BMA Magazine 469 - 12 August 2015 by BMA Magazine

BROTHER BE

AD SPACE

@bmamag

NATIONAL SCIENCE WEEK

AD SPACE

facebook.com/bmamagazine

SYDNEY COMEDY FESTIVAL

AD SPACE

@bmamag

GREAT SOUTHERN BLUES FESTIVAL

AD SPACE

facebook.com/bmamagazine

THE GREEN SHED

AD SPACE

@bmamag

FASH N TREASURE FASH N TREASURE

AD SPACE AD SPACE

facebook.com/bmamagazine

MAJORS CREEK FESTIVAL

AD SPACE

@bmamag

CANBERRA SHORT FILM FESTIVAL

AD SPACE

facebook.com/bmamagazine

SNOWTUNES

AD SPACE

@bmamag

AD SPACE

facebook.com/bmamagazine

BECOME A ROLLER DERBY STAR! Varsity Derby League (VDL) are looking for new male and female players, and they want you!

Allan and I use the BMA helicopter all the time – what’s the big deal? #469August12 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 Jeremy Stevens T: (02) 6257 4456 E: editorial@bmamag.com

Accounts Manager Ashish Doshi T: (02) 6247 4816 E: accounts@bmamag.com

Sub-Editor & Social Media Manager Andrew Nardi Graphic Design Chris Halloran Film Editor Patrick Bell

Referees and officials will be holding an information night on Thursday August 13 at 7pm at 8 Track Skate Co, 5 Leeton St, Fyshwick. The best thing? There’s no experience needed at all. The league will provide all coaching and instruction. As far as entry barriers to new sports go, that’s as welcoming and great as it gets! You don’t even have to know how to skate. There’s no such thing as too old, too unfit, or not the right build for this sport. Get on down there, put your hand up, and give it a shot. They’ll also be holding a free come-and-try skating afternoon at the league’s training venue on Saturday August 15. There’ll be some gear available to borrow, but you will need to bring your own mouthguard, a water bottle, and wear clothes appropriate for a workout or gym session. See varsityderbyleague.com for more details.

SOMEONE HAND ME MY COMICALLY SMALL BICYCLE Ever wanted to run away and join the circus? Well don’t. That’s dumb. Your friends and family love you, and it’s irresponsible. If you want to join the circus, talk to them about it first so they know about your dreams and goals and can help you achieve them.

Where was I going with this? Oh yeah. So The National Institute of Circus Arts (NICA) is inviting aspiring circus artists to apply for entry to their 2016 courses, including the Bachelor of Circus Arts (Australia’s only Bachelor of Circus Arts, which is a three-year uni degree accredited by Swinburne University of Technology), and the Certificates III and IV in Circus Arts. Applications close on September 14, with auditions taking place across Australia from September 21 to October 18. Canberra auditions will be held at Warehouse Circus on October 10. If you’re gonna get a HECS debt, you may as well learn some cool tricks while you’re at it.

ARE YOU REAL GOOD AT WORDS AND STUFF? Do you like to scribble things on bits of paper? Do those scribblings often form symbols that the common person recognises as letters, which then form words when combined, and sentences when read as groups of words? Do those sentences often make sense and read good and make you sound smart like? Well, have we got the opportunity for you! The ACT Writers Centre has just opened entries for their 2015 ACT Writing & Publishing Awards! Submissions are now open, with winners announced at the 2015 ACT Writers Centre Annual Awards Night in December. Some of the awards include: The 18th Annual Marjorie Graber-McInnis Short Story Award, which is for short stories between 1500 and 3000 words

on any theme. The author must reside permanently within the ACT or region, and the first prize is $600. The Michael Thwaites Poetry Award, which is for poetry not exceeding 50 lines. Again, gotta live in this gosh darn beautiful part of the world, and the first prize is $300. Then you’ve got the ACT Publishing Awards, which recognise, reward, and help promote writing by ACT region authors published by small publishers or self-published. There are four categories: fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and children’s. Plus there’s the Z4 Reviewing Award and the Anne Edgeworth Fellowship, with information coming soon. How great’s that? Write good words. Win stuff. Get on that.

THE ROOF, THE ROOF, THE RUFUS IS ON FIRE Hot damn, everyone’s favourite Aussie dance group – the ones guaranteed to get you grooving with their well-crafted, exquisite beats – RÜFÜS, are just about to embark on a World Tour. Kind of. One of Australia with some North American dates thrown in for good measure, anyway. They’ll be going through Brisbane, Fremantle, Adelaide, Melbourne, Wollongong, Sydney, Newcastle, and of course, Canberra! Get your dancing shoes on and get ready to move when they hit up ANU on Thursday October 29, because it’s going to be a party no one wants to miss. Just look at those handsome fellas.

NEXT ISSUE 470 OUT August 26 EDITORIAL DEADLINE August 19 ADVERTISING DEADLINE August 20 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.

@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. 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.] Fridays are supposed to be the best day of the week, but ya know what? No. They aren’t. When you get there, you’re meant to appreciate the untold delights that the weekend might hold, but when those delights involve scrubbing the toilet, vacuuming, taking out the trash, and planning next week’s meals – all because really, who has the time or energy for that during the week – it ain’t really that great. For those of us with a five day working week, all Friday really symbolises is the end of the work for which you’re paid, and the start of the work for which you aren’t. Remind me again how that’s supposed to be so good? Sure, those of you living lives of unheralded freedom with no responsibilities whatsoever, enjoy your weekend of Doritocoated fingers and blistering hangovers. But try and empathise with the rest of us just a little. The screaming kids, the empty pantries, and the car that really needs to be serviced. Ugh. Can we please get a reality check on how good Fridays actually are?

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! ALLAN SKO - allan@bmamag.com

facebook.com/bmamagazine

WHO: FIRE ON THE HILL WHAT: ROCK WHEN: SAT AUG 15 WHERE: THE PHOENIX

Fire On The Hill are back. Formed in 2004, the psych-blues countrysoul five-piece is the vehicle for the songs of lead singer Aaron Peacey, joined by Matt Nightingale (Heath Cullen And The 45, The Wedded Bliss) on bass, Fiete Geier (Mikelangelo And The Tin Star, Fred Smith band) on guitar, Lachlan Coventry (Los Chavos, Julia And The Deep Sea Sirens) on guitar and Kay Chinnery (Owen Campbell Band, Fats Homicide) on drums. They’ll be playing two sets from 9:30pm, accompanied by a post-psychedelic video projection show. $5 on the door.

WHO: SEX ON TOAST WHAT: TOUR WHEN: WED AUG 19 WHERE: TRANSIT BAR

Sex On Toast describe themselves as a swelling organism – because with a name like that, of course they do. Among their latest achievements: they’ve recently expanded from nine to ten men; they’ve just released their latest single ‘Oh Loretta!’ with a music video that features the band kickin’ it with Molly Meldrum; and now they’re ready to deliver their trademark form of immaculately perverted popfunk to the nasty people of Canberra. They’ll be supported by Prom. The show will heat up at 8pm. Tickets are $10 + bf through Moshtix.

WHO: PAUL CAREY & JULIAN SCHEFFER WHAT: ALBUM TOUR WHEN: THU AUG 20, SUN AUG 23 WHERE: THE FRONT (AUG 20), OLD CANBERRA INN (AUG 23)

Melbourne-based guitarists and composers Paul Carey and Julian Scheffer have taken to the road to promote their second studio release. Appropriately titled Contemporary Guitar from the Streets of the World, it continues their love of Brazilian and Argentinean music, but it’s also imbued with the spirit of jazz and improvisation. True to the title, the pair have lived, studied and performed across South and Central America, as well as Europe. To be a part of this worldly performance, attend The Front on Thursday August 20 at 8pm, or the Old Canberra Inn on Sunday August 23 at 3pm.

WHO: HELLIONS, CAPSIZE, ‘68 WHAT: DESTROY MUSIC TOUR WHEN: TUE AUG 25 WHERE: MAGPIES CITY CLUB

Boasting a mix of homegrown and international talent, the Destroy Music Tour features Australian heavy-hitters Hellions, along with first-time visitors Capsize and the frenzied rock ‘n’ roll attack of ’68. Hellions have already had a monster 2015, with their second LP Indian Summer landing at #19 on the ARIA album charts, led by the disc’s boisterous lead-off track, ‘Hellions’. Fans of Capsize will be treated to cuts from the band’s debut full-length, The Angst In My Veins, but it’s the Georgian duo ’68 who round out this red-hot bill with renowned screamer, Josh Scogin. Tickets are $29.60 through tickets.destroyalllines.com. Doors open at 6.30pm.

WHO: SUPER BEST FRIENDS WHAT: TOUR WHEN: THU AUG 27 WHERE: THE PHOENIX

The besties are back in town – actually, they never really left, but they will be hitting the road for the ‘All My Friends Are Leaving Town’ tour. That’s the latest single from their debut LP, Status Updates – and like you needed me to tell you that it’s a real thrasher. But no, seriously, their friends are all gone and they’re really upset about this. Canberra – you’re going to need to show them some love. They are your super best friends, after all. The time’s set for 9pm. They’ll be joined by Agency and Skinpin. $10 on the door.

WHO: DANIELLE DECKARD WHAT: TOUR WHEN: SAT AUG 29 WHERE: BEYOND Q BOOKSHOP

Known for her hook-driven songwriting and intimate vocal performances, Danielle Deckard is about to embark on a regional tour of Australia. The accomplished US-born singer-songwriter bypassed the USA’s iconic music cities to make a home in Sydney. Her debut EP End Of The World was recorded with session musicians from Australia, the USA and the UK, and is brought to life with everything from grand piano, ukulele and banjo, to mariachi trumpets, drum machines and vintage synthesisers. Be there by midday. Entry is free but donations are welcome.

@bmamag

AD SPACE

facebook.com/bmamagazine

CHIARA GRASSIA & GLEN MARTIN BMA’s Chiara Grassia and Glen Martin were present when BLUR returned to Sydney after 18 years away. The two discuss the show, the band, fan ownership, youth, middle age and of course, nostalgia. GM: You were a big Blur fan in high school – which for you was the mid-2000s. I was a big fan in high school too, for me being the mid90s. And of all my favourite acts, they were the only band I hadn’t yet seen. So their gig on July 25 was a big mess of nostalgia, of things coming full circle but also, due to their stellar new record, new beginnings. Where did it sit for you – pilgrimage, a trip to another time and place, or something present and alive and vital (if a little wrinkly)?

diffidence such spaces inspire. That was the primary takeaway for me – just how hard Albarn worked at getting a reaction out of the crowd, how it looked like the crowd weren’t necessarily pleasing the singer at certain points (the mocking arm-crossed gesture during ‘Badhead’ for one), but how by the end of it everyone was on their feet, sharing something that you don’t get in small rooms – that power of 10,000 people working on ‘For Tomorrow’s’ chorus. Pretty magical. You make an excellent point about fandom, and I guess, ownership. We all build fan mind-palaces of a sort when an act consumes our attention, and time is kinda irrelevant in that transaction. Given the size of the show, and the reality of it away from your own constructed Britpop bubble, was it weird to see all those other people, in the one room, with their own?

I had kinda forgotten how important they were to me until seeing them

CG: Definitely felt like time travelling, except not to ‘the ‘90s’, but revisiting my 15-year-old self that lived in a selfconstructed Britpop bubble. I was really into Blur in high school, and I had kinda forgotten how important they were to me until seeing them. My friends and I would talk about them constantly, as if we knew them, as if they were in the room (we may have written a lot of fan fiction). It sounds kinda sad, but in hindsight it just served as a distraction from talking about our actual feelings. We passed around this dog-eared copy of Alex James’ autobiography (which made me want a band and art school and blazers so badly) and watch Starshaped a lot, and I spent a lot of time reading interviews with Graham Coxon. Blur also felt relatable – they were (good-looking) dorks with bowl cuts, which helped feed this obsessive yearning of wanting to be part of their group.

Loving a band intensely from afar means there’s room to carve out your own fandom for them, so it’s always surreal when you see them live and are a part of an audience of thousands. There were moments of being in the crowd, a sea of striped shirts, that made it feel less nostalgic and more of a pilgrimage. Also, I was close enough to see their expressions but far away enough that they all looked like they sprang out of a Melody Maker cover, so that helped boost the time travelling effect. (Damon and Alex are still babes, but Graham 4eva.) What kind of experience was the show for you? And what were your expectations going in? GM: My expectations were low actually; due to the room more than anything – that venue is a horror. I was thinking that the old tunes would best suit a muddy field for a communal sing-a-long, whereas the new LP would best fit in a smaller club, probably tucked away in the backstreets of Wan Chai in Hong Kong. So the Qantas Blah Etc Arena seemed like the worst of both worlds. And yet, freak me if Damon’s relentlessness didn’t overwhelm the space and the

CG: Blur are definitely the biggest band that I’ve ever liked, so I’ve always known that other people are into them. I just forgot how intensely I was into them, and that rush of fandom and emotions and memories hit me pretty hard. I didn’t cry, but I definitely felt like I was going to burst, and I wondered if other people were having that same reaction too. I’ve been to other shows – bands that were my favourite at the time, and felt deeply annoyed by the audience, but I didn’t experience that this time. Maybe because I’ve got a bit of distance from my fangirl phase, and never felt overly protective of them – they were a shared interest from the get-go. Kinda sucky that the only way I could see them was in this massive arena, but I still got to see them – and because of how many people they could cram in there, there were some really magical moments during the show where everyone was pulled together. Did you experience that? And how did you think the new material shaped up live? Were there any songs you wish they had played? Or songs you were surprised to hear? GM: I thought the new stuff worked well, although the reaction to the big bangers (‘Parklife’, ‘G&B’, ‘S#2’, etc.) was so vast that everything else was swamped by it. The most interesting thing about The Magic Whip is that it skilfully answers the question of what a rock band formed in their teens sounds like when they’re in their late 40s – the inclusion of the new tunes rounded out the show, and gave it some energy that a nostalgia-fest set couldn’t. The biggest takeaway about this band, live, for me, is twofold: firstly, just how invested they are in creating a moment in the room there and then, how they couldn’t give a fuck about how uncool that is, and how successful they were at creating something extraordinary. And secondly, just how many incredible tunes they own. There were other tunes I would’ve enjoyed hearing, but the selection was ideal. The whole thing was kinda spectacular, really. @bmamag

AD SPACE

facebook.com/bmamagazine

LOCALITY

There’s quite an eclectic mix of music going around this fortnight in Canberra, from nights out that will feel like quiet nights in, to black metal album launches, to a mixture of monthly beats and rhymes that are sure to satisfy. Whatever your tastes, the ACT’s local talent has you covered.

Enjoy one of the most wonderful open mic nights Canberra has to offer when Art Underground returns to Beyond Q Bookshop on Friday August 14. There’ll be live cartooning from Funnyworks Oz, drama from Impro Theatre ACT, as well as a range of musical, poetic and other acts taking to the stage for your entertainment, enlightenment and bewilderment. Pyjamas are this month’s suggested dress code; sign-ups start at 7pm, and entry is absolutely free. House gigs are always wondrous occasions, with cosy seats, blankets and plenty of friends, but sometimes it’s hard to squeeze everyone in. In the spirit of the saying “the more the merrier”, the Polish Club will be bringing the vibe of the house gig to their beautiful hall, with Hashemoto, Cracked Actor and formerCanberran turned Melbourne-dweller James Fahy offering the evening’s entertainment on Friday August 14, all for $15 entry, less for concession and CMC members. As always, The Phoenix is punching far above their weight in terms of gigs this fortnight. On Wednesday August 12 from 7pm, you’ll be able to catch the East Row Live Sessions, presented by 2XXFM and starring the likes of Los Chavos, Babyfreeze, Konrad Lenz and The Blade Winner, all for just $5 entry. On Saturday August 15, Fire on the Hill will return for another elusive gig from 9:30pm, with entry also just $5. The Bootleg Sessions on Monday August 17 from 8pm promises to be a good one, with Novia Scotia, PJ Michael, Pocket Fox and Sigrid Miech filling out the bill. On Monday August 24, they’re doing it all again from the same time, with the only change being the line-up, this time featuring The Steptones, ERAH, Azim Zain & His Lovely Bones and Northumberland. You’ll be able to get into both of these nights without paying a cent, although contributions to any donations vessels doing the rounds are greatly encouraged. Finally, they’ll round out the fortnight with the August edition of Check Your Head on Wednesday August 26, full of beats and rhymes from Words Eye View, Corpus Colloseum, Scarecrow, and Chemi-Cal, all for just $5. If you’re hanging around the south side on Saturday August 15, Snatch and RiffRaff will be giving the folks at Tuggeranong’s PJ O’Reilly’s a rollicking show. Starting at 8pm, this is definitely one for local rock fans, with entry just $10, including a one-of-a-kind bumper sticker… For those who feel the need for a little more metal in their musical diet, Claret Ash will be launching their new album The Cleansing on Friday August 14 from 8pm at The Basement, with support from Atra Vetoeus, Legion Of The Horn, and Avascular Necrosis. Entry is $10, but be sure to bring some extra dosh for a copy of the album! No matter the genre, no matter the day of the week: Canberra’s gems are just around the corner, waiting for you to find them. So get digging/gigging! NONI DOLL nonijdoll@gmail.com @nonidoll

@bmamag

facebook.com/bmamagazine

Berlin for me is just a place where I can be a full-time dreamer

and spend days on end without speaking to anybody. Just sort of going deeper into my creative headspace, which is something that I really cherish,” she says. “Berlin for me is just a place where I can be a full-time dreamer.”

