BMA Mag 311 02 Oct 2008

THREE11 October 02.08

SMASHING A GUITAR NEAR YOU THIS SPRING

bma magazine

bma magazine

FREE STUFF It’s time to deck yourself out in your best hypercolour t-shirts and score some stuff for free. Sling down an answer to the questions provided, and whip it off to: editorial@bmamag.com And the your stomach will get that warm fuziness that only getting something for nothing can create.

Got Any Gum? Gumby, the lovable green clay humanoid is back! That’s right, we’ve got three copies of the box set, Gumby Volume Two – The ’80s up for grabs. Gumby’s adventures have enthralled and captured the hearts of young and old alike since the ’50s. This box set features all available episodes of Gumby from the ’80s and includes the Emmy Award-winning documentary Gumby Dharma as well as an episode guide with foreword written by Art Clokey’s son Joe. So crack out the Play Do and prepare to release your inner child. With the help of his friends Pokey, Prickle and Goo, Gumby spread a message of friendship and compassion, so get ready to be swept away into a world of fantasy that only Gumby could create. This set is an essential addition to your collection for anyone who was touched by our favourite little green man. To win tell us, what was the name of Gumby’s younger sister?

The Streets of London With three albums under his belt, our favourite crazy Pom, The Streets, aka Mike Skinner has just released his new brand spanking new album Everything Is Borrowed.

Described as having ‘the sound of an inner monologue’ Everything Is Borrowed is all about peaceful, optimistic and positive vibes. This new album is a breath of fresh air for Skinner’s fans, following the darker vibes from his previous albums. Mike Skinner has made an album that will console the lonely and bring a smile to the saddest visage.

So if you sad sods are up for it, BMA has five copies up for grabs.

To get your grubby little mitts on these bad boys, tell us, what is the name of The Streets’ first album?

There Goes My Hero(es) It’s a bird! It’s a plane! No, its Heroes – Season 2! BMA has three copies lying around the office just waiting for one of you to get your greasy little hands on. Heroes is an epic drama that tells the story of a bunch of ordinary people who discover they have amazing superpowers after a total eclipse plunges the world into darkness, seemingly calling on a number of supernatural forces. The first season of Heroes was much acclaimed, receiving numerous awards and award nominations.

So come on, rejoin the super revolution. In season two you will experience all the new twists and turns, all in one four-disc set which includes every gripping episode from season two. The set includes many exclusive bonus features that reveal the untold stories that were never aired, and an alternate ending to the season finale. To win, just tell us which hero has the ability to manipulate electricity?

Beating Around the Bush If you were worried that dense, high-quality script-writing with emotional depth and powerful drama might be making a comeback and in the process eclipsing the swag of quality teen comedies of the past decade, then fear not.

From Howard Deutch, director

of The Whole Ten Yards and Pretty in Pink, My Best Friends Girl tells the touching, yet comedically tragic tale of Dustin (Jason Biggs) who, after being dumped after only five weeks by his dream girl Alexis (Kate Hudson), turns to his

best friend Tank, who specialises in giving the ex-girlfriends of freshly-shafted guys a dating experience so horrible (horrible yet hilarious, remember), that they run gratefully back into the arms of their former blokes. If you thought American Pie, Superbad, and The X Files: I Want to Believe were outrageous, side-splitting comedies, then you’ll love My Best Friend’s Girl. If you and your ICBM hook-up of last Saturday would like to score one of ten double passes to this flick so you can neck in the back row, simply tell us the most shameful thing you’ve done to try to change the mind of an exie.

Under The Sea Sealab 2021 sees our favourite gang of misfits investigate underwater colonisation.

With nearly no morals or professionalism, it is easy to mistake the animated underwater headquarters for the BMA office, and we’ve got three copies of Sealab Vol 3 up for grabs. With the same loveable characters from past seasons such as Captain Hazel “Hank” Murphy (who leaves after the fourth episode to fight in the ‘Great Spice Wars’, to be replaced by Captain Bellerophon “Tornado” Shanks after replying to a help wanted sign), the token dumb blonde Debbie DuPuree who claims that being a filthy whore is all she knows, Derek “Stormy” Waters, the station’s resident pretty boy who loves a great coleslaw, Doctor Quentin Q. Quinn, token black guy and the smartest of the lot, Jodene Sparks the sarcastic and seemingly crippled radio operator, and let’s not forget the macho man, wannabe Latin lover Marco Rodrigo Diaz de Vivar Gabriel Garcia Marquez. So if you’re a fan from way back, write in and tell us what is the name of the chubby little boy who talks in Dolphin noises and is the target of never ending fat jokes? And no, the answer is not Kevin Rudd.

STRUTH BE TOLD MUSIC NEWS So taken with Sufjan Steven’s vow to write an album for each American state, Canberra punk outfit Nun Spew have embarked on a mission to write one song for each Australian territory. The two tracks, titled ACT Sucks and Northern Territory Sucks are due for release later this lifetime. The band made the announcement during a surprise press conference at a local car park.

Fans of legendary ’90s rockers Guns N Roses were so passionate they would throw actual guns and roses on stage. While the same kind of behaviour would benefit acts such as The Beautiful Girls and 50 Cent (who could make an extra $1000 per concert in change), the same can’t be said for Jet – a band spokesman saying their greatest fear is having an Australian domestic flight landing on them. Other bands such as Gorillaz and The Bees have stated that having quantities of their namesake hurled on stage would ultimately inhibit their performance.

Britney Spears has said she wouldn’t have a problem.

The entire first season of Rage has been sold on E-Bay. The nine hundred VHS collection, spanning from 1987-1988 was sold to Ernie Baker, from Toowoomba who was quoted as saying “I was trying to bid on a rake, I’m pissed.”

Pete Doherty has become the face of Google Earth. The troubled UK musician has signed an exclusive contract with the internet giant, and will endorse the product across all forms of media. A spokesman for Google said that Doherty was the perfect match to the newly developed global software. Doherty has stated that he often needs to visit the site to work out which city he’s in. “There I am, with my laptop – see, next to that tree. Now I’m waving.” Rumour has it Hunter S. Thompson was the company’s first choice, until an incident where he shot down one of the satellites.

The recording industry is in shock after a major label whistle blower released a document stating that the ARIA Top 50 is not based on actual record sales at all but a weekend urination competition. The anonymous informant said she was often witness to a Friday night meeting of the heads of the Australian majors who would “take it in turns trying to wee the highest up a brick wall”. She alleges that the results directly affected which record company’s featured single would crack the top ten. She said the system was unfair as ABC Music is fronted by a woman, and said in future there needed to be a handicap system.

Gympie country radio station Howdy106, has announced that it’s going to stage its own Hottest 100. Unlike the popular youth radio station Triple J’s annual poll, the field will be made up entirely of Slim Dusty albums. Listeners can vote on which of Dusty’s hundred albums was their favourite, and then hear the entire list played back to back. The poll is scheduled to be aired during January.

Goldfrapp are rumoured to be doing a deal with a global café chain to produce its own line of themed drinks. The ‘Goldfrappuccinos’ will come in musical cups that play the band’s latest single when warm.

John Farnham is set to re-release his 1990 hit Burn For You as an official anthem against musical piracy. Farnham, who has previously stated his sales haven’t been affected by file sharing because “my fans don’t know how to do it”, has come out in defence of independent artists. The song will have revised lyrics in the chorus “If I burn for you, what will the artist do?”

Rage Against the Machine will tour later in the year, supported by Things of Stone and Wood.

JUSTIN HEAZLEWOOD www.bedroomphilosopher.com bma magazine 9

NEWS White Light, White Streets

Aprca Cadabra

It’s been a long time coming but finally Mary Jane Kelly have announced the release of their debut album Our Streets Turn White. They describe themselves as just four best friends hanging out, but they are much more, consisting of a selfconfessed melodramatic frontman, a heavy metal-loving steakhouseemployee guitarist, a refrigerator mechanic/bass player and a 17 year old drummer who is still in school. Boasting an energetic and unique live show, this tour will not fail to live up to the hype. Having shared the stage with such iconic bands as A Wilhelm Scream, Lifetime, Bring Me The Horizon, The Ghost Inside, Parkway Drive, Miles Away, I Killed The Prom Queen, Irrelevant, Carpathian, Break Even and many more, Mary Jane Kelly are a band to watch. So all you youngsters make sure you’re at Tuggers Youth Centre on November 15, tickets are $20 at the door.

APRA AMCOS is the place to be for Aussie songwriters and composers.

A hub of information about song writing, copyright, plus all the latest industry news and events, all delivered via a vibrant, easy-to-use site.

The site features easy-to-use navigation, an industry events calendar, improved functionality, and easy access to online facilities for members and clients. So all you budding artists and composers, make sure you visit the new site at www.apra-amcos.com.au.

By Your Powers Combined For all you tree-hugging hippies out there, get on your bikes and get yourself down to Garema Place in the Civic Centre this October 4 for the Love Earth Gathering. The event is promoting awareness of the climate change crisis and what we can do to lower our carbon foot print. The concerned citizens of Canberra are calling on your help to change the planet. Love Earth Gathering will aim to encourage the world to adopt a vegetarian/vegan lifestyle so as to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and like the mighty green super heroes they are, save the world. And don’t forget the free vegetarian lunch included. Go veg, Go green, save the world.

Herman's Hermits After the overwhelming success of Hermitude’s last album Threads, the group has have just announced their new Threadbare Tour. Hermitude consists of Luke Dubber (aka Luke Dus) and Angus Stuart (aka Elgusto) and are currently based in the Blue Mountains. Partnering up with Horrorshow, whose debut album The Grey Space saw them cause the biggest buzz in the hip-hop scene this year, Hermitude will be hitting the road and coming to Canberra on October 29, and you will have no excuse not be there; it’s a free show! That’s right, all you cheap arses out there, you’ve got no excuse! So get yourselves down to the Transit Bar on the 29th.

The Earth is Turning The Conservation Council’s biggest annual fundraising event, the Now or Never Land Conservation Council Dinner, is fast approaching. The dinner will be held at DeVine Function Centre on Friday October 17, and will undoubtedly be an evening of fine food, wine and entertainment, along with special guest speaker Peter Garret (Commonwealth Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts and one of Oz’s best rockers), a live auction, lucky door prizes, a raffle, and live entertainment from the Andi and George Band. So bring your friends, family, and colleagues along, schmucks! Tickets are $900 for a table of ten, ecoACTivist tickets $85, early bird tickets (until Sep 30) $90, and regular tickets (from Oct 1) $100.

Tickets include a pre dinner drink, canapés and a three course meal.

Fun In The Sun Those fabulous Sydney lovelies, Youth Group and theredsunband, are about to kick off on a huge 18 date co-headlining tour. The two bands have been close ever since theredsunband supported Youth Group six years ago at the Hopetoun Hotel. Armed with a 1952 Australian penny, frontwoman of theredsunband Sarah Kelly, and lead singer of Youth Group Toby Martin, met at Erskineville Oval to flip the coin to decide which of the bands would headline on their upcoming tour. They will be visiting our humble city on November 6 and will be supported by Laura Imbruglia. The bands will be sharing a bus, gear and beer, so be sure not to miss it. It's gonna be hot.

Lost In The Maze April Maze and Quinn Band are two of the hottest up and coming bands to come out of Melbourne, and they’re joining forces for a whirlwind mini tour of the Australia’s southern states to promote their new releases, with a quick stop-over in the 'berr later this month. Co-headlining, these bands compliment each other’s style perfectly, with both boasting an original mix of folk, acoustic, reggae and soulful roots. Plus, its all for a good cause, namely, to raise awareness of the plight of the marine and coastal environment in the Kimberly region. So pencil it in for October 25 at The Pheonix, y'all. Think of Nemo.

Mofo On A Motorcycle Our favourite electropop wolves, Pomomofo, have just announced their new tour.

Pomomofo are preparing to head off in order to celebrate the release of their second EP In Super VGA on the In Super VGA tour. Pomomofo started off writing chaotic tunes and won the Jim Beam state band competition. Now, boasting an energetic live show and a myriad of witty lyrics this is sure to be one for the diary. Having played strong supports alongside Cornelius, The Presets, Midnight Juggernauts and Sneaky Sound System, you know now they are a band to keep an eye on. No excuses. Pomomofo will be playing at the Transit Bar on November 1.

All Hands Australia’s most celebrated keyboard playing brothers, The Hands have just announced that they will grace the nation's capital with their presence, with a gig at the Transit Bar on October 9. Clayton and Lachlan Doley are Australia’s original soul, funk and pop brothers. Born and bred Adelaide boys, it has not been an easy road for The Hands, both teaching themselves to play until Clayton moved to Sydney where he met Jackie Orszaczky who soon became the boys’ mentor. Soon enough, Clayton could not reach the demand for his talents and that’s where brother Lachlan came in. The boys have played alongside such legendary artists as Kasey Chambers, The Whitlams, Powderfinger, Jimmy Barnes, Billy Thorpe, Jon Stevens, Richard Clapton, Silverchair, The Beautiful Girls, Diesel, Karma County, and Jodi Phillis. The brothers garner much respect from their peers, fans and music critiques alike, so be sure not to miss it.

Every Cloud...

The Byron Bay Arts and Music Festival has been cancelled. That’s right my friends, due to a cranky local council the show will not go on. With an epic line-up including Franz Ferdinand, The Hives, The Cat Empire, The Kooks, The Grates, Gomez, Faker, Tegan and Sara, Donavon Frankenreiter, and Soko, it was sure to be a great time. But in seemingly unrelated news, Brisbane’s Sunset Sounds has just been announced! To be held on the same dates! Featuring an extraordinary line-up stretched over two days including The Hives, The Cat Empire, The Kooks, Tegan and Sara, Sharon Jones and The Dap-kings, Gomez, Soko, Yves Klein Blue, Franz Ferdinand, The Grates, Santogold, Donavon Frankenreiter, Ash Grunwald, CW Stoneking, and I Heart Hiroshima.

AND ANOTHER THING...

YOU PISSED ME OFF Has someone yanked yer chain recently? Well, send an email to editorial@bmamag.com and have your sweet vengeance. And for the love of God, keep it brief! ALL ENTRIES CONTAIN GENUINE SPELLINGS.

When I were a lad, and just starting out on my musical journey, Asia were about as big as it got outside of the wonderful and frightening worlds of Michael Jackson and Dire Straits. A true ‘supergroup’, fused from elements of English pastoral pomp rock Gods Yes (guitarist Steve Howe and keyboarder Geoffrey Downes), Emerson, Lake and Palmer (the eponymous human Octopus Carl Palmer, drummer extraordinary and wearer of disturbing spangly shoes) and featuring bassist/vocalist John Wetton, a cornerstone of such seventies Britrock icons as King Crimson and Roxy Music and alumnus of Uriah Heep and Wishbone Ash, this band literally bestrode the rock scene – especially the American rock scene – like four hippy colossi, a band so comfortable within their reputations that they could churn out four minute pop nuggets of the calibre of Only Time Will Tell and Heat of the Moment on the one hand whilst still coming up with prog classics like Time Again and Cutting it Fine, all within the confines of one spectacularly successful debut album, the masterful Asia, which came out in 1982.

Asia was followed by the only marginally less successful Alpha, which, whilst still featuring the hit singles (this time in the form of the perky Don’t Cry and the rather more tempered The Smile Has Left Your Eyes) was a little light-on in the effortless noodlery department so beloved of the mulleted and moustachioed male element of their fan base.

Sales faltered, egos came into play, Steve Howe left before third album Astra appeared and the bands headlong descent towards ‘reduced circumstance’ appearances in Irish pubs in the Midwest began. He returned for 1992’s Aqua – by which time Wetton had legged it – but the spark had gone, and for the next decade and a half Downes carried the flame manfully but ever-less-succesfully – until now.

That’s right. The original lineup is back for Phoenix, the band’s tenth album, and whilst it isn’t quite up there with the first two, it has to be said that this album comes as a complete breath of fresh air to jaded forty-year old ears. Opening up with the strident Never Again – perhaps the most overtly ‘traditional’ Asia song on offer here, rolling in as it does on a stentorian Howe riff before giving way to Wetton’s honeyed delivery and a stone-gold ‘eighties’ chorus – Asia really don’t put a foot wrong here; much of the lyrical content is optimistic, written in the aftermath of Wetton’s open heart surgery, and the words complement the uplifting nature of the music perfectly. Never Again aside, most of the songs here are propelled by Downes’ symphonic keyboard work – the whistful Nothing’s Forever in particular benefits from some prime parping from the man behind Video Killed the Radio Star, whilst Shadow of a Doubt – surely the best song from 1984 never heard before – is, frankly, tearjerking in its perfect reconstruction of Thatcher-era teen abandonment soundtrack music.

Once you’ve dusted yourself down and dried your eyes after…Doubt, it’s into the home straight and the more familiar ground of three-part epic Parallel Worlds – at eight minutes the longest track here (although your interest won’t wane for a single of the 492 on offer in this song) – before ending with the tremendous parting shot of An Extraordinary Life which, somewhat incongruously, quotes Green Day’s Wake Me Up When September Ends in its spine tingling chorus – but without any ghastly mascaraed emo inference, obviously. It’s not often a record moves me to give over my column in it’s entirety to enthuse about the goodness within its grooves, but hell, when a record’s this good… enjoy.

SCOTT ADAMS thirtyyearsofrnr@hotmail.com

bma :: Issue311 www.bmamag.com "bma: the work experience girls keep coming back for more" Published by Radar Media Pty Ltd | ABN 76 097 301 730

bma is independently owned and published Opinions expressed in bma are not necessarily those of the editor, publisher or staff.

To the fuck-ugly pin-headed whore who abused me in the street for no good reason, YOU PISSED ME OFF. What the fuck gives you the right to speak to anyone in the manner you spoke to me? I don’t care what else might be going on in your life, to belittle a stranger in the street is not OK. For your trouble I wish upon you hurt of the worst kind. I hope you contract syphilis from whoring around town as you quire obviously do on a daily basis, and that your shit eating boyfriend recognises you for the gigantic slut you are. I wish pain upon you and upon any malformed, incestuous offspring who emerge from your diseaseriddled cunt.

To people who leave answering machine messages along the lines of: `Hey, it’s Geeeeee calling for Jurrrrrrrr and my number is Urrrrrrrrrr.’ Please, pixies, if you can abbreviate with text, you can enunciate on the phone. It’s not hard. Try this for starters. `Hi, it’s Jenny here,

leaving a message for Brian. Bri, baby, you are a total sex god and if you don’t call me back within the hour, this message will self destruct. Happy birthday for 29 September, cutie pie!

My number is XXX…I said, my number is XXX…’ I would, of course, leave home, work and moby numbers for a mission as important as this.

To girls who see white tiles and think `true confessions’.

I have, of late, spent a penny at some of the `better’ public toilets around Civic. When I go to public toilets, I generally have a specific purpose in mind. It is not to hear intimate details of what you got up to with your boyfriend the night before last, what you think of the workmate who didn’t join you for lunch and how you feel about your latest bout of acne, PMS, thrush, sciatica, whatever. Please – ladies – keep your voices down and let me go to the toilet in peace.

Know that naff American saying `too much information?’ You have crossed it – big time.

FROM THE BOSSMAN

Yes, spring has definitely sprung, as some wanker once said, and while this ushers in a pleasing display of winter-whitened flesh, and allows the foliage to don its best multi-coloured rave gear, with it comes one of Nature’s most heartbreaking sights; the dropped ice cream.

I first spied this lip-trembling image whilst taking a turn at Floriade with my dearly be-love-ed last Saturday. All the pretty flowers in the world couldn’t wrench the scarring image out of my head; that of the once sweet shard, now lying covered in dirt and dust. You just know that there’s a five year old somewhere, tears snaking down their crimson cheeks, snot bubbling from a nose in mourning of a fallen icy soldier that – dammit!

– should have been cooling their tummy and turning their mouth area an amusing hyper-red colour.

I think we all have experienced at least one 'back-in-Nam' style flashback, when our small probing tongue managed to topple the creamy goodness from its waffly plinth (or, indeed, when an overzealous squeeze of the Calippo slip shot the sorbet spear groundwards). Just thinking about it now is making my eyes glaze over, sparking The Doors' The End from the opening of Apocalypse Now to play in my head.

