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ANU BAR
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GROOVIN THE ANU
No logo is way punk #439APRIL23 Fax: (02) 6257 4361 Mail: PO Box 713 Civic Square, ACT 2608 Publisher Scott Layne Allan Sko General Manager Allan Sko T: (02) 6257 4360 E: advertising@bmamag.com
Editor Tatjana Clancy T: (02) 6257 4456 E: editorial@bmamag.com
Accounts Manager Fahim Shahnoor T: (02) 6247 4816
I’m not sure where they could have err got inspiration for the name from, but the ethos is quite different from a touring festival. The ANU Bar tell us they realise it’s hard for locals to get a gig at their venue and want to be your new best friend. Your lack of exposure could be down to a lack of support opportunities or due to the reality that your awesome act is just not strong enough to pull the numbers required for a viable gig. Maybe people just don’t get your vibe man. So.. One Friday every month, the ANU Bar and Greenroom Canberra will waive all fees to host a FREE gig. Let’s face it, most of the time the door split is a couple of bucks to each band anyway, so if you’re up for playing for nothing to what will hopefully be a larger than normal crowd at the ANU Bar, then drop your band name at facebook.com/groovintheanu with any relevant links etc and they will be in touch. I’m still yet to raise some interest in the Joy Division covers band spruiked in a previous issue.I think ‘Out of Order’ is a tops name. So there.
THIS IS ART MARKET If you’re not sure about art (and don’t even know what you like for that matter) then the second This Is Art Market should clear things up for you. Held at Yarralumla Woolshed, the market features over 45 well known and emerging artists who will be showcasing a weekend program of music, performance art, exhibitions and food (you like that stuff right?).There are indoor and outdoor spaces, kid’s activities and a communal piece you can add to with your dodgy tattoo ideas that are frankly, far better on a canvas than on your lower back. Artists will be showcasing their art on Saturday and Sunday, 3 & 4 May 2014 at the Yarralumla Woolshed, 10am to 3pm both days.
the setlist We enjoyed sharing our musical picks so much last issue we put the ‘what are you listening to this week’? query out to that unnaturally good looking and talented bunch of people known as the BMA contributors. Baz Ruddick suggests ‘Walking the Cow’ by Daniel Johnston. Apparently the accompanying film The Devil and Daniel Johnston is worth checking out as well. Indigo Trail recommends the Simone
and Girlfunkle track ‘Summer rain’ (though she can’t decide whether their name’s clever or daft). She also loves ‘When Sally Walked In The Rain’ by The Young Evils. The Realness columnist Bert Pole can’t stop shaking it to J Zone’s ‘Crib Issue’ and our fearless leader Allan is down with the new Rat & Co track ‘Freetown’ for its Boards of Canada influence. I’m loving Wake Owl’s ‘Buffalo’ and can’t stop playing a long lost Smiths instrumental ‘Money changes everything’ for its Johnny Marr goodness..
SONGS FOR SYRIA Musician Owen Campbell was sick of swearing at the TV when he saw evidence of injustice in Syria and decided to put his guitar where his mouth is. He has recently recorded and EP, Songs For Syria. 100% of the profits will be donated to the Red Cross in aide of the six million homeless or displaced people in Syria and surrounding countries. To get your hands on a copy head to owencampbellmusic.com
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Sub-Editor & Social Media Manager Chiara Grassia Graphic Design Chris Halloran Film Editor Melissa Wellham NEXT ISSUE 440 OUT May 7 EDITORIAL DEADLINE April 28 ADVERTISING DEADLINE May 1
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It was like that when I got here...
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YOU PISSED ME OFF!
FROM THE BOSSMAN I hope you had a cracking time at Record Store Day recently. We may be heavily entrenched in the digital age, but nothing beats the bringing together of bodies in the pursuit of that next piece of art that connects on a deep level. Music is amazing at giving you flashes of memory. As the hand approached midnight of a Sunday eve when attempting to pen this column, from nowhere old favourite Dirt from Death in Vegas leapt into my head. I’m sure there was a sequence of consequential thoughts that led to its revival - some intricately linked firing of synapses - but like a click of the fingers I went from thinking about hotdogs to thinking about a song I haven’t heard in over ten years. They’re there, lurking. And that’s the thing I enjoy the most about this job - other than the endless supply of coke and my Bossman ho train* of course. The ability to share an exciting piece of art with the world. Hell, the idea of a human being creating something that brings you joy - whether it be a beautiful piece of music or a thigh-slapping comedy skit - and sharing it with someone is the reason I got into this crazy publishing game in the first place. It is one of life’s great pleasures and allows you to form a bond with the person you enjoy it with. How many of us have a regular TV night with a partner or flat mate that we eagerly look forward to?
Care to immortalise your hatred in print? Send an email to editorial@bmamag.com and see your malicious bile circulated to thousands. [All entries contain original spellings.] To the no brained shoppers near Belconnen Chicken on Saturday 19th of April... Did you not see the disabled young man in front of you trying to get across to the other side of the of the Mall??? Have some respect!!! Instead of being mindless software, GIVE WAY!!! You might be cut-off from where you need to get to in your infirmities later... You Pissed Me Off!!!
It’s such a great idea to stand behind a reversing car with your kid in a trolley, attempting to play air traffic controller and waving your bogan arms about the place. I’m being sarcastic, you’re a tool and if you didn’t have your kid with you I would have kept going.
This eagerness to share also manages to elicit a wonderful condition that I have witnessed time and time again, a condition whose symptoms include ‘Wild Eyes’, the expectorating of the word ‘Dude!’, manic hand gestures and long, rambling descriptions. I am of course referring to the reaction you get upon revealing you haven’t seen or heard some important or popular thing. Music and TV series have a tendency to summon a fanatical devotion in many. So telling people you have yet to see The Wire can conjure the kind of facial expression that would erupt if you have just blurted out that you’re still a virgin at age 40. ‘Dude! What do you mean you haven’t seen it, it’s only, like, THE BEST TV SERIES IN THE WORLD EVER… This is serious. Right, cancel your appointment with the doctor, I’m coming over with the boxset now.’ ‘I’ve also never seen Star Wars...’ ‘Dude!’ ‘Or Breaking Bad...’ ‘DUDE!’ I try not to lapse into this condition. After all, there’s only so much time; we’re all going to have at least one major thing we haven’t engaged with. But even I wavered when a friend told me the other day - someone I thought I really knew - that they had never seen an episode of The Simpsons. I mean, how is that even possible? There was a period in the ‘90s where that was literally the only thing that was on TV. Yup, art can do funny things to you. So if you found a gem at Record Store Day or a funny clip on t’internet be sure to share and make someone’s day a little brighter. For now, I’m off to infuriate my wife by watching the same episode of The Simpsons for the 84th time. ALLAN SKO - allan@bmamag.com * Where coke is coca cola and the ho train is a miniature train set I have filled with figurine Santas. I’m rock ‘n’ roll, me.
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WHO: APRIL MAZE WHAT: INDIE FOLK GIG WHEN: FRI MAY 2 WHERE: THE FRONT GALLERY & CAFE
April Maze is composed of Todd and Sivan who are still darlings, even though he wears flares. This husband and wife duo have played more than a thousand shows in the last seven years, but manage to retain an air of purity and lack of pretence while performing. Their complimenting voices are used to gently unfold narratives, like cutting snow-flakes out of tissue paper. The couple mix stripped back acoustics with sweeping cello to create the impression of a full orchestral sound. With their ’70s inspired image the gig will be like an unhurried canoe hike down the river of time. 7:30pm, $15.
WHO: D.O.A WHAT: FAREWELL TOUR WHEN: FRI APR 25 WHERE: THE BASEMENT
With a career spanning 35 years, legendary Canadian punks D.O.A are calling it a day. A major player in the 80s hardcore scene, they’re renowned for their blistering live performances and politically charged lyrical content. Kicking around since the 70s, they’ve built up a dense back catalogue – including coining iconic slogan ‘Talk Minus Action Equals Zero’ – and have collaborated with Dead Kennedy’s kingpin Jello Biafra. Catch them on the last leg of their farewell tour when they hit The Basement on ANZAC day, with support from Eye Gouge, Bladder Spasms and Wolfpack. Tickets are $34.70 +bf, available from thedrunkpromoter.com. 8pm, 18+.
Image credit: Thredbo
WHO: MAYBE, HARRY WHAT: GIG WHEN: SUN APR 27 WHERE: THE FRONT GALLERY & CAFÉ
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New kids on the musical block, eclectic trio Maybe, Harry, will be playing their first gig in the cosy confines of The Front. Comprising of cello, guitar, keyboard – with all three sharing singing duties, the band’s sound falls in between the indie pop/rock variety. They’ll be armed with a set list of originals and the odd cover. The band are so new that there is nothing of theirs currently floating on the internet – so if “unusual pop” tickles your fancy, mark this one in your diary. Rock up at 8pm with a shiny gold coin donation and you’re in.
WHO: OIL CHANGE WHAT: MIDNIGHT OIL TRIBUTE SHOW WHEN: SAT MAY 3, SAT MAY 10 WHERE: TEATRO VIVALDI RESTAURANT
Dig up your worn-out copy of 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 and pent up political frustration for Oil Change: Midnight Oil Tribute. Having previously traversed the back catalogues of The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and Bruce Springsteen, local covers band George Huiker and Junk Sculpture are aiming a little closer to home. After two sold-out performances last year, GHJS are bringing their Midnight Oil tribute act to civic restaurant Teatro Vivaldi for two more dates. Expect a set list studded with classics and b-side gems. Starts at 7pm, includes dinner. Bookings - (02) 6257 2718.
WHO: DR BUMFACE WHAT: COMMANDER BUMFACE: RETURN FROM THE RED PLANET GIG WHEN: SAT APR 26 WHERE: THE FRONT GALLERY & CAFE
After months exploring the outer regions of space, the notorious one-man-band Commander Bumface will be bringing his wild antics back to Earth and crash landing at The Front for Return From The Red Planet. Claiming to be one of the wildest acts to ever grace our city’s streets, expect nothing less than scuzzy garage punk and scrappy rock ‘n’ roll from the Captain. Joining him are fellow knuckle-headed ragamuffins Bacon Cakes and Canberra’s own garage rockabilly band The King Hits. Show up at 8pm, hand over $5 and leave your spacesuits at the door.
WHO: THREDBO JAZZ FESTIVAL WHAT: JAZZ FESTIVAL WHEN: FRI–SUN MAY 2–4 WHERE: THREDBO
From classically jazzy vocals to swing bands and funk, Thredbo Jazz Festival is back for another year, with 18 diverse acts sprawled over one weekend. Headliners include Mahalia Barnes, Ms Murphy, George Washingtonemachine and Monica Trapaga teaming up with Bob Barnard. Plenty of accommodation options are available, from youth hostel to self-contained apartments plus free camping nearby. Weekend pass will set you back $150 +bf, with specific day and evening passes available. Weekend concession passes are $62.50 + bf, with half price for under 18s and children under 14 free.
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pete Huet Ahead of DANSONFEST, which will raise money for the annual Ginger Ninja Punk Fest in memory of Nicholas Sofer Schreiber, Nick’s mate Aaron Gaffney talks to BMA about the man they call the Ginger Ninja and the fests. When did you first meet Nick? I think it was around 2004/05 at an Unpaid Debt show at the Green Room. He’d just turned 18 and so he was straight into it, on the loose, coming out to all the same punk shows that we did. We noticed him quickly as he was always up the front supporting every band. And so it wasn’t long before we were having beers and listening to new music after the shows as well! Nick was a very outgoing guy. What was the experience of hanging out with him like? There was never a dull moment, that’s for sure. In 2008 he came on tour with our old band Lamexcuse, as the merch guy. Hanging out with the Ginge was fun and the more you did it, the more you would understand his sense of humour. He’d always be quoting random movies, or - even more obscurely - YouTube vids. Nick always had a rad new band to show you and so we discovered a heap of great new music through him. Everyone who was friends with Ginge has their own fond memories, whether they are music related, food related, or just random party times!
As for the name Dansonfest – well, this was one of Ginger’s trademark quotes. When he’d go to ‘cheers’ your drink, instead of saying ‘cheers’ he would say “Ted Danson” – a reference to the 80s sitcom, Cheers. It was funny when he’d do it to people who didn’t really know him – they’d usually be left standing there bewildered and he’d be standing there grinning ear to ear. What has the support for the GNPF and Dansonfest been like? A whole heap of folks have been working to make this event a cracker, including Craig & Penny (Ruff n Ready Records), Donny (Lamexcuse), Ando and myself (Lamexcuse/Revellers), Joel Cabban (Stand Your Grounds), plus a fantastic street team that have worked on getting the posters and flyers up around town. Then there’s all the other awesome companies that have thrown their support behind this, it’s really been amazing. We’d like to extend a heartfelt thank you to BMA, The Basement, Metalworx, 2XX, Stand Your Grounds, Spy Advertising, The Drunk Promoter, Glenno Smith Illustration, Landspeed Records, Rhubarb and Me, Metropolis Touring, Chop Dog Promotions, Canberra Zombie Walk, Knightsbridge, Collateral Manage, Adrenalink Tattoo and Freestyle Tattoo.
It was a great idea and so we want to make sure that we see it through for him.
Nick was a pure fan wasn’t he? Didn’t play in a band, just loved music? He certainly was. However, he did own a bass guitar and one time I recorded him rapping out of a recipe book, but I don’t actually recall him playing any shows! He was very much a part of a lot of bands through his unconditional support. Don’t get me wrong, he had some strong opinions about bands he didn’t like as well and this would sometimes lead to a debate (usually over a few beers). What was it like seeing the messages from the guys from The Descendents, Pour Habit and Strung Out come through on the Remembering the Ginger Ninja Facebook page? What does that say about Nick’s ability to befriend folks? We were all bowled over by those, especially the Strung Out and Pour Habit ones. Amazing words by amazing musicians. None of them HAD to write anything like that, but they chose to and that’s just so awesome. And it certainly does say a lot about how memorable Ginge was, considering the amount of new random people these bands meet every day. How did the Ginger Ninja Punk Fest and Dansonfest come about? Ginge had always been saying that he wanted to do a massive punk festival, generally around his birthday. Something massive. Only problem was, every time he brought it up, it really didn’t leave time to do it properly. It was a great idea and so we want to make sure that we see it through for him. Dansonfest is a bit of a warm up and a fundraiser for the event and a chance for the community of bands that Ginger was friends with to put on a big show for everybody in his honour.
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A few bands are reuniting for the gig. How did that come about? I think that the whole tragic thing that happened in December actually put things in perspective for a few people. Like certain bands just put any past gripes and personal differences to bed to get on board and play this show – the kind of show that Ginger would have wanted every weekend! The amount of bands that wanted to play this show was simply amazing and we couldn’t get them all this time, but then there’s always next year! Did Nick have a particular favourite local band? Or bands? In Canberra between 2005-2010, you could generally guarantee that you’d run into Ginger at a Lamexcuse, Epic Flagon, Johnno and The Trannies or a Veebees show. In the later years leading up to 2013, you’d usually find him watching whatever was on at The Phoenix on a weekend, or maybe at a Revellers gig. Anything you’d like to add? Make the most of what you got, LIFE, live it GOOD, no matter what shitty unfair things it throws at you, but never forget those who aren’t with us now. Ginger was an ambassador of living good through tough times and we can’t forget how he kept smiling through so much heartache and hardship that nobody should ever experience. A lot of good people have been working very hard to put together Dansonfest to raise money for an annual festival that will help preserve the memory of the late Nicholas Sofer Schreiber. Come down, show your support for a man who showed so many how to keep smiling. Ted Danson everybody. Dansonfest takes over The Basement, Belconnen, on Saturday April 26 from 4pm until late. Bands include Chris Duke and the Royals, Epic Flagon, Lamexcuse, Ebolagoldfish, Revellers, Johnno and the Trannies and many more. Tickets $15 at the door.
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ian mccarthy It’s Canberra’s biggest up and coming venue and arguably the capital’s new home for punk and hardcore shows. It has a 500 person capacity and the capability to host licensed all ages events. Over the past few months, it has hosted an impressive list of national and international touring artists along with a whole stack of great local acts. It’s located in the heart of the city, but has still maintained consistently affordable ticket and drinks prices. What is this heavenly venue, you ask? Sit down, because you’re about to feel super fuckin’ silly. You’ve probably walked past a million times and had no idea it was there, but really all you had to do was open a door and walk down some stairs… It’s the Magpies City Club. Venue owner Aaron Bartlett and Joel Cabban, a regular sound and lights technician, organiser and promoter at the venue, sat down with me to talk about the rise of the venue, its ethos and the upcoming MAGPIES CITY PUNK FESTIVAL, which is set to be a real apex of the venue’s success so far.
at the moment got Canberra shows because a lot of the time people just say, ‘Ah, maybe we’ll give Canberra a miss because it’s a bit hit and miss.’ They might not make a whole lot of money but they make enough to put food on the plate and put fuel in their car.” This adds to Bartlett’s idea of running a successful venue. “It’s about trying to give [bands] a cost effective option so they actually want to come to Canberra rather than missing Canberra,” he says. This humble but effective attitude has already been proven to work through the sheer number of successful local shows which may never have taken place without the proactivity of Cabban and other Magpies’ promoters. Perhaps one of the best examples of this is the upcoming Magpies City Punk Festival which is taking place at the venue on Sunday May 4 and will include four interstate bands including The Hard Aches who will be coming all the way from Adelaide and The Decline travelling even further from Perth.
We’re gonna do it anyway, because we don’t want to end up without the option
With its roots as a sports and pokies club, Magpies may originally seem like an unusual setting for live music. However, upon further examination the venue’s layout, spaciousness, underground location and ability to cater for licensed all ages events, makes it just about the perfect environment for shows. Although, as Bartlett told us, it has taken a while for the venue to realise it’s full potential. “Probably a year and a half years or so, it’s been going for now, but obviously when we first started it was just one show a month and obviously it took a fair while to build up a bit of a reputation… When we first started up, the stage was miniature, everything was fairly standard and we just kept building from there.” Cabban adds, “Now we’ve got a seven meter stage and a PA that will handle more than ten people…”
Cabban is unmistakably excited for the festival and what it will have to offer compared to other events. “There’s a band from Western Australia. There’s a band from South Australia. They’re not gonna come back next weekend, so come down and watch them.” He’s also proud of the value for money that the festival’s $15 cover charge will be bringing to punters, emphasising that, “It’s fifteen bucks, which is one or two beers at any other place so come down and get sweaty and disgusting.” Cabban is confident that both the festival and the venue will be a success and doesn’t seem to have much time for naysayers. “There’s always gonna be people hating on you for trying to do something good, whether it’s a new thing, or its been done a hundred times before…we’re gonna do it anyway, because we don’t want to end up without the option.”