GOING ON A TANGENT NONI DOLL MEGAN WASHINGTON has never been easy to pin down as an artist, but she currently seems to be enjoying a special state of flux. When she calls in for our interview, she’s just leaving the David Bowie exhibition in Melbourne, which seems to have come at a particularly relevant time for her. “He plays a lot with identity and it really kind of struck a chord with me… because I feel like I’m in a place in my life right now where I’m actually quite fluid,” she says. “I can do a jazz gig one week, then Splendour the next week, then a solo gig the next week… It’s all sort of fine with me.” Washington is spending no time standing still. She’s just finished a tour with James Morrison, is getting ready to support Elton John in December, and her massive two-month-long Tangents national tour is underway. She’s also moving to Berlin, where she’ll be writing her next album. “Berlin is kind of really happening at the moment. Something about just being away and able to sort of indulge my creative fantasy

When asked if the Tangents tour is a sort of temporary farewell to Australia, Washington shrugs off the notion. Instead, she says it’s about stripping back and allowing her to shift wherever the set leads her. “When I have a show without a band and there’s no one else to kind of inform about what is happening next, I can just follow my own impulses,” she explains. “If I feel like doing a certain song that I haven’t done for a million years, or a cover that I’m interested in, or a song that I wrote the night before, I can do that, and that’s something that I can’t really do with a band.” Playing small venues like The Front Gallery and Café lends itself to that playful malleability, given its cosy size and atmosphere. Washington says spaces like The Front bring out the best in her performance. “I like when people talk to me, and I like when they respond to what I’m doing, and I like being physically near enough to them that I can hear that and see that and sense what they’re doing, and how they’re going and what they’re getting out of the show. That internally informs my decision-making.” Megan Washington plays a sold-out show at The Front Gallery and Café on Tuesday September 1, but there are still tickets to other shows on her Tangents national tour. Find more details at meganwashington.com.au.

@bmamag

JOIN THE IMMIGRANT UNION GUS MCCUBBING IMMIGRANT UNION is possibly the most star-studded Aussie band you’ve never heard of. Led by Brent DeBoer (The Dandy Warhols) and Bob Harrow, the outfit was also home to Courtney Barnett and her current bandmates for several years. Following the release of their self-titled debut in 2012, Immigrant Union is back with its second record. This one – titled Anyway – was recorded in two different studios: Hothouse in St. Kilda, and ColourSound in Altona. Harrow explains that while he was born and raised in Benalla, he met DeBoer – a Portland local – chatting in a pub one night in Melbourne. “It was about ten years ago… the band didn’t start until five years later… but that day I’d been at home, and I was reading Rolling Stone and there was a picture of Brent with the Dandy’s, and he had a Bob Dylan t-shirt on, and I’m a huge Dylan fan, and just coincidentally that night I went to Cherry Bar and he was there, so we just got chatting about Dylan and music and shit…” Enter Courtney Barnett.

We were just on the monkey bars, now we’re going on the slide

“About a year after Union started, a couple of friends of mine were playing with Courtney when she was working at a bar called Blue Tile Lounge,” he says. “Courtney and I became really good friends and probably six months after that, we needed a new slide player, and Brent was like, ‘Can Courtney play slide?’ She couldn’t, but she learnt really quickly.” While Barnett features on Anyway, Harrow indicates that Immigrant Union have moved on, with Paddy McGrath-Lester (bass) and Ben Street (drums) now a regular fixture alongside original band member Peter ‘Gamma’ Lubulwa (keys). With the change in personnel has come a subtle development in sound. “The first record’s a lot more straight up country… it’s still a very trippy record, whereas the second album is more alternativepsychedelic, folk/country, and maybe a little bit more poppy I guess. “It spawned from the first record… we were listening to a lot of Spiritualized and one of Brent’s friends – Brian Coates – at the time of the first record,” he says. “And so I guess that really seeped into our writing, which came out in the second record.” “We’re doing [the third LP] ourselves – we built the studio at Brent’s house. It’s gonna be a different deal again,” Harrow says. “And that’s what we want to do: every record is gonna be different from the last I think. There’s no point doing the same thing again. It’s just like playing in the playground – we were just on the monkey bars, now we’re going on the slide. It just changes.” You better hurry, because Immigrant Union will be sliding into Transit Bar on Thursday August 13 at 9PM. They’ll be joined by Young Monks and Capes. Tickets are $13 + bf through Moshtix.

facebook.com/bmamagazine

The Ansah Brothers, the menacing track brings together elements of trap and grime, and the production is super polished. Check it out for something different out of the local scene.

THE REALNESS Canberra in the winter can be a cruel mistress. Thankfully – as fans of hip-hop – winter’s arrival often means we get a good four or five months of sitting on fresh summer releases before the big names make their way down south for the summer festival and touring circuit. This year though, it seems like the hibernation period over winter has been almost non-existent. Following in the footsteps of the uncharacteristically warm winter weather, shows from the likes of Dizz1, Thundamentals, R.A. the Rugged Man, Necro, Seth Sentry, Hau and Knxwledge have meant I’ve found hardly any time to sit down and get familiar with some of the big releases that have come out over winter.

Snowtunes is all systems go for Saturday August 15 in Jindabyne, with Hermitude, Tkay Maidza and Allday set to take part. Although it’s not technically a part of Canberra, Jindy is close enough to make the super exclusive criteria for inclusion set by this column. And with such massive names, it would be remiss of me not to at least give it a mention. Tickets are available online at the Snowtunes website. On Wednesday August 26, Lyall Moloney is bringing his unique blend of R&B, reggae and hip-hop production to Transit Bar. Off the back of his third European tour, he’s touring in support of his debut EP Only Lonely. Get down to Transit for this one, if you’re in the mood for something a bit different. Tickets are $13 online or available at the door. Wednesday August 26 will also see another edition of Check Your Head at Phoenix Bar. This month’s event features performances from Words Eye View, Corpus Colloseum, Scarecrow and ChemiCal on the ones and twos.

In order to make up for it, over the next few weeks, before the massive list of shows that are about to hit us in spring and summer (Oddisee, Devin the Dude and Tuka to name but a few!), I’m gonna lock myself in a room and listen to everything I need to catch up on. Ta-Ku’s Songs to Break Up To, Future’s Dirty Sprite 2, Statik Selektah’s Lucky 7 and DonMonique’s Thirst Trap EP are all high on the list of things for me to get around to before this fortnight’s massive list of shows and events.

Although it’s probably also gonna cop a mention in the next issue of BMA, put an early reminder in your phone for the Canberra leg of the DMC World DJ Championships. After returning to Canberra last year after a bit of hiatus, the return of the DMC Championships is indicative of the growing strength of hip-hop in our fair city. The event is presented by KP Records. In addition to the competition heats, it will feature a performance from the legendary DJ Total Eclipse.

One track I have been able to spare a bit of time for is ‘STFU’, put out very recently by local producer Ventures. Featuring Tak-Un-Da and

BRADY MCMULLEN - realness.bma@gmail.com

@bmamag

ASTA LA VISTA GUS MCCUBBING ASTA exploded onto the Australian pop scene in 2012 when she outdid 860 entrants to claim the top spot in the triple J Unearthed High competition with her track, ‘My Heart Is On Fire’. Now preparing for her second national tour to promote her latest single ‘Dynamite’, the 21-year-old Tasmanian says she is excited to once again meet fans and perform new material. “Just to be on the road again is really refreshing,” she says. “There’s so much freedom – because you can just forget about things like that load of washing and getting home and mopping the floors… doing the shows is the best thing ever. That’s the pinnacle.” A key part of Asta’s success has been her immensely supportive family, who nourished her untiring desire to sing from the beginning.

It was really good having parents who noticed I would never shut up

“I had a music room when I was a kid… being able to play music and jam out to The Veronicas and Hillary Duff was awesome. But [my parents] were always supportive – they always entered me into competitions, which I never really wanted to do, but it was really good having parents who noticed I would never shut up…” While her days of jamming out to Lisa and Jessica Origliasso’s tunes may be behind her, Asta says she is still developing a sense of her own sound. “I should say that I’ve found my sound and I’m all settled, but I’m not sure yet,” she says. “There were definitely rock elements in one of my songs, ‘Escape’… and then it kind of moved more to electronic… and then with ‘Dynamite’, I was really kind of vibing on the more soulful grooves, with the piano and things like that. So it really made my vocals sit in a good area, I guess.” Her latest single features up-and-coming hip-hop artist Allday, a move that Asta says was somewhat unexpected. “The song was basically written in its entirety, and then we sent it off to him – I really loved his vocals from his track, ‘Mono’. I never thought I would collaborate with a hip-hop artist, but sometimes you just have to try different things and see what happens… and his vocals just put a beautiful contrast on the record.” Looking to the future, Asta says that while she has a collection of around fifty tracks recorded on her iTunes library, the makings of a debut album haven’t quite yet materialised. “It would be a rainbow of things really,” she says. “Imagining my record at this stage, I would say it would definitely be a pop record with soulful vibes, but also some darker elements that were not so shiny. I just really wanna make an honest pop record that radiates what I’m about… and I think with the latest single, I’ve found my pocket where I feel really comfortable singing in.” Sign in to Asta’s show at Academy on Friday August 21 at 9PM. She’ll be supported by Megan Bones, Young Monks, Slow Turismo and Hudak. Tickets are $15 + bf through Moshtix.

facebook.com/bmamagazine

DANCE THE DROP

Has EDM jumped the shark? By EDM, I mean EDM as a specific music genre/spectacle (not electronic dance music as a whole) with its ever-increasing bombastic bass drops, championed by the likes of Calvin Harris, Afrojack and Skrillex. If you listen to what’s being said on dance music news websites and blogs, it definitely has.

Why? Well, two of EDM’s biggest mainstage acts played some very questionable tracks at the massive Tomorrowland festival in Belgium a few weekends ago. It began with French producer David Guetta (arguably the ultimate example of a producer who managed to combine the worlds of dance music and pop music to great commercial success). He asked the crowd if they trusted him, before playing a big room remix of kindergarten nursery rhyme ‘If You’re Happy And You Know It (Clap Your Hands)’. The second incident was when literal cake-throwing EDM showman Steve Aoki asked everyone to “do the Titanic” as he played his remix of the Titanic theme song (Celine Dion’s ‘My Heart Will Go On’). For many, many people, this was certainly a WTF moment. And it’s got heaps of people angry – particularly music commentators and underground DJs, who feel that it dilutes dance music and its place as a serious art form. I mean really, Celine Dion! Still though, for a lot of us, EDM has always been about loud, stupid fun. Sure, Guetta might have started out spinning progressive house to the open-aired dancefloors of Ibiza, but he moved away from that scene a long time ago, and is now a pop act – and good on him for it. ‘Serious’ music aficionados don’t listen to Guetta anyway, so they really shouldn’t get angry when he does this kind of thing. However, if Carl Cox spun a nursery rhyme, that would be a different story... There are a few gigs around town to check out. Number one on your disco list should be ex-Bang Gang DJ Dreems, performing a likely ten-hour set of EVERYTHING IMAGINABLE at a super secret party organised by Boxcutter. Check out details on Facebook (online pre-sales only, and it’s likely to sell out in advance). Also on Friday August 14: Torren Foot and Dom Dolla will be spinning some tasty house music at Mr Wolf, $10 before 11:30pm, and Odd Mob return to Canberra, this time at Academy. Entry is $10 before 11pm. If you’re up for some heaviness on Saturday August 15, Hard ENVY presents the Defqon.1 DJ Competition at the Basement in Belconnen. Ten local selectors will bring their A-game to win a spot at the Mecca of hard dance music festivals in September. The battle commences at 8pm, with Aussie hardstyle favourites The Strangerz concluding the show. Psychedelic glitch don Silicon Slave also launches his album that weekend, with beats in the park and heaps of local support acts, followed by a shindig in the city. Keep your eyes/ears to the underground and you’ll find it! The following weekend brings some more cool acts to Canberra, including Triple J Unearthed High winner Asta who’ll be performing live at Academy. Canberra gets all the cool things, so get amongst it! PETER ‘KAZUKI’ O’ROURKE contact@kazuki.com.au

@bmamag

CODY ATKINSON Fuccbois have evolved a bit over the last ten odd years, but it’s the latest iteration of the term that has kicked on a bit. With the help of Senior Fuccboi Correspondent Sean F. reporting from the frontline of fuccboi’ism, Cody Atkinson looks at the whole fuccboi thing.

It was then that the stylistic drip feed began in earnest. Hypebeast, Four Pins and Reddit all pumped the fuccboi message out there to the burgeoning audience, which just grew and grew and grew. Right…

Jezabel eloquently described the fuccboi as “loosely, a streetwear trend humper” and additionally “fuccboi’ism – a certain blend of awkwardness and thirst, combined with lots of disposable income.”

And like all good trends, it was proclaimed dead multiple times before coming back bigger than ever. Fuccbois and their associated style have kept spreading like wildfire after Jezabel declared it dead in their piece. It’s why you never call something over until it is truly over.

Whoa, no holds barred there...

Because this is a music publication…

In a sense, fuccbois are the cashed-up bogan version of hipsters. Instead of diving op shops for fashionable bargains a dollar at a time, fuccbois are spending $200 for a white-on-white t-shirt with a name you can’t read on it.

Yeah.

What the fucc is a fuccboi?

Okay, where does the term originally come from? Fuccboi derives in some way, shape or form from the term “fuck boy”, for reasons that are immediately obvious. Duh. Which in itself has a relatively recent turn of history. Things get a touch complicated here... I’ll do my best to follow. The alleged first use of the term – at least in this traceable lineage – was in mid-2000s hip-hop, and it took definite homophobic overtones at the time. Dipset’s name gets thrown about a bit for having used it a lot, but it wasn’t something that was widespread at the time.

What music do fuccbois listen to? Due to the influences stated above, hip-hop remains at the heart of most fuccbois. A$AP Rocky, Ferg, Flatbush Zombies, Kendrick Lamar, Kayne, Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All (YES I HAD TO SAY THE WHOLE THING). However, flirtations with PBR&B and other more electronic leaning sounds pervade the fuccboi’s Spotify playlists. So like what most people would consider to be a generic hipster’s soundtrack, sans the guitars? Probably not a world away, to be honest.

Fuccbois are the cashed-up bogan version of hipsters

Okay then… So for a solid half-decade it was used as a terrible insult to fill out half-hearted bars, doing little but perpetuating bad stereotypes. But then things changed around 2013. What happened then? Fuccboi started to take a much stronger fashion kick, as described above. Fuccboi became the word for streetwear addicts – shopaholics who picked brand over nearly everything else. There must have been a solidifying moment where everything clicked together? It probably was the Hood By Air fashion show called “Fuccboi”. Wait, what? Yeah, an emerging fashion label from New York held a show (and produced a video) in early 2014 called ‘Fuccboi’, which was somewhat a finalisation of the reclamation (or re-purposing) of the term. The label founder, Shayne Oliver, used the video to push the gender fluidity that his clothing – and the term – came to represent. A fashion show doesn’t seem like it would kick off something picked up by the masses… Well it didn’t on its own. The A$AP crew from New York – and most specifically A$AP Rocky – had been dropping Hood By Air references in their songs since 2012. Luckily for the trend, A$AP broke relatively big and kids started wearing fuccboi gear on his lead. At the same time, some fashionable circles became infatuated with the various looks that represented the fuccboi.