So remember all; the warmer weather may be conducive to good times, but it’s all fun and games until someone loses an ice cream.

ALLAN “SOFT SERVE” SKO

Fax: 02 6257 4361 Mail: PO Box 713 Civic Square, ACT 2608 Publisher Scott Layne General Manager & Advertising Manager Allan Sko: T: (02) 6257 4360 E: advertising@bmamag.com Editor Ben Hermann: T: (02) 6257 4456 E: editorial@bmamag.com Accounts Manager Fahim Shahnoor : T: (02) 6247 4816 E: accounts@bmamag.com

Super Sub Editor Julia Winterflood Graphic Design Jessica Condi Film Editor Mark Russell Principal Photographers (The Flashbulb Posse) Andrew Mayo/Nick Brightman/John Hatfield Issue 312 Out October 16 Editorial Deadline October 7 Advertising Deadline October 9

bma magazine 11

TIDBITS WHO CHICK FLICK WHAT CHICKS THAT ROCK WHERE THE PHOENIX WHEN SATURDAY OCTOBER 11

WHO SURVIVAL WHAT LONG-TIME D&B MASTER WHERE MERCURY BAR WHEN FRIDAY OCTOBER 3

Brisbane’s very own all girl rock group, Chick Flick are preparing to make a Lycra-clad appearance at The Pheonix on October 11. Chick Flick have been breaking down gender barriers in a highly male industry for five years now, and they aren’t showing any signs of slowing down. Including some of the hottest middle aged women I’ve ever seen dressed in gothic lingerie, you won’t want to miss their guitar driven tough riffs and wailing vocals in their energetic live act. Whilst most mums sit at home watching Mornings with Kerri Anne, these gals have created their own brand of rock and roll which has been described as the female version of AC/DC. The girls have just finished recording their second EP Ladder 69 and are preparing to jump in the Tarago to bring us the very best of their sexy rock show to us lucky Canberrans. So tell your mum to get off the couch, and join you at The Pheonix on October 11, to see just how cool they could be. ELIZABETH COWLEY Survival, aka Steve Kielty, is one of drum and bass’ most respected names. Well and truly living up to his name, Survival is preparing to make his comeback after being in the industry for 15 years, not just as a performer but also producing and engineering with other artists since 1993, which was when he started his musical career as a studio engineer and working on projects such as Akustic Research and Banaczech. Steve took a break from producing and worked as a studio manager until 2005 when he resurfaced as Survival.

After releasing several songs, people took notice. His distinctive style, organic sound and studio skills have come from years of experience resulting in an extremely high demand for his music as well as a reputation as one of the pioneers of drum and bass. So prepare yourselves ladies and gents for a lesson in the art of drum and bass from the master, but only if you can survive the night. ELIZABETH COWLEY

WHO DEAD RIOT WHAT BRISVEGAS PUNK/REGGAE WHERE GREENROOM WHEN SUNDAY OCTOBER 5

Young Brisbane punk reggae outfit, Dead Riot are preparing to bring their unique brand of punk, reggae rockabilly to our humble city in order to celebrate the launch of their brand new video clip. That’s right youngsters, prepare yourselves, Dead Riot are going all out with this one; never ones to shy away from mixing it up, they will be featuring an eclectic line up of support acts from Free Agent Crew, All in Brawl, Ashton Skies, and The Toxic Men. The band formed less than three years ago and has already played with bands such as The Basics, Rob Hirst and the Ghostwriters, Unpaid Debt, Bomba and The Skins, Blue King Brown, Casino Rumblers, Stepping Razor, Grassroots Street Orchestra, Wiseacre, The Fumes and many more. You won’t want to miss out on this one kids as it’s sure to be a hell of a time, so jump on your scooter and get your pretty little selves to the Green Room on Sunday October 5 or this kickin's all-ages show. With a promising album behind them, Dead Riot are a band to watch. Tickets are $10 at the door, and doors open at 1pm. ELIZABETH COWLEY

WHO MEGAFAUNA FEST WHAT ROCKIN' BANDS FROM THE ROCKIN' REGION WHERE ANU BAR WHEN SATURDAY OCTOBER 11

Megafauna is back! The hairiest show since David Hasselhoff was last in Canberra! One of Canberra’s best rock festivals, Megafauna will be returning October 11 at the ANU Bar, so be sure not to miss it. Featuring 15 of your favourite bands across two stages for a massive ten hours! But it’s all for a good cause, with all the benefits going towards the Australian Cancer Research Foundation. This year’s line up is even better that last, featuring acts including The Nation Blue (Melbourne), Casual Projects, Pod People, Cuthbert & the Night Walkers (Sydney), Hytest (Wollongong), Hancock Basement, Super Best Friends, Boonhorse (ex LOG), Penguin, Cool Weapon, The Cherry Marines, Tres Terros Cuntos, Inside the Exterior and Pink & Diabolik. And let's not forget the circus sideshow, barbeque and prizes! So for a rockin’ good time, get yourself down to the ANU Bar this October 11. Tickets are only $20 at the door so be sure to get in early, and it’s strictly 18+. ELIZABETH COWLEY

WHO THE GREENS WHAT ART FOR A GOOD CAUSE WHERE THE FRONT, LYNEHAM WHEN OCTOBER 7-12

Art4TheGreens is a collection of Canberra and Australia’s most promising up and coming artists. The ACT Greens have collected some of the best artworks from such artists as Judy Horacek, Geoff Pryor, Catherine Bennetts-Cash and Emily Blenkin, as well as up and coming artists who are soon to become Australia’s best artistic talents fresh out of the ANU Art School. Some of Canberra’s most prestigious art collectors have given up their piece of Australia all for the ACT Greens’ cause. So don’t miss it - get yourself down to the Front Gallery on Wattle Street, Lyneham where art will be exhibited from the October 7 - 12. The art will be auctioned off to anyone who wants to own their own little piece of Australia, and auctions will start at 7pm on October 9, featuring live music from Amy Dunham. ELIZABETH COWLEY

WHO KIAI ACADEMY WHAT SYDNEY ALT/POSTPUNK WHERE TUGGERANONG YOUTH CENTRE WHEN FRIDAY OCTOBER 10

Prepare yourselves fellow Canberrans, Sydney’s Kiai Academy heading out on their Artillery of Words tour, in order to launch their new EP. Kiai Academy’s sound is raw, soulful, intelligent, personal, and infectious - just the way music should be. This young rock/post punk/alternative outfit are set to have tongues wagging when they play the Tuggeranong Youth Centre on October 10. With a fresh sound all of their own, and delivering every song with passion and intensity, you won’t want to miss out. Kiai have made it their mission to defy trends and produce an individual EP that pushes the boundaries of how we perceive music. This is a band that are constantly changing the way we think about music and will keep pushing those boundaries for a long time to come. So kids, chuck on your Cons and get yourselves to the Tuggeranong Youth Centre on October 10. Tickets are $10. ELIZABETH COWLEY

7 Akuna St

Canberra City

ALL SHOWS FREE ENTRY

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13

Erin Cook I’ve seen THE VINES live twice now and both shows were over the calibre of near-legendary, for completely opposing reasons. If it weren’t for Craig Nicholls’ cartoon-character-type uniform of jeans and green jacket, I’d be forgiven for thinking they were two entirely separate entities. The first show, a main-stage set at 2003’s Big Day Out was one of the worst, yet one of the most comical events I’ve ever seen grace a stage. Alternating between throwing his Fender over his head or barely mumbling the lyrics to his own songs, Nicholls’ erratic behaviour was the subject of speculation among the music media and sunburnt punters alike and was also rumoured to have caused the Vines to be banned from any further tours on the lucrative BDO circuit.

But maybe because he never accepted it as a nail in the New Rock coffin so to speak, “We played in Brisbane and Fab (Moretti, of the Strokes) was there ‘cus he was touring with Har Mar Superstar... and he was like ‘yeah, man! we were part of something!”, saying it like it’s over’ Rosser says, expressing his obvious bafflement at the concept of, as he puts it, garage rock being ‘over’ or just merely a passing trend. Although he his quick to admit that, “anything that becomes massively popular is bound to pass in time. At the moment we’ve got all these fringe-rock bands, I think they’re at the height of their powers now and in three years time it’ll be something else. It’s good to be part of it while it’s big, I suppose, rather than you chasing something that’s already passed.”

The second show, a Channel V-sponsored ‘exclusive’ filming my main girl Bec managed to find tickets for, was at the total other end of the spectrum. Recorded as a launch for the fourth album, Melodia, the set was nothing if not professional (and admittedly, at points a little dull). The only remnants of the ‘Crazy Craig’, as he’d been dubbed by the English press, seemed somewhat scripted - the occasional yelp or lassoing of the guitar was caught by the number of television cameras roaming the venue. But as the annoying Channel V hostess announced, the Vines were indeed back in force to take back what was taken from them.

Nor is he holding any grudges against the press, “You can’t shape popular opinion” he almost laughs. “You know we could have tried to jump on the next train straight away but you gotta stay true.”

Returning to the studio for Melodia was also a return for producer Rob Schnapf, who had not only been the man behind works from Beck, Foo Fighters and Elliott Smith, had also worked with the Vines previously on Highly Evolved. ”We knew what he is production sounded like and so we got back with him. If anything, you know, it was part of belief we could hit it again.” The extent of the influence of other bands is often an avenue of easy criticism for the band, a fact which Rosser is either entirely unaware of, or is merely unapologetic for it. Melodia, however, has welcomed a fresher selection of bands then the previous 60s rock dinosaur influences of the previous records. “We listened to a lot of the Killers, Muse was a very big influence on Craig and that comes through on songs like Jamola. Craig writes everything and it’s always back to the 60s with him”.

If ever there was to be a parable warning young and naive bands of the dangers of the hype machine and NME, the Vines’ story would be it. As it goes, Sydney band are plucked from obscurity, release a number of demos and EPs on the sly, before 2002’s Highly Evolved LP throws the band in to the spotlight - more so in the UK, US and Europe before a few spins of Get Free on Triple J make the band as loved in their homeland as elsewhere. After a series of articles touting the band as ‘the new Nirvana’ and one fourth of the ‘New Rock Revolution’ (putting the boys on par with Sweden’s the Hives, and Americans the White Stripes and the Strokes), the band seeming collapsed in a heap of hyperbole, Asperger’s diagnoses disappointing, follow up releases and the departure of founding member and bass player Patrick Matthews.

But all this is behind them now. Richard Kingsmill is among one of the recognisable faces (voices?) behind the Vines’ second wind, recently railing against the English press for their treatment of the band and congratulating the Vines for overcoming their difficult twists of fate to not just release Melodia, but to tour extensively throughout Australia in support of it, which they have never done before. Hamish Rosser seems oddly nonchalant about the turbulent course the band’s career took after he joined as drummer post-the recording of Highly Evolved in 2002.

Although Rosser is quick to admit that the best shows for them as a band have been in the UK, the comprehensive Australian tour is something he is very excited for, mentioning that he’s played the ANU before with other bands, but never with the Vines. “The shows will be awesome”, he says with unquestionable conviction and a massive laugh.

The Vines will play at the ANU Bar on Firday October 24, joined by Wolf & Cub. Tickets on sale from Ticketek.

Creeping Up Slowly

"Anything that becomes massively popular is bound to pass in time...

It's good to be part of it while it's big, rather than you chasing something that's already passed"

bma magazine 15

ALL AGES

Shimmy shimmy yea.

Undoubtedly people everywhere are waving their hands in the air like they just don’t care as the sun sprays smiling faces with vitamin D which may contain traces of

nuts and melanomas. It’s true, I’ve seen it with my own peepers.

Let's flashback one month ago to the colossal mass of grimfaced, droopy-eyed characters wandering the city with barely a drop of optimism between them.

It was sad.

But now it’s a changed place, I swear to god I even saw a kid at the goon bag hesitantly and seemingly painfully attempt to smile the other day. It was at this point ladies and gents that I realised things were getting good. Thanks mother nature. First things first, congratulations to the heat winners of the Make Poverty History battle of the bands that was held at Woden Youth Centre

the other night - well played.

Secondly to those who did not make it through, I was left in complete awe with the sets you played, you’re some of the best up and comers Canberra has seen.

Business as usual. They’re back once again, this time it’s personal.

That’s correct dear readers, Paqman will be gracing our presence once again in what can only be described as a ripping bill at the Greenroom.

PAQMAN

Come October 4 Paqman will headline an all ages show featuring mind fuck prodigies Pleased to Jive You and dance dance revolution replacement Rubycon. $5 out of the pocket at around 1:00pm will see you up those stairs in a flash. This show will no doubt be an extremely fun afternoon with three top bands mashing faces with musical brilliance. See you there.

Bam there it is.October 5 holds good news for all the party people in the place to be.

Brisbane punk/reggae band Dead Riot will be heading southward our way and straight towards the Greenroom. Supported by Free Agent Crew, All In Brawl, Ashton Skies and the Toxicmen, this show is set to be massive. A great full bill at the family friendly time of 1:00pm. Need I say more?

Possibly, if you are questioning whether it’s worth your time perhaps check out the www. bombshellzine.com review that gave Dead Riot 4/5. Word.

What sort of all ages or ‘youth’ column if you will, would it be without a youth centre show?

It scares me just thinking about it really. So in fear of having… fear, I proclaim: Tuggeranong Youth Centre will host MyOnus on Friday October 10. These guys really do know how to put on a good show so I highly recommend you check this one out. Kiai Academy (Syd) and Zero Degrees & Falling will also be playing the night which guarantees a good show for all the KIAI ACADEMY young ones.

Get on it.

I leave you today with something to think about:

Peace Love joshmolony@Hotmail.com

LOCALITY

I got picked up the other day. I was happily minding my own business, and logged onto my good ole’ facebook, only to find an expression of adoration from a lovely young Israeli man.“You are very beautiful Jewish Girl,” he said, “I want get know you?” So I was thinking, is there something that he knows that I don’t? Were my 13 years of Catholic schooling for nothing? Think about this loyal readers, and get back to me. This may also explain the kosher beef that appeared magically in my freezer last night. I swear I didn’t buy it.

Though not music related, it is great local news. BMA friendster Roger Harrison is getting Lycraed up (I’m assuming), for charity (as if he needs an excuse), for the C2K4K – which is an arduous one day charity cycling event on December 6, which starts at sea level by the beach at Tathra on the NSW South Coast and ends on the top of Mt Kosciuszko. The idea is that these (crazy) cats ride for sponsorship, in order to raise money for The Olivia Lambert Appeal, raising money to fund research by the Sydney Children’s Hospital to get a step closer to finding a cure for an aggressive form of childhood cancer called neuroblastoma. If you would like to help out, check out www.everydayher.com. au/c2k42008

ZERO DEGREES AND FALLING

Our darlings Zero Degrees and Falling have been recording songs at the foxtel studios for their spot on Scout TV. If you’d like to go have a geeze at the vid, head to http://blip. tv/file/1289549/ Regardless of where their roots lie, I’ve heard a

rumour that their next album is heading towards a dance/rock persuasion. Intriguing yes? Keep your eyes peeled for more info.

In case you didn’t know, Artsound (92.7FM) Radio is doing Friday Night Live on Fridays from 8-10pm. (No, it’s not a bunch of loudmouthed bogans running around to the commentary of washed up ex Big Brother housemates). It’s a selection of jazz musicians playing in various locations recorded by Artsound, hosted

by Chris Deacon and Lauren Black. Coming up, you’ll be able to catch Canberra’s own Johno

JONNO ZILBER Zilber live on air on October 6, followed by Michael Azzopardi & The Inner Circle Quintet on October 24, and The Greg Stott Band featuring John Mackey, and Mark Sutton on November 7. For more up-to-date info, get on to www.artsound.com.au.

A Friendly eminder that Stonefest is so superduper close. Oh yes, the University

of Canberra is awaiting your dancing feet to trample their lawns and drink all their booze, so, if you haven’t bought a ticket already, time is running out – head to www.ticketek.com.au to grab one, and catch the Dandy Warhols, Grinspoon, Regurgitator, Faker and a ton more. Doooo it, and while you’re there, come say hi to the BMA tent.

And finally, make sure you head to Rev at Bar 32 on a Friday night to check out the incredibly sexy DJ Talihina. It’ll be worth your while, believe you me.

Love and peace. The countdown is ooooon.xx CARRIE DENNES

DANCE: THE DROP “The king is dead, long live the king!” would be the best way to summarise the third round line-up for Foreshore.

Sadly, Nick Warren is no longer on the bill – probably caught in a prog trance in the British woodlands somewhere – but the mighty Sasha will take his place; a worthy replacement indeed. Sasha’s debut LP Airdrawndagger was an instant classic, and continues to stand as one of dance music’s finest pieces. Canberra narrowly missed out on a Sasha show some two and a half years ago when we were shunned for the bigger cities, but the allure of Foreshore was too much for even his holiness this time round.

Of course, Sasha isn’t the only announcement. Joining him will be The Aston Shuffle, Jeff Drake (Syd), Jaytech, Chris Fraser, Club Junque (Syd), The Hump Day Project (Syd), DJ Tass (Syd), Ben Henderson (Syd), RyFy, Ashley Feraude, DJ Just 1, Scott Fischer, Jamie Vale, Sean Kelly and Michael O’Rourke. So if that floats yer boat, nab yer ticket via Ticketek, Moshtix, Landspeed Records and Parliament clothing.

Never ones to be left behind, Trackside have announced the Sidetracked dance stage. This year, Will Styles of Funktrust DJs fame will be having a spin; the Soft Tigers DJs will be cracking out their eclectic sound wagon; local heroes D’Opus & Roshambo will unleash their increasingly honed and energised live hip-hop extravaganza; Pang DJs will show why their club night was voted #1 in the recent inthemix poll; and Milkbar Nick will again demonstrate why he considers Trackside to be “the best night of my life”. A Comedy Stage and triple j Unearthed comp have also been announced, so flip to their ad at the front for all the deets.

All hail the long weekend, and its many options to get severely trashed and consequently lose a whole day to bedsores. Kicking it all off on Friday night (October 3) at Academy is the mighty breakbeat prowess of the Plump DJs, where we get to bear witness to Messer’s Rous and Gardener’s newly installed four deck set up for the first time in Australia.

Lee Rous himself has promised me they’re doing their best shows to date, and that man doesn’t strike me as a liar. Tix are a thrifty $30 + bf and are available from Landspeed, Stock and moshtix.com.au. You also get a little Karton bang for your buck. Isn’t that nice?

If you prefer something a little harder and faster, the UK’s Survival will be thrashing out some ‘90s neurofunk style drum ‘n’ bass at Mercury Bar, also on the Friday night, with local troublemakers Benjammin, Rhombus, Kilojulz, Buick, Tidy and Crooked Sound. “I’ve always been a raver, I was goin’ out from when I looked old enough. That’s what really got me into D&B,” the enthusiastic Survival told me recently, so get along, slap $15 on the bench, and watch the man spin it like he talks it.

Dragon Dreaming 2008 is ready to rock over the whole weekend with its three days of festival goodness on October 4-6, including three music stages, an outdoor cinema and market village. The Servants of Sound kids have just fattened up the bill that little bit more by adding Canberra legends The Andi and George Band to belt out their self described funk/soul/reggae/hip-hop sound. Check out www. servantsofsound.org for more info.

And never one to let a holiday Monday go to waste, Friction & Lexington are sexing up Old Parliament House with the aptly titled Our House. The night – sporting roustabouts the Potbelleez, Germany’s Sharem Jay, Dexter, Jeff Drake, Ashley Feraude, Ryfy, Sean Kelly and DJ J – is well on its way to selling out, so be sure to scoop your $39.95 + bf tix from Landspeed, Parliament and Moshtix and make sure to clear the way for Monday.

Sideproject, those fine purveyors of doof-doof, are celebrating their fifth birthday at the end of this month; a mighty achievement for any Canberra promoter. Help them blow out the proverbial candles this Friday October 24 at Mercury Bar where the amusingly titled Psyboriginal (live) and locals will be ‘aving it large. $20 for the likes of you.

And that, my friends, is your fill for this fortnight. Goes quickly, doesn’t it? Well, chin up. Another one will be on its way soon. Or just get really grassed and forget you read this one, and then re-read it all over again.

