BMA Magazine 475 - 18 November 2015

Catching Lightning As It Strikes: Josh Pyke on studios, symphonies, and shrinking hearts INSIDE: BRITISH INDIA THE ILLUSIONISTS 1903 SKYHOOKS CIRQUE DU SOLEIL: QUIDAM UNDERSTANDING THE GRATEFUL DEAD

FIX AND MAKE AT HOTEL HOTEL

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SOUNDWAVE

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VEE MALNAR

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AD CIT SPACE

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THE ILLUSIONISTS 1

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THE ILLUSIONISTS 2

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CRDL

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THE VIOLENT FEMMES

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CADA

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AINSLIE AND GORMAN ARTS CENTRES

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NOTED FESTIVAL ARTIST APPLICATIONS OPEN: HUSTLE & SCOUT: Everyone likes fashion. I know there are some people who will say they don’t, but you know what – do they wear clothes?

That’s what I thought.

Be brave and be kind. #475N ove m b e r 1 8 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

Hustle & Scout are planning to bring you the very best in fashion, and their very last event of the year soon – it’s their Twilight Fashion Market and The Forage, and this time, it’ll be held inside a multi-level car park, part of the Little National Hotel in Barton.

Hustle & Scout’s last event pulled in close to ten thousand lovely individuals to check out what was going on at the Old Bus Depot Building, and the organisers are hoping this new challenge and venue captures people’s curiosity too.

Outside the car park and the market will be The Forage – who will be bringing all of the delicious food and drink. With almost 40 vendors this time around – including new ones like Bush Taco Girls, Yang’s Malaysian Food Truck, and Smooth & Co. –there’ll be no shortage of tucker to keep you full and satisfied. If that wasn’t enough, there’ll also be some great music to keep you entertained through the night – with Kaleid, The Feraude Trio, and Ghost Noises set to perform.

It all goes down on Saturday December 5 at the Little National Hotel in Barton, from 3–8pm. Entry is free, so there’s no excuse to not check it out.

Noted writers’ festival gave a boost to the Canberra literary scene this year – holding the first writers’ festival in Canberra in five years and encompassing nearly 30 free events over five days, it was huge. Over 1000 people attended. Now, they’re taking artist applications for their 2016 festival.

To answer your question: yes, they pay artists! Also good to know is that they’re all about community engagement, supporting talented peeps, and putting on a diverse and interesting program. They’re welcoming of applications from locals, interstate travellers, and international artists. It doesn’t matter if you write fiction, nonfiction, poetry, or edit, publish, illustrate, or perform – they want you. Step up and pitch something fun, why don’t ya?

Applications to be included as an artist in next year’s festival close at midnight on Sunday November 29. The festival itself is in March. For more details, jump on over to notedfestival.com.

CSO LAUNCH THEIR 2016 SEASON: The Canberra Symphony Orchestra has just announced its 2016 season, and it’s a corker. We’re talking Mozart, Beethoven, Dvořák, and Tchaikovsky, all as part of the ActewAGL Llewellyn Series, and a recreation of the Beatles’ music in symphony form (Yes. YES. TAKE MY MONEY). On top of that, we’ve got the Icon Water

Gala, which is a collaboration with Australia’s flagship opera company, Opera Australia, and the Shell Prom Picnic Concert – the first concert of the year, in February – which is a program of music from the Netherlands and Australia.

I know what some of you are thinking: but where are the guitars? Well let me tell you a little somethin’ – head along, and find out what it’s like to see some of Australia’s best musicians perform, because you will be wonderfully surprised.

Contrary to what the movies tell us, going to the symphony or an opera is for us young’uns too.

For more details, get yourself over to cso.org.au.

NATIONAL FOLK FESTIVAL ANNOUNCE THEIR FIRST ROUND OF ARTISTS: Did you know that the National Folk Festival is 50 years old now? You know what that means? SHOTS. Just kidding. But it does mean it’s time to get excited, because they’ve just released their first major round of artists for the 50th anniversary festival.

International artists include The Young’uns, Jaaleekaay, Black Market Tune, The Rambling Boys, Kristina Olsen, and Colum Sands. With Skipping Girl Vinegar, Cloudstreet, and more on offer, there’s heaps to get excited about.

Jump on over to folkfestival. org.au for all of the details, and get ready for March next year!

Film Editor Emma Robinson NEXT ISSUE 476 OUT December 16 EDITORIAL DEADLINE Dec 4 ADVERTISING DEADLINE Dec 10 Published by Radar Media Pty Ltd ABN 76 097 301 730 BMA Magazine is independently owned and published.

Opinions expressed in BMA Magazine are not necessarily those of the editor, publisher or staff.

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Photo credit: Yasmin Masri

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FROM THE BOSSMAN It’s Time To Unlike the Like Button For some time now I’ve had a grievance with the Facebook Like button. Well, if not a grievance, per se, then certainly an unsettled feeling.

The Like button undoubtedly excels at expressing digital frottage. With the announcement of a family member or friend’s wedding, new baby*, or creation of a particularly epic sandwich, the Like button serves its purpose adroitly, proficient in doling out the correct dosage of implied excitement per event. In one simple all-purpose click, we can sprinkle a soupçon of sincerity for a sandwich, or deliver a diaphanous deluge of delight for a new bub.

There is no issue with clicking a quick Like to stir a rudimentary ‘attaboy’ for a friend’s amusing summation of their dislike of Mondays (with them using a variety of increasingly colourful swears that you just know, with a certain tremor of delight, will curl the toes of their concerned watchful parents). But it falls down when someone is reporting something sad or upsetting.

Something just doesn’t feel right about hitting Like in reaction to news that someone’s Uncle Mick has just been run over by a steamroller. Where the Like flawlessly expresses happiness for a happy event, here it clumsily tries to find its footing. It seems to imply that we are, in fact, pleased that Uncle Mick is no longer with us, as we didn’t like the bastard much anyway.

So what’s the solution? Stop posting Debbie-Downers? Well no. We often post something sad or tragic to both get it off our chest and reach out for care and comfort. If a bucket of Likes from our nearest and dearest (and that dude we met once at that thing) acts as a soothing mental unguent, so be it. But it still just feels a tad wrong planting an enthusiastic thumbs up in response to someone having their face torn off by a monkey.

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.]

These are scary and confronting times.

And in scary and confronting times, it is very easy to get “pissed off” and resort to rage and anger. A natural and understandable reaction, but one which when protracted, can become blinding.

Here are two things worth remembering.

Monstrous acts and those who commit them are not beyond our comprehension, and while their evil may be of another world, they are not. To ascribe to them a level of intent and agency beyond our understanding is to forego the benefits of historical knowledge that can prevent these events from happening again.

The world can find a solution through critical understanding.

Show compassion toward all, regardless of race, religion, gender, sexuality, etc. – simply by virtue of the fact that they are human.

Be kind, hold one another close, and tell those you love that you do. Do so not just in the aftermath of these attacks, but every single day. Practice kindness, care, and love – not just toward others, but toward yourself as well.

In the words of Thom Yorke, “immserse your soul in love”.

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As if plugged into my hypersensitivity, Twitter have recently replaced their favouriting symbol from a Star to a Heart. “We are changing our star icon for favorites to a heart and we’ll be calling them likes,” they said on their blog. “We know that at times the star could be confusing, especially to newcomers…

Not everything can be your favorite. The heart, in contrast, is a universal symbol that resonates across languages, cultures, and time zones. The heart is more expressive, enabling you to convey a range of emotions and easily connect with people. And in our tests, we found that people loved it.”

Which is all well and good, but plants us in the same Like quandry.

As supremely well paid ad people will tell you, we place a lot of weight in symbolism. It’s tricky to find a highly-concentrated singular button/gesture that summarises a range of emotions to a range of different occasions in the space of a single click.

So I humbly request that Facebook - and indeed now Twitter - change their respective Likes to Support. You can Support someone’s news of an impending child. You can Support someone who is on the receiving end of a flat uncle. And you can Support the successful execution of a sensational sandwich. I would Like that.

Or, of course, we could say bollocks to it all and go the opposite direction, replacing the Like button with one that says Shithouse.

Because who among us hasn’t wanted to press that button when your insufferable friend proudly posts their 812th picture of their latest culinary creation.

ALLAN SKO - allan@bmamag.com *as opposed to those old babies you see

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WHO: MAX COOPER WHAT: LIVE AUDIOVISUAL SET WHEN: FRI NOV 20 WHERE: WESTSIDE ACTON PARK

A new techno party series in Canberra, ‘Escape Ferocity’ opens with its first headliner – the UK techno and electronica wizard, Max Cooper.

What exactly is ‘Escape Ferocity’ about, though? It’s about building a culture of quality techno in Canberra, informed by European clubs and labels. Which means, uhh, “no bullshit techno and house”. Instead, the emphasis is on quality music, quality performances and talent.

In other words, it’s as far from mainstream EDM as possible. A free, downtempo courtyard session will take place from 5pm, with Max Cooper kicking off at 10pm. Tickets are $55 + bf through Eventbrite.

WHO: MARLON WILLIAMS WHAT: TOUR WHEN: WED NOV 25 WHERE: TRANSIT BAR

Following a sold-out album release tour in July, ol’ crooner Marlon Williams is back on the road once again, this time to make everyone swoon and pass out in his wake. Well, he’ll probably play music, too. I mean, more than definitely. Heralded as having one of the purest voices in modern music, as well as having the charisma and individuality to match it, he’ll be joined by his band The Yarra Benders, with support from Ben Salter. Tickets are $20 + bf through Moshtix.

You’ll wanna rock up at about 8pm.

WHO: LIME CORDIALE WHAT: EP TOUR WHEN: THU NOV 26 WHERE: TRANSIT BAR

Sydney band Lime Cordiale recently put out a video for their single, ‘Not That Easy’. For the video, the band filmed themselves in areas of North Queensland that have suffered through long periods of drought. The video documents their time exploring remote towns, abandoned farms and outback pubs – sharing beers with locals to capture an eye-opening look into the lives of residents living in regional Queensland. For their ‘Road to Paradise’ tour, the band wanted to carry that message of everyday Australians doing it tough.

You can catch ’em at Transit at 8pm. Tickets are just $12 + bf through Moshtix.

WHO: ALI PENNEY, LEO JOSEPH, JOHN BLACK & WAYNE KELLY WHAT: BLUES PIANO NIGHT WHEN: FRI NOV 27 WHERE: HARMONIE GERMAN CLUB

Jazz is big in Canberra; did you know? It’s true – for a few years, the last Friday in November has been one of the biggest nights on our blues calendar. It’s because of ‘Blues Piano Night’, which has been attracting all and sundry to witness Canberra’s finest blues piano players, each playing solo and together. Describing itself as “a feast of Canberra piano blues”, this year, the artists on show include Ali Penney, Leo Joseph, John Black and Wayne Kelly. It starts at 8pm, but get in early to find a good seat. Admission is free.

WHO: PETE MURRAY WHAT: TOUR WHEN: SAT NOV 28 WHERE: PLAYHOUSE

If you haven’t seen Pete Murray perform live, you’re un-Australian.

There, I said it. Now are you ready for me to justify that? Get strapped in to your seat right there, buddy, ’cos we’re about to get real: the man is a living legend, with countless classics like ‘So Beautiful’, ‘Opportunity’, ‘Better Days’ and ‘Free’. And now, for the first time in Australia, Murray will be performing all of his hits in an acoustic session ¬– just Murray and his guitar.

So intimate. So romantic. Unf. Tickets are $45.50 + bf through canberratheatrecentre.com.au. Starts at 8pm. Supported by Garrett Kato.

WHO: MATHAS WHAT: ALBUM TOUR WHEN: THU DEC 3 WHERE: TRANSIT BAR

What better place to get your Aussie hip-hop fix than the Australian promised land that is Perth? It’s the city that’s inspired rapper and creative juggernaut Mathas, as he continues his unique genre-bending offerings with the release of his sophomore album, Armwrestling Atlas. The album sees Mathas exploring such themes as indigenous issues, substance abuse, modern consumerism, the food manufacturing industry and Australian identity. To be sure, this Australian has some important things to say, so it’s all the better that he can do so through captivating narratives, lyrics and melodies. Starts at 7pm. Tickets are $18.40 through Oztix.

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DICKSON TRADIES

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JEREMY STEVENS Making it in Australia as a singer-songwriter is certainly no mean feat. The market is small, and subject to fickle trends that see the national musical zeitgeist shift in the space of a summer. If you’re just on stage with yourself and a guitar? Well, Australia’s going to make you work for it.

However it’s not impossible to develop your musical career here, and testament to that is Josh Pyke. After 15 years of doing the rounds, he’s still here, and he’s just released his fifth album, But For All These Shrinking Hearts. It’s his highest chart debut yet.

Even after all that time, Josh says the period between writing and releasing a record can be confronting, as it was again for Shrinking Hearts.

“I’m pretty proud of the record, I love the record – and then it comes to put it out there and you realise ‘Oh god, now people actually have to listen to it’,” he says. “I think I block it out of my memory every time I do a record … but I was really, really overwhelmingly pleased with the response that it got.”

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To reaffirm that response, he’s about to head out on his first proper album tour in support of it. Having toured on his own before, this one is going be different – he’s taking a full band along with him.