One obvious reason for the venue’s success would be the passion for live music held by pretty much everyone involved with the venue. From Cabban’s point of view – “We’re pretty bare bones and we do it as a labour of love just because if we don’t do it, then we’re just gonna sit on our asses and end up in whichever shitty pub isn’t advertising in BMA this week.”
Though the venue has already begun making a name for itself, Cabban is confident that there are even bigger and better things to come. “You can’t get a reputation overnight,” he says, “You’ve really got to work on it and build it. Hopefully it will work out and a lot more bands will want to come and play and a lot of people will come and kick holes in the ceiling.”
Organisers at Magpies hope to capitalise on bands that might normally overlook Canberra as a prospective tour stop. As Cabban puts it, “We’re just trying to get in contact with bands that haven’t
Magpies City Punk Festival kicks off Sunday May 4, with a stack of bands including The Hard Aches, The Decline, Revellers, Handball Deathmatch and more. $15 for the lot.
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The line-up will feature sets from four kickass interstate bands including Melbournians Burgworth, The Quarters, Sydney-siders Rick Dangerous and the Silky Bantams and KANG. The show will also open with a set from an unannounced local act. Tickets for this one will cost you $7, all going toward a great cause.
In true punk fashion, this column is being written three days past deadline. It’s probably unprofessional of me to tell you that but again…punk column. I’m tempted to make some sort of derogatory comment about ‘the man’ but in my case ‘the man’ is actually a woman and quite a lovely one at that. Anyway, there’s heaps on so let’s talk about that. This Saturday April 26 you can mosh your heart out/dick off while supporting a great cause at Dansonfest, a massive show designed to raise funds for an annual ‘Ginger Ninja’ festival in honour of Nicholas Schreiber. The festival has a huge line-up of local and interstate acts including Chris Duke and the Royals (Sydney), Lamexcuse, Epic Flagon, Ebolagoldfish (Sydney), Revellers, Yoko Oh No, Steel City All Stars (Wollongong), Raised As Wolves (Newcastle), No Assumption and more! Tickets for The Basement festival are $15 from ruffnready.com.au/store/dansonfest. Melbourne punks Clowns and Mesa Cosa will be at The Phoenix (which by the way seems to be finally re-opening – thank fuck!) on Thursday May 1 as part of their joint Crucial Dudes Tour. They will be supported by locals Sewer Sideshow who, according to Facebook, are “more fun than cocaine”. We’ll see about that… On Saturday May 3 you can support the Brain Foundation by rocking up to Zombie Rock at the Magpies City Club.
Sunday May 4 will see another massive line-up at the Magpies City Club. The Magpies City Punk Festival will include sets from interstate acts The Decline (Perth), The Hard Aches (Adelaide), Handball Deathmatch and KANG (Sydney), along with locals REVELLERS, No Assumption, Office Jerk and Jack Livingston. Entry to this massive show will only set you back $15. New Zealand group Salad Boys are about to embark on their first Australian tour. They will be at The Phoenix on Thursday May 15. Joining them on the recently renovated Phoenix stage will be Sydney’s Yard Duty and locals Sweet Shoppe and the King of the Capital, Fighting League front-man, Dominic Death. Friday May 30 will see Melbourne’s Max Goes To Hollywood stop by the Magpies City Club in promotion of their new EP RealTalk. They will be supported by Foley along with an acoustic set from locals Revellers and Jack Livingston. As per usual, keep tuning into Haircuts & T-shirts on 2XX FM from 9:30pm every Monday for a dose of all the best upcoming Punk, Hardcore and Americana news and music. Because it seemed to go down so well last time, I’ll close with another shitty joke. This one is a bit less tasteful though, believe it or not. What has eight arms and kills its girlfriend? Squid Vicious. You’re welcome - IAN McCARTHY
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METALISE So is it all over for AC/DC or what? I dunno, nor do I particularly care in terms of the bands output, their legacy is more ironclad secure than pretty much anything that you can bank on. They’re like a musical Ulluru. What I do care about is that whomever it is in the band suffering the medical condition recovers to enjoy retirement if that what it comes too. The way the news has clumsily spread from news site to news site triggering the usual casually informed faux caring and listing of their “10 greatest (fill in the blank) achievements” is knee-jerk eulogising at its most painful. Still, it’s not really clear what’s going on so hopefully it will all be cleared up and we can get on with waiting for them to. Did you show up to the Basement in the last fortnight expecting to see Toxic Holocaust and Skeletonwitch? Bummer. I was on tour with Kylesa whom had their tour promoted by Heathen Skulls who were responsible for this double header tour. I was there when Robert McManus found out about Joel Grind from Toxic Holocaust’s ear condition and that the tour was being rescheduled for November. It’s turning into a bit of a MaMannus Horribilis after the Eyehategod fiasco and the poor turnout at the Kylesa shows. A shame. Lifeisnoise seem to be picking up steam in a similar market as Heathen Skulls with the announcement of the High On Fire tour last time and now in June they’re bringing out the only drone band worth a damn in the weighty musical journey that is Earth. Yes, 20 years after buying Kurt Cobain the shotgun he used to check out with, Dylan Carlson and his troupe are out for a 4 show stint hitting the Manning Bar on the 19th of June. For my money, their record 2 and the song Teeth of Lions Rule The Divine is everything you could ever need in the drone doom canon. However, the latter country flavoured material is really interesting so I’m looking forward to heading up and taking in the show on the 19th. Having Vista Chino and Kyuss Lives visits in recent years just isn’t enough for Brant Bjork who has visited Australia, now that I’m thinking of it, more times than pretty much any stoner demi-god I can think of. He came out with Kyuss in 93 on the Metallica Snake Pit tour, with Fu Manchu on The Action is Go tour and a whole bunch of times on the back of his solo work before the Vista Chino and Kyuss Lives visits. Obviously he’s into it cause he’s coming back again next month on the banner of the Low Desert Punks tour. He’s playing at the Cherryrock 014 show in Sydney at the Factory theatre on the 31st of May. Pyscroptic have relatively quiet for them so it was welcome news that an Australian tour with Belgium sicko’s Aborted will sweep the nation in June including a show at the Basement in Belconnen on the 16/6. JOSH NIXON doomtildeath@hotmail.com
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CODY ATKINSON The Wu-Tang Clan are releasing a new album – literally. A solitary copy of Once Upon a Time in Shaolin will be created, exhibited around the world and eventually be sold to the highest bidder. Cody Atkinson looks at the questions around the album. Name? Wu-Tang Clan’s The Wu – Once Upon a Time in Shaolin. Age? Unreleased. Location? Unknown. Why are you writing a column about the new Wu-Tang Clan album?...Because the Wu-Tang Clan ain’t nuthing ta fuck wit? I see what you did there... But it’s not an ordinary album release. No? Well, aside from being the first Wu Tang album in seven years and a chance at being the first good one in over a decade, there is only one copy being made.
Wow, that’s a fair bit of cash. Especially considering that their first label executive said that they may be looking at $500,000 for an album advance. Are the Wu really the right people for this type of experiment, going to museums and the like? Why not? They, in their 20 year history, have placed themselves as kind of the “auteurs” of 90s mainstream hip hop. While everyone else was rapping about Benzes and bling, the Wu were drawn together with a love of kungfu movies and a sense of kinship. Their collective tastes eclectic, the Wu have branched out, became tight with Jim Jarmusch and even acted with Bill Murray.
...the Wu were drawn together with a love of kung-fu movies and a sense of kinship
One copy? Yep, a solitary copy, encased in a hand carved nickle-silver box, containing 31 tracks with the entire Clan.
Coffee and Cigarettes, yeah? Which contains arguably the greatest quote in cinematic history, “DON’T SWALLOW BILL MURRAY!”, as uttered by RZA. A good life lesson for all. GZA even went ahead and directed his own film. As hip-hop artists, they certainly tried to think outside of the square.
Hope they don’t stuff the pressing up... Yeah, but I guess with only one copy if there was a scratch on the vinyl you can play off the flaw as being deliberate. I mean, who’s going to know the difference?
And they’re hardly the only artists to pursue strange method of distribution. Indeed. Beck had his recent Song Reader album, which was actually sheet music. The Flaming Lips released a “chocolate skull” album, an album with blood in the vinyl, an album split over four CD’s...actually, I think the Flaming Lips have done nearly everything.
Good point. What’s the point of releasing only one copy? Well, Wu-Tang Clan and their producer, Cilvaringz, theorise that scarcity may be one of the components to the relative value of visual art compared to the price of music. They also feel that the digitization of the music industry, while much needed, has devalued recorded music as an art form.
Except for this? True, but a single copy is how recorded music started, with wax cylinders being recorded live and sold to be played a very limited number of times. And Jean Michael Jarre did a play on this in 1983, allowing a single copy of his album Musique pour Supermarché to be played once before being sold for 70,000 francs as a protest against the industrialization of music.
So only one person will have the chance to listen to their new album? Not really. They hope to take the album on a tour of galleries and museums worldwide, with punters paying between $30 and $50 to listen to the album on headphones provided by the institution. Strict security is designed to be on hand to stop any chance of a leak – that would work out at about $200 a day in revenue. But the key idea is to elevate the album as a piece of high art and this would be a key pathway to doing so.
Even considering this, Wu-Tang’s approach seems to be taking it to the next level.
How much are they hoping to get for it at the final sale? GZA has come out and said that someone has contacted him offering him $5mil for the album, which is a huge bid.
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Final questions. Is it a good idea and will it catch on? I think that the answers to both these questions are tentatively “yes”. I guess we still have to wait and see if the suggested offers are substantiated, the art created is of a suitably high enough quality to justify the hype and if the album is leaked or not. If these three hurdles are negotiated, I think we may see other artists try something similar in the future.
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LOCALITY
This week’s edition starts with a farewell.
We Large Productions head-honcho and all round Musical Mr. Everywhere, Simon Milman preparing to head to South America for an extended period. To send himself off in style and to placate his fans in his absence, he’s releasing a ton of new material online (see welargeproductions. bandcamp.com for the full list, which includes three new Coolio Desgracias EPs) and putting on a couple of gigs. Arguably the biggest and undoubtedly the last will be the launch of the Nyash! EP at the Turner Bowls Club (or The RUC, if you’re a stickler) on Friday April 25, complete with a special appearance from Los Chavos. It’ll set you back no more than $15, with the grand Bon Voyage kicking off at 8pm. The Pot Belly in Belconnen has been putting on some fantastic gigs over the last few weeks, with both locals and visitors gracing the stage. Hashemoto will add their name to the list of performers to take to the recently refurbished stage on Thursday May 1, with insiders indicating that it will be preceded by a pretty killer trivia night. Considering that it’s not going to cost you a dime to get in, you’d be hard pressed to find a better mid-week outing. Speaking of school night delights jam-packed with local talent, there’ll be a massive line-up of local goodness taking to the stage at Smith’s Alternative on Wednesday April 30, including Walky Peddles Ocelots, Soctor Deuss (a personal favourite – who doesn’t love having Dr Seuss books sung at them?), The Brass Knuckle Brass Band and Cuddlefish. Get there at 7:30pm if you want the full show, which will certainly be value for money, setting you back just $10. After a rough start to 2014, Canberra’s punk community is banding together for Dansonfest at The Basement on Saturday April 26. Kicking off at 4pm, you’ll get to see plenty of acts from Canberra and interstate, with locals on the bill including Lamexcuse, Epic Flagon, Revellers, Johno and The Trannies, Yoko Oh No and No Assumption. Entry is $15, with all money raised going to the establishment of an annual festival to honour the memory of the late “Ginger Ninja”, Nick Schreiber. If you’re heading to Groovin’ The Moo on Sunday April 27, be sure to pop in early to catch the Canberrans representin’ for the ACT. Sweet Shoppe, Nicole Millar, The Steptones and Drawing North will all be playing sets for the GTM punters… And then apparently there’s some other folks who are pretty good, so that should be nice. For more details, visit gtm.net.au. NONI DOLL NONIDJDOLL@GMAIL.COM @NONIDOLL
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THE REALNESS There has been many a debate about the greatest hip hop album of all time. It’s a debate that has been done to death. I’m not normally a gambling man, but I’m pretty confident the majority of debates centre around two albums from the ‘Golden Period’, or more specially, the year 1994. You either sway towards BIG POPPA from Brooklyn or you lean more towards Nasty Nas from Queensbridge Housing Estate. Regardless of which way your sway, you’d be very interested in the forthcoming TIME IS illMATIC documentary, to be released to coincide with the 20th anniversary of Illmatic. Head over to okayplayer.com to watch the two minute trailer today. Congratulations to those who managed to get a copy of the limited release Four Aces EP on vinyl, featuring Mata, Must, Flu and One Sixth. The appetite for quality Australian releases on either cassette or vinyl is overwhelming, with the EP selling out in less than ten minutes. If you missed out, good luck hunting for a reasonable priced copy on EBay. Originally slated to drop midway through last year, Pharoahe Monch’s fourth solo LP Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is finally available. Well known for his multilayered word play, PTSD won’t disappoint his legion of fans who take delight in deciphering the messages contained within each track. Look out for guest appearances from fellow lyrical heavyweights Black Thought and Talib Kweli and beats from the likes of Boogie Blind and Marco Polo.
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If you missed J-Zone’s Peter Pan Syndrome when it first dropped last year, then you are in luck, as it’s being repressed on vinyl and released as you read this column. After officially retiring from the rap game back on 2009, J-Zone had to weigh up his options, in his mid-30’s who had never held a ‘real world’ job in his life. Confronted with the choice of learning some new life skills, J-Zone embraced this challenge by picked up a drum kit and teaching himself to “play a bit”, which enhanced his production abilities. Calling on old friends Al-Shid, Breeze Brewin and Celph Titled and liberating alter egos Chief Chincilla and Swagmaster Bacon, J-Zone returns to bless your ear drums one more time. Aesop Rock has released a 32 minute mix he is calling The Blob, via his Soundcloud page, for free download. The mix is largely unmixed grouping of sounds and beats. Worthwhile listening just so you know what an elf orgy sounds like and whether you want to join in or walk the other way! (Peep the bio for more details). Attention all Wu-Tang fans, drop whatever you are doing now and go visit getondown.com. The website has been instrumental in creating some of the most memorable reissue packages in recent times and have once again hit a home run with their GZA re issue. Not content with their chess box reissue of Liquid Swords last year, they have decided to revisit GZA’s debut album once again. This time around they have created some extremely impressive bundles around the instrumentals, with the highlight of the pack being an exclusive Liquid Sward Battle Scene Wood Print, which is limited to 100 copies. This isn’t cheap, but the diehard Wu fan already knows that Cash Rules Everything Around Me! BERT POLE - bertpole@hotmail.com
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En-route to GTM 2014, the boys are looking forward to gaining momentum and, of course, getting dem backstage passes. “That’s the only reason we’re playing really,” says vocalist and guitarist Patrick Ryan sarcastically. “Definitely not about the music, it’s about meeting cool people.”
STEPPING OUT sINEAD O’cONNELL THE STEPTONES are troubadours, the crème de la crème in an otherwise static soup of contemporary pseudo-alternative horrors on our malignant music menus. They’re never far from their instruments and their ties and further from indifference and delinquency than the rest. The band consists of Patrick Ryan (vocals/guitar), Tim Douglas (Keys/ Vocals), Jono Warren (drums/vocals) and Jack Schwenke (bass/vocals). You’ve probably encountered them before; at The Phoenix (when it reached capacity due to the number of aficionadas), The Smith’s Alternative (when Ryan gave captain White a run for his money with a horrendously handsome rendition of ‘Seven Nation Army’) or at ANU Bar when the quartet looked like a short in Fellini’s 8 ½. Since BMA caught up with them last, they’ve harvested many more a fruitful crop. Having won the ACT’s ‘Smells Like Centenary Spirit’ band competition, as well as the MAMA’s ‘Best Live Youth Band’, they’ve been climbing Triple J’s Unearthed charts and have recorded 120 hours of cutting-room-floor sounds in two weeks to develop their highly anticipated debut EP.
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On a more serious note, the four (sans Schwenke) agreed on a many number of things, although one in particular... “We just think it’s so much fun.” When discussing what threads them together, in the face of obstacles or otherwise Ryan chimes in, finishing his former meditation - “I think we’re all enjoying it and we all love the music, we wouldn’t do it if we didn’t.” Warren adds to the sentiment, “One of the reasons we started playing together was because we became mates.”
that one little moment when you’re like, fuck, this is great
Just like that, we have our answer – mates and music – a simple recipe for relentless perseverance. “Even with the most mundane things, it’s still fun because when you get up there on stage, or when you’re writing a new song, there’s just that one little moment when you’re like, fuck, this is great,” says Ryan.
Douglas concedes with an affirming nod, adding, “doin’ it for the moment.” At their live show you will learn for yourself of their charming disposition, alongside their romantic blazer ensembles. “We all really enjoy dressing up”, confirms Warren. The Steptones pay a very tasteful homage, if you will, to the classics, of which they so fondly and justly revere. The EP comes out on Friday May 9 through MGM. Pay it due attention and any scepticism you have regarding the aforementioned will be made swiftly redundant, of that I am sure. The Steptones launch their EP at Turner Bowls Club on Friday May 9 and are playing GTM Festival 2014 at UC Fields on Sunday April 27 – tickets $99.90 + bf at gtm.net.au
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DANCE THE DROP
I purchased a zippo lighter today. I have a billion disposable lighters cluttering my drawers, so why did I splash an exorbitant amount of my hard earned moolah on a seemingly redundant object? I was watching an action movie, one of those purely barbarian revenge epics, and the main character had doused the bad guy in flammable fuel. As he was walking away, he flipped open his zippo lighter, lit it and threw it in slow motion into the stream of flammable liquid. See before today, I couldn’t have done that. I mean I could have bent down and attempted to ignite the incendiary blanket of death with a BIC, but I might have burnt my fingers. And let’s face it, nobody wants to face the murderer when they are, well murdering them.
