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[CONTENTS]
[Canberra’s Entertainment Guide]
# 4 9 2 A P R / M AY
Not a substitute for human interaction. Mail: PO Box 713 Civic Square, ACT 2608
DRACULA
Publisher Radar Media Pty Ltd.
p. 34
General Manager Allan Sko T: (02) 6257 4360 E: advertising@bmamag.com Editor Andrew Nardi E: editorial@bmamag.com Accounts Manager Ashish Doshi T: (02) 6247 4816 E: accounts@bmamag.com Graphic Designer Andrew Nardi Cover photo by Dylan Evans Film Editor Majella Carmody Entertainment Guide Editor Nicola Sheville Social Media Manager Sharona Lin
PEKING DUK
p. 16
K.FLAY
p. 21
VIOLENT CLIENT LIAISON SOHO
p. 19 p.
Columnists Cody Atkinson, Dan Bigna, Noni Doll, Leanne Duck, Eleanor Horn, Cara Lennon, Sharona Lin, Josh Nixon, Peter O’Rourke Contributors (This Issue) Scott Batum, Giselle Bueti, Clare Brunsdon, Karolina Firman, Hayden Fritzlaff, Belinda Healy, Sam Ingham, Maria Koulouris, Megan Leahy, Josh Martin, Rory McCartney, Jarrod McGrath, Georgie Parkman, Emma Robinson, Thomas Spillane, Samuel Townsend, Indigo Trail, Alice Worley, Kashmira Mohamed Zagor
THE SMITH STREET BAND
RECORD STORE DAY
p. 25
p. 26
NEXT ISSUE #493 OUT Wednesday May 10 EDITORIAL DEADLINE Friday April 28 ADVERTISING DEADLINE Thursday May 4 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.
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PETULA CLARK
LITERATURE IN REVIEW ALBUM REVIEWS FILM REVIEWS THE WORD ON GIGS ENTERTAINMENT GUIDE
p. 28
BAD GIRL
p. 36 p. p. p. p. p.
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FROM THE BOSSMAN [CINEMATIC CIVIL WAR] BY ALLAN SKO [ALLAN@BMAMAG.COM]
I had the incredible pleasure of interviewing comedian/writer Dave Anthony recently, who toured his ever-popular podcast The Dollop to Canberra last year. If you haven’t heard The Dollop, do yourself a favour and get involved. It’s an American history podcast where comedians Anthony and Gareth Reynolds explore the weird, whacky, shocking and unbelievable nuggets of the country’s past through the powerful medium of improvised comedy. Equal parts eye-opening and hilarious. In one part of our generous 50-minute chinwag, Dave told a story about the award-winning episode of TV series Marlin he had written. “The script I won an award for has the character I play convinced his friend [Marlin] is racist and tries to prove it by stealing his computer to see if he blames it on black people. The studio wanted to change it so it was an actual black person who stole it.” Putting the obvious concerns about corporate views on race to one side, this perfectly captures the ‘fight forever’ ongoing battle between Creative Types and The Studio. The ever-terrified highly-paid studio execs have overseen the kind of obscene money into a film or series that could settle a few smaller country’s debts. It needs to make money, or else that furious cocaine habit and ivory backscratcher will be but a fever dream. The Creative, generally speaking, want to create a piece of art that pushes boundaries. Studios want the safest, most cookie-cutter, appeal-to-all-members-of-thegreat-unwashed money grab possible. It would be like saying to Spielberg, “Hey Steve, loving
EDITOR’S BLAB [PEACOCK RISING] WITH ANDREW NARDI [EDITORIAL@BMAMAG.COM]
what you’ve done with Amistad; just one little note. Do the slaves in the piece have to be black?” Or asking Francis Ford Copolla to make all the gangsters in The Godfather caucasian because it would “rate better”. Or to suggest generally fixing a film by putting a Shrek in it.
What’s all this hubbub about The Phoenix closing? If the Canberra music scene and fond childhood memories of reading Harry Potter have taught me anything, it’s that phoenixes don’t just lay down and die, and good people who love local music sure as hell don’t let them.
It’s this kind of “point missing” which is the stuff of storytelling legend, and it’s remarkable to think no one has penned a book on it. There must be stories about Execs who thought Animal House would be funnier if the protagonists were decent university students, or The Full Monty would work better and rate higher if the coal miners looked a bit more like male models. And that making The Elephant Man less ugly so it doesn’t scare off viewers.
Can peacocks do that too? What, resurrect themselves? Well I dunno, but the one we keep at BMA comes across as immortal.
Actually, it’s not that remarkable. Back in 1983, writer/screenwriter William Goldman – he of Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid and The Princess Bride fame – released the wonderful Adventures in the Screen Trade (if you have an ounce of interest in film and the film industry, it’s required reading). Yes, you can barely speak about it. Which is a shame, because cinematic gold beckons. Only someone with the clout like Matt Groening can get away with openly flaunting this war (see the opening minutes of the return of Futurama where Studio Execs are ground into a fine dust – and a recurring gag – called Executive Powder). The only way you could get away with it is if the book was written by Alan Smithy* Time to get to work. *3 points to you if you don’t have to look up this reference
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You’ll find a few of our columnists paying extra close attention to the aforementioned hubbub this ish. You’ll also find a review of the ‘Phoenix Rising’ event in the back. Just duck through there.
Let’s see, what else is new … oh yeah, Groovin The Frickin’ Moo. You may as well call this issue ‘the triple j issue’ because it’s like every musician we talked to is on the damn radio. I sound oddly annoyed by this, but really I’m very thankful to be a part of the national music landscape as well as the local one. I’m giving myself too much credit; I’m just a guy who sends out emails. Bloody good emails! We’ve also got coverage on Record Store Day and Dracula! For the next little while, I’d recommend you don’t go opening any coffins around Canberra. I mean, not that you would…
YOU PISSED ME OFF! [ENTRIES CONTAIN ORIGINAL SPELLINGS] SEE YOUR HATE SPREAD TO THOUSANDS. EMAIL EDITORIAL@BMAMAG.COM.
I want to say a massive f*ck you to the stupid woman sitting outside bentspoke on Wednesday night with her stupid mongrel mop of a dog that was NOT on a lead. I did NOT enjoy having your dog ATTACK my little dog as we walked past!!!!! For one, put your dog on a lead while you are sitting at a bar getting drunk, and in the future it would be a good idea for you to f*cking apologise to the person your dog attacks rather than coddling your vicious horrible dog like a baby!!!!! I had to pull my dog out from under your aggressive horrible dog and in the process its teeth met my hand. You are lucky I was in shock
otherwise I don’t know what my reaction would have been! You, lady, are a LOOSER and your dog should wear a muzzle! YOU MASSIVELY P*SSED ME OFF. Also thanks a lot to everyone who just sat there while it happened and then watched as we walked away! You all also p*ssed me off!
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[TIDBITS]
UPCOMING GIGS
PHOTO BY DAVID BURKE
Erin / Tour / Sat Apr 15 / The Front Gallery & Café Based loosely between Nelson, NZ, and Melbourne, Erin is a touring singer/songwriter who has spent the best part of recent years travelling the Australasian coastlines and countryside, getting to know, on a first-namebasis, the people of the land and the places they call home.
Her songwriting exudes an ‘organic roots’ style. Slick, funky bass lines, swinging upbeat rhythm, and sweet vocal harmonies build into powerful choruses that are accentuated with the kick of her stomp box. Support from Ryan J Page. [8pm / $5 on the door]
Pheno / Single Launch / Fri Apr 21 / Smith’s Alternative Pheno is releasing her debut single, titled ‘Dragon Year’. Pheno is electric guitarist and vocalist Jess Green’s new project and stage name, and under it she is pioneering her own style of pop; Afro-Sci. She brings 21st century science to the wild rhythms of Afro beat, indie rock and jazz.
Canberra born, Green has released three albums under her own name. She creates musical layers with shimmering electric guitar, electro synths, a stomping backbeat and powerful vocals. Support from Luciana Harrison (Pocket Fox / Oranges). [7pm / $15 via smithsalternative.com]
Girls To The Front / Gig / Fri Apr 28 / The Basement
Horns of Leroy / Tour / Fri Apr 28 / The Phoenix Glitoris are celebrating the fact that there are at least three bands in the ACT comprised mostly of women. They are also celebrating the fact that they all rock the fuck out. The other bands in question are Betty Alto and Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers. On top of those factoids, they’re also
celebrating women in science, so 10% of ticket sales will go towards Homeward Bound, a programme that aims to have 1,000 women in science from around the world partake in an expedition of Antarctica over the next 10 years. [8pm / $20 via TryBooking]
Tim Rogers / Tour / Thu May 4 / The Street Theatre Whilst You Am I have been bogged down in negotiations about a new group haircut, Tim Rogers has recorded his seventh secessionist recording An Actor Repairs, and pleads for your attention as he once again confuses hubris for artistry. For your affection, Tim Rogers will PAGE 14
also be touring to Canberra, and will be playing songs from his 28 years of recordings. Support from Steve Smyth and The Lowlands. [8pm / $43 via thestreet.org.au]
Melbourne-based brass band Horns of Leroy are embarking on their first east coast tour. They’ll be playing tunes from their debut album plus new, original and cover material. Inspired by the flavours of New Orleans to Fitzroy, this punkedout, seven-piece, raucous street
band take brass band music to a whole new level. From humble beginnings, the band has evolved from playing the streets of Melbourne to some of the biggest festivals and stages across the country. Guests include Brass Knuckle Brass Band. [9pm / $15 on the door]
Digital Cumbia + Global Bass / Gig / Sat May 6 / Polish White Eagle Club Get ready for a night of digital cumbia and global bass music! Featuring Melbourne’s Cumbia Cosmonauts, Australia’s finest exponents of the genre, you can expect infectious Caribbean offbeat rhythms blended with raw Afro sounds and Jamaican dub elements. This live show
will feature Mexican style MCing, digital percussion and improvised solos. Support from Rayjah45. [8pm / $15 on the door]
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LOCALITY
[THE WORD ON LOCAL MUSIC] WITH NONI DOLL [NONIJDOLL@GMAIL.COM / @NONIDOLL]
The National Folk Festival is on again from Thu–Mon April 13–17 at the Exhibition Park, and once again, there’s a strong ACT contingent showing our outof-town visitors what us locals can do. A quick roll call includes Andrew Galan with Okinawa Girls, Fred Smith, GhostNoises, Guyy & The Fox, The Gypsy Scholars, Kristabelle and The Southern Jubilee Ringers, Lucy Sugerman, Sparrow-Folk, and Ukulele Republic of Canberra, but there will be a bunch of buskers out and about, as well as local dancers to catch. (I may or may not spend some time trying to find the legendary Hot Morris Dancer Guy.) If you’re heading along, show your fellow Canberrans some love! Check out the program at folkfestival.org.au. After a stupidly yet thankfully brief close call, The Phoenix is back with some killer local lineups over the next few weeks. On Saturday April 15 from 8pm, you can catch Helena Pop, Sketch Method, Semen and Garfuckel, and H., all for a measly $10 at the door. If Friday April 21 works better for you, that $10 entry fee will get you in to see Destrends, Moaning Lisa, and The Postmasters from 9pm. The Bootleg Sessions on Monday April 24 (day before Anzac Day, folks) kicks off at 8pm, with Cultured Pelican, Wandering Ghosts, The Kaemans, and Paul and Kirsten all playing with no entry fee, but with the usual passing around of the money-collecting vessel. On Saturday April 29, the $10 entry fee is back for Slow Turismo, Slumberhaze and Video Breezy from 9pm, before the Canberra Musicians Club presents The Bootleg Sessions on Monday May 1 from 8pm, featuring Wesley & The Crushers, An Inconvenient Groove, Slagatha Christie, and Cat Ridgeway. Again, that last PAGE 16
one is free, but bring some extra cash for the hat. Sally Chicane have been particularly active in the local scene over the last few months, and look set to hit a crescendo with their launch of new single ‘Concrete’, on Friday May 12 at Transit Bar. Starting at 8pm, they’ll be joined by Loud So Clear, Organic Mechanic and Blissphorus for a night of killer local rock. Entry is free, and you can grab a download code for the single on the night. If you were to ask, “which Canberra band has hit the ground running the hardest in 2017”, Glitoris would be pretty hot contenders for the title. After hanging out with Amanda Palmer, then Frenzal Rhomb on their respective tours, these purveyors of patriarchy-pulverising punk are bringing Girls to the Front at The Basement on Friday April 28 from 8pm. Joining them on their crusade are two all (or at least mostly) female bands: Betty Alto, and Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers. Tickets are going for $20 via TryBooking, with 10% of ticket sales going to Homeward Bound, an organisation focused on supporting women in science. This will be a popular gig, so be sure to book ahead. Finally, if you find yourself at a loose end after paying your respects on ANZAC Day, you can head to the Old Canberra Inn from 3pm for some brilliant Canberran tunes from Zambezi Sounds, Betty Slim, and Endrey. Entry is TBC.
DUKING BACK INTO TOWN TO PARTY
BY RORY MCCARTNEY
One of Canberra’s most successful musical exports is PEKING DUK. The EDM duo Adam Hyde and Reuben Styles began in 2011 and were based in Canberra until they moved to Sydney a couple of years ago. Their capacity to weave wonders with synths has always guaranteed a dancefloor frenzy and seen them score a top ten listing in the recent Hottest 100. BMA spoke to Styles ahead of the duo’s return to Canberra as part of its ‘Clowntown’ tour. Asked about the tour tag, Styles replied that it fits in with band slang. “Clowntown is just having a good time. Going there means
There will be a lightshow to help the punters get into the right mood to party. The band has had the same lighting guy for a while, who knows just when the band wants to boost the vibe. However, getting the lights perfectly coordinated with the music can be a challenge. “Sadly, we’ve never once completely planned a set, so he has to work with our spontaneity.” As for guest vocalists, they can be expected but Styles was not letting any names drop. He did confirm that there will be unreleased music for punters to enjoy. Asked about any changes in the band’s approach, Styles
The whole crowd was out of control. I couldn’t even describe how much random and bizarre stuff goes down just going to have fun but you can’t be in Clowntown unless everybody is down to clown.” This represents Peking Duk’s biggest road trek yet and their first combining regional and capital city tours into one. However, they have been to so many places on previous tours that the only spot not yet visited is Rockhampton. “We’ve done so many cities in the sticks that your Nan has not even heard of.” Styles notes the important difference between city and rural gigs. “Big city shows create an almost festival-like experience. But not a lot happens in regional cities.” This makes any ‘name band’ visit a big event. “Gladstone two years ago was a huge highlight for us as the whole crowd was out of control. I couldn’t even describe how much random and bizarre stuff goes down. It was hilarious and really, really good.”
said, “We have changed a bit, with more emphasis on party tunes and less intense, raging bangers. Most tunes now need to be bumping when you turn them up in the club, but they also have to be nice to listen to when you turn them down.” As to any possibility of a debut LP, Styles would only commit to one definitely coming out by “2030”, largely due to the decreased relevance of albums in an age when most people go to Spotify and press “shuffle play”. PEKING DUK, supported by Ivan Ooze and Malllrat, play UC Refectory on Friday May 26. If you have a ticket, well done. If not, too bad, as they have sold out.
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GOTTA WATCH OUT FOR THE MOOS
CANBERRA, COME PARTY
BY JARROD MCGRATH
“It’s confusing man, no one from Belgium should sound like this, but I blame the international school for making me sound like a stupid American.” I was very curious about Novak’s background. POLISH CLUB have strong soul influences in their sound, he sounds American and has dark skin. “My mum is Filipino and my dad is Polish. The accent comes from growing up in Belgium. I was born here in Sydney and came back when I was 14.” Taking my call as he negotiated the end of a taxi ride, the singer-guitarist continued to indulge my curiosities about this fab two-piece as they embark on the long overdue release of their debut album. “We’re just stoked to finally have an album done. It’s been a long time coming.” Alright Already was released on March 31st. For fans it’s been a wait, as we have had a trickle of awesome singles and EPs since the group formed in 2014. When I identify myself as an eager fan who has been teased by this trickle, Novak responds with, “It’s appalling.” He spurs on my anticipation by adding, “We’ve ended up with an album that we couldn’t be happier with. We’re hoping that everyone agrees that the wait was worth it.” The duo has already garnered a strong reputation with their previous singles, solid airplay and outstanding live shows, yet they are still a relatively new band. “We’ve known each other for over a decade. John had been in a bunch of bands for a while. He knew I could sing so we just locked ourselves in a room one day and all of a sudden, we had a band. It was very organic, but it took a while.”
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As a two-piece, they join the ranks of other great Australian twopieces (Mess Hall, The Grates, Hockey Dad, DZ Deathrays). “It wasn’t really a conscious thing for John and I to keep it as a twopiece, but we wrote a bunch of songs together and it’s seemed to work and we seemed to pull it off.” Their live show packs the punch of an eight-piece, so I was keen to know how they do that. “The challenge in making that engaging and exciting is something that we like playing around with, so we just go as hard as we possibly can and fortunately we haven’t had too many complaints yet.” I first caught the band at Transit Bar supporting Gang of Youths, so I was curious if they had slipped through here any other time. “We did once do Groovin The Moo but since that was like 11am, I don’t count that as an actual Canberra show.” They are sure to own the tiny Transit stage on their upcoming headline tour now that they have a bunch more songs for us. “It’s very much our comfort zone being a little pub vibe atmosphere.” Novak shares our joy for bringing the show to Canberra. “Having people show up to your show to see your band, it’s kind of a surreal thing. It’s what you aim for when you start writing music – to have people give a shit about it and its starting to happen. It’s pretty weird and I love it.” Don’t miss POLISH CLUB at Transit Bar on Thursday June 1 at 8pm. Tickets are $22.90 through Moshtix.
BY GISELLE BUETI PHOTO BY ANNA VICTORIA BEST
It’s been a big start to the year for Perth based band METHYL ETHEL, with the recent release of their much anticipated second album Everything is Forgotten and a number of live shows around the globe. Heading back to Australia in April to front Groovin The Moo, their year is only going to get bigger and better! We spoke to bass player Thom Stewart to talk about life on tour, the release of their new album and what the band have in store for us at Groovin the Moo.
The trio are currently touring around Europe, then head back to Australia before heading off to America to continue the tour. The reception overseas has been awesome, says Stewart. “The highlight for me so far was probably our show in Copenhagen. It’s nice to play somewhere you’ve never been before and have a good amount of people show up to watch.” As mentioned, the band are heading back to Aus in April to join a massive line up, including
It’s nice to play somewhere you’ve never been before and have a good amount of people show up to watch Following the success of their debut album, Oh Inhuman Spectacle, which featured knock out hits such as ‘Twilight Driving’ and ‘Rogues’, fans were left begging for more and the band were just as eager to provide. “It feels pretty gosh darn good,” says Stewart on finally releasing sophomore record Everything is Forgotten, “It’s nice to have signed off on it all and put it out because now I can focus on the next thing going forward.” The record has the same shadowy texture as its predecessor, only this time with added ambiguity and flow. Its dreaminess comes across beautifully in the studio so it’ll be interesting to see how it will be replicated live. “I think everyone is pretty keen to play ‘Groundwell’,” says Stewart when asked which song he is most looking forward to playing live, “That and ‘Summer Moon’ for me.”
The Wombats and Milky Chance, at Groovin The Moo. With a number of standout artists, even Stewart is excited to get amongst the festival. “I’m definitely gonna be watching PNAU every night. Those guys are sick.” And what can fans expect from Methyl Ethel? “I guess they can expect to see some material from the new record, combined with some older songs to create a super summer kick.” As for what’s next for the band? “We’ve got a lot more touring coming up this year, but album number 3 is in the works at the moment, so hopefully that will be ready soon.” You can catch METHYL ETHEL at Groovin the Moo at the University of Canberra on Sunday May 7. Tickets have sold out. For various sideshows throughout Australia, visit: methylethel.com/live.
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KINGS OF THE VICEROY
BY THOMAS SPILLANE VIOLENT SOHO have become, arguably, Australia’s biggest new rock band in the past few years. From their fanfavourite self-titled album, to their two latest smash hit records, Hungry Ghost (2013) and WACO (2016), they have done nothing but be themselves. Their career has been a long journey to popularity and a very unexpected one for the band themselves. “We never really participated in the music industry to begin with. Growing up in Brisbane there was no real hope of making it in the music industry.” Guitarist, James Tidswell, says, “We kinda always felt successful doing our own thing and not being ambitious in that sort of way. Playing to us was success and I think that’s why we still love playing and being in a band so much.” This attitude towards success is only reinforced when talking to the band about their accomplishments. Always extremely grateful for the support they’ve received, the band were shocked when they had five songs from their most recent effort, WACO, place in triple j’s latest Hottest 100 (‘How To Taste’, ‘No Shade’, ‘Blanket’, ‘So Sentimental’ and ‘Viceroy’). “We were stoked!” Tidswell recalls, “I couldn’t believe it because I personally only voted for four of our songs because I thought five was impossible!” Not too bad for a little band from an intensely religious community. Violent Soho grew up in Mansfield, a suburb in Brisbane which has
become known as the “bible belt” of the city. The experiences the band members have of growing up in this environment, and their aversion to it, inspire most of their music. “I think almost every lyric on our albums is about growing up in a Hillsong-style environment and what we think about it, or how we think it has affected us or others in some way or another.” Tidswell reflects, “I don’t know how it has affected our lives or music, but I think we’re pretty passionate
first recording contract by alternative rock icon, Thurston Moore (Sonic Youth). It was from his vote of confidence that the band built themselves up. “I was telling [Moore] how I love the band called ‘Budd’ from our hometown here in Brisbane from the ‘90s, and he not only knew them, he put out a double 10inch of them in the ‘90s.” Tidswell recalls, “next time we caught up he brought the rest of the unsold 10-inches over to our house for us to take home and give to the band.” Violent Soho have a similar, downto-earth attitude that just exudes from them and their music. Content playing to anybody who’s willing to listen, love is something felt very strongly among their fanbase. The band are very excited to come back to Canberra for the second time in a year, playing last year’s Spilt Milk festival in December.
I think almost every lyric on our albums is about growing up in a Hillsongstyle environment about what we do because aside from the party way [that] it’s presented and performed, I think we really feel like we have something to say.” Looking back at the start of their career, their success no longer comes as much as a surprise. Violent Soho were handed their
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“It’s been awesome [playing to Canberra crowds] and it seems to get better every time we come.” Tidswell says, “we first played in Canberra in 2006 opening for The Grates at the ANU Bar and that was unreal because it was the first time we’d ever played a venue Nirvana had played in.”
Violent Soho’s live shows are known to be wild. The band have a unique knack for channelling punk rock energy and throwing it into the crowd. Vocalist and main songwriter, Luke Boerdam, sings his songs with incredible conviction, but leaves Tidswell to talk to the crowd in between songs. Bass player, Luke Henery, commonly swirls his long hair around so violently you would be safe to assume he wakes up every morning with a killer headache. “It all comes naturally, really. I think we’re just so excited to be there that it just comes out on stage that way. We’re just trying to convey our excitement and gratitude to everyone in the audience,” Tidswell muses. “As far as the talking goes, I just talk when I get nervous and I get nervous when we’re just standing there and not playing music … so unfortunately everyone has to put up with me saying dumb shit in between songs.” Violent Soho’s humble attitude is a refreshing change in a genre of music so easily plagued by elitists and purists. The band are just happy doing what they love and sharing it with whoever wants to enjoy it, and that is the key to their success. VIOLENT SOHO will be playing Groovin The Moo at the University of Canberra on Sunday May 7. Tickets sold out.
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DANCE THE DROP [THE WORD ON DANCE MUSIC] WITH PETER ‘KAZUKI’ O’ROURKE [CONTACT@KAZUKI.COM.AU]
I’ve said it before, but for such a forward-looking, futuristic, utopian genre, dance music has a strong element of nostalgia, with new music, fashion and styles of events looking back to the past for inspiration – i.e. a lot of ‘it was better back in the day’ kind of stuff going on. However, one aspect of the early rave culture I reckon we definitely need to bring back is the concept of the chill room. Once a fundamental element for running a class-A party, it’s really something that has been lost by the wayside, rarely seen outside some of the bigger outdoor festivals (where sometimes even a ‘chill stage’ is a thing, as well as the ever-prevalent chai tent). A good chill room not only gives a space for partygoers to actually have a rest from dancing, but gives an opportunity for artistic expression as well. DJs can play some proper ambient and downtempo music (which for a form of music with very few places to play it, is actually really strong and awesome at the moment), while VJs can cut up strange looped video, or decor artists can create a unique space conducive to decent conversation or just general tripping out. I remember there was a trance club in Melbourne that had a really cool chill space, with Eastern mandala-type tapestries, fresh fruit, incense and a DJ playing smoky, jazzy instrumental hiphip. It stands out in mind because it was genuinely a fantastic place to hang out and chat with people – I think I even spent more time in there than I did in the main room! And I guess that shows how rare this kind of place is. Of course it’s pretty hard to find a place to throw a party as it is, let alone one with a separate room for couches and glowing psychedelic art. But PAGE 20
that conversation and space to connect is such an important part of dance music culture, equally as important to cutting shapes on the dance floor itself. So if we can, bring back the chill space I reckon! As for gigs, there’s some cool stuff to choose from over the next month. April 13 (Easter Thursday) has a few things on, including a party from Pickle at The White Eagle Polish Club, with In Aeternam Vale doing a special live set, while house favourites LO’99 are coming to lay down some beats at Kyte. On April 16 (Easter Sunday), hard dance fans should head to Cube where Hard Envy have teamed up with OneSeventy for ‘Grand Theft Kandi’, with JTS, Technikore and Ravin to bring the noise. Friday April 21 sees Melbourne bounce favourite Joel Fletcher at Academy, while Pickle are throwing a disco party in a notyet-announced location with Sex Tags, Jayda G, and D Tiffany. Also that night, newcomer producer Swindail will be at Mr Wolf. There will be a massive Thursday on April 27 at Kyte with dubstep international 12th Planet, while left-field pop group Cosmo’s Midnight are at Mr Wolf on Friday April 28. Finally, my crew Department of Late Nights are throwing an underground techno party ‘Troll Life’ with Sydney’s Shepz and David DB, plus plenty of local heavyweights in a secret location! Check out the details on Resident Advisor.