ALLAN “GET YOURSELF HIGH” SKO

o make them g "I am going toBecause what I crazy again... do is rock them!" really want to

ermans!

G y z a r C e s o Th

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SHARAM JEY is a label maker, producer, DJ and all round good guy hailing from Cologne, Germany. He is what you would call an all-rounder; someone who is a true lover of music and an artist who uses any chance he gets to bring his music closer to clubbers all around the world. While his roots might be in soul music, he has gained considerable stage experience as a singer for a rock band while at the same time his skills as a DJ have become hugely popular on the party scene.

He explains how he got stuck in. “Well, first I was the singer in a school rock band and then got a bit into DJing at birthday parties and stuff like that. It was mainly the ’80s stuff, a mixture of rock, hip-hop and later house music. I really had fun so I wanted to do it more professionally. And at first I wanted to get money to pay the studio costs for the band. But then I got so into house music that I quit the band and became just a DJ and producer. Of course it is great if you can combine your passion for music with your job. I always wanted to do music so I think it is no problem to take your time to create music. Actually I am not doing much more except playing Playstation and cooking for friends!”

Indeed, his popularity has grown exponentially in recent years but he hasn’t let all that fame go to his head. “I have just been working constantly for about 12-13 years now and I still have got lots of things to come. Currently there is a new compilation out on Stealth called Afterdark Vol. 2 and I am going to tour Australia accompanied by the release of a new Kink compilation. So I had a lot of action going on this year and I am expecting the next year to be even busier. There are a few things happening on my King Kong label including the release of last year’s compilation. We are also working on some new releases containing classic Sharam Jey tunes but with some new remixes and of course the highlight of next year will be the release of my second album.”

Yet he won’t be drawn on whether the club circuit or the studio is his first love.

“I like both. If I’m in a club as a DJ I like getting in touch with the audience and the people so I can try new stuff and get an immediate reaction. The studio work is basically to take your time and take the vibe of the club and put it into new ideas and create new material.

Music-wise, it’s mainly the stuff that’s been out the last two to three years which really represents my taste. I like the mixture of electronic tunes with some rock and hip-hop influences. If you listen to my releases you get a hint of what I am into at the moment.”

Finally, Sharam describes his emotions when thinking about his forthcoming trip to Australia “Well, I have been to Australia two times. And I really enjoyed both stops. I just have good memories; the people got into my music and had a great time partying. I am going to make them go crazy again and I hope I am getting huge support from the crowd. Because what I really want is to rock them!” Looks like the meal ticket written in past trips is getting upgraded this time to at least ala carte!

Sharam Jey will be rocking the launch of OPH's Our House on Sunday October 5.

Alongside him will be The Potbelleez, Dexter, Jeff Drake, Ashley Feraude, Ryfy, Sean Kelly and DJ J. And lots of strudel...

Tim Galvin I’m no Robin Williams but I got to do some GOODWILL hunting of my own this week. It’s not very hard to find someone whose natural habitat includes airports, big room clubs and Ministry of Sound CD covers but strangely enough I caught Will having just returned from a well needed break. “I like to mix business with pleasure; I’ve just come back from my third holiday with Ax (Swedish super producer Awell). We usually meet up each year and go somewhere together and this year it was his turn to come over here; we went to Byron Bay and spent a week in Ibiza, whatever happens we usually wake up spooning.”

Will is in the process of mixing the latest volume of the seminal Ministry of Sound Annual. His partnership with Ministry has been a very successful one indeed having made him a household name since its conception years ago. I guess you could say that the label has done for Will what deliciously nutty Snickers bars have done recently for Mr T. “They got sick of me sleeping on their doorstep. No, actually, I was friends with Declan who worked there and I sent in a demo of my production work which was a bunch of French house and some non serious stuff and they ended up signing Happenis. They then asked me if I wanted to come on tour and it’s all gone on from there. I guess you could attribute most of my success up until now to the Ministry connection.”

Being one of the most toured DJs in the country, he still finds time to hone his skills in the studio. Besides his own successful remix work he is currently completing the debut album for his exciting Attack Attack project which looks like being released before the end of the year. “We have written a lot of songs; I understand now what it’s like when people are making an album and everyone is saying ‘why is it taking so long?’.

You have to be really proud of it and in love with the songs before you release them to the world. It’s kind of like getting a new girlfriend in a way; I have this fear in me that everything has to be perfect for this particular project. I’m just finishing off the new Attack Attack along with a remix for Nick Muir and I’ve just finished a remix of the new Sneaky Sound System record which is being released soon.”

Not satisfied with having only a few aliases under his fashionable belt he has also teamed up with Australian producer Paul Mac, as Will and Mac, which may sound like a Disney canine adventure movie but is in fact a more underground dance project.

“We have a lot of fun in the studio together; what we come out with is real druggy music. It’s a lot of fun making it.”

On the DJing front, Will is always on the pulse of cutting edge music and his recent attention has been on the local producers who have been setting the world on fire with massive records. “I’m loving stuff from all the Australian guys like Hook n Sling and Klaus Hill; I actually think Sam La More (who just happened to be sitting beside him during this interview) is Jesus Christ returned. The Melbourne guys have had their time and now it’s Sydney’s time to shine. Melbourne artists write ‘tunes’ and we write ‘music’.”

He returns to Canberra with a swag of new music and a challenge that rivals Jungle Jane’s lap dance proposition in Death Proof. “I have been hunting records like a bitch for the new annual so I have heaps of new stuff, oh and I’ll moonwalk on the bar if more than ten people ask me to.”

Goodwill will play at Monkey Bar on Saturday October 11 with Kiz, Tim Galvin, and Trent Richardson.

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e out with “What we commusic. It’s a y g is real drug ing it.” lot of fun mak

"I try to not “They’re a bunch of words with a writjust e song s that are abou sometline catchy something... like thet idea of hingor ... Th ey’re not juIst a bunctaking words wsomething picking and really h of it ith a catchysmall line" apart with lyrics"

ould Be A Every Day Sh Holiday Ben Hermann “We didn’t realise how popular Little Red are. Every show has been packed out with young girls…our age…wait, no, I mean we’re all hooked up. Trust me, we’re well-behaved.” Even if Simon Jones, lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist for Sydney indie-pop quartet THE HOLIDAYS, has just shot himself in the foot by prematurely disappointing Canberra’s young single dames with his ‘no touchy-touchy’ status, he can probably take solace in the fact that any female fans lost have been replaced by hordes of strapping young blokes itching to throw themselves into the veritable ball-less pit that a show by The Holidays produces.

When I speak to Simon, The Holidays are on a short break, resting up between their tour with Melbourne sex-kittens Little Red and their approaching tour with Yves Klein Blue, which will bring them to the ANU Bar this October. “We’ve never toured with them (YKB) before, but we’ve hung out with them,” Simon says. “Personally, they’re on the same wave-length as us, and musically, they sit fairly well with us as well.” And without the distracting thought of picking up muffin-top groupies in Union Court after the show, the boys will also have plenty of time to plug their new EP When The Ship Goes Down, which is due to be released shortly after their stop-over in Canberra.

Produced by Wayne Connolly (The Vines, Josh Pyke) and mastered by John Davis (Kaiser Chiefs, The Ting Tings, Bloc Party), Simon points out that it is much more reflective of the group’s real sound than their first EP. “ The first EP was pretty early on for us. We were really new and it was our way of introducing ourselves, but we weren’t happy with the way it sounded and it didn’t really represent what we could do. We wanted this EP to sound 30 percent bigger. The first EP was the initial sound of the band. This EP actually reflects us as developed musicians.”

Musically, When The Ship Goes Down is dripping with indie-pop sensibility, with cleverly-styled hooks designed to be infectious and catchy, but still listenable and interesting after more than a couple of listens. However, the strong, clear lyrical theme of the EP, centred around relationships both found and lost, puts the group above the rest of the colossal indie landfill, whose lyrics seems often superficial and flippant. “We play songs the way we think they would sound the best, but I also try to write songs that are about something,” Simon admits. “They’re not just a bunch of words with a catchy line or something. I wanted to confine this EP to human relationships. I like the idea of picking something small and really taking it apart with lyrics, as opposed to trying to cover too much ground.”

While this may sound like Simon is bordering on the edge of creating an introverted, self-indulgent album, the open, inclusive tone of the lyrics make them more touching and relatable than any potential journey of self-exploration. “I’m really into the song-writing of people like Elvis Costello, who have the social observation style, where things don’t necessarily happen to you, but are happening to people around you, universal things.” The group have now started writing for their debut LP and Simon admits that he won’t necessarily be taking the thematic concentration of When The Ship Goes Down to their next release. “It was just the mind-frame I was in when writing this EP,” Simon suggests. “I don’t think it will be something we carry on in the future.”

The Holidays will play alongside Yves Klein Blue on Saturday October 4 at the ANU Bar. Get involved!

“Nothing here can handle the rain, it just changes everything. And the wind, nothing but scatter, scatter, scatter”

Desert Sessions Justin Hook Interviews scream to a halt for many reasons; the interviewer may run out of questions or perhaps the whole thing is flailing with a performer far more media savvy and experienced taking the upper hand. Other times it’s just plain boring and the subject prattles on and provides redundant overused quotes and anecdotes. However, never have I had to cut an interview short because the interviewee has had to get back to dinner with indie-pop drama starlet and mini-legend Kristen Hersh. Down the line from an unnamed restaurant in Tucson, Arizona I interrupt the evening gathering of HOWE GELB, sometime leader of alt-rock-Americana (before there ever was such a phrase) stalwarts Giant Sand, frequent solo artist and partially delayed taco devourer.

Gelb is a great believer in change, mutation and organic growth. He’s been experiencing it first hand as a musician for over 30 years after all. In recent times as Giant Sand off-shoot outfit Calexico became the more popular act, he found it necessary to make the obvious decision and call a halt to the association. More change.

“Out here change occurs every day. The desert just gets mucked up every day by the elements. Whether it’s the pounding or de-particlising of the ground. Or when the rain comes. Well, it just has its way with everything.

Nothing here can handle the rain, it just changes everything. And the wind, nothing but scatter, scatter, scatter.” Conversation then veers off to dust devils that resemble triangles and you can jump into them, or something.

He continues “Anyway, the point is that all these make for something I call a positive erosion.”

And like most places there is change going on in his home town despite it being in the middle of a desert. It’s getting crowded. “People have moved here in abundance over the last two decades. It used to be retirees or people being punished. And it was really cheap to live. That’s why when I got here I stayed here and you’d entertain yourself with making music. In the old days there was not much going on here so you had to do it yourself. There were no radio stations, no one would play anything good.” Thus the need to manufacture, necessity being the mother of invention and all that.

But inspiration is more than comfort, cold beer and cheap housing, as he explains. “Isolation and struggle” is a common motivator. “The government isn’t paying for anything. The artistry becomes a mode of survival and out of that comes soulfulness because you tend to embrace the music as more precious and you give it more than anything else.”

It’s that lived-in, and live-by necessity sentiment that typifies Gelb’s music.

It’s dry like his wit and delivery, but there’s a real sense of honesty with any of his projects. Indeed only the restless and inquisitive Gelb could pull off a sunny-sounding gospel album recorded in snowy Canada with the Voices of Praise Gospel Choir as he did on 2006’s Sno’ Angel Like You. His new album under the Giant Sand moniker, proVISIONS (Shock) is focused, melodic and bound to be disgracefully ignored by the general populace. Undoubtedly, he will happily continue.

It’s proof of a relentless quest for change, although Gelb would disagree on that work rate thing. “I like to do nothing. I’m really lazy and completely unambitious. And that’s all good if you want to live in the desert.” As a sand sociologist, Gelb is second to none. So, budding musicians, take heed of his ominous warning: “Inevitably I have found out every song you write will eventually come true. So look out. Be careful!”

Howe Gelb plays at The Factory Theatre, Enmore, on Friday October 31.

METALISE in lieu of some of their vast ream of classics, but Rob sang great and the guitar skills of Tipton and Downing are still razor sharp with the whammy-tastic solo in Sinner being a big highlight for me.

With Judas Priest now a warm pleasant memory, onward to the warmer months and absolutely no slow down in the big bands heading out to ply their trade for our benefit. I loved Priest, sure there were a few more Nostradamus tunes than perhaps some of us were hoping to hear

In case you didn’t know, the big news is that Pig Destroyer’s promoter has seen the light and

PIG DESTROYER

added Canberra to their extensive array of Aussie shows. Not only that, but it’s on a Friday AND Halloween, October 31st. Yes, The Green Room in Phillip will host one of the US’ absolute prime grind acts along with Melbourne’s Terrorust, 4 Dead and Aeon of Hours. Tickets through moshtix or Landspeed can do you a moshtix card to swipe on the night – it’s the way of the future I’m told. Huzah!

Further news to bring “Huzah!” from the senior set in metal is news that Sweden’s almighty Grave are doing their first ever Australian tour in December,

they’ll be at the Gaelic Theatre (I assume this is the Gaelic Club) in Surry Hills on Thursday December 4. I believe Shackles and Terrorust (They’re everywhere!) are supports. The band released Dominion VIII recently and this is the catalyst for this tour of pure raw old school death metal ferociousness.

In continuing the war on metal heads’ wallets, the cavalcade of international shows continues, with The Haunted coming for another visit to our shores in November in support of the new album Versus. Supported

by Double Dragon nationally, the tour is hitting Sydney on November 9 at The Manning Bar in Sydney.

Megafauna fortnight is upon us and the cancer benefit show at the ANU is huge. October 11 sees Melbourne’s The Nation Blue joined by a slew of quality bands with heavier tastes catered for with Pod People and Boonhorse bringing the sludge.

POD PEOPLE Make sure you head along to that one for a good cause. Only 20 bucks for a full day’s worth of entertainment kicking off at 2pm.

For those of us that missed the ever brutal Tasmaniac’s Psycroptic touring their latest exercise in brilliant brutality recently can rest safe in the knowledge they’ll be back at the Basement on December 19. Their album Ob(servant) is an essential purchase. Speaking of Psycroptic and Pod People, both bands are playing Freshly Plucked Festival in Orange, NSW Saturday November 8.

Soundwave Festival ’09 has announced their lineup and the near 60 bands including Nine Inch Nails, Alice In Chains and many, many more. Check out all the info on the show at the website www.soundwavefestival. com and tickets for the Sydney leg of the tour go on sale Friday October 10.

JOSH NIXON doomtildeath@hotmail.com

s like son that bandthe a re a ’s re e h “T vi did well in us and Bon Jo got replaced by the first place anding – there were so alternative th ands that had no many shitty b this hair metal, it substance, all flash and missing was all about the point” Jason Nahrung It has been more than 20 years since DEF LEPPARD’s Hysteria album rocked the charts, concreting the English band’s place as rock legends. Since 1992’s Adrenalize, and despite a number of albums since, the outfit has largely untroubled the charts, left behind by changing musical tastes.

Now there’s a new glimmer in the group’s career, with their latest album, Songs from the Sparkle Lounge, reaching number five on the US Billboard charts.

The reason for the resurgence in interest is, according to guitarist Phil Collen, due to a little bit of the old and a lot of the new. “There’s a reason that bands like us and Bon Jovi did well in the first place and got replaced by the alternative thing – there were so many shitty bands that had no substance, all this hair metal, it was all about flash and missing the point. I think there’s room for that and there’s room for the real stuff.

That’s what we’re seeing now. And there’s the whole retro thing, the t-shirt thing and the Guitar Hero thing; that all adds up and it all helps really.”

Collen joined the band, formed in Sheffield in 1977, in time for 1992’s Adrenalize, following on from the 1980s chart-toppers Pyromania and Hysteria. He acknowledges that the internet and computer games such as Guitar Hero have afforded classic bands a new lease of life by exposing their music to a new generation.

Nine Lives, the lead single from Sparkle Lounge, was released as a download for Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock, ahead of the song release. Also made available for the game were Pyromania hits Photograph and Rock of Ages. While the collaboration with country singer Tim McGraw on Nine Lives also gave the single a boost, Collen says the band’s integrity was also a factor in its success.

“I think it’s down to the timing. If we’d done a standard Def Leppard album that was based on ballads and stuff like that, it wouldn’t have had the same attention. It’s a rock album that some people deem as being a bit of a brave move. But we didn’t think of it like that, this is what we wanted to do. By being very natural and not trying to please other people, anyone really, even fans or record company executives, I think there’s a certain amount of integrity that shines through. We’ve been putting records out and no one’s paid any attention, for whatever reason. This time they are. We’ve been slogging away at it. We don’t feel any bitterness, it’s how it is really. If one doesn’t stick you give it another shot.”

Perseverance is a Leppard trademark, having overcome the overdose death of guitarist Steve Clark and the setback of having drummer Rick Allen lose an arm in a car accident – an injury he overcame to continue playing. Collen joined the band after founding guitarist Pete Willis was booted out for alcoholism. “You’ve got be ambitious and inspired and enthused,” Collen says. “We’ve always been trying. It’s been a struggle, a lot of bands can’t deal with that. We’ve experienced life in general together, births, deaths and marriages, divorces, all of that stuff, we’ve been through that together.”

The collaboration with McGraw came about through Allen, whose brother is McGraw’s tour manager. “(McGraw) said ‘I’d love to work with you guys’,

as H d r a p p e L s i Th ts o p S s t I d e g n Cha and I had that in the back of my head. I ran into him at one of our shows at the Hollywood Bowl and I sang him a bit of it. Before you knew it we had the basis of it, and then it was doing bits and pieces. It was a year before he’d done his vocal on it. It took a bit of time but it was pretty cool, it wasn’t a hack song-writing thing, it was born out of fun and a bit of real inspiration really. It was the right reasons for doing it.”

Collen says a key to the album’s vitality was writing it on tour, as opposed to sequestering themselves away in a studio. “We’ve been touring consistently for the past four years and I think we’ve done so much better as a band.

Before, we’d tour an album and it would be three years before the next one came out and there’d be this huge gap, you’d pretty much have to learn how to do it again. “ By starting it on tour, you’re singing every night, playing guitars every night, you’re in that live rock band mode as opposed to sitting around in the studio three months after you’ve come off tour and you’re in domestic land and you forget what you do for a living. The great thing is when you do it like this you keep your finger on the pulse and it reminds you why you’re there.”

Songs from the Sparkle Lounge is out through Mercury/Universal. Def Leppard will pounce on Canberra on Tuesday November 11 at the AIS Arena, with special guests Cheap Trick and The Galvatrons. Tickets through Ticketek.

et a m s a h g o d y “M … all ie ll o C r e d r o B break o t g in o g ’s ll e h loose!”

A m o r F g n i l l a C e n o h P y r t n Cou almost an equal part to me,” she says. “He’s just a brilliant arranger, he has such interesting ideas. He’s very experimental and, I don’t mean to sound cheesy, but he’s a very emotional engineer and arranger.”

“I feel like for this record I finally started writing pop songs,” she continues. “Obviously I’m better known for writing sad songs, that’s kinda what my first two records were largely about. This record has a little bit more light in it.”

A Loud Callalso sees longtime drummer/multi-instrumentalist Bree Van Reyk garnering a couple of songwriting credits. Holly explains that until A Loud Call she had always written alone, “not that I prefer it that way, it’s just how I’ve always done things. This whole record was by far the most collaborative album I’ve done and it really opened my eyes to a lot of possibilities. Those songs just wouldn’t have existed if Bree hadn’t written those guitar parts – On The Wharf particularly.”

Peter Krbavac Sometimes, as the old adage goes, you have to put yourself out of your comfort zone. For HOLLY THROSBY, it meant bidding farewell to longtime producer Tony Dupé and the familiar confines of his Saddleback studio and leaving on a jet plane for the US, and the home of country music, Nashville, to record her third album A Loud Call. Now back home, Holly relays her adventures in the States while at the beach, taking her little Labrador for a swim.

The album was recorded by Mark Nevers. Both a member of and producer for alt-country legends Lambchop, he’s also worked with Calexico, Silver Jews, Andrew Bird and the ‘Prince’ himself, Will Oldham – who duets with Holly on Would You? “Tony, Aaron from Spunk Records and I all felt that it was a good time to do something different,” remembers Holly. “I was quite reluctant to not work with Tony because I love working with him, but I’ve recorded everything I’ve ever done with him. We were all fans of Mark Nevers’ work so he was really the only person we thought of.”