I know what you are thinking. How the hell is he going to segue this into dance music, because that’s what you are all here to read, not some long winded rhetoric on sending evil doers to a fiery grave. Dance music has become a billion dollar industry almost overnight. It has completely flipped the mantra on what it is possible no matter who you are or where you live. It has made the impossible, possible. Look at Martin Garrix for example. He was a relative nobody. Then after the release of his single Animals he swapped public transport for a private jet and his home studio for the main stage at Future Music Festival. That dusty keyboard and first gen synthesiser on your desk could be your one way ticket to guzzling gold flake vodka in Bora Bora with P Diddy and Lindsay Lohan. So think big my friends and always be prepared, because no dream is too big (taps zippo lighter in pocket). Promoter extraordinaire Franky Tapia has bid farewell to Trinity Bar and has taken the reins at Meche and North Bar. His brand spanking new club night Thank You Ma’am kicks off with a bang on Friday 2nd May with superstar L D R U headlining. Groovers wanting to Moo a little early should head on down to Trinity Bar on Saturday 26th April for the official Groovin The Moo warm up party. A sultry collective of local DJ’s will attempt to completely foil your plan to have an early night and stay fresh for the festival on Sunday. But face it, that’s what you always end up doing anyway, right? PHX promotions and NV Nightclub are a caring bunch. The duo has teamed up to promote a charity event on Friday 9th May, supporting the RSPCA and Beyond Blue. The philanthropic event features a host of DJ’s from all over the spectrum of dance music, so no matter what your taste may be, there’s sure to be something your fists will gladly pump to. I’ve been listening to a lot of new music lately. Although the scene tends to be flooded with Xerox copies once a new popular sound is established (deep house *cough*), there are a bunch of new artists who are pushing the boundaries of electronic sound. Pachanga Boys are warped and exciting. Friend Within has flipped house music on its head and Golden Features is one Aussie artist to keep a close eye on in 2014. Check em out! TIM GALVIN tim.galvin@live.com.au
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you can’t really predict whether people are gonna like it or not
sweet shoppe ian mccarthy In its short existence, local label Cinnamon Records has already been responsible for creating and exposing some of the capital’s best alternative music. Not least of all is label supergroup, SWEET SHOPPE. Comprised of Cinnamon’s most prominent faces, including Anja Loughead (Sex Noises), Jordan Roger (Mornings, Sex Noises, Primary Colours & Cinnamon founder), Gus McGrath (Beach Slut, California Girls, Primary Colours) and Matthew Clarke (Mornings). The two later of the four, McGrath and Clarke sat down to talk to us about the band’s sound, success and upcoming album. Labelled by Triple J as ‘garage-pop,’ Sweet Shoppe combine a range of influences from Television to Sonic Youth to The B-52’s to create a hybrid of angsty, catchy lo-fi guitar pop. One of the band’s most unique aspects is the subject matter of many of their songs. As McGrath puts it, “[Anja] has really bizarre ideas…with some bands it’s like ‘I’m gonna write songs about how I’m heartbroken,’ or ‘I’m gonna write songs about having fun in the summer.’” But Loughead, the band’s principle songwriter, instead writes about being “obsessed with Bobby Kill [of TV Colours].’” There’s also the song ‘Radio Euphoria’ which is “actually about when
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she watched the video for ‘Beauty and the Beast’ by Justin Bieber…and her crying to that.” Sweet Shoppe have clearly chosen to take a chance with their music and as Clarke puts it, “When you’re starting a band with your friends, playing what they want to play, you can’t really predict whether people are gonna like it or not.” Luckily for them, people clearly do like it. Within months of the band’s conception they released their Taste It EP which almost immediately gained them attention from the nation’s national youth broadcaster, earning them a week as a Triple J Unearthed feature artist. Mat says the success has been “surreal.” “I keep thinking it’s funny ’cause like we only recorded this thing like…not that long ago and now the whole country has to listen to us.” As an added bonus, Sweet Shoppe have now been picked by Triple J to open the Canberra stop of Groovin’ The Moo. While obviously excited about the opportunity, the band seem unsure of what to expect from the experience. McGrath explains, “It will be kind of weird ’cause like it will be early in the morning so there won’t be lots of people there and we don’t really know what kind of vibe there will be… I think we’re just gonna have to get there and…” “Wing it,” Clarke finishes, “then go hang out with Dizzee Rascal.” In terms of future plans, Sweet Shoppe are currently hard at work on their first full length album, which is set for release through Cinnamon Records within the coming months. The band is adamant in making sure that the album will differ from previous releases. Mat says “[The EP] did sound pretty garage and pretty like lo-fi, so I think one of the differences with the album is we’re gonna try to produce it in a different way…it will be a bit more carefully put together and not as rough.” Whatever the band releases, it seems destined for success. Sweet Shoppe play Groovin The Moo at UC Fields Sunday April 27. Tickets are $99.90 + bf a pop, available at www.gtm.net.au.
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MEL CERATO Adam Montgomery, bassist and one-third of Melbourne rocker outfit Calling All Cars, is pretty excited for the year ahead. Having released their third LP Raise the People earlier this year to much-lauded success, CAC looks to be going from strength to strength. Written over an 18-month period, the record is a new chapter for the rockers, combining their tried-and-true rock/pop sound with an experimental playfulness. Montgomery says that the change of direction was a conscious decision, but was something that just evolved through tinkering with different musical styles. “We didn’t really think about it too much, the only thing we wanted to do was make people move, that was kinda what we decided on when making the record,” he says.
favourite places. “The tour is going really well, it’s got a good vibe. It’s nice to get back to a few places we haven’t been to in a while,” Montgomery says, happily. Last time the boys came to Canberra, back in 2011, they sold out Transit Bar and played one hell of a show. “It’s actually the first place we did a sold out show,” remembers Montgomery. Playing to a packed out room, CAC wowed the punters with their intense energy and, at one point, frontman Haydn sent the microphone crowdsurfing. “Hayden just does what he wants to do,” Montgomery laughs. “If he wants to play off the stage he’ll just do that, he’s always running around the room. He has been trying to get behind the bar and pour himself beers as much as he can on this tour. Some bars are cool with it and some are not cool with it at all!”
It’s something we would regret forever if we didn’t do it
“To begin with, we wrote a whole record and then scrapped it,” admits Montgomery. “It was a bit more in the vein of what we were doing – we wrote it pretty much after we finished the tour for our last record and it wasn’t really the path we wanted to go down. It felt right. We were in a good patch with writing and we didn’t feel like ‘this is all we’ve got’, we felt we were really comfortable.”
Using varying influences and writing styles, Raise the People is a testament to the continued growth as a band. “Everything you write is a collection of your influences, whether that be music or whatever,” Montgomery says. “[Working on this album] definitely opened our minds up to new styles of writing, different styles of music.” CAC was formed in 2005 and got their name from an episode of TV crime show The Soprano’s. The trio, made up of Montgomery and brothers Haydn and James Ing, has been described as powerful and charismatic performers, using their brand of rock/post-punk/ pop music and energetic live shows to build up an impressive fan-base. In fact, they’ve made such a name for themselves that they’ve supported a whole slew of national and international greats, including Wolfmother, Shihad, Queens of the Stone Age, The Foo Fighters, Green Day and Aussie legends AC/DC. After touring around the country relentlessly for a few years, the boys finally took a break last year, only to come out with new music and busy future plans. Fresh off the back of releasing the record, CAC are on the road again, playing 22 dates across the country, including Transit Bar in early May. The ‘Raise the People Tour’ will see the boys crisscross the country, showcasing the album and visiting all their
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True to their reputation as being some of the hardest working musicians in the business, straight after the tour CAC are packing their bags and moving to the UK. They are hoping the change of scenery will give them the inspiration to start on a new record and stake their claim on the British music scene. Leaving behind their lives and their impressive fan base is definitely something they are slightly nervous about, but Montgomery says that the boys are ready for a new challenge. “We’ve been talking about moving for two years and this time around we got a record deal for our album with a UK label, so that really sealed the deal with us,” Montgomery explains. “We’ll probably start working on a new record pretty much straight away. We’ll come back to tour, but we are going to try to just be over there as long as we can. We’ve written three records in Australia and so we are definitely interested to write somewhere else. Outside influences always sinks into what you’re writing, so we wanted to see how we would go writing a record away from friends and family and our comfort zones.” With just over a month til they pack up and move, Montgomery is excited about the new and exciting change of pace. “We’ll be living together so it’ll be a fairly intense situation,” Montgomery laughs, “but a lot of cool stuff has come out of those sorts of situations before so we are looking forward to it. It’s something we would regret forever if we didn’t do it.” Catch Calling All Cars before they skip the country at Transit Bar on Thursday May 1, supported by The Love Junkies and The Sinking Teeth. Tickets $20 + bf through Moshtix.
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INFINITY AND BEYOND Rory mccartney Ex- Bluebottle Kiss frontman, Jamie Hutchings, is about to embark on a tour in support of the debut LP of his new band INFINITY BROKE. BMA caught Hutchings as he was trying to prevent his debut attempt at risoni cooking from turning into a gluggy mess. Infinity Broke does more than continue from where BBK left off, delivering an intense, harsher sound. Hutchings is not attracted to “ugliness” in music for its own sake, but sees the strength in its ability to engage powerfully with the listener. “Like American abstract painters like Jackson Pollock, while some think their paintings resemble a pizza, there is something about their work that is a really volatile and expressive approach and I like that in music,” says Hutchings. While his recent work has been relatively quiet, Hutchings let his bottled up energy erupt with Infinity Broke.
The songs had to await the right project to see the light of day
Thematically, if Hutchings’ songs have messages in common it is by accident, as some of the songs are old – even dating back prior to his solo career, but didn’t fit in with the band at the time. The songs had to await the right project to see the light of day. “Artistically speaking, I wanted to create something improvisational, says Hutchings. “Some of the jams are pretty much over one chord, with the guitarist moving into all these weird, ugly shapes over a muscular backbone. I wanted to capture that hypnotic base driven sound.” Hutchings, as a self-taught guitarist, follows free jazz guitar modes, taking cues from musos like saxophonist John Coltrane, but doing it on guitar. He went in search of squawky effects, with spontaneous percussive sounds rather than notes. The River Mirrors track ‘Water’ has no lyrics, just liquid sound effects. This arose from Hutchings’ fondness for recording noises on four-track cassette, with the aim of creating sound collages. “I created an ambient sound atmosphere from different household objects, distorting them and creating sound instinctively,” explains Hutchings. “Water sounds were overdubbed and put through guitar pedals.” Sinless features a barrage of metal on metal percussion, formed through two drummers using both standard kit and ‘found’ percussion. “We used an old gas tank, a bin and stuff lying around on the property where we did our recording,” says Hutchings. This industrial sound is achieved on stage too, as the gas tank travels with the band. The CD cover includes a story, unrelated to the songs, about a person on a beach observing a shark attack. “I never put lyrics on BBK CDs, but deliberately put something else into the mix,” Hutchings says. “Infinity Broke was going to be the album, rather than the band name and I wrote a story about a pivotal moment, where witnessing an event breaks their monotonous trance of everyday life.” The album credits include a special mention of the camp cook and his nasal orchestrations. Prodigious snorer Justin could fall asleep anywhere, and did so in front of the kick drum when the band was recording. Infinity Broke, with support to be announced, play at Smith’s Alternative, 8pm on Wednesday May 7. Contact the venue on 6247 4459 for ticketing details.
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EX H I B I T I O N I S T ARTS | ACT
UNDER THE CANOPY zoe pleasants Set in the jungles of Singapore during the 1942 Japanese invasion, CANOPY is the debut feature film by Australian writer and director Aaron Wilson. It tells the story of an Australian fighter pilot shot down over the jungle and his ensuing struggle for survival. Fittingly, it is opening in cinemas this ANZAC day long weekend. I spoke to Wilson, who is a friend of mine, about the journey he has been on to make this film. Canopy has been compared to J.C. Chandler’s All Is Lost and Alfonso Cuaron’s Gravity in that it has little dialogue and focuses on one person’s actions and decisions as they desperately struggle to survive in a hostile environment. Although these films portray extreme situations, audiences relate to them because ultimately they are about an individual and the fears faced navigating a hostile world. For Wilson, “Canopy is about self-determination; it is very personal, very individualistic,” which makes sense because he is someone who has made radical changes in his own life in order to follow his passion. He is driven and authentic. I first met Wilson at university when we were both studying engineering; a course neither of us enjoyed much. To distract himself, Wilson got involved in student theatre, “I spent a lot of time in the theatre and that sort of kept me sane during the days of engineering that was sort of very dry for me. That led to me doing some directing work and working with actors, which was exciting, and that led me to working on short films when I finished university.” After university, Wilson started his career as an engineer but spent his spare time on short film sets. Eventually he made his own short films and submitted them to festivals. Following the success of his second film he started thinking about quitting his day job. “I wasn’t as confident with film and where it would take me,” Wilson says. “But someone said to me that you can’t fully commit to [something] until you commit your time to it, which meant stopping my work. So I did.” “I wrote a lot,” says Wilson, “I haven’t been able to write that much since,” He also made more short films, travelled to festivals and talked to more people. In 2006, while he was in Singapore, the idea for Canopy came to him. “I was speaking to a bunch of ex-POWs and war veterans in general about their experiences. I was doing a few docos and I was making a short film called Wind,” explains Wilson. “At the time I’d been given a book by my mother for my birthday called One Fourteenth Of An Elephant. Basically, it is the diaries of one man going from Singapore after capture,to the Burma railway and to different parts of Thailand.
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It described, not so much the events, as his emotions. I think that connected with what I was getting from the people I was interviewing; their emotions, their fears, their concerns during moments when they weren’t fighting, when they were by themselves on a dark night in a deep forest. All these things sort of collided, I don’t think I consciously thought this is the film I want to make. I just started writing and that script for Canopy basically came out of my head in about two weeks.” He showed the script to his producer, Katrina Fleming, who loved it. “She connected with it thematically, so we started working on it, refining it,” says Wilson. “That turned into ‘let’s speak to people about money’ and then ‘let’s go to some film markets and try and look at some actors’. It just sort of evolved.” It took until 2010 before they started shooting. “You believe in what you’ve got in the script and if you’ve got a producer with you that will agree with you then you just say we’re going to jump,” Wilson says. “You can’t wait. No one will tell you it’s the right time, no one, even if you have all the money in the world you still have to decide to jump.” So they jumped, with not enough money to finish the film, no personal experience between them in making a feature film and a non-typical script and with a talented crew who also had little feature film experience. “We were all jumping in a little bit blind trying to extend upon what we were doing with short films. We tried to keep it very low key so that we felt like we were making an extended short film,” explains Wilson. It took another three years after shooting and editing the film before they had enough money to overlay the sound design, a very important aspect of the film for Wilson. “Having little dialogue, not out of contrivance but out of necessity of the story, it sort of frees you up to explore a different sort of world. To me the world is filled with sound, and sound design that becomes character is something I really wanted to do creatively,” he says. Before the sound design was finished, Wilson and Fleming heard that selectors from the Toronto International Film Festival were in town. They met up with them and showed them Canopy with its incomplete sound – the Toronto selectors saw enough to be impressed. After seven years, Wilson got traction, the sound design was finished and Canopy premiered at Toronto in September last year. Finally, Australian audiences will get a chance to see this ambitious film, which Fleming describes as having “high production values, a low budget and [having] been made with much goodwill, talent and passion.” Canopy will be showing at Palace Electric from Thursday April 24.
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IN REVIEW Interplay Canberra Theatre Centre Thursday April 10
aprils caravan
Interplay is the latest spectacle from Sydney Dance Company and it is utterly hypnotic. Consisting of three incredibly diverse and compelling works, Interplay manages to extract formulaic dance and throw it away completely, replacing it instead with something new and fascinating. The first work, 2 in D Minor, choreographed by the Company’s Artistic Director Rafael Bonachela, is easily the most conventional of the three – however, that’s not to say it’s ordinary in the slightest. In fact, the work is so tightly interwoven with the music that, in certain moments when the light is dim and the theatre silent but for the brush of the dancers’ feet, the audience gets a sense that if this Bach classic could actually move, this is exactly what it would look like. The piece is, however, a lengthy 40 minutes and given its steady tone, can drag slightly in places. Live violinist Veronique Serret nonetheless adds a welcome depth – her interactions with the dancers provides another, more subtle link between movement and music. Jacopo Godani’s work Raw Models is second in the line up, and it’s easily the most compelling of the three. The dancers are thrown into a completely, almost violently different world to that of the first piece. Rather than exhibiting the fluidity and evenness of the earlier work, Raw Models is a sinister, sinewy exploration of the human body’s capability of movement. The dancers are fast, atavistic and twitchy, making for a performance it is physically impossible to turn away from. Indeed. It isn’t often that theatre seats squeak audibly as the audience collectively leans forward, mesmerised by the bizarrely gripping movement unfolding in front of them. The lighting within Raw Models is particularly commendable – it’s truly harnessed as a method of manipulating the tone and severity of the piece. L’Chaim!, meaning ‘to life!’ in Hebrew, is the final work of the evening. Choreographed by Gideon Obarzanek, L’Chaim! takes whatever scraps of expectation the audience still has and throws them out the stage door. By actually allowing the dancers to speak and interact with a disembodied voice, Obarzanek creates a piece that effortlessly surprises and engages. However, as the work wears on, it does seem as though potential for something truly memorable is slipping away. While the piece is certainly refreshing and highly entertaining, it does lack the true exploration that such a new concept begs. The talk of perverts in the audience and the grumpiness level of the dancers is amusing, certainly – but lacking in the real depth the first two pieces showed so strongly. Interplay is nonetheless a stunning showcase, expertly choreographed and executed by some of the finest artists in Australia. The three pieces are so astoundingly varied that Interplay is not so much a performance as an exploration of what the human body can be capable of. Sydney Dance Company at its finest.
