AD SPACE
2
@bmamag
AD SPACE
facebook.com/bmamagazine
3
AD SPACE
4
@bmamag
AD SPACE
facebook.com/bmamagazine
5
AD SPACE
6
@bmamag
AD SPACE
facebook.com/bmamagazine
7
AD SPACE
8
@bmamag
AD SPACE
facebook.com/bmamagazine
9
AD SPACE
10
@bmamag
AD SPACE
facebook.com/bmamagazine
11
A BRADDON WEDDING: THE BRIDE HAS A BEARD
This is the space for my second last joke. Wouldn’t it be great if I could think of one. # 4 6 5 J u n 1 7 Fax: (02) 6257 4361 Mail: PO Box 713 Civic Square, ACT 2608 Publisher Scott Layne Allan Sko General Manager Allan Sko T: (02) 6257 4360 E: advertising@bmamag.com
Editor Tatjana Clancy T: (02) 6257 4456 E: editorial@bmamag.com
Accounts Manager Julie Ruttle T: (02) 6247 4816 E: accounts@bmamag.com
Well Canberrans, it’s that time of year once again for the Knightsbridge Penthouse annual birthday bash. This year Knighty has decided to take its relationship with Braddon to the next level (sounds like it involves something even more intimate then lovingly coiffing a stranger’s facial hair). After 11 loving years of commitment to Braddon, Knighty is tying the knot this June with Knighty Gets Hitched. You’ve shared in the memories of the past, now it’s time to make some new ones for the future. Many celebration drinks are being planned for all your passionate desires (sounds seedy. I like it). The staff got over excited and jumped the gun…. Already dressing for the occasion. Just like the years gone by - Superheros, Knighty on Safari, Studio 34 - Knighty Gets Hitched is set to be an epic event, so get prepared to get nuptial, crash the wedding and catch the bouquet. Braddon and Knighty want you there in all your glitz, glamour and personality to wish these two lovers luck. Ten glorious years have gone by; the 11th is set to be just as spectacular. With a mix of some (thing) old faces, some (thing) new
faces, all we have to do is find something blue. Come dressed in your best, worst or most extravagant nuptial attire. Doors open from 5pm, Saturday 20 June. 1/34 Mort Street Braddon ACT. More info at knightsbridgepenthouse. com.au
October 2015. All details at canberra.edu.au/about-uc/ competitions-and-awards/ ucvisionsongcontest
FORGET EUROVISION: EMBRACE UC VISION
Keen on singing with a bunch of people but not so keen on traditional choir music? Maybe the Mixtape Chorus is up your alley. It will be a choir for lovers of all music that falls in the broader indie pop genre (including alt-country, folk-noir, art-pop, post-rock etc).
The UC-Vision Song Contest is here! UC are looking for new songwriters and performers and ultimately, the song that they like the best. Before Guy Sebastian gets his mitts on this info check out the following: The Grand Prize Winner, determined after three rounds of judging, will take home $10,000. The public can also have their say, with a People’s Choice Prize of $1,000 up for grabs. All songs entered for the contest must be original single songs under four minutes duration. All songs entered for the contest must be submitted as a video that clearly shows the entrant performing the song. Songs will be judged on musical quality, appeal, and originality. The quality of production of the music and video are not criteria in the judging process. The UC-Vision Song Contest 2015 is open from 16 June – 15 September 2015. Voting for the People’s Choice Prize is open from 21 September- 20 October 2015. Prizes will be announced 30
INDIE SISTER ACT: WHAT’S WHOOPI GOLDBERG DOING NOW ANYWAY?
Organiser Alex Tolmie says, “While I’m not at all averse to mainstream music I do feel that there’s a wealth of incredible alternative music that explores the kinds of sounds, emotions and subjects that have limited appeal to large, mainstream audiences. I love the fact that indie pop can be simultaneously sonically accessible and yet lyrically challenging (or vice versa) and I particularly laud the DIY nature of so many (if not all) of the indie pop artists that I love.” Check out the info night on 2 July at Tupelo Coffee Co in the Civic Bus Interchange. No experience is necessary and all are welcome to join. You can find more info at http:// mixtapechorus.wordpress.com or find them on Facebook at Mixtape Chorus.
Sub-Editor & Social Media Manager Andrew Nardi
Identify all these artists. There’s no prize; it’ would just be to impress me..
Graphic Design Marley Film Editor Emma Robinson NEXT ISSUE466 OUT Jul 1 EDITORIAL DEADLINE Jun 24 ADVERTISING DEADLINE Jun 25 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.
12
@bmamag
FROM THE BOSSMAN In the hustle and bustle of modern life it is easy to lose sight of everyday politeness. With this in mind, I thought it timely to put together a quick Guide To Modern Living to aid you on your journey through this oft confusing and troubled world.
sure to share it with your friends. And take all the credit for finding it. This is important. Some may argue that it’s classy to acknowledge where you got the idea from, but it’s not. It simply makes people embarrassed. So take one for the team, share that idea your friend told you about on Facebook or Twitter, and take the burden of discovering it on your shoulders.* Follow these handy tips and you’ll soon be spreading sunshine and watching people melt with gratitude at your noble acts. ALLAN SKO - allan@bmamag.com
At The Traffic Lights The only thing more inevitable than the grind of the 9-to-5 is the grind-to-a-halt of the traffic it delivers. Contrary to what every driving instructor will tell you, it is not necessary - when waiting at a traffic light - to stop your car a few feet behind the one in front. A good four-to-five, ideally six, car lengths is ideal. The more the merrier! It allows you a good rolling start, and ensures if any idiot smashes into you from behind, your sick ride won’t find itself shunting into the car in front. Try it, and watch people’s admiration twinkle from the lanes around you! At The Checkout Isn’t it always the way? You just need to quickly duck into the supermarket for a dram of mead only to find queues at every till. Many people think a good use of the waiting time is to locate your money receptacle and have your cash ready for a quick transaction. This is folly. Queuing is vital time to vague out and think about how special you are. If you vague out so deep that people are hurrumphing behind you to step forward in the queue, you’re doing great Zen Work. Alternatively, jump on your smart phone and do basically anything; the more pointless the better. When it’s finally your turn to pay, ensure you take a good long rummage in your bag, and slowly count out the money. The eye-rolling and tsk’s your receive will show you are succeeding in teaching the world patience. What a hero you are!
YOU PISSED ME OFF! 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.] Nup. Depression is not something I can snap out of. I know back in your day it was considered unseemly to discuss such matters in private let alone in a public setting - but then weren’t you all downing Mother’s Little Helper’s every day and miserable as fuck beneath your Stepford grins? Yes. You were. So stop giving me a hard time about something we should be taking more seriously and go take a bex.
At The Pub Another queuing tip is to make sure you stand a solid 2-3 metres away from the point of transaction, thus causing confusion for everyone else as to whether you are actually queuing. We have become soft by modern society and people need to be kept on their toes. Ignore their exasperation; they will thank you for your kindness in their dreams. At The Café You’re great. Your parents know you’re great. Your friends know you’re great. And, of course, you know you’re great. Just look at how people’s faces light up as you enter into your fifth consecutive 20-minute monologue. What a gifted storyteller you are. The only problem is, the world doesn’t know you’re great. Despite your brilliance, you’re not even a celebrity! Worry not, for there is a simple solution. Talk loudly. Really loudly. Imagine there is a jet engine firing up nearby and you’re competing for volume. This way, the whole vicinity will hear all about that time you caught a 30-footer on your first go, and feel inspired. At The Cinema As a continuation of this mantra, give a running commentary of the film you’re watching. With At The Movies gone, people are crying out for film criticism, and with the instant nature of our social media lives, it doesn’t get more instant that shouting your opinions at the cinema screen. THAT’S up to date! At The Internets The Internets is a melting pot of ideas. A smorgasboard of information. Interesting articles, factoids and news titbits are there to be shared with the world via the social medias. If a friend or family member shares a nugget with you, be *case in point, I stole this idea from my Editor Tatjana, but I wouldn’t dare burden her by crediting the original thought. So I take the burden on my own shoulders, because I’m an inspiration
facebook.com/bmamagazine
13
The internationally revered cellist is undertaking his fourth tour for Musica Viva and luckily he will be bringing his emotional performance to Canberra. Isserlis is renowned for his technical mastery and vibrant stage presence, but also for his enquiring mind, which seeks out lesser-known repertoire. The brilliant, young Canadian pianist Connie Shih will accompany Isserlis as they perform chamber pieces by César Franck, Thomas Adès, Camille Saint-Saëns and Gabriel Fauré. The concert will take place at 7pm at Llewellyn Hall, inside the ANU School of Music. Ticketing information is available through musicaviva.com. au/isserlis.
WHO: BUD PETAL WHAT: ALBUM LAUNCH WHEN: FRI JUN 19 WHERE: THE FRONT
Bud Petal has been pedaling through their third album Fabric Cordial over the last two years, and they’re finally prepping themselves to launch it at The Front this month. Written in small German towns, cities of the Levant, and the inner west of Sydney, the band is describing their latest work as a unique blend of sounds and stories, and “the feeling one gets when drowning within a sea of smiles”. Their art-folk anecdotes range from Hamburg love songs, to parental longings for the Kibbutz, to the joy of returning home to Sydney. Tickets are $10. Doors open at 7pm.
WHO: KLP & GOLD FIELDS WHAT: TOUR WHEN: SAT JUN 20 WHERE: TRANSIT BAR
You know her as the DJ and host of triple j House Party, but KLP’s live act is something else entirely. Showcasing her vocal talents alongside drummer Tim Commandeur (Panama), KLP is about to prove that she can move a crowd with more than a pair of decks. The hypnotic electronica five-piece Gold Fields will be joining her, and they’ll be introducing a deeper and darker sound with their new single ‘Lakeside’, whilst retaining their dreamscape vocals, melodies and syncopated rhythms. Starts at 8pm. Tickets are $15 + bf through moshtix.
WHO: JED ROWE & ALISON FERRIER WHAT: ALBUM LAUNCH WHEN: WED JUL 1 WHERE: THE FRONT
With his new album The Last Days of Winter, singer-songwriter Jed Rowe combines his deft touch for story and melody with an emotional depth that resonates after the final note falls away. During his album launch tour Rowe will be joined by Alison Ferrier, who is about to release her own album titled Be Here Now. With both artists accompanied by members of alt-country band The Stillsons, the show will be a musical feast for fans of quality songwriting, rich vocal harmonies and high caliber guitar playing. Rock up at 7pm, tickets are $10.
WHO: HARTS WHAT: EP LAUNCH WHEN: SAT JUL 4 WHERE: TRANSIT BAR
He’s the Indian-born Australian, the “one-man music-making machine” who has dominated music publications around the country. Harts is still coming off the success of a massive debut album in 2014, titled Daydreamer. Now, the virtuoso guitarist, songwriter and producer is about to release a new EP known as Breakthrough, which will continue to hone his blend of classic ‘70s rock and funk into his own hybrid sound. Featuring the hit single ‘When A Man’s A Fool’, Harts hopes that Breakthrough “can inspire people, and inspire action from people”. The show begins at 8pm and tickets are $15.30 through oztix.
WHO: DYLAN MORAN WHAT: COMEDY WHEN: FRI–SAT AUG 14–15 WHERE: ROYAL THEATRE
“You can sort your life out anytime, the pub closes in five hours!” The unpredictably hilarious Dylan Moran is the creator and co-star of the award-winning British situational comedy Black Books. More recently he starred in the 2014 black comedy film Cavalry. Now he’s bringing his comedy tour to Canberra, for not one but two jam-packed nights. His stand-up shows are no strangers to five-star reviews and his new show ‘Off The Hook’ is promised to be of no shorter quality. You can catch both events at the Royal Theatre (“the thing… whatever this place is…”). Purchase tickets through ticketek.
Image credit:
Image credit:
WHO: STEVEN ISSERLIS AND CONNIE SHIH WHAT: TOUR WHEN: THU JUN 18 WHERE: LLEWELLYN HALL
14
@bmamag
AD SPACE
facebook.com/bmamagazine
15
title fight
RORY MCCARTNEY From Kingston (Pennsylvania, not Canberra) come US punk rockers TITLE FIGHT, on the road to mark the release of their latest LP, Hyperview. The album is dramatically different from their previous material, swinging from mainstream punk to something more shoegaze and retro. Ahead of their Canberra show, BMA corresponded with bassist Ned Russin to find out more about the new LP. Your brother Alex was largely responsible for the formation of Title Fight. What kind of influence did he have?
collaborate as much as possible, so there is a lot of back-and-forth during the process. After we finish the music, we basically put lyrics up to whoever feels that they have an idea. Since working with Will, we have become more open to going down to the studio earlier in the process. With Shed we basically came with all of the songs ready to go; with Floral Green we worked before the tracking process; but with Hyperview we literally reworked the entire record with Will’s guidance and help. What themes drive the songs?
Alex is seven years older than Ben [Russin, drums] and I. When he got into hardcore and punk in his early teens, he also got us into the bands that would influence our sound. When we formed Title Fight, he helped us get on our early shows – he was our biggest supporter. So Alex directly inspired the majority of what we were doing in our early days. His influence is still important to me today.
Uncertainty, control, permanence and our omnipresent comingof-age. I think the biggest thing for me was figuring ‘it’ out and thinking that these realisations would come with age, time and experience. But after reflecting for a short period, I’ve realised that I’m just as confused as I was when I was 18. I have even more questions that I need answered.
Between 2007 and 2010, Title Fight altered its sound to something more melodic and hardcore. What prompted that?
What prompted the move to ANTI- records last year?
Nothing prompted the move, per se. We were growing up, playing shows, listening to a lot of new music and just writing a lot. We did not and still do not have any aspirations to change our sound. Rather, we were just trying to write music that excited us – music that we thought was representational of ourselves at that time. In another change, Hyperview is dramatically different from older albums like Shed. What prompted this?
Our contract was up with [SideOneDummy Records] and we were shopping around for labels. We started talking to the folks at ANTI- and found a mutual understanding and appreciation for creative independence. They have a great reputation and staff, so it became clear that they were the right pick for us.
When we took the time to think about doing an LP, we realised it was a daunting task and took it very seriously
From Shed to Hyperview, I have become a very different person and so have the other guys in the band. Because of that, we write music that fits within the context of our current lives. How did you achieve this altered sound? There was some different gear – not all of it pedals. We used some different amps and guitars, but I think the main thing is that we were playing differently. The songs demanded a different stylistic approach, so we gave them that. While our previous songs were focused on aggression and were therefore played aggressively, the minimalism of the new work had to be mirrored in its playing.
Why – after many EPs – have three LPs flowed out?
When we were younger, we just wanted to have music out. We would write three songs and immediately just want to put them out so we could have a release and be able to play some shows. When we took the time to think about doing an LP, we realised it was a daunting task and took it very seriously. I think we took two years to do Shed. After we did that and made it through in one piece, we just kept going with that. LPs are challenging, but rewarding. How does opener ‘Murder Your Memory’ set the scene for the album? This was originally supposed to be an interlude but it turned out to be more of a real idea. I think it does a good job of setting up the listener to be in the ideal mood for truly digesting the album. I think it calls to pay close attention in a very specific mood.
How have your followers responded to your stylistic change?
What is your favourite song on Hyperview?
I can only speak through my experience, which is admittedly limited because I don’t have a huge internet presence. But I think the new songs are going over well. I would like to believe that we set ourselves up to be expected to try something different with each release. And so I think people weren’t shocked that we tried something different than our previous outlet.
Right now my favorite song is ‘Liar’s Love’. I think it is a simple idea presented nicely and it has memorable parts. I am really happy with how the lyrics came out on that song, too..