“We’ve played quite a few of those [new] songs at festivals this year, and they’re just great. They really feel fantastic to play with the full weight of a band behind them, so I’m looking forward to that,” Josh says. “But I’m also looking forward to revisiting songs on previous albums that I haven’t played with a band for a long time, like ‘Vibrations in the Air’.”

One of the things that probably helped Josh with his musical career here is having the creative freedom that comes with his own studio – which he mentions he has just finished renovating, and now, it’s like a proper asset for him.

“I’ve actually rented it out to my friends to record somebody in there, so they’re using it today. And it’s just amazing,” he says.

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Complete with all of his books, comic books, a projector, a Playstation, coffee machine, and bar – well, who wouldn’t want to rent it out? “It just opens up a lot of opportunities for not only creativity, but also hang time,” he says. “Which is something that I value more than ever now that I’ve got kids.

“Double J have been amazingly supportive, gave it feature album, they’ve played tracks all the time, they’re great. But as everybody knows, unfortunately Double J doesn’t have the listenership that Triple J does. So it doesn’t have as much impact as getting one track played on Triple J,” Josh says. “That’s just the reality.

“So I guess it’s the flexibility that I have now, which allows me to engage in a more professional level of creativity whenever I want.

I can go down there and strike upon an idea and actually record it at release quality. It just allows a lot less … trying to recapture lightning when it strikes.”

“So, it was really disappointing. I know that sounds entitled – and it certainly doesn’t make me any less grateful for the support that they have given me in the past, because I pretty much owe my career to Triple J’s support.”

From a home studio to the Opera House, Josh says his concert earlier this year with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra was also worth capturing.

“The whole thing was hugely challenging, because I don’t read or write music,” Josh says. “So getting the arrangements together and rehearsing it prior to going in with the SSO was quite challenging. I’m playing everything by ear, and remembering all the arrangements by ear. So it was a really steep learning curve, but it worked out amazingly. We’ll release a recording of it next year, which I’m really excited about.”

Josh has also toured extensively on his own. 2014 saw him do a number of Lone Wolf tours, and those saw him shake up his own songs.

“It was kind of hard to turn my back on that relationship in a way.

They didn’t even have me in for an interview or anything, or even just to have a chat about any songs,” he says. “Which I found quite confronting, because it was just like … considering that ‘Leeward Side’ made it into the Hottest 100 off the last record, it’s not like my last three albums didn’t have any kind of success on Triple J. It was just like they shut the door.

“And I’m sure that’s happening to a lot of artists, but I personally think that’s a bad approach. If they’re trying to kind of transition certain artists into a new demographic to support their sister station, Double J, I think a transitional approach is better.”

It’s one of those things where I personally have to control my own ego in a way

“Because you’re playing solo, a lot of times you change them literally as you’re playing them,” he says. “So when I was developing that show up, I used a loop pedal and I looped certain percussion elements and vocal harmonies, and a lot of the songs just morphed into completely different versions.”

With the vulnerability of being the only one on stage, that made for an exciting tour.

“If you screw up, it’s like dead air,” he says. “It’s hard to recover. But I also really enjoy that challenge, and I also think that it allows you to engage with the audience in a way that you don’t get to when you’re playing with a band. So in some ways, the personal nature of the songs in that more intimate environment, it allows you to explain things a bit more, and by explaining it, it makes it less confronting for me.”

Earlier in the year, Josh’s song-writing was showcased by Double J in one of their Musical Chairs performances, when he walked down a graffiti-filled backstreet of Sydney and played his single ‘Hollering Hearts’. Looking past the wonderful performance, there’s something to be said for the fact that it was Double J, and not Triple J, who put the video together – especially as the latter have been incredibly supportive of Josh throughout his career until now. When I ask Josh if this is reflective of perhaps a shifting of stations or demographics, he is remarkably candid.

“It’s shifted a lot, and I’m sure there’s a lot of commentary in the music industry about how Triple J and Double J have changed, or are changing,” he says. “I mean for me, just to be totally honest, I was really disappointed that Triple J didn’t play any of this record.”

Checking in with JPlay, it appears that for all intents and purposes, he’s basically correct. But For All These Shrinking Hearts was released on July 31, 2015. In terms of airplay, pre-release single ‘There’s a Line’ was given a couple of spins, the most recent being over a month out from album release; ‘Songlines’ had one single play on the mid-dawn shift on album release day. That’s it.

Compared to the number of Josh’s songs that have been played over the years, it’s hard to dispute that something’s changed.

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Josh’s disappointment is understandable – especially, as he notes, with regards to his popularity on the station.

Feeling confronted by such a changed relationship is only natural in a place like Australia, and Josh is grateful for everything in his career thus far.

“The flipside is, I’m extremely fortunate to have been a beneficiary of their support for the last ten years. I’m extremely grateful for that support,” Josh says. “And I’m extremely aware that that support has led me to have the career that I have, which basically no longer needs to rely on Triple J. So I’m still very blessed. It’s one of those things where I personally have to control my own ego in a way. And also my own fear and anxiety about continuing to have a career in this country, because it’s such a small market, it’s not easy. I have to control my own brain, and look at all the positives, instead of just focusing on the negatives.”

In the meantime, between tours, recording, and enjoying his new studio, Josh has another project he’s worked on for a while now – Busking for Change. I ask him how he became involved with the Indigenous Literacy Foundation and started his charity events.

“I heard about their organisation through my wife, who works in the publishing industry,” he says. “And I’ve always been passionate about the idea of bridging the gap. It just always seemed like a vastly complex problem with no real, clear solution. And then when I heard about the Indigenous Literacy Foundation, they’re not offering a solution, but they’re offering a stepping stone towards self-determination, which is just raising literacy levels in Indigenous communities.

“And they just go in with free books and that’s basically it, that’s their whole agenda. They only do it in communities with the blessing of the elders. They also translate books into local dialects, so it’s focused on literacy in certain Indigenous dialects as well as English. And they just do a great job.”

There’s comfort knowing that a singer-songwriter like Josh can have a thriving career in Australia – a market as small, and often concentrated, as it is – and do so for so long. With plenty to keep him busy, and the support of his fans, we can only hope he sticks around for many more years to come.

Josh Pyke will be performing at the Canberra Theatre Playhouse on Saturday January 30, at 7pm. Tickets are $50.50+bf online and are available from canberratheatrecentre.com.au.

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LOCALITY

Remember how last year I told you about the virtues of paper fans at gigs? Well, now is the time to get one, because we’re heading into summer, and there’s tons of shit-hot listings coming up in the next few weeks.

They were one of Canberra’s most colourful and joyous bands, but since the members have scattered all the way up and down the east coast, it’s been a long time since the ACT has had the chance to revel in a Fun Machine gig. Thankfully, they’re coming back to the Polish Club for one night only, on Friday November 27 from 8pm. Details at this stage are scant, but we know this much: there will be incredible tunes, there will be dancing, and there will be gold hot pants. Keep an eye on their Facebook page for updates as they come to hand.

Also on Friday November 27, Azim Zain and His Lovely Bones will be launching new single ‘Reapers’ at Transit Bar. Doors open at 8pm, with support from Helena Pop and Monsterpiece promising an evening full of an eclectic mix of styles. These are artists who laugh in the face of genre, and you’re going to be able to catch them for a measly $5 at the door if you’re an early bird who gets there before 9pm, or $10 if you pop in a little later.

If you’ve ever seen a local muso play one of their own tunes and gone, “I’d like to have a crack at that!” then don’t miss the launch of the Canberra Songbook at the Polish Club on Saturday November 28 from 7pm. Featuring songs from Alice Cottee, Hashemoto, The Cashews, Nick Delatovic and more, and transcribed by Adam Cook, the songbook is made up of 17 local crowd favourites, ready for you to start practicing in your lounge room or preparing for your own Canberran cover set. Head along to the launch and you’ll be treated to performances of these tunes by the artists who crafted them, as well as some special, secret guest spots to cover the songs written by those unable to attend. Tickets are $15, with concessions for $12, and CMC members paying only $10. Songbooks will be available for sale on the night, and come with a CD of the tracks included.

Ex-Canberran jp will be launching his debut EP Part 1 at Transit Bar on Saturday November 28, backed up by Faux Faux Amis and Pocket Fox. It’s going to be a night of cute, jaunty pop that’s sure to put a whimsical smile on your face. Starting at 8pm, and with entry prices yet to be announced, it’s all still a bit of a mystery, so keep an eye on the Transit Bar Facebook page for further info.

Happy Axe, the newest project from violin-wizard Emma Kelly, is releasing a new EP on Friday December 11 at Smith’s Alternative. Details are scant at this stage, with promises of special guests and unique electro-acoustic vibes abounding. Your best bet is to head along when it starts at 9:30pm and suss it out for yourself.

And if you find your new favourite band, as always, let me know!

NONI DOLL NONIJDOLL@GMAIL.COM @NONIDOLL

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JAZZ AT THE GODS BLUES WITH A THOUSAND-YARD STARE RORY MCCARTNEY Melbourne duo THE NEW SAVAGES – comprising Milan Milutinovic on guitar and smokin’ vocals, and Nathan Power on skins – have a love for blues with a thousand-yard stare. They specialise in unearthing lost riffs and giving them a second life in new songs. BMA corresponded with Milutinovic to explore the arcane aspects of their craft and debut EP In My Time of Dyin’.

Where did the band’s deep respect for antique American-style blues arise from?

Something has always drawn me to this stuff. I thought it sounded so mysterious and otherworldly. At first, I don’t think I even enjoyed it musically; I was just fascinated by the historical context that these old records had, but that very quickly became a genuine appreciation for the music itself.

I just happen to be a morbidly grim guy who likes to party!

You draw inspiration from lost blues riffs.

Where do you find them?

From the old masters: Blind Willie Johnson, Mississippi Fred McDowell, early John Lee Hooker. There are so many others though, I’m always hunting through the archives for new ideas. There are so many amazing ideas that are almost lost to history, so I try my best to bring them to life.

LEO JOSEPH

The band favours a one chord mode. What appeals about this stark but pure musical style?

Music to me is more about the communication of ideas rather than a collection of notes as such. There’s something so entrancing and fascinating about this one chord music. If you go way back through history and look at the folk music from centuries ago, a lot of it seems cut from that primitive cloth.

There’s a tang to the vocals reminiscent of The Doors. What drew you to the doomed Morrison vibe?

I don’t know really, I just happen to be a morbidly grim guy who likes to party!

‘Smokestack Lightnin’’ is a really hot tune. What lies behind it?

It comes from the Howlin’ Wolf number of the same name. I had a couple of vague ideas and half a song, so I threw them together and this is what came out. It sits in the weird place of being a cover without really being a cover. I feel like it’s my song but it’s definitely indebted to and inspired by Howlin’ Wolf.

The band makes the unusual claim to having a stage presence that is both invigorating and solemn. What is behind that?

That is what you might call marketing fluff, haha. We try to keep diversity in our sets by having slow, quiet numbers next to groovy rockabilly-type stuff.

The New Savages will play at the Old Canberra Inn at 9pm on Saturday November 28, Lerida Estate Winery at noon on Sunday November 29, and The Phoenix at 9:30pm on Monday November 30. Details at thenewsavages.com/shows.

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Fool Me’ with Scarecrow, ‘Cold Form Narrative’ with Jimmy Pike and has an upcoming Rapper Tag piece out on Saturday November 14.

True grind.

THE REALNESS If 2015 has been a bumper year for Canberra hip-hop, October and November have been owned by that quaint, little sort-of-suburb just past the airport and over the border. You gotta hand it to them, Queanbeyan is going in lately!

Not only has Coolio Desgracias been playing shows and releasing EPs with a fervour akin to rabbits in spring, he has also just put out a new EP, No Hay Craneo. Literally meaning ‘it’s a no-brainer’ in español, the Queanbeyan MC and producer’s hustle over the past few months is really starting to pay off. Showcasing more of the man’s lyrical talent, No Hay Craneo embarks on a slightly more straightforward path than previous effort Bulk TV and Heartbreaks.

At a measly $5 direct from Coolio’s Bandcamp, you know all that paper is going back to the scene, easily living up to the title. If you’re a local hip-hop fan, cop or else!

Just ramming home the fact that QB bodied CBR this month, MC Omar Musa is also bringing the goods with ‘Dead Centre’, out Friday the 13th. Spooky! According to Omar’s website (worth a look, especially if you are of a poetry persuasion), it sounds like Sydney MC Joelistics may have had a hand in this one. Keep an ear out!

While Queanbeyan may have had the lion’s share this month, Canberra man Shug Brainless has been doing his best to make sure that the CBR stays relevant. With a string of recent releases through his Facebook over the past month, Shug released ‘Can’t

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Time to take a little look at the live action. Oddisee is back out here reppin’ his latest joint The Good Fight. It seems like the capital region has left a bit of an impression on the stateside rapper – Hauie Beast has worked on a track or two with the man and this is the second time he’s managed to make it to our neck of the woods in the past few years. The DC rhymer with the NY sound will be doing his thing at Transit Bar on Saturday November 21. Tickets are $28 through Moshtix.

Check Your Head is on once again at The Phoenix on Wednesday November 25, and this month the line-up is absolutely massive!