She says that, like Tony, Mark is an advocate of live recording. “He doesn’t like to do too many takes,” she confirms. “But Tony’s a lot more experimental and likes to f*ck around with stuff, whereas Marky has his studio worked out pretty well. It was really nice to have someone that was so interested in performance. A lot of people split the performance up into so many stages that you lose it a little, whereas these are very live performances.

However, Holly admits she missed working with Tony Dupé so much that she couldn’t resist bringing him in for a couple of arrangements. “He’s been

As with On the Town, Holly is in the midst of creating a companion comic book for A Loud Call, though on this tour she’ll be hawking a self-designed t-shirt.“I got halfway through this Loud Call comic and then I had to go overseas to do the Paul Kelly tour and I just literally ran out of steam. This tour, t-shirts.”

Along with the comic, another hallmark of a Holly Throsby tour, the band’s almost constant instrument swapping, also remains. “It’s become even more ridiculous,” says Holly. “I’d say twice as much ridiculousness as last time. I think we have 11 instruments between the three of us and I only play two, so Jens (Birchall, multi-instrumentalist) and Bree are very, very busy. We’re playing a lot of old songs that we don’t usually play and a bunch of new ones. I think it should be a fun night.”

But despite the instrumental load, Holly says the three have no plans to add any more players to the mix. “We don’t want to disturb our social equilibrium. We fit on one side of an aeroplane and three of us and all our gear fits perfectly in one Tarago, so we don’t mess it up. We’re all very close.

It’s like a big working holiday for us, doing an Australian tour. Anyway, I’d better go,” Holly says. “My dog has met a Border Collie who has stolen her stick, so all hell’s going to break loose!”

Holly Throsby plays at the ANU Bar on Thursday October 9 with The Tallest Man on Earth (Sweden) and Cloud Control. Tickets from Ticketek. A Loud Call is out now through Spunk/EMI.

s r e g n a B d a e H “All the things that happened in the past were just water under the bridge” Tim Galvin As a child I remember waking up on Saturday mornings in the pre-internet era of the late ’80s and lying in front of our 4:3 ratio square tube TV in preparation for my religious injection of Video Hits before heading off to actually play sport (game consoles weren’t big until the ’90s). In those days music was real and without the aid of computers and advanced synthesisers; bands ruled supreme and at the top of that heap were THE BANGLES. Timeless singles like Manic Monday, Eternal Flame, Walk Like an Egyptian and Hazy Shade of Winter to name a few have survived over 20 years, sounding as fresh today as they did to my pre-teen ears at their conception. The exciting news for all the children of the coolest decade in history is that the band are re-forming and returning to Australia for a series of shows including a stopover in Canberra. I spoke with Debbi Peterson to catch up on the band, the tour and ‘Banglonia’. “(Everything is) good, we have had time to take a breather and are back on our own terms on different footing and with a different perspective on the whole thing. I mean it’s challenging and everything but very exciting at the same time. A lot of it (the break-up of the band) was exhaustion, a lot of touring and we were just living in ‘Banglonia’ 24/7; I mean we were all in our late 20s and early 30s and had been full on for so long and I needed a breather.” Having experienced their fair share of ups and downs during their career it was a surprisingly easy decision to take their well-oiled show back on the road. “We enjoyed it so much, we enjoyed the music and with eight years apart it was a good space of time to think about it and focus on other things in our life like our families, and all the things that happened in the past were just water under the bridge.”

News that will excite Banglers of all ages the world over is that they have also been back in the studio recording new material. “We have been working on a few new songs, doing a few different things and just getting motivated!”

Having produced some of the most timeless music of our generation, I pose the question whether the band ever felt pressured when they were writing new songs or producing new music under the Bangles name. “Not anymore.

There was a time when we felt that way but when you are in the industry for a while you get to the point where you just do it the way you want to do it.

I think Doll Revolution was a good indicator of us doing what we wanted to do and we were very proud of that. It’s pretty amazing that we wrote stuff way back then that people are still listening to! After this tour we will be concentrating on an album. The show itself will be a nice melting pot of some old and some new. A good mixture of the things people want to hear and some more recent Bangle stuff.”

Grab your tight pants and off the shoulders T-shirt, tease your hair all around your big hoop earrings and join the pop princesses of the ’80s in a show some of us have been waiting for since Mr T ‘waddnt getting on no plane’.

The Bangles play at the Royal Theatre on Saturday October 11, with special guest Monique Brumby. Tickets through Ticketek.

Some Of My Best Work “I once had to sit through a modern dance interpretation of No Aphrodisiac… it was pretty hard to keep a straight face”

Julia Winterflood I’ll admit it, I was stressing to the max whilst preparing for this interview.

Tim Freedman, lyrical genius, piano virtuoso and master of the ‘know every single word’ song, but also eccentric yet modest vino aficionado and renowned prickly interviewee. I’ve loved this man since I was a young ’un, see; since I swaggered down the wide streets of Darwin with a new best mate delighted by the discovery that we both new the words to Louis Burdett and so sang it at the top of our lungs. Since I found Eternal Nightcap the next day for ten bucks in a second hand bookshop and listened to it on my Discman all 1500ks home to Alice.

After sixteen years and six studio albums, two live albums, sixteen former members, countless bring-the-house-down country town and big city gigs and most recently an extensive series of state symphony orchestra performances, THE WHITLAMS have released a 'best of'. The title, Truth, Beauty and a Picture of You, the eternal line from No Aphrodisiac, for some insane reason prompts me to ask Mr. Freedman – at 11am on a Monday – what ‘truth’ and ‘beauty’ mean to him. After a pause which wrenches my guts with regret I’m hit with a very blunt “Jesus Christ...”. And then, “their role in the song is just to be comedic. I’m saying ‘I miss you but the

universe will turn me on in your absence’. Truth of course doesn’t exist, and beauty is all.” Spoken just like the wizened no-bullshit Aussie music icon he is. I should have known.

It is fair to say that many of The Whitlams’ singles permeate the mentalities of the Australian quality music-minded, as they’ve provided the soundtrack to many a good night and many a good memory. I Make Hamburgers, Blow Up the Pokies, Royal in the Afternoon, Melbourne and a sizeable swag of others form part of the quintessential Australian music catalogue. They were written by a man whose politically lyrical focus put him at the forefront of causes like reconciliation, workers’ rights, the East Timor crisis and protecting live music venues from the strangling scourge of gambling. By a man whose two close mates and fellow founding members committed suicide. By a man who came up with one of the best lines ever in the history of Australian music: “She was one in a million, so there’s five more just in New South Wales!” (Up Against the Wall). Needless to say the 'best of' is essential for any Australian music enthusiast, and in a very revealing and insightful move by Tim, thankfully contains the stories behind all twenty songs featured.

I was surprised that yet another of their classics, Chunky Chunky Air Guitar from 1999’s Love This City didn’t make it though. Says Tim, “The three focus tracks from three albums, i.e. Chunky Chunky, Best Work from Torch the Moon and I Was Alive from Little Cloud didn’t make it on there.” He then says mockingly, “I was punishing them for not doing well enough on radio.

That was the main decision I had to make, to get rid of the singles and put my favourites on instead.”

I tell Tim about one of my favourite Whitlams memories. When I was twelve or thirteen I was an aspiring thespian; during a NIDA summer school we had to do an interpretive dance to Charlie No. 2 (Buy Now Pay Later); being the beautifully somber song it is, naturally it ended in tears. “I love stories like that. I once had to sit through a modern dance interpretation of No Aphrodisiac in Rockhampton. It was pretty hard to keep a straight face.”

The Whitlams will once again bring down the house at Tilley’s on October 11, 12 and 13. The first two shows have sold out but tickets still remain for Monday night. Truth, Beauty and a Picture of You is out now on Warner, and also includes a DVD with a couple of docos and live performances.

“We thought that some minor changes to the festival would bring fresh blood and new ideas” Cecilia Pattison-Levi Calling all music video and film makers! Have you ever considered yourself the next Russell Mulcahy (local south coast boy)? His movie making career began with making music videos for Duran Duran, Queen, Icehouse and Elton John. Think this may be the career for you? Then read on…

The CANBERRA SHORT FILM FESTIVAL is a national short film competition open to all short filmmakers in Australia. The festival, now in its 13th year, is a national competition and is Canberra’s premier short film festival. The festival presents quality regional and national short films, is a celebration of local Canberra and Australian filmmaking, and is firmly positioned on the local community’s calendar. This year some changes are being made to make the festival more open to the public and to attract crowds from all across Australia to the Dendy Cinemas in Civic.

Kris Kerehona, director of the Canberra Short Film Festival, is excited that film submissions are coming in fast. “We’ve received a huge number of entries so far” says Kris. “Every day we see more and more films and I have to say, Victoria has the most film entries, so Canberra needs to catch up!”

“The Canberra community is a very welcoming and open place to highlight new film makers,” says Kris. “Even though the festival is under new management, the festival will be the same high quality event that the community expects, so there are no changes in format. We will be having screenings and workshops that people can register for at the website http://silversunpictures.com.au. The topics will range from film technique, to editing and screenwriting. The exciting change has been the hosting of the event in such great surroundings and premises as Dendy. We thought that some minor changes to the festival would bring fresh blood and new ideas.”

The Festival strongly supports the makers and producers of Australian short films. “The quality of films shown at this festival has always been of a very high standard,” says Kris. “Past winners have included the makers of Harvey Crumpet, After Dolly and Crackenback. So the quality has been very high and this competition will be no different. I think that audiences will not only be pleased with the diversity of film genres, but will also be very impressed with the high production values of the films this year.”

Entries for the Canberra Short Film Festival are still open. There are five competitions: four short film categories and one music video competition with cash prizes to be won. Entries close 5.00pm September 30. “For music video film makers and bands, there is still time to get in entries before October 16,” says Kris. “We are hoping that the BMA Magazine Music Video prize will still be accepting entries up until September 30 for competition.”

So kids grab that camera and get busy. You’ve got to be in it to win it!

The Canberra Short Film Festival will be screening at the Dendy Cinemas from October 18-20. Early bird tickets will be available with options on exclusive red carpet drinks and screenings.

crazy band, “We’re such a some Xd and we’ve ha es but they nc rie pe ex rated ned here” tio can’t be men

High As a Kite

Shailla Van Raad Old school rock and roll: you might not think that it exists anymore, but you’d be wrong. We actually do have some growing, fresh in our backyard.

Come and see it. The lads from HYTEST, a rock band originating from Wollongong, are proud of their longevity. “We’ve been around for about ten years; we produced a self-titled EP in 2002, but it feels like we’ve only just started afresh because we’ve just gotten a new drummer, Neil Matthews.”

The band, Luke Armstrong (bass, vocals), Mick Curley (guitar,vocals) and Neil Mathews (drums) have had victory with their latest EP The Little Band That Could and success in the past. “We went though a really successful stage, around 2005-2006, where we got into the top three with the triple j Unearthed competition and Live at the Wireless and we were touring a lot, supporting lots of bands, local and international.”

Luke and the band members seem to like their music style hard and fast. “We have a high energy rock and sound. It’s like we’re drunk and stoned at the same time. We went through a stage a while ago where we played a slower kind of rock ’n’ roll, a stoner rock ’n’ roll but since then we’ve fastened up the pace. We didn’t like playing slow; the music seemed like tumbleweed music.”

The band is definitely proud of their roots and inspirations. “All of us knew each other because we used to hang out at the youth centre…I first was inspired by music when I got dragged to a Dire Straits gig by my mum. I was ten or eleven. There were these heaving loud guitars and I was just blown away.” Some of the inner west Sydney pretentious indie-types ought to be taking notes from these guys. “We’re not a Newtown band; we’re not a fancy band. We write about everyday things, things that we’ve experienced, everyday situations. We find a couple of words that rhyme and write about things like fights at the pub, our mates. To us, that’s what the music’s about, jamming and telling these kinds of stories.”

They are down to earth, honest blokes as well. It’s not surprising that they like their barbarous fun under the innocent guise of ‘band tours’, as Luke explains, ”my favourite part of being in a band is definitely the touring. An album is just an excuse to get out on the road, causing trouble everywhere, crashing and getting out of hand in general. All of us have jobs besides being in the band. We started the band while we were still in our apprenticeships.

We’re from a blue collar worker background and proud of our roots. Lately the music we’ve been making is true to our roots. Touring with the HardOns at Byron Bay was one of the funniest times on tour. They’re a band from the west of Sydney near Punchbowl. These guys had grown up far from the water. They got into their budgie smugglers and tried to swim… besides that we’re such a crazy band, and we’ve had some X-rated experiences but they can’t be mentioned here.”

A band like this one, with its raucous guitar riffs, high flying hooks and tantalisingly spreadable jams, always has an honest goodness behind it.

Luke explains how the concoction is made. “Curley (Mick) brings in a riff or two and then a couple of riffs later we make a jam and make it gel together.

More recently, with our new drummer the way we gel is really good. There isn’t a clash of ideas, and it’s not about making a hit song, we’re just there to enjoy the music.” Enjoy it, they seem to definitely do. Let’s hope the audience fancies it even more so.

Hytest will be playing at Megafauna Fest on Saturday October 11, alongside The Nation Blue, Pod People, Casual Projects, Cuthbert and the Nightwalkers, and many more.

we go "Life is a tour, , when es m co it when you" people want

One Incredible Borich Erin Cook I would love to have a beer with KEVIN BORICH. He seems like the kind of man that’d be sitting in the pub retelling stories of his youth that you’d be half-tempted to call bullshit on because he seems so painfully normal that his demeanor and manner could never give away the fact he’s one of, if not the, greatest Australian/Kiwi blues-rock guitarists of all time. With a career stretching three decades, numerous high profile collaborations, a bunch of awards and a handful of singles insuring if he’s name isn’t familiar, his songs sure are.

Currently on tour as one third of the aptly-titled show ‘Two Legends - One Incredible Kid,’ Borich is sharing the headline duties with old friend and equally as influential and talented, Phil Emmanuel. They’ll also be taking 17 year old Smokin’ Joe Robinson along for the ride. Described by Emmanuel as likely to become Australia’s greatest guitarist by the time he is 21, he’s made waves throughout the industry after appearing on Australia’s Got Talent and has since recorded an album in Nashville with Grammy award-winning producer Frank Rogers. He had come to the attention of the two elder statesmen years earlier, but Borich briefly went into hibernation following his cancer diagnosis (which Kevin, along with his family, discuss in a section of his website dedicated to the experience). “I remember seeing him, and just thinking ‘blimey, what’s going on here!’’’ he laughs before admitting, “but I was too busy trying to stay alive”. Borich does stop short of mentioning any other young, talented guitarists turning to him for some guidance, “there’s plenty of great young players but I can’t start mentioning names. There’s many I haven’t seen and I'd probably forget someone!”

With over 30 years of experience as a stalwart player within the Australian scene, his approach to the business side of the job is akin to that of any fresh-faced band trying to make it now. Borich doesn’t even attempt to hide his disgust at the current state of Australian radio, an issue which may have become closer to his heart since watching his son’s struggle with the corporation-run media outlets as drummer of COG. “I’ve had pretty much no radio play”, a fact both admirable and odd given the longevity of his career, “except for maybe on community radio. They’ve got no taste! Those DJs are just shoved stuff and play what they’re told. There’s just plenty of ‘bling bling’ and it’s their job to just be entertaining, it’s not for the love of it. In my day DJs had a passion for music and they played their own records from their collections”. So given his lack of mainstream support, he’s done what many much younger, and much less successful musicians have done before him: he’s turned to the internet - mentioning a number of times throughout our discussion his website (kevinborich.com.au), showing his age only momentarily to make sure I remember “those ‘w’ things at the front.”“That’s very helpful, it’s the only place where fans can keep checking back for information and all that.”

“There’s no big company behind me, no money. Life is a tour, we go when it comes, when people want you. It used to be better in all the pubs, before the pokies and all that shit”, Borich says, clearly angry about the revenueraising scheme that all but murdered the live Australian scene in the 1990s.

“It used to be a fertile ground.” But surely it hasn’t all been a constant battle against the mainstream? “There’s been plenty of highs and plenty of lows”, he concedes, barely mentioning the time he played with Santana in front of a crowd of 60,000 and completely ignoring the little anecdote about supporting AC/DC in Los Angeles in the 70s. But whatever, he’s Kevin Borich.

Like it’s no big deal.

Kevin Borich will play alongside Phil Emmanuel and “Smokin’ Joe” Robinson at the Holy Grail, Civic, on Friday October 10. Tickets from Ticketek.

tangible, more music is more ad it and it won't r u yo e lik t's lo "I o hands to t of my real, it takes twr a drink coaster like a lo fo n " be mistake s deservedly ended up band's album

ax W n O n w o D Lay It Josh Nixon CDs you’ve made are a great achievement for any band. It represents the work and creativity of a period of your life, but sometimes you look at your parents’ record collection, your DJ sister’s gig bag and your older brother’s room that houses records. Child-like reverence leads you to realise that as awesome as it is to have your music out on CD, a double gatefold sleeve just kicks the crap out of that CD cover, no matter how fancy the cut yeah?

It’s like your music is more tangible, more real, it takes two hands to load it and won’t be mistaken for a drink coaster like a lot of my band’s albums deservedly ended up as.

Enter ZENITH RECORDS in Richmond down in Melbourne. In a move in an industry where sales are flailing due to internet blogspots (orexisofdeath = woo!) and a different market, a boutique vinyl-only outlet opening in Melbourne may seem strange. However, the thing is, bands are able to produce limited runs of 12” 170 gram vinyl with a number of very affordable packages available.

Unlike previous vinyl manufacture for bands with less resources than major labels, to press vinyl independently meant going offshore at some stage and for the first time Zenith are able to do the whole manufacture in Melbourne which most importantly means your turn around times are more reliable and faster. I remember well several friends’ experiences getting their pressing done in Europe and the back and forth pain that it caused.

Not only is the plant purely manufacturing, they’re also seeking bands for their label and have several exciting releases promised for the near future, and while I personally haven’t seen the new roster, the previous work out of the plant I have heard to date has been excellent. The label side have recruited some good people so I’m interested to see who they sign and what will come out of the plant.

Most impressive to me was an efficient and super clever folding technique for 12” covers on a budget that cuts down on the stick used and the cost per cover as a result; it was one of those super simple innovative ideas that tells you that Zenith are doing it with the bands in mind. If you’re into having some vinyl out you should check out www.zenithrecords.org Zenith Records replice vinyll records at their own vinyl pressing plant. They produce 7 inch, 33 45, as well as, 12, and 33 inch. They also do a fine trade in any vinyl-related sleeves, linear booklets, and other paraphernalia

“I don’t like anyone talking anything bad about Canberra…

Canberra is the best place in the world!”

Nice Moves Nick Craven People of Canberra – heed not the criticisms of those foul-mouthed Sydneysiders! Fear not the pug-nosed sneers of those trendy Melbournians! ROOTS MANUVA AKA Rodney Smith, the Godfather of British hip-hop, has got your back.

“I don’t like anyone talking anything bad about Canberra,” Smith says, earnestly. “There’s been a few fights where people have said, ‘Canberra that don’t mean nothing’ and I’m like, ‘What do you mean? Canberra is the best place in the world!’”

For most of our conversation, Smith is laid back and softly spoken, but talk of our fair city raises his voice to an animated squeal. “Crazy show in Canberra, Jesus!” he yelps, remembering his 2006 ANU Bar performance.

“I got so high I started playing by myself and sacked the band. I was so happy to be there – don’t know if you could tell – I laughed it up.

Wonderful time man – I will never forget.”

When we last met Smith he was peddling his third LP, Awfully Deep, a dark examination of insanity. While he undoubtedly explored some home truths, many fans and critics took Smith’s threats of quitting music and losing his mind as gospel. “That was a weird experiment that a lot of people took really quite seriously. Maybe I was mucking around with issues that needed a bit more sensitivity. It was just a rhetorical lyrical thing. It was more there for the audacity of saying it than the actuality of saying it … Still, a lot of people come up to me and say it’s great to know that there are other people thinking these weird things that I thought.”