What is the band’s songwriting process, including the involvement of Will Yip, who is credited as a producer on the new LP?
Title Fight will play at Magpies City Club on Bunda Street on Thursday June 25. Doors open at 7pm. Supported by Paper Arms and other bands TBA. Tickets are $37.75 through Oztix.
One person has an idea – be it small or large – and they bring it to practice for all of us to work on and work through. We try to
16
@bmamag
AD SPACE
facebook.com/bmamagazine
17
LOCALITY
If you’ve always wanted to travel back in time, but only for the good tunes, dancing and fancy outfits (and without the sexism and racial segregation), the SwingKatz Speakeasy has all of the best bits from the vintage era with none of the downsides! Head down to Majura Hall in Dickson on Thursday June 18 and you’ll be treated to delightful tunes from Dollface, with the $15 door fee including both a beginner’s class and social dancing, just like grandma used to do! When you’re craving some ethereal sounds, Cracked Actor always have you covered. On Thursday June 18, you’ll be able to hear them for yourself at The Phoenix from 9pm. They’ll be joined by Lost Coast and Milkk, who’ll be trekking in from Sydney. Entry is $5 at the door, with the night promising to be one full of beautiful, spinechilling moments. However, if you’re craving something with a bit
more rock to it, the line up at Transit Bar on Friday June 19 should really get your blood pumping. From 8pm, you’ll be treated to sets from Canberra’s Monsterpiece, After Hollywood and Hence the Testbed, with Midnight Alibi rounding out the lineup with a little bit of out-of-town flavour. Entry is free, which means you will inevitably be getting some good value out of this one. Groovin the ANU is back at the ANU Bar on Friday June 19 from 8pm, with the first winter lineup featuring Positive Feedback Loop, Kevin Windross Band, Greenpegs and J18. As always, entry is free. The Bootleg Sessions have got another killer lineup at The Phoenix on Monday June 22 from 8pm. You’ll be able to catch The Magic Rob Universe, The New Gods of Thunder, Ample-Sample and Joseph Moore, all without paying an entry charge! (Although throwing coins into the boot/bowl/hat going around is very much encouraged! When my parents came down from Dubbo for the Folk Festival this year, the Canberra act that had them most tickled was SparrowFolk. Soon they’ll be off sharing their ridiculous and wonderful brand of musical whimsy and awkwardness with folks from even further afield when they land at the Edinburgh Festival later this year. To mark their grand adventure, they’ll be performing two celebratory send-off shows at Griffith Community Hall on Saturday June 27. The first will be a family-friendly performance at 2pm, with an adults-only show at 8pm. There are a whole range of ticket options, so head to their Facebook page for links to the full event details: facebook.com/ twoukesonesong. Finally, one of Canberra’s most prolific recording songwriters, Tom Woodward has released another EP – the fourth in 12 months. Chasing Monsters is a lovely little three-track compilation of acoustic ballads, with two bonus tracks available for those who pay and download the EP in full. While there’s no expiry date on this one, his last release was only available for a month and a half, so you might want to grab a copy of just in case it disappears too. You can find it at tomwoodward.bandcamp.com. Until next time, remember that live music venues not only keep out the cold, they can also warm your heart – so don’t stay home like a sad sack! NONI DOLL NONIJDOLL@GMAIL. COM / @NONIJDOLL
18
@bmamag
facebook.com/bmamagazine
19
PROPER CODA CONDUCT ZOE PLEASANTS When I first saw CODA CONDUCT at Fashfest last year, I was impressed. Clearly I am not the only person to have had that reaction, because this engaging, high-energy rap duo have been kicking goals ever since. They released their debut EP Butter Side Up in March, opened the Canberra leg of Groovin The Moo in May, supported Thundamentals at their recent Canberra gig and rose to national prominence rapping about Queanbeyan on Triple J. And they are about to hit the road again on their own Pool Room Tour, which will finish up in their hometown, Canberra. BMA caught up with Erica Mallet and Sally Coleman to chat about their journey so far. Mallet and Coleman grew up in the neighbouring suburbs of Hughes and Garran – but oddly, they met when they were both travelling in India in late 2012. A spark ignited when they discovered that they both adore hip-hop. “The conversation went, ‘we should become rappers.’ ‘Yeah, we should; let’s do it!’” Coleman recalls. As neither of them had previously written or performed hip-hop, I asked them what drew them to it. “Hip-hop is a very rhythm-focused form of music. Words become a real instrument … the actual shape and sound of the words starts to become like a drum kit. It’s really interesting to look at the huge range of ways people start to use language as a real instrument.” Ultimately, they agree that hip-hop is about storytelling, punchlines and bad jokes!
the actual shape and sound of the words starts to become like a drum kit
When Mallet and Coleman returned from India, they started writing together. “We wrote lots of bad stuff. But then in the end, we wrote a few good things,” Coleman says. The duo recorded some of their better stuff and played it to a friend, who happened to be organising an arts gig at the time. And just like that, he agreed to give them a 20-minute set. The pair had only two songs, no band name and they had never performed live – but that all changed in the space of three weeks. With the launch of their first EP, Mallet and Coleman have acknowledged the support of Canberra’s tight-knit hip-hop scene. “I don’t even think I’m biased when I say it is producing some of the most talented emcees in the country. It really is something – everyone is leg-upping and encouraging each other,” they said. And with that support, Mallet and Coleman say that it’s always a joy to perform in the capital. “We love playing in Canberra. A hometown crowd is always so fun.” For the Pool Room Tour, they’re playing alongside Jimmy Pike and Jebrii, who are their “most rated rappers in Canberra at the moment.” Aside from catching one of their gigs, readers should watch this space, because these girls have a whole lot of what it takes. Coda Conduct will tear up Zierholz @ UC on Saturday July 4. Supported by Jimmy Pike and Jebrii. Stay tuned for ticketing details.
20
@bmamag
facebook.com/bmamagazine
21
THE REALNESS Another fortnight, another couple of albums released early. This year has seen an early release or leaked album from nearly every rapper with a major project, including Drake, Tyler, The Creator, Earl Sweatshirt, Childish Gambino and, most recently, Kendrick Lamar. Safe to say, 2015 has been the year of early releases. The records that Drake and Kendrick set with – If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late and To Pimp a Butterfly, respectively – demonstrate the method in the madness. Drake broke Spotify streaming records and all 17 of his tracks made it into the Billboard Top 200. Kendrick copped over 9.6 million streams and more than 350,000 album sales in one week. Whether it’s a response to album leaks, which seem all too common these days, or a result of artist anxiety, a surprise release can have its pay-offs. Artists simultaneously receive instant gratification for months or years of hard work and avoid not having to pay for publicity surrounding a release date that most people are going to forget anyway. The danger is, with two more surprise releases in the past week, the format may soon pass its use-by. It’s already starting to smell a bit like cheap publicity. The first of the surprise releases was from A$AP Rocky with At.Long.Last.A$AP. While Rocky’s chopped and screwed, Houstoninfluenced New York rap is still around, and is well-supported by features from UGK and Mos Def (no longer under the Yasin Bey moniker), the dead hand of Danger Mouse has pushed A.L.L.A. into more unfamiliar territory. While there is still heaps of bravado, the psychedelic samples evident on tracks like ‘Holy Ghost’ hint at an artist going through a process of self-discovery and change, from the radio-friendly manifestation we got with Long.Live.A$AP to something more considered. Without getting all Freudian, the album cover’s tribute to the A$AP collective’s founder, the late A$AP Yams, points to a potential inspiration for the artistic shift in Rocky’s work. Chance the Rapper also fulfilled the internet’s collective wishes when he dropped SURF earlier than expected this week. While the album is touted as a group enterprise under the name Donnie Trumpet and the Social Experiment, Chance is everywhere on this one and, aesthetically, it feels like a follow-up to Acid Rap. Jazz is all over the place, Chance slips in and out of his characteristic existential spoken-word raps and features from Big Sean, Jay Cole, Busta Rhymes and BJ the Chicago Kid demonstrate that despite the name, this is a Chance the Rapper record. And it’s really good. After having listened only once through, I’ll give you the hot tip and say that if you’re only going to listen to one thing this week, it should be this. With the slew of international artists we’ve had coming through in recent weeks, it seems like Canberra’s going through a bit of a dry patch right now. But early July is already starting to fill up with shows from Seth Sentry, Coda Conduct, Dizz1 and UV Boi. More details on these will follow. In the future, if anyone knows of any local events that need a shout-out, write to me at the email on the bottom of the page and I’ll do my best to include something. BRADY MCMULLENREALNESS.BMA@GMAIL.COM
22
@bmamag
facebook.com/bmamagazine
23
DANCE THE DROP
A clubbing bucket list isn’t as merciful as its more amiable cousin, which is primarily focused on ticking pleasant travel experiences off a pre-ordained menu before your smiling face dissolves into the dirt. A clubbing bucket list is something a little more unsavoury for your health. It involves a series of epic encounters with an exotic inebriation that ultimately renders you immobile. All you can do is hug a plastic vomit bucket for days afterwards. It’s a true bucket list. The Miami Winter Music Conference has always been at the top of my clubbing bucket list. Once a year, the tropical party mecca overflows with bro’s, ho’s and DJ shows. Artists and businessmen from all over the globe gather in shorts and sandals to schmooze with the industry’s elite, all during America’s infamous spring break. Ultra Music Festival – arguably the biggest EDM blowout on the planet – headlines the weeklong buffet of 24-hour club nights, boat parties, pool parties and beach-burners.
The first thing that hits you when you step off the plane is the sticky heat. Miami is like a sauna full of palm trees and red convertibles; the humidity yanks the sweat from your skin like a moisture magnet and it’s impossible to feel fresh unless you are bobbing in the crystal clear broth of the ocean. Our hotel is an old sandy building right by the beach. Its faded pink walls and garishly red carpet screams ‘70s kitchen’, while the winding wooden balustrade in the centre of the lobby offers a pinch of urban gothic chic. I’m half expecting to be greeted by a poltergeist in board shorts. The first item on our agenda is the Last Night On Earth boat party, helmed by UK progressive house legend Sasha. This famous Miami music week event is held aboard the Biscayne Lady, a large floating barge that’s more commonly filled with wedding guests or corporate roundtablers – but not on this day. Today we join a long line of halfnaked international clubbers snaking down Miami harbour, waiting to set sail into the sunset. You can read more on my trip to Miami in the next edition of The Drop. I finally managed to check out the new sparkly Mr Wolf clubbing showroom a couple of weeks back and I was quite impressed. The main room has a very polished feel and the sound system is top-notch. It’s a shame that Canberra has lost a lot of venue variety in recent years, but the wolfpack seem to sniff out some pretty diverse stuff to keep their modus operandi crisp and enticing. The next massive event on their calendar comes from my favourite house music label Dirty Bird. Bass brothers Kill Frenzy (Belgium) and Will Clarke (UK) headline the Dirty Bird Tour at Mr Wolf on Friday July 10. If you live for the wobble, do not miss this show. Mr Clarke was also kind enough to supply me with his current top five club records, so grab those headphones, plug in and enjoy! Claude Von Stroke – ‘Make a Cake’ Azari & III – ‘Reckless With Your Love (Will Clarke remix)’ Hashim – ‘Al-Naafish (Benji Candelarlo and Aldo remix)’ Breach – ‘Anna Love’ Carl Craig and Green Velvet – ‘Let It Go’ TIM GALVIN tim.galvin@live.com.au
24
@bmamag
QUESTIONING VAPORWAVE CODY ATKINSON It’s so hard to keep up with all the “waves” these days. When I was growing up, there was just New Wave. That’s it, just the one. Now you have Chillwave, Glowwave and Dolewave. And now Vaporwave. Cody Atkinson looks at the new Wave, but not that New Wave.
So who are the prominent…what do you call vaporwave musicians?
What the fuck is Vaporwave?
Who are the prominent vaporwavers?
Vaporwave is post-early internet consumerism, a melting pot of cultural clashes and playful ambivalence. It’s the fleeting memories of the 90s, disembodied from context in a musical form. Like an extended dream sequence taking the gestational world wide web and all of it’s cross cultural influences and spinning it nearly beyond recognition. It’s east meets west meets digital with a bit of Marxism thrown in for good measure, depending on who you listen to.
Oneohtrix Point Never was one of the first to break it into the spotlight under his Chuck Person guise, building off his developing successes elsewhere. Vecktroid, who releases music under 12 different names, has received critical acclaim in the past few years and is pretty bloody good if you ask me.
How long has it been around for? About four years or so, but it’s a little hard to tell definitively. So where the hell does it come from? Like pretty much everything these days, vaporwave mostly emerged from the depths of the internet. Mentioned in forums and blogs from about 2011, vaporwave first started to attract the attention of the more traditional press around early 2013, at which point many who were originally associated with the scene declared vaporwave dead. Dead? In 2013? So why are you writing about it now?
Vaporwavers.
Surely vaporwave can’t be popular? It’s what you’d call ‘moderately popular’. It’s international, and prolific. Vaporwave is out there, and there’s nothing that you or I can do to halt the momentum. But it’s popularity is very much non-commercial in nature, with releases being spread via zip files, Bandcamp pages and Soundclouds across the world. Due to the heavily pilfered samples underpinning the entire genre, commercial releases aren’t really a proper option.
nothing that will necessarily draw your attention away from whatever else you are doing but instead more a soundtrack for the rest of your life.
It turns out that it was just the first wave of vaporwave, with a near-instantaneous resurgence quickly following its death. In fact, the declared death of vaporwave might have been the catalyst to bringing it to proper life, with the genre spreading rapidly since then. Canberra even has its own vaporwave label, the extremely prolific Commercial Dreams Ltd. This sounds like a joke... I can assure you that there is nothing funny about vaporwave. THERE IS NOTHING FUNNY ABOUT VAPORWAVE.
OK, what was its first shining moment? It’s always hard to judge when something has “made” it. Is it the first mention in mainstream press? Is it the creation of a Wikipedia page? Is it the point where a YouTube video gets into seven digits, or when a subreddit is made for it? Maybe it’s the first festival being held to salute it?
Or perhaps it was the Vice article “Is Vaporwave the new Seapunk?”. Wait, what the fuck is Seapunk? Seapunk is the realisation that we all had when we finally lost touch with all sense of reality. I have no idea what it is. I’m not sure anyone does. I think it started as a joke, then people took it seriously and something was created to support it. So I guess it exists, which is something.
What does vaporwave sound like?
Are things like seapunk and vaporwave perhaps symbolic of something bigger?
It’s smooth. Real smooth. It combines some of the ardent anticonsumerist anarchism of first wave punk with musak, and fills in the gaps from there. Chopped-and-screwed samples meander around chilled beats, with the occasional horn sample thrown in. It’s not too different from the current wave of popular electronic music, primarily because many of the same influences pervade both.
Yeah, both seapunk and vaporwave are prominent examples of microgenres, small little scenes fostered by the globalisation of music via the internet. Back in the old days, genres either used to be broader or geographically focused (like the Dunedin Sound), limitations largely based on the inherent restrictions of the communication networks of the day.