Ansah Brothers, Stateovmind, D’Opus and Roshambo, PARKS and Original Gupta will all be out there, so you know you better have a good excuse for not making it.

Looks like Transit has got the goods once again this month, with Perth MC Mathas showing love to the national capital. Touring in support of his upcoming second effort Armwrestling Atlas, Mathas will be in town on Thursday December 3. Knowledge will be dropped – you know that Mathas doesn’t screw about with that deep-as lyrical content!

It seems like there’s not a month that goes by that I can avoid chucking Hau’s name up in this piece. Following on from the release of The No End Theory, Hau is going to be showing that local love at Transit on Friday December 18 with help from local legends Hayds and Indighost. Go on, give yourself a Christmas shutdown treat …

BRADY MCMULLEN realness.bma@gmail.com

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HUSTLE AND SCOUT

THE FORAGE

MUSIC FOR CANBERRA

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SETH ROBINSON In 2007, BRITISH INDIA broke onto the Australian music scene with their debut album Guillotine. Since then, the Melbourne indie rockers have earned their stripes – staking their claim to impressive spots on ARIA and Hottest 100 charts, and producing a string of five studio albums. There’s no doubt that British India are one of the industry’s hardest working bands. Now, off the back of their fifth album – Nothing Touches Me – and in the midst of a huge international tour, we caught up with British India’s Declan Melia to learn all about what makes the wheels turn inside the British India machine.

“Our process hasn’t really changed since the beginning. I think it’s kind of one of our strengths, and weaknesses. We’re really slow learners. It takes us a long time to do things that other bands might work out quite quickly,” Melia says. “I think it’s worked more as an advantage than a disadvantage, particularly in the way we approach songs.

It wasn’t until the fourth album that we realised that, in our writing process, at some point in a song, every member of the band would be playing their absolute hearts out. It wasn’t until Controller that we realised you don’t have to do that. You can play a bit more subdued and still have the emotional effect,” he explains. “It’s important to learn, but I think that maybe if we’d learned that on the second album, people would have lost interest.”

be like, ‘I really like this aspect of that, but why didn’t it go to here?’ So it’s more like art inspired by art, rather than art inspired by life.”

Now, with the success of Nothing Touches Me, British India are in the throws of their monster Spring Headline Tour, which features shows across Australia as well as a recent return from two weeks touring the U.S. Reflecting on the North American leg of the tour, Melia paints a vivid picture of what it’s like to be an Aussie rocker abroad.

“When you’re over there, it feels like starting again. I think it takes us back and puts us in a certain headspace that we really thrive under. It’s almost like an ‘us versus them’ mentality. We imagine the audience as these passive, apathetic people standing there with their arms crossed and we’re like, ‘no, we will win you over’,” Melia says. “It’s really good for us – we become like a crack team. We play so well under those conditions, it can be the shittiest room and the shittiest gear, but we just go into that headspace … which I really quite miss. You get a little spoiled when the crowd are willing to sing along with every word, regardless of how you play.”

Great songs are our currency. We’re always writing.

The rise of British India has been a slow burn, and while Declan makes it clear that – given the chance to offer some advice to his past self – there are minor things he would have steered clear of, the road they’ve taken has worked well for them.

“The thing I’m proudest of about the band right now is that we’re still here,” he says. “Our last tour was the biggest we’ve done.

Anything we were to change might have affected that. If we peaked too early, it’s very difficult to say that things would be as they are now.”

In terms of the music and its writing, the British India boys have a process that’s stood the test of time so far, and has grown with the band as they’ve moved up in the industry.

“The thing I learnt pretty quickly about songwriting is that there are no formulas, and every song is different. If you try to apply the same formula to one song that you used for another, it becomes a bit jerky,” Melia says. “For us, songwriting has always been an intellectual process rather than some sort of cathartic expression.

We’re the kind of musicians who will hear a song on the radio and

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It’s an insight into what it takes to bring the energy and ferocity that British India have become renowned for to the stage. Some might say it’s an explosive presence that can’t be maintained forever, however their track record so far has proven British India are up to the challenge, and it’s a pattern we should expect to see well into the future.

“One of our credos from the start was to always write. We’ve always understood that even if we’re not on the cover of all the magazines, or we might miss out on festivals occasionally, if we have great songs they can’t ignore us,” he says. “Great songs are our currency. We’re always writing. We’re not really the kind of band that are like ‘Alright, the tour is done, let’s do the next album’.

We’ll write a bunch of songs, choose the best ones, then that’ll be the record. Our albums are like the greatest hits of the last couple years. I’m quite proud of our legacy, but we haven’t done all we want to do. We’ve never had a number one record, or sold out huge shows or tours. There’s still a whole lot more we want to do, and as songwriters, a whole lot more we want to say.”

You can catch British India live on stage as part of their Spring Headline Tour, which comes to ANU Bar on Saturday November 28 at 8pm.

Supported by Duck Duck Ghost. Tickets are $33.70 through Moshtix.

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KING O’MALLEYS

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DANCE THE DROP

KNIGHTSBRID

Dance music is a funny business. In one way, it’s all about future music – pushing forward in an exploration of technology and sonic expression. On the other hand, dance music has a healthy respect for the past, with an obsession of classic tunes and hazy memories (and the odd “it was better back in the day” comment). But this is what makes it so unique, so why not have it both ways?

Two events in Canberra this month exemplify both of these attitudes and will give clubbers the opportunity to experience both the future and the past (and I guess the past’s interpretation of the future…). A unique melodic techno party at Westside Acton Park this month has forward-thinking producer Max Cooper and some fine locals showcasing the cutting edge of audio and visual art in an amazing location. Next month, it’s a return to the roots of rave with a warehouse party in a secret spot with a steady supply of classic tunes (and lots of vinyl sets!). A musical education awaits – we’re lucky to have such a vibrant, ongoing culture of electronic music in this city.

And now for some events to get you moving. Pickle returns to Knightsbridge on Thursday November 19 with Stevie Lovecraft and Trim Bakin bringing the good vibes, support by Soul Crane. Tickets on the door.

BMA SESSIONS

Friday November 20 is sorted with a new techno crew, Escape Ferocity (led by some very capable hands including New Acton’s Dave Caffery) presenting their first party, with none other than the legendary international DJ and producer Max Cooper (as mentioned). With support from Doppel, Club Junque and Gabriel Gilmour at Westside Acton Park, this promises to be a very cool event. 10pm until late, tickets at Eventbrite. But don’t use up all your energy – the following day, the lads from Jam Turkey have joined forces with Australiacs Records for a lakeside party, Lagooney Choons. Swing these guys a donation and dance to some dark psytrance courtesy of Hyrdasect, Psyloscope, Grendle, Tarik, Horuscope and Tesseractic. Beats start at 11am.

The following weekend, the Headz Are Rolling crew will bring Ruffhouse over from the UK for some drum and bass action at Digress. This is set to be a huge one, with support from Sydney’s DJ Reload, Centaspike, Hax, Kinetic, Ofekted, Fourthstate and Tidy!

Also that night, Academy presents the LA-based Carnage on Friday November 27. Expect heavy trap and hip-hop beats, with support by Stalker, Jake Raven and Harper. Presale tickets available from Moshtix.

There’s two great gigs happening on Saturday December 5, the first at Transit Bar where electronica’s weirdest producer Anklepants will bring his bizarre but hugely engaging live show to Canberra.

Supported by NayNay, Skinny, Aeon Knight, Thryve and Dante, presale tickets are only $15! Highly recommended. Also on the 5th, (as mentioned) there’ll be an old-school warehouse party presented

by Funky Pleasure, Off Tap Productions and Brotherhood of the Seven Rays! Cross Faders of the Lost Art will see a stack of rave veterans including Amber Savage, Paul Holden, Roger Ramjet, Jon Wicks, Chriscrazy and Mastercut, with Kazuki (yours truly) and Peekz bridging the gap into the new-school. Presales tickets up on Eventbrite, the location will be revealed on the day. Until next time, reach for the lasers.

PETER ‘KAZUKI’ O’ROURKE contact@kazuki.com.au

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RELOAD BAR

PARLOUR WINE ROOM

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METALISE Normally, at this time of the year, I’d probably be going into a Soundwave announcement dissection. I gotta say though – really, truly at the heart and context of my column and now that most of you have seen the line-up – is it really even a discussion about metal? I guess I should list the bands for those that haven’t yet seen it: Disturbed, Bring Me The Horizon, The Prodigy, Deftones, NOFX, Bullet For My Valentine, Public Enemy, Refused, Metal Allegiance, Hatebreed, Soulfly, Northland, Dead Letter Circus, L7, Frnkiero And The Celebration, Nothing But Thieves, Frenzal Rhomb, Failure, Lordi, Devil You Know and Moose Blood. It’s provoked a pretty wild range of responses, from indignant, to apathetic, to defending the organisers from the former comments and writing them off as having an inflated sense of entitlement to a perceived better line-up.

I think at this stage, my only comment is that I’m not seeing anything that I wanna fork out between $172.95 and $218 for, with the Sydney show on Sunday January 24 next year. But there’s heaps of bands yet to be announced; AJ Maddah has replied to many tweets along the lines of “there are tonnes more metal announcements to come”.

The annual event has become not the announcement itself, but the collective outcry at the event’s shortcomings. The Soundwave announcement didn’t nearly disappoint me as much as Black Sabbath announcing the inclusion of Five Finger Death Punch for their farewell Australian tour next year though. I think being a

metal fan comes with a price of admission; that elitist views on your favourite brand of heavy metal are always going to give us something to argue or turn our noses up about. In the case of Five Finger Death Punch – all boo, no woo.

A festival that probably operates at a cost of half a day of the toilet cleaners’ rates at Soundwave is the East West Grindfest, bought to you by Bubsy and co. at Grindhead Records. This year’s is the seventh instalment and a bunch of Canberra bands are performing at the two-day event at the Valve Bar on George Street in Sydney. Friday December 4 features recent visitors Captain Cleanoff with Infested Entrails, The Holiday Project, Nekrology, Frame 313 and Hacked To Chunks. Saturday’s all-day affair is huge, with The Kill headlining, plus Intense Hammer Rage, Internal Rot, Dark Horse, Tortured, Tanned Christ, Hell Itself, Wounded Pig, Morbid Anal, Wretch, Hygiene, Viscera, Obat Batuk, Burial Chamber, Brutal Struth and our own Rite of Violence opening the day. Now that’s a bit more metal, isn’t it?

The simple title of Volume IV very much understates the impending release on Bandcamp by Canberra’s Looking Glass this month. Their fourth (duh) album is nothing short of a masterpiece, with influences that span the absolute best of heavy prog of the ‘60s, ‘70s, ‘80s and more contemporary times, and sometimes all in the space of one song. That is potentially a recipe for disaster for a lot of bands in terms of focus, but this is an utterly mind-blowing release that’s not only produced by local musicians, but engineered and produced right here in the region at Infidel Studios. Late November, set ears for stun.

JOSH NIXON doomtildeath@hotmail.com

THE BASEMENT

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Who were your early influences? My early influences were Black Sabbath, Dio, Cinderella, Judas Priest, Heart and Janis Joplin.

HALESTORM OVER CANBERRA RORY MCCARTNEY Brother-sister duo Lzzy and Arejay Hale from Pennsylvania, USA – a.k.a. HALESTORM – have been busy touring their brand of hard rock around the globe for years. With the band on the move in the US and Canada, BMA corresponded with singer, guitarist and keyboardist Lzzy about the band and the upcoming tour on the back of their third album, Into the Wild Life.

Was it parental influences that led to your early introduction to music, including songwriting? In a sense it was parental, but only because I grew up on all my parents’ music. Classic rock has always been my keystone of musical influences.

Were you drawn immediately to the heavier side of rock, or did you move there gradually from more mainstream music? I’ve always just loved great music, no matter what genre; if it’s good, it’s good! But my immediate ‘bug in the ear’ is rooted in ‘70s and ‘80s hard rock and metal.

I feel like I thrive in the chaos – it’s normal life that’s weird!

Is it hard to maintain the energy for the band’s heavy touring schedule (up to 250 gigs a year)? We’ve been a band for 18 years and technically I’ve been in this band longer than I haven’t been in this band! Touring and playing live have always been 90% of our life. I’ve gotten used to the craziness. I feel like I thrive in the chaos. It’s normal life that’s weird!

Is this your first ever Australian tour? This is our first time ever in Australia! I’m looking forward to meeting all the people!

Do you have a strong established fan base here, or is this trip aiming to create one? I know we have a lot of Australian fans who have never seen us, and hope to make more on this trip. So, a little of both!

How has the band’s style changed over its three albums? I think it’s natural for a band to evolve. People don’t know that time moves very fast for us on the road. It feels like you live several different lifetimes in each album cycle. We continually get more and more comfortable just being ourselves and chasing after whatever gets us excited.

Therefore, each record goes deeper down the Halestorm rabbit hole.

What drives your songwriting? My songwriting is driven by two things: it’s my outlet for therapy and my outlet for rebellion.

Songwriting is how I stay sane, and work through whatever is going on in my head. Whether what’s going on in my head is good or evil, you’ll have to decide!

Halestorm will rattle the tiles at the ANU Bar on Saturday December 12.