So how do you pick a fuccboi out of a crowd?

That’s the thing – with the evolution of the fuccboi it is harder and harder to tell them apart from gardenvariety hipsters. Complex’s recent “A Field Guide to the Modern Day Fuccboi” showed that a fuccboi could be dressed in everything from a black cloak style hoodie (from Rick Owens naturally), to wearing a sweatsuit with a ‘$250 Kief x Flatbush Zombies vintage Levi’s x Grateful Dead bucket hat’ (I’m scared to find out what that actually is), to even rocking relatively normal attire, bar a pair of Yeezy Boost 350s. Wait, are the fuccbois taking over? What do you mean? I mean, subverting the normalcy of hipsters and putting in their place a more materialistic and inferior clone. Like Invasion of the Body Snatchers? HOLY SHIT EXACTLY LIKE INVASION OF THE FUCKING BODYSNATCHERS! LOOK OUT HIPSTERS, FUCCBOIS ARE OUT FOR YOU. Nah, that’s ridiculous. But is it though? One day you could be looking at a hipster with a denim jacket and a topknot listening to Chet Faker, and the next day it could be a fuccboi with Pyrex shorts and a fuccnot listening to Frank Ocean. Fuuuuuuuuccccccccc... It doesn’t really matter though. People are still people, regardless of how they identify themselves or even how we identify them. If the only difference between some hipsters and some fuccbois is just the name, then there’s really no difference at all. At best, you could maybe make the case that the fuccboi is an evolutionary hipster, the latest in a long line of stereotyped personality types based around youth culture. The hipster and the fuccboi are dead. Long live the hipster and the fuccboi. More or less.

facebook.com/bmamagazine

Foley will be rolling into town from South Australia on Friday August 14. They’ll be joined by Sydney’s Hurst, and locals Helena Pop and Azim Zain and His Lovely Bones. This one will cost you just $5 on the door.

Hello, friends. We’ve almost made it. It’s the last month of winter. Which means roughly four more left before we’re back to the noisy backyard barbecues and sweat-filled shoeys of summer. How disgustingly exciting. In the mean time though, there’s still so much to do. For example… Local sludgers Cockbelch will be at The Basement on Friday August 21 along with Wollongong’s Alison’s Disease to finish off their ‘Diseased Cock Tour’. This one will cost you $25 on the door.

If you’re keen on the post-punk/post-hardcore scene, you can check out Sydney’s Chasing Everest at the Magpies City Club on Saturday August 15. They’ll be joined by fellow Sydneysiders Caulfield and Aces & Eights along with locals Is Dead and Elk Locker. This one will cost you $15 on the door. Sydney punk duo Corpus will be returning to the capital on Thursday August 27. They’ll be at the Magpies City Club with support from Sydney’s Propeller and Canberra’s own Silver Lining and Starrats. Entry is just $10 on the door. Also on Thursday August 27, you can catch local favourites Super Best Friends returning to The Phoenix on their ‘All My Friends Are Leaving Town’ Tour. They’ll be supported by locals Agency and Skinpin. This one will also only cost you $10 on the door. On Friday August 28, you can head down to Magpies City Club to catch Sydney’s Dividers and Nerdlinger along with locals Sketch Method and Capes. On Wednesday September 9, the USA’s Modern Baseball will be stopping by Transit Bar as part of their joint tour with fellow Americans Iron Chic. Tickets are available for $20+bf through Moshtix. Australian punk hallmarks The Smith Street Band are headed out on yet another tour. This time they’ll be travelling around the country in September alongside their American mates Andrew Jackson Jihad and The Sidekicks, and fellow Melbournians The Sugarcanes. They’ll be stopping by the Magpies City Club on Friday September 11. Tickets are set at $34.70 and are available through Oztix. Be sure to snatch up your tickets nice and early ‘cause this one’s sure to sell out! Also on Friday September 11, you can catch Melbourne duo The Stiffys at The Phoenix. Not sure if they count as punk, but they sure do seem to give a minimal number of fucks. That’s it for now guys. Until next time, enjoy slowly and cautiously stripping back layers of clothing. IAN McCARTHY

@bmamag

METALISE As articulated by my colleague Ian McCarthy in the punk column, I also want to pass on my sincere thanks to Aaron and Tim at Magpies City Club for all of their support over the past couple of years. Had some great shows there, attended a bunch of great shows there. I really hope if another group come together and back the space for a venue, that they consider Aaron and Tim – and Joel on sound – because the team there did a stand-up job. I’m super bummed that the Westies’ management seem to have decided to focus on pokies and schnitzel nights in West Belconnen, rather than support a presence in the city. There’s no shortage of one-armed bandits, schnitzels and roasts of the day in the ACT, but for live music, the Civic area has long been a wasteland – from the peak days in the early ‘90s, when there were four or five regular live music venues in Civic, where bands of all genres could get a gig. As much as I like a gig at the ANU Bar, having the shutters slam down on the bar before the headline band even finishes makes for a less friendly atmosphere. Thank Christ for the Transit Bar. Speaking of which, there’s a couple of great shows coming up at the Transit. Saturday October 3 is the album launch for Witchskull and their just stunning debut The Vast Electric Dark, and Captain Cleanoff is bringing the grind to the venue for their latest offering – Rising Terror – on Friday October 16. I’ll have plenty to say about both shows and albums in the coming weeks, but Rising Terror is available on Bandcamp right now, so go get some!

facebook.com/bmamagazine

Couple of international tours coming up for Metalise regulars. It starts off with the Saturday August 29 show for The Dillinger Escape Plan in Sydney at Max Watts, for some of the exquisite mayhem that the band have been championing for nearly 20 years now. Slightly less challenging is the return of Black Label Society in November. Zakk Wylde – he of the bullseye guitars and overt pinched harmonics – has put the call out to the “berserkers to join other doom troopers” (I’m paraphrasing the press release here) at the Roundhouse in Sydney on Saturday November 28. The Darkness have also been granted permission to land on our shores again off the back of their recently released Last Of Our Kind record. Their last tour we got a show at ANU, but no such luck this time. They are playing the Enmore Theatre in Sydney on Friday November 13. They were due to come back in 2013 but cancelled after illness afflicted drummer Ed Graham, who has subsequently left the band. He was replaced by Emily Dolan Davies, who recorded the album and has also left to be replaced somewhat fittingly by the son of Queen drummer Roger Taylor, Rufus. JOSH NIXON doomtildeath@hotmail.com

E X H I B I T I O N I S T

Image credit: ELK

ARTS | ACT

Bricks to Canvas BAZ RUDDICK The transition from the street to the gallery is often one that is motivated by economics and professionalism. While art for art’s sake thrives on the street, garnering a wide and natural audience, art as a profession needs a market. Avoiding the well-trodden path of the professional artist from art school, to galleries to markets, Australian street artists are making waves on the international art scene. Aarwun Gallery is showcasing eight such artists that have made the transition from BRICKS TO CANVAS. I spoke to curator Bernie Ayers, and renowned stencilist Luke Cornish, about the market, the artists, and why we are slow to celebrate street art in the gallery. Curator and collector Bernie Ayers was inspired to showcase the collection due to what he believed was a lack of acknowledgement by the Australian art world. “I reckon these guys have switched on quicker than the conventional artists that have gone through art schools and major galleries,” Ayers states. “I think they need more acknowledgment than they are getting in their home land.” Ayers says that the international art market is much more open and accepting to the work of street artists than the domestic. “I prefer the term post-urban,” Sydney-based, Canberra-raised stencilist Luke Cornish tells me with a chuckle. “I am just going to keep saying it until it takes off.” Canberra-born, Cornish’s stencil works can still be seen around the Canberra streets. Spraying under the moniker ELK, Cornish cut his teeth in the nation’s capital, before heading to Melbourne and Sydney and eventually making history by creating the first stencil piece shortlisted for the Archibald Prize in 2013 with his portrait of Father Bob Maguire. Hailed as the best stencilist in the country, Cornish has taken the art form to a whole new level, working primarily out of a studio now. “A 100-layer stencil is not conducive to stealth,” he says. “It isn’t viable to do it in an illegal sense with that much intricacy.”

Eight artists make up the Bricks to Canvas exhibition: Luke Cornish, Reko Rennie, Anthony Lister, Mark Whalen, Vexta, Ghost Patrol, Jackson Slattery and Sean Whelan. All of them have made waves on a global scale, including Vexta who worked with Banksy on his film Exit Through the Gift Shop and is currently making and selling art in America. Melbourne’s Reko Rennie had his roots in the laneways and is now showcasing work at the Venice Biennale. “It’s the most premier art fair in the world and you have to be invited to go there,” says Ayers. “It is a fabulous feather in his cap for a guy to go from a spray can in Melbourne to the Biennale in Venice.” With a certain innocence, Reko Rennie’s work is a contemporary exploration of Aboriginality through solid and vibrant colours, quadrilateral shapes, and line iconography. His work ‘No sleep till Dreamtime’ will be on display at Bricks to Canvas. Bankstown boy Mark Whalen is yet another artist making international waves with his work. “He learnt all his art on walls in Western Sydney, not in lessons. Still hasn’t had a lesson,” says Ayers. Whalen uses geometric shapes, nude figures, and blues and pinks to create a surrealist depiction of human behaviours. Currently based in LA, Whalen has been picked up by galleries in New York and Los Angeles. “It has more of an audience,” Cornish states when I ask him if street art is the art of the people. “I did those pieces in Civic nearly ten years ago. And thousands of people see those every day. Definitely if you want to get out there, street art is the way to do it.” Bricks to Canvas will run from Sat-Sat August 8-29 at Aarwun Gallery. See aarwungallery.com for all of the details.

@bmamag

AD SPACE

facebook.com/bmamagazine

JACQUES BARRETT RORY MCCARTNEY The 2015 SYDNEY COMEDY FESTIVAL SHOWCASE is coming to town, bringing a variety of funny people to our city. Included in the bunch is JACQUES BARRETT, who has been in the comedy game for 12 years doing stand-up and working in TV and radio. BMA talked to Barrett about how he got into the laughter business. Barrett had a long transition into comedy, working hospitality for many years before giving stand-up a go. He served in the Comedy Store, as he liked the idea of working in a place where people were already pretty happy. “I got dared to do stand-up when I was 23. I had a five-minute spot. I liked it and didn’t suck. A month later I did it again and just slayed it. The stars aligned!” While having a long-running interest, Barrett had never seen it as a career path, but then that all changed. “I got pretty good at it and was booked a lot more. I quit my job as a bar manager and took the big leap out of the real world.” Barrett found comedian and actor Akmal Saleh to be a great source of inspiration early in his career. “He was just destroying every night, with huge applause breaks. I saw him 12 years later in the same venue, and he’s just killing them harder than ever.” While stand-up comedy is not for the faint of heart, Barrett finds that it is easily his preferred medium. There’s the rush of stress hormones and adrenalin spikes from the occasional nervousness. Plus there’s the crowd’s reactions. “I prefer stand-up way more than other media types, purely because I can get feedback straight away. I need that response so I know how I’m doing right now and I can build on that.” Barrett prefers a 20 to 45-minute set, which seems a long time to be talking about yourself and making people laugh. “The crowd really gets to know you over that time.” Time is relative and the set can go really quickly, or tortuously slowly if the crowd is unresponsive. The 2008 Melbourne Comedy Festival was Barrett’s first big break. “I was considered one of the up-and-coming stars that year. I worked in the Comedy Zone, an incubator for people with potential.” The festival had Barrett up for 15-minute spots, 24 nights in a row. His show has a more serious side too. “I always try and make a point. You’ve got the attention of a gathering of human beings. It’s irresponsible to not talk about something they don’t talk about dayto-day,” he says. “I try to have a message in most of my stand-up, and if you can change the way they think for the better, that’s an extra buzz for me.”

Jacques Barrett – together with a raft of local and international comics – will be performing as part of the Sydney Comedy Festival Showcase at the Canberra Theatre Centre at 8pm on Friday August 21. Tickets are $40 + bf through canberratheatrecentre.com.au.

@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 topical issues, including immigration through the documentary Hotline, which follows a small NGO that promotes the rights of refugees and migrants in Israel. The Wandering Muse, directed by Tamas Wormser, looks at the Israeli diaspora and their expression of identity through music. Both musically and geographically, the film explores the far reaches of the diaspora and paints a portrait of a proud people expressing themselves through music.

Israel’s film industry is alive, brave and pushing the bar. Once again the AICE ISRAELI FILM FESTIVAL is showcasing the best and most interesting of Israeli cinema. From films about faith and culture, to stories of immigration and homosexuality, the festival has been curated to give a colourful and affecting depiction of the state. I spoke to curator Richard Moore about some of the festival highlights and why the Israeli film industry is one of the world’s most underrated.

Documentaries feature heavily, with the film festival opening with Daliea Mevorach and Dani Dothan’s Matti Caspi - Confession, a cinematic confession from one of Israel’s greatest musicians. Caspi bares all when it comes to stripping back the mask and talking about his climb to the top and his subsequent fall. Other notable films that feature in the festival include Laura Bialis’ documentary Rock in the Red Zone, which explores love, music, and politics in the frequently bombed frontline town of Sderot; Nir Bergman’s Yona, which is based on the novel Yona Wallach about one of Israel’s greatest poets; Adam Kalderon’s Marzipan Flowers, which follows the unlikely friendship of a transgender woman and a middle-aged widow fleeing a Kibbutz; and Tali Shalom Ezer’s Princess, which looks at adolescent sexualisation and the not-so-typical family unit.

“You are always looking to show the latest, sexiest and most contemporary films that reflect the state of the country,” Moore says. The films fall into five broad categories: Questions of Faith, Culture Corner, On the Edge, Blasts from the Past, and Queer Spot. “There is a really good variety of films – political ones, entertaining ones, sad ones. Israeli films vary a lot.”

Moore shares with me an adage of the Israeli people: “When I lived there, they used to say how ever many people were in Israel, that would be the exact number of people who would be prime ministers,” he says. “Everyone had 500 opinions and ways to express themselves. They are remarkably confident in expression and are not afraid of it.”

Moore has worked to make the film festival as relevant as possible. One notable addition to the line-up is the short film Gevald, directed by Netalie Brown. As an urgent reaction to the very recent knife attack by an ultra-Orthodox Jew at a gay pride march in Jerusalem, the 16-minute film is a spontaneous creation based on real figures in the Israeli queer community. The film festival explores further

Israel’s film industry is typified by a new generation of brave filmmakers which sit to the left of politics. With the contrast of youth and vibrancy and the history that lies in every stone of the land, Israeli film-makers bring a unique and diverse standpoint to film.

AICE ISRAELI FILM FESTIVAL BAZ RUDDICK

facebook.com/bmamagazine

The Israeli Film Festival runs from Tue-Sun August 18-30. Session times can be found online at www.aiceisraelifilmfestival.com.

What exactly is systems science? Systems science is a way of looking at the world that focuses on the connections between things. There are systems everywhere political systems, ecosystems, social systems. We’re all part of lots of different systems, and everything we do impacts on them and is affected by them. Systems science looks at systems like these. It’s not a set of facts - it’s more a perspective. What kind of problems are participants likely to encounter in the organisation of their three-day music festivals?

BEST FESTIVAL EVER JEREMY STEVENS BEST FESTIVAL EVER is part theatre show, part performance, and part boardgame, where participants run and manage their own music festival. We sat down with co-creator and Canberra local, David Finnigan, to find out what it’s all about. How did you originally come up with the idea for the production? So Boho produces theatre in collaboration with research scientists. In the past we’ve done shows with game theorists, network theorists, epidemiologists, climate scientists. For Best Festival Ever, though, it’s an unusual one. In 2011 we were invited to the UK to be company-in-residence at University College London, and over 2011-12 we worked at the Environment Institute there with climate and systems scientists. Our scientist collaborators gave us the challenge of trying to represent a system as a piece of interactive theatre. Our response was to create a kind of theatre boardgame - rather than having the show happen on a stage, we placed it on a table, and turned the audience into players.

Dolly Parton has arrived on Stage 2 for her set with a home-made laser light show that she wants to plug in - are you gonna let her? Can you save Chris Martin from being trampled underfoot in the moshpit? Which Savage Garden song should they close their set with? What kind of insights do you hope people will take away from the night? The main takeaway from this show is that everything is connected often in really surprising ways. Is it the kind of experience that you think will get more people interested in and thinking about ordinary systems and how they work? For us, the lovely thing about Best Festival Ever is that the audience gets to see how much they already know, without realising that they know. This show is not about teaching people stuff, so much as demonstrating to people some of the cool things that they already know. Best Festival Ever is on at The Street, from Wed-Sat August 12-22. Tickets are $20 and you can find all of the details at thestreet.org.au.