Most importantly, vaporwave sounds pretty good. It’s ideal background music, nothing that will necessarily draw your attention away from whatever else you are doing but instead more a soundtrack for the rest of your life.
facebook.com/bmamagazine
These days, small niches like these have found themselves more
25
for sure. There are punk shows to get your ass to. So here’s the deal, we’re gonna put this whole charade behind us, and you’re going to continue reading this fortnightly work of art. Here we go. For a good dose of folk-punk, pop-punk, funk-punk, indie-punk and other hyphens, head to the Magpies City Club on Friday June 19 to catch a great local lineup featuring Helena Pop, Casters, Finnickerr and Capes. This show will be both free and open to all ages! Okay, I’ve gotta come clean. In the last column I told a story about the ghost of Johnny Rotten visiting me in my sleep. It wasn’t true. Not a single bullock of it. Rotten’s still alive anyway and probably too busy to track me down no matter how much he loves the column. Was the lie a cry for attention, or just an immature hoax dreamt up by a bored, adolescent man who was mistakenly given the power to write in a legitimate publication? I simply can’t say, but one thing is
If you want to catch something a bit more laid back and fun, you should definitely head to The Phoenix on Thursday June 25 to catch Melbourne’s Cool Sounds and Ciggie Witch on their ‘Just A Couple of Mates Tour’. They’ll also have support from Canberra’s own oneman dance-punk outfit California Girls. For something much less laidback and fun, but actually rather intense and angry, but still probably fun, you can catch the USA’s Dangers on tour with Newcastle’s Staunch. They’ll be at the Magpies City Club on Wednesday July 8 with added support from Newcastle’s Disparo!, New Zealand’s Graves, and locals Propeller and Office Jerk. The show will also be open to all ages! Melbourne punk/sludge outfit Batpiss will be hitting The Phoenix on Thursday July 2. They will be joined by Wollongong’s Hy-Test and Sydney’s Meat Cake. On Thursday July 9, you can catch New Zealand’s Carb on Carb at The Phoenix alongside local dreamo boys Oxen, as well as Sydney’s Hannahband and Sweeter Season. For a night on the heavier spectrum, you can head to The Basement on Saturday July 11 to catch Reign of Terror along with Sydney’s Abyss Collective and more locals Inebriator, Cockbelch, and N.W.E. That’s all for now. I wish once again to apologise for my gross immaturity and incompetence. If I’ve lost your trust forever, I totally understand but still don’t really care. I’d like to say it will never happen again but it almost definitely probably will. I’ve not got much going on in my life right now. Oh look, it’s the cryogenically frozen body of Ian Curtis! Cheerio! IAN McCARTHY PUNK.BMA@GMAIL.COM
26
@bmamag
facebook.com/bmamagazine
27
METALISE A flurry of brutal announcements in the last couple of weeks has the 2015 metal calendar looking both full and superb. For the blacker tastes, the triple header of Behemoth, Watain and Bolzer in October will be welcome news with a show in Sydney at the Metro Theatre Saturday October 3 being the closest one for us.
Over 20 years since they last played in Australia, the exceptionally mighty Bolt Thrower have announced a run of shows in September. The Factory Theatre in Sydney on Saturday 26 is your opportunity to relish in their tales of war that they’ve been slinging for almost 30 years now. While the Sydney show is the closest, consider a trip to Adelaide to see them as a part of the Black Conjuration festival on the Friday –Saturday September 25 –26. The two day festival features a tonne of Australia’s best heavy bands; Portal, Nocturnal Graves, Cauldron Black ram, Abominator, Tzun tzu, Nocturnes Mist, Tombsealer, King Fate, Dracula, Teuton, Hellbringer, Anatomy, Inverloch, Shadow Realm, Stargazer and Tyrannic. This weekend on Saturday May 30, the Magpies City club hosts two big nights of shows covering the whole metal spectrum. Well not the whole lot but a fair bloody whack of it. I Exist headline Into The Crypt with the sacrilegious Hellbringer,spooky Witchskull, superb Boonhorse back from the dead for the first time in years and raising the supine dead to their feet, Urge to Kill will rip faces off early. I got to see Hellbringer in the middle of nowhere a couple of weeks ago on a property about 20 K’s north of Nelligen on the shores of the Clyde river and I am looking forward to their screams, from the catacombs, at this show for an old school price of just ten bucks. The next night Byron Bay metalcore folk In Hearts Wake headline a great bill featuring three other great Aussie bands We Came As Romans, Beartooth and Storm The Sky. Magpies packing on the good shows to warm your Autumn chilled ears. In Hearts Wake, which I’m sure is no news to most of you, are enjoying considerable success on their new record Skydancer which charted as high as #2 on the ARIA charts and this is Canberra’s chance to join in the celebration of the new album and it’s impressive success to date. Don’t forget Weekend Nachos from the USA are only a couple of weeks away now for their show at the Basement on Tuesday June 9 with Wretch and Cursed Earth. On top of catching the Nachos, I’m really looking forward to the new Wretch album the boys recorded earlier this year.
28
JOSH NIXON doomtildeath@hotmail. com
@bmamag
black dahlia muder
CARRIE GIBSON THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER is closing their tour of their latest album Everblack in Australia this month. Leading up to their Canberra show, lead vocalist TREVOR STRNAD spoke to BMA about their latest tour and gave an interesting wrap-up of the band’s last fifteen years. “The Everblack tour has been great; we’ve done a lot of high profile stuff and the album has been very well-received,” Strnad says. “Now we have another one under our belts – an album we have been secretly sitting on. It should be out sometime in [the American] fall. I’m not sure if we’ll be playing any new stuff during the Australian tour, but we’ll have to wait and see”. Everblack has been described as everything the band collectively loves about the death metal genre. According to Strnad, the checklist for a good death metal song comprises a catchy riff, hooks and a chorus that gets stuck in your head. “A good death metal song has to be ferocious, it has to be fast and it has to have some blast beats in there.”
With six albums already under the belt, Strnad talked about what the band is hoping to achieve with their forthcoming seventh album. “It will see us heading down the same path we’ve been on lately; sticking to our signature sound but spearheading it towards the future,” he explains. “We’ve been incorporating new ideas, writing catchier songs and improving our song writing. So I think that, even though the band has been around for a while, we’re still aspiring to become better musicians,” he says. “I feel there is still plenty of room to grow. If anything, this is the most exciting time for the band yet. We keep inching forwards and we’ve got to keep on pushing. It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity, so we’ve got to take it to the limits and try our best.”
We’re sticking to our signature sound but spearheading it towards the future
Speaking of their influences, Strnad pays tribute to a classic Australian band. “Believe it or not, AC/DC is a big influence on our band – I mean we obviously we love them, we do them all the time. I remember when we were starting out, we loved all these melodic bands – AT THE GATES and such – yet there were no bands out there doing it as aggressively as it could be done,” he explains. “So that is where we found our spot; combining the more modern blasty death metal style with the melodic styles. A great death metal song has melody, but it also has ugliness as well. It’s about the blend between the two.” The Black Dahlia Murder is regarded as one of the most popular extreme metal acts in the U.S., but their success cannot be contributed to just one factor. While the internet established a strong platform for the band’s exposure, arguably the biggest cause for their success has spawned from the inability to pinpoint their style. “Whether it’s because we have short hair, or we don’t suit a particular mould, or what – we’re death metal to one person, melodic to another, metal core to that guy over there, tomorrow we’re death core … we’re many things to many people and I think that has been instrumental to the success of the band. If we only appealed to long-haired death metal fans, our reach wouldn’t be as far,” Strnad explains. “I think it’s good to be a misfit. And I think our image speaks to people – totally normal dudes look at us and they think, ‘if that guy can do it, I can do it!’”
facebook.com/bmamagazine
But the band’s appeal has also been a hindrance. “I thought this indescribable presence would make things easier, but there are some detractors,” Strnad recalls. “The ones who mouth off with their statements like, ‘these guys aren’t true, those guys are smiling on stage, they have short hair, they’re not metal’. Slowly but surely though, we have won some of those people over and with each album we have been breaking down more walls,” he claims. “But it’s not as important a mission to me now as it was in the beginning. I am just thankful that we have all these fans; I don’t care what they call us. As long as they like us, I’m thankful for their enthusiasm.”
Among the challenges the band has faced, Strnad says that song writing can sometimes become an overwhelming process. “It can be both a chore and a super fun time. I think that as we write more songs on each album, the more intimidating that process becomes. It’s like, ‘okay, here we go, I’ve got to write ten songs about ripping people’s eyeballs out – how can I keep this fresh and exciting?’” he says. “On the plus side, we are constantly inspired by death metal, and embodying it in our music. When a young kid is checking us out, we want to show him what we became excited about when we first discovered death metal”. But does Strnad feel pressure with having to keep up that persona? “Yes and no. For the most part, we all know that the violence in death metal – the macabre aspect – is sort of a joke. It’s a morbid humour that you either get or you don’t and even though I have songs about cutting off people’s faces and wearing their face on your face, I’m totally still approachable,” he laughs. The Black Dahlia Murder will cut your face off when they ravage The Basement on Friday June 26 at 7:30pm. Entry is restricted to 18+. $55.05 through Oztix.
29
E X H I B I T I O N I S T ARTS | ACT
INK REMIX: CHINESE ARTISTIC TRADITION REMIXED BAZ RUDDICK Perhaps due to their relaxed foreign policy, contemporary Chinese artists have had a significant impact on the Australian scene in recent years. Not only are these artists expressing a vast array of themes in a range of mediums, but they are also doing so with intricacy and complex beauty. INK REMIX aims to connect the past, present and future of Chinese art by exploring its tradition through a contemporary lens. With 14 artists and 35 diverse artworks gracing the Canberra Museum and Gallery, the exhibition will collate modern art from China, Taiwan and Hong Kong. Ahead of the showcase, BMA spoke with curator Sophie McIntyre about Chinese art, the mediums employed and the artists we should look out for. McIntyre says that China’s economic rise has also increased Western attention to China’s artistic talents. “Chinese art has become a lot more palatable and easy to understand for a lot of Western audiences,” she says. “For decades, China has been transforming from within. There have been major developments and revolutions in the art field as artists have challenged official boundaries and parameters.” Contemporary Western art has influenced Chinese artists and created a ‘first language’ of art, which Western audiences can instantly recognise. Despite the exhibition’s title, very few artists are using ink as their medium of choice. “It is less about the medium and it is a lot more about the idea of ink as a sort of tradition,” says McIntyre. “A lot of the
30
artists are working in digital technology and reinterpreting ink in a contemporary context. They are addressing contemporary issues – from globalisation to gender issues.” One such artist who is challenging traditions is Taiwanese artist Yao Jui-Chung. “He doesn’t use traditional material. He is using Indian handmade paper rather than the traditional Xuan paper,” McIntyre explains. “He is consciously rejecting the traditional material associated with ink and appropriating it in a very postmodernist context.” This is achieved through a mix of Chinese and Australian iconography, an appropriation of seemingly random images and a depiction of Jui-chung meditating over his work. “They are playful and whimsical, but also critical of Chinese cultural hegemony over the region.” Ink Remix also features the work of Shanghai’s Yang Yonglian, who reproduces miniature landscapes in traditional rice bowls. “He did a bowl of Taipei,” says McIntyre. “It relates to the growth of cities’ urban developments in relation to tradition”. Yonglian combines photography and ink to create landscapes that depict the unpleasant side of urbanisation in a beautifully traditional way. Other featured artists include woodcut block printer Ni Youyu, mixed medium artists Charwei Tsai (who explores spirituality, transience and culture) and self-proclaimed social critic Peng Hung-Chih with his stark portrayal of nature. Ink Remix will run from the Fri Jul 3–Sun Oct 18 at the Canberra Museum and Gallery.
@bmamag
AD SPACE
facebook.com/bmamagazine
31
X
H
I
B
I
T
I
O
N
I
S
T
Image credit: Daniel Boud
E
DON’T LOOK NOW.. RORY MCCARTNEY Have you ever been overcome with anxiety, facing the impact of a looming change and wishing that you had a friend to help you through it? The latest show from the National Youth Circus – home of the renowned Flying Fruit Flies – embraces such a tale in CIRCUS UNDER MY BED. BMA spoke to executive director Richard Hull to hear more about the show. Circus Under My Bed dives into the imagination of a young girl spending a final night in her bedroom, in which she suppresses her fears and loses herself in a dreamtime circus. “It was inspired by our artistic director Jodie Farrugia, who was packing up house to start her job with us,” Hull explains. “She was watching her daughter storing away her things, and she became aware of her daughter’s anxieties and nervousness on leaving familiar surroundings. The theme is that you are never really alone if you have a good imagination.” From Farrugia’s idea, the show came into being as Sebastien Pasthe penned the script and Steph O’Hara (from the band Blue Grassy Knoll) composed the music. Like the Flying Fruit Flies, Circus Under My Bed aspires to tell a story, rather than simply exhibiting a series of tricks. Hull says that the show aims to engage the audience by relating the tricks to the characters and their personalities. “The show is a mix of contemporary circus, classic vaudeville, and more traditional circus. By overlaying our story with the show, each of the tricks creates meaning.” Hull admits that the tricks are all the more awe-inspiring when considering the acrobats’ ages – the 17 cast members are as old as 18 and as young as eight. Some of them have been training for their roles for up to two years and it certainly shows in their repertoire. Apart from the more traditional elements of tumbling and juggling, there are also contemporary routines, including balancing on high chair stacks and hoop diving (the latter of which is performed in sheep costumes as part of a dream sequence). The show is for ages four and up. “We get a lot of adults without kids at our Sydney shows. One elderly lady, who remained seated alone after the show, was very moved by the performance because it reminded her of being a child again.” Hull also speaks enthusiastically of the show’s inherent innocence and magic, which derives from the performers’ skill and charisma. As to his favourite part of Circus Under My Bed, Hull says, “to be honest, I love watching the audience’s reaction – particularly the kids sitting there in wonder, seeing their contemporaries on stage.” Circus Under My Bed will thrill you to bits at Canberra Theatre Centre from Thu–Sat July 16–18. Tickets are $35 + bf, or $30 for a family of four or more. Show times including matinees available at canberratheatrecentre.com.au.
32
@bmamag
A R T | C O M E DY | D A N C E | L I T E R AT U R E | T H E AT R E
ARTISTPROFILE:
What are your plans for the future? I want to take my multimedia work to another level and explore creative short films that incorporate paintings and sculptures to tell a story. I want to keep painting, creating and growing as an artist and also to have more joint and solo exhibitions.
What do you do? I’m a visual and multimedia artist. I work with acrylic paints and oil pastels on canvas and I use vibrant colours and textures to tell stories. I’m also a videographer for Grasshopper Media, where I’ve been incorporating my art form into short creative clips and recreating my art as enhanced, new levels of work.
What makes you laugh? Absurdity, obscurity and off-the-wall weirdness. I am a big fan of laughing until my cheeks hurt.
When, how and why did you get into it? I’ve always been creative. I enjoy creating on many levels, in between having children, work and life. For the last five years, I’ve been consciously developing my art form and individual style. I find that art gives a voice to undercurrents and inner thoughts, which is why I have always pursued it and needed it in my life.
What about the local scene would you change? Opportunities for artists to showcase their work and perform without it being a costly venture for the artist. Events like Art, Not Apart have been very encouraging and inclusive for all.
Anna Lee
Who or what influences you as an artist? Life’s vibrant colours, the changes in nature, and people – they all influence how I see and perceive the world, which comes out in my art form. The fellow artists in my inner circle and the energy and creativity they have for life energises my own creativity. Of what are you proudest so far? An installation sculpture I created that is on display in the Birthing Centre courtyard at Canberra Hospital. It depicts a pregnant woman and the transformation she undertakes, titled ‘The Melody of Motherhood’
facebook.com/bmamagazine
What pisses you off? Dream crushers, bad coffee and people who refuse to smile.