Supported by Melbourne-spawned but now LA-based rockers Bellusira. Doors at 8pm with tickets available through Ticketek for $50.87 + bf.

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Punk is a form of self-expression, a way for people to show their anger and frustration and emotions without concern for other people’s judgement of how they do that, which becomes especially crucial in relation to things like mental illness. Mental health, despite great efforts, still holds negative stigma and is something people are hesitant to open up about. But live music allows people a certain kind of anonymous catharsis, to mosh or yell and deal with their frustrations and issues without having to feel judged or scrutinised about ‘opening up’. As a punter at shows, no one questions anyone’s reasons for what they’re doing there and everybody is just seen as ‘the crowd’, which allows people to feel comfortable enough to let themselves go. Music has also always been known as having the power to bring people together, but in terms of the feelings of isolation that often come hand-in-hand with mental health issues, this feeling of connection is hugely important.

STILL LIVING IN THE ‘70s DAN BIGNA A band in garish make-up and costume going on stage before a sweaty, beer-soaked audience signifies an act of bravery. But this was a challenge relished by SKYHOOKS as they brought a touch of working class glam into 1970s Australian popular music.

So, a few shows for you to look forward to if you’re having a bad day/week/year:

It didn’t hurt that many of the band’s tunes penned by bassist Greg Macainsh were damned catchy, with lyrics such as “You just like me ‘cos I’m good in bed” readily identifiable to a generation of irreverent youth. It also helped that Skyhooks had a vivacious frontman in the form of Graeme ‘Shirley’ Strachan, who enthusiastically belted out lyrics like “I need another pill to calm me down” on the title track to one of the biggest-selling Australian albums, Living in the 70’s. This album and its follow-up – Ego is not a Dirty Word from 1975 – have received the royal treatment on a newly remastered three-disc collection titled Don’t You Believe What You’ve Seen or You’ve Heard.

Wednesday November 25: DOES CANBERRA HAVE A NIGHT FOR YOU! Belconnen-side, The Basement has Minneapolis monsters In Defence and their close comrades Disparo, Sick Machine, Grudge, and Counterattack taking the stage. Northside, the illustrious Lacklustre Headquarters will be full of fun with the mind-blowing Full of Hell, Whitehorse, Loather and not-to-be-missed newcomers Monocerous.

The words and music on these albums mess with the comfortably familiar, where the horror movie beamed into every living room is the 6:30 news. As Cold Chisel accomplished a few years later, Greg Macainsh’s songs aimed for the heart of Australian suburban culture, but with a Day-Glo edge as song titles such as ‘Smut’ and ‘Carlton (Lygon Street Limbo)’ will attest.

Friday November 27: It’s punk versus rock at The Basement, with local punks Sketch Method and the classic Cockbelch leading team punk alongside mates from interstate – Bricks, Past Present and Poison Fish. You’re in for a treat, so go out, have a time and show support for your team!

Living in the 70’s soared straight to the top of the charts upon its 1974 release, and I ask Skyhooks’ guitarist Bob ‘Bongo’ Starkie if the band was happy with how the album turned out. “Happy would be an understatement,” he says. “The band was playing well at the time, with a new singer strapped on upfront with an amazing voice and personality. With Ross Wilson at the helm in the producer’s chair, what you got was a very fresh, original Australian sound. The record went off like a frog in a sock!”

Saturday December 5: Guess who’s coming by The Phoenix?

Everyone’s favourites, The Fighting League, and they’re coming through town for a mere fiver. Kicks off at 9:30pm, and there’ll be guests too. Keep your ears to the ground for more details as they come to hand.

Hug a friend, jump on someone’s shoulders, beat your chest and let loose.

RUBY TURNNIDGE rubymaudet@gmail.com

The record went off like a frog in a sock!

With a hyperactive blend of cleverness and cultivated sleaze, the songs appealed to music fans reacting against stifling conformity in mainstream Australia, and the band’s striking visuals were part of the appeal.

“In the band’s initial presentation you would be forgiven for recognising a leaning towards international glam rock like Bowie and T-Rex,” Starkie says. “But as time went on we developed very individual styles of presenting onstage. We were certainly not afraid to frock up to rock.”

It is the songs that make for a substantial legacy however, and I ask Starkie how the reissue came about.

“It was the idea of Dave Laing from Warner Music, hinging around doing something to celebrate the 40th anniversary of this brief period in the Skyhooks’ history when we were at our peak,” he says.

“These songs could have remained as ideas in Greg [Macainsh’s] head or lyrics on scraps of paper. But with the energy and motivation of a bunch of people all working in sync, the tunes live on to mirror an era that was arguably the best in Australian music.”

Don’t You Believe What You’ve Seen or You’ve Heard is out now on Festival Records/Warner.

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NO FX

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Now slightly outdated in real life, the telephone remains the main form of described communication in music. For some reason, popular culture has been obsessed by the need to describe what it’s like to talk with people in song form. Cody Atkinson has written some words below that purport to find out why, but in reality it’s just a bunch of really lazy ‘jokes’ loosely strung together.

What’s a telephone?

A telephone is a communications device that was invented by Alexander Graham Bell in 1876… wait, am I really explaining what a telephone is? You all know what it is. If not, Wikipedia it on your phone.

Right. So when did the telephone first make an appearance in music?

The first song mentioning a phone or phone call came 23 years after its invention in 1899, with the unforgettable ‘Hello! Ma Baby’.

You probably don’t need the reminder, but it goes a little like: “Ev’ry single morning you will hear me yell / Hey central, fix me up along the line / He connects me with my honey and I ring the bell / And this is what I say to my baby mine…” While the song has been covered repeatedly and has lasted in popular culture until this day, the original happened to be really, really, really, really racist, down to the blackface on the cover of the sheet music… so there’s that.

So using the same timeframe, the first song about email will be out next year?

OK, let’s work the other way. How about phones distributing songs?

This is actually a thing! During the ‘80s in the USA, artist-specific ‘hotlines’ existed so that fans could call up and hear a new song by an artist. Everyone seemed to have them back in the day, from The Replacements to Bowie to KISS to MC Hammer and even the Fresh Prince and Jazzy Jeff, a.k.a. Will Smith and… has anyone worked out the real name of Jazzy Jeff? Song hotlines cut out the middleman – in this case, radio – between fans and music. Most hotlines were pretty expensive, except for that of They Might Be Giants, who simply set up an answering machine to a standard phone number (Dial-A-Song) – a practice that has more or less continued until today.

Are there any modern equivalents of hotlines?

You’d nearly say that things like Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and SoundCloud are the modern music versions of Dial-A-Song. Like the hotline, fans access these technologies via their phones, and it provides a somewhat direct path to artists.

The phone has been the vehicle for kitsch pop

And what a corker it will be. But I really can’t wait for the first emoji-based song. WILL BE A BAAAAANGER! What type of music is most associated with songs about phones?

Novelty songs. From the Big Bopper in 1958 onwards, the phone has been the vehicle for kitsch pop. In fact, I’m shocked that Weird Al Yankovic hasn’t done an album of phone-based parody songs.

Or maybe he has. I’ve just realised that researching Weird Al is the limit to my willingness to undertake music research.

What other telephone-related songs are there?

The annals of telephone pop include such tracks as ‘Wichita Lineman’ by Glenn Campbell, ‘Call Me’ by Blondie, ‘Hello’ by Adele, ‘Party Line’ by The Kinks, ‘Promised Land’ by Chuck Berry, Lady Gaga’s ‘Telephone’ AND ‘Video Phone’.

Why the fuck does everyone sing about phones?

Honestly, I don’t know. Maybe it’s the immediacy of a phone conversation, the one-to-one connection of a phone call, the closest simulacrum to talking to a person face-to-face. The phone was, for so many years, the closest you could actually get to being with other people without actually being with them. So there’s that. And maybe some songwriters are lazy, they looked around their house and the first thing they saw was a phone.

Lazy artists, hey…

That’s your stereotype, not mine buddy. I never said such a thing… (looks up two paragraphs)… Oh, my bad.

How about artists named after telephones?

Glad you asked. First and foremost, Canberra’s own (not really anymore, but we’ll still claim him) Jonny Telafone sets the bar

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pretty high in the telephone name stakes. I mean, he’s so confident with it he drops the ‘ph’ for an ‘f’, which according to the Oxford English Swag Dictionary qualifies as a ‘baller move’.

Didn’t Jay Z do a thing like that?

Yeah, he released an entire album via a Samsung app, and of course U2 did that Apple thing that no one should ever talk about again. And most people listen to a majority of their music via smartphones these days, either via Spotify/insertstreaming-service-here or ripped albums.

Are there still oldschool hotlines going?

Absolutely. TECHNOLOGY IS CYCLICAL! This year alone saw multiple artists set up a variety of hotlines, from Shamir’s relationship advice line, to Neon Indian’s album preview line, and even the creation of a safe space hotline for fans attending Speedy Ortiz shows. Although the world might have moved on from the landline being an indispensable part of life, musicians have revived it a little bit, like they did the cassette.

Wait, wasn’t there a song about hotlines?

‘Request Line’ by De La Soul! But that’s not the only song about them. This article – and this should be obvious by now – was sparked by ‘Hotline Bling’.

‘Hotline Bling’?

HOTLINE. FUCKING. BLING. Drake’s relatively big hit about a whiny baby who no longer gets late-night booty calls from a particular lady, presumably because she realised the guy is a whiny baby.

It’s one of 2015’s biggest songs, and it still seems a little stuck in the past. I mean, he’s not Snapchatting her or using Wickr to be contacted. And that’s before we even think about Tinder.

So it’s the nostalgia then?

Perhaps. Or maybe it’s the current wave of artists thinking about their youth and their own experiences with old-school phones.

Time continually moves forward, and things evolve. As phones continue to evolve, and they get used less and less for traditional phone-like purposes, the music about phones will probably become less and less frequent. Because it’s a lot harder to sing about Angry Birds than it is a girl who you like.

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

THE PUBLIC THEATRE ZOE PLEASANTS Over the last two weeks of November, Civic Square will play host to THE PUBLIC THEATRE: a pop-up, open-air theatre in the style of the ancient Greeks. It’s the idea of theatre-maker Julian Hobba, and it’s being managed by his company, The Aspen Island Theatre Company. I caught up with Hobba and he told me that the idea came to him when he saw in Civic Square, “the opportunity to bring together a tradition of public discourse and performance at an intersection of key cultural institutions … to do performance that is spare in its presentation but really evocative in its ideas.” Hobba originally came to Canberra to work on the Centenary with Robyn Archer; he liked what he found here and stayed. “I came up, worked like a dog and got to know the arts scene really, really well,” Hobba says. “And over the course of that time, I decided that I would try and create a producing company in Canberra that could make and premiere contemporary Australian theatre.”

Aspen Island is the realisation of his vision, and The Public Theatre project is the company’s biggest venture yet.

Although it is temporary, the theatre has been designed by architect Ronan Moss. It promises to be an intimate performance space that interacts with the environment. The theatre will “let the world in.

That’s what must have been really special about those classical theatre experiences,” says Hobba. “The conditions could change around you, a bird might fly overhead, or in this case somebody’s going to come past and break a couple of bottles or yell abuse! And when you’re outside it, you should be aware there is a performance going on –you won’t be able to see it directly because there’s a scaffold structure with fencing cladding over it – but the sound glimpses into an audience experience.”

Hobba has put together a program that includes theatre shows, indie bands, poetry, discussions, films and orations. The theatre shows are new productions of existing works, rather than originals. The play – Sappho in 9 Fragments by Jane Montgomery Griffiths – is a key show for Hobba. “Once we worked out Sappho could happen, then I felt like I could program the rest of the season around it.” It is a bold play about the life, work and legacy of Greek lesbian love poet, Sappho. The program also includes Hamlet [working title], devised

by David Burrowes and Drew Wilson – which has just been shown at

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the Melbourne and Sydney Fringe Festivals – and a moved reading of the classic Greek tragedy, Oedipus. “That is the thing we’re doing that is kind of made for the space,” he says. “It’s a moved reading, not a full production, but I wanted to give a sense of what it was like to have a number of people in the performance space, as opposed to the smaller shows that we’re doing. Hopefully it’s kind of raw but conveys the sense of cumulative power and effect of Oedipus.”

For original local content, there is Nick Delatovic’s one-man, sci-fi cabaret show, BOMB COLLAR (Delatovic’s band, Cracked Actor, is also on the program). I spoke with Delatovic about his show, and he tells me that he feels very lucky to be on the program. “Given the pedigree and the professional track record of many of the other artists, I feel like I’m a nice wild-card in the mix.” His show is set 190 years in the future where there has been a genetic recession and people have lost the ability to do creative things like making music. Delatovic plays the last known pop singer in human history and he’s got the last musical instrument, a tiny, electronic instrument that is integrated into a bomb and strapped to his neck! “It’s a fun inclusion to the late-night timeslot, and because my show has a surreal, semi-dream-like quality, that should work well at that time,” he says.

Delatovic liked the idea of making a show that is portable. “The idea of this apocalyptic future setting is that the show can work inside shipping containers, in bombed-out buildings, in storerooms. It’s a production crew’s dream. I rock up and people ask me: ‘What do you need?’ and I say, ‘Just find me the dingiest space you can!’ And all the sound and lighting are built into the costume – everything I need for the show fits into a Tupperware container!”

