BMA Magazine 490 - 15 February 2017 by BMA Magazine

COVER LINE INSIDE: INFO

AD SPACE

@bmamag

AD SPACE

facebook.com/bmamagazine

AD SPACE

@bmamag

AD SPACE

facebook.com/bmamagazine

AINSLIE AD + SPACE GORMAN

@bmamag

AD SPACE

facebook.com/bmamagazine

AINSLIE + GORMAN ARTS CENTRES

@bmamag

YOU ARE HERE

facebook.com/bmamagazine

MENSLINK

@bmamag

AD SPACE

facebook.com/bmamagazine

THE GTM 2017 LINE UP HAS JUST DROPPED AND BY GOLLY

The views and opinions expressed in this magazine perfectly represent those of everyone, everywhere #490Feb/Mar Fax: (02) 6257 4361 Mail: PO Box 713 Civic Square, ACT 2608 Publisher Allan Sko General Manager Allan Sko T: (02) 6257 4360 E: advertising@bmamag.com

Editor Andrew Nardi T: (02) 6257 4456 E: editorial@bmamag.com

Accounts Manager Ashish Doshi T: (02) 6247 4816 E: accounts@bmamag.com

Sub-Editor Sarah Naughton Graphic Design Andrew Nardi Cover photo by Martin Ollman Entertainment Guide Nicola Sheville NEXT ISSUE 491 OUT March 14 EDITORIAL DEADLINE March 2 ADVERTISING DEADLINE March 8 Published by Radar Media Pty Ltd ABN 76 097 301 730 BMA Magazine is independently owned and published. Opinions expressed in BMA Magazine are not necessarily those of the editor, publisher or staff.

We know, we get it. Canberra is the “bush capital” of Australia. That sometimes puts us at the butt of every joke ... or at least, every joke about Canberra. But there’s one thing we’ve got going for us that those city slickers up in Sydney will never have: Groovin the Moo (or GTM, if you like). Yeah, that’s right, you Sydneysiders. You’re jelly; we can smell the envy from all the way down here ... also, please come and visit us. Now in its 13th year, GTM brings the party to you for a full day of incredible music and seriously fun times. Touting itself as Australia’s definitive “regional music festival”, GTM is the perfect way to get to know Canberra with your mates. There’s plenty to experience on the way here, and once here you can indulge in what makes GTM and Canberra special – a combination of our community, artists, local food and beverages. For everyone who already lives in Canberra, well, you already know why we’re great. The real question is: who’s comin’? Well the line-up ain’t too shabby at all ... actually, you could say it’s very quality indeed. The line-up for GTM 2017 welcomes a huuuuuuuge contingent of some of our country’s finest – just look at the triple j Hottest 100 results! Taking to our stages will be Amy Shark (#2 ‘Adore’), Tash Sultana (#3 ‘Jungle’ and #32 ‘Notion’), The Smith Street Band (#21 ‘Death To The Lads’), Montaigne (#25 ‘Because I Love You’) and GTM alumni Violent Soho (#14 ‘Viceroy’ plus four other tracks!), who will close the outdoor stages in true “Hell Fuck Yeah!” style. This year, GTM will also host a bunch of incredible artists from overseas. There’s a huge variety on offer; from The Darkness (UK) who will bring their relentless mix of riffarama and effortless haute couture, to 21-year-old emcee Loyle Carner (UK) who is heading down under

for the first time. Milky Chance (GER) will travel with a stack of tracks from their soon to be released album, Blossom including current smash single ‘Cocoon’ (#12 Hottest 100). Returning to the GTM tour for the 2nd time are our good friends The Wombats (UK), who will be calling on you to help them celebrate their 10th anniversary. Steve Halpin of Cattleyard Promotions said, “We’re thrilled with our line-up for 2017. It’s a mixture of established, nostalgic and breaking artists and we think there’s something there for everyone. And, as always, it’s so great to be working alongside each of our six beloved regions to deliver a diverse range of local delights at every show.” Groovin The Moo comes to the University of Canberra Meadows on Sunday May 7. Tickets are now on sale via Moshtix.

HELP MENSLINK RAISE FUNDS AND AWARENESS AT CANBERRA EVENTS Local young men’s support foundation Menslink have a busy couple of months coming up and could really do with your help promoting the work they do around Canberra and helping them raise valuable funds to continue providing free services supporting young men and their families. Can you help out at one of the three events coming up? They’ll only need you for a few hours (or more if you want!). – Menslink will be at the National Multicultural Festival again this year and would love your support! As I’m sure you’re all aware, the National Multicultural Festival is a weekend full of great food and music in the heart of Canberra. This unmissable event is also a major fundraiser for Menslink and they are looking for as many volunteers as possible to help. They would love your help handing out wristbands, information cards and asking for donations. They will provide you with the bucket, the handouts, a very attractive t-shirt and a healthy dose of feeling good about helping

Menslink. They have shifts available on Friday night, as well as Saturday day and night, February 17–18. – Menslink is proud to again be associated with the Canberra Raiders for 2017. On Saturday March 11, Menslink will be at GIO Stadium rattling buckets to raise vital funds to continue to support the young men of Canberra. A grand final rematch, so it is sure to be a fantastic game! Volunteers will be able to watch the Raiders vs. Sharks game in full and have free access to public transport to get to and from the game. With kick off at 7:30pm, it would be great to have volunteers from 3:30pm to catch the crowds as they enter the stadium. – Handmade Canberra are once again putting their support behind Menslink at their first market for 2017. Menslink volunteers will be the door greeters for this event, collecting a gold coin donation as people arrive. There will be four volunteer shifts over the weekend of March 18–19. If you can help, please email rebecca@menslink.org.au.

LOCAL PRODUCER TOYO MAKES HIS MARK ON AUSTRALIAN HISTORY On Thursday January 26, local producer TOYO (a.k.a. Jarrod Bartlett) played at the Australian of the Year Awards. This is absolutely newsworthy, because get this: he also became the first person to ever play amplified music in the new Parliament House marble foyer. The first song he played was also one of his own, ‘Wilderness’, which is currently unreleased. Not bad for an up and coming local, huh? TOYO’s single ‘Wonderlust’ came in at #18 on BMA Magazine’s Top 50 Canberra songs of 2016. If you ever needed a reason to check out some local electronic talent, now you’ve got it. Acquaint yourself with his productions and remixes at soundcloud. com/toyomusic.

@bmamag

FROM THE BOSSMAN What Becomes of The Broken Hearted? (Spoiler: It Works Out For The Best) Regular readers (or at least the ones who read last issue’s column) will know I have been busting out the Honesty Electron Pack of late and “crossing the streams” by sharing things a Publisher perhaps shouldn’t share in a public forum. As such, last issue I detailed in depth my path to the break up of my marriage. To those who may have scandalously missed said column, allow me to catch you up in two words: “Me dumb”. Since then, I have found myself thrust (#phrasing) back into the giddy world of “dating” (as I believe the kids these days say) and I report back from the field with thus: Three months; three heartbreaks. I really need to buy some mints. I know, I know. You’re probably there thinking, “Cripes, Allan!” (Well, you’re probably not thinking “cripes”. No one says cripes except me. Possibly one of the reasons I keep getting broken up with...). Sorry, that was a long parenthesis, and I’ve somewhat distracted myself. Where was I? Oh yes! What you’re possibly thinking. Ahem: “Cripes, Allan! AGAIN with over-sharey, sadsack, honest crap?”

Oh, well if it isn’t the peacock boy again. Come in to tell everyone about your little magazine, have ya? Real proud of your 64 pages of toilet paper, are ya? Hey man, don’t be a dick. I don’t see you contributing to local media. Show a little respect. And yeah, this mag’s a little smaller than previous ones. But you can’t argue 64 is not a good number. It was the year The Rolling Stones debuted, it’s the number of bits in a Nintendo 64, it’s the total number of squares on a chess board, and it’s the first whole number that’s both a perfect square and a perfect cube. Anyway, our regular readers may notice that a few columns are missing from this mag. We don’t have any film reviews, for one, and we don’t have a Realness column either. That’s because we’re currently in the process of handing over the film section to a new film editor. As for the hip-hop column, our friend Brady McMullen has taken off for the big smoke, so we’re currently looking for a new hip-hop maestro to keep locals informed. If you or one of your mates likes to keep up with the local hip-hop scene, drop me a line at my email address below. In the interim you’d be a fool not to get amongst local events like Wind It Up, Canberra Fringe, Art, Not Apart and the Multicultural Festival, which are all taking place over the next month! ANDREW NARDI - editorial@bmamag.com

Well worry not, dear sweet beautiful reader. This is a positive post, not a sad one, despite what the prior content and intention of sharing would suggest. Am I in pain? Am I sad? Of course I am. I’m a human person, not a psychopath. If I wasn’t sad, I’d be worried. But increasingly I recognise pain (emotional pain, that is) as being an absence of something that was once good; a deviation from a hopeful expectation. So, in my cognitive dissonance – whilst I am sad, I am also happy. Because this pain is a representation, and signifier, of the happy, beautiful, wonderful time I had leading up to this point, for which I shall be eternally grateful. And it reminds and educates me that in the quest to be A Better Person, there are stumbling blocks, and I’m still learning. Ooooooo boy, am I still learning. So find someone you love and give them a hug, y’all. Life can suck at times, but it doesn’t mean it’s not great if you seek it. ALLAN SKO - allan@bmamag.com

facebook.com/bmamagazine

SUN-DOWN GET-DOWN WHAT: MINI-FESTIVAL WHEN: FRI FEB 24 WHERE: GORMAN ARTS CENTRE

Sun-Down Get-Down is a garden get-down in Gorman Arts Centre’s beautiful courtyards, and it’s for the whole community! Featuring Canberra’s finest purveyors of disco, funk and soul, you’ll also be there for the launch of Ainslie + Gorman’s 2017 program. There’s going to be music from Playful Sound, Not Quite Disco, Sardines and Mixtape Chorus. There’ll also be some interactive art and installations on show, as well as beer from Pact Beer Co, specially created cocktails from Mint Garden Bar and delicious eats from The Forage. Starts at 6pm (when it’s cool), and it’s totally free!

WHO: DOG TRUMPET WHAT: TOUR WHEN: FRI FEB 24 WHERE: POLISH WHITE EAGLE CLUB

Reg and Peter make up Dog Trumpet, and they’re also former members of iconic ARIA award-winning and Hall of Fame band, Mental As Anything. The brothers have toured for over three decades. Their latest album Medicated Spirits is full of wit, surprise and warmth. It continues their sonic alchemy of psychedelic folk, country and abstract blues, driven by Reg’s distinctive slide guitar and Peter’s melodic acoustic guitar and mandolin. Catch songs from their extensive catalogue, as well as Bernie Hayes on support. Starts at 8pm. Tickets start at $25 through TryBooking.com.

WHO: JACK BIILMANN WHAT: ALBUM LAUNCH WHEN: SAT FEB 25 WHERE: UC REFECTORY

After months in the studio and constant touring, we’re finally getting the highly anticipated second solo record from Jack Biilmann. Titled Streams, it’s the product of Biilmann’s hard work over the last 18 months. Now a polished songwriter and a skilled performer, Biilmann ties in roots, blues, reggae and even a hint of country into a highly creative and individual album. Catch his album launch at UC with support from Moaning Lisa (in acoustic mode) and Sara Flint. Starts at 8pm. Tickets are $18.40 on Oztix.

WHO: SLOW TURISMO WHAT: SINGLE LAUNCH WHEN: FRI MAR 10 WHERE: POLISH WHITE EAGLE CLUB

Slow Turismo have got it going on. After twelve months of sold-out hometown shows and recording, the Canberra quartet return with a slice of innovative indie rock in the form of a brand new single, the Benjamin Woolner (SAFIA)-produced ‘You Were Dead’. With a live show meticulously polished to a gleam via support slots with Holy Holy, Client Liaison, Saskwatch and SAFIA, this is a band poised for a spectacular return to form. Catch their fresh take on indie rock at the Polish Club on Friday March 10. Starts at 8pm, tickets and supports TBA.

WHO: MY DAD & I WHAT: SINGLE LAUNCH WHEN: FRI MAR 10 WHERE: THE FRONT GALLERY & CAFÉ

My Dad & I are locals Tess (17) and her dad, Cam. They are a mocktail of vocal harmonies, wicked acoustic and electric guitar playing that sit in a pocket like Ed Sheeran and Missy Higgins doing a concert together! On the back of winning local original songwriting and performance competitions, playing in festivals and wowing crowds, they are set to release their debut single ‘If You Love’ at The Front. It’s a single that draws you straight into a rollercoaster swirl of indie pop deliciousness. Starts at 7pm. Entry is $10, and all proceeds are going to gofundme.com/a-future-for-freyja.

WHO: ALESA LAJANA WHAT: TOUR WHEN: SAT MAR 11 WHERE: THE STREET THEATRE

Alesa Lajana is an award-winning Australian singer-songwriter, storyteller, guitarist and banjoist. For the last eight years, she has travelled the dusty highways of Australia, collecting oral histories of indigenous culture, as well as stories from post European contact history, and setting them to music. Her new album Frontier Lullaby is a collection of songs and stories from this wild and epic adventure, leading listeners on a heartfelt journey through shadowy chapters of Australian history. Her tour to The Street Theatre will commence at 8pm. Tickets are $25 and can be purchased via thestreet.org.au.

@bmamag

TRANSIT BAR

facebook.com/bmamagazine

If you’re feeling like a big night of rock, The Phoenix has you covered on Saturday March 4, with The Undermines, The King Hits and The Feldons all playing from 9pm. $10 will get you in the door.

LOCALITY

I’m not going to lie: Canberra Fringe is one of my favourite times of year, and the local line-up this year is pretty damn brilliant. You can get a taste of what it will bring at Smith’s Alternative on Friday February 17 from 7pm, with one of Canberra’s favourite prodigal sons, Mikelangelo, playing a solo set, alongside performances from Melbourne’s Lisa Skye and Jess McKerlie. Tickets for that one are $45. If you’re a bit short on cash, don’t worry! The festival has a whole bunch of local artists on the bill that you can see for free, including Drumassault, Positive Feedback Loop, The Fuelers, Mr Tim and The Fuzzy Elbows, Reuben Ingall, Prom, Alice Cottee … it’s basically a smorgasbord of awesome local talent. Just look for it on London Circuit on Saturday February 18 from 10am. I’m sure you’ve heard the news by now: The Phoenix has risen just a little bit more, with half of “Old Phoenix” reopening a few weeks back, which means a big dose of nostalgia, but more importantly, more room for gigs! Speaking of which, their Bootleg Sessions on Monday February 20 has a pretty sweet lineup, with sets from Slow Turismo, Rebecca-Maree and Guyy. Entry is free, with the night kicking off at 8pm.

Local hard rock dudes, Triumvirate are taking a break. (Seriously, 2017? You’re taking another act from us?) Before they disappear, they’re having not one but two last hurrahs with Triumvirate’s Pre-Hiatus Lamentations. The first outing is on Thursday February 16 at The Basement with a killer line up of The Ansah Brothers, Northbourne Flats and Sally Jones. That one kicks off at 8pm and will set you back $10. After that, they’re taking to Aviary Rooftop on Saturday February 18 from 7:30pm, with Northbourne Flats, Sally Jones and The Wumpaz. It’ll only cost you $5 to get into that one. Finally, The Gypsy Scholars will be kicking off their 1960’s Tour in support of their new single at The Phoenix on Friday March 3 from 9pm. They’ll be joined by Brother Be and Ben Kelly for what promises to be a real jolly way to end the working week, and it’ll only set you back $10 in door charge. Take advantage of these last weeks of warmth and go out and catch some local bands this month, before winter hits and all you want to do is stay in and watch Netflix (like a coward, to borrow a turn of phrase from Chris Endrey). NONI DOLL NONIJDOLL@GMAIL.COM @NONIDOLL

If you’re feeling like a mixture of punk, country and a swag of other genre influences all mixed into one, you should pop into Smith’s Alternative on Saturday March 4 to catch Petre Out, as he launches his debut EP. His set of songs about finding freedom in the mundane will be supported by No Stars, Zoe Erskine and Bernie Slater. It kicks off at 4pm and entry will set you back $10.

@bmamag

to the good ones.’ That’s what I try to think when I’m writing songs.”

ROCKING THE SUBURBS PETER KRBAVAC Pete Huet really is the model interview subject: he’ll come to you, record the interview on his own device and even hold the recorder for the duration of the chat. The former BMA columnist, erstwhile Waterford bassist and current zine writer recently stepped out on his own under the PETRE OUT banner and is preparing to release his first solo offering, a self-titled 7” EP and companion zine.

That’s something that scares me: that bit in between being really shit and it being kind of endearing and being good

Despite this selfdeprecating attitude to both his writing and playing, Pete says that he doesn’t “want to put too much stock in being a low virtuosity player. I want to eventually get good at it. Actually, that’s something that scares me: that bit in between being really shit and it being kind of endearing and being good enough for people to like it. That mediocre bit in the middle, I’m a bit worried about.” Petre Out launches his debut 7” EP and zine at Smiths Alternative from 4pm on Saturday March 4 with No Stars, Zoe Erskine and Bernie Slater.

In many ways, the Petre Out songs are a natural extension of Pete’s zines, which favour a personal focus and handmade, DIY approach. “I did pozines, which by definition are really personal,” Pete says. “That’s what I grew up reading, Cometbus and Scam. The songwriting’s very much the same thing. It’s solipsistic but I find that kind of stuff therapeutic.” While many of the Petre Out tunes ruminate on aging, Pete identifies the common thread as “getting well” which, for him, was a by-product of getting older. “I now live in the suburbs,” he says. “I have an office job. I have a partner and a kid and a couple of dogs, all the things that the punk in me thought meant life was over. Paradoxically, it’s liberated me from the depression and self-obsession of being young.” “My idea of freedom was freedom from responsibility,” he continues. “I guess why anyone gets into punk is they feel that they don’t fit in. They look at people who are normal, go to uni then get a job and go, ‘How the fuck does that happen?’ and then the reactive, ‘Why the fuck would you do that?’ Now I don’t have to worry about what I’m supposed to do anymore. I’m supposed to look after the kid. It’s not that whole existential thing of being in your twenties, which I didn’t really enjoy much.” While Pete lists The Lucksmiths and Weakerthans frontman John K Samson as major influences on his music, the real spark of inspiration came, funnily enough, from a scene in an Eagles documentary where the band’s late guitarist Glen Fry recalled playing with Bob Seeger. “Bob Seeger said, ‘You should write your own songs’, and Glen said, ‘Oh, they’re going to be shit’, and Bob Seeger said, ‘Of course they’re going to be shit. You’ve got to write the shit ones to get

facebook.com/bmamagazine

NICOTINE VALIUM VICODIN MARIJUANA ECSTASY AND

OLIVERI THOMAS SPILLANE NICK OLIVERI is one of the busiest musicians in rock, and he still just does it for the love of heavy music. His career began as a founding member of influential stoner rock band Kyuss, playing on legendary albums Wretch and Blues For The Red Sun. This then led to him being a founding member of Queens of the Stone Age (QOTSA) with Kyuss bandmate Josh Homme. Although these two projects are the most recognised of his canon, Oliveri has been playing non-stop around them. “I’ve never done anything I wasn’t proud of, as far as music goes,” Oliveri says, when talking about his musical output and contribution, “I’ve always stayed true to music, so I could travel all around and bring music with me that I can hold my head up high about.”

… when offers like that come in, especially for Australia, you jump at the chance,” Oliveri says. “I’ve never had any trouble in your fine country except for a good time … I come to bring love and rock, that’s the goodness!” The most commercially successful band Oliveri has been a part of is without a doubt QOTSA. He played bass and contributed vocals on two of the band’s biggest albums, Rated R and Songs For The Deaf (arguably their magnum opus). Oliveri was fired from QOTSA after the release of the latter and, as is typical with matters such as these, the story changes depending on who you ask. When Oliveri talks about his time in QOTSA he does so without anger and bitterness. Instead, a tone of regrettable acceptance comes through in Oliveri’s story. When he reminisces on his time spent in the band he built with vocalist/guitarist, Josh Homme, he talks with a fondness of good memories with his friend.

This attitude towards making music can be seen evidently in the release of Oliveri’s new compilation album, N.O. Hits At All Vol. 1. The album is the first of a six-volume vinyl series the bass player plans to release, consisting of songs pulled together from all ventures “I like the old stuff … what I brought to of Oliveri’s career. The tunes will range it was some heaviness, and Josh used to at I like the old stuff … wh from being recorded in a garage, to play really heavy. Arguably people are the studio and from the vault, to some I brought to [Queens of saying he’s not heavy anymore,” Oliveri already released material. The idea the Stone Age] was some says, “I always stick up for him saying: is to put the best of what Oliveri has ‘yeah he can’ but I’m starting to believe heaviness done in the same place for everyone to them now these days, and it’s a shame access. “It’s all different bands with me because Josh is a friend of mine, regardless of what’s happened singing lead vocals on it, some of them are covers, some of them … I stick up for his ass.” Oliveri and Homme have been friends are really bad recordings, really whatever I have,” Oliveri says of the since high school and were bandmates in Kyuss before QOTSA was compilation, “some of these you guys have never really heard, ever formed. The sound they pioneered in the desert rock band was … it’s a cool platform to release cool stuff that I’ve done.” not so popular at the time, but has since become very influential, Oliveri has played in many different styles of rock with various outfits, but they have all been unmistakably heavy and his. The Dwarves saw the bass player focusing on punk rock, Kyuss have become renowned for trippy stoner rock jams, Oliveri-era QOTSA is famous for their marriage of heavy and slick music, and Mondo Generator combines Kyuss’ stoner sound with The Dwarves’ urgency. The most radical act Oliveri has played in is probably the one he is coming to Australia with: Death Acoustic. A similar idea to N.O. Hits At All in the sense of gathering material, Oliveri’s Death Acoustic album and show consist of acoustic covers of tracks he has featured on, and those of bands he likes. Despite featuring solely acoustic instruments, Death Acoustic still contains an element of heaviness that is signature to Oliveri. The stoner rock icon will be coming to Australia throughout March and April as a part of the Mojo Burning Festival. “The good people at Beats Cartel asked me if I wanted to play Mojo Burning Festival, acoustic

influencing the sound of the first few QOTSA albums. While some former members of Kyuss disagree with the “stoner rock” label that has been associated with their band since its disbandment, Oliveri has nothing but gratitude and support for it. “I’m very proud of the Kyuss recognition we’ve gotten, and very proud of my past as music goes … better late than never.” Oliveri muses, “if they want to give it a name and call it stoner rock and say that we helped start it then … I’m in.” A pure, punk rock attitude unapologetically emanates from Oliveri, which compliments the music he has made. He plays music for a job, but not for riches and glory. It is evident that Oliveri is grateful for the fact that he can get by doing what he loves. Through his music and the way he talks, Oliveri is always unmistakably himself, for better or for worse. Nick Oliveri plays at Transit Bar on Friday March 24. Support from Blue Sky Circus, Signs and Symbols, Renegade Peacock. Tickets are $25 + bf at Moshtix.