Upcoming exhibitions? I have my first solo installation exhibition entitled ‘Incandescent’, which explores light – the light from within and the light that finds us. It will be in a secret location to be announced via a Facebook event page on Saturday June 27 from 7pm. A promotional clip can be found on YouTube. The event name on Facebook is the same as the YouTube clip, ‘Incandescent Art Exhibition by Anna Lee’. Contact Info: indyanna77@hotmail.com, facebook.com/ annaleeart77, 0415 894 188
33
X
H
I
B
I
IN REVIEW Giselle Canberra Theatre Centre Thursday May 21
There’s something utterly mesmeric about ballet, and Romantic ballets in particular; everything is soft and heartfelt, yet under it all is an intense complexity and acuity. These two things are unbelievably difficult to balance, but the Australian Ballet’s production of Giselle manages it. Performing a full length and immensely complex ballet like this on the Canberra Theatre stage is inexplicably difficult; it’s just too small a space. And while there were certainly visible adjustments to accommodate for this – shorter grand jetés, smaller chaînés and very, very careful avoidance of elbows – the company successfully managed to sardine themselves and still look impossibly graceful. The first act is a complicated, busy whirl of activity; there is the swish of skirts in one corner, the sigh of feet whispering in the other and, in the midst of it all, the tale (well, mime) of a young girl’s love and naivety. Petipa’s famous choreography is tricky to say the least – it involves a lot of absurdly fast footwork, contrasted with a real gentleness of the upper body – and every member of the company nails this combination. If there is a pitfall in the first act, it lies with the pas deux six of Giselle’s friends; slightly out of sync during the rapid relevé sequence, it is the corps’ weakest moment – yet even then, there is a professionalism and refinement here that speaks to just how difficult it is to move toes that quickly. As wonderful as the first act is, however, it’s the second act that marks the transition to truly wondrous. The diaphanous, ineffable beauty of the Willies is as fully realised here as it will ever be, and
34
T
I
O
it is an absolute transportation. The technical lines of all the dancers are phenomenal – they are marred only by the minute and entirely useless wings that jut out from the small of the Willies’ backs and which are, frankly, stupid – yet even then the aura of positively dangerous grace is overpowering.
N
I
S
T
Image credit: Danielle Lyonne
E
The real beauty, however, is Lana Jones’ Giselle. She harnesses Giselle’s first act vivacity and fragility as well as her second act strength and deathly distance with exquisite dexterity. Her interpretation of the famous mad scene starts slowly, and for a moment I thought it underwhelming, but her final moments were heartrending enough to wrench agony from innocence. There is a subtlety to Jones’ performance which suggests a true and deep understanding of Giselle as a whole person rather than a pretty-yethysterical caricature. Her second act pas de deux with Adam Bull’s Albrecht is truly remarkable; each dancer recreates Petipa’s iconic choreography with such precise technique and layered emotion it is impossible to be unaffected. Giselle is ballet at its finest; refined, complex, emotional and elegant. It is an enormous effort and yet it looks entirely effortless. INDIGO TRAIL
@bmamag
A R T | C O M E DY | D A N C E | L I T E R AT U R E | T H E AT R E
LITERATURE IN REVIEW The Girl Who Wrote The New York Times Best Seller: A Novel John Ellsworth [Subjudica House Press; 2015]
John Ellsworth’s The Girl Who Wrote The New York Times Best Seller: A Novel is the eighth in the Thaddeus Murfee Legal Thriller series. Christine Susmann is a young, attractive wife and mother, but she is also an ex-soldier, expert sniper and an American patriot of the highest order. Although her character is a little predictable, what isn’t predictable is the trauma Christine endures in the name of her patriotism. The CIA recruits Christine from her job as a paralegal for Thaddeus Murfee, a renowned lawyer. She is asked to undertake a mission into Syria to behead a particular target and – with a new identity and Thaddeus acting as a ruse for her journey – she departs for her assignment. Instead of landing in Zurich however, her plane is hijacked and Christine and Thaddeus end up in Moscow. Long story short, her cover is blown before the hijacked plane lands and the Russians opportunistically arrest her. She is beaten, set up, imprisoned, raped, mercilessly tortured, revived and tortured again. Meanwhile, Angelina – a young, ambitious, fellow American reporter aboard the plane – is desperate to make her mark by writing a best seller. She writes about the hijacking, Thaddeus, as well as the uncooperative U.S. Embassy and CIA as fodder for her story. Thaddeus manages to make the right connections with the right amount of money as he calls in favours to smuggle a broken Christine out of the Russian prison. Predictably, the Russians respond by coming after her and by the end they are killed off. Applying the
facebook.com/bmamagazine
full force of his legal genius, Thaddeus ensures Christine is the recipient of an enormous wad of the Russian President’s seized American cash, as compensation for her ordeal. The only time I engaged with any of the characters was through Christine’s endurance of her torture and recovery. I could not engage at all with Thaddeus’s shallow, insecure and thoroughly detestable wife, Katy. Similarly, Angelina is grating as a character – I lost interest when I arrived at chapters that were nothing but awful first drafts of what is to be Angelina’s New York Times Best Seller. The story that Angelina finally writes is cringeworthy. Rather than the real issues that could be explored, the focus is on what a great guy Thaddeus is, because he didn’t crumble under pressure and sleep with her behind his wife’s back. There is some smashing writing, but some sections that are pointless and make the book feel disjointed. Towards the end, it feels like it got too hard to create the detail that could have delivered a more entertaining and believable tale. ALSEY ANN CONDIE
35
E
X
H
I
B
I
T
I
O
N
I
S
T
bit PARTS NEW GLASS 2015 – ARCHAEOLGY, EXCAVATION AND THE ARCANE WHAT: Glass Exhibition WHEN: Wed Jun 17 WHERE: Kingston Power House To celebrate 100 years of the Kingston Power House, the historic landmark will be hosting New Glass 2015, a showcase of the nation’s finest glassmakers. This year, New Glass will encourage visitors to think about what history is, how we uncover it, the unexpected secrets it holds and how even new technologies can seem outdated in a few short years. Among the artists is Ngaio Fitzpatrick, whose video work is drawn from glass interventions filmed in the building, including the smoke stack and the historic staircase where Kingston Power House workers entered the building. The exhibition will officially open at 6pm. For more information, see canberraglassworks.com. JUMBLE JUNIOR WHAT: Storytelling Afternoon and Zine Launch WHEN: Sat Jun 20 WHERE: Bogong Theatre, Gorman Arts Centre Jumble Junior is a project that saw three young ACT writers from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds work with mentors from the writing and arts industries to develop a special edition zine that features their stories and artwork. The zine includes personal reflections about the importance of food in shaping our cultural identities. It will be launched with a free event on Saturday June 20, 3pm at Gorman Arts Centre – there’ll be food, music from Fossil Rabbit and readings. The team is also working with acclaimed local writers and performers: Omar Musa, Yen Eriksen and Tasnim Hussain. For more information, visit rip-publishing.com/jumble-junior. MID WINTER MARKET WHAT: Arts Market WHEN: Sat Jun 27 WHERE: Belconnen Arts Centre Discover the unique wares of stallholders and artists from around the ACT region. From locally prepared food and wine, to unique and one-off garments, stuffed toys, hand-printed cards, children’s clothes, hand-knitted garments and blankets, jewellery, handmade tableware, glass and decorative ceramics, as well as high-quality wool-felted wraps, scarves and a whole lot more. Each stall will be presenting their artwork and products, all created with a mind for sustainability and environmental care. The market will also feature Ignite Arts Academy artists, a group created to support ACT artists experiencing disability and disadvantage. It kicks off at midday and entry is free. Visit belconnenartscentre.com.au for more information. Image credit: Lightbox Photography
AT LAST – THE ETTA JAMES STORY WHAT: Soul WHEN: Sat Jul 4 WHERE: The Playhouse, Canberra Theatre Centre
36
Vika Bull, one of Australia’s most respected, powerful soul singers, is set to tell the story of one of the most influential soul singers of all time: Etta James. And at last, the critically acclaimed show is coming to Canberra. The narrative concert will see Vika put her heart into telling the story of Etta’s turbulent life. She will give over her soul to voice Etta’s most beloved songs including ‘Tell Mama,’ ‘Something’s Got A Hold On Me’, ‘Pushover’, the heartrending ‘I’d Rather Go Blind’, her iconic signature song ‘At Last’ and many more. The show starts at 8pm. Tickets are available through canberratheatrecentre.com.au.
@bmamag
AD SPACE
facebook.com/bmamagazine
37
the word
on albums
album that demands to be played loud, if only to take in all of the nuances in the underlying score.
The human-like touches are what make the album more compelling – one has to guess at times whether the sample source is even human or not. Heartbeat rhythms pound under incomprehensible vocal loops on ‘Dead Format’, an early highlight on the album. There’s a certain level of menace here, which builds a heightened sense of anxiety as it races along.
album of the issue BLANCK MASS DUMB FLESH [SACRED BONES] Noise crackles and hisses incessantly. A voice – I think it’s a voice – moans over and over, waveringly and in reverse; it sounds like the stuff of nightmares. This is how Dumb Flesh by Blanck Mass is introduced – an off-kilter experience, and one that is not always familiar or comforting. But it doesn’t last long. Rapidly progressing into staccato static, it sets the scene for what is to come: a pulsing, downtempo wall of noise which works largely on its instrumental breakdowns, and despite first impressions is surprisingly accessible. Written as a broad concept album, Dumb Flesh explores the fragility and flaws of the human condition. From the jarring cover art of decomposing flesh to the organically named tracks, it is at times challenging, as it will remove many listeners from their comfort zones. Despite this, it manages to build an emotionally vibrant experience, all without ever expressing a single coherent word. The creation of Benjamin John Power (who is better known as one half of Fuck Buttons), it is clear where the album’s heavy-handed distortion effect comes from. As an album that relies completely on instrumentation, Power has layered loops and samples to build a richly textural soundscape. Dumb Flesh is an
38
The album does progress towards stronger dance music as it develops. A few tracks around the middle tend towards straighter EDM, and while they work in context, they do tend to become repetitive and lack some of the intricacies as heard throughout the rest of the album. Power has thrown all sorts of synth effects onto Dumb Flesh, as he embraces retro sounds from the ‘80s and ‘90s with everything shrouded in a thick layer of distortion. Handclaps, wailing synths and drum machines are all at home here, with Power pushing them to the verge but knowing their limitations. ‘Cruel Sport’ is one such example – it’s a big dance number that crescendos to a huge climax of looming synths before scaling back down to nothingness. Rhythmically, Dumb Flesh takes cues from early hip-hop and RnB, IDM and glitch. The tempo is never pushed too far, keeping the entire album imminently danceable.
BRITISH INDIA NOTHING TOUCHES ME [LIBERATION MUSIC] Indie rock band British India made its mark with the 2007 debut LP Guillotine. An outfit with an angry vibe, their reckless lyrics encouraged punters to run red lights and play foolhardy games with loaded revolvers. Their following releases, including the 2013 album Controller, have seen their style stray towards indie-pop territory.
Album closer ‘Detritus’ harkens back to early Fuck Buttons. A jarring alternative reality of pure noise and ambient synths are barely audible underneath the chaos. A full three minutes later, it opens up to an explosion of a euphoric, soaring soundscape, which is the most emotionally powerful moment of the album.
You can gather a bit about an LP by the tone of its opening track. ‘Spider Chords’ comes with soft-rock vocals and a floating ‘woowoo’ call, awaiting the arrival of the bridge before blossoming into sky-scraping guitars and a stiffer vocal line from frontman Declan Melia. A simple but effective crosshatching of rhythms adds to its allure. The lyrics are romantic and whimsical (“She’s lighter than a feather/I am heavier than lead”) and they’re true to British India’s move from aggression to a broader emotional range. The title track is a highlight – stark in expressing how a love rejected has formed battle-scarred walls to protect from further emotional pain. In it, Melia’s violent tone is closer to the British India sound of old. The back alley strutter ‘This Is How It Feels’ stands from the rest, wearing its 80s vibe like five o’clock shadow. The band’s move to a smoother sound has improved their ballads, however. Whereas the slower songs on Controller tended to be plodders, tracks such as the keyboard driven ‘Jay Walker’ glide on low-profile tyres.
Despite being built almost entirely on synthetic loops, there is still an organic feel to the album’s progression. While it does not always reach what it’s aiming to for, the album’s highs tend to outshine any low points. It is a joy to be immersed in; a vibrant experience in how it feels to truly be human.
In Nothing Touches Me, the alt-rock emphasis that lingered in Controller has been softened further, with a preference for guitar-work that is firm rather than aggressive. There’s an emphasis on maintaining a consistently catchy line, with more bounce to its rhythms. While different in approach, it’s still pretty good stuff.
megan leahy
RORY MCCARTNEY
@bmamag
ERRORS LEASE OF LIFE [ROCK ACTION] Since initially forming in Glasgow in 2004 as a bedroom-based electronic project, and then being rapidly signed to Mogwai’s Rock Action label, three-piece ‘post-electro’ band Errors haven’t looked back. The ensuing tours alongside the aforementioned postrock figureheads (as well as Battles) have served to boost their profile even further. Three years on from their preceding LP New Relics, their fourth album Lease Of Life sees the trio continuing to refine their difficultto-categorise approach, which sees them shifting between sheeny synth-pop and more left-field/post-IDM-laced electronics. It’s also easily their biggest and most ‘widescreen-sounding’ collection to date, with the nine studio tracks rendered with sometimes dazzling layers of polish. On more downbeat tracks such as ‘Dull Care’, the most immediately obvious comparison point is the likes of fellow Glaswegians (and recent tour mates) Chvrches – or perhaps even La Roux – as Cecelia Stamp’s clear vocals ring out against a strippeddown backdrop of sparse drum machine rhythms, glittering arpeggios and airy synth murmurs. Meanwhile, ‘Genuflection’ sees the trio launching off into the stratosphere as surging house rhythms and proggy, arpeggiated sequences build beneath frontman Stephen Livingstone’s soaring vocals – the sudden appearance of saxophone solos immediately cementing the comparison to M83’s similarly euphoric explorations. Elsewhere, the title track takes the dancefloor momentum and runs with it as Livingstone’s delayed vocals echo out over a tight undercarriage of 4/4 drum kicks and trailing neon synths, in what’s easily one of the album’s most blurred-out and hypnotic detours. While there’s an occasional sense of coldness lurking just beneath all of the production gloss, on the whole Lease Of Life is a pretty strong album. CHRIS DOWNTON
facebook.com/bmamagazine
BRYCE DESSNER MUSIC FOR WOOD AND STRINGS PERFORMED BY SO PERCUSSION [BRASSLAND] If the name Bryce Dessner sounds familiar to you, it should. As one of the five members of The National, it would be surprising if Dessner’s guitar-work hadn’t made its way out of your speakers before. With a Master’s degree in music from Yale, he’s worked on festivals, co-founded Brassland Records, and composed music for a variety of groups including the Los Angeles Philharmonic and an upcoming project with the New York City Ballet. Pretty impressive, right? So it should be no surprise that – with the help of Aron Sanchez from Buke and Gase – he’s gone and invented an entirely new instrument for this project with So Percussion. How’d this work? Dessner composed the piece, the percussion quartet So Percussion performed it, and Sanchez built the chordstick – imagine combining an electric guitar with a hammer dulcimer – for them to play. The release includes a full-length concert piece and tracks split up into sections for easier, shorter bursts of listening – but it’s obvious from the offset that the former is much more preferable. This is a piece of music that has nothing to prove, and everything to explore. Drifting between droning ambient hazes, short staccato bursts, and chiming chords, So Percussion and their chordsticks fluctuate between engrossing and wanderingly distant – but always deliberately so. The basslines under the strings help anchor these songs, and brief encounters with a snare drum add just a bit more texture. For those who prefer to explore the depths of more experimental compositions, Music for Wood and Strings will sit well with its repetition and space. Both charming and unique, it’s like the best folk crossed with post-rock, and it’s special indeed. JEREMY STEVENS
TITLE FIGHT HYPERVIEW [ANTI-] From Kingston, Pennsylvania come U.S. three-piece punkers Title Fight with their third LP. Hyperview is dramatically different from previous albums like Shed, which – with songs such as ‘Crescent-Shaped Depression’ – had a conventional punk sound and hardcore-style vocal. ‘Head In The Ceiling Fan’ from the LP Floral Green gave a hint of things to come with its fuzzier, echoed format. But that LP was still mainstream punk. Now the band has taken a huge swing to a more shoegaze, almost retro style, with glimpses of The Smiths in their sound and arrangements. The new LP presents the band in a whole new light, with complex arrangements and multi-tempoed tracks. Opener ‘Murder Your Memory’ sets the scene and puts the listener in the right mood for digesting the album. Deep, well-spaced plucks emerge from a mist with sleepy, echo-fuzzed vocals. ‘Chlorine’ breaks into a dream with harsh, razor-sharp sounds. The song proceeds in sharp pulses – its music and lyrics wrapped in a shoegaze plastic wrap. In ‘Hypernight’, the vocals fight through a guitar hailstorm, while the fast, bouncy construct of ‘MRAHC’ is viewed obscurely through frosted glass. ‘Rose of Sharon’ kicks off with a persistent beat, before it rapidly accelerates amidst underwater shouting and then brakes back to a slow pace at the end, while ‘Liar’s Love’ also adopts a complex stew of rhythm and melody. The band used more intentional thematics than in their previous releases. While Hyperview was the concept behind the record, the term ‘Hypernight’ is specific to the song of that name, with a reprise of ‘Hypernight’ as an interlude in ‘Trace Me Onto You’, which intends to make the entire album more cyclical. RORY MCCARTNEY
39
album in focus
Sticky Fingers arrived in 1971 – complete with a suggestive Andy Warhol screen-print of Jagger’s crotch – The Beatles were pretty much done for.