I asked Hobba what he thought a pop-up theatre offers that a built theatre doesn’t. He talked about the versatility and novelty of the space. But what he sees as its biggest advantage is its ephemeral nature. “It’s there for two weeks and then it’s gone. If you miss it, then you miss it. You could see that as a disadvantage, but I see an advantage because you’re inviting people to have an experience they can’t have next year or the year after.”

The Public Theatre will be in Civic Square, Tue–Sat November 17–29. For program and booking details, go to aitc.org.au. Bomb Collar will show at 10pm, Wed–Fri November 18–20.

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CANBERRA SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

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credit: Matt Beard, costumes Dominique Lemieux

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Performance-wise, audiences can expect a variety of acts including diabolo, sometimes referred to as the Chinese yo-yo; Spanish web, a multi-person skipping rope act; banquine, which is human acrobatics; and German wheel, just to name a few.

Young Zoé is bored; her parents – distant and apathetic – ignore her.

Her life has lost all meaning. Seeking to fill the void of her existence, she slides into an imaginary world – the world of Quidam – where she meets characters who encourage her to free her soul.

“Everyone that I speak to about Quidam comes up with a different interpretation. It’s great to get the contrast of how children will perceive it and how adults will perceive it, and the beauty of it is none of them are wrong …”

CIRQUE DE SOLEIL’S QUIDAM is coming to Australia this December, with the tour kicking off in Canberra. Jean-Philippe Viens – who plays BoumBoum – spoke to us about his favourite Cirque de Soleil show.

For Viens, Quidam is a truly unique show, and it’s one of the many Cirque de Soleil shows that have helped to change the image of the circus.

CIRQUE DE SOLEIL’S QUIDAM ELEANOR HORN

“It’s a story about society … Quidam is a Latin word that means ‘a nameless passer-by’. [Zoé] discovers that behind every human being that you come across in the street, they all have a past, a present and a future,” Viens says. “Every character becomes a specific person through the acts that you’re going to find in Quidam.”

Quidam is unique for Cirque de Soleil. It’s an examination of the real world, but it’s one that’s just as relevant for today’s society as when Cirque de Soleil first premiered it in 1996. “[Quidam] refers to basic human emotions. It comes down to acceptance, friendship, love, hate, anger,” Viens explains. “We live in such an electronic age nowadays … so [it’s interesting] to see a show where people don’t know a thing about each other and [interact] as quidams at first, but then they all blend in and evolve to become this group.”

Quidam also deals with some darker, more serious themes that many wouldn’t expect from a circus – it’s just as much for adults as it is for children.

“To me, it’s not even a circus anymore; it’s a new form of entertainment … I’m sure I could talk about Quidam for hours, but I think it’s better to let our performance speak for itself.”

Cirque de Soleil’s Quidam will show at the AIS Arena from Thu–Sun December 10–20. Tickets start from $61.17 + bf and can be purchased through Ticketek.

JIMMY CARR AND DANNY BHOY

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SPIEGELTENT

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IN REVIEW

Russian Resurrection Film Festival Event Cinemas, Manuka Wed–Wed November 4–11 This year marks the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II, and so the Russian Resurrection Film Festival is fittingly screening no less than eight films about the Great Patriotic War. A viewer – should they wish to – might stand on a grassy knoll and survey a tank battalion rolling toward the Eastern Front, or witness the brutality of the Battle of Stalingrad in the late spring of 1942, or as I did, follow the fate of a Ukrainian-born sniper known as ‘Lady Death’ in Battle for Sevastopol.

Soviet war hero Lyudmila Pavilchenko (Yuliya Peresild) is the fearsome female sharpshooter who by the age of 25 reputedly killed 309 Nazis in Sevastopol and Odessa. To her enemies she is ‘Lady Death’, but to her friends ‘Luda’ is fine, thanks.

Luda came into shooting at an early age. While her effete friends spend their free time at the cinemas, she attends a six-month sharpshooting course. “Cinema is a fairy tale, and shooting – the truth,” she says axiomatically, dismissing their planned frivolities.

What then, is the position in respect to the cinema of sharpshooting?

The job of the biopic writer is to sift through the lives of others and to create arcs where there are only days. It is the role of the writer to lift drama from the historical record, to distil truths from life as lived, to inject feeling into the mundane. Without the right words, no amount of sound and fury – wartime or no – will seem significant. In this respect, the writers have failed. Instead of a coherent narrative

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to Luda’s life, they have opted for a series of chaotic wartime vignettes.

Once war between the Soviet Union and Germany breaks out, we are assaulted by a battalion of war tropes: exploding artillery, dismembered limbs, shell-shock silence, stunned slow motion and the entirely inappropriate ‘bullet-cam’. Luda is able to precisely deliver three bullets into the slit of a German tank. This is the equivalent of shooting an arrow through the rings of twelve axe handles, and for this she wins a suitor – fellow sniper Makarov (Oleg Vasilkov). But he dies. She falls for Captain Leonid Kitsenko (Evgeniy Tsyganov). He dies too. There is even a brief flirt with a doctor. No prizes for guessing his fate.

In sum, while Luda’s life may have been remarkable, the telling of it is not. What is genuinely remarkable however is that Battle for Sevastopol is a Russian-Ukrainian co production. The film was made just before events of 2014, in both Russian and Ukrainian languages, and both versions were simultaneously released to audiences.

Given the state of the times, their titles say it all. In Russia, the film was released as Battle for Sevastopol, in Ukraine, as Indestructible.

ANDREW CONG

BORLAND AND BORLAND

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CIRQUE DU SOLEIL

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E X H I B I T I O N I S T ARTISTPROFILE: EMMA BORLAND

What do you do? I am a visual artist working predominantly in glass.

When, how and why did you get into it? I began working with glass in the 1990s as a stained glass maker. I fell in love with the material and extended my skills in England and here in Australia. I have been working full-time as an artist for the past 15 years. I got involved with art because I found it very healing to express myself via creative endeavours and I loved working with my hands.

Who or what influences you as an artist? The people that have influenced me the most as an artist are my friends and family.

Of what are you proudest so far? Bringing up my kids and helping students with disabilities and special needs.

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ARTS | ACT What are your plans for the future? I am currently looking into ideas and options for a PhD. I also want to extend my skills as an artist and as a teacher of students with special needs. I hope to continue to exhibit my work here in Australia and abroad.

What makes you laugh? The fact that we are not addressing climate change.

What pisses you off? Inequality.

What about the local scene would you change? Nothing, I really love Canberra.

Upcoming exhibitions? My next exhibition is called Borland + Borland at the Canberra Glassworks, starting Wednesday December 2. This is a special exhibition for me because it is the first time I will be exhibiting with my sister Polly.

Contact Info: Emma@HandMadeGlass.org Photo credit: John Gollings

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FASH N TREASURE CHRISTMAS MARKETS

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Ricketts Lane is just the latest success in a long string of collaborations between Sammy J and Randy. However, in his own interview with BMA, Randy recently made some startling accusations about his working relationship with Sammy J, including that he only continued to work with Sammy due to “a very tricky maze of legal obligations.” In rebuttal, Sammy J offers: “What he’s saying is technically true, although what he hasn’t told you is that he owes me a lot of money. He borrows $5–$10 at a time from me and it’s just accumulated over time, so I’m basically forcing him to work for me.”

A VERY CANBERRA COMEDY FESTIVAL CHRISTMAS IAN MCCARTHY You’d be hard-pressed to find an Australian comedian as well-known and received as SAMMY J. And with multiple award-winning shows, an ARIA-nominated album, and international festival credits out the wazoo (that means bum, I think), it’s not hard to see why. I had a chance to speak to Sammy ahead of his upcoming spot at the Canberra Comedy Festival’s Christmas special, appropriately titled A VERY CANBERRA COMEDY FESTIVAL CHRISTMAS. Most recently, Sammy J can be seen in the first series of the ABC comedy Sammy J & Randy in Ricketts Lane, in which he stars alongside his popular purple puppet partner, Randy. About the show, which is based on an earlier stage show of the same name, Sammy J says: “We were just happy when it was finally picked up for a TV show. That’s what we wanted all along. We even wanted to name the stage show Sammy J & Randy in Ricketts Lane: A Blatant Sitcom Pitch, but we thought that might be too long.”

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J also admitted some truth to Randy’s allegation that “he owns a large portion of my intellectual property, including but not limited to my left arm and lower intestine,” adding that “he’ll get them back when he fulfils his obligations to me.”

Separate from Randy, Sammy J will be making an appearance in Canberra for the Canberra Comedy Festival’s A Very Canberra Comedy Festival Christmas showcase, and in a twist not often heard from interstate entertainers, Sammy is excited to visit the capital.

“I actually love Canberra. I’m a bit of a nerd, so I’m actually coming up a few days before the show so we can go to Parliament House and Questacon and all of those places.”

In the spirit of Christmas, Sammy also revealed what’s on his Christmas list this year. “All I want for Christmas is little things like world peace, an end to global poverty. Just small things like that, and maybe a couple of miniature chocolates.”

Sammy J will be performing alongside Tom Ballard, Nazeem Hussain, Luke Heggie, Katie Burch and more as part of A Very Canberra Comedy Festival Christmas on Saturday December 5 at the Canberra Theatre Centre. Tickets are very limited and available through canberracomedyfestival.com.au.

HOMER’S MEN BY LISA PORTOLAN

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The Illusionists 1903 is a look back to a time when magic had a more intriguing, sophisticated air. They were darker mysteries presented by the original thinkers and innovators of the day. I have told many, if you are a magic nerd … this is the show for you.

What has proven to be the most difficult/dangerous act for performers to pull off in the recent Illusionists 1903 shows?

THE ILLUSIONISTS 1903

The bullet catch. It’s an effect than Jinger and I perform, a marked bullet shot from a vintage rifle, traveling at 1000 feet per second …

I catch the bullet in my teeth. It has claimed the lives of 12 magicians throughout the years. Difficult because any slight miscalculation can lead to catastrophic injury or death.

GUS MCCUBBING

How did you get involved with this group of performers?

Magic is just one of those things that you can’t not love. The wonder and the spectacle of seeing a bird pulled from a handkerchief, a person sawn in half, a disappearing act – we all know that it’s done somehow, but can’t quite figure it out! Coming down to Canberra this December, THE ILLUSIONISTS 1903 is set to stun and awe, and we had a chat with Mark Kalin – aka, “The Showman” – to talk about the show.

I have been closely involved with the creation of The Illusionists 1903, so it’s been an opportunity to bring to the stage the magic that I feel is special – to bring in performers I respect and admire. Charlie Frye is a true revelation, a type of performer with skills honed and perfected over many years and thousands of performances. He is 1903 personified, a true vaudevillian.Jinger is the only female solobilled in any Illusionists show. She has dedicated her life to making great magic. I think it’s odd, many would look back at the turn of the century as “old-fashioned”. But actually, there were many popular female magicians. They were headliners. Talma of “Leroy, Talma and Bosco”, Adelaide Herrman, Anna Eva Faye. Perhaps they were more forward thinking then!

What can the audience expect from The Illusionists 1903?

It is a recreation of magic’s golden age in the early 1900s. A time of great innovation and competition among magicians. The show is set in a grand opera house utilising vintage costuming, music and magic effects to transport the audience to a different time.

What is different about this show compared to The Illusionists 2.0, both for the audience and for the performers involved?

Past Illusionists productions have put the focus on contemporary magic, framed in a modern sensibility like a rock concert.

Magic was different then, more intricate. Darker. They took their time to build a mystery with the audience. It’s these elements that inspire great magic. People believed then, and they believe now.

The Illusionists 1903 will be performing at the Canberra Theatre Centre from Tue–Wed December 8–16. Tickets are from $79.90, with children getting in for $45, and can be bought through canberratheatrecentre.com.au.

TAKING FLIGHT

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IN REVIEW Dead Men’s Wars The Street Theatre Friday October 16

In this year of commemorating a century since the ANZACs landed at Gallipoli, Dead Men’s Wars is one of several contemporary theatre works that have explored the on-going meaning and relevance of the ANZAC story. Commissioned by the Canberra Youth Theatre, it was written by New Zealander Ralph McCubbin Howell, and is a co-production involving actors from the Canberra Youth Theatre and New Zealand’s Long Cloud Theatre.

The play tells the story of three students, Lori, Kip, and Charlie who are on an all-expenses-paid trip to Gallipoli with their corporate chaperons, Darren and Helen. Lori and Kip have won an essay writing competition to earn their places, and Charlie is accompanying them with her sound recording equipment, to produce a series of podcasts of the trip.

The narrative of the play jumps around. It starts with what at first felt to me like an overplayed, hammy scene set in the trenches of Gallipoli, 1915, and then jumps to present day with Lori being reprimanded by her chaperons for “going rouge” with a speech she gave at a Gallipoli memorial service. The play then alternates between the story of the trip leading up to this speech and the online public shaming campaign that ensues in response to it.