@bmamag

facebook.com/bmamagazine

STILL BUZZIN’ JESSICA CONWAY 2017 is going to be a big year for hip-hop EDM luminaries, HERMITUDE – I can just feel it. The Sydney-based duo spent the last year tearing through the US, winning over yanks from coast to coast with their critically acclaimed tunes. “Americans really get into their music hard, you know? Getting over there and getting amongst it, it was just a killer year,” half of the dynamic duo Angus Stuart (a.k.a. Elgusto) enthused over the phone. But now Stuart and Luke Dubber (a.k.a. Luke Dubs) are back to their Sydney studio, fleshing out beats and preparing to drop more bangers on our eager ears. “We have a lot of rough sketches of song ideas we’ve written all over the world, while sitting on our laptops in airports and on planes, so now we’re taking all of that back into our studio to flesh it out.” So when can we wrap our ears around their latest offerings? SOON! AND FOR FREEEEE! The pair are taking the stage as part of the Australian Surfing Open in Manly, (how’s that for an excuse for a road trip and some beach rays?!). Sweetening the deal, not only will there be prosurfing and live music but also a global skate and BMX tour. Despite dabbling in BMX in his youth, Stuart is unlikely to go pedal-to-pedal with the pros this year. “I was a grommet in my teens and it was really fun. I only stopped because I was getting into music and I didn’t want to break my wrists in some horror stack,” Stuart recalled. “I think I’ll leave it to the pros, watch them do their work, admire it from afar and save myself any embarrassment!”

We’re neighbours – you gotta have neighbourly love

We digress, back to the music… “We’re doing this thing where we are playing a lot of live instruments, then sampling ourselves, and chopping that up. I’m a drummer, Luke’s a piano player and we have some crazily talented friends, so we’ve been jamming, taking that jam, pulling it apart, and getting the best bits out of it.” It’s still early days in the album development process, with Stuart keeping his cards close to his chest. “We’ve got a couple of remixes on the boil, but nothing I can speak of publicly, and it’s too soon to think collabs – we’re just writing the tracks and then once that’s sorted we’ll look at who we might want to work with.” What a tease. One promise that could be made is that the ACT will definitely be on the tour agenda (whenever that may be). “Last time we were in Canberra was for the Spilt Milk festival. We had a ball, huge crowd and incredible energy, and then we went out afterwards and had a really fun night! You could call me a bit of a Canberra ambassador after that! I mean why not, we’re neighbours – you gotta have neighbourly love.” PREACH. Make the trip to see Hermitude at the Australian Open of Surfing in Manly on Sat–Sun March 4–5. Visit australianopenofsurfing.com for more info.

@bmamag

AD SPACE YOUR NEW FAVOURITE CHANNEL LUCINDA NAUGHTON The alt-soul, instrumental outfit THE CACTUS CHANNEL are coming to Transit Bar! The band are keen for their upcoming tour as they are showcasing their new collaboration with SAM CROMACK (Ball Park Music and My Own Pet Radio). “I’d been a huge fan of Ball Park Music,” explains Lewis Coleman (guitarist and occasional vocalist of The Cactus Channel). “I went to see their album launch and came home feeling like – oh man that was such a good gig, I want to message this guy … I was googling and I came across this article and he’d listed us as one of the people he was listening to and it was a very surreal thing – like I was googling this guy and then he mentioned us!” Coleman muses that he, “subtly wove that into the message” he then sent to Cromack and things kicked off from there. The Melbourne-based, seven-piece band is now set to release their EP with Cromack on vocals in April, through Hope Street Recordings. ‘Sorry Hills’ is the first experience of the collaboration, which came out Friday February 10. The band formed in Princes Hill High School; the members bonded over approaching the funk and soul scene with a different take. As Coleman describes, “I think we got a kick out of learning the nuances of that kind of genre of music and then expanding on that. I think there’s a subtle kind of uniqueness of it to us, even though it’s not necessarily like super weird, unique music – we were drawn to it in that way.”

[Sam Cromack] fitted into the whole puzzle of us

After their successful partnership with Nick Murphy (f.k.a. Chet Faker) on ‘Kill the Doubt’, the group was eager for future collaborations. Working with Cromack was fluid and fun, as Coleman explains, “He fitted into the whole puzzle of us … You assume there’re things you need to navigate when there’s someone new who you’re working with. But it was just really easy.” From their first rehearsal in Brisbane, where Cromack is based, they could already tell there was something there. Coleman explains, “I wasn’t super sure what to expect – [but] he just approached the kind of lyrical and melodic writing like another part in the arrangement and was singing stuff over it that really fitted … We came away confident that we could make something solid.”

JULES GILCHRIST RECORD FAIR

The Cactus Channel tour in February (without Cromack) and play at Transit Bar on Thursday February 23. They will, however, be playing some of their newly collaborated songs, Coleman joking that, “For now, you’re stuck with my voice.” The group is looking forward to gauging reactions to their newest collaboration, as Coleman declares, “I hope people like it … Sam is just a really nice guy and it’s been fantastic to work with him … I feel like we’ve made a friend out of it.” The Cactus Channel will drop by Transit Bar on Thursday February 23 at 8pm. Supported by Los Chavos. Tickets are $11.70 + bf through Moshtix.

facebook.com/bmamagazine

AD SPACE

DANCE THE DROP

I just got back from Rainbow Serpent Festival in Victoria. It’s one of Australia’s very best festivals – expertly organised and run, with so much attention given to very small details, going far beyond just the big stages and even bigger acts. One thing I did notice however, besides the fabulous people in their most colourful costumes, was the amount of ravers who looked after their hearing. Everywhere you looked people were wearing earplugs!

One of the unfortunate (and ironic) side-effects of being a dedicated party-goer, is the dangerous impact that exposure to amplified music can have on your hearing. Constantly loud decibels of sound hammering your ears over a long period of time does shocking things to them, and if not taken under control – you will go deaf. Tinnitus is that horrible ringing you get in your ears when you get home from a gig, but permanent – a constant hum that never goes away. Stress can make it worse, but once it’s there it doesn’t really go away. After a particularly loud dubstep gig in 2010 in Manchester, I found I had a slight hum that I could hear when it was really quiet at night – something that comes and goes, but has never truly left.

AD SPACE

Back in Canberra I invested in some proper professional earplugs – the best $200 I ever spent. Moulded to your ears, they don’t muffle the frequencies, just reduce the volume. But more than protecting your ears, they allow you to stay longer at a gig. Loud noise can wear you out, and whether you’re a DJ or clubber, you’ll be able to party until dawn way more easily with some earplugs. Even if you don’t want to splash out on the expensive pair, spend $20 at Better Music and get some musician’s ear plugs – they do the pretty much same thing, but take a little more adjusting to. Either way, protect your hearing and you’ll have more time to enjoy the sweet gigs on offer this month in Canberra. First up this Friday February 17 is Spice Warehouse featuring Sydney’s Robbie Lowe, Murat Kilic and a host of local legends (including yours truly) – tickets available online at Resident Advisor and on the door – the techno goes from dusk until dawn, BYO. If you prefer your disco, Pickle is presenting an all-night shindig as well, with Hashman Deejay and PLO Man – also BYO and tickets at Resident Advisor. Also that night, Motez returns to Mr Wolf for some house music. Saturday March 18, Gay Cliché returns to Transit – as usual they’ll be donating 50% of proceeds to a worthy LGBTI cause, this time Safe Schools ACT, which does awesome work for addressing homophobia in schools. Academy has some big nights coming up this month, with party boys Bombs Away on Friday February 24, while on Friday March 3 it’s one of their biggest gigs this year, with trance superstar Markus Schultz coming in from the USA for Trance Capital! On Saturday March 4, Wind It Up presents the Verity Lane Party – with not only a dance party featuring Wax’o Paradiso (MELB), Lauren Hansom (SYD) and Gate Five, but some industry workshops that weekend as well, discussing music production and promotion. Enjoy the dancefloor, and be sure to protect your ears. PETER ‘KAZUKI’ O’ROURKE contact@kazuki.com.au

@bmamag

ANDREW NARDI You don’t have to look far to see where Canberra’s dance music and DJing scenes are growing. We clubbers in the capital have for years kept our ears close to Box Cutter, Pickle, Department of Late Nights and uniVibes to know where the party’s at. These event organisers (or ‘party people’, to use the technical term) are committed to hosting fresh talent, showcasing the best in underground dance music and putting on a good night; they keep it about the music and shun the sexist booze culture that can sometimes infiltrate more mainstream events. As Canberra’s dance scene continues to grow however, we have a responsibility to ensure that we keep the momentum, that the scene won’t wither and fall flat during the winter months and that we’re consistently welcoming new promoters and DJs to cater to every genre niche. Where can we direct aspiring event organisers and disc jockeys to get in touch with the key players in Canberran dance music? How do you even throw a party in the first place?

Canberra scene, is that we’re really focusing on gender equality in DJing. All the promoters for major parties in Canberra are focused on not having all-male line-ups and creating a more gender inclusive scene.” It’s for that reason that Wind It Up will emphasise the importance of feminism and inclusive attitudes in Canberra’s dance scene with a discussion panel about gender issues in club culture. Isaac says this panel will set the overall tone of Wind It Up. “Going clubbing, especially when I’d just turned 18 and was just hitting up mainstream clubs, the culture in there was just really confronting,” he says. “As soon as you get into a club and these dudes are all drunk, they seem to have absolutely no problem grinding on girls from behind without asking them if that’s okay. It creates an environment that’s really unpleasant for guys and girls … it shouldn’t be normal.” “When I started going to the more underground parties like the Box Cutter parties, it was so refreshing to not have to feel the pressure to be a gross dude and hit on people … The vibe at those parties is so much better because people can dance by themselves and not turn away guys every five minutes.”

Especially in the Canberra scene, we’re really focusing on gender equality in DJing

Enter WIND IT UP. It’s a two-day dance music festival set to take over Canberra’s CBD, bringing in local and interstate performers and industry insiders for a weekend of workshops, discussion panels and parties. Attendees can expect inside info on the art of DJing, event photography, promo for your next party and best of all, an insight into Canberra’s unique and evolving dance scene. “We want to help people who want to put on events, or people who like partying, to get on the other side of the party.” That’s Isaac Dugdale, Wind It Up’s founder. The recipient of an In The City grant, Isaac is putting on Wind It Up to help grow the Canberra scene, or as he puts it, “contribute to the nightlife scene.”

For a city that cops so much flak for its nightlife, Isaac is committed to building on Canberra’s strengths. “The difference between Canberra and Sydney is super striking, for promoters, DJs and clubbers,” he explains, noting that Canberra’s relaxed stance towards its nightlife is a strength rather than a weakness. “There’s less aggression; it’s a much nicer, more chilled out attitude. Putting on gigs in Sydney is really hard because the political climate over the whole state is pretty anti-party at the moment. And venues are often really expensive to book, whereas in Canberra, you can start your own thing a lot easier, because there’s a lot more room to get things going.” Even Canberra’s DJing community is starting to rival the other cities’. Isaac says we have a tight-knit group that isn’t afraid to welcome in newcomers and give everyone a go. “It’s a very cooperative rather than a competitive scene. Even if people are putting on parties on the same night, there’s never any anger or beef with that,” he says. “What I really like, especially in the

facebook.com/bmamagazine

With Wind It Up, Isaac wants to encourage event promoters to counter this sexist culture; they’re even setting an example at their own parties over the weekend. “We’ll have a text-in line, which is something that we’ve seen in Melbourne’s Cool Room series. We’ll post a phone number on our Facebook page and put up signs around the event, saying if you see anything [that makes you feel uncomfortable], just text it in to this line. Then we’ll send in volunteers or security, depending on the situation, to make sure that people are not doing things they shouldn’t be doing.” As for the parties themselves, Isaac says the Saturday night in Verity Lane will be an opportunity for aspiring producers, DJs and promoters to meet industry insiders on the lookout for new people to know. It will also be a chance to get down to some underground tunes from outside the mainstream. “Earlier in the night, it’ll be disco and disco-influencing stuff like soul, funk and afrobeat. As the night progresses, we’ll go heavier and harder, it’ll be house and techno … It’s going to be something Canberra doesn’t see very often and will be a really good, big party.” Wind It Up takes place in various locations around the CBD, Fri–Sat March 3–4. Tickets are $10 for a two-day workshop pass, $10 for the Friday Night Party at Suke Suke and $10 for the Saturday Night Party at Verity Lane. There will also be a record fair at Garema Place on Friday March 3 from 12pm-6pm. Tickets are 16+ and available from winditupcbr.com.

METALISE Thrash! Blast! Grind!, the festival brainchild of one Youngy of headliners King Parrot, hits The Basement the day this issue hits the streets – Wednesday February 15. So I hope y’all can read this at the show also featuring the wonders of Psycroptic, Revocation, Whoretopsy and Black Rheno. It’s a great bill and it’s a smart move for me on Youngy’s behalf to feature a strong line up of domestic and foreign produce to give it a chance to build and grow. I wish him all the best and offer only my strongest encouragement for you all to attend. Blackie from the Hard Ons recorded and released a song EVERY DAY in 2016, including a cover on January 1, 2017! It’s like the greatest arting achievement that ever arted! I’m not sure he will be able to do all of that material in his set at Smith’s Alternative, also on Wednesday February 15, but you should always go to see him. While on the strong encouragement for you guys to go out on a Wednesday night, the best way to deal with the mid-week hangover is to back up on Thursday night at the Transit Bar with 80’s gods D.R.I., who play their first show since 1987 at the Old Canberra Inn. I think we can rest assured that the Thursday February 16 show with Wolfpack, The Vee Bees and Kid Presentable won’t go down with the infamy that their last show did – descending into a massive all-in brawl with some unwanted skinheads who showed up and then passed into Canberra gig folklore (check out the Massappeal reissues who supported that night; some of the fracas is on the live recording). If you like your tunes fast and furious, it’s a must-see show – if you’re gonna “couch slouch”, then “fuck off”. “Front loading” this issue’s gig news is that following Wednesday and Thursday nights’ big touring action, Friday February 17 and Saturday 18 are just a cavalcade of local favourites for the tenth anniversary Shananigans event at The Basement. There’s too much to cover this issue to go through the whole line-up again, but it’s headed by Frankenbok on Friday and Insurge on Saturday. You can get a Moshtix ticket for $28.60 for a single night or $54.21 for both. Huge celebration of local talent and kudos and congratulations to the team on their decade. Bravo. Frozen Planet…1969 are a unique act comprising of the Attards from Sydney stoner band Mother Mars and local bass lord Lachlan Paine from Looking Glass. Their fourth album Electric Smokehouse came out through Bandcamp on January 11 and is a great piece of psychedelic instrumental experimentation. Every show the band does is unique as the entire performance is an improvised performance of top flight musicians and more than worth your attention. There will be a show in the near future, but check the album ASAP. Melodic heavy lads Twelve Foot Ninja from Melbourne will be at the Basement on Wednesday March 8. So Superheist didn’t have the greatest start to 2017. A flurry of social media activity saw recent addition, drummer Bennie Clark and Drew Dedman, out of the band; all this a week out from a 20date national tour. Somehow in less than seven days they have a new touring line-up featuring former bassist Si Durrant (ex In:Extremis for the oldies), whom Dedman replaced 17 years ago. Also joining the fold is John Sankey, the man behind organising the Legion festival after Soundwave collapsed under its own weight. There’s two sides to this story that are yet to come out, but the band will be back this year and their tour continues. JOSH NIXON doomtildeath@hotmail.com

INSANE IN THE MEMBRANE JOSH NIXON MENTAL CAVITY comprises of three local musicians and one expatriot by way of Melbourne-Canberra. All four have made significant contributions to heavy music here in the capital since taking their first musical actions. The rhythm section is made up of long-time collaborators Alex Young (bass, vocals) and Simon Murphy (drums), who have been making music together for well over ten years with bands like Hard Luck and A Stab in the Dark. The twin guitar assault comes from Canberra musician Rohan Todd, who has been working on a myriad of projects from hardcore to eclectic blends of black metal; and Aaron Osborne, Melbourne resident, but still a Canberra boy at heart. Aaron started out life as a drummer with stints in acts as diverse as Reign of Terror to Slow Burn, before moving to guitar and starting I Exist in 2008. Todd is no stranger to working with the three I Exist alumni; he joined as a touring member for the 2013 European tour, which took in 30 shows all over England and the continent. In addition to being longtime friends, the four enjoyed a pretty intuitive musical relationship from the outset of this project. The fact that the band only started writing in Autumn last year and have already dropped an eight trackEP is a strong sign that the partnership is already bearing fruit. The band blend a hearty hats-off to early 90s death metal influences, from that Sunlight Studio’s sound championed by bands like Entombed and Grave, but with a little bit more subtlety than the buzz saw HM-2 tone of the forebears. Still, the influence is there to be heard, while the drums and vocal delivery lend a more modern hardcore style. Vocally, Young inflects enough melody and variation by Osborne and himself swapping lines to keep it interesting. The result is an aggressive heavy blend that will appeal to fans of slightly crusty influenced hardcore, with a good does of riff heavy death metal that is more Sunlight Studios’ influenced than Gothenburg polish. Alex elaborated, “We had a really productive start and writing has just come really quickly and easily. We were all keen to seize the moment so we got some time at The Black Lodge and MTD Studios in Melbourne with Mike Deslandes.” Deslandes is the guitarist for Melbourne band High Tension, whom also have ex-Canberra vocalist Karina Utomo in their ranks. “Working with Mike was amazing, he has worked with everyone from Cosmic Psychos to Hoodlum Shouts. He has also worked with bands like COLOSSVS and High Tension, so after sending him some demos he had some good ideas.” The self-titled EP was dropped on Bandcamp on January 10. More live shows will follow, but the focus for this year is making more music and recording a full-length to be released hopefully by the end of the year. “We wrote the EP quickly, but the songs are all very short, direct, heavy and simple. Rohan has been writing a lot more material and the direction is heading into more complex and technical parts from him, with Aaron and I balancing with straighter rhythms to help bring it out with a solid contrast. We are definitely going to go back down and do the next one with Mike again as it was so good and easy to work with him, and we are really happy with the result.” The result is well worth a listen and you can catch the guys’ first Canberra show at The Basement on Friday March 3 with Agency, Slave Birth and Panic Burst. Starts at 8pm, $10 on the door.

@bmamag

facebook.com/bmamagazine

like discovering fresh, spicy, local talent (and why wouldn’t you), get down there.

Hey, how are ya. It’s the second column of 2017, and it’s shaping up to be a great year for gigs and local music. Let’s start at The Phoenix, shall we? First up we have local punk act Marlon Bando with Propeller and B.L.T on Thursday February 16. The following Monday 20 are the famous Phoenix Bootleg Sessions, featuring indie rockers Slow Turismo with Rebecca-Maree and Guyy. The following Bootleg Sessions are taking place on Monday 27, and this time will be presented by CIT. Acts include Naked Scientist, The Treehouse Children, Wandering Ghosts and Zebra. So if you feel

On Friday March 3, the Pheeno is hosting The Gypsy Scholars – indie roots rock reminiscent of bands like Credence Clearwater Revival. Supporting them will be Brother Be and Ben Kelly. The night after, a couple of personal favourites are playing; The Undermines – ultimate purveyors of dad rock – with The King Hits and The Feldons. Come down and have a few, it’ll be a ripper. Next up, The Front. I only have one gig to shout out, but it’s about quality, not quantity. ampON, Marlon Bando, Teen Jesus and The Jean Teasers and Bleach It Clean. Y’all know them. It’s a stellar lineup (and just a gold coin donation to get in), so get in quick to make sure you’re not part of the crowd standing outside. Another show I’m particularly excited about is D.R.I. (Dirty Rotten Imbeciles) with Wolfpack, Vee Bees and Kid Presentable (who you may recognise from our list of Top 50 Canberra songs of 2016). All you really need to know about D.R.I. is that their site bio is written in Comic Sans. The hardcore punk thrash act has been playing since the early 80s, and know how to put on a show. Catch them at Transit on Thursday February 16. Last, but not least, The Basement have two hectic shows coming up. On Wednesday March 8, Twelve Foot Ninja are playing. Nominated for an ARIA Award for best hard rock / heavy metal album, they also played with Disturbed a couple of months ago, whatever, no big deal, it’s nothing. Nah but really, go see them. I wouldn’t lead you astray. Finally, on Saturday March 11, The Basement are hosting the Raucous Porpoise MS Festival Fundraiser. Supporting a good cause, listening to great artists, and watching a few stand-up comics. What’s not to love (apart from the stand-up)? Catch Wretch, Ten Years Too Late, Taliesin, Red aRjA, Hence The Testbed, The Culture Industry, Cockbelch, Lions of the Underground, Dylan Hekimian, Georgia Davis and John Wickham play on what’s sure to be a hell of a night. Give to charity, don’t be a c**t. Also, one more shout out before I leave you – Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers, up-and-coming punk goddesses, have recorded their first EP. You’ll be able to listen to it very soon, and you absolutely should, if you love yourself. That’s all for now. I almost got through a whole column without writing ‘c**t’. Maybe next month. ELEANOR HORN e.trs.horn@gmail.com

@bmamag

TEAR IT DOWN. JARROD MCGRATH “We do seem to have been in Canberra a bit lately,” explains THE LIVING END bass player Scott Owen when discussing the band’s touring. While we may be a little spoilt, no one should take for granted the opportunity to see one of Australia’s premier live acts, especially on this tour, titled Staring Down The Highway, where The Living End will become one of the final acts to play at ANU Bar before its closure. “Aww what?! What a shame. I remember playing there many years ago with Suicidal Tendencies. That was like 15 years ago or something.” Thinking back on The Living End’s performance history in Canberra, I reminded Owen that the ANU would become the second Canberra venue they have played that will be torn down, (the other being the Civic Youth Centre where I first saw them supporting Millencolin and Bodyjar in 1997). “Oh Jesus it was that long ago, I’m losing my memory with age.”

few weeks here and there over the course of 12 months, polishing it up and reshaping and remoulding,” Owen explains. “A lot of the writing was done in the studio and we were actually experimenting in the recording studio rather than the rehearsal room. So it was a different experience for us making this record and I’m really happy with it … Now it’s time to go out and play it live.” Another highlight of 2016 for the boys was performing at the AFL Grand Final. “Actually playing it, man, I don’t even know if I can put it into words. It was a spinout, it was just amazing – it was really, really, really good. It was an epic day,” Owen recalls. But what made the opportunity so special for them? “I grew up right near VFL park and worked there when I was a kid. My mum, Chris’s mum and Andy’s family were all born in Footscray so that made it extra special … Just thinking, far out man, from humble beginnings back in the suburbs of Melbourne, this is a big box ticker.” humble