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K.FLAY SLAYS
BY CLARE BRUNSDON In 2003, American artist K.FLAY (a.k.a. Kristine Flaherty) decided to turn her hand to music after finding that mainstream rap was simplistic, formulaic and misogynistic. Now, 14 years later, she has produced two successful studio albums and has affirmed herself as one of the strong female voices within popular culture. With her upcoming appearances at Groovin The Moo festivals and various venues across Australia, audiences will get a chance to experience the energy and introspection of her work firsthand. K.Flay’s latest album Every Where is Some Where has been a work in progress for the past year. She believes it encompasses the various moods and spaces she’s been in throughout that time and is pleased with the end result, commenting, “I’m proud of it and I’m happy for it to be out in the world.” Musing about the title of the album, K.Flay seems her usual reflective self, pondering on how we as humans create meaning and every setting we inhabit is of some importance to someone. “Being on tour and being on the road does really drive home the sense of singularity of places but also the arbitrariness,” she explains. “You might be at a restaurant that for you is just another drop in the bucket, but for somebody else is the place where their life changed.” Listening to her music and talking with her, it’s obvious K.Flay strives to embrace all life events
and emotions and build from them. When asked if the title of her new album reflects this sort of acceptance she agrees, adding, “I think part is acceptance and part is transcendence; you can accept those things as they are but you can also use them as a platform for other kinds of meaning or other kinds of growth. That’s been the goal of my adult life, to find a way to do that.” When referring to negative situations or emotions as “dark places”, she explains, “they’re still places and we have the power to author the narrative surrounding them … I find that in the process of songwriting, that’s at the core of it. For me, what’s really guiding this work is trying to take the events, some of which I have control over, some of which I don’t, and trying to make some meaning out of them.” The somewhat upbeat track ‘High Enough’ was recently released as a single ahead of the
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new album. K.Flay sees this song as more positive overall than her last single, ‘Blood in the Cut’, which explored the raw emotions of a break-up and which she describes as “fully dark”. On the other end of the emotional spectrum, ‘High Enough’ came to her almost supernaturally. She simply describes it as an idea that she really wanted to express. “I’ve written a lot of songs that celebrate being fucked up or high; I think often I have the sensation that I don’t really want to be any of those things, that because of a person or an experience or art I feel fulfilled in that way.” Though Every Where is Some Where follows along many of the same confessional themes as K.Flay’s past work, fans may notice a slight change as she begins to explore more political issues with tracks like ‘The President Has a Sex Tape’. This powerful piece includes such great lyrics as “the President has a sex tape, your daughters aren’t safe at night” and “I got a feelin’ that my body is owned, a feelin’ that my body ain’t mine’. Lyrics to send shivers down any spine, given the current political climate. K.Flay confirms that such tracks came about in light of the horrible chaos that has descended on the United States. “I think that was an undeniable thing that was occurring and was definitely seeping into my experience and my brain,” she explains.
fellow musician Dan Reynolds (Imagine Dragons) with his production company Interscope Records. This collaborative production gave K.Flay autonomy over her work while also providing her with the resources she needed to develop the sound and distribution. “Dan was very forthcoming with me about his goals, which were essentially to help give me a platform and to give advice and certainly creative feedback if I wanted it,” she says, “and also just giving me a safe space to write shit.” Her upcoming Australian shows are set to be a treat for fans with a healthy mix of new music and her older, well-known pieces. As always she’ll strive to put the same amount of energy and meaning into every song she performs. “We play live as a three-piece and it’s a really energetic, passionate show. When I’m up there I’m really trying to relive the experience of every song. That can mean wild boundless energy, that can mean sad introspection, but I feel like, emotionally, I try to revisit those places and tap into that energy.” K.FLAY joins the line-up at Groovin The Moo at the University of Canberra on Sunday May 7. Tickets are now soldout. For all sideshows, visit kflay.com.
Every Where is Some Where was produced by K.Flay’s friend and PAGE 21
to the cinemascope breadth of Pallbearers’ lush harmonies and crushing heaviness.
METALISE
[THE WORD ON METAL] WITH JOSH NIXON [DOOMTILDEATH@HOTMAIL.COM]
I haven’t got a ton to write about this month in terms of my usual collation of shows and stuff. I will heartily recommend to keen listeners of heavy riffs that the surprise album from Melbourne lords Mindsnare titled Unholy Rush that dropped a couple of weeks ago is fantastic.
I will also flag that the new Pallbearer album Heartless
is likely going to feature prominently in my 2017 best releases list because it is once again, beyond reproach. Get yourself along to Landspeed in the city and pick them up if you’ve
not already, a nice dynamic shift between both albums from the breakneck thrash inspired hardcore of Mindsnare
Having recently taken a job back in the city after nine years out at Belconnen, it’s been eye-opening to come back into the city and spend a bit of time strolling around Civic in the daylight. Heading to Transit the second last week of former proprietor Mark Grainger’s tenancy, I looked over at the demolition of what to most young Canberra folk would not think much of as a bunch of buildings across the road from the Casino. To gen Xer’s, it was the final indignation of the borderline sacred site of the Terrace Bar being erased, along with a portion of the old Electric Shadows cinema and bookshop building, and a chunk of the old Impact Records early site. This nostalgia was topical in that within two weeks, the Transit would shut its doors after a final triumphant night with Canberra musos Sons of Kyuss getting to play backing band to original Kyuss member Nick Oliveri. That Mark’s stewardship of that bit of Civic was coming to an end was understandable after a long, fruitful run that many will be thankful for.
operators are rapidly becoming the last place for live music of any genre outside of hardworking soloists and duets playing some covers over clinking beer glasses. The centre of town needs music, live music, live original music, so the southsiders don’t have an excuse to bail on Basement shows due to a 50 buck Uber home. When the Terrace first closed there were at least some options – we’re running out at a rate of knots and I’m yet to see the ACT Government’s long planned “entertainment precinct” deliver anything other than increasing residential encroachment on areas where our artists need to make a racket. Thankfully the Phoenix has reopened and it was due to a potential fire hazard that due diligence was applied in this case, but we were this close to having nothing in the city. That we only have one viable venue should send alarm bells ringing. So that said, the ANU’s last heavy music gasp is a Live Evil, Witchskull and Wretch show at the ANU Bar on Saturday May 27. Venue for the original Metal for the Brain stomping ground, host to Morbid Angel playing there on their Blessed Are The Sick tour, Electric Wizard, and a
I’m yet to see the ACT Government’s long planned “entertainment precinct” deliver anything other than increasing residential encroachment on areas where our artists need to make a racket What was unsuspecting, and a bit shocking truth be told, was the sudden closing of The Phoenix by the landlord. The Phoenix Bar has been a part of Civic linking the time of the Terrace Bar through the entire time the Transit Bar was a live venue to almost succumbing to whatever urban planning befouled the Terrace Bar, Magpies in the City, Gypsy Bar (twice), The Asylum, Zorro’s, Bar 32 and almost the ANU, which is winding down as I type.
trillion other amazing shows to be demolished along with the rest of history in the centre of our town. We need venues, and they in turn need our support. If we get another one in the City, don’t sleep on it, patronise it. My thanks to all those venue owners that slave to give our artists a platform from the above list and all others not on there.
I have concerns Canberra. Lance and co out at the Basement (love your work team) and a few small PAGE 22
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PAGE 23
BMA BAND
PROFILE [LOCAL-ISH ACTS TO WATCH]
PUNK & DISORDERLY [GOD SAVE THE PHEEN] BY ELEANOR HORN [E.TRS.HORN@GMAIL.COM]
I’ll be honest with you guys, I’m already reeling from the news that Burmese Curry Place has closed down this week (two mains and rice for under $10, we’ll never have it so good again), and now this.
MARLON BANDO Band members: Lachlan Phelps (Crab) (lead vocals, guitar), Grant Turner (back-up vocals, guitar), John Vassallo (drums, the bogan voice you can hear in ‘Fight Night’). Where did you guys get your name from? The shitty pun can be attributed to Crab. It’s stuck pretty well so far. We get referred to as just “Bando” heaps, we’ve been called “Friendos” and people have said that they are “Fandos” of us so it’s pretty hilarious so see people twist it around. Describe your sound. We often get compared to Jay Reatard and his band The Reatards. We have a gritty, intense, fast paced, garage/ low-fi kinda sound. Crab screams the lyrics and his guitar is hooked up to a bass amp, there’s tonnes of distortion and thrashy riffs. It’s an older-school punk, raw kind of sound which is what we like. Who are your influences, musical and otherwise? Bands like Jay Reatard, The Reatards, Ty Seagall, Fuzz, Black Flag, Propeller (Goulburn), Fugazi, The Descendants and Hot Lunch. Propeller is one of our key influences; we’ve watched them since we were little, in high school, and at a bunch of Goulburn shows. Goulburn is a pretty big influence in general, there being basically nothing to do for us here except forming bands and complaining about how there’s nothing to do in Goulburn. What’s the most memorable experience you’ve had performing? We’ll tell ya our two favourites. First comes our EP launch at The Phoenix. It was an intense and heaps fun show, with supports Propeller and BLT. We definitely couldn’t have picked any better bands to help us out. We ended up with a pretty big crowd which was, for us, amazing! Lots of moshing and jumping around, Crab even crowdsurfed in our cover of ‘Wave Goodbye’ which was just too much fun. Secondly our house show we had in Goulburn was the raddest. We collaborated
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with our artist friends Peta Treble and Jack Bell along with Jackson Huntley and bands Jim Dusty, Kial Malone, High Tides and Propeller to turn Grant’s shed into a music venue/art exhibition. We weren’t expecting many people to turn up but we were overwhelmed with the support. Everyone got drunk and turned Grant’s shed into a quagmire of broken glass and beer-mud. Good times. Of what are you the proudest so far? We’re definitely super stoked of how well our EP launch went, that was definitely the best show we’d all played. Other than that just the amount of shows we’ve been able to play has been pretty amazing, I think we have only had one week without playing a show since last November which we’re so stoked about, especially for so many people in Canberra to support a teenage Goulburn band, it’s really so great. What are your plans for the future? More writing definitely. We’ll drop a full-length LP this year sometime as soon as we get enough material, which is hard when our songs average at a minute and a half so that’s like 40 songs for an LP, but we’re at least halfway there. Other than that, more shows, maybe a mini-tour, and hopefully Melbourne next year. What about the Canberra scene would you change? We honestly can’t think of anything! Canberra is so welcoming for young bands like us and we’re lucky to be a part of such a welcoming community of musicians and artists. Maybe if it were a little closer to home that’d be sweet. What are your upcoming gigs? Friday April 14: The Front Gallery & Café with Shysters and Chimera. This show will be super sweet so come along and hang out! Contact Info: marlonbando. bandcamp.com. Crab’s personal number if you just want to have a bit of a chat is 0478 106 831.
The third Canberra music venue to close its doors in the past year. Magpies Club, ANU Bar, and now The Phoenix. This news came as a rude shock on Wednesday March 29, when regulars were met with a locked door and an LJ Hooker notice regarding Section 122 of The Leases (Commercial and Retail) Act 2001. Mordd IndyMedia contacted LJ Hooker, and was told that the closure was due to non-compliance with current fire regulations. Those close to The Phoenix have stated that the venue has attempted to comply, but were not given permission from the landlord. Whether this is true, I cannot confirm at this time – but those of us who have lived in share houses can make up our own minds. I’m just saying – I lived in a house with some pretty veritable hazards, and the landlord seemed to be far less concerned than the patrons. Section 122 is titled ‘Termination by lessor’. This means one of two things; The Phoenix will agree to the termination notice, or they will contest the termination by application to the Magistrates Court. Some have connected the termination with an article written by Emma Kelly, ‘Canberra’s historic Sydney building to get food court, rooftop garden’, published last week. I don’t want to jump to conclusions, but like a scorned lover whose man has just snuck in the back door at 4am, I absolutely fucking will.
Putting aside the fact that the absolute last thing Canberra needs is another motherfucking food court (and who the fuck thought a rooftop garden would be perfectly set above a fucking bus interchange) – this will significantly and irrevocably change the Canberra music scene. And so, on Friday March 31, a huge portion of the Canberra music scene gathered outside the locked doors of The Phoenix and held their own gig, ‘Phoenix Rising’, featuring some of the best acts the city has to offer. “It was the most heart-warming gig I’ve ever been to,” says Hayley of Moaning Lisa. “We all knew The Phoenix wasn’t closing for good … but it really shows you how much Canberra needs The Phoenix, it was a beautiful thing seeing everyone gather outside and have a great gig even though the doors were closed.” The Phoenix have reassured us that they aren’t going anywhere. What this means exactly, I can’t say. But it shows the incredible spirit and comradery of the Canberra music scene. We are standing together, supporting each other, and rallying to save this beloved venue. These venues aren’t just pubs or bars or clubs – they are an integral part in our music. Without them, we have nowhere to go, nowhere to perform, nowhere musicians and music lovers can be unified. While this may not be the end of The Phoenix, and thank god it isn’t, other cherished venues have not, and will not, be so lucky. We need these places. And if we continue to come together the way we did for The Phoenix, greedy landlords and developers will be met with a resistance.
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THINGS GET BETTER AND THEY EVEN GET GOOD
BY KAROLINA FIRMAN & ANDREW NARDI The closer you get to the heart of the Australian punk scene, the more obvious it is how much THE SMITH STREET BAND have done for it. The Smithies were born from front man Wil Wagner’s vision to add a hint of folk and pub rock to Australia’s underground punk culture. They weren’t the first to do it, but ask anyone who’s listened to their 2014 album Throw Me in the River and they’ll give you an earful about how it singlehandedly reinvigorated the Aussie punk train. Since then it’s been full steam ahead with nominations and awards across the board, 15 international tours and sold-out shows from London to New York. From humble beginnings on a street in north Melbourne separating Fitzroy and Collingwood, the Smithies have now given us their fourth album, More Scared of You Than You Are of Me. Returning from recording in the US, BMA checked in with drummer Chris Cowburn ahead of the band’s regional tour with Groovin The Moo. “This album has some of the best music that we’ve ever put together,” Cowburn tells me over the phone. “We’re still very proud of our last album, Throw Me in the River, but on this album, we’ve really found our voice.” Arguably, it’s the band’s brutally honest voice that has got them to where they are now. Following up their massive third record with ‘Death To The Lads’ in 2016
only continued to solidify the Smithies for their deeply relatable songwriting. “This album is kind of a catharsis, particularly for Wil. He was going through a really rough, dark patch and this album helped him sort out a lot of things.” Initially, The Smith Street Band started as a vehicle for lead singer Wil Wagner, but it quickly turned into more of a collaborative effort. Their original name, Wil Wagner & The Smith Street Band, was an allusion to Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band, but it changed to reflect their move to a more unified musical experience. “We’ve all had a role in writing the songs and lyrics over the years, and it’s become a real collaborative process,” Cowburn says. The Smithies have evolved and rearranged their line-up over the years. Keeping true to the punk scene, they’ve even become something of a champion for
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causes that matter to them, including refugee rights, gender equality and other sensitive issues. “A few years ago, we released a song in protest for refugee rights; it was one of our proudest moments.” Fans will vividly remember the song as ‘Wipe That Shit-Eating Grin Off Your Punchable Face’, a stab at then Prime Minister Tony Abbott for his ‘stop the boats’ policy and further inaction surrounding Australia’s ongoing refugee crisis. Having played all over the country and internationally in Europe and further abroad, an Australian regional tour with Groovin The Moo will be a good opportunity for the Smithies to revisit the heart of their fan base. According to Cowburn, the band are happy to “play anywhere,” but one of his favourite places to play was at a small festival that they organised in Tasmania. “It was in a forest in rural Hobart, called ‘All Tomorrow’s Shoeys’. It was a small outdoor show for 250 people,” he explains. “We want to have that music festival grow and flourish and just get bigger and bigger. It would be great to have a festival someday with 5,000 people. That would be the dream.” Like any band, the Smithies have had their ups and downs over the years. But as one of the original band members, Cowburn admits that it’s all been for the best. “If I could go back in time and change things, any of the things that I have done or as a band … I wouldn’t change anything. You
have to make your own path and make mistakes,” he reflects. “But if I could go back and tell my past self some advice, I would say that the number one person that you have to please is yourself. You have to do what makes you happy and play for yourself.” As for the budding singersongwriter and avid muso in Australia’s punk scene, Cowburn has some advice for those just starting out. “I would say that you need to do things for the right reasons – do it for yourself and for your own self-expression. If you do things for the wrong reasons it’ll never work out, and don’t try to change yourself. Never shut yourself out. Do what makes you happy.” It’s true that the Smithies didn’t enjoy widespread radio play until the release of their third record, Throw Me in the River. “The secret to success is that you have to work really, really hard. That’s what worked for us, and we did not expect to be famous overnight. We did so much touring all across Australia in so many places, and we learned so much from that,” Cowburn explains. “You have to wait and work for it, and then maybe you’ll have success … The band has been more popular and achieved more than my wildest dreams, well past my expectations.” THE SMITH STREET BAND will be part of the line-up at Groovin The Moo, at the University of Canberra on Sunday May 7. Tickets are now sold out. For more information and sideshows, visit their website at thesmithstreetband.com.
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PLANET OF SOUND Planet of Sound is our column celebrating the wide history of music. In this month’s entry, Dan Bigna acknowledges Record Store Day by checking in with Brian ‘Frog’ Harris at Songland Records in Weston Creek. Just this week, independent record stores in Canberra provided me with the 50th anniversary edition of The Doors’ self-titled masterpiece that includes a mono version of the album, making this unusual combo sound even more like the proto-punk band I always knew they were. I also picked up a marvellous compilation of 1970s African funk music on the usually excellent UK label Cherry Red. The pleasure this music brings is considerable, and I am grateful to record stores for making it happen. The little stuff is also worth savouring. Like the girl in the Woden JB Hi-Fi store who must have scoured every square inch looking for a Rolling Stones compilation (remastered of course) and rang me the next day to gleefully exclaim she had found it. I’ve always wanted to thank her in person, and not for some bullshit cliché like ‘good customer service’ that you will find on a bland job selection criteria, but because she cared enough to want to match the music fan with the music. With this stuff in mind, the 10th annual Record Story Day will be happening on Saturday April 22 to once again remind us what a wonderful community service record stores provide. The Australian ambassador this year is Federal Labor MP Anthony Albanese, who I understand recently attended an Adele concert (we won’t hold that against him) and has apparently also seen the Pixies live (much better). Songland Records owner Brian ‘Frog’ Harris, who has racked PAGE 26
up many music retail years in Canberra, and is also a board member of The Australian Retail Music Association, considers Albanese a good choice for ambassador and is enthusiastic about what this important event signifies. “Record Store Day is a reminder and a celebration of the value of physical, independent record stores and the role that we play in the marketplace,” Harris tells me. “Anyone who has spent any time in an independent record store will know that it’s not just a place where you walk in and buy something. It’s where you build a rapport with the person behind the counter, where you can come in and be introduced and reintroduced to different acts, new releases and older stuff. And this forms an important fabric of the life that we live. You can meet likeminded people in record stores and you might actually form a band in one.” R.E.M started out when Michael Stipe and Peter Buck met in a record store. One of the greatest punk bands of all time, Husker Du, started out after a fortuitous meeting in a Minneapolis record store.
I never started a band of any kind, but once picked up an obscure compilation of saxophonist Charlie Parker’s early bop work on the Stash label and when I reached the counter of hip jazz and blues record store Birdland, the dude said, “I should let you know that the fidelity is shit but, hey, the music is superb.” I totally agreed with his blunt, yet accurate assessment. That purchase was on CD because I had abandoned vinyl after making the absurd decision long ago to accept the mainstream view that records had become redundant in the digital age. Smarter people than me have always known that analogue sound was the way to go and it now seems even smarter young people agree, such as the girl I noticed in Landspeed Records buying a bunch of Beatles records.
getting that tangibility of holding the record, looking at the liner notes and album cover artwork and having an experience they might not have had before.” Although I am stubbornly sticking to CDs, particularly of the remastered kind, I will always prefer walking into a record shop to get hold of one. Harris has this to say. “A lot of people think that record stores are dying out, but it’s actually the opposite. Due to the resurgence of interest in vinyl we have these grass-shoot stores appearing around the country. As of last count the number of Australian independent record stores that have signed on to be part of Record Store Day is around 180, which is a much bigger number than what people might realise. Because you no longer see many record stores in shopping centres, the common
By buying a record … they are listening to a record the way the artist intended that it be heard Brian Harris has an interesting take on this. “We are not going to go back to the glory days of what record sales used to be. However, a younger generation is gravitating quite noticeably to vinyl because they have discovered a different listening experience. They may have been part of the mp3 generation with long lists of random songs. But by buying a record, those same people are committing to listening to forty minutes of music; they are listening to a record the way the artist intended that it be heard,” Harris says. “They are also
perception is that record stores have died out. They haven’t. They are just in different places now and music fans know where to find them. And the people who work in those stores are there because they are passionate about music.” Right on. DAN BIGNA
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YOU SPIN ME RIGHT ROUND
“We have a huge range to choose from, everything from jazz, blues and classic rock to comedy and krautrock,” Kaeding says. “We usually put out six or seven crates of records for people to look through, so about 400 records in total, and we change them around regularly.”
Discussing the global vinyl revival, Kaeding agrees that it’s come about as a reaction to the over-digitalisation of music in recent decades. “Some of it may be down to nostalgia but lots of younger people are also getting into it. Partly, it may be a reaction to how we mostly listen to music in a digital world … That tactile element is largely missing now with digital platforms,” Kaeding says. “I think there is also a more communal element to playing vinyl. It’s more of a shared experience and that’s one of the main attractions of Vinyl Lounge.
The Vinyl Lounge attracts all sorts, and there’s no shortage of stories either. “People talk about going and seeing Led Zeppelin or The Beatles live in England in the ‘60s, or tell us about how a particular
“Lastly, most of our music experiences in the digital age are actually pretty lo-fi. By that I mean we don’t prioritise the music experience over convenience; many people
BY ANDREW NARDI There’s been an undeniable resurgence in vinyl records recently, and who can argue why? Music lovers the world over are drawn to the medium’s tangibility, its antiquity, and not to mention the warm ocean of sound that pours out whenever you spin it around a needle. Vinyl enthusiasts are also ripe throughout Canberra, and one of our more notable societies is the National Film and Sound Archive’s VINYL LOUNGE. Taking place on the first Friday of every month, Vinyl Lounge invites Canberrans to BYO vinyl (or select from the NFSA’s huge collection), play your music and share with
artist or song has changed their lives,” Kaeding says. “The Vinyl Lounge has become a real family where people share their love of music. We get regular updates on concerts people have gone to and new music they have discovered.”
one and one another why it’s important to you. NFSA sound curator Thorsten Kaeding caught up with BMA to tell us more.
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don’t have the experience of the difference a great sound system can make.” Kaeding continues, “that’s another great thing about Vinyl Lounge; you’ll be able to listen to tracks you may know really well but because of our fantastic sound system, you’ll hear things you were never able to hear before.”
The Vinyl Lounge has become a real family where people share their love of music Vinyl Lounge sounds all the more inviting given the community that has grown since the group began in October, 2014. “The great thing about our audience is that it’s a totally safe place to come and listen to whatever you want. There’s no pretention or snobbishness, we all just love listening to music, whatever it happens to be. It’s just a great place to listen to all sorts of music amongst friends.” VINYL LOUNGE is on the first Friday of every month, from 5:30pm to 7pm. Entry is free. The next session is on Friday May 5. Visit nfsa.gov.au for more info.