Nonetheless, Smith says he deliberately avoided such heaviness when writing his latest opus, the raw, playful Slime and Reason. “It was just not taking it so seriously really. Keeping giggling – the giggle factor.

If it made us laugh in the studio, it was like ‘yep that makes sense’.”

Whereas Awfully Deep was built on slick beats, Slime and Reason finds Smith revisiting the skewed production that made his name. Like Ray Charles before him, he also used the album to find a new way to “corrupt the gospel”.“I’ve always had that subtext of being the weird drunkard pastor or the disgraced pastor that got chucked out of the church and is standing on the corner over the road still in his dog collar. But he’s got these two cans of really strong beer and he’s still preaching and there’s always something to hear from him.”

While not as deep as its predecessor, Slime and Reason still finds that preacher persona spitting words of wisdom. “There’s always that kind of Babylonian warrior speaking out against the intrepidation of our evil overseers… It’s not that I want to be the forefront of what I do [but] I want to keep that lyrical subtext of paranoia and someone who’s questioning the mechanics of the machine today.”

Smith is currently questioning the mechanics of the music business itself as Slime and Reason marks the end of his recording contract. He cites one of his favourite acts, Radiohead, and its online distribution of In Rainbows as inspiration for the future.“It was very rebellious to just have people pay whatever they wanted – that was an amazing movement actually,” he enthuses.

“It’s a scary time but an inspiring time – it’s like get with it or fade away.”

Determined to return to Australia, Smith assures us that he will not be fading any time soon. “If I’m not invited to do shows I’m just gonna come anyway, gonna buy my own ticket and get on the plane. I definitely wanna see what’s happening in Canberra … I’m getting on, I’m old but I want to do more. I want to use what I’ve got to further the development of British music. Not even just British music but music in general.”

Roots Manuva’s brand new album Slime & Reason is out now on Big Dada via Inertia. For more info hit up www.inertia-music.com

The Screaming Jets unleash their new studio album.

Get ready to be rocked!

COMING SOON: SAT 11th October

son l i W y d o o l B the Wilesgoot n there setting ctness n w o d le p o e p l corre

MEGAFAUNA WED 15th October

LISA MITCHELL SUN 19th October

MICHAEL FRANTI & SPEARHEAD

ca “You’v they call politiock of sh*t” t a h w r fo a d cr agen solute f*cking which is an ab

FRI 24th October

THE VINES WOLF & CUB

Justin Hook “G’day Justin, how the fuck are ya?” And with that simple and characteristic opening gambit, all my fears were assuaged – KEVIN BLOODY WILSON was on board and in full, easy flight. Sure, he was twenty minutes late but he blames the previous interviewer from Noosa, who kept him a little too long. “Fucking slap him around a bit,” is his straightforward advice on dealing with over-talkers. Something we should all take on board.

OK, before I continue it’s only fair to point out there will be swearing from here on in, but what else should you expect from the man behind such classics as Hey Santa Claus (You Fucking Cunt), Ho Ho Fucking Ho and the tender Do Ya Fuck On First Dates? He consistently pulls enormous crowds with his ribald, politically incorrect song parodies and you’d be wrong to assume it’s the outback’n’ocker crowd that warms to this Outback Balladeer the most.

Our nation’s capital holds him dear to their collective heart it seems “Strangely enough when we go to Canberra we always sell out the show.” Reminiscing about this city soon finds Wilson warming to one of his pet topics and making the point to remind me it’s this very town that’s responsible for much of the anger out in the general populace, frustrated with the frippery, hectoring and proscriptive mind set. “Aw, it’s all fucking rhetoric. You’ve got people down there setting the agenda for what they call political correctness which is an absolute fucking crock of shit.” I use my tactical advantage as a local to suggest Wilson’s routines and general lack of not giving a shit to how he’s perceived act as a communal release valve for punters, who are sick of the weasel words creeping into our once robust and colourful vernacular.

“Thank you. I guess you’re just not allowed to say the things I say. If the political corrects had their way you wouldn’t have comedians in Australia – something you say is going to be offensive to somebody. It’s just fucking bullshit, absolute fucking bullshit.” But, before you can blink we’re back talking politics and this time the recent election in Western Australia, a place where Wilson spends the majority of his time and where he got his leg up in the mine fields of the dry, mineral rich expanse of the far west.

Over 25 years as a “professional hobbyist” Wilson has witnessed a slow creeping change in his adopted state. “They’ve sucked the guts out of a lot of towns because of this fly-in/fly-out stuff. While a lot of the towns are fucking surrounded by mines they’ve got fuck all else going on. The sense of community isn’t there any more. There’s no footy side, no cricket team on the weekend because there’s no cunt there.” Despite this, he is heartened by the recent change of government, although it’s not the shade of party he’s happy with. “Personally I don’t give a fuck, but it’s the promise to the regional areas. They’re pulling for 25% fucking royalties off the mining industry. So they fucking should for the regional areas. I live in Perth and we’re well catered for, so fuck ’em. Put the money back where the money’s coming from.” A most reasonable and astute argument you’d be hard pressed to fault, and one borne of time spent pounding every highway in this country.

Kevin Bloody Wilson has an opinion, likes to make people laugh and doesn’t really care what others think about him or his comedy. In someone less travelled, articulate (yes, articulate) and thoughtful, such a character would be a buffoon and lord knows I’m sure we all know many like that. But the real delight is that while there is a character on display, it’s grounded in reality and experience and not only for show. He lives it like he sings it, doing exactly as he pleases, pulling no punches and making a comfortable living whilst he’s at it.

He won’t bring down the government when next in town, but I bet there’ll be plenty who work in close proximity to it yelling loud and clear, front and centre.

Kevin Bloody Wilson will express his opinion articulately at the Vikings Club, Erindale on Friday October 10.

October SAT 4

THE HOLIDAYS YVES KLEIN BLUE CHAMBERS Tickets @ Ticketek $12.95*

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TUES 7

VOICES OF MASADA (UK) + THE DEVILZWORK $10

THURS 9

HOLLY THROSBY + SPECIAL GUESTS

FRI 10

THE GO SET + SPECIAL GUESTS

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BLACKBOX in on a school night are likely to be enjoying an after work drink or two. And P.S. Prime, we’re still waiting for the return of Dirty, Sexy, Money.

So we’re back to this again – it’s not just the good shows that get relegated, it’s the enjoyable trash as well. Just when the oh-sotrashy 90210 (SCTEN, Fri Oct 10, 8.30pm) becomes addictive, those network moguls decide to put it on the one night of the week when even those who stay

Retro is cooler than ever and when you talk about gaming, that means the ’80s. The decade that brought us Michael Jackson, the mullet and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was also responsible for such classics as Space Invaders, Pac Man and Donkey Kong. With sales of vintage games and consoles on the rise, Good Game (ABC2, Mon Oct 6, 9pm) takes a look at the industry in the ’80s with the help of avid ’80s gamer (and Chaser renegade) Andrew Hansen.

Don’t miss The Long Firm (ABC1, Sun Oct 19, 8.30pm) which is set in London’s criminal underworld in the ’60s and tells the story of nightclub owner Harry Starks through the eyes of four different characters.

The end of Dexter left a serious hole in the Sunday schedule. It may not be as focused on blood but Californication (SCTEN, Sun Oct 10, 10pm) is just as gruesome in its own way (and Hank definitely has the potential for serial something). Also returning are Good News Week (SCTEN, Mon Oct 13, 8.30pm), Supernatural (SCTEN, Mon Oct 6, 8.30pm), Heroes (Prime, Thu

Oct 9, 8.30pm), Prison Break (Prime, Thu Oct 9, 10.30pm) although it should really have an ‘s’ added by now, Scrubs (Prime, Thu Oct 9, 11.30pm), the abysmal Download (SCTEN, Fri Oct 17, 7.30pm) and the totally addictive Stupid Stupid Man (ABC1, Wed Oct 8, 9pm). If you can’t wait for the new season of Heroes, check in with Heroes: Countdown to Volume 3 (Prime, Thu Oct 2, 11.30pm).

New shows this fortnight include The Mentalist (WIN, Sun Oct 5, 8.30pm) and the US version of Kath and Kim (Prime, Sun Oct 12, TBA) which will follow the Bathurst 1000.

There are some great docos to look out for over the coming weeks, beginning with The Fibros and the Silvertails (ABC1, Thu Oct 9, 9.35pm) which details the rivalry between the Manly and Wests football clubs in the ’70s that turned into a feud on and off the field, included allegations of corruption and erupted into class warfare in Sydney, a city that had not yet accepted such a fate. Breaking the Rules: Across American Counterculture (ABC2, Sun Oct 5, 8.30pm) looks at 50 years of music and counterculture from New York jazz clubs in the ’40s to hip-hop, and tracking all of these subcultures into the mainstream. Meet the Natives (ABC2, Wed Oct 8, 8.30pm) inverts the traditional camerasvisit-a-primitive-tribe doco by taking the tribe to London to experience life –upper, middle and working class in London’s burras. Seed Hunter (ABC1, Tue Oct 21, 8.30pm looks at the conservation of grain to help save the world from a global food shortage. Artscape: Not Quite Art (ABC1, Tue Oct 14, 10pm) asks where Australian culture is coming from in the 21st century.

Then there’s Sleep Clinic (ABC2, Wed Oct 15, 8pm), a doco about watching people sleep… Andy Warhol called it art.

Sadly, Boston Legal (Prime, Mon Oct 6, 11pm) signs off for another season.

Top Gear Australia (SBS, Mon, 7.30pm) was yet to air at press time and as far as we know, the tape of the first episode is locked in a vault at SBS and no one has seen it. So here’s your chance – forward your thoughts to the address below.

TRACY HEFFERNAN tracyheffernan@bigpond.com

THEATRE COLUMN

by Will Eno. From September 30 to October 11 @ 8pm, with Sunday October 5 @ 4pm. Tix $29/$25/$19, and you can get ’em thru the B.O. on 6247 1223.

At the CTC

Drama has been afoot in the ’Berra! From the sad fracas of the cancellation of moonlight’s Oleanna to the landing of La Berkoff on our Dark Plutonian Shores (alright, he was doing The Tell-Tale Heart but you get my drift), from the launch of the Hunting Season to the new 90210 (Wait. That ain’t theatre.

That’s just my life)… it’s been a heady coupla weeks. As Jessica Walter said on last night’s episode, when the theatre is in pain, I come to mend the wound. And how!

A unique Australian Illusionist by the name of Cosentino will land on October 10 and 11 with his show Threshold. There’s creepy masks and fork-bending amongst

CONSENTINO

other things (straightjackets, drowning himself, the usual Houdini-hoohah).

In more, let’s say… salubrious (if only for the sake of using the word) theatrical ventures, Bell Shakespeare hit the Playhouse with Heiner Müller’s ‘commentary’ adaptation of Shakespeare’s bloodbathaganza Titus Andronicus. Anatomy Titus Fall of Rome sees John Bell as the titular Titus with Oz legend Michael Gow directing.

Cosentino in Threshold at the Canberra Theatre, Friday 10 October at 11am and 6.30pm, and Saturday 11 October at 12pm and 7.30pm. Tix $25 or $80 for a family ticket.

Bell Shakespeare and the QTC presents Anatomy Titus Fall of Rome at the Playhouse from Wednesday October 8 to Saturday October 18 @ 7.30pm. Tix $30 for U27, or else anywhere between $35 and $60 depending on dates/level of employment/prettiness.

For full info and details on booking for both these shows head to the CTC website at www. canberratheatre.org.au or call Canberra Ticketing on 6275 2700.

NAOMI MILTHORPE princessnaea@gmail.com

Perfect Cowboys in Action Undaunted by dramatic disappointments, moonlight steers toward the final show in its season of Modern Americans with three short plays: the triple bill amalgam of Perfect Cowboys in Action. Comprising Cowboys # 2 and Action by Sam Shepard, along with David Mamet’s A Perfect Mermaid, this show is designed to have theatre junkies slapping their veins in preparation.

These shorts are (and I’m making a gross assumption here) NEVER performed in the Nation’s Capital, so it should be a treat.

Moonlight presents Perfect Cowboys in Action directed by Fiona Atkin, October 2 – 4 and 8 – 11 @ 8pm. Tix $15/$12 at the door, or get a Vivaldi dinner and show package on 6257 2718.

Money-grubbin’ hacks Is NOT what you’d call the 2008 artsACT theatre funding recipients. While it seems like the bulk of the moolah went to cabaret-mafioso juggernaut Shortis and Simpson (seriously.

How much does a piano cost?

According to artsACT: $36,962.

I wish *I* could play the piano), some of the shrappers was leftover for Greg Lissaman to stage The Long Time ’til Tea, local wordsmith Bruce Hoogendorn to write and develop a new work, and circus dame El Kirschbaum to do some training. Looking forward to them all.

At the Street Get in quicksmart NOW to see the MTC’s touring show Thom Pain (based on nothing) at the Street.

This play won a bunch of awards and is apparently awesome. What more can I say? Nothing.

Melbourne Theatre Company and the Street Theatre present Thom Pain (based on nothing)

HOLY GRAIL - CIVIC FRIDAY 10 OCTOBER, 8PM $35 presale/$38 on the door, from Holy Grail 6257 9717, or www.ticketek.com.au

DISCOLOGY The Click Five Modern Minds and Pastimes I’m really unsure as to how to define this band but luckily I’m not alone; neither does the band. The album stinks of too many hands at play trying to pull the album in different directions. The album isn’t completely terrible but it’s teetering dangerously on the edge. The overuse of the stupid echoing-vocal effect (ubiquitous in R and B tracks at the moment) and smaltzy lyrics leave you feeling slightly icky. Avoid.

CARRINGTON CLARKE David Vandervelde Waiting for the Sunrise (Inertia/Secretly Canadian) David Vandervelde is proof that cryogenic freezing works. He has produced an album that sounds like it was written by a corduroy-wearing hitch hiker in 1968. If he had released this album then, instead of risking his life on crazy freezing technology, you would have discovered this record next to Fleetwood Mac and Jackson Browne in your parent’s vinyl collection. Vandervelde comes from Michigan and wrote this album on an acoustic guitar in Brooklyn last year. It is his second album. It had me hooked from the first track I Will Be Fine, but does have some slow points. There is significant country influence in this album, with pedal steel, tambourines and someone playing something called a ‘space guitar’. The harmonies are echo-ey and multi-layered. The lyrics are a bit angsty, but differ from modern folk music because they aren’t ego-centric and don’t harp on about oil (as in bloodfor-oil). I like this album and wish I hadn’t got so excited and given it away to a friend already.

LUCY BATTERSBY Jackson Browne Time the Conqueror (Shock/Inside Recordings) Former Laurel Canyon wunderkind and eternal Rolling Stone pet, Jackson Browne has been on some sort of a roll recently. His 2005 acoustic live album was nominated for a Grammy and he parlayed this renewed interest into a second volume earlier this year. However, Time the Conqueror is the first set of original songs in six years but going on what’s available here it might be a good idea to plunder the back catalogue for a third volume of solo reworkings. Stripped back and sparse production tries to imply a sense of proximity and faux-authenticity that just doesn’t feel real. Still, that’s always been Browne’s bag. He’s been the poster boy for plaintive, heart-on-sleeve song writing for thousands of years. It being an election year in his homeland, he’s decided to get stuck into Mr President – No! Oh l’horreur! How controversial and timely. A keen political activist who has attached himself to numerous Democrats throughout the years (and 2000’s Spoiler of the Year – Ralph Nader) Browne can be found attacking the Iraq policy on the childish Drums of War and the response to Hurricane Katrina of Where Were You. Now, I have to truck with political statements in music – I believe it’s impossible to divide the two actually. Life is politics and politics is

life. The phoneys who attempt vainly to compartmentalise are engaging in one of the most false, exhausted ploys of the culture wars. But there should be venom if you are in attack mode or at the very least a solid tune behind it – both of which are sorely lacking here. That’s not to say there aren’t redeeming factors; Arms of the Night has its merits, but it’s Browne-auto-pilot. For a precocious kid who rose to prominence in one of the most tumultuous eras of modern American history, this is an empty assault. Like attacking Dubya in the final months of his lame-duck administration, Time the Conqueror feels ineffectual, feeble and redundant. JUSTIN HOOK Metal Church This Present Wasteland (SPV/Riot) The key thing to remember about US thrash veterans is this: early pressings of their eponymous 1984 debut came with a free neck brace, boldly emblazoned with the MC Logo. And it’s easy to see why, as This Present Wasteland, the band’s tenth studio album, is just as thrashtastic (and therefore needful of medical equipment-themed accompaniment) as that first album nearly a quarter of a century distant. Except the Church were never really a thrash band. Sure, opener The Company of Sorrow is as mid eighties as they come, ushered in as it is on the back of surely the riff of 2008, but there was always an underlying class about this band that elevated them above the bullet-belted masses – probably something to do with the songwriting smarts of main riffsmith Kurdt Vanderhhof – and as a whole TPW is shot through with a steely ‘classic metal’ sensibility that makes it accessible to even the most timid of hard rock fans. To this end, The Perfect Crime brings to mind Canadian prog masters Triumph, whilst album standout Breathe Again gallops along in –you guessed it – the grand Maiden style that we love so much thanks to a powerhouse vocal performance from Ronny Monroe and the skinbeating skills of former Savatage percussionist Jeff Plate. Absolutely brilliant.

NAMBUCCO ‘BATTALIONS’ DELIRIA Mercury Rev Snowflake Midnight (Yep Roc/V2) By 2005’s disappointing The Secret Migration Mercury Rev had turned into a caricature whilst challengers to the psych rock throne, Flaming Lips, had apparently won the battle with nursery rhymes and animal suits. An empty and pyrrhic victory. The heaving bombast of All Is Dream had been scaled down (thankfully) and the distinctly new earthiness of the slightly overrated Deserters Songs had all but disappeared. In its place was emptiness.

What had once been an exploratory band had now morphed into a frail version of their former self, resting on laurels and miserably going by the numbers. Like many, I gave up.

It became evermore impossible to believe this was the same band that triumphantly distilled their fractured, grand astral visions in the mid-nineties on the incomparable See You On The Other Side – their real magnum opus. So it was with a large degree of trepidation and cheerless expectation that I approached Snowflake Midnight. Thankfully, it’s safe to report they’re back. Out there, where they belong. The band sound re-energised,

focusing on their strengths and oddly pulling back, to expand. There’s studio experimentation and sonic manipulations not seen since Boces, in fact one of the many computer programs used in the making of this stupendous album altered sounds based images – witches and demons, for example. Also, guitars are largely absent. But fear not, whilst it may sound preposterous if anyone could pull off a shape shifting career transformation, it’s this band. Whirls, bleeps and other assorted noises find the band pushing into Brian Eno or Stars of the Lid territory on October Sunshine and Faraway From Cars. Elsewhere Dream of a Young Girl as a Flower revisits the otherworldly noise chaos hardcore fans have been yearning for. As Jonathan Donahue victoriously exclaims on the titular album opener “You’re where you should be”. On Snowflake Midnight it’s clear Mercury Rev are as well; it’s an astonishing and unexpected return from the brink of irrelevancy. Note: the download-only companion piece Strange Attractor was released on September 29 via the bands website.

JUSTIN HOOK New Estate Out of the Ground (Inertia) New Estate are a Melbourne-based band with a really bad photo on the inside cover of this, their second album. As your average superficial punter, I judged them on that photo, put the CD on and expected to hear shapeless, loud, incessant noise. I’m so glad I was wrong.

New Estate are awesome. It’s like they were brought up by Death Cab For Cutie, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, and a whole roster of American indie bands with lots of words in their titles. Only New Estate are tougher because they come from desolate Australian suburbia and drink Melbourne Bitter at midday (according to the album photo). The album vacillates between soft-core ‘light some candles’ tracks and quite loud punk, with a dismissive acknowledgement of prog-rock. The vocals of Marc RegueiroMcKelvie are in perfect balance with

the messy, uncontrolled guitar on faster tracks. Each band member took turns writing and singing songs and they recorded this album in two days. My favourite track is Life in the Suburbs and some of the longer, seven minute tracks.