From This set of regional shows will see the three Melbourne boys play at a list of beginnings back in the What’s it like looking back on their smaller venues, and it will give fans the suburbs of Melbourne, early days and how far they’ve come their debut self-titled in 1998? opportunity to experience the band in this is a big box ticker since “I remember what it was like 20 years some of their most intimate shows in ago for us, when we had bands that years. “We haven’t done a big regional tour we loved and idolised and were fortunate enough to get to know. like this for a long time,” Owen explains. “We’re looking at it as an We were always trying to pick their brains for information … And I opportunity to play songs off the new record because people seem guess it’s kind of come full circle and now we’re in that role.” to be digging it and wanting to hear them. We also like to play the old favourites, the singles from the back catalogue, so it will be a Performing at sport events became a sort of theme for this mixed bag.” interview, after I asked Owen about the support act for this tour, The Bennies. “They were on the bill at The Australian Open that we This tour will be an opportunity for the band to showcase their did yesterday and I got to meet them. I’ve seen them play before, 2016 release Shift, an album that demonstrates the band is love the band, but we got to meet them and it was a laugh.” The maintaining their high-octane energy as their career progresses. Bennies are promising to bring their brand of punk rock on the However, the recording process for this album was quite different tour, and are sure to wow The Living End fans with their stage from their other releases. “When we made Shift we thought we antics. “It seems like it’s gonna be pretty fun having them on all were just going into a small studio in Melbourne that we’d used to these gigs. They’re just bloody funny.” do demos and stuff,” Owen explains. “Rather than get a producer – like we’ve usually gone overseas and got a producer or whatever Don’t miss this night of fun, rock and history when The Living End play at to make the record – instead of doing that, we used our live front the soon non-existent ANU Bar on Wednesday March 8. Support from The of house guy.” Bennies. Tickets are $45 + bf through Moshtix. It turns out that the band’s front of house manager, Woody Annison, is also a producer who’s made lots of records, and he’s a part of The Living End family. “We thought we were just going to go into this little studio with him, knock out an album in a couple of weeks, make it raw and fresh and keep it simple, but it didn’t end up happening that way at all. We kept on going back to it for a

facebook.com/bmamagazine

PLANET OF SOUND Planet of Sound is our column celebrating the wide history of music, our favourite musicians, genres, movements, bands and artists, and how they have impacted our lives. In this month’s entry, resident BMA writer Dan Bigna compares his experience at a Nick Cave gig to that of being forced to listen to the triple j Hottest 100. I can accept the appeal of the annual Triple J Hottest 100 countdown as a good excuse to get some friends together and sink beers but I would much prefer not listening to it if I have a choice. The fact that Beyoncé made it into the poll this year simply confirms that the term ‘alternative music’ is now completely meaningless. I also don’t know who Flume is and am not all that keen to find out. So, it was a tad unfortunate that the dudes living next door decided to hold a Hottest 100 party with a ‘pumping’ boom-box set up in the backyard that blasted the likes of Beyonce and Flume across the neighbourhood. I decided to retaliate by cranking the volume on the mono version of the Rolling Stones’ 1968 album classic Beggars Banquet; music that represents free creative expression if ever I heard it. I was further fortified from having seen Nick Cave perform in Sydney the previous week. This was one of the most rewarding shows I’ve seen in a long time from a great Australian artist who once said that current trends in popular music were completely irrelevant to him. Cave and his band The Bad Seeds played at the new entertainment centre in Darling Harbour, a somewhat impressive looking building. The ticket collection had proceeded in an orderly manner except that, for some bizarre reason, the hired security were swiping people with metal detectors and I kept setting it off. Turned out the tin foil lining a cigarette packet was the culprit and as the hired hand suspiciously eyed the distasteful off-green box he said, “I thought you might have drugs in there.” I smiled and responded, “No mate. I’m just a good law abiding citizen like yourself.” I was then waved through.

Cave opened the show with a number of songs from Skeleton Tree and the Bad Seeds aptly fleshed out the stark minimalism of this record to further accentuate the weighty themes. Other relatively recent gems from the 2013 album Push the Sky Away were given an airing including ‘Higgs Boson Blues’ with its rolling swamp groove and apocalyptic rock ‘n’ roll narrative that includes cutting lines like, “making the hot cots in the flophouse bleed.” Stuff like that will fire up an audience and Cave had decided he wanted to be where the action is. The heightened stage in the vast space was reduced with the placement of smaller steps at the front that, from a distance, made it seem that Cave was about to meld with the front rows whenever he leant forward. At one point I thought the 59-year-old singer was going to let loose and execute a stage dive so that he could fulfil the ultimate rock ‘n’ roll fantasy and be carried aloft by the adoring throng. This potential coming together of performer and audience was the vital punk ethos once again sinking the boot into the corporate ideal of the rock star joyfully exploiting the unwitting masses through the cult of celebrity. Cave will have none of this. His trip is all about art providing the right kind of nourishment with consumer/ product ratios, an unfortunate commercial by-product.

The term ‘alternative music’ is now completely meaningless

We had come to see Cave perform songs from the beautifully melancholic album Skeleton Tree and were set for an evening of harrowing emotional release. But Cave was in a jovial mood, making tongue-in-cheek comments about the devotional enthusiasm from an audience that once upon a time treated the extreme rock ‘n’ roll of Cave’s early group The Birthday Party with either indifference or contempt. This had contributed to the decision to find exile in the UK where the underground music scene there had become swamped with preening new-romantic electro pop – a double blow. But Nick Cave’s popularity steadily grew so that he can now perform in spaces somewhat larger than inner city pubs, while the music and words continue to forcefully explore those hidden sides of the human condition in a postpunk setting steeped in murder ballads and the delta blues. For any artist with a similar sensibility, the lightweight dance pop dominating the Hottest 100 might as well be weird alien signals from beyond the solar system.

In any case, an artist who explores obsessive desire on early Bad Seeds song ‘From Her to Eternity’ with such consistent intensity many years after writing it was probably never going to try that hard to crack the top 10. I really like those earlier songs and because I often seem a lot happier living in the past, it was completely satisfying that The Bad Seeds ranged across a distinguished body of work throughout the show. This included the Old Testament firestorm ‘Tupelo’, the heart wrenchingly beautiful ‘The Ship Song’ from the similarly beautiful 1990 album The Good Son and the harrowing crime and punishment tale ‘The Mercy Seat’ that has been a mainstay in Cave’s set lists and remains as powerful in concert as it ever did. This was a typically arresting and memorable performance from Nick Cave and his band that I enjoyed a lot. I only wish I could say the same about the Hottest 100. DAN BIGNA

@bmamag

LEATHER FOREVER ANNA FRANCESCHINI SUZI QUATRO answered the phone on Thursday night with a husky “hello”. With a career spanning 53 years, the leather cladded bassist doesn’t seem to be slowing down. “I always, from a tiny girl, wanted to be a performer,” she notes, reminiscing on her long career of music, radio, theatre and television. “It’s just something you feel inside of you, and I knew that as a young child.” In the midst of touring and writing a new novel, Quatro has also found time to gain an honourary doctorate in music from the University of Cambridge. “It’s a big honour,” she eagerly adds. Quatro, who has been touring Australia on a regular basis since 1974, is coming back this February for the 31st time. “It’s a little bit like a second home for me,” Quatro laughs. “We understand each other. The tours are always great. You’re like family to me.”

So is the bass your favourite instrument? “It is on stage,” she says. “I tend more to write on piano because you have access to the entire orchestra on the piano. Sometimes I write on guitar, but most of the time on piano. But on stage, the bass … it just fits.” On the subject of writing and performing, I ask her where she draws her musical influences from. “Well first of all it was definitely Elvis Presley, who I saw on television at the age of six.” Quatro lists her love of Motown music and Otis Redding, and says that Bob Dylan was an influence for her lyric writing. Do they continue to influence you today? I wonder. “All the time,” she quickly replies. “The new album [QSP], it’s got six covers and six originals. We’ve made good music together. I’m actually writing more than ever right now … I need to writes songs.” She asserts with passion. “I need to write poetry and I need to write songs. It’s a part of me you know?”

“Every tour I treat as special,” she replies Can you ever tell if a piece of writing when asked what we can expect out of this My dad never put up is going to become a poem or a tour. “But this one has the added bonus of song? “Not always. A poem … has the super group that I formed with Andy any barriers about a different … stance. Sometimes Scott and Don Powell.” Scott, from The gender and what we when I’m looking for inspiration Sweet, will be on guitar and vocals; while could do I go through my poetry book, Powell, from Slade, will be playing drums. and something will stick out as Together, the trio has combined their last something I can actually transfer from the poetic style into the names to become QSP. “We made an album, and it’s out January song style,” she says. “But usually a song is a song. You know it 20. So, you’re witnessing the birth of this band in Australia … I’m from the first time. Often I’ll think of a title or I’ll sing a line and pretty excited.” QSP will act as Quatro’s support group, “opening think, ‘oh that’s the line of a song’. So it … suggests itself. If it’s the show with something a little bit different”. And if it goes well going to be a basic rock and roll one I’ll write it on guitar. If it’s do you think you’ll do more of it? I ask quizzically. “Well it’s a brand more complicated I go to … piano.” new act so we’ll see how we go. We’re hoping to kick start this group on this tour.” I note that Quatro has mentioned that one of her greatest achievements has been to stay normal. I ask how she has managed Throughout our chat, Quatro appears to look at things through this throughout her career. “I just separate the personas,” she fearless eyes and open-mindedness. I ask her what it was like explains. “I’ve done many different things, but I keep them in starting off on bass guitar at a time when bass players were separate categories. The main thing is I have my ‘ego room’ up on predominantly male. “Well I mean it wasn’t normal,” she states. “I the third floor where you keep all your paraphernalia – this is an started in 1964, but … I came from a musical family – that gave analogy, so you have to go up two flights of stairs to get to this me a head start in the business – and there were four girls and room. Then you go in there, do what you need to do, come out and one boy,” she explains. “So we were brought up with the attitude you shut the door. That’s kinda how I get through life.” Suzi Quatro that we could do whatever we wanted. My dad never put up any will be hitting the Canberra stage in late February for one barriers about gender and what we could do. So I didn’t really exciting night. think about it – I didn’t realise how odd it was ‘til I got a bit older.” With loving nostalgia in her voice, Quatro goes on to describe Suzi Quatro brings her Leather Forever Encore Tour to Canberra Theatre her discovery of the bass. “I already played piano and I already Centre on Thu February 23. Support from QSP. Starts at 8pm. Tickets and played percussion, then I picked up the bass and … I found my more info at canberratheatrecentre.com.au. instrument. It’s one of those epiphanies. When I strapped it on I went, ‘OK’.”

facebook.com/bmamagazine

See The Country RORY MCCARTNEY On the surface it seems an unlikely pairing, of ex-Powderfinger frontman Bernard Fanning and country artist KASEY CHAMBERS. However, it’s not such an odd couple, following Fanning’s solo career swing to a more folk/blues style. Fanning and Chambers have been collaborating for many years, playing together on stage, contributing to each other’s records and even co-writing songs, including Fanning’s contributon to the title track from Chamber’s LP Bittersweet. Now they are touring together and BMA caught up with Chambers after her appearance at the Tamworth Country Music Festival, where she had introduced Fanning to his first ever Tamworth Festival. The event was a treat for them, as they had a few days to chill in one spot, instead of experiencing the usual hectic times that come with life constantly on the road.

love going back and playing all the old songs, such as ‘The Captain’, ‘Not Pretty Enough’ and ‘Barricades and Brickwalls’. I feel like they are such a big part of me. I also have a new album out which I’m pretty excited about, so I’ll play a few songs from that.” The set list is likely to include a couple of songs from Bittersweet, which the pair worked on together, with Fanning involved in keys, guitars and harmonies.

Chambers has just released Dragonfly, which she played songs from at the Tamworth Festival. The double album goes in two musical directions. Apart from including some new sounds that Chambers has not dabbled in before, it also contains features that go all the way back to her debut LP The Captain. “It’s the beauty of having a double record, where you get to try out a few different things and include a fair bit of Entitled the ‘Sooner or Later’ tour, the variety.” In an unusual move, one disk moniker sounds like a statement that the I learnt from Paul Kelly was produced by Chambers’ brother shows were an inevitable product of their musical work together. However, Chambers how to craft a song that Nash, done in conjunction with explains it came from elsewhere. “You is not necessarily about her live band, while the other was produced in Melbourne by Paul Kelly. know what, that was just a happy accident, myself “He’s one of my biggest inspirations, but it certainly helped. It’s Bernard’s single so that was like a dream come true,” out at the moment, called ‘Sooner or Later’, she recalls. “The album captures two different pieces of my life, and I happen to sing on it. Not that we talked about it heaps, but which I wanted to fit separately on the record, but I also wanted it was kind of inevitable that we were going to tour together.” them both to come out at the same time as I felt each piece was The pair has a love of working together and, even though their as much me as the other one.” The song themes take different musical styles are quite different, they have the same approach to directions too. “This is a big difference on this record. Some of the touring and making records. Chambers admits, “We actually don’t songs I don’t think I could have written 20 years ago, as I didn’t remember the first conversation about it, it’s almost like it have enough life experience to write songs like that. Some songs just evolved.” are story based, using characters that are closer to listening to Supported by Byron Bay singer-songwriter Garrett Kato, the tour Paul Kelly. I learnt from Paul Kelly how to craft a song that is not will see both artists perform independent sets with their own necessarily about myself.” bands, then combine for a jam session at the end. The script for The tour will take in rural areas, and Chambers, who has always the shows is not set in stone. “We don’t do the same songs every been strong on rural touring, is looking forward to taking Fanning night. One of the best things about the tour is that it’s not just the to places he has never been before. She will take the family along product of an agent putting two acts together to separately do for some dates too, although opportunities for that are more their own things. Bernard and I are used to working together. I’ll limited now as they are all in school. However, there’s a big thrill sing backups for him, we’ll do some duets and we might even do coming later in the year, when Chambers will take her kids on some covers together.” a music safari touring Africa in May, combining a holiday with The composition of the band for the jam session is fluid too, opportunities to jam some music along the way. avoiding a scripted format that follows the same nightly pattern. Kasey Chambers and Bernard Fanning, supported by Garrett Kato, will play The format means that the set list will differ from the collection at Canberra Theatre Centre at 7:30pm on Tuesday February 21. Tickets are of songs that Chambers’ fans are used to. However, she assures $92.15 + bf. See canberratheatrecentre.com.au for details and tickets. punters that their favourites will be included. “I actually really

@bmamag

AD SPACE YOUR JOURNEY WITH US THOMAS SPILLANE After 25 years of playing their unique Australian take on folk and blues, THE WAIFS are still all about their fans. To celebrate a quartercentury of making and performing music, the Western Australian band are doing what they enjoy most – playing for their fans far and wide. They’ve planned an extensive tour of our great brown land, playing shows not only in major cities, but many regional towns such as Albury, Bendigo, and of course, Canberra. “I think it might be more fun now,” vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Joshua Cunningham says of performing live, “we’ve enjoyed every step of the way … but the fact now is that everyone has a family … so we don’t get to do it as much … we certainly don’t take it for granted.”

There’s something real about our music that appeals to real people

Anybody who has listened to The Waifs or has seen them live can testify to the fact that their music comes from a place of love and appreciation. Cunningham attributes a simple passion and gratefulness to the longevity of his band’s career. “We’ve always enjoyed what we do and feel very blessed and lucky to be able to make music and make that our livelihood…” Cunningham claims, “we generally love each other as well … it’s sustained us in many ways than become physically a burden.” This immense love of music can be felt through The Waifs’ songs and has transcended generations. Cunningham believes that their intergenerational appeal comes from parents playing their music to their kids and the cycle continuing. “It’s an interesting thing,” Cunningham says, “even at the very beginning I’d remember playing festivals and have the whole range of age groups there … kids at the front singing, grandma and grandpa on the picnic rug and everything in-between.” Cunningham speculates another reason for their success across ages is the simplicity of their music. “We don’t get too deep and meaningful in our music,” Cunningham says, “they’re just simple songs about everyday life that seem common across the board … there’s something real about our music that appeals to real people.”

AD SPACE

On top of their massive tour of Australia, The Waifs are curating another project that puts the spotlight on their fans again. Instead of focusing on The Waifs’ personal story, they have asked their fans to send in stories of their relationship with the band. “It’s just something over the years we’ve noticed by bumping into fans and talking to them after gigs,” Cunningham says, “we’ve been really touched by the stories we’ve heard … we thought it would be a good thing to turn the focus of the story of our 25 years onto other people’s journeys with us.” The Waifs will be serenading fans @ The Canberra Theatre on Thursday March 16 at 7:30pm. Tickets available on their website for $61.50 + bf.

facebook.com/bmamagazine

ART

NOT APART ALLAN SKO Few events are as pivotal to developing the local arts scene as ART, NOT APART. Covering everything from music performances, art installations, food stalls, theatre, cinema, dance parties and everything weird and wonderful in between, the festival makes an outstanding example of Canberra’s rich, creative minds, and is open to the entire community to join in and celebrate. But an event for the local community begs complete transparency for the local community. It’s for that reason that BMA Bossman Allan Sko has spoken with Festival Producer DAVID CAFFERY, who has laid everything bare regarding Art, Not Apart’s funding, its significance for local artists, and the ups and downs that go into making it happen. OK badboy; hit me with some stats. How many artists are there this year? What’s the expected turnout? What was the turnout out last year? And anything else you can think of. Sell, sell, sell! We’ve presented over 500 artists in the history of the festival (this is our seventh). We’ve now got six curators (music, performance art, visual art, film and moving image, street art, interactive and multi-disciplinary works). The most artists we’ve hosted is 250 in a day/night, but we’re pulling it back to focus on quality presentation and deeply integrating each work. Gathering the gamut of great local artists into beautiful spaces is an endless but exhilarating job – the interconnections and impact can be breathtaking. This year we’ll present about 150 artists, aimed at 15–20,000 people. That’s the same number of artists to a slightly increased crowd, but this festival will be better than last year. The 1920’s National Film and Sound Archive is a new focus; we’re dropping the lake and Westside to create a more intimate vibe, better food, a series of local wineries, a local brewery, a new stage and later afterparties. Both the dance and performance art parties were absolutely pumping when they closed at 11pm last year, so we’re moving them to fly late. We should have been done for false advertising – F_ck Art, Let’s Party had 2,000 people pumping to a wild set-up, but an 11pm close? That’s not a party. So, we’re fixing it.

Why is Art, Not Apart important? Within a few hours, anyone can freely experience a strong crosssection of Canberra art, presented well. The artists are there, with their exemplifications of today, to connect ideas and emotions to anyone in our city. I see the festival as a forum of meaningful ideas shared via cinemas, galleries, stages and conversations. With kick. We care about impact. Everyone can find something that will impact their experience of Canberra as a place for people, not just planning and politics. Funding. It got cut for a while, then reinstated. Tell me more about that, and your opinion of funding of the arts. We’re very transparent about our funding. Here’s the quick version: the budget will be released on our website after we know the real costs. And we’re having a panel discussion on the big stage with the most relevant people to the wildly unsettled debate, called ‘Shaken Up: Canberra Arts Funding’. The whole country’s art scene is in a state of emergency at the moment because all forecasts are unfounded. This puts arts organisations, whom support artists, in an unsustainable position. People may have seen some social media lobbying for Art, Not Apart. That was the tip of a 30-month process of formal proposals to stabilise the festival. We got a commitment of $500,000 over four years thanks to our chief minister. This year, it’s the same as last year, and the next three years will get another $20,000 each. That’s over doubled by private inputs each year, most of which is Molonglo Group, because they honestly care about culture. $60,000 will go directly to artists – we pay properly and have increased some applications, because Canberra needs sustainable arts opportunities. We’re trying to do our bit but are part of a much bigger ecosystem. In our panel, we hope to provide artists and arts organisations with a unified pathway to become sustainable.

@bmamag

What’s your favourite memory of all the Art, Not Aparts you’ve overseen? There’s a journey we try to facilitate for each artist that, when it works, is my highlight: we meet a passionate artist, they explain their patchy but heart-felt idea, they make their work with trials and tribulations, they show it at the festival, they wear themselves to the bone talking about the ideas and meaning with so many people, they think about collapsing after a huge day … then they party. That party feels SOOO good. They have made a heartfelt contribution to our city, they gave it their all in a human and unique way, and then we celebrate. It’s an important ritual to dance and let go, and it’s enhanced when you’ve made a positive contribution to the people around you. What’s your proudest Art, Not Apart moment? I never wanted to spend existing arts money on a new arts event. Excluding for two $25,000 arts grants that leveraged much more, after March 18 the festival will have contributed $735,000 to the arts economy that did not exist without this event, affirming the value of the arts in new areas. This is money that was never allocated to anything to do with arts until we made it so. People don’t understand – and why should they? – the amount of work and effort that goes into such an enterprise. Give us a break down of a typical day working on Art, Not Apart. Tell us also about the week leading up to the event, and the day itself. How many hours? Do you sleep?

Access Canberra used Art, Not Apart as a test-pilot event. We pushed them and they could not have been more supportive of our ridiculous artworks and their legislative frictions. Access Canberra is now well-established and accommodates the whole city’s crazy event and business ideas. No one realises how important they are to the creative growth of Canberra – Art, Not Apart wouldn’t be possible without them showing us a legal pathway to realising new ideas. Frustrations. Do you have any? Want to talk about them? We have been denied the proposal to host a dance party in the basement of a multistorey carpark. Regulations, which MusicACT has been trying to free-up for two years, block events from happening in ‘non-assembly’ buildings, like the carpark would have collapsed or something. So now we’re running with the mystery and making it public: F_ck Art, Let’s Party will pump with over 30 DJs and a ridiculous set-up for free, but we’re not saying where. Follow us on Facebook. What else would you like to say? Sam Dignand is the new weapon of the festival, curating ‘film and moving image’. Expect big projections and an absorbing program of film at Arc Cinema, one of the country’s best places to experience film. Part of this program will be the silent horror film, Nosferatu, with local musicians Tess Said So playing grand piano, vibraphone and tubular bells. Sam has also programed the premier of Whiteley, a documentary on the life and art of Brett Whiteley.

It’s a crazy experience: thousands of hours per event, never A new stage in front of the National Film and Sound Archive enough time for deadlines, copping criticism for things people will unite everyone around big sounds and lots of dance. We’re don’t understand and damaging the programming this stage around the idea whole reason we do it, falling in love of ‘Shake Your Body’. d fin can Everyone with new artworks, throwing ourselves l wil t tha The theme of the festival is ‘Shake It something at ideas that don’t come to fruition, impact their experience Up’ to reflect the shaken up feeling seeing the ACT government enable today: new approaches to art, shit a much smoother delivery of events of Canberra as a place of politics, a new festival site and constant t within two years, and seeing the jus not , for people instability in the arts. The idea is for the collective impact of hundreds of artists planning and politics festival artists to reshuffle today for a sharing their impressions of life to better tomorrow. thousands of people. Sound and Fury is the performance party you don’t want to miss. I have a relentless determination to make each event better no Chenoeh Miller, the amazing performance curator of the festival, matter how hard it is. Last year we worked with some incredible says the opening act is, “the best theatre I have ever seen.” She artists to make a ‘Class-A electrocution risk’ litigation minefield, saw the work by Julia Croft at Edinburgh Fringe last year and complete with a chemically monitored swimming pool shaken by Julia was keen to get here from NZ, so it’s been really affordable subwoofers and lit by delicate, high-powered lights that didn’t like and a perfect fit. A truly world class opening to a liberating water. It was to make a lasting impression on individuals about performance-based party like no other. That’s in the 1920’s gallery tipping points and not-knowing what’s going to happen. We got of the NFSA and tickets are available through our website. a lawsuit against us because some idiot thought he could swim, head first, through a surveillance camera window. Thankfully, he Music makes the world go around. We’re showing a whole world of dropped it (maybe when he saw we have no money). it this year: the fabulous Frank Madrid has curated Arabic, African, Latino and so much more in over ten spaces throughout the day. No, we don’t sleep, but we feel very alive. The only issue is That guy’s got serious flair in programming. worrying that people misinterpret our work as something other than contributing to an artistic culture – that always burns in the We are honoured for Emeritus Professor David Williams to be back of my head. We’re actually dedicated to a better world. working with our program manager, Anna Trundle, on the visual arts program. The Nishi Gallery exhibition Shake It Up will do Give me three good news stories from all the Art, Not Aparts exactly that, with the care you’d expect from such an experienced you’ve run. and forward-looking curator. They’re also working on installations Dear Pete Filmer got lots of commissions from presenting his and pop-up live art pieces throughout the day. animal drawings at the festival. We love Pete. Last year we showed Art, Not Apart goes down on Saturday March 18 in the NewActon Precinct, a collaborative work by him and his son, Geoff. Geoff is one of West Basin, the National Film and Sound Archive and more venues to Canberra’s most prolific street artists. be announced. It runs from 1–7pm, plus afterparties. The Art, Not Apart We’ve shown a lot of artists early in their career before they left town and have influenced the national scene. Hannah Quinlivan (visual arts) and James Batchelor (dance) are two examples.

facebook.com/bmamagazine

festival program will be released at artnotapart.com on Friday February 17.

E X H I B I T I O N I S T ARTS | ACT

WHAT IS CANBERRA FRINGE? SHARONA LIN Based, like other Fringes worldwide, on the Edinburgh model, CANBERRA FRINGE has been running for a decade. In that time, festival director Chenoeh Miller says it has struggled to find a consistent identity – changing in location, length, and even name. “But one thing has remained the same – The Fringe is an abundant mix of experimental performance and music.” The core idea of a fringe festival is its inclusiveness and lack of curatorship, allowing anyone to perform anywhere in the city at any venue, permeating the city with a “palpable energy”. In bigger cities, “everyone from your mum to your Uber driver knows it’s on.” Last year, Edinburgh Fringe went for 25 days with over 50,000 performances and over 3,000 shows. Edinburgh’s is the biggest and oldest in the world, while closer to home, Adelaide Fringe boasts the second-largest Fringe in the world. Canberra Fringe has a small budget, Chenoeh says, “so creating that kind of infrastructure is impossible”. That means Canberra Fringe is necessarily curated. In recent years, when it was known as Canberra Multicultural Fringe and sat on the fringe of the National Multicultural Festival, there was a focus on cultural diversity. This focus was noble, but ultimately limiting, Chenoeh thinks. “All festivals should be representative of the community they exist within. Here in Australia, we just are diverse,” she says. “So all of our festivals should be showing that anyway.” Removing the word “Multicultural” from the festival title allowed for a greater spectrum of diversity, opening the festival’s programme to more cultures and lifestyles than ever before. “As directors, we should make it a priority to reach out to all sorts of performers and audiences.” Canberra Fringe is just one of the many arts festivals Canberra hosts during the year, and the strongest are created and run by Canberrans – Noted, Art, Not Apart and You Are Here amongst them. Unfortunately, Chenoeh says, many are serially underfunded by the government. Also weighing on her mind is the potential defunding of Canberra Fringe. “These newer Festivals that our government supports are copies of others, or they are not locally run,” she says. But to her, that doesn’t make sense: “For some absurd reason, whoever is coming up with these ideas thinks that they will increase tourist numbers. But there is no way that is possible! Why come to Canberra when you can get the same thing elsewhere?” “It completely baffles me as to why the powers that be wouldn’t opt to invest funds into a larger-scale, Canberra-defining event with a proven record of

success. This makes more sense to me than reinventing the wheel with all these new festival ideas.” Whatever the reasoning, at her core, Chenoeh is an artist and director of performance. To maximise the funding they do have, she has curated a polished programme on just one day – as opposed to a programme that runs over a week or longer. That one day of concentrated performance is bookended by the Canberra Fringe Curtain Raiser on Friday – featuring Melbournians Lisa-Skye and Jess McKerlie with one-woman shows Spiders Wearing Party Hats and Gender Spanner, (“they explore sexuality and alternative lifestyles in a way I’ve never seen”) and the Canberra Fringe Aftermath with Queer Speed Dating, also hosted by Lisa-Skye, on the Sunday. Looking at the programme, it’s amazing to see what has been packed into such a short timeframe. Chenoeh prefers original, highly visual works that seek “a genuine human connection” – so there is a great deal of dance and physical theatre. And since most of the festivities take place in one venue, Fringe tends to be heavily music-oriented, “to keep the party rolling”. When I ask her what she’s most excited about for this year’s Fringe, Chenoeh says: “So much – everything!” But when pushed, she names a few. “The Mother Tongue Multilingual Poetry event is a beautiful example of Canberra’s cultural diversity through poetry and music. We launched it last year to great acclaim, and in the last 12 months, it has become a popular event – producer Jacqui Malins really takes the time to explore and communicate with Canberrans from all walks of life.” Chenoeh is also excited for the opening sequence on Saturday, which will feature excerpts from Rohallah, an upcoming dance show she is directing with Fresh Funk dance: “It is a vibrant and beautiful physical theatre piece inspired by the life of an Uber driver that I met called Rohallah. He will also come along and speak a little on his experiences as a refugee, and his assimilation to Australia.” Although the future of Fringe is uncertain, and the festival is small compared to in the past, Chenoeh is full of optimism: Canberra’s arts scene is flourishing. “Local artists have risen to the challenge of creating something new for the Fringe.” Canberra Fringe is on Saturday February 18 at London Circuit near Petrie Plaza. The Canberra Fringe Curtain Raiser is on Friday February 17 at Smith’s Alternative at 7pm. Visit facebook.com/CanberraFringe for more information.

@bmamag

A R T | C O M E DY | D A N C E | L I T E R AT U R E | T H E AT R E

IN REVIEW

Jazida presents High Brow at the Lobrow Lobrow Gallery & Bar Saturday January 28

Photo by Damien Geary

This event is the first of an ongoing variety night presented by Canberran superstar Jazida. Featuring fifteen performances with four headlining performers, the show sold out and the 95-strong audience happily packed into Lobrow. Squishy but comfortable, the no reserved seating meant the majority of the crowd happily sat with their friends. First-time emcee John Lombard opened with a quick chat about rules and etiquette, then Jazida’s Fabulous Fanveil Dancers started the show with a silk fan group routine. Gorgeous smiles radiating, they thoroughly enjoyed themselves and the thunderous applause. Two more group routines were performed with feather fans and light up umbrellas. Catch them at the upcoming Multicultural Festival. Mandy Bandersnatch performed three times – a tribal Amazonian routine in traditional Horror Hammer theatre style, a Captain America cabaret showgirl striptease number, and a baton twirling shimmy striptease tribute. Camilla Cream was the interstate guest from Melbourne. Her jazz cabaret style of performing is different to the classical style Canberra so frequently sees. With a great singing voice, she was funny, energetic, made a better emcee and held the crowd’s attention easily. She tap-danced, sung, stripped and fan danced throughout the evening. Créme De La Crop performed twice, her first routine a classy classic striptease from a trench coat to lingerie. Her facial expressions joyous and her peek-a-boob section very flirty. She later on performed her well-known circus clown routine. Jazida performed in two solo routines as well as all of the group routines. The first solo featured LED light up silk fans – she morphed into a trance style of body popping whilst wrapped in a shawl of black feathers. It looked amazing in the dark. Her second routine was her well known classic striptease in her green and white gown, described in my Creatures of the Night review. Roxie Ravish performed a very nerdy, lusty lap dance to a mannequin with the face of Donald Trump. Hilarious, political and full of taboo moments, the crowd thoroughly loved it. A big thank you goes to Jazida and John for acknowledging the troupes that all performers started with. Criticisms: With only one or two staff working the bar, it took 25 minutes to get service. A side stage mechanics spotlight was the only lighting, so it cast terrible shadows on performers, creating ugly expressions. Lack of shoes worn by performers, including the plainly dressed stage kitten meant that we watched really dirty black feet all night. And again I am disappointed by the performers who ended their gorgeous routines with a five second flash and then dash off stage. I do look forward to seeing what the next event brings to the stage. SAM INGHAM

facebook.com/bmamagazine

theatre company in Canberra, and the production of big main stage musicals is baked into their charter. “I think we do the best shows in Canberra,” McMullen says, and certainly the shows with the biggest sets and costumes. This desire to be the biggest and best means that Philo is going all out: instead of choreographing numbers with a cast of eight, there are twenty in the ensemble. And instead of minimalist black costumes, they will be in full costume. That’s what sets this Chicago apart from other productions: “It’s the big production numbers.”

DON’T BE FAMOUS, BE INFAMOUS SHARONA LIN If you’re a musical theatre buff, chances are you’ve watched CHICAGO, a vaudevillian, satirical take on murderesses turned celebrities. Based on true characters, these criminals gain celebrity status through notoriety – all with a song, dance and a nod to the fourth wall. And if you’ve watched Chicago, chances are you haven’t watched a production based on the original Broadway production, but rather, one based on the 1996 revival. Jim McMullen, director of Canberra Philharmonic Society’s forthcoming production of Chicago, wants to change that. “The original Chicago was in a vaudeville setting, which was really big from the turn of the century through ‘til around 1932. And every song in the show is a tribute to a different style of cabaret performance – burlesque, comedy acts, freak shows, solo singers…” The tremendous success of the 1996 revival means that most productions now retain that minimalist, stripped down aesthetic, but McMullen wants to bring it back to its roots: “We want to stay faithful to the original.” Canberra Philharmonic Society is the oldest musical

Philo is a community organisation – McMullen has been involved since the early 80s in various capacities: on the board, the president, a show director, and so on. And you also have someone like ensemble member Rhys Madigan, who dabbled with musical theatre in high school and then came back to it. He finds that the community spirit keeps him coming back each year – everyone helps build sets and gets involved. Something else that makes Philo special is the commitment to the art: “When I go to a show, I want to see the essence of the show. When you do cabaret, you need to delve into all the things that happen in cabaret.” McMullen says that increasingly, people don’t want to deal with nastiness, “so productions are all froth and bubble.” The “nastiness” that Chicago depicts is obvious: “for starters, everyone is a murderess,” and a little more metaphorical. “And there’s the celebrity status of criminals. You only have to look at what happened with the Trump campaign – it was all media hype and all played up to make things out of what they’re not. You make presidents out of that. It’s very topical, and people will get a bit of a spark out of it.” Chicago shows from Thu–Sat March 9–25 at Erindale Theatre. There are 8pm and 2pm matinee shows. Tickets start at $25 from philo.org.au/Tickets.

@bmamag

LIGHTS! CANBERRA! ACTION! 2017 A new wave of storytelling is emerging in Canberra. Lights! Canberra! Action! champions this unique approach to sharing stories, ideas and experiences through film. Via strict competition, filmmakers are given ten days to write, shoot and produce a seven minute film exploring a given theme. What is created is beautiful, and worth a watch. The creativity and innovation which flows from this short film competition astounds audiences and the film industry each year. Renowned for introducing talented, emerging artists to the scene Lights! Canberra! Action! also acts as a platform to allow established filmmakers to experiment with the boundaries of film. It is this diverse range of contestants that leaves the audience spellbound, never knowing what to expect next. Crowd favourites in past years have explored everything from what happens when you fall in love with your best friend to how the world changes when your sleeping bag becomes a time machine. Past contestants have gone on to have great success within the film industry. Notably Blue World Order, a finalist in 2012, has gone on to become a feature film starring Billy Zane, Stephen Hunter and Jack Thompson. One aspect which remains the same each year is the atmosphere of this short film competition. As the big screen lights up, framed by the stunning landscape of the Senate Rose Gardens, the night air is full of anticipation. Excitement takes over as the first film comes onto the screen before the audience are entranced by the stories unfolding before their eyes. Now in its fourteenth year Lights! Canberra! Action! will return as part of Enlighten 2017. Entries will explore the theme ‘right’. Right/left, right/wrong, moral rights, your right to vote – it is anticipated that filmmakers will interpret the theme in a variety of creative ways. The top 12 films will be screened outdoors under the night sky at Enlighten, with the winning film announced on the night. You can also be part of the action and vote for the favourite film. Lights! Canberra! Action! will be held on Friday 10 March at the Senate Rose Gardens, Old Parliament House. There will be live music from 7pm, with films screening from 8pm. Bring some popcorn and a picnic blanket and enjoy this celebration of short films.

facebook.com/bmamagazine

IN REVIEW Shadow House Party Courtyard Studio Tues–Sat January 17–21

IN REVIEW

Paradise Lost – Bare Witness Theatre Company Belconnen Arts Centre Thursday January 26

Photo by Reid Workman

Photo by Richard Lennon

Shadow House Party comprised of three distinct theatre shows linked by each show’s common emphasis on the physical and visual elements of theatre, and each show’s use of theatre as a platform to voice political and social commentary. The first show, A KREWD Incarnate, featured six animal-like creatures performing to a high energy sound track, each encaged in a spotlight. After collecting my complementary drink, I sat near an ostrich-like bird that would randomly give me one of its feathers and say, “I am God, I am divine.” Created by Bambi Valentine, this show explored the idea that beneath our well-crafted political and social hierarchies we are all just animals; and that by denying this, we are trying to re-cast ourselves as gods or divine beings. I particularly enjoyed Benjamin Russell’s performance as a dog and Bambi Valentine as a gorilla. The show finished with a loud burlesque inspired piece that was engaging and entertaining.

Bare Witness Theatre Company’s Paradise Lost, is an intense and intriguing mix. Including excerpts from John Milton’s 350-year-old, 80,000-word prose poem on the primal saga of western civilisation and philosophy; an almost naked, Irish Shakespearian actor in passive-aggressive, full-body, white Japanese Butoh makeup; and a prop-less, sound-less stage; opening to an Australian audience. Performer Christopher Samuel Carroll’s professionalism, born of long contemplation of Milton’s poem and his discipline in western and oriental theatre arts, takes this curious recipe and conjures with it a strenuous, single-handed, physical theatre – thick with words and rich in evocative mime.

Next was Trinculo’s Bathtub 2: Annihilation, created and performed by Joe Woodward. This show was a little more obscure than the first with references to French revolutionary Jean-Paul Marat, who was murdered in his bathtub; Donald Trump; and I’m sure others. A central idea seemed to be that the less you know about something the easier it is for you to have a “revelation” about that thing. To demonstrate this Trinculo jumped into a bathtub and invited the audience to ask him philosophical questions. I found this to be the most engaging part of the show and I would have liked more of it – Woodward’s pseudo-intellectual sparring was funny and engaging. The final show was Lucy Matthews’s Ophelia’s Shadow. For this show, Matthews rearranged Shakespeare’s Hamlet to make Ophelia the central character, and wrote a punk-rock score to accompany the story. I understood Matthews’s interpretation of Ophelia’s story to be about a woman who, because of societal constraints on how she should behave, is not able to fully express and act on her feelings, and is then held responsible by others for the contradiction that ensues. This issue of course is still relevant. However, one of the problems with using Shakespeare’s text as the basis of this play is that that the character of Ophelia is not well-developed within Hamlet. This meant that rather than the text driving the narrative it was the strong performance of Miriam Slater as Ophelia, and the chemistry between Ophelia and Luke Middlebrook’s Hamlet that really demonstrated Matthews’s interpretation of the text. The music and the performances of Frances McNair and Bambi Valentine also gave this show a great energy. Straight after Ophelia’s Shadow, the theatre turned into a dance floor, with the cast encouraging the audience to get up and dance. A great idea, but I probably needed a longer moment between watching Ophelia’s death and jumping up on the dance floor! ZOE PLEASANTS

Carroll frames his narrative around edited selections from Paradise Lost’s voluminous text, which intentionally highlight the parts of Satan, Eve and Adam in Milton’s epic. His performance projects galactic scale war between Heaven and Hell and epitomises Satan’s evil, self-justifying victimhood, as he writhes with the twists and turns of tumultuous treachery and wrathful vengeance. Carroll inhabits the slickest serpent salesman, urging Eve to the apples of knowledge. He then personifies the couple’s perplexed awakening to the serpent’s malignant duplicity and the wrenching, ‘inexplicable justice’ of expulsion. Using his whole body Carroll skilfully contorts through these physical, spiritual and emotional clashes with counted vertebrae and writhing muscles beneath the Butoh white. Evoking in his portrayal of Satan Giger’s implacable, sci-fi Alien then sinuously sidling as Eve’s serpent seducer. Whilst most know the story of Satan’s fall and the Garden of Eden in outline, dealing with the scale and archaic phrasing of Milton’s epic – the intense pressure of language and Carroll’s stylised movement – required the audience to make a considerable effort to stay with him. Considering its length, scope and complexity, Carroll’s targeted editing and unusual dramatic approach was successful. Combining his prowess as a Shakespearian actor with his skills in the Japanese Butoh form, which emerged post World War II as a rebellion against rigid tradition, makes Paradise Lost an accessible piece. With his commitment to further refinement, Paradise Lost can only improve as Carroll continues to build his relationship with the work. The great tales of heroes and anti-heroes, vengeance and redemption, good versus monstrous evil, of being “seduced to the dark side”, are as old as campfires and as new as next week’s cinema releases. In its 350th year, Bare Witness Theatre Company’s unique perspective on Paradise Lost will revive audience curiosity about Milton’s work and its place among the panoply of ancient and modern epics. ANTHONY PLEVEY

@bmamag

A R T | C O M E DY | D A N C E | L I T E R AT U R E | T H E AT R E

IN REVIEW

Tammy Paks presents Creatures of the Night National Portrait Gallery Friday January 20

Photo by Sam Ingham

The National Portrait Gallery has a series of free-entry late night events happening on Friday evenings in January and February from 5pm to 8pm. This event was hosted by Canberra’s own drag queen extraordinaire Tammy Paks and featured roaming models from Miss Kitkas House of Burlesque, fire twirling by Tobias Price, burlesque performances by Jazida and Seker Pare and performances by jazz band Josh Knoop Trio. 150 people attended the two-and-a-half-hour event, settling into the couches, stools, foldup seats and on the floor, with wine and beer in hand; enjoying the view of the stage that was set up in front of the massive windows. Tammy floated throughout, welcoming all in a beautiful jewelled embellished dress, opening the event with a beautiful love song. Jazida performed in a stunning lilac dress with purple fan veils; she made wonderful work of the ample space, flitting skilfully through the crowd like a beautiful bird. Tobias wowed everyone with a spectacular fire twirling display in the outside courtyard as the crowd watched through the glass wall. His skill is making poi twirling look so easy. Tammy and Jazida sung a duet, while Jazida played keyboard; their voices together were lovely and complimentary. Jazida came back out and stripteased to a jazzy cabaret number, wearing black fringing; the routine was high impact and her high kicks and backbends while dancing and were amazing. Seker Pare performed a gothic sultry striptease, looking phenomenal in a horned headdress and covered in black feathers ending with a back-bending floor arch tassel twirl; it was absolutely spectacular. The John Knoop Trio sung and performed lounge style jazz, the crowd eagerly refilled their wine glasses and mingled and chatted with the models from Miss Kitka’s House of Burlesque. Jazida’s final performance was her award-winning classic striptease routine. Starting in a stunning green and white jewelled gown, she glamorously strutted across the space and stripteased down to a traditional panel skirt and bra, taking sections off the panel to fan dance with and ending in a spectacular back-bending tassel twirl. Another fire twirling routine was given by Tobias; with a long staff expertly spun around all over the place, he made easy work of his space and interacted with the crowd through the glass. A final song by Tammy Paks was well received, the final performance by Seker Pare had her come out in classic lingerie with a large purple feather boa, dancing, bumping and grinding in a classically beautiful style. Ending the event was another set by the John Knoop Trio; the cast then came back out for a final bow to a very long applause, mingling with the crowd afterwards and posing for photos. The entire event was glamourous with high quality entertainment. I really hope Tammy presents another show like this again soon. SAM INGHAM

facebook.com/bmamagazine

E X H I B I T I O N I S T ARTISTPROFILE: TONY CURRAN

What do you do? I draw and paint. I love colour and I love drawing people and things but I also have a compulsive habit for the seduction and luminosity of screens. I use computers, tablets and phones as sketching tools to make paintings, videos and programs. Lately I’ve been collaborating with poets, printmakers and computer scientists. When, how and why did you get into it? I’ve been drawing since forever but seriously drawing since about 2007 when I started art school. Once I realized my dependence on pixels and bits I’ve accelerated my interest in how digital media can inform drawing and painting. Who/what influences you as an artist? Figurative painters such as Lucian Freud and David Hockney have been massive influences, computer artists such as the great Harold Cohen with his robotic collaborator AARON, web and app artist Rafael Rozendaal, and early modernist artists like Jean Arp are indispensable to me. Electronic music is another huge influence in my work.

ARTS | ACT

What are your plans for the future? Lately I’ve become really interested in the possibility of exploring the role of ethics and ideology further in my work. I’d love to keep exploring what my work stands for in a moral sense. I think that’s important.

What about the local scene would you change? When I moved to Canberra I was so impressed that there were so many supports for artists to stick around after they finish art school. They could get residencies and exhibitions and it has produced a very strong and unique art scene where the work feels distinctly like Canberra as a city, it’s vibe and rhythm. I’m concerned that defunding is going to undermine what Canberra artists and institutions have developed over the years and result in a gradual exodus to other cities with more artist-run spaces and commercial galleries. If I had the funds and influence I would refund all the programs that lost funding as a result of recent federal arts budget cuts and the ArtsACT budget cuts. I love the Canberra scene so I’d just support it further.

Lately though I’ve deliberately been following the influence of the poet Lachlan Brown. My latest exhibition at ANCA Gallery here in Canberra features paintings which are responses to Brown’s poems in a call and response collaboration we’ve been doing since 2015. There’s something rapid, candid and intense about his poetry that I’ve been trying to match in this new series of paintings.

What are your upcoming performances/exhibitions? There’s a show of Visiting Artist Fellows’ work at the School of Art and Design Gallery at ANU running until Saturday February 25. This features my collaborative work with Dr Ben Swift from the School of Computer Science at ANU. There’ll be lots of wiggles against grids in a series of computer programs that run as infinite generative videos. Continuing the spirit of collaboration, on Wednesday March 1 I have an exhibition, Limiting Entropy, at ANCA that is a collaboration between myself and Wagga Wagga-based poet Lachlan Brown. That’ll feature poems and paintings that are a calm and response between us.

Of what are you proudest so far? Having developed a series of great collaborative relationships that have generated some of my best work to date.

Contact info: www.tonycurran.net, tony@tonycurran.net, facebook.com/tonycurran, instagram.com/tonycurran, twitter.com/tonycurran

Tony Curran, Just not enough blue to hold it down, 2017, Oil on linen, 113.5 x 83.5cm

@bmamag

A R T | C O M E DY | D A N C E | L I T E R AT U R E | T H E AT R E

the word

on local art

Move up to the Views PhotoAccess (Huw Davies Gallery) Until Sunday February 26 “The reality is not so alluring,” says photo artist David Flanagan of the subject matter for his new exhibition Move up to the Views, which is open at PhotoAccess, Manuka Arts Centre. David’s work is however extremely engaging with his large format photographs drawing you in to the dynamic, physical landscapes of suburban development work in Northern Canberra. David’s work reminds us that the graphic art of photography, so easily dismissed in our selfie, snapagram world, has real power and requires creative and technical skill. He shows us this by capturing the nativity of a new community with a series of challenging, high quality images up to two metres wide – featuring stark earthworks, brooding machines, moody fogs and storm clouds rolling across the torn land, ploughed and furrowed to be seeded with possibility.

David Flanagan, Untitled #12 (detail), 2015, C type print, 2000 x 660mm

With the calm of an attendant midwife, David’s images somehow soothe this wrenching, spasm of suburbia’s birth. His ochre moonscapes – echoing ancient bones wilfully ripped and exposed, out-posted with site-huts – are softened by nature. Panoramic golden sunlight, rolling storms, veiling fogs and dappled puddles on infant roads, reassure us that this transitory gouging pain that creates living space and generates opportunity will pass, leaving the land washed and ready. David’s work brings together the fleeting nature of the weather and the passing parade of earthworks to create “never to be repeated” images, that have their own short exposure time. His precise photographic decisions, technical control and simple, crisp framing, establish the viewer as a presence in the landscape making this exhibition a rewarding experience. ANTHONY PLEVEY

facebook.com/bmamagazine

HONEST TO GOODNESS LAUGHS RORY MCCARTNEY Canberra Comedy Festival regular JEFF GREEN is returning again with his latest show Honestly. Born in Britain but now an Australian resident, he claims that he is always welcome as he helps bolster its claim to be an “international” festival and his PR says he is returning “hairier” than ever. Green denied he had gone hipster and sprouted a beard, but said it referred to back hair. “It’s an ageing thing, not a fashion thing. At my age I stay cleanly shaven, as when you go grey, you look like an alcoholic.” His reason for emigrating was not as prosaic as “the weather” or even because Australians provided better fodder for comics. It was for love, as he married an Australian. Green recited a surprisingly long list of pommy comedians who had married females from the antipodes and said, “There’s a thing about Australian women and British comedians that just makes them fall for them.” Green notes that, while Australia and the UK share a similar sense of humour, they do have a notable difference. “I feel that Australians have more of an Irish sense of humour. They like a narrative and stories, whereas British audiences like gags.” Notably, Green’s material impresses in that he does not rely on expletives to get laughs, possessing a true sense of what is funny. “The older I get the less I need to swear. When I started I swore because it was a novelty in comedy, but now it’s everywhere.” Green believes he can actually be ruder by not swearing, and people will think he is clean! He has the ability to take everyday situations and expose them in a new light, something he put to good use in a series of books including The A-Z of Being Single. “My job is to verbalise everyone’s subconscious and I get the most pleasure by pointing out things we’ve all noticed that I can bring to life in people’s minds. That’s what got me into comedy in the first place.” Green has found that his comedy has changed over time as his life and environment have changed; from childhood, to holidays, to relationships, marriage and children. “My jokes are like my notebook to my life.” In an unusual stance for a comic, Green’s upcoming show Honestly takes a retrospective look at when he first came to Australia in 2008, when his life was full of family change and turmoil. “I look back at my material and try to work out if I should have been able to see those problems from the jokes I was writing. It’s in the caves of shame that a comedian will get his best material.” It sounds deep but Green confirms it will be hilarious and should have people rocking with laughter. “If you can unlock a deep truth and make it funny, then it’s ticked all the boxes for me.” Part of this year’s Canberra Comedy Festival, Jeff Green plays at Uni Pub on Saturday March 25 at 7pm. Tickets are $30 + bf through Try Booking. Full details at canberracomedyfestival.com.au.

@bmamag

CANBERRA COMEDY FESTIVAL

facebook.com/bmamagazine

☺

POLITICALLY INCOHERENT Politically Incoherent is our column all about parties, drugs, sex, general misconduct and counterculture. This month’s entry is The Hitchhiker’s Guide To Acid Tripping.

I feel like the prevalent theme of my columns thus far have been about new experiences, so I’ve decided to continue along that vein. Last week I became acquainted with a friend named Lucy. Depending on who you ask, she’s described as a dose of yellow sunshine. To some, her personality is akin to battery acid. During my encounter, I allowed her to dissolve underneath my tongue for twenty minutes and although I am a cunning linguist, it was not cunnilingus. The experience swept me down the rapids back to my childhood when I was cornered into Catholicism and the local priest used to place the Eucharist ceremoaniously on my tongue for consumption. Okay, I’ll stop speaking in abstracts now. In laymen’s terms, I trialed LSD. Lucy’s actual identity is a street walking Psychonaut.

sorts. Acid has a reputation for making people very self-analytical and in some cases making it easier to detach from your ego. Stefan mentioned that because my hair is the same shade as my bedsheets, they both started melting into each other. Even my tattoos began resembling a Salvador Dali painting. My brain was obsessing over Stefan’s face and how his features looked as if they had been superimposed from a cartoonised cherub. Due to this, I was laughing until the point of being bleary-eyed from tears for roughly six hours. When you take acid, you’re in it for the long haul. It lasts between 8 to 12 hours all up.

I made the mistake of booking a hair appointment the next day at 12:30pm and I was absolutely delirious. Making my way there in such a state was like an exceptionally disorientated hobbit If you would ever consider breaking into delectable psychedelics, trekking to Mordor, but I prevailed in my stubbornness. The I’d recommend trying it with a friend in appointment time was cemented in a safe and enclosed environment with my head the entire trip and although vid [Da d we I vie plenty of hydration available. You also it kept me grounded in reality to Bowie] as some kind need to undertake it with a generally an extent, I had to be reassured of omnipotent higher positive mind-frame otherwise there’s that it was 9 hours away at one the potential for a bad trip. Although it’s power watching over us point because I couldn’t tell if it ill-advised, I was thoroughly intoxicated was day or night, not to mention when I suggested doing it because I just happened to have a few what was up versus down. My bedroom is filled with plenty of tabs casually laying around from a previous occasion waiting visual stimulation and so Stefan spent most of the time locking to be eaten. It was like something out of Alice’s Adventures in eyes with my Noel Fielding poster in a state of nervousness. For Wonderland. I’m sure Lewis Carroll would be proud of my valiant yours truly, I couldn’t escape the downward gaze of David Bowie. efforts. In my opinion, the alcohol diminished my inhibitions but Although I’m an athiest, I viewed him as some kind of omnipotent also my capacity to remember the trip in vivid detail. higher power watching over us. Another thing I would advise against is tripping in a room filled with mirrors, as it increases your When Stefan* came over for some casual beverages, it was with introspectiveness tenfold. Of course, my bedroom is brimming the intention of getting to know each other because we were fairly with them. I have a few ornaments sitting on my dressing table, new acquaintances. At least for me personally, I came out of it such as a geisha doll and Jigglypuff. For reasons that escape feeling like I’d known him my entire life – even before my arrival in me, I became ashamed of myself and felt the need to rotate my the uterus. I don’t think he was expecting the tumultuous journey figurines so they couldn’t bask in my secret shame. As if I was to follow. We sat on the balcony surveying the resplendent sunset some kind of Homer Simpson figure masticating on flowers in the when I drunkenly suggested it and he lulled me into a sense of privacy of my own bathroom. security by speaking of his past experience. It was reminiscent of a job interview, only I was in no position to be hiring anyone. Until you are sufficiently sober, stay away from cellular devices We decided that it would be better to lie down before we actually and the kitchen environment in general. I was only able to cook started tripping and lost all spatial awareness. It normally takes bacon with closely guided supervision, but for some reason it was between 30 to 45 minutes to take effect, depending on the my main priority. I viewed Stefan as some kind of shamanistic dosage and your individual physiology. It hit Stefan very abruptly spirit guide due to his previous experience and at some points I and he tumbled off the bed, hitting the dressing table as a result. wasn’t entirely convinced he was a real person. If you ever want to It was like watching an imbalanced gazelle being tackled by an accelerate the bonding process with one of your new friends, the invisible lioness. consumption of acid is one avenue that works swimmingly. I see now why Steve Jobbs endorsed it so fervently. I didn’t hallucinate as such because the dosage was only 120ugs, but my vision definitely became wavier with vibrant colours like *Name has been changed to respect privacy. a kaleidoscope. Even though I was laying still for the most part, LEANNE DUCK I experienced the sensation of falling. Tumbling through my own thoughts into what I perceived to be a different dimension of

@bmamag

A R T | C O M E DY | D A N C E | L I T E R AT U R E | T H E AT R E

LITERATURE IN REVIEW

No Quarter: The Three Lives of Jimmy Page Martin Power [Omnibus Press; 2017]

“There are riffs. And then there are riffs.” – Jimmy Page. If the ‘60s were the era of the Beatles then the ‘70s were all Zeppelin, claims journalist Martin Power. Power, having authored biographies of Jeff Beck, Blur, and the Manic Street Preachers, now turns his pen to Jimmy Page – revered guitarist and mastermind of the supergroup Led Zeppelin. The three titular lives of Page make for a Zeppelin sandwich, with one slice dedicated to a skiffle-loving young session guitarist, and the post-Zep slice a middle-aged curator of the band’s legacy. Of course, it’s the tasty blues-inspired armadillo-trousered Les Paul-shredding filling that we’re here for, and Power shovels it in liberally. No Quarter reads like a textbook in some respects, not least the sheer volume of information. It also begins with an account of Page’s parents and childhood that’s equal parts dry and twee. The twee tone lingers throughout No Quarter, clashing oddly with the rock ‘n’ roll subject matter (cocked a snoot lately? Corking!). Happily, Power hits his stride as soon as young Jimmy makes it into a recording studio, clearly at ease with chronicling the soap opera of band makeups, break-ups, tours and recording. Power casts Page’s career against local and global developments in music, taking us through the appropriation of blues by rock and pop, with a few choice detours around early experiments in fuzz, distortion and the rave-up. And the descriptions of Zep’s music are bang on, with much love given to the iconic improvisational solos, the soaring rock anthems, the boundary pushing, the textures, the lurching mayhem. Power effectively captures Page’s pioneering mindset, painting him as one of music’s classic visionaries – driven, talented, and obsessed with realising a muse. At his best, anyway. The third life of Jimmy Page is less slice of bread and more soggy sao, as the aging rocker slides into a cycle of re-releasing Zeppelin albums, rehashing ‘whoa sexy mama I want to put my [euphemism for a penis] in you’ type songs. As excellent as the performances remain, cock rock as a genre is a sad place to be stuck while the music scene – and your own bandmates – move on around you. Power’s focus on the musicians and the music is highly detailed, running to myopic. Drugs, family life, girlfriends, broader cultural and political movements, and Page’s fascination with mysticism sometimes don’t appear until well after the band is living their effects. Treating these elements by topic instead of chronologically contributes to the textbook vibe of the thing, artificially divorcing Page’s life and music from integral influences for chapters at a time. An academic love letter to the unholy union of technical mastery and raw blowzy fuzz. One for the musos and fanatics. CARA LENNON

facebook.com/bmamagazine

bit PARTS COLD LIGHT WHAT: Theatre production WHEN: Sat–Sat Mar 4–18 WHERE: The Street Theatre

Photo (above) by Shelly Higgs

Adapted by Alana Valentine from the novel by Frank Moorhouse, Cold Light is the racy and entertaining epic story of iconic literary character Edith Campbell Berry. Returning from the heady freedoms and liberal tolerance of Post-War Europe, Edith, played by Sonia Todd, slams into conservative 1950’s Canberra with a thud. With all her experience working at the League of Nations, and with a husband in the diplomatic service, Edith thinks it won’t be long until she is snapped up to work as an Australian ambassador or similar prestige public service position. But Edith has a wait on her hands. Tickets and show times are available from thestreet.org.au. THE AGE OF BONES WHAT: Theatre production WHEN: Wed–Sat Mar 8–11 WHERE: Gorman Arts Centre The Age of Bones is a heartfelt and darkly funny tale inspired by the real-life stories of 60 Indonesian boys imprisoned in Australia for working on refugee boats. It traces the story of Ikan, an Indonesian boy who goes fishing one day and fails to return. Fearing the worst, his family hires a famed seafarer to track him down – he finds nothing. Combining Indonesian puppetry, music and digital projection, The Age of Bones follows Ikan’s fantastical story from Indonesia to his eventual imprisonment down under and his fight to get home to his family. Show times and tickets are available from agac.com.au. ST PATRICK’S DAY WHAT: St Patrick’s Day WHEN: Fri Mar 17 WHERE: Canberra Irish Club What better place to celebrate St Paddy’s than at Canberra’s chief venue for all things Irish? The Irish Club are planning a day of fun, festivities and giveaways. There’s going to be some Irish style dishes available in the bistro throughout the day. And get this – they’ll have green beer! Green. Beer. It doesn’t get much more Irish than that. There’s also going to be Irish dancers performing, and live bands from noon ‘til late. You can buy yourself a Paddy’s Day 2017 polo shirt for $35, but get in quick because there’s limited stock available. Starts at 12pm and goes ‘til late. Entry is free. MUTUAL SPLIT WHAT: Comedy WHEN: Sat Mar 25 WHERE: Novotel Canberra To settle a score, Sean Morgan and Ian Worst are banding together for a split-bill show at the Canberra Comedy Festival. Through the show they will sit down with a guest host to sort their differences. By the 50th minute, we’ll all know who’s the better comedian. The wager? The loser must close the show by performing a joke written by the winner. Sean and Ian are both Canberran ex-pats, but they’ve since picked up a nine-show run with the Melbourne International Comedy Festival. This show may contain strong language and adult concepts. Tickets are $18 + bf from TryBooking. Starts at 7pm.

@bmamag

Questioning Technology

Recently an Australian security company suggested that sexual assaults at gigs could be stopped with the deployment of drones. But this isn’t the only way that technology has slowly invaded music, other than, y’know, speakers, microphones, stage lights and the like. This month, Questioning will look at the delicate balance of the role of technology in enhancing live performance. CODY ATKINSON

Yep, I get it. How about those hologram things, what happened to them? Wasn’t Tupac a hologram a few years back? Yeah, at Coachella in 2012 with the ghosts of Snoop Dogg and Dr Dre (who aren’t dead). It seemingly marked the start of a new resurgence in hologram projections of dead artists, which it kinda sorta did. There was a Michael Jackson hologram at an award show in 2014, and a Patsy Cline hologram did a world tour in 2016, which is the first time those words have ever been written in BMA. Last month a French Presidential candidate, JeanLuc Melenchon, even held a political Live performance is campaign via hologram, which seems meant to get us off the like a very desperate attempt to avoid couch and enjoying the kissing babies. But…

So let’s get it out of the way, tech is critical to live performance, yeah? Yeah, pretty much. Without some basic forms of technology, the live music industry as we know it would probably not exist. All we would be left with would be brass bands, drum circles and John Butler-esque folkers playing by campfires. And as anyone who has been on a camping trip with someone armed with a shitty guitar and a handful of Jack Johnson covers knows, that would end in imminent murder.

Yep, and we’ve all been there and subsequently beat those charges of justifiable homicide. Getting back to the non-killing point at hand, a very large real world But what? Technically they weren’t proportion of the live performance holograms, but “Pepper’s Ghosts” industry is heavily reliant on technology. instead, which is totally a thing that I didn’t just make up. You can Even looking beyond the obvious stuff normally present on stages, even Google that shit. But in reality, it’s more like watching a video technology plays a role in the creation of venues, the writing and of someone than a true hologram, which apparently is an important production of material performed, publicising any events with killer difference according to the internet. posters and the production of this very magazine. Hell, even hacks like me write up missives on typewriters in log cabins in the woods. The internet always has problems with things. So how about None of this longhand crap for ol’ Cody. other amazing forward leaps in technology that potentially (Hits return, turns feed roller.) Right. Well recently an anonymous Tasmanian security company (in the Launceston Examiner) suggested that sexual assault at festivals could be stopped by the use of drones at festivals. Drones? Um, how? Well you see they could use drones to fly over the mosh pit to monitor behaviour, and if someone threw their hands in the air, specially positioned plainclothes security guards could swoop in and stop what was happening. Right. But isn’t that potentially dangerous? Couldn’t people just hurl stuff like beer cans at the drones? I mean they could, but most people surely wouldn’t do that. I mean there are still dickheads who would… And how would the drones be any more effective than say, several fixed cameras from the top of the stage and the sound booth? Better range I guess? It would be an improvement in being able to see where people are trying to do bad stuff while hiding? The key element here seems to be the deployment of extra trained security with a constant communication system, not the drones themselves… Hey, don’t question the expert. Are you a trained security advisor? No. He is. Probably. You know, we could check that if he disclosed his name. Which we can’t. Yeah, you don’t say. So what other great/ludicrous ideas have people had to “enhance” the live performance experience? Well in 2013 drones were used to deliver beer at the OppiKoppi festival in South Africa. This is amazing and dangerous and beautiful and terrible all in one. The drones dropped beer at random from 15m in the air, with a very small parachute to slow the delivery down a little. But, despite the early progress, I don’t really see the idea TAKING OFF. GET IT? It’s a play on words.

facebook.com/bmamagazine

infringe on people’s liberties? Well I assume you’ve heard about Yondr?

Nah, what’s that? Yondr is a basically a sock that locks up people’s phones during live events, rendering them practically useless throughout. This serves the benefit of not seeing like a billion shitty mobile phones filming a given performance, and some pretty big acts have used it in the US, such as Chris Rock, Alicia Keys and Guns N’ Roses. For the performer, it gives the opportunity to increase the interaction and attentiveness of the audience, and perhaps connect on a deeper level with their fans. For punters, it means they won’t fondle their phones every 12 seconds. But … what happens in the case of an emergency? An emergency? Ah … shit, I don’t think they’ve thought through that. I think you’d be stuffed, yeah, if someone needed to contact you immediately, like if a family member went to hospital or something. Yeah, not a really good idea for that. May as well just leave the phone at home or in the car… Yeah. On a similar not, how about those silent disco things? Ah yeah, the answer to “I want to be in a room full of people half dancing, but hate everyone else’s taste in music,” which is actually the correct point of view. Soon in some cities it’s going to be the only way to listen to music, with ever-encroaching development around long standing venues with poor live music legislation and endless noise complaints. So tech is a good thing in live entertainment, right? Yeah, but there is a limit. Live performance is meant to be a visceral beast, something to get us off the couch and enjoying the real world. If we somehow devolve it to a bunch of people wearing VR goggles on comfy seats with personal headsets whilst someone performs on a stage, I think the entire endeavour will have failed. Humanity that is.

the word

on albums

into the mix and the band played more to a sense of space, letting each layer of sound sit more isolated on its own. Whereas O Soundtrack was more frenetic and claustrophobic at times, Church let things breathe, especially on the title track and also on standout single, ‘Window’. Three years after that, on Homosapien, PVT went kinda pop, whilst retaining their somewhat left-field edge.

album of the issue PVT NEW SPIRIT [CREATE/CONTROL]

Since their first album, the critically acclaimed 2005 record Make Me Love You, PVT have seemingly made it their mission to constantly reinvent just what it is they do. New Spirit, their fifth album in the last dozen years, builds on that past, but also works to tie all of their previous work together. You’d be forgiven for forgetting that Make Me Love You is from the same band as New Spirit. For one, the band name is slightly different; it was changed from Pivot in 2010 after a legal claim by an American nu-metal band of the same name, which is a depressing sentence to write. Also, just after Make Me Love You was released, the band shrunk from five members to just three, perhaps foreshadowing the later shortening of the name. There’s just two holdover members from that first album; brothers Richard and Lawrence Pike, who were joined by Dave Miller. More importantly, Make Me Love You is an entirely instrumental album influenced by jazz and math rock, and less overly reliant on technology than anything they’ve done since. And as the years progressed, the experimentalism with form didn’t lessen. 2008’s O Soundtrack My Heart found a harder edge as they started to flirt with a more post-rock, even at times dance-punk style, especially on album standout ‘Didn’t I Furious’. A couple of years later, on 2010’s Church With No Magic, they introduced vocals

There’s a point to this extensive history, I swear. You see, New Spirit is sort of an amalgamation of all these different elements at different times, although under a firmly electronic gaze, with an extremely synthetic sonic palette at times. For example, the post-rock elements shine through a little on ‘Spirit Of The Plains’, albeit with some shrill synths to break it up. Second single ‘Morning Mist, Rock Island Bend’ is a slow burner like some of Make Me Love You, a nine-minute evolution of an idea, progressing slowly from repeated elements. The vocals on ‘Morning Mist’ are pretty bent out of shape, warped into an alien form, which is shared with other tracks on the album. It adds a layer of technological distance to the mix, not dissimilar to The Knife. But not all of Richard Pike’s vocals are altered, nor are they always altered in the same way. Album highlight ‘Kangaroo’ has a motorik beat married to pulsating synths and a post-rock breakdown, which is a little bit odd for something sung more like a new wave song. This is where New Spirit succeeds more than its straighter dance-pop predecessor Homosapien – it has much more variety, depth and willingness to reveal extra layers throughout the course of the album. Almost nothing on the album is what it first seems, and it almost always evolves for the better. The album sees PVT having a crack at a number of different things, and succeeding at most. New Spirit might see the most coherent evolution of the band, a sign of what they were always seemingly working towards. But, given their history, it is unlikely to be their last distinctive form; so enjoy it while it lasts.

CHILDISH GAMBINO “AWAKEN, MY LOVE!” [GLASSNOTE] If “Awaken, My Love!” was a fruit it would be a mango. A big, ripe mango. You take a bite and the sweet nectar fills your insides and trickles down your chin, its juiciness awakening all your senses. At first listen, fans of Childish Gambino will be confused. “Um, excuse me, where’s the hip-hop, the fast rhymes?” It’s true, this album is a completely different direction from his previous work and at first it’s confusing. But 20 seconds into listening and the doubts vanish. The opening track, ‘Me And Your Mama’, is the perfect beginning. The rumbling falsetto, the ripening guitar lines, the cosmic chorus; it all comes together to create an alluring beat. From there the album dives head first into funkiness. Other highlights include playful track ‘Zombies’, the powerful croons of ‘Riot’ and the soulful ‘Redbone’, which tantalises with its waves of paranoia and lusciousness. The vague lyrics and fuzzy guitar riffs create a smooth mystic that helps set the album apart from what’s been heard before. Gambino builds of nostalgic sounds, giving his own twist. His music exerts this charming arrogance that allows him to do whatever he wants. If he wants to completely change his style, then he will do it and it will be amazing. You can try and hate him but the sounds will infect you like a virus, making your body move and transforming you into a 70s Motown funk lord. GISELLE BUETI

CODY ATKINSON

@bmamag

LABRADOR LAND FLUKE ARTIST [ISOLATION RECORDS]

IMPERIAL BROADS WHO ARE WE TURNING INTO? [INDEPENDENT RELEASE]

DENIZ TEK MEAN OLD TWISTER [CITADEL RECORDS]

Melbourne folk four-piece Autumnal (worlds away in style from the doom metal mashers of the same name) put out three LPs based on bleeding heart tales of emotional torment. Having had enough of that selfinflicted pain, the band swapped out two members, rebadged itself and issued a debut album, Fluke Artist. The outfit retains Autumnal’s core membership of Wez Prictor and Richard Besley whose rather nasally singing is a key part of the band’s signature sound.

Imperial Broads might sound serious from their name, but don’t let this deceive you – Who Are We Turning Into? packages up some of the most delightfully melody-laden and rocking tunes of the summer.

Radio Birdman frontman Deniz Tek goes back to his US roots for his LP. Having released a plethora of records with a variety of bands, this one is his sixth solo effort, although done with the aid of a two-piece core backing band and add-on specialist musos.

The new band has broadened its catalogue to embrace other genres and new messages, which move on from navel gazing to issuing life advice. Lyrics offer such suggestions as don’t be too opinionated, look beyond yourself and catch plenty of sleep. The opening title track blooms suddenly from an acoustic beginning into a more heady, electro sound. Rather than sharp notes, key strikes advance like expanding ripples in a pool. Political views compare national leaders to baboons and crocodiles. ‘Anything for Peace’ brings the antique honesty of colourful Hammond organ music, while ‘Punch Above Your Weight’ is painted in purple and gold psychedelic guitar. ‘Mr Cranky Pants’, propelled along by Prictor’s banjo, emphasises the necessity of a good, long nap. The band keeps it varied with funky trilling keys in ‘Beer and Skittles’ and lazy rock licks in ‘Stitched Up’. There’s another switch in ‘Love Multiples’ where a reggae rhythm powers along a comparison of Hawking’s theories about the universe with the qualities of love, where “gravity’s the force that drives the clockwork of the universe.” While not lo-fi, the vibe is very casual, with an unpretentious urbanity that is reflected in the CD art.

Imperial Broads are a four-piece from Sydney, driven by three women making up the core base. Forming during the depths of winter and playing in an unheated garage, the results of their perseverance and potential frostbite is this dreamy debut album, which was released late last year. Who Are We Turning Into? is filled with pop-bliss moments that are effortlessly balanced out by surf-garage rock riffs. Imperial Broads are unashamed about their girl-group influences – the silky smooth three-part harmonies are just glorious – but there’s still an edge thanks to their socially astute lyrics. It’s a timeless sort of sound, taking musical cues from the 60s, 70s and 80s, and making them sound fresh today. It’s hard to pick a single standout from the many good moments on this album. It could be the kicker on the sweet album opener, of secrets shared between friends: “I know how many people you’ve slept with”. Or it could be the woozy tempo-play on ‘Room For Love’ that morphs into an upbeat proclamation, “I got no more room for love, yea-yea-yeah!” The track that best encapsulates the essence of Imperial Broads is perhaps ‘You’re Scared’, with its killer catchy riffs and now-trademark harmonies.

If this album was a car, it would be a 1967 Mustang, weather-beaten and scratched but with a top of the line stereo and plenty of oomph under the hood. The music draws heavily on ‘60s and ‘70s rock, but with hints of punk, grunge and garage. There is a lot of attitude in Tek’s casual drawl. In opener ‘Burned Black’ he drags out the lyrics in the chorus. Slowed down and elongated, they give a stretched magnetic tape effect. His US accent comes through clearly in the lo-fi ‘Corner Conversation’. Complete with nice angular licks, there is an Iggy Pop vibe to the song. Tek wears a cool aloofness in ‘Somewhere’, with its saxophone squealing ‘70s fashion in the bridge.

Who Are We Turning Into? is such a lot of fun to listen to. While the world is so serious and damn hot, it could add a touch of magnificence to your day.

‘Crossroads’ adopts a Ramones punk style delivery for its lyrics, from which the CD gains its title. The track list is replete with fast, supercharged tracks such as ‘Prison Mouse’, adorned with its raspy harmonica slashes. However, ‘Table for One’ provides an opportunity for contemplation, with an alt-country flavoured, laidback mood. There are hints of The Rolling Stones in the smoky singing of ‘New York Confidential’. The music swings through with a heavy gait, loaded with references to turnpikes and Queens (the borough). Tek rests his voice in the instrumental ‘Comanche’, with its jungle drum rhythm and spaghetti western guitars, while ‘Cranbrook’ serves up a dark message, folk-pop style.

MEGAN LEAHY

RORY MCCARTNEY

facebook.com/bmamagazine

album in focus

THE GRATEFUL DEAD THE GRATEFUL DEAD 50TH ANNIVERSARY DELUXE EDITION [RHINO] When punk rockers appeared in droves in the mid 1970s, The Grateful Dead was lumped in with the likes of Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin and all those other ‘dinosaur’ bands that had become renowned for excessive musical prowess and alienating stadium gigs. This was perceived as diluting the energy and attitude of raw rock ‘n’ roll. Around then, The Dead was indeed heading towards stadium superstardom with an ever-growing fanbase turned on by lengthy instrumental workouts that preserved blues and folk roots while also steeped in a finely crafted cosmic Americana that furthered consciousness expansion. Punk dudes had a point when it came to extended song lengths that dispersed the raw energy of rock music in its elemental form, but an enduring commitment to fresh and meaningful creative expression was similar for both the original psychedelic bands and the punk rockers that followed. With this in mind, music fans predisposed towards short and sweet rock ‘n’ roll would have been well pleased with the Grateful Dead’s self-titled debut album, hastily recorded over a few days in early 1967. The music comes across as sizzling garage rock and nowhere near as expansive as it would become. For this reason, the more I listen to it the more I like it. Prior to this freshly mastered reissue I had chosen to take the advice of music critics by passing on the band’s debut in favour of the sophomore effort

Anthem of the Sun from 1968, a leading example of late 60s psychedelic music that was totally adventurous in its referencing of modern compositional techniques and by incorporating wild live snippets into uninhibited studio experimentation. That album travelled the astral plane in the most satisfying way and set the Dead up for the unique psychedelia to come. The debut album is, however, more reflective of the earliest incarnation of the group when it was openly flaunting its R&B leanings on the blues standard ‘Good Mornin’ Little School Girl’ and offering high octane garage rock on ‘Cream Puff War’. Album opener ‘The Golden Road (To Unlimited Devotion)’ is a melodically tight rock ‘n’ roll nugget and not quite the hippified dream pop that the song title suggests. The way forward is captured on ‘Viola Lee Blues’ with improvisation stretched out for a bit and the cover of Bonnie Dobson’s beautiful folk song ‘Morning Dew’ that would remain in the Dead’s live set for years to come. At this early stage, the group mind meld that would conjure some outright astonishing live performances later on was still developing. Jerry Garcia’s improvisational leanings are curtailed here and the band mines a heavier blues vibe which suggests keyboardist Ron ‘Pigpen’ McKernan as a dominant influence in the band. The remaster opens up the sound and the liner notes from Dead authority and fan Jesse Jarnow aptly captures the early touring days of a group that always thrived on live performance. The bonus disc on this edition features a 1966 show in Vancouver that reflects the laconic rhythm and blues on the studio album with the much looser improvisations of later years nowhere in sight. The tongue-in-cheek comment from bassist Phil Lesh that, “our fame has preceded us,” in response to the non-applause from the audience indicates that fame and fortune was some way off, but the doors to perception had been well and truly opened. DAN BIGNA

PAUL KELLY & CHARLIE OWEN DEATH’S DATELESS NIGHT [GAWD AGGIE] What music would you like played at your funeral? ‘The Dead Eyes Open’ by the Severed Heads is a personal favourite. However, Paul Kelly and Charlie Owen have assembled a line-up of their picks, which they have used to farewell family and friends. The album Death’s Dateless Night was named after a line in a Shakespearean sonnet and it is destined for a concert tour, which will play exclusively in churches. The emotions in the songs cover a broad range: from regret, to acceptance, to a welcome release from troubles, to fond messages of farewell. There’s a frequent folk/country feel, with an emphasis on an acoustic delivery, and pared-back window dressing from other instruments. With Kelly on vocals/guitar and Owen on everything else, the collection is not what you may have expected. Of the selection, many of them venerable tunes by well-known songwriters, ‘Let It Be’ is the only song that listeners may have anticipated, and only the closer ‘Angel of Death’ has a sinister halo. Some have no literal connection with death but speak of freedom, like ‘Don’t Fence Me In’, which was sung with Kelly’s daughters. Opener ‘Hard Times’ wears a sombre hat, with its slow keys and wisps of harmonica, but ‘To Live is to Fly’ brings a brightness to a sad occasion and the catchy tune ‘Pallet on Your Floor’ wears a grin. The Irish farewell ‘The Parting Glass’ warms the heart, but it is the songs with an Australian connection that really stand out. There is a special elegance to the haunting ‘Pretty Bird Tree’, telling of walks with ancestors, while Kelly’s own song ‘Nukkanya’ (meaning ‘see ya’) contributes a more upbeat vibe. The collection offers alternatives to contemporary funeral soundtracks. RORY MCCARTNEY

@bmamag

AL LOC SIC MU

THE ORWELLS TERRIBLE HUMAN BEINGS [ATLANTIC]

REGINA SPEKTOR REMEMBER US TO LIFE [WARNER MUSIC/SIRE RECORDS]

JACK BIILMANN STREAMS [INDEPENDENT RELEASE]

The Orwells formed in high school, immediately pursuing a career in music upon graduation. The garage rockers have since released two albums but have been keeping a fairly low profile in Australia. Terrible Human Beings is their third effort to date and their most accomplished.

Regina Spektor’s 2012 release What We Saw From the Cheap Seats was disappointing. Songs were too quirky, too cheesy or just plain annoying. Happily, her seventh studio album sees more of a return to form. Gone are the overdone theatrics and strange guttural noises that distracted from the magic that Spektor’s voice possesses.

Only having a vague idea what roots music was exactly, I reviewed this album with an open mind and was pleasantly surprised. This gem is something great to come out of Canberra’s artistic community and I was very glad to be introduced to the work of Jack Biilmann.

Finding a balance between the raw garage-jams of 2012’s Remember When and polished punk of 2014’s Disgraceland, the Chicago natives have matured their sound. Arena rock drums and shrieking guitars sit perfectly next to infectious melodies and catchy fifties-style chants. Vocalist, Mario Cuomo, is lyrically at his best on this album. Spinning hard luck stories and cynical truths, his silky baritone transforms from smooth crooning to maniacal shouting within seconds. “Just because you took the easy way out/Don’t mean you know what you’re talking about!” Cuomo deliriously sings on ‘Hippie Solder’. Cheeky one liners such as this are found throughout the record. Opening track, ‘Body In The Bayou’ shows The Orwells at their most explosive with a simple but catchy guitar riff that opens up into a squealing guitar solo. ‘Last Call (Go Home)’ shows their knack for reviving 50s garage ballads with longing chords and a smooth guitar solo. The most accomplished track on the album is the closer, ‘Double Feature’: a seven-minute burner that contains some of the catchiest lyrics on the album and an extended jam at the end, the likes of which we haven’t seen from the band until now. Terrible Human Beings is another crowing instalment in the career of a criminally overlooked band. THOMAS SPILLANE

Songs retain a piano centred format, with extensive use of strings and synths to enrich the sound. Spektor is in love with words, and her songs are full of them. Sometimes she is a character in songs, and sometimes she’s the narrator, such as in ‘Grand Hotel’. Themes are steeped in either nostalgia or sentimentality. However, there is a place for a deeper message, hammered home with leaden key strikes, too, with ‘The Trapper and the Furrier’ observing that exploiters always seem to get rewarded at the expense of ordinary folk. While the theatricality is toned down, there is still plenty of room for artistic expression with the best tracks brought together in the first half dozen songs. Bright indie pop opener ‘Bleeding Heart’ is an instant winner, with plenty of variance in the arrangement and vocal delivery. ‘Older and Taller’ maintains a cheery spring in its step while ‘Small Bills’ turns the mood on its head with choppy verses, dark strings, syncopated beats and a floating chorus. The sombre tone of ‘Black and White’ is swept away by ‘The Light’ with its uplifting chorus, “The light comes shining in my eyes”. Then there’s a lull in the overly long and rambling ‘Obsolete’ and ‘Sellers of Flowers’, but the album lifts again with the beguiling ‘The Visit’.

Jack is a Canberra based blues/roots musician who in the last 18 months has released four singles, achieved a #1 on the iTunes singles chart and released his second record. This album, Streams, is set for release on Thursday February 23 with a tour to promote the record throughout 2017. The album opens with the cruisy and flowing title track, ‘Streams’. A perfect way to start. This is closely followed by ‘Walkabout’ with a reggae feel, sparse and clean buildups to changes. My head was like a plastic dog on the dashboard with a spring neck. The album continues with The Battler, which features Jack’s strong vocals that continue into the groovy track, ‘Don’t Complain’, which has a cracker opening riff. ‘Empty Bars’ has a moody, Toad the Wet Sprocket guitar feel and is a fantastic, stripped back song. ‘Own Worst Enemy’ didn’t grab me so much but I was brought back into the fold by ‘From the Start’, which is a simple and elegant track with some lovely touches of brass. ‘Candle’ and ‘Quit’ are two tracks that feature fantastic dynamics both in volume and thickness of instrumentation. ‘Forever Unbeaten’ is a fitting end to the album that flowed and ebbed throughout and had your head gently moving to the rhythm. Get on this Canberra, you won’t be sorry. MARK TURNER

Spektor has retained her alternative credentials, while offering songs with real appeal. RORY MCCARTNEY

facebook.com/bmamagazine

singles in focus WITH CODY ATKINSON APHIR ‘DEEPER IN’

LOC MUS AL IC THE LOWLANDS THE LOWLANDS [INDEPENDENT RELEASE]

RUN THE JEWELS RUN THE JEWELS 3 [RUN THE JEWELS, INC.]

The project of locals Ella Hunt, Joel Davy and Sammy O’Brien, The Lowlands bear a sound that’s as swamped in folk as it is bleeding with jazz and blues. The blend of Davy’s crooning cello with O’Brien’s jazz percussion and Hunt’s sombre vocals conjure a world that’s half Canberra and its surrounds, and another half something uncanny and unsettling.

A friend recently described Run The Jewels as ‘El-P making beats for Killer Mike to body him on’. That doesn’t really have much to do with this review but I thought it was funny. In reality, both Killer Mike and El-P are probably two of the most underrated MCs in the game, or at least they were before they teamed up to drop Run The Jewels and Run The Jewels 2, two of the most successful experiments in collaboration in recent memory.

The 20-minute EP was recorded at Harvest Recordings in the Kangaroo Valley, about 35km from Berry, NSW. Bringing the project together in an off-the-beat-track locale works enchantingly in its favour; this EP is hardened by the Australian bushland and the result is that the listener can taste the wood that the band’s instruments are made from. It’s remarkably easy to lose oneself in The Lowlands’ sonic portraits of lost souls wandering the lonely Australian wilderness. In one of our previous issues, we described The Lowlands as “the musical equivalent of a hug”. That’s especially true for ‘Leila’, the EP’s soft-spoken jazz-folk opener. Its tempo change mid-song brings the listener in close, empathising with their desperation to belong somewhere. Similarly, ‘Mama’ embraces the listener through blues. Alongside O’Brien’s pounding drums, Hunt’s voice soars to a great crescendo as she sings, “Mama, I ain’t going down with you / Mama, don’t go the way of your man from you”. ‘Release Me’ is a personal standout. A song about children in detention centres, Hunt pleads compassion from the listener, “Little lips they move apart / And for the thousandth time pray to the stars / Release me”. Shaded in blues and Davy’s bleak midsong cello solo, it carries itself tirelessly and hopelessly. Like the rest of the EP, it’s equally impactful, intimate and harrowing. ANDREW NARDI

On the surface, it sounds as if this is just another run-of-the-mill RTJ record, which isn’t a bad thing. It’s chock full of the low-fi, futurist beats that have become synonymous with El-P’s production, and they’re executed just as tastefully as ever. Lyrically and thematically however, Run The Jewels 3 is a definite progression. Sure, there are still plenty of the tongue-incheek lines that are a staple of RTJ’s music, but ultimately the album is an aggressive criticism of the ruling classes, culminating in a call to arms. “Fear’s been law for so long, rage feels like therapy,” El-P spits on ‘Thieves (Screamed the Ghost)’. The duo are clearly unhappy with the political state of the world, and they have a clear solution, as Killer Mike raps on ‘A Report to the Shareholders,’ “It could all be over tomorrow, kill our masters and start again.” IAN MCCARTHY

Aphir, the project of Melbourne-based ex-Canberran Becki Whitton, produces ethereal downtempo pop, heavily focused on varying vocal textures. ‘Deeper In’ utilises much of the common pop palate, but it shifts and shapes in a slightly unfamiliar way. If you feel like floating in a cloud about three feet above where you are currently sitting, have a listen to this one.

YOUNG FATHERS ‘ONLY GOD KNOWS’ Since they broke through a few years ago, Young Fathers have been shaping their own way with sloganistic, melodic, underground hip-hop from Scotland of all places. This track, featuring a full choir, has bursts of euphoria interspersed with points of real introspection. As long as they keep making music like this, they are well worth listening to.

FATHER JOHN MISTY ‘BALLAD OF THE DYING MAN’ It’s hard to tell when Father John Misty is being earnest, playing homage or playing the fool sometimes. The lyricism is rife with irony, and the music sounds like it was ripped from the guitar-pop annals of time past. But, it’s good. I mean the tune is really tight, the lyrics well thought out, and Misty’s delivery just brings it all together.

MACHINE GUN KELLY & CAMILA CABELLO ‘BAD THINGS’ What’s the opposite of both fire and ice? Lukewarm water? Machine Gun Kelly spits lukewarm water on this track, with the standard good girl/bad boy trope being played out here. Some pretty average sex rhymes on show here too, nothing to write home about for anyone. The hook is based around a Fastball song from 1999 (‘Out Of My Head’), but even that has been watered down here. Avoid.

@bmamag

the word

Googfest Rockely Oval, Googong Saturday February 4

on gigs

I feel like Googfest is gathering momentum. I arrived in time to hear the second half of Lucy Sugerman’s set, the first artist on the line up, and there was already a good-sized crowd spread out across the oval. More, I would say, than at that point in the festival the previous year. This momentum is pleasing given the festival’s commitment to putting local bands on stage: four of the five bands were local. First up was Sugerman, a fifteen-year-old musician and songwriter, who seemed very comfortable on stage. She played a mix of originals and covers in a relaxed, folk style. One of her original songs she wrote in response to people telling her that she can’t just be thinking of doing music; she needs to come up with a plan B. But with maturity beyond her years, Sugerman already knows that to make it in an industry like music she needs to give it her all, and that the act of pursing a plan B would necessitate her need for that plan. Next up was Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers, a high-energy group of five sixteen-year-old girls from Canberra’s Steiner school. The band takes their inspiration from 90s grunge music. They took a couple of songs to settle into their set but when they did, rather than being transported back to the 90s, it was the early-naughties that came to mind, with lead singer Anna Ryan’s voice reminiscent of Patience Hodgson from The Grates. They finished their set with a great version of The Killer’s song, ‘Mr Brightside’. The crowd loved it. It was a hot day (when hasn’t it been hot this summer?) but there was a cool breeze blowing, making it perfect weather for kicking back with a drink and picnic, and listening to the next band, Slow Turismo. With their beautiful vocals, melodies and harmonies, Slow Turismo is an accomplished band with a diverse set of songs. They had some new song jitters, which quickly settled, and lead singer Sam Conway commented that this was biggest crowd they had ever played in front of. But none of this affected what was an impressive performance that I’m sure won them a lot of fans. The Young Monks eased into their set with a mellow track before building the energy with their upbeat, indie pop. Like Slow Turismo, Young Monks are an accomplished band, and thankfully they are getting more and more attention around town. The crowd really got into their set which included last year’s single ‘Bad Bad Freddy’. The headline band was Sneaky Sound System. I thought the energy dropped a little bit when they first hit the stage, but they certainly built it up again and put on a great performance which everyone enjoyed. One thing I love about family festivals like Googfest is the diversity of people enjoying the music, especially people who don’t get to enjoy live music regularly. There were young kids there, dragging their parents up to the firetrucks, awkward pre-teens and relaxed retirees getting in the thick of the mosh pit. Audience diversity fosters a great vibe. The night ended with a fireworks display which started a couple of spot fires but, of course, there were firetrucks on hand to quickly put them out! ZOE PLEASANTS

PHOTO BY MEGAN LEAHY

facebook.com/bmamagazine

the word

The Gooch Palms, Pist Idiots, Little Lunch The Phoenix Friday February 10

on gigs

Local three-piece Little Lunch opened up the night with a set of low-key rock; sort of indie-garage type stuff. Most of the hooks are carried in the offsetting male and female vocals, but there’s a bit more to them than that. They don’t fly with a bunch of blazing guitar solos at every turn, but there’s no need to be over-the-top when you can just churn out a bunch of good songs instead. Coming down the Hume from Sydney, Pist Idiots seemed determined to put The Phoenix in a guitar haze, which (spoiler alert) they kinda did. Slashing so hard at their instruments that they shredded two strings, the band crafted a constantly chugging set of garage punk, keeping the crowd moving even on a stinkingly hot night.

PHOTO BY MEGAN LEAHY

The Gooch Palms have slowly built a solid fanbase over the past three years, especially in Canberra. Their set up is deceptively simple (two mics, two drums and one guitar), but the sound that they manage to squeeze out of it is incredibly engaging. With The Phoenix packed to breaking point, the Goochies constantly varied their angles of attack through the night. From the out-and-out croon of ‘You’ to the sing-along pop-punk of ‘Novos’ and even the straighter pop of ‘Living Room Bop’, the duo covered all bases pretty damn well. Talk of free entry for those with mullets, Jarrod Mullins and the (not Canberra) greatest city in the world, Newcastle, broke up the epic tunage of the night. It’s very hard not to like the Gooch Palms, perhaps near impossible. By the end of the night both the band and the crowd were shedding their clothes and letting loose, instead of melting as the night wanted them to. CODY ATKINSON

the word

The Screaming Jets, Tonk The Basement Saturday February 4

on gigs

Canberra, well done in surprising me yet again. I’d assured some mates that there was “no way Screaming Jets would sell out” and there would be tickets on the door. When walking towards The Basement at 8:30pm amongst quite a few other groups of people, I even thought there must have been another event on nearby. At the door I discovered the ‘sold out’ notice over the gig poster and had to apologise and farewell my ticketless pals. With little space to move and exhaustive bar lines I made my way towards the stage to check out Tonk. It’s been awhile since I had seen these guys so the night seemed to have a bit of ACT hard rock nostalgia to it. This was matched by a few in the crowd who could be seen singing along to a few numbers. With a Gunners cover thrown in for good measure, they got the crowd nicely warmed. The Screaming Jets hit the stage and Dave Gleeson immediately jolted around and stared down the crowd in between belting out vocals. He showed his age (and possibly played to the crowd) in his banter between songs, with comments such as, “we prefer Twister to Tinder”, asking for “more cowbell” and expressing his disdain for Flume. They saved all their hits for the second half of the set, pleasing the crowd with ‘Better’ as a closer, before an encore that included ‘Shivers’. Another great night at the Basement and a lesson learnt in underestimating Jets fans and Canberra, and discouraging pre-purchasing tickets.

PHOTO BY ROD HORAN

JARROD MCGRATH

@bmamag

the word

Moaning Lisa, Capes, The Lowlands, Dog Name The Phoenix Monday January 30

on gigs

A friend who knows things dropped me a line the weekend before, and told me that I should get down to The Phoenix on Monday night, as something big might be happening. A little short of three years ago a blaze started in Coo restaurant and spread throughout the Sydney building, covering the CBD in a smoky haze. The flames and smoke hit several parts of the historic building, causing several affected businesses to close either temporarily or permanently, including The Phoenix. Scaffolding scarred the side of the building for months, wood panels covering the damages. Slowly, over time, the damages disappeared and businesses started moving in again. A couple of doors down from where the fire started sat the Pheno – who had just expanded into two separate parts of the building connected by a large, open door in the middle. The Phoenix had long been a refuge for both music lovers and “good people” – folk who don’t necessarily fit into other parts of the Canberra nightlife. In a city that often gets called “souless” and “boring”, the Phoenix is nearly the perfect antidote; a bit grimy, dirty and real, but pretty welcoming to all. But for the last nigh-on three years the pub had been constricted into just one half – with little to no reliable news on when the other half would re-open. I run into my friend on the way home from work, tired as hell. They twisted my arm into coming in for a beer, just to check it out. Just one, I reply, just one. When stepping through the old/new doors, everything looked the same and yet a bit different, and distorted memories started to flood back. Somewhat familiar faces filled the room, and the gig guide from three years ago was stuck to the wall. Word started to slowly filter through about the re-open, and the place slowly started to fill up. Eadie from Dog Name wears quite a few hats in a few local bands, but it was her solo stuff on show to kick off the night. Different parts of her songwriting get to shine in this environment, notably the balance between her at times expressive vocals and full guitar sound. It also brings a bit more of a pop element out of her material, which works well early on a Monday night. Up second on the night, The Lowlands brought a relatively lush sound compared to Dog Name. Throughout their set the band changed up their sound, with jazz flourishes and folk-ish tinges complementing Ella Hunt’s voice. The Lowlands really hit their peak however when things slowed down, and emotion bled into the room. Watching people go apeshit to a rock and roll band is one of the simple pleasures in life, and Capes managed to provide that to the packed crowd. With the line for the pub going down East Row, Capes launched into a set of skate punk, with boat loads of riffs and banging drums. It got a touch loose at times at the front, but that’s how this type of stuff is meant to be enjoyed.

PHOTOS BY PATRICK COX PHOTO BY MEGAN LEAHY

Moaning Lisa had a hell of a 2016, capped by winning the National Campus Band Competition and a bit of press attention along the way. If you were only half listening to them you could call the fourpiece 90s-grunge revivalists, but upon closer inspection their sense of melody gives them a bit more purpose. There’s definitely pop hooks, but covered rightly behind layers of noise; the accessibility tempered with a bit more depth. It might be only a pub, but it’s good to have The Phoenix back. CODY ATKINSON

facebook.com/bmamagazine

the word

on gigs

The Amity Affliction, Hellions, Ocean Grove, Autumn ANU Bar Saturday January 28 A surprisingly early start and a long queue meant many were still outside for the opening set from Autumn. What we could hear through an open door sounded pretty brutal, with music crunching down in great slabs. Melbourne metal/punk band Ocean Grove kicked off a hip-hop intro with just the frontman and drummer on stage, before the three guitarists (in character as the psychedelic, hippy, shirtless metaller and bib n’ braces punk) joined in. They got the punters doing circle work early, creating a sudden space in the packed floor, with some amazingly acrobatic moves from one participant. On the command “jump, jump”, a sea of heads rose and fell in unison. Hardcore punkers Hellions took Ocean Grove’s mayhem and turned it into a more orchestrated, melodic frenzy. The gentle licks and cymbal taps of the intro collapsed into the rapid fire, barking delivery of vocalist Dre Faivre. The mosh responded well to new songs drawn from their latest LP The Rhapsody Tapes.

PHOTO BY GABBY MARSHALL

Taking a leaf out of AC/DC’s book, The Amity Affliction set began with a solemn tolling bell before Joel Birch shook the mic with ‘I Bring the Weather With Me’. While the show was bookended by songs from the latest LP, the band shaped the set list to include a wide range of their material, keeping the punters happy. Rising swells of thundering choruses were raised further by the crowd, as the set became a series of epic singalongs. The tragedy written into the genetic material of the lyrics was overridden by the smiles of the audience as they joined in with the bouncy chorus of closer ‘This Could Be Heartbreak’. RORY MCCARTNEY

the word

on gigs

PHOTO BY STELLA-RAE ZELNIK

Holy Serpent, Witchskull Transit Bar Friday January 27 It is safe to say that those who were at Transit Bar the night after Australia Day, now know what the end of the world sounds like. Touring in support of their debut album, Temples, Holy Serpent’s deafening guitars moved at a horrifyingly morbid pace, almost tearing the walls down. The Melbourne outfit proved they truly are a monolith of impending doom. Canberra doom-metal kings, Witchskull started the night off with a set that can only be described as awe-inspiring. Starting maybe a little too fashionably late, vocalist/guitarist, Marcus De Pasquale’s warm up of running on the spot gave the crowd no idea of what was to come. Soon enough Pasquale’s voice was heard soaring above a marching rhythm section and blistering guitar solos. Drummer Joel Green talked to the crowd in between songs with an attitude too humble for his band’s prowess. Holy Serpent then hit the stage like a lucid locomotive roaring all around you. The band’s crushing riffs writhed along at a hypnotically slow speed. Dave Bartlett’s rumbling bass saturated everybody throughout the bar, as Scott Penberthy’s Sabbath-y wail was heard from somewhere far above the crowd. Obnoxiously and unapologetically loud, Holy Serpent had everybody in Transit mesmerised from the moment they stood on stage to the moment they stepped off. Not for the fainthearted, the doom band are helping to bring mystic danger back to heavy metal. From the first slugging riff to the last molasses-paced drum beat, Holy Serpent’s live show felt like being stuck in a K-Hole during the apocalypse. THOMAS SPILLANE

@bmamag

the word

on gigs

The Front Bottoms, The Hard Aches, Revellers The Basement Thursday January 26 There was a great turnout for this Australia Day gig. This worked well for locals Revellers who were able to draw more attention to their breed of punk rock. The trio may have a bit more screaming than our other acts tonight, but they balance this with some solid, punchy melodies and got the night off to a good start. We were lucky to have Adelaide’s awesome The Hard Aches back in town for a third time in under a year. On top of their regular tight set of top tunes they treated us to two great newbies, indicating that we may hopefully have a new recording from them in the near future.

PHOTO BY DAVE MCCARTHY

facebook.com/bmamagazine

Our headliners The Front Bottoms hit the stage and the singalongs and moshing went into full gear. The fervour with which the crowd were yelling Brian’s lyrics back at him showed just how well fans connect with his honest, heartfelt outlook on life. The bounce in the rhythm section combined with Kieran’s multi instrumentation ensured there was a solid sound and vibrant mosh with crowdsurfing included. I was surprised at the amount of older songs in the set compared to Back On Top material, but the audience didn’t mind at all. Highlights of the set included ‘Skeleton’, ‘Twin Size Mattress’, ‘HELP’, ‘Joanie’, ‘West Virginia’ and encore song, ‘Twelve Feet Deep’. Due to high expectations, I was a little disappointed with the show but this had nothing to do with the music (Brian had promised a raffle in our interview, and the merch options could have been better). It will be a mosh to beat for the rest of 2017 now. JARROD MCGRATH

ENTERTAINMENT GUIDE February 15 – February 19 Listings are a free community service. Email editorial@bmamag.com to have your events appear each issue. WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 15 ART EXHIBITIONS

LIVE MUSIC

Sorrel Nation/The Steel Caps

LIVE MUSIC

Triumvirate’s Pre-Hiatus Lamentations I

KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

4th Degree

Orpheus Island

With The Ansah Brothers, Northbourne Flats, Sally Jones. 8pm. $10.

M16 ARTSPACE

Marlon Bando

By Kurt Brereton. Feb 9 - Feb 26.

Defining Moments

Guest Curator: Aimee Frodsham. Artists: Matthew Curtis and Harriet Schwarzrock. Jan 26 - Mar 26. CANBERRA GLASSWORKS

I see Re(a)d Until 26 Feb.

ANCA GALLERY

Coincidences

Exhibition of contemporary architectural photography. Until 17 Feb. NISHI GALLERY

The Plate Show

THE BASEMENT

With Propeller & B.L.T. 9pm. $10/$5. THE PHOENIX BAR

D.R.I.

With The Vee Bees, Wolfpack, Kid Presentable. 8pm. Presale via Oztix. TRANSIT BAR

ON THE TOWN Chicago Charles & Danger Dave 9pm. Free.

KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

The Thursday Games

Featuring Alyssa Bagley, Emma Beer, Byrd, Adele Cameron, Fiona Edge and more. Feb 9 - Feb 26.

Crazy ass games including tournaments and prizes, and all things Sangria & FUN. 5pm. Free.

Interior Landscapes

Vault Thursdays

M16 ARTSPACE

By Elisabeth Cummings. DRILL HALL GALLERY

Ontogenesis

AVIARY ROOFTOP BAR

Top 40 Party Tracks + Student prices. Free from 10pm. UNI PUB

ANU Glass Workshop graduates. Jan 21 - Mar 5. Free.

TALKS

LIVE MUSIC

Fight Like a Girl with Clementine Ford

BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

Thrash, Blast and Grind Festival 2017 Feat. King Parrot & Revocation. Tickets at Oztix.

Fight Like a Girl is an essential manifesto for feminists new, old and soon-to-be. 6pm. $15. NATIONAL LIBRARY OF AUSTRALIA

FRIDAY FEBRUARY 17

THE BASEMENT

Peter Black

Tickets at smithsalternative.com. SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE

ON THE TOWN $10 Express Lunch

Pizza and a soft drink for $10. 12pm2pm. Tue-Fri. TRANSIT BAR

Hump Day

Get over the hump with drink specials after 5pm. TRANSIT BAR

SOMETHING DIFFERENT Fun and Games with Tammy Paks

Salacious entertainment, laughs and prizes! 8pm. Free. POLIT BAR & LOUNGE

ART EXHIBITIONS Intrinsic Properties, Inherent Vice

Glass exhibition with Stevie Fieldsend, Michaela Gleave, Anna McMahon and more. Jan 21 - Mar 5. Free. BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

Reflections on animals, death, experience and curiosity by Julia Higgs. Opens Thu Feb 2 @ 6pm. Free.

Will Campbell & Natalie Prevello Duo 5pm. Free. UNI PUB

Shananigans 10

27 bands over 2 stages. 5pm. $25 for one night, $50 for both from Moshtix + bf. THE BASEMENT

Lennon: Through a Glass Onion

Concert biography of John Lennon. $55 + bf via canberratheatrecentre.com.au. THE PLAYHOUSE

RÜFÜS

8pm. $61.20 via Oztix. UC REFECTORY

Jungle City

With Signs & Symbols, Loud So Clear. 8pm. TRANSIT BAR

Rock Or Be Rocked

Classic rock and blues. 8pm. Free. More information at bandmix.com.au/ mac11943/ ROSE COTTAGE

Spice Warehouse

Seek

Textiles by Gabriella Tagliapietra. Opens Thu Feb 2 @ 6pm. Free. TUGGERANONG ARTS CENTRE

Move up to the Views

Large scale photos by David Flanagan, exploring the outer areas of Northern Canberra.

The Plate Show

M16 ARTSPACE

COMEDY Show Us Your Roots

Multicultural stand up comedy. $44/49 via canberratheatrecentre.com.au.

10:30pm. Free.

KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

Shananigans 10

27 bands over 2 stages. 5pm. $25 for one night, $50 for both from Moshtix + bf. THE BASEMENT

John Paul Young & The Allstar Band The Vanda & Young Songbook. $89 + bf via canberratheatrecentre.com.au. THE PLAYHOUSE

Ellipsis – Bulwayo Album Launch 7pm. $10/$15.

DRILL HALL GALLERY

Lyn Dale and Diversity 9pm.

VIKINGS CLUB (ERINDALE)

The Justin Yap Band

Info at multiculturalfestival.com.au. CIVIC SQUARE

VAMP & Alternative Music Genres

With DJs Robot Citizen, Datacipher & Lady K. $5. 7pm. LOBROW GALLERY & BAR

ON THE TOWN

Tickets at residentadvisor.net.

Vault High Flyers

ON THE TOWN

UNI PUB

$10 Express Lunch

All girl lineup - 50% of door proceeds going to Mental Illness Education ACT. 8pm, $10 on the door.

VARIOUS LOCATIONS

Pizza and a soft drink for $10. 12pm2pm. Tue-Fri. TRANSIT BAR

Fridays From Five

DJs spinning Old Skool, Hip Hop, R&B. Free from 5pm. AVIARY ROOFTOP BAR

SOMETHING DIFFERENT

POLIT BAR & LOUNGE

Featuring Alyssa Bagley, Emma Beer, Byrd, Adele Cameron, Fiona Edge and more. Feb 9 - Feb 26.

3 Memories, 3 Animals and a Hunk of Wax

HARMONIE GERMAN CLUB

NISHI GALLERY

Exhibition of contemporary architectural photography. Until 17 Feb.

THE PHOENIX BAR

ART EXHIBITIONS

Tributes to BB King, Albert King, Freddie King & Earl King. 8pm. $25/$30.

Power Pussies

PHOTOACCESS

THURSDAY FEBRUARY 16

All The King’s Men

Coincidences

BAD!SLAM!NO!BISCUIT! Poetry slam. 7:30pm.

5pm/10pm. Free.

Cabaret, burlesque and circus. 9pm. Tix from EventBrite.

SATURDAY FEBRUARY 18 ART EXHIBITIONS Ontogenesis

ANU Glass Workshop graduates. Jan 21 - Mar 5. Free. BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

3 Memories, 3 Animals and a Hunk of Wax

Reflections on animals, death, experience and curiosity by Julia Higgs. Opens Thu Feb 2 @ 6pm. Free. TUGGERANONG ARTS CENTRE

Orpheus Island

By Kurt Brereton. Feb 9 - Feb 26. M16 ARTSPACE

Defining Moments

Canberra’s best DJs every Saturday. Free from 10pm.

Gay Cliché

TRANSIT BAR

SUNDAY FEBRUARY 19 ART EXHIBITIONS Polarising Colour

David Keany & Georgiy Potopalsky (Ukraine). Feb 9 - Feb 26. M16 ARTSPACE

Lost Horizons: Frank Capra’s America Book at TryBooking.

NATIONAL FILM AND SOUND ARCHIVE

Finlandia Hymn

Documented performance pieces by Anja Loughhead. Free. PHOTOACCESS

The Plate Show

Featuring Alyssa Bagley, Emma Beer, Byrd, Adele Cameron, Fiona Edge and more. Feb 9 - Feb 26. M16 ARTSPACE

LIVE MUSIC Recovery Sessions: Betty Slim & Friends

Recover in style with a session curated by blues-folk-rockers Betty Slim. Free. 4pm. OLD CANBERRA INN

FILM

Guest Curator: Aimee Frodsham. Artists: Matthew Curtis and Harriet Schwarzrock. Jan 26 - Mar 26.

Under Electric Clouds

I see Re(a)d

HARMONIE GERMAN CLUB

M16 ARTSPACE

NATIONAL FILM AND SOUND ARCHIVE

ANCA GALLERY

Finlandia Hymn

LIVE MUSIC

TUGGERANONG ARTS CENTRE

Polarising Colour

David Keany & Georgiy Potopalsky (Ukraine). Feb 9 - Feb 26. Documented performance pieces by Anja Loughhead. Opening Thu Feb 2. Free. PHOTOACCESS

CANBERRA THEATRE CENTRE

7pm.

The Guitar Cases 7pm. Free.

CANBERRA IRISH CLUB

CANBERRA GLASSWORKS

Until 26 Feb.

Chase The Sun

Canberra Blues Society jam. 2pm6:30pm. $3/$5.

Irish Jam Session

Interior Landscapes

Traditional Irish musicians in the pub from late afternoon. Free.

DRILL HALL GALLERY

Lagerstein

By Elisabeth Cummings.

KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

COMEDY

With Darker Half, Keggin, Beast Impalor. 8pm. $15 + bf via Oztix.

Anh Do: The Happiest Refugee

$54.90 + bf via canberratheatrecentre. com.au. CANBERRA THEATRE CENTRE

THE BASEMENT

@bmamag

ENTERTAINMENT GUIDE February 19 – February 24 SUNDAY FEBRUARY 19 LIVE MUSIC Aviary Live Sessions

3pm. Free. Local musicians step in to entertain us for a Sunday Session. Beer & Cider specials. AVIARY ROOFTOP BAR

Canberra Blues Society Jam 2pm. $5/$3.

HARMONIE GERMAN CLUB

SOMETHING DIFFERENT Games In The Pub

Lots of board games on offer! 2pm. RELOAD BAR & GAMES

MONDAY FEBRUARY 20

LIVE MUSIC

WORKSHOPS

Bernard Fanning and Kasey Chambers

A Home for Un-Loved Animals

$92.15 + bf via canberratheatrecentre.com.au.

Create art using recycled soft toy animals. 10am. Free. TUGGERANONG ARTS CENTRE

CANBERRA THEATRE CENTRE

London Klezmer Quartet Info at smithsalternative.com. SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE

TALKS State of Hope: Griffith Review

Explore the economic, social, environmental and cultural challenges facing South Australia. 6pm. NATIONAL LIBRARY OF AUSTRALIA

TRIVIA Christo and Jon’s Thick n Rich Trivia

THURSDAY FEBRUARY 23 ART EXHIBITIONS The Plate Show

Featuring Alyssa Bagley, Emma Beer, Byrd, Adele Cameron, Fiona Edge and more. Feb 9 - Feb 26. M16 ARTSPACE

Seek

Textiles by Gabriella Tagliapietra. Opens Thu Feb 2 @ 6pm. Free. TUGGERANONG ARTS CENTRE

Move up to the Views

THE PHOENIX BAR

Large scale photos by David Flanagan, exploring the outer areas of Northern Canberra.

Textiles by Gabriella Tagliapietra. Opens Thu Feb 2 @ 6pm. Free.

WORKSHOPS

Polarising Colour

Move up to the Views

6pm. $25.

ART EXHIBITIONS Seek

TUGGERANONG ARTS CENTRE

Large scale photos by David Flanagan, exploring the outer areas of Northern Canberra. PHOTOACCESS

COMEDY Wil Anderson: Work In Progress $40 + bf via canberratheatrecentre. com.au. THE COURTYARD STUDIO

7.30pm.

Growing a Medicinal Garden CANBERRA ENVIRONMENT AND SUSTAINABILITY RESOURCE CENTRE

WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 22 ART EXHIBITIONS Finlandia Hymn

Documented performance pieces by Anja Loughhead. Free. PHOTOACCESS

LIVE MUSIC

Interior Landscapes

The Bootleg Sessions

DRILL HALL GALLERY

8pm. Free entry.

THE PHOENIX BAR

TALKS Meet the author: Kate Grenville The award-winning writer discusses her latest book The Case Against Fragrance. 6pm. $15. NATIONAL LIBRARY OF AUSTRALIA

TUESDAY FEBRUARY 21 ART EXHIBITIONS 3 Memories, 3 Animals and a Hunk of Wax

Reflections on animals, death, experience and curiosity by Julia Higgs. Opens Thu Feb 2 @ 6pm. Free. TUGGERANONG ARTS CENTRE

Intrinsic Properties, Inherent Vice

Glass exhibition with Stevie Fieldsend, Michaela Gleave, Anna McMahon and more. Jan 21 - Mar 5. Free. BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

COMEDY Wil Anderson: Work In Progress $40 + bf via canberratheatrecentre. com.au. THE COURTYARD STUDIO

KARAOKE #KaraokeLove 9pm. Free entry. TRANSIT BAR

By Elisabeth Cummings.

PHOTOACCESS

David Keany & Georgiy Potopalsky (Ukraine). Feb 9 - Feb 26. M16 ARTSPACE

COMEDY Wil Anderson: Work In Progress $40 + bf via canberratheatrecentre. com.au. THE COURTYARD STUDIO

FRIDAY FEBRUARY 24 ART EXHIBITIONS The Plate Show

Featuring Alyssa Bagley, Emma Beer, Byrd, Adele Cameron, Fiona Edge and more. Feb 9 - Feb 26. M16 ARTSPACE

3 Memories, 3 Animals and a Hunk of Wax

Reflections on animals, death, experience and curiosity by Julia Higgs. Opens Thu Feb 2 @ 6pm. Free. TUGGERANONG ARTS CENTRE

Intrinsic Properties, Inherent Vice

Glass exhibition with Stevie Fieldsend, Michaela Gleave, Anna McMahon and more. Jan 21 - Mar 5. Free. BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

Gone to the Dogs

Ken Done relates many a tall ‘tail’ about his furry companions. 5pm. Free. NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY

COMEDY Wil Anderson: Work In Progress $40 + bf via canberratheatrecentre. com.au. THE COURTYARD STUDIO

Ramshackle Fiasco

Presented by Comedy ACT. UNI PUB

KARAOKE

FILM

Karaoke n Kegs

Mahana

9pm.

THE PHOENIX BAR

7pm.

NATIONAL FILM AND SOUND ARCHIVE

LIVE MUSIC

ANU Glass Workshop graduates. Jan 21 - Mar 5. Free.

Eighth Blackbird

Dog Trumpet

Orpheus Island

LLEWELLYN HALL

Hit and Run

M16 ARTSPACE

The Cactus Channel

With Los Chavos. 8pm. Tickets at Moshtix.

CANBERRA IRISH CLUB

Ontogenesis

BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

By Kurt Brereton. Feb 9 - Feb 26.

Defining Moments

7pm. Tickets at tickets.musicaviva.com.au.

Guest Curator: Aimee Frodsham. Artists: Matthew Curtis and Harriet Schwarzrock. Jan 26 - Mar 26.

TRANSIT BAR

I see Re(a)d

Silentia

ANCA GALLERY

THE BASEMENT

CANBERRA GLASSWORKS

Until 26 Feb.

COMEDY Open Mic Comedy at The Phoenix 7.30pm.

THE PHOENIX BAR

Wil Anderson: Work In Progress $40 + bf via canberratheatrecentre.com.au. THE COURTYARD STUDIO

ON THE TOWN Hump Day

Get over the hump with drink specials after 5pm. TRANSIT BAR

SOMETHING DIFFERENT Fun and Games with Tammy Paks

Salacious entertainment, laughs and prizes! 8pm. Free. POLIT BAR & LOUNGE

Asta

8pm. $20 + bf via Moshtix. ANU BAR

8pm.

Hard Cover 9pm. Free.

KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

Suzi Quatro

$139 + bf via canberratheatrecentre. com.au. CANBERRA THEATRE CENTRE

Shag Rock

Info at smithsalternative.com. SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE

ON THE TOWN The Thursday Games

8pm. Bookings at TryBooking.

THE POLISH WHITE EAGLE CLUB

7pm. Free.

Mother’s Cake

Support from Renegade Peacock, Tundrel. 7pm. $23.50 via Oztix. THE BASEMENT

KNiKi & Mike Beale

Dynamic, vibrant and refreshingly different take on blues, roots and rock. 8pm. Free. HARMONIE GERMAN CLUB

Huntly

With p a r k s & Aphir. 9pm. $10/$5. THE PHOENIX BAR

Dana Hassall/Oscar 5pm/10pm. Free.

KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

Frenzal Rhomb

With Totally Unicorn. 8pm. Tix via Oztix. THE BASEMENT

benjamindrury

‘Sentence Fragment: Consider Revising’ album launch. 7pm. $10/$5. DRILL HALL GALLERY

Crazy ass games including tournaments and prizes, and all things Sangria & FUN. 5pm. Free.

Katy Steele

Vault Thursdays

ON THE TOWN

AVIARY ROOFTOP BAR

Top 40 Party Tracks + Student prices. Free from 10pm.

Tickets $20/$25 at Moshtix/door. TRANSIT BAR

Bombs Away

UNI PUB

With Neon Giants. 9pm.

SOMETHING DIFFERENT

Fridays From Five

Nerdlesque Issue #2

Cosplay burlesque. 7pm. Tix from EventBrite.

ACADEMY NIGHTCLUB

DJs spinning Old Skool, Hip Hop, R&B. Free from 5pm. AVIARY ROOFTOP BAR

RELOAD BAR & GAMES

facebook.com/bmamagazine

ENTERTAINMENT GUIDE February 24 – March 3 FRIDAY FEBRUARY 24

SUNDAY FEBRUARY 26

TALKS

ART EXHIBITIONS

Sun-Down Get Down

Orpheus Island

Get down in Gorman’s little village green. 6pm. GORMAN HOUSE ARTS CENTRE

Musical Theatre Confessions #3 Confessants reveal secrets about themselves and also sing a duet. 8pm. $16.67/$20. POLIT BAR & LOUNGE

SATURDAY FEBRUARY 25 ART EXHIBITIONS Interior Landscapes By Elisabeth Cummings. DRILL HALL GALLERY

Ontogenesis

ANU Glass Workshop graduates. Jan 21 - Mar 5. Free. BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

Defining Moments

By Kurt Brereton. Feb 9 - Feb 26. M16 ARTSPACE

Lost Horizons: Frank Capra’s America Book at TryBooking.

NATIONAL FILM AND SOUND ARCHIVE

WEDNESDAY MARCH 1

9pm. Free.

KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

The Séamus Begley Trio

DRILL HALL GALLERY

THE DICKSON TRADIES

BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

Aviary Live Sessions

Limiting Entropy

AVIARY ROOFTOP BAR

ANCA GALLERY

BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

Roses in Hand

Lyn Dale and Diversity

KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

Intrinsic Properties, Inherent Vice

TRANSIT BAR

Interior Landscapes

ANU Glass Workshop graduates. Jan 21 - Mar 5. Free.

MONDAY FEBRUARY 27

Support from Duck Duck Ghost, Pat McKinney. 8pm.

8pm. $32.

Traditional Irish musicians in the pub from late afternoon. Free. 3pm. Free. Local musicians step in to entertain us for a Sunday Session. Beer & Cider specials.

The Byzantines + The Montreals

ART EXHIBITIONS

Ontogenesis

I see Re(a)d Seek

CANBERRA ENVIRONMENT AND SUSTAINABILITY RESOURCE CENTRE

Irish Jam Session

Glass exhibition with Stevie Fieldsend, Michaela Gleave, Anna McMahon and more. Jan 21 - Mar 5. Free.

ANCA GALLERY

6pm. $25.

By Elisabeth Cummings.

ART EXHIBITIONS

Until 26 Feb.

Intro to Composting

LIVE MUSIC

Guest Curator: Aimee Frodsham. Artists: Matthew Curtis and Harriet Schwarzrock. Jan 26 - Mar 26. CANBERRA GLASSWORKS

WORKSHOPS

Opens 6pm Mar 1- Mar 19. A collaboration between poet Lachlan Brown and painter Tony Curran.

COMEDY Cameron James

With support acts. Book at comedyact.com.au. CIVIC PUB

Frank Woodley: Work In Progress

$35 + bf via canberratheatrecentre.com.au. THE COURTYARD STUDIO

GORMAN HOUSE ARTS CENTRE

5:30pm.

ON THE TOWN The Thursday Games

Crazy ass games including tournaments and prizes, and all things Sangria & FUN. 5pm. Free. AVIARY ROOFTOP BAR

Vault Thursdays

Top 40 Party Tracks + Student prices. Free from 10pm. UNI PUB

FRIDAY MARCH 3 ART EXHIBITIONS NEON NIGHT

Part of Enlighten Festival. $26.55 adult; $16.35 concession. Tickets at Ticketek. CIVIC SQUARE

Textiles by Gabriella Tagliapietra. Opens Thu Feb 2 @ 6pm. Free.

COMEDY

FILM

COMEDY

Polarising Colour

Frank Woodley: Work In Progress

Jumpcuts

Frank Woodley: Work In Progress

TUGGERANONG ARTS CENTRE

David Keany & Georgiy Potopalsky (Ukraine). Feb 9 - Feb 26. M16 ARTSPACE

COMEDY Wil Anderson: Work In Progress $40 + bf via canberratheatrecentre.com.au. THE COURTYARD STUDIO

LIVE MUSIC The Never Ending 80s

Info at thebasement.com.au. THE BASEMENT

She-Riff: Vol 5

$35 + bf via canberratheatrecentre.com.au. THE COURTYARD STUDIO

LIVE MUSIC CIT Presents The Bootleg Sessions

With The Treehouse Children. 8pm. Free entry. THE PHOENIX BAR

TUESDAY FEBRUARY 28 ART EXHIBITIONS

Local independent short films. 7:30pm. Free. THE PHOENIX BAR

ON THE TOWN Hump Day

Get over the hump with drink specials after 5pm. TRANSIT BAR

SOMETHING DIFFERENT

THEATRE 3

KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

Frank Woodley: Work In Progress

Feb 23 - Mar 11. canberrarep.org.au.

Bride Squad

7.30pm. $15/$12 at the door.

THE FRONT GALLERY AND CAFÉ

Streams album tour. 8pm. $18.40.

$35 + bf via canberratheatrecentre.com.au.

UC REFECTORY

THE COURTYARD STUDIO

ON THE TOWN

KARAOKE

ART EXHIBITIONS

Vault High Flyers

#KaraokeLove

Intrinsic Properties, Inherent Vice

Jack Biilmann

Canberra’s best DJs every Saturday. Free from 10pm. UNI PUB

THEATRE Wait Until Dark

23 Feb-11 Mar. Canberrarep.org.au. THEATRE 3

9pm. Free entry. TRANSIT BAR

TALKS Author talk with Madeleine Thien

Exploring her novel about the effects of China’s revolutionary history. 6pm. $18. NATIONAL LIBRARY OF AUSTRALIA

TRIVIA Nerd Trivia with Joel Barkam 7:30pm.

THE PHOENIX BAR

BaBa ZuLa

6:30pm. $40/$30

INXS tribute show. 8pm. Tix via Oztix.

COMEDY

10pm. Free.

CANBERRA IRISH CLUB

THEATRE Wait Until Dark

Plump

7pm. Free.

THE BASEMENT

BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

THE PHOENIX BAR

Matt Dent

POLIT BAR & LOUNGE

Salacious entertainment, laughs and prizes! 8pm. Free.

PTSD

9pm. $10/$5.

LIVE MUSIC

THE ABBEY

Ontogenesis

ANU Glass Workshop graduates. Jan 21 - Mar 5. Free.

THE COURTYARD STUDIO

Fun and Games with Tammy Paks

Dalmacia, Rumblr, Sally Chicane, The Colours Are. 8pm. TRANSIT BAR

$35 + bf via canberratheatrecentre.com.au.

Agency

With Slave Birth, Panic Burst, Mental Cavity. 8pm. $10.

Don’t Change – The INXS Story THE BASEMENT

Guy Lilleyman/ Special K 5pm/10pm. Free.

KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

The Gypsy Scholars

With Brother Be & Ben Kelly. 9pm. $10/$5. THE PHOENIX BAR

THURSDAY MARCH 2

Glass exhibition with Stevie Fieldsend, Michaela Gleave, Anna McMahon and more. Jan 21 - Mar 5. Free. BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

COMEDY Frank Woodley: Work In Progress

$35 + bf via canberratheatrecentre.com.au. THE COURTYARD STUDIO

LIVE MUSIC Cumbia Cosmonauts With guests. 8pm. $10. THE PHOENIX BAR

HARPER & Midwest Kind 8pm. Free.

HARMONIE GERMAN CLUB

ON THE TOWN Fridays From Five

DJs spinning Old Skool, Hip Hop, R&B. Free from 5pm. AVIARY ROOFTOP BAR

SOMETHING DIFFERENT The Salt Room 7.30pm. $10/$5.

GORMAN HOUSE ARTS CENTRE

THEATRE Cold Light

Frank Moorhouse’s novel adapted by Alana Valentine. 7:30pm. $55 + bf via thestreet.org.au. THE STREET THEATRE

@bmamag

ENTERTAINMENT GUIDE March 4 – March 11 SATURDAY MARCH 4

SUNDAY MARCH 5

ART EXHIBITIONS

Interior Landscapes

Intrinsic Properties, Inherent Vice

By Elisabeth Cummings. DRILL HALL GALLERY

Ontogenesis

ANU Glass Workshop graduates. Jan 21 - Mar 5. Free. BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

Limiting Entropy

Opens 6pm Mar 1- Mar 19. A collaboration between poet Lachlan Brown and painter Tony Curran.

Glass exhibition with Stevie Fieldsend, Michaela Gleave, Anna McMahon and more. Jan 21 - Mar 5. Free. BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

LIVE MUSIC Merry Muse Folk Club Band 4pm. $3/$5.

ANCA GALLERY

CANBERRA IRISH CLUB

COMEDY

Traditional Irish musicians in the pub from late afternoon. Free.

Frank Woodley: Work In Progress

$35 + bf via canberratheatrecentre.com.au. THE COURTYARD STUDIO

LIVE MUSIC

Irish Jam Session

KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

Aviary Live Sessions

3pm. Free. Local musicians step in to entertain us for a Sunday Session. Beer & Cider specials. AVIARY ROOFTOP BAR

LIVE MUSIC

SOMETHING DIFFERENT

Twelve Foot Ninja

Naked Girls Reading - Terry Pratchet

Tickets at oztix. THE BASEMENT

Beautiful women read out loud ... naked. 8pm. $15/$20.

The Living End

POLIT BAR & LOUNGE

Tickets at Moshtix. ANU BAR

FRIDAY MARCH 10

ON THE TOWN

LIVE MUSIC

Hump Day

Get over the hump with drink specials after 5pm.

7pm. Free.

SOMETHING DIFFERENT

Holly Throsby

Fun and Games with Tammy Paks

ANU BAR

CANBERRA IRISH CLUB

5pm/10pm. Free.

KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

POLIT BAR & LOUNGE

Slow Turismo

Info at facebook.com/ events/677779915736381/.

THEATRE

THE POLISH WHITE EAGLE CLUB

Wait Until Dark

Feb 23 - Mar 11. canberrarep.org.au.

Cost of Living tour.

Games In The Pub

Cold Light

Amanda Palmer

RELOAD BAR & GAMES

CROSSROADS CHRISTIAN CHURCH

$66/$86 via canberratheatrecentre.com.au. THE PLAYHOUSE

The Surrogates 10.30pm. Free.

KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

The Undermines

Lots of board games on offer! 2pm.

You Can Jive: 40 Years of ABBAmania 3pm. Tickets at TryBooking.

NATIONAL FILM AND SOUND ARCHIVE

THEATRE

With The King Hits & The Feldons. 9pm. $10/$5.

Cold Light

ON THE TOWN

THE STREET THEATRE

THE PHOENIX BAR

Vault High Flyers

Canberra’s best DJs every Saturday. Free from 10pm.

Frank Moorhouse’s novel adapted by Alana Valentine. 4pm. $55 + bf via thestreet.org.au.

TUESDAY MARCH 7

UNI PUB

KARAOKE

THEATRE

#KaraokeLove

Wait Until Dark

TRANSIT BAR

23 Feb-11 Mar. Canberrarep.org.au. THEATRE 3

Cold Light

Adapted by Alana Valentine from the novel by Frank Moorhouse. $35-$55. Info at thestreet.org.au. THE STREET THEATRE

9pm. Free entry.

WEDNESDAY MARCH 8 ART EXHIBITIONS Interior Landscapes By Elisabeth Cummings. DRILL HALL GALLERY

Limiting Entropy

Opens 6pm Mar 1- Mar 19. A collaboration between poet Lachlan Brown and painter Tony Curran. ANCA GALLERY

Tickets at Moshtix.

Tess/Woodface

Salacious entertainment, laughs and prizes! 8pm. Free.

SOMETHING DIFFERENT

Unity Floors

Veronica’s Boyfriend

TRANSIT BAR

THEATRE 3

Lyn Dale and Diversity 11pm.

THE BURNS CLUB

Frank Moorhouse’s novel adapted by Alana Valentine. 7:30pm. $55 + bf via thestreet.org.au. THE STREET THEATRE

HighView

Local heavy rockers launching their debut EP. With D.I.E.F.M, Organic Mechanic. 8pm. Free. TRANSIT BAR

Bride Squad

Stormcellar

7.30pm. $15/$12 at the door.

8pm. Free.

THE FRONT GALLERY AND CAFÉ

HARMONIE GERMAN CLUB

THURSDAY MARCH 9

ON THE TOWN Fridays From Five

LIVE MUSIC

DJs spinning Old Skool, Hip Hop, R&B. Free from 5pm.

Canberra Wind Symphony

AVIARY ROOFTOP BAR

7.30pm. $35.

DRILL HALL GALLERY

SOMETHING DIFFERENT

ON THE TOWN

Festival Muse 2017

Chicago Charles & Danger Dave 9pm. Free.

KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

A celebration of everything Muse. MUSE: FOOD, WINE, BOOKS

SATURDAY MARCH 11

Sorry Mum I’m Going Out to Dance 4 Dystrophy

Underground house music, club classics, garage and nu-disco. 8pm.

LIVE MUSIC

The Thursday Games

Raucous Porpoise MS Rock Festival

THE BASEMENT

Crazy ass games including tournaments and prizes, and all things Sangria & FUN. 5pm. Free. AVIARY ROOFTOP BAR

Vault Thursdays

OUT

MAR 14

THE BASEMENT

Xylouris White

Top 40 Party Tracks + Student prices. Free from 10pm. UNI PUB

Rock and comedy fundraiser. Wretch, Cockbelch and more. 5pm. $15. Tickets from $25.00 via eventbrite. com.au. HOTEL HOTEL

IF IT WAS THE LAST DAY ON EARTH WE’D SPEND IT WITH KATE MILLER-HEIDKE WE CAN’T SEEM TO MAKE BONNIE RAITT LOVE US WE ASK PROTEST THE HERO TO CLARIFY A FEW THINGS

facebook.com/bmamagazine

SIDE A: BMA MUSICIAN PROFILE

FIRST CONTACT Aaron Peacey 0410381306 band.afternoon.shift@ gmail.com.au Adam Hole 0421023226 Afternoon Shift 0402055314

Kayo Marbilus facebook.com/kayomarbilus1

Amphibian Sound PA Clare 0410308288

Kurt’s Metalworx (PA) 0417025792

Annie & The Armadillos Annie (02) 61611078/ 0422076313

WOAH-NUT a.k.a. Callum Selmes Where did your name come from? One day I was walking through a Kmart where they had a huge cage of plush food items like burgers, strawberries and stuff with little smiley faces on them. I saw a doughnut and said to myself, ‘Doughnut, more like a “Woah-Nut”’. And thus, my embarrassing, stupid, excellent name was born. I still carry the plush doughnut to gigs with me. Describe your sound. Future bass/trap/hip-hop all sewn together into a spacey mass of bass and soaring chords. Who are your influences, musical or otherwise? Let’s just get the obvious one out of the way: Flume, and by extension What So Not. Tracks like Flume’s ‘Tennis Court (Lorde Remix)’ or What So Not’s ‘Divide and Conquer’ truly made me rethink what I knew about electronic music, about the kind of expression and sounds that could be made. But people like Seven Lions, Moby and deadmau5, with their evolving and melodic chord structures really gave me insight into how a track lives or dies on its groundwork. Structure is king. What’s the most memorable experience you’ve had whilst performing? Birth, Write, Beats; Season 2 Round 2. It’s a little competition where producers try to make a track using pre-selected samples in 30 minutes. Before competing, I didn’t really see myself as any decent at writing music. It was more of a low-key hobby. I was pretty nervous ‘cause I had a bunch of friends and family watching earnestly to see what my competitor and I had made. When my drop kicked in everyone reeled back, stunned. I swear I heard a guy up the back just losing his mind. It was such an amazing moment; like all the work I’d done up to that point had been justified. Of what are you proudest so far? Definitely competing in Birth, Write, Beats Season 2. Like, there was some exceptional talent competing for the top spot and the very final round against Poolroom. was so tough, each of us came out swinging with our best work. Being basically unknown and winning against some top notch Canberra talent – top music moment so far. What are your plans for the future? On Thursday February 9, I have an EP coming out called Prints on the Cover that’ll be mint. Otherwise I’m just chilling out, taking whatever comes, writing beats. What makes you laugh? Going crate digging with mates to find samples, but we end up walking out with 10 different copies of Gheorghe Zamfir records. What pisses you off? Normies and their four chords. What about the local scene would you change? More diversity in what music is available. Unless you can plan and organise your own event it can be really difficult to break out onto a stage, especially if your sound doesn’t line up with any one genre. What are your upcoming gigs? I’ll be having a mess around at the next Handmade Markets (Sat–Sun March 18–19), but I tend to not do many gigs. That said, if you feel the need to test how far you can push your subwoofer feel free to call me. Contact info: woahnutmusic@gmail.com, soundcloud.com/woahnut, facebook.com/Woahnut. I’m pretty quick to reply, but Facebook will guarantee a fast response.

Johnny Roadkill Paulie 0408287672 paulie_mcmillan@live.com.au

Aria Stone sax/flute/lute/ harmonica, singer-songwriter Aria 0411803343 Australian Songwriters Association Keiran (02) 62310433 Back to the Eighties Ty Emerson 0418 544 014 Backbeat Drivers Steve 0422733974 backbeatdrivers.com Birds Love Fighting Gangbusters/DIY shows-bookings@ birdslovefighting.com Black Label Photography Kingsley 0438351007 blacklabelphotography.net Bridge Between, The Cam 0431550005 Chris Harland Blues Band, The Chris 0418 490 649 chrisharlandbluesband @gmail.com Cole Bennetts Photography 0415982662 Danny V Danny 0413502428 Dawn Theory Nathan 0402845132 Danny 0413502428 Dorothy Jane Band, The Dorothy Jane 0411065189 dorothy-jane@dorothyjane.com Drumassault Dan 0406 375 997 Feldons, The 0407 213 701 Fire on the Hill Aaron 0410381306 Lachlan 0400038388 Fourth Degree Vic 0408477020 Gareth Dailey DJ/Electronica Gareth 0414215885 Groovalicious Corporate/ weddings/private functions 0448995158 Guy The Sound Guy Live & Studio Sound Engineer 0400585369 guy@guythesoundguy.com

Los Chavos Latin/ska/reggae Rafa 0406647296 Andy 0401572150 Merloc - Recording Studio, Watson. Sam King: 0430484363. sam@ merlocrecords.com Missing Zero Hadrian 0424721907 hadrian.brand@live.com.au Morning After, The Covers band Anthony 0402500843 Mornings Jordan 0439907853 Obsessions 0450 960 750 obsessions@grapevine.com.au Painted Hearts, The Peter (02) 62486027 Polka Pigs Ian (02) 62315974 Rafe Morris 0416322763 Redletter Ben 0421414472 Redsun Rehearsal Studio Ralph 0404178996/ (02) 61621527 Rug, The Jol 0417273041 Sewer Sideshow Huck 0419630721 Simone & The Soothsayers Singing teacher Simone 62304828 Sorgonian Twins, The Mark 0428650549 Soundcity Rehearsal Studio Andrew 0401588884 STonKA Jamie 0422764482 stonka2615@gmail.com Strange Hour Events Dan 0411112075 Super Best Friends Greg greg@gunfever.com.au System Addict Jamie 0418398556

Haunted Attics band@hauntedatticsmusic.com

Tegan Northwood (Singing Teacher) 0410 769 144

In The Flesh Scott 0410475703

Top Shelf Colin 0408631514

Itchy Triggers Alex 0414838480

Undersided, The Baz 0408468041

Jenn Pacor Singer-songwriter avail. for originals/covers 0405618630

Zoopagoo zoopagoo@gmail.com

@bmamag

SAMMY J

facebook.com/bmamagazine

AD SPACE

@bmamag