THE ROLLING STONES STICKY FINGERS: DELUXE EDITION (2015 REISSUE) [POLYDOR] The “scarred old slaver” in ‘Brown Sugar’ is a somewhat unpleasant character. But there is no denying the forcefulness of the golden riff that charges through the song, which almost makes it acceptable for me to shout the lyrics while powerlips Mick Jagger does his lascivious scowl, “hear me with the women just around midnight”. ‘Brown Sugar’ was one of three songs recorded at the famed Muscle Shoals Sound Studio in Alabama on the Rolling Stones’ 1969 U.S. tour, which culminated with the fatal stabbing at Altamont and the subsequent winding down of the hippie dream. That tour showcased songs from the then released album Let It Bleed, where Jagger’s enthusiastic exhortation to “come all over me” on the title track brought a whole new dimension to the question doing the rounds earlier in the decade, “would you let your daughter marry a Rolling Stone?” It’s no surprise; their manager Andrew Oldham was attempting to set the band up as a dangerous counterpart to the clean-cut, suit-and-tie-wearing Beatles. Their image aside however, it can be said that the Stones were creating some good music at the time, but it wasn’t until the arrival of their first masterpiece album in 1968 – Beggars Banquet – that the walk on the dark side began in earnest. The sound was nastier and grittier, as on Beggars’ track ‘Stray Cat Blues’, which is one wild ride when the volume is turned up high. When
The 2015 edition of Sticky Fingers follows on the heels of previously remastered, two-CD reissues of the punk rock-inspired Some Girls from 1978 and the outright 1972 masterpiece Exile On Main Street, the scuzzy basement vibe of which provided an opening for the Stones to own the title, “the dirtiest band in rock ‘n’ roll”. Both reissues featured formerly unreleased material – just enough to get fans salivating. On this occasion, the bonus stuff consists of some alternative versions; the most worthwhile being a looser version of ‘Brown Sugar’ with Eric Clapton on slide guitar and some live raunch from a 1971 UK show at the Roundhouse. That’s all okay, because the real prize is the remastered original album, which sounds great in this new enlivened form – like a double shot of top shelf bourbon. The sound is full and powerful, and the grungy bits – like the sleazeboogie riff on ‘Sway’ – sound all the grungier. The Stones conjure rough and ready barroom blues with hard-driving riffs and rhythms on ‘Bitch’ and ‘Can’t You Hear Me Knocking’, which blows out with an extended breezy coda. Then there’s the tough Chicago blues working its magic on a primal version of Fred McDowell’s ‘You Gotta Move’. But there is much tenderness too. ‘Wild Horses’ and ‘I Got the Blues’ are heartfelt declarations filled with the torment that comes with being in love. ‘Moonlight Mile’ is a low-key lament for the difficulties of life on the road, set to a plaintive musical backdrop. That song is a fitting finale to an album of diverse moods and atmospheres, but there’s also the countrified Hank Williams vibe on ‘Dead Flowers’, with a dissatisfied dude taking comfort in “a needle and a spoon”, and the horrors of addiction blatantly laid out on ‘Sister Morphine’. There’s a lot going on here considering we are talking about a ten-song, 40-minute album, and it’s simply a class act all the way. DAN BIGNA
SPEEDY ORTIZ FOIL DEER [CARPARK RECORDS] Speedy Ortiz’s latest album Foil Deer raises the stakes with no holds barred. The brainchild of frontwoman Sadie Dupuis, Foil Deer is forthright, assertive and has a whole heap of grit, with just enough pop sensibility to keep it accessible. Foil Deer takes heavy influences from 1990s and early 2000s alternative, but Speedy Ortiz aren’t afraid to show their more playful side either, by incorporating elements of pop throughout. Dupuis’ strong and almost cartoonish voice works perfectly to counter the sludgy and grungy instrumentation, sounding sweet but never saccharine. Intricate guitar riffs provide swagger and drive the individual tracks. The melodies are well written and they make great use of intriguing counter melodies in the vocal and guitar lines. The majority of tracks tend towards a similar style, which blend together after a while – but their experimentation with different genres lifts the album and keeps it interesting. The industrial hit of ‘Puffer’ is a surprising addition with its driving, slinky bassline and shredding guitars. The summery ‘Swell Content’ provides contrast – it sounds like how Best Coast should be sounding. The lyrics are a key feature of the album, written by Dupuis and reflecting on her own life experiences. Her lyrics are raw – laden with spit and venom – but they also expose a deeper fragility at times. Dealing with topics related to independence as a young woman, the overlaying themes across the album are about standing up for yourself and not giving in. Dupuis takes it all in her stride, conveying a sense of authority and selfassurance to overcome what gets thrown her way. When she says, “I’m not bossy – I’m the boss”, you know exactly where she stands. MEGAN LEAHY
40
@bmamag
v
singles in focus BY CODY ATKINSON PALMS ‘BAD APPLE’
MEW +[PIAS] Though they’ve been active for the best part of two decades, Danish four-piece Mew never really amassed much of an audience here in Australia. It’s a situation that’s partially echoed in Europe. While they’ve built up a reputation as a strong live act, it’s their fusion of progressive rock-indebted structures with jangly, radio-friendly pop that’s sometimes put them in an awkward position. There’s also a slight edge of Euro-dagginess present in their sheeny pop songs. The accompanying press bio’s claim that “they could be the next A-Ha if they wanted to” might give an indication as to where Mew are coming from. Six years on from their preceding LP No More Stories, their sixth album + - (or ‘Plus Minus’) sees them reuniting with bassist Johan Wohlert and enlisting the skills of producer Michael Beinhorn (Hole, Soundgarden) to craft what’s easily their biggest-sounding collection to date. Indeed, sleekly polished maximalism is the order of the day here, with soaring pop vocals backed up by widescreen guitar strokes and layers of spiralling synths. Mew’s self-description as ‘stadium indie’ certainly proves to be an apt one here. Opening track and first single ‘Satellites’ kicks things off with a shimmering rush of synths, falsetto pop vocals and trailing guitar bends that at first call M83 to mind, before a sudden gear shift reveals a closer kinship with the likes of Genesis as jangling riffs ascend into the ether. Elsewhere though, Kimbra’s guest vocals on ‘The Night Believer’ manage to skate dangerously close to Eurovision territory at times. While occasionally slightly awkward, there’s still plenty of wellcrafted pop on show here. CHRIS DOWNTON
facebook.com/bmamagazine
VARIOUS PUNK 45: EXTERMINATION NIGHTS IN THE SIXTH CITY [SOUL JAZZ] The Soul Jazz label has once again illuminated the obscure delights of the punk rock underground, in the latest edition of the Punk 45 series. These focus on the U.S. Midwest and the mind-blowing blasts of creativity happening in Ohio ¬– more specifically Cleveland and Akron, where Pere Ubu and Devo are the two bands that give this dissident scene a wider exposure. Those in the know can pinpoint Akron as the home base for garage rock exponents The Black Keys, but there was a lot going on before they came along. A companion Punk 45 volume explores the weird, regional sounds coming from Akron, which is a total delight for fans of all things noisy and strange. I tend to prefer the Cleveland camp reviewed here, however – their sounds are even weirder. Additionally, two cuts are included from Pere Ubu, one of the greatest bands of all time. Ubu walked a fine line between the raw three-chord skronk of 60s garage punk and far-out stuff from the likes of The Stooges and The Velvet Underground, melding that sound to a distinctly industrial landscape. The end result was a total sonic reinvention of whatever high energy music had been up until the mid-1970s. In other words, Pere Ubu’s teen angst blast ‘Final Solution’ is guaranteed to blow your mind. Elsewhere, electric eels Mirrors do lo-fi, warped psychedelia from the scuzzy side of town so intensely well – with dollops of snotty attitude to strike fear in the hearts of disco fans worldwide. You’ll never want to listen to anything else again. DAN BIGNA
There’s something that’s just so damn likeable about Palms’ music that it’s hard to put your finger on. Maybe it’s that they sound like the result of ‘90s alternative and ‘60s garage pop being thrown into a blender for about three minutes. Probably it’s that ‘Bad Apple’ is just bloody good to listen to, without thinking too much about it.
PASSIVE SMOKE ‘SPLIT IN TWO’ ‘Split In Two’ – the first release from new Canberra band Passive Smoke – is a pretty engaging first-up effort. Call-and-response vocals dominate the track, with hookladen guitars moving throughout. ‘Split In Two’ is pretty raw, but music like this always sounds better the rawer it is.
DERADOORIAN ‘A BEAUTIFUL WOMAN’ You could easily get lost in ‘A Beautiful Woman’, a bizarrely hypnotic track that swirls around Angel Deradoorian’s powerful voice. Like her previous band Dirty Projectors, there’s something joyously offkilter about the at-times simple pop melodies on show. You could think of many ways to describe the intricate elements at play throughout this song, but I’ll just settle with calling it good.
JESSIE J ‘FLASHLIGHT’ ‘Flashlight’ somehow distorts the timespace continuum, because in the 2,314 hours it felt like I was listening to the track, only about three minutes had passed. It’s not everyday that you come across a song as unbelievably boring as this one, which I guess is an achievement.
41
the word
on films
WITH EMMA ROBINSON
Everyone should all take a moment to acknowledge how supremely excellent Sam Rockwell is. Even in a film that isn’t exactly Oscar-bait like Poltergeist, he still commands every scene he is in. I kept looking at him while watching Poltergeist and thinking, “look, it’s the awesome guy from 7 Psychopaths. I hope he doesn’t shoot his wife in the stomach. Or maybe he’ll hark back to Galaxy Quest and be convinced he’s about to be killed off.” Comic timing, unflinching evil, guy next-door – this guy is a chameleon.
quote of the issue “They’re heeeeeerree” – Kennedi Clements (Madison Bowen), Poltergeist
MARSHLAND
SAN ANDREAS
POLTERGEIST
There’s just something about swamps that lend themselves to the sinister. They’re always a good – if unoriginal – setting for a thriller. Marshland (Spanish: La isla mínima) centres on Pedro Suarez (Raul Arevalo) and Juan Robles (Javier Gutierrez), odd-couple detectives (one of whom is, of course, a loose cannon who plays by his own rules but, by god, he gets results) assigned to investigate the case of two missing girls in a rural fishing community in 1980’s Spain – at the time, a struggling township emerging from decades of fascism. It’s a shame that more wasn’t made of the troubled political situation hinted at throughout the film. Suarez and Robles are clearly of very different ideological backgrounds, which seep into the ways they each go about investigating the case. Instead, this interesting angle was largely glossed over in favour of a by-the-numbers murder mystery. There are more than a few moments that stretch suspension of disbelief and take away from what otherwise could have been a solid, gritty crime thriller. The case plays out fairly predictably, though the villains are satisfyingly vile. The cinematographer and location scouts are the true stars of this movie, though their work suffers from a camera operator who was reluctant to get his boots too muddy. It’s possible that something was lost in translation, but the film failed to capitalise on some good setups and interesting sub-plots. Not bad, but nothing outstanding. Watch True Detective instead.
The only way a movie can get away with its characters constantly exclaiming “this is bad”, is to own it as an entirely self-reflexive statement. San Andreas knows that it is completely ridiculous, and what it lacks in plausibility and character development, it makes up in awesomely cheesy one-liners, over-thetop CGI, enormous biceps, a dad-on-a-mission and the dramatic unfurling of a gigantic American flag. Hell yeah. Ray Gaines (Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson) – Los Angeles Fire Department rescue-pilotextraordinaire – sets out to find his family (who all clearly visit the same orthodontist) after those pesky tectonic plates either side of the San Andreas Fault decide it’s about time to shake things up a bit. Lawrence (Paul Giamatti’s token mad scientist) does his best to inject credibility by spouting über-innovative seismological mumbo-jumbo and throwing around Richter readings like “9.1” and “9.6” like there’s no tomorrow (which, to be fair, there probably isn’t for many Californians – not because of the earthquakes, but because The Rock leaves them all high and dry by choosing to commandeer publicly-funded helicopters to rescue his family instead). Throw into the mix that San Andreas was filmed mostly in Australia (go figure) and features an odd, obligatory cameo from pop-princess Kylie Minogue (because why not), whose fire-escape stunt work gives new meaning to the word ‘locomotion’. It’s fun, if instantly forgettable. For optimum viewing experience, see this film with a bunch of rowdy – slightly inebriated – friends.
This is a silly romp of a film.
PATRICK BELL
42
MAJELLA CARMODY
Diehard fans of the 1982 Poltergeist probably won’t enjoy this film as much (it’s not surprising – remakes rarely do justice to the original), but fans of the ghost story genre will get a kick out of this ridiculous movie. After being subjected to harsh luck on the job market, married couple Eric and Amy Bowen relocate with their three children to a new house in the suburbia of Illinois. All seems well until the youngest child Maddy starts having creepy conversations with a being that no one can see (never a sign that heralds stability). After their son is attacked by a clown and a tree, and their eldest daughter almost drowns in sludge that looks like poo, mama and papa Bowen call in a team of parapsychologists to help them rescue Maddy, who has disappeared into her closet and is now stuck in the TV. During moments of excruciating tension in the Paranormal Activity series, audience members prayed for a respite in freaky ghost happenings to give their jangling nerves some release. Poltergeist offers the antidote to the relentless tension of these kinds of films. There are some genuinely scary moments but the effect quickly evaporates as each moment is followed by comedic distraction. Combining horror and comedy is a proud tradition (Evil Dead 2 & 3 are classics). This film isn’t a masterpiece, but it’s fun. EMMA ROBINSON
@bmamag
ENTOURAGE
ALOHA
Do not fret, people who haven’t seen the Entourage TV series. I haven’t and yet I managed to comprehend this highly complex plot. What you see is what you get: ‘dude humour’ seasoned with subversive humour and quotable quotes. And about three million cameos – Liam Neeson is not one to fuck with. Vincent Chase (Adrian Grenier) is an acclaimed Hollywood movie star with 15 starring roles under his belt. He has now set his sights on not only starring, but also directing his next major film (even though it’s not clear that he can actually direct). Around eighty thousand obstacles encroach his path to success and it’s his ‘entourage’ – Eric (Kevin Connelly), Turtle (Jerry Ferrara) and Johnny (Kevin Dillon) – that help him navigate past or through these sometimes self-induced catastrophes.