@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 some writing technique – and they were just invaluable for me at that stage of doing stand-up comedy.” As for the differences between comedy audiences in America and Australia? “It’s essentially still the same game,” Kinne says. “If you talk for a couple of minutes and there’s not a joke, people are gonna start to get restless no matter what country you’re in.

TROY KINNE JEREMY STEVENS Not every comedian can cross between mediums successfully. There’s an art to the stage, TV, film, and radio, and it’s not easy to do more than one well. Aussie comedian TROY KINNE is one of the few exceptions. With two seasons of his TV show KINNE under his belt, and a host of experience on the stand-up circuit, he’s showing Australia that he’s a man of many talents, especially with his latest tour. “It’s sort of a weird thing – ‘cause I’m from Melbourne, you assume only people in Melbourne watch the show,” he says. “Then you go interstate, which feels like you’re going a long way away, to realise people do actually watch it. It’s a good feeling, it’s a bit more relaxing than usual.” Kinne’s experience isn’t just limited to the Australian circuit though. He had a brief stint studying at the American Comedy Institute in New York. “The guy teaching it, whose name is Steve Rosenfield, he gave us five writing sessions with him, as part of the course, where you’d just go in for half an hour, you’ve got some idea, a joke that needs help,

facebook.com/bmamagazine

“The hardest thing to do when you start stand-up is to be yourself on-stage, because you are essentially doing a script,” he says. “So if you can cut out the words you don’t need and still talk as if you’re making it up as you go, then that’s the best you can do.” The past few years have seen Kinne’s profile boosted by the two seasons of his show, 7Mate’s KINNE. Landing a TV gig in Australia isn’t easy, but for Kinne, he didn’t approach anyone. “I’d done two television pilots with Channel 7 like six years before that. I guess still being on their radar [helped], but really it was the fact that YouTube came along. And my friend, Max Price, who’s the other director of the show, we just started making YouTube videos every day for fun. We did a sketch every day, as if it was our job.” One of those sketches was noticed by someone at Channel 7, who realised Kinne had done pilots for them. Shortly after, she organised a meeting, and that was that. “If you do that, and you’re doing it for the right reasons, you don’t expect anything out of it, you’re doing it purely for the passion of it – and if it’s good – it’s gonna get recognised,” he says. “And that’s basically what happened. I think that’s the key – just do what you love, and do it well.” Kinne will be bringing his stand-up comedy show to the CIT Music Industry Centre, at CIT Woden, on Thursday September 3. See trybooking.com.au/IEFX for more details.

IN REVIEW

LITERATURE IN REVIEW

This year, for its annual playhouse season, QL2 Dance remounted its 2005 show, Reckless Valour. Created as a tribute to young Australians at war – and put on this year to commemorate the centenary of the ANZAC landing at Gallipoli – the show was performed by an ensemble of 32 dancers aged between 14 and 22.

The Other Side of the World is Stephanie Bishop’s second novel. As one of Australia’s promising young novelists – after the success of her debut novel The Singing – this rich and delicate story of deep love and longing for home is sure to add to the accolades Bishop has already received.

The show was moving and engaging. It impressed with its high production values, innovative choreography, and versatile and athletic dancing. It comprised of eight pieces, each featuring the work of a different choreographer. All of the original choreographers – Jodie Farrugia, Fiona Malone, Rowan Marchingo, Nat Cursio and QL2’s artistic director, Ruth Osborne – returned to this production, joined by James Batchelor who created a new work.

During the 1960s, Charlotte and Henry are living as a young couple in Cambridge with two little girls. They met while Charlotte was in her final year of study at the Royal College of Art, and Henry – who is an Anglo-Indian – was studying at King’s College in London.

QL2 Dance’s Reckless Valour The Playhouse Saturday August 1

The first half of the show was strongly rooted in the sacrifice of war. It was sombre and moving and interspersed with some beautiful film footage of the War Memorial, shot for and featuring dancers from the original production. I really liked the use of light in Osborne’s piece to highlight different perspectives on stage, and Fiona Malone’s piece, ‘Roll of Honour’. The pieces in the first half all had a similarity to them that I hadn’t expected from a QL2 production, but perhaps this reflects the constraints of making a dance piece about war. The pieces in the second half were more distinct. I liked Batchelor’s clever use of props and I really enjoyed Marchingo’s ‘Faces Of The Enemy’, which was lighter and more joyful. The production finished strongly with dancers demanding the audience ‘listen’ to the voices of the past. ZOE PLEASANTS

The Other Side of the World Stephanie Bishop [Hachette; 2015]

The story opens with Charlotte in a deep melancholy. She is pregnant again, after only just having Lucie – their first child – seven months earlier. Charlotte is very in tune with her surroundings, and feels happiest when walking across the fields near their small, damp and cramped home. Henry has vague and distant memories of his childhood in India, but he is not attached to England in the same way that Charlotte is. After the birth of their second child May, he wants to move his family to the warmth of Australia. He doesn’t fully comprehend Charlotte’s objection to moving abroad, because he hates the cold. But Charlotte doesn’t feel the same way, and does not wish to leave England. In a moment of tired, induced weakness, Charlotte makes a pivotal concession and agrees to move to Australia, if Henry can find a job. Henry secures a job at a university in Perth and the family make their way by sea to the other side of the world, where emotional and physical hardships await them as they try to acclimatise and settle in to a new culture and country. Later, Henry travels without Charlotte and the children to India to visit his ailing mother. It is here he starts to understand why his parents sent him from his home in India to England and why it is equally important for him, as a father, to provide a home for his family. Charlotte, however, struggles with her longing for England. It places a different perspective on home being where your heart is – if your heart is in a place, rather than with the ones you love. I could almost feel the cold seeping through the windowpanes in England and the heat of Perth. Such is the power of how Bishop manipulates our senses with her words. The way she describes the bond a person has with a place gave me a strong sense of Charlotte’s despair at being displaced from where she feels most at home. If you like slower, more descriptive writing, then this is worth a read. ALSEY ANN CONDIE

@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 troupe and render a performance. Mr Grohl had the good grace to issue a spoken missive in the Italians’ native tongue to those who will inevitably pay an exorbitant fee to swell his already bursting coffers. The unshorn Mr Grohl was subsequently praised as a man of great piety for securing a substantial future pay-day, even being likened to Christ for his response. Pedestals are precarious things. One may enjoy the rarefied atmosphere, the clean air free from the stench of the commoner, the light-headed buzz of having one’s every sordid whim satisfied, but it comes at some cost. Scrutiny. Endless scrutiny. A ceaseless cackle rising from those whom the very pedestal atop which one is perched is supposed to insulate. Should one successfully block out the din of examination constantly spewed forth from the masses, there are further pitfalls to navigate. These may initially appear to be benefits, but are all the more dangerous for this deceit. It is when confronted with these particular hazards that I detach myself from my rightful ascension and set my stall amid the hoi polloi, to question the dubious motives of their upward gaze. My issue lies where the application of bog standard decency is interpreted as deific benevolence; where an everyday act of what should be commonplace civility is raised to the level of papal philanthropy purely on the basis that its performer once featured on page 16 of Women’s Weekly. Two recent examples spring to mind. Popular music hall entertainer, Mr David Grohl, of ensemble act Fool’s Frighteners, was recently serenaded with no little effort by some 1,000 inhabitants of a small Italian town in a bid to persuade Mr Grohl to visit with his well-liked

A further example in the same week occurred when the curiously venerated pop strumpet, Miss Taylor Swift, was contacted through some unholy medium by a Sydney-based amateur dramatics society populated by confused geriatrics. The Belvoir Street Theatre requested that they be permitted to utilise one of Miss Swift’s toneless drawls in an upcoming production without incurring the licensing costs that would either prohibit the song’s use or cripple the production altogether. Ms Swift gave her permission along with a note of good luck. Decency manifest. That Ms Swift did not choose to wield her significant if misplaced industry power and hugely inflated financial resources to trample on the few remaining dreams of some bewildered senior citizens should apparently be taken as proof of her heavenly origins. She did a nice thing – yes; she did not embolden our faith in humanity by resisting the temptation to openly spit in the face of the elderly. One wonders whether these inhabitants of celebrity believe the hype that accompanies their most basic activities and interpret common courtesy as further evidence of an innate superiority over those who do not parade through the public spotlight. One certainly hopes that they retain the perspective obviously missing from those slack-jawed, vapid sacks of mobile meat who gawp at fundamental decency as if it were the very distillation of goodness. GIDEON FOXINGTON-SMYTHE

- If your work provides a computer, note that they record what you look at. Yes, everything. - Electricity hurts, but not as bad as unprotected cricket. - Losing weight is not as fun as bacon and corn chips. I have kids – three of them. They are wonderful and fun, especially my favourite. I try and teach my kids stuff, but I get the feeling that they are ignoring me. Most of my advice won’t help until they are twenty. My parents taught me a lot of stuff – nothing specific that I can remember. I also learnt a lot of stuff at school too – like Dungeons & Dragons, chess, and that the school drug dealer wouldn’t sell me anything just in case he was wrongly associated with me. I have a lot of life experience, which is good to share, but I think by the time my kids are old enough to receive it I will be a much older, crusty fool and my advice won’t be relevant. This magazine seems to be for young adult people, talking about young people’s stuff like bands and hashtags ‘n’ stuff. So rather than waste my advice with my kids, I thought I could share my life advice and observations to help all of the hip, young dudes who read this column.

- If most people vote Liberal, then you get Liberal people in charge. Thanks, not, Canberra. - Entertainment magazines, sections and blogs really, really like reporting about bands, but not comedy. - The internet is full of free porn, yet they still provide a place to input credit card details (so I am told). - Solar power doesn’t seem to burn coal (so I am told). We should probably just try and use solar power. - Girls pretend to like football until you get married. - Once the Liberals are out-of-office, Facebook will probably have to fold, as there will be nothing to talk about. - IT support people just use Google, they are just better at it than you are.

Advice:

- Facebook really doesn’t showcase faces, and it isn’t a book. We should call it, “Look at me! Look at me!” dot com.

- Don’t allow kids (or drunk people) access to umbrellas while you are driving.

- If you need to write an article, making a list is a really good way to do it while hiding that you didn’t have an idea in the first place.

- If you have diarrhoea, don’t travel – especially in your new car.

DAVID GRAHAM - David Graham is a local Comedian. Dave will be co-featuring at the Civic Pub Comedy Club on Wednesday September 2 with Craig Harvey and Edwina Nelson. Visit comedyact.com.au for more information.

- Always use a ‘box’ protector when playing cricket, otherwise you might need an operation.

facebook.com/bmamagazine

bit PARTS SYDNEY COMEDY FESTIVAL SHOWCASE WHAT: Comedy WHEN: Fri Aug 21 WHERE: Canberra Theatre Are you ready to laugh?! You damn well better be ready when the Sydney Comedy Festival Showcase comes to town. I’ll let the line-up speak for itself: the Arizona-born, Australian-adopted (not really, but yeah) Tommy Dean; the purple, felt-y, puppet-y (but none too soft on humour) Randy; triple j regular Becky Lucas; former brew master and Venezuelan comedy star, Ivan Aristeguieta; as well as Tien Tran, Gerard McGeown and Australian crowd favourite, Jacques Barrett. These comics have been handpicked as the funniest from the Sydney Comedy Festival, so it’s sure to be a night packed with laughs. Better hurry! Tickets are $40 through canberratheatrecentre.com.au. INTERNECINE: THE VANISHED MUSICIANS WHAT: Exhibition WHEN: Until Tue Aug 25 WHERE: Nishi Gallery In 2012, historian Albrecht Duemling wrote The Vanished Musicians, a novel about the lives of 96 ‘vanished musicians’ who fled Nazism and settled in Australia. Many of them were banished from their homeland for playing blacklisted jazz. Through a digital landscape of socially conscious intertextual transmedia, Charles Sage’s Internecine examines the concept of resettlement and the cultural impacts that this vanished group had on Australian society. By superimposing an audio/visual narrative onto Swing-era history, a mix of visual arts and sound designers celebrate the silent contribution of the modern refugee. Visit hotel-hotel.com.au for more information. Entry is free. ARAB FILM FESTIVAL AUSTRALIA WHAT: Film Festival WHEN: Fri–Sun Aug 28–30 WHERE: National Film and Sound Archive Where conflict and instability seem to occupy most media representations of the Arab world, the Arab Film Festival instead chooses to share rare and unique stories from its diverse walks of life – from Lebanon, to Palestine, to the Arabian Desert. The selection of films promises to push boundaries, challenge stereotypes and create conversations. The opening night will feature a screening of Ghadi at 7:30pm. Set in a Lebanese coastal village, it focuses on a young special needs boy and the lengths his father will go to convince the village to accept his son. All films are $14 for adults and $12 for concession, available through arabfilmfestival.com.au. GOLDENEYE 007 TOURNAMENT AND COCKTAIL PARTY WHAT: Video Game Competition WHEN: Sat Aug 29 WHERE: Reload Bar & Games

Coming off the massive turnout of their successful Mario Kart 64 tournament (which featured nearly 70 racers), Reload Bar are back for their next Nintendo 64 tourney. This time, the game of choice is the classic Goldeneye 007, complete with golden guns, proximity mines, rocket launchers and the dreaded ‘slappers only’. And if on-the-job warfare doesn’t sound like your kinda thing, you can always spectate from the sidelines with a delicious cocktail in hand. Registration for the tournament will open at 7:30pm. The cost is $15 per applicant, and $10 if you come dressed in your best tux or as a deviously charming Bond girl. Prizes to be announced.

@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

AD SPACE

facebook.com/bmamagazine

the word

on albums

Since 2004’s A Ghost Is Born, Tweedy has been recovering, and recovering well. The albums that have followed have, as a result, sounded more assured, less bipolar and more comfortable. And while fans of Wilco would probably be happy to hear of Tweedy’s improving mental and physical health, the paradox here is how the records feel less electric and essential. We don’t wish illness upon the creator, but we miss the danger of those earlier sets.

album of the issue WILCO STAR WARS [DBPM]

For readers in their teens and twenties, the best message one could receive on a Friday night might involve location details for parties; secret gigs featuring favourite acts, a freshly minted friend offering freebies. Whereas for some in their thirties and beyond, hearing news of a new Wilco album, available now, for free, is as good as it gets. Parents across the world moved mountains of throw cushions and ran the gamut of children’s toys across living rooms to hammer ailing MacBooks into action. Christmas in July. No act would want the delivery strategy of their latest record to be the most noteworthy thing about that record, and it’s not the case with Star Wars. But reading Wilco in 2015 is a complicated task. The quality of Wilco’s albums has never really waned, but the vibe around the group has changed. Leading up to and during their critical peak, they had a reputation as an act that mixed comfort and danger – the songs were from the warm underbelly of the American tradition, but they were delivered by a genius/savant in Jeff Tweedy, who was sailing pretty close to the sun. There was palpable danger in the way he screamed “I wanna thank you all for nothing” on ‘Misunderstood’. And there was a shocking fragility in ‘Ashes of American Flags’, or maybe 15 other hushed classics from the era up to their landmark Yankee Hotel Foxtrot.

The good news is that Star Wars is a loose, energetic and excellent collection of songs. The bad news is that it still sounds a little too comfortable. Sonically, thanks to the fuzz tones present throughout the first few tunes, Star Wars resembles Tweedy’s work with Jim O’Rourke in the side project Loose Fur. O’Rourke, who has released his first LP in years, has cryptically hinted at a third Loose Fur record with Tweedy. Perhaps the sessions have flowed into each other, and this is no bad thing – Loose Fur is an underrated treasure, and whenever Tweedy spends some time with O’Rourke the Wilco albums tend to be more interesting as a result. However, the fuzz is almost too strong here. Having such a dominant sonic element feels almost flippant, and the tunes feel heavy. They’re great songs, especially ‘Random Name Generator’ and ‘More’. It’s just that, when they’re done, it feels a little exhausting.

MADISEN WARD AND THE MAMA BEAR SKELETON CREW [LIBERATOR MUSIC] This duo is a rare attraction, with an unusual composition and a unique sound. Listening to lead track ‘Live By the Water’ conjures hillbilly visions of thickly timbered hills and stills bubbling moonshine. However, this African-American duo of 26-year-old Madisen Ward and his mother Ruth hail from the mid-West. They shot from being unknown outside Kansas City to a sensation – via the Letterman Show – suddenly finding themselves in demand due to their unique folk style. Their debut Skeleton Crew was produced by Jim Abbiss (Adele, Arctic Monkeys).