CANBERRA REP - DON’T DRESS FOR DINNER

The play’s strengths lie in its exploration of different perspectives of the ANZAC story. I quickly reinterpreted the opening scene as deliberately playing up the mainstream perspective of the ANZAC story with lots of references to soldiers being mates, and mates not leaving their mates. Kip takes much comfort in this interpretation.

He has a brother in Afghanistan and the idea that fighting for your country is a brave and valiant thing to do helps him deal with the anxiety he feels about his brother being there.

Kip’s perspective clashes with Owen’s – a beer-loving, Marx-reading friend of Lori’s – who sees little relevance in the ANZAC story and dislikes “soldiers being turned into gods”. This scene was one of the strongest in the play. I found Lori’s perspective of the ANZAC story more difficult to grasp. The set-up at the beginning of the play that she has said something controversial raised my expectations as to what that might be. She is then subjected to an online public shaming campaign that could have been described in Jon Ronson’s latest book. But I found a disconnect between this public shaming and my growing understanding of Lori’s perspective, which was that the mainstream telling of the ANZAC story leaves half the people who were there out: “people who were not white, male, straight and fit.” I’m not sure this is such a controversial perspective deserving of such a response, particularly following the popularity of the ABC series ANZAC Girls and the acclaim of Tom Wright’s play Black Diggers.

Nevertheless, Dead Men’s Wars is a tightly written play, which explores a number of interesting themes. It was aptly performed by a talented cast, with particularly strong performances from Liam Kelly as Owen, Richard Cotta as Kip, and Bella Guarerra as Lori.

ZOE PLEASANTS

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CANBERRA CHRISTMASCOMEDY THANG

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LITERATURE IN REVIEW A Strangeness in My Mind Orhan Pamuk (trans. Ekin Oklap) [Penguin (Australia); 2015]

“… the only antidote to the loneliness of the streets was the streets themselves.”

A mesmerising love letter to a city being demolished and rebuilt, A Strangeness in My Mind follows Mevlut Karataş as he wanders the streets of Istanbul at night selling boza (a traditional Turkish drink).

He elopes with the love of his life, only to discover that she is not the girl he spent three years writing to, but her sister. With an opening like that, you have no option but to read on.

True to its subtitle: “Being the Adventures and Dreams of Mevlut ... and Also a Portrait of Life in Istanbul Between 1969 and 2012 from Many Different Points of View”, the story is a tapestry of lively voices – including Mevlut’s father Mustafa, cousin Süleyman, best friend Ferhat and wife Rahiya and her sisters – vying to tell you what really happened. Rather than descending into chaos, Pamuk skilfully directs his cast as though he were the conductor of an orchestra.

The clarity of his prose and short, well-defined chapters help, as does a family tree.

The 1971 military coup and blood feuds between Duttepe (young nationalists) and neighbouring hill Kültepe (leftist socialists) are described not in intellectual isolation but interwoven with the lives of ordinary people. ‘The Consequences of Sticking Communist Posters on Mosques’, for example, sees Mevlut caught between both parties and subsequent crossfire. Regardless of how little the reader knows about Turkish history or politics, A Strangeness in My Mind is accessible without being reductive. Class politics simmer below the surface as each family attempts to get rich through enterprise and illegally claimed land.

The biggest questions however, unsurprisingly revolve around love and the things we do for it. Can Mevlut love Rayiha when it was in fact Samiha’s beautiful, dark eyes he fell for? How did he end up with the wrong girl? Will Rayiha find out the truth? Can you fall in love with someone you don’t know? Another recurring theme that’s linked to Mevlut’s guilt is the tension between our private and public views. Should we be judged for our actions or our intentions?

A Strangeness in My Mind transcends time and place in its discussion of love (romantic and family), tradition, survival and kismet. Readers see Istanbul, like a mirage before their eyes – vivid yet heartbreakingly elusive. In a touching final chapter, Mevlut is out selling boza when he discovers he wants to tell the city something. Such moments of poetry lend the sweeping tale an air of grandeur grounded in raw humanity. Don’t let its humble protagonist fool you – Pamuk’s ninth novel is, quite simply, a work of art. It will linger at the back of your mind, like an unfinished train of thought, just waiting to resurface.

SHU-LING CHUA

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A R T | C O M E DY | D A N C E | L I T E R AT U R E | T H E AT R E

I was four-years-old when I bit into my first apple. It was a Granny Smith. Horrendously sour. I spat it out in an instant. “Apples are a ghastly fruit!” I jeered at my mother. “I would nary wish the experience of tasting such an unpalatable food on even my greatest of foes!” My vocabulary was undeniably impressive for such a young age. Nevertheless, I was exceedingly close-minded and it would be another fifteen years before I would taste another apple.

The setting was the produce section of a supermarket. I will not name the specific chain, as I aim to remain neutral in the ongoing price wars that plague Australian society. The company was a dear friend of mine who has requested to remain anonymous due to his affiliation with one of the ‘Big Banana’ companies.

Our immune systems were running on low and the answer was surely fruit. I was rushing around grabbing grapes and oranges with the ferocious enthusiasm of a puppy on acid. My friend called out to me.

“Oi, what kind of apples do you want?” I froze.

“Apples?” I asked.

“Yeah, what kind?”

I shuddered. My voice trembled. “No kind for me, thank you very much.”

My friend was taken aback, and understandably so. I explained my earliest and only apple experience and in return was assured that not all apples are as irrevocably sour as a Smith.

“There’s an apple for everyone,” my friend remarked. Determined to find my apple niche, my friend proceeded to purchase one of every kind of apple imaginable in the hope that I might find joy in the taste of at least one.

Granny Smith, Red Delicious, Royal Gala, Pink Lady, Fuji, Jazz. These are all types of apple. But the Jazz apple would become so much more to me. The sweet crispiness turned out to be my first true love.

I remember my first bite as I remember my birth, which is to say not at all as I was too busy trying to make sense of the large new world I had found thrust upon me.

I do however remember the moments immediately following my first bite of a Jazz apple. I wanted more. I wanted as many as I could consciously ingest. I didn’t know if it was possible to overdose on fruit, but I planned to find out (it’s not).

Here I am, thirty years after that fateful day. I have now consumed exactly 23,842 Jazz apples and am tearing through my 23,843rd as I type this very column. I’ve been through a multitude of cities, jobs and relationships, but the Jazz apple has remained one of the few consistencies in my life. Crisp, sophisticated, effervescent, visually-stunning and just a little sassy; Jazz apples are truly the Jake Gyllenhal of fruit.

IAN WORST Ian Worst is a local writer and comedian who has achieved nothing of notoriety. You can catch him next doing stand-up at Polit Bar on Thursday November 19, supporting Andrew Bensley. Tickets are $5 through Eventbrite or $10 on the door.

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bit PARTS LUCKY’S SPEAKEASY 100 DAYS OF SUMMER WHAT: Summer-long party WHEN: Fri Oct 9 – Feb 2016 WHERE: QT Canberra You wanna party all summer? Of course you do – that’s like, the reason humans built the capitalist free market. I mean, when you think about it. Or don’t think about it, haha … just party! For one hundred days, do nothing else! Where the party at, right?! It’s at Lucky’s Speakeasy! It’s one hundred jam-packed days of non-stop partying, from October ’til February. And it’s already started! You’re late! You’re gonna miss the Movember shindig, the 007 James Bond NYE party and the QT Backyard Australia Day BBQ, as well as weekly events! Should’ve probably gone to qtcanberra.com.au for more info…

TAKING FLIGHT – THE RUNWAY WHAT: Fashion parade and market WHEN: Sat–Sun Nov 21–22 WHERE: Fitters Workshop, Kingston Foreshore Three Sixty Fashion Market are collaborating with award-winning, eco-friendly fashion label Pure Pod for a weekend of fashion, film and fanfare. On Saturday November 21, the ‘Sustainable Style’ and ‘Local Talent’ showcases will take flight on the runway, with fashion from local designers, sustainable fashion advocates, as well as established collectors. Guests will also enjoy the premiere of a short Canberra-produced film, Edge of Light, followed by a DJ, a cash bar and complimentary canapés. And then on Sunday November 22, you can catch the market in the same place, which will feature some of the stylish, sustainable fashions on show. For tickets, visit 360fm.eventbrite.com.au.

CANBERRA SONGWRITERS WORKSHOP WHAT: Songwriting workshop WHEN: Mon Nov 30 WHERE: The Statesman Hotel, Curtin Songwriting is tricky business. One minute, you think you’ve written a real thrasher, or a real tear-jerker, and then the next, someone comes out and says “I can’t wait ’til it’s finished!” What can be done? Well, for starters, you’re gonna want to book in at the monthly Canberra Songwriters Workshop. It’s a good opportunity to bring your original songs and meet with other talented singers, musicians and local artists to get feedback in a creative and supportive environment. Workshops are held on the last Monday of every month at 6:30pm. And get this – your first workshop is free! To find out how to register and for more information, visit canberrasongwriters.com.

ECO ELVES NIGHT MARKET WHAT: Boutique market WHEN: Fri Dec 4 WHERE: Canberra Environment Centre Christmas is coming and you need to buy gifts for the people you sorta hang out with sometimes (unless you don’t celebrate Christmas, which is totally a smart financial decision on your part). Luckily, the Eco Elves Night Market will have local, handmade and ethical gifts, as well as delicious food, a local wine and beer bar and soothing tunes to keep you sane while you do just that. They’ve curated the best in sustainable, handmade products, locally produced art, and some of Canberra’s best new talent, including folksy songstress Ella Hunt, Loom and York, and alternative blues and roots champion Guyy. Starts at 5pm.

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the word

on albums

Under Oath, before Joel became a member of the revered and missed Armoured Angel. They were a pioneering band in creating an Australian touring circuit for heavy metal in the late ‘80s and ‘90s. It was when Joel moved back a couple of years ago that a band formed and the triangle completed, with Marcus’ best mate and New York ex-pat Tony McMahon on bass. His playing on this album casts almost as menacing a shadow as his imposing physical stature does onstage, and ties everything together from a rhythmic perspective.

album of the issue WITCHSKULL THE VAST ELECTRIC DARK [INDEPENDENT RELEASE] The number three – the triad – evokes powerful symbolism for numerous cultures throughout history. The number carries some serious magic: birth, life, death, the big stuff. In a musical context, it’s arguable that the power trio is the ultimate configuration for maximum rock. You have elder gods like Motörhead, The Jimi Hendrix Experience and Cream, to the more niche, underground examples like Yob, Earthless or even prime Electric Wizard.

There’s just something about that stripped back relationship of a guitar, a bass and drums that allow the vocals that extra room to resonate and tell stories.

In Witchskull, two of the lads come from two powerhouse trios of their own. Vocalist and guitarist Marcus De Pasquale is also a member of Looking Glass. His guitar playing is legitimate wizard level, as many of you familiar with his work will attest from his years plying stages across Australia. Less well-known is that Marcus has a scholar’s grasp and understanding of the occult from decades of devoted study of Thelemic Gnosticism, Egyptology, the Kabbalah, Madam Blavatsky, Cicero, John Dee, Israel Regardie and a tonne of occult texts. He channels this extensive knowledge into the tales he tells on this album with stunning effect.

Marcus and drummer Joel Green went to Campbell High together in the ‘80s.

Together they played in a band called

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Captured and mixed masterfully at Melbourne’s Goatsound studio manned

by Jason PC of Blood Duster fame, there was no need for him to bring studio tricks to the table here. Live drums inhabit a warm sounding room, with the mix allowing breathing room for the parts to weave their respective spells.

On the surface, the music on The Vast Electric Dark is a glorious blend of music derived from traditional Sabbath-inspired doom metal. It brings to mind the best kinds of stoner rock, whilst paying homage to all the power trios aforementioned, as well as the monsters of the ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘80s.

They do so without resting themselves in either doom or stoner camps, whilst maintaining an assured musical identity of their own conjuration.

This music lights the way to an accessible path through the misty dark of the storytelling, with eight nightmarish tales that possess an almost Lovecraftian quality. They provide hints and visions without spelling it out like a garish tabloid, yet deliver it with the urgency of a scribe witnessing the events firsthand.

We’ve seen many examples in recent years of doom metal with contrived lo-fi productions that emulate the ‘70s, or mask and make up gimmickry to try and emulate an atmosphere. Witchskull stand out from the pack in that they need nothing more than to show up armed with the conviction and truth of Marcus’ deep occult understanding. The lyrics on this album will offer a portal to the listener – a trip into unseen realms – some of them even uniquely Australian.

It’s not just an Australian album of the year contender, it’s as good as anything the genre has produced in 2015 and you need this now.

JOSH NIXON

JESS RIBEIRO KILL IT YOURSELF [BARELY DRESSED RECORDS] Smoldering chanteuse Jess Ribeiro has really served up a simmering dish here.

Following the release of her 2012 debut My Little River (made with band The Bone Collectors), she assembled a new bunch of musos and formed a pact with producer and member of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Mick Harvey. Written after her travels in the ‘land of the free’, the sophomore LP takes an intriguing new direction from her previous roots material, veering away from the acoustic-heavy, country-folk of older songs like ‘Truckyard’. There’s more electric guitar on show and complex arrangements that bring strings and brass into play.

