BMA Magazine 390 - 14 March 2014 by BMA Magazine

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Living with PTSD

Canberra bashing is so nineties.. #4 38A P R I L 9 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

If you or anyone you know has ever experienced post traumatic stress disorder you’ll know how incredibly difficult it is to communicate the symptoms and suffering to others in the absence of any physical indicators. Mental Illness Education ACT (MIEACT) is hoping to change that by seeking volunteers with firsthand understanding of PTSD. The aim is to connect people with PTSD to make short films about their insights, experiences and the steps taken toward recovery. These films will be integral to providing information and education to the community and health professionals about how to recognise symptoms, offer support and find help for people living with the effects of trauma. Volunteers will also learn about digital story making, develop and use writing skills, discover photography techniques and share lived experiences over a six-week program. Working with PhotoAccess and

coordinating the project will be Jenni Savginy, who has worked extensively with people living or caring for someone with mental illness and developed safe and professional creative spaces for people to tell their stories as a way of reducing stigma.The film screening will be closed from the general public, to protect the privacy of participants. For more information on how to take part or to access the other resources available from MIE ACT phone 6257 1195 or go to: mieact.org.au

Vinyl Lovers unite Now that records are making a serious comeback it may be timely to let you know about a sweet NFSA initiative called The Vinyl Lounge. Sound curators Grahame McDonald and Thorsten Kaeding spin their favourite discs on a gorgeous old red turntable that has hopefully never known a USB input. They encourage members of the public to bring their favourite record and play a track; an offer they will regret when they see me wielding a crate with wheels bursting with 90’s classics. This free event occurs on the first Sunday of

every month from 230-330pm. So plenty of time to go to the pub afterwards and take over their sound systems as well. For more information head to: nfsa.org.au

Transit bandits The inaugural transit battle of the bands is kicking off in may, with $1000 prize up for the winner. Four heats are planned and all styles are welcome, so if you’ve ever wanted a place for your Kenny G meets Black Sabbath fusion band this may be your day (I may have just described Jethro Tull). Email info@transitbar.com.au for all the info.

SHOW US YOUR HITS In honour of Record Store Day on April 19 this issue takes us into the loungerooms of local music tragics by peering into their record collections. If you too wish to share your music tastes with a few thousand people and admit to loving bands you shouldn’t email editorial@bmamag.com.

Kurt Cobain: the musical This is actually a thing. Oh dear. That is all.

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

Accounts Manager Fahim Shahnoor T: (02) 6247 4816 E: accounts@bmamag.com

Sub-Editor & Social Media Manager Chiara Grassia We need a new accounts manager with record keeping skills on par with this photo

Graphic Design Chris Halloran Film Editor Melissa Wellham NEXT ISSUE 439 - OUT APRIL 23 EDITORIAL DEADLINE - APRIL 14 ADVERTISING DEADLINE - APRIL 17 Published by Radar Media Pty Ltd ABN 76 097 301 730 BMA Magazine is independently owned and published. Opinions expressed in BMA Magazine are not necessarily those of the editor, publisher or staff.

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FROM THE BOSSMAN

YOU PISSED ME OFF!

This issue, in honour of Record Store Day on Saturday April 19, we’ve asked notable music tragics for their go-to favourites and dirty secrets. Further highlighting my lack of importance I have been ceremoniously booted off the feature page to make way for those more handsome and better groomed than I. Fair cop.

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.]

So I am abusing my humble Publishing power and dedicating my column to allaying you - the dear reader - with my own musical nuggets and shameful secrets. I hope you enjoy...

To the butt-fugly couple who thought it was hilarious to walk past their shitbox Volvo only to circle back to it, thus loosing me a much needed spot in the Mooseheads carpark tonight - You PISSED ME OFF! Not only was I half an hour late to the 18th birthday dinner of a very dear friend (due to looking for ANY available spot to park- civic you pissed me off as well), but you had the gall to laugh about it to one another as someone else me took my place. You know what I hope happened to you on the drive home? Nothing. I hope the two of you shitheads live a long, long life in the company of one another - that would be punishment enough.

Hidden Gems - My collection spans all the many categories the world has to offer, from Def Jam to death metal. But one genre heavily represented (other than my beloved drum ‘n’ bass) is downtempo electronica. It is here we find many a gem. The countless hours I spent trawling through dusty second hand London stores turned up beauties like Jon Kennedy, Aim and Hint - all names you are perhaps not familiar with - but worthy of your ears. Try Kennedy’s Take My Drum To England, any of Aim’s catalogue and Hint’s Portakabin Fever, and album which, for mine, is one of the most beautiful and replayable pieces of music I’ve had the pleasure of discovering. Records I’m Always Coming Back To - The very first album I bought was The Grid’s Evolver (the duo responsible for Swamp Thing, possibly the only Top Ten track ever to feature rave banjo). A questionable start, perhaps. But my second purchase was The Prodigy’s magnificent Music For The Jilted Generation which finds its way into my speakers on the reg. Noel Gallagher called Poison the greatest dance track ever written, and I think the near-monobrowed Manchurian git was onto something.

To the P-plater coast rat that gave me the finger when I was trying to merge, learn some road etiquette you dumb piece of shit. Just because I have ACT number plates doesn’t give you the right to act like a wanker on the road down the coast. Go home and f*ck your step-sister dickhead, YOU PISSED ME OFF.

But I had a rocky start with my ultimate favourite. When I first heard Boards of Canada’s Music Has The Right To Children I hated it. Loathed it, in fact. It was weird to my young ears; it sounded cold and depressing. I was a day away from returning it to the shop - an action I had never done before - when a little voice in my head said, ‘Go on, give it one more spin...’ So I hauled out my much-maligned maths homework, popped the CD back in the player and went at it. Well bugger me if it didn’t sound like a completely different record. 16 years on and BoC remain my favourite group. The sense of memory and nostalgia summoned by a deft layering of electronic loops was astounding, and still is to this day. Aquarius will forever remain one of my most loved tracks; it’s six minutes of pure joy. Despite listening to it in excess of over 100,987 times, the ‘drop’ at the 3:02 mark still sends happy chills up my spine. Guilty Pleasures - These aren’t guilty pleasures for I feel no guilt in liking them. In fact, I will fight you to the death to defend their honour. To many Funeral For a Friend’s Tales Don’t Tell Themselves will sound like whiny borderline emo-wank. To me it’s an epic Rime of the Ancient Mariner style tale filled with stirring power ballads and longing for family and home. Besides the aforementioned The Grid album, eight-man Welsh rap group (yes, Welsch rap group) Goldie Lookin Chain never fail to make me piss myself with their ironically titled Greatest Hits album. With tracks like Your Mother’s Got a Penis, what’s not to love? But I suppose if you want proper embarrassing, I did find an Enya CD in my collection once. I swear it’s my Mum’s. And I only listened to it 19 maybe 20 times tops, so it doesn’t even count. Feel free to drop me a line and share your faves. Music is one of the main reasons to get out of the bed in the morning, so I hope you find something to rub the sleep out of your eyes with this Record Store Day. ALLAN SKO - allan@bmamag.com

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WHO: GLASS TOWERS WHAT: ALBUM LAUNCH WHEN: THU APR 10 WHERE: TRANSIT BAR

The last time Sydney’s Glass Towers rolled through town was when they were supporting Birds of Tokyo - they loved it so much they’re making a return appearance. Their debut album, Halcyon Days, is a reflection and celebration of youth, inspired by teenage lust, suburban haunts and growing up. Their infectious pop tunes have landed them support slots with The Kooks, Maximo Park, Dappled Cities and Papa Vs Pretty, as well as high rotation on Triple J. They’ll be supported by The London Town Fire and The Alternative. Tickets are available from Oztix at 15 +bf a pop. Doors at 8pm.

WHO: THE FIRETREE WHAT: Single launch WHEN: Wed Apr 16 WHERE: The Front

With a knack for storytelling coupled with smooth harmonies, pop sensibilities and easy charm Byron Bay duo The Firetree are bringing their eclectic sound to the cosy confines of The Front. Embracing DIY ethics, the band use a customised drum kit as well as acoustic and electric guitars, harmonica, mandolin and percussion to create their trademark sound. With three years of globetrotting under their belt, the pair are back in the country, touring the east coast to celebrate the release of their shiny new single ‘Star Dreamer’. Starts at 7.30pm, $10 at the door.

WHO: OLYMPIC AYRES WHAT: Single launch WHEN: Thu Apr 17 WHERE: Transit bar

Olympic Ayres will be hitting the decks at Transit for a DJ set. Comprising of Kamaliza Salamba and Nathan Mifsud, Olympic Ayres are a producer/DJ duo from Sydney who’ve been cranking out dance floor fillers since 2011. Their new single ‘Take Flight’, taken off their forthcoming EP, is a delightful slice of synthy guitars, perfect for the last days of summer (or at least grasping onto the fleeting warm weather). Featuring sets from Naynay, Box Gap, Slow Turismo and Glasshouse DJs, it’s a killer way to kick start your Easter long weekend. 8pm, $10 at the door.

WHO: BATEMAN WHAT: Album launch WHEN: Fri Apr 18 WHERE: Magpies City Club

Melbourne noisemakers Bateman are celebrating the release of their self-released debut album Smut by embarking on a national tour, slotting in a visit to Magpies along the way. Smut cranks things up on the noise front, with splashes of metal, hardcore and drone. If you’re keen for a taste before you head to the show, hop onto Bateman’s Bandcamp page where you can download Smut in its entirety for nothing at all. Joining them will be Japanese hardcore band Nola, making their Australian debut, as well as Tired Minds, Regresser and Blight Worms. Kicks off at 8pm, $10 at the door.

WHO: DENI BLUES AND ROOTS FESTIVAL WHAT: Festival WHEN: Sat– Sun Apr 19–20 WHERE: Deniliquin, NSW

Returning after its successful debut last year, Deni Blues and Roots Festival is once again taking over Deniliquin, NSW during the Easter weekend. This year’s line-up boasts the likes of Elvis Costello and The Imposters, Steve Earle and The Dukes, Michael Franti and Spearhead, The Doobie Brothers, Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeroes, Cash Savage and The Last Drinks plus many more. A twoday pass will set you back $249 +bf, with single passes and family tickets available. If you fancy camping onsite, platinum (powered) campsite will set you back $100, and general $20 per person. Nab your tickets from denibluefestival.com.

WHO: CAPTIVES WHAT: Punk show WHEN: Thu Apr 24 WHERE: The Basement

Drawing influence from The Bronx, Queens of the Stone Age and New York Dolls, Tasmanian punks Captives make heavy music with passion and flair. Having released their self-tilted EP late last year, punters can get a taste of the new-ish tunes when the band hit The Basement on Thursday April 24. They’ve toured the country extensively and have quickly built up a reputation for their highenergy, intense live shows. Along for the ride are South Australia’s Dead Joe and locals Renegade Peacock, Vintage Vulva and Lung. Doors swing wide open at 8.30pm.

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cody atkinson Everything’s about the crowd these days. From crowdsourcing to standing in crowds to staring at people standing in crowds, crowds are happening right now. So it should make sense that crowdfunding is now a thing. Instead of funding the creative arts through one person believing in it wholeheartedly, you can now fund something by having 100 people believe in it a tiny bit. Cody Atkinson looks at this revolutionary, centuries-old idea. Name? Crowdfunding. Age? Eight years old. Location? THE INTERNETZ.

Crowdfunding goes beyond music? Indeed. You can crowdfund nearly anything. The new Veronica Mars movie was crowdfunded. Wrapping paper that looks like meat was put into production via crowdfunding (https://www. kickstarter.com/projects/giftcouture/gift-couturesteak-wrapping-paper). You can fund a random guy’s trip overseas to scuba dive (http://www.pozible. com/project/177993). Hell, I had a mate who wanted to crowdfund a new TV for his flat, by offering rewards of putting people’s pictures next to it on the wall for the next year.

You can fund a random guy’s trip overseas to scuba dive

What is crowdfunding? Crowdfunding is a business model for funding productions of goods and/or services before creation or distribution of said goods and/or services. For example, a musician asks their audience to contribute to the costs of recording their new album, offering a copy of the recorded album and a thank you in the liner notes as a reward to providing the initial funding.

Are you sure that this idea is only eight years old? Well, now that you mention it... Yeah? The base business model behind crowd funding can be traced back to the 17th century to fund the printing of limited run books. And it’s been used since then to collaboratively fund a variety of things, big and small. But because it’s being used on the internet, it’s a totally new thing. Of course... More accurately, it’s a bigger thing. In 2012, crowdfunding campaigns were estimated to have raised $2.66 billion towards various projects around the world. This ain’t kid’s play, unless it’s a crowdfunded project for a kid’s playset. So, why should I care about crowdfunding? Because everyone’s doing it. Well, maybe not everyone, but a lot of people at least. And it’s a key way of not only supporting creative endeavours but also actively funding them. A real application of the saying, “put your money where your mouth is.” I think I remember something about crowdfunding now. Did Amanda Palmer raise the GDP of a small country to release an album or something? You’re on the money there. Palmer raised $1.2 mil to record her most recent album and then proceeded to ask musicians to play for free in her band to promote the album on tour. Because a million isn’t enough to to fully fund an album, make and distribute promotional materials, create secondary art to support that art AND to actually pay musicians who play for you. Of course.

Is it just bigger names using crowdfunding? The thing about crowd funding is that inherently suits smaller projects that just need a little cash from a relatively small number of contributors to get over the line. Local producer Sam King crowdfunded his new studio late last year and Exhumed folkies Sparrow Folk have raised cash for their EP. But it’s not just music that’s caught the crowdfunding bug.

But seriously... I’m trying to be. Another real example is Shaq (the former NBA player who earned over $300 million in his career) trying to crowdfund a sequel to the worst video game ever. AND HE MIGHT RAISE ENOUGH MONEY FOR A SEQUEL TO THE WORST VIDEO GAME EVER (http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/ shaq-fu-a-legend-reborn). And a guy I know in Canberra has raised enough money to build a shed for himself. HE CROWDFUNDED A SHED (which actually is pretty awesome). (http://www.pozible. com/project/178277) But surely crowdfunding doesn’t just produce endless success stories? It doesn’t at all. Last year critically acclaimed hip hop duo Cannibal Ox tried to raise enough cash to record a follow-up to their masterpiece The Cold Vein and fell way short. On recent stats, less than half of all crowdfunding proposals reach their target. Because crowdfunding subverts the traditional model of the creation of music - and consumers are committing money to projects instead of record labels or artists themselves - the consumers are at risk of not only pre-purchasing bad music but also funding its creation. There’s a fair chance that, due to the lack of quality checks in the creative process, the worst album of all time will be crowdfunded and THERE WILL BE BLOOD ON ALL OUR HANDS. OK, so it’s both perfect and the worst. Is it here to stay? Given its relatively quick rise and embrace by both artists and their audience, it’s fair to say that crowdfunding will be a model that will be used in the future. Crowdfunding provides a key alternative to traditional funding models that transforms and strengthens the artist-audience relationship for some artists.

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BLAKE BUDAK - LANDSPEED RECORDS

TATJANA CLANCY - BMA MAGAZINE

MIKAH FREEMAN - THE ASTON SHUFFLE

Something fresh or a hidden gem Mogwai – Rave Tapes I’ve probably listened to this album more than anything else so far this year. Mogwai have been at the forefront of the instrumental post-rock scene for many years now. Rave Tapes has been getting mixed reviews due to the prominent ‘80s synth sound used throughout the album, but personally I love it. It reminds me of the great film soundtracks of the ‘80s, like Blade Runner and Escape from New York.

Something fresh or a hidden gem Posse – ‘Shutup’. So here’s how I think it went down. When Thurston Moore was kicked out by Kim Gordon for his philandering he went to what he thought was a halfway house for indie rock gods that have lost their way. Unbeknownst to him he had accidentally enrolled in an intensive feedback addiction rehab program and this song was his end-ofsession project to prove he could still write a great song in Reverb’s absence. That this story is bogus, that it’s not recorded by Sonic Youth and that I’m bending my own rules by highlighting a single I repeatedly play bears no relevance here.

Something fresh or a hidden gem

Classic albums that you go back to over and over Stone Roses – Stone Roses Released in 1989, this was the highpoint of the Manchester scene of the late ‘80s/ early ‘90s. I was 18 and I have never been as excited about an album as I was when this was released (and probably won’t be again). One of the greatest debut albums ever – sadly the Stone Roses were never able to come close to this again. It has definitely withstood the test of time and still sounds amazing 25 years later. Midnight Oil – 10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1 An Australian classic, this sticks with me as it was the first album I really loved from start to finish. I would have been 13 or 14. Most of my experiences prior to this had been ‘80s compilation albums and greatest hits records. I remember being blown away that there wasn’t a single bad song on the record. The Guilty Pleasure Def Leppard – Hysteria Definitely a guilty pleasure of mine. ‘80s glam metal doesn’t get much more light and poppy than Hysteria. Every track sounds like a hit single (in fact seven singles were released from the record). I was not into this album when it came out; it was far too mainstream for my tastes back then. However, over the years (particularly after watching a doco on its making) I have come to love it for the pop genius that it is. Share your Def Leppard love with Blake on Record Store Day on Saturday April 19 at Landspeed Records in Garema Place, Civic. Live music all day and zillions of second hand records for sale.

Classic albums that you go back to over and over Because some muppet *cough cough* thought it best to limit the classics to two choices I will forevermore question my answers. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds’ Live Seeds is the best aural representation of a cracking ‘90s Nick gig with not a dodgy Kylie ballad in sight. The best renditions of all the greats exist here, from the growling brilliance of ‘Mercy Seat’ to the caterwauling perfection of ‘From Her to Eternity’. I particularly like the bloke screaming ‘Tupelo’ when he recognised the thunderous first bars. I am usually that crazed fan. Wu Lyf – Go Tell Fire to the Mountain The ‘one album indie wunderkinds’ of 2010 lived up to the hype for me, and I play this at least once a week. The tribal goodness of ‘Dirt’, the fading beauty of ‘Heavy Pop’... It’s undeniably pretentious but utterly glorious. Extra points if you can sing along properly with singer Ellery James Roberts; even the liner notes won’t help you. The Guilty Pleasure I found my copy of the Top Gun Soundtrack on top of the strewn record casualty pile when cleaning up after a party recently. I instantly recalled the previous evening’s flailing limbs of friends outdancing each other to Kenny Loggins. Did you know there is a sequel in the works? Google Quentin Tarantino vs Top Gun for another reason to love it. Tatjana Clancy is the new Editor of BMA Magazine and thinks writing in the third person is sad.