Image credit: Wendell Teodoro
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A R T | C O M E DY | D A N C E | L I T E R AT U R E | T H E AT R E
IN REVIEW Warts & All The Courtyard Studio April 2-12
It was a sparse crowd that turned out for the opening night of Canberra playwright Bruce Hoogendoorn’s latest work Warts & All, his sixth play in six years. The play was well written as the dialogue should have made the plot quite clear to anyone who had not read the synopsis. Simon, the ‘hero’ of the play, has gone to his grandmother Margaret’s home for recuperation after having his running days brought to a sudden halt by osteoarthritis. He gets caught up in his grandmother’s project to research the family history after a real ghost appears and Simon is determined to find out the spectre’s connection to the family. Simon’s enthusiasm then flashes up a long forgotten feud with distant relatives. The play sees the return of actors from Hoogendoorn’s last work The Reluctant Shopper, including Rob de Fries as the pale faced ghost, whose appearances were preceded by a piercing whistle, and Elaine Noon as the scandal hungry journalist and family history researcher Dotty. The cast filled their roles well, particularly Helen Vaughan-Roberts as Margaret (constantly threatening people with her walking stick) and leading man Will Huang as Simon.
preservation of old grievances. It all came down to the one ultimate question ‘Why can’t families be perfect?’ The most impressive effect was the appearance of the disembodied ghost’s arms through the cupboard door.
Warts & All combines the all too popular interest in genealogy with an element of the supernatural and the very familiar sport of extended family troubles. . Rory mccartney
This lead role was well cast as Huang’s youthful looks belied his 28 years of age and he made a convincing 17 year old. Casting Oliver Baudert as Margaret’s estranged cousin Alice was an unusual move in a work of this type, but he played the part well and his being ‘in drag’ did not distract from the action. Adellene Fitzsimmons as Kirsty, Alice’s granddaughter, did a good job of expressing moments of embarrassment during the more awkward scenes and she made a good show of relishing an unlit cigarette. There was a constant stream of understated humour, with moments of high farce, including some quality hysterical screaming when players first encountered the ghost. There was some clever subtle humour in the lines too, including Kirsty’s ‘No, I don’t play sport, I play golf’ (in a dig at those who chase little white balls) and Simon’s line to Dotty ‘You’re a journalist, you must know some criminals’. Despite the laughs, the core themes were serious, with a focus on family pride that is so strong it causes people to distort the truth, jealousy between relations, the cruelty that such rivalry brings, protection of reputation and the
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Or threat of incarceration because I’m spending my life with another man.
UN I N H I B I T E D Borders. They’ll be the end of us. I’m not talking about the ill-fated book shop but those markers that scare the living shit out of you and me. There are the geographic borders: a sandy beach, a cliffface, a wall of impenetrable rainforest. There are the borders that are nothing more than a flashing light on a computer screen or an invisible line somewhere in the ocean. People want to cross over; they would do anything to go from one side to the other; they might risk death to be ‘over there’, where it is better. There are ways of doing it ‘legally’ and there are ways of doing it ‘illegally’, depending on the circumstances, and the level of desperation. It seems borders and desperation can go hand in hand, especially in this world where the difference between hope and hopelessness can be so marked. Each week I, too, cross borders; at least, I drive past a sign that indicates I’m going from one place to another. I cross borders because there are opportunities on the other side, in ‘the big city’ as I’ve come to call it. Because these days I live in a country down in regional NSW. Because where I live the only arts work involves packing shelves. So I come into the ACT to do paid gigs that I enjoy, that are meaningful, that help to keep the wolves at bay. But I’m not suffering political persecution.
Or because I’m a woman. I’m lucky, supremely so, and just like everyone else who is lucky there is an obligation to cross borders at every opportunity. In the way I think, in the way I act and react, in the way I create – especially in the way I create. If artists can’t (or won’t) cross borders, who will? We should be crossing between forms, between materials, between genres, between ideas, between audiences. Because we should always be wanting – needing – to be uncomfortable. Because, perhaps, when uncomfortable we’re more productive, we’re alive, we’re fighting. Inspiration is everywhere. There’s Oscar Wilde and his ability to move between prose and poetry, between stage and page, between the ‘legal’ and ‘illegal’ and risk his freedom and, ultimately, his life in the process. Closer to home there was, up until 2008, the Melbourne-based poet Dorothy Porter, who blurred the lines between collection and novel and reached the point where one of her works, The Monkey’s Mask, made it onto the silver screen. Closer to home even further, we have artists like Andrew Galan, who cross between the written and the spoken and the complex and the simple. And we have Katy Mutton, who slips – almost effortlessly – between the painted, the drawn, the political, and the personal. Yes, borders are the end of the line for some of our number. And that’s our eternal shame, our immeasurably heavy burden. But for us lucky ones, borders should be our beginnings. nigel featherstone
Or religious discrimination.
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A R T | C O M E DY | D A N C E | L I T E R AT U R E | T H E AT R E
ARTISTPROFILE: Ham Darroch
What do you do? I create sculptures and paintings that explore colour, memory and perception. When, how and why did you get into it? I’ve been an artist for a while. I grew up with my grandparents and they were very inventive people so making things was encouraged and this inspired my creativity. Why... I guess I love changing the way we relate to objects around us and using them to find things out about the world. Who or what influences you as an artist? I’m influenced by place, colour, and things on the edge of being lost. The artists who influence me range from Russian Constructivists, Alexander Calder, Jimmie Durham, Robert Rauschenberg, Robert Macpherson, Sidney Nolan and Blinky Palermo. Of what are you proudest so far? I’m proud of how disciplined an artist I’ve become and my recent exhibitions, particularity exhibiting
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in Berlin last year. I’m also proud of the experience I’ve gained working internationally for the artist Bridget Riley- I’ve learnt a lot. What are your plans for the future? Stop driving my lovely wife up the wall!! Finish building our studio in the country, and maybe opening an artist run space. What makes you laugh? The absurd. Buster Keaton. What pisses you off? Snobbery. Australian house prices What about the local scene would you change? Canberra has a vibrant local scene for its population; I’d like to see more affordable working spaces for artists to encourage them to stay here. Upcoming exhibitions? Currently I’m exhibiting Suntrap at Canberra Museum and Gallery till June. You can see the exhibition 24hrs. Then in August, I’m exhibiting at the Melbourne Art Fair with Michael Reid Gallery. Contact Info: ham.darroch@gmail.com hamdarroch.com
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IN REVIEW
The Intern Gabrielle Tozer [HaperCollins; 2014]
An internship at a fashion magazine is the last thing Josie Browning wants. Awkward and unfashionable, she’s studying to become a serious journalist, struggling to keep her family together and wondering whether boys will ever start to notice her. During her second week on the job, Josie inadvertently gets a celebrity scoop that could make her career and life gets an awful lot more complicated in the glitzy offices of Sash magazine. The Intern offers a glimpse into the slightly-fictionalised world of women’s glossy magazines at a time when the print industry is in flux and idealistic journalism students aren’t guaranteed anything; nonetheless, it all ends happily for Josie, of course. Comparisons to The Devil Wears Prada are inevitable, given the subject matter, but The Intern is less a tongue-in-cheek skewering of the industry than it is a heartfelt, slightly embarrassed love letter. For all the cheeky jibes at the expense of magazines in general and fashion rags in particular, the affection that the author has for the industry shines through in the relationships, good and bad, that Josie develops with her colleagues at Sash. From the jealous, destructive co-intern to the aloof and mysterious chief editor to the women who mentor and encourage the younger girls, by far the strongest element of the book is how complexly it portrays a wide and sympathetic range of women. Women who work and women who stay home, women who are career-oriented and those who are directionless, woman who build each other up or tear each other down. The men, by contrast, are a barely-seen presence in the background; love interests and one-dimensional homme fatales. Josie is an odd choice of heroine; dippy, a bit dense and not overly observant. In her early days at Sash, she undergoes the expected ugly-duckling transformation and all of a sudden boys are throwing themselves at her, to her deep confusion and alarm. There’s a sweet and sort of pointless subplot with the Nice But Unavailable boy, but it’s an encounter with the Dangerous Bad Boy which opens Josie to ridicule and internet scorn. The incident inspires her to write on a topic she’s actually passionate about, in defence of herself and all the other women who are subjected to harmful and unrealistic standards. The Intern makes for a sweet if predictable coming-of-age story, an easy and entertaining read with a lot of heart. Relatable and fun. emma grist
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A R T | C O M E DY | D A N C E | L I T E R AT U R E | T H E AT R E I had binned my goggles and now I was left with no option but to rifle through the dustbin to reclaim my by now refuse-tainted headpiece.
If my prior, primary emotion at the discovery I was without my goggles could be rightly described as a ‘stab of momentary panic’ (and it can because my grasp of the subtleties of the English language is unparalleled), my chief emotion at what I now knew to be my predicament was one of undiluted desolation. Having irreversibly sacrificed my hard-fought reputation by returning to what was becoming an increasingly bloody crime scene, the realisation of what I now had to do was enough to make me gag on what had been my usual erudite selection of pickles. What had begun as a pin-prick of horror deep in my chest, had expanded into an ever-widening, all-encompassing canyon of revulsion as the fate of my goggles was now beyond question and the course of action necessary to retrieve them, barely fathomable. I stood prostrate, beads of perspiration forming on my brow as I mentally re-traced the actions of my downfall. Yes, I had startled with my singular fashion choice. Yes, I had glided effortlessly through the cantina, illuminating the dreary hospital corridors with the lustrous nature of my jodhpur and goggle combination. Yes, I had caused four beautiful nurses to question their own chastity. However, crucially, I had also discarded my goggles, along with my luncheon refuse, in the wastepaper basket.
For a Man of my stature and inter-breeding, the task which lay ahead could scarcely be more terrifying. I positively trembled as I was forced, in the full glare of the ruthless court of public opinion, to fall to my knees in front of what had become the unfeeling protagonist of this sorry tale. The irony of me being the one forced to my knees to perform an unsettling act was not lost on me. I could scarcely withhold the brimming tears as I delved my hands into the grotty, decomposing innards of the wastepaper basket. While it was not long until I retrieved my soiled goggles, the stains upon my reputation would take years to cleanse. Indeed, there are still some areas of London in which I am referred to as ‘the dustbin fister’. Having shaken the refuse from my goggles, I determinedly turned towards the quadrumvirate of nursing beauty, bowed with as much dignity as I could muster, bid them good day and took my leave, the murmurings of ridicule echoing in my ears and cutting to the bone. And so it was that I was thoroughly exposed in public and so it is that I offer you this olive branch of fragile vulnerability, so that you may not feel quite so bad about your income, odour, grammar, fashions and frankly offensive haircuts. You may now go forth knowing that while you will forever remain an undeniable inferior, even the best of us are subject to the whimsies of fate and the pitfalls pride. gideon foxington-smythe
cada
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bit PARTS Image credit: Nicholas Harding
CONTEMPORARY AUSTRALIAN DRAWING: 20 YEARS OF THE DOBELL PRIZE FOR DRAWING WHAT: Art exhibition WHEN: Thu–Sun April–May 10–18 WHERE: Drill Hall Gallery, ANU In his will, artist Sir William Dobell allocated funding for an annual drawing competition to encourage and celebrate the art form. For 20 years, the Dobell Prize for Drawing has been committed to highlighting the best in contemporary drawing, showcased each year at the Art Gallery of NSW. This 20th anniversary collection features drawings plucked from the back catalogue of the prize, including last year’s winning piece, Gareth Sansom’s Made in Wadeye. Now it’s Canberra’s chance to catch the exhibition, which is currently on display at the Drill Hall Gallery at ANU. Gallery open from Wednesday to Sunday, 12–5pm. OUR GARDEN SUBURB WHAT: Griffith Party WHEN: Sat May 3 WHERE: M16 Artspace, 21 Blaxland Cres, Griffith
Image credit: Damien Veal
Community togetherness! Local school bands and community organisations! Organic food! Is there a way this could get better? Yes! Sculpture incorporating bonsai. Creative neighbours from all around Canberra will be waving their wands to create a pop-up garden out of sculpture. From ceramics to bronze to Perspex, there’ll be something that grabs everyone including, possibly, actual plant material. Studios and workshops will also be open so you can have a peak at where the magic/sculpturing happens. Alternative health businesses in Griffith will hold stalls and after the judges have chosen, free cake will ensue. Party is at 12:30–4pm. Details at m16artspace.com.
Image credit: Jenny Manning
BOWLS, BASKETS, BLANKETS AND BOATS WHAT: Art Exhibition WHEN: Sat–Sun April–May 25–11 WHERE: Belconnen Arts Centre Bowls, Baskets, Blankets and Boats is the latest exhibition by local artist Jenny Manning, featuring drawings, paintings and textile work. Fascinated with intensely intricate details, Manning translates this into her own work, using patterns and repetition to create the illusion of 3D on two dimensional surfaces. “Pattern and colour have always been important elements in my work and in this exhibition I have extended the process to include textiles in the form of coiled baskets and mohair patchwork blankets,” says Manning. Official opening is Saturday April 26 at 2pm, with a meet the artist afternoon scheduled for Sunday May 4 at 3pm. REEL INSPIRACION WHAT: Spanish Film Festival WHEN: Thu–Wed May 1–14 WHERE: Palace Electric Cinema Everything from thriller to rom-com and in between will be covered at this year’s Spanish Film Festival. Álex González (mute mutant with the tornado power in X-Men: First Class) will be in town to promote his film Scorpion In Love and there will be both opening and closing night parties (read as Spanish-esque drinks) if that’s your thing. Highlights include the opening film Living Is Easy With Eyes Closed (which won six Goya Awards), a road-trip-coming-of-age involving The Beatles, a teacher and some runaways. Official opening is Thursday May 1 at 7:00pm; tickets are $50. More info at spanishfilmfestival.com.
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album in focus
pixies indie cindy [PIAS] At the very top of the high rise apartments near the BMA offices someone has written ‘Tame’ in bold white letters. It always makes me think of the Pixies song of the same name, the fast and furious anomaly that breaks up the surf punk melodics of their rightly acclaimed 1989 release Doolittle. It may have been a tougher version of their dynamic style, but their classic soft-verse hard-chorus structure gave Kurt Cobain his songwriting template and gave indie rock its overlords for decades to come. Indie Cindy is the first release from the band in TWENTY THREE YEARS. It is therefore impossible to not compare this album with what has gone before. Even if you come to the band as freshly minted as their latest t-shirt design, you know there’s a reason you’re there; yet on paper they never really made sense. The guy couldn’t sing. As Kim Deal learnt bass for the first time, her and Frank operated like a couple of competing bands for a prime festival spot whilst in the same studio. The instrumentation was often nothing more complicated than the speeding up of the endless summer soundtrack. There was zero chemistry as a group on stage. The lyrics were often nonsensical jibberish punctuated by show off Spanish picked up during Frank’s uni exchange program. Frank broke up the band via fax. And yet their releases in the late 80’s and early 90’s remain unparalleled greatness in this author’s humble opinion. In fairness, no one would have been ready for new music as they announced their reformation in 2004. The band and its disciple’s nostalgia needed to
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be sated as they toured the original line up, firstly with a ‘best of ‘ show, then playing Doolittle in its entirety plus b sides in all their distorted glory. For a new release (sans Kim Deal), a band that bloody minded understandably can’t be expected to rehash the past into the Status Quo of a supermarket pension plan. They recently started drip feeding new releases via a series of EP’s to mixed reviews, utilising digital formats and accomplished film clips unheard of during their college kid prime. The full length culmination of this, Indie Cindy, plays over and over in my stereo as I desperately try and welcome it into their back catalogue. It dares me to be cynical after my own 25 years of absorbing their music during periods of great angst and therefore prime musical appreciation conditions.Unlike their futuristic sounding swansong Trompe Le Monde, this record picks up where second last release Bossanova left off (producer Gil Norton worked on all of these) favouring the lazy afternoon sounds of ‘Havalina’ and ‘Stormy Weather’ in ‘Greens and Blues’ and the title track. The latter and ‘Bagboy’ are highlights you will have heard as per the single release schedule; meaning there are no quiet gems to discover even after several listens. No meandering instrumentals like the smoky end of ‘No 13 baby’, no painfully exquisite voice crack like a mother makes when the baby breaks. Surely older age would allow for less polish and more whiskey soaked vocals, but Franks’ dull autotune delivery dominates any slight hark back to their grungy ethos. If you’re no longer into being aurally challenged by something like ‘Caribou’ then you may find merit in the Pixies lite banality of ‘Ring the bell’. There are exceptions – and they include the ACDC style shouts during ‘Blue eyed hexster’, a fun track for its deliberate ‘U-Mass’ drum rip off. Also the half decent ‘Magdalena’ - namely as Frank tries to stand in for his ex bandmate and vocal adversary and does quite a good job of it. So does it reach the heights of our aforementioned graffiti artist? For newcomers it’s competent, self-assured and will make a comfortable fit on your music appreciation 101 shelf. For fansjust don’t prop it up next to Surfer Rosa or Come on Pilgrim. Perhaps file it under ‘Okay Frank Black solo record guest starring Santiago and Lovering’. ‘Tame’ indeed. TATJANA CLANCY
Infinity Broke River Mirrors [Luke Come to the Darkside] Following the 2007 demise of Bluebottle Kiss, Jamie Hutchings played around with some more subdued material, such as his 2011 LP Avalon Cassettes. His latest project Infinity Broke, including his brother Scott, Jared Harrison and Reuben Wills, leaves BBK’s melodic indie style behind for a more experimental vibe with jagged edges and abrasive surfaces. The sinisterly titled Gallows Queue starts out cruisy, before peeling off tangentially mid-track, with guitars stretched and bent like images in sideshow mirrors. A riveting circular drumming pattern rolls right through the track. Monsoon is a marathon 11.5 minute ghost train of a song, full of sharp bends and shadowy corners. This album centrepiece, delivered with an intensity which invites comparisons with The Drones, features guitars that screech like out of tune radios and staccato clapping highlights. Its inhospitable terrain is as rough as rusty corrugated iron. In a surprising escape back to the calming quality of nature, Water, with neither words nor music, consists only of flowing, flushing and splashing liquid sounds. The band shifts from being musicians to metallurgists in Sinless, such is their affinity for banging things together and exploring the possibilities of metallic collisions. It features harsh percussion that is industrial in its depth and variation. This dark, tannin coloured flow of music is occasionally dappled by patches of light from backing vocals provided by a small female choir. River Mirrors is an album with so many textures that it took the participation of all four members in its percussion, and the vocal efforts of all of them, to write its story. Its long instrumental passages invite the contemplation of a world of barbed wire guitars and chaotic bangs, clangs and taps. It’s a bit like The Necks, with vocals. rory mccartney
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wesphere wesphere [Ensmble]
Kaiser Chiefs education,education, education and war [label]
Calling All Cars Raise the People [Cooking Vinyl]
Listening to Wesphere just makes me want to find an empty field, eat some acid-laced ice cream and take all my clothes off. Or, describing them in more legal terms, this band is dub-electronica brilliance.