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COMING TO DOWNTOWN CANBERRA
BY RORY MCCARTNEY 70 million record sales cannot be wrong! Beginning as a radio performer as a child in World War II, before success recording in French, Spanish and Italian in the ‘50s and early ‘60s, PETULA CLARK shot to international fame with ‘Downtown’ in 1964. Many other hits including ‘I Know a Place’, ‘I Couldn’t Live Without Your Love’, ‘Colour My World’ and ‘Don’t Sleep in the Subway’ followed and she went on to appear in numerous films and stage musicals. Not content to rest on her laurels, Clark is touring again to promote a new album From Now On. BMA spoke to Clark, on the line from New York, about her new LP. Clark has been quoted as saying that, newness, moving on and learning are important to her, and the title From Now On matches that statement. However, that was not the deliberate aim of the record. “We didn’t go into the studio with that in mind, to be honest. We just went to have a good time, write some songs and do one or two covers. If it comes out sounding like that, then it’s incidental.” While there are a couple of covers, Clark admits she is not very nostalgic. She has enjoyed working with both a small team and with big productions. The new record was done with the same producer and engineer as her last LP, with never more than three to four people present at once. “We recorded in a tiny studio about the size of an apartment kitchen. It was PAGE 28
a very close-knit kind of thing,” Clark says. “We wrote these songs together and it’s extremely organic. I do the piano and the backup singing, which I love to do. It’s a very personal kind of
from her comfort zone in making the new record, particularly the cover of Peggy Lee’s ‘Fever’. “Oh yes, we had a bit of an argument about that. I didn’t want to do it as Peggy Lee was a friend and this was her huge hit.” Williams asked her to think about it, in the meantime doing the music for the track without her knowledge and springing it on her back in the studio. He urged her to give it a go. “Get up to the microphone and see what happens. Before I started singing, I had a word with Peggy in my mind, ‘Peggy, I hope you’re going to like this’. So I did it and I think she probably would have liked it.” A new song from the LP ‘Sacrifice My Heart’ has a very contemporary sound with the voice effects and layering of music and vocals. Clark does not see anything special in using new song formats as she will give anything a go. “It’s a
The first time I heard ‘Downtown’ with an orchestra, I nearly fell over. It was so exciting. record, and that’s what comes over.” She also fondly remembers recording her early hits in a big studio with a big orchestra. “The first time I heard ‘Downtown’ with an orchestra, I nearly fell over. It was so exciting. There’s nothing like the energy of 40 musicians all going for it.”
contemporary sounding song, whatever that means. A lot of contemporary songs sound quite old fashioned too. I enjoy singing this kind of thing. Let’s be honest; I enjoy singing, period. I enjoy up tempo, ballads and things that are a little bit off the walk. I just love the whole process.”
Producer John Williams was instrumental in moving Clark
Clark, supported by a five-piece band, will play the piano on
some songs in her set. She will also do the French song ‘Pour Etre Aime de Toi’, for which she wrote the music, with lyrics composed by Charles Aznavour. Clark says, “Charles Aznavour is probably the greatest living French songwriter and singer. It’s a dramatic song, saying I’d give up everything, I’d do anything to be loved by you.” Clark’s earliest hit records were those she recorded in French, something that happened accidentally as the product of her moving to France to be with the man she loved. “I made some records in French and they really went for it. I became a really big star in France, much to my surprise.” She admits not quite knowing what all the French lyrics meant when she first began singing them. The upcoming tour will include both old hits and the new material. Cark has been pleased with the feedback from her show so far. “I had an awful lot of mail saying how much they enjoyed the old songs, but they absolutely loved the new ones too. These songs are all like children to me. I love them all differently. I treat them with care. One song in the set list, ‘Living for Today’, has never been recorded, so if you want to hear it, come to the show.” PETULA CLARK sings at Canberra Theatre Centre at 8pm on Friday May 19. Tickets are $79.90 to $98.90, plus $4.95 bf. Full details at canberratheatrecentre.com.au.
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BOB’S WORLD
“I always planned that after the record tour I would go back out on my own and get to other places, but the Josh Pyke tour kind of came along and I really wanted to do it. So I decided this tour could just wait.” Aptly titled ‘On My Lonesome’, this tour has Bob performing completely solo in some intimate venues. We are lucky to be hosting him at The Front. It’s tiny size and capacity creates a strong connection between the artist and audience, which should suit Bob perfectly.
If I didn’t have [Bob Evans and Jebediah], I’d have to go mow lawns or deliver pizza BY JARROD MCGRATH Kevin Mitchell (a.k.a. BOB EVANS) is a busy man. Having only just finished his tour with Josh Pyke (selling out shows, including Canberra), he’s back out on the road to give us his solo show. Accompanying both these tours is the release of more music (highlighting his prolific songwriting). Oh yeah, and he’s also the lead singer of seminal ‘90s group Jebediah. What was clear when chatting to him about all of this was his passion for music, and happiness with where his career is currently at.
In support of this tour he is also giving away an EP of unreleased tracks with ticket purchases. “It’s been in my mind for years that I would love to find a way to release home recordings, because the reality is I spend so much time at home recording alone and no one else is really a part of that, so I wanted to get those songs out there to invite people in.” Between both Bob Evans and Jebediah, Kevin has quite a repertoire of tunes now. As a prolific songwriter, I was curious about his process. “A lot of those initial sparks will be when I’m doing really mundane things. I’ll then record some of those melodies and ideas onto my phone. I set a time where I go to work, go into my studio and work on those ideas.” Given his solid songwriting work ethic, I asked about when we can expect another album. “I’ve got a general idea of the sort of record I want to make and I’ve got a bunch of songs that fit, but it probably won’t be until the end of the year that I’ll have a strong idea. I normally need to write 30 or 40 songs before I’ll get close.” Despite my reservations about asking about Jebediah, Kevin happily indulged me after I referred to my pleasant experience seeing them at a recent Day On The Green. “It feels like there’s more interest in our band now than ten years ago,” he says. “We have some spots supporting Midnight Oil, then there’s a bunch of other stuff that’s gonna happen that hasn’t been announced yet. There will be a bunch of Jebediah shows.” As a fan, I thanked Kevin for indulging my nostalgia and giving us Jebediah shows, but I also asked him how he balances between Bob and his old band. “From a creative view I enjoy it, because they tend to feed into each other. The more I start doing Jebediah, the more I feel the urge to do something quieter, and vice versa. They’re like family, so every time we go away and play shows it kinda feels like I’m having a weekend with my friends and we get paid really well for it,” he says. “It’s a really cool opportunity that we all enjoy. On a practical level, if I didn’t have both I’d have to go mow lawns or deliver pizza.” If you can get in quick enough, join the intimate crowd with BOB EVANS at The Front on Thursday April 20. Tickets are $27.50 through bobevans.com.au.
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With the quintessentially English sound of Bragg’s solo music, I can’t help but ask what the connection is to these purely American stories. He compares the old railroad songs to England’s more common sea shanties and points out that the Rock Island railroad was all built with British steel and the common form of 1950’s British music known as skiffle was heavily influenced by the guitar music coming from America in that era. “It’s not that far away from our own experience,” he summarises.
TALKIN’ TRAIN TRACKS
BY CLARE BRUNSDON
The husky English voice of BILLY BRAGG has been embedded in my subconscious since I was knee high to a duck. Flick through my parent’s vinyl collection and you’ll find classics like Worker’s Playtime and Talking with the Taxman About Poetry filed under ‘B’ for Bragg (OCD is rife). Needless to say when this same voice greeted me through my own mobile phone to chat about the upcoming tour my nerves were at an all-time high. In March 2016, Billy Bragg and American artist JOE HENRY boarded a Chicago train bound for Los Angeles. With guitars and recording gear in tow they set out to explore the evocative landscapes where roots music was born. During this four day journey they recorded in train carriages and waiting rooms, capturing the sparse hum of commuters and the grunts of passing trains. The resulting album Shine a Light: Field Recordings from the Great American Railroad is a soulful bluesy masterpiece that showcases the romance of a forgotten era. Bragg and Henry will be gracing Canberra Theatre with their presence on April 20 to share some of this experience with us and I wanted to discover some of the motives and ideas behind this latest project.
Bragg and Henry have been touring America and the UK with songs from the album and he believes the theme has really struck a chord with both cultures; connecting with English audiences through the romance of foreign train travel and reminding American audiences of the railroad’s importance. “The Americans have responded very positively,” he says, “weirdly they’re all familiar with the railroad but no one’s been on a train.” “You can be anywhere in America and hear that lonesome train whistle blowing from the outskirts of town but very few people have had that experience so we’re trying to bring that together. I think we forget how important trains are still in our consciousness.” BILLY BRAGG & JOE HENRY play at The Playhouse on Thursday April 20 at 8pm. Tickets are $85.75 at canberratheatrecentre.com.au.
“If you’re into roots music you have to start connecting with that music at its source,” Bragg says when asked what first drew him to this idea, “what we’re trying to do with the train record is to take those songs back to the railroad where they came from.” Bragg’s connection with American music has been explored before through his collaboration with Wilco on the album Mermaid Avenue, which brought to life previously unheard lyrics of American folk singer Woody Guthrie. Bragg’s passion for and vast knowledge of this topic is clear as he talks about the power of the railroad and its importance throughout not only musical history but American history in general. “The railroad in America isn’t really as powerful as it used to be, it’s been superseded by the freeways and air travel … but it really was a huge cultural and physical transformative power, becoming the main mode of transport for ordinary working people.” facebook.com/bmamagazine
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THE BLACK SORROWS
A YANK DOWN UNDER
BY JARROD MCGRATH
“It gets a little chilly there in Canberra at times, doesn’t it?” My proud inner Canberran thinks, ‘How could the man who wrote ‘Land Down Under’ not know that?’ But like the paradoxes and complexities of the song itself, COLIN HAY cannot be summed up so easily. MEN AT WORK and ‘Land Down Under’ both hold a solid place in the Australian musical landscape, and yet Hay has an internationally significant identity that extends beyond 1980s stardom. Speaking to me on the day that his latest album Fierce Mercy was released, we discussed all of the above and his upcoming shows as part of the Apia Good Times tour. Here, he will be playing alongside The Black Sorrows, Mental As Anything, and Deborah Conway. “I detest them all.” His response to my question about his previous associations with the artists was an indication of his Scottish sense of humour. Colin is a prolific songwriter, with 13 albums as a solo artist, so I was curious about his process and inspiration. “I’ve written songs since I was 14 years old,” (which is coincidentally the age he migrated to Australia). “I don’t really do anything, I just wait for songs to form. I put little ideas into my telephone. I don’t listen to them for a while and then when I go down to the studio I try make sense of them. I also sit down in the studio and try and practice a little guitar and I find if I do that, it takes you in different directions and all of a sudden you can be messing around with a little idea that shows promise.”
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“Well it’s not really any of your business.” I was worried I’d offended Colin with my question about his recent decision to become a US citizen. “But I don’t really care if you know.” His abrupt initial response was probably just another example of his Scottish sense of humour, and he then went on to explain how it was mostly done for legal reasons to support his wife. “It was going to be much better if I fell off my perch. The other reason is I’m a big fan of President Obama and if I’m gonna become a citizen, I wanted it to be under his leadership.”
Well it’s not really any of your business … But I don’t really care if you know The ‘Land Down Under’ songwriter has been based in the USA for some time now. “I could wipe the slate clean when I came to the states and I could start again. I find it curiously inspiring.” His fan base has also left down under. “It’s mainly here and different parts of the world. I have a big following in Scotland.” Appearances on TV show Scrubs and other Zach Braff film soundtracks has contributed to his scattered fan base. “I wouldn’t say we have a friendship; he was a fan of mine and he came to a few shows and he said he would try get my music on the show.” Experience the eclectic COLIN HAY as part of the APIA GOOD TIMES TOUR on Sunday June 11 at Canberra Theatre Centre. Tickets are available via canberratheatrecentre.com.au.
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PHOTO BY DYLAN EVANS
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[Theatre]
Exhibitionist | Arts in the ACT
DRACULA WELCOME TO CANBERRAVANIA
BY ANDREW NARDI
When Bram Stoker’s blood-curdling gothic masterpiece DRACULA was published in 1897, it didn’t have too heavy an impact. It wasn’t until a list of filmmakers adapted it in the 20th century that the haunting, castle bound Count Dracula was solidified in popular culture and folklore. Defining almost all of the characteristics we now associate with undead bloodsuckers, Bram Stoker’s novel wasn’t the first to feature vampires, but even today it is the primary text on the subject. It’s also the source material for Shake & Stir Theatre Company’s latest adaptation. Reinspired by artistic directors Nelle Lee and Nick Skubij, this theatre production promises to be a torturing, faithful retelling of the original with a few modern twists. To unravel more, BMA caught up with actor Adele Querol, who has been cast in the production as Dracula’s underling, Lucy Westenra. “[Lee and Skubij] really wanted to do something that was honest to the story, because they discovered that no one really knew what the story was in the first place,” Querol tells me. “Everyone knows that Dracula is a vampire, right? But no one really knows the story of Dracula.” It almost creates a new shroud of mystery around Dracula, that his story can exist for over one hundred years and yet people today know little more than his name. “My first contact with the full Dracula story was through reading [Lee and Skubij’s] adaptation of the script,” Querol says. “To be able to condense an entire novel into a 90-minute adventure extravaganza … to be able to do all of that, and keep incredible production values to take on a big national tour, I knew straight away that it
was something I wanted to be involved in.” Dracula begins with Jonathan Harker, a lawyer sent to conduct business for Count Dracula at his castle in Transylvania. Realising he’s trapped in Dracula’s castle, Jonathan soon uncovers the truth about the ancient vampire before Dracula escapes to London on a maniacal quest for love and blood.
acceptable for people to express at all in polite society … and it is this underside of human personality that is still not widely, publicly spoken about. So, we like to be able to go to a space where we can experience things that we wouldn’t normally let ourselves experience.” Discussing her career, Querol remarks that she tends to be typecast as the ‘good girl’. But as Lucy Westenra, the Whitby resident and Dracula’s first victim in the story, Querol finds a breath of fresh air in a more antagonistic role. “It felt like I had an opportunity to change a perspective of me,” she reflects. “Playing the girl that is a little bit more sexually adventurous and is curious about pushing boundaries and not always playing by the rules – it’s a lot of fun.” Creating the illusion of a vampire on stage is no easy feat. For
Playing the girl that is a little bit more sexually adventurous and is curious about pushing boundaries and not always playing by the rules – it’s a lot of fun Staging a grand retelling of Dracula brings into question why storytellers in 2017 continue to return to Stoker’s classic text. I ask Querol, what is it about this novel that has long captivated us? “It hits all of the essential pressure points … it’s got sex, lust, bloodlust, love, revenge, passion – all of that delightful, meaty stuff that we don’t live in our regular day-to-day lives.” She elaborates, “that Victorian, gothic era fiction was about expressing the repressed undercurrents of sexuality or anger – all of these things that weren’t socially
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Querol, throwing herself into this supernatural role meant focusing on her movement. “I did research in terms of watching a variety of horror film pieces, where there was possession … anything that showed the physical side of things. I think when you’re going to do vampires and transitioning from human into vampire, that is first and foremost a physical story to tell,” she explains. “It was something that I really wanted to be able to physicalise so that it would reach the back row of the theatre … it’s not like you have got the benefit of having
a camera there to capture the torment behind the eyes.” My interest is piqued by a press shot of the character Dracula wearing a leather jacket (the shot you see on this magazine’s cover). For an ‘honest’ adaptation, I have to ask about this. “The story of Dracula is that he starts off decrepitly old,” Querol begins. “And then, once he starts drinking some more blood and makes it to London, he becomes a much younger figure. What we wanted to get across was the change for Dracula as someone that can transcend time and become ‘the new modern’. Obviously the leather jacket is jumping a huge five or six generations, but we really wanted to highlight the difference between the Dracula that was at Transylvania and the one that appears in London,” she explains. “That kind of leather jacket has classic connotations of that James Dean, bad boy, rebel image. That’s something that we wanted to associate with Dracula as well … him being the kind of occult version of the bad boy. That’s sexy, and we wanted to give Dracula the opportunity to bring that out.” Finally, Querol tells me about the response the production has received so far. “We had our first standing ovation in Dubbo, which was just so tremendous … It makes it feel like all of our hard work and dedication is paid off. Hearing the gasps and the moments of laughter, or fear, or shock – it’s really, really rewarding to know that you’re reaching people like that.” DRACULA is showing at Canberra Theatre Centre from Wed–Sat April 26–29. Tickets are $35 to $55 + bf via canberratheatrecentre.com.au.
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Exhibitionist | Arts in the ACT
BAD(ASS) GIRL
BY MAJELLA CARMODY Speaking with Adelaide actor SARA WEST is an experience not unlike those chats you have with a good friend: the conversation is in equal parts very relaxed and exceptionally engaging. As a young playwright, actor, screenwriter and filmmaker, West has an infectious enthusiasm for every facet of the creative process and a passion for developing and advancing nuanced roles for women. With a desire to be pushed creatively and intellectually, it comes as no surprise that her real-life persona could not be further from her character in Australian writer-director Fin Edquist’s debut feature and psychological thriller, BAD GIRL. West plays Amy Anderson, a rebellious, emotionally remote teenager who returns home to her adoptive parents after her most recent stint in juvenile detention. Amy’s initial means of communication with her parents consists mainly of surly retorts and “whatevers”, despite their attempts to be accommodating. Perceiving her parents’ stylish “display home” as another prison, Amy consistently and spitefully sabotages their ability to sell their prized architectural creation. Desperate for a positive role model for Amy, Amy’s parents encourage a friendship with their new neighbour and parttime cleaner, the angelic Chloe (played with obvious gusto and calculated charisma by Samara Weaving). The two gradually form an unlikely, but genuine and intimate bond. What starts out as a deceptively PAGE 36
simple tale of belonging, quickly devolves into a frenzied game of cat and mouse, with deeply unsettling consequences. Despite its dark content, and its bloody and chaotic final act (reminiscent of Adam Wingard’s 2014 film The Guest), West gushes, “we had a great time making this film.” The thrillergenre aspects of Bad Girl presented different challenges for West, who tends to gravitate to more dramatic roles. (“I think people just want to see me cry and die!” she jokes.) Working with Canberra’s own Samara Weaving was a greatly rewarding experience for West, and the two have since become good friends. West notes that achieving the film’s many ‘holy shit!’ moments was “really a tribute to Samara, because she plays her character so sincerely … And then slowly it all starts to unravel. I think it’s an
incredible journey that [Weaving] has crafted over the course of the film. All I had to do was listen to her and react – my performance came from her, really.” West also praises the unsettling score by Warren Ellis in helping to create Bad Girl’s heavy and foreboding atmosphere: “his score for the film is incredible. I think it lifts the film to a level that it wouldn’t have even come close to without him on board.” At its heart, Bad Girl is very much about belonging – and belonging at any cost. West acknowledges that she is particularly drawn to the stories that explore the experiences of the young adult – especially stories “that don’t shy away from how ugly adolescence can be for girls. When I find a film like that, I latch onto it and watch it like, 25 times!” For West, Bad Girl explores in a stylised sense “how brutal young girls can be to each other at that age”, and she considers this to be fertile thematic territory. “That age, to me, and a lot of my friends, was really brutal and kind of horrific. It gets glazed over and people kind of [shrug it off or normalise this behaviour]. The mind games! I think there are much bigger issues causing all that.” The character of Amy presented a complex, young female role that, in West’s experience, are very “few and far between”. “Yes, I play a girl who is being hunted down, but I didn’t feel like [Amy was] a victim. She was very much in control of her destiny – and that was refreshing,” West reflects. “[In terms of characters,] I’m drawn
to strong women, weak women, vulnerable women, women who are evil and awful. I’m interested in any character that will push me in a new kind of way.” West feels so strongly about this point that she’s even in the process of co-writing a screenplay that aims to capture nuanced female characters and the particularities of female communication. West’s next feature – the upcoming Australian film, Don’t Tell, which also stars Jack Thompson and Rachel Griffiths – is set to tackle some confronting and topical social issues. The film is based on the true story of a Toowoomba school sex abuse scandal that led to significant changes to Australian child protection laws. West considers that the subject matter alone should make this film mandatory viewing. “People [tend to] turn away from [this subject matter] because it’s an ugly issue and it gets ignored and victims feel like they’re to blame and they carry this guilt with them,” she says. “I think through film we have a real opportunity to shed light on those issues.” West will head to LA for the premiere of the film in late April. Consistent with West’s desire for layered roles and films, Bad Girl subverts the binary representation of a person’s perceived ‘good’ or ‘bad’ nature: the film is vivid, bizarre and chaotic – everything a good thriller should be. Make sure you check it out. BAD GIRL will be released in cinemas on Thursday April 27.
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[Film]
productions, including a SpainArgentina co-production.
MI CINE ES SU CINE
BY SHARONA LIN
There are a lot of foreign film festivals across Australia, which is a testament to the country’s cultural diversity – as well as more generally, a love of cinema. The SPANISH FILM FESTIVAL is one of the bigger foreign film festivals, and is back this year with more ambition, more films and more special guests than ever before. Paulette Arvizu has worked at the Spanish Film Festival for several years, and this year is the Managing Director for the first time. She’s justifiably proud of the festival, and how it brings Spanish films to Australia. “A lot of these films don’t get a general
release,” she says. “So many Spanish people who hear about these films from their friends and family – they can then watch the films they’ve heard about.” The audience is also quite diverse. “There’s a little bit of everything really,” Arvizu says. “There are a lot of people in Australia who like the culture or learn the language, or they have a Spanish background.” While the film festival has previously shown a diversity of films from across Latin America and Spain, this year’s festival is relatively focused on Spain – although there are a few co-
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The Canberra leg of the Spanish Film Festival kicks off with Kiki, Love to Love, which Arvizu describes as “outrageous and over the top”, as well as funny and kinky. “It explores fetishes in a contemporary society – it’s really funny, very nice. We hope the audience enjoys and embraces it. It’s definitely one that people will be talking about.” When I ask what Arvizu is excited about, she has a long list, but particularly of interest: The Queen of Spain, which features Penelope Cruz as a Hollywood star returning to Madrid to film a period drama on Queen Isabella, and also features Mandy Patinkin, Cary Elwes and Antonio Resines; Summer 1993, a Catalan film about a young girl who moves suddenly to the country and finds herself in a place she doesn’t feel like she belongs; and of course, the Canberra opener, Kiki, Love to Love.
While neither Goya Awardwinning actor Natalia de Molina nor celebrity chef and festival ambassador Miguel Maestre will be making the trip to Canberra this time round, Palace Electric will be welcoming a Q&A with Ian Lumsden, From Rosendo to Rosendo cinematographer, presented by the Embassy of Spain. Looking to the future, it’s business as usual for Arvizu and the crew at the Spanish Film Festival. “The plan is just to keep on bringing more Spanish films and more events to Australia,” she says. “And just getting people back into the cinema.” The SPANISH FILM FESTIVAL comes to Palace Electric from Wed Apr 19–Sun May 7. For show times, tickets and more information, visit spanishfilmfestival.com/sessions/ canberra.
Also of note are the festival guests and special events.
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Exhibitionist | Arts in the ACT
HI HUNGRY, I’M DAD
BY KAROLINA FIRMAN
Imagine knowing that your 21st birthday speech from your Dad was workshopped by him and hundreds of strangers. That’s the fate of the son of comedian MARK SWIVEL, whose new comedy show starts as a way to write a speech for his sons important birthday celebration, and evolves and changes into a discussion of life and parenthood. The show is called Dad. Joke., and Swivel is already deep into a 24-show run that’s travelling all around Australia, including to Canberra at the Street Theatre. Swivel is using this as an opportunity to figure out what he wants to say to his son, what’s important and to have a bit of a laugh at the same time. He’s been performing as a comedian for years, with his last show How Deep is Your Love a smash hit. “I was worried about writing this speech for my son’s 21st birthday so I made it into a show, and then it became a launching pad to talk about everything else parenting,” Swivel says. “There’s a lot of nostalgic comedy; there was one performance where I was talking about watching Countdown and I started singing a song and then everyone in the audience joined in. So I stopped singing and let the audience sing the song themselves, it was a great moment. That being said, even though I encourage audience participation it isn’t mandatory, but it is great to see. I even try and sneak in some politics between jokes and it’s great to see when people get the sneaky jokes.”
what does turning 21 even mean anymore? It’s so arbitrary. Parenthood is not an evidence based experience and we’re the first generation of parents to try and make it that way.” “My dad didn’t try and form a connection with me, he’d be horrified at the concept – it just wasn’t done, and yet here we are.” This isn’t Mark’s first time performing in Canberra; he had three shows at The Street Theatre last year. In fact, Mark has performed all over Australia, but two of his favourite shows have been at the Bondi Pavilion, “which was a crazy hot night but so much fun,” and a place in Gympie in Queensland, “that used to be a nudist colony.” “If I could perform anywhere in the world, I would love to go to Her Majesties in London or The Assembly in Melbourne. I think I could have a lot of fun performing in either of those venues.” His son’s reaction to the whole experience has apparently been rather nonplussed, as he treats the situation and his father, “with a complex cocktail of indifference and contempt, he’s not embarrassed at all.” Check out MARK SWIVEL’s new show Dad. Joke. at The Street Theatre from Fri–Sun April 21–23. Tickets and info are available at thestreet.org.au.