She Wants Revenge – She Wants Revenge This came out when “Nu Rave” took hold of the Aussie scene (circa 2002-2006) and there was a big resurgence in the Indie/Nu Romantics sound. I was working at Landspeed Records at the time and I literally played this album every day. The whole vibe of the record takes me back to the rekidz my mother would play when I was growing up which is probably why I gravitated to it so much. Classic albums that you go back to over and over Tool - Aenima This one kept me in check all throughout my teenage years and early adulthood. Not everyone is into Tool but anyone who is, is usually a fan for life! I often speak to other Tool fans and we all come to the conclusion that Tool is our generation’s Pink Floyd. It’s all about the art and the music with these guys - something that is often lost in the current musical climate. Interpol - Antics This album will never get old on me. It’s all class IMO!! My band partner Vance introduced them to me and I was instantly obsessed and still am to this day. I love Paul Banks’ songwriting; he has a knack for clever ambiguous lyrics and musical beds that hook you right in. The Guilty Pleasure Michael Jackson – Thriller Arguably one of the greatest albums of all time and easily one of my all time favz! As a producer and music lover there is no one more prolific than Quincy Jones and for me, personally, this was his finest work! We still often reference the album when looking for new ideas for writing our own music. The Aston Shuffle’s latest record Photographs is out now. For more info on the band visit theastonshuffle.com

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FROG - SONGLAND RECORDS

jordie kilby - rare collections

Something fresh or a hidden gem Here’s an ironic choice considering the request... A new band, with an old sound. The Strypes. The four-piece classic line-up for a band – young kids from Ireland, the home of rock ‘n’ roll… Well, Irish rock ‘n’ roll, anyway. These guys are one part The Clash four parts The Yardbirds with a dash of early Stones. If you don’t like that, you’re reading the wrong magazine. Simply, it’s the best true guitar based bluesy rock album I’ve heard since the last solo album by (The Black Crowes’) Chris Robinson. Must be played LOUD.

Something fresh or a hidden gem Remy Shand – The Way I Feel (2002) Welcome to classic soul, jazz and funk influences channelled through a white Canadian boy from Winnipeg. He plays every sound you hear on the record. He was signed to Motown and the album won a Juno and was nominated for a Grammy. People raved about Shand’s talent and a second album was talked of but then he just disappeared. Only in the last six months has he resurfaced with a couple of tracks available online. Hopefully there’s more to come.

Classic albums that you go back to over and over Tim Buckley’s Greetings From L.A – the coolest album ever made (particularly by a white guy) and Crosby, Stills and Nash. (When you’ve finished reading this, go and play the record.)

Classic albums that you go back to over and over Tim Buckley – Dream Letter Live in London 1968 - If time travel were possible, then Queen Elizabeth Hall, July 10, 1968 is one time and place I would visit. There’s none of the white-boy-funk that you hear on his best known album Greeting From L.A. This is the introspective and reflective Tim Buckley. The band, featuring Danny Thompson and Lee Underwood, provide a perfect platform for his soaring voice. Not issued in his lifetime, but it’s a superb introduction to his talents. Common – Be (2005) - Maya Jupiter passed me a copy of this years back and I’ll forever be in her debt. Common’s flow has never been better, the production drips with soul (samples include Temptations, Marvin Gaye, Sam Cooke & Ahmad Jamal) and there are guest appearances from Kanye West (he also produced it), John Mayer and, most notably, The Last Poets.

The Guilty Pleasure Playing music should never make you feel guilty. The greatest pop songs from ‘Sugar Sugar’ to ‘Achy Breaky Heart’ are incredibly hard to write – ask any songwriter. So for me I don’t care if it’s Ruth Brown, The Kirby Stone Four or Pearl Harbor and the Explosions, it’s only music, it won’t hurt you. Just get off your arse and discover more of it! If possible, listen to them on record, too. If you haven’t been texted yet, the new trend is back in. Random track listening is sooooo 2011. Everybody is now listening to a WHOLE album the way the band intended it to be heard. Tame Impala, Pink Floyd and Miles Davis didn’t create their pieces to be interrupted by Public Enemy, Curtis Mayfield and Joni Mitchell. Nor in reverse either. Go on the journey, concentrate and relax. If you love music as much as you say you do, you will as Dirty Dancing and Green Day once stated, have the “time of your/ my life”. Debate the merits of Billy Rae with Frog on Record Store Day at Songland Records at Cooleman Court, Weston Creek or head to songlandrecords.com.au

The Guilty Pleasure I don’t really believe in guilty pleasures. If it’s good I’ll put it on without reflecting on how hip it may or may not be. Sister Irene O’Connor’s Fire of Gods Love (Sydney, 1976) was the kind of album that I guess could have been considered a guilty pleasure in the past, but now sells for silly $$$ and is getting airplay across Europe and the U.S. Two nuns and a keyboard making beautiful music.

NIGEL McRAE CANBERRA MUSICIANS CLUB Something fresh or a hidden gem This is so fresh it hasn’t been released yet, but we recently had the pleasure of listening to the newly mastered CD that will go with the soon-to-be-launched Canberra Songbook. It’s a CMC project of 17 songs by 17 local songwriters, properly transcribed in a nice book. We’re hardly impartial observers but we found listening to the songs quite overwhelming. So many great songwriters in this town. Classic albums that you go back to over and over I recently noticed I’m a bit of a one album per band type of man. I tend to fixate on one album to the exclusion of most of the rest of an artist’s oeuvre. With Talking Heads it was Stop Making Sense. I listened to it on headphones in the uni library and had goosebumps all over. They were sort of the Radiohead of the day, garnering both critical acclaim and broad popularity. And Lou Reed’s Transformer still does it for me. Our ukulele group plays three songs off that album, all classics. It was such a departure from what I knew of the Velvet Underground days. The Guilty Pleasure When I was younger, people would regularly note my resemblance to David Bowie, to the point of mild irritation (oh, alright, I was flattered too). I was a bit of a fan – the particular album being Hunky Dory – and had learned to play quite a few songs from it, but never felt I could play them to anyone for fear of being considered a lame Bowie impersonator. Bowie now looks younger than I and I look more like Catweasel than Bowie, so I guess I can come out of the Bowie fan-boy closet now. The Canberra Musicians Club (CMC) are a not for profit group supporting live and local bands. For more info and gig news head to canberramusiciansclub.org.au

catch Jordie Kilby present Rare Collections on Radio National, Sundays at 9.30pm.

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LOCALITY

It’s another fortnight of local recording news, it seems, with heaps going on right across the territory and covering plenty of genres. One of my favourite discoveries over the last few months has easily been the rich and dark sounds of Liam McKahey and The Bodies, so naturally it’d be wonderful if they got to release a recording sooner rather than later. You can help make that happen, with their crowd funding campaign for their album, Black Vinyl Heart launching on Thursday April 10. A must for fans of brooding, gritty rock ‘n’ roll, you can find more details on the band and the fundraising effort at liammckaheyandthebodies.com.au. Another pair of Canberra musos looking for your cash is Beth n Ben, whose Pozible campaign’s deadline is coming up fast! Head to pozible.com/project/180046 by Thursday April 17 to help them make their new live album, which will be recorded at The Street Theatre on Wednesday April 23 at 8pm. Tickets are $15 and can be booked at thestreet.org.au.

It turns out that The Brass Knuckle Brass Band is also heading into the studio in the next few weeks, with word there are due to be a few special guest vocalists from the local scene and interstate joining them. Who are these mystery voices? I wish I could divulge a little more, but my source was awfully tight-lipped. If their first EP is anything to go by, this is going to be an absolute corker of an album. Keep up to date with the progress and any secret guest reveals at facebook.com/BrassKnuckleBrassBand. If hip-hop tunes about relationship breakdowns are your thing, Citizen Kay’s new track ‘Manage’ is going to be right up your alley. There’s some pretty sweet organ work in there to, if you know what I mean. (I mean that purely in a musical sense. Get your mind out of the gutter.) You can find it at soundcloud.com/citizenkaytm. However, if you’re feeling like some intricate guitar work, lovely vocals and a cheeky rap break, Dylan Hekimian has dropped his first three track release, The Ocean EP. Warm yet bittersweet, you can find it at dylanhekimian. bandcamp.com. Now, let’s talk about the local contingent at the National Folk Festival this year, because it’s quite a list: Pocket Fox, Darcy Welsh, Doctor Stovepipe, Hayley Shone, Guyy Lilleyman, No Hausfrau, The Brass Knuckle Brass Band, Dylan Hekimian, The Ellis Collective, Moochers Inc and Sparrow Folk (who are both launching their debut EPs)... SO many familiar faces, it’s enough to make you giddy! Be sure to highlight all these lovely locals in your program this year and get along to support your fellow Canberrans. Just in case you missed the memo (and if you have, that’s a pretty big rock you’re living under), the National Folk Festival runs across the Easter Long Weekend, Thu-Mon April 17-21. Finally, if you’d grant me a small indulgence, I want to dedicate this edition’s Locality to Mr Barry McDonald. He had a great love of music and I know he’d be tickled pink to see his name in print. I’ll request ‘Danny Boy’ at the next gig for you, Poppy. NONI DOLL nonijdoll@gmail.com @NoniDoll

ON THE BRINK SINEAD O’CONNELL “When you’re on tour and the shows are going well, then it feels like the best show in the world. If something isn’t right and the show isn’t really working then it just sucks.” This wisdom comes from the worthy and wise Samuel Lockwood, guitarist in THE JEZEBELS. When asked what would constitute something not being right, Lockwood brings it down to a few things; obviously the context – where, when, familiar crowd and so on, but also luck. “Sometimes you’re in the right place at the right time and the vibe is excellent, you connect with the audience and the show becomes something great.” The adored Sydney based four-piece band can expect many more successful shows with the arrival of their carefully orchestrated second album The Brink. After a hectic start to the year with a United States tour, the gang are headlining Groovin The Moo 2014, as well as prepping for a few shows in Europe. Fresh from winding up the various stages around the country of St Jerome’s Laneway Festival, it’s no wonder The Brink debuted second on the ARIA charts. Getting together with established UK producer Dan Grech-Marguerat (Radiohead/The Kooks/Lana Del Rey) for The Brink has proven an exceptionally worthwhile feat. The outcome is a complex integration of their past, present and future compromises, weaved together with the sounds that foreground their already established musical careers.

It’s the only way any band can stick together, you have to have compromise

Right now, Lockwood is on a high. “I’m feeling good about everything, so I’m really happy. We played in Brussels last night and it was a great show. Not necessarily because of the city. Just –” he has a hard time finding the words, for no other reason than the fact that obviously the experience would be tremendously hard to describe, “the people I guess. The show itself.” Lockwood laughs, with me, at him and the absurdity of attempting to provide what appears a rather arbitrary answer. “What makes touring so exciting is that each night is a new night and every show is different from the next.” However, “that’s just the performances. It can be very repetitive,” says Lockwood, about being on the road. “You tend to follow a routine which is weird. Get up, drive, have a show, sleep and so on.” He talks more about the ‘road’ dynamics the band has found themselves in over the years. “We always used to fight and everyone wanted to do different things at different times,” he says. “We used to struggle sometimes with compromise and stuff like that. But now, we’re really used to it and we just get out of each other’s way when we need to. If there’s a good sense of compromise with everyone then all opinions are respected. It’s the only way any band can stick together, you have to have compromise.” The Jezebels are playing Groovin The Moo at UC Fields on Sunday April 27. Tickets $99.90 + bf at gtm.net.au

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phoenix bar

THE REALNESS It seems like every second week there is mention in this column about a J Dilla tribute album or new project or 12” hitting the shelves. Not that this is an issue for his fans though. Renowned for his work ethic before his passing, one would assume that there would be hundreds upon hundreds of floppy discs left with his estate. This relentless appetite to create beats has ensured his name still remains relevant in the game, even so many years after his untimely passing. Needless to say, there was must anticipation on various social media outlets at the prospect of hip-hop pioneers De La Soul excavating the J Dilla vault for their latest mixtape Smell The Da.I.S.Y. The acronym Da.I.S.Y is short for Da Inner Soul of Yancey, which is a reference to J Dilla’s real name James Dewitt Yancey. Head over to wearedelasoul.com to cop the free download today. LA MC Blu has released the third instalment of his Soul Amazing trilogy via his Bandcamp page. Volume Three clocks in at nearly 40 tracks, compiling a collection of tracks that Blu has featured on throughout his career to date. Featuring guest verses on producer’s tracks like K-Def, J.Period and Klaus Layer, plus when he’s been a guest MC alongside the likes of CO$$, Luckiyam and Sene. Artists are normally quite happy to use avenues such as Kickstarter to generate cash to fund their next album or project, however not many would allow the fans to decide the album content and features too. Well, that’s exactly what CunninLyngists have done with their latest studio album Strange Journey Volume Three. Kno, Deacon The Villian and Natti spent over a year interacting with fans via social media to develop the concepts for the album and suggesting artists to feature on each track. The end result is now complete and it’s as solid as any of their previous releases. The majority of production is handled by Kno with guest spots from Murs, Del The Funky Homosapien, Zumbi of Zion I, Masta Ace and Celph Titled to name a few. Ill Adrenaline Records has released next project from MindsOne (KON Sci & Tronic) and Kev Brown, with the Pillars EP. MindsOne decided to outsource the beat-making to legendary Low Budget crew member Kev Brown, looking for more of a classic beat to complement their sound. Available now on all formats including cassette. D&D Studios is one of the most iconic hip hop recording spots in New York City or better yet, the world over. Known as the spot where many classic records where recorded during the 90’s. Take a trip down memory lane with DJ Premier on Hip Hop Wired YouTube station, as he breaks down how the classic Gangstarr tracks were recording in this spot. The majority of the studios have been renovated with the times, however Premier as kept his work station intact and untouched from those early days. Mandatory watching for any hip-hop fan. Ever wondered what would happen when a well respected beat maker (insert Black Milk here) is tasked to create a beat from a choice of three records selected when blindfolded? I’m sure you have and so have the good people at massappeal.com. Check the website to witness the end result. BERT POLE - bertpole@hotmail.com

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METALISE It’s a big fortnight for the Basement out in Belconnen with Metal Fiesta 5 almost upon us. Friday April 11 is the date that in part serves as the stop over for New Zealand headliners 8 Foot Sativa and regular Melbourne visitors Frankenbok. That alone would be enough to warrant the $20 bucks to get along, but you get a whole bunch more. Witchgrinder, also from Melbourne, are along for the ride with Deprivation, Darkc3ll, Na Maza, Law of The Tongue, Inhuman Remnants, Murdering and Eyes to the Sky. Doors at 8, don’t be late. Saturday April 12 Antonemasia, Dark Nemesis, Sleeper, Delinquent and Harely Quinn round up the weekend of treats. The following weekend features Weight of Silence, Bane Of Bedlam, Road To Ransome and Mattersphere on the Friday and 4 Dead in 5 Seconds and Chud on the Saturday. Of course don’t forget that Tuesday April 22 features a huge tour rolling through with Toxic Holocaust and Skeleton Witch and then following up the next night with the Gloryhammer and Largerphone tour. That’s a lotta metal for one fortnight in Canberra’s home of heavy. Two great pieces of news this fortnight on the winter touring front with Pelican announcing an Aussie jaunt in July with four shows in Australia. More of a restrained, yet still undeniably heavy brand of sounds that is generally labelled using my least favourite terms “post-metal”. It doesn’t change the fact that the bands show is a great fourth dimension journey type of experience and well worth considering a trip up to the Manning Bar in Sydney on Saturday July 26. Tickets are already on sale. Less subtle and, frankly, more exciting for me, is the news that High On Fire are coming back with their third Australian tour also in July. Five shows in a week for one of America’s hardest working bands and Sunday July 20 at the Factory Theatre in Sydney is the closest one for Canberrans. Blood Duster have resurfaced and playing some shows again kicking off in Sydney on Sunday May 25 at Frankie’s Satanic Swill Fest – 30 Hunter St in the centre Sydney, with Bastardiser, Recoil, As Silence Breaks and more, featuring a number of microbreweries and delicious food. Pyscroptic drummer Dave Healey is out and the prodigal son Matt Rizzo has returned to the band for a third time to take Healey’s spot. They’re also going back to a more compact four piece line up with guitarist Belt Thrower sitting out (Beltsy/Scott Pritchard also of Mindsnare) with other commitments. Really digging the new Conan record Blood Eagle at the moment and the film clip for their song Foehammer is like the best thing I’ve seen from a metal band this year which you can check out here – http:// youtu.be/-of5C1OHX_8 While you’re on the Tube, check out our own King Parrot hanging out with Phil Anselmo and eyehategod front man Mike Williams on their show Housecore HQ. The band have already announced some ridiculous amount of dates in Australia immediately after returning from their 40 date tour of the USA. JOSH NIXON doomtildeath@hotmail.com

KILLING IN THE NAME OF Carrie gibson KILLSWITCH ENGAGE are keen to return to Australia but the question on everyone’s lips is the return of Jesse Lynch. “Oh that guy,” responds a mischievous Adam D. “As everyone knows, we’ve parted ways with Howard Jones. We had to take the time to sort out what we wanted to do and where we wanted to go as a band. During try outs, we noticed Jesse had his name down. He didn’t get any special privileges. [Laughs] Although he did a fantastic job and yeah, landed the spot”. Lynch was the original vocalist for Killswitch Engage during their breakthrough years – young and impressionable but with escalating voice problems and self-doubt that saw Lynch leave the band as a touring musician. With a second chance, Lynch has learnt a lot about both himself and how to manage the balancing act, says D.