The departure of drummer and founder member Nick Hodgson in 2012 saw Kaiser Chiefs initially thrown into disarray as a band, the added impact being that Hodgson and singer Ricky Wilson’s songwriting partnership was responsible for many of their biggest songs. Two years on though, this fifth album, Education, Education, Education & War sees them sounding galvanised as a unit and defiantly unbowed. As the Tony Blair-paraphrasing title suggests, there’s a distinctly political theme running through much of this album, with the lyrical backdrop being England’s economic decline and the resulting crunch felt by the working classes. The Factory Gates opens things with a bang, ushering forth a charging mass of furiously riffing guitars, spiky synths and crashing punky drums that provides a defiant counterpoint to Ricky Wilson’s dark “contractually tied to death’s door” chorus hook. At times the fusion of ambitious rock arrangements and lyrics centring around the linked machineries of war and economic control on tracks like Cannons almost calls to mind a less pretentious and more ‘down with the people’ take on the sort of territory explored by Muse on their last album, with Bill Nighy’s apocalyptic guest spoken word piece on closing track Roses easily offering up the most ominous moment here. It’s hardly all doom and gloom here though, with thundering offerings such as Ruffians On Parade and the anthemic, synth-laden One More Last Song packing all of the rabblerousing hooks that Kaiser Chiefs have made their stock in trade. Throw in a big-sounding production job from Ben H. Allen (Animal Collective, Deerhunter), and you’ve got a strong comeback I can’t see many fans being disappointed with.
Calling All Cars third studio album made me a teeny bit nostalgic; good, crunchy Australian rock such as the likes of JET (R.I.P), Children Collide and The Living End has been pushed away from the forefront of the local music scene in recent years. Raise the People serves as a top-up, channelling all the good parts of the genre whilst tugging in new elements for their own experimentation. The title track opens the album with stadium rock aplomb, a fair indicator for the rest of the album. Haydn Ing’s vocals grabs attention as he spits the narrative, inciting the listener to march forth toward the revolution, or maybe just the pub. ‘Raise the People’ sets a high level of energy for the rest of the album to follow. Thankfully, it does not falter and is one of the album’s greatest assets.
The stunning five piece comprises of Borja on beats, Roman holding down the electronica elements, J strumming the guitar, Nathan on percussion and Max sending chills down our spines with his beautifully simplistic vocals. They hail from different parts of the world, all with very different musical backgrounds, but somehow managed to meet in Barcelona to create this genius LP. All nine tracks center around chilled beats and dreamy vocals, but number four, ‘Love Sun’ is a definite standout, creating a wobbly yet deep rnb base with poetic vocals that are sure to pulse through your soul Cosmic G[rh]oddess’ is another interesting track, mainly due to its experimental nature. It’s reminiscent of CSNY in its sixties-esque nature, but with a lower tempo and trippier base (if that’s even possible). The entire LP is extremely moody, but that’s part of its charm and the emotional components resonate more with every listen. It may take a while to understand the genre and what the band is trying to achieve, but if you try not to assign it to a specific sound, the music is much easier to digest. If you’re a fan of dub, dnb, rnb, electronica or all of the above, you’ll find something enjoyable in Wesphere’s LP – put simply, it’s new age ethereal dub for the hippie soul. jade fosberry
The foundation of the album is explosive riffs and throbbing percussion, charging it from beginning through to end with no pause to soften and soothe with an acoustic track. Calling All Cars have tweaked the formula enough to keep attention whilst keeping the dynamism cohesive: a lick of synths on the Muse-esque intro of ‘It Don’t Matter’, a poppy rhythm overrun by noise on ‘Running On the Sun’ and the deliciously smooth ‘My Red Light’. Touching in at ten tracks with little pause for breathing, it works, barrelling onwards. It is not this dynamism, but the constant ominous tone, that drags towards the end. The overall effect is nothing new in terms of the genre, but Raise the People highlights Calling All Cars ability to expand on their own sound and resolves my own craving for local, spoton rock. ANGELA CHRISTIAN-WILKES
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Hospitality Trouble [Merge Records]
lucius Wildewoman [PIAS]
Marc Romboy shades [Systematic]
When a record arrives surfing a small wave of mild hype in the hyper-excitable blog age, one has reason to tread cautiously. To cut through the noise we often find perfectly reasonable LPs being spruiked as ‘extraordinary’, ‘genre-bashing’, ‘breathlessly anticipated’. So this second record from Brooklyn three-piece Hospitality, which comes without excess hyperbole, should be approached listlessly, right? Kinda. Genres are not being bashed on Trouble, and you’d be hard pressed to describe it as classic or extraordinary. It is however, a step up from acts like last year’s hyped Speedy Ortiz for the simple fact that its influences are not loudly projected, but skilfully woven into a suite of songs which are well written and played. Damning with faint praise? Not really. This is a good, eminently listenable album. No shame in that.
For a band that share a name with many evil men – dodgy Roman emperors and Draco Malfoy’s father included - there is something inherently good and beautiful in Lucius’ music. The young group from Brooklyn have set forth a sonically warm and stylistically well-developed debut with Wildewoman. The flexibility in Lucius’ sound shapes the album. As it progresses, they effortlessly bend themselves for different genres, such as the slow moving blues of ‘Go Home’, energetic pop of ‘Hey Doreen’ and funk undertones of ‘Genevieve’. The assured exploration of different styles is held together by a firm foundation of crisp intertwining guitar melodies and sturdy percussion. It is this stability and strength in song-writing that lends itself well to the experimentation, making for successful track after successful track. Impressively so, the closest thing to a dud is the first track, ‘Wildewoman’, whose dreamy country twang feels weak in comparison to its counterparts. Another gravitating factor that separates Lucius from other current indie-pop acts is the mixing of Jess Wolfe and Holly Laessig’s shared lead vocals, both of which alternatively elevate euphoria and tear heartstrings with their voiceboxes. Sometimes melting together for a unique singular vocal line and sometimes juxtaposing with harmonising, it reminded me of the confident ease Australian band Alpine employ. Wolfe and Laesigg break through thunderous layers on dense tracks like ‘Nothing Ordinary’, and sweeten with refreshing clarity on tracks like ‘Don’t Just Sit There’. Without these dual vocals, the album would lack the effective edge that two voices – in sync, yet distinct – give in making Lucius stand out. Wildewoman is a delight, crafted out of harmonies, heart and a heavy dosage of unswerving song-writing.
German electronic producer Marc Romboy was responsible for unleashing one of 2013’s deepest techno / house delights with his Taiyo album alongside Ken Ishii, but a few months on this sprawling collection offers a slightly different slant on his sound. Spread over 3 discs and clocking in at around four hours in total length, Shades offers up a compendium-sized helping of Romboy’s backcatalogue, with 32 of his previous solo tracks, collaborations and remixes collected (often on CD for the first time) in unmixed format. The three discs claim to be organised into different coherent themes and moods, though in truth I couldn’t pick much that really distinguished them apart.
The vibe here is twisty guitar pop reminiscent of a lighter Sleater Kinney or a heavier Cocteau Twins. Opener ‘Nightingale’ introduces vocalist Amber Palpini via some heavy riff dynamics and full-throated reverb-heavy speak/sing/shouting. Set-ups of this sort need a strong and compelling vocal guide, and it doesn’t take long for Palpini to establish herself as just that. Hers is a voice worth noting. Which is why you’re happy to follow her down the wormhole of ‘Rockets and Jets’, the taut and eerie ‘Going Out’, the low-key anthem ‘Inauguration’, all the way through to the sweet refrain of ‘Call Me After’. The guitars are of the twisty Polvo variety, the synths would suit a Nicolas Winding Refn noir film, and the overall mood is attractively misty and mysterious. It’s not an amazing record by modern hype standards. But modern hype standards are empty clickbait and should be ignored, unlike this satisfying record. glen martin
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While the obvious target audience here is most likely hardcore Romboy collectors and more avid fans, there’s a lot of quality on show here to coax the more casual listener in, aided by Romboy’s diverse tastes that span from more jacking Chicago house influences through to spacious downbeat electro. It’s when Romboy gives things over to the darker side of electro-funk that some of the most spectacularly gritty nocturnal moments arrive here, such as on the vaguely Yello-esque Shake It Again which sees him teaming up with Fyta & Ray Wilbern for a dark tribal roller, and also amidst the liquid bass funk grooves of his SL Mirage collaboration with Stephan Bodzin. Elsewhere, an inspired reworking of Detroit Grand Pubahs’ Sandwiches sets the controls for old school drum machine action, while an unreleased remix of Gusgus’ Hateful offers up one of this collection’s biggest previously hidden gems. A classily packaged collection that’s certainly going to delight the rabid Marc Romboy completist fanbase, and probably quite a few other people too. chris downton
ANGELA CHRISTIAN-WILKES
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singles in focus by cody atkinson total control ‘Flesh War’
call it even fear [Independent]
Mac DeMarco salad days [Captured Tracks]
Call It Even have release their debut EP Fear, a three track demo beset with the staple issues –love, hate, regret and hope. The EP begins with ‘Unconscious’, the quiet storm. A dark somber and progressively solemn piece yet packed with a mass of emotional power blending passion with precision. Well structured and easily the diamond in the rough of the EP, ‘Unconscious’ is engulfed with melodic groove-laden expansion and a seriously pleasing succession. A shame that the vocals cannot be harsher – showing a more inhospitable cruelty.
In terms of influence, we’re very much in the Pavement era. In the last twelve months we’ve received records by Speedy Ortiz, Parquet Courts and Dick Diver amongst many others who push a sound similar to the structured slop of the 90s indie kingpins, and the first few notes of Mac DeMarco’s second LP place him amongst their like.
‘Daze’s central drum beat initiates this southern inspired piece that progressively pushes into an unpretentious bluesy texture with some pretty kickass slide licks. Vastly groovy in sections, anthemic almost and with an introspective and contemporary flavour. Depth is the main ingredient of the lyrics of ‘Daze’ and is the focal point of the music. The ambitious vocals strike a perfect blend between seethe and splendor and the tone of the piece as a whole is fun as hell. Fear automatically pulls you into a saccharine atmosphere; a tranquil and undemanding piece layered with warm tones and cool harmonies. The quintessential love song, with an inviting and tender melody. Relaxed and thoughtful; the vocals remain assiduous and devoted and the song will have you reminiscing on days gone by and days to come. Luminous and genuine, Fear is for the easily and willingly charmed. Call It Even have just skimmed the surface on this treasure trove and can now reach out, melding the vast array of musical styles they undertake almost instinctively without sacrificing the groove in their objective. Fear is a stunner and a very engaging debut to boot. . carrie gibson
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DeMarco isn’t just a Malkmus ripper thoughhis sound is his own. It’s the sonic equivalent of Vice magazine circa 2005. Imagery by Dash Snow of kids in faux ironic stonewash hanging off the side of buildings and comparing genitals. Real heaviness, serious drug paraphernalia and creatively adorned squat poverty lurking in the corners of pictures displaying a Los Angelian youthful glow. Seriously unserious. Pavement-plus. What happens in the great cultural churn of the post-postmodern era is that styles previously (and correctly) deemed untouchably uncool are refashioned. And sometimes, like the yacht-rock tinge of ‘Brother’, the horrific is rendered excellent. ‘Let it Go’ is akin to a surf song played by a non-neurotic Jonathon Richman, and ‘Goodbye Weekend’ could slot into Wowee Zowee without effort. The single ‘Passing Out Pieces’ hints at lurking darkness, but woozily drifts in such a way that the trouble seems brushed off without great effort. There is little weight to this record, and I mean that as a glowing compliment. It’s untroubled by responsibility or adherence to template or cultural ideals, and hence floats by like the most pleasant of lazy afternoons. If there’s a criticism it’s that there’s no break out classic, no ‘Summer Babe’ or ‘Roadrunner’ that would elevate a very good record into a great one. But it’s close to greatness, and it sounds like its creator doesn’t care either way. glen martin
Total Control turn down the anger a little on this one, and head a bit towards New Wave. There are synths in play here, and perhaps a time machine back to the 80s. But this isn’t a bad thing, instead it’s nice that Total Control feel comfortable enough in their own skins that they can change directions so abruptly and successfully after the critical success of Herge Beat.
Spartak ‘Locked in Three’ That. Beat. Is. Harsh. It just hits at the start and doesn’t stop. This has depth, genuine depth, and improves on multiple listens. Shimmering guitars fight to break through, and Evan Dorrian’s deep vocals ground the whole track. “Locked in Three” has a proper, legitimate climax, a clear end point with resolution. A real step forward for Spartak.
Todd Terje ‘Delorean Dynamite’ The guy I sit next to at work has told me for the last three weeks has been doing nothing but telling me that I need to listen to Terje’s It’s Album Time. That it’s the album that Daft Punk should have made instead of Random Access Memories. That it’s full of great tracks, including ‘Delorean Dynamite’. So this review’s for you, Sean: It’s a pretty good song.
Sheppard ‘Geronimo’ “Brisbane indie-pop band goes number one” is a sentence I didn’t anticipate writing. ‘Geronimo’ sounds like a poor man’s version of Ball Park Music, who sound like a poor man’s version of early-era Architecture in Helsinki, who sound like a poor man’s version of Belle and Sebastian. Points off for the novelty banjo.
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the word
on films
WITH MELISSA WELLHAM
Wes Anderson’s name is a brand nowadays. A brand associated with perfectly stylized worlds on screen, and dapper gentlemen, and women with an air of insouciance. He is also, I would argue unfairly, associated with the phrase ‘style over substance’. His latest film, The Grand Budapest Hotel, is stylish – sure. But it’s also a moral fable about changing words and moral standards. Wes does an admirable attempt at proving the haters-of-twee wrong.
quote of the issue “You see, there are still faint glimmers of civilization left in this barbaric slaughterhouse that was once known as humanity.” – M. Gustave (Ralph Fiennes), The Grand Budapest Hotel
The Grand Budapest Hotel
The Muppets: Most Wanted
Just when you thought Wes Anderson couldn’t do it gain, and was in danger of disappearing up his own perfectly symmetrical, 70s stylized posterior (now there’s an image for you to consider) – he crafts yet another astonishing film.
Beginning only seconds after the events of The Muppets, Kermit the frog and his furry friends break into a song called We’re Doing a Sequel, where they cleverly dissect all the pitfalls of doing another film. The irony of the opener is that The Muppets: Most Wanted becomes everything that’s horrid about sequels.
The Grand Budapest Hotel is a story within a story within a story – and the story at the centre of that Inceptionesque narrative is M. Gustave (Ralph Fiennes), the legendary concierge at a famous European hotel in-between wars. Gustave is helped in his adventures by Zero Moustafa (Tony Revolori), the lobby boy who becomes his most trusted friend. The story involves art theft, impending wars, elaborate cakes and prison breaks – as well as a lot of heart. In The Grand Budapest Hotel – as with his other films – Wes uses ornate and over-the-top visuals to explore deeper emotional issues (especially those of his sometimes stoic characters). If Anderson’s last feature, Moonrise Kingdom, veered too closely to children’s film for you, then The Grand Budapest Hotel should satisfy. It’s still a fairytale, but this is a fairytale for adults. In it, Anderson has crafted an entire cinematic universe. Credit must also go to Fiennes, who turns in a marvelous performance. The film is a work of madcap genius – and with a lead character unlike any seen in a Wes Anderson film before. It’s just delightful, darling. melissa wellham
Dominic Badguy (Ricky Gervais) convinces Kermit to let him manage the Muppets and book the group on a world tour. As the tour starts, Constantine, the world’s number one criminal and a complete dead ringer for Kermit, escapes from a Siberian Gulag and plots to exploit the Muppets. The Muppets: Most Wanted is lethargic, and it’s all the colour and none of the zany excitement we’ve come to expect from the gang. This is a Muppet movie on the surface only, and it merely bounces from cameo to cameo in search of entertainment. Even the songs fizzle, and it’s a real shame considering music supervisor, Bret McKenzie, won an Academy Award for best original song for The Muppets in 2012; there may not be any shiny statues this time. Gervais acts like a Muppet succubus draining all the life out of the film by doing his best ‘I don’t want to be here’ face, but thankfully, Miss Piggy, Kermit and the gang show flashes of their goofy charm to suck you in.
in a world In a World is a pleasant surprise amongst the influx of action, superhero and blockbuster offerings in cinemas at the moment – a more modest, yet unique film, with genuine heart and humour. Set in the world of Hollywood voiceover artists, In a World has just the right amount of “out of the ordinary” to intrigue. Carol (Lake Bell), a struggling voice coach and daughter of a famous voiceover artist (Fred Melamed), longs to be accepted into the competitive field of voiceover work – despite being a woman (horror!). Of course, there is also a complicated relationship with a rival, the wonderfully sleazy Gustav (Ken Marino, who has really carved out a niche for himself with these types of roles). Though Carol is hardly a character we haven’t seen before (she hasn’t quite got her shit together; slightly eccentric, but somehow endearing), I found Lake Bell to be very likeable. Add in the fact that comedian Demitri Martin plays her love interest, Louis, and for me this film was golden. You can really tell that writer, director, and star Lake Bell has put her heart and soul into this. Though I am personally interested in the topic, I do think this little gem will appeal to most as easy enjoyment (though nothing groundbreaking). Who knows, it may even revive a love for 80s band Tears for Fears, as it did for me. MEGAN McKEOUGH
File this film under ‘cash-in sequel’. CAMERON WILLIAMS
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Divergent
mr peabody & sherman
Sigh. Yet another film aimed at teenaged audiences, based upon a YA series of dystopian science-fiction novels, which misses the mark due to its adherence to formula. Although the trailer for Divergent might lead one to believe that the series is basically a direct rip-off of The Hunger Games (people sorted into ‘factions’, teenagers trained to fight, etc.) the premises of the two films are actually, well, divergent.
Mr Peabody & Sherman is surprisingly entertaining, and those who fondly look back on the source material will find plenty to like here.