Here we go again.
I was reminded forcibly of Sex and the City. Not just because of the lavish wealth and glamour, and the casual disposal of members of the opposite sex. Rather, in both of these films there is an underlying ‘bros before hoes’/‘chicks over dicks’ mantra that governs their thinking and actions. And therein lies what makes these films enjoyable and not just an activity in watching immoral spoilt brats run wild over two of the United States’ playgrounds – unwavering loyalty to their friends. Without this quality Entourage would flop, as the characters would have no likeability or integrity. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to binge-watch the show. EMMA ROBINSON
Non-descript white guy Brian Gilcrest (Bradley Cooper), a decorated military man in his forties returns to Hawaii, the site of one of his most impressive professional triumphs. Brian is riddled with all the setbacks that white guys tend to be saddled with – he’s gorgeous, charming and he just can’t commit to anything. But luckily for him, he’ll reconnect with his lost love Tracy Woodside (Rachel McAdams), who will show him the error of his ways. And the beautiful Allison Ng (Emma Stone) will reward him with love and sex. Apparently, that is what feckless twats in their middle age deserve, beautiful women who are half their age. There is no shortage of films that embrace this tired trope: ‘the struggle of the white man.’ The more talented and aware directors will create films that depict their struggles in an original way whilst still acknowledging their inherent privilege, such as 2014’s Birdman. Aloha felt trite and smug – the audience was supposed to smile and say, “Aren’t these characters just so loveable and quirky?” No they weren’t, and they didn’t inspire any empathy. Finally, I’m sick of seeing talented young actresses like Emma Stone playing characters that serve as the reward for self-indulgent, narcissistic male characters (like her role in Magic In The Moonlight). If Brian couldn’t move the story along with his own momentum, it doesn’t deserve to be told. EMMA ROBINSON
facebook.com/bmamagazine
43
the word on dvds
44
THE OTHER ONE: THE LONG, STRANGE TRIP OF BOB WEIR [NETFLIX] This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Grateful Dead – often heralded as the hardest ‘classic’ rock band to understand. Although inscrutable and a niche here in Australia, they are one of the greatest American bands of all time. Making the job harder for anyone interested in the Dead is the fact that they were most famous for being a live experience, meaning any trip through their studio back catalogue comprehensively fails to capture what they were all about. There’ll be a ‘last hurrah’ reunion of the core four (Bob Weir, Phil Lesh, Mickey Hart and Bill Kruetzmann) in Chicago and Santa Clara, an 80-disc live retrospective and a Scorsese-helmed doco, but until then, we have The Other One. This Netflix original documentary is a suitably easy-going summary of Bob Weir’s life to date. Weir was an insanely young 16-year-old when he took up rhythm guitar with the Warlocks/Grateful Dead. Jerry Garcia, already well known around Paolo Alto as a bluegrass prodigy, took Weir under his wing. With Garcia blazing on lead guitar, Weir had to find his own sound – and was nearly kicked out in the process. Eventually, he developed an idiosyncratic style that borrowed heavily from jazz: lots of unusual phrasings that complemented Garcia rather than competed with him. Weir was always the healthy, matinee idol – looking well out of place in this band of actual misfits. Weir has always exuded Northern Californian calm – centred and at peace. That’s something that this doco captures beautifully as he explains the 30 years the Dead were together. Archival footage is stunning, some of it never before seen. But The Other One is also Weir’s personal story – one of adoption and identity. The Grateful Dead was a complicated and contradictory band, but this doco is a superb introduction. JUSTIN HOOK
HELLO LADIES [WARNER HOME VIDEO] Stephen Merchant and Ricky Gervais are one of the most successful comedy partnerships of the last 20 years, collaborating in such productions as The Office, Extras, Life’s Too Short and An Idiot Abroad. Recently they splintered off into separate projects; Gervais as the man about Hollywood, hanging out with stars and hosting awards ceremonies whilst Merchant took the less dazzled path of guest spots, theatre and video games. Hello Ladies is Merchant’s first big solo project – on HBO no less – and an adaptation of his stage show of the same name. Although it lived and died a very quiet death – one season and a telemovie – it shouldn’t be overlooked. Merchant plays Stuart Pritchard, an awkward, creepy, British software developer living in LA. He spends an inordinate amount of his time trying to get a date and running his company from a spare room – unsuccessfully, because he’s an awkward creep. Pritchard isn’t exactly likeable, so Merchant hasn’t really gone out on too much of a limb with Hello Ladies. It’s familiar territory for anyone who’s seen an episode of The Office, albeit with a bigger budget and more sunshine. Importantly, it’s the first time Merchant has had to hold an entire show together as lead actor/writer/producer/ director. This is his creative vision and though the stakes are low, it has a humble charm. That’s not to say Pritchard is a pleasant character – he isn’t – but Merchant is obviously drawing from years of being an outsider, so this particular outsider feels believable. The supporting cast (Christine Woods, Nata Torrence and the reliably odd Kyle Mooney) enable and shoot Pritchard down in equal measure. The movie that wraps up the show has no huge surprises or shocking character twists – more so a sense of inevitability through despair… a perfect ending, really. JUSTIN HOOK
ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK – SEASON TWO [ROADSHOW] When we reviewed the first season of OITNB, Netflix – the internet subscription network that funded and aired this show – was beyond the grasp of Australian audiences. We didn’t know the thrill of having an entire season released simultaneously across the world for immediate consumption. And if we wanted to see OITNB spoiler-free, as it aired, we had few legal choices. What a difference a year makes. Just last week the third season was uploaded to the accounts of hundreds of thousands of local Netflix subscribers. I mention this because context is very important to a show like OITNB. It thrives on the immediacy of social media and recap culture, and it’s the first real post-cable, postfree-to-air ‘hit show’. This season consolidates its status, without necessarily adding anything to it. Piper Chapman (Taylor Schilling) awakes to being whisked away in secrecy. She assumes it’s because she stabbed her fellow inmate Pennsatucky (Taryn Manning) at the end of season one. Instead, Piper is in Chicago to testify against the person that precipitated her decline from trendy Brooklynite to hardened prisoner. And before she knows it, her ex (Alex) double-crosses her. And it pretty much doesn’t let up from there. Lorraine Toussaint plays this season’s villain – Vee Parker – and she lives up to the mantle, right through the concluding scenes where she may/may not have copped it. The relationships, beatings, shivings, the setting up and breaking down of alliances – they all continue at full pace. Through these stories, we are reminded that the line between functional society and veering off into the abyss isn’t quite as wide as you’d imagine. OITNB is a show built around decisions – ones we willingly make and others that are forced upon us under duress. Refreshingly, it doesn’t take sides. JUSTIN HOOK
@bmamag
facebook.com/bmamagazine
45
the word
on gigs
Totally Mild, Wives, Passive Smoke The Phoenix Thursday May 21 With a new drummer and cassette in tow, Passive Smoke sounded genuinely tight together. The speed went up a gear, which suited their sound to no end. Guitar and vocal interplay took centre stage, with traded lines and riffs the order of the night. There was a sense of adventure in their songwriting and delivery – a dash of playfulness to break up the occasionally frenzied delivery. It’s still pretty early, but 2015 seems to be shaping up as Wives’ year in the local scene. They relied more on keyboard tones than previously, but it’s still Anja Loughead’s vocals that tie the band together. Her voice gives Wives a sound different to nearly every other band going around, and certainly from the other two on the night. Wives found good areas around arty post-punk, with frenetic guitars blending with smoother bass and keyboards throughout. Delivering skewed pop built on houses of guitars, Totally Mild aren’t anything like their name implies. There’s a definite passion behind their sound, even if it’s covered in swathes of reverb at times. Like Wives, much of the appeal of Totally Mild is driven from the fantastic voice of their frontwoman, Elizabeth Mitchell, who swooned in and out of focus with the rest of the band as the set went on. Heavily mining material from their debut album Down Time, Totally Mild mixed the dark and the saccharine in nearly equal measures. It’s always pretty great to watch such a cohesive band – one that commits so hard to playing good, honest music.
PHOTO BY MEGAN LEAHY
the word
on gigs
RORY MCCARTNEY
Lurch & Chief, Slow Turismo, Foreign Kings Transit Bar Saturday May 23 A last minute fill-in, locals Foreign Kings earned their keep well. First visual impressions were of an alt-country band, but this was far from the truth. There was more of a metal vibe as they crashed into their opener, ‘Mercy’. Occasionally blinded by his own hair, snarling, punching the air, chest thumping and stomping, frontman Justin led the five-piece on a heavy rock romp. He joined the crowd on the floor for a headbanging session to round out their final song. Their Canberran compatriots Slow Turismo were from another musical planet. There was a keyboard-led opening riff in their first number, full of echoes, delicate licks and the ephemeral voice of Max Conway. A Dappled Cities sound accompanied their indiepop material with its jazz/funk flourishes. Pieces were complex, with interplays between guitars and among the trio of vocalists – especially notable in the tropical calypso mood of ‘Thunderstorm’.
PHOTO BY DAVE MCCARTHY
46
Psych rockers Lurch & Chief brought the energy levels up again with their fascinating vocal combo of Hayden Somerville and Lili Hall. After a blowing wind effect set the mood in the intro, the music gathered momentum before bursting into ‘Fading Out’. The two vocalists were perfect foils to each other, taking turns having the lead as their opposite number provided backing vocals. This effect was at its best in ‘Creeping Away’, with Hall issuing high, ghostly sounds as Somerville constructed a web of growing menace. All the while, the guitars created a swirling vortex of sound, with the singers trapped in its centre. Somerville embodied the intensity of the sound, doubling over and contorting his limbs, or dancing about in every spare inch of space on the crowded stage. RORY MCCARTNEY
@bmamag
the word
on gigs
PHOTO BY BEN RUSSELL
Against Me!, Joyce Manor, Hoodlum Shouts The Basement Wednesday June 3 Locals Hoodlum Shouts did the ACT proud with a set featuring the incredible vocals of frontman Sam Leyshon. ‘Glass Ceiling’ was a highlight, as Leyshon matched long vocal notes with stretched slugs of reverb from guitarist Mike Caruana. Following them, Joyce Manor delivered some bouncy Californian punk, with a Blink-182 vibe that energised sections of the audience. Their songs included quick doses of screaming, catchy hooks and fingertip-shredding guitar work before coming to a dead stop. After covering a lesser-known Weezer tune, they ended with one of their longer, more complex numbers, ‘Leather Jacket’. Against Me! gave the crowd a melodic, hard-driving performance of relentless energy. With her hair occasionally draping over the microphone, Laura Jane Grace swept up the crowd and carried them with her crisp voice. High-kicking bassist Inge Johansson flanked her on one side and guitarist James Bowman (who provided strong backing vocals) on the other. Taken from the band’s LP – Transgender Dysphoria Blues – Grace poured out the tragic ‘Unconditional Love’, sounding triumphant in spite of the song painting her as irredeemable. Apart from the lyrics however, Grace was a person of few words, only whispering “it’s magic” at the close of a number. The intense performance resulted in a shattered cymbal, multiple broken drumsticks and a guitar pedal that died on the job. But the band combined their voices to stomp out the chorus to ‘Teenage Anarchist’ – an anthem for a generation. With the level of output undiminished, they gave us a four-song encore including a Paul Westerberg cover and their own ‘True Trans’. RORY MCCARTNEY
facebook.com/bmamagazine
47
the word
on gigs
Repressed Records Presents... Vivid LIVE, Sydney Opera House Saturday May 22 Cops shut it down. Whenever anyone talks about Royal Headache’s first show in two years, they’re not going to talk about previews of their new album, or Blank Realm’s phenomenal set, or anything else at all. They’re just going to talk about how the crowd rushed the stage, and then the cops rushed the crowd. At the Opera House. The heart of decorum within the arts in Australia reduced to just another pub for one night. And how it was fucking brilliant. That’s the point of live music – the chance for the unexpected to happen and for the script to be thrown away, completely in the name of seeking fun. It’s also why some people are scared of it – the lack of rules dictating the minutia of performance, or the chance that a band plays one song out of place. When Vivid invited Royal Headache to the Opera House, they weren’t going in blind. Shogun played a solo (piano-driven) set there last year, and King Khan caused mayhem a couple of years ago. Not fans-rushing-the-stage mayhem, but the performers-rushing-thecrowd type. Focusing so much on one discrete (albeit memorable) event on the night seems to brush over the rest of the gig, and unfairly so. Snake & Friends was the debut of Al Monfort’s (Dick Diver, Total Control) new project, which combined a plethora of instruments into broadly sweeping and catchy folk pop. Although it’s early days, there seems to be something worth exploring there, and something different to his other projects. Superstar comes off a little bit like a colder version of Beach House, which isn’t the worst starting point. Combining male-female vocals over keys, guitars and drum machines, Superstar added a much-needed softness to a night that was lacking elsewhere. Exhaustion presented a different look than they have in the past, with the inclusion of saxophonist Kris Wanders for the night. What resulted was a full frontal assault on the senses, an overload of noise and sound that ebbed and flowed throughout their set. Opening and closing with a cacophony of sound, Exhaustion played with a sense of menace, of slashing and smashing that just pummelled everyone. Blank Realm are extremely charismatic live performers. Their set-up is a little different – a non-singing bassist as their ‘frontman’, a singing drummer who occasionally slips out of time, a dancing keyboard player and a mad man on guitar. But when they’re firing on all cylinders, few match them as a live experience. Cycling through older cuts such as ‘Go Easy’ and ‘Falling Down The Stairs’ to very new songs, Blank Realm seemed to be in control of the gradually swelling crowd, owning the imposing space and all that it held. Aside from newsworthy events, Royal Headache were fantastic – a real fucking pleasure to watch. Shogun’s soulful vocals cut through the tight garage punk unit behind him. Across their short set, they demonstrated exactly why everyone went crazy for that first album, and gave hope that the follow-up might be just as good. ‘Girls’ – sung partially by the crowd – was such a revelation in the spacious surrounds that it was hard to believe how good it was. Sometimes trying to explain why something is great is a bit pointless – and this set felt like one of those times.
PHOTOS BY MEGAN LEAHY
48
CODY ATKINSON
@bmamag
ENTERTAINMENT GUIDE Wed Jun 17 - Thur Jun 18
Listings are a free community service. Email editorial@bmamag.com to have your events appear each issue. WEDNESDAY JUNE 17
ART EXHIBITIONS Australian Paintings 22 May - 28 Jun. Free. DRILL HALL GALLERY
All That Fall
Make Them Suffer
NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY
MAGPIES CITY CLUB
Sacrifice, life and loss in the First World War. 10am-5pm. Free.
Damn
Opens 6pm May 20-June 27. Mon - Fri 9am - 5:30pm Sat 9am - 1pm.
Slowing Down Time
CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ART SPACE (GORMAN HOUSE)
BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE
Amelia Zaraftis. Tues - Fri 11am 5pm, Sat 10am - 4pm.
Louise Curham, Michele Elliot, Sue Healey and Jo Law
The Screen Set
Zoe Kirkwood. Tues - Fri 11am 5pm, Sat 10am - 4pm.
CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ART SPACE (GORMAN HOUSE)
X-Rated
The Sex Industry in the Act. Until Sept 20.
CANBERRA MUSEUM AND GALLERY
New Works by Andrea Mullins
Opens 6pm 11 Jun until Jun 21. 11am-5pm.
CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ARTS SPACE (MANUKA)
A Time and Place
10-4pm Tuesday-Friday, 12-4pm Saturday and Sunday. Free. PHOTOACCESS MANUKA
Paintings- James/Jacqui Erskine Collection
Collection of contemporary Australian art. Wed-Sun 12-5pm. Free. DRILL HALL GALLERY
Room
CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ART SPACE (GORMAN HOUSE)
On Joue Sur La Terre
With Black Tongue I, Valiance + More.
Stand-up Comedy. 8pm. $5(online) $10(door).
ANU FOOD CO-OP
LIVE MUSIC
ON THE TOWN
Tessa Devine
BAD!SLAM!NO!BISCUIT!
THE FRONT GALLERY AND CAFÉ
7pm. $8 members. $10 nonmembers.
Poetry. 8pm. Free. THE PHOENIX BAR
THEATRE
A portrait of my father as a young man
8pm. $55.
Mary Mhutchinson. 10-4pm Tuesday-Friday, 12-4pm Saturday and Sunday. Free. PHOTOACCESS MANUKA
three
Andy Mullens. Weds- Sun 11am5pm
CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ARTS SPACE (MANUKA)
A Fabled Gesture
Greg Hodge. Tues - Fri 11am - 5pm, Sat 10am - 4pm.
Storm Large THE PLAYHOUSE
8pm. $10.
Steven Isserlis
With Connie Shih. 7pm. LLEWELLYN HALL
The Maze. Freshly brewed Sydney indie rock 8pm, free entry TRANSIT BAR
Cracked Actor
With Milkk, Lost Coast. 9pm. $5.
Tranny Trivia
ON THE TOWN
Glamour & Song questions. 8pm. Book Online. POLIT BAR & LOUNGE
THURSDAY JUNE 18 ART EXHIBITIONS Ceramics Triennial
LIVE MUSIC
M16 ARTSPACE
8pm. Tickets $55.
POLIT BAR & LOUNGE
TRIVIA
CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ART SPACE (GORMAN HOUSE)
Storm Large
LOL Pol
Acoustic Soup
Photography Exhibition. Opens 7pm. 11 June-2 July ALLIANCE FRANÇAISE
COMEDY
Shifting Senses, Smash, Altered. 12-5pm daily.
THE PHOENIX BAR
Playtime
Top 40, Dance, RnB. 10pm. Free entry. TREEHOUSE BAR
4Some Thursdays
Free Entry & $4 Drinks Specials. ACADEMY NIGHTCLUB
SOMETHING DIFFERENT Tarot Card Reading
Booking only 0404364820. 5-7pm. POLIT BAR & LOUNGE
THE PLAYHOUSE
facebook.com/bmamagazine
49
ENTERTAINMENT GUIDE Fri Jun 19 - Wed Jun 24 FRIDAY JUNE 19 COMEDY Superwog
With mychonny. 7:30pm. Tickets from $39.90. THE PLAYHOUSE
LIVE MUSIC Groovin The ANU 8pm. Free.
ANU BAR AND REFECTORY
Bud Petal 7pm. $10.
THE FRONT GALLERY AND CAFÉ
Mike Metro & Set Mo
$10. Before 11pm.
ACADEMY NIGHTCLUB
Live Music
Helena Pop, Casters, Finnickers, Capes. Free. 8pm. MAGPIES CITY CLUB
ON THE TOWN InTheMix Awards Tour ft. Jesabel $10. All night.
ACADEMY NIGHTCLUB
SOMETHING DIFFERENT
A Time and Place
10-4pm Tuesday-Friday, 12-4pm Saturday and Sunday. Free. PHOTOACCESS MANUKA
Damn
Opens 6pm May 20-June 27. Mon - Fri 9am - 5:30pm Sat 9am - 1pm. CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ART SPACE (GORMAN HOUSE)
Paintings- James/Jacqui Erskine Collection
Collection of contemporary Australian art. Wed-Sun 12-5pm. Free. DRILL HALL GALLERY
THEATRE Casanova
18 Jun-4 Jul. Bookings at 6257 1950. THEATRE 3
SUNDAY JUNE 21 ART EXHIBITIONS Puppetry Program
Puppetry lessons for children. $150 per term or $20 per class.
Life and time: Portraits by Rod McNicol 10am-5pm. Free.
NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY
The Screen Set
Zoe Kirkwood. Tues - Fri 11am 5pm, Sat 10am - 4pm.
CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ART SPACE (GORMAN HOUSE)
X-Rated
The Sex Industry in the Act. Until Sept 20.
CANBERRA MUSEUM AND GALLERY
sPIN
Room
BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE
Miniature wearable artworks. 6pm.
LIVE MUSIC
A Time and Place
CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ART SPACE (GORMAN HOUSE)
Naked Bodies
10-4pm Tuesday-Friday, 12-4pm Saturday and Sunday. Free.
THE FRONT GALLERY AND CAFÉ
Ceramics Triennial
Amelia Zaraftis. Tues - Fri 11am 5pm, Sat 10am - 4pm.
Ceramics Triennial
Shifting Senses, Smash, Altered. 12-5pm daily. M16 ARTSPACE
On Joue Sur La Terre
Photography Exhibition. Opens 7pm. 11 June-2 July ALLIANCE FRANÇAISE
A portrait of my father as a young man
Mary Mhutchinson. 10-4pm Tuesday-Friday, 12-4pm Saturday and Sunday. Free. PHOTOACCESS MANUKA
8pm. $10.
ANCA GALLERY
PHOTOACCESS MANUKA
SOMETHING DIFFERENT
Shifting Senses, Smash, Altered. 12-5pm daily.
The Radical Listener
Damn
2pm. Free.
NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY
Canberra Blues Society Monthy Jams
Backbeat Drivers. 2pm. $3/$5. HARMONIE GERMAN CLUB
MONDAY JUNE 22
M16 ARTSPACE
Opens 6pm May 20-June 27. Mon - Fri 9am - 5:30pm Sat 9am - 1pm. CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ART SPACE (GORMAN HOUSE)
Paintings- James/Jacqui Erskine Collection
Collection of contemporary Australian art. Wed-Sun 12-5pm. Free. DRILL HALL GALLERY
COMEDY
LIVE MUSIC The Bootleg Sessions
TREEHOUSE BAR
Octonauts live! Operation Reef Shield
Various Artists. 8pm. Free.
Amelia Zaraftis. Tues - Fri 11am 5pm, Sat 10am - 4pm.
6-11pm.
CANBERRA THEATRE CENTRE
SOMETHING DIFFERENT
On Joue Sur La Terre
LIVE MUSIC
Play for your supper
Loud Than Hell
POLIT BAR & LOUNGE
Surgin aka Steve Lising
House DJ. From 9pm. Free Entry
Fete de la musique ALLIANCE FRANÇAISE
SATURDAY JUNE 20 ART EXHIBITIONS three
Andy Mullens. Weds- Sun 11am5pm
10:30am and 1:30pm. Tickets starting at $34.90.
With Is Dead, Behind the silhouettes, Avascular Necrosis + More. MAGPIES CITY CLUB
Mope City
THE PHOENIX BAR
Play on a grand piano. 6-10pm.
TUESDAY JUNE 23 KARAOKE
CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ARTS SPACE (MANUKA)
With The Cathys, Thunderbolt City. 9:30pm. $5. THE PHOENIX BAR
Love 9pm, free entry
Greg Hodge. Tues - Fri 11am - 5pm, Sat 10am - 4pm.
ON THE TOWN
Karaoke Winter Comp
Love Saturdays
POLIT BAR & LOUNGE
A Fabled Gesture
CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ART SPACE (GORMAN HOUSE)
Australian Paintings 22 May - 28 Jun. Free. DRILL HALL GALLERY
Slowing Down Time
Louise Curham, Michele Elliot, Sue Healey and Jo Law BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE
Life and time: Portraits by Rod McNicol 10am-5pm. Free.
NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY
The Screen Set
Zoe Kirkwood. Tues - Fri 11am 5pm, Sat 10am - 4pm.
CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ART SPACE (GORMAN HOUSE)
X-Rated
The Sex Industry in the Act. Until Sept 20.
CANBERRA MUSEUM AND GALLERY
New Works by Andrea Mullins
Opens 6pm 11 Jun until Jun 21. 11am-5pm.
With Project M. $10 before 12am.
View and purchase art. WATSON ARTS CENTRE
Winter Glass Market 4-11pm.
Presented by twotonmurphy.com. 7:30pm.
WEDNESDAY JUNE 24 ART EXHIBITIONS A Fabled Gesture
Greg Hodge. Tues - Fri 11am - 5pm, Sat 10am - 4pm.
CANBERRA GLASSWORKS
CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ART SPACE (GORMAN HOUSE)
9am-1pm. RSVP before 19 June. $115.
22 May - 28 Jun. Free.
Cooking Class
ALLIANCE FRANÇAISE
PHOTOACCESS MANUKA
THE PLAYHOUSE
THE PHOENIX BAR
Winter Ceramic Fair
Mary Mhutchinson. 10-4pm Tuesday-Friday, 12-4pm Saturday and Sunday. Free.
DJ Brai. 8pm.
Gold Fields & KLP
SOMETHING DIFFERENT
A portrait of my father as a young man
Kelly
Christo and Raph's Trivia
TRANSIT BAR
ALLIANCE FRANÇAISE
COMEDY
9PM . Free entry
8pm, presales via Moshtix
Photography Exhibition. Opens 7pm. 11 June-2 July
TRANSIT BAR
TRIVIA
TREEHOUSE BAR
CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ART SPACE (GORMAN HOUSE)
Every Tuesday Karaoke
ACADEMY NIGHTCLUB
Sneaky: Lucrative
Room
Australian Paintings DRILL HALL GALLERY
Slowing Down Time
Louise Curham, Michele Elliot, Sue Healey and Jo Law BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE
$40.00 - $55.00.
DANCE Ballet Revolucion
7:30pm. $89.90 -$98.90.
CANBERRA THEATRE CENTRE
SOMETHING DIFFERENT Winter Ceramic Fair View and purchase art. WATSON ARTS CENTRE
THEATRE Casanova
18 Jun-4 Jul. Bookings at 6257 1950. THEATRE 3
TRIVIA Tranny Trivia
Glamour & Song questions. 8pm. Book Online. POLIT BAR & LOUNGE
CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ARTS SPACE (MANUKA)
50
@bmamag
ENTERTAINMENT GUIDE Thur Jun 25 - Mon Jun 29 THURSDAY JUNE 25 ART EXHIBITIONS Memories and Rust
Nigel Dobson and Josh Darcy. Weds- Sun 11am- 5pm
CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ARTS SPACE (MANUKA)
COMEDY Kelly
$40.00 - $55.00. THE PLAYHOUSE
SATURDAY JUNE 27 ART EXHIBITIONS Memories and Rust
Nigel Dobson and Josh Darcy. Weds- Sun 11am- 5pm
TRANSIT BAR
ON THE TOWN
Exhibition Openings + Talk
CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ART SPACE (GORMAN HOUSE)
Love Saturdays
Australian Paintings DRILL HALL GALLERY
Louise Curham, Michele Elliot, Sue Healey and Jo Law
With Ciggie Witch (Melb), California Girls. 9pm. $5.
Life and time: Portraits by Rod McNicol
Cool Sounds (Melb)
BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE
THE PHOENIX BAR
10am-5pm. Free.
ON THE TOWN
The Screen Set
Free Entry & $4 Drinks Specials. ACADEMY NIGHTCLUB
SOMETHING DIFFERENT Tarot Card Reading
Booking only 0404364820. 5-7pm. POLIT BAR & LOUNGE
Gypsies & Gentlemen 8pm, free entry TRANSIT BAR
FRIDAY JUNE 26 COMEDY Kelly
$40.00 - $55.00. THE PLAYHOUSE
LIVE MUSIC Finn
9:15pm. Free.
CHISHOLM TAVERN
Alive Fridays
ft. I Am Sam, Jay Karama & Nukewood. $10. All night. ACADEMY NIGHTCLUB
TRANSIT BAR
SOMETHING DIFFERENT S.A.M. FLAVA R&B 9pm. Free
TREEHOUSE BAR
Under 13s dance fun in a real night club. 4-5:30pm. $10(Kids) $15(Adults).
PHOTOACCESS MANUKA
A Time and Place
10-4pm Tuesday-Friday, 12-4pm Saturday and Sunday. Free. PHOTOACCESS MANUKA
POLIT BAR & LOUNGE
LIVE MUSIC
SOMETHING DIFFERENT
Acoustic Sessions
Zoe Kirkwood. Tues - Fri 11am 5pm, Sat 10am - 4pm.
BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE
Hand of Mercy
CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ART SPACE (GORMAN HOUSE)
New Works By Nigel Dobson
Opens 6pm 25 Jun - Jul 5. 11am5pm.
CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ARTS SPACE (MANUKA)
X-Rated
12-5pm. Free.
Winter Ceramic Fair View and purchase art. WATSON ARTS CENTRE
Sneaky: S.A.M.
Sneaking in the city's finest DJs. From 9pm. Free Entry TREEHOUSE BAR
THEATRE
The Sex Industry in the Act. Until Sept 20.
Casanova
sPIN
THEATRE 3
CANBERRA MUSEUM AND GALLERY
IRON BAR
With Prepared Like a Bride, Vices, Glorified. MAGPIES CITY CLUB
MONDAY JUNE 29 CIT Presents The Bootleg Sessions
Various Artists. 8pm. Free. THE PHOENIX BAR
18 Jun-4 Jul. Bookings at 6257 1950.
Miniature wearable artworks. 6pm. ANCA GALLERY
Ceramics Triennial
Shifting Senses, Smash, Altered. 12-5pm daily. M16 ARTSPACE
All That Fall
Sacrifice, life and loss in the First World War. 10am-5pm. Free. NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY
A Time and Place
10-4pm Tuesday-Friday, 12-4pm Saturday and Sunday. Free. PHOTOACCESS MANUKA
Paintings- James/Jacqui Erskine Collection
Collection of contemporary Australian art. Wed-Sun 12-5pm. Free. DRILL HALL GALLERY
Room
On Joue Sur La Terre
8pm, $10 on the door
Disco Kids & (pa)Rents Dance Off
Rafe Morris and Ben Chan. 1-5pm. Free.
ON THE TOWN The Next Movement
ACADEMY NIGHTCLUB
A Time & Place. A Portrait of My Father as A Young Man. Talk at 2pm June 28.
Mid Winter Market
Amelia Zaraftis. Tues - Fri 11am 5pm, Sat 10am - 4pm.
ACADEMY NIGHTCLUB
With Project M. $10 before 12am.
PHOTOACCESS MANUKA
NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY
$15. Before 11pm.
Yahtzel
A portrait of my father as a young man
Greg Hodge. Tues - Fri 11am - 5pm, Sat 10am - 4pm.
MAGPIES CITY CLUB
4Some Thursdays
Immorium: Universum Album Launch
A Fabled Gesture
Slowing Down Time
TREEHOUSE BAR
ART EXHIBITIONS
THE PHOENIX BAR
Mary Mhutchinson. 10-4pm Tuesday-Friday, 12-4pm Saturday and Sunday. Free.
Title Fight
Top 40, Dance, RnB. 10pm. Free entry.
SUNDAY JUNE 28
9:30pm. $5.
With Gods of Eden & The Seer. 8pm. $10.
22 May - 28 Jun. Free.
Playtime
Monsterpiece, Teem
CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ARTS SPACE (MANUKA)
LIVE MUSIC With Paper Arms, Agency.