Caught up with sweeping strings, opener ‘The Wild’ is oh-so-Lana Del Ray in its sultry vocal style. Change the tuning and the follower ‘Run Rabbit Run’ is a step back towards country dust, with twangy guitar and sharper edges to the singing. The atmosphere has sharpened, but the moody stance remains, as the track rises with menacing intensity towards its finish. Rock rhythms dominate in ‘Hurry Back to Love’, while ‘Born to Ride’ shows off the attractive tones in Ribeiro’s voice. The title track is a gritty affair, with no holds barred in its descriptions of sharpened knives and ‘guts in the bucket’. Harvey’s purring keyboard, Ribeiro’s languorous singing and humming horns come together in a smooth tide in ‘Slip the Leash’.

The impressive results are partly a product of the timing in Ribeiro’s delivery. She stretches elastic syllables in ‘Good Day’, while other songs develop a character of their own through variations in emphasis on vocals ¬– as seen in ‘Unfamiliar Ground’ – or the greater weight on different parts of the rhythm that makes her work so attention-grabbing.

RORY MCCARTNEY

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MY DISCO SEVERE [TEMPORARY RESIDENCE LTD]

FAMILY FOLD LUSTRE GLO [INDEPENDENT RELEASE]

LE1F RIOT BOI [XL]

Five years on from their last album (Little Joy), Melbourne’s My Disco are back with an album that sees them at their darkest and bleakest to date. My Disco, comprising of Rohan Rebeiro and brothers Liam and Ben Andrews, are perhaps best described as ‘post-everything’ – influenced by a lot, but ultimately a band content to define their own sound.

Following the demise of Sydney band Lazy Susan in 2012, songwriter Paul Andrews sought a new vehicle for his prodigious output; enter Family Fold. Yes, it sounds like your usual band, but the musical grouping is more a collective assembled as a channel for Andrews’ talents. Lustre Glo – his debut under the Family Fold banner – takes up the more evolved elements of Lazy Susan’s later albums, which added strings and brass to the mix and tweaked the sound with roots elements.

Le1f has earnt a reputation for himself turning out dance-bangers that are effortlessly fun in content and sound. On his first LP Riot Boi however, the New Yorker has injected his music with both innovative ideas and political commentary.

At the heart of Severe is repetition – slow evolutions on the same themes, unresolved tensions building up for minutes at a time.

My Disco have a way of making minimalism sound so damn brutal, like a sonic assault designed to make the world implode upon itself. Each song is an exercise in patience and eventual reward. Severe is direct, with every track revealing its intent early and evolving slowly from there.

Opener ‘Recede’ is built on the back of two bass notes, with haunting vocals feeding in and out of occasional drum hits and guitar squalls. ‘King Sound’ is an exercise in how much silence and space matter in music sometimes, with tribal sounds punctuated with resonant sounds and two chanted words. The pace picks up as the album progresses, with ‘Our Decade’ harking back to the more frenetic post-punk pace heard in some of My Disco’s earlier works.

Like a lot of good art, Severe is polarising.

For some, the guitar feedback, noise and lack of sung vocals might be too much to get a grip on. And that’s fine. But in this humble reviewer’s opinion, few albums this year have hit the mark as well as this one.

Every sound is precise, every note in its right place. Doom has never sounded so good.

CODY ATKINSON

Andrews’ songwriting gifts constantly pop up – with funny references to being stuck at the wedding next to the cousin with the overbite, or quips like “she’s got a reputation as a taxidermist of lost love”. His knack for creating physical sensations with lyrics comes out in ‘Shanie Love’, describing the furry teeth feeling that comes from too much cola (we’ve all been there).

Significantly, Andrews breaks new ground with his involvement of female vocalists, and to great advantage. In a particular winner, ‘How Come You Only Call Me When You’re Getting High’, Andrews loosens the grip on his work, giving one of the ladies a solo vocals slot. The title is very Arctic Monkeys, but the song is from another planet – its plaintive folk-pop awash with strings. Other highlights include opener ‘Get a Grip Upon Yourself’, which races along with guitars and percussion maintaining a breathless pace, and the sweet chorus in ‘Pot of Gold’. There are nice, little touches aplenty in the arrangements, including jazzy keys and horns in ‘Amazing Grace’ (no, not that song), which has a very The Whitlams vibe to it. With a great variety of tracks that encompass indie-pop, rock, folk and alt-country, this is an album that’s all very easy to listen to.

On first listen, Riot Boi sits oddly – even uncomfortably – as it constantly changes pace and flicks between styles. It took time for me to absorb and appreciate the demonstrated breadth across the record.

He has backed off from the more frenetic electronic anthems, taking stock from trap stylings on tracks such as ‘Lisa’ and playing with vanilla pop during the verses of ‘Rage’ (that is, before it breaks into a terrifying chorus). Le1f is first and foremost a word master – gravitating across a spectrum of silky-smooth croons and rapid-fire tumbling verses. To its benefit, the album is vastly collaborative; see ‘Swirl’ where he is outshone by appearances from Junglepussy and House of laDosha.

Whilst Le1f has never shied away from pride in his identity, Riot Boi is his most political work yet, as he discusses race, sexuality, religion and queer politics. It’s a thread woven throughout and punched home with magnetic finale ‘Change’, as he transforms the personal into a stamp of solidarity. If you listen to any song from the album, make it this one.

Although a jarring journey to begin with, Riot Boi provides much to unpack, explore and savour. The fun-loving attitude of the rapper that the internet came to love is still there, but depth has been given to both his sound and subject matter. Le1f’s ethos is perhaps best distilled within his words on opener ‘Hi’: “I do it for my people / And I do it for fun”.

ANGELA CHRISTIAN-WILKES

RORY MCCARTNEY

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album in focus

THE VELVET UNDERGROUND LOADED: RE-LOADED – SUPER DELUXE EDITION [RHINO] The Velvet Underground crafted four album masterpieces in as many years – an astonishing achievement whichever way you look at it. The first two connected Lou Reed’s love of 1950s rockabilly, rhythm and blues and doowop with John Cale’s avant-minimalism, and wrapped the darkened results in gritty, streetwise wordage that was both subversive and exhilarating. When the self-titled third album appeared in 1968, Cale had left the group and the sound had somewhat mellowed out, but a wellhoned underground quality remained.

Loaded was the final masterpiece and an album chock full of top-notch rock songs.

The Rhino/Universal labels have thrown their weight behind remastered and generously packaged editions of the four albums and this final instalment is another winner. The set contains six discs that include a never-beforereleased mono mix alongside sparkling remastered stereo, a bunch of bonus material including the shimmering ‘Ocean’ – a song that brought the likes of Galaxie 500 and Yo La Tengo into being – decent liner notes from Lenny Kaye, and a couple of live recordings including the mostly praised Max’s Kansas City performance from 1970, which now sounds a little better than the totally crappy-sounding original.

The album proper kicks in with the pop bounce of ‘Who Loves the Sun’ sung by guitarist Doug Yule whose light, airy voice perfectly matches the upbeat tone – a significant departure from the darker,

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more atonal vibe of earlier work.

This is followed by a true gem of a song, ‘Rock & Roll’, which does everything the title suggests with Reed’s voice thoroughly jubilant in its celebration of one of the great art forms and presented here in its original extended form. The other iconic tune on Loaded is ‘Sweet Jane’, which also explores the healing power of music, with one of the all-time catchiest choruses and an extended mid-section that takes the listener on an unexpected harmonic detour.

All the songs on this album are wonderful, but the mournful country twang on ‘Oh Sweet Nuthin’ is a standout, as is the plaintive late-night vibe on ‘New Age’ and the propulsive groove on ‘Train Round the Bend’. If this had been the Velvets’ only album it would have been a knockout for those in the know, but consistent with previous releases, it didn’t bother the charts upon its late 1970 release.

This is quite amazing, as the music on Loaded is accessible, entertaining and rocks out. The music is also meticulously crafted and retains the backstreet urban edge that had always put this band at odds with the bucolic obsessed counterculture that should have embraced the anti-mainstream agenda of the earlier work, but never did. On Loaded, Lou Reed loosened up the heavy sex and drugs themes that appeared on the first two albums and handed the reins to Doug Yule, who opened the door to the brighter side of life and should have also opened the door to the charts. Reed left the band shortly after the album was recorded, but left on a high note.

The legacy is substantial, which this comprehensive set acknowledges by its very existence – a legacy that has inspired and influenced countless bands that have chosen to avoid mainstream dross. Just recently, a bunch of Sydney psych rock bands covered the album in full on a newly released compilation titled Reloaded, which in its own way complements the original album – one that hits the right spots every time.

DAN BIGNA

TUNDREL TUNDREL TOMES: VOL 1 [INDEPENDENT RELEASE] Renowned local band Buff Tundrel – with a pedigree going back to 1995 – has reformed (sort of). Half of the venerable band (Nathan Rowlands and Jason Hore) have regrouped alongside fellow musos Peter Mackenzie and Phil Turner, under the sawn-off moniker ‘Tundrel’. After two years of gigs to get its act together and hone its style, the band has launched its debut LP. Heavyweight riffs are the order of the day, with the emphasis on lowdown torque rather than high revs in the delivery. More atmospheric than vigorous, Tundrel’s style sets it apart from other hard rockers. Instead of outright mayhem or aggression, the music’s impact comes from a combination of surging guitars and equally massive vocals that proceed at a moderate pace, lending the music a certain majesty.

The attraction flows from the inherent magnetism of the rhythms and the melodic vocals, which combine in a striking package.

The CD highlight comes early in the wryly entitled ‘What Doesn’t Kill Us Hurts a Lot’.

Impressive as the heaving riffs are, they are matched by the towering singing of Hore. He even goes on to eclipse the music in ‘Expectation’, as he swells the sound with huge roars. After the onslaught of stellar guitars and psychedelic licks in ‘This Moment’, the band switches to an acousticled, violin-boosted ‘If I Knew’, before rolling out the mix of chugging and chiming guitars that is ‘The Stand’. The crazy lunging vocals and driving guitars of ‘Chimera’ make for another winner.

The bitter edges of dark themes are smoothed a little by a selective addition of strings, and the lightest touch of female backing vocals. It’s headbanging music of a softer kind, not likely to hurt your neck muscles.

RORY MCCARTNEY

@bmamag

CITIZEN KAY WITH THE PEOPLE [ASPHALT RECORDS] Citizen Kay won most of us over early on.

For us Canberrans, it’s been fun having an on-the-rise local talent to root for. With a tour supporting Seth Sentry, the release of Demokracy and now a sneaky ARIA nomination, there’s no doubt Citizen Kay is blowing up big time. That said, with all that success comes pressure, meaning that his new album With The People needed to deliver. It’s exciting to say that after a listen and some meditation, it has.

With The People builds on the foundation of Demokracy. It’s a more mature album, with a serious shot of soul; it’s clear that Citizen Kay has taken a brave step forward when it comes to his lyrics, production and content.

Some of the album’s earliest tracks – namely ‘Our World’ and ‘No Respect’ – inject some funk, with an impressive arrangement on the keys featuring prominently.

Meanwhile, the album’s feature tracks – ‘Wax On Wax Off’ and ‘Life Gives You Lemons’ – deliver the beat and witty wordplay that fans of the last album will be holding out for. Personally though, it was the tracks that glimpsed into the life of an upcoming artist that had me hitting replay, like ‘Family Ties’, ‘Dreamin’ and even the interlude, ‘My Father’. It’s these glimpses into Citizen Kay’s life that ring with a note of truth that would do Hemingway proud. It’s a huge achievement; after all, what’s hip-hop about if not the story?

Overall, With The People is an awesome album, and it’ll be genuinely surprising if another ARIA nod doesn’t come along for Citizen Kay. SETH ROBINSON

JAMES REYNE AND THE MAGNIFICENT FEW SELF-TITLED [HAMMERHEAD RECORDS] Iconic band Australian Crawl gifted us with many great songs – including the anthem ‘The Boys Light Up’ – before their 1986 demise. Since then, Crawl frontman James Reyne’s storming solo career has seen him release a large swag of disks. In his latest EP, Reyne joins guitarist Brett Kingman, guitarist Phil Ceberano (bandleader for his diva sister Kate), drummer John Watson and on bass, Andy McIvor (ex-Brill, in company with members of Pseudo Echo). They come under the banner, ‘The Magnificent Few’.

Reyne’s songwriting talent is still sharp.

Far from the oft-used approach of finding random lyrics to suit a riff, Reyne can string together words that establish a connection with the listener, enabling them to ‘go visual’.

Songs are spotted with dry humour. Lead track ‘What a Pain In The Arse It Is’ (where else but in Australia could you find a song title like that) runs with the line “And it was raining movie stars / How’d I get Rin Tin Tin”. There are clever word pictures, such as describing a kiss as the ‘autograph of love’ in CD highlight ‘One Little Kiss’. Reyne joins Mia Dyson – a woman with an angular voice capable of matching Reyne’s drawl – on ‘I’d Still Be In Love With You’. Their voices are a good fit, sparking off each other. The foot stomper ‘I Can’t Help Myself’ rolls out a chorus that could see it in the next beerdrinking songs compilation CD, and backing vocals from the band round out the sound on tracks like ‘Suckerville’.

While not in the same class as his LP Every Man a King, which delivered such gems as ‘Light in the Tunnel’, this new release will have Reyne fans grinning along as they tap feet in time to the music.