Set in a world where people are divided into groups depending on their human virtues – honesty, bravery, kindness, intelligence and selflessness – Tris Prior (Shailene Woodley) feels like she doesn’t really belong anywhere. And then she discovers that this feeling isn’t just teen angst – the way her brain works is considered to be unclassifiable. She is ‘divergent’. In a world where people are valuable if they fit into a box, Tris must work with the mysterious and predictablyhunky Four (Theo James) to find out why she’s considered dangerous. The plot holes are numerous, the world presented in Divergent incoherent, and the film is so intent on setting the scene for the sequels that it doesn’t invest enough in the present plot. Director Neil Burger does handle the action well, and explores some classic young adult themes including self-discovery and romance – but ultimately it’s not enough. This is a film about being different. It’s a pity it feels we’ve seen it a million times before.
Mr Peabody (Ty Burrell) is a scientist, an inventor, an appreciator of fine food, a musician and also a dog. And, like any kind-hearted dog, he takes it upon himself to adopt a boy, Sherman (Max Charles). Mr Peabody soon finds that fatherhood/pet boy ownership is the greatest challenge of all, but things are going fine – until, of course, Sherman uses Mr Peabody’s time machine to impress his friend Penny, wreaking havoc all through history. Chaos ensues. Mr Peabody & Sherman the film is not much like the snippets shown on The Rocky & Bullwinkle Show. For one thing, it’s a helluva lot longer. It’s a fun kids film that moves along at a brisk pace, with punny dialogue, and fun historical references. However, there’s a lot of humour that will go over kids’ heads, and they might be a tad confused by the convoluted time traveling. Mr Peabody & Sherman tries to pack a lot of countries, eras, and historical figures into its 90-minute timeframe. Mr Peabody & Sherman has some great voice talent involved – but ultimately the production and style is a bit too predictable and slick to be truly charming. This is a perfectly adequate kids film, but nothing to travel through time for. MELISSA WELLHAM
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the word on dvds
Adventure Time – The Complete Third Season [Madman] Really, I have no fucking idea what the hell is going on during pretty much every episode Adventure Time. The basics are clear enough – Finn, a young boy with a backpack who sings, has adopted dog that stretches and also sings, Jake. They in a land called Ooo and do all manner of crazy tings. That’s about the sum of it. Oh wait, BMO or Beemo is a game console camera robot. BMO handily takes a photo of the Cute King and the Cuties who are indeed cute, but also evil and trying to win a battle. So Jake and Finn let them win. Next episode, Finn is playing the long game in a bid to banish a ghost. And lets not forget the Earl of Lemongrab, the Ice King, Princess Bubblegum…you get the picture, I’m sure it makes perfect sense now. Adventure Time is an easy show to love without requiring a Bachelors of Irony. Even though it is clearly aimed at the kids market, every single episode has its basis in surrealism. That plots work out in the long run and it doesn’t aim to please nodding-hipsters is the best part. It’s funny and unique, and that’s all the writers have to know. All they have to do is write more 11-minute episodes about a land ravaged by the Mushroom Apocalypse. Along with The Amazing World Gumball and the Regular Show, Adventure Time makes it safe for adults to justifiably sit with their offspring or young family members and goof off. That’s not to say it’s perfect – it can become a draining if you consume too many episodes in one shot – but that’s the responsibility of adulthood talking more than any deficiency in the show. Just let the nonsense, show tunes, absurd dialogue and colour roll over you. justin hook
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Beyond Outrage [Madman] Beyond Outrage is everything its predecessor – Outrage – wasn’t. Cutting straight to the chase, this sequel is a shambolic mess of a film. By no means without its peculiar charms, it’s just lost in an unnecessarily over-complex plot and lacking in any real drama or notable set pieces. Yakuza hitman Otomo (Takeshi ‘Beat’ Kitano) is back but as he says when presented with a mobster hooker upon his release from prison – he’s just not in the mood for it. This is a large part of the dilemma. Kitano, who also directs and wrote both films, constructs an arcane plot to get his character out of prison and involved in some good old Yakuza cleansing. There’s plenty of reasoning behind his allegiance to certain families but there’s no depth to it, no investment and to the audience little reason to care that much. On top of that the undeniably charismatic Kitano – a genre hopping cult hero in Japan – is absent for most of the first third of the film. That leaves a bunch of underlings fighting it out to set the scene for Otomo’s arrival which when it happens, leaves you wondering why bothering with the preamble. Even though Beyond Outrage picks up where Outrage left off, it also feels like a stand alone film and might actually prosper if that’s audience experience; no expectations. The comical raised voices and farcical yelling is amped up even more here. It juxtaposes the retrained tradition, respect and code of the Yakuza and our perceptions of Japanese culture more broadly, with uncontrolled childish screaming – even the ‘old guys’ shout like idiots. Takeshi glowers his way through the entire film, dodging assassins and exacting his own type of revenge. Otomo’s final act is a perfect amalgam of his street smarts and determination to complete a task. It instantly redeems the film.
Secrets and Lies – Season 1 [Roadshow] You have to feel for Secrets and Lies. Plenty of effort has gone into the production. The languorous suburban Brisbane setting brims with sub-tropical stickiness and damp. Huge bugs crawl over trees and doors sit wide open in big old Queenslanders just like a Go-Betweens song. The cast act the shit out of it. The script is tight and the dialogue well balanced. It is stamped A Grade. It’s an awards magnet. And yet there it was on Ten – attracting a quarter of the viewers it deserved, the victim of a network in freefell unable to get any clean air above the din of corporate finger pointing. Still, that’s the beauty of DVDs and maybe the was the misfortune of Secrets and Lies on free-to-air as people simply waited for the box set so they could do it all in one go with no distractions. But it’s particularly hard for a show like this, one that relies on weekly shocks, twists and turns and reveals. Secrets and Lies is about a young boy (Thom) murdered and left in parkland. Local resident Ben (Martin Henderson) finds the body and is soon implicated as the prime suspect. A number of awkward clues imply an even stronger sort of guilt and motive…but that would be spoiling. With his marriage falling apart and a tenacious detective (Anthony Hayes as a sadly one dimensional stoic cop) pushing hard, Ben spends the majority of the show trying to convince the audience, his wife (Diana Glenn), the community – and you feel, himself – that he didn’t do it. Yes there are echoes of Broadchurch and The Killing in structure, tone and plot, but this feels uniquely Australian and nothing at all like a rip off. The DVD is loaded with extras (webisodes, character bios) to make it a more immersive and complete experience. justin hook
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the word
The Scientists, Bad//Dreems, Ruined Fortune The Factory Theatre, Sydney Friday March 28
on gigs
Having missed The Scientists the first time around (because, y’know, my parents hadn’t met yet), it was my chance to catch the original line-up during their 35th anniversary tour. Billed as The ‘Legendary’ Scientists, the line-up consisted of Kim Salmon, James Baker, Rodney Radalj and Boris Sujdovic – who all played a part in the earlier incarnation of the band. The Scientists’ catalogue can be split neatly into two; scruffy garage pop and sludgy swamp rock, the latter of which inspired the likes of Mudhoney and Nirvana. In 1981, they released their debut self-titled album and then promptly split up. The Scientists is a power pop gem, with Salmon’s scrapping vocals and bare bones riffs taking centre stage amongst lyrics that are all love, lust and boredom. Lost adolescence was the theme of the night, with The Factory packed full of middle aged punters, swapping stories and the occasional joint. Ruined Fortune, fronted by Angie Garrick (Circle Pit) and Nic Warnock (R.I.P Society), looked like they had met in the back of a year 12 math class and maybe hadn’t left. The drummer had a trucker cap plastered over his long hair and kept making rock-on hand signs to his friends in the audience who enthusiastically returned them. Garrick spent the entire set chewing gum. Tapping into the current psychedelic revival, their first song was a heady instrumental, with thick droney keyboard dragging their sound into Hookworms territory. Kinda proggy, kinda punky, Ruined Fortune hit their stride when they ditched the Casio and opted for dual vocals and fuzzy riffs reminiscent of Sonic Youth. When I walked in halfway through a Bad//Dreems song, the singer was repeatedly whining “yogurt!”, or least that’s what it sounded like. The Adelaide band soon cranked out single ‘Caroline’, a buzzy summer number with the god-awful (but mind-numbingly catchy) refrain of “Caroline/You do it to me every time”. The next song was introduced with this “is about my mother”, soured instantly by the chorus of “you were my only friend.” Wasn’t for me, but the audience was into. “They sound like Oasis,” my friend noted, “and Blink 182.” Kim Salmon – if you’ve yet to see the man in the flesh, is tiny but well dressed – and was fitted out in a sharp brown suit, black and white polka dot shirt poking through, sunglasses firmly on. He had to jump a little to hit the microphone, which suited yappy opener ‘Girl’ (“girl/I want you now/girl/be my girl”). Like the audience, the rest of the band seemed to be weathered by their youth. Sujdovic looked like your dad playing bass. Maybe he is your dad? (You should call him). “Do you like my haircut?” He asked the crowd. “Oh Boris,” said Salmon. “You’re just fishing for compliments.”
PHOTOS BY Dan Grant and Michael Wylie
Although the lyrics may be as daft as ‘Caroline’, those earlier songs still stand-up – The Scientists knew how to write a hook and how to pace songs. Punchy and sweet. The set wasn’t perfect – it felt short, sloppy in places and leaned heavily on the covers (‘Sympathy for The Devil’ and ‘Chinese Rocks’), but the energy was there. The audience was wired, flipping out to ‘Teenage Dreamer’ and ‘Frantic Romantic’ and absolutely losing it to ‘Chinese Rocks’. Lots of fist pumping, air guitar and a lone, bald pogoer popping up every now and again. Before the encore, a clean-cut young man in a blue tracksuit jacket appeared on stage and attempted a bit of audience participation, chanting, “We won’t go home!” He was immediately pegged with half-empty beer cans and promptly jumped off stage. The Scientists returned, stretching out later classic ‘Swampland’ with lengthy solos and posing for snap-happy fans. CHIARA GRASSIA
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the word
on gigs
PHOTO BY Mark Turner
Ball Park Music, Papa vs Pretty, Holy Holy @ UC Zierholz Friday April 4 UC, your new 24 hour pay parking regime is a money gouging exercise. There, that had to be said. Bearded four piece Holy Holy soothed the nerves of any enraged motorists with a classy start to the night. In the set highlight, vocalist Timothy Carroll’s rich voice painted religious images, garnished with elegant guitars in the astonishingly beautiful ‘Impossible Like You’. Papa vs Pretty kicked off with a flourish with the perky, upbeat indie vibe of ‘Suburban Joan of Arc’. Frontman Thomas Rawle commanded attention centre stage with his intense facial expressions and jerky, hyperactive delivery. He shook his guitar in front of the amp, as though wringing its neck. Rawle proclaimed, “We are Papa vs Pretty, you are Canberra and together we are Captain Planet!” It was a great set, ending in ‘Dementia Praecox’, but the crowd was too not fully engaged, with too much background chatter. The Ball Park Music Puddinghead banner, featuring an owl, drew lots of whoo-whoos from punters waiting for BPM to arrive (although I did not see any owls attracted down to mate). There was an instant energy surge in the crowd as the band began with ‘Struggle Street’ from their new LP, followed by ‘Literally Baby’ which had people dancing and singling along. BPM played it smart, not jamming too much new material in early and including lots of older favourites. The punters were very happy and the band cut the music in one song so the audience could sing along to the max. Their new material is obviously a hit, with ‘She Only Loves Me When I’m There’ and ‘Trippin’ the Light Fantastic’ getting rave responses. BPM closed with ‘Coming Down’ before an encore featuring an incredible cover of ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’. RORY McCARTNEY
the word
on gigs
Glass Towers, The London Town Fire, The Alternative Transit Bar Thursday April 10 Preceded by the powerful vocals of The Alternative and hot-blooded pop punk of The London Town Fire, Sydney boys Glass Towers created quite the vibe at Transit Bar, playing songs from their debut album Halcyon Days. Climbing onstage uber-stylish in black skinny jeans, the band hit us straight away with their upbeat yet wistfully nostalgic tunes.The night’s sound was unique to itself and while difficult to shoehorn into one particular niche or genre, the thread of nostalgia and yearning for bygone days flowed recognisably throughout their performance. Emotive vocals and echoing guitar send you off into an escapist daydream, whether about your own youth or an imagined one the music brings. The soaring sounds tended to haunt after the song had ended- or was that just the reverb echoing? Knowing the album’s title of ‘Halcyon Days’, it’s not hard to understand it as a longing for the days of the band’s youth – as described by frontman Ben Hannam, it’s about being “drunk on pure life” at that stage of your adolescence. Some notable moments were the multitasking skills of drummer Daniel Muszynski, keeping the beat during an intro with one hand while finishing his beer with the other, to then transition seamlessly into a fast-paced section. Also, ending with their big single ‘Halcyon’ frontman Ben channelled his inner punk and lay back onstage, kicking the final beats of the song out on the cymbal from the floor. After experiencing the world overseas, Glass Towers have universally understood themes and a fluid sound, owing to their self-description of “world music”, but say they are very glad to be back home, as there is nowhere else like Australia. Victoria Constable
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on gigs
The Stiffys, Hearing Voices Transit Bar Thursday April 3 Hearing Voices were up first, the chosen local support on the night. It felt like that the band was channelling the influences of mid-tolate 90s Aussie rock, which isn’t necessarily a bad starting spot for a band. Unfortunately, the guitar of lead singer Matt Wilson broke down during the set, which left them a guitar short. In another way, however, it allowed a bit more flexibility for the band as Wilson had more of a free reign to be a standalone singer. The Stiffys are performance art as much as being a very good live band. They high-five after every song. They talk about drinking champagne, because it’s their favourite drink. They talk about doing heaps of kickflips on their skateboards and catching waves on their boogie boards. But the facade isn’t just poorly built, it is designed to fail. The champagne is really Passion Pop, the kickflips are on Tony Hawk Pro Skater 2 and the only waves they’ve caught are via crowd surfing. It is valid commentary on the faux-class and rebellion of adolescence. I can’t pretend to justify The Stiffys as high art. It’s not in anyone’s interest to consider them as such. At their core they are a band called “The Stiffys” who wear sailor suits and sing about erections, Ranger Stacy and champagne. It is a nostalgic yet naive approach to lyricism, but one that is not uncommon in nature. Plenty of great music, especially punk, features extremely simple lyrical themes. But The Stiffys take this to an extreme. Case in point: their single ‘Boogie Boarding’, whose lyrics read, “Boogie Boogie Boarding, Boogie Boarding/Whooooooooooooooooooa”, in some repeated way, shape and form throughout that song. It turns the song into a near instrumental, with the words only retaining any real value through their rhythm. ‘Boogie Boarding’ isn’t really about boogie boarding, because it’s not really about anything, but at the same time it’s a call back to misspent youth. This shouldn’t be held to be a criticism of their singing live, as they seem to hit every note and harmony required. More than this, they are good singers live, but they often only have to sing four or five words per song. About half of their set on the night is more or less about erections, but this isn’t a misnomer in popular music either. I mean, several pop/punk/rock bands got careers of talking about hard-ons, most prominently the Regurgitator, The Hard-Ons and Blink 182, who are about as critically and commercially divergent as I could get in three bands. But where Blink get away with erection jokes with winks and wry grins to camera, The Stiffys yell about their erections in your face while laughing. There is no subtlety, there is no escape. The enjoyment of The Stiffys would fall apart if the music failed or was subpar. Fortunately, the bass heavy riffs cut through the drums smoothly. There are as one on stage, making playing music together as a band seem simple. For just two musicians, their sound is “large” and fills the cavernous Transit Bar in all of it’s nooks and crannies. They are very much a “live band”, a band who is much more enjoyable live than in recorded form. And the bass riffs, while verging on the simple, are extremely catchy in a live setting.
PHOTOS BY Megan Leahy
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Cody Atkinson
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the word
on gigs
Harmony, Hoodlum Shouts, Sex Noises The Street Theatre Saturday April 5 Ah Sex Noises, we barely knew ye. Year and a half, an EP, a demo CD and it was all finished. But that’s part of the equation with bands; their inevitable demise when all things are said and done. Sex Noises ended up doing what all bands aspire to do, namely gradually get better over time. this last set was proof of this, with the band playing better material as the set progressed. For my money, ‘Grim Reefer’ is a song that most bands would kill to have in their back catalogue and it similarly stood out on the night. Hoodlum Shouts released the haunting Young Man, Old Man in 2011, around the same time that they shifted down to Melbourne. It was justly called one of the albums of the year by this publication. However, hearing Hoodlum Shouts on record is like drawing the short straw. Seeing them live is where they truly shine as a band. Hoodlum Shouts have a real sense of power on the live stage, a dominance over their environment that is a little hard to put into words. Every chord, every beat, every lyric hit so damn hard that at times it was disorienting. But the disorientation only gave further to the music on display, with frontman Sam Leyshon dominating the sparse surrounds. Beautifully haunting. It should be mentioned around about here that this gig was one of many that was originally scheduled for The Phoenix before it was licked with flames. A plethora of gigs have been moved to slightly more unfamiliar venues, or been cancelled overall. Of all the venues put forward for the re-arranged gigs, The Street Theatre 3 might very well be the most visually spectacular. A sparse black room, with a wooden floor fit for a basketball court, adorned only with six bright white strips of light – three in the front of the room and three in the back. Walking in to the room felt like walking into a school hall, but standing there felt like being inside an enemy spaceship. It wouldn’t be the perfect setting for every gig, but it certainly was for this one. A three piece punk band with three female backing singers. In a sentence, that’s what Harmony is. But that’s selling them short. On a night of intense live bands, Harmony somehow managed to kick it up a notch. The striking thing about Harmony on the night was how, well, harmonious, they were as a band. It felt like they were dodging and diving as one through the whole of their set. Harmony seem to have found a balance as a band. A balance between Tom Lyncoln’s brooding vocals and jagged guitar lines and the sweet harmonies provided by the three backing singers. Balance between rhythmic propulsion and spacious sounds. Harmony work live because of the dynamics the band shows and their comfort in giving space to their sound. It also adds intensity (there’s that word again) to the sound when they decide to get vicious. The sound of the set was closer to the sound of Spiritualized on the night than that of Lyncoln’s old band the Nation Blue, or even the current crop of heartfelt rock coming from Melbourne. More appropriately, they sounded like Harmony and that was more than enough for the night. Cody Atkinson
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ENTERTAINMENT GUIDE Wed Apr 23 - Sat Apr 26 Listings are a free community service. Email editorial@bmamag.com to have your events appear each issue. wednesday april 23 Art Exhibitions Luminous World
Contemporary work by Australian and New Zealand artists, including a Indigenous art. Until June 29. NATIONAL LIBRARY OF AUSTRALIA
Glass Miniatures 2014
Curated by Lisa Cahill. Tues-Fri 11am5pm, Sat 11am-4pm. Until May 31. Free. BILK GALLERY
Ascend Descend
An exhibition by Alex Lewis based around a central motif of stairs. Wed Sun. Free.
CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ARTS SPACE (MANUKA)
Hamilton Darroch: Sun Trap
Sculptures using objects exposed to the Australian landscape. 10am-5pm ,12-5pm weekends.
Sunken Stories of Old Acton
Dance
NISHI GALLERY
Open rehearsal of new dance work by Cadi McCarthy. 6.30pm. $10 / $5 conc.
Exhibition of stories the lake before it was filled. 10-2pm. Free.
Trinity Bar DJ Workshop
Every Wednesday 6.30pm-8pm, Every Saturday 5.30pm-7pm. $15 per lesson or $100 for 10. Email trinityb TRINITY BAR
Theatre Horrible Histories
Awful Egyptians. 7pm Tuesday. 11am/3pm Wednesdsay. $59, or $196 family rate (2 adult + 2 child).
Blessings of the Triple Gem
An exhibition by Chris Whitelaw focusssed on Buddhism in Sri Lanka. Apr 4 -27. Free. HUW DAVIES GALLERY
Snappy Seniors
An exhibition by participants in the Snappy Seniors, digital camera skills program with Sean Davey. BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE
Three Exhibitions
Women exploring politics, space, place and identity. Tue-Fri 11-5pm. Sat 104pm. Free. CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ART SPACE (GORMAN HOUSE)
The Dobell Drawing Prize
20 Years of Australian Drawing. Wednesday-Sunday. 12-5pm. Free. DRILL HALL GALLERY
Karaoke Curry-Oke Wednesdays
IQ Trivia Fun
Fun, laughs & prizes! 7.30pm. Free. POLIT BAR & LOUNGE
thursday april 24 Live Music Doslocos
THE STREET THEATRE
Thursday Long Play
Blues by Chris Harland Blues Band. 5-7.30pm. Free. HOTEL HOTEL
Captives
With Dead Joe, Vintage Vulva, Renegade Peacock, Lung. Doors 8pm. $15.
Friday 2-5pm. Sundays 3-6pm. Free.
Newence & Swarmy
Hip Hop. 8pm. Price TBA. TRANSIT BAR
D.O.A. Farewell Tour
With Wolfpack, Bladder Spasms, Eye Gouge. Doors 8pm. THE BASEMENT
Trinity Bar presents Basenji (SYD) Doors 8pm. $15 before 11pm.
Kimosabi
THE LOFT AT DUXTON
On The Town Retro Weekends
DJ Sass & DJ Tasha. 80’s/90’s party classics. 9pm. Free. DIGRESS COCKTAIL BAR
Alive Fridays
Alive Fridays presents Timmy Trumpet. $10 before Midnight. ACADEMY NIGHTCLUB
Trinity Bar presents Krafty Kuts (UK)
Something Different
Doors 8pm $20 before 11pm. TRINITY BAR
Nick Rigby
Thursdays 6-9pm. Sundays 5-8pm. Free entry. THE LOFT AT DUXTON
Heat
Felucca trio. 7.30pm – 9.00pm. $15.
Heat @ Academy Anzac Day Eve. $10. ACADEMY NIGHTCLUB
Something Different
With Lagerphone. Doors 8pm. Price TBA.
Shaken & Stirred
Smith’s Presents: Laura and Susie
POLIT BAR & LOUNGE
Hump Day Wednesdays
A. BAKER
THE BASEMENT
Beth and Ben Live Recording
On The Town
Jazz by Aidan Lowe Trio. 5-8pm. Free.
8-12pm. Free.
Live recording of debut album ‘Baggage Claim’. 8pm. $15.
On The Town
SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE
A. Baker Fridays
Beth and Ben Live Recording
Live Music
Laura and Susie “Merembe” album tour + Telegraph Tower (Oliver Downes) 7.30pm. $5/$10.
KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB
TRINITY BAR
KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB
SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE
THE BASEMENT
Live Music. 5pm afternoon session. 10pm band. Free.
9:15pm-12:15am. Free.
DIGRESS COCKTAIL BAR
Glory Hammer
Live Music at King O’Malleys
THE DUXTON
Thursday Jazz at Smith’s
THE STREET THEATRE
Live Music
Byron
Hosted by Jonathan Davis. 8pm. Free Entry.
Live recording of debut album ‘Baggage Claim’. 8pm. $15.
BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE
Trivia
Fuelling Ed Radclyffe
CANBERRA MUSEUM AND GALLERY
That Place in Between
CANBERRA THEATRE CENTRE
CANBERRA MUSEUM AND GALLERY
Ed Radclyffe is a visual artist and musician with The Fuelers.Mon-Fri 10am-5pm Sat-Sun 12noon-5pm.
friday april 25
Something Different
A Night of Glamour & Burlesque. 7301030pm. $20.
Workshops Life Drawing Workshop
All levels welcome. Bring paper, easels and drawing materials. 1–3pm. $12/day. HOLY CROSS LUTHERAN CHURCH
Kick back mid-week with drink specials. From 5pm. TRANSIT BAR
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Tarot Card Reading 6–8pm. Free entry.
POLIT BAR & LOUNGE
Tarot Reading - with Marisol
Private Tarot Readings. 6-8pm. 10 spots. Book Marisol 0404 364 820. POLIT BAR & LOUNGE
saturday april 26 Art Exhibitions The Dobell Drawing Prize
20 Years of Australian Drawing. Wednesday-Sunday. 12-5pm. Free. DRILL HALL GALLERY
Ascend Descend
An exhibition by Alex Lewis based around a central motif of stairs. Wed Sun. Free.
CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ARTS SPACE (MANUKA)
Luminous World
Contemporary work by Australian and New Zealand artists, including a Indigenous art. Until June 29. NATIONAL LIBRARY OF AUSTRALIA
Glass Miniatures 2014
Curated by Lisa Cahill. Tues-Fri 11am5pm, Sat 11am-4pm. Until May 31. Free entry. BILK GALLERY
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ENTERTAINMENT GUIDE Sat Apr 26 - Wed Apr 30 Hamilton Darroch: Sun Trap
Sculptures using objects exposed to the Australian landscape. 10am-5pm ,12-5pm weekends. CANBERRA MUSEUM AND GALLERY
Blessings of the Triple Gem
Greenthief
Sunday Afternoon Music
SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE
OLD PARLIAMENT HOUSE
On The Town
Line-up to be announced Wed Jan 29. See gtm.net.au for info/tickets.
GWith Hence the Testbed + My Own True Love. 7.30pm. $10.
An exhibition by Chris Whitelaw focusssed on Buddhism in Sri Lanka. Apr 4 -27. Free.
Love Saturdays
Snappy Seniors
DJ Sass & DJ Tasha. 80’s/90’s party classics. 9pm. Free.
HUW DAVIES GALLERY
An exhibition by participants in the Snappy Seniors, digital camera skills program with Sean Davey. BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE
Fuelling Ed Radclyffe
Ed Radclyffe is a visual artist and musician with The Fuelers.Mon-Fri 10am-5pm Sat-Sun 12noon-5pm. CANBERRA MUSEUM AND GALLERY
Three Exhibitions
Women exploring politics, space, place and identity. Tue-Fri 11-5pm. Sat 104pm. Free. CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ART SPACE (GORMAN HOUSE)
Elioth Gruner: The Texture of Light
Mon-Fri 10-5pm, Sat and Sun 12-5pm. CANBERRA MUSEUM AND GALLERY
Synaesthesia
Exhibition about synaesthesia, a neurological condition causing the senses to intertwine. Apr 26-May BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE
Dance That Place in Between
Open rehearsal of new dance work by Cadi McCarthy. 6.30pm. $10 / $5 conc. BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE
Live Music Special K
With Chris Fraser. $10 ACADEMY NIGHTCLUB
Retro Weekends
DIGRESS COCKTAIL BAR
Something Different Sunken Stories of Old Acton
Exhibition of stories the lake before it was filled. 10-2pm. Free. NISHI GALLERY
Trinity Bar DJ Workshop
Every Wednesday 6.30pm-8pm, Every Saturday 5.30pm-7pm. $15 per lesson or $100 for 10. Email trinityb TRINITY BAR
sunday april 27
Blessings of the Triple Gem
An exhibition by Chris Whitelaw focusssed on Buddhism in Sri Lanka. Apr 4 -27. Free. HUW DAVIES GALLERY
Live Music Nick Rigby
Irish Jam Session
Dansonfest
Raising funds for The Annual Ginger Ninja Punk Festival. 4pm. $15. THE BASEMENT
David Singh
Taxi Rides front man. 8pm. $20+bf. TRANSIT BAR
THE LOFT AT DUXTON
Art Exhibitions The Dobell Drawing Prize
20 Years of Australian Drawing. Wednesday-Sunday. 12-5pm. Free. DRILL HALL GALLERY
A BITE TO EAT CAFE
Sculptures using objects exposed to the Australian landscape. 10am-5pm ,12-5pm weekends.
Latin, blues, swing and jazz. 5-7pm. Free.
Decades
Indie, shoegaze. 3pm. Free. TRANSIT BAR
Hamilton Darroch: Sun Trap
CANBERRA MUSEUM AND GALLERY
Smith’s Sunday Sounds and Sangria Sessions
Luminous World
SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE
NATIONAL LIBRARY OF AUSTRALIA
Folk by Loren Kate Steenkamp. 3pm–5pm. $10
monday april 28 Comedy Schnitz & Giggles
6.30pm – 7.30pm. Free. SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE
The Bootleg Sessions
CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ARTS SPACE (MANUKA)
wednesday april 30
Equinox
Ascend Descend
An exhibition by Alex Lewis based around a central motif of stairs. Wed Sun. Free.
Mocan
MOCAN & GREEN GROUT
UNIVERSITY OF CANBERRA
Live Music
Thursdays 6-9pm. Sundays 5-8pm. Free.
Folk in the lane with Julia Johnson. 12-2pm. Free.
Groovin’ the Moo 2014
Art Exhibitions
10.30pm. Free.
KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB
Enjoy breezy music, antipasti, platters and sangria. 130-330pm.
(on behalf of The Phoenix Pub) 8pm, $5. SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE
Moon Day Fusion
DJ Brother J with Jake Lang on guitar. 5-7.30pm. Free. HOTEL HOTEL
Trivia Rainman’s Trivial Excuse
Transit trivia returns with your host Rainman. Book now on (02) 6162 0899. 7pm. Free. TRANSIT BAR
tuesday april 29
Contemporary work by Australian and New Zealand artists, including a Indigenous art. Until June 29.
Snappy Seniors
An exhibition by participants in the Snappy Seniors, digital camera skills program with Sean Davey. BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE
Three Exhibitions
Women exploring politics, space, place and identity. Tue-Fri 11-5pm. Sat 104pm. Free. CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ART SPACE (GORMAN HOUSE)
Fuelling Ed Radclyffe
Ed Radclyffe is a visual artist and musician with The Fuelers.Mon-Fri 10am-5pm Sat-Sun 12noon-5pm. CANBERRA MUSEUM AND GALLERY
Elioth Gruner: The Texture of Light
Mon-Fri 10-5pm, Sat and Sun 12-5pm. CANBERRA MUSEUM AND GALLERY
Synaesthesia
Exhibition about synaesthesia, a neurological condition causing the senses to intertwine. Apr 26-May BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE
Karaoke Curry-Oke Wednesdays
Hosted by Jonathan Davis. 8pm. Free Entry.
Traditional Irish musicians in the pub from late afternoon. Free.
Karaoke
DIGRESS COCKTAIL BAR
Groovin’ The Moo
Karaoke Love
Live Music
KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB
Dizzee Rascal (UK), Disclosure (UK), Violent Soho + more! 10.30am. $99.90 + BF. UNIVERSITY OF CANBERRA
Byron
Friday 2-5pm. Sundays 3-6pm. Free. THE DUXTON
Croon and wail your heart out on the Transit stage. 9pm. Free.
Walky Peddles Ocelots
Live Music
SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE
Tuesday Blues at Smith’s
On The Town
TRANSIT BAR
With Socter Deuss + The Brass Knuckle Brass Band 7.30pm, $5.
Featuring Lyndell Tutty + Special Guest (folky blues) 7.30pm, $5.
Hump Day Wednesdays
Something Different
TRANSIT BAR
Sunken Stories of Old Acton
Something Different
SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE
Exhibition of stories the lake before it was filled. 10-2pm. Free.
Kick back mid-week with drink specials. 5pm.
Trinity Bar DJ Workshop
Trivia
Every Wednesday 6.30pm-8pm, Every Saturday 5.30pm-7pm. $15 per lesson or $100 for 10. Email trinityb
Trivial Tuesdays
Jelly Days
NISHI GALLERY
Hosted By IQ Trivia. 1st Prize $75. 7pm. Free Entry DIGRESS COCKTAIL BAR
Henry Ladd’s Game of Knowledge 8-10pm. Free.
KNIGHTSBRIDGE PENTHOUSE
TRINITY BAR
Old Parliament House could be your office for aday! Receive free wifi plus cafe discounts. 14/28 Mar OLD PARLIAMENT HOUSE
Trivia IQ Trivia Fun
Fun, laughs & prizes! 7.30pm. Free. POLIT BAR & LOUNGE
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ENTERTAINMENT GUIDE Thurs May 1 - Sun May 4 thursday may 1 Art Exhibitions 65 - The Exhibition
Exhibition of 65 works remembering a life. May 1-6. 10am-2pm Free. NISHI GALLERY
Rinse and Repeat
Sculptors Isobel Rayson and Dierdre Pearce investigate tools and mark making. Wed-Sun until May 11.
CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ARTS SPACE (MANUKA)
Matt Dent/ Oscar
5pm afternoon session/10pm Band. Free. KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB
65 - The Exhibition
DJ Degg. 5-8pm. Free. A. BAKER
‘Remember to Breathe’ tour. Price TBA.
Exhibition of 65 works remembering a life. May 1-6. 10am-2pm. Free.
Hook and Sling
Rinse and Repeat
Owen Campbell THE ABBEY
Australasian tour. 8pm. Price TBA. ACADEMY NIGHTCLUB
Dance and Installation. Thur/Fri 8pm, Sat 2/8pm, Sun 6pm. Entry by donation. THE COURTYARD STUDIO
Film Spanish Film Festival 2014
Runs until May 14. More details at spanishfilmfestival.com PALACE ELECTRIC CINEMA
Live Music Calling All Cars
NISHI GALLERY
Sculptors Isobel Rayson and Dierdre Pearce investigate tools and mark making. Wed-Sun until May 11.
CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ARTS SPACE (MANUKA)
On The Town Alive Fridays presents Hook N Sling. $10 before Midnight.
Island
An exhibition by participants in the Snappy Seniors, digital camera skills program with Sean Davey. BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE
A. Baker Fridays
Alive Fridays
Dance
Snappy Seniors
ACADEMY NIGHTCLUB
Griffith’s Party
Special pop up exhibition “Our Garden Suburb” will transform the building into a garden. 12.30-4pm.
Retro Weekends
DJ Sass & DJ Tasha. 80’s/90’s party classics. 9pm. Free. DIGRESS COCKTAIL BAR
Something Different Trinity Bar DJ Workshop
Every Wednesday 6.30pm-8pm, Every Saturday 5.30pm-7pm. $15 per lesson or $100 for 10. Email trinityb TRINITY BAR
Miss Kitka’s House of Burlesque 8pm, $20.
SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE
Fash ‘n’ Treasure
Fashion and treasures market, clothes and much more. 10am-3pm. $3. EXHIBITION PARK IN CANBERRA (EPIC)
M16 ARTSPACE
Retro Weekends
DJ Sass & DJ Tasha. 80’s/90’s party classics. 9pm. Free.
Synaesthesia
Something Different
BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE
DIGRESS COCKTAIL BAR
Tarot Reading - with Marisol
Private Tarot Readings. 6-8pm. 10 spots. Book Marisol 0404 364 820. POLIT BAR & LOUNGE
saturday may 3
Exhibition about synaesthesia, a neurological condition causing the senses to intertwine. Apr 26-May
Dance Island
Dance and Installation. Thur/Fri 8pm, Sat 2/8pm, Sun 6pm. Entry by donation. THE COURTYARD STUDIO
sunday may 4 Dance Island
Dance and Installation. Thur/Fri 8pm, Sat 2/8pm, Sun 6pm. Entry by donation. THE COURTYARD STUDIO
Live Music Magpies Punk Festival
With The Love Junkies & The Sinking Teeth. 8pm. $20+bf.
Art Exhibitions
Film
Thursday Long Play
Elioth Gruner: The Texture of Light
Spanish Film Festival 2014
MAGPIES CITY CLUB
CANBERRA MUSEUM AND GALLERY
PALACE ELECTRIC CINEMA
Live music. 3pm – 5pm. Free.
Live Music
Irish Jam Session
TRANSIT BAR
Cute country with the new Kissin’ Booth. 5-7.30pm. Free. HOTEL HOTEL
On The Town 4Some Thursdays 10pm - 12am. Free
ACADEMY NIGHTCLUB
friday may 2 Dance Island
Dance and Installation. Thur/Fri 8pm, Sat 2/8pm, Sun 6pm. Entry by donation. THE COURTYARD STUDIO
Live Music Battle of the Bands
Transit Bar’s Battle of the Bands Heat One. 8pm. Free. TRANSIT BAR
Mon-Fri 10-5pm, Sat and Sun 12-5pm.
The Dobell Drawing Prize
20 Years of Australian Drawing. Wednesday-Sunday. 12-5pm. Free. DRILL HALL GALLERY
Hamilton Darroch: Sun Trap
Sculptures using objects exposed to the Australian landscape. 10am-5pm ,12-5pm weekends. CANBERRA MUSEUM AND GALLERY
Glass Miniatures 2014
Runs until May 14. More details at spanishfilmfestival.com
Zombie Rock for the Brain Foundation
With Burgworth, Red Remedy, The Quarters and Kang. 8pm. $5. MAGPIES CITY CLUB
Chance Waters
With special guest Brendan Maclean. 8pm. $18.