Elsewhere, ‘You Satellite’ is a fascinating monolith, ‘Taste the Ceiling’ is a lovely acoustic throwback and ‘Cold Slope’ is so stoner ‘70s you can taste the tip of the reefer. It’s fun. Whether Star Wars is consumed and forgotten as swiftly as the modern media it mimicked on release is tough to know. It’s a good Wilco record, and Wilco is a great band, so it’s a record better than maybe 89% of records this or last or next year. Perhaps no ongoing quality act is so awkwardly hamstrung by their peak. Nothing they’ve done since 2004 has been bad, or even just okay. It’s all been really good. But really good isn’t groundbreakingly, breathtakingly great, and this is Wilco’s greatest crime. Star Wars will sit very happily in your collection, and you’ll call on it often enough. But will you love it like you love the others? Sadly, I suspect not.

The music varies from the simple, catchy interplay between acoustic guitars to a richer vein of sound achieved with a backing band. It’s the singing that commands attention, however. Ward’s booming voice, frequently changing in tone, has the force of half-shouted words. ‘Yellow Taxi’ (not to be confused with the Joni Mitchell song) bears some of the best vibrato in the disk. Ward’s voice draws comparisons with the amazing singing of Australia’s Steve Smyth, but it’s even more gobstopping. After the opener, the pace leaps up off its stool to jig to the bouncy ‘Silent Movies’, with its irresistible twangy rhythm. The beautiful lyrics of ‘Dead Daffodils’ – typical of the high standard of songwriting on the LP – are eloquently expressed by singing with a sound that changes shape like a chameleon and features extensive use of the falsetto. Beginning with chirping crickets and solemn cello, the mother and son duet ‘Down in Mississippi’ catalogues both the welcoming and oppressive aspects of that state, while a mischievous tune creates the right sense of the bizarre for the tale of love and death that is ‘Undertaker and Juniper’. An awesome debut.

GLEN MARTIN

RORY MCCARTNEY

@bmamag

SON LUX BONES [GLASSNOTE]

RICKIE LEE JONES THE OTHER SIDE OF DESIRE [INDEPENDENT RELEASE]

In the two years that have passed since his preceding Lanterns album, New York-based singer/electronic producer Ryan Lott (a.k.a. Son Lux) certainly hasn’t been idle, releasing the debut album from his super group Sisyphus alongside Sufjan Stevens and Serengeti late last year, and more recently writing the soundtrack for the film Paper Towns. If anything, this fourth album Bones highlights just how much Son Lux’s sound has developed since his early outings on the Anticon label back in 2008. While all of Lott’s preceding albums have so far been solo productions, the eleven tracks collected here see Son Lux expanding into a proper band with the addition of guitarist Rafiq Bhatia and percussionist Ian Chang. It’s a development that’s completely transformed the band’s sound.

In the late ‘70s – when Kate Bush was busy doing high kicks to ‘Wuthering Heights’ – a young lady from Chicago with a red beret was making a splash with the jazzy ‘Chuck E.’s In Love’. Almost four decades and 16 albums later comes The Other Side of Desire. Made with the help of crowdfunding, Jones played many of the instruments herself.

Gone is the introspective and occasionally passive vibe of Lott’s early work, in favour of widescreen and maximal emotional directness – the added live instrumentation adding a more urgent edge to these songs. Indeed, Lott’s repeated vocal declaration that “this moment changes everything” on opening track ‘Change Is Everything’ provides an apt rallying call for this album, as vast synthetic drums crash in against treated vocal samples and walls of shimmering orchestral synths. Meanwhile ‘This Time’ flirts with treacherously lurching R&B as teasing female backing vocals dart back and forth against coldly ominous keys, wiry guitar elements and loosely percussive polyrhythms. ‘Your Day Will Come’ calls to mind Laurie Anderson as Lott’s treated vocals float ghostlike against a twinkling backdrop of gentle ambience – the minimalist elements gradually building up into symphonic levels as the entire track swoons to its opulently cinematic conclusion. Bones is easily Son Lux’s most impressive album so far. CHRIS DOWNTON

facebook.com/bmamagazine

Jones’ experimental journey has included dabbling in jazz, folk, R&B, rock and gospel. This refusal to be pigeonholed comes through unmistakably in the diversity of this collection. Recorded in the New Orleans she loves, the record encompasses many stories – including desire in all its forms, from lifelong love, to love for sale. Her creativity and unusual voice set her apart from the herd. In ‘Jimmy Choos’ – about ladies of the night and high fashion shoes – Jones adopts a fragile, girlish tone. In highlight ‘Blinded By the Hunt’, she sounds like a different person (a check of the credits confirms that there wasn’t a supporting vocalist). In ‘Lovers’ Oath’, dressed up as an old-time folk song with a slow waltz rhythm, her voice sounds slightly detuned. The strutting blues of ‘J’ai Connais Pas’ is like the RLJ of old – stealing a rock ‘n’ roll vibe from the Wurlitzer with a melody made for saloon dancing. A fast-ticking clock measures the limits of the lyrics in ‘Infinity’, cradling some of the deepest lyrics on the CD. Tom Waits’ influence blazes brightly in ‘Christmas In New Orleans’, and there’s a tentative Marianne Faithful edge to ‘Feet On The Ground’. The gong for best track goes to ‘Haunted’, a menacing R&B number with keyboards various and electric guitar stacked up to put fangs on the words.

MILES DAVIS AT NEWPORT 1955–1975: BOOTLEG SERIES VOL. 4 [SONY/LEGACY] The ongoing ‘official’ Miles Davis bootleg series has served the legacy of this monolithic jazz trumpeter well, with this latest instalment focusing on the iconic Newport Jazz Festival. Rather than comprising a treasure trove of unearthed material, the value of this collection is the way it highlights phases in an artistic career that signified complete musical reinvention. Disc one covers two sextet performances from 1955 and 1958, the first tackling the post-bop singularity of Thelonious Monk and the latter – which included masterful tenor saxophonist John Coltrane – exploring a hard bop ferocity at odds with the plaintive modal stylings on Kind of Blue recorded the following year. Miles Davis would take this ferocity to giddying heights on disc two, which features his blistering 1960s quintet racing through tunes with barely a pause for breath. But what came after is where the going got far out. Davis had begun incorporating electric instrumentation into his ensembles in the late 1960s, and discs three and four explore the intense fusion that resulted. The superb Bitches Brew – which brought jazz to the rock music counterculture – was recorded in 1969 and Davis performed a number of pieces from that album at Newport, which match in passion and power all those strange sounds seeping from the jazz avantgarde that the trumpeter had seemingly sought to distance himself from. The killer set is a 1973 performance at the European Newport festival in Berlin with the group exploring dense thickets of sound in full dark funk mode. DAN BIGNA

RORY MCCARTNEY

LUCIE THORNE EVERYTHING SINGS TONIGHT [LITTLE SECRET RECORDS] From the far south coast of NSW comes singer-songwriter Lucie Thorne, whose haunting songs and elfin voice have set her apart in the Australian music scene. Everything Sings Tonight is her eleventh solo record in a career that began in 1998, and the second done in collaboration with drummer Hamish Stuart. Thorne’s work seems to grow increasingly translucent with each recent release. While there is variety in the track lineup, the overall tone is quite hushed – at times fading to a mere whisper. The title track includes a spoken word segment by her father, the Tasmanian poet Tim Thorne. His poet’s sense of word choice has rubbed off as his daughter’s lyricism is first class, both in the beauty of the words and the blurred lines of their meaning, which add to the allure of the tracks. The instrumentation is understated to avoid dominating Thorne’s fragile, breathy vocals, but cleverly crafted to make every note count. Of all the instruments, Stuart’s drumwork makes the biggest impact, dominating to an unexpected degree as it adds highpoints and character to individual tracks. The exploitation of percussion and insertion of spoken word passages introduce a new element of experimentation to Thorne’s work. The better tracks are those with more spark: the album single ‘The Rushing Dark’, which picks up the pace to a canter with its syncopated beats; ‘Room to Burn’ with its drum strikes like gunshots; and ‘Lasseter’s Gold’, which stands out with its more vigorous instrumental line. The delicacy and beauty of Thorne’s new release is appreciated better as individual tracks because as an album it’s uniformly subtle tone leaves it feeling overly subdued. RORY MCCARTNEY

JOSH PYKE BUT FOR ALL THESE SHRINKING HEARTS [WONDERLICK/SONY MUSIC AUSTRALIA] Josh Pyke has always managed to embody the best of what a good singer-songwriter should be. There’s an intimacy to his writing that feels genuine and warm; he has an ear for a strong hook and melody; and very importantly, he’s consistent. Josh’s fifth record, But For All These Shrinking Hearts, is all of those things and more. It’s the Josh we’ve come to know and expect, and for those of you unfamiliar with his discography, that’s a very welcome thing. ‘Songlines’ has a grand and gorgeous melody line, and ‘There’s a Line’ introduces what feels like a cross between Owl City and Postal Service synth lines. As the first single, it’s predictably strong writing, with flourishing strings eventually bursting through. ‘Momentary Glow’ feels somewhat darker, but much like some of his other sombre work, it’s not a bad thing. Balancing it out, ‘Hollering Hearts’ then brings us right back out of that darkness, with an upbeat chorus and bright, shining chords and percussion. ‘Be Your Boy’ is beautiful in its simplicity, culminating in a crescendo that is perhaps the highlight of the album, while ‘When Your Colours Go’ takes on a slower shuffle. But For All These Shrinking Hearts is a testament to what Josh can achieve. It’s nuanced, exciting, and holds the kind of qualities that you hope will make it a record that ages well. The Australian musical landsc ape can be unforgiving, but with his fifth record, Josh cements himself as a writer deserving of his success. He’s weathered the storm of trend-hopping and flavour-of-the-moment cookie cutter acts, and he’s stuck to his guns. When he’s releasing records this beautiful and full of colour, we can only hope he does so for many more years to come.

SASKWATCH SORRY I LET IT COME BETWEEN US [NORTHSIDE RECORDS] Melbourne-based band Saskwatch is on a mission to remake its sound – not radically, but noticeably different. Their previous CD Nose Dive (which really brought the band to notice) was marginally less uptempo than their debut, Leave It All Behind. Their latest LP continues that direction to a darker, more temperate sound, in addition to which the band has shrunk from a colossal nine to a more manageable six members. Fans will be pleased to hear that the brassy injects are retained, though they are less prominent, letting the guitars dominate. The essential ingredient of diva-strength vocals from frontwoman Nkechi Anele continues undiminished. Indeed, the move to a slower sound shows off the subtle side to her voice. There’s more distortion on this disc, including the opener ‘I’ll Be Fine’ with its furiously quick tisk-tisk beat and churning, funky keys. However, it and the incandescent ‘Down The Stairs’ (its beginning reminiscent of The Cure’s ‘Inbetween Days’) are odd men out here. More measured, emotionally intense songs dominate, their darker hue keeping with the overall theme of loss and regret, which washes through the tracklist like a black dye. The emotion flows true as Anele softly sings in the solemn, standout track ‘Spitting Image’, which starts tentatively but gains momentum and strength as it progresses, or when she croons, “lost in the moment” in collection highlight, ‘Blind’. Saskwatch took a chance in shifting their sound, but it has paid off. However, the move away from brighter, instantly appealing tunes means that it takes a couple more listens before the appeal of the music really sinks in. RORY MCCARTNEY

JEREMY STEVENS

@bmamag

singles in focus BY CODY ATKINSON DEAF WISH ‘THEY KNOW’

ELIZA HULL THE BONES OF US [INDEPENDENT]

HOLY HOLY WHEN THE STORMS WOULD COME [WONDERLICK/SONY MUSIC]

On her debut album The Bones of Us, Eliza Hull displays a hand for restless composition with the sounds stretching far and wide from a surprisingly small selection of instrumentation. The percussion used throughout forms a solid thread, with scatterings of electronic beats in twisted rhythms mixed with organic rolls of drums. This in itself lends a coherence to the record. However, at other points, variations can detract. Perhaps she is still crafting her sound but songs such as ‘My Army’ – whilst interesting and well written – feel alien within the greater shape of the record.

When The Storms Would Come is the debut album from Holy Holy, following up on their previous EP and a string of singles. Harkening mid-2000s soft rock from bands such as Midlake, they also share some of the folk-pop stylings of labelmates Boy & Bear; this is the sort of music that might form the backdrop to a lazy winter night (beanie and beard optional).

In terms of the emotive substance of the tracks, difference works in Hull’s favour. Often dramatic but never clichéd or overbearing, a deliberation in production creates a nuanced delivery of sensations, with the moods of different tracks complimenting each other. This is especially present on the surging finale ‘Head Above Water’, a more uplifting touch against the moodier bulk of the record. One peculiarity is how Hull’s voice changes across the record. On the first track ‘Walk Away’, her vocals are silken and highlighted by the simplistic arrangement of pulsing bass notes and stripped beats. On tracks such as ‘Caught’, Hull injects more strength into her approach and changes her entire singing voice in the process. She is a skilled vocalist – her inviting croons on ‘Christopher’ demonstrate this well – yet the aforementioned shifting means that it takes several listens for her voice to sink into my mind. However, despite the described disadvantages, The Bones of Us doesn’t disguise the final product: an intriguing and dynamic album from a noticeably creative artist. ANGELA CHRISTIAN-WILKES

facebook.com/bmamagazine

The album starts off softly, with a distinct country twang rising through the lush instrumentation. The melodies step lightly; Timothy Caroll’s dulcet tones meld smoothly with the sweeping folk themes. The lyrical storytelling focuses on romanticism, making use of poetic metaphors – though at times they lean on easy clichés. The real hero is the guitar work of Oscar Dawson, which – when it hits right – falls into place seamlessly, adding delicacy to some tracks or sharpness to others. The album really only reaches its stride by the fourth track, where everything is strengthened and tightened. The indie rock of ‘History’ packs a bit of a punch, sparking the energy that was suppressed previously. ‘If I Were You’ combines traits from the opening tracks with a more deft touch, the cantering rhythms driving the track to a soaring breakdown. As the album draws to a close it diminishes rather rapidly, the final tracks slowing to a sleepy conclusion. Although When The Storms Would Come doesn’t always meet the peaks anticipated from the hype, when Holy Holy hit the mark they manage to demonstrate highs that could be expected by a band a few albums in. That they have delivered an album with such high production values for their debut shows that they are a band to watch in the future.

Sometimes when you have a good idea, the best thing to do is to not fuck with it too much, lest you lose what made it good in the first place. ‘They Know’ is a master class in this, with two verses, a breakdown and nothing else. A great little bit of noisy punk from Melbourne.

HEALTH ‘STONEFIST’ What do you get when you blend industrial, noise, electro-pop and indie? ‘Stonefist’ apparently, and despite the disparate influences, it just works. The better moments here are the chaotic ones, where the noise wails against Jake Duzsik’s vocals instead of fading into the background.

ROBERT FORSTER ‘LEARN TO BURN’ The vocal strains of Robert Forster are unmistakable, and it doesn’t take long for little guitar runs and vivid wordplay to fill the room. When he’s on, few can create good guitar-driven indie-pop like he can. ‘Learn To Burn’ more so resembles Forster’s mid-career solo material like Warm Nights than it does The Go-Betweens, but it more than works for him on this one.

LOST FREQUENCIES ‘ARE YOU WITH ME’ The number one song in the country is a chipmunked country and western song from 2012, with some light vocal effects and about the most generic beat you could imagine. Because apparently what everyone needed to listen to was the deep house meets Alvin and the Chipmunks version of country music. I mean... what the hell people?

MEGAN LEAHY

the word

on films

WITH PATRICK BELL

I wonder (not too hard) how the likes of Jason Bourne, James Bond and Ethan Hunt will survive in the superhero era. Is there a place for spooks in the age of Captain America and Iron Man? I suspect we will see the superspy franchises become ever more gritty and ‘realistic’ as they try to carve out a new niche. A good place to start – as Mad Max: Fury Road demonstrated – would be to return to the old days of practical stunts and effects. Decent female characters wouldn’t hurt either.

quote of the issue “Are you sure you’re fine to drive? I mean, a minute ago you were dead!” – Benji (Simon Pegg), Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation

13 MINUTES

FAR FROM MEN

LAST CAB TO DARWIN

13 Minutes is based on the little-known true story of carpenter Johann Georg Elser, the man behind the failed 1939 assassination attempt on Adolf Hitler. After lengthy and meticulous planning, and at constant risk of being discovered, Elser installs a self-designed explosive device in the Munich Beerhall where Hitler was due to give an annual speech – only to have it detonate thirteen minutes after the Führer unexpectedly departs the venue. Throughout the film, Elser is a largely unremarkable character: a musician, womaniser and pacifist (choosing to answer “good day” in place of “Heil Hitler”). However, Elser soon takes matters into his own hands as he observes the impact of the Nazis’ stifling discriminatory practices on those closest to him.