We’re dudes who just want to keep it as natural as possible

The band’s latest album, Disarm The Descent, has been circulating for over a year now. With the change of vocalist half way through recording the album, D states that the process wasn’t as stressful as you would think. “It did delay things a little, yet the main issue for the delay was more the constant tour offers that came in when news of Jesse swept the industry and we couldn’t turn them down, so there we were.” When asked how it was to work with Lynch again, D responds with, “Jesse is a sock – a dirty yet very, very nice sock. Working with him on my side project was a great way to get back into it. We’ve been great friends for years”. Killswitch are keen to reinstate and reestablish their sound with Lynch and D advises that fans will enjoy the natural progression of the band. Will the change turn the band toward a different direction all together or stay the course? Only the future knows. “I have the feeling we will just do what we feels right,” says D. “We’re dudes who just want to keep it as natural as possible”. D, who producers all the Killswitch albums as well as writing them, has the enjoyment of nurturing their music from start to finish, an experience of which he truly loves. “I definitely try to make sure that the other band members have a say in what goes into the record – at the end of the day when I’m producing a record [but] it’s not just my record. We’re in it together. The Killswitch Engage sound, we’re not scientists; we’re not measuring things or using abacuses – its music, it should be entertaining and less calculated”. When questioning D if ‘the cape’ was coming on the Australian tour, I was horrified to hear that it was at the dry-cleaners…. Forever. “I am not bringing the cape. I know, I know…. But hey, I might be able to find one there.” Killswitch Engage are playing UNSW Roundhouse at Sydney Saturday April 12. $67.10 + bf from Ticketek. All ages.

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cARRIE gIBSON With an enviable reputation as New Zealand’s most ferocious live act, 8 Foot Sativa have channeled this fury to create The Shadow Masters, their new album that announces, ‘this is how heavy metal is done!’ Gearing up to share the stage with Melbourne’s Frankenbok and an enormity of home grown talent at METAL FIESTA 5, 8 Foot have been overwhelmed by the amount of ‘awesome’ that Australia has so far provided. “We’re pretty excited to be here actually, just quietly,” comments bassist Brent Fox. With Shadow Masters holding strong in the New Zealand charts, what is the key to all this success? “Well, we just wanted to play cool heavy metal, we loved it, the people that listened to it loved it so we were pretty excited to keep going with it. Our whole lives have been a risk to this point,” says Fox, laughing. “Yet it’s the best experience of our lives. We are stoked with the sound of the album – I mean, sweet Jesus, this is our fifth album and to hear it back is just amazing.”

We’ve got nothing else to do,” Butler adds with a laugh. “It’s either a gift or a curse. We’ve been doing it for so long that I can’t cope without playing for longer than three weeks.” The next step for Frankenbok is to head off overseas. “We’ve been banging around this country for so long, we’ve become a part of the furniture in Australia so we want to expand our horizons as it were. 100% focused on taking our bullshit overseas,” laughs Butler. “Over the years we have helped so many bands get their start, taken them on tour then a couple of months later they are off overseas.” Despite forging connections, Butler admits, “it’s just never hooked up for us. It’s definitely time to get overseas.”

Metal just makes people happy

“I basically have the 8 Foot Sativa guys camping in my lounge room, jam room and I tell you what, we’ve been having as much fun as you can with your clothes on – just been having a ball.” Says Frankenbok’s guitarist Aaron Butler. “Yeah, we’re really looking forward to Metal Fiesta in particular. Shaggs always puts on a great show in Canberra and every bloody band on the lineup are all mates of ours so it’s going to be an awesome night”. The question on everyone’s lips – is Frankenbok as fun as it looks? “It’s something we like to refer to as ‘hard fun’ we have to use the balancing act but we keep doing it, because there are those moments where it is very, very fun”. The band has definitely earned their stripes over the past twenty years, with plenty of highlights. Butler shares his favourite; “Straight off the bat, the supports for Slayer and having one of my instrumental songs as the overall piece used for the Metal Down Under documentary. It’s hard to put your finger on the greatest moments because, you could be playing a shitty gig with no people yet you can still say to yourself ‘I would not want to be anywhere in the world right now, than here’. It’s the simple things. For instance if it’s a Tuesday night and you’ve had a gutful of the day, hook up at practice, ten minutes in ‘geez I’m glad I’m here’. We are very lucky that we are a band of mates. It’s definitely a brotherhood.” Even though they’ve just released their fifth album, Cheers, Beers and Beards!, Frankenbok are already looking ahead. “We are currently ten to twelve songs in for a new album. New songs breathe new life into the band.

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Another band with international waters in their sites is Orange-based melodic thrash outfit DepriVation. “Getting everyone riled up for a DepriVation gig is our intention and the Metal Fiesta always provides the best platform for this,” says drummer Chris Vandermark. “The show Shaggs puts on is always of high caliber and includes a lot of bands, which makes everyone happy. Metal just makes people happy.” A debut album with Nemesis Records, currently in the pipeline, has certainly generated a lot of hype. “We have some pretty tasty plans on how we want to release the album, it won’t be a straight up twelve track album,” says Vandermark. “We want to do something a little different with the album so stayed tuned.” Vandermark explains that the addition of Jesse Whithear on bass last year is the most experienced lineup the band has had. “Having Jesse walk in with his musical knowledge, as well as his knowledge of DepriVation, as he has been a fan of the band for quite a few years, has been amazing,” says Vandermark. “There are some points where he knows the drums better than I do,” he laughs. The fresh faces of Eyes to The Sky explain that Metal Fiesta is a winning formula of “Excellent local and interstate bands, that always delivers with a good crowd and a great night,” says guitarist Joe Pigram. It seems releasing material is contagious this year for Australian bands as the Canberra natives are hoping to record two to three demos later in the year for an early 2015 release and admit that keeping to the one style is limiting “We just play whatever feels good and from the different influences the five of us have we’ll come up with something that doesn’t sound like anyone else. We don’t follow a formula for our song writing and hopefully that keeps things interesting.” Metal Fiesta 5 is happening at The Basement, Friday April 11. Featuring 8 Foot Sativa, Frankenbok, Deprivation, WitchGringer, Na Maza and more. Ten bands, two stages and just $20. 8pm. Full line up on their Facebook page.

The Slow Death will be stopping by the Magpies Club all the way from the USA on Wednesday April 16. With them on the night will be Laura Palmer from Melbourne and locals Yoko Oh No for yet another all ages show.

There have been some kick-ass gigs over the past couple weeks. It’s just a shame that I’ve been knocked on my ass with a giant fuck-off cold the whole time. So while you all work on coming down and I work my way through this next box of tissues, let me tell you what else is coming up on the Canberra punk calendar. This Saturday April 5, you can catch Harmony from Melbourne at The Street Theatre (moved from The Phoenix because…well, you know). Harmony is being supported by fellow Melbournians Hoodlum Shouts and Canberra’s own Sex Noises, who will be playing their last set as a band. You can grab tickets from the Street Theatre website for just $10 and due to the venue change, the show is now all ages. On Sunday April 6, Washington State’s RVIVR will be stopping by the Magpies Club. They will be joined by Canine from Sydney, along with locals Machina Genova and Swoon Queen. The show is all ages and will cost you $15 at the door. Saturday April 12 will see the Canberra Punk Festival hit the Turner Bowls Club. Already confirmed on the lineup are the USA’s Evil Beaver, along with local acts Bladder Spasms, Cult Killers, No Assumption and Rude Rahlis, with more bands and details to be announced.

On Saturday April 26, The Basement will play host to Dansonfest, a show aiming to raise funds for the establishment of an annual punk festival in memory of Nick ‘The Ginger Ninja’ Schreiber. The lineup is massive, featuring sets from Chris Duke and the Royals, LameExcuse, Epic Flagon, Ebolagoldfish, Revellers, Johno and the Trannies, Steel City Allstars, Yoko Oh No, Outcome Unknown, No Assumption, Raised As Wolves and more! Tickets for the festival are $15 and can be found at ruffnready.com.au/store/dansonfest. For another massive lineup, head down to the Magpies Club on Sunday May 4 for the Magpies City Punk Festival. The show will feature sets from The Decline, The Hard Aches, Revellers, Liberation Front, KANG, No Assumption, Office Jerk, Handball Deathmatch and Jack Livingston all for a reasonable $15 cover charge. As always, remember to tune into 2XX FM every Monday night from 9:30pm for your weekly dose of punk and hardcore music and news via Haircuts & T-shirts. Anyway, I’ve reached the bottom of my tissue box which means this column must be finished. Once I’m less sweaty and snotty and sound less like Batman, I look forward to attending some these awesome shows. Also, for the love of God, someone get The Phoenix re-opened ! IAN McCARTHY

the magpies club

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ULTRA VIOLENCE baz ruddick Brisbane four piece VIOLENT SOHO have been the band of summer. Not in that commercial-yet-edgy kind-of indie way that inevitably leads to a song on an insurance ad or being played by your twelve year old sister. More being a genuinely hardworking and modest rock band that can actually write songs. They’ve previously released two albums, signed with record label Ecstatic Peace! (Thurston Moore’s very own label) and supported the likes of Dinosaur Jr, The Bronx and Alice in Chains. Yet as of mid-last year, Violent Soho hadn’t claimed the appreciation they deserved in the Australian music scene. I spoke to frontman Luke Boerdam about coming home, overwhelming crowd response and how third album Hungry Ghost was born from the desire to do more. Upon arriving back from the U.S flying high, the boys found themselves thrust back into normality. “We were in America and we were exposed to some pretty interesting situations,” says Boerdam. “All of a sudden we were back in Brisbane in our parents’ houses and it just felt like we had gone backward a little bit. We had to get jobs again and re-start our lives, which was pretty demotivating stuff.”

It just felt like we had gone backward a little bit

call it even

The boys used this artistic regression as a source of motivation and momentum. “Playing was always a bit of an escape. We had always enjoyed playing together because we wouldn’t have stuck with for so long otherwise, but I think the motivation for me was basically that I didn’t want that last record to be it,” says Boerdam. “I felt like I would have been really disappointed to say that we just had that one big album with a big label in America. I think that was motivation. I knew we had better songs and we definitely had another album in us. We just had to keep motivation and drive.” Determined not to plateau, the boys retreated to the shed and built an album of eleven of the best tracks they could muster. While they put their all into Hungry Ghost, Boerdam says he never envisioned the kind of success it has seen. “We didn’t really expect to get such a good response in the Hottest One Hundred – that was a surprise for us! Having a top ten record really shocked us... We took control of the songs and we did them our way and we were happy to release that record. I guess it was surprising for an album that was made in a shed!” The appreciation of Hungry Ghost was really seen on the summer festival circuit, evident by their returning stint at Fall’s Festival. “We played at the same tent at a better time slot and we were returning four years later with a midday time slot…We thought ‘oh yeah there won’t be many people about’ but the tent was full. The crowd were so into it and they were singing along to it. We were gobsmacked.” Catch Violent Soho at Groovin The Moo at UC Fields on Sunday April 27. Tickets $99.90 + bf at gtm.net.au

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I think it’s good for the soul to have empty space

THIS AIN’T NO HOLIDAY baz ruddick HOLIDAYS ON ICE are a band divided by geography. The collective project of Sydney-based songwriter Deane Manning, Melbournebased Angie Heart and L.A-based Stella Mozgawa, Holidays On Ice are lucky to meet up once a year. Despite this, friendship inevitably brings them together to write and record incredible music that never ceases to challenge the listener. Holidays On Ice’s third album, The Luxury of Wasted Space, takes a stripped back turn for the band. Recorded over a year on an analogue eight-track, the album is sparse, ethereal and emotive. Manning spoke to me with a soft, clear and methodical demeanour about wasted space, recording in analogue and what it is to be a band divided. The Luxury of Wasted Space is a reference to our modern aversion to emptiness, the negative connotations we have towards it and our need to fill our hollow spaces, as Manning explains. “Where I am sitting now I can see a park that obviously had a house on it that has been knocked down. An old friend of mine used to say it – she was

in her 80’s... I think what she meant was that people don’t choose nothingness or minimalism because it doesn’t say enough.” Ironically, Holidays On Ice embody this minimalism in their music and use it to say more. “There are people who won’t like it and find it boring or too ambient, but it’s about having to listen a little deeper rather than and be smacked over the head by it. It’s like sitting in front of a minimal piece of art. You could just walk past it or you could take your time and try and work it out. I think it’s good for the soul to have empty space.” The stripped back sentiment of the album was not only a conscious decision, but was defined by the constraints of analogue recording. “Just having eight tracks you can’t jam pack stuff in,” says Manning. “There is a necessity to keep it sparse. When we did record a lot of the layers we ended up just tossing them anyway.” Manning shares an example of this stripped back recording process. “The song ‘Sing A Song’ was a full on rock song with big drums, heavy bass and a chime-y 12 string guitar. I got bored with it really quick so I stripped it back and gave it this little calypso percussion.” Being a band divided by distance, Holidays On Ice have only had the opportunity to record three times since 2007. However, for Manning this makes their music all the more meaningful. “It’s just a normal part of our lives, which is probably why the records are so infrequent. We just walk away from it and we won’t record for 18 months. We don’t tour that long. These capital city dates might be it for this record and I’m okay with that.” Catch Holidays On Ice: The Luxury of Wasted Space Tour with Reuben Ingall supporting from 8pm at Smith’s Alternative on Friday April 18. Tickets $10 via the venue.

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

DANCE THIS MESS AROUND indigo trail “I slap myself sometimes and realise where I am,” laughs 19 year old Holly Doyle as she talks through her experience as a member of SYDNEY DANCE COMPANY. Doyle is only 19, yet she’s already performing with Sydney Dance, one of the most prestigious and acclaimed contemporary dance companies in Australia.

The show consists of three separate works: 2 in D Minor, choreographed by Rafael Bonachela; Raw Models, a reworking of Jacopo Godani’s 2011 work of the same name; and Gideon Obarzanek’s L’Chaim!. “They’re all incredibly diverse,” says Doyle, unable to keep the air of excitement out of her voice.

“I used to watch [their performances] and the dancers would just be these gods. There were just the most – they were untouchable. I felt like I could never come close to how amazing they were,” she recalls, thinking back to her time as a student at Newton High School of Performing Arts. “I did my pliés ten times harder the next day in class.” Doyle has been dancing since she was two years old and already had an impressive array of awards and accolades when she auditioned for Sydney Dance. Her route into the company, however, was anything but simple.

The first piece, 2 in D Minor, is danced alongside a live performance of Bach’s Violin Partita No. 2 in D Minor. “It’s incredible to have that interaction on stage,” says Doyle. “It helps with the musicality ... [the dance and the music] are seamlessly embedded in one another.” Raw Models, however, is something else. “It’s very fast paced, it’ll give you a shock – I know as a dancer it gave me a shock!” Doyle grins. “It’s incredible – like, ‘how many joints can I find in my body?’” The final piece, L’Chaim! (meaning ‘to life’ in Hewbrew and Yiddish) is “a really fun work, that one. There’s dialogue in the work. Basically an actor is interviewing us while we’re on stage.” Doyle is clearly thrilled by the introduction of a new medium into the world of movement she knows so well. “It’s nothing I’ve ever done before and nothing I think Sydney Dance has ever done before either.”

After spending an intensive week with the company back in mid-2012, she applied for the formal auditions, along with “about 200-300 other people,” over one weekend. “Yeah, I made it to the end of the Sunday,” she says, still sounding surprised at her own success. “There were a handful of us and [the company] just said ‘we’ve been really impressed with you this weekend and yeah, we’ll be in touch.’ … I didn’t even expect to make it that far!” she chuckles. So when Rafael Bonachela, the Company’s Artistic Director, later offered her a three-month scholarship to dance, perform and create with the company, “it was like a dream come true. I didn’t even need a moment to think about it.” Once the three months were up, however, Doyle had to face the reality that her journey with Sydney Dance may have come to an end. “My contract would’ve been up in March, but then the Company started up this programme called A Year on The Wharf …the campaign was ‘Keep Holly Dancing’. They did a crowd funding thing on the internet … Yeah, it was just incredible,” she says, marvelling at her fortune. “Dance is so difficult. This industry is extremely hard to break into. There’s always going to be a lot of rejection, there’s always going to be a lot of let downs – so for me to just have so much support …” She trails off for a moment, and the pause is filled with her unspoken appreciation. “I will always be grateful,” she finally says, warmly. “These people have helped my career. I’ll continue to write to them every year because I want them to know they had a really huge part in my life.” Now, Doyle is performing in the touring show Interplay, which opens in Canberra on Saturday April 10.

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Her favourite part of performing, however, is interacting with the audience. “Jacopo (choreographer of Raw Models) says he wants us to show the audience that we can be extraordinary human beings. That we can present what we do in the best possible way. I love the idea of giving someone a form of entertainment, whether it be joy or sadness.” This passion for communication via movement clearly bleeds into all aspects of Doyle’s approach to dance. “I know that I’m in this position now, to inspire,” she muses, remembering how enthused and determined she felt when she watched the dancers she now calls colleagues. “It’s amazing, to inspire young people… It feels really great, to be honest, to know you can have an impact on someone’s life.” So what is it about dance that is so vital to Doyle’s life? What is it that keeps her so focused, despite distractions? “There’s this quote – ‘you have to want to be successful as much as you need to breathe,” she says reflectively, before laughing. “And that’s so true. I don’t feel like I’m missing out at all. I feel like I’m living the most wonderful life.” Interplay is at the Canberra Theatre from the 10th-12th of April at 7:30pm. Tickets from $30-$60. Phone Canberra Theatre Centre Box Office on: 02 6275 2700.

smiths alternative

MAKE DO Anne Widjaja Before attending the opening of Canberra’s very own MAKERS HUB in Macquarie, I hadn’t given much thought to the growing popularity of the makers movement. Beyond publicising the versatility of mason jars on Pinterest, what was the value of this newly established sect of hipsterdom? A quick Google revealed that unbeknownst to me, the makers movement had spawned into an entire counter culture of people making things. The New Yorker even went as far as to define makers as the “new hackers“, defying authority by ripping things apart and putting them back together in their own unique way. What started out as people fashioning chairs out of milk crates has really got people talking…and making. With makers events like the Makers Faire (“the greatest show and tell on earth”) being hosted as far and wide as Nigeria, DIY culture has seemingly developed worldwide appeal overnight. So it shouldn’t be too surprising to see that Canberrans are joining the party too. In spite of the bad weather, the opening night of the Makers Hub was abuzz with enthusiastic art and crafters. The bright white gallery space and the overflow of people munching on custom-topping cupcakes felt instantly warm and inviting on a grey, wet night. Speaking to Mikaela Denvers (founder of the Makers Hub) about the impressive turnout at the opening, she remarks that despite first impressions, Canberra is much more than a city of square public servants. “[Growing up in Canberra] you find yourself on the outer if you don’t want to be a public servant,” says Denvers. “It seems like Canberra is not creative at all. But that’s definitely an illusion.” Citing the resurgence of the handmade arts and crafts movement in Canberra, Denvers is convinced that Canberra has a “great creative undercurrent.” Although she admits she finds it challenging “to connect with other [creative] people.” Inspired by the makers movement in the US, where creative spaces have opened for people to congregate and craft, Denvers hopes the Makers Hub will offer Canberrans the opportunity to bond with other creative people over “their love for making stuff”. Denvers even spoke at the launch about plans to crowd-fund expensive craft equipment, such as a kilns and a 3D printer, for members to use in the studio. The aims is that members use the hub for creative whimsy they may have, including as an alternative to Officeworks for last minute binding. The Makers Hub will also host a wide range of workshops, exhibitions and private events. “At the heart of it, [the Makers Hub] is a place where people can connect with likeminded people…it’s a place where you can go to hang out and not feel like you’re the only one who’s crazy for being a bit creative,” says Denvers.

The Makers Hub can be found at Unit 70, 27 Wiseman Street Macquarie, ACT. For more information, go to www.canberracreatives.com.au or follow them on Facebook for daily updates.

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IN REVIEW

No Lights No Lycra The Money Bin Friday March 21

On Friday night The Money Bin was commandeered by Lucy Nelson and Lisa Sampson, organisers of the Canberra No Lights No Lycra sessions. To passers-by, sliding doors closing on the dark room seemed ominous, but for those inside it was a completely different story. No Lights No Lycra (NLNL) is about dancing in the dark, although with light leaking under the door and the addition of glow-sticks, you’re unlikely to walk into anyone. NLNL provides an inclusive, accessible space for people to shake shake shake shake their bootays, free from alcohol, judgement and inhibitions. Groovers included adolescents and baby-boomers, with an array of dance styles to suit the spectrum. NLNL patriots could be spotted in sports gear – seemingly incongruent attire for a Saturday night in Civic. However, they were much better equipped than those in layers and heeled shoes, unaware they would soon exert the energy required to flip a truck. It is not just the concept of NLNL that was widely accessible, but the music selection. Although mostly pop and rock, there were also jazz and alternative tunes mixed in among The Bangles, Pharrell Williams and Beyoncé. A comic surprise came when the audience realised they were thrashing around to a hardcore cover of Piero Umiliani’s ‘Mah Nà Mah Nà’, a song best known here for its use at the Banana Boat sunscreen jingle and of course there was the lascivious classic ‘Oh Yeah’ by Yello. The NLNL team just played songs that make patrons want to move. As obvious at it sounds, it was a pleasant relief from monotonous club music and bad remixes commonly found at Canberra dance venues.

NLNL is run weekly: Tuesday nights 7:45pm – 9.15 Corroborree Park, Paterson St, Ainslie. GRACE FLANAGAN

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Image credit: Jake Pembroke

Dancers were there purely for a good time. Testimonials regard NLNL as an opportunity to escape the ennui of popular dance culture and every day life. This became even more evident when one rabid patron (my sister) grabbed me by the shoulders and shook me, yelling “you’d better take me to emergency – ‘cause I’ve got DANCE FEVER.” Despite the deranged strangers throwing themselves around like lunatics in faint lighting, the event felt especially safe. NLNL is open and appropriate for all ages, so given the demographic you’re unlikely to find the unwanted ‘bump and grinder’ looking for a hook-up. The night closed with a warm-down session featuring the Piña Colada song. Heart rates slowed and water canisters were emptied. Club goers looked on in horror at the sweat stained shirts and make-up-less faces of the satisfied dancers escaping The Money Bin into cool night air. No Lights No Lycra is what has been missing my whole life; a glorious facility for those who want to twist and shout without fear of judgment or wandering hands. Encouraging freedom of expression and physical activity, No Lights No Lycra is a fresh awareness of the community’s unknown needs.

The Chronic-Ills of Robert Zimmerman, AKA Bob Dylan (A Lie): A Theatrical Talking Blues & Glissendorf The Money Bin Sunday March 16 The Chronic-Ills of Robert Zimmerman, AKA Bob Dylan (A Lie): A Theatrical Talking Blues & Glissendorf had a bit to live up to, following Max Barker’s well-received performance to a nearly over-full Money Bin last Sunday. However director Lucinda Gleeson and company had nothing to worry about, with the Benito Di Fonzo-penned retelling of cultural icon Bob Dylan’s life going down an absolute treat. Matt Ralph plays the elusive title character and, despite looking quite unlike Bob Dylan even while donning his iconic wayfarers, waistcoat and “boots of Spanish leather”, he manages to embody the musician’s charismatic presence well. Although his accent was a little shaky to begin with, Ralph warmed into the singer’s nasal drawl and emulated the singer’s rhythm and register almost seamlessly. While Ralph was fantastic as the enigmatic Dylan, parts of the show were stolen by the very talented Andrew Henry who played a large cast of supporting characters including Johnny Cash, a “Hipster Yiddish” Abraham Lincoln as a talk show host (possibly a reference to Dylan’s father, named Abram), a comically Canadian Robbie Robertson and an hilarious John Lennon, complete with trademark sunglasses. Lenore Munro also provided a number of well-performed cameos and supporting characters, including Dylan’s wives Sarah and Carolyn, Bono as a leprechaun and an impressive stint as Joan Baez complete with operatic vibrato. Interestingly, the show does not feature much of Dylan’s original work and most references to his songs come in the form of quoted titles and lyrics in dialogue. Although this may disappoint the few who come expecting to sing along to ‘Blowin’ in the Wind’ or ‘Like a Rolling Stone’, it allows the performance to be clever in its tribute and saves it from becoming a trite Dylan cover act. Musical director and multi-instrumentalist Simon Rippingale does well to follow Dylan’s career from 60s folk, folk-rock, country and evangelical, through to his latest incarnations with relative ease despite never playing a true Dylan ‘hit’. While fantastically written, strongly directed and well-performed, The Chronic-Ills of Robert Zimmerman is, on the whole, a show for fans. For those without a deep knowledge of Dylan canon (and apocrypha) many of the subtler jokes and references will be little more than strange turns of phrase and nonsense and the show seems to rely heavily on the expectation that those in attendance are Bob Dylan aficionados. However, despite perhaps being partially lost on the uninitiated, The Chronic-Ills of Robert Zimmerman is a quirky, clever and irreverent homage that holds nothing as sacred or untouchable and one can’t help but feel that the man himself would approve. Or not. dylan slater Image credit: Adam Thomas

IN REVIEW

UN I N H I B I T E D Hello and welcome to my final column. I’m retiring after more than a year and a half of sharing Uninhibited with fellow columnist Glen Martin. I began back in July 2012 with a piece about slam poetry and went on to write about wishing I had Winston Churchill’s depression rather than my own; the time I entered Morrissey into a “bad teen poetry” competition and he came runner up; a conversation I had with Lake Burley Griffin; my love for the National Library of Australia; and a whole heap of other topics that would not normally get printed outside of a zine. I’d like to send a big shout out to Benj, my sole correspondent over this time. Benj wrote to me after a column about the lack of hometown creatives immediately and widely, associated with Canberra (like J.M. Barrie is to Kirriemuir or Peter Allen is to Tenterfield). I thanked him for his email at the time, saying, “I always thought it was just the other guy who does the column and my mum who read it”. I told mum about this not long afterwards and she replied, “You write a column?” Despite not getting a whole lot of reader response over this time, writing Uninhibited is something I’ve taken very seriously. After all, what I write here is the first evidence of my existence anyone would find if they Googled my name.

So I’ve tried to keep the typos to a minimum and the complete self-indulgence to a medium. Fittingly, I’m writing my last Canberra arts column the day after the end of the third You Are Here festival – ten of the greatest days of the year. I wish I could wander down to a lunch time poetry performance in an ex-bank every day. What the YAH team achieves on its budget is incredible. I don’t know if a government anywhere gets that kind of value for their arts spending. I spent yesterday at the Canberra Zine Emporium Zine Fair and came back with a massive pile of zines from around Australia. Although only reading a few so far, I’ve already come across a couple of classics. Valet of the Dolls, the story of man parking cars at the Flying Fish restaurant on Sydney Harbour, is hilarious. Comforting to know that the first thing a valet is taught to say to customers is, “the car was like that when you dropped it off”. Dirt Sale is an account of a month in the life of its author, which moves back-and-forth between nonfiction and fantasy – and it’s sometimes hard to tell which is which. I recommend both. Finally, there are very few chances to write about whatever you want in a well-read publication so I’m very grateful I have had this opportunity. Thanks to Glen for recommending me and Ash Thomson for taking me on. And thank you for reading. Catch you round. Pete... Pete writes the To Here From Naivety zines. His latest edition is an oral history of the first Canberra straightedge punks Pete Huet petehuet@yahoo.com

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ARTISTPROFILE: Emilie Patteson

What do you do? I am an emerging glass artist and illustrator. I encase plants, shells, and bones in molten glass and let them burn, trapping them in an unrecognisable state forever. My drawings are fine detailed pencil drawings of natural objects. When, how and why did you get into it? I have always been artistic. I think it’s in my blood. Creativity seems to run on both sides of my family. I have drawn my whole life it comes as naturally to me as breathing. As for the glass, I was always attracted to glass objects, but I never even knew it was an option until in 2007 I went to Canberra (I am from Orange, NSW, originally) for an interview with the textiles workshop at ANU School of Art. While I was there I saw the glass workshop, and I knew straight away that was where I wanted to be. I rejected my offer for textiles, took a gap year and applied to study glass. I was lucky enough to be accepted, and I graduated with Honours in 2012. I now work out of a studio I share with Brian Corr at Canberra Glassworks. Who or what influences you as an artist? My work is inspired by my childhood memory of collecting, and by the aesthetic qualities of scientific collection. The works of art that I create are an iteration of the collection of my adult years, and an attempt to capture the sense of wonder experienced in childhood.

around the world. The exhibition was held at the Royal Summer Palace in Prague, Czech Republic. I was one of only two Australian artists selected. What are your plans for the future? I really hope to be a successful artist. It is still so early in my career, so I plan on just working really hard and creating opportunities for myself. I’d also really like to do a residency overseas somewhere. What makes you laugh? Bob’s Burgers. I really can’t get enough of that show at the moment. It’s great! What pisses you off? Not getting proper weekends! If I need to be in the studio, I’m in the studio, regardless of what day of the week it is! What about the local scene would you change? Canberra is developing a really great art scene. I think the support for art is growing. But what I really struggle with is people not willing to spend the money on quality products. People often comment that they love a piece of glass, and then as soon as they see the price they immediately change their minds. I really encourage people to visit Canberra Glassworks to learn a bit more about what is involved in making glass artwork, and hence why it costs what it does.

Of what are you proudest so far? Last year I was selected as a finalist in the Stanislav Libensky Prize for recent glass graduates

Contact Info: I can be contact through my website and my facebook page emiliepatteson.com.au/facebook.com/emiliepattesonartist

Image credit: Tom Rowney

Through my observation and study of life cycles, more specifically of plants, I realise life’s fragility and preciousness. Death supports life. Decay leads to growth. In nature nothing is wasted, and every death provides nutrients and sustenance for life to thrive. My study of life cycles allows me to examine mortality, and realise there is beauty in the fleetingness of life.

Upcoming exhibitions? I have a lot going on at the moment! I am currently in an exhibition at Canberra Glassworks called “The Tree”, and also the National Student Art Glass Prize at Wagga Wagga Regional Art Gallery. I am currently undertaking a two month residency called “Glint” at Canberra Glassworks and Megalo Print Studio. In mid-July I have a pop-up shop, “Glass Meets Wood” at Craft ACT’s Pod space in Braddon with designer-maker Ed Collect. We’re working on some pretty exciting collaborations! I’m also in an exhibition based on the ocean, with two other glass artists, Spike Deane and Alexandra Frasersmith, called “Depths and Shallows”, showing at M16 in August.

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It was very much a home crowd at the opening night of Canberra’s leg of The Long Way Home, the play that has come out of a seeming unlikely creative collaboration between the Sydney Theatre Company (STC) and the Australian Defence Force. The Vice Chief of the Defence Force and the Chief of Army were in the audience, surrounded in the foyer by plenty of other uniforms. Several politicians past and present were there and so was Andrew Upton, Artistic Director of the STC. It felt like an occasion.

The stand out performance for me was a bad comedy routine delivered by James Whitney. It began as something to cringe at, but then built into a very traumatic story. The personal pain Whitney conveyed was palpable. The night I was there, the play received a standing ovation from the audience. Like I said, it was a home crowd. But what was truly touching for me about this was that from my vantage point, three rows from the front, I could see the moist eyes of more than one of performers in response to this. It looked like a cast proud of what they have done and given the reluctance of most of the soldiers to participate in this play in the first place, it is an incredible journey they must have been on and proud of it they should be.

The Long Way Home The Playhouse, Canberra Theatre Centre 19 – 22 March 2014

The play opened with four soldiers fully dressed for the theatre of war striding across the stage, leaving you in no doubt that this play would hold little back. It then cut to the next scene, perhaps a little jarringly, but this was how the play was structured – compromising short scenes cut together to tell several longer stories. At first I found this distracting but as the stories took hold and I settled into the play, I found the structure worked well. It helped that the play was punctuated with striking cinematic projections, designed by David Bergman and Renee Mulder, which signposted each new scene and gave the play a polished, contemporary feel. Of the stories within the play, I found the two about the soldiers who had returned home to their wives suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder particularly compelling. The performances by Tim Lock and Craig Hancock as these solders were impressive. The story of the soldiers on night watch in Afghanistan was another of my favourites, perhaps because it gave an insight into an aspect of a soldier’s experience rarely seen. It showed the tedium of the

Image credit: John Harvey

IN REVIEW

job and the stress of being always on. There was a lot of swearing in these scenes – in fact, there was a lot of swearing throughout the play, which I assume is just how soldiers talk at times. Your grandmother may be offended by it but I liked it. Daniel Keene’s words were straight forward, to the point, humorous at times and often profound.

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I’m sure we have all experienced the sharp stab of momentary panic having mislaid an item of importance, having committed some social faux-pas, having exhausted all pertinent legal argument when on the wrong side of an open-and-shut molestation trial. This very same sense of alarm gripped me as I stood certain that my prized goggles were not upon my person. To have defied fashion convention, bedazzled four young nurses of uncommon beauty and feasted upon the finest pickles, preserves and relishes available would rightly be considered notable achievements in any one day, but they each stood to be undermined by the absence of my headwear and the limited options before me: 1) I could abandon said goggles. Perhaps they would serve as Cinderella’s slipper? Nurturing an intrigue and bringing the comely maidens to me? No. My pioneering spirit and signature good taste would not allow this ground-breaking vogue to be usurped by any imposter. I must retrieve my goggles. This resolution led me to an undesirable yet essential recourse: 2) I must backtrack to the luncheon station and risk damaging the flawless impression I had made moments prior. Anonymity was impossible, for while my goggles were amiss, my jodhpurs were as bulbous and arresting as ever. I would have to walk the impossible line between active reconnaissance and

carefree abandon. Instilled with renewed purpose, I turned back towards the nurses and confess to the near-immediate and nervous reassessment of the path I had chosen. As I drew near, I hugged the far wall of the corridor adjacent to the assembly of starched temptresses and while confident that my sudden reappearance had caused a kerfuffle, strove to glide by unnoticed while conducting a detailed examination of my prior station. Nothing. No sign, remnant nor glimmer of my bespectacled centrepiece. All the survey had brought me was a diminished lustre. I continued on past for a harried re-evaluation. No small part of my consciousness was pleading, ‘Leave them! Leave those confounded goggles and save yourself!’, but so important was my aeronautical decoration to me, that I must have momentarily lost my mind. Was I truly considering a return sortie? A further incursion not only upon the by now perturbed young ladies, but upon my own hard-fought public standing? I turned back yet again towards the luncheon district, attempting to muster the belief that I was penned in by circumstance while every fibre of my shapely being screamed for me to reconsider. Bafflingly committed, I resolved that this next raid was to be both explicit and exhaustive. I had by now abandoned all hope of luring any one of the attractive architects of my downfall and consoled myself with the thought of a now guaranteed reunion with my goggles. My shame was palpable, the atmosphere of disapproval tangible, the whole scene one of awkwardness and opprobrium, but this sat as nothing compared to the realisation that, having wholly sacrificed any semblance of my gentility for some close-quarter foraging, I had turned up nothing but further acute embarrassment. The goggles remained missing. To be continued… gideon foxington-smythe

museum of australian democracy

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bit PARTS WAKATI MZURI WHAT: Photography Exhibition WHEN: Tue Apr 8 – Sat May 17 WHERE: Queanbeyan Performing Arts Centre Image credit: Dale Wowk

Although he’s only been snapping for a mere four years ago, local photographer Dale Wowk has quickly built up a solid portfolio of work. His photographs have graced these fine pages and now, in conjunction with National Youth Week, he is presenting his first solo exhibition. The collection features landscape, music and wildlife photography, the latter captured on a recent trip to Africa. Wakati Mzuri –Swahili for ‘Beautiful Moments’, is on at Door 2 Art Space, Queanbeyan Performing Arts Centre. Opening night Tuesday April 8, 5.30 - 7.30pm, official opening by Queanbeyan City Council Major Tim Overall. FLAMENCO WHAT: Dance performance WHEN: Sat Apr 12 WHERE: The ‘Q’ Queanbeyan Performing Arts Centre The Sol de España Flamenco Dance Group are bringing their much acclaimed Flamenco performance to The Q stage in Queanbeyan for one night only. Boasting over two hours of electric performances coupled with passionate music, Flamenco takes a contemporary approach while still remaining true to the spirit of the style. A collaboration between Sydney and Canberra artists, expect a high energetic production full of frantic rhythms and snappy-stop starts to get your head and heart pounding. Tickets are $50 a pop, or $44 concession. To reserve your seats call (02) 6285 6290 or hop onto The Q’s website. 8pm start SING! WORKSHOP WHAT: Singing workshop WHEN: Sunday April 13 WHERE: Street Theatre The Canberra Choral Society are all about celebrating the pleasures of group singing. While they include audience sing-alongs in their performances, they’re stepping it up a few notches with an all day workshop dedicated to group singing in a relaxed environment. Local conductor Tobias Cole will lead the workshop group through a plethora of songs, covering everything from pop, musicals, rock, opera and classical music, with a few surprises thrown into the mix. The fun begins at 10am sharp and will wrap up at 5pm. Tickets are $49 +bf or $39 concession, available from the Street Theatre. ZINE WORKSHOP WHAT: Zine making workshop WHEN: Mon – Thu April 14 – 17 WHERE: Museum of Democracy at Old Parliament House Zines – handmade magazines, are having a bit of a renaissance in Canberra at the moment and The Museum of Democracy are ramping up their game by hosting a few zine-making workshops in their Zine Lounge aimed at school-aged kids. The Museum will be providing paper, pens, typewriter, photocopier and other bits and bobs, to inspire a new generation of zinesters, makers and creaters. Write, draw or collage your way through your first zine! There are two sessions per day: 5–12 year olds (and carers) at 10–11.30am and 12+ years, 2 – 4pm. Workshops are free, booking is encouraged – events@moadoph.gov.au.

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album of the issue FUTURE ISLANDS SINGLES [4ad] Hands up those who caught Future Islands extraordinary, viral performance on Letterman a few weeks back? Said Letterman appearance was indeed career making. Though the Baltimore trio were performing the lead single from their fourth record, having built a creditable if low key presence in the American blog underground, this was very much the model example of a band breaking out. And yet, what was it about that performance? Let’s not mince words. That performance was all about front man Samuel T Herring. He looks like a mid 40s part time martial arts instructor and the slightly older brother of Jack Black. And he pulled moves straight out of a drawer never before opened in main stage pop culture. It was certifiably weird. The death metal growls. The WWF hip-snaps. The low down boogie. The faraway eyes and chest ripping sincerity. WT actual F, said the audience. And perhaps, as Letterman said, ‘I’ll take all you got’. That so much attention is flowing toward a peformance in a ‘was that awesome or was that a tubby old man dancing like no-one was watching and should I be laughing at it?’ is pertinent, because while Future Islands certainly have our attention, perhaps the great unwashed are not 100% on their side. What is left after the momentary viral spike are the songs, which range from the great (‘Seasons’, ‘Doves’) to the perfectly fine (almost everything else).

But what kicks in at track two (‘Spirit’) is Herring’s genuinely odd vocal persona. Starting off in a low spoken growl, one senses references of goblins and Stonehenge. It’s an oddly campy, theatrically creepy way of delivering melody, and what it does for the bands clear originality also takes away from this critics general enjoyment of the record. That’s the point of course- Herring’s role herein is not accidental. Future Islands are an act for the listener ok with big statements, and a strong adherence to a musical theatre template. And even though their history is underground, Singles is an attempt to hit for the cheap seats. There is ambition aplenty here, and that deserves respect on its own. We’re not exactly overwhelmed by big characters at present. But one wonders if Herrings’ presence is as detrimental long term as it is magnetic in the short term. There are songs strong enough to allow Herring to chill and just deliver the damn thing- Doves is a cracking number and Seasons could well be a classic single of our era. But they also make one wonder if he’d be better off climbing down from the balcony and concentrate on the delicious melody alone. The best and worst of Herring is laid bare on ‘Fall From Grace’, which stands as a kind of centrepiece. The song is suitably epic, centring on the death of a coupling. It’s grand and fascinating, perhaps like an expensive car wrapping itself around a pole. The faux Brit accent Herring chooses as he grapples with the title is enough to tip the thing into parody for these ears. And there’s the rub. Given that the role of the vocalist in bands of Future Islands ilk contains a particular focus- the human element upon the banks of processed beatsthe oddness of Herring’s narration is particularly stark. Like the combination of jelly-knees and black metal phlegm disposal that permeate the live performance detailed above, these tics are an undeniably original combination that drag Singles above the parapet of the underground. This is by all means a captivating, fascinating record as a result. But I don’t know if I can say it’s an enjoyable one, or one with a long shelf life once the next big viral moment comes along. glen martin

Holidays On Ice The Luxury of Wasted Space [Cloudy But Fine] Holidays On Ice are possibly the most relaxed super group, ever. Made up of Angie Hart from Frente!, Dean Manning from Leonardo’s Bride and Stella Mogwaza from Warpaint, their new album The Luxury of Wasted Space is the delightful result of a friendship formed through music. Charm is one of the album’s most notable features; not charismatic charm (although Manning’s basslines do verge on alluring at times) but more a pleasant quirkiness that pervades the album. Like the sound itself, it is toned down to a point where its subtlety isn’t overbearing or obnoxious but instead enjoyable. The song name ‘Dogs With Wings’ is a fine representation of this. It is a song about dogs with wings. Instrumentation is clean, a few key strands tightly tied together. Often this involves a pleasing bass melody balanced with soft electronic washes; an example is ‘Faces In A Passing Car’, which reminds me of a stripped back Postal Service. The understated manner of the arrangements provides the ideal environment to draw out Hart’s clear vocals. There is a definite sense of space within the sounds, enhanced by her crystal diction. This space emotes an eeriness on the album’s darker tracks, such as opener ‘So Easy’ and gives off an open – if sometimes bittersweet – warmth on brighter tracks such as ‘Broken’. As the album drifts on it remains polished yet dreamy. Yet the lack of pace change slowly starts to suck away at interest. Harmonious? Always. Hypnotising? Not so much. Thankfully, the complete sweetness of The Luxury of Wasted Space makes for a soothing escape, with deceiving simplicity that makes for many a rewarding listen. ANGELA CHRISTIAN-WILKES

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Sparrow-Folk The Fox and the Lark [Independent Release]

Blood Red Shoes Blood Red Shoes [Jazz Life / PIAS]

Marissa Nadler July [Bella Union]

ABC TV’s Exhumed competition – for bands nobody had ever heard of, cast up some interesting entries. Most had a big rock sound, but the surprise ACT winner was novelty outfit Sparrow-Folk, consisting of two drama teachers. Armed only with ukuleles and the voices God gave them and performing in a large nest, Catherine Crowley and Juliet Moody’s act was as much comedy as it was musical entertainment. Spurred on by success, their Pozible campaign to launch an EP went so well that they traded-up to an album. Their songwriting shows a keen observation of the quirks of everyday life, with the ability to spin a funny lyric and an (unsurprising) female slant to the stories.

Suddenly issuing a self-titled album ten years into your career as a band usually indicates that you’re making a statement of intent. In the case of this fourth album from Brighton-based vocalist / guitarist LauraMary Carter and vocalist / drummer Steven Ansell, collectively known as Blood Red Shoes, the situation listed above is certainly accurate. In many senses this album also captures a time of change for the duo, with the band breaking away from longtime label home V2 whilst also working for the first time without longtime producer Mike Crossey (Arctic Monkeys).

July is the fifth LP from the Boston based singer whose influences include Australia’s own The Dirty Three. A fan of writer Edgar Allen Poe, her goth-tinged music comes in dark hues of ‘black folk’ and she has had ties to black metal bands including Xasthur and Locrian. Nadler’s latest release is huskier than previous material like Wrecking Ball Company, but in keeping with the vibe of ‘Apostle’ from The Sister and ‘Devil Town’ from the album of the same name.

‘Sometimes’ sets the tone for the album with an amusing song about the everyday things people do that they know they shouldn’t, like taking too many items through the supermarket express lane or weeing in the shower. Then there’s a tale about stalking a man (including in the IGA freezer section) and one about exhibitionist breastfeeding. Going by the openers, the album is aimed squarely at the young mum demographic. With only ukuleles for accompaniment, melodies are necessarily simple, although ‘Bear’ takes a dramatic turn, with the aid of strings and percussion. However, it does not work as successfully, nor does a sentimental song about living in Canberra. The simple comedy numbers are the best. Whether the songs carry a humorous charm or are annoyingly twee is all in the eye of the beholder. Overall, the material is good for live musical comedy but less suitable for musical entertainment of the CD listening variety.

Instead the band have opted to produce themselves this time, relocating to a concrete bunker-like studio in Berlin to record what’s easily their heaviest and most confident sounding collection so far. Indeed, there’s an almost QOTSA-like overdriven groove to tracks like Everything All At Once and An Animal as tight machine-like riffs power against Carter and Ansell’s duetted chorus hooks, the latter track in particularly evoking a lean, efficient fusion of UK punk power chords and sinewy desert rock. At times it certainly seems remarkable that just two people are capable of making such a thunderous sound, as Far Away sees massive walls of guitar riffs colliding with Carter’s melancholic pop vocals in a manner that calls to mind The Breeders’ fuzzed-out arrangements more than anything else. While the emphasis falls pretty much on full-on rock thunder for the majority of the twelve tracks here, there’s a consistently strong sense of payoff to the deft balance of feedback and lean, efficient grooves on show here. This could easily be Blood Red Shoes’ strongest album yet.

There’s an ethereal beauty in ‘Drive’, with Nadler’s floating voice, resonant acoustic plucks and isolated notes from an electric guitar, like the lonely whistle of a distant train. Tracks are either simple acoustic numbers or arrayed with sparse touches of sighing synths or creeping keys. The most effective adornment is the overdubbing of Nadler’s own voice. Her skill at executing clever strumming patterns, such as the theme in ‘Dead City Emily’, is something to be relished. ‘Holiday Inn’s overtly cheerful melody belies the song’s woeful tale of unrequited love and abandonment, as in “you see me and you want to walk away” and “I called you when I was drunk all the time.” She has a preference for long songs, as it’s hard to accommodate all that angst in a couple of minutes. Nadler is at her haunting best in the evocative ‘Anyone Else’, with its spectral backing vocals and the shadowy ‘Was it a Dream’, which stands out with its added strings and keyboards. July’s lyrics drop gently like a pall of ash and dust, softening the outline of the pain, but not altogether obscuring it. Some listeners may derive comfort from a recognition of shared experiences, while those with less empathy may find them suffocating.

RORY McCARTNEY

chris downton

RORY McCARTNEY

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Suzanne Vega Tales From The Realm Of The Queen Of Pentacles [Cooking Vinyl] While she’s best known by many for her breakout 1987 album Solitude Standing and its huge singles, ‘Tom’s Diner’ and ‘Luka’, 32 years into her career Suzanne Vega occupies an enviable position in pop culture; one where she’s a household name yet also able to fade from the public eye when she wants to. Her first new release in seven years, Tales From The Realm... offers up Vega’s eighth album in total. While the convoluted title might at first suggest a Fiona Apple-style conceptual suite, the ten tracks collected here see her going back to a more rootsy approach, with the emphasis falling on a live band playing together. In this case it’s also a pretty impressive backing band, with producer Gerry Leonard poaching Gail Anne Dorsey and Zac Alford from Bowie’s rhythm section and Larry Campbell and bassist Tony Levin (Peter Gabriel, King Crimson) all putting in worthy appearances. While there’s a definite nod to Vega’s folky roots, the main focus here is on rawer guitar elements, with opening track ‘Crack In The Wall’ offering up an obvious single as gently plucked verses give way to more burnished rock guitar trails and a soaring chorus hook. Elsewhere, the slightly more country-rock ‘Fool’s Complaint’ evokes hints of midperiod REM in places as jangling guitars and sturdy drums inject a welcome sense of stomp beneath Vega’s willowy vocals. Elsewhere, the 50 Cent-sampling ‘Don’t Uncork What You Can’t Contain’ offers up a cautionary Pandora’s Box-type parable that unfortunately gets dragged towards parody halfway thanks to some heavy-handed Middle Eastern strings. While there’s the occasional misfire here, on the whole this is fairly strong stuff. CHRIS DOWNTON

Seth Lakeman Word of Mouth [Honour Oak Records/Cooking Vinyl]

Drive-By Truckers English Oceans [ATO/PIAS]

He may sound like a bush balladeer, but this Pommy folk artist hails from Dartmoor in England. Seth Lakeman has been nominated for the famed Mercury Music Prize, played Glastonbury and SXSW and Word of Mouth is his seventh solo LP. The song themes and album title are drawn from real life experiences, as Lakeman gathered the material by talking to local characters, notably workers such as train drivers, dockers and an old soldier. Lakeman’s gifted warbling, with all the variations in colour and texture of a rich wood grain, makes him a natural for folk music. Plus he’s an accomplished multi-instrumentalist, including a mean fiddle player to boot! Unlike his previous release, Tales From the Barrel House, which was a one man effort, he has used all the capability of a full band including brothers Sean and Geoff, to provide the accompaniment in Word of Mouth.

Since they first formed back in 1996 in Athens, Georgia around the core of dual singer-songwriter/ guitarists Patterson Hood and Mike Cooley, Drive-By Truckers have proven to be some of the great survivors of the US alt-rock scene. From the midpoint of their career they’ve also worked hard to successfully transcend the Southern rock label persistently slapped on them, with 2006’s A Blessing And A Curse in particular seeing more Britishsounding elements creeping into the songs. If anything, this latest album from the Truckers English Oceans (their tenth in total) offers up a slightly more rootsy and straightforward blend of Southern boogie and overdriven riffs reminiscent of the likes of Blue Oyster Cult.

Evocative strings give album highlight and opening track ‘The Wanderer’ a haunting beginning. Lakeman’s voice, bracketed by harsh blows on the guitar, carries a tangible immediacy, before a sea shanty like chorus crashes in with irresistible appeal. ‘Another Long Night’ benefits from the expressiveness in the inflections in the singer’s voice, while ‘The Courier’ leaps ahead to the melody of a flying reel. In ‘Bells’, the string plucks mimic the sound of tiny, bright bell tones, while ‘The Ranger’ projects joy in the rise and fall of the dancing fiddle. While there’s no denying the presence of the slower songs, it’s the fast string playing which excites. An album that impresses both vocally and musically, with stirring melodies swept up by the power and romance of Celtic music.

The link to the band’s country-rock roots remains in the lyrical subject matter though, with the 13 songs collected here covering such staples as no good ex-wives, dumb bosses and, er, trucks. ‘Shit Shots Count’ opens things on a riff and horn-driven blues-rock tip that calls to mind Exile On Main Street-era Stones gone South of the border. ‘When He’s Gone’ rolls with a wearysounding heft that calls to mind arenafriendly Neil Young-isms, particularly as organs swell against the fuzzed out guitars and Cooley’s slightly nasal twang. Slightly more poppy first single ‘Pauline Hawkins’ sees tinkling keys making an appearance as the more obviously country influences get smoothed out in a vaguely R.E.M.-esque moment that’s one of the most accessible entry points here. Eighteen years in, DriveBy Truckers continue to stick to their guns – but there’s every possibility that English Oceans might lure in the odd Pearl Jam fan too.

RORY McCARTNEY

CHRIS DOWNTON

@bmamag

singles in focus by cody atkinson Jamie XX ‘sleep sounds’

Highasakite silent treatment [Caroline Label Services]

Quantic Magnetica [Tru Thoughts]

Hailing from Oslo, Norway, quintet Highasakite are bringing their debut record across the seas to Australia. On Silent Treatment they readily depict themselves as a young band unafraid to experiment with catchy indie noise.

It’s been eight years since we last heard from electronic producer Will Holland under his Quantic solo guise (since 2006’s An Announcement To Heaven in fact), but he’s easily excused on the basis of his prolific work schedule. Indeed, recent years have seen him operating as Quantic Soul Orchestra, Combo Barbaro and Ondatropica, whilst also somehow fitting in time to collaborate alongside Alice Russell. While this latest album Magnetica in many senses represents a return to Holland’s more dance / beats-based roots though, it’s also a collection that sees his stylistic explorations broadening even further to take in cumbia, reggae and highlife alongside jazz and soul. It’s also noticeably influenced by his recent relocation to Colombia, with Latin American styles frequently rearing their heads here.

Taking electronic elements and manipulating them to sound natural and organic is their method of choice. The rousing vocal harmonies and thundering drums of ‘Iran’ emphasises the spaciousness in sound which Highasakite balance with dense arrangements. The incremental build of ‘Hiroshima’ draws attention to these many layers, as well as to the bittersweet kookiness that pervades Ingrid Helene Havik’s lyricism: “Why should I know, why I should I care, that a tiny little thing like the sun will once be gone?” The continual efforts to balance space and density works best on the album’s upbeat moments; soaring ‘Leaving No Traces’ feels reminiscent of folk giants Of Monsters and Men whilst ‘Darth Vader’ relishes in joyful melodies. This depth is often lost on quieter tracks. Opening song ‘Lover, Where Do You Live?’ is an unfortunately placed example of this, too theatrical an introduction to make a lasting impression, along with the sluggish ‘I, The Hand Grenade’. The more effective slower tracks – see the mystical touches ‘My Only Crime’ and the final flourish ‘Science & Blood Tests’ – contribute to an ebb and flow that gives the album a consistent pace. Silent Treatment is a strong foundation for Highasakite, suggesting an abundance of possibilities, creatively; the future development of the group will be intriguing. But for the time being, it shows them to be at their best when they nail solid yet intricate pop songs, heavy on melodies and generous with energy. ANGELA CHRISTIAN-WILKES

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As always, a large part of the added appeal here is Holland’s almost audiophile levels of attention to production detail. Scoring the vocals of Buraka Son Sistema’s Pongolove on the rolling cumbia-infused Duvido offers up something of a coup, as well as one of most infectious highlights here, especially as harder buzzing synths rise up against the tumbling batucada percussion. Arada meanwhile sees Ethiopian singer Dereb The Ambassador adding his vocals to a spooky, half skanking backdrop of jazz horns and hiphop beats that carries a vague Arkestra vibe, before Sol Clap takes off on an upbeat wander as fluid African highlife rhythms get taken off on a crisp house tip and flutes snake against latin horns. Rather than coming across as simply being some coffee table exercise in ethnotourism, Magnetica consistently feels like it has integrity to it, something aided by the diverse and impressive vocal talents gathered here. chris downton

The XX juggernaut may be temporarily at rest, but Jamie XX keeps on with his, to-date, solid production work. Sleep Sounds starts and stutters all over the shop, but it’s not disconcerting. Instead, the disjointed nature invites inquiry throughout instead of pushing away. Vanishing voices punctuate throughout, but nothing seems constant here. Slightly hypnotising, and memorable.

infinity broke ‘swing a kitten’ The spiritual successor to one of Australia’s more underrated bands (Bluebottle Kiss), Infinity Broke’s debut single doesn’t take long to state it’s intentions. Infinity Broke seem, in a word, intense. Even the soft, quiet bits here aren’t that soft or quiet. Both aggressive and endearing at the same time. A top track.

ciggie witch ‘long weekend’ Ciggie Witch, despite the ugly name, make some pretty music. An offshoot of The Ocean Party, the most accurate descriptor here is “summery”. Long Weekend contains all the bits of dolewave that critics tend to fawn over, from the social realism in the lyrics to the slick guitar melodies.

the chainsmokers ‘#selfie’ This is either a decent piece of social commentary regarding the underlying vapidity that the selfie brings out in all of us sometimes OR one of the most disposable pieces of dance-pop this year. While the two options presented above are quite disparate, they both revolve around the interpretation of the listener, probably with relation to the number of drinks they have had. A truly subjective pop song

the word

on films

WITH MELISSA WELLHAM

This issue of BMA I review George Clooney’s latest directorial effort The Monuments Men and – spoiler alert – find it lacking. But one thing I would like to say in defence of Clooney is that for a Hollywood star, he really does seem to give a shit. He creates films about politics and journalism and the importance of culture. He spends his money on funding satellites above Sudan to build cases against war criminals. Some of his films might be lacklustre, but you’ve got to give him a whole lot of credit

quote of the issue “If you destroy their history, you destroy their achievements and it’s as if they never existed.” – Frank Stokes (George Clooney), The Monuments Men

The Monuments Men

The Lego Movie

I, Frankenstein

George Clooney is a director of variable skill. Case in point: he directed the phenomenal homage to great American journalist Edward R Murrow - and timely homage to the principle of good journalism Good Night and Good Luck. And he also directed The Monuments Men.

Co-directors and screenwriters Phil Lord and Chris Miller go three from three with The Lego Movie and prove that they are the biggest kids in Hollywood (they made the excellent Cloudy with and Chance of Meatballs and 21 Jump Street). The Lego Movie is targeted at children but it retains that fine balance of humour and heart that was thrown down during the animation renaissance that began with Toy Story. The goal is to keep adults entertained more than the kids, but The Lego Movie acts like a great leveler and it has the ability to turn a room of people of various ages into giggling bundles of joy.

This ridiculous, faux-gothic farce is such an obvious bid to cash in on the fad started by films like Underworld that I almost admire its audacity. Almost.

The Monuments Men is an action-drama focusing on an unlikely platoon of art historians and curators, who are charged with going into Germany as World War II draws to a close, to rescue masterpieces of art from the Nazis – who have pillaged culture from every country in their path. The film is surprisingly lackluster considering the enormity, absurdity and cinematic quality of the source material. Partly this is due to a script that crams too many years into two hours, without allowing for the audience to form any real connection with the characters. And partly this is due to a totally confused script, which awkwardly wavers between slapstick and heartbreak. Luckily, Clooney has friends in talented places and that’s what makes this film bearable. Clooney himself is the leader of their rag-tag crew and others include Matt Damon, Bill Murray, John Goodman, Jean Dujardin and a little help from Cate Blanchett. The scenes of straight-up art porn in The Monuments Men provide brief respite from the confused script, but ultimately the film is expressionless – and not as moving as the art its characters are trying to save. MELISSA WELLHAM

There is a message in the mirth and it’s the usual kids flick catnip, but apart from the familiar morals present, there’s a really nice bit of subtext about the power of creativity. Also, for a film produced by a toy conglomerate it’s surprisingly anti-corporate but I did want to hoard copious amounts of Lego afterwards so for all the people who think this film is just a commercial for toys; it most certainly is. But it’s Lego and it’s one of the last toys to allow little kids (and big kids) to use their minds to create worlds where Superman can hang out with a bunch of pirates and spacemen from the 1980s. And that’s where The Lego Movie succeeds the most, by reminding us of the art of ‘play’ and the ability to let our thoughts manifest in cubist creations. CAMERON WILLIAMS

The action kicks off right away, with I, Frankenstein leaping straight into its barely thoughtout and thoroughly clichéd plot. Frankenstein’s monster (Aaron Eckhart), lurks in the shadows, works alone and occasionally fights demons. Having lived for centuries, he has baggage, a pointlessly ripped torso and some questions about who he is. On top of that, there is a long-running battle between good and evil being waged, with Miranda Otto and Bill Nighy heading up the opposing sides. The relationship between good and evil, meddlesome science and the nature of man is all addressed here, but I think they put more thought into the gargoyles’ leather tunics than the plot (yeah, there are gargoyles). This is a terrible film. The acting is bland, the special effects are of varying quality and the fight scenes only mildly exciting. Plus, Eckhart lumbers through his scenes like a block of wood, looking either constipated or befuddled. I, Frankenstein is neither witty enough nor kick-ass enough. The striking colour palette is occasionally breathtaking, but overall this is a snore (apart from some cool-looking weapons and gargoyle effects, but shit, nothing you can’t see on HBO). There is action here, but little fun – in fact, I, Frankenstein is pretty lifeless. MEGAN McKEOUGH

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Noah Darren Aronofsky always had his work cut out for him with the decision to adapt a Bible epic for the 21st century. You probably know the story. Russell Crowe stars as Noah, Jennifer Connelly stars as his wife Naameh, Emma Watson as his adopted daughter Ila and three young men as Noah’s rather poorly sketched-out biological sons. The family clashes with Methuselah (Anthony Hopkins) – who represents the worst parts of humanity, as they struggle to build an ark after Noah receives a vision from the Creator. For those who hold this story close to their hearts, they may well see it as a fable of human sacrifice and hope. For me, I saw it as a morality tale about climate change, as well as a reflection on how human beings can interpret the word of a spiritual higher power to suit their own purposes. The striking time-lapse sequences, grand graphics and sweeping visuals over scenery make Noah an interesting film to watch – but visuals can only keep someone entertained for so long. The first half of the film is suspenseful, gripping and poses ethical questions without too much angst. The second half of the film, however – dealing with a moral dilemma that could have easily been written into the first – drags the film down. For a film about a flood of literally biblical proportions, it ends on a low note. MELISSA WELLHAM

Captain America: The Winter Soldier If a Tom Clancy novel had an affair with a comic book, the lovechild would be Captain America: Winter Soldier. The final product is a tug-of-war between grit and goof. Steve Rogers/Captain America (Chris Evans) is settling into modern life and being deployed by the intelligence organisation S.H.I.E.L.D. When a mysterious assassin known as the Winter Soldier targets high ranking S.H.I.E.L.D officials, Rogers teams up with Agent Natasha Romanoff/The Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) to uncover the mastermind of the threat. The tone is fractured but the film is exhilarating when the gruffness falls away. As the camera pans across Washington D.C it feels like you’ve been dropped into a Phillip Noyce thriller. But when Rogers’ leap-frogs a jet fighter on a motorcycle you’re back in the realm of superheroes. Each action sequence is larger-thanlife to embolden the cartoonish nature of the characters with jetpacks, lifesaving gizmos and plenty of ‘pew pew pew’ – it’s hard not to get a little giddy. Evans still imbues Rogers with a heroic purity representative of the greatest generation that gives Superman a run for his money in the ‘truth, justice and the American way’ department. Johansson’s secret agent act beefs up the case for her character to get her own film and Samuel L. Jackson finally gets in on the action as Nick Fury. Captain America: Winter Soldier is a riot when it confesses to be based on a comic book but blunders the attempt to be stern. CAMERON WILLIAMS

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the word on dvds

A Band Called Death [Madman] Even amongst music aficionados, Death aren’t really the go-to band when you talk about the birth of punk. But this film makes a pretty convincing case that the trio of African American brothers are a potential root of US punk. And without this low budget doco, the lives of the Hackney brothers it might have remained a complete mystery. David, Bobby and Dannis Hackney grew up in Burlington, Vermont. Though money was scarce and it was a religious household, David had a vision he and his brothers could be the biggest band in the world. He dreamt big enough to convince his brothers to practice for hours every day. Motown, Stax was the obvious path for a trio of black teenagers in the 70’s but classic rock took hold strong and soon enough Death were making a name for themselves, for want of a better term. They were good. Very good. Legendary-producer Clive Davis is interested good. But the dogmatic and charismatic David refused to change the band’s name. He held onto to a guiding philosophy where Death was a positive term, not the obvious negative connotation. Record label after record label refused to consider the band with that name, regardless of how well argued his theory was. And so, Death were never the stars David envisioned despite getting that close. A Band Called Death could be dismissed as an interesting sidenote were it not for the fact that Death were a great band - melodic, driving in a Stooges way but with more flair and deeper soul. Problem is most of their music has remained unreleased or on small print runs. And that’s the value of this doco. It educates and advocates – telling us who Death were and why they deserve our attention. A Band Called Death is one of the most infectious and life affirming music docos you’ll ever see. justin hook

Masters of Sex – The Complete First Season [Universal Sony]

Prisoners [Warner Home Video]

Sex sells, but there was a time when using sex to move merchandise was quite alien, even offensive. Society needed taboos to be broken so the ad men of Madison Avenue could sex up every conceivable consumer durable and those taboos were first shattered by the ground-breaking work of Dr William Masters and his assistant Virginia Johnson through their Masters and Johnson sex research. Presented as a stuffy but unflappable gynaecologist, Masters (Michael Sheen) realised early in his career (the mid 1950’s) that little was known about the, umm, insand-outs of human sexuality. Already working in the field, he pushed the boundaries of acceptable clinical trials by getting subjects to wire themselves to machines and fuck in his lab. For science, you know. Understandably there was fierce resistance from the academic establishment. And that was before his superiors found about about the glass dildo called Ulysses with a small camera in it. Fittingly, the research was a partnership between the highly qualified Masters and the, initially, incredibly unqualified Johnson (the always brilliant Lizzy Caplan finally getting a decent role). Though Johnson lacked fancy letters after her name she had a much keener awareness of what her contemporaries were doing in the bedroom. It’s hard to imagine the research getting off the ground in her absence. For the topic matter involved, Masters of Sex is mercifully free of audiencechasing smut or unnecessary nudity. Naturally, there is a decent quota of raw flesh but it’s not Game of Thrones let’s-get-it-on style. It’s bland, neutral, scientific. Stylistically the show is close to early Mad Men only with more masturbating, smart arse kids and witty dialogue, but not an anti-hero in sight. Thank god.

Why was Prisoners the forgotten movie of the 2013? It can’t be the casting; Hugh Jackman is a bona fide movie star, helming his own Marvel franchise. Jake Gyllenhaal might not be at his Brokeback Mountain heights but he’s still firmly entrenched as a Hollywood A-lister. Melissa Leo, Paul Dano, Maria Bello and Terrance Howard are the sort of character actors that elevate the mundane into magnificent. Then there’s the plot, though familiar, has plenty of thorns to keep the most jaded viewer on edge. It’s moody as all get up, the bleak cinematography expertly capturing the dread unfolding on screen and the script has no obvious clangers. It ticks all the boxes you’d want from a major motion picture thriller, but it pretty much vanished. Maybe it’s because Prisoners feels like a European slow burner that audiences more attuned to smash and grab theatrics in their child kidnapping films found it a drag. And there’s no doubt, it’s tough; a pair of pre-teen girls are kidnapped in the middle of suburbia on a gloomy afternoon. All signs point to developmentally challenged loner Alex Jones (Paul Dano) who was in the area around the same time in a creepy campervan/kidnapping machine. But he is dismissed as a suspect. So one of the fathers (a return to proper acting for Hugh Jackman) does the obvious thing and takes the law into his own hand, stalking the deceitful-acting Jones. What follows is a grim unwinding of a man’s mind where decisions cloaked in fear, anger and retribution inevitably make a terrible situation even worse. And it just keeps on going down sullen dead ends. In the process Prisoners skewers the patriarchal revenge fantasy genre and makes for aggressively uncomfortable viewing. On reflection, maybe this wasn’t multiplex material after all.

justin hook

@bmamag

DANCE THE DROP

There is a reason why dark clouds loom over the capital this time of year. Why the sky cries cold and lonely tears, infecting Canberrans with a miserable and incurable pathogen whose symptoms include depression, lethargy and malignant FOMO. The sun has forgotten us, moving tens of thousands of kilometres away to the twerking capital of the world, Miami, Florida. The annual Miami Winter (if you can call it that) Music Conference is a mecca for DJ’s, electronic artists and fans of general hedonism. The week-long celebration, held in the last two weeks of March, is a non-stop calendar of boat parties, club nights, pool parties, label nights, exclusive VIP soirees and musical malevolence. It also showcases the Ultra Music Festival, a high octane showcase of big tunes and even bigger pyrotechnic displays. Furthermore, the Miami Winter Music Conference is the place where timeless tales eventuate, where clubbing boys become clubbing men. My man on the ground Gavan O’Connor-Risch (aka Peekz) is currently stationed on South Beach and this is his wrap up of the trials and tribulations of Miami 2014.

“There are really only two bad things about Miami and that’s getting between downtown and south beach during WMC/MMW and the fact that WMC/MMW only happens once a year,” says O’ConnorRisch. “There’s something for everyone here –great food, great eye candy, lots of shopping and of course the clubs/parties/Ultra Music Festival. The ‘winter’ weather is almost perfect aside from the humidity and the odd shower and the people are great as well, many of whom are travelling party goers from around the world. Miami is definitely one to put on the to-do list if you like to have fun.”

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Anyone here in a nice Sable relationship? PANG! is looking directly at you. Sable is one of the most exciting newcomers to the Chillwave movement. His productions are a perfect paradox between dancing up a storm and sitting in a beanbag with a bong watching whale’s mate on the discovery channel. If smooth grooves are your cup of tea, get down to Trinity Bar on Friday April 11 for the Feels So Good national tour. NV have a couple of sweaty events coming up this weekend. Melbournian mashers Press Play and Done Right fill the venue with electro and Melbourne bounce on Friday April 11 and evil club night Chrome takes over on Saturday April 12 with exclusive industrial underground electronic noise…or something to the effect. Before I sign off, I must make a personal admission. I was at one point in my life quite a vinyl purist. Anyone caught pressing brightly lit buttons on a CD ‘turntable’ were instantly ostracised from my inner circle. To this day, I still clutch on to a few hundred of my favourite records although over time my harsh critique has been slowly chiselled away with the advent of new and exciting digital technology. Landspeed Records are holding their annual Record Store Day on Saturday April 19, so I implore you all to head down and flip through some big old black discs and see what life used to be like before you could lug your entire music collection around on a tiny plastic stick. TIM GALVIN tim.galvin@live.com.au

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the word

Billy Bragg, Courtney Barnett Canberra Theatre Centre Wednesday March 19

on gigs

Courtney Barnett is unflinchingly honest onstage. I have absolutely nothing to base this on, however. I don’t really know her from a bar of soap. But she seems honest onstage, with her tales of suburbia and discontent over a jangly guitar. The value of authenticity only has worth if said authenticity is perceived by the audience. And the crowd in the theatre were buying it. Barnett is definitely one of Australia’s finest emerging storytellers and her future seems to be very bright. Billy Bragg brings a different sense of authenticity to the stage; one hardened over by years of protest and discontent. Most in the crowd were brought in by not only Bragg’s undeniable musical talent, but also his position as an unofficial spokesperson for the British Left over the years.

PHOTO BY Mark Turner

the word

The large part of Bragg’s back-catalogue, which got a large workout on the night, is intertwined with idea of protest through art – even his big ‘pop’ hit is a cry against homophobia. Bragg and his capable band started out with his recent detour into “Americana”, which I’m not sure is still Americana if it’s a bloke from Essex doing it. Nonetheless, Bragg effortlessly switched from frontman of a band to solo spokesperson to solo musician back to the band again and moved through the genre shifts and decades past. More importantly, he brought the audience along with him. For mine, the highlight of the night wasn’t his social commentary nor his fantastic adaptations of Woody Guthrie songs. Instead it was his Kraftwerk inspired rework of ‘A New England’. Even reading this back now makes me think of how unexpected it was and how well it actually worked Cody Atkinson

The Smith Street Band, The Menzingers, Grim Fandango Transit Bar Sunday March 30

on gigs

PHOTO BY Mark Turner

The Smith Street Band must have a thing for Sunday evening shows here. They sold out in 2013 and tonight was no different. The floor was just a quarter full, the lights still burning brightly, when Perth’s Grim Fandango from kicked off. Beginning with ‘Collider’, they gave a tight set of melodic rock/punk with some nice interplay between the guitars. The band swapped singing duties between members, with a little guest vocal assistance from SSB frontman and drummer. A good scrum (with checked shirts competing with T-shirts) had formed to welcome The Menzingers from Philadelphia. They got the crowd onside early (clapping hands raised high) and while it was their first Canberra visit, plenty of punters knew the words. Plus, I’ve never seen the pool tables so quiet; a tribute to any band. The Menzingers also employed a two vocalist format, swapping between the punk quality of Tom May and the graver voice of Greg Barnett. Set highlights included ‘Casey’ and ‘The Obituaries’. SSB began with a request that everyone should offer the person on either side of them a kiss and cuddle. They had the audience revved up early, for what was at times more of a community sing-along than a gig. Their crowd engagement, both with lyrics to which people related and in their interface with the punters, was impressive. The Transit ‘choir’ yelped happily at the opening notes of ‘Ducks Fly Together’. Vocalist Wil Wagner praised the audience behaviour as being unlike Sydney where he had to spend half his time trying to stop fights. Wagner did not get off lightly here though, as the mic chipped his tooth. SSB wrapped up with a storming version of ‘Young Drunk’. Rory McCartney

@bmamag

the word

on gigs

PHOTO BY Clinton Hatfield

the word

on gigs

PHOTO BY Steve Nebauer

Twelve Foot Ninja, The Algorithm, Escape Syndrome Canberra ANU Bar Thursday March 27 It’s typical, no? A rare, top-class midweek hard rock show in the Nation’s Capital and the weather stinks, just absolutely stinks. Yet despite the heavy rain and cool temperatures, the cognoscenti are here, in goodly enough number to create an atmosphere and enjoying local hopefuls Escape Syndrome going through the early evening ice breaking process with a set of enjoyable modern rock that frequently sets the pulse racing due to the impassioned delivery and quality songwriting on offer. Whistles whetted musically, we wait, beers in hand to see what French maverick The Algorithm has up his sleeve for us. We’re back in the bar two songs later. However impressive The Algorithm might be on wax (and their polydecibel progressive performances are rather alluring in recorded form, let me tell you), watching a bloke with a Mac and a live drummer noodling for an hour ain’t where it’s at in the live arena. Thankfully, some sort of rock normality is restored via the hard work of tonight’s main attraction, Melbourne heavy fusionists Twelve Foot Ninja. They are, of course, internet darlings thanks to some very inventive and highly amusing video clips, but it’s pleasing to report that this isn’t just some sort of ‘virtual’ attraction here. TFN are very much the living, breathing real deal. I’m always worried when the word ‘fusion’ is bandied about – too often that soubriquet is just another word for lift music. But in this case it’s a perfect term as the band merges metal, funk, jazz, salsa – all the good stuff in other words – into one steaming, crowd-pleasing stew over the course of a long but never dull set. Marvellous stuff. Scott Adams