Curated by Lisa Cahill. Tues-Fri 11am5pm, Sat 11am-4pm. Until May 31. Free.
ZIERHOLZ @ UC
Luminous World
Mocan
BILK GALLERY
Heuristic
10:30pm. Free.
KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB
Contemporary work by Australian and New Zealand artists, including a Indigenous art. Until June 29.
Singer/songwriter Kirrah Amosa. 122pm. Free.
Three Exhibitions
On The Town
NATIONAL LIBRARY OF AUSTRALIA
Women exploring politics, space, place and identity. Tue-Fri 11-5pm. Sat 104pm. Free. CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ART SPACE (GORMAN HOUSE)
MOCAN & GREEN GROUT
Love Saturdays
The Decline, The Hard Aches, Revellers and more. 8pm. $15.
Sunday Sounds and Sangria at Smith’s SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE
Traditional Irish musicians in the pub from late afternoon. Free. KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB
ANU Music Society Presents 2014 Toddler’s Pro
Interactive concert for children of all ages to experience live ensemble music. 10am. $6/$20. ANU SCHOOL OF MUSIC
Cooler Climes
Revolves around European multicultural singer Rose. 5-7pm. Free. A BITE TO EAT CAFE
On The Town Blues Dancing Sessions
Learn blues dancing + free pool from 2pm. TRANSIT BAR
With The Projektz. $10 ACADEMY NIGHTCLUB
KNIGHTSBRIDGe
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ENTERTAINMENT GUIDE Mon May 5 - Sat May 10 monday may 5 Dance Don Quixote
The Imperial Russian Ballet. 7.30pm. $77.90-$97.90 CANBERRA THEATRE CENTRE
Live Music The Bootleg Sessions
Trivia
Comedy
Live Music
Trivial Tuesdays
Kitty Flanagan and the White Board
Finn
THE COURTYARD STUDIO
King of the North
Hosted By IQ Trivia. 1st Prize $75. 7pm. Free Entry DIGRESS COCKTAIL BAR
Henry Ladd’s Game of Knowledge
7.30pm. $25.
Spanish Film Festival 2014
KNIGHTSBRIDGE PENTHOUSE
wednesday may 7
PALACE ELECTRIC CINEMA
Art Exhibitions
Karaoke
Moon Day Fusion
Rinse and Repeat
Curry-Oke Wednesdays
Downtempo beats by Doppel with Xavier Dunn on guitar & mic. 5-7.30pm. Free.
Sculptors Isobel Rayson and Dierdre Pearce investigate tools and mark making. Wed-Sun until May 11.
HOTEL HOTEL
CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ARTS SPACE (MANUKA)
Theatre
Synaesthesia
The Party
Theatre production. 7pm – 8pm. Price TBA. SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE
Trivia Rainman’s Trivial Excuse
Transit trivia returns with your host Rainman. Book now on (02) 6162 0899. 7pm. Free. TRANSIT BAR
tuesday may 6 Art Exhibitions 65 - The Exhibition
Exhibition of 65 works remembering a life. May 1-6. 10am-2pm. Free. NISHI GALLERY
Dance Don Quixote
The Imperial Russian Ballet. 7.30pm. $77.90-$97.90 CANBERRA THEATRE CENTRE
Karaoke Karaoke Love
Croon and wail your heart out on the Transit stage. 9pm. Free. TRANSIT BA
Theatre The Party
Exhibition about synaesthesia, a neurological condition causing the senses to intertwine. Apr 26-May
TRANSIT BAR
Runs until May 14. More details at spanishfilmfestival.com
(on behalf of the Phoenix Pub) 8.30pm, $5. SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE
NATIONAL PRESS CLUB
With Tonk & Hence the Test Bed. 8pm. $10
Film
8-10pm. Free.
6:30–9:30pm. Free entry.
Hosted by Jonathan Davis. 8pm. Free Entry. DIGRESS COCKTAIL BAR
On The Town Hump Day Wednesdays
Kick back mid-week with drink specials. 5pm.
friday may 9 Comedy Kitty Flanagan and the White Board
7.30pm. $25.
THE COURTYARD STUDIO
Live Music Band Comp Heat 2 8pm. Free.
TRANSIT BAR
BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE
TRANSIT BAR
On The Town
Hamilton Darroch: Sun Trap
Something Different
Retro Weekends
Sculptures using objects exposed to the Australian landscape. 10am-5pm ,12-5pm weekends.
Trinity Bar DJ Workshop
The Dobell Drawing Prize
TRINITY BAR
CANBERRA MUSEUM AND GALLERY
20 Years of Australian Drawing. Wednesday-Sunday. 12-5pm. Free. DRILL HALL GALLERY
Elioth Gruner: The Texture of Light
Mon-Fri 10-5pm, Sat and Sun 12-5pm. CANBERRA MUSEUM AND GALLERY
Glass Miniatures 2014
Curated by Lisa Cahill. Tues-Fri 11am5pm, Sat 11am-4pm. Until May 31. Free. BILK GALLERY
Luminous World
Contemporary work by Australian and New Zealand artists, including a Indigenous art. Until June 29. NATIONAL LIBRARY OF AUSTRALIA
Three Exhibitions
Women exploring politics, space, place and identity. Tue-Fri 11-5pm. Sat 104pm. Free. CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ART SPACE (GORMAN HOUSE)
Snappy Seniors
An exhibition by participants in the Snappy Seniors, digital camera skills program with Sean Davey. BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE
Every Wednesday 6.30pm-8pm, Every Saturday 5.30pm-7pm. $15 per lesson or $100 for 10. Email trinityb
Martini Masterclass
Join Matthew Cossey for hands-on liquid learning & laughs. 6pm -7pm. $40. Book online - www.politbar POLIT BAR & LOUNGE
DJ Sass & DJ Tasha. 80’s/90’s party classics. 9pm. Free. DIGRESS COCKTAIL BAR
Alive Fridays
Hot Dub Time Machine. $10 before midnight. ACADEMY NIGHTCLUB
Something Different Tarot Reading - with Marisol
Trivia
Private Tarot Readings. 6-8pm. 10 spots. Book Marisol 0404 364 820.
IQ Trivia Fun
Tarot Reading - with Marisol
Fun, laughs & prizes! 7.30pm. Free. POLIT BAR & LOUNGE
thursday may 8 Art Exhibitions One Great Face
An exhibition by members of Access 1 exploring the wonder of the face. Thu May 8 - Sun May 25. Free. HUW DAVIES GALLERY
Comedy Kitty Flanagan and the White Board 7.30pm. $25.
THE COURTYARD STUDIO
POLIT BAR & LOUNGE
Private Tarot Readings. 6-8pm. 10 spots. Book Marisol 0404 364 820. POLIT BAR & LOUNGE
saturday may 10 Art Exhibitions Synaesthesia
Exhibition about synaesthesia, a neurological condition causing the senses to intertwine. Apr 26-May BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE
Hamilton Darroch: Sun Trap
Sculptures using objects exposed to the Australian landscape. 10am-5pm ,12-5pm weekends. CANBERRA MUSEUM AND GALLERY
The Dobell Drawing Prize
Theatre production. 7pm – 8pm. Price TBA.
20 Years of Australian Drawing. Wednesday-Sunday. 12-5pm. Free.
SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE
DRILL HALL GALLERY
CMAG HAM DARROCH
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ENTERTAINMENT GUIDE Sat May 10 - Wed May14 Elioth Gruner: The Texture of Light
CANBERRA MUSEUM AND GALLERY
9pm-12am. Free.
Trivial Tuesdays
Live Music
Dance
Mon-Fri 10-5pm, Sat and Sun 12-5pm.
Finn
Dance on the Edge 2014
Glass Miniatures 2014
OLD CANBERRA INN
BILK GALLERY
With The Battle Axe Holwers. 8pm. $15+bf.
Live Music
Art Exhibitions
Contemporary work by Australian and New Zealand artists, including a Indigenous art. Until June 29.
Lenin’s Lovechild
BAND JAVA
Hamilton Darroch: Sun Trap
MAGPIES CITY CLUB
Therapy music to drink and socialise with. 5-7pm. Free.
Three Exhibitions
On The Town
BandJava
Sculptures using objects exposed to the Australian landscape. 10am-5pm ,12-5pm weekends.
Retro Weekends
A BITE TO EAT CAFE
The Dobell Drawing Prize
Curated by Lisa Cahill. Tues-Fri 11am5pm, Sat 11am-4pm. Until May 31. Free.
Dallas Fraska: ‘Rock F#@king Roll’
Luminous World
TRANSIT BAR
NATIONAL LIBRARY OF AUSTRALIA
Women exploring politics, space, place and identity. Tue-Fri 11-5pm. Sat 104pm. Free. CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ART SPACE (GORMAN HOUSE)
One Great Face
An exhibition by members of Access 1 exploring the wonder of the face. Thu May 8 - Sun May 25. Free. HUW DAVIES GALLERY
Snappy Seniors
An exhibition by participants in the Snappy Seniors, digital camera skills program with Sean Davey. BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE
Rinse and Repeat
Sculptors Isobel Rayson and Dierdre Pearce investigate tools and mark making. Wed-Sun until May 11.
CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ARTS SPACE (MANUKA)
Comedy Alex Williamson
‘Dumb things I’ve Done’ 8pm. $37.40. ZIERHOLZ @ UC
Kitty Flanagan and the White Board 7.30pm. $25.
THE COURTYARD STUDIO
The Return of the Grumpy Old Women
Fifty Shades of Beige 7.30pm. $62.50. THE PLAYHOUSE
Dance Dance on the Edge 2014
Classical Ballet, Hilal, Contemporary and Breakdance. Sat May 10, 8pm & Sun May 11, 2pm. $15/$20 + b BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE
Film Spanish Film Festival 2014
Lenin’s Lovechild. Price TBA.
A BITE TO EAT CAFE
CANBERRA MUSEUM AND GALLERY
Blues and Roots. 5-7pm. Free.
20 Years of Australian Drawing. Wednesday-Sunday. 12-5pm. Free.
monday may 12
DRILL HALL GALLERY
Glass Miniatures 2014
Something Different
Comedy
Trinity Bar DJ Workshop
Kitty Flanagan and the White Board
sunday may 11 Art Exhibitions Synaesthesia
Exhibition about synaesthesia, a neurological condition causing the senses to intertwine. Apr 26-May BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE
Snappy Seniors
An exhibition by participants in the Snappy Seniors, digital camera skills program with Sean Davey. BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE
Rinse and Repeat
Sculptors Isobel Rayson and Dierdre Pearce investigate tools and mark making. Wed-Sun until May 11.
CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ARTS SPACE (MANUKA)
POLIT BAR & LOUNGE
Runs until May 14. More details at spanishfilmfestival.com PALACE ELECTRIC CINEMA
Contemporary work by Australian and New Zealand artists, including a Indigenous art. Until June 29. NATIONAL LIBRARY OF AUSTRALIA
Rainman’s Trivial Excuse
Elioth Gruner: The Texture of Light
Transit trivia returns with your host Rainman. Book now on (02) 6162 0899. 7pm. Free.
Mon-Fri 10-5pm, Sat and Sun 12-5pm.
TRANSIT BAR
CANBERRA MUSEUM AND GALLERY
Workshops
An exhibition by members of Access 1 exploring the wonder of the face. Thu May 8 - Sun May 25. Free.
One Great Face
Street Chops
Moorbike building and resyoring course for people aged 15-24. P/T 8 week course starts May 12. Call CIT WOD
THE COURTYARD STUDIO
Kitty Flanagan and the White Board THE COURTYARD STUDIO
Trivia Henry Ladd’s Game of Knowledge 8-10pm. Free.
KNIGHTSBRIDGE PENTHOUSE
OUT
may 7
Film Spanish Film Festival 2014
Runs until May 14. More details at spanishfilmfestival.com PALACE ELECTRIC CINEMA
Karaoke
Croon and wail your heart out on the Transit stage. 9pm. Free. TRANSIT BAR
Comedy
7.30pm. $25.
Comedy
Karaoke Love
HUW DAVIES GALLERY
Kitty Flanagan and the White Board
tuesday may 13
Karaoke
Share giggles with us over happy hour. 5pm. Free.
Luminous World
Trivia
Kitty Flanagan and the White Board LOL Pol Standup Comedy Open Mic
BILK GALLERY
THE COURTYARD STUDIO
7.30pm. $25.
THE COURTYARD STUDIO
Curated by Lisa Cahill. Tues-Fri 11am5pm, Sat 11am-4pm. Until May 31. Free.
7.30pm. $25.
Comedy
7.30pm. $25.
wednesday may 14
BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE
DIGRESS COCKTAIL BAR
TRINITY BAR
DIGRESS COCKTAIL BAR
Classical Ballet, Hilal, Contemporary and Breakdance. Sat May 10, 8pm & Sun May 11, 2pm. $15/$20 + b
DJ Sass & DJ Tasha. 80’s/90’s party classics. 9pm. Free.
Every Wednesday 6.30pm-8pm, Every Saturday 5.30pm-7pm. $15 per lesson or $100 for 10. Email trinityb
Hosted By IQ Trivia. 1st Prize $75. 7pm. Free Entry
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FIRST CONTACT SIDE A: BMA band profile
Aaron Peacey 0410381306 band.afternoon.shift@ gmail.com.au Adam Hole 0421023226
Afternoon Shift 0402055314 Amphibian Sound PA Clare 0410308288 Annie & The Armadillos Annie (02) 61611078/ 0422076313 Aria Stone sax/flute/lute/ harmonica, singer-songwriter Aria 0411803343
Dylan Hekimian Where did your band name come from? In my act I don’t use any effect or backing tracks, it’s just the acoustic guitar and myself, so I’ve chosen to keep the name authentic to compliment that. Group members? Dylan Hekimian (vocals, guitar, percussion) Describe your sound: Amix of many different genres played on acoustic guitar with bittersweet and melancholy overtones. Who are your influences, musical or otherwise? John Butler, Newton Faulkner and Tommy Emmanuel all three guitarists have inspired me to be constantly pushing myself technically with my guitar playing. With my song writing I try and take the elements I like from each genre I listen to and put them into my writing. I find some sections in my songs taking inspiration from electronic dance music and even heavy metal. What’s the most memorable experience you’ve had whilst performing? Once I was performing one of my softer songs when someone in the crowd stopped me mid song to ask if I had written it. When I replied that I had he held up his beer and said “It’s f*ing beautiful”. To which I said thanks and continued on with the song. Of what are you proudest so far? It would have to be my debut EP I’ve just brought out (which can be downloaded for free at http://dylanhekimian.bandcamp.com or given out at my shows). I’ve been working on recordings for years now and to finally have something I am proud of and out there for people to hear feels better than anything else.
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Australian Songwriters Association Keiran (02) 62310433 Back to the Eighties Ty Emerson 0418 544 014 Backbeat Drivers Steve 0422733974 backbeatdrivers.com Bat Country Communion, The Mel 0400405537 Birds Love Fighting Gangbusters/DIY shows-bookings@ birdslovefighting.com Black Label Photography Kingsley 0438351007 blacklabelphotography.net Bridge Between, The Cam 0431550005 Capital Dub Style Reggae/dub events Rafa 0406647296 Chris Harland Blues Band, The Chris 0418 490 649 chrisharlandbluesband @gmail.com Cole Bennetts Photography 0415982662 Danny V Danny 0413502428 Dawn Theory Nathan 0402845132 Danny 0413502428 Dorothy Jane Band, The Dorothy Jane 0411065189 dorothy-jane@dorothyjane.com Drumassault Dan 0406 375 997 Feldons, The 0407 213 701 FeralBlu Danny 0413502428
In The Flesh Scott 0410475703 Itchy Triggers Alex 0414838480 Jenn Pacor Singer-songwriter avail. for originals/covers 0405618630 Johnny Roadkill Paulie 0408287672 paulie_mcmillan@live.com.au Kayo Marbilus facebook.com/kayomarbilus1 Kurt’s Metalworx (PA) 0417025792 Los Chavos Latin/ska/reggae Rafa 0406647296 Andy 0401572150 Missing Zero Hadrian 0424721907 hadrian.brand@live.com.au Moots Huck 0419630721 Morning After, The Covers band Anthony 0402500843 Mornings Jordan 0439907853 MuShu Jack 0414292567 mushu_band@hotmail.com Obsessions 0450 960 750 obsessions@grapevine.com.au Painted Hearts, The Peter (02) 62486027 Polka Pigs Ian (02) 62315974 Rafe Morris 0416322763 Redletter Ben 0421414472 Redsun Rehearsal Studio Ralph 0404178996/ (02) 61621527 Rug, The Jol 0417273041 Sewer Sideshow Huck 0419630721 Simone & The Soothsayers Singing teacher Simone 62304828 Sorgonian Twins, The Mark 0428650549 Soundcity Rehearsal Studio Andrew 0401588884 STonKA Jamie 0422764482 stonka2615@gmail.com
What are your plans for the future? After the EP release I think the next step is to start spreading my wings and venture outside of Canberra. Whilst working on some more recordings to make up an album in the near future
Fire on the Hill Aaron 0410381306 Lachlan 0400038388
What makes you laugh? Really bad puns and dad jokes. What pisses you off? When technology doesn’t work.
Gareth Dailey DJ/Electronica Gareth 0414215885
What about the local scene would you change? More buskers and street artists.
Groovalicious Corporate/ weddings/private functions 0448995158
What are your upcoming gigs? 21st of May, 7:30pm at Smiths Alternative Bookshop,1st of June, 2pm at The Belconnen Basement Contact info: dylanhekimian. bandcamp.com/ facebook.com/guitargurudylan
Guy The Sound Guy Live & Studio Sound Engineer 0400585369 guy@guythesoundguy.com
Top Shelf Colin 0408631514
Haunted Attics band@hauntedatticsmusic.com
Zoopagoo zoopagoo@gmail.com
Fourth Degree Vic 0408477020
Strange Hour Events Dan 0411112075 Super Best Friends Sam White sam@imcmusic.net System Addict Jamie 0418398556 Tegan Northwood (Singing Teacher) 0410 769 144 Undersided, The Baz 0408468041
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