Think 3:10 To Yuma meets L’Etranger.

Despite its focus on one man’s quest to die, Last Cab to Darwin is endearing, warm-hearted and thoroughly enjoyable.

While the film primarily focuses on Elser’s capture and interrogation in 1939, director Oliver Hirschbiegel (Downfall) employs intermittent flashbacks to demonstrate the tightening grip of Nazi power in 1930s rural Germany. The audience is subjected to the unnerving images of ostensibly benign Hitler Youth dressed in their smart little uniforms, parading through the village singing nationalistic songs, as well as the swastika-decorated cupcakes at a village harvest festival. The claustrophobic atmosphere created during Elser’s interrogation scenes are expertly handled – the Nazi tools of torture are second to the courage of Elser’s convictions, despite the personal consequences. Asking one of the great ‘what if?’ questions of history, 13 Minutes is a draining experience, but a worthy story. MAJELLA CARMODY

Far From Men – David Oelhoffen’s adaptation of a short story by Albert Camus – is a decidedly weighty and metaphysical Western film. Daru, a French-Algerian schoolteacher (in a terrific turn by Viggo Mortensen) is a seemingly helpless character residing in Algeria in the 1950s, amidst conflict between the French settlers and the native Algerians. Daru is caught in a literal and figurative no man’s land, across which he must accompany Mohamed (Reda Kateb), a native Algerian sentenced to death for killing his cousin. Death looms over this film in the way it does in most of Camus’ work. Both characters follow a direct trajectory towards their mortality, as if compelled by it; wrestling with the conflict of the world’s will being exerted on them and the strength of their own senses of autonomy. Far From Men is able to provoke such meaningful lines of discussion in the mind of the viewer without being overly pensive or outright philosophical. It relies on a simple plot, few characters and low-key dialogue. The stunningly brutal and harsh landscape of Algeria adds to a feeling of bareness in this film, bolstered by Nick Cave and Warren Ellis’ minimal score. Despite an early issue with pacing, Far From Men reaches an emotionally resonant crescendo in the final act, asking possibly the most important question: what does it mean to be alive? PATRICK JOHNSON

When Broken Hill cabbie Rex (Michael Caton) is given a diagnosis of terminal cancer, he embarks on a multi-thousandkilometre road trip to Darwin in an attempt to become the first person to make use of the Territory’s new euthanasia law, through activist physician Dr Farmer (Jackie Weaver) While ultimately a study of confronting mortality, the film has some poignant things to say about the racial prejudice still rampant in Australia. Through the two main indigenous characters, the roguishly quirky Tilly (Mark Coles Smith) and Rex’s neighbour, confidant and sometimes lover Polly (Ningali Lawford-Wolf), a spotlight is shone on Australia’s often unspoken marginalisation of its native peoples. At the same time, it doesn’t for a moment bludgeon the audience over the head with a message of racial harmony, instead leaving it to be guided through the slowly changing attitudes of its characters. There is an awful lot going on here, but the film can also be enjoyed just as much as a character-driven road trip. It manages to deftly navigate between the utter bleakness and goofball corniness that tend to be the two polar opposites that dominate Australian film. Coles Smith in particular is brilliant and although this is far from his first role, hopefully it will be his well-deserved breakout into the big time. PATRICK BELL

@bmamag

MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – ROGUE NATION Three things are essential for any Mission: Impossible film: a betrayal by Ethan Hunt’s agency (the Impossible Mission Force), a break-in to a ridiculously secure facility, and a lot of Tom Cruise sprinting. Rogue Nation delivers on all three – arguably a lot better than most of its predecessors. Like the first four films, the plot is blah, blah, global conspiracy, blah, blah, disavowed agents, blah, blah, Alec Baldwin – the viewers aren’t here for the plot, and the director – Christopher McQuarrie – seems to know it. Say what you like about Cruise, but you have to respect an action star of his status who still does his own stunts. The opening sequence is probably the highlight of the movie and superbly demonstrates all of Cruise’s dedication/insanity. Unfortunately, this is largely forgotten later in the film when a perfectly good car chase and the above-mentioned break-in scene are ruined by CGI. As for the rest of the cast, the script has the one female character, Isla Faust (Rebecca Ferguson, and yes, she does make a deal with the devil), spend a little too much time killing guys with her thighs in skimpy outfits and heels to let the audience take her seriously. Simon Pegg is actually not cringeworthy as the comic relief, and MI veteran Ving Rhames makes a welcome reappearance. The alwaysawesome Jeremy Renner also deserves a nod as Hunt’s boss, William Brandt.

MR HOLMES Mr Holmes isn’t anything like recent adaptations of the world’s most famous detective, such as 2009’s Sherlock Holmes, BBC’s Sherlock or Elementary. Moreover, Ian McKellen as the eponymous hero is not merely an older version of Robert Downey Jr, Benedict Cumberbatch or Jonny Lee Miller. This exploration of the famous detective is rather less frenetic and more reflective. Set in the late 1940s in a remote seaside town, far away from 221B Baker St, an elderly Holmes (McKellen) spends his days tending to his bees with only the company of his housekeeper (Laura Linney) and her young son, Roger. His greatest tool has always been his sharp mind, and he is keenly aware of it wearing down and becoming blunter every day. Holmes strikes up a friendship with Roger, and decides to look back at his last, unsolved case. The pace is sedate, and the mystery at the centre of the story is not as satisfying as anything Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (or indeed Steven Moffat, of BBC’s Sherlock) would have written. But then, this is not so much a ‘whodunnit’ as a ‘who am I?’ story – a poignant portrayal of a prickly human being searching for companionship. McKellen is a pleasure to watch in this dramatic role, giving an affecting performance. Perfect ‘Sunday afternoon with a cup of tea, in a mostly empty cinema’ viewing. MELISSA WELLHAM

PATRICK BELL

facebook.com/bmamagazine

the word on dvds

THE KNICK [ROADSHOW]

TOP FIVE [PARAMOUNT]

It’s not that I was looking for a show that led with its star Dr John Thackery (Clive Owen) getting a hapless nurse to inject cocaine into his nuts – it’s more that I was looking for a gory, early 1900’s period drama set in a New York hospital (the Knickerbocker) as modern medical science and treatment was developing. The latter led to the former. And if it sounds attention grabbing and overdone – do we need any more cable anti-heroes? – it most certainly was. But a funny thing happened, The Knick got progressively better and better.

It must be tempting for actors so used to playing characters far from themselves to dig around the recesses of their psyche that are uncomfortably close to home. Years of being typecast, the weight of expectation and the boredom of getting into ‘character’ seems to lead to a universal path where successful actors, writers, and comedians like the challenges of playing ‘versions of themselves’. It creates some sort of safe zone, where they can mock the whole stupid system they operate within and make subtle jabs at their own weaknesses. That’s the theory at least. In reality, it can be just as smug as actors tackling ‘difficult’ roles to chase an Oscar. And so we have Chris Rock as Andre Allen, a hugely successful stand-up comedian turned movie star. Allen is taking on serious roles these days (Haitian rebels) after years of slumming it with crowdpleasing mainstream films. He’s also engaged to a reality TV star and a recovering alcoholic. But like any working actor, he has to promote the product, which leads to an uneasy courtship with Chelsea Brown (Rosario Dawson) of the New York Times – the very same paper that has been slagging his movies for years. Actor and reporter walk around New York verite style, reliving Andre’s past and trying to figure out his origin story. They bump into old pals both fictional and real (Jerry Seinfeld, Luis Guzman, Adam Sandler) and eventually form an easy truce. Before it’s shattered and Andre is back at square one.

The Knick opens in one of those olde worlde hospital viewing/teaching theatres, where surgeons announce their every move to an audience of peers. Dr Thackery and Dr JM Christiansen (Matt Frewer – Max Headroom, Black Orphan) are attempting to save a mother and child-in-womb. It does not end well for the patients or Dr Christiansen who, despite words of encouragement suggesting a procedure that does not result in operating table deaths is just around the corner, puts a bullet through his brain. It’s a moment of humility/ brutality that captures the sheer frustration of people furthering modern medical science through trial and error on real, living people. You get the sense that far too much was thrown into the mix of this show too early – Thackery manufactures his own tools in the basement of the Knick as his colleagues stubbornly refuse the benefit of electricity, which can only be supplied if Thackery agrees to allow a black doctor in the hospital at the behest of wealthy industrialist hospital owners. On the streets, scruffy Irish ambulance men rob corpses and chase accidents. It’s the birth of the modern world, the victory of science over superstition, race politcs. Owen pulls the show together through a stunning performance that sidesteps pro-forma mad/drug-addled scientist because he can see, through the filth and stupor, a higher purpose. JUSTIN HOOK

There’s no doubt it’s fun watching Rock (who also directed) play with his ego and create a reality both alternate and quasi real. He’s extraordinarily talented and unafraid to vocalise some uneasy truths about pop culture and society at large, and an unabashed sentimentalist. But only some of that makes it through to Top Five, leaving an enjoyable film but not one nearly as challenging as he’d surely hoped for. JUSTIN HOOK

THE ADMIRAL: ROARING CURRENTS [MADMAN] In the late 16th century the Joseon Dynasty was in trouble. A Japanese naval fleet of over 130 warships – possibly up to 330 – was advancing across the southern tip of the Korean peninsula across the treacherous waters of the Myeongnyang Strait. Their final destination was Hanyang/Seoul, which they fully intended to sack and claim as Japanese territory. The only thing standing in the way of an expected easy naval victory was Admiral Yi Sun-sin (Choi Min-sik) and a mere 12 Korean warships. Admiral Yi was a decorated commander but was easily outnumbered. But the canny Yi had a few tricks up his sleeve. Firstly, he knew the waters of the Myeongnyang Strait inside out – specifically the currents. There was no way Yi could defeat the Japanese fleet with brute force so he set up anchor right in the middle of swirling currents and lured them in. Unhelpfully, the rest of his support flotilla retreated against orders leaving his ship alone. But Yi’s tactic worked. He then moved to where the currents reversed and blindsided his enemy’s fleet, crushing them against all odds. Admiral Yi Sun-sin is considered to be one of the greatest naval commanders of all time and the Battle of Myeongnyang is of huge significance to Korean history; it’s generally accepted that if Yi lost – Korea would have fallen to the Japanese. So his story is to put it mildly a big deal in Korea and part of the reason The Admiral remains the highest grossing domestic Korean film of all time. Another reason is that it is epic ‘spectacle’ filmmaking of the highest technical order – huge battleships dance in the raging waters, blasting each other to pieces. There’s little doubt it is a defiantly patriotic Korean film, but to this outsider there’s plenty in here to have me racing to the books to do more research on an unfamiliar part of regional history. JUSTIN HOOK@bmamag

facebook.com/bmamagazine

the word

on gigs

Death Cab For Cutie, Say Hi ANU Bar Thursday July 30 Distinguished indie-rock maestro Say Hi was without a guitar for the warm-up act. Even though some of the crowd weren’t really buying it, he unashamedly dropped thick basslines, thrashing drum tracks, quirky lyrics and wild dance moves. While perhaps slightly awkward, at least his fans weren’t left wanting. When Death Cab hit the stage, they opened with ‘No Room In Frame’ from their 2014 album, Kintsugi. Although the audience appeared less engaged with Death Cab’s newer tracks, songs like ‘The Ghost of Beverly Drive’ and ‘You’ve Haunted Me All My Life’ didn’t feel out of place. A wave of distortion carried out their recent single ‘Black Sun’ into classic ‘The New Year’. Almost the entire audience sang along to ‘I Will Follow You Into The Dark’, lost on their own nostalgia trips. That’s just the kind of band Death Cab are – one that latches onto memories and gives them a soundtrack. Jason McGerr’s tight drumwork on ‘Cath…’ had the audience swaying with greater intensity. Tourmate Dave Depper skilfully conducted the rhythm on ‘You Are A Tourist’ while the enigmatic Ben Gibbard went between playing with loops and jamming with his band. Before the encore, the band built up the immense ‘I Will Possess Your Heart’ under dimmed lights. Nick Harmer worked the iconic bassline with great aptitude as Gibbard proved the full spectrum of his talents on the keyboards. Encoring with the tranquil ‘Passenger Seat’, the crowd was treated to tourmate Zac Rae invoking picturesque scenes on keys. Closing the set with ‘The Sound of Settling’ and ‘Transatlanticism’ certainly satisfied the fans who savour Death Cab’s older material.

the word

on gigs

ANDREW NARDI

Gang of Youths, I Know Leopard, Polish Club Transit Bar Wednesday August 5 Another freezing night. So what! The pulling power of the bands eclipsed the discouraging weather, with another sold out show. Two-piece Polish Club gave a stylish kick-off with a set that blended old style rock ‘n’ roll with soul overtones. Pajak bounced his drum kit around with frantic stick work while Novak impressed with the bluesy tones of his vocals. He injected an exotic touch with a song delivered in French (very New Orleans). The swish up-and-comers I Know Leopard laid down a sophisticated set of complex indie-pop. With music that carried a spacious, floating vibe, the band sounded smooth with male-female harmonies and keyboards nicely balanced with the ringing guitar work. The violin starred in ‘Close My Eyes’, while the band threw in a cool cover of TLC’s ‘Waterfalls’ and put more bounce into its closer, ‘Perfect Picture’. Soft-edged songs gave way to the decidedly more ragged Gang of Youths, as the audience packed into the restricted space created by having the sound desk right up the front (brought along especially by the bands, it caused technical challenges for the sound guys). Where I Know Leopard impressed with its sound, Gang of Youths impressed with its show. From the very first yell of ‘Hey!’, frontman David Le’aupepe – all flashing eyes and teeth – projected his passion and energy onto us. The crowd’s spirits lifted, resulting in an allsinging, all-dancing, all-clapping, all-shouting mood in the mosh. Fans joined in every song as Le’aupepe rushed back and forth on stage. Then, armed with a radio mic, he surged across the floor, parting the punters like the Red Sea, for an extended song and dance session.