LUCY BATTERSBY Queen + Paul Rodgers The Cosmos Rocks (EMI) What started off as a once-off collaboration for an awards ceremony has now, defying both odds and decorum, turned into a unit releasing outfit. To say that it is thoroughly impossible to replace Freddie Mercury is under-kicking the goal by a wide margin, but yet here we are in 2008 attempting to untangle the distinctly ridiculous notion of Queen’s Brian May and Paul Rogers ploughing ahead, ’70s rock meat and potato style with the grimacing, beefy Paul Rodgers (Free, Bad Company). Now, Mercury was the master of innuendo and sly wit and matched with a grin that shone of teeth the size of small houses he was one of the greatest frontmen of the rock era. He also looked mighty fine in tight pants and no shirt, although his chest hair was often mistaken for a polo top. Paul Rodgers on the other hand is a brick layer of a singer unable to scale the unnatural heights of his predecessor, although I have much respect for select portions of his back catalogue (All Right Now remains an undeniable classic). Protesting it’s an unfair cop doesn’t cut it, frankly. If they didn’t want berks like me to make the comparison then they should stop using the Queen banner for Freddie’s sake. You walk to the cliff – and I’ll be only to happy to push you over. On The Cosmos Rocks the guitars are as bonkers as you’d expect, layered within an inch of their lives and squealing like an altar boy at Youth Camp. But to foolishly encourage us to remember the past with We Will Rock You emulating hand clapping on Still Burnin’… well come now gents.

Elsewhere, Warboys is a bog standard anti-war song, although I’d gladly enlist if it meant never being exposed to this tripe again. The only glimmer of hope ar-

Rodriguez Cold Fact (Lights In The Attic/Inertia) Starting and stalling the in the ’70s, finding an unlikely audience in Australia and South Africa in the ’80s, sampled

by David Holmes many years after and now reborn and reissued in late 2008, Rodriguez is one of the more intriguing musical rediscoveries of recent years. A regular inhabitant of $2 record bins, the original Cold Fact was released in 1970 and as is industry practice for any storytelling acoustic guitarist, he was hailed as the new Dylan. Actually the Mexican Urban Dylan (or Mexurbilan as it was never known), cos he was, well, ahe… ‘of colour’ and it was the 1970s. This is despite hailing from Detroit, Michigan; good to know record label PR machinists have always been lazy. Anyway, long considered some sort of lost classic it has much to live up to. The mythology surrounding Sixto Rodriguez has at times overwhelmed his recorded output – minimal as it is. Variously described as a wandering loner with no possessions or address, the victim of a self inflicted gunshot wound to the head – on stage no less! – and eking out a living as a construction worker, teacher and petrol pumper unaware of hyperbolic fans searching for him via the internet. That last part is actually true. Sparse production, gentle easy strumming and unfussy drumming mask tales of despair, loneliness and addiction. Sounds a bit trite now, but place yourself in the era of mind expanding exploration and it’s perhaps understandable why this haunting flip-side chronicle bombed. Occasionally a truly interesting touch will elevate the collection to one of the better releases of the era – see Sugar Man’s eerie spook whistle and it’s easy to see the allure to DJs on a mashing expedition. There are shades of Donovan and Leonard Cohen, and yes even a little Zimmerman, but Rodriguez deserves to be classed on his own terms. A multiple platinum record in Australia back in the day, Cold Fact probably wont broaden his exposure in this country, mainly because we were the ones who championed him to begin with. And rightly so.

JUSTIN HOOK

rives in the butterfly-love referencing, Mercury-homage – All That Glitters.

Ultimately this release approaches a forgettable, sub par Queen album and if Rodger’s sounds tacked on – it’s because he bloody well is. The only Queen member coming out of this project smelling of roses is John Deacon. He had the good sense to sit this abomination out altogether. The cosmos certainly may rock – it seems like a nice place after all and it’s quite big, but this debut release from Brian May, Roger Taylor and Paul Rodgers categorically does not despite its grand designs.

JUSTIN HOOK

downright hummable, and whilst the band set out to make AHIG their heaviest album – they succeeded, just – it’s also their most accessible, and whilst a lot of Maggots are going to be horrified at that, people like me – old enough to be a Slipknot fan’s father – are throwing our hats in the air and crying like babies. This surely constitutes success.

SCOTT ADAMS

Trial Kennedy New Manic Art (Gotham Records) New Manic Art works in many places brilliantly well. The Great Slipknot Escape and Colour All Hope is Gone (Roadrunner) Day Tours are beautiful examWhilst the sheer ples of guitar led coruscation of pop-rock. Neighbours is a stand out first song on this track that heralds this band as one album, Gematria (The Killing Name) to watch. Sadly the rest of the album doesn’t really live up to the standard is undeniable of these three tracks, which is often – the phrase ‘prime time Slayer’ the case with debut works. The fat probably could’ve been trimmed in springs to mind as soon as the twin some places but overall it’s a compeaxe assault of James Root and Mick Thomson is deployed alongside Joey tent work that will hopefully gain the group a fan base from which to build.

Jordison’s thunderous drumwork CARRINGTON CLARKE – it’s merely a storm in a tea cup compared with what’s to come. For, if there’s something we’ve learned Cut Off Your Hands over the years in this game, it’s that You and I (Speak n Spell) the dark is nothing without the From the second light. Hence, despite the fact we lap you press play, up the riffage like Pavlov’s dogs, we kiwi four piece Cut also cheer and doff our caps when off Your Hands’ Slipknot play their real ace – melody. new album is an Both Sulfur and Psychosocial are infectious, foot absolute winners because of this tapping bundle of word – you can actually sing along indie power-pop, whilst torturing neighbourhood pets and since forming in 2006 when they or disfiguring yourself, which has to were nothing more than a small time be a bonus. Indeed Psychosocial is punk pop group known as Shaky

Hands, they have matured greatly. Cut Off Your Hands are one of the hottest things to come off the indie circuit in a very long time, and this album is sure to impress. You and I is an album that has a mixture of fast paced, up beat songs as well as slower more vocal dependant songs and they compliment each other perfectly.

For the most the album is bouncy and energetic without sounding too much like a song straight out of playschool. This is a band who has managed to retain its musical integrity with its smooth flowing melodies and strong guitar and bass backings. Cut Off Your Hands have taken a huge risk with this album, going out of their comfort zones altogether, but it is a risk that pays off as this album leaves you hankering for more.

ELIZABETH ROWLEY Miley Cyrus Breakout (EMI) Not being the parent of a precocious, nonroom-cleaning-up pre-teenage girl or indeed being an actual teenage girl, I am able to approach this album with a clear head, free of cant or pre-judgement.

However, being alive in the early nineties and of listening age I am aware of Miley’s now less-famous father, Mr Achy Breaky Billy Ray. So, obviously, my brain hurts. And as for that Vanity Fair article – that was a pre-planned, perfectly executed joke against the reactionaries, right? OK, that’s the social commentary out of the way.

Miley is a phenomenon of mid-size epic proportions – say, like New Coke in the 1990’s. But bigger, less black but equally fizzy. Breakout is the first

album outside of her TV, film, loveheart motif emblazoned bedroom poster, CD and digital download alias – Hannah Montana. It’s a simple pop album. A teenage girl, just-gotdumped-by-my-dork-of-a-boyfriendfor-the-cheerleader-student pop album. Not that we have cheerleaders in Australia, other than on the … oh, right. Probably should stop right there. First things second – good god this is loud. Not Grandpa Simpson you crazy kids loud, but monumentally compressed so that it only sounds good through computer speakers and mobile phones loud. I assume all teenagers will be deaf by 2015.

Next thing now, Cyrus has a voice. A fantastically warm and sturdy one at that, especially considering she’s only in her mid-teens. And she co-wrote all but four songs. Better than my efforts at the same age: drawing awesome car-boat-aeroplane-machine contraptions. The production is song-factory standard – all big choruses and expectant verses. Kinda like most pop punk for the ten year older, black jean wearing market actually. The genuine surprise is Full Circle – an actual, hook-laden pop gem. Under different circumstances this song might find its way onto the iPods of confused hipsters all over the inner suburbs.

But, it won’t. She’s less batshit bonkers than Britney, far more talented than Avril and easily less loathsome than the Veronicas. So there we have it – BMA’s first Miley Cyrus review. We are now officially one step closer to Armageddon.

JUSTIN HOOK

Cell Out

With Mark Russell; he's BALLS-E

Pixar really have become the The Simpsons to Disney’s 20th Century Fox. It doesn’t matter how many talking animals or straight to video sequels flop their way out of Walt’s enchanted castle, Pixar can always step in to save the day. WALL-E should have them going a fair while longer. It’s a brilliant piece of cinema that has many elements reminiscent of ET and other great family movies of yesteryear. Heck they could probably justify five more Barbie movies based on the fire extinguisher space dance alone.

Journey to the Centre of the Earth This film really wasn’t doing itself any favours from the outset. Modern updates on classic texts are a hard sell for attracting the big bucks. It’s doubtful that many kids could care less who Jules Verne was and adults are unlikely to get revved up by Hollywood bastardising something that was once close to their own hearts. This may be why Journey to the Centre of the Earth has a distinct feeling of shoestring budget about it. This should’ve been a real problem in an adventure film – if the creators had tried to hide it.

Instead the filmmakers have employed Brendan Fraser, immediately injecting much needed charisma to the piece, and worn the cheap CGI on their sleeve like 2 Dollar Shop cufflinks.

“Because at BnL, space is the final “FUN-tier!”

Shelby Forthright (Fred Willard) WALL-E

Sadly it is still a very middling film however. It takes much too long for Professor Trevor Anderson (Fraser), his nephew (Josh Hutcherson) and their mountain guide (Anita Briem) to get into the fantastic creatures and delights of the subterranean playground that is the centre of the earth. Once there, a lot of adventure craziness – giant plants, weird angry flying fish and dinosaurs – is packed into a very short time before they’re back topside, laughing at the frivolity of it all. There isn’t enough story to justify a longer running time, and what they’ve got is pretty apt for the target audience, but it does make the whole thing feel a little half-arsed. The entertainment factor is boosted in parts by Fraser’s banter and refusal to

take the material seriously. Hutcherson also finds a few moments of quality though ill-conceived additions such as a glowing bird companion give him little to work with.

Journey is one to take ten-year old boys to, perhaps with the lie that it’s a classic in order to justify special effects they could probably produce themselves at home. Some cinemas are also running a 3D version of the film so you could conceivably relieve boredom and add realism by slapping the 3D glasses on the kid next to you during the action scenes.

Anyone else would be asking for a rugrat riot with a tactic like this. What makes it work however, is the brilliant and inventive use of animation. The story of WALL-E – the last robot left on earth, slowly going about his task of cleaning up after the wasteful humans who abandoned him – is digitally spectacular. The space scenes in particular are a showcase for the extremity of imagination that make Pixar films so consistently popular with young-uns and old-uns alike. The script hits every note of set-up and pay-off, always escalating the events beautifully towards natural and poignant conclusions. And it all comes bound with strong messages warning of the dangers of

pollution, lack of exercise and the disassociating effects of the information age. Is it a little pot/kettle/black of a corporation like Disney to preach some of these lessons? Well yes. But let us hope the little tykes understand exercise, health and personal interaction before they understand hypocrisy.

following a serious of ominous phone calls from some omnipotent woman who knows everything and can control all technology – derail trains, change traffic lights, write messages on neon signs, control mobile phones – a skill she uses to make anyone do her bidding. We’ve pretty much seen all this in Die Hard 4.0, though. The characters are okay, if cardboard’s your flavour – while on the run, Jerry Shaw (LaBeouf ) also tries to solve the mystery of his brother’s death, while Monaghan, playing the standard model of ‘overprotective mother’, babbles irritatingly on about her stupid son the whole time. There are some dull government officials in there too (Rosario Dawson, Billy Bob Thornton). Eagle Eye tries to do too much. Random (and stupid) plot threads lie by the wayside while

director DJ Caruso busies himself with explosives and flying metal, only to be picked up later after you’ve completely forgotten about them. The themes, of which there are too many (Big Brother is watching, terrorism, technology gone bad) try to portray a world where paranoia is the price of freedom – but the whole thing is handled so incredibly badly that none of the lessons stick. Eagle Eye should be a conspiracy theorist’s wet dream. But the ideas and plot ‘twists’ just get more and more idiotic, and the ending is a little too similar to another recent ‘action’ film (and laughingly implausible). Overall, a waste of time, unless drunk.

MARK RUSSELL

WALL-E Another luminescent bubble of creativity floats out of the suds-filled sink that is Pixar studios. With only Cars providing anything less than a superlative bit of celluloid, they’re batting almost a perfect average. The newest offering WALL-E has it all – superb animation, strong emotive moments and story, and comedy galore. The pressure of adding to the Pixar catalogue would be enough to have any filmmaker suffering a minor heart-attack for every frame they worked on. But rather than sit back and play it safe, these guys choose to push the boundaries even further, doing things like using almost no dialogue for the bulk of what is essentially a children’s film.

Eagle Eye The making of Eagle Eye: Step 1: Take an up-and-coming actor and an actress making a comeback (Shia LaBeouf, Michelle Monaghan).

Step 2: Add a highly predictable plot that would have techno-geeks salivating, if it were done right. Instead, do it lamely. Step 3: Look up the definition of ‘exciting, original plot twist’ - then do the exact opposite. Step 4: Throw in some explosions, shaky camerawork and car chases. Step 5: Turn everything to high speed, until the whole thing is whipped up into a ridiculous and contrived farce with a thoroughly lame ending. Step 6: Leave to stew for way too long. Eagle Eye would be good – if it wasn’t terrible. The idea sounds kind of cool – an everyman and everywoman are suddenly thrown into a plot to overthrow the government (sort of ),

MARK RUSSELL

MEGAN McKEOUGH

GIG REVIEWS Van She/Lost Valentinos/Art vs Science @ the ANU Bar Wednesday September 24

Ceremony/Slowburn/Losing Streak/Coldfront @ Tuggeranong Youth Centre, Saturday September 27

Impossibly tight jeans, artfully tousled hairstyles and plain, oversized t-shirts emblazoned with large phrases were in abundance at the ANU on Wednesday evening. The reason? The Modular party bus had arrived in town, bringing with it some of the hottest young indieelectro acts going round.

It has been too long since I’ve made the trek Southside for a show at the Tuggeranong Youth Centre. Once set in the middle of a generally deserted parking lot, Canberra’s growing economic prosperity has seen multi-story office blocks edge ever closer to the centre which, in the afternoon sun of an uncharacteristically summery lateSeptember afternoon, cast a shadow over the little triangular-roofed building that’s hosted many a great show over the years. One of the few all ages venues left in Canberra, the venue’s seen somewhat a renaissance of late, with decent sized touring acts stopping off almost every other week. Big enough to hold a decent sized crowd, yet small enough to maintain the intimacy that’s crucial to punk shows, and with no stage, it’s the perfect venue for US hardcore band Ceremony.

Energetic genre-defying trio and triple j Unearthed favourite Art vs Science treated the early crowd to a fun and interactive show.

Utilising a collection of electro-rock/hip-hop hybrid songs (Beastie Boys, anyone?) seemingly tailor made for hand claps and singalongs, the band set a cracking pace for the rest of the night.

Dreamy and subdued rock was next on the agenda, with Sydney outfit Lost Valentinos taking to the stage. A complete contrast to Art vs Science, the band provided a broody calm before the ensuing storm of excitement created by the Van She set.

At long last, they of Changes and Cat & The Eye fame arrived onstage to a rapturous reception. It was clear who the crowd had been waiting to see and the Van She boys did not disappoint. Rattling off track after track from debut LP V with an enthusiasm that was almost palpable, the boys were in top form. The sweet sounds created by their combination of dreamy synths and rocking riffs ensured no one left unsatisfied.

All in all, a perfect night… wait! What happened to the Van She DJ set we were promised?! I was informed by an insider that it had to be cancelled due to curfew restrictions. Bollocks! That’s what you get for going to a mid-week gig in this wretch of a big country town. Don’t worry Van She, you can do no wrong in my eyes. My beef is with the man… *shakes fist threateningly* JOSH BROWN

As is the custom for any opening band, the crowd gathered in a reserved semicircle for locals Coldfront – the wall of folded arms not doing the band’s sterling set justice. Though they have only been playing for six months, the five-piece have already carved a solid live reputation for themselves. Powered by drummer Murph, whose style lends a ‘70s style punk backbeat to proceedings, the band trade in straight-up melodic hardcore – octave chords are the operative words here – played aggressively and precisely. Undoubtedly the most promising band to emerge within the local punk/hardcore scene in recent memory.

In contrast, Sydney’s Losing Streak were a chaotic, well-intentioned mess. Clearly influenced by the headliners, it’s unclear whether they’re a joke band or not band – which is neither here nor there – but they were entertaining enough for it not to matter. One memorable moment involved the vocalist tearing through one song while lying on the ground, spooning with three audience members.

GIG REVIEWS Local favourites Slowburn followed, turning in one of their more ‘reserved’ sets of late – which is to say no one in the front row was punched – though your correspondent copped a stray mic to the ribs after it ricocheted off the floor during one of vocalist Sam’s more expressive moments. Driven by Aaron, one of the hardest hitting drummers in town, who in turn uses an extremely loud kit, Slowburn always test punters’ aural endurance even with just a vocal PA. Of late the band have adopted a heavier, more dense, layered sound – a far cry from their youth crew beginnings – which, in a live setting, often degenerates into an all-consuming wall of noise. Which is what you want. The only respite during their set came in the form of a well-pitched Jawbreaker cover.

It’s always heartening when international touring bands don’t give Canberra the wide berth that most do, and with the extra clout lent by the band signing with well respected Boston label Bridge 9 Records, the sense of excitement was palpable. However, with news filtering through that Ceremony’s guitarist had punched a hole through a borrowed quad box at last night’s show, local band members loaning the band gear tonight awaited their set with a degree of trepidation. Ceremony are famed for their violent, chaotic shows, so their concern was warranted.

As soon as the band hit the ‘stage’, the floor was immediately cleared, the crowd backing up against the walls before kids started hurling themselves across the room. Frankly, it was a miracle all the gear survived unscathed. Vocalist Ross Farrar, microphone cord wrapped around his neck like a noose, crawled about the floor, wringing every last shriek from his likely shredded vocal chords as eager punters clambered on top of him, vying for a chance to yell into the mic. Guitarist Ryan Mattos – who, it must be said, with his long black hair, eyes encircled in make-up and black vest, looked suspiciously similar to AFI frontman Davey Havoc – was obviously in a better mood tonight, restricting his onstage antics

CEREMONY/SLOWBURN @ TUGGERANONG YOUTH CENTRE PHOTOS BY JOHN HATFIEL

to pulling some very glam rock shapes and mercifully sparing the speaker cabinets.

Inspired by the usual suspects (Black Flag, Minor Threat, Negative Approach et al), Ceremony champion hardcore in the old school sense – fast and furious – with nary a breakdown in sight. Songs are universally polished off in under two minutes, most in half that time. It’s simple, it’s angry and it’s exciting. They’re the kind of band that inspires devotion, so it’s no surprise to find that almost half the audience were from out of town – some even piling into a hire van and following the tour from Queensland. It’s a rare occurrence: people travelling to Canberra, not away from, for a show. It is also a poor reflection on Canberra audiences, who are apathetic at the best of times. It really shouldn’t be left up to the interstate faithful to fill out shows.

And then, all too soon, it was over. After roughly half an hour of thrashing about, Ceremony bid their farewells and downed tools, so at the very civil hour of 10 o’clock we made our way back to civilisation. All in all, an excellent way to spend one of the first proper spring evenings, and a fitting taster for another punk rock summer ahead.

PETER KRBAVAC Gangbusters featuring MOTO/The Cherry Marines/The Fighting League @ Bar 32, Thursday September 4 It’s either extreme stupidly or an extreme self-belief that inspires someone to christen their album Raw Power after James Osterberg and co. released their seminal Bowie-produced set of the same name (arguably their definitive release, though that’s a debate for another time) coming up on two score years ago. Or perhaps just plain indifference. Whatever the case, a casual spin of MOTO’s (Masters of the Obvious, for those in the cheap seats) Raw Power reveals the disc worthy of the title, and the quality of music on show excuses the Chicagobased rockers of such impudence. At least half the tracks on the LP are stone-cold garage rock gems - undiscovered classics that, had they been released a few decades earlier, may well have been mentioned in the same breath as Teenage Kicks and I Will Dare.