Stonefield Transit Bar Wednesday March 26 As old age creeps up, every now and then a reality check is needed to clear the head. This aging photographer had one mid-week at the Transit Bar, a reality that took me back thirty years and more. The days of INXS, Angels and Young Docteurs proved that if a band is made up of talented individuals creating self-expression as a unit, (even if just starting), that group will likely withstand the tests of time. It was a delight to witness a group of young people in one such band – Stonefield. Wow, what a night. Solid, chunky, mesmerizing and tight, Stonefield are four young sisters from Victoria playing talented rock originals – along with one cover that sent me into a memory frenzy with a rowdy, near perfect rendition of Zeppelin’s ‘Whole Lotta Love’. Energetic, mentally and physically connected, they play with a professional rawness that stretches above each individual age. Brilliant bassist Holly was the backbone of a sound with so much depth and although pushed into the back corner of the small stage, continued to produce amazing grungy beats faultlessly throughout the show. Her basslines were ntertwined with funky, trippy rhythms from Sarah on keyboards and Hannah, amazing on lead guitar. Powerhouse vocals were provided by Amy, who played occasional drums and hits them like her vocals – loudly, with aggressive clarity. Their touring drummer Manny Bourakis also had a solid gig, fitting in well. A well behaved but totally into it crowd, meant everybody had a great night. Stonefield were entertaining and enjoyable and I went home rocked out, tired and happy. Go check them out, you won’t be sorry – they will go onto bigger and better things. Steve Nebauer

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the word

Palms, Gooch Palms, Sweet Shoppe Transit Bar Saturday March 15

on gigs

With a show called Palmarama, I was half expecting a bushy palm tree and Clive Palmer to meet me at the door. The big man usually never misses an opportunity for a bit of publicity, but maybe a night of punk rock isn’t down his alley. A bit of a shame, because the night was superb, even without his presence. Sweet Shoppe hit the stage first. Sweet Shoppe are best described as an amalgam of the various bands from which their members are from, such as Mornings, Sex Noises and Primary Colours. Unlike other hybrid bands, their voice and attitude on stage seems to be clear and not hacked together haphazardly. Each member had their own part, their own role on stage. Sweet Shoppe sound like a band building and growing together and one that shows a promising future at this early stage. I know this is going on a bit of a tangent here, but here goes. Thank fuck for live music. Live music is visceral, it’s energetic, it’s bloody well life affirming at times. That last sentence may seem hyperbolic to you but it’s not to me. There are few feelings like seeing a great live band or, even better, a great gig from tip to tail. Gooch Palms are a band to invoke such emotions. They play with a simple set up – just a snare, floor tom, a guitar hooked up to a couple of pedals and a couple of mics. But the manner in which they play is what elevates them as a live band. They play with intensity, but with a touch of panache. They make the music really seem “live” and not an endless recreation of tired material in front of a disenchanted audience. While both members are both extremely energetic onstage, the band play with a sense of moderation, which only serves to heighten the intensity of the set. Playing material off their debut album and ode to Newcastle, Novos, Gooch Palms alternate between depreciation of their hometown and acting as its de-facto tourism board. It worked: I now want to visit Newcastle to hang shit on it. But more than that, I had an urge to see Gooch Palms again, as soon as I could. And that’s a sure sign of a good band. After winning the coin toss before the show, Palms had the honour of headlining the gig. Palms started their set assuredly, with frontman Al Grigg commanding the stage and the audience in front. Palms’ main concern was seemingly trying to out-rock their previous goal, their achievements from nights before. Guitar solos were flying around, with propulsive guitars kicking through. When the gig seemed like it was running out of stream and energy flowed out of the room, Grigg took it took the crowd, literally, by setting up about three meters into the dance floor. The rest of the band didn’t miss a beat. Guttural energy on the ground level brought out the best in the beast, with the show kicking along through it’s third hour. It also helps to have stellar material, which Palms had in spades. The raw energy displayed on the night by all three bands would have amounted to naught if the material backing it wasn’t up to scratch. But the key theme throughout the gig was the quality of songwriting on display; raw and unpolished in parts but ultimately fulfilling in delivery.

PHOTOS BY Megan Leahy

Cody Atkinson

@bmamag

ENTERTAINMENT GUIDE Wed Apr 9 - Fri Apr 11

Listings are a free community service. Email editorial@bmamag.com to have your events appear each issue. wednesday april 9

Twelfth Night

Art Exhibitions

Directed by Ed Wightman. 8pm, Wed to Sat, 28 March – 12 April. Tickets $35/$40.THEATRE 3

The Rural Series

A play by Emma Gibson. 730pm. $25.

Ray McJannett explores the landscapes and stories of the historic districts of Yass and Gunning. 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

Graham Fransella

Figure and landscape paintings and works on paper. Tue to Fri 10am-5pm Sat and Sun 9am-5pm until April 15.

Johnny Castellano is Mine

Art Exhibitions

TRANSIT BAR

Ray McJannett explores the landscapes and stories of the historic districts of Yass and Gunning.

Flex your noggin. Table bookings essential! 2 for $20 pizzas. 7:30pm. Free.

thursday april 10

Luminous World

Sculptures using objects exposed to the Australian landscape. 10am-5pm (125pm weekends). Until June 8. CANBERRA MUSEUM AND GALLERY

Unmade Edges: A Centenary Legacy Exhibition Works inspired by Canberra’s regional villages. 10am-4pm. Tuesday-Sunday until April 15il 17. Free. BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

Avital Sheffer

Ceramics inspired by Middle Eastern and Jewish heritage. Tue to Fri 10am5pm Sat and Sun 9am-5pm until April 15.

Contemporary work by Australian and New Zealand artists, including a Indigenous art. Until June 29. NATIONAL LIBRARY OF AUSTRALIA

The Rural Series

Ray McJannett explores the landscapes and stories of the historic districts of Yass and Gunning. BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

Dance Interplay

Sydney Dance Company triple bill. 7.30pm. $30/$63. CANBERRA THEATRE CENTRE

Live Music Thursday Jazz at Smith’s

Karaoke

Luke Greenhalgh, Barnaby Briggs, Julian Fung and Johnathan HardingClarke. 8pm. $5.

Curry-Oke Wednesdays

Chicago Charles & Dave

BEAVER GALLERIES

Hosted by Jonathan Davis. 8pm. Free Entry. DIGRESS COCKTAIL BAR

SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE

9.15pm-12.15am. Free.

KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

Glass Towers

Live Music

With The London Town Fire and The Alternative. 8pm. $15.

CMC Presents Faye Blais

The Germein Sisters

With Hashemoto. 7.30pm. $5. SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE

Something Different Jelly Days

Old Parliament House could be your office for aday! Receive free wifi plus cafe discounts. 14/28 Mar OLD PARLIAMENT HOUSE

Acoustic Soup

friday april 11

Transit Trivia

Elioth Gruner: The Texture of Light Hamilton Darroch: Sun Trap

HOLY CROSS LUTHERAN CHURCH

Trivia

BEAVER GALLERIES

CANBERRA MUSEUM AND GALLERY

All levels welcome. Bring paper, easels and drawing materials. 1–3pm. $12/ day.

THE STREET THEATRE

Art Exhibitions

Mon-Fri 10-5pm, Sat and Sun 12-5pm.

Workshops Life Drawing Workshop

TRANSIT BAR

With Bryce Wastney and Michael John Horneman. 7.30pm. $15. THE FRONT GALLERY AND CAFÉ

Nick Rigby

Thursdays 6-9pm. Sundays 5-8pm. Free. THE LOFT AT DUXTON

Thursday Long Play

Brennan plays groove & jazz. 5-7pm. Free.

The Rural Series

BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

The Dobell Drawing Prize

20 Years of Australian Drawing. Wednesday-Sunday. 12-5pm. Free. DRILL HALL GALLERY

Dance Interplay

Sydney Dance Company triple bill. 7.30pm. $30/$63. CANBERRA THEATRE CENTRE

Karaoke A. Baker Friday

Toggle fuses acoustic with electronic instruments. 5-8pm. Free. A. BAKER

Live Music Revelations

With Punchdagger, Purity and Silver Lining. 8pm. $5. MAGPIES CITY CLUB

Pang! presents Sable

Feels So Good Tour. Doors 8pm $15 Before 11pm TRINITY BAR

Alive Fridays

Presents Nick Warren (UK) .$15 before Midnight. ACADEMY NIGHTCLUB

Positive Feedback Loop

With The Crossbones. 7.30pm. $10. SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE

Mitch / The Mighty Yak

5pm afternoon session/10.00pm band. Free KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

Mucho Sonar

With Tonk, Sewer Sideshow. 8pm. $10. TRANSIT BAR

Metal Fiesta 5

Foot Sativa, Frankenbok, Witchgrinder .Doors 8pm. $20. THE BASEMENT

Oragnic food and live music. 7pm. $10 entry $8 for students/ members.

HOTEL HOTEL

ANU FOOD CO-OP

On The Town

Blues and Roots. 6-9pm. Free.

Zine Lounge

4Some Thursdays

On The Town

ACADEMY NIGHTCLUB

Retro Weekends

Make your own handmade comic or magazine. Open daily 9-5pm. OLD PARLIAMENT HOUSE

Theatre Lies, Love and Hitler.

A play by Elizabeth Avery Scott. Tickets via cada.net.au. $25-$35.

CANBERRA ACADEMY OF DRAMATIC ART

Warts and All

A play by Bruce Hoogendoorn. Ever wanted to prune your family tree? 2/8pm. $15–25. THE COURTYARD STUDIO

10pm-12am. Free.

Theatre Lies, Love and Hitler.

A play by Elizabeth Avery Scott. Tickets via cada.net.au. $25-$35.

CANBERRA ACADEMY OF DRAMATIC ART

Twelfth Night

Directed by Ed Wightman. 8pm, Wed to Sat, 28 March – 12 April. Tickets $35/$40. THEATRE 3

Johnny Castellano is Mine

A play by Emma Gibson. 730pm. $25. THE STREET THEATRE

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BandJava

BENCHMARK WINE BAR

DJ Sass & DJ Tasha. 80’s/90’s party classics. 9pm. Free. DIGRESS COCKTAIL BAR

Something Different Jelly Days

Old Parliament House could be your office for aday! Receive free wifi plus cafe discounts. 14/28 Mar OLD PARLIAMENT HOUSE

Tarot Card Reading 6–8pm. Free entry.

POLIT BAR & LOUNGE

ENTERTAINMENT GUIDE Fri Apr 11- Tues Apr 15 friday april 11 Theatre Twelfth Night

Directed by Ed Wightman. 8pm, Wed to Sat, 28 March – 12 April. Tickets $35/$40. THEATRE 3

Johnny Castellano is Mine

A play by Emma Gibson. 730pm. $25. THE STREET THEATRE

saturday april 12 Art Exhibitions Hamilton Darroch: Sun Trap

Sculptures using objects exposed to the Australian landscape. 10am-5pm (125pm weekends). Until June 8. CANBERRA MUSEUM AND GALLERY

The Rural Series

Ray McJannett explores the landscapes and stories of the historic districts of Yass and Gunning. 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.

Sol de España presents Flamenco

Local and interstate artists. 8pm. $44/$50.

Theatre Twelfth Night

THE QUEANBEYAN PERFORMING ARTS CENTRE

Directed by Ed Wightman. 8pm, Wed to Sat, 28 March – 12 April. Tickets $35/$40.

Live Music

Johnny Castellano is Mine

Music, Lunch

Singer/songwriter Beth Monzo. 11-1pm.

THEATRE 3

A play by Emma Gibson. 730pm. $25. THE STREET THEATRE

MOCAN & GREEN GROUT

sunday april 13

John Butler Trio

monday april 14 Art Exhibitions The Rural Series

Ray McJannett explores the landscapes and stories of the historic districts of Yass and Gunning. BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

Comedy

The Flesh and Blood tour, with Mama Kin. 7:30pm. $68.70+ thru Ticketek.

Art Exhibitions

Schnitz & Giggles Improvised Comedy

Pang! presents Akouo

The Rural Series

SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE

ROYAL THEATRE

DJ set. Doors 8pm. $15 Before 11pm TRINITY BAR

Love Saturdays

With Rawson. $10 all night.

ACADEMY NIGHTCLUB

Uncle Jed

Funk/soul/reggae/jazz. 8pm. $10.

SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE

4th Degree

10:30pm. Free.

KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

Antonemasia

With Dark Nemesis, Sleeper, Delinquent, Harley Quinn. Doors 8pm. $15. THE BASEMENT

Ray McJannett explores the landscapes and stories of the historic districts of Yass and Gunning. BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

6.30pm – 8pm. $5.

Live Music Moon Day Fusion

Comedy

Ashley Feraude spins with Julian Fung on sax. 5-730pm.

LOL Pol Standup Comedy

The Bootleg Sessions

Open Mic. Sign up or just lounge and LOL. 5pm. Free. POLIT BAR & LOUNGE

Live Music Sunday Sipper

DJ Brenton K and Degg. 3-8pm. Free.

HOTEL HOTEL

On behalf of Phoenix Pub. 8pm. $5. SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE

Something Different Sunken Stories of Old Acton

Exhibition of stories the lake before it was filled. 10-2pm. Free.

Xzibit

A. BAKER

MECHE

Thursdays 6-9pm. Sundays 5-8pm. Free.

Trivia

DJs playing industrial, EBM, dark electro and alternative. 9pm-late. $10.

Sunday Sounds and Sangria at Smith’s

Transit trivia returns with your host Rainman. Book now on (02) 6162 0899. 7pm. Free.

Works inspired by Canberra’s regional villages. 10am-4pm. Tuesday-Sunday until April 15il 17. Free.

The Next Movement

SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE

Luminous World

8-12pm. Free.

Irish Jam Session.

Art Exhibitions

On The Town

KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

Ceramics inspired by Middle Eastern and Jewish heritage. Tue to Fri 10am5pm Sat and Sun 9am-5pm until April 15.

With Young De Demrick and DJ Invisible. 8pm. Price TBA.

Nick Rigby

Mon-Fri 10-5pm, Sat and Sun 12-5pm.

NV Nightclub

THE LOFT AT DUXTON

Unmade Edges: A Centenary Legacy Exhibition

HELLENIC CLUB (CIVIC)

BandJava. 3pm-5pm. $5.

CANBERRA MUSEUM AND GALLERY

Elioth Gruner: The Texture of Light

CANBERRA MUSEUM AND GALLERY

BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

Contemporary work by Australian and New Zealand artists, including a Indigenous art. Until June 29. NATIONAL LIBRARY OF AUSTRALIA

Avital Sheffer

Ceramics inspired by Middle Eastern and Jewish heritage. Tue to Fri 10am5pm Sat and Sun 9am-5pm until April 15. BEAVER GALLERIES

Dance Interplay

Sydney Dance Company triple bill. 7.30pm. $30/$63. CANBERRA THEATRE CENTRE

Hip Hop and Funk. 8pm. $10.

Nick Rigby

Kimosabi

THE DUXTON

TRANSIT BAR

THE LOFT AT DUXTON

Retro Weekends

DJ Sass & DJ Tasha. 80’s/90’s party classics. 9pm. Free. DIGRESS COCKTAIL BAR

Something Different The Australian Running Festival Registrations and run information at runningfestival.com.au. OLD PARLIAMENT HOUSE

Trinity Bar DJ Workshop

Every Wednesday 6.30pm-8pm, Every Saturday 5.30pm-7pm. $15 per lesson or $100 for 10. Email trinitybardickson@gmail.com

3-6pm. Free.

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

BandJava

Blues and Roots. 3-5pm. Free. SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE

Sunday Afternoon Music

NISHI GALLERY

Rainman’s Trivial Excuse

TRANSIT BAR

tuesday april 15

Avital Sheffer

BEAVER GALLERIES

Enjoy breezy music, antipasti, platters and sangria. 130-330pm.

Graham Fransella

Something Different

BEAVER GALLERIES

OLD PARLIAMENT HOUSE

The Australian Running Festival Registrations and run information at runningfestival.com.au. OLD PARLIAMENT HOUSE

Figure and landscape paintings and works on paper. Tue to Fri 10am-5pm Sat and Sun 9am-5pm until April 15

The Rural Series

Ray McJannett explores the landscapes and stories of the historic districts of Yass and Gunning. BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

TRINITY BAR

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ENTERTAINMENT GUIDE Tues Apr 15 - Sat Apr 19 Karaoke Karaoke Love

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

Live Music Kids’ Cushion Concert

Kids concert with the Canberra Symphony Orchestra. 2.30pm and 4pm. Free. NISHI GALLERY

For Today

With Prepared Like A Bride. Doors 8pm. $30. THE BASEMENT

Something Different Bad!Slam!No!Biscuit!

Presented by Andrew Galan & Joel Barcham. 7.30pm. $5.

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

The Dobell Drawing Prize

Live Music

Thursday Long Play

Norm

Aidan Lowe Trio plays original jazz. 5-730pm. Free. HOTEL HOTEL

20 Years of Australian Drawing. Wednesday-Sunday. 12-5pm. Free.

Pang! presents Touch Sensitive

Hamilton Darroch: Sun Trap

TRINITY BAR

DRILL HALL GALLERY

Sculptures using objects exposed to the Australian landscape. 10am-5pm (125pm weekends). Until June 8. CANBERRA MUSEUM AND GALLERY

Luminous World

Contemporary work by Australian and New Zealand artists, including a Indigenous art. Until June 29. NATIONAL LIBRARY OF AUSTRALIA

Karaoke

Future Classic. Doors 8pm. $20 before 11pm.

National Folk Festival 2014

8-12pm. Free.

THE LOFT AT DUXTON

A. Baker Friday

Cold Possum Sandwich plays a bakery groove. 5-8 A. BAKER

Weight Of Silence

See folkfestival.org.au for full program and ticketing details.

With Bane Of Bedlam, Road To Ransome, Mattersphere. Doors 8pm. $10.

Thursday Jazz at Smith’s

National Folk Festival 2014

SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE

EXHIBITION PARK IN CANBERRA (EPIC)

Simon Millman’s farewell. Coolio Desgracius and more. 8pm. $5.

Chicago Charles & Dave 9.15pm-12.15am. Free.

KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

Nick Rigby

THE BASEMENT

See folkfestival.org.au for full program and ticketing details.

Special K/ Oscar

5pm afternoon session/10pm band. Free. KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

Thursdays 6-9pm. Sundays 5-8pm. Free.

Holidays on Ice

DIGRESS COCKTAIL BAR

Glasshouse Presents

SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE

Trivial Tuesdays

TRANSIT BAR

SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE

Trivia

Curry-Oke Wednesdays

Hosted by Jonathan Davis. 8pm. Free Entry.

THE LOFT AT DUXTON

Angie Hart and Dean Manning with Reuben Ingall. 7.30pm. $10.

Bateman

Live Music

Olympic Ayres and Slow Turismo DJ set. Doors from 8. Price TBA.

DIGRESS COCKTAIL BAR

The Slow Death

VAMP: 7th Anniversary

MAGPIES CITY CLUB

Henry Ladd’s Game of Knowledge

MAGPIES CITY CLUB

Hosted By IQ Trivia. 1st Prize $75. 7pm. Free Entry

8-10pm. Free.

KNIGHTSBRIDGE PENTHOUSE

wednesday april 16 Art Exhibitions Glass Miniatures 2014

Curated by Lisa Cahill. Tues-Fri 11am5pm, Sat 11am-4pm. Until May 31. Free. BILK GALLERY

The Rural Series

Ray McJannett explores the landscapes and stories of the historic districts of Yass and Gunning. BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

Unmade Edges: A Centenary Legacy Exhibition Works inspired by Canberra’s regional villages. 10am-4pm. Tuesday-Sunday until April 15il 17. Free. BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

Elioth Gruner: The Texture of Light

Mon-Fri 10-5pm, Sat and Sun 12-5pm. CANBERRA MUSEUM AND GALLERY

With Nola, Regressor Blight Worms and Tired Minds. 8pm. $10.

With Laura Palmer, Yoko Oh No and Rather Be Dead. 8pm. $10.

DJs: Robot, Black Temple, Evil Chris, Xerstorkitte. 7pm-1am. Price TBA.

On The Town

CMC Presents Oh Pep!

Vamp at City Underground

Retro Weekends

7.30pm. $5.

SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE

The Firetree

Multi instrumental duo from Byron Bay.7.30pm. $10. THE FRONT GALLERY AND CAFÉ

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

thursday april 17 Art Exhibitions The Rural Series

Ray McJannett explores the landscapes and stories of the historic districts of Yass and Gunning. BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

Unmade Edges: A Centenary Legacy Exhibition

Works inspired by Canberra’s regional villages. 10am-4pm. Tuesday-Sunday until April 15il 17. Free.

A night of goth, industrial, dark wave and electro punk. 8pm-1am. Price TBA.

DJ Sass & DJ Tasha. 80’s/90’s party classics. 9pm. Free.

MAGPIES CITY CLUB

DIGRESS COCKTAIL BAR

On The Town

Something Different

Easter Thursday

Tarot Card Reading

$10 before 11pm.

ACADEMY NIGHTCLUB

Workshops Life Drawing Workshop

All levels welcome. Bring paper, easels and drawing materials. 1–3pm. $12/ day. HOLY CROSS LUTHERAN CHURCH

friday april 18 Art Exhibitions The Rural Series

Ray McJannett explores the landscapes and stories of the historic districts of Yass and Gunning. BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

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 19 Art Exhibitions Glass Miniatures 2014

Curated by Lisa Cahill. Tues-Fri 11am5pm, Sat 11am-4pm. Until May 31. Free. BILK GALLERY

Elioth Gruner: The Texture of Light

Mon-Fri 10-5pm, Sat and Sun 12-5pm. CANBERRA MUSEUM AND GALLERY

BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

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ENTERTAINMENT GUIDE Sat Apr 19 - Thurs Apr 24 Luminous World

Contemporary work by Australian and New Zealand artists, including a Indigenous art. Until June 29. NATIONAL LIBRARY OF AUSTRALIA

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

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

Hamilton Darroch: Sun Trap

sunday april 20

Sculptures using objects exposed to the Australian landscape. 10am-5pm (12-5pm weekends). Until June 8.

Live Music

The Dobell Drawing Prize

Enjoy breezy music, antipasti, platters and sangria. 1.30-3.30pm.

CANBERRA MUSEUM AND GALLERY

20 Years of Australian Drawing. Wednesday-Sunday. 12-5pm. Free. DRILL HALL GALLERY

Sunday Afternoon Music OLD PARLIAMENT HOUSE

Nick Rigby

Live Music

Thursdays 6-9pm. Sundays 5-8pm. Free.

Norm

Sunday Sipper

8-12pm. Free.

THE LOFT AT DUXTON

Music, Lunch

THE LOFT AT DUXTON

Brother J heats up the basement. 3-8pm. Free. A. BAKER

monday april 21 Live Music Moon Day Fusion

Electronic fusion. 5-730pm. Free. HOTEL HOTEL

National Folk Festival 2014

See folkfestival.org.au for full program and ticketing details. EXHIBITION PARK IN CANBERRA (EPIC)

The Bootleg Sessions

On behalf of Phoenix Pub. 8pm. $5. 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 april 22

Sax in the laneway with Julian Fung. 12-2pm. Free.

3 girls, a piano & a ukelele

Art Exhibitions

4 Dead In 5 Seconds

POLIT BAR & LOUNGE

Elioth Gruner: The Texture of Light

THE BASEMENT

Doors 8pm $10 All Night.

MOCAN & GREEN GROUT

Marianne Scholem, Lea Ridley and Susannah Browna. 5pm. Free.

With Chud. Doors 8pm. $10.

On&On presents NiCe7 (ITALY)

Mon-Fri 10-5pm, Sat and Sun 12-5pm.

Pang! DJ Competition

TRINITY BAR

Karaoke

TRINITY BAR

3-6pm. Free.

Doors 8pm Free Entry.

Nick Rigby

Love Saturdays

THE DUXTON

ACADEMY NIGHTCLUB

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

With The Projektz. $10 all night.

National Folk Festival 2014

See folkfestival.org.au for full program and ticketing details. EXHIBITION PARK IN CANBERRA (EPIC)

Heuristic

CANBERRA MUSEUM AND GALLERY

Karaoke Love

National Folk Festival 2014

See folkfestival.org.au for full program and ticketing details.

Toxic Holocaust

Echo Drama

THE BASEMENT

TRANSIT BAR

Former Thirsty Merc frontman with Ben Vanderwal. 8pm. $15.

With Skeletonwitch. Doors 7.30pm. $40.

SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE

The Weeping Willows. 3pm–5pm. $5.

On The Town

Canberra Blues Society Jam

DJ Sass & DJ Tasha. 80’s/90’s party classics. 9pm. Free. DIGRESS COCKTAIL BAR

Something Different Record Store Day

Secondhand record fair, plus limited releases for sale and DJ set by Jemist. 10am. LANDSPEED RECORDS

SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE

With The Steve Russell Band. 2–5:30pm. $3 members/$5 nonmembers. HARMONIE GERMAN CLUB

On The Town Heat

DJ Def Rok, RNB Superclub. $15 before 11pm. ACADEMY NIGHTCLUB

Theatre Horrible Histories

Awful Egyptians. 7pm Tuesday. 11am/3pm Wednesdsay. $59, or $196 family rate (2 adult + 2 child). CANBERRA THEATRE CENTRE

Trivia Trivial Tuesdays

20 Years of Australian Drawing. Wednesday-Sunday. 12-5pm. Free. DRILL HALL GALLERY

wednesday april 23 Karaoke Curry-Oke Wednesdays

Hosted by Jonathan Davis. 8pm. Free Entry. DIGRESS COCKTAIL BAR

Live Music Beth and Ben Live Recording

Live recording of debut album ‘Baggage Claim’. 8pm. $15. THE STREET THEATRE

Glory Hammer

With Lagerphone. Doors 8pm. Price TBA. THE BASEMENT

Sunken Stories of Old Acton 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

Theatre Horrible Histories

Awful Egyptians. 7pm Tuesday. 11am/3pm Wednesdsay. $59, or $196 family rate (2 adult + 2 child). CANBERRA THEATRE CENTRE

thursday april 24 Live Music Beth and Ben Live Recording

Hosted By IQ Trivia. 1st Prize $75. 7pm. Free Entry

Live recording of debut album ‘Baggage Claim’. 8pm. $15.

Henry Ladd’s Game of Knowledge

Captives

DIGRESS COCKTAIL BAR

8-10pm. Free.

KNIGHTSBRIDGE PENTHOUSE

tuesday april 22

THE STREET THEATRE

With Dead Joe, Vintage Vulva, Renegade Peacock, Lung. Doors 8pm. $15. THE BASEMENT

Trinity Bar presents Krafty Kuts (UK)

Art Exhibitions

Doors 8pm $20 before 11pm.

Fuelling Ed Radclyffe

Nick Rigby

Ed Radclyffe is a visual artist and musician with The Fuelers.Mon-Fri 10am-5pm Sat-Sun 12noon-5pm. CANBERRA MUSEUM AND GALLERY

Glass Miniatures 2014

Curated by Lisa Cahill. Tues-Fri 11am5pm, Sat 11am-4pm. Until May 31. Free. BILK GALLERY

The Dobell Drawing Prize

Exhibition of stories the lake before it was filled. 10-2pm. Free.

Sunday Sounds and Sangria at Smith’s

Retro Weekends

CANBERRA MUSEUM AND GALLERY

Live Music

Rai Thistlethwayte

Soul and Funk. 8pm. $10.

Sculptures using objects exposed to the Australian landscape. 10am-5pm (12-5pm weekends). Until June

KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

Plus guests. Reggae/Hip Hop. 7pm. Free.

Michael Wheatley

Hamilton Darroch: Sun Trap

Something Different

TRANSIT BAR

Betty and Oswald

THE FRONT GALLERY AND CAFÉ

NATIONAL LIBRARY OF AUSTRALIA

Croon and wail your heart out on the Transit stage. 9pm. Free.

EXHIBITION PARK IN CANBERRA (EPIC)

Gypsy Folk. 7.30pm. Price TBA.

Contemporary work by Australian and New Zealand artists, including a Indigenous art. Until June 29.

Irish Jam Session.

10:30pm. Free.

KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

Luminous World

TRINITY BAR

Thursdays 6-9pm. Sundays 5-8pm. Free. THE LOFT AT DUXTON

Something Different Shaken & Stirred

A Night of Glamour & Burlesque. 7301030pm. $20. POLIT BAR & LOUNGE

@bmamag

ENTERTAINMENT GUIDE Fri Apr 25 - Fri May 2 Workshops Life Drawing Workshop

All levels welcome. Bring paper, easels and drawing materials. 1–3pm. $12/ day. HOLY CROSS LUTHERAN CHURCH

friday april 25 Dance That Place in Between

Open rehearsal of new dance work by Cadi McCarthy. 6.30pm. $10 / $5 conc. BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

Live Music D.O.A. Farewell Tour

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

Hamilton Darroch: Sun Trap

Sculptures using objects exposed to the Australian landscape. 10am-5pm (125pm weekends). Until June 8. CANBERRA MUSEUM AND GALLERY

The Dobell Drawing Prize

20 Years of Australian Drawing. Wednesday-Sunday. 12-5pm. Free. DRILL HALL GALLERY

That Place in Between

Live Music

On The Town Retro Weekends

DJ Sass & DJ Tasha. 80’s/90’s party classics. 9pm. Free. DIGRESS COCKTAIL BAR

Something Different 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

Dansonfest

Raising funds for The Annual Ginger Ninja Punk Festival. 4pm. $15. THE BASEMENT

On The Town Retro Weekends

DJ Sass & DJ Tasha. 80’s/90’s party classics. 9pm. Free. 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

saturday april 26 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

CANBERRA MUSEUM AND GALLERY

Curry-Oke Wednesdays

Trinity Bar presents Basenji (SYD)

THE LOFT AT DUXTON

Mon-Fri 10-5pm, Sat and Sun 12-5pm.

monday april 28

Transit trivia returns with your host Rainman. Book now on (02) 6162 0899. 7pm. Free.

BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

8-12pm. Free.

Elioth Gruner: The Texture of Light

THE DUXTON

CANBERRA MUSEUM AND GALLERY

Mon-Fri 10-5pm, Sat and Sun 12-5pm.

THE DUXTON

Kimosabi

CANBERRA MUSEUM AND GALLERY

Friday 2-5pm. Sundays 3-6pm. Free.

Karaoke

Open rehearsal of new dance work by Cadi McCarthy. 6.30pm. $10 / $5 conc.

TRINITY BAR

Byron

Rainman’s Trivial Excuse

Byron

Doors 8pm. $15 before 11pm.

Sculptures using objects exposed to the Australian landscape. 10am-5pm (125pm weekends). Until June 8.

UNIVERSITY OF CANBERRA

Elioth Gruner: The Texture of Light

Dance

Friday 2-5pm. Sundays 3-6pm. Free.

Hamilton Darroch: Sun Trap

Line-up to be announced Wed Jan 29. See gtm.net.au for info/tickets.

Trivia

With Wolfpack, Bladder Spasms, Eye Gouge. Doors 8pm. THE BASEMENT

Groovin’ the Moo 2014

sunday april 27 Live Music Sunday Afternoon Music

Enjoy breezy music, antipasti, platters and sangria. 130-330pm. OLD PARLIAMENT HOUSE

Nick Rigby

Thursdays 6-9pm. Sundays 5-8pm. Free. THE LOFT AT DUXTON

Hosted by Jonathan Davis. 8pm. Free Entry. DIGRESS COCKTAIL BAR

TRANSIT BAR

Something Different

tuesday apriil 29

Jelly Days

Old Parliament House could be your office for aday! Receive free wifi plus cafe discounts. 14/28 Mar

Karaoke Karaoke Love

OLD PARLIAMENT HOUSE

Croon and wail your heart out on the Transit stage. 9pm. Free.

Trinity Bar DJ Workshop

Every Wednesday 6.30pm-8pm, Every Saturday 5.30pm-7pm. $15 per lesson or $100 for 10. Email trinitybardickson@gmail.com

TRANSIT BAR

Something Different

TRINITY BAR

Sunken Stories of Old Acton

Exhibition of stories the lake before it was filled. 10-2pm. Free.

friday may 2

NISHI GALLERY

Dance

Trivia

Island

Trivial Tuesdays

Hosted By IQ Trivia. 1st Prize $75. 7pm. Free Entry

Dance and Installation. Thur/Fri 8pm, Sat 2/8pm, Sun 6pm. Entry by donation.

Henry Ladd’s Game of Knowledge

Island

DIGRESS COCKTAIL BAR

Dance and Installation. Thur/Fri 8pm, Sat 2/8pm, Sun 6pm. Entry by donation.

8-10pm. Free.

THE COURTYARD STUDIO

KNIGHTSBRIDGE PENTHOUSE

On The Town

wednesday april 30

Retro Weekends

DJ Sass & DJ Tasha. 80’s/90’s party classics. 9pm. Free.

Art Exhibitions

DIGRESS COCKTAIL BAR

The Dobell Drawing Prize

20 Years of Australian Drawing. Wednesday-Sunday. 12-5pm. Free. DRILL HALL GALLERY

Luminous World

THE COURTYARD STUDIO

Something Different Tarot Reading - with Marisol

Contemporary work by Australian and New Zealand artists, including a Indigenous art. Until June 29.

Private Tarot Readings. 6-8pm. 10 spots. Book Marisol 0404 364 820. POLIT BAR & LOUNGE

NATIONAL LIBRARY OF AUSTRALIA

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

OUT

apr 23

dansonfest dz deathrays infinity broke calling all cars ...and more!

facebook.com/bmamagazine

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

The Steptones Where did your band name come from? After a long and arduous trek through the far East, our ever mysterious Jono, beater of wood and hide, spoke the only two words we’ve ever heard him utter: “The Steptones”. Group members? Patrick Ryan (Vocals/Guitar),Tim Douglass (Vocals/Guitar/Keys), Jono Warren (Vocals/Drums), Jack “Schwenky” Schwenke (Vocals/Bass). Describe your sound: We’ve been described as a mash-up of Jack Johnson and 60s guitar driven pop somehow hung together by Patrick’s folk-pop/soul vocal. Who are your influences, musical or otherwise? If you were to sum it up with a few names, perhaps Thirsty Merc, John Mayer, Jack Johnson, Coldplay, Crowded House, Pete Murray or Pink Floyd would be appropriate. What’s the most memorable experience you’ve had whilst performing? We had a gig at Phoenix where people ended up dancing up on tables, knocking over speakers and actually singing the words to some of our songs! The bouncer had to stop letting people in because the place was too packed and Schwenky’s bass got knocked out of tune for the last 2 songs of the set after a bunch of girls broke their way onto the stage. Of what are you proudest so far? Definitely our debut EP. We recently had the cover artwork finalised and released the first single, “Hold On”, so we’re itching to get it out there for people to hear. What are your plans for the future? We’re currently focusing all our energy on ensuring Groovin the Moo Canberra 2014 gets the opening it deserves and then launching our EP. What makes you laugh? Our bassist, Jack Schwenke. What pisses you off? Our bassist, Jack Schwenke.

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 Fire on the Hill Aaron 0410381306 Lachlan 0400038388 Fourth Degree Vic 0408477020

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 Strange Hour Events Dan 0411112075 Super Best Friends Sam White sam@imcmusic.net

What about the local scene would you change? Schwenky’s involvement in too many other bands. That and we’d like to see even more participation from the student crowds, both from ANU and UC.

Gareth Dailey DJ/Electronica Gareth 0414215885

What are your upcoming gigs? 27th April – Groovin the Moo Canberra @ The Meadows UC , 9th May – EP Launch @ The RUC at Turner Contact info: thesteptonesmusic@gmail. com / facebook.com/thesteptones

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

Groovalicious Corporate/ weddings/private functions 0448995158

System Addict Jamie 0418398556 Tegan Northwood (Singing Teacher) 0410 769 144 Undersided, The Baz 0408468041

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