RORY MCCARTNEY

AGENCY THE STILLNESS OF SPEED [HELLOSQUARE RECORDINGS] Forming about a year ago in Weston Creek, Agency have found themselves to be a formidable force on the live circuit. Their debut album, The Stillness Of Speed, draws upon the combined experience of the members, taking cues from their previous bands (Hoodlum Shouts, A Drone Coda, and Spartak). The Stillness Of Speed exudes the diversity of their sound, be it somewhat difficult to pin down decisively.

Influenced by post-punk, post-hardcore, and experimental noise rock, Agency tread the line between obtuse and accessible.

The Stillness Of Speed is abrasive and aggressive, yet it remains restrained enough to not become overbearing.

Powerful walking basslines relentlessly propel the album forwards, with cutting guitars squealing over the top. The use of vocals is limited, on some tracks only sparingly used to accent a phrase. Through often bleak and nihilistic lyrical themes, the vocals of Luke Robert and Shoeb Ahmad vary between spoken whispers to frantic shouts. The track sequencing on The Stillness Of Speed builds momentum and tension, with tracks flowing into each other while barely missing a beat. The rhythmic interplay of ‘On The Loop’ appears to be deliberately disorientating until the point it seamlessly clicks together. The slinky ‘Double Tale’ could almost be mistaken for an unreleased Spartak track, making use of synths countered by distorted guitars.

Instrumental interludes are provided throughout to give the ears a needed rest, but this relief is short lived as ‘High Heat’ gnashes and pummels along, stamping its authority over the entire album.

While it’s not always an easy listen, The Stillness Of Speed is a compelling and hypnotically engaging album that will surely solidify Agency’s place in the local scene.

MEGAN LEAHY

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v

singles in focus

BY CODY ATKINSON YOU BEAUTY ‘ILLYWHACKA’

BREWN MY TOWN [INDEPENDENT RELEASE]

WILDING MOLECULES TO MOONS [HALF A COW]

Brewn started out as a duo – entertaining punters in Canberra bars, rolling out covers.

Frontman Mick Bond had dreams of making his mark with the tractor-driving crowd, and went through a few experimental line-ups before he fell in with the Barbara brothers and Zach Whittaker. The musical pedigree of these boys skewed the mix away from straight country, with a resulting sound that would go down equally well in a wool shed or big town hotel.

Wilding is songwriter and multiinstrumentalist Justin Wilding Stokes who – along with fellow Liverpudlians The Beatles – likes to garnish his songs with a surprising array of different instruments and bright sounds. His second LP Molecules to Moons was again done in company with fellow I-can-play-anything guy Robin Waters, plus a small horde of extras. Wilding takes the cheery, eccentric Brit pop sound of the ‘60s and flings it into the 21st century. Compared to his debut Bird’s Bread, the latest release is less ‘Fab Four’ in style – adopting a more indie, lo-fi, busker vibe. This, plus the wide range of instruments employed (including a toy sitar, tin whistle, ukuleles, harmonica and a Thai stringed instrument) gift the tracks with a fresh, playful aura.

A casual stroll through material from debut LP Rusted On shows the band has made a big leap away from their early style. Themes are still sometimes rural, but there’s now a harder, more rock-based sound. The title track is a proud celebration of the special nature of small town life, swept along with bright electric guitars and a little wah-wah thrown in. Nostalgia rules in ‘The Way it Made Me Feel’, and ‘Top Gear’ carries the more explosive riffs and ticklish licks.

However, it’s ‘Someday’ that stands out as the catchy disk highlight.

Brewn retains its liking for songs with a humorous edge, most notably in the track ‘Bollywood Cowboy’. With exotic riffs and lyrics like “Drivin’ my Chevy through Delhi”, the band were so chuffed with this song from their debut EP that they included a revised version on My Town. There’s also a countrified version of Lipps Inc.’s ‘Funkytown’, rehashed as ‘Country Town’ with a quick nod to the soul classic ‘Car Wash’.

The album vibe is joyous, with simple, unpretentious lyrics and toe tapping tunes.

Dressed in denim with a working-classman profile, Brewn’s second LP rings out country-rock that is definitely not line dancing music.

Enter the tracklist through the curtain of bright plucks, vocalisations and tinkles that is ‘Here We Are’. The perky, ukulele-driven ‘Missing Her’ gives way to the syncopated beats and dew-drop piano of ‘Stuck in the Middle’. The carnival atmosphere reaches its zenith in ‘Monkey House’, which is enhanced by a female choir and brass-boosted in the manner of They Might Be Giants. The second half of the CD in particular is radiant with sax, trumpet and trombone sounds, with the quirky closer ‘Everybody is the Same’ crossing street corner troubadour with Salvo’s band sensibilities.

While the sparky stuff is fun, Wilding has some of his best moments in the more down-tempo, contemplative tracks.

Highlights include the dreamy ‘Carry Me Over’ – its wistful ripples fanning out across a still pool – and trumpet notes that drip like tears in the planetary tragedy that is ‘Lost the Moon’.

RORY MCCARTNEY

A bit of poignant, jangly stuff from Sydney’s You Beauty, who sport a brilliantly ’straylian name. Songs about online dating scams are a little hard to come by, but You Beauty are agile enough to pull it off. ‘Illywhacka’ is a stupidly fun listen, something you can chuck on repeat without hesitation.

SAVAGES ‘THE ANSWER’ Just four years (and one album) in, Savages have gained a reputation of creating hard-hitting post-punk, energetic music that makes you sit up rigid and listen.

Where Savages’ previous work was more about the violent cuts, ‘The Answer’ instead grinds you into submission, slowly but surely and so enjoyably.

TERRIBLE TRUTHS ‘SEE STRAIGHT’ Sometimes you run across a song that you just like and you don’t exactly know why. Terrible Truths – a three-piece straight outta Melbourne – seem to get every bit working just right, from the off-kilter drums to the slightly detached vocals and reverbladen guitars. With ‘See Straight’, Terrible Truths are onto something good here.

SHAWN MENDES ‘STITCHES’ This is the type of music that makes me want to stop caring about music at all. The whole thing feels like there are zero fucks given, either by him or by me. Bordering on painfully inoffensive, Mendes somehow makes me feel like taking a break from listening to anything for a day or so.

RORY MCCARTNEY

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55

the word

on films

WITH EMMA ROBINSON

I have never seen Kate Winslet in a role that I didn’t love her in (much like Cam from Modern Family’s rant about Meryl Streep, I think Winslet could play Batman and be the right choice – she is complete perfection). Like many accomplished actors with a varied repertoire, she has some interesting choices on her IMDB page (Movie 43 comes to mind). Nevertheless, she is always a highlight of any film she graces, and while Judy Davis gives her stiff competition, she is definitely the best thing about The Dressmaker.

quote of the issue “I’m back, you bastards.”

Tilly Dunnage (Kate Winslet), The Dressmaker

THE DRESSMAKER

THE LOBSTER

BURNT

Shakespeare was a master at juxtaposing comedy and tragedy – often by inserting a comical scene right before a brutal murder. Director Jocelyn Moorehouse understands how effective this tool is and demonstrates it in The Dressmaker with equal parts flair and tragedy.

There is a current attitude growing today that is increasingly critical of society’s obsessive fixation on romance, monogamy and the institution of marriage. In such a fragmented world, there is still the mass expectation – amongst men, women, families, the young and old – that humans must couple and establish lives together in union, eschewing autonomy and individual aspiration for some fanciful notion drilled into each and every one of us from childhood.

Perfectionism, thy name is asshole.

In 1950s Australia, Tilly (Kate Winslet) returns to her country hometown to set right injustices that were done to her as a child.

Having spent her adult years abroad in Paris and Milan as a talented dressmaker, she arrives looking impeccable, battle ready and raring to go – this is a revenge story.

However, it is also so much more. The Dressmaker takes understated digs at the tired clichés that have been dominating Anglo cinema for years – the male, romantic lead (Liam Hemsworth) is significantly younger than his female counterpart and not once is this age difference mentioned.

There is also a cross-dressing character (Hugo Weaving). This is not his defining characteristic – merely an aspect to his character. The only time this preference is mentioned is when the director wished to highlight the bigotry of the inhabitants of the town.

So, why see this film? The beautiful frocks are a strong selling point, as is the even more beautiful Liam Hemsworth.

Beyond what is pleasing to the eye, there is the mixing of humour and tragedy peppered with exceptional acting. It’s not a film that can be easily defined, which is what makes it so good.

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EMMA ROBINSON

The Lobster rips these expectations and beliefs to shreds in a darkly satiric and overt assault on the cultish nature of this couples’ society we participate in. Colin Farrell stars as David, who has been sent from ‘The City’ to ‘The Hotel’, and must spend the next 45 days in search of a suitable partner – lest he be turned into an animal of his choice (incidentally, his choice of lobster is apparently an original one – most people say dogs).

There is a Kafkaesque absurdity to this film that remains dark, yet bitingly funny. Through use of heavy sci-fi allegory, thought-provoking observations are made – all delivered through stunning cinematography and the experienced direction of Yorgos Lanthimos, who at times is reminiscent of Wes Anderson in his subdued, but stylish approach.

With an experienced cast including Rachel Weisz, John C. Reilly, Olivia Colman and Lea Seydoux, The Lobster proves itself to be one of the year’s best films in its uncompromising dissection of love and relationships.

PATRICK JOHNSON

Burnt opens with renowned chef and culinary perfectionist Adam Jones (Bradley Cooper) oozing arrogance and narrating his life journey as he struts through the trendy metropolitan streets in a leather jacket and a pair of aviators, willing the audience to believe he’s some kind of god. Sure, we’re told several times throughout the film that the dude’s an absolute genius when it comes to dishing up exquisite cuisine, living by the (questionable) philosophy, “if it’s not perfect, throw it out”.

Nonetheless, it’s hard to think of Jones as anything other than a graduate of the Culinary School of Douchebaggery, as we witness this tempestuous, hateful, Gordon-Ramsay-oncrack manipulate and abuse his staff and anyone who gets in his way of achieving his elusive third Michelin star. Cue adage: revenge is a dish best served cold.

Aside from the heavy reliance on cliché, and a by-the-numbers romantic sub-plot, Burnt does a superb job in its aesthetics and capturing the hectic, high-pressure, hierarchical environment of a first-class restaurant kitchen. It is quite awe-inspiring to see Jones’ staff sweat, burn, bleed, live and breathe culinary creativity and test the boundaries of taste and smell. But in his quest for perfection, Jones’ behaviour is so contemptible, so physically and psychologically violent, that any attempt to elicit empathy from the audience by linking Jones’ actions to ‘a difficult childhood’ ultimately makes this film hard to swallow.

MAJELLA CARMODY

@bmamag

PALACE CINEMAS

ALEX AND EVE Australia – we are told from countless sources – is a multicultural nation. But what does this actually mean? How different are the sub-groups of people in Australia and how does one assimilate without disrespecting their heritage?

Alex (Richard Brancatisano) is a Greek Orthodox schoolteacher whose well-meaning, somewhat bossy parents want him to marry a nice Greek girl. Eve (Andrea Demetriades) is a Lebanese Muslim lawyer who’s wellmeaning and incredibly bossy parents want her to marry the nice Muslim man they’ve picked out for her. Thus when the two meet and romantic sparks fly, a culturally charged drama ensues.

Alex and Eve is an enjoyable tour inside your neighbour’s house and into a way of life previously not well explored. Imagining having to seek parental approval before becoming engaged and explaining to your mother why an arranged marriage isn’t going to work for you will seem scarily familiar to some Australians and completely foreign to others.

The point that is demonstrated beautifully in this film is that the two ‘warring’ families have more in common than not. “Rent is just dead money” is a phrase uttered by both sets of parents for exactly the same reasons (and a nifty reason to give when asked at parties, “why do you still live with your parents?”). It is difficult to honour one’s heritage whilst embracing a new culture.

Perhaps it’s better to stop trying to do both perfectly.

EMMA ROBINSON

THE LAST WITCH HUNTER Sometimes I wonder how certain films ever receive the green light. The Last Witch Hunter falls into that purgatory of fantasy genre film that is utterly stuffed with spiritual mumbo-jumbo and inexplicable CGI-laden escapades, but lacks any charismatic acting or coherent narrative structure. What is the appeal? Does Hollywood just prey on innocents by splashing vaguely paganistic-themed sludge across our screens in the hope that people will be drawn to it like bats out of hell, purely because it’s Halloween? Is it the potential group-cosplay draw-card of a team comprising Riddick, Alfred, Ygritte and Frodo (respectively, Vin Diesel, Michael Caine, Rose Leslie and Elijah Wood)?

I guess ol’ faithful Nic Cage wasn’t available for this movie, so in steps Vin Diesel as Kaulder, some random warrior from the Middle Ages who has been cursed by the Witch Queen to suffer through immortality after he foiled her plans to wipe out humanity with super creepy, deadly plague. Several hundred years and a few Matrix wardrobe changes later, Kaulder’s still serving under the ‘Axe and Cross’, trying to ensure that the witches follow the strict rule that magic must never be used against humans… Good luck with that, Vinny.

Despite laughing hysterically at Kaulder affectionately referring to Michