival but also bands at first in the garage, moving to being in the the local community hall, then playing present and ard sets with The Birthday Party.

looking forw

Rock Against Boredom Revisited will feature the raucous likes of Vacant Lot, Real Gone Lovers and Capital Punishment who have all reformed for this event. I attended the ANU show last year and what I took from it beyond many beers consumed and pogo dancing in the best tradition was a communal celebration of the past. “It brought a lot of people back together,” Shakallis says. “For that gig people had flown in from all parts of the country and I don’t think that was about any particular band playing. I think it was more about the event itself. A lot of people saw it as a great opportunity to reconnect to other people with whom they probably spent pretty intense times way back in the punk era.” This ongoing interest has translated into the latest Canberra Punk and Beyond offering that will feature a bunch of bands that had performed at the original Rock Against Boredom punk gigs in late 1970s. The common factor for both audience and bands back then and now is a shared view about the enduring impact of punk rock. “My impression of punk was sparked really from the initial impetus when punk first happened,” Shakallis says. “It was something really new. The template hadn’t been fully formed on how it should be so there was a lot of diversity. That was what I originally liked about it. We could work out what was the real thing and what was the packaged form.” This forthcoming edition of Canberra Punk and Beyond will steer away from ‘packaged art’, and include an exhibition of underground poster art and multimedia projections at Rock Against Boredom Revisited. Younger punk bands Life & Limb and Call to Colour are also on the bill which says something of Shakallis’ commitment to the promotion of the punk ideal. “Part of the ethos is that it’s not all about revival but also being in the present and looking forward,” he says. “It’s about how you choose as an individual to go about something.” Canberra Punk and Beyond Presents: Rock Against Boredom Revisited, live at The ANU Bar on Saturday March 10. Acts include Young Docteurs, Real Gone Lovers, Vacant Lot, Capital Punishment, Life And Limb and Call To Colour.

style of music. “I write songs without a particular genre in mind. It’s pop, but with a big band composition that allows real orchestration of the music. We like to jam out when we play live.”

ALL SET TO SOAR Rory McCartney If you saw a recent episode of the ABC’s Adam Hills In Gordon Street Tonight, you would have witnessed the vigorous, multi-faceted musical behemoth that is EAGLE AND THE WORM. It’s been a very busy time for the eight-piece since the launch of their debut album Goodtimes in June last year, with multiple festival appearances. I chatted with the band’s vocalist and guitarist Jarrad Brown as he took a break from a little musical editing. Of their moniker, Jarrad says that “it was just a loose metaphor for highs and lows”. You’re either soaring with the eagles or burrowing in the dirt. Jarrad put the band together himself. “After starting off as a nine-piece with two keyboard players, Ben dropped out to write his own symphony.” The band has stayed solid as an eight-piece ever since. Jarrad says “I’m lucky enough to have a lot of friends who get on well together. I picked members more for their personalities than their musical ability and wanted people who would share the same chemistry on stage.” He does not want to pigeonhole the band’s

I write songs without a particular genre in mind. It’s pop, but with a big band composition

Of Goodtimes Jarrad says “it was not a concept album in any way, but the songs were all intended to relate to the album title”. He admits that the band is always busy creating new material and has even been considering record titles, but is guarded about a launch date for a follow up album. He adds “recording is different from playing live. You have to deconstruct the band a bit, noting that not every instrument will feature in every track.”

Jarrad speaks enthusiastically of the Melbourne scene. “While some venues are closing, others are opening and new opportunities are always arising.” A big buzz for him was the band’s gig at The Meredith Festival in December, as playing in front of 5,000 people was a really incredible experience. “Having a lot of fans there made it a pretty emotional day that I’ll remember.” He encourages punters to enjoy their single All I Know, available online, which features The Hypnotic Brass Ensemble of New York City, and Milwaukee MC Juiceboxxx. Jarrad recalls “I was over there on holiday, emailed their band leader and caught up with the Ensemble at Electric Ladyland Studios. We laid down a bed track, which EATW jammed off over back in Australia.” Ain’t technology wonderful! After a break during January, EATW is set to soar in 2012 with a stack of festival appearances lined up. They haven’t been in the ACT since O Week 2011 and Canberrans can catch them in action on Saturday March 3 during The Enlighten Festival. Also featuring Los Capitanes, entry is free and the show begins at 6.30pm.

THE REALNESS D Bridge’s Exit Recordings is one of those labels that manages to be both highly prolific and incredibly consistent, releasing singles and records which ‘push the lope’ of contemporary D&B whilst giving a natty chin-stroke to its past. Not content to simply release headcave 175 scattershot rinse outs, Exit explores the fringes of D&B where compositions are stripped back, there’s space and atmospherics aplenty but the riddims remain razor sharp. Romanian resident Dan HabarNam is one such artist on Exit who fits this mould, incorporating techno, ambient and other elements into the 170bpm template. His programming is meticulous and is reportedly to suffer from an ‘audiophile’s attention to detail’. According to the Exit label, Dan recorded the CD version of his new album from the vinyl masters to achieve that distinct analogue-y sound. His debut album From The Known is set to be released on Monday March 19. Sven Weisemann’s The Invisible Insurrection album under his Desolate alter-ego was criminally slept on last year. Undoubtedly indebted to the sounds of Burial, Weisemann’s template consists of gaseous ambience, subtle beauty and dubbed out slo-mo garage rhythms. Hopefully peeps won’t ignore his upcoming record Celestial Light Beings which is due for release on Hamburg’s Fauxpas Music on Monday March 12. Hot on the heels of sister label Brainmath, UK’s Ramp Recordings are set to release a new compilation in March which showcases the label’s previous releases. With one eye on the lower end of the sound spectrum, Ramp has fast become one of the go to labels for quality bass music. The compilation looks back on the label’s back catalogue and features amazing work from the likes of Zomby, FaltyDL, Shortstuff, Destro, Sbtrkt, Doc Daneeka, Dro Carey, Stay+, Hypno, Cupp Cave and more. It’s out Monday March 26. Speaking of Cupp Cave, the Belgian producer (sometimes aka Ssaliva) is set to release his new album Retina Waves on Ramp in April. Should be suitably smudgy, psychedelic and enjoyably weird. Metalheadz head honcho Goldie is marking the 100th release on his famed label with a brand new effort of his very own. Freedom will be a single-sided 12” vinyl plate and features the vocal blessings of Natalie Duncan. It’s a soulful epic number and a fitting way to mark a great milestone for the ever consistent Metalheadz. Night Slugs are set for another big year and their first album release for 2012 will come from London’s Jam City in May. Check out single The Courts (complete with strange video) online now. The b-side is entitled The Night Life and features Main Attrakionz on vocal duties. Jam City’s explorations of grime, house, hip-hop, electro and R&B sonics never cease to push dem boundaries, so should be interesting to see what he conjures for the album proper. Finally, this month – I simply can’t recommend the new Burial EP Kindred on Hyperdub enough. Three epic tunes from the mystery man, all of which ebb, sway and grow fresher and more addictive with each spin. If you don’t get it and love it, then there really is little hope left for your soul. Another gold medal for Mr Burial then. Salute! To hear music from all these releases and more, tune to THE ANTIDOTE on 2XX 98.3FM every Tuesday night from 9.30pm. Ya dun know. ROSHAMBO AKA CED NADA roshambizzle@yahoo.com.au

ALL ABOUT THE MONEYKAT Baz Ruddick I spoke to Omar Musa, one half of hip-hop duo MONEYKAT, about hard work, international hip-hop and the often overlooked deity that is the Asian golden cat of prosperity. Omar and mighty Joe met while at University in Santa Cruz in 2004 as party buddies and regular open mic attendees. Keeping in touch since, it was not until a year ago on a tour of Indonesia that the two decided to form a duo. “It happened really organically,” he explains. “I’d never really thought about being in a duo. An opportunity came up to tour Indonesia. We got an amazing reaction and we had such a good chemistry on stage that we decided we should record an album.”

We are from very different backgrounds, yet we write about similar struggles

Moneykat was born from a shared joke between the two about their Asian descent. “We would joke about how Asian we were. If I would see a shop selling bubble tea I would point and say ‘hey Joe, you would probably be pretty into that’. One day we both saw one of these golden Moneykats and we both thought the same thing and just cracked up laughing... A Moneykat brings prosperity and wealth into a business, and we sort of flip that to mean, you know, true wealth and prosperity – empowerment and self improvement.” The international nature of Moneykat is another example of the increasingly global dominance and the varied cultural adaptations of hip-hop. Omar tells me how even Indonesia has not remained unaffected by the global reaches of hip-hop. “We played some of the craziest venues. The Temple of the Dead in Bali, a 24 hour open air food court and a ritzy mall in Jakarta. There was a group we performed with called the Jogja Hip-hop Foundation, who were basically an Indonesian version of Wutang... They were like a revolutionary movement.” Despite the ever-growing popularity of Aussie hip-hop, Moneykat remain unique. “We are bringing a bit more of a socially aware poetic slant to the music. We have this sort of international connection and we are from very different backgrounds, yet we write about similar struggles.” Whilst Omar writes about struggle, he lives it every day as a hard working independent artist. “We have known for a long time that it’s a long hard graft and that you fight for every fan you have.” This desire to be independent stands in defiance of the increasingly commercial and artificial nature of the music industry. “I’m pretty heavily into the idea of being an independent artist and making all the choices... I’m a pretty firm believer that you have all your best interests at heart. I’ve seen people get label deals and then not be in control of what they are putting out. That’s against the very essence of what it is to be an artist. Fuck it, you just got to do your own thing.” Moneykat’s debut self-titled album will be available from all good record stores on Friday March 9.

It’s a hyper hiphop show with a lot of dancing songs

HYPER HIP-HOP Alisha Evans Ever since their discovery, and subsequent support, from TZU’s Joelistics eight years ago, African-born now Melbourne-based hiphop duo DIAFRIX have delighted and dazzled an increasing number of punters with their energetic live shows, and their instantly recognisable reggae/African sound. Azmarino and Momo are the soulful yin to much of Aussie hip-hop’s raging, testosterone fuelled yang. Before they were Diafrix, the pair met in the Melbourne suburb of Footscray where they had both resettled from Africa. Quick to shake off the term ‘refugee’ in 2006, just two years after forming, they released their first album Concrete Jungle. Azmarino, now 29, grew up around music and is thrilled he can travel the world doing what he loves. “Since we were young we’ve always listened to hip-hop, reggae and African music,” he says. “It’s wonderful to be able to combine the sounds we grew up with hip-hop and share it with the world.” And share it with the world they have. Last year they played the iconic Glastonbury festival and countryhopped while they were there, introducing the UK and Europe to their sound. But Australia will always be their favourite place to gig,

it seems. “Australians are easier to entertain and are always ready to party; they don’t care where you come from,” Azmarino enthuses. “The UK is full of talented MCs, they’re everywhere, so the vibe is a bit different.” Diafrix was forged in the fires of a Joel Ma (Joelistics) hip-hop workshop running in Footscray at the time. It wasn’t long before the Aussie hip-hop pioneer was encouraging them to go pro. Azmarino says Joel has always been an advisor for their music and sees him as a “mentor and big brother. Joelistics was the first person to use us as a support act,” Azmarino says, gratitude filling his voice. “He believed in us a lot. He’s the person we will always go to because he’s a very wise man.” Joel however, ever the humble soul, is quick to brush off any mentor badge and says he’s just a guy who wanted to help out some extremely talented mates. “It makes me feel awesome, but I’m no mentor. I just shared my knowledge about how to navigate the Australian music industry.” The duo can lovingly argue about Joel’s Mother Hen status when Diafrix and Joelistics come together this month for their latest tour entitled Running to Shine (a hybrid name of their latest respective singles Running It and The Shining). Azmarino and Momo are no strangers to our humble capital city – they gig here often and have played at Parliament House with Bliss and Eso. “Canberra is a very nice city – it’s peaceful, there’s less rush and the air is very fresh,” Azmarino says. It certainly is. Diafrix’s latest single Running It, with a tinge to early Lupe Fiasco, is about being young and always wanting to hold onto that youthful verve, Azmarino says. “We wanted to make a party song. We come from a dancing culture after all. We think it’s a lot of fun.” Once again it sounds like Canberra audiences are in for a treat, with the intimate Transit Bar barely able to contain the duo’s energetic live performance. “It’s not just about lyrics – it’s a hyper hiphop show with a lot of dancing songs.” Check out Diafrix and Joelistics live at Transit Bar on Sunday March 11. Tickets cost $18 + bf and are available via Moshtix. Doors 8pm.

LET THE BASS KICK

JOEL’S GOAL

morgan richards

Alisha Evans

It’s 1987, and 20-year-old Tim Simenon is working dead-end jobs by day – stacking shelves and working at fast-food joints. But by night, he dons his DJ cape and spins electro and hip-hop in dingy London clubs. Within the year, he’ll release his first single Beat Dis which will become a massive club hit and kickstart his musical career as BOMB THE BASS. But this was all brewing from an early age. “I was buying seven-inch records from when I was eight years old. The first album I ever got was through my aunt’s husband at the time, who was a drummer in a German rock band. He gave me Led Zeppelin II. I played it to death. I loved the drums and the production sounded amazing. From that point onwards I just went out and bought music Of Bowie: He was very constantly. By the time I was 15 I had a pretty good collection of music. I colourful... was the kid with the tunes and I’d be ly ant boy Flam doing houseparties and everything. colourful And that’s how it all began.”

There’s a new wave of social consciousness rising and it’s not coming from the polished parquet floors or the sweeping marble steps of Parliament House. It is starting, like most things in this land of baked red soil, from the ground up. JOELISTICS of TZU fame is one of the many players is this delicate house of cards. It is a balance game of old vs new and traditional views vs new thinking. It is a battle Joel Ma is fighting but guns and violence are not his weapons of choice. He uses music and lyrics to share his message and finally the world is listening, not just Australia.

Tim continued to DJ in clubs as he worked on his debut album, Into the Dragon. I ask him how club culture of the late ‘80s and early ‘90s compared to that of today. “The main difference was the sheer diversity of music that was being played. Now there are so many different styles of music, you can have one night dedicated to dubstep or drum ‘n’ bass or grime or whatever, and that’s all it is. But what I really enjoyed about those days was that you could hear a lot of different types of music. Electro, hip-hop, even Aretha Franklin. It was a wonderful mixed bag.” After putting out several more albums as Bomb the Bass during the ‘90s, Tim had a short break in which he built a solid reputation as a producer and remixer, working with artists as varied as David Bowie, Björk, and Dépêche Mode. Tim says of Bowie: “He was very colourful... Flamboyantly colourful. He came into the studio and just shone. Had lots to say, said everything, and then left. It really boosted everyone in the studio, it was great.” The latest album, 2010’s Back to Light, is a far cry from the gritty beats and patchwork-quilt of samples that comprised earlier work. Featuring guest vocals on every track (mostly those of Paul Conboy, who co-produced with Tim on the album and tours as part of the live show), it’s ten tracks of retro-electro with a dash of pop swagger. Brazilian minimal techno wizard Gui Boratto was also enlisted for production duties, and his touch is evident in the album’s smooth, crisp sound. So what can fans expect from Bomb the Bass this time around? “We’ll be showcasing five or six new songs from the record we’re currently working on. It’ll be released in autumn hopefully. But it’s the first time we’re playing any of the new material. Paul and I are pretty curious as to how it’s going to sound. We’re starting rehearsals tomorrow. Then we fly straight from here to Australia. Am I excited? Abso-bloody-lutely!” Bomb the Bass play at Playground Weekender on March 2-4 at Wisemans Ferry NSW. Head to www.showclix.com/static/playground2012 for more.

[In Australia] there’s not a great deal of room for ethnic diversity in TV and music…

“[In Australia] there’s not a great deal of room for ethnic diversity in TV and music.” But the Melbourne based artist is more determined than discouraged to enjoy what he does and share this joy with fans and audiences. “It’s a twisted world out there but don’t let that stop you from having fun.” Joel is backing up his recent solo tour of the Voyager album with another two month stint to promote his latest single and EP The Shining, which he assures me is nothing to do with the film of the same title. “It’s about being blinded by the big lights and all the temptations involved in city life,” he says. It is an eclectic mix of songs including his latest single, remixes from Voyager, and some of his favourite Aussie acts including Diafrix, Rufus, and Ishu. Regular BMA’ers will recognise Ishu from Joel’s last gig at Transit Bar in August. The man is looking forward to returning to Transit, this time jamming with his good friends and fellow friendly ideologues hip-hop duo Diafrix. “I love Canberra; I always have a genuinely good time,” he enthuses. “Canberra often gets left off the map when it comes to gigs but I want people to know it’s not a truck stop but an actual city worth visiting. “This time round, Diafrix and I want to promote [social] awareness and the concept of people being open minded.” Azmarino and Momo of Diafrix first met Joel in the diverse Melbourne suburb of Footscray where the ever-busy TZU member was running a hip-hop workshop. Joel’s desire to nurture the careers of others, combined with his ability to recognise talent when he sees it, led him to encourage the pair to take their music further. “I want to help artists that don’t fit the typical music mould, so to speak,” he says. “For me, it’s really important that a more diverse range of voices are heard in Aussie hip-hop.” The Running to Shine tour with Joelistics and Diafrix will hit the Transit Bar on Sunday March 11, doors 8pm. Tickets are $18 + bf and are available from www.moshtix.com.au or Landspeed Records in Civic.

METALISE Kill For Satan are releasing the long awaited follow up to the Thy Kingdom Undone record with the newy, The Final Conflict, due for release in March and the band are launching the record at The Basement on Saturday March 31. Also along for the festivities are Rise, Reign of Terror and Aeturnus Dominion. Chaos ACT is one helluva huge show rolling through the territory this weekend. The sixth iteration of the fest lands at The Maram out in Erindale on Saturday March 3 and features Sybreed from Switzerland headlining a massive bill including Aeon of Horus, Ignite the Ibex, Elysian, Anno Domini, Mytile Vey Lorth, Ouroboros, Alice Through the Windshield Glass, A Million Dead Birds Laughing, House of Thumbs, The Schoenberg Automation, The Automata and Norse. Get out there. Cathedral rolled over us last fortnight as did the Sydney Soundwave and a bunch of mates also went and saw Mastodon, Kvelertak and Steel Panther and etc etc. This ish comes out the day before the Lamb Of God, In Flames and Black Dahlia Murder show in Canberra so welcome to town blokes and hope punters and bands all have a good show. Dates were announced for Fu Manchu’s welcome return to Australia for the first time in years with a full tour off the back of the Cherry Rock Festival in Melbourne on Sunday April 29. Also touring with them is Southern Lord band Black Cobra on their second Australian jaunt and the Sydney show on Thursday May 3 at the new Hi Fi venue is a mere 40 bucks from Moshtix. Arch Enemy must need some frequent flyer points as they’re popping through Australia for two shows at the end of April/start of May. The Sydney show is at The Manning Bar on Monday April 30 with Teramaze and Elysian. metropolistouring.com is the URL for tickets. Steve Grimmet, a name probably not all that familiar to younger metal fans, fronted legendary New Wave of British Heavy Metal band Grim Reaper for many years and is doing an Aussie tour this year. Canberra is getting a show and The Basement in Belconnen on Friday March 9 is the night to catch him along with Darker Half, Taberah and Dragonsclaw. Queenslander’s Defamer are currently on tour in Japan with Japanese band GxSxD (allegedly standing for God Sends Death) and the two bands are swinging by The Basement on Monday March 12 with Mytile Vey Lorth and Wretch. Unkle K’s Band of the Week: Rotting Hills: Canadian purveyors of epic sludge supposedly feature five drummers in the line-up (?!?!). rottinghills.bandcamp.com . JOSH NIXON doomtildeath@hotmail.com

the word

on albums

album of the issue

Shearwater Animal Joy [Sub Pop]

It’d be too easy to say that your feelings about Shearwater’s latest album are a function of your attachment to the ‘80s. But it’s partially true. The Austin, Texas band sound like a time capsule from the decade normally written off for chintzy keyboards and teased haircuts. Jonathan Meiburg has a vocal range which is almost a perfect DNA match for another timeless ‘80s band; Mark Hollis’ Talk Talk. It’s an odd back-of-the-throat low warble, with a vibrato that teeters on the cusp of despair and fury. On occasions Meiburg will arch back and unwind a searing, sky-scraper wail so unaffected you might just blush; the blistering final track Star of the Age for example, an emotional and anthemic showstopper that welds the magisterial bravado of Simple Minds circa The Breakfast Club onto the sneakily-cribbed melody of Talking Heads’ Heaven. Odd bedfellows, but that’s only the half of it. Whilst fellow arch-revivalists Arcade Fire trade in over the top bombast, hammering points

into mushy insignificance, Shearwater are more inclined to mix things up by throwing in obscure chords or unpredictable phrasings as they do on the opening track Animal Life. In amongst the throbbing urgency are some off-kilter deviations – harbingers for the album ahead. Animal Joy’s tent pole track, the one holding the entire album together, is Insolence. Low rattles give way to hanging single piano note dirges, before choruses crash and rise whilst Meiburg reaches for the heavens. Ordinarily this sort of overwrought approach is insufferable and pretentious, but that voice makes it all work. There are missteps. Immaculate is a straight rocker in search of a reason and not only does it fail to find one, it comes off as a Maximo Park B-side. Brevity is its key attribute. Likewise Run The Banner Down drifts by without a tangible hook. The confines of a time limit work against Shearwater, they need space to breathe and ramble to epic conclusions. Nevertheless, Animal Joy is a complex, confident and demanding album. JUSTIN HOOK

Casablanca apocalyptic Youth [Rocket Songs]

lana del ray Passerby Chorale [Independent]

The great thing about reviewing records is not, as you might imagine, being party to prerelease snippets of the new Veronicas opus. Rather, it’s waking up one morning to find, nestling in the womblike safety of the family inbox, albums like Apocalyptic Youth.

Realistically, how are you meant to review an album with so much personal invective and venom projected on to it? This goes far beyond issues of objective vs subjective – everyone seems to have a powerfully felt opinion on Lizzy Grant and they all think each is crucial to understanding the singer. Many feel cheated. Why? Hers is a persona. Don’t believe a word she says. You don’t need to. It doesn’t matter. She whispers lines codified in the scaffolding of female objectification and how you feel about it makes her neither dangerous as a role model nor puerile as an artist. This truly is a case where words have no power. She’s a fucking indie chanteuse for god’s sake – get a grip.

Casablanca are, of course, Swedish – that’s where all the new music of consequence issues from these days – and they are, in two words, bloody brilliant. Of course new music is something of a misnomer, since the band peddles a delirious mixture of late ‘70s Brit rock raunch (frontman Anders Ljung is a sonic dead ringer for venerable pub rocker Graham Parker) and US FM radio cool, this delicious conflation augmented with just a hint of hair metal pizzazz to round things off. It’s a heady mélange, with every song slinking in and out of your consciousness seemingly in an instant yet still leaving an unforgettable chorus as a calling card. Standout track Rich Girl is pure ‘70s arena rock nirvana; a jangling, almost Killers-like guitar figure ushering in a tough, punchy pop song that wouldn’t have gone amiss on albums from the likes of The Knack or The Motors back in the day – make no mistake, this is the real deal, in all its tattered, knowingly retro glory. If you think of yourself as something of a hipster, stay away from this. If you know what’s what, musically, however, you won’t hear a better record all year. Scott Adams

So how are the songs? Pitching herself as cut-rate Beth Gibbons with an edge it’s all smoky-hued damsel in a nightclub and long flowing dress with attitude. These are modest ambitions. And regardless of the SNL non-incident, Del Rey can really hold a tune. The voice isn’t jaw dropping but Blue Jeans, Video Games, Radio and Dark Paradise are all thoroughly agreeable pop tunes. The remainder, less so and samey – National Anthem reminded me of Lady Sovereign. OK, moving on. Born To Die might not be for the ages, but it’s certainly – and enjoyably – for the now and not the failure made out to be. I listened to Born To Die whilst putting together a new IKEA shelving unit. It served its purpose. JUSTIN HOOK

Various Artists Free The Beats Vol. 5 [Free The Beats]

Mornings Mornings [hellosQuare recordings]

POLIÇA Give You The Ghost [Totally Gross National...]

The Peep Tempel The Peep Tempel [Wing Sing Records]

Previous volumes in this ongoing series have seen Jack Prest’s Sydney-based collective unearth some of the most interesting leftfield hip-hop beats currently emanating. Here the theme centres around sci-fi, the track listing featuring the odd recognisable name such as Prest and Pmajor alongside a score of newcomers. From the outset the emphasis falls upon laidback, head nodding instrumentals, with Admin Beats’ We’ve Got To Contact Them cutting up and scattering retro spoken B-movie samples over a juddering backdrop of boom-bap snares, funk guitar stabs and bleeping electronic noises, before Able’s We Have No Time ventures out into dubstep-kissed soul as booming sub-bass drops roll beneath liquid-sounding synth stabs and noodling jazz-centred keys.

The first release by Canberra locals Mornings – recorded in the new Brick Lane studio space of Shoeb Ahmad (hellosQuare), mastered by Chicago’s Carl Saff, with cover art by Nadia Hooton – is strong, cohesive and captures their live energy. The instrumental (bar Flamingo) EP exhales some Fugazi-esque unapologetic attitude and the layered, instrumental strength of bands like My Disco, Battles and Explosions In The Sky.

Back before everyone was divided on whether vocals should be affected in any way, whether autotune was breathing life into or taking it away from pop, in simpler times, arty bands used to get loop, chorus, delay and echo pedals and use them on their vocalist, not just their guitars. Smashing us straight back into that era and sound is Minnesota’s POLIÇA (pronounced ‘PoLisa’). A by-product of some of neo-soul supergroup Gayngs recording sessions, the band formed when Ryan Olson got Channy Leaneagh in for some session vocals, and decided she needed her own band. In Poliça, Channy’s dreamy, arty pop vocals loop and play with each other over the top of brooding keys and strings, creating an engaging environment, and then... then... Then comes the real highlight of the band – two drummers, that create the most amazing cacophony of percussion at every right turn, restrained when needed, chaotic with every tension release – see Violent Games as just one of this album’s many highlights. The band flits between this sophisticated elegant pop and this twisting and frenetic dance, vulnerable and longing in equal measures with self-assured and resolved confidence expressed in each track. This album is stunning, exciting and exquisite for a soul band’s experimental side project. Make sure you track it down in some form or another.

By the powers of fate, the planets aligned to place inventive musos Blake Scott and Stevie Striker side by side as neighbours. After adopting the curious moniker of The Peep Tempel, putting out some releases on vinyl and adding bassist Matt Chow, they have released their debut long player. The music carries a deliberately harsh edge, to reflect the mean street themes of living on the bones of your bum and having run-ins with the law.

Elsewhere, NZ’s Louis McCallum sends a clattering percussion break rolling against flourishes of brittle retro synths on Scary Music Pt.2 that calls to mind one of Daedelus’ eccentrically playful excursions as dreamlike synthetic burbles and wideeyed pitch-bends gradually resolve themselves around a sturdy backbone of MPC beats and zapping electronics, before Kaputs’ BRunner sees the more brittle and glitchy synthetic textures rising to the forefront. An impressive comp that’s well worth seeking out – available as a limited CDR run or free download from www. freethebeats.com . Chris Downton

The sound is multidimensional from the relentless coal train that sucks you in and spits you out (2:1), to the sly lullaby (Able) that mercilessly throws you from sleep into free-fall, to the hipster shuffle-inducing Alaska. Yvonne Lam caresses the drums before knocking your socks off with the same rhythmic ferocity she delivers live. As one avid fan exclaimed at a recent live show, “she can really hit those skins!” The bass (Alejandro Alcatraz) is the heartbeat, grounding the harmonic and melodic knots woven by the guitarists (John Binos, Jordan Rodgers). Treated percussion and electronics roll around like ghosts, and bird calls give a sense of free space. Effortlessly tight, Mornings delivers energy interspersed with insect-like inflections and industrial might. Breakdowns drop with brutal intensity but there are poignant, destructible moments too (Buffalo). It lifts you above the city like it’s King Kong, releases, and leaves you in a happy heap on the floor.

ALISTAIR ERSKINE

Veiled by distortion to project a ragged vibe, the venom flows through at a furious pace in the opening track. Collusion uses a manic, post-punk delivery, before the guys switch to blues rock with a tribal rhythm in Mission Floyd. Blake hurls the vitriolic “I will hunt for you until the day that I die” into the punter’s face as the music yowls about him like fretting dogs. Traffic runs headlong into a hedonistic jam session, with a background patter of race calls which hints at the obsessive desperation of gambling. The Peep Tempel teases with flashes of the styles of other bands, channelling Public Image Limited in the foot stomping Thank You Machiavelli and Kings of Leon in the redneck chant of Do What You Want. The band theme song Down at the Peep Tempel is a traffic light hoedown, a political manifesto that degenerates into an all in jam. It’s a soundtrack for a cinematic display of life’s seamier side. RORY McCARTNEY

Sophia McDonald

the word

on films

WITH MELISSA WELLHAM

The winners of the BAFTAs – the British equivalent of the Oscars – were recently announced. Often considered to be an indication of who’s going to take home that little golden man (okay… not using that phrase again…), this year’s BAFTAs didn’t present many surprises. Particularly non-surprising was that The Artist took out Best Film – and my money is on this result being repeated at Oscars. Though, what would I know? Maybe we’ll all be surprised, and War Horse will win.

quote of the issue

“We’re not bad people. We just come from a bad place.” Sissy (Carey Mulligan), Shame

Shame Shame is a powerful film about addiction. Oh, okay – about sex addiction. Brandon (Michael Fassbender) lives in isolation in New York. He shuns all intimacy or genuine connection with women, while privately struggling with sex addiction. His affliction barely seems to affect his life, but when his troubled younger sister Sissy (Carey Mulligan) comes to stay, his carefully controlled existence begins to unravel. Much of the media hype surrounding Shame has been focused on the fact that, yes, you get to see Michael Fassbender’s penis. A lot. But this film has much more to offer than excessive nudity. Indeed, even Fassbender’s admittedly aesthetically pleasing form fails to tantalise or titillate, in the context of his life of loneliness. It is Fassbender’s performance that really makes the film. The fact that he was snubbed for an Oscar nomination says more about the stuffy values of the institution, than how convincing he is in the role. Director Steve McQueen – who incidentally gave Fassbender his big break in Hunger – has created a taut, beautifully crafted film, which is at times harrowing and haunting. The cinematography is infused with soft, warm light that entrances the audience, even as you wish you could look away. Shame is not a plot-heavy film, and it runs perhaps slightly overlong, but it’s a thoughtful, subtle character drama. Its strengths lie not where it is explicit; but rather, where the character development is implicit.

Melissa Wellham

Martha Marcy May Marlene At the close of Martha, I wasn’t sure exactly what I thought. I knew it was beautiful in terms of cinematography and unsettling in terms of content – but had I liked it? It’s not exactly enjoyable, per se – watching as fragile Martha’s (Elizabeth Olsen) memories of her time spent in a cult unfold piece by piece, tensely linked to her present reality (staying with her sister, Lucy, who she reunites with after escaping the cult). As Martha recovers from a pretty messed-up couple of years, her erratic behaviour is gradually explained as the film cleverly cuts between her time in the cult and her time spent with Lucy. In comparison to Lucy, Martha seems even stranger – and even though she’s unpredictable and odd, you feel for Martha and what she’s endured. The cult is extremely interesting, and while disturbing (this escalates as the film progresses) it is well handled and manages to escape being a clichéd depiction (no Nike sneakers here). In fact, it’s all too realistic. Olsen is magnetic a really great performance. After more thought, I did like Martha Marcy May Marlene. Director Sean Durkin gives us just enough to think about, teasing us with information and letting us come to our own conclusions about Martha’s mental state and what is actually real. A sad and engaging film, it won’t suit everyone’s tastes but it is certainly unique and compelling. MEGAN McKEOUGH

The Descendants Despite starring the ever dashing, dapper and charming George Clooney – this is not a George Clooney-esque film. It’s neither slick nor stylish. Rather, it’s a moving film about how messy life can be. Directed by Alexander Payne – the creator of Sideways – The Descendants follows Matt King (George Clooney) an altogether gawky and geeky kind of guy, who is perhaps too wrapped up in his own life to pay much attention to his free-spirited wife (Patricia Hastie), and his 16 and ten-year old daughters, Alexandra (Shailene Woodley) and Scottie (Amara Miller). But when his wife is injured in a jet ski accident and falls into a coma, Matt is forced to reexamine his life and reconnect with his family. The Descendants is humourous, heart-warming, but also tragic. Although the focus of the film might be quite small, the punch the film packs is larger than the sum of its parts. If some directors are auteurs, displaying amazing scope and breadth of vision; then Payne is more a novelist, interested in telling a story, and slowly revealing his characters to the audience. Ultimately, the film is never quite as deep or as complex as it wants to be. It’s lovely, but The Descendants is certainly nothing new. However, it should be commended for its honesty and authenticity. The minutiae of The Descendants shows life as it really is: a little bit awkward, at times awful, and often beautiful. MELISSA WELLHAM

the word on dvds

The Trip: The Series [Madman]

Wallander – S1 and S2 [Roadshow]

Parks and Recreation S3 [Universal]

Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon. The former, as Alan Partridge, has done enough in this lifetime to guarantee genius status. Sadly, he finds it impossible to escape Partridge (another TV series and film this year) and is haunted by the character – in The Trip he dreams of intrusive fans and in solitary moments on barren cliffs lets rip a knowing, world wearied “A-haaaaa” to vacant horizons. Coogan also gained fame as a man who enjoyed earthly pleasures through most of his adult life and as News Int’s most articulate nemesis. Brydon is a panel show stalwart who also brutally mocked the whole concept in his little seen gem Annually Retentive and whose family friendly geniality is in stark contrast to his co-star’s abrasiveness.

Kurt Wallander is Swedish author Henning Mankell’s glum cult lit hero, someone who shuffles through scenes of wretchedness and the aftermath of murder with an air of detached melancholia. An unkempt man, Wallander (Kenneth Branagh) shows all the lumps of a lifetime of not caring. He’s also a blunt speaker of mind and outside of his day job struggles with a father with dementia, an absent daughter and a junk food/red wine diet.

A few things happened during Parks and Recreation’s third season. For starters, it confirmed itself as one of the best comedies on TV. Season one was a confused knock-off of The Office that struggled for tone. Season two steadied the ship and it became the ‘nice’ network comedy in a sea of snark. This one fires on every cylinder; whether it’s a love of pun-tastic headlines of fictional events (“Ice Town Costs Ice Clown Town Crown” and “Knope Grope is Last Hope”) or references to obscure ‘90s pop-rap hits (Len’s Steal My Sunshine), the amiable show set in a municipal council in middle America became essential viewing.

In this six episode series, the two ‘friends’ drive around northern England in Coogan’s flash Range Rover, endlessly prod each other, eat posh food and take in some pretty damn impressive drizzle-flecked scenery. Ostensibly, Coogan has been hired by The Observer newspaper to write some food reviews. In reality – they eat, they fight. It looks like a naturalistic lo-fi doc: two old fools eating, bickering and engaging in off the cuff impersonation battles until one of them (Coogan, usually) sighs heavily in resignation or sheer boredom. In truth it’s a scripted comedy where they play enhanced versions of themselves. Like Tristram Shandy, this approach can be infuriating. It speaks of massive egotism to assume an audience cares about the ‘real’ lives of quite successful British comedians. But then, this conceit is exactly why it works; you never quite know when the antagonism is real or imagined. Their infamous Michael Caine impression-off was a viral hit; it’s barely the tip of the iceberg. JUSTIN HOOK

In this second series of the BBC’s take on the Swedish copper each of the three 90 minute telemovies is based on a Mankell novel. The first opens with Wallander confronting the details of a diabetic lifestyle with his daughter’s new Syrian boyfriend. What followed was 90 minutes of pedestrian plotting and absurd storytelling about immigrants and neo-Nazis that hit none of their marks. The one highlight is Wallander’s fatal use of his gun on a skinhead – ramifications follow. In the other episodes, a killer of nasty middle-aged men is on the loose and a millionaire philanthropist with the whitest dining room in history may or may not be an African organ thief. Through it all, Wallander spirals out of control unable to overcome the impact of his trigger finger and incapable of falling asleep in anything other than an uncomfortable chair. Branagh is brilliant – reserved, tightly coiled and quite happy to let open space do all the talking.

Add to that the Adam Scott’s turn as Ben Wyatt (the aforementioned Ice Clown), Rob Lowe as the most optimistic man on earth and the emergence of Chris Pratt, as lovable lunk Andy, as a genuine comic talent with razor sharp timing – then it becomes obvious Parks is also one of the best ensemble comedies going around. And then there’s Nick Offerman’s Ron Swanson. If nothing else, Parks created one of the great sitcom characters of all time in Swanson – the meat-obsessed, deadpan, fishing and gun loving patriarch of the show and a veritable meme-machine. Beyond the Buzzfeed-baiting, Offerman was actually quite brilliant, injecting a much needed dose of realism and straight talking.

Indeed, cinematography production design and the small town of Ystad are the real stars of Wallander. The Swedish landscape brims with oversaturated natural colours, skies are wide open and the furniture is classic ‘70s Swedish… Clean lines ahoy! Despite its faults Wallander is one of the most striking TV shows around and a victory for character over plot.

By cultivating a loose group of decent folk and resisting the urge to give them overtly attention-seeking attributes Parks plays it small. But in doing so, the pressure to deliver the Sturm und Drang every week is non-existent. Sure, world famous miniature horse Lil Sebastian went missing in one episode and meets an untimely fate in the final but that’s about it. Sometimes small is better.

JUSTIN HOOK

the word

BLACKBOX

on games

Lord of the Rings: War in the North Developer: Snowblind Studios Platforms: PS3, 360, PC, OnLive Length: 20 hrs + Rating: Grab with a mate Lord of the Rings: War in the North was never going to win any awards. If nothing else the game seems entirely mistimed, not just because the LOTR craze has died off, but because it’s decided to surface during the biggest wave of AAA titles ever seen. Among those of course is Skyrim, a title that arguably does everything War in the North does, but better. Having not actually played Skyrim, I cannot say that for sure, but what I can say is that War in the North was surprisingly fun. Such a thing was entirely unexpected, given there’s nothing about this game that’s particularly stunning. The graphics are solid enough, but pretty standard for this generation. The role playing elements are addictive, but lack any real depth. Even the story feels a little meh. Rather than reprising the role of any of our favourite characters, we are instead introduced to a new fellowship. While this could feel a little cheap, particularly given how two of the three look identical to their famous counterparts, it makes for a more original take on the LOTR universe. That said, don’t expect the story to be of the same quality as Tolkien’s classic, although it is probably about the same length. Having said there’s nothing stunning about this title, it should also be noted that there’s nothing particularly wrong about it either. Admittedly the difficulty level can be a bit inconsistent, with some bits being significantly harder than others, not least because of some badly placed autosaves. Likewise, starting a game with a mate feels unnecessarily confusing and the game does occasionally suffer from framerate drops. However, most of these issues are pretty forgivable and in the case of the difficulty level, actually helps to keep you on your toes. What makes this game work is the presence of the co-op mode. Personally the idea of playing this alone would just feel more laborious than enjoyable. However, playing with a mate can make for many hours of enjoyable play, although of course this does eventually tire after a few sessions. I guess my reluctance to praise this game any more is that is essentially its best aspect is your mate sitting next to you. Arguably a hospital visit also isn’t that bad if you’ve got your mates with you. On reflection, I probably got more enjoyment out of this game than say Rayman or Drake’s. Weirdly enough I would probably still be more willing to fork out money on those titles than this one. I guess that’s because those games still appeal when played on their own. While I never thought or cared to play this game in that way, I would recommend having a mate or two lined up if you do intend to grab this one. Torben Sko

Once upon a time in the ‘burbs, a group of Canberra 20-somethings with not much else to do created a series of short schlock horror films about a teddy bear named Kuddles. It involved some unscrupulous acts with Barbie dolls, purposefully bad acting and a lot of fake blood. Back in the days before YouTube it was passed around on a videotape. No doubt Danger 5 (SBS1, Mon, 9.30pm) started life in much the same way. Set in WWII and reimagined as a B-grade ‘60s spy thriller, replete with bad acting, establishing shots with poorly constructed cardboard models, and plenty of scantily clad vixens it’s like the bastard love child of the Thunderbirds, Austin Powers and Top Secret! (it was the ‘60s). Destined to be a cult hit – miss it at your peril. Elsewhere in comedy land there’s Grandma’s House (ABC2, Thu, 10pm ) starring comedian Simon Amstell, best known as the host of UK’s version of Spicks and Specks – Never Mind the Buzzcocks, 2BrokeGirls (WIN, Tue, 8pm) which has its moments and cult hit Portlandia (ABC2, Thu, 10pm). The Chaser team will be back in the year with The Goodies’ Graeme Garden for an Australian version of The Unbelievable Truth. The British show (which features Garden) makes comedians tell unbelievable stories while managing to pass off five facts as fiction. Probably something the Chaser team will excel at, one would think. The Ricky Gervais Show (SBS1, Mon Mar 5, 10.05pm) is a bit of a money spinner – the audio podcasts of Gervais, Merchant and Pilkington and whacking an animation on top. Gervais makes more money without really having to do anything. For those with a hankering for more crime there’s a new series of Waking the Dead (ABC1, Sun Mar 11, 8.35pm) and for medico fans a new season of House (SCTEN, Sun, 9.45pm). Docos to check out include Lily Allen: From Riches to Rags (ABC2, Wed Feb 29, 8.30pm) – a series following the songstress as she and her sister set up a clothing business, Fry’s Planet Word (ABC2, Sun Mar 11, 9.30pm) where Stephen Fry takes a look at sixth development of language, including participating in a Klingon version of Hamlet, Fukushima: Is nuclear power safe? (SBS1, Sun Mar 4, 8.30pm) which asks the question not just in Japan but more broadly, The Spice Trail (SBS1, Thu Mar 8, 8.30pm) – a three-parter that looks at 15th century spice trade, Aung San Suu Kyi – Lady of no fear (SBS2, Thu Mar 8, 7.30pm), Vivienne Westwood: Do it yourself (SBS2, Sat Mar 10, 8.30pm) which looks at the life and work of the designer, and Sunday Best: Metallica: Some Kind of Monster (ABC2, Sun Mar, 4 8.30pm). Classic movies to check out include Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (GEM, Sat Mar 3, 2.40pm), Broadcast News (SCTEN, Sat Mar 3, 10.30pm), Fight Club (Go!, Mon Mar 5, 9.30pm), Gremlins (Go!, Fri Mar 9, 7.30pm) and Zombie Strippers (Go!, Fri Mar 9, 9.40pm) with Jenna Jameson in the lead role. Don’t miss new Spooks (ABC1, Sat Mar 2, 8.30pm), Charlie Sheen Roast (WIN, Thu Mar 1, 11pm) for voyeuristic reasons of course, and CSI: Miami – Wheels Up (WIN, Wed Mar 7, 10.30pm) which delves into the world of Roller Derby. twitter: @ChezBlackbox TRACY HEFFERNAN tracyheffernan@bigpond.com

the word

Full Moon Party, O Week ANU Union Court Friday February 17

on gigs

ANUSA’s Full Moon Party, hailed by the organisers as the biggest O Week gig in the country, with a line-up as cool as a fixed gear bicycle, started off slowly. As hail and torrential rain deterred the arrival of the populace, we waited, but it did not keep them away. By the time triple j up and comers New Navy began the crowd was swollen, wet and ready for a party. Lightning illuminated the stage and drove the crowd into an ecstasy of mayhem. New Navy are a band that tick all the boxes for ‘Aussie alt’ – they are upbeat, catchy and radio friendly. The band gave a solid performance that did not leave any fan disappointed. New Navy have a really current sound and exude some really sharp guitar tones, which are very sexy and soothing to the ear. Closing with their familiar track Zimbabwe, the crowd seemed to have forgotten how sodden they were and had replaced care with euphoria. Fashion and music have always been heavily entwined and the crowds at concerts are always a good indication of new trends in fashion. So I guess it is lucky for the homeless as apparently garbage bags are in vogue. On fashion, I think Kimbra definitely got it right. In a little red dress that was a cross between Hepburn in Funny Faces and a Pat Brassington image, she and her entourage of male musicians were trendier then troll dolls in the ‘60s. Kimbra’s debut album Vows feels like an early ‘90s R&B album; something that Lauryn Hill might have released, which is what helped push the album above other indie-fem albums of late. But in her live performance this was thrown away and replaced with more of an ‘80s synth sound. With two keyboardists on stage it fell further in line with the rest of today’s indie sound. But the synths were strong and kept the live act tight and the crowd dancing. Plain Gold Rings, in my opinion, is the strongest track from her album and also in her live performance. This is a mixture of the simplicity of the song structure, which allows Kimbra to show her obviously extensive vocal range as well as her great respect for Nina Simone. This is perhaps the key to what Kimbra is doing, she is paying ode to music that she adores and beautifully recrafts it for a new audience, adding indie sounds and pop hooks. Maybe not too dissimilar to Nick Cave, who covered the track during the early ‘90s and reinvigorated blues music for a post-punk crowd. Kimbra is conceivably doing the same to today’s semi-alternative crowd. Kimbra played a new ‘never before performed’ song, which was met with huge applause. This song was different to everything Kimbra had presented. For the first time all evening the guitar let loose and we were treated with a blues rock track. This really allowed Kimbra to rupture the constant. It felt like I was listening to Karen O or Alison Mosshart, not the cute and rather strategic character I was being exposed to during the rest of the performance.

PHOTOS: Liam James

The term electro mash-up sparks ideas of Girl Talk and Grandmaster Flash; fun, original and interesting. Ajax, who is hailed as one of Australia’s finest mashers, just seemed to be putting standard beats under UB40 songs and other karaoke classics. Most of the crowd had left by the time he had started but those who stayed and danced the night away, all soaked to the core, seemingly enjoyed it, so maybe there was something worthwhile there, or maybe they were just wasted. LIAM JAMES

the word

The Necks The Street Theatre Sunday February 19

on gigs

The Street Theatre is an excellent venue for live music when it comes to sound, atmosphere and staff attentiveness and this performance from The Necks was no exception. The group’s appearance at The Street has become an annual event and on previous occasions I would not be alone in claiming the effects of a highly attuned dynamic in group improvisation were felt long after the performance had ended. There is little to distract the listener in a Necks show other than the music. So immersed are the three performers in creating an in the moment experience that all those annoying hassles in the outside world take a backseat for a while and both performer and audience become locked into an entrancing groove. This is improvised music at its finest in a live setting and The Necks have earned a reputation for turning on audiences stretching back 20-something years. That reputation was revealed at this most recent Street Theatre performance in which the deceptively simple line-up of piano, bass and drums conjured a fully harmonised synthesis that was so full sounding, it seemed like more musicians were on stage than was actually the case. The performance was separated into two distinct sounding sets, much like The Necks’ latest album Mindset that is designed with vinyl in mind. On the album, side A introduces an insistent machinelike rhythm where Chris Abrahams’ piano traverses alien worlds. In contrast, the more organic sounding Daylights on side B expands into a succession of peaks which regular listeners have come to expect from The Necks. If things worked out like they usually do in the established music industry you would expect that The Necks would be touring to support such a fantastic album, but regular fans know better. Bassist Lloyd Swanton has pointed out that themes on any given album might loosely find their way into a live show, but whatever transpires on stage is mostly a creation in its own right and has little, if anything, to do with a specific album release. This was the case at The Street Theatre where the performance was separated into two completely improvised sets with a break in the middle that was great for nicotine addicts and beer drinkers. The first set began with Chris Abrahams focusing on the high end of the keyboard with occasional bass stabs and psychedelic repetition that Lloyd Swanton enhanced with a suitably sparse, yet insistent bass throb that changed momentum according to the instincts of his fellow performers and was attuned to a loose series of movements connecting the piece. Percussionist Tony Buck kept things somewhat low key with gentle mallet strokes that attracted the eye and drew us into the building sonic swirl. The interlocking sound and pointillist theme was thoroughly worked over and the resulting drone was entirely hypnotic and very much part of a wonderfully abstract listening experience.

PHOTOS: Martin ollman

After the break the second improvisation began with a repeating melodic fragment from Abrahams in the vein of pianist Bill Evan’s pastel colouring way back when. Abrahams maintained this beautiful almost-tune until the sound began to build, Swanton became more frantic on the bass and Tony Buck introduced a shimmer on the cymbals that brought on visions of the very best German psychedelia of the 1970s. The group peaked but knew exactly when to return to dramatic silence. The applause at the end was loud and enthusiastic, as was mine. DAN BIGNA

GIG GUIDE Feb 29 - March 02 wednesdsay February 29 Arts Jo’s Mo Show (With Beards)

Facial hair photography. And lots of it. ‘Til April 1. NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY

Blaze Six

ACT emerging artist showcase. ‘Til March 24.

CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ART SPACE GORMAN HOUSE

Misklectic

Something Different

Truth (NZ)

Dance

Trivia

THE CLUBHOUSE

Academy Fridays

6pm.

P J O’REILLY’S, CIVIC

Karaoke

From 10pm.

Presented by Electrosex.

Ashley Feraude

KNIGHTSBRIDGE PENTHOUSE

Hudson Mohawke & Ras-G

Indie DJs from 10 ‘til late. $5 before midnight.

TRANSIT BAR

Live

Soul. Be In It.

thursday march 01

Lamb of God

Exhibition – Space Dissolving

Jo’s Mo Show (With Beards)

Aleks and the Ramps

Melinda Willis’ practice is concerned with architectural glass and its reflective qualities.

Facial hair photography. And lots of it. ‘Til April 1.

Exhibition – Parallels

ACT emerging artist showcase. ‘Til March 24.

CRAFT ACT

Mycologia: The Secret Life of Fungi

Jenny Manning’s drawings are imaginative interpretations of magnified images of fungi. BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

Exhibition - New Era Celebration

Ying Zhang comments on the effect of consumerism on traditional Chinese culture. ‘Til March 4. BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

Exhibition – Rebuilt

Works in various formats by the Random9 contemporary art collective. ‘Til March 2.

NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY

Blaze Six

CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ART SPACE GORMAN HOUSE

Mycologia: The Secret Life of Fungi

Jenny Manning’s drawings are imaginative interpretations of magnified images of fungi.

Alliance Française French Film Festival A new generation of filmmakers will be showcasing the latest trends in contemporary French cinema. ARC CINEMA AND GREATER UNION MANUKA

Exhibition - New Era Celebration

ACT LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY

Dance

Exhibition – Rebuilt

9pm.

UC REFECTORY

With Readable Graffiti and Waterford. $10 on the door, 8.30pm. ANU BAR AND REFECTORY

Swarm Tour

BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

Works in various formats by the Random9 contemporary art collective. ‘Til March 2.

REV

BAR 32

Canberra’s only dedicated night of funk, soul, hip-hop, and associated illness. 8pm, free. TRANSIT BAR

ENLIGHTEN - Electronic Night w/ Anthony Pappa

Featuring Sun in Aquarius, Hypnagog and local DJs. 6-11pm, free entry.

WEST STAGE - CORNER OF ENID LYONS STREET AND MALL ROAD WEST

Twelve Foot Ninja, Jericco, Circles, Perpetual End. Tix through Oztix.

Live

The King Hits

Unwind on the first Friday of each month to local acoustic music. Check the website for more.

THE BASEMENT

Little Mac and the Monster Men, DJ Doktor Clarence. 9pm. THE PHOENIX PUB

friday march 02

BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

Ying Zhang comments on the effect of consumerism on traditional Chinese culture. ‘Til March 4.

Wednesday Latin Night

KNIGHTSBRIDGE PENTHOUSE

TRANSIT BAR

Flex your noggin. Table bookings essential. 7.30pm start.

Arts

Barbara Rogers explores the diversity of the graphic stripe pattern through textiles. ‘Til March 24.

Nathan Frost

Transit Trivia

THE DURHAM

The oeuvre of Misklectic challenges ideas of visual separation. ‘Til March 3.

CRAFT ACT

ACADEMY NIGHTCLUB

Two of bass music’s finest ambassadors. With One Talk, Deafacat and more. 8pm. Moshtix.

With In Flames, The Black Dahlia Murder. Licensed AA. Tix through Ticketek.

CANBERRA CITY FRAMING GALLERY

With Kid Kenobi & MC Shureshock.

Arts Jo’s Mo Show (With Beards)

Facial hair photography. And lots of it. ‘Til April 1. NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY

Blaze Six

ACT emerging artist showcase. ‘Til March 24.

CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ART SPACE GORMAN HOUSE

Mycologia: The Secret Life of Fungi

Jenny Manning’s drawings are imaginative interpretations of magnified images of fungi.

Live @ BAC

BELCONNEN THEATRE

British India

With special guests Clay Pigeons. $25 at the door. Doors at 8pm. THE GREENROOM, WODEN TRADIES

Charles Chatain 8.30pm.

P J O’REILLY’S, CIVIC

Corinbank Music and Arts Festival 2012

Music, art, films, performance, creative camps, workshops and more! corinbank.com . CORIN FOREST

Friday Night Acoustic Series Anni Piper

Sultry emotion-charged vocals, groovin’ bass, inspired songwriting. 8pm, free. HARMONIE GERMAN CLUB

Soiree

ACT LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY

BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

CASINO CANBERRA

Live

Dance

Exhibition - Embark

Something Different

(Alice Cottee is) No Hausfrau

Cube Thursdays

Six recent graduates from Melbourne and Canberra. BILK GALLERY

Music Today - How Do You Play It That Way?

MONKEY BAR

Folk/alternative/rock/country/jazz/sazz, it’s all there. With The Dreamlanders. 7.30pm, $7. THE FRONT CAFE AND GALLERY

9pm ‘til 5am with DJ Pete. Two for one drinks ‘til 11pm plus free pool all night long. CUBE NIGHTCLUB

Producer/DJ Tom Piper will let you in on the secrets of how technology is influencing music today. QUESTACON

GIG GUIDE March 03 - March 05 saturday march 03 Arts Jo’s Mo Show (With Beards)

Facial hair photography. And lots of it. ‘Til April 1. NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY

Blaze Six

ACT emerging artist showcase. ‘Til March 24.

CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ART SPACE GORMAN HOUSE

Mycologia: The Secret Life of Fungi

Jenny Manning’s drawings are imaginative interpretations of magnified images of fungi. BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

Exhibition - New Era Celebration

Ying Zhang comments on the effect of consumerism on traditional Chinese culture. ‘Til March 4. BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

Exhibition - Embark

Six recent graduates from Melbourne and Canberra. BILK GALLERY

Comedy RAW Comedy 2012

National open mic comedy competition. MC’d by Dave Williams. 8pm, $20 at the door. TILLEY’S

Dance

Live

Something Different

Rattlehand

Red, White and Ale

Spurs for Jesus. 9.30pm. THE PHOENIX PUB

Canberra Festival Drumming Spectacular

Take a journey into the heart and soul of rhythm and sound. 7pm. LLEWELLYN HALL

Canberra Festival: Autumn Estampes

A specially composed piece inspired by the stunningly beautiful Autumn landscapes of Canberra.

THE GREENROOM, WODEN TRADIES

Corinbank Music and Arts Festival 2012

Music, art, films, performance, creative camps, workshops and more! corinbank.com . CORIN FOREST

The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain

For the first time in Australia!”Plucking brilliant!” - Sunday Times. CANBERRA THEATRE CENTRE

urban live music

Soulful acoustic performances for brunch or lunch. 10am – 2pm. URBANFOOD STORE + CAFE

Party by Jake Presents Canyons (Live)

music, coffee

NEWACTON COURTYARD

Love Saturdays With Levi Howes.

ACADEMY NIGHTCLUB

Timber

KNIGHTSBRIDGE PENTHOUSE

Cube Saturdays

10pm ‘til 5am with DJs Matt & Pete. Two for one drinks and free entry until 11pm. CUBE NIGHTCLUB

urban live music

Recycled, vintage, designer fashion, records, books, coffee, food, music. Free! OLD BUS DEPOT BUILDINGS

sunday march 04

Jo’s Mo Show (With Beards)

THE CLUBHOUSE

Talented DJs and a late night pizza menu. 8-11pm.

Fash ‘n’ Treasure

QUESTACON

Chaos ACT VI

Audiobotz

Spring Lounge Session

Music, art, films, performance, creative camps, workshops and more! corinbank.com .

Arts

Modular darlings Canyons make their Canberra live show debut. 8pm start, presales through Moshtix.

Presented by The Clubhouse.

Revealing the science behind artisan beer and wine making. 7-9pm.

WESLEY CENTRE, FORREST

Sybreed, Alarum, Aeon of Horus, Ignite the Ibex, Elysian and more. Tix through Moshtix.

TRANSIT BAR

Bass, violin, looped vocals and a morning coffee. 10 – noon.

MOCAN AND GREEN GROUT, NEWACTON

ENLIGHTEN - Eagle and the Worm

With Los Capitanes launching new LP No Rest For The Wicked. 6-11pm, free entry.

WEST STAGE - CORNER OF ENID LYONS STREET AND MALL ROAD WEST

Corinbank Music and Arts Festival 2012

Facial hair photography. And lots of it. ‘Til April 1.

CORIN FOREST

Soulful acoustic performances for brunch or lunch. 10am – 2pm. URBANFOOD STORE + CAFE

Matt & Bernie

Catchy duo, classy covers. A BITE TO EAT CAFE

Something Different Sunday Arvo Trivia From 2.30pm. THE DURHAM

NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY

monday march 05

Blaze Six

ACT emerging artist showcase. ‘Til March 24.

Arts

Mycologia: The Secret Life of Fungi

Facial hair photography. And lots of it. ‘Til April 1.

CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ART SPACE GORMAN HOUSE

Jo’s Mo Show (With Beards)

Jenny Manning’s drawings are imaginative interpretations of magnified images of fungi.

NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY

Exhibition - New Era Celebration

CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ART SPACE GORMAN HOUSE

BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

Ying Zhang comments on the effect of consumerism on traditional Chinese culture. ‘Til March 4. BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

Exhibition - Embark

Six recent graduates from Melbourne and Canberra. BILK GALLERY

Live Bomb the Music Industry

The Smith Street Band, Yoko Oh No, Outcome Unkown. 8pm. THE PHOENIX PUB

Canberra Festival: Autumn Estampes

A specially composed piece inspired by the stunningly beautiful Autumn landscapes of Canberra. WESLEY CENTRE, FORREST

Mark Wilkinson + Lissa

A lyrical depth, gift for melody, and soulful voice. 6.30pm, $10. THE FRONT CAFE AND GALLERY

Blaze Six

ACT emerging artist showcase. ‘Til March 24.

Exhibition - Embark

Six recent graduates from Melbourne and Canberra. BILK GALLERY

Dance Biscuits

Post-weekend sounds from Ryz, Peekz, Kimosabi, Steve On Weekends and more. 9pm, free. TRANSIT BAR

Live CMC Presents The Bootleg Sessions

Hayley Shone, Joe Oppenheimer, The James Fahy Trio, The Burley Griffin. THE PHOENIX PUB

Something Different Trivia 6pm.

P J O’REILLY’S, CIVIC

GIG GUIDE March 06 - March 10 tuesday march 06

thursday march 08

Arts

Jo’s Mo Show (With Beards)

Exhibition - Embark

Facial hair photography. And lots of it. ‘Til April 1. NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY

Six recent graduates from Melbourne and Canberra. BILK GALLERY

YAH – Mall Stories Launch

CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ART SPACE - GORMAN HOUSE

THE NEWSROOM

Exhibition - Embark

Six recent graduates from Melbourne and Canberra. BILK GALLERY

Live Super Raelene Bros

Their performances are a celebration: a brash, joyous, intimate, stomp-out! 7.30pm. THE FRONT CAFE AND GALLERY

An audio walking tour of stories from malls in Canberra and beyond. 1pm.

YAH – I Don’t Really Read

Scissors Paper Pen chooses local writers to read you a story. 5pm– 7.30pm. SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE BOOKSHOP

YAH – One Wall, One Night

Each night BEAM will project a video artwork by a different local visual artist. CITY WALK

Exhibition – Music and Light

Facial hair photography. And lots of it. ‘Til April 1.

Fame Trivia

Blaze Six

THE DURHAM

Tuesday Movie Night

You choose a deckchair, they’ll choose a movie. Drink and pizza specials by Bicicletta Cafe. NEWACTON COURTYARD

Karaoke Love

Croon and wail your heart out on the Transit stage. 9pm start. TRANSIT BAR

wednesday march 07

NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY

ACT emerging artist showcase. ‘Til March 24.

CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ART SPACE - GORMAN HOUSE

THE FRONT CAFE AND GALLERY

Final Lies CD Launch

Blaze Six

SOUTHERN CROSS CLUB WODEN

NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY

ACT emerging artist showcase. ‘Til March 24.

CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ART SPACE - GORMAN HOUSE

YAH – Petite Public Art Launch Canberra artists festoon their city with public art of the more covert variety. 5.30pm. CANBERRA MUSEUM AND GALLERY

A real–time performance installation of movement and sound. 6.30pm. CANBERRA MUSEUM AND GALLERY

Screening of top 12 film finalists and award ceremony. OLD PARLIAMENT HOUSE

Dance The Get-Up Club

YAH – Horseface Ethel THE NEWSROOM

Ministry Of Sound Clubbers Guide

Dance

ACADEMY NIGHTCLUB

Cube Thursdays

9pm ‘til 5am with DJ Pete. Two for one drinks ‘til 11pm plus free pool all night long.

BAR 32

With Denzal Park.

Jemist

KNIGHTSBRIDGE PENTHOUSE

REV

Indie DJs from 10 ‘til late. $5 before midnight.

Arts

CUBE NIGHTCLUB

Exhibition – Music and Light

Presented by Electrosex.

Live

Ced Nada

Obsessions

Full/Frequency: DJ Krush (Japan)

CHISHOLM TAVERN

Astrid Breuer’s photos explore the wealth of talent in the Canberra music scene. ‘Til March 25. BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

Jo’s Mo Show (With Beards)

Facial hair photography. And lots of it. ‘Til April 1. NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY

Blaze Six

ACT emerging artist showcase. ‘Til March 24.

CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ART SPACE - GORMAN HOUSE

Exhibition - Embark

Six recent graduates from Melbourne and Canberra. BILK GALLERY

Live Harii Bandhu

Elements of jazz, soul and folk with Indian, Latin and African influences. 7.30pm, $10. THE FRONT CAFE AND GALLERY

Something Different Transit Trivia

Flex your noggin. Table bookings essential. 7.30pm start. TRANSIT BAR

Trivia 6pm.

P J O’REILLY’S, CIVIC

Swiss Dub

THE CLUBHOUSE

KNIGHTSBRIDGE PENTHOUSE

On his 20th Anniversary World Tour. Supported by Faux Real, Buick, and Dred. 8pm, Moshtix. TRANSIT BAR

BAR 32

Big sound, big pub rock numbers and great variety. 8.30 to midnight.

Luke Watt

Exhibiting a lyrical depth and thematic grit. 7.30pm. THE FRONT CAFE AND GALLERY

Celadore

The Streetlight Parade, Crash the Curb. 9pm. THE PHOENIX PUB

friday march 09 Arts Exhibition - Embark

Six recent graduates from Melbourne and Canberra. BILK GALLERY

Pride and Prejudice

Regency Fancy Dress Night. 8pm. THEATRE 3

with Love & Satellites and Eyes to the Sky. Doors 8pm

Fri Night Acoustic Series Isaiah B. Brunt

Isaiah writes, sings and plays guitar, slide, lap steel, piano and ukulele. 8pm, free. HARMONIE GERMAN CLUB

YAH – Lunchbox: Listening & ImproACT

ANU School of Music students present their brand of contemporary chamber music. 12.30pm. THE NEWSROOM

YAH - BMA Presents Women Of (Beats) & Notes

Freyja’s Rain, Ruth O’Brien, Jacqueline Nicole, Eddie Shaggz, Riske, and Staky. 8pm start. Free. TRANSIT BAR

ENLIGHTEN - Lanie Lane

With The Ellis Collective and Owen Campbell. 6-11pm, free entry.

WEST STAGE - CORNER OF ENID LYONS STREET AND MALL ROAD WEST

saturday march 10 Arts YAH – One Wall, One Night

Each night BEAM will project a video artwork by a different local visual artist. CITY WALK

Art, Not Apart - A Day Without Divide

Unique music, live art, local stalls, food, drinks, jumping castle. NEWACTON COURTYARD

YAH – Resonance 1.1 – Bubble Wrap

Matt Dent

A real–time performance installation of movement and sound. 2pm.

P J O’REILLY’S, CIVIC

YAH – Pub Theatre

8.30pm.

Magic Rob Universe

With Little Mac and the Monster Men. $5.

Live

Faspeedelay play elongated ambient pieces juxtaposed with more succinct rock. 7.30pm.

Facial hair photography. And lots of it. ‘Til April 1.

Punk, hardcore, pop anthems and party tunes.

…And Her Marvelous Pigs In Satin – A Cabaret Schmabaret. 9pm.

NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AUSTRALIA

Jo’s Mo Show (With Beards)

BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

Lights! Canberra! Action!

7.30pm.

As part of the By the Water program. Visit nma.gov.au/enlighten for more details.

Faspeedelay and Waterford

Jo’s Mo Show (With Beards)

Trivia Night

Clare Bowditch and The Clouds

Astrid Breuer’s photos explore the wealth of talent in the Canberra music scene. ‘Til March 25.

YAH – Resonance 1.1

Something Different

From 7.30pm.

Exhibition – Music and Light

Astrid Breuer’s photos explore the wealth of talent in the Canberra music scene. ‘Til March 25. BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

THE PHOENIX PUB

Each night BEAM will project a video artwork by a different local visual artist. CITY WALK

Blaze Six

ACT emerging artist showcase. ‘Til March 24.

YAH – One Wall, One Night

POT BELLY BAR

CANBERRA MUSEUM AND GALLERY

Relax with a pint and allow yourself to be immersed in the magic of THEATRE. 3.30pm. P J O’REILLY’S, CIVIC

GIG GUIDE March 10 - March 14 Dance Purple Sneakers

Indie bands and DJs and bands and DJs and bands and DJs. 8pm start, $10 entry. TRANSIT BAR

YAH – Pub Theatre

Relax with a pint and allow yourself to be immersed in the magic of THEATRE. 5pm. CIVIC PUB

YAH – One Wall, One Night

Spring Lounge Session

Each night BEAM will project a video artwork by a different local visual artist.

NEWACTON COURTYARD

Dance

Talented DJs and a late night pizza menu. 8-11pm.

Love Saturdays With Pred.

ACADEMY NIGHTCLUB

Nathan Frost

KNIGHTSBRIDGE PENTHOUSE

Opiuo

With Russ Liquid Live, Luko Fiasco (syd), Dred. Check Facebook for more. the clubhouse

Live YAH – Canberra Punk & Beyond

Rock Against Boredom Revisited. Young Docteurs, Real Gone Lovers, Vacant Lot and more. 8pm. ANU BAR AND REFECTORY

Oz Chamber Orchest & Hilliard Ensemble Medieval, renaissance and contemporary vocal music. www.aco. com.au or 1800 444 444. LLEWELLYN HALL

Miss Elm

With a voice both tender and demanding, her music always has an addictive twist. 7.30pm. THE FRONT CAFE AND GALLERY

urban live music

Soulful acoustic performances for brunch or lunch. 10am – 2pm. URBANFOOD STORE + CAFE

Beth n Ben

AMAX. 9.30pm.

THE PHOENIX PUB

music, coffee

Bass, violin, looped vocals and a morning coffee. 10 – noon.

MOCAN AND GREEN GROUT, NEWACTON

ENLIGHTEN - Puta Madre Brothers

A trio made up of three one-manbands. With Fun Machine and Brass Knuckle Brass Ensemble. Free, 6pm.

WEST STAGE - CORNER OF ENID LYONS STREET AND MALL ROAD WEST

Something Different Canberra Festival: Balloon Spectacular

The lawns of Old Parliament House will fill with a flurry of colour and movement. Free. OLD PARLIAMENT HOUSE LAWNS

CITY WALK

Hospitality Sundays

YAH – The Beach

Soak up the good vibes on this lazy Sunday afternoon with Beth n Ben, Space Party and more. 12pm.

TOCUMWAL LANE (BEHIND LANDSPEED RECORDS)

Stonefield

triple j Unearthed Winners playing live. THOROUGHBRED PARK

Sticky Fingers

OLD PARLIAMENT HOUSE LAWNS

You choose a deckchair, they’ll choose a movie. Drink and pizza specials by Bicicletta Cafe.

6pm.

P J O’REILLY’S, CIVIC

NEWACTON COURTYARD

wednesday march 14

The lawns of Old Parliament House will fill with a flurry of colour and movement. Free.

Arts

OLD PARLIAMENT HOUSE LAWNS

YAH – Paste–up Project

Canberra Festival: Canberra Day Oration

CMAG’s outside façade plays host to the work of some of Canberra’s most ubiquitous artists.

Re-enactment of the speech by PM Stanley Bruce, who transferred govt. from Melb to Canb. Gold coin.

CANBERRA MUSEUM AND GALLERY

YAH – One Wall, One Night

NATIONAL LIBRARY OF AUSTRALIA

Each night BEAM will project a video artwork by a different local visual artist.

tuesday march 13

CITY WALK

Alliance Française French Film Festival

URBANFOOD STORE + CAFE

YAH – Lunchbox: Pash–and– Dash

A BITE TO EAT CAFE

Canberra Festival: Symphony in the Park Enjoy the Canberra Symphony Orchestra under the stars. Free. STAGE 88

Canberra Festival: Balloon Spectacular

Tuesday Movie Night

Arts

Local blues, folk and root extraordinaires.

THE PHOENIX PUB

Something Different

urban live music

Beth n Ben

7.30pm.

THE PHOENIX PUB

THE FRONT CAFE AND GALLERY

Soulful acoustic performances for brunch or lunch. 10am – 2pm.

Trivia Night

The lawns of Old Parliament House will fill with a flurry of colour and movement. Free.

Happy endings and the garage/pop, psych/soul mash of reggae. 8pm.

A new generation of filmmakers will be showcasing the latest trends in contemporary French cinema.

Come and catch some great theatre during your lunch break. 12.30pm.

PASH (PERFORMING ARTS SERVICES HUB)

YAH – Paste–up Project

ARC CINEMA AND GREATER UNION MANUKA

Live

CMAG’s outside façade plays host to the work of some of Canberra’s most ubiquitous artists.

Local Bands

YAH – One Wall, One Night

YAH – Lunchbox: Listening

8pm start, free entry. TRANSIT BAR

CANBERRA MUSEUM AND GALLERY

Bring your lunch and expand your musical horizons all in the course of your lunch hour. 12.30pm.

Something Different

Each night BEAM will project a video artwork by a different local visual artist.

Canberra Festival: Balloon Spectacular

YAH – After Work Roasters

THE NEWSROOM

LONSDALE STREET ROASTERS

Taking elements of jazz and contemporary classical music to create new musical experiments. 5.30pm.

The lawns of Old Parliament House will fill with a flurry of colour and movement. Free. OLD PARLIAMENT HOUSE LAWNS

monday march 12 Arts YAH – Paste–up Project

CITY WALK

Festival curators David Finnigan and Hadley settle in for a surreal afternoon of festival nepotism.

YAH – Gunpowder Temple of Heaven

Live

CANBERRA MUSEUM AND GALLERY

Beth n Ben

Early one! From 7-10am at The Balloon Festival. OLD PARLIAMENT HOUSE

CMAG’s outside façade plays host to the work of some of Canberra’s most ubiquitous artists.

Something Different Transit Trivia

Flex your noggin. Table bookings essential. 7.30pm start. TRANSIT BAR

CANBERRA MUSEUM AND GALLERY

YAH – One Wall, One Night

Dance

CITY WALK

Biscuits

Arts

Post-weekend sounds from Ryz, Peekz, Kimosabi, Steve On Weekends and more. 9pm, free.

YAH – Scissors Paper Pen – Yes, Granted

Live

CANBERRA MUSEUM AND GALLERY

Heideger, Hence the Test Bed, Chris Canham, Konrad Lenz. 8pm.

Canberra Festival: Balloon Spectacular

TRADIES CLUB, DICKSON

Granted artists and suit-clad arts grant granters discuss… arts grants. 12.30pm.

The Bootleg Sessions

Live

Each night BEAM will project a video artwork by a different local visual artist.

sunday march 11

THE NEWSROOM

Trivia

CUBE NIGHTCLUB

Something Different

Lounge around with some of Canberra’s coziest bands, The Cashews and Hashemoto. 12.30pm.

10pm ‘til late with DJ TJ. Free entry, free pool and discounted drinks.

BIG Record, CD and Book Sale

Over 50,000 records, CDs and books. Something for everyone! 9-5pm.

YAH – Secret Gig That No One Knows About

TRANSIT BAR

Canberra Festival: Celebrate in the Park

Celebrate Canberra’s 99th birthday with some top talent. Free. STAGE 88

OUT mar14

more you are here holly throsby jonno zilber midsummer (a play with songs) snakadaktl ...and more!

FIRST CONTACT

SIDE A: BMA band profile

Brass Knuckle Brass Band Where did your band name come from? We were originally called Brass’ere but went with something easier to say out loud. And slightly tougher. Group members: Cameron Smith (trumpet/vocals), Courtney Stark (vocals), Zach Raffan (trumpet), Michael Bailey and John Gosling (trombones), Nathan Sciberras (baritone sax), David Abkiewicz (sousaphone), Robert Nesci (drums) and Damon Counahan (percussion). Describe your sound: A laidback Australian take on the New Orleans funk street band. Who are your influences, musical or otherwise? Dirty Dozen, Youngblood Brass Band, His Merry Men, Hypnotic Brass Ensemble, Kermit Ruffins, Rafe, Mi Tierra, Hadley and Dub Dub Goose. What’s the weirdest experience you’ve had whilst performing? Having two drunk guys in morph suits join us on stage at The Multicultural Festival. What’s your biggest achievement/proudest moment so far? Getting flown to Melbourne to play for a circus family wedding. Supporting Clairy Browne and the Bangin’ Rackettes at The Toff in Town, Melbourne. What are your plans for the future? We have a tour to Queensland booked for July and hope to get something on wax this year. What makes you laugh? People wanting to put their head in the sousaphone. Drunk guys in morph suits. What pisses you off? Trying to get nine busy people in the same place at the same time to rehearse. What’s your opinion of the local scene? Canberra’s scene is small and supportive – we don’t have the ‘genre ghettos’ that bigger cities have, so you get to meet and play with a bunch of different artists. What are your upcoming gigs? Roving at Corinbank Festival from Friday-Sunday March 2-4. You Are Here opening night on Thursday March 8. Music and Light exhibition, Belconnen Arts Centre on Friday March 9, Enlighten Festival on Saturday March 10, National Folk Festival over Easter and Pop The Pot on Saturday May 12. Contact info: www.facebook.com/brassknucklebrassband, cameronasmith@dodo.com.au

Aaron Peacey Aaron 0410 381 306 Activate Jetpack activatejetpack@ hotmail.com Adam Hole Adam 0421 023 226 Afternoon Shift Adam 0402 055 314 After Close Scotty 0412 742 682, afterclose@hotmail.com Alcove Mark 0410 112 522 Alice 0423 100 792 Allies ACT (Oxfam Group) alliesact@hotmail.com/ myspace.com/alliesact Amphibian Sound PA Clare 0410 308 288 Amplif5’d Classic rock covers band Joy 0407 200 428, joybarac-heath@hotmail.com Annie & the Armadillos Annie 6161 1078/0422 076 313 The Ashburys Dan Craddock 0419 626 903 Aria Stone, sax & flute, singer/ songwriter (guitar) Aria 0411 803 343 Australian Songwriters Association (Keiran Roberts) 6231 0433 Arythmia: Ben 0423 408 767/ arythmiamusic@gmail.com Backbeat Drivers Steve 0422 733 974, www.backbeatdrivers.com Big Boss Groove Andrew 0404 455 834, www.bigbossgroove.com.au Birds Love Fighting Gangbusters/DIY shows - bookings@birdslovefighting.com Black Label Photography Kingsley 0438 351 007 Blister Bug Stu 0408 617 791 Bridge Between, The Rachel 0412 598 138, thebridgebetween.com.au Bruce Stage mgr/consultant 6254 9857 Caution Horses Nigel 0417 211 580 Chris Harland Blues Band 0418 490 640 chrisharlandbluesband@yahoo.com.au Clear Vision Films rehearsals/film clips/stunts - 0438 647 281 wcoulton.clearvisionfilms.com Cole Bennetts Photography 0415 982 662 /colebennetts.com Cris Clucas Cris 6262 5652 Crooked Dave 0421 508 467 Danny V Danny 6238 1673/0413 502 428 Dawn Theory Nathan 0402 845 132 D’Opus & Roshambo hifidelitystyles@yahoo.com DJs Madrid and Gordon 0417 433 971 DJ Latino Rogelio 0401 274 208 DJ Moises (RnB/Latin) 0402 497 835 or moises_lopez@hotmail DNA Vic 0408 477 020 Drumassault Kate 0414 236 323 Easy Mode Daz 0404 156 482, easymodeband@gmail.com Entity Chris 0412 027 894 Epic Flagon band@epicflagon.com Fighting Mongooses, The Adam 0402 055 314 Final Warning Brendan 0422 809 552 Fire on the Hill Aaron 0410 381 306/ Lachlan 0400 038 388 4dead Peter 0401 006 551 Freeloaders, The Steve 0412 653 597 Friend or Enemy 6238 0083, www.myspace.com/friendorenemy Gareth Hailey DJ & Electronica 0414 215 885 GiLF Kelly 0410 588 747, gilf.mail@gmail.com Groovalicious Corporate/Weddings/ Private functions 0448 995 158 groovalicious@y7mail.com Guy The Sound Guy live & studio sound engineer, 0400 585 369, guy@ guythesoundguy.com HalfPast Chris 0412 115 594 Hancock Basement Tom 6257 5375, hancockbasement@hotmail.com Happy Hour Wendy 0406 375 096 Haunted Attics band@hauntedatticsmusic.com Hitherto Paul 0408 425 636 In The Flesh Scott 0410 475 703 Inside the Exterior Nathan 0401 072 650 Itchy Triggers Andrew 0401 588 884

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