RORY MCCARTNEY

@bmamag

the word

on gigs

ABOVE PHOTO BY GLEN MARTIN Blur, Jamie T Qantas Credit Union Arena, Sydney Saturday July 25 Shows of a certain scale are all about shared voices. No act – no matter how extraordinary – can rock into a concrete bowl and impress with an hour of new stuff. It’s a different kind of event, requiring sing-a-longs and lost inhibitions in rows of tiered seating. In short, it takes a special act to elevate it to the kind of religious experience on offer tonight. At the end of Jamie T’s stonking but appallingly mixed set (the rapidfire delivery of this increasingly interesting artist lost in the sludgy sound of this most unforgiving concrete hall), the room seemed 60% full and covered in corporate signage. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen a show here and the vibe wasn’t exactly positive. And then in the blink of an eye the room had filled, the lights had lowered, four middle-aged men had emerged and the strange discordance of new single ‘Go Out’ kicked off what was to be an extraordinary couple of hours. This gig was utterly magical. Take one part familiarity, one madman patrolling the stage, add 22 tunes and what you get is the transition from Blur the legend, to ‘being in the middle of a live experience with the legend, specific to the confines of this room and this moment’. Which might sound like the basic DNA of live performance, but this show was a far more powerful exclamation of why we leave the house to see these things happen in person than anything in my giggoing life. Damon Albarn’s endless prodding of the audience became almost shamanic, his need for a response unrelenting. And this makes sense given the last few years of his creative output have been focused on connection – the curmudgeonly middle-aged man reminding his audience that life behind a screen is no life at all. It’s worth thinking about that output – as Albarn heads back into the studio with Gorillaz and The Good, The Bad & The Queen later this year – about someone still making such essential music at a stage in his career where David Bowie was making Tin Machine records and Bob Dylan was croakily singing about Jesus as processed synthesisers cluelessly wailed. Creatively, Albarn is still peaking and he’s almost 50.

facebook.com/bmamagazine

ABOVE PHOTO BY STEPHEN BOOTH (AT SPLENDOUR) As good as he is though, it’s Blur where he is best, and that’s because Blur is a band – in a sense of the word that is almost forgotten. The four distinct personalities on that stage and the way that they interact is the tonic that slays the room. Alex James – like the slightly ridiculous cartoon he is – strides to the front of stage right, shoeless, in small red shorts and grinning at the ceiling. Graham Coxon hasn’t aged since 1994, so Dave Rowntree has in his stead. The rapore between them is real and rare. The reason why people want Blur back seems to be twofold. One is about the band. The other is about themselves – especially if you’re of a certain age. To see bands age well gives us all hope. But bands don’t often age well. I’ve seen reunited acts I was too young to catch on the first pass with mixed results – an enjoyably ear-bleeding set from Dinosaur Jr, a less than impressive in-it-for-the-money Pixies, a magnificent (yet very much stuck in the past) Pavement. But nothing as vital as this. Though they’re technically a reunited act, Blur feel very current. In terms of tunes, a few very welcome deep cuts (‘Badhead’, ‘Trouble in the Message Centre’) appeared alongside the hits, with The Magic Whip getting a good and entirely appropriate airing. For their 2015 effort to sound as important as tunes from their 1994 classic Parklife tells you much, be it via the instant classic sing-a-long of ‘Ong Ong’, or the strange yet towering ‘Pyongyang’ – in a very Albarn move, slotted just after the utterly explosive ‘Song 2’ in the set list. There’s a midsection that viewers of previous reunion shows would be familiar with, yet no discerning fan would begrudge – ‘Coffee & TV’ into ‘Out of Time’, new classic ‘I Thought I Was A Spaceman’ leading towards the incredible ‘Trimm Trabb’, before the room melted at the first notes of ‘Tender’ ringing out from Coxon’s Telecaster. Likewise, the closing selections of ‘This Is A Low’, ‘Girls & Boys’, ‘For Tomorrow’ and ‘The Universal’ were nothing less than astonishing. Voices lifted and the whole room felt like it might shake its foundations and fly. It was a glorious feeling. As the brass section closed out that final tune, Albarn stood at the lip of the stage, arms aloft, shouting ‘YESSSSSS!’ After two hours of tireless toil, we were all in the palm of his hand. They don’t make bands like this anymore. GLEN MARTIN

the word

the Forum a little too close to the action, however. I could imagine it being a tad distracting listening to a serious discussion whilst revellers stream past. The first band on the to-do list for Friday was San Cisco on the main Amphitheatre stage. This band never fails to impress, and impress they did. As the sky turned to dusk, the crowd swayed along to the sweet sounds and though they went wild for the anthem ‘Awkward’, for me the band is far more interesting than just this one song.

on gigs

Johnny Marr flew through an hour set of half-solo and half-Smiths songs that really pleased the crowd of both young and old. He also threw in an Electronic and Depeche Mode cover to add to the variety. Had he done Modest Mouse’s ‘Dashboard’, I think I would have died and gone to indie guitar heaven – but still a great show. As with many festivals with so many great bands on offer, I was faced with the dilemma of overlapping bands. With the oceans of mud to trudge through, it wasn’t as though it was a quick dash to the next stage. With the Splendour gods guiding me however, I arrived back at the Amphitheatre stage to catch Death Cab For Cutie half-way through an underwhelmingly mellow set, but with a shining moment of brilliance when ‘Soul Meets Body’ cut through.

PHOTO BY JUSTIN MA

Splendour In The Grass North Byron Bay Parklands Fri–Sun Jul 24–26 Another year goes by with more talk of the death of the music festival. Even the mainstream media are getting on board, reporting that “Shirtless fuckwits are killing them”. For me, I have a theory I call the ‘dickhead radius’, which normally applies to finding a quiet picnic spot on weekends, but can be equally applied to other situations. This theory basically states that: a) the further dickheads have to travel, and b) the more obstacles in their way, the less chance of them being present. Pretty simple! For Splendour, the distance to Byron Bay fits criteria a, and the costly admission (deservedly so for the quality of musical acts) creates the big obstacle required for criteria b. So I’m happy to report that after attending this year’s Splendour, the dickhead radius theory stacks up one hundred per cent. Now in its 15th year, Splendour continues to offer a premium product and has settled into its permanent grassy site at North Byron Parklands. But with a downpour on Thursday, the whole site turned into a big, glorious mud pit, which remained for the duration of the festival. The fashion was defiantly gumboot chic for all: peasant tops and overalls for the girls, with psychedelic shirts and hillbilly hats for the boys. Another big trend according to eBay data was the female pee assist. With the mud and long queues to toilets, I suspect they were popular, but being a boy, I was far too shy to ask any girls regarding their usage. I was keen to check out some screenings/discussions at the Forum space, but unfortunately I got sidetracked with music commitments and I didn’t get a chance to check any out. This was a shame, as I like the fact that Splendour incorporates its commitment to social and environmental issues into the package. I did find the location of

Of Monster & Men filled the Amphitheatre grounds with more people and euphoric sounds. The Icelandic band provided an unbelievable performance packed with atmosphere. Late in the night, local boys Peking Duk smashed it a second year in a row, albeit with a bigger fan base after this year’s Hottest 100. It was also lovely to see one of their mums wading through the mud to support them – so sweet, so Canberra. The next two days were a big Blur, right up to and including the final act, who put on a worthy one-and-a-half-hour performance, but with a less than full Amphitheatre than one would expect. During Saturday, Purity Ring gave a brooding performance and had by far the best lighting and set design. Years And Years was one act I thought could have been the dark horse of the festival, but unfortunately they kept the crowd waiting 20 minutes, only to emerge to announce equipment issues. This resulted in a stripped back set, which fell flat, but kudos to them for carrying on. The Dandy Warhols are seasoned festival performers, having even visited Canberra previously. They did what they do and plugged through a hit-laden set. Best Coast gave us a wall of West Coast sound via three guitars and a tight performance. Florence finished the day and was undoubtedly the queen of SITG, with her ethereal presence and pipes to match. What a pleasant way to end the day and fill your dreams with heartbreak and solace. Sunday came on with a bit of fatigue setting in – still a nice day, with stand-out shows by Holy Holy, Jamie T and Aussie world-dominators Tame Impala. So much more music to note, but then again, Splendour has much more on offer, which is why it is now firmly part of Australia’s music calendar. As long as it keeps this up – while managing to remain outside of the ‘dickhead radius’ – good times will keep coming and the grass will remain green (besides when the mud sets in). ALEX K

@bmamag

ENTERTAINMENT GUIDE August 12 - August 15

Listings are a free community service. Email editorial@bmamag.com to have your events appear each issue. WEDNESDAY AUGUST 12

ART EXHIBITIONS

THEATRE

LIVE MUSIC

Short + Sweet Theatre Festival

Wayne Kelly trio

kid

Over one heady fortnight 30 (plus!) short plays showcase the best of ACT writing, directing and acti

ANCA GALLERY

Gaslight

Helani Laisk. 29 Jul- 16 Aug.

Archaeology, Excavation and the Arcane

Glassworks exhibition. 17 Jun- 30 Aug CANBERRA GLASSWORKS

For Love

24 July-30 Aug. Wednesday to Friday 11.00 to 5.00 Saturday 11.00 to 4.00. BILK GALLERY

Black Rain on a White WallRemember Hiroshima

CANBERRA THEATRE CENTRE

A Victorian Thriller. 30 July- 15 August. CANBERRA REPERTORY SOCIETY

How to Manage A Disaster

Best Festival Ever. Boho interactive and Applespiel. 7pm. 12-22 Aug. THE STREET THEATRE

THURSDAY AUGUST 13 COMEDY

proximate

Robert Agostino, Thomas Boivin and Spiro Miralis. 30 Jul-23 Aug. Free. PHOTOACCESS MANUKA

EASS 2015

Art graduate awards.

WATSON ARTS CENTRE

Traces and Hauntings

University of Canberra Faculty of Arts and Design staff exhibition. 7-30 Aug. BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

TUGGERANONG ARTS CENTRE

Jo Law and Redmond Bridgeman. 30 Jul-23 Aug. Free. PHOTOACCESS MANUKA

M3 Recital

Life and time: Portraits by Rod McNicol

THE STREET THEATRE

NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY

Members of the RMC Band. 1pm.

Tappy Hour

$4.50 tap beers and free bar snack with acoustic tunes. 4:30pm. Free. THE BASEMENT

Something Like This Live music. 10pm.

KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

Keith Bailey. 12-5pm daily. M16 ARTSPACE

5-7pm.

A World of Things

Claret Ash

‘The Cleansing’ album tour. With Atra Vetoeus, Legion Of The Horn, Avascular Necrosis. 8pm. $10.

10am-5pm. Free.

Internecine: The Vanished Musicians

7 to 25 Aug. 10am to 3pm. NISHI GALLERY

Innerspace

Curated by David Broker. 10 Jul-15 Aug.

CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ART SPACE (GORMAN HOUSE)

Without Borders

Laughing Samoans: Fink About It

THE BASEMENT

Emergencies, Natural Disasters, Epidemics, Conflicts. 5-30 Aug.

ON THE TOWN

Hey Buddha!

THE STREET THEATRE

Torren Foot & Dom Dolla

7pm. www.laughingsamoans.com

A Shot and a Beer Cameron James

Standup Comedy and live Podcast. 8pm. $10/$15. CIVIC PUB

LIVE MUSIC

The Traces Between: Dyed Textiles

Miami Horror

M16 ARTSPACE

$10 before 11pm. MR WOLF

Peter Black TRANSIT BAR

Odd Mob

BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

John Hart, Saara March & Sui Jackson. 6-16 Aug. Weds-Sun 11am- 5pm. Free. CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ARTS SPACE (MANUKA)

COMEDY

$10 before 11pm.

Dylan Moran

SOMETHING DIFFERENT

ROYAL THEATRE

ACADEMY NIGHTCLUB

8pm. Tickets $81.46/$91.65 at ticketek.com.au.

Melinda Heal. 12-5pm daily.

With JOY., Young Franco & Cleopold. Tickets via Ticketek. ANU BAR

Scinight: Good Vibrations

LIVE MUSIC

A World of Things

The Cactus Channel

QUESTACON

Fire On The Hill

THEATRE

THE PHOENIX BAR

Jo Law and Redmond Bridgeman. 30 Jul-23 Aug. Free. PHOTOACCESS MANUKA

With Brass Knuckle Brass Band. 9pm. $5. THE PHOENIX BAR

Life and time: Portraits by Rod McNicol

Hard Cover

NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY

The Bridge Between

10am-5pm. Free.

Internecine: The Vanished Musicians

7 to 25 Aug. 10am to 3pm. NISHI GALLERY

Innerspace

9pm. Free.

KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

Roots and Blues. 7-10pm. Free.

6pm. $10.

Dylan Moran

Star and creator of ABC TV’s Black Books is back in Australia with a brand new show, Off the Hook. CANBERRA THEATRE CENTRE

NATIONAL PRESS CLUB

The Journey

Duo Amythis in Concert. 7:30pm. $15-30.

SATURDAY AUGUST 15

Curated by David Broker. 10 Jul-15 Aug.

WESLEY MUSIC CENTRE

ART EXHIBITIONS

ON THE TOWN

kid

Without Borders

4Some Thursdays

ANCA GALLERY

ACADEMY NIGHTCLUB

Paintings and Installations by Janet Angus. 11-28 Aug.

CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ART SPACE (GORMAN HOUSE)

Helani Laisk. 29 Jul- 16 Aug.

Mental Case

Emergencies, Natural Disasters, Epidemics, Conflicts. 5-30 Aug.

Free Entry & $4 Drinks Specials.

Hey Buddha!

9-12pm. Free.

BELCONNEN COMMUNITY CENTRE

SOMETHING DIFFERENT

Glassworks exhibition. 17 Jun- 30 Aug

BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

John Hart, Saara March & Sui Jackson. 6-16 Aug. Weds- Sun 11am- 5pm. Free.

Chicago Charles & Dave KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ARTS SPACE (MANUKA)

Playful Sound

LIVE MUSIC

GORMAN HOUSE ARTS CENTRE

The East Row Live Sessions

THEATRE

Presented by 2XX. Various Artists. 7pm. $5. THE PHOENIX BAR

Wednesday Lunchtime Live Concert

Owen Elliott & Miguel Alvear. 12:40–1:20pm. $2–5.

7pm. $5.

The Waste Land

T.S Eliot, Julian Lamb, David Pereira. 7pm. Tickets at door.

NARRABUNDAH COLLEGE ARTS CENTRE

FRIDAY AUGUST 14

WESLEY MUSIC CENTRE

SOMETHING DIFFERENT Speed Talking

12pm. Free for members. ALLIANCE FRANÇAISE

ART EXHIBITIONS Bare: Degrees of undress 14 Aug- 15 Nov. Free.

NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY

Quake 3 & Doom 2 Tournaments RELOAD BAR & GAMES

Archaeology, Excavation and the Arcane CANBERRA GLASSWORKS

For Love

Live music. 9.30pm.

Tappy Hour

$4.50 tap beers and free bar snack with acoustic tunes. 4:30pm. Free. THE BASEMENT

The Cool

10:30pm. Free.

KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

Hard Envy Defqon 1 DJ comp DJ’s will battle for honor to play on purple stage. 8pm.

ON THE TOWN

THE BASEMENT

DJ Raven

70’s, 80’s, 90’s, Dance Classics and Top 40. From 9pm. Free. VIKINGS CHISHOLM

Love Saturdays

Doors open 9pm. $10 before 11pm. ACADEMY NIGHTCLUB

SOMETHING DIFFERENT

24 July-30 Aug. Wednesday to Friday 11.00 to 5.00 Saturday 11.00 to 4.00.

Still Life, with shadow and light

Black Rain on a White WallRemember Hiroshima

TUGGERANONG ARTS CENTRE

BILK GALLERY

Term 3 Adult Art Classes Enrolling Now. 10am. $140.

Fash N’ Treasure

proximate

10am - 3pm. 7 Feb, 21 Mar, 11 Apr, 9 May, 13 June, 15 Aug, 19 Sep & 7 Nov. Entry $3.

PHOTOACCESS MANUKA

THEATRE

Keith Bailey. 12-5pm daily. M16 ARTSPACE

Robert Agostino, Thomas Boivin and Spiro Miralis. 30 Jul-23 Aug. Free.

EASS 2015

Art graduate awards.

EXHIBITION PARK IN CANBERRA (EPIC)

Gaslight

WATSON ARTS CENTRE

A Victorian Thriller. 30 July- 15 August.

The Traces Between: Dyed Textiles

How to Manage A Disaster

Melinda Heal. 12-5pm daily. M16 ARTSPACE

Traces and Hauntings

CANBERRA REPERTORY SOCIETY

Best Festival Ever. Boho interactive and Applespiel. 7pm. 12-22 Aug. THE STREET THEATRE

University of Canberra Faculty of Arts and Design staff exhibition. 7-30 Aug. BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

facebook.com/bmamagazine

ENTERTAINMENT GUIDE August 16 - August 26 SUNDAY AUGUST 16 LIVE MUSIC Matt Dent

Awesome Aussie Roots Music. 2pm. ROSE COTTAGE

L’Arche fundraising concert

Robert Schmidli piano. $10-30. $5 discount for online bookings at www. trybooking.com/EOGR WESLEY MUSIC CENTRE

Irish Jam Session

Traditional Irish musicians in the pub from late afternoon. Free. KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

SOMETHING DIFFERENT Canberra Blues Society Monthy Jams TBA. 2pm. $3/$5.

HARMONIE GERMAN CLUB

TUESDAY AUGUST 18 LIVE MUSIC Chelsea Grin

With Boris The Blade, Na Maza, Absolution, Honest Crooks. 7pm. $40/50. Meet and greet tickets available. THE BASEMENT

Life and time: Portraits by Rod McNicol

Witchgrinder album launch

SOMETHING DIFFERENT

NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY

10am-5pm. Free.

Trent and Jarrad’s Birthday Bash. Various Artists. 6pm. $25. THE BASEMENT

Internecine: The Vanished Musicians

Dreddseppelin Live audio stream

ON THE TOWN

Still Life, with shadow and light

NISHI GALLERY

Sirus Hood

Without Borders

MR WOLF

7 to 25 Aug. 10am to 3pm. Emergencies, Natural Disasters, Epidemics, Conflicts. 5-30 Aug. BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

SOMETHING DIFFERENT BAD!SLAM!NO!BISCUIT! Poetry. 8pm. Free. THE PHOENIX BAR

Honkytonks Winter Night Markets

All ages. From 5pm. Free. HONKYTONKS

THEATRE Betrayal

19-22 Aug. $50/70.

CANBERRA THEATRE CENTRE

How to Manage A Disaster

Best Festival Ever. Boho interactive and Applespiel. 7pm. 12-22 Aug. THE STREET THEATRE

THURSDAY AUGUST 20

$10 before 11pm.

THEATRE Betrayal

19-22 Aug. $50/70.

CANBERRA THEATRE CENTRE

SATURDAY AUGUST 22

NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY

Mental Case

Paintings and Installations by Janet Angus. 11-28 Aug. BELCONNEN COMMUNITY CENTRE

Archaeology, Excavation and the Arcane

Glassworks exhibition. 17 Jun- 30 Aug CANBERRA GLASSWORKS

M16 ARTSPACE

ART EXHIBITIONS Mental Case

Paintings and Installations by Janet Angus. 11-28 Aug. BELCONNEN COMMUNITY CENTRE

The nak-ed-ness/ cloth-ed-ness paradox

proximate

THE PHOENIX BAR

PHOTOACCESS MANUKA

THE BASEMENT

ON THE TOWN 4Some Thursdays

Free Entry & $4 Drinks Specials.

12:30-1pm. Free. No Bookings required.

ACADEMY NIGHTCLUB

Archaeology, Excavation and the Arcane

KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY

Chicago Charles & Dave 9-12pm. Free.

Glassworks exhibition. 17 Jun- 30 Aug

SOMETHING DIFFERENT

For Love

Opening Exhibition of ANU Emerging Artists

CANBERRA GLASSWORKS

24 July-30 Aug. Wednesday to Friday 11.00 to 5.00 Saturday 11.00 to 4.00. BILK GALLERY

Black Rain on a White WallRemember Hiroshima Keith Bailey. 12-5pm daily. M16 ARTSPACE

proximate

Robert Agostino, Thomas Boivin and Spiro Miralis. 30 Jul-23 Aug. Free. PHOTOACCESS MANUKA

Traces and Hauntings

University of Canberra Faculty of Arts and Design staff exhibition. 7-30 Aug. BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

The Traces Between: Dyed Textiles

Melinda Heal. 12-5pm daily.

Keith Bailey. 12-5pm daily.

GLOSS (Syd)

A mix of acoustic covers by 3/4 of Taliesin. 8pm. Free,

Free entrance. Cheese and wine available. ALLIANCE FRANÇAISE

EY Annual Lecture – Melba!

6pm. $45. RSVP by Friday 14 August on 02 6102 7070 or bookings@npg.gov.au. NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY

THEATRE

Robert Agostino, Thomas Boivin and Spiro Miralis. 30 Jul-23 Aug. Free.

The Traces Between: Dyed Textiles

Melinda Heal. 12-5pm daily. M16 ARTSPACE

Traces and Hauntings

PHOTOACCESS MANUKA

Life and time: Portraits by Rod McNicol 10am-5pm. Free.

NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY

Internecine: The Vanished Musicians

7 to 25 Aug. 10am to 3pm. NISHI GALLERY

Without Borders

West Texas Crude

Fundraiser for Wallaroo Rural Fire Brigade. Tickets from 02 6230 2487. POACHERS PANTRY

MONDAY AUGUST 24

The Bootleg Sessions

THE PHOENIX BAR

TUESDAY AUGUST 25 COMEDY Uni Pub Comedy Club

The Dollop “Live”. Dave Anthony and Gareth Reynolds. 8pm. $30. UNI PUB

SOMETHING DIFFERENT

Free for members. Cheese $10.

TRIVIA Nerd Trivia with Joel and Ali

Presented by Impact Records. 7:30pm. THE PHOENIX BAR

WEDNESDAY AUGUST 26 ART EXHIBITIONS Mental Case

Paintings and Installations by Janet Angus. 11-28 Aug.

LIVE MUSIC

Archaeology, Excavation and the Arcane

A Night in Siena

CANBERRA GLASSWORKS

BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

The Hard Aches

WESLEY MUSIC CENTRE

With Hannahband, Propeller. 9:30pm. $5. THE PHOENIX BAR

M16 ARTSPACE

A World of Things

Groovalicious

Love Saturdays

KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

ACADEMY NIGHTCLUB

LIVE MUSIC

Emergencies, Natural Disasters, Epidemics, Conflicts. 5-30 Aug.

ON THE TOWN

PHOTOACCESS MANUKA

SUNDAY AUGUST 23

ALLIANCE FRANÇAISE

Jo Law and Redmond Bridgeman. 30 Jul-23 Aug. Free.

CANBERRA THEATRE CENTRE

10pm. Free.

THE STREET THEATRE

A World of Things

BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

LIVE MUSIC

Jo Law and Redmond Bridgeman. 30 Jul-23 Aug. Free.

Best Festival Ever. Boho interactive and Applespiel. 7pm. 12-22 Aug.

Book Club, “L’échappée belle”, Anna Gavalda

With Simone Vallerotonda. 6pm.

FRIDAY AUGUST 21

How to Manage A Disaster

University of Canberra Faculty of Arts and Design staff exhibition. 7-30 Aug.

Betrayal

19-22 Aug. $50/70.

CANBERRA THEATRE CENTRE

Various Artists. 8pm. Free.

THE FRONT GALLERY AND CAFÉ

Silencia Acoustic Sessions

19-22 Aug. $50/70.

BILK GALLERY

Christo and Raph’s Trivia

WEDNESDAY AUGUST 19

Betrayal

LIVE MUSIC

24 July-30 Aug. Wednesday to Friday 11.00 to 5.00 Saturday 11.00 to 4.00.

Black Rain on a White WallRemember Hiroshima

With BCBG, Bobby Kill, Eadie & the Doodles. 9pm. $5.

THEATRE

For Love

Paul Carey and Julian Scheffer

THE PHOENIX BAR

TUGGERANONG ARTS CENTRE

Bare: Degrees of undress

14 Aug- 15 Nov. Free.

TRIVIA

Contemporary Guitar. 8pm. $10.

Term 3 Adult Art Classes Enrolling Now. 10am. $140.

ART EXHIBITIONS

LIVE MUSIC

Presented by twotonmurphy.com. 7:30pm.

RELOAD BAR & GAMES

Doors open 9pm. $10 before 11pm.

BELCONNEN COMMUNITY CENTRE

Glassworks exhibition. 17 Jun- 30 Aug

For Love

24 July-30 Aug. Wednesday to Friday 11.00 to 5.00 Saturday 11.00 to 4.00. BILK GALLERY

Traces and Hauntings

University of Canberra Faculty of Arts and Design staff exhibition. 7-30 Aug. BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

Without Borders

Emergencies, Natural Disasters, Epidemics, Conflicts. 5-30 Aug. BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

@bmamag

ENTERTAINMENT GUIDE Aug 26 - September 19 WEDNESDAY AUGUST 26 LIVE MUSIC CHECK YOUR HEAD

Your monthly dose of beats, rhymes and life. 8pm. $5. THE PHOENIX BAR

SOMETHING DIFFERENT Retro Arcade special

feat. Jose Ciminelli on Defender RELOAD BAR & GAMES

THURSDAY AUGUST 27 ART EXHIBITIONS Wordsmith

Sarah Norris. 12-5pm daily. M16 ARTSPACE

World Series

Kate Stevens & Julian Laffan. 12-5pm daily.

Archaeology, Excavation and the Arcane

Glassworks exhibition. 17 Jun- 30 Aug CANBERRA GLASSWORKS

For Love

Traces and Hauntings

World Series

Wordsmith

BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

M16 ARTSPACE

BILK GALLERY

Kate Stevens & Julian Laffan. 12-5pm daily.

World Series

Selkie Series

Kate Stevens & Julian Laffan. 12-5pm daily. M16 ARTSPACE

Selkie Series

Spike Deane. 12-5pm daily. M16 ARTSPACE

DANCE Crossing Ahead

Four new dance works from acclaimed choreographers. $25-73.95.

LIVE MUSIC Born Lion

ANU BAR AND REFECTORY

Super Best Friends

With Agency, Skinpin. 9pm. $10.

With Creo, SketchMethod. 9:30pm. $5. THE PHOENIX BAR

ON THE TOWN Love Saturdays

Doors open 9pm. $10 before 11pm.

SOMETHING DIFFERENT

ON THE TOWN

Goldeneye Tournament & Cocktail party

Free Entry & $4 Drinks Specials. ACADEMY NIGHTCLUB

FRIDAY AUGUST 28 DANCE

RELOAD BAR & GAMES

Still Life, with shadow and light Term 3 Adult Art Classes Enrolling Now. 10am. $140. TUGGERANONG ARTS CENTRE

SUNDAY AUGUST 30

Crossing Ahead

DANCE

CANBERRA THEATRE CENTRE

New commissioned works by emerging Canberra Dance artists and a dance showcase from community groups

Four new dance works from acclaimed choreographers. $25-73.95.

LIVE MUSIC Castelnuovo-Tedesco’s Platero and I

Jacob and Gideon Cordover. 7:30pm. $15-$30. WESLEY MUSIC CENTRE

Australian 2015 DMC Champs Hoest By Ran-Dee. 9pm. TRANSIT BAR

SOMETHING DIFFERENT Uni Pub Comedy Club Josh Earl. 8pm. $20. UNI PUB

SATURDAY AUGUST 29 ART EXHIBITIONS Without Borders

Emergencies, Natural Disasters, Epidemics, Conflicts. 5-30 Aug. BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

Bare: Degrees of undress

Dance Kaleidoscope

BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

LIVE MUSIC Matt Dent

Awesome Aussie Roots Music. 4pm. WILBUR’S CAFE BAR

Ange & Wayne

Jazz Band. 12:30-3pm. GRYPHONS

MONDAY AUGUST 31

M16 ARTSPACE

THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 3 LIVE MUSIC Sleepy

With Primary Colors, Thunderbolt City. 9pm. $5. THE PHOENIX BAR

FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 4 LIVE MUSIC Brother Be

Spring Fling Gig. With Monsterpiece, Beth Monzo. 8pm. $15/12. THE POLISH WHITE EAGLE CLUB

SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 5 ART EXHIBITIONS Selkie Series

CIT Presents The Bootleg Sessions

Various Artists. 8pm. Free. THE PHOENIX BAR

TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 1 TRIVIA The Phoenix Quiz

Wordsmith

THE PHOENIX BAR

Trivia. 7.30pm.

Sarah Norris. 12-5pm daily.

M16 ARTSPACE

Sarah Norris. 12-5pm daily. M16 ARTSPACE

Juggler of Gravity

Dan Moor Sculptural installation. 5-26 Sep. TUGGERANONG ARTS CENTRE

World Series

Kate Stevens & Julian Laffan. 12-5pm daily. M16 ARTSPACE

SOMETHING DIFFERENT Geek Chic Speed Dating RELOAD BAR & GAMES

SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 12 ART EXHIBITIONS Selkie Series

Spike Deane. 12-5pm daily. M16 ARTSPACE

Bare: Degrees of undress 14 Aug- 15 Nov. Free.

NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY

Wordsmith

Sarah Norris. 12-5pm daily. M16 ARTSPACE

Juggler of Gravity

Spike Deane. 12-5pm daily.

Dan Moor Sculptural installation. 5-26 Sep.

Juggler of Gravity

World Series

TUGGERANONG ARTS CENTRE

M16 ARTSPACE

Dan Moor Sculptural installation. 5-26 Sep.

Bare: Degrees of undress 14 Aug- 15 Nov. Free.

NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY

Wordsmith

Sarah Norris. 12-5pm daily. M16 ARTSPACE

World Series

Kate Stevens & Julian Laffan. 12-5pm daily. M16 ARTSPACE

LIVE MUSIC

TUGGERANONG ARTS CENTRE

Kate Stevens & Julian Laffan. 12-5pm daily.

WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 16 ART EXHIBITIONS Juggler of Gravity

Dan Moor Sculptural installation. 5-26 Sep. TUGGERANONG ARTS CENTRE

FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 18

Jess Ribeiro

FILM

THE PHOENIX BAR

Think The Magic of Cinema

9:30pm. $10.

SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 6 LIVE MUSIC Dad and I 2-4/5pm.

LIVE MUSIC

14 Aug- 15 Nov. Free.

NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY

Spike Deane. 12-5pm daily.

ACADEMY NIGHTCLUB

THE PHOENIX BAR

4Some Thursdays

M16 ARTSPACE

University of Canberra Faculty of Arts and Design staff exhibition. 7-30 Aug.

M16 ARTSPACE

With The Creases & Low Lux. Tickets from http://premier.ticketek.com.au/.

Selkie Series

Spike Deane. 12-5pm daily.

CANBERRA THEATRE CENTRE

The Preatures

Wordsmith

ART EXHIBITIONS

Sarah Norris. 12-5pm daily.

Selkie Series

LIVE MUSIC

ART EXHIBITIONS

WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 9

24 July-30 Aug. Wednesday to Friday 11.00 to 5.00 Saturday 11.00 to 4.00.

M16 ARTSPACE

Spike Deane. 12-5pm daily.

WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 2

GRYPHONS

TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 8 LIVE MUSIC The Story So Far

With Man Overboard, Relentless. Tickets from http://tickets. destroyalllines.com MAGPIES CITY CLUB

Canberra Short Film Festival. 18-20 Sept. DENDY CINEMA

SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 19 ART EXHIBITIONS Bare: Degrees of undress

14 Aug- 15 Nov. Free.

NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY

Juggler of Gravity

Dan Moor Sculptural installation. 5-26 Sep. TUGGERANONG ARTS CENTRE

FILM Think The Magic of Cinema Canberra Short Film Festival. 18-20 Sept. DENDY CINEMA

M16 ARTSPACE

facebook.com/bmamagazine

@bmamag

facebook.com/bmamagazine

SIDE A: BMA BAND PROFILE

FIRST CONTACT Aaron Peacey 0410381306 band.afternoon.shift@ gmail.com.au Adam Hole 0421023226 Afternoon Shift 0402055314 Amphibian Sound PA Clare 0410308288 Annie & The Armadillos Annie (02) 61611078/ 0422076313

The Naddiks Where did your band name come from? Haha – that’s the mystery, we’ve been trying to work iout since we started calling ourselves The Naddiks. I mean, what the hell were we thinking? Our manager has this crazy concept that it stems from a Russian word that means everything above and below the sea. In any case, we’re stuck with it and can’t seem to let it go... Who are your influences, musical or otherwise? ? Let’s start with otherwise. I suppose that having had a bleeding ulcer at 18 because of alcohol abuse, and then being beaten up by two thugs coming out of a restaurant in Kingston for no reason really spun me around and made me think about life. That’s when I changed everything up, renewed my thinking and started helping youth get past the issues I faced. And, well, we (The Naddiks) are a team – that’s why we love supporting national youth week, soul survivor, CEIS and generally anything that gets our youth away from the path of self-destruction. Other influences, haha? Everything that’s good, The Vines, Third Day, Nirvana, Muse, Radiohead, Need To Breathe, Switchfoot, Green Day, The Rolling Stones… Of what are you proudest so far? ? Opening the National Youth Week expo two years running! Sure, we have played the AIS Arena and three festivals last year, but supporting our youth is paramount to our mission statement. What about the local scene would you change? Big question… here goes: there are only two types of bands out there, those who bring people and those who don’t… Get on board with the originator/promoter of the event. Don’t go gig pigging and play another show the day before or even on the same night. Put everything you have into each show, don’t just rock up, play and leave – yawn, it happens far too often. The industry has changed; you need to BE THE INDUSTRY! What are your upcoming gigs? We are recording, and really only recording in 2015. We are playing the Transit Bar on Friday July 24, and then only one more show. We love YMOC (Young Musicians of Canberra), and so will hopefully be launching a show with them later this year where we will also launch our latest material. We are supported by Band Express, which is a new upstart company that holistically builds, promotes and develops artists – so here goes. Contact info: thenaddiks@grapevine.net.au, thenaddiks.com, facebook.com/thenaddiks, soundcloud.com/thenaddiks, twitter.com/thenaddiks, thenaddiksmusic.com (free music downloads and subscribe).

Aria Stone sax/flute/lute/ harmonica, singer-songwriter Aria 0411803343 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

AD SPACE

@bmamag