LIVE MUSIC
CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ART SPACE (GORMAN HOUSE)
Photography Exhibition. Opens 7pm. 11 June-2 July ALLIANCE FRANÇAISE
A portrait of my father as a young man
Mary Mhutchinson. 10-4pm Tuesday-Friday, 12-4pm Saturday and Sunday. Free. PHOTOACCESS MANUKA
COMEDY Kelly
$40.00 - $55.00. THE PLAYHOUSE
facebook.com/bmamagazine
51
ENTERTAINMENT GUIDE Mon Jun 29- Tues Jul 7 SOMETHING DIFFERENT Play for your supper
Play on a grand piano. 6-10pm. POLIT BAR & LOUNGE
TUESDAY JUNE 30 KARAOKE Karaoke Winter Comp DJ Brai. 8pm.
POLIT BAR & LOUNGE
Every Tuesday Karaoke Love 9pm, free entry TRANSIT BAR
TRIVIA Nerd Trivia with Joel and Ali
Presented by Impact Records. 7:30pm. THE PHOENIX BAR
WEDNESDAY JULY 1 ART EXHIBITIONS Memories and Rust
Nigel Dobson and Josh Darcy. Weds- Sun 11am- 5pm
CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ARTS SPACE (MANUKA)
A Fabled Gesture
Greg Hodge. Tues - Fri 11am - 5pm, Sat 10am - 4pm. CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ART SPACE (GORMAN HOUSE
Slowing Down Time
On Joue Sur La Terre
Ceramics Triennial
BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE
ALLIANCE FRANÇAISE
M16 ARTSPACE
Louise Curham, Michele Elliot, Sue Healey and Jo Law
Life and time: Portraits by Rod McNicol 10am-5pm. Free.
Photography Exhibition. Opens 7pm. 11 June-2 July
THEATRE
NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY
Casanova
Zoe Kirkwood. Tues - Fri 11am 5pm, Sat 10am - 4pm.
THEATRE 3
The Screen Set
CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ART SPACE (GORMAN HOUSE)
New Works By Nigel Dobson Opens 6pm 25 Jun - Jul 5. 11am5pm.
CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ARTS SPACE (MANUKA)
X-Rated
The Sex Industry in the Act. Until Sept 20.
18 Jun-4 Jul. Bookings at 6257 1950.
Tranny Trivia
Glamour & Song questions. 8pm. Book Online. POLIT BAR & LOUNGE
THURSDAY JULY 2 LIVE MUSIC
Miniature wearable artworks. 6pm.
Batpiss (Melb)
Ceramics Triennial
THE PHOENIX BAR
ANCA GALLERY
The Screen Set
Zoe Kirkwood. Tues - Fri 11am 5pm, Sat 10am - 4pm.
CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ART SPACE (GORMAN HOUSE)
New Works By Nigel Dobson
Opens 6pm 25 Jun - Jul 5. 11am5pm.
TRIVIA
CANBERRA MUSEUM AND GALLERY
sPIN
Shifting Senses, Smash, Altered. 12-5pm daily.
With Hy-Test, Meat Cake. 9pm. $5.
Shifting Senses, Smash, Altered. 12-5pm daily.
Flangipanis (QLD)
All That Fall
MAGPIES CITY CLUB
CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ARTS SPACE (MANUKA)
sPIN
Miniature wearable artworks. 6pm. ANCA GALLERY
All That Fall
Sacrifice, life and loss in the First World War. 10am-5pm. Free. NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY
Room
Amelia Zaraftis. Tues - Fri 11am 5pm, Sat 10am - 4pm. CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ART SPACE (GORMAN HOUSE)
M16 ARTSPACE
Dead Joe (SA), Capes, Sketch Method
Sacrifice, life and loss in the First World War. 10am-5pm. Free.
ON THE TOWN
CSO’s Icon Water Opera Gala: PUCCINI
Room
4Some Thursdays
LLEWELLYN HALL
NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY
Amelia Zaraftis. Tues - Fri 11am 5pm, Sat 10am - 4pm. CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ART SPACE (GORMAN HOUSE)
Free Entry & $4 Drinks Specials. ACADEMY NIGHTCLUB
SOMETHING DIFFERENT Tarot Card Reading
Booking only 0404364820. 5-7pm. POLIT BAR & LOUNGE
FRIDAY JULY 3 LIVE MUSIC Australian Burlesque Festival
Show $55. Dinner & Show $110. 6.30pm. THE ABBEY
SATURDAY JULY 4 ART EXHIBITIONS Memories and Rust
Nigel Dobson and Josh Darcy. Weds- Sun 11am- 5pm
CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ARTS SPACE (MANUKA)
A Fabled Gesture
Greg Hodge. Tues - Fri 11am - 5pm, Sat 10am - 4pm. CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ART SPACE (GORMAN HOUSE)
LIVE MUSIC
7:30pm. $20-$85.
Harts
TRANSIT BAR
Australian Burlesque Festival Show $55. Dinner & Show $110. 6.30pm. THE ABBEY
ON THE TOWN Love Saturdays
With Project M. $10 before 12am. ACADEMY NIGHTCLUB
THEATRE At Last: The Etta James Story Starring Vika Bull & The Essential R&B Band. Bookings at canberratheatrecentre.com.au. CANBERRA THEATRE CENTRE
Casanova
18 Jun-4 Jul. Bookings at 6257 1950. THEATRE 3
MONDAY JULY 6 LIVE MUSIC The Bootleg Sessions
Presented by Canberra Musician’s Club. Various Artists. 8pm. Free. THE PHOENIX BAR
Surround/s
SOMETHING DIFFERENT
WATSON ARTS CENTRE
Play for your supper
Louise Curham, Michele Elliot, Sue Healey and Jo Law
POLIT BAR & LOUNGE
Art exhibition. 2-26 Jul.
Slowing Down Time
BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE
Life and time: Portraits by Rod McNicol 10am-5pm. Free.
NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY
Play on a grand piano. 6-10pm.
TUESDAY JULY 7 KARAOKE Karaoke Winter Comp DJ Brai. 8pm.
POLIT BAR & LOUNGE
52
@bmamag
ENTERTAINMENT GUIDE Wed Jul 8 - Sat Jul 18 WEDNESDAY JULY 8 ART EXHIBITIONS Surround/s
Art exhibition. 2-26 Jul.
SOMETHING DIFFERENT
LIVE MUSIC
TRIVIA
Tarot Card Reading
Dizz1 (Tru Thoughts)
Tranny Trivia
Booking only 0404364820. 5-7pm. POLIT BAR & LOUNGE
WATSON ARTS CENTRE
FRIDAY JULY 10
Ceramics Triennial
Shifting Senses, Smash, Altered. 12-5pm daily. M16 ARTSPACE
ART EXHIBITIONS
Live
Glamour & Song questions. 8pm. Book Online.
TRANSIT BAR
POLIT BAR & LOUNGE
ON THE TOWN
THURSDAY JULY 16
Love Saturdays
With Project M. $10 before 12am. ACADEMY NIGHTCLUB
ART EXHIBITIONS
Life and time: Portraits by Rod McNicol
Western Extremeties
NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY
Isle 9
ART EXHIBITIONS
Sacrifice, life and loss in the First World War. 10am-5pm. Free.
WATSON ARTS CENTRE
Western Extremeties
Recent Work. 12-5pm daily.
NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY
LIVE MUSIC
WATSON ARTS CENTRE
COMEDY
LIVE MUSIC
Groovin The ANU
Art Exhibition 9-12 Jul.
Naked Girls Reading
Alpine
ANU BAR AND REFECTORY
10am-5pm. Free.
All That Fall
WATSON ARTS CENTRE
Art Exhibition 9-12 Jul.
8pm. $10.
Foolish National Tour. Tickets via ticketek.com.au
Nunchukka Superfly & Yoko Oh No
Dangers (USA)
TRANSIT BAR
ANU BAR AND REFECTORY
With Staunch, Graves, Disparo, Propeller, Office Jerk. 7pm.
Live
SATURDAY JULY 11
MAGPIES CITY CLUB
TRIVIA
ART EXHIBITIONS
Tranny Trivia
Western Extremeties
Glamour & Song questions. 8pm. Book Online. POLIT BAR & LOUNGE
THURSDAY JULY 9 ART EXHIBITIONS Western Extremeties Art exhibition.
WATSON ARTS CENTRE
Art exhibition.
WATSON ARTS CENTRE
Ceramics Triennial
Inconsistent
Shifting Senses, Smash, Altered. 12-5pm daily.
CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ARTS SPACE (MANUKA)
Life and time: Portraits by Rod McNicol
Riley Beaumont. Weds- Sun 11am5pm
Isle 9
Art Exhibition 9-12 Jul. WATSON ARTS CENTRE
ON THE TOWN 4Some Thursdays
Free Entry & $4 Drinks Specials. ACADEMY NIGHTCLUB
M16 ARTSPACE
Naked girls read out loud comedy. 7:30pm. $15. POLIT BAR & LOUNGE
MONDAY JULY 13
ON THE TOWN
SOMETHING DIFFERENT
4Some Thursdays
Play for your supper
Free Entry & $4 Drinks Specials.
Play on a grand piano. 6-10pm.
ACADEMY NIGHTCLUB
POLIT BAR & LOUNGE
SOMETHING DIFFERENT
TUESDAY JULY 14
DJ Brai. 8pm.
Art exhibition. 2-26 Jul.
Amelia Zaraftis
WATSON ARTS CENTRE
Riley Beaumont. Weds- Sun 11am5pm
Surround/s
M16 ARTSPACE
Isle 9
WATSON ARTS CENTRE
CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ARTS SPACE (MANUKA)
Dorte Conroy. 12-5pm daily.
Art exhibition.
KARAOKE
Inconsistent
...now you don't
SUNDAY JULY 12
Art exhibition.
Tarot Card Reading
Booking only 0404364820. 5-7pm. POLIT BAR & LOUNGE
Karaoke Winter Comp
FRIDAY JULY 17
POLIT BAR & LOUNGE
LIVE MUSIC
WEDNESDAY JULY 15
Aussie Rock Tribute Night
ART EXHIBITIONS
8pm. $15/$20.
Inconsistent
THE BASEMENT
M16 ARTSPACE
Riley Beaumont. Weds- Sun 11am5pm
10am-5pm. Free.
Surround/s
ART EXHIBITIONS
Isle 9
WATSON ARTS CENTRE
Inconsistent
10am-5pm. Free.
CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ARTS SPACE (MANUKA)
NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY
Art Exhibition 9-12 Jul. WATSON ARTS CENTRE
All That Fall
Sacrifice, life and loss in the First World War. 10am-5pm. Free. NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY
SATURDAY JULY 18
CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ARTS SPACE (MANUKA)
Art exhibition. 2-26 Jul.
Life and time: Portraits by Rod McNicol
Riley Beaumont. Weds- Sun 11am5pm
NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY
All That Fall
Sacrifice, life and loss in the First World War. 10am-5pm. Free.
Surround/s
Art exhibition. 2-26 Jul. WATSON ARTS CENTRE
NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY
OUT
JUL 1
facebook.com/bmamagazine
ALPINE BASEMENT BIRTHDAY ...AND MORE!
53
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
Live Evil Where did your band name come from? We’re named after a Black Sabbath album – their first ‘official’ live album, which featured Ronnie James Dio on vocals. Given that the band started off as a Dio tribute, the name seemed appropriate. It’s also a palindrome, which looks cool, and it references evil, which is completely metal. Group members? Matt Davis (vocals), Jason Phelan (guitar), Brett Lane (bass guitar), Bob Harvey (guitar), James Irving (keyboards), Duncan Beard (drums) Describe your sound: We play classic heavy metal. As well as doing Iron Maiden shows under the Maiden Oz banner, we’ve also played tributes to classic metal giants such as Dio, Deep Purple, Ozzy Osbourne and Judas Priest, and material from Megadeth, Metallica, Anthrax, Slayer, Black Sabbath, Pantera, Testament, the Scorpions, Manowar, Rainbow, and more. So far we haven’t played Toto, but I swear this is going to happen really soon. What’s the most memorable experience you’ve had whilst performing? Playing shows and seeing rows of people smiling, headbanging and singing along at the tops of their voices is an unforgettable experience. Of what are you proudest so far? Keeping the band going in such a way that everyone has a lot of fun. It can be hard work being in a band; in a lot of ways it’s like being in a family … with a bunch of hairy middle-aged dudes. We’ve been really lucky in that getting together, rehearsing, organising shows and all the rest of it has always been really enjoyable. What are your plans for the future? Later in the year we’re heading back to our roots to perform a Dio tribute at the Greenroom before a couple of shows in Sydney (Maiden Oz and a night of ‘classic metal’). What makes you laugh? Watching Bob’s face fall as he fucks up the same part on ‘2 Minutes to Midnight’. What pisses you off? Fucking up that one part on ‘2 Minutes to Midnight’, and Matt forgetting the words to ‘Fear of the Dark’ What about the local scene would you change? The local metal scene has its ups and downs, but keeps coming back strong. Have a look at social media or local gig guides and it’s not uncommon to see three good metal gigs taking place on the same night. There are some good venues, and plenty of good bands. Contact info: facebook.com/LiveEvilOz/liveeviloz.webs. com/live.evil@live.com.au
54
Australian Songwriters Association Keiran (02) 62310433 Back to the Eighties Ty Emerson 0418 544 014 Backbeat Drivers Steve 0422733974 backbeatdrivers.com Birds Love Fighting Gangbusters/DIY shows-bookings@ birdslovefighting.com Black Label Photography Kingsley 0438351007 blacklabelphotography.net
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 Morning After, The Covers band Anthony 0402500843 Mornings Jordan 0439907853 Obsessions 0450 960 750 obsessions@grapevine.com.au Painted Hearts, The Peter (02) 62486027 Polka Pigs Ian (02) 62315974
Bridge Between, The Cam 0431550005
Rafe Morris 0416322763
Chris Harland Blues Band, The Chris 0418 490 649 chrisharlandbluesband @gmail.com
Redletter Ben 0421414472
Cole Bennetts Photography 0415982662 Danny V Danny 0413502428 Dawn Theory Nathan 0402845132 Danny 0413502428
Redsun Rehearsal Studio Ralph 0404178996/ (02) 61621527 Rug, The Jol 0417273041 Sewer Sideshow Huck 0419630721
Dorothy Jane Band, The Dorothy Jane 0411065189 dorothy-jane@dorothyjane.com
Simone & The Soothsayers Singing teacher Simone 62304828
Drumassault Dan 0406 375 997
Sorgonian Twins, The Mark 0428650549
Feldons, The 0407 213 701 Fire on the Hill Aaron 0410381306 Lachlan 0400038388
Soundcity Rehearsal Studio Andrew 0401588884
Fourth Degree Vic 0408477020
STonKA Jamie 0422764482 stonka2615@gmail.com
Gareth Dailey DJ/Electronica Gareth 0414215885
Strange Hour Events Dan 0411112075
Groovalicious Corporate/ weddings/private functions 0448995158 Guy The Sound Guy Live & Studio Sound Engineer 0400585369 guy@guythesoundguy.com Haunted Attics band@hauntedatticsmusic.com
Super Best Friends Greg greg@gunfever.com.au System Addict Jamie 0418398556 Tegan Northwood (Singing Teacher) 0410 769 144
In The Flesh Scott 0410475703
Top Shelf Colin 0408631514
Itchy Triggers Alex 0414838480
Undersided, The Baz 0408468041
Jenn Pacor Singer-songwriter avail. for originals/covers 0405618630
Zoopagoo zoopagoo@gmail.com
@bmamag
AD SPACE
facebook.com/bmamagazine
55
AD SPACE
56
@bmamag