“Ready, aim, fire!” This now familiar count-in announced the arrival of MOTO, and introduced almost every song in the band’s set thereafter.

We Are The Rats - which I always picture soundtracking some imaginary mid-’60s biker gang film - kicked off their set as Caporino brought Canberra up to speed with almost three decades of rock and roll.

With the rock solid rhythm section of Ally Spazzy of The Spazzys and Rigid of The Onyas - who, gear nerds will delight to hear, was rocking a vintage, and quite rare, Australian made Goldentone tube amp - holding down the backbeat, the trio powered through ready-made anthems like Gonna Get Drunk Tonight and I Hate My Fucking Job, both of which definitely resonated with the Thursday night crowd.

MOTO’s brilliance is in their simplicity: they combine the three core elements or rock - guitar, bass and drums, obviously - with glorious pop melodies and absolutely killer songs, something so many bands lack. In a genre where the same chord progressions crop up again and again, songs hinge on vocal melodies, of which MOTO have in abundance.

Whether extolling the virtues of rock in 2-4-6-8 Rock ‘n’ Roll or going on about God-knows-what in Crystallize My Penis, it’s clear the man has an ear for a vocal hook.

As their set proper ended, it was clear the crowd weren’t going to let MOTO off that easily. Having exhausted all their rehearsed material, the band revisited a few tracks and, at the sound techs’ insistence, we were treated to three run throughs of Metal Man, which, as we later found out, was trumped by the five renditions of I Hate My Fucking Job at the Sydney gig. The aforementioned tune, Metal Man is, quite simply, one of the best songs I’ve heard in years, and I challenge anyone to give it a spin and not find themselves converted on the spot.

Once again Gangbusters delivered the proverbial goods, bringing rock and roll salvation to the so oft forsaken youth of Canberra. Hallelujah.

PETER KRBAVAC

MOTO is essentially a one man show, the outlet of Paul Caporino’s prolific songwriting talents. A Robert Pollard-esque figure, the man has a penchant for punk rock, cheap guitars and lo-fi recording equipment.

And, judging by the band’s recorded output, an insatiable muse. Since Caporino originally formed MOTO at the start of the ‘80s in New Orleans, the group has seen 30 plus members pass through the ranks and has released around 20 cassette albums, the same number of seven inch records and half a dozen LPs. They could very easily have slipped under the radar of all but the most avid Australian rock enthusiasts, but luckily for all self-respecting music fans, Melbourne’s Aarght Records - more savvy than most - have taken it upon themselves to champion Caporino’s genius, flying the great man out and assembling an Australian incarnation of the group.

Locals The Fighting League opened proceedings and, now swollen to a six piece with a second guitarist, were as loose and raucous as ever.

They veer from primitive, synth-driven new wave recalling Devo and the Human League to ramshackle folk-tinged garage rock, while their ‘theme song’ sounds like a demo from the Happy Monday’s Squirrel and G-Man... As always, their faithful following was on hand to jump about and assist on tambourine and backing vocal duties as required.

Genre-hopping misfits The Cherry Marines - fronted by local troubadour Nick Delatovic, who also splits his time between The Missing Lincolns, The Big Score and his own solo endeavours - continued the orgy of sound, their hypnotic, post-everything - punk, rock, pop, you name it - swirl proving as jarringly catchy as ever. The four attack their instruments with relish, creating some mind-melting crescendos, though all the while ensure their pop sensibilities are never entirely cast out the window. With their album, which has been waiting to be unleashed on unsuspecting ears for almost a year, due for release before the end of ‘08, the Marines are ones to keep an eye on.

MOTO @ GANGBUSTERS, BAR 32 PHOTOS BY PATRICK COX

BMA BAND PROFILE

PHOTO: HUA CHENG

CHARLIE GREASER Where did your band name come from?

It was coined in San Jose California from a pomade tin ‘American Greaser Supplies’. I wore so much of it that the girls called me ‘Charlie Greaser’, not to be confused with ‘tattoo Charlie’, a friend.

Group Members: Charlie Tizzard (vocals and guitar), Beau Nestor (drums) and Dave Bean on upright bass (also of the Casino Rumblers).

Describe your sound: Loud Rock N Roll with rockabilly/psychobilly roots and a punk edge.

Who are your influences, musical or otherwise?

Elvis, Eddie Cochran, traditional hotrods, Stray Cats, Sex Pistols, the Bronx, Reverend Horton Heat, Nekromantix, the Peacocks, my family, motorcycles, share cropping and donuts.

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

I was accidentally set on fire by a fire twirling burlesque dancer in Las Vegas.

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

Recording at Sun Studios in Memphis, where Elvis was discovered.

Either that or fitting a whole cheeseburger in my mouth.

What are your plans for the future?

We are putting out an EP of older unreleased songs on October 4, then a full-length album next year with a tour to follow. The Burn the World EP features songs recorded at Sun Studio in Memphis and my recording studio back here. We will also be supporting KC and the Moonshine Band from Canada this November in Canberra, Sydney and Wollongong.

What makes you laugh?

Getting into trouble, people hurting themselves and life.

What pisses you off?

People with no sense of humour; people who tell you ‘you can’t do that’ all the time and horses.

What’s your opinion of the local scene?

The Canberra scene is going through another quiet cycle.

What are your upcoming gigs?

October 4: EP Release at the Basement with Sin City.

November 14: ACT, the Basement with KC and the Moonshine Band (Canada).

November 15: Sydney, The Lansdowne Hotel with KC and the Moonshine Band (Canada).

November 16: Wollongong, the Oxford Tavern with KC and the Moonshine Band (Canada).

Contact Info: charlie@greaserville.comor www.myspace.com/charliegreaser

FIRST CONTACT: Write your band’s name as well as the name and phone number of the person to contact (limit of two contacts ie. phone and email) and send $5 (cheque or money order made to Bands, Music, Action) to bma: PO Box 713, Civic Square, ACT, 2608. For your $5 you’ll stay on the register until you request removal. Changes to listings also cost $5.

Aaron Peacey Aaron 0410 381 306 Afternoon Shift Adam 0402 055 314 After Close Scotty 0412 742 682, afterclose@hotmail.com Alcove Mark 0410 112 522 Alice 0423 100 792 Allies ACT (Oxfam Group) alliesact@hotmail.com/ myspace.com/alliesact Amphibian Sound PA Clare 0410 308 288 Annie & the Armadillos Annette 6161 1078/0422 076 313 The Ashburys Dan Craddock 0419 626 903 Aria Stone singer/songwriter(guitar), sax & flute Aria 0411 803 343 Australian Kingswood Factory Sharon 0412 334 467 Australian Songwriters Association (Keiran Roberts) 6231 0433 Arythmia: Ben 0423 408 767/ arythmiamusic@gmail.com Backbeat Drivers Steve 0422 733 974, www.backbeatdrivers.com Bastards Jamie 0424 857 282/ www.bastards.altpro.net Big Boss Groove Andrew 0404 455 834, www.bigbossgroove.com.au Birds Love Fighting Gangbusters/DIY shows - bookings@birdslovefighting.com Blister Bug Stu 0408 617 791 Bridge Between, The Rachel 0412 598 138, thebridgebetween.com.au Bruce Stage mgr/consultant 6254 9857 Casual Projects Julian 0401 016 885 Catchpenny Nathan 0402 845 132 Caution Horses Nigel 0417 211 580 CD and Website Design Brendan 0404 042 574 Chris Harland Blues Band, The Chris 0418 490 640 chrisharlandbluesband@yahoo.com.au Chuffs, The Glenn 0413 697 546 Cold Heart Projects Andrew 6294 5450 Cole Bennetts Photography 0415 087 833/colebennetts@gmail.com Colourful Racing Identities Josh 0410 135 605 Cool Weapon Luke 0410 983 450/ Josh 0412 863 019 Cris Clucas Cris 6262 5652 Crooked Dave 0421 508 467 Cumulonimbus Matt 0412 508 425 Dance With Amps Marcus 0421 691 332 Danny V Danny 6238 1673/0413 502 428 DayTrippers, The Reidar 0414 808 677, daytrippers@grapevine.com.au (dp) New Media Artists Mal 0414 295 297 Dogact dog-act@hotmail.com, Paulie 0408 287 672.

DJs Madrid and Gordon 0417 433 971 DJ/MC Bootcamp Donte 9267 3655 DJ Latino Rogelio 0401 274 208 DJ Moises (RnB/Latin) 0402 497 835 or moises_lopez@hotmail DNA Vic 0408 477 020 Drumassault Kate 0414 236 323 Dubba Rukki Jim 0409 660 745 Easy Mode Daz 0404 156 482, easymodeband@gmail.com Entity Chris 0412 027 894 Epic Flagon band@epicflagon.com EYE eye@canberra.teknet.net.au Fighting Mongooses, The Adam 0402 055 314 Final Warning Brendan 0422 809 552 Fire on the Hill Aaron 0410 381 306/ Dan 0410 480 321 FirePigs, The Danny 6238 1673/0413 502 428 4dead Peter 0401 006 551 Freeloaders, The Steve 0412 653 597 Friend or Enemy 6238 0083, www.myspace.com/friendorenemy Funk Shui Dave 0407 974 476 Gareth Hailey DJ & Electronica 0414 215 885 GiLF Kelly 0410 588 747, gilf.mail@gmail.com Guff Damian 6230 2767 HalfPast Chris 0412 115 594 Hancock Basement Tom 6257 5375, hancockbasement@hotmail.com Happy Hour Wendy 0406 375 096, Haunted Attics band@hauntedatticsmusic.com Hitherto Paul 0408 425 636 Adam Hole Adam 0421 023 226 Infra Retina Kyle 0437 137 775/Michael 0430 353 893/www.infra-retina.com

In The Flesh Scott 0410 475 703 Inside the Exterior Nathan 0401 072 650 Itchy Triggers Andrew 0401 588 884 Jacqui Seczawa 0428 428 722 JDY Clothing 0405 648 288/ www.jdyclothing.com Jenn Pacor singer/songwriter avail. for originals & covers, 0405 618 630 Jennifer Versatile singer looking for band; 0422 158 362 Jim Boots 0417 211 580 Karismakatz DJ Gosper 0411 065 189/dj@ karismakatz.com Kurt's Metalworx (PA) 0417 025 792 Lenders, The Tim 6247 2076 Little Smoke Sam 0411 112 075 Los Capitanes Tim 0421 842 247 Los Chavos Jules 0413 223 573 los.chavos@yahoo.com.au Manilla Green Herms 0404 848 462, contactus@manillagreen.com, Mario "Brujo" Gordon world music DJ/percussionist 0405 820 895 Martin Bailey Audio Engineer 0423 566 093 Malumba Dan 6253 5150 MC Kayo Marbilus 0405 648 288 kayo_101@hotmail.com, www.myspace. com/kayo_marbilus, Meatbee Ben 0417 492 560 Missing Zero Hadrian Brand 0424 721 907/hadrian.brand@live.com.au Murder Meal Combo Anthony 0419 630 721 MuShu Jack 0414 292 567, mushu_band@hotmail.com Myriad Kath 6253 8318 MyOnus myonusmusic@hotmail.com/ www.myspace.com/myonus Neptune's Necklace Mark 6253 1048 No Retreat Simon 0411 155 680 Ocean Moses Nigel 0417 211 580 OneWayFare Chris 0418 496 448 Painted Hearts, The Peter 6248 6027 Para 0402 277 007 Petra Elliott Petra 0410 290 660 Phathom Chris 0422 888 700 The Pigs The Colonel 0422 412 752 Polka Pigs Ian 6231 5974 Premier Audio Simon 0412 331 876, premier_audio@hotmail.com Queanbeyan Music & Electronics 6299 1020 Redletter Ben 0421 414 472 Redsun Rehearsal Studio Ralph 0404 178 996/6162 1527 Rhythm Party, The Ross 0416 010 680 Roger Bone Band Andy 0413 483 758 Rob Mac Project, The Melinda 0400 405 537 Rug, The Jol 0417 273 041 Samsara Samahdi 0431 083 776 Sansutra J-Ma 0403 476 350 Sara Vancea Sara 6247 9899 Seditious Intent Toby 0419 971 547 Sindablok Duncan 0424 642 156 Simone Penkethman (Simone & The Soothsayers, Singing Teacher) 6230 4828 Soundcity Rehearsal Studio Andrew 0401 588 884 Solid Gold Peter 0421 131 887/ solid.gold@live.com.au Stalker and Liife Darren 0413 229 049 Super Best Friends Matt 0438 228 748 Surrender Jordan 0439 907 853 Switch 3 Mick 0410 698 479 System Addict Jamie 0418 398 556 Taboo Bamboo Greg 0439 990 455 That ‘80s Band Ty 0417 265 013 The Morning After (covers band) Anthony 0402 500 843/ myspace.com/themorningaftercovers Tim James Lucia 6282 3740, 0413 609 832, LUCIAMURDOCH@hotmail.com Top Shelf Colin 0408 631 514 Transmission Nowhere Emilie 0421 953 519/myspace.com/transmissionnowhere TRS tripstate@hotmail.com Udo 0412 086 158 Undersided, The Baz 0408 468 041 Using Three Words Dan 0416 123 020, usingthreewords@hotmail.com Voodoo Doll Mark 0428 650 549 William Blakely Will 0414 910 014 Woden Youth Centre Jeremy 6282 3037 Zeitgeist www.zeitgeist.xwave Zero Degrees and Falling Louis 0423 918 793 Zwish 0411 022 907

GIG GUIDE October 2 - 7 THURSDAY OCTOBER 2

ARTS _____________ Etched in the Sun Prints made by Indigenous artists. Running until 2nd November. Free. Gallery open Wed to Sun 12-5pm ANU DRILL HALL GALLERY Thom Pain Featuring Neil Pigot. Running until 11th October THE STREET THEATRE, ACTON

FRIDAY OCTOBER 3 Souled Out Fridays R&B with DJs Daz, Nate, Adam MINQUE, FRANKLIN ST, MANUKA

LIVE ____________

Aeon Of Horus With Anno Domini, Punishment and From Winter's Grace. 18+ $10. Doors 8pm THE GREENROOM, PHILLIP Rev DANCE Every Friday, $5 entry BAR 32, NORTHBOURNE AVE Trash Thursdays Live Music DJs Troy Wade and Esscue. $5 Starts 10pm entry with two free drinks, plus THE DURHAM, KINGSTON Friday Night Mix Up $2 drinks ‘til 2am With DJ Craig ACADEMY, CIVIC Blast From The Past PJ O’REILLY'S, TUGGERANONG Re-live your favourite tunes from Dos Locos 9pm start the '80s and '90s every Thursday PJ O’REILLY’S, CIVIC MINQUE, FRANKLIN ST, MANUKA Monster Elephante FWith The Moots, Von Sonic and LIVE The Futility THE BASEMENT, BELCONNEN Kremlin Live Performances by local musicians Kooky Fandango From 5pm. Live bands every KREMLIN BAR, CIVIC Friday night. Happy hour 5–6.30p, Live Jazz THE SOUL BAR, WODEN Celebrate the weekend with live After Work Dranks music from 5.30-8.30pm With DJ Jemist from 5pm HIPPO BAR, GAREMA PL, CIVIC TRANSIT BAR, AKUNA ST, CIVIC Live Music Ug Beats From 9.30pm With Jemist, Alistair, Not You, KINGSTON HOTEL Pornstylus and Exit. 9pm Neon Knights TRANSIT BAR, AKUNA ST, CIVIC With Sean Kelly and more. From 9pm, free SOMETHING DIFFERENT TRANSIT BAR, AKUNA ST, CIVIC Thomas Ford Doc Span Ross Williams With Inappropriate Tough Guy From 10pm Behaviour and Assassins DJs HOLY GRAIL, KINGSTON from midnight to 2am. 18+ Kremlin Happy Hour BAR 32, NORTHBOURNE AVE From 5 to 8pm Beach To Beatles KREMLIN BAR, CIVIC

By Canberra Pops Classic Karaoke Orchestra with special guests From 7.30pm Lucy Bermingham and Damien THE BRADDON CLUB Bermingham. 7.30pm. Adults $42, concession $36 saturday OCTOBER 4 CANBERRA THEATRE, CIVIC Roxanne From 9.30pm DANCE THE DURHAM, KINGSTON Dos Locos Miles Supported By Pred Champagne cocktails, 2 for $10, $10 entry, $5 for members 4-9pm before 11. Featuring Pred, Close KING O’MALLEY’S, CIVIC Miles and Frank Madrid ACADEMY, CIVIC SOMETHING DIFFERENT Dragon Dreaming Festival 08’ Sensient, Spoonbill, Oxygene and over 70 others. Running Karaoke until October 6. $80 at the gate Cash and voucher prizes VENUE TBA PJ O’REILLYS, TUGGERANONG Carry On Karaoke From 9pm DAY PLAY PJ O’REILLY’S, CIVIC Love Earth Gathering friday OCTOBER 3 Non-profit event to promote awareness of climate change.

DANCE Free vegetarian lunch GAREMA PLACE, CIVIC Gorman House Markets Plump DJs (UK) GORMAN HOUSE, BRADDON With local electronic whizzes Burley Griffin Antique Centre Karton in support. $30 + bf KINGSTON FORESHORE ACADEMY, CIVIC Paqman Survival (UK) All ages, 1-5 pm '90-inspired neurofunk D&B with THE GREENROOM, PHILLIP Benjammin, Rhombus, Kilojulz, Jazz Sessions Buick, Tidy and Crooked Sound From 2pm, $10 incl. wine tasting System. $15 on the door and a cheese platter MERCURY BAR, N'THBOURNE AVE MINQUE, FRANKLIN ST, MANUKA Exclusive Ladies Only Night With DJ Tori Mac, 9pm – 1am CUBE NIGHTCLUB, CIVIC

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SATURDAY OCTOBER 4

SUNDAY OCTOBER 5

LIVE _____________

DAY PLAY _____________

Fulantino With 740 Boyz, DJ Mario “Brujo” Gordon. $20 at the door PAPARAZZI, FRANKLIN ST, MANUKA Sunflower With The Magic Hands, Super Florence Jam, Pleased To Jive You. 18+, 8pm, $8 THE GREENROOM, PHILLIP The Holidays/ Yves Klein Blue With Chambers on The Immaculate Confection Tour. Yves Klein Blue's clashy blend of classic pop, old punk and indie rock mixed with The Holidays Sweet astulty pop, could it get any better? Tickets at ticketek $12.95 ANU BAR, ACTON Live Music Starts at 10pm, $8 cocktails 4-10pm THE DURHAM, KINGSTON Andrew Kennedy With Glenroi Heights, Dan Adey and The Cherry Marines.7-11pm THE FRONT CAFE, LYNEHAM Downtown Brown $5 at the door HIPPO BAR, GAREMA PL, CIVIC The Cool Champagne cocktails, 2 for $10, 4-9pm. No cover charge KING O’MALLEY’S, CIVIC Live Music From 9.30pm KINGSTON HOTEL '80s Music with DJ Craig PJ O’REILLY'S, TUGGERANONG Sin City With Charlie Greaser, Throwaway Kids, All In Brawl, Sister Scarlette THE BASEMENT, BELCONNEN The Fuelers With Pat Capocci Combo THE PHOENIX, EAST ROW, CIVIC Daniel McKay in Concert Adults $20, concessions $15.

Tickets at the door WESLEY MUSIC CENTRE The Holidays/ Yves Klein Blue Official Afterparty With Staky, Tom Tom vs Yves Klein Blue, and The Chambers TRANSIT BAR, AKUNA ST, CIVIC

Old Bus Depot Markets KINGSTON Burley Griffin Antique Centre KINGSTON FORESHORE Tuggeranong Homestead Markets TUGGERANONG HOMESTEAD The Divine Romantics From 4pm. Adults $29, concessions $15 WESLEY MUSIC CENTRE Sunday Playground Join some of Canberra’s finest DJs. $3 Coronas & finger food MINQUE, FRANKLIN ST, MANUKA

SOMETHING DIFFERENT _____________ If... (M) Malcolm McDowell leads a schoolyard revolution in Lyndsay Anderson's cult satire ARC CINEMA, NFSA, ACTON Carry On Karaoke 9.30pm start PJ O’REILLY’S, CIVIC Oliva Lambert Appeal Race Day Dedicated race day to raise money for Olivia who has a rare childhood cancer. Special guest appearances from Catriona Rowntree and Michael Milton THOROUGHBRED PARK,

LIVE _____________ NRL Grand Final Day With Live Music With Dos Locos with Mitch & Jason. 5 -10pm ALL BAR NUN, O'CONNOR Dead Riot With Free Agent Crew, All in Brawl, Ashton Skies and The Toxicmen. All ages, 1pm THE GREENROOM, PHILLIP Our House With The Potbelleez, Sharam Jey, Dexter, Jeff Drake, Ashley Feraude, Ryfy, Sean Kelly and DJ J in the House of representatives courtyard. 5pm-12am OLD PARLIAMENT HOUSE MONDAY OCTOBER 6

ARTS _____________ NIDA Drama School 12-15 years, 9-11 year olds.

Running until the 10th October DARAMALAN COLLEGE, DICKSON NIDA Acting Techniques 16+ year olds. Running until the 10th October DARAMALAN COLLEGE, DICKSON NIDA TV Presenting 16+ year olds. Running until the 10th October DARAMALAN COLLEGE, DICKSON

SOMETHING DIFFERENT _____________ Hospitality Night TRANSIT BAR, AKUNA ST, CIVIC TUESDAY OCTOBER 7

ARTS _____________ Art 4 The Greens Running until the 12th October.

THE FRONT GALLERY, LYNEHAM

LIVE _____________ Voices Of Masada With The Devilzwork. ANU students: $10, regular: $15 ANU BAR, ACTON Chuse Jazz Tuesdays With the Joe Lloyd Quartet. $5 beer or wine. With complimentary cheese spread (TRINITY) BAR, DICKSON

GIG GUIDE October 7 - 15 TUESDAY OCTOBER 7

thursday OCTOBER 9

FRIDAY OCTOBER 10

SOMETHING DIFFERENT _____________

ARTS _____________

ARTS _____________

Fame Trivia Win great prizes, book early on: 6295 1769. 7.30-10.30pm THE DURHAM, KINGSTON Trivia Night From 7pm HOLY GRAIL, KINGSTON Trivia Night $100 cash prize and vouchers to be won PJ O’REILLY'S, TUGGERANONG Pot Belly Trivia Every Tuesday POT BELLY BAR, BELCONNEN Trivia Night THE PHOENIX, EAST ROW, CIVIC Carry On Karaoke Win $1000 TRANSIT BAR, AKUNA ST, CIVIC

Witchfinder General (R) Vincent Price chills the spine in Michael Reeves' legendary British shocker. 7.30pm ARC CINEMA, NFSA, ACTON

Intimacy An exhibition by Kat Barter.

Exploring the presence and absence of touch and tactility.

From 6pm, until 19th Oct CCAS, MANUKA Threshold: The Art of Illusion, Dance and Escapes Illusionist Cosentino. A world class performance.

Audiences will witness dangerous, nail-biting escapes, illusions and mentalism CANBERRA THEATRE, CIVIC

WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 8

LIVE _____________ Kristin Beradi Trio $10 HIPPO BAR, GAREMA PL, CIVIC Angels and Architects THE PHOENIX, EAST ROW, CIVIC

SOMETHING DIFFERENT _____________ Trivia Night From 7.30pm ACT RUGBY UNION CLUB Documentary: S21, La Machine De Mort Khmere Rough by Rithy Panh Free screening, 8.15 pm ALLIANCE FRANCAISE, TURNER Carry-On Karaoke Win $1000. $8 Margaritas, $5 Coronas & Snowy Mtn Brewery beers available THE DURHAM, KINGSTON Karaoke From 9.30pm HOLY GRAIL, KINGSTON Kremlin Cocktails Special $6 cocktails menu KREMLIN BAR, CIVIC Open Mic Night With Stillton Detox. Other talents welcome. Free pool PJ O’REILLY'S, TUGGERANONG Fame Trivia 6pm start PJ O’REILLY’S, CIVIC $5 Night @ Transit TRANSIT BAR, AKUNA ST, CIVIC

DANCE _____________ Blast From The Past Relive your favourite tunes from the '80s and '90s every Thursday MINQUE, FRANKLIN ST, MANUKA Trash Thursdays With DJs Troy Wade and Esscue. $5 entry with two free drinks, plus $2 drinks ‘til 2am ACADEMY, CIVIC

LIVE _____________ Live Jazz 5.30-8.30pm HIPPO BAR, GAREMA PL, CIVIC Live Music From 9.30pm KINGSTON HOTEL Kremlin Live Performances by local musicians KREMLIN BAR Holly Throsby Touting her new A Loud Call album, with Cloud Control and Sweden's The Tallest Man On Earth in support. Tickets from Ticketek $20.95 ANU BAR, ACTON Go Genre Everything Feat. Babyfreeze and more. From midnight to 2am. 18+ BAR 32, NORTHBOURNE AVE DJ From 9.30pm THE DURHAM, KINGSTON The Remnants Champagne cocktails, 2 for $10, 4-9pm KING O’MALLEY’S, CIVIC The Hands From 9pm TRANSIT BAR, AKUNA ST, CIVIC

SOMETHING DIFFERENT _____________ Karaoke Cash and Voucher Prizes PJ O’REILLYS TUGGERANONG Carry On Karaoke 9pm start PJ O’RIELLY’S CIVIC Braddon Brainbuster Trivia From 6pm THE BRADDON CLUB

DANCE _____________ Phil K Feat. Bruisa, Scottie Fischer, Fourthstate and Hubert. 10pm start. $15 on the door LOT 33, KENNEDY ST, KINGSTON Nick Smith @ Alex McLoud ACADEMY, CIVIC Cheese With Jemist, Pornstylus and Retropoprockdoom. 9pm TRANSIT BAR, AKUNA ST, CIVIC

LIVE _____________ The Go Set CD Launch With the Casino Rumblers and Catguy Mary. Tickets from Ticketek $18.70 ANU BAR, ACTON Rev Every Friday, $5 entry BAR 32, NORTHBOURNE AVE rd 3 Exit From 10pm THE DURHAM, KINGSTON Kevin Borich and Phil Emmanuel With young gun "Smokin' Joe" Robinson. From 8pm. $35 presale, $38 on the door HOLY GRAIL, CIVIC Tripitide Champagne cocktails, 2 for $10, 4-9pm KING O’MALLEY’S, CIVIC Friday Night Mix Up With DJ Craig PJ O’REILLYS, TUGGERANONG Tripitide 9pm start PJ O’REILLY’S, CIVIC Traces of Nuts THE BRADDON CLUB Perpetual End With Friend Or Enemy, Corporate Takedown, 18+, 8pm, $10 THE GREENROOM, PHILLIP

friday OCTOBER 10 Kiai Academy With Zero Degrees And Falling and My Onus. All ages. $15. 8pm – 12pm TUGGERANONG YOUTH CENTRE Women In Docs With Sam Buckingham and Silas.

7pm. $15/$12 THE POLISH WHITE EAGLE CLUB, TURNER Abbie Cardwell triple j Unearthed-winning singer songwriter Abbie Cardwell's By Hook Or By Crook Tour. With Nicole Brophy THE POT BELLY, BELCONNEN Kevin Bloody Wilson Dilligaf Cafe Tour. Lock up your daughters and leave your sense of political correctness at the door! Kev will have you pissing yourself laughing with all new songs, not to forget the old classics. So don't miss our favourite farting comedian.

In the Auditorium THE VIKINGS CLUB, ERINDALE After Work Dranks Jemist, 5pm TRANSIT BAR, AKUNA ST, CIVIC Souled Out Fridays Smooth, sexy R&B with DJs Daz, Nate, Adam and many more.

MINQUE, FRANKLIN ST, MANUKA

SOMETHING DIFFERENT _____________ Split Decision From 10pm HOLY GRAIL, KINGSTON Kremlin Happy Hour From 5 to 8pm KREMLIN BAR, CIVIC SATURDAY OCTOBER 11

ARTS _____________ Glass: A Portrait Of Philip In Twelve Parts A Scott Hicks film about the legendary composer Philip Glass.

A unique glimpse behind the curtain into the life of a surprisingly complex man. 7.30pm ARC CINEMA, NFSA, ACTON Threshold: The Art of Illusion, Dance and Escapes Illusionist Cosentino performs amazing feats in a world class performance combining dangerous and nailbiting escapes incredible illusions & mentalism.

CANBERRA THEATRE

SATURDAY OCTOBER 11 NIDA Acting To Camera Lessons for 12-18 year olds in acting for the camera. Running until the 12th October DARAMALAN COLLEGE, DICKSON NIDA Design Intensive Lessons for 16+ year olds in intensive design. Running until the 12th October DARAMALAN COLLEGE, DICKSON NIDA Audition Intensive Lessons for 16+ year olds in intensive auditions. Running until the 12th October DARAMALAN COLLEGE, DICKSON NIDA Teaching Drama Lessons for 18+ year olds to teach drama. Running until the 12th October DARAMALAN COLLEGE, DICKSON NIDA Directing Intensive Lessons for16+ year olds in intensive directing. Running until the 12th October DARAMALAN COLLEGE, DICKSON

DANCE _____________ Ashley Feraude + VJ Jim With Troy Wade. $10 entry, $5 for members before 11pm ACADEMY, CIVIC Goodwill With support DJs Kiz, Tim Galvin and Trent Richardson. 2 for 1 drinks before 11 and free champagne for the ladies until 10. $30 Corona 6 pack buckets. $10 entry MONKEY BAR, BUNDA ST, CIVIC Kate Munroe With Michael O'Rourke, Dave Norgate. 10pm. $15 on the door LOT 33, KENNEDY ST, KINGSTON

DAY PLAY _____________ Gorman House Markets Something to suit everyone GORMAN HOUSE Burley Griffin Antique Centre KINGSTON FORESHORE Jazz Sessions Pop in for a drop of wine and a yummy cheese platter.

From 2pm MINQUE, FRANKLIN ST, MANUKA

saturday october 11

sATURDAY OCTOBER 11

LIVE _____________

SOMETHING DIFFERENT _____________

Megafauna Fest ‘08 With The Nation Blue, Pod People, Casual Projects, Cuthbert & The Night Walkers, Hancock Basement, Cool Weapon, Hytest, Super Best Friends, Monster Elephante, Boonhorse, Tres Terros, Penguin, Inside The Exterior, Pink & Diabolik. Doors 2pm ANU BAR, ACTON Live Music KINGSTON HOTEL Michael O’Rourke $5 at the door HIPPO BAR Columbian Charity Fiesta A night of Latin American food, music and dance to raise money for a primary school and refuge home in Columbia $10 pp, $25 family. 6pm – midnight ST JOHN'S CHURCH, REID '80s Music With DJ Craig PJ O’REILLY'S, TUGGERANONG Delace With Scaramouche, Not Cheap But Easy. $5 at the door, 9pm12am POT BELLY BAR, BELCONNEN The Bangles The Bangles are returning to Australia! Featuring original members Susanna Hoffs, Debbi Peterson, and Vicki Peterson.

Performing such classic hits as Manic Monday, Eternal Flame, and Walk Like An Egyptian. Supported by Monique Brumby ROYAL THEATRE, CIVIC Gasma With Periah and Dead Kings, 18+, $10 THE GREENROOM, PHILLIP Chick Flick Everyone's favourite lycra-clad ladies. With lady-loving Manilla Green and Jenn Pacor THE PHOENIX, EAST ROW, CIVIC The Whitlams The Whitlams are hitting the road to celebrate the release of their Truth, Beauty & A Picture of You - The Best of The Whitlams album. The show's sold out, by the way. Thought I should tell you TILLEY’S CAFE, LYNEHAM Ray Mann 3 TRANSIT BAR, AKUNA ST, CIVIC

Kudos 10pm, $8 cocktails, 4-10pm THE DURHAM, KINGSTON Identical Strangers From 10pm HOLY GRAIL, KINGSTON Carry-On Karaoke From 9.30pm PJ O’REILLY’S, CIVIC sunday october 12

DAY PLAY _____________ Old Bus Depot Markets KINGSTON Burley Griffin Antique Centre KINGSTON FORESHORE Tuggeranong Homestead Markets TUGGERANONG HOMESTEAD Sunday Playground $3 Coronas & finger food MINQUE, FRANKLIN ST, CIVIC

LIVE _____________ The Remnants From 5 till 9pm ALL BAR NUN, O'CONNOR The Whitlams TILLEY’S CAFE, LYNEHAM monday october 13

SOMETHING DIFFERENT _____________ Mad Monday With DJ Craig. Free pool PJ O’REILLY'S, TUGGERANONG Hospitality Night TRANSIT BAR, AKUNA ST, CIVIC Tuesday october 14

ARTS _____________ Jumptown Swing Learn to swing dance! No experience or partner required HARMONIE GERMAN CLUB, NARRABUNDAH

LIVE _____________ Alison(The Cashews) With Pete (The Cashews), and Alice (The Andi and George Band) Hosted by Matty Ellis.

7.30pm. $5 entry THE FRONT CAFÉ, LYNEHAM

tuesday october 14 Chuse Jazz Tuesdays With the Austin Benjamin Trio. $5 beer or wine, complimentary cheese spread (TRINITY) BAR, DICKSON

SOMETHING DIFFERENT _____________ Fame Trivia Prizes to be won. Book on: 6295 1769. 7.30-10.30pm THE DURHAM, KINGSTON Trivia Night 7pm HOLY GRAIL, KINGSTON Trivia Night $100 cash and vouchers to win PJ O’REILLY'S, TUGGERANONG Pot Belly Trivia POT BELLY BAR, BELCONNEN Carry On Karaoke $1000 prize TRANSIT BAR, AKUNA ST, CIVIC wednesday october 15

ARTS _____________ Jumptown Swing Learn to swing dance WHITE EAGLE POLISH CLUB

LIVE _____________ Lisa Mitchell $17.70 ANU BAR, ACTON Gerard Masters Trio $10 HIPPO BAR, GAREMA PL, CIVIC The Haunted Attics With From the South THE PHOENIX, EAST ROW, CIVIC Battle Of The Bands All ages 6-10pm, $10 THE GREENROOM, PHILLIP

SOMETHING DIFFERENT _____________ Trivia Night From 7.30pm ACT RUGBY UNION CLUB Carry-On Karaoke From 9.30pm, win $1000. $8 margaritas, $5 Coronas THE DURHAM, KINGSTON Karaoke HOLY GRAIL, KINGSTON Kremlin Cocktails Special $6 cocktails menu KREMLIN BAR, CIVIC Open Mic Night With Stillton Detox. Other talents welcome, free pool PJ O’REILLY'S, TUGGERANONG

DVDEVOTEE

The Godfather – The Coppola Restoration (Paramount Home Entertainment) A quick poll around this great wide world, and most people will tell you that The Godfather is one of, if not the greatest, films ever made.

And The Godfather II isn’t too shabby either, constantly rated as the best sequel ever made – hard to disagree with that, considering what it’s going up against. The less said about the finale of the trilogy the better (way too violent, and already made redundant by the closing moments of II). The Godfather opus tells the tales of the Corleone family and their internal and external power struggles. Featuring breakout performances from Al Pacino, Robert Duvall and James Caan, as well as several defining moments from the likes of Marlon Brando and a young Robert De Niro (when he was actually really good).

This is excellent film-making which sucks you in with rich characters. Interestingly enough the sequel was never supposed to be made.

Of course, the problem comes with number three and some of the choices within that film – the 'keep it in the family' casting of Sophia Coppola, Pacino winding up as a parody of himself. I’ve always believed though, if III wasn’t a Godfather film, it stacks up quite nicely, and I guess it does bring the whole saga to a bloody close. What makes this collection truly special, though, are the extra features.

Coppola supplies commentaries on all three films, paying attention to the problems he had on set. The other extra features are also exceptional with looks at the making of the first film, and the cultural impact that The Godfather has given us – Mr Scorsese you know what I’m talking about. And so much more, in fact there are two whole discs of special features, really making this a must have on the list. It’s an offer you can’t refuse.

GEOFF SETTY

Next issue, we have the Stonefest spectacular, more acts from Trackside and Foreshore, Ian Moss, David Strassman, Michael Franti, Skipping Girl Vinegar 'n' much, much more.

Out Oct 16. She'll be apples!

The Onion Movie (Fox Home Entertainment)

Street Kings (Fox)

In case you don’t already know, The Onion is a satirical newspaper. In the previous millennium, in Web 1.0 days, it was considered to be an excellent office-based time waster and quite a good laugh; LOLS weren’t invented at that stage if memory serves. These days its star has dimmed significantly, although some of the earlier faux-headlines retain a distinct glory: World’s Largest Metaphor Hits Iceberg, Holy Shit: Man Walks On Fucking Moon and referring to Bill Clinton, President Feels Nation’s Pain, Breasts. In its heyday it was sharp as a nail and almost every story fused pop culture and current affairs references with satire, verve and astonishing wit. Then it went to shit. As if to prove the latter point we now have The Onion Movie, a disastrous attempt to cash in on the web/print version of the paper. Stuck in development hell for many years, somehow this project has managed to get itself released. It was probably costing more to store the film stock than release this turd. At some stage I guess it made sense to try and bring the humour of the paper to the screen although it’s a rather difficult task to transfer the headline Drugs Win Drugs War to the big screen with any degree of success. Sometimes ideas are best left in the creative room. Charlie Brooker had a similar problem with his very funny website TV Go Home launching the somewhat funny sitcom Nathan Barley but succeeded barely, and even with the genius assistance of Chris Morris.

And The Chaser, who pretty much owe their entire career to The Onion achieved a similar transformation by running headlines tickertape style across the bottom of the screen – but at least something else was happening around it, pitiful and stubbornly non-satirical as it was. The Onion Movie has a plot, I think, involving a venerable, respectable newsreader who becomes increasingly sickened at the direction his broadcaster is taking after a corporate takeover. That’s it. That’s the plot.

His disgust is manifested by a couple of brisk walks down the corridor to berate the new corporate owners. Wrapped around that feebleness are sketches of Onion style headlines acted out and an incredibly awful and alarmingly out-of-date Britney parody.

Seriously, there’s absolutely no film here. It’s a loose idea, rough draft at very best. If you need further convincing of the hideousness of The Onion Movie, consider that Steven Segal’s brief appearances in parody film trailers being the high point. Then shake your head in wonderment and horror.

Knowing little to nothing about this film, stark surprise was conjured come credits time upon learning that the screen play was co-written by none other that revered crime writer James Ellroy. Surprise, because Ellroy’s hyper-gritty crime-driven exposures of the dark side of America – through the likes of LA Confidential and one of my favourite books of all time, American Tabloid – is nowhere to be found on this frankly lacklustre release.

JUSTIN HOOK

So I don’t waste any more of my time than I have to, online movie database IMDB describes the plot thusly: “Tom Ludlow (Keanu Reeves) is a veteran LAPD cop who finds life difficult to navigate after the death of his wife. When evidence implicates him in the execution of a fellow officer, he is forced to go up against the cop culture he’s been a part of his entire career, ultimately leading him to question the loyalties of everyone around him.”

Trying to pin him for the death of his partner is Captain James Biggs, a rather bemused looking Hugh Laurie, who surgically implants his House character into this film (one imagines at director David Ayer’s request).

Trying to protect him is Captain Jack Wander, the always excellent Forest Whitaker, who sadly disappears for large portions of the film. This tug of war takes place as Ludlow, a classically wooden Reeves, tries to piece together the conspiracy of his former partner’s murder.

This film isn’t so much bad as disappointing; it doesn’t work as a thriller because anyone with half a brain will figure out the plot points and subsequent ending; resorting to Harry Potter style “the good guys are actually bad and the bad guys are actually good” theory, rather than fleshing out the characters into believable, and likable, entities. It doesn’t work as a searing indictment to American corruption, because what’s done here has been done before, time and time again, and better. And the usual sharp, unrelenting violence and sparkling dialogue and plotting of Ellroy’s work seems somewhat blunted here – it’s a stringing together of one shooting gallery after another. If I cared for the characters more, I may have enjoyed this.

Unfortunately, this particular Ellroy bullet misses the mark.

ALLAN SKO