Mark discussed how people reacted to the show, and what the audience seemed to connect to. “This kind of comedy seems to resonate with people; I mean PAGE 38
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[Comedy]
IN REVIEW
stellar jokes and stage presence were captivating, and set the tone for the evening. Ellie Windred – said mate who invited me – exudes effortless humour, touching on painfully familiar topics like bra shopping, bad dancing, and getting fingered in a nightclub. She’s just relatable, ya know?
GIRLS CAN’T TAKE A JOKE THE COURTYARD STUDIO WED MAR 22 Last week the Canberra Comedy Festival was graced with the presence of Girls Can’t Take a Joke, showcasing six of the best female comedians the capital has to offer. Featuring Ellie Windred, Laura Campbell, Maddy Weeks, Liv Sparrow, Charlie King, and hosted by Codie Bell, the show ponders the question: can men really be funny? The show explores topics such as Tinder, relationships, sexuality, chronic illness and
goldfish, complete with cutting social commentary that more than once made the audience go “oohhhhhhhh shit”. I actually attended the extra show, as the first was so popular it quickly sold out, and it’s clear why. Normally when your mate invites you to watch them do stand-up, you’re in for a world of pain – but every single performer delivered, and they were honestly a total delight to watch. Host Codie Bell kicked off the night. More than just an MC, her
IN REVIEW
In her set, Laura Campbell discussed what it’s like to live with Lupus – and all the unforeseen benefits, like disability parking permits and being a socially acceptable drug addict. For the first time in my life, I didn’t feel guilty for laughing at a girl with Lupus. Charlie King mused about what it’s like to date as a gay woman, and every straight girl in the room was stunned to hear they weren’t the only ones who’d had mildly haunting sexual encounters. Equal parts charming and terrifying, Liv Sparrow delivered some truly bizarre and endearing monologues, including the time she tried to wash her sinuses Justin’s opening immediately set the tone for how awesomely awkward tonight’s show was. In complete method, he crawled out to ‘Black Cat’ licking his lanky sides in perfect feline reenactment. The classroom-sized crowd sensed both the awesome talent, humour and sadness immediately and expressed this through a confusion of an appropriate moment to clap (a mood acknowledged often by Justin). He then introduced his side kick, Pussy Riot. Perched on her three-tiered cat playhouse (I tried Googling an official word to no avail – sorry about my literary proficiency, cat enthusiasts), he explained her zen-like state as a mindful skill whilst admiring her ‘resistance to a Western toy’ he dangled in front of her.
THE BEDROOM PHILOSOPHER – CAT SHOW THE COURTYARD STUDIO SAT MAR 25
PHOTO BY BORIS HORION [AT FRINGE WORLD, PERTH]
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He mixed his cat skits and songs superbly with stories of his personal experiences, and this is what made the show great. The first of these was explaining his hometown of Burnie, Tasmania. “I was born on Burnie oval. Mum
out with boiling water. She is a medical marvel. Closing the show was Maddy Weeks, a teenager from the bright city lights of Goulburn. This girl has oodles of confidence and charisma, landing every punchline with the finesse of a 20-year comedy veteran. She also delivered the most incredible, beautiful allusion about sucking dick I have ever heard, and I am a better woman for it. I’ll be honest, I’m not really a stand-up fan, and I didn’t attend this show expecting to enjoy myself. Girls Can’t Take a Joke proved me wrong, and I’m so glad it did. If you have a pre-conceived notion about what ‘girl humour’ is, don’t bring it to this show. Witty, honest, unique, and just fucking funny, Girls Can’t Take a Joke was everything a comedy show should be. ELEANOR HORN
was the full forward and was sent off for the blood rule.” In the tiny crowd, some groaned, some laughed. One of his first songs, ‘OPC (Other People’s Cats)’ was introduced with jokes about group living and a comparison to OMC’s ‘How Bizarre’. When he had to tell the sound mixer to reduce the guitar foldback, his jib of “and a little bit more humour in the mic” was genius, IMO. I also enjoyed his explanation of his East Coast CD ‘Cash Converter’ launch tour and subsequent explanation of his young girlfriend’s confusion about his mix CD gift and “where’s the slot” comment. The musical highlight was ‘Nothing I Do Is Right’. His exposé of his primary school cat assignment and interrogation of the increased spate of lost cat posters were the other cat humour highlights. Closing with ‘Canberra World’, and an awkward kitty litter moment had the audience realising how unique this gig truly was. JARROD MCGRATH PAGE 39
Exhibitionist | Arts in the ACT
Sally Blake
What makes you laugh?
Our government’s inaction on climate change and other environmental issues. The proposed Adani coal mine makes me feel devastated. I can’t believe our nation would allow such an atrocity. I volunteer for the climate 350.org Australia, an organisation that aims to move Australia beyond fossil fuels. I am also appalled by our inhumane treatment of asylum seekers on Nauru and Manus Island.
I laugh very easily. I find many things funny.
What about the local scene would you change?
What pisses you off?
I don’t know that I would
[ARTIST PROFILE]
What do you do? In my textile and paperbased practice I explore the complex relationships and interconnections between the human and natural worlds. To reveal these connections, I work with natural processes and materials such as rain and plants and their dyes in the creation of artworks. I work across disciplines, particularly drawing on research from ecology and psychology, and seek dialogue with others about their knowledge and experience of particular environments. My approach is open and explorative, and I undertake projects which are both contained and also allow for emergent and surprising outcomes.
conversations about their work, plans and hopes, all of which influence the type of work I make. What are the future?
your
plans
for
I just want to keep on working full-time as an artist.
change anything. The art scene in Canberra is constantly evolving and changing, it has its own momentum. What are your upcoming performances/exhibitions? Fire and Rain, ANCA Gallery, Wed–Sun April 12–30. The Colour of Eucalyptus, Australian National Botanical Gardens, Tue May 23 – Sun Jun 25. Contact info: sallyblake.com
When, how and why did you get into it? I have always made art. I always wanted to be an artist but I was also drawn to the caring professions. So after a career in paediatric nursing and midwifery I came to art school at ANU as a mature age student in 2004. I completed my PhD there in 2015. Who/what influences you as an artist? I am deeply concerned about climate change and other human-induced effects on the natural world. The plight of people suffering as they try to seek refuge in a safe place. Consideration of these big issues lies underneath the work that I make. Artists who work directly with nature and natural processes like Dutch artist Herman de Vries and John Wolseley have inspired me to find ways to do this in my own practice. Of what are you proudest so far? I guess this question is about my art, but what I am most proud of is my children. My son, Josh Creaser is a climate campaigner and my daughter Kiara is a registered nurse. Both of them care deeply about the natural world, people and injustices and inequity. We have wonderful PAGE 40
[Held In Tension, 2017. Ink, rain and burns on paper, 155 x 106 cm. Photo: the artist.] @bmamag
[Canberra Artists]
Susan Henderson [ARTIST PROFILE]
What do you do? I am a contemporary exhibiting photographer.
and
When, how and why did you get into it?
IGNITE YOUR SENSES
BY SCOTT BATUM
Local artist TOMMY BALOGH has never shied away from playing with colour and light in his works. His previous endeavours have involved explosive palettes under UV lights, creating vibrant fields of colour. He’s also a very busy man. Tommy is currently working on a massive art installation at the City West Carpark, bringing some much needed colour to the often drab Canberra cityscape. He’s also one of the premier artists contributing pieces to the IGNITE WALK for the Cerebral Palsy Alliance this April. His craft has taken him throughout the world. Having been invited to Germany for an artist residency by the founders of Vivid International, his tenure in Europe was punctuated by an evolution in his style. Through collaborations with other artists, he was able to use the light projection technology available to Vivid to transfer his art into a new medium for the first time, projecting his chaotic and colourful work onto the roof and walls of a cathedral. Tommy took the momentum gained from his venture to Europe and has come back to Canberra with a lust to change the face of the city. His work at the City West Carpark has grown substantially since it began with the installation now covering five floors. He believes the opportunities given to him prove that there is a lot of space for amazing art in Canberra.
commercial spaces. It can really activate them,” Tommy says. The themes of the upcoming Ignite Walk – vibrant, neon coloured clothing under UV lights –– align with Tommy’s artistic style almost too perfectly and he’s excited to be contributing his work to the event. “I love the idea of the Cerebal Palsy Alliance’s Ignite Walk because it highlights a community spirit. It’s a special thing to know that people care and want to brighten up people’s lives.” He also has his own personal connection to the affliction, having previously worked with (and admired greatly) a Canberrabased artist with cerebral palsy. Though currently still in the conceptualisation stage for his installations at the Ignite Walk, Tommy said that one of his pieces that recently featured at the Art, Not Apart festival will be adapted and folded in to the installations for the Ignite Walk, while still being something brand new and exciting for attendees to appreciate.
I have been fascinated with photography since I was a child in Melbourne. I was introduced to looking at the world through the camera’s lens by Bruno Bernini, a Vogue fashion and society photographer who created some of the iconic images of Australian fashion. Who/what influences you as an artist? The social commentary photography of Bill Brandt and Cartier-Bresson and the way they created the ‘decisive moment’. The work of Australian photographers Max Dupain and Olive Cotton has influenced my love of light and dark and the fall of shadows. I have built on these foundational influences through exploring reflection and refraction. I have been photographing the built environment on a personal level to capture transient and sometimes atmospheric images. Of what are you proudest so far?
my photography, I don’t have a proudest moment other than some high-point images from each of the themes or exhibitions I have presented. What are the future?
your
plans
for
To carry on with several longitudinal studies of the Australian coast, including a series on life in and around Bondi. Also to pursue my interest in portraiture and the semiabstraction of street photography, and to continue documenting the lives of my family. Where is your work currently exhibited and what are your upcoming exhibitions? In 2016 I had a solo exhibition of my street photography, ‘End of Day’, at The Photography Room in Kingston. Recently I was in a group exhibition, ‘Gaia’, to celebrate International Women’s Day at the Magnet Galleries in Bourke St, Melbourne. Currently I am in a members’ exhibition at PhotoAccess in Manuka. Contact info: Phone: 6286 6236 or 0408 868 586 Email: smhenderson@bigpond.com
I enjoy each evolving theme in
Tommy’s explosive, kinetic style has made its mark on Canberra already and he’s only gaining momentum. With his incredible portfolio only growing, we can expect big things from Tommy Balogh in the coming years. View TOMMY BALOGH’s work at tommybalogh.com. The IGNITE WALK is a charity event benefitting the Cerebral Palsy Alliance on Friday April 28. Details at ignitewalk.com.au.
“People that are given a chance … can actually nurture this sort of growth and development. I think it’s an important message in Canberra about facebook.com/bmamagazine
[Fragments of memory, 2015, 59.0 x 61.0cm] PAGE 41
[Canberra Artists]
Exhibitionist | Arts in the ACT
Tom Rowney
What are your exhibitions?
[ARTIST PROFILE]
What do you do? I like to blow glass, and make both functional and artistic works with hot glass. I teach hot glass and also work for other artists making large-scale blown glass artworks. When, how and why did you get into it? I first saw glassblowing when I was in high school and got into it through work experience, that led to a position blowing glass in a factory in Adelaide. Then I discovered art school and continued my training at the ANU School of Art glasswork shop. What interests you about glass? The techniques that can be achieved in glass and the countless possibilities that molten glass presents keeps me enticed to the material.
Who/what influences you as an artist? Venetian glassmaking from the last 200 years has always influenced my ideas and processes, particularly Archimedes Seguso from approximately 1950–60’s, along with an interest in sculpture and design.
upcoming
Tom Rowney and Zeljko Markov, a joint exhibition: Canberra Glassworks, until Sunday May 28. There is a gallery floor talk on Saturday April 29 at 2pm.
My two children Oliver and Milla. What are the future?
your
plans
for
To make more blown glass and to open my own private studio. What about the local scene would you change? I like the local scene, and the artist’s community.
YOU ARE HERE – ELECTRIC AVENUES HAIG PARK FRI APR 8
PHOTO BY MEGAN LEAHY
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[Low Black Forty Eight, 2012, blown glass, 170 h x 440 w x 440mm d. Photo: Rob Little.]
Of what are you proudest so far?
IN REVIEW
Pretty much nowhere in Canberra has a worse rep than Haig Park. The mass of green space about a kilometre from the CBD is ignored by most, and often willingly like that. Nicknames like Rape Park don’t help the situation. Recently there’s been a bit of discussion in the public domain about what needs to be done to the park to
The Chandelier Show: Canberra Glassworks, Thu Jun 8 – Mon Aug 7.
make it a more attractive space, and Electric Avenues has shown a potential path forward. Now in its seventh year, You Are Here has slowly established itself as one of the best displays of the heterogeneity of Canberra’s arts scene. The festival tends to head to the path less trodden,
music (by Ostracod) coming from literally all angles provided a striking first impression. The Australian Dream Consultants held fort near the middle of the park, speaking to a long line of people who had ideas about almost anything, from what I could tell. At the other end of the site, past the bar and food areas, musos such as the consistently great Melt and newer Kilroy indie-guitar duo played tunes on a makeshift stage, in front of an ever-shifting audience. And near the back, in the carpark, was Aerobicide, an aerobics-spoofing sensory overload that didn’t seem to pause all night. Even after being there for hours, it felt like I’d only scraped the surface of what was there, and what You Are Here 2017 was. CODY ATKINSON
not afraid to display the more experimental of the arts. Electric Avenues served as a sort of sampler for the festival as a whole; with installation art, live performance, dance and video art melding into the park. Near the Northbourne end of the festival, a tent with improvised @bmamag
[Theatre]
Exhibitionist | Arts in the ACT
IN REVIEW
RICHARD 3
THE PLAYHOUSE THU–SAT APRIL 6–15 PHOTO BY DAVE MCCARTHY
When Kate Mulvany appears on stage as Richard in Bell Shakespeare’s new production of Richard 3, she says nothing for a long, long moment. In withholding those famous opening lines, Mulvany makes it clear that, here, expectations are neither wanted nor useful. As such, she dispels any questions of her casting – a woman playing one of Shakespeare’s most despicable, misogynistic villains – before she even begins to speak. Once Mulvany does begin, however, she moves into a world all her own: both she and Richard are small of stature and suffer
from posture-altering scoliosis – and she, like Richard, is a giant. Richard’s enduring hatred for the people around him is instantly palpable, and Mulvany weaves through the subsequent moments of penetrating dramatic irony as easily as breathing. Her Richard is not full of contradictions so much as dualities; he is both tortured and torturer. Whenever Richard soliloquises about his manoeuvrings, Mulvany’s already severe features abruptly seem knife-sharp, her cold tone wringing every drop of dark humour out of his surreptitious sadism. Then, when Richard
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has to step into the role of manipulator, Mulvany manages to demonstrate the king’s vulnerability, violent ambition and, on top of all that, his snakelike ability to conceal and reveal it at will. It’s a masterful, allconsuming performance. In fact, one of my favourite moments wasn’t even emphasised: Richard watches from the side-lines as his meddling begins to slime its way into the political reality. As he does so, he chews happily on a liquorice string, stretching and snapping it between his teeth like a vein. Refreshingly, including Mulvany despite her playing a male role, this adaptation of the play belongs to women. Meredith Penman’s Queen Elizabeth is a steely, sympathetic figure, at her best in moments of fast, acidic dialogue, while Sandy Gore’s prophetic Queen Margaret’s curses provide a shadowy thrill early in the production that lingers right up until the final moments. Easily the best of the supporting cast, however, is Rose Riley, shining in the dual roles of Lady Anne and the young Prince. Anne’s
early confrontation scene with Richard is pure fire in a first act that sometimes dips dangerously close to slow-burning embers. The men are often the cause of this occasional stagnation – their revolving in and out of scenes, as well as from character to character, makes it hard to know not only their motivations, but their identities. As a result, most of the male-oriented scenes cannot hold a candle to the complexity of Mulvany’s Richard spewing sexist fury at the play’s women, each of whom provide an anchored morality that stands in stark contrast to Richard’s fluidity. Again, it is Mulvany who smoothes over any quiet suggestion of patchiness. She has the rare ability to cut through whole slabs of thick Shakespearean language with such clarity that the only path she treads – both for Richard and for the audience – is one of profound understanding. Here, at last, is an anti-hero worthy of pity and disgust. Frank Underwood eat your heart out. INDIGO TRAIL
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Exhibitionist | Arts in the ACT
THE BELLS, THE BELLS!
BY RORY MCCARTNEY
In 1973, aged just 19, Mike Oldfield recorded his first LP: the mainly instrumental Tubular Bells, using overdubs of over 20 instruments, played one by one in a studio and captured on multitrack recording equipment. He sold 30 million copies as the first ever album released by Richard Branson’s new Virgin Records Label, with an outcome that must have succeeded beyond Branson’s wildest dreams. The appeal of the album has withstood the test of time, and now multi-instrumentalists Aidan Roberts and Daniel Holdsworth from the Blue Mountains are coming to play this classic album live in their show TUBULAR BELLS FOR TWO. The idea for the show came around by accident, as Daniel Holdsworth explains, “We were both big fans of music from that particular time, and big record collectors. This happened to be a record we put on one night,” he says. “It’s such a fascinating piece of music; a huge hit and yet completely different from what you’d expect to take off like that, essentially a one hour instrumental.” Holdsworth loved the album’s variation in style and emotion, and the arc cutting through the music that makes it so compelling to listen to. After deconstructing it and experimenting with guitar versions, the pair graduated to playing it all in a loungeroom full of instruments. The idea of announcing the instruments in the style of the album, running around and playing them all, took off from there and accolades at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival followed swiftly. “It became more than just playing a piece of music. It was a theatrical event. PAGE 44
It’s a high-stakes performance that really could fall apart at any moment.” Despite the tension, the band has to keep it together. “We have to keep ourselves calm enough to give this beautiful music the performance it deserves.” Over 20 instruments are involved and set-up time, after arrival at the venue, is about five hours. It is no ordinary sound check, due to the complex patching required. The band does not use overdubs, but employs loop pedals to achieve the album sound of many instruments playing simultaneously. Oldfield used tricks like running the recording tape at different speeds for the double speed guitar. “We can’t do that live, but have pitch shifters to emulate a similar sound. We work really hard to make it sound like the original 1973 recording.” They have to get the sound right first go, because once it is looped, they are stuck with it. In a show like this, there is plenty of scope for problems, as Holdsworth says, “How many things can you possibly do at once without an absolute disaster happening?” Past emergencies have included power failure, things getting unplugged and instruments falling over. “And if stuff goes wrong we still have to get to the end, no matter what.” TUBULAR BELLS FOR TWO plays at The Street Theatre on Friday May 5 at 8pm, on Saturday May 6 at 8pm, and on Sunday May 7 at 4pm. Tickets are $45 or $40 concession + $4 bf. Full details and times at thestreet.org.au.
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[Music]
the idea of an orchestra playing video game music; “I said, hands down, every young musician will want to be a part of this.”
BIG BAND BEEP-BOOPS
BY SHARONA LIN
When’s the last time you listened to an orchestra? For me, the answer is probably the last time I was on hold. That’s not to say I don’t like orchestral music – it’s just not at the top of my tolisten list. Leonard Weiss wants to change that. The 2016 Young Canberra Citizen of the Year for Youth Arts and Multimedia has an impressive resume. His work includes being the musical director of National Capital Orchestra and Canberra Youth Orchestra, as well as conducting and performing in the US and Europe. He also enjoys video games, which
makes him the perfect artistic director for GAME ON!, a Canberra Youth Orchestra show at the CANBERRA I N T E R N AT I O N A L MUSIC FESTIVAL, in collaboration with ANU School of Music, Music for Canberra, the Academy of Interactive Entertainment and CBR Innovation Network. “It was right around the time Pokémon GO hit the app store and took off instantly. And I got a message from the artistic director of the festival (Roland Peelman), saying, ‘I’d love to meet’, and he asked me about Pokémon GO.” Peelman raised
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The show took off from there. “I pretty much put together a list of all the games I liked the music in, which was quite long,” Weiss says, “And then we saw what we could get arrangements for. So I picked out what I thought would be most effective in terms of contrast in music style, and contrast in vintage. There’s no point in having a Nintendo show, the diversity was really important. To highlight the breadth of music in games.” So what’s Weiss’ favourite game? “Super Mario Brothers,” he laughs. “Mario is one of the most iconic game franchises and features some of the most iconic game music. But also, it’s really cool to see how the theme is changed from its original 8-bit 1985 theme to now having a full orchestra play it.” Game On! features music from Kingdom Hearts, BioShock and Halo alongside music
composed by ANU students. That’s an initative of Ken Lampl, the relatively new director of ANU Music. Lampl has written extensively for film and video games, including the first two Pokémon movies, and has made connections with video game creators – students have the opportunity to compose for games and gain real industry experience and credits. BioShock is an especially exciting addition: Garry Schyman, the composer of the BioShock original soundtrack, will be on a panel to chat with the audience before the show. “It’s kind of surreal,” Weiss admits. He has had the opportunity to discuss different video games with Schyman and various other composers about their music. “It’s surreal, but I’m loving it.” GAME ON! takes place as part of the CANBERRA INTERNATIONAL MUSIC FESTIVAL at Llewellyn Hall on Saturday May 6 at 1pm. Doors open at 11am for pre-concert gaming. Tickets are $25 + bf at cimf.org.au.
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[Entertainment]
Exhibitionist | Arts in the ACT
high in the sky and a sense of time lost.
IN REVIEW
Whether it be by Fashion Onion Julia Croft’s breathtaking hourlong 3-million costume-changing using-a-confetti-cannon-in-aphallic-fashion performance, or the sick cuts of Dead DJ Joke, Coolio Descarcious or the amazing dance moves and energy of Bambi Valentine and Yana Alana, Japanese drumming; the always mesmerizing CJ Bowerbird and Joe Woodward, or the disgustingly over-talented Chris Endry ...
SOUND AND FURY
NATIONAL FILM AND SOUND ARCHIVE SAT MAR 18
It was a simply magical night. Hats off to Chenoeh Miller et al. DO NOT miss this next year. ALLAN SKO PHOTO BY MARTIN OLLMAN
I only have 300 words to cover this, and it could easily take 3,000. In a nutshell, Sound and Fury is a post all-days arts festival afterparty (Yes, Art, Not Apart)
thrown by good people, featuring good people, displaying challenging, joyful and amazing works of art. The vibe of the evening evoked such a one that you’d imagine
confrontational, powerful and uncomfortable. It left every man staring at the floor awkwardly whilst thunderous applause came from every woman in the room.
IN REVIEW
POWER PUSSIES POLIT BAR FRI MAR 17
PHOTO BY THOMAS CARRUTHERS
As I took my seat I noticed only four men in amongst the 70 women that attended. The opening number started with Sophie DeLightful (Melb) twerking and crumping her way along the catwalk wearing a large vagina-shaped costume to Pussy Riot’s ‘Straight Out of Vagina’. It was hilarious and fabulous. Followed by backup dancers in sexy cut-out gimp suits, it was a brilliant opening and received great applause. Glamour puss Rebelle Velveteen performed a very sexy traditional PAGE 46
once permeated Moulin Rogue or Studio 54 in their prime. An electricity hung in the air, and was maintained throughout the night, to the point where one was deposited – giddy and joyful – with the moon
Rosie the Riveter styled routine on a car prop that blew smoke from its exhaust and morphed into an alternative, bed of nails, strong woman routine. The crowd absolutely loved it. Tigerlilly performed to a spoken piece; then stripping to near nude, she grabbed an acoustic guitar and sung a folk style song about men and how dominance and rape behaviour is prolific in society. She sang about how men choosing to ignore consent is seen as okay, because, “not all men are the same”. It was
After a cabaret song by Sophie, there was a 15-minute break. Upon return, I noticed three of the men hadn’t. Opening the set, Sophie vomited into a bucket and then sung ‘Fever’ with changed lyrics about food poisoning. It was repulsive and I don’t find vomiting artistic at all; if I was not reviewing this show I would have left. Percy Peacock (Sydney) performed a very funny routine about a fuddy duddy dancing like no one was watching. Quirky, silly, overacted and fun, her facial expressions were so joyous with some amazing twerking and butt shimmying. Comical stress relief at its best. Another sultry song was sung by Sophie, then the Undresden Dolls performed an alternative cabaret, punkish sounding song with an exploding confetti cannon
at the end. The stage kitten was featured in a two-minute flirty and fun maid styled clean up routine. Sophie returned from the next break with more singing, then Jazida performed her renowned style of silk fan dancing to a locally written sultry slow song about love. It was beautiful and relaxing and almost ethereal to watch after so many in your face ‘POW’ routines. Finally, Inkbits performed an amazing alternative routine, undressing as a uniformed school girl and pulling rosary beads from her special place. Gyrating and smearing a cup of blood all over herself, she redressed as a priest. It was spectacular and the crowd roared their applause. Sophie closed the show with another song (her singing voice is beautiful) and announced her next show on July 1. Get tickets as soon as they are released! Sophie’s shows are worth watching – if you dare. SAM INGHAM @bmamag
FOOD JUNKY
[THE WORD ON LOCAL FOOD & DRINK] WITH SHARONA LIN [SHARONA@POPCULTURE-Y.COM]
Winter is coming. There’s a chill coming on in the morning air, which means that evenings will soon turn frosty, and then the collective Canberra hibernation is almost upon us. Before it gets too difficult to go out into the cold, here are some places I’ve enjoyed recently. They’ll be able to fatten you up so you can make it through the winter. The first time I went to White Rabbit, I honestly didn’t realise it was an Alice in Wonderland themed bar. Clearly, I’m not observant. On second visit, the projector playing the Disney film on repeat was a hint. So was the whimsical decor and the Alice inspired menu – both food and drink (including cocktails with little snacks for extra whimsy). Delicious, but it’s a small space, so perhaps not the best for large groups. For something completely different, Sub Urban in Dickson will always hold a special place in my heart – it’s the first pub I ever visited in Canberra (actually about six hours after getting off the plane), and it has a great vibe, along with a surprisingly good pizza menu and a decent beer selection. The service is excellent. The first time I went, I asked whether they could make me a veggie burger, although there wasn’t one on the menu. The chef rustled up an impromptu burger better than most I’ve had off the menu. That’s not to say you should flood the kitchen with special requests, but it’s an indication of how they treat customers. I’ve hit up Beach Burrito, also known as Cantina, quite a few times recently for some Mexican food. They run fun themed trivia nights, and if you need some heat, their jalapeno poppers will do the trick. They also have daily specials – anytime their tacos are on special, I’m in. However, I’ve
been let down by the chilli fries and nachos in the past – there’s just not enough seasoning/salt/ spice in there for me. And turning to soup – always a good way to warm up – Can Tho in Belconnen does an excellent traditional pho, while Dickson Asian Noodle House has a laksa that will warm up your bones. (They also have locations in Tuggeranong, Woden, Civic and Belconnen.) Looking to food events in the near future, I’m considering learning how to make myself some alcoholic beverages. Particularly of interest is the It’s a Gin Thing Masterclass, led by Canberra Distillery’s Tim Reardon, and held at Polit Bar. Reardon will guide masterclass takers through the process of tailoring your very own gin to suit your preferences. Tuesday May 2, tickets $25. Although, I find gin more of a summer spirit, which is why I’m interested in Murrumbateman Winery’s Bottle Your Own Tempranillo event. People will learn about winemaking and fill, cap and label their own wines. Fri–Sat April 28–29, tickets $180. And you can never go wrong with Beerfest 501, which seems to be essentially a mini Oktoberfest celebrating the 501st anniversary of the introduction of the food safety laws limiting the ingredients of the amber brew to water, barley and hops (yeast was added later). Harmonie German Club is hosting, and there will be traditional German street food and of course, a lot of beer. The Lanterne Rooms are doing a Beer and Satay hawker menu, and they’ll be taking both bookings and walk-ins through till Thursday April 27, so get in while you can.
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☺
POLITICALLY INCOHERENT WITH LEANNE DUCK
Politically Incoherent is our column all about parties, drugs, sex, general misconduct and counterculture. This month’s entry is Eye Socket to ‘Em.
Urban Dictionary defines the term ‘shiner’ as a black eye. The word is of Irish origin where it was an alleged punishment for factory workers who failed to maintain the shiny quality of machinery. It was also said to be delivered from the boot of a British officer. In my 24 years of existence, I only came across this terminology in 2017. This could warrant a mid-life crisis, if I were to die at the bitter end of my forties. Typically my columns are about the wholesome and recreational use of drugs, but it is a truth universally acknowledged that illicit substances are expensive and I am a starving artist. Luckily for us, there ain’t no charge for being unapologetically crass and insensitive to societal values. This paves the yellow brick road for my next anecdote. I’ve always found the stigma surrounding explicit bruises thoroughly fascinating and recently I’ve been cornered into fleshing it out firsthand. As it turns out, my earlier statement was partially false as this incident did involve alcohol which is technically a drug, albeit a legal one. Let us pray the Prohibition never relapses or I’ll be pouring pure ethanol down my gullet and burning an extra orifice in my oesophagus. Once again I was in cahoots with an unnamed drinking associate and as is often the case with my misadventures, not everything went idealistically. The pair of us were paralysed off our chops when he uttered something ungentlemanly and because I wasn’t capable of anything aside from a slurred waggle of the tongue, I decided that a physical gesture would be the most effective way to convey my sentiment. I flipped him the PAGE 48
double bird and his immediate knee jerk reaction was to grab the nearest missile, in the style of Kim Jong-un, and launch it at my cranium. Due to my immense level of intoxication, it didn’t occur to me that I should raise my arms to shield the money maker.
when blood started leaking into my cornea a few days later. Initially I treated it as a massive joke, but then I came to realise that if people spotted me in public their automatic thought process would be ‘domestic violence’. I heavily emphasise the importance of raising awareness regarding this issue, but at the same time I don’t agree with preprogrammed assumptions. I sent one of my comrades a pictorial of my face the day after it happened and they unleashed an audible gasp because it was quite extensive. The reactions of my friends and family almost gave me a pseudo-victim complex.
It was as if the overzealous blood cells were rushing to congregate at the emergency assembly point because the office building was ablaze The assailant in question was a colossal plastic drink bottle, white in complexion. Roughly thirty centimetres tall. If seen, please report any sightings to your local police station. Unfortunately it was brimming with water, which added to its momentum. The life’s blood that once kept me sufficiently hydrated now added a lethal quality to this weapon of medium-sized destruction. As you’ve probably surmounted by now, it pummelled me in the socket. Almost simultaneously, a nebula blossomed around my eyeball. I’ve never had a bruise formulate so quickly, it was as if the overzealous blood cells were rushing to congregate at the emergency assembly point because the office building was ablaze. The booze acted as a kind of anaesthesia and I only realised how much trauma had been done
In reality, you couldn’t think of a dumber backstory if you tried even though it was legitimate. I played out imaginary discussions in my head and no matter how I worded it, the actual truth nugget was a difficult meal to digest. “Oh yeah, my friend accidentally hit me in the head with a drink bottle and now my risk of glaucoma has been increased. Funny, innit?” I didn’t even think about the repercussions until I realised that I was contractually obliged to turn up to my place of employment in 48 hours. Bollocks. It was at this point my brain updated its central operating system because I needed a master plan, which in itself turned out to be relatively simple. I’m not severely vision impaired, but I do possess reading glasses for extended computer use. The spectacles
in combination with several layers of foundation managed to conceal the interstellar pattern on my face. If I could have my time again, I would’ve opted for a monocle. The only person to make any kind of comment about this inexplicable addition was my supervisor and she simply said, “Oh, you’re wearing glasses now? They make you look different”, which is an exceedingly neutral statement offering zero insight into her inference. No one even queried it when they pulled the Houdini a week later and vanished. I had concocted these elaborate lies about taking up kickboxing or mixed martial arts ready to fire away verbal ammunition at the slightest provocation and all that was necessary was a generous lacquering of makeup. It was either that, or I had to counter every accusation with the first rule of Fight Club. They never would’ve believed me anyway as I possess what is known as the ‘Daria mentality’ towards all sporting related matters. Ironically, being a specky git actually made my job more challenging as the lenses weren’t meant for long distance gawking and I’m also somewhat hard of hearing. “Nice to meet you blurry figment, I am the resident Helen Keller.” To make it even more inconvenient, they would periodically fog up due to working in close proximity with steam. The major plot twist of this column is that my job is based in the Industrial Era. What the Dickens? Indubitably. Suffice to say, I look back on the incident with warm regards and fondle it fondly within the fondue of grey matter that is my cerebrum. Concussions are a myth, it’s merely character building.
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LITERATURE IN REVIEW WITH CARA LENNON The Green Bell Paula Keogh [Affirm Press; 2017] Canberra, 1972. Paula Keogh is admitted to M Ward at Canberra Hospital, firm in the belief that she’s physically dead. Literally and permanently. In Keogh’s memoir, her nihilistic psychosis is the unlikely starting point for romance. When kindof recovering heroin addict Michael Dransfield appears as a Christ-like figure, a possible hallucination, Keogh sets about deconstructing and interpreting him amongst the other elements of her fraught reality. “Different realities coexist in me like a set of Russian dolls. Except that the dolls inside me are all talking at the same time, feeling contrary emotions, seeing intersecting images that won’t stay still. Loud monologues persist, mocking and sneering.” Keogh makes use of narrative and poetic techniques to recreate the experience of schizophrenia. She’s undermined by internal voices as she tries to assert herself in an impersonal medical environment. We meet madness in literature all the time, especially in fiction. A device for exploring a theme, a lazy excuse for a serial killer, a convenient plot twist. It was his evil split personality all along! The mad wife was locked in the attic! With some fava beans and a big Amarone!
struggling with recovery and a man ambiguous about recovering at all meets with the unreserved blessing of nobody in Keogh’s world. Her writing on psychosis and recovery aptly creates a confused sense of time. It’s only through the shocked reactions of her family and the medical staff that we start to understand that what appears to Keogh (and us) as a naturally progressing relationship has actually plunged into intense commitment in a breathtakingly short period. Tension between our empathy with Keogh and with her more pragmatic family makes this an uncomfortable read. On the one hand, Keogh is not even past the notion that she’s physically dead before she attaches to a fellow patient. On the other, the relationship with Michael is helping her reconnect with the world, something that isn’t necessarily obvious to those around her. And while they’re trying to help her, these people have all the power and platform to articulate their position and set boundaries for Keogh; while for her it’s an almost insurmountable effort just to express her feelings. And always hanging over the young lovers a question: how will their love survive the outside world?
Entertaining, but pretty divorced from the reality of mental health that many people have to navigate. The Green Bell is an important book because it’s the lived experience of Keogh, who had to incorporate mental illness and its associated labels into her quest for identity. The union of a vulnerable woman facebook.com/bmamagazine
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[ALBUM REVIEWS]
ALBUM IN
FOCUS
ELLIOT SMITH EITHER/OR – EXPANDED EDITION [KILL ROCK STARS]
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A lot of good stuff happened in the 1990s alternative music scene. The conventional narrative focuses on Seattle grunge and how Nirvana knocked Michael Jackson off the charts with a potent punk rock blend that indie kids had been begging for when the likes of Metallica and Guns N’ Roses just didn’t do it anymore. But the mainstream inevitably intruded and the corporatisation of the music underground encouraged by the likes of pseudo commercial radio stations such as triple j could be shrugged off as an odd curiosity so long as good art continued to be made. Elliot Smith is a prime example of the latter. He started out playing emotion driven indierock in Heatmiser, who came together in the unfashionable environs of Portland, Oregon, but decided along the way that pursuing the path of super emotional, lone guitarist was the best way to achieve free creative expression. A couple of intimate lo-fi records was the outcome and then in 1997 he recorded Either/Or, an understated melodic masterpiece with observational lyrics that go to the heart of the underside of the human condition in simple, direct prose – just like Charles Bukowski’s poetry and short stories did. Given what preceded it, Either/Or was always going to be an emotionally penetrative collection and when the album arrived the music underground was willing and waiting. But somewhere along the way film director Gus Van Sant wanted to use Smith’s music in hit movie Good Will Hunting and this most unlikely singer-
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songwriter found himself at the Oscars performing ‘Miss Misery’ to the Hollywood jet set – an unusual turn of events he never fully understood. However odd the timeline turned out to be is secondary to the art anyway because the songs on Either/Or are the work of a master craftsman. Check out the way voice and melody unifies on opening track ‘Speed Trials’ where the voice is equal parts vulnerability and cynicism and the melody is equal parts vulnerability and assertiveness – the end result is compelling just like John Lennon on his first solo record. Smith sings the acutely aware line, “It’s just a brief smile crossing your face” in a baffled yet knowing tone while the elementary combination of guitar and drums carries the tune with barely a shrug. The killer hook comes at the end of third track ‘Ballad of Big Nothing’ where Smith pours everything into simple language negation; “Though it doesn’t mean a thing-big nothing”. This is a lot like the collected work of Kurt Cobain – pretend that none of it means shit while going all out to write songs that will settle into the collective memory and refuse to leave for many years to come. Gus Van Sant certainly chose some good songs from Either/Or for Good Will Hunting, particularly ‘Angeles’, which sums up the underworld of the City of Angels in one killer line, “someone’s always coming around here trailing some new kill.” This superb reflection is followed by all out rocker ‘Cupid’s Trick’ on which Smith decides that he wants to be a superstar rock ‘n’ roller after all with lyrics like, “sugar, lip me up” to prove the point. The bonus live and recorded material is not quite as exciting as I was initially led to believe but this doesn’t really matter as the 12 songs comprising the original album are so fucking good it continues to piss me off that Smith chose to depart the planet at the ridiculous age of 34 rather than go on making astonishingly beautiful art like this. DAN BIGNA
MOUNT EERIE A CROW LOOKED AT ME [P.W. ELVERUM & SUN]
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It’s not useful to look at A Crow Looked At Me as part of a succession in Mount Eerie’s illustrious discography of fuzz-folk balladry. Nor is it helpful to consider it as a piece of entertainment. It is quite simply, ‘barely music’. That is how Phil Elverum, the artist himself, described it and with good reason. This eleven song collection is a raw tribute to the tragic death of his wife Geneviève Elverum in July 2016 to cancer and the birth of his daughter, just a year and a half prior. The instrumentation is unintrusive – fumbling acoustic guitars, mourning piano and sounds of empty rooms are a subdued accompaniment to the most harrowing lyrical honesty you’ll hear this year. Elverum sings, or rather tells you, the full extent of the grieving process with agonising clarity, abandoning metaphor and symbolism for what feels like the torn pages of his private journal. The lyrics entail torturous depictions of journeys to throw ashes upon hillsides, throwing out “bloody, end of life tissues” and memory fading to photographs as Elverum is consumed by emptiness. This is not the “conceptual” kind that was “cool to talk about” in his previous work, he denotes in ‘Emptiness, Pt. 2’, but the sort found in hospital corridor after corridor. The peaks and lulls of the weather painted over the beauty of a sunrise permeate these songs as the only entities able to transcend the fragility of life that continually torments Elverum. Giving this album a rating feels absurd: It’s assigning a worthiness to a man’s devastating sorrow. It is a triumph in face of adversity for Elverum, and a loving tribute to the memory of his wife. JOSH MARTIN
@bmamag
DEE FARROW LOW TIDINGS [HALF A COW]
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LAURA MARLING SEMPER FEMINA [KOBALT MUSIC GROUP]
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Not content with being frontwoman for a band, Dee Farrow has captured her debut extended player in Low Tidings. Her past exploits saw Farrow broadcast the vocals for illusive bands Carbuncle Shack and Wet Taxis, and she provided backup support to Even As We Speak, author/muso Ian Shadwell and You Am I guitar maestro David Lane. Now she has embarked on a shadowy journey of her own. Opener ‘James’ creeps in stealthily on echoing keys and subtle guitar. Farrow’s delicate vocals spick up strength as they travel on, but she always remains a little illusive, while maintaining an atmospheric magnetism. The vocal line hardens in ‘Lost at Sea’, in company with a restrained but catchy acoustic rhythm. The song builds presence with stormy distortion and a whistling hook. Percussion hides behind a fuzzy backdrop, before distorted guitars stab their way in. Highlight track ‘Gone Again’ enters on a subdued overture of keys and twinkling percussion, as Farrow’s singing advances on piano-toned stepping stones, with wide gaps between them. Guitar binds the track tighter, before the song fades slowly away. The acoustic line in closer ‘I See Memory’ beckons temptingly, riding over shimmering keys as the lyrics make their tentative way. Raw strings and meandering piano intrude before another extended fade out. The almost seven-minute track length drains away some of the strength of the song. The underlying strength and elegant texture of Farrow’s singing is readily apparent, especially in the tail end track, but the songs do not take full advantage of it, as Farrow has created an understated mood in keeping with the solemn subject matter of her song themes. RORY MCCARTNEY
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Fickle and changeable always is woman – a contentious sentiment challenged and embraced by Laura Marling in her recent release, Semper Femina, a smooth and confident exploration of modern day femininity. Semper Femina is Marling’s sixth album, a clever piece which achieves a subtlety not often found amongst this folk-rock genre. This may be in part due to experience; Marling’s sound clearly states that she knows who she is as an artist, and as the listener you either accept this or you don’t. Content-wise, a similar remark can be made; Marling makes elegant observations about female relationships with almost diary entry style lyrics. ‘Soothing’ is a captivating opening track, followed by ‘The Valley’, her strongest piece, an equally compelling number which drips with a Nick Drake style of uplifting strings and guitar set against slightly sombre lyrics. “I know she stayed in town last night, didn’t get in touch / I know she has my number right, she can’t face seeing us”, sings Marling. Her vocal clarity strikes a pleasing balance between spoken word poetry and folk ballad. Marling’s unique quality begins to waver after the third track, and doesn’t quite pick up again until the second last number, leaving the middle slightly dulled. Overall, strings and bass add nice textures to otherwise fairly standard folk compositions. Marling’s musings about notions of femininity are therefore the most consistently interesting element. More female musicians, particularly young ones, should feel encouraged to broach similar topics with the same flare and assertion that Marling does. Always woman, always fickle and always should be. Semper Femina is an unapologetic insight into the imperfections, subtleties and charms of many women.
BAD//DREEMS GUTFUL [IVY LEAGUE]
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Bad//Dreems’ music has always captured the isolation of rural Australia. Despite being from Adelaide, the band manages to consistently evoke images of the true outback in their songs. They make working class rock music for working class Australians and their latest effort, Gutful, is a continuation of this. Bad//Dreems released their first EP, Badlands in 2013, introducing their unique sound. Then their debut album, Dogs At Bay (2015) saw the South Australian band evolve their songwriting with themes ranging from love and friendship to stories of Australian life and racism. Gutful sees the band grow their sound further as they become more aggressive. It becomes apparent very quickly that Bad//Dreems are not happy about something and they’re saying something about it. The catchy melodies of previous releases are still there, but they’re performed by an angrier voice. The record explores themes of racism, current world politics and lack of individualism in more depth than they have before. The title track of the record is the most obvious example of Bad//Dreems’ focused aggression. “Had a gutful of your speed and coke/Had a gutful of your racist jokes,” vocalist, Ben Marwe, screams with a conviction we haven’t seen from him before. Most songs on the record, even slower ones such as ‘Pagan Rage’, contain this type of aggressive passion. Gutful sees Bad//Dreems using their music to deliver a message. Their compositions are becoming tighter and more streamlined with each consecutive release. As the band grows, so does their sound, and while not completely found yet, it will be exciting to see what they do next. THOMAS SPILLANE
KASHMIRA MOHAMED ZAGOR facebook.com/bmamagazine
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[ALBUM REVIEWS]
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joint, Sheeran limply raps through the first verse about his ex meeting a new guy who “spends £500 on jeans and goes to the gym at least six times a week”. It was enough to make me cringe so hard that my body disassociated from my brain and skipped the track. The few moments of musical brilliance throughout the album come from other artists throwing their hat into the mix. John Mayer contributes a sublime guitar solo on ‘How Would You Feel (Paean)’ that turns the middling track into something special, and Eric Clapton is marked as contributing a solo on the track ‘Dive’, although the guitar work throughout the song makes me think he did more than just shred.
ED SHEERAN ÷ [ASYLUM]
[????? ] We’re all part of something beautiful. If you’re a music lover, you have countless stories of moments when a song or a band has touched something deep down inside. It’s that moment a chill runs up your spine, when a lyric has rung so sound and resolute in your head that every molecule of your being has felt connected to the artists that created it. While listening to Ed Sheeran’s new album ÷, I felt the exact opposite. Never have I felt more disconnected from the human race. The beast that makes up my music snobbery appeared from its cave and snarled something incomprehensible. This album is clearly not for me. Following the success of his two previous albums, + and ×, Sheeran has constructed an album so basic, so bland that it may as well be a Pumpkin Spice Latte wearing Ugg Boots and overusing the ‘100’ emoji. The flagship track, ‘Shape of You’ is one of those incessantly catchy pop songs with lyrics so undefined that anyone listening can place themselves into the shoes of either the artist or the subject. It’s purposefully digestible, appealing to the masses while making no substantial mark on the music landscape. ‘Castle on the Hill’ is equally insipid, with all the hallmarks of a soaring acousticfolk-pop smash while having none of the emotion of its ilk. However, none of this basic shit holds a candle to ‘New Man’. Clearly a RnB inspired PAGE 54
I realise that I’ve spent this review shitting all over this album. I’ve accused it of worse atrocities than even Nikki Minaj could commit. But I just can’t anymore. Like I said, this album is clearly not for me. This is a multidimensional, pan-galactic album. It’s Schrodinger’s music. It’s simultaneously the most impressive, amazing pop album ever released and the worst piece of fetid shit ever excreted out of a coked up producers haemorrhoid riddled anus. It’s the album Simon and Garfunkel would have released if they were millennials trapped in a suburban nightmare, never did any drugs and hated their existence with a passion. To use terms pedestrian or boiler-plate would be doing it a massive disservice. It’s beyond any of that. It’s the uber-pedestrian. It goes out of its way to not offend anyone, appeal to everyone and taste like a giant scoop of vanilla ice-cream with white chocolate topping. Yes, it’s the whitest thing released since Coldplay’s last album. It’s for these reasons that I simply cannot give ÷ a star rating. It’s a pop music phenomenon, breaking down the barriers that hold people in place and forging something that has been heard a thousand times before. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to drive my car off a cliff at high speeds while simultaneously blaring this album, weeping deeply and having the best terror-wank of my life. SCOTT BATUM
THE MAGNETIC FIELDS 50 SONG MEMOIR [NONESUCH]
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The rock biography provides a clear separation between the fields of songwriting and nonfiction. Barely glorified lists of drug overdoses and bloated description of rehab spiritualism wear down rock star veneer, leaving one either bored or disgusted (Anthony Kiedis, I’m looking at you buddy). Stephen Merritt of seminal indie-pop group The Magnetic Fields has tackled his life in a different literary form on his new record, 50 Song Memoir. It is an exhaustive anecdotal tapestry, containing a song for each of Merritt’s fifty years of existence in all its tumultuous glory. Anyone familiar with The Magnetic Fields’ prior monolithic pop projects, namely 69 Love Songs (1999), will not be in unknown waters. Merritt has an extraordinary songwriting talent: weaving zany, observational wit over an array of no less than one hundred musical instruments. The record returns to the mindboggling stylistic diversity of Love Songs, however it’s clear that the forays of his more recent output into noise, folk and chamber pop have only widened Merritt’s palette. Merritt’s distinctive baritone voice begins by crooning through his five-year-old existential crisis and life changing infomercials for disco compilations. As the album progresses, and Merritt ‘ages’, the songs become more instrumentally fractured and littered with veiled reflection as exemplified in the bitter, techno flecked ‘’06:Quotes’. The record truly is exhaustive however; it’d be tough to cut aside two and a half hours to soak up this colossal mish-mash of genre and autobiography. An edited sixteen track version exists, that cherry-picks some of the strongest tracks like the uproarious college anecdote ‘’86: How I Failed Ethics’ and an ode to a misanthropic pet ‘’68: A Cat Called Dionysus’. 50 Song Memoir does what a 600page rock biography should do: celebrate, not lament. JOSH MARTIN @bmamag
BRIAN CADD & THE BOOTLEG FAMILY BAND BULLETPROOF
THE JESUS AND MARY CHAIN DAMAGE AND JOY [ARTIFICIAL PLASTIC]
[CADDMAN ENTERPRISES]
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Brian Cadd is Aussie rock and roll royalty, with a pedigree stretching back to 1965 and involvement with both a solo career and bands various including Axiom. Now he reunites with his beloved Bootleg Family Band, which sees the re-ignition of a partnership dating back to 1972–1975. This album (his 15th, not including those recorded as part of other bands) brings together both songs that were being kept in reserve and some of his work recorded by other artists, ranging from Joe Cocker, to Bonnie Tyler to The Pointer Sisters. There’s a cohesive feeling to the CD, with all tracks exhibiting the rawness and energy of ‘70s rock. Capturing this vibe was assisted through avoidance of studio effects, editing polish and discipline in the number of takes permitted. Each track comes with a foot tapping rhythm as standard equipment, with some optioned up with brawling harmonica or the raging saxophone of Wilbur Wild. Everything flows with an over the top exuberance, rocking out every time. The opening title track is full of spunk and bluesy overtones, while the follow-up ‘I Still Can’t Believe It’s True’ carries some of the best grunt in the album. It features the strong choruses from the male-female choir, which provide a turbo boost to many tracks. ‘Slow Walk’ is a finger snappin’, struttin’, country tinged song with solid lyrics, while ‘Long Time ‘Till the First Time’, about the hard road to success in music, provides one of the best melodies in this collection. ‘Yesterday Dreams’ stands out from the crowd with its smooth delivery, but it’s ‘The One That Got Away’, about love that almost was, which brings the strongest, most palpable emotions, to the fore.
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Seemingly enlightened street press publication The Music described this new Jesus and Mary Chain album as a “barely coherent pile-up of clichés”. Others are more clued-up and the second coming of a band whose previous album Munki came out in 1998 should be welcomed by those music fans who regarded the collision of white noise with Phil Spector’s wall of sound on 1985 debut Psychocandy as an extraordinary starting point. The next step was settling into explorations of 1960s garage punk and incisive indie rock, all of it saturated with references to American popular culture. The 14 songs comprising Damage and Joy didn’t arrive as a fertile burst of songwriting but had been floating around for some years. It took a reconciliation of sorts between Jim and William Reid to bring them all in the same place and no fan of The Jesus and Mary Chain should have been expecting a masterpiece. There is nevertheless much to enjoy here. Lyrics involving the intake of LSD with a blow-up doll are admittedly cringeworthy, but this is a bit of a piss-take and all that stuff about desiring the perfect girl is a sly nod to long term fans who want to be 18 again and hoping against hope that she would pay you some attention if only she knew how cool you actually were. The Jesus and Mary Chain also absorbed many influences encompassing The Beach Boys, 1970s German electronica and New York nowave and these sounds became free-floating signifiers in their own music – this continues in a milder form on Damage and Joy, which is good enough. DAN BIGNA
ALESA LAJANA FRONTIER LULLABY [SPIRIT OF COUNTRY]
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The new LP by singer-songwriter Alesa Lajana, a past winner of a Queensland Music Award for Best World Music Song, is the product of an eight-year quest, in which she travelled the country in search of post European contact history, and turned it into songs. Not just a disk, the album comes with a small book giving an account of the historic events behind each track. In a way, this is the fulfilment of a personal mission, not just a work of art, and the depth of her research is shown by the bibliography in the book. A key theme running through the material is the hardship suffered by the First Nation’s people as a result of the colonisation of the continent. Most stories have a tragic aspect, from past massacres to the little known, enforced involvement of indigenous peoples in pearl diving. Most tracks proceed at a contemplative pace, dominated by Lajana’s strong, rich voice. While stories are often sad, her soothing delivery pours oil on troubled waters. Gospel meets country in the title track, with a sorrowful fiddle balanced by a cheery banjo. ‘The Lonely Shepherd’, with Lajana on guitar and Bela Fleck on banjo, shows off great musicianship in the lacework of notes. Welcome changes in mood come with the sprightly ‘My Little Darlin’, while the most poignant lyrics, sad but beautiful, come in ‘Cooee’ (about a family split apart), and ‘The Reckoning’ (about interracial violence). The eerie instrumental ‘The Ghosts on the Sea’ made clever use of Lajana’s banjo to simulate the sound of the ocean. This is an elegant release, created and delivered with passion, immersed with the spirit of the country and the people. RORY MCCARTNEY
RORY MCCARTNEY
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[ALBUM REVIEWS]
OR’S EDIT ICE CHO LOCAL MUSIC THE SAFETY OF LIFE AT SEA FOXY’S FARM [INDEPENDENT RELEASE]
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[MASCOT LABEL GROUP / PROVOGUE]
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Five-piece roots band The Safety of Life at Sea started off in Sydney but now finds itself spread both east and west of the Great Dividing Range. That geographic stretch delayed this follow up to their 2013 selftitled debut. After initial tracks were laid down using the time-honoured method of everyone playing together in the same room, finishing off the album had to be suspended while a second studio was built for the band members who had moved near Bathurst. The tweaking was then done between the city and country studios. This disk marks a big departure from the band’s debut. It has moved from a primarily folk/alt-country sound, with a few rock moments, to one that embraces a wider range of genres. Songs are more robust, with heaps more vigor and the inclusion of a wider range of instrumentation. Arrangements are more complex too, and it is obvious how much the song writing of pianist Kris Schubert has advanced. Opener ‘New Orleans’ has strong blues and jazz influences, with the injection of trombone, clarinet and saxophone making this a boisterous tune. There’s a big shift to ‘So in Control’ with its gospel choir style intro and mix of rambling keys and antique organ tones. Acoustic and electric guitars take the lead in the poppy ‘Take You Home’ while the soulful ‘Moira’ drops in doses of funk and includes an extended, elegant piano passage. Rock elements pepper the track list, with licks used to add sparks to highlight tracks ‘Talking Her Into It’ and ‘Something More’. Foxy’s Farm is an impressive step forward for the band, with a greater variety in tracks and a much heftier presence than its debut. RORY MCCARTNEY
SPOON HOT THOUGHTS
Hot Thoughts is album number nine in Spoon’s 20-something year career. It forms a worthy addition to their extensive back catalogue, fitting in with their other releases but also bringing a freshness to their distinctively angular indie rock sound. For a band to make it through two decades and remain a relevant voice in music is a pretty mean feat. For each of their releases, Spoon have always found some way to set the next apart from the previous, a sign of their growth and professionalism as musicians and artists. Hot Thoughts does this subtly, adding new electronic textures as well as incorporating funk and jazz elements throughout. The beats hit a bit harder too; not quite disco, but certainly danceable. With this type of longevity in mind, it’s understandable that their influences come full-circle occasionally, drawing upon some of their own previous content. The Divine Fits also come to mind, as if inspired by Britt Daniel’s recent side project with the group. Spoon have a certain machine-like precision, every note in its right place. Hot Thoughts never sounds like they’ve overdone it though, coming off with an understated natural fluidity. The album is scattered with dancerock bangers (well, as close to ‘bangers’ as Spoon get), such as the glitchy title track or pulsing ‘WhisperIlllistentohearIt’. They take a different tact on ‘Pink Up’, starting out mysteriously minimal and gradually working up to an experimental jazz breakdown. Hot Thoughts is a straight up solid album, and certainly up to the high standards of a band like Spoon. If anything, it doesn’t really push new areas as far as it could, but when you’re as consistently good as Spoon are, maybe that’s not a bad thing. MEGAN LEAHY
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APHIR TWIN EARTH [PROVENANCE]
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On Twin Earth, Aphir (a.k.a. Becki Whitton) explores the place where two souls intersect. “Now our twin worlds are pressed together,” she sings on ‘Clone’. “You and I are all that’s left”. It’s vulnerable, as one might expect, but rarely are dependence and fear given such a dystopian setting. The follow-up to 2015’s Holodreem, Twin Earth is channelled and personal. “You’ll deny it if I ask you,” sings Aphir on ‘Likeness’, shining a cold fluorescent light on someone’s betrayal. It’s downtempo pop music and Aphir’s ethereal voice is perfectly caustic and accusatory. Acting as songwriter, producer and sole performer, Aphir works in isolation. That might explain why much of Twin Earth feels so confiding. On ‘No Muse’ Aphir’s voice floats above a synthetic, anxious beat that builds in to something gigantic and violent. The vocals are restrained all the while making her accusations more scathing than ever: “I’ll be patient while your hate pours out”. Standouts ‘Golden Child’ and ‘Deeper In’ owe a debt to avant-pop pioneers Björk and FKA Twigs (at some points you almost expect to hear Aphir ask, “was she the girl that’s from the video?”). But Aphir’s voice is fiercely individual, sometimes manipulated almost beyond humanity as on ‘Go Lightly’ and other times strikingly bare. The pulsating organ on album closer, ‘Cotillion’, plays out like ‘Motion Picture Soundtrack’ in miniature. “I won’t regress for you or anyone,” sings Aphir, casting away any aspersion of passiveness and showing the warmth last heard on opener ‘Powder Room’. It feels powerful after the trials and relapses she’s charted throughout Twin Earth: “I will choose the best way for me.” HAYDEN FRITZLAFF
@bmamag
SINGLES IN
FOCUS WITH CODY ATKINSON
GOOD BOY ‘BRAAP’
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ZEAHORSE TORANA DREAMIN’ [INDEPENDENT RELEASE]
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DUSKEN LIGHTS IN THE SERVICE OF SPRING [INDEPENDENT RELEASE]
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Sydney four-piece Zeahorse rocked their way into the consciousness of the alternative listening public in 2010, with gems such as the frantic, guitar laden ‘Spider Stole My Fungus’. Then the band made its first serious recording venture, drifting in on a cloud of molasses thick noise rock with the 2013 debut long player Pools. This was no easy task, as the members reside in various States and only meet to create and record.
Formed from members of venerable bands Rabbits Wedding (launched in Perth in 1984 and carrying a very ‘80s synth pop sound) and ‘80s indie-poppers The Cannanes, the Dusken Lights style is folk with glimpses of indie-pop. It has taken the band six years to launch its debut album, not helped by the fact that the dispersion of members, since the demise of the earlier bands, now sees them spread across three States.
Back again for another go, the band has gleefully served up a sophomore album in which, while the smog may have cleared a little, there’s still enough distortion to go around for everybody. The sound combines the mystery of shoegaze, with the vigor of garage and the mind expanding powers of stoner rock. With the lyrics “six cylinders, six strings”, opener ‘Torana Dreamin’ celebrates the fusion of an Aussie motoring classic with rock music. More yelled than sung, and with instruments that are more assaulted than played, the song is full of the finer points of urban culture, with references to bogans and chockie milks. A harsh musical landscape dominates the track list, with vocals frequently bent out of shape with echoed effects. In ‘Runt’ the singing fights unsuccessfully to escape from the hazy echoes in the stoner rock. Zeahorse’s noise rock origins come thorough clearly in the tracks ‘Unfortunate’ and ‘Same Boat’. A narrated introduction precedes the yelled, in your face words to ‘Draino’, with wrecking ball guitars belting the hell out of the chorus. CD highlights come in the catchy licks of ‘Chicken Dinner’, the appealing riff and chunky bass of ‘No Home’ and the driving rhythm of ‘Street Sweeper’.
The softly spoke lyrics of opener ‘Superman, Wondergirl’ rise on the warm harmonies of Paul Watling and Francesca Bussey, as they ride a gently acoustic strumming, decorated with spaced piano notes. Wearing the subdued hues of autumn, this romantic tale of dreams comes with wistful lyrics, “Hold out for love, while you’re diving for pearls”. ‘Arrows of Joy’ wears a fairy lights aura, making an entrance with chunky strums before skating away on hand drum and shaker, pursued by electric guitar licks. In the sweet but melancholy ‘The Frangipani Are Open’, from which the album draws its name, Watling varies his tone with an elegant warbling. The mood of the collection is pierced by the edgy track ‘Mother Nature Wants Him Dead’, with Bussey’s vocals providing a suitably spooky atmosphere. The CD hits its peak in the beautiful melody and soaring vocals of ‘Spark on the Wire’, the attention getter in this album. Indie vibes come across in the electric glow worm keys of ‘Lodestar’ and the reverb at the tail of ‘Sun Above’.
RORY MCCARTNEY
Delicate, with beguiling vocals, subtle instrumental lines and clever use of percussion to dress up tracks, there is much to admire in this debut, which brings to mind some of Tinpan Orange’s early work. RORY MCCARTNEY
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I stumbled onto Good Boy late in 2016 when we shared a ride in an overstuffed van. The Brissy trio might be the best band that I’ve shared a ride with in a while. ‘Braap’ starts off a bit ‘90s proggy, but moves pretty quickly into densely lyrical garage punk areas, like listening to Eddy Current Suppression Ring, Parquet Courts and Custard at the same time. Plus ‘Braap’ is a killer song name.
BUZZ KULL ‘NAUSEA’
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Not often does darkwave cross this virtual desk for consideration, but ‘Nausea’ is a great exception to the rule. Sydney’s Buzz Kull mixes some synth heavy vibes with postpunk and the aforementioned darkwaves in an exceptionally catchy manner. This thing won’t get out of my head, no matter how much I try.
MOANING LISA ‘SONG 1’ [
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Locals (and 2016 National Campus Band Competition winners) Moaning Lisa lay on some chunky riffs on ‘Song 1’. The track is very heavily reminiscent of late ‘90s/early 2000s altrock, with the fuzz on the guitars providing a warm sound. This is cut nicely by crashing drums and at times vicious vocals. The hype here is real, and justified.
ED SHEERAN ‘GALWAY GIRL’ [
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The city of Galway traces its origin back to back over 800 years ago, nestled on the west coast of Ireland in the province of Connacht. Over the years, it has been hit by tsunamis, sieges, invasions, famine, fire and war. However, this could be the death blow to this proud Irish city, with Sheeran delivering a fatal shock via the method of Gaelic pop-hop.
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[FILM REVIEWS]
THE WORD ON
FILMS with Majella Carmody Please excuse us if you think you may have accidentally stumbled upon an extended film-themed edition of our ‘You Pissed Me Off’ column. You’ll see we’re attempting to harness a fair bit of rage and frustration in our reviews this issue. It’s just that between Ghost in the Shell, Life and Disney’s live-action Beauty and the Beast, we’ve been a bit starved of cinematic originality. Remakes, adaptations, rip-offs … What’s the deal? To make matters worse, it also looks like there’s a string of other ‘Disney Renaissance’ live-action remake moneyspinners already in the pipeline. The Lion King is reportedly one of them, with James Earl Jones on board to play Mufasa (again). What’s the point? Is nothing sacred? Hasn’t the King suffered enough? I can hear cynical Simba now: “Oh I just caaaan’t waaaait to be mediocre!” Let sleeping, err, big cats lie – and just watch the original masterpieces. QUOTE OF THE ISSUE “THEY DID NOT SAVE YOUR LIFE. THEY STOLE IT.” KUZE (MICHAEL CARMEN PITT), GHOST IN THE SHELL
WATCH OUT FOR... Colossal (2017): The ‘Anne Hathaway is inexplicably psychically linked to a Kaiju/ monster’ movie. Sci-fi/ Dramedy. Dir. Nacho Vigalondo. Release: Thu Apr 6. Berlin Syndrome (2017): A photojournalist is imprisoned in the apartment of a handsome stranger she had a one-night stand with. Thriller. Dir. Cate Shortland (Somersault, Lore). Starring Australia’s Teresa Palmer. Release: Thu Apr 20. PAGE 58
GHOST IN THE SHELL [
]
Gee, there sure are a lot of white people in this film. Some stories are universal and can be told in several different ways without losing the inherent meaning. Ghost In The Shell does not belong in this category. Scarlett Johansson plays Major, a cybernetically enhanced human and the first of her kind. As she grapples with her existence straddling both machine and human, she discovers her past has been fabricated and her life was stolen from her. Which begs the question: how will she punish those who have wronged her? When the original Ghost In The Shell was released in 1995, Japan was at the height of its technological prowess. The world waited with breath that was baited for each marvel that was going to make their lives that little bit easier or more fun. Thus the relationship Japan had with technology was unique – it incorporated tech into everyday life in a way that no other nation state has done. So, seeing this story being told by white people is jarring. Sure, the universal themes of questioning what defines humanity can be explored in any medium or culture. However, this story relates to a particular time and place. It is not a universal one. And Westerners co-opting it make it a different and not as interesting story. One good thing? The end credits are pretty great, visually. Otherwise, it’s pretty dull. EMMA ROBINSON
LIFE [
LAND OF MINE ]
At the movies, what is the difference between a homage and a non-stop reference fest? Well, the first option pays loving tribute to a film or a type of film that’s made its mark on popular culture (think almost every scene in Pulp Fiction). The second option is repetitive and predictable. Astronauts David Jordan (Jake Gyllenhaal), Miranda North (Rebecca Ferguson), and Rory Adams (Ryan Reynolds) are on the brink of discovering evidence of life on Mars. However, while orbiting Earth the life form they are studying starts to display hostile tendencies. (Seriously, how did they not see this coming?! You’d think they’d never seen Alien! Oh wait…) Aesthetically, this movie follows in the footsteps of 2015’s The Martian and 2013’s Gravity while taking the basic premise of Ridley Scott’s 1979 classic. It’s an uneasy combination that ultimately fails – what Life lacks is the claustrophobic intensity that Alien was able to provide through murky sets and a terrifying alien (it’s hard to get too tense about the flappy thing in Life). Furthermore, the legacy of Alien is palpable – one can talk for hours about its symbolism of rape or humanity’s discomfort with the concept of birth. What I took from Life was, ‘oh hey, Hollywood has fallen in love with space thrillers again’. Not a bad way to spend a couple of hours, just don’t set your expectations too high. Especially because there’s no Ripley in this one. EMMA ROBINSON
[
]
Land of Mine, the Danish nominee for Best Foreign Language Film at this years’ Oscars, written and directed by Martin Zandvliet manages to rise above its rather galling English-language titlepun, to present an emotionally riveting, based-on-true-events, tense and confronting post-war drama. (The film screened at Palace Electric Cinema’s 2016 Scandinavian Film Festival – if you missed it then, I urge you to catch it now.) In the immediate aftermath of World War II, and after five years of German occupation in Denmark, the respected and jaded Sergeant Rasmussen (the excellent Rolland Møller) is placed in charge of several captured German soldiers (most of them in their teens). These soldiers are “trained” and sent to find and disarm 45,000 of around 1.5 million German land mines and munitions lying beneath the sand and water of the deceptively picturesque west coast of Denmark. Watching Land of Mine is crudely akin to watching Game of Thrones: you dare not let yourself become too attached to any of the characters, as their lives could violently end at any moment. The creation of this suspense is a testament to the outstanding performances of the young German actors, and the careful and nuanced technical prowess of the filmmakers. While some moments in the film are mildly predictable, Land of Mine is ultimately a powerful representation of the ethical, emotional and psychological complexities (both personal and nationalistic) associated with the repercussions of occupation and war. MAJELLA CARMODY
@bmamag
DANCE ACADEMY: THE MOVIE [
BEAUTY AND THE BEAST
]
[
]
I wasn’t planning on spending my Sunday morning amongst a hoard of excited 10-year-olds waiting in anticipation for Dance Academy: The Movie … but heck, that’s life.
Bill Condon’s live-action remake of Disney’s 1991 animated classic Beauty and the Beast is inherently irksome. Why not spend the money and energy on developing new content?
Directed by Jeffrey Walker (Bronson from Round the Twist!) Dance Academy: The Movie continues on from the ABC’s award-winning television series. The film follows the trials and tribulations of Tara Webster, a once successful up-andcoming ballerina who suffers a broken back after slipping on a rogue costume bead whilst in the middle of performing her Persephone solo … you still with me?
If you’re a fan of the animation (i.e. your repeat viewings broke the VHS), you’ll probably find some aww-inducing nostalgic moments in the remake (Snowball fight! Library! Ballroom!), but you’ll also be subjected to an extra 45 minutes of clunky dialogue, awkward moral platitudes, distracting auto-tune, a god-awful Beast solo, and more than a few needless references to the Bard’s star-crossed lovers.
The film seamlessly flows on from the series’ narrative, following Tara and friends in their attempts to achieve their artistic dreams, in Australia and America. Despite an 18-month break from dance, Tara sets her sights on auditioning for Madeline Moncur’s (Miranda Otto) contemporary ballet company. Even after an epic comeback montage full of sweat and stretching, Tara doesn’t get into Moncur’s company. Rejected, Tara heads to New York to audition for other dance companies, desperately clutching on to the dream of becoming a prima ballerina. I think this is a really insightful part of the film as it articulates the gruelling nature of the dance industry and the personal sacrifice and socialclimbing people engage in, in an attempt to remain relevant. In an age where we are encouraged to pursue our passions, Dance Academy: The Movie gently suggests that dreams are not always possible … and that’s okay.
This version’s preoccupation with the aesthetics of opulence ultimately does it a disservice, as the combination of cosplay-style township sets and CGI ensures that the film ends up looking more like the brethren of Grease Live! than presenting a cohesive cinematic vision. Emma Watson looks absolutely stunning as Belle, but her performance is tepid at best. Dan Stevens’s Beast is a kind of buff Mr Tumnus in an Imhotep cloak whose only crime seems to be that he’s a bit of a dick. The audience is all but spoonfed the notion that slightly camp scoffing at one of your elders is a good enough reason for Beastly damnation. I mean, he ain’t Prince Joffrey – but the audience isn’t even allowed the space to imagine he is. The usually chilling ‘Mob Song’ is also devoid of any believable bloodthirsty intent, making the final Beast/Gaston showdown an emotional fizzer. A pretty, but pretty unnecessary, adaptation. MAJELLA CARMODY
GEORGIE PARKMAN
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PAGE 59
[THE WORD ON GIGS]
although there was a weird wailing intro from DeVita, which sounded bizarre.
PHOTO BY MATT SANDFORD
KINGSWOOD ANU BAR SAT APR 1
Tasmanian Maddy Jane was in town without her band, playing an electric guitar which she strummed like an acoustic. Her music was indie-pop with an alt-country/folk edge, delivered in a semi-conversational format that brought to mind Courtney Barnett. She has a great voice,
WATERFORD
SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE SAT APR 1
PHOTO BY MEGAN LEAHY
PAGE 60
with a quirky touch. Songs like ‘People’ came complete with wry facial expressions and little traces of eccentricity. Brisbane band WAAX screamed its way into our hearts, leaping into its set of indie/punk songs with ‘I For An Eye’. Vocalist Marie DeVita glared at us through a veil
of hair, as she paced the stage, jumped and shook with energy. The band’s drive had the stage lights quivering and transmitted itself to the punters. There was a cover of Julia Jacklin’s ‘Pool Party’ with a lot more oomph than the original. The new song ‘Wild and Weak’ was solid, For the last few years Shoeb Ahmad has been an influential part of the Canberra music scene, but mostly in pretty different guises than his new solo project. Whereas Agency explores punk, post-punk and rock, and Spartak (and Tangents, and others) has firmly lived in the electronic and experimental spaces, Ahmad’s new project is firmly rooted in alt-pop roots. Whilst a solo project in name, Ahmad played as a trio, joined on stage with viola, a plethora of keyboards and an additional guitarist. Shoeb later told me that he’d been working on the new material on and off for the last three years, with the lyrics all flowing in the last months. It showed, with material that was quite nuanced despite it being the first public performance for the band.
Kingswood had released a new LP since its last visit, moving from rock towards a more soulful vibe. The band wasted no time in educating the audience with its latest material and the set list favoured songs from After Hours, Close to Dawn. The opener exemplified the evolved sound with its slow, soulful, key-led opening and emphasis on vocal harmonies. While its debut album showed Kingswood was a bit more complex than your average rock band, the set confirmed its advanced sense of musicality. Changes included some live female backing vocals and one song employing two acoustic guitars, which sounded positively folky. The band’s new look had the punters, especially the ladies, dancing in a more fluid manner than the mosh pit leaps the first album generated. RORY MCCARTNEY
heard, and on the strength of the night’s performance that strongly deserves to change. Waterford has been locked away developing new material over the past few years, and it showed with a bit more of a country tinge to their set. The four-piece seemed quite locked in on the night, barely phased by breaking a string three-quarters of the way through. The gig was to launch their new track ‘Libra II’, and it also provided the highlight of the set, a perfect example of Waterford’s rollicking tunes and sharp wit. A set like this is a good sign that the band should maybe play live a little more, and that you should see them do so. CODY ATKINSON
There’s a maxim that every town needs a good pub rock band, and for Canberra there are probably no better candidates than Waterford. Waterford has written some of the finest indie pop/rock songs in town that most haven’t @bmamag
At the end of March, the Canberra music scene had a bit of a scare. All of a sudden, our beloved Phoenix shut its doors and all of us were left absolutely dumbstruck. But in response, we didn’t get angry, we didn’t cry, and we didn’t start petitions. Instead we got together and had ourselves a gig. A Facebook event, Phoenix Rising: An Acoustic Evening For The Love Of The Phoeno, started popping up all over my feed (and I’m sure it popped up on a few of yours). The event read: “This isn’t a protest, this isn’t a rally or any reason to get angry. This is an absolute love-in for the venue we love the most.” So on the evening of March 31st, all of us Canberra music fiends gathered together in front of our precious Phoenix and watched ten beautiful bands; Alec Randles, Patrick McKinney, Davey Smiles, Semen & Garfuckle, Boots, Evan Buckley, Ben Drysdale, Helena Pop,
The Lowlands, and the Brass Knuckle Brass Band. The bands played loud and proud, and even though the cops did some drivebys, none of us were too rowdy, none of us were violent, and none of us were exuding anything but love for our local musicians. Everyone played wonderfully, but there were three definite standouts of the evening.
PHOENIX RISING THE PHOENIX (FRONT) FRI MAR 31
PHOTO BY ALICE WORLEY Firstly, The Lowlands, serenading us as we just stood there and everyone knows it.” (Cops and admired them, arms linked, may have driven passed more and just a couple of tears rolling frequently when they were on…) down our cheeks. And finally the night was ended Secondly, Helena Pop, with with the Brass Knuckle Brass whom we spiritedly sang along, Band. They were so boisterous passersby wondering to whom and upbeat that absolutely we were addressing while we everyone was smiling and screamed, “You’re an arsehole, dancing as we all momentarily
It was a very brisk night in Canberra and the neon light of the Ainslie Arts Centre shone brightly through the mist. Inside the main room of the venue, a small crowd listened intently to Happy Axe. She sang angelic, echoing lines into a microphone, as well as playing the violin, and looped the sounds over deep and haunting beats to create fantastic layers of sound. Cressy was an interesting warmup for Harvey Sutherland and Bermuda, given her fast paced beats. It seemed she was on a mission to get the crowd moving and she certainly did that well. Dizzying visuals filled the screen and it momentarily felt a bit more like an underground rave than an early show at the Ainslie Arts Centre. The crowd had multiplied by the time Harvey Sutherland graced the stage, and people were dancing enthusiastically and surging forward. Sutherland’s sidekicks Bermuda brought him out of the studio and on to the stage to show off their new EP
forgot the worries that brought us to the Phoenix’s door in the first place. Bravo, BKBB! ALICE WORLEY
PHOTO BY BRYANT EVANS
HARVEY SUTHERLAND & BERMUDA AINSLIE ARTS CENTRE FRI MAR 31 Expectations. Their performance was an electric and energetic hour of jazzy synths, disco, neodisco and funk. The show had all the elements of a standard club performance, but with more of the fun stuff – the layers of live instruments that cannot be reproduced with only gadgets gave the show an edge.
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Talented violinist Tamil Rogeon (also of True Live and the Raah Project) wowed the audience with a collection of sounds not typically produced by a violin. The show is held together tightly by Graeme Pogson, and together, the three performers are a perfectly synchronised dream team. Their song ‘Clarity’ was a groovy number reminiscent of
Metro Area that saw the crowd swaying in time to the sleazy, sliding synths. There is talk of Harvey Sutherland and Bermuda being Australia’s hottest dance act right now. If Saturday night’s performance was anything to go by, the gossipers are right. BELINDA HEALY PAGE 61
[THE WORD ON GIGS]
Glitoris are starting to build a fine list of bands they have supported. I last saw them supporting Regurgitator where they adorned shiny jumpsuits. Tonight they were in straight black punk attire. Supporting these two great ‘90s Oz acts fits because their sludgy, grungy punk rock sound certainly reminds me of the ‘90s. It also made me realise how it can be a bit tricky for some bands defining themselves outside of a ‘scene’ or direct genre, as their sound is more diverse than straight punk rock, not heavy enough to be metal but certainly far from pop. Regardless of classification, they are definitely testimony to the great local scene we have at the moment. Wollongong’s Totally Unicorn, on the other hand, reminded me of the hard rock scene I used to think dominated Canberra’s live music a while ago, and were just a bit bland for my liking.
FRENZAL RHOMB THE BASEMENT SAT MAR 24
MONSTERS OR ROCK HELLENIC CLUB SAT APR 1 Tonight was my first gig here. The food and drink options of a club are handy, but it was a bit strange seeing so many metal shirts and folk at your local club. 6:30pm is an early start for any act, especially a Dio tribute band. I think they may have had a better reaction at another gig. Our followers, Aerosmith started to get the crowd warmed up, despite the lead singer looking more like Macklemore than Stephen Tyler. Opening with ‘Walk this Way’ and giving us the power ballads in the middle (with a cheesy piece of banter, “Armageddon some love tonight”) meant when they announced they had one song left there were two contenders. Fortunately, ‘Love In An Elevator’ beat out ‘Janie’. Guns N’ Roses’ set was not what I expected, with the majority Appetite for Destruction tunes. This group had the look a bit more down pat PAGE 62
PHOTO BY RICKY LLOYD
compared to others tonight and once they gave us ‘Paradise City’, all was right. The Iron Maiden set was performed by the same group that would later also give us Bon Jovi. They were spot on in their sound and technical proficiency but weren’t really into the dress up aspect either. AC/DC were our only Australian representation tonight (we don’t really have a cock rock contingent, do we). It was still great to hear many of their classics by this point of the night. For me though, Bon Jovi were the highlight with so many classic singalong moments as the time approached midnight. ‘Living on a Prayer’ and the encore of ‘Always’ were highlights. The sound of all the groups tonight was quite amazing, and if you closed your eyes you sure felt like you were there, but compared to other tribute shows I’ve seen, the look was not much of a focus tonight, which didn’t quite make it as fun as hoped. JARROD MCGRATH
their set list, which I had asked Jay about in our interview, and it was like he answered my teenage request as the majority of tonight’s set was from their ‘90s releases, to my absolute delight. With ‘Some of My Best Friends Are Racist’, ‘Genius’ and even ‘Home and Away’ being pulled out early in their set, my cynicism subsided and I was drawn into the mosh. The ‘classics’ continued as crowd surfing and friendly singalongs ensued with an awesome audience. The other ‘90s songs were mostly from the Meet The Family album but an aging punk rock ‘beggar’ trying to relive his ‘90s teenage life can’t be a ‘chooser’. ‘Punch In The Face’ concluded the night fittingly. JARROD MCGRATH
I came tonight with low expectations after being extremely disappointed at Frenzal Rhomb’s last show at The Basement. This was based on
THE WAIFS CANBERRA THEATRE THU MAR 16 The music of The Waifs will be passed down and treasured through generations of many families, and their recent concert at the Canberra Theatre proved just that. Looking around at the crowd before the lights were turned low, it was evident that people of all ages and walks of life had come to see the Western Australian folk band share their stories. Opening act, Liz Stringer, was perfect preparation for the sounds of The Waifs. Serenading the crowd with just her voice and acoustic guitar, Stringer stood alone on stage in a small spotlight captivating the audience’s attention. In between songs Stringer candidly shared the inspiration and tales behind her tunes, always in a humble and self-deprecating manner that made up her charm.
applause. All five members walked onto the boards of Canberra Theatre with contagious smiles on their faces (or was it the smiles from the audience that were contagious, who could tell?). Each original member took it in turns talking between songs, sharing stories of the writing behind them. The Waifs’ fanbase has always felt like a family, and this concert felt like a family reunion. As the band joyously played a set spanning their whole career, they came to show themselves as characters found in every family. Josh the quiet dad who sits back and talks only when needed, Vikki the hip little sister and Donna the aunt who may have had few too many wines, but that’s why you love her. THOMAS SPILLANE
When The Waifs hit the stage they were met with a thunderous @bmamag
It’s about 7:30pm and I’m surrounded by thousands of strangers, sitting and standing on a hill over a chasm below. A cricket umpire takes a golden superhero’s hat and beer as he bowls an invisible ball into the horizon. No music is playing, but suddenly the crowd starts applauding, slowly at first but eventually exploding in raptures. They aren’t cheering any person or group, but instead the sun disappearing over the wind turbines of a neighbouring hill, floating between the clouds on the way. It might be the first music festival where the sun has been the biggest star on offer. Local-ish faves Ausmuteants kicked off proceedings, threatening to steal the show for the rest of the festival. Synthpunk can sometimes go a bit pear-shaped, but Ausmuteants proved how good it is when it is executed well. No pretence – just some good jams. On paper Nicolas Jaar might have been more suited to a more electronic festival, but as the sun went down and the stars came out, Jaar’s experimentallyleaning electronica fit the bill perfectly. Jaar’s music thumps; but in the best, most life affirming way. If Jaar makes music that’s easy to have fun to, then Total Giovanni puts on a show impossible not to get down to. TG are all show, insane amounts of attitude backed up with some solid dance tunes to boot. It seems that each year Golden Plains makes a concerted effort to put on a challenging artist in an early Sunday slot, and in 2017 that role was filled by Australian experimentalist Oren Armbarchi. Accompanied by noted metal drummer Skitz, Armbarchi pushed listeners into submission with one continuous half hour blast of sound. Skitz didn’t stop drumming for a second of the set, wailing away even whilst Armbarchi had to reset his gear. Nearly as good as it gets, except for the hangover.
GOLDEN PLAINS
MEREDITH SUPERNATURAL AMPHITHEATRE SAT–SUN MAR 11–12 PHOTOS BY MEGAN LEAHY
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Boot is the crowd’s collective judgement of when the festival peaks. For the 2017 version of Golden Plains this moment came somewhat out of nowhere, with Brisbane’s Confidence Man and their bannnnnnggggerrrrrrrrrrr ‘Boyfriend (Repeat)’ winning over practically the entire crowd, and maybe the geographical region as a whole. Nearly two decades on from being part of the first international act at Meredith, Ian Svenonius (now as/with Chain and The Gang), for my money, did more to excite than any other band over the weekend. With a sound reminiscent of Detroit-era punk rock, the four from D.C. walked all over the crowd, demolishing all in their path. As good as Aussie hip-hop star Remi was (note: he was very, very, very good), The Peep Tempel may have blown him off the stage. That’s not a slight towards Remi; but I’m not sure if many bands can go with The Peep Tempel right now. The latest in a long line of kitchen-sink Australian rock bands, the trio reflect a side of Australia not always exposed. They can also bloody shred out a tune, going from trance-like beats to wailing guitars in the blink of an eye. For many, Neil Finn is a religiouslike experience, with his songs comprising the soundtracks of their lives. I’m not one of those people, but when you hear thousands of people pump out ‘Better Be Home Soon’, it’s hard to stay a hater. Instead of Finn, it was The Specials that I’d waited decades to see. Pioneers of the early British ska/ two-tone movement, hearing the veterans smash tracks like ‘Ghost Town’ and ‘A Message To You’ provided for a fitting end to a packed weekend. CODY ATKINSON
At each Golden Plains (and Meredith Music Festival), punters occasionally indulge in the spiritual pursuit of waving their boots/shoes in the air. The PAGE 63
[THE WORD ON GIGS]
MARTHA WAINWRIGHT THE PLAYHOUSE WED MAR 15 Martha Wainwright charmed the pants off her Canberra audience during a mid-week show at the Playhouse theatre. The packed crowd was treated to songs from her latest release, Goodnight City, alongside a healthy smattering of old favorites from her brilliant back catalogue. Entering the stage solo, Wainwright, in denim jeans, a white shirt printed with butterflies, and a crafty necklace depicting a uterus (with the word ‘mine’ scrawled between the ovaries), covered ‘I Am a Diamond’ by Canadian singer Kate McGarrigle. The track set the tone for the evening as Wainwright howled, ‘I am a diamond and I’m gonna shine’, at the sedate audience. Like a tipped pot of treacle, the raspy Canadian songstress poured her way through the set list, her voice flowing without effort. Standouts included
‘Traveller’, a song about a dear friend lost to cancer at the age of 40; a sobering thought for the mostly Gen X crowd in attendance. ‘Francis’, written by big brother Rufus, is one of two songs on the latest record dedicated to Wainwrights’ son. The track, a moving tribute to the enigmatic child, possessed the cabaret stylings typical of Rufus; piano driven and laden with that familiar meandering vocal. Winding up the show with a fitting cover of the late Leonard Cohan’s ‘Chelsea Hotel No. 2’, Wainright thanked the audience in her understated manner before exiting the stage with her band before returning for the encore. Closing the night with ‘Factory’, a favorite track from her debut self-titled record, Wainright once more proved the power of her storytelling magic. The captive audience hung on every word as the raw honesty and soft brutality of the tale flooded forth from the stage. SAMUEL TOWNSEND
LLOYD SPIEGEL HARMONIE GERMAN CLUB SUN MAR 12 Lloyd Spiegel was in town as part of his frantic touring schedule, which had included three US visits in the last 12 weeks. It was meant to be part of a CD launch tour, but the album is still being finished off, so there were no new disks at the merch stand. However, that was fine, as we were treated to an outstanding show by (in the words of Canberra Blues Society spokesman Bucky) “one of the finest acoustic blues exponents in Australia”. Spiegel’s fingers danced across the body of his Cole Clark guitar making ‘pock’ sounds as he played ‘Tangled Brew’. He played with the misleading appearance of effortlessness that is the mark of a true maestro. His brow only furrowed in concentration when he was requested to play a song, about infidelity and heartbreak, that he admitted not playing in
‘an eternity’. Yet Spiegel delivered the complicated piece, which had a most un-bluesy classical sound, faultlessly. Most pieces were incredibly complex, with multiple changes of tempo and melody. Spiegel maintained the beat with a stomp drum and broadcast tales of music and women in his powerful voice. He exhibited lots of interesting playing techniques, including building up the rhythm at the start of a song, strumming with just a thumb to produce a V8-like chugging, with his other arm hanging loose. The set list was fluid, with Spiegel saying “I haven’t done that song in years, I don’t know why it just came to me”. He was a funny guy too, with stories of fans with Spiegel related tattoos, guitar giveaways with strange outcomes and his failed attempt to holiday in Cuba without an instrument. RORY MCCARTNEY
Xylouris White (pronounced Ksee-loo-ris White), composed of master Cretan laouto player Giorgos Xylouris and Dirty Three drummer Jim White, put on a stellar performance at Monster Bar, Hotel Hotel. The pair melded together traditional Cretan folk music and punk rock with thrilling results. ‘Forging’ from their latest album Black Peak was the opening track, meshing Cretan melodies and grungy chords on the laouto, freestyle drumming and howling vocals. Xylouris sings in Cretan dialect, “I feel the earth tremble underfoot. It is the wrath of the world forever increasing”. The song culminates in a frenetic, joyful and celebratory crescendo. This music is definitely made for dancing! Cretan dancing in particular, but plenty of people were freestyling it. Xylouris and White have an incredible synergy between them. They improvise and respond so precisely to each other. Witnessing the precision of the rolling drumming against the PAGE 64
XYLOURIS WHITE MONSTER BAR SAT MAR 11
breakneck trilling of the laouto is an incredible sight. Xylouris also ventured into the songs of his late uncle Nikos Xylouris; Ήτανε μια φορά (Once Upon a Time), a sentimental ballad about a young woman whose husband is absent at sea fighting pirates and who prays for his return only to find he is killed in battle, and Φύσα Αεράκι, a joyful song about journeying over
PHOTO BY MARIA KOULOURIS
the seas to Venice and asking the wind to blow the ship hurriedly home to Crete.
musician known for reinventing Cretan music and he continues to perform.
Nikos Xylouris was of a generation of artists who emerged in the 1970s as a symbol of resistance against the Greek dictatorship. Nikos is known for many popular Greek songs expressing the Greek spirit. Xylouris’ father, Antonis Xylouris also known as Psarantonis is also a legendary
I really enjoyed the unique mix of the ancient, medieval, regional and contemporary sounds of Xylouris White and I enjoyed the warm community vibe in the cross-cultural. I’ll just have to practice to some Cretan dancing for next time! MARIA KOULOURIS @bmamag
[ENTERTAINMENT GUIDE] WEDNESDAY APRIL 12 ART EXHIBITIONS
LIVE MUSIC
Boo Seeka
Native Birds in Full Colour
TIDBINBILLA NATURE RESERVE
Specimens
CANBERRA GLASSWORKS
Sydney duo Boo Seeka are touring their new single ‘Does This Last’, the first sample off their upcoming debut album slated for release later this year. Their new single navigates through a bed of spacey synth and string layers to create a sound that is fresh and unexpected. With Glades. 8pm. Tix $15 + bf via Moshtix.
Belconnen Arts Centre Exhibitions
Space Boys
Breathing Space, New Work & Beyond Worlds and Words. M16 ARTSPACE
Tom Rowney & Zeljko Markov Exhibition Until May 28.
In the Moment, Women In A Washbasket & Changing Tides: The Waters of the Past. BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE
The Sell
Australian Advertising 1790s to 1990s. 10am. Free. NATIONAL LIBRARY OF AUSTRALIA
Common Ground & FACE2FACE March 31 – April 23. PHOTOACCESS
ART EXHIBITIONS
FILM
Artwork questioning our treatment of animals by ocal and interstate artists. Free.
Beloved books become magical movies at Arc cinema. Programme at nfsa.gov.au. ARC CINEMA
LIVE MUSIC
The Phoenix Has Risen
TRANSIT BAR
12:30pm. Free. Join Genni & John Kane of the ARIA award winning band The Flying Emus. NATIONAL LIBRARY OF AUSTRALIA
FILM
Chris Webbe Duo
Book Heroes on the Big Screen
NATIONAL PRESS CLUB
7pm.
LIVE MUSIC
SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE
THE FRONT GALLERY AND CAFÉ
Liberties
10.30pm. Free.
TRANSIT BAR
Amanda Delaney Duo 10pm. Free.
KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB
THEATRE Bell Shakespeare’s Richard 3 April 6–15.
THE PLAYHOUSE
WORKSHOPS Children’s Art Workshop.
For children aged 7-12 years. repurposing soft toy animals with artist Tom Buckland. 10am-1pm. Free. TUGGERANONG ARTS CENTRE
THURSDAY APRIL 13 ART EXHIBITIONS Animal Heart
Artwork questioning our treatment of animals by ocal and interstate artists. Free. TUGGERANONG ARTS CENTRE
KARAOKE Kegs n Karaoke 9pm.
SATURDAY APRIL 15 ART EXHIBITIONS The Sell
Australian Advertising 1790s to 1990s. 10am. Free. NATIONAL LIBRARY OF AUSTRALIA
Common Ground & FACE2FACE March 31 – April 23. PHOTOACCESS
Native Birds in Full Colour
Code Red
THEATRE Bell Shakespeare’s Richard 3 April 6–15.
THE PLAYHOUSE
SUNDAY APRIL 16
Irish Jam Session
Traditional Irish musicians in the pub from late afternoon. Free.
Breathing Space, New Work & Beyond Worlds and Words. M16 ARTSPACE
Tom Rowney & Zeljko Markov Exhibition Until May 28.
CANBERRA GLASSWORKS
WEDNESDAY APRIL 19 ART EXHIBITIONS The Sell
Australian Advertising 1790s to 1990s. 10am. Free. NATIONAL LIBRARY OF AUSTRALIA
Common Ground & FACE2FACE March 31 – April 23.
Athol Shmith Fashion Photographs
Until Jul 16. This small exhibition showcases Athol Shmith’s elegant, bold and experimental photographs. NATIONAL LIBRARY OF AUSTRALIA
ON THE TOWN
Until Jun 30.
SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE
M16 Artspace Exhibitions
THE PHOENIX BAR
KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB
Specimens
TUGGERANONG ARTS CENTRE
6.30pm.
PHOTOACCESS
LIVE MUSIC
Smith’s Sunday Session
Oil paintings by Taylor Singh, recipient of our 2016 Emerging Artist Support Scheme Award. Free.
SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE
KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB
Until Jun 30.
TIDBINBILLA NATURE RESERVE
The old time/folk/acoustic open jam where we party like it’s 1899. 7pm. Free.
Morgy’s Botched Lobotomy Trivia
With Tash Sultana. Tickets at ticketek.com.au.
ON THE TOWN
THE BASEMENT
TRANSIT BAR
Santana
LIVE MUSIC
Get over the hump with drink specials after 5pm.
9pm. Free entry.
TRIVIA
LOBROW GALLERY & BAR
ROYAL THEATRE
Hump Day
#KaraokeLove
With Sounds Like Winter, Robot Citizen, Lady K, Miss Kate.
6pm. Free. Fiddle-singers Rowan & Anna Rheingans are bright & bold musicians.
With Baltimore & Elk Locker. 6pm.
KARAOKE
Old Timey Tuesday
VAMP 10th Anniversary
NATIONAL LIBRARY OF AUSTRALIA
TUESDAY APRIL 18
LIVE MUSIC
Smith’s Scribblers
FRIDAY APRIL 14
SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE
Erin
ARC CINEMA
The Rheingans Sisters
Doctor Procter’s Monday lunchtime ukulele singalong for absolute beginners. 12pm. Free.
THE PHOENIX BAR
WORKSHOPS Lunchtime life drawing. 12:30pm. $15/$10.
Lunchulele
TUGGERANONG ARTS CENTRE
Loved Ones, the Phoenix has risen and is stronger than ever with a new wall to boot! To celebrate, here are a list of bands who will be playing and who also know the meaning of Easter: Helena Pop, h., Sketch Method, Semen & Garfunkel. 9pm. $10/$5.
Acoustic folk-rock looped live. 8pm. $5 on the door.
Beloved books become magical movies at Arc cinema. Programme at nfsa.gov.au.
ON THE TOWN
Oil paintings by Taylor Singh, recipient of our 2016 Emerging Artist Support Scheme Award. Free.
Heuristic
Birds of a Feather
TUGGERANONG ARTS CENTRE
Specimens
THE BASEMENT
KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB
Animal Heart
ART EXHIBITIONS
With Cockbelch, From Hells Heart & The Wandering Souls. 8pm. $5. 10pm. Free.
MONDAY APRIL 17
In the Moment, Women In A Washbasket & Changing Tides: The Waters of the Past.
Book Heroes on the Big Screen
Oil paintings by Taylor Singh, recipient of our 2016 Emerging Artist Support Scheme Award. Free.
M16 Artspace Exhibitions
Belconnen Arts Centre Exhibitions
BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE
Until Jun 30.
TUGGERANONG ARTS CENTRE
APRIL 12 – APRIL 19
2-6pm. Free.
SOMETHING DIFFERENT Drawn In
Draw while listening to different music each month. 1pm. Free. NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY
Native Birds in Full Colour TIDBINBILLA NATURE RESERVE
M16 Artspace Exhibitions
Breathing Space, New Work & Beyond Worlds and Words. M16 ARTSPACE
Tom Rowney & Zeljko Markov Exhibition Until May 28.
CANBERRA GLASSWORKS
Belconnen Arts Centre Exhibitions
In the Moment, Women In A Washbasket & Changing Tides: The Waters of the Past. BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE
THE PHOENIX BAR
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PAGE 65
[ENTERTAINMENT GUIDE] WEDNESDAY APRIL 19
COMEDY
APRIL 19 – APRIL 24
Animal Heart
Mark Swivel
FILM
Sunwaves
Info at thestreet.org.au.
Book Heroes on the Big Screen
Beloved books become magical movies at Arc cinema. Programme at nfsa.gov.au. ARC CINEMA
20th Spanish Film Festival Highlights Apr 19 – May 7.
PALACE ELECTRIC CINEMA
ON THE TOWN Hump Day
FILM
KINGSTON FORESHORE
Book Heroes on the Big Screen
Beloved books become magical movies at Arc cinema. Programme at nfsa.gov.au.
COMEDY
TUGGERANONG ARTS CENTRE
LIVE MUSIC
M16 Artspace Exhibitions
Elspeth Tremblay
Jess Green’s new project pioneers her own style of pop: Afro-Sci. Support from No Stars. 7pm.
Hue Blanes
LIVE MUSIC Cam/Special K 5pm/10pm. Free.
SOMETHING DIFFERENT
THE PHOENIX BAR
7.30pm.
THE PHOENIX BAR
Destrends
With Moaning Lisa and The Postmasters. 9pm. $10.
Pheno
SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE
THURSDAY APRIL 20 ART EXHIBITIONS Animal Heart
Artwork questioning our treatment of animals by ocal and interstate artists. Free. TUGGERANONG ARTS CENTRE
FILM Berlin Syndrome & Their Finest As seen at the 2016 BBC First British Film Festival. PALACE ELECTRIC CINEMA
KARAOKE Kegs n Karaoke 9pm.
THE PHOENIX BAR
LIVE MUSIC Billy Bragg & Joe Henry
An intimate evening with the pair performing songs from their brand new album. 8pm.
Piano fiend and enigmatic genius singer-songwriter Hue Blanes, PBS Young Elder of Jazz 2017, is releasing his second solo album Holiday. Jazz, classical, artsong, pop – the album is a rare and musically sophisticated work, ahead of it’s time yet deceptively simple. Join him for his album launch with support from Alice Cottee (No Hausfrau). 9pm. $15/$10. SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE
Multiplicity 2
7pm.
NATIONAL PRESS CLUB
ON THE TOWN Chicago Charles & Danger Dave 9pm. Free.
SATURDAY APRIL 22
ART EXHIBITIONS Specimens
Oil paintings by Taylor Singh, recipient of our 2016 Emerging Artist Support Scheme Award. Free.
Evensong
Belconnen Arts Centre Exhibitions
Choral music. 4pm. Free.
NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY
In the Moment, Women In A Washbasket & Changing Tides: The Waters of the Past.
Irish Jam Session
BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE
KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB
COMEDY
ON THE TOWN
Mark Swivel
Smith’s Sunday Session 2–6pm. Free.
THE STREET THEATRE
TALKS
FILM
Writing While Female
Film screening of Rabbit Proof fence by Director Phillip Noyce. 3:00–4:45pm. Free. NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY
Apr 19 – May 7.
LIVE MUSIC Rock Or Be Rocked
ROSE COTTAGE
10pm. Free.
KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB
Common Ground & FACE2FACE PHOTOACCESS
THE PLAYHOUSE
Until Jul 16. This small exhibition showcases Athol Shmith’s elegant, bold and experimental photographs. NATIONAL LIBRARY OF AUSTRALIA
Native Birds in Full Colour Until Jun 30.
TIDBINBILLA NATURE RESERVE
SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE
Rabbit Proof Fence
David Hobson & Marina Prior – The 2 of Us
Athol Shmith Fashion Photographs
Traditional Irish musicians in the pub from late afternoon. Free.
Mark must come up with a speech for his son’s 21st birthday in ‘Dad Joke’. Tickets at thestreet.org.au.
The Cool
Australian Advertising 1790s to 1990s. 10am. Free. March 31 – April 23.
FRIDAY APRIL 21
HARMONIE GERMAN CLUB
CANBERRA GLASSWORKS
The Sell
WORKSHOPS
SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE
2pm. $5/$3.
Until May 28.
Classic rock and blues. 8pm. Free. More information at bandmix.com.au/ mac11943/
NATIONAL LIBRARY OF AUSTRALIA
Lunchtime life drawing. 12:30pm. $15/$10.
Canberra Blues Society Jam
ART EXHIBITIONS
KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB
Smith’s Scribblers
THE FRONT GALLERY AND CAFÉ
Tom Rowney & Zeljko Markov Exhibition
PALACE ELECTRIC CINEMA
HARMONIE GERMAN CLUB
THE STREET THEATRE
M16 ARTSPACE
Blazing Boots
Country rock, pub rock. 8pm. Free.
Mark must come up with a speech for his son’s 21st birthday in ‘Dad Joke’. Tickets at thestreet.org.au.
With Paige Allbritton, Cris Clucas, Fiona Bolton. 4:30pm. $5.
20th Spanish Film Festival Highlights
THE BASEMENT
Mark Swivel
Breathing Space, New Work & Beyond Worlds and Words.
With Alithia, Tundrel, From Love To Violence and more.
THE PLAYHOUSE
Tomcat Playground
SUNDAY APRIL 23 A group exhibition exploring human and animal relationships with artworks questioning our treatment of animals. This exhibition features local and interstate artists, including Caroline Ambrus, Dianna Budd, Shan Crosbie, John Gould, Janet Long, Rebecca Selleck, Kerry Shepherdson and Tanya Stollznow. Free.
ARC CINEMA
KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB
Hamlet at The Pub
Canberra gets ready for a street fest flavoured with music, mojitos, cigars and vintage cars.
THE STREET THEATRE
Get over the hump with drink specials after 5pm. TRANSIT BAR
ON THE TOWN
8pm.
Australian Kingswood Factory
With Skinpin, Sketch Method, Sewer Sideshow, Cockbelch and Poison Fish. 6pm. $10. THE PHOENIX BAR
Lyre Byrdland
With Los Chavos and Coolio & HouseMouse. 8pm. $15. TRANSIT BAR
Evensong
In collaboration with Feminartsy, four of Canberra’s most insightful women writers will share their experiences and lives through their writing. What does it mean to write memoir, and how does being a woman change or enhance this experience? How do we do our lives and relationships justice by sharing them publicly? Speakers include Jessica Friedmann, Lisa Fuller, Zoya Patel and Melinda Smith. 3:30pm. $10. MUSE: FOOD, WINE, BOOKS
Soundwaves in Space 2:30–4pm. Free.
NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY
MONDAY APRIL 24 ART EXHIBITIONS Specimens
Oil paintings by Taylor Singh, recipient of our 2016 Emerging Artist Support Scheme Award. Free. TUGGERANONG ARTS CENTRE
Choral music. 4pm. Free.
NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY
TUGGERANONG ARTS CENTRE
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@bmamag
[ENTERTAINMENT GUIDE] MONDAY APRIL 24
WEDNESDAY APRIL 26
APRIL 24 – APRIL 29 FILM
Friday Night Fiesta THE PHOENIX BAR
LIVE MUSIC
ART EXHIBITIONS
Rules Don’t Apply & Things to Come
CIT Presents The Bootleg Sessions
Belconnen Arts Centre Exhibitions
PALACE ELECTRIC CINEMA
8pm. Free entry.
THE PHOENIX BAR
Smith’s Band Rehearsal – Capital Club
In the Moment, Women In A Washbasket & Changing Tides: The Waters of the Past. BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE
This week’s open band rehearsal, Capital Club showcase their favourite tunes. 9pm. Free.
Native Birds in Full Colour
ON THE TOWN
Until Jul 16. This small exhibition showcases Athol Shmith’s elegant, bold and experimental photographs.
SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE
Lunchulele
Doctor Procter’s Monday lunchtime ukulele singalong for absolute beginners. 12pm. Free. SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE
TUESDAY APRIL 25 ART EXHIBITIONS Animal Heart
Artwork questioning our treatment of animals by ocal and interstate artists. Free. TUGGERANONG ARTS CENTRE
KARAOKE #KaraokeLove
Until Jun 30.
TIDBINBILLA NATURE RESERVE
Athol Shmith Fashion Photographs
M16 Artspace Exhibitions
Breathing Space, New Work & Beyond Worlds and Words. M16 ARTSPACE
Tom Rowney & Zeljko Markov Exhibition Until May 28.
CANBERRA GLASSWORKS
COMEDY
LIVE MUSIC
THE PHOENIX BAR
OLD CANBERRA INN
20th Spanish Film Festival Highlights
Louis King & The Liars Klub 7pm.
NATIONAL PRESS CLUB
9pm. Free.
Tommy Fleming
Info at tommyfleming.net.
SOUTHERN CROSS STADIUM
THEATRE Dracula
Info at canberratheatrecentre.com.au. THE PLAYHOUSE
WORKSHOPS Smith’s Scribblers
Lunchtime life drawing. 12:30pm. $15/$10. SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE
FRIDAY APRIL 28
SOMETHING DIFFERENT
PALACE ELECTRIC CINEMA
LIVE MUSIC
THE TRADIES (DICKSON)
Hump Day
Cosmo’s Midnight
The Play That Goes Wrong
TALKS
THEATRE
CANBERRA THEATRE CENTRE
TRIVIA Nerd Trivia with Joel Barkam 7:30pm.
Dracula
Info at canberratheatrecentre.com.au. THE PLAYHOUSE
THURSDAY APRIL 27
Specimens
Oil paintings by Taylor Singh, recipient of our 2016 Emerging Artist Support Scheme Award. Free. TUGGERANONG ARTS CENTRE
THE PHOENIX BAR
Drawing from a vast array of musical influences, Cosmo’s Midnight have cultivated their own twist on electronica so beautifully distinct that it sets them at the helm of the new generation of Australian producers. Inspired by their upbringing in Sydney’s Inner West, the twin beat makers’ eclectic taste has evolved into their signature blend of left-field pop. 10pm. With support from NayNay, Ryan Fennis and Growly.
Adam Harvey & Beccy Cole
Release the Great Country Songbook Vol II. Tickets at cscc.com.au. CANBERRA SOUTHERN CROSS CLUB (WODEN)
Tess/Woodface 5pm/10pm. Free.
KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB
THEATRE Info at canberratheatrecentre.com.au.
Avenue Q: The Musical
Tickets at theq.net.au. 8pm. 2pm matinees on May 6 and May 13. QUEANBEYAN PERFORMING ARTS CENTRE
WORKSHOPS Indigenous Filmmaking
Short film workshops with Marissa McDowell for emerging Indigenous filmmakers. 10am-2pm. Free.
ART EXHIBITIONS Belconnen Arts Centre Exhibitions
In the Moment, Women In A Washbasket & Changing Tides: The Waters of the Past. BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE
Athol Shmith Fashion Photographs
Until Jul 16. This small exhibition showcases Athol Shmith’s elegant, bold and experimental photographs. NATIONAL LIBRARY OF AUSTRALIA
Native Birds in Full Colour Until Jun 30.
TIDBINBILLA NATURE RESERVE
M16 Artspace Exhibitions
Breathing Space, New Work & Beyond Worlds and Words. M16 ARTSPACE
Jazz Night
Tom Rowney & Zeljko Markov Exhibition
HARMONIE GERMAN CLUB
CANBERRA GLASSWORKS
8pm. Special Event charity fundraiser.
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NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AUSTRALIA
SATURDAY APRIL 29
MR WOLF
ART EXHIBITIONS
Dress as your favourite veiled villain or caped crusader. 6-9:30pm. $15 via nma.gov.au.
TUGGERANONG ARTS CENTRE
Dymphna by Judith Armstrong
NATIONAL LIBRARY OF AUSTRALIA
The Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society are putting on a 1920s murder mystery, but as the title suggests, everything that can go wrong ... does! The accident-prone thespians battle against all odds to reach their final curtain call, with hilarious consequences! Info at canberratheatrecentre.com.au.
TUGGERANONG ARTS CENTRE
TRANSIT BAR
6pm. Explore the life of linguist Dymphna Lodewyckx, who gave up her intellect and potential for her husband Manning Clark. Free.
Night At The Museum: Heroes and Villians
THE PLAYHOUSE
ON THE TOWN Get over the hump with drink specials after 5pm.
SOMETHING DIFFERENT
Animal Heart
ANZAC Day
THEATRE
THE BASEMENT
Dracula
Apr 19 – May 7.
Bookings at thetradies.com.au.
Geelong based indie rock outfit City at Midnight have been relentlessly honing their explosive live show for several years, playing the Melbourne and Geelong music circuits, a fact evident in the precision and energy they command on stage. Marking the release of their EP Space Cadet, the band are setting forth to Canberra. Support from House of Strangers, The Postmasters, Dalmacia. 8pm.
ART EXHIBITIONS Artwork questioning our treatment of animals by ocal and interstate artists. Free.
3pm (2-up from 12).
City At Midnight
LIVE MUSIC
7.30pm.
FILM
THE BASEMENT
THE PHOENIX BAR
KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB
NATIONAL LIBRARY OF AUSTRALIA
With Betty Alto, Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers. 8pm. $20 via TryBooking.
9pm.
Melodrama in Meiji Japan
Until Aug 27. Step into the tumultuous world of Meiji Japan (1868–1912), through a selection of stunning woodblock illustrations. Free.
Glitoris
Kegs n Karaoke
Dos Locos
TRANSIT BAR
Zambezi Sounds, Betty Slim, Endrey
KARAOKE
NATIONAL LIBRARY OF AUSTRALIA
Open Mic Comedy at The Phoenix
9pm. Free entry.
See it first at the 2017 Alliance Française French Film Festival.
9pm. $10.
Until May 28.
PAGE 67
[ENTERTAINMENT GUIDE] SATURDAY APRIL 29 DANCE Ausdance ACT Dance Week 2017
4pm and 8pm. $25/$18.
BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE
FILM 20th Spanish Film Festival Highlights Apr 19 – May 7.
PALACE ELECTRIC CINEMA
LIVE MUSIC Rock Or Be Rocked
Classic rock and blues. 8pm. Free. More information at bandmix.com.au/ mac11943/ FRASER FAMILY INN
4th Degree
10:30pm. Free.
KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB
Psycho Zydeco
Earthy and energetic blend of traditional Cajun, blues and swamp music with an Aussie twist. 8pm. HARMONIE GERMAN CLUB
Slow Turismo
Indigenous Filmmaking
Short film workshops with Marissa McDowell for emerging Indigenous filmmakers. 10am–2pm. Free. TUGGERANONG ARTS CENTRE
SUNDAY APRIL 30
THE BASEMENT
9pm. Free entry.
May 3–14. Info at canberratheatrecentre.com.au. THE PLAYHOUSE
LIVE MUSIC
Ausdance ACT Dance Week 2017
Old Timey Tuesday
20th Spanish Film Festival Highlights
4pm & 8pm. $25/$18.
BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE
LIVE MUSIC Irish Jam Session
The old time/folk/acoustic open jam where we party like it’s 1899. 7pm. Free. SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE
Death By Stereo
Traditional Irish musicians in the pub from late afternoon. Free.
SOMETHING DIFFERENT Soundwaves in Space 2:30–4pm. Free.
NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY
WORKSHOPS Women’s Audio Workshop
A workshop for women interested in audio engineering. The last event sold out, so book early. 4:30pm. SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE
MONDAY MAY 1 LIVE MUSIC CMC Presents The Bootleg Sessions
Ted2017: The Future You Info at palacecinemas.com.au. PALACE ELECTRIC CINEMA
LIVE MUSIC
THE PHOENIX BAR
SOMETHING DIFFERENT
Smith’s Sunday Session SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE
PALACE ELECTRIC CINEMA
With Pist Idiots & Marlon Bando.
ON THE TOWN 2–6pm. Free.
Apr 19 – May 7.
Brad Pot
KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB
MUSE: FOOD, WINE, BOOKS
Info at thebasement.com.au.
#KaraokeLove
Velvet
DANCE
Find out if, who and how Katy Gallagher, the person is different from Senator Katy Gallagher, the federal politician. 3pm. $10.
Claret Ash
KARAOKE
DANCE
FILM
Question Time: Katy Gallagher
THE PHOENIX BAR
TUESDAY MAY 2
TRANSIT BAR
TALKS
Canberra’s Slow Turismo have offered up a tongue in cheek ‘cult classic’ video for their latest single ‘You Were Dead’. Their music nestles in between several genres, and their new video is no different. The sound of intricate guitars, scattered drumbeats, groovy bass, and lush vocal harmonies mix seamlessly into video production. Join them for their single launch with Slumberhaze and Video Breezy. 9pm. $10.
APRIL 29 – MAY 4
Well known for their energetic live performances and intricate guitar work, Death By Stereo perfectly blend their own unique mix of fast paced punk, hardcore and metal. Since emerging out of Orange County, California almost 20 years ago, Death By Stereo have released a number of highly acclaimed records via labels, including the iconic Epitaph Records. Support from Yoko Oh No, Sketch Method and Fight Milk. $28.60 via Oztix. THE BASEMENT
The Unmourned by Meg & Tom Keneally 6pm. $20. Discover the latest novel in the gripping historical crime series Monsarrat. NATIONAL LIBRARY OF AUSTRALIA
THEATRE Avenue Q: The Musical
Tickets at theq.net.au. 8pm. 2pm matinees on May 6 and May 13. QUEANBEYAN PERFORMING ARTS CENTRE
THURSDAY MAY 4
Ultrafox
$22/$15. 7.30pm. THE GODS CAFE
TRIVIA Chris Endrey’s Alternative Facts Trivia 6.30pm.
THE PHOENIX BAR
WORKSHOPS Indigenous Filmmaking
Short film workshops with Marissa McDowell for emerging Indigenous filmmakers. 10am–2pm. Free. TUGGERANONG ARTS CENTRE
ART EXHIBITIONS M16 Artspace Exhibitions
Until May 21. Recent Small Paintings, Together Apart, The Palm House & Green Space. M16 ARTSPACE
Violet’s Park
Commemorative artwork celebrating the life of Ngunnawal Elder Violet Bulger. Free. 10:30am-12pm. TUGGERANONG ARTS CENTRE
FAUNAcation
16 local artists challenge the viewers’ perception of animals and how our actions cause them harm. Free.
Walpurgis Nacht: Halloween Night
8pm. Free.
THE BASEMENT
Fine gypsy jazz from Melbourne. Supported by Black Mountain String Band. 7pm. $15/$10.
ART EXHIBITIONS
ON THE TOWN
Until May 28.
CANBERRA GLASSWORKS
LIVE MUSIC
Lunchulele
Athol Shmith Fashion Photographs
Ali Penney & The Moneymakers
With The Dead Men. 8pm.
Canberra Chordsmen
With Strange Weather Gospel Choir. $25/12. WESLEY UNITING CHURCH
THEATRE Dracula
Info at canberratheatrecentre.com.au. THE PLAYHOUSE
Avenue Q: The Musical
Tickets at theq.net.au. 8pm. 2pm matinees on May 6 and May 13. QUEANBEYAN PERFORMING ARTS CENTRE
WORKSHOPS Femme to be Masc
Writing and dance workshops exploring masculinities with Max Burgess and Ashley Thomson. 10am–5pm. TUGGERANONG ARTS CENTRE
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THE PHOENIX BAR
Ultrafox
SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE
Doctor Procter’s Monday lunchtime ukulele singalong for absolute beginners. 12pm. Free.
WEDNESDAY MAY 3
Tom Rowney & Zeljko Markov Exhibition
TUGGERANONG ARTS CENTRE
KARAOKE Kegs n Karaoke 9pm.
THE PHOENIX BAR
7pm.
SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE
Until Jul 16. This small exhibition showcases Athol Shmith’s elegant, bold and experimental photographs.
TALKS
Native Birds in Full Colour
KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB
Warney Uncut
TIDBINBILLA NATURE RESERVE
6pm. Full line-up and tickets TBA.
Tickets and info at warneyuncut.com.au or canberratheatre.com.au. CANBERRA THEATRE CENTRE
NATIONAL LIBRARY OF AUSTRALIA
NATIONAL PRESS CLUB
Woodface Duo 9pm. Free.
Until Jun 30.
Proxemics
Melodrama in Meiji Japan
TRANSIT BAR
Until Aug 27. Step into the tumultuous world of Meiji Japan (1868–1912), through a selection of stunning woodblock illustrations. Free. NATIONAL LIBRARY OF AUSTRALIA
THEATRE Avenue Q: The Musical
Tickets at theq.net.au. 8pm. 2pm matinees on May 6 and May 13. QUEANBEYAN PERFORMING ARTS CENTRE
@bmamag
[ENTERTAINMENT GUIDE] THURSDAY MAY 4 WORKSHOPS Smith’s Scribblers
Lunchtime life drawing. 12:30pm. $15/$10.
WORKSHOPS Indigenous Filmmaking
Short film workshops with Marissa McDowell for emerging Indigenous filmmakers. 10am–2pm. Free. TUGGERANONG ARTS CENTRE
SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE
FRIDAY MAY 5 LIVE MUSIC Invasion Fest ACT
Featuring Desecrator, Hidden Intent, Sewercide and more. 6pm. $24.50 via Oztix. THE BASEMENT
The Whitlams
SATURDAY MAY 6 ART EXHIBITIONS M16 Artspace Exhibitions
Until May 21. Recent Small Paintings, Together Apart, The Palm House & Green Space. M16 ARTSPACE
Tom Rowney & Zeljko Markov Exhibition Until May 28.
CANBERRA GLASSWORKS
Studio Open Day
CANBERRA THEATRE CENTRE
Ryan David/Oscar 5pm/10pm. Free.
KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB
Keith Hall Blues Band (SA) – Friday Night Live
Until Jul 16. This small exhibition showcases Athol Shmith’s elegant, bold and experimental photographs. Until Jun 30.
TIDBINBILLA NATURE RESERVE
Melodrama in Meiji Japan
Until Aug 27. Step into the tumultuous world of Meiji Japan (1868–1912), through a selection of stunning woodblock illustrations. Free. NATIONAL LIBRARY OF AUSTRALIA
DANCE Velvet
May 3–14. Info at canberratheatrecentre.com.au. THE PLAYHOUSE
20th Spanish Film Festival Highlights PALACE ELECTRIC CINEMA
LIVE MUSIC Heuristic
KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB
Tubular Bells for Two
Tickets at thestreet.org.au. THE STREET THEATRE
With Cumbia Cosmonauts and Rayjah45. $20/$15 from 8pm. THE POLISH WHITE EAGLE CLUB
THE STREET THEATRE
Write Here
SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE
THEATRE Avenue Q: The Musical
Tickets at theq.net.au. 8pm. 2pm matinees on May 6 and May 13.
Melodrama in Meiji Japan
Until Aug 27. Step into the tumultuous world of Meiji Japan (1868–1912), through a selection of stunning woodblock illustrations. Free. NATIONAL LIBRARY OF AUSTRALIA
ART EXHIBITIONS
COMEDY
FAUNAcation
Akmal – Trial & Error
16 local artists challenge the viewers’ perception of animals and how our actions cause them harm. Free. TUGGERANONG ARTS CENTRE
Lunchulele
8pm. Info at canberratheatrecentre. com.au. THE PLAYHOUSE
DANCE Velvet
May 3–14. Info at canberratheatrecentre.com.au. THE PLAYHOUSE
The Worf Revue
Tubular Bells for Two
One man’s affinity with all things French, told through physical theatre, burlesque and music. 11:55pm. $15/$10.
TIDBINBILLA NATURE RESERVE
Indigenous Filmmaking
SOMETHING DIFFERENT
Ben Noir’s French Cabaret Up Late!
Until Jun 30.
WORKSHOPS
Digital Cumbia + Global Bass
Tickets at thestreet.org.au.
MONDAY MAY 8
Native Birds in Full Colour
Native Birds in Full Colour
Bella Groove
TUGGERANONG ARTS CENTRE
THE STREET THEATRE
NATIONAL LIBRARY OF AUSTRALIA
NATIONAL LIBRARY OF AUSTRALIA
10pm. Free.
Jazz vocalist and flautist Elise Walsh, pianist Hugh Barrett, Eric Ajaye on double bass. $10. 6pm.
Tickets at thestreet.org.au.
Until Jul 16. This small exhibition showcases Athol Shmith’s elegant, bold and experimental photographs.
LIVE MUSIC
Piano and vocals with a dose of the blues, a spattering of funk and a sprinkling of soul and boogie. $15. 7:30pm. SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE
Tubular Bells for Two
Athol Shmith Fashion Photographs
SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE
Apr 19 – May 7.
Ali Penney and the Money Makers
KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB
Athol Shmith Fashion Photographs
Lee Kernaghan ROYAL THEATRE
Irish Jam Session
Traditional Irish musicians in the pub from late afternoon. Free.
Doctor Procter’s Monday lunchtime ukulele singalong for absolute beginners. 12pm. Free.
FILM
Boys From The Bush 25th anniversary tour. Tickets at Ticketek.
LIVE MUSIC
ON THE TOWN
Powerful vocals & a super tight band; so get ready to Boogie & Rock all night long 8pm. Free. HARMONIE GERMAN CLUB
SUNDAY MAY 7
ANCA’s studio artists are opening their doors and showcasing some of their work. ANCA GALLERY
Australian musical institution The Whitlams will mark the 25th anniversary of their scrappy genesis with a national orchestral tour. Adding an air of aural sophistication to lead singer-songwriter Tim Freedman’s pop smarts, the full orchestral treatment will be given to their classic hits including ‘Blow Up the Pokies’, ‘No Aphrodisiac’, ‘Thank You (For Loving Me At My Worst)’ and many more, under the baton of the National Pops Orchestra. Tickets at canberratheatrecentre.com.au.
MAY 4 – MAY 11
The monthly writing meet-up where you can work towards your goals and meet new like-minded friends! SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE
THEATRE
Short film workshops with Marissa McDowell for emerging Indigenous filmmakers. 10am-2pm. Free. TUGGERANONG ARTS CENTRE
TUESDAY MAY 9 KARAOKE #KaraokeLove 9pm. Free entry. TRANSIT BAR
WEDNESDAY MAY 10 ART EXHIBITIONS M16 Artspace Exhibitions
Until May 21. Recent Small Paintings, Together Apart, The Palm House & Green Space. M16 ARTSPACE
Tom Rowney & Zeljko Markov Exhibition Until May 28.
CANBERRA GLASSWORKS
Theatre cabaret featuring some of Canberra’s nerdiest and most attractive young talent. 7pm. $20. SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE
THEATRE Avenue Q: The Musical
Tickets at theq.net.au. 8pm. 2pm matinees on May 6 and May 13. QUEANBEYAN PERFORMING ARTS CENTRE
Cold Light
Frank Moorhouse’s novel adapted by Alana Valentine. 7:30pm. $55 + bf via thestreet.org.au. THE STREET THEATRE
THURSDAY MAY 11 ART EXHIBITIONS FAUNAcation
16 local artists challenge the viewers’ perception of animals and how our actions cause them harm. Free. TUGGERANONG ARTS CENTRE
COMEDY Julia Morris
Tickets and info at livenation.com.au. CANBERRA THEATRE CENTRE
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Avenue Q: The Musical
Tickets at theq.net.au. 8pm. 2pm matinees on May 6 and May 13. QUEANBEYAN PERFORMING ARTS CENTRE
QUEANBEYAN PERFORMING ARTS CENTRE
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OUT MAY 10 PAGE 69
FIRST CONTACT Aaron Peacey 0410381306 band.afternoon.shift@ gmail.com.au Adam Hole 0421023226 Afternoon Shift 0402055314 Amphibian Sound PA Clare 0410308288 Annie & The Armadillos Annie (02) 61611078/ 0422076313
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
Johnny Roadkill Paulie 0408287672 paulie_mcmillan@live.com.au Kayo Marbilus facebook.com/kayomarbilus1 Kurt’s Metalworx (PA) 0417025792 Los Chavos Latin/ska/reggae Rafa 0406647296 Andy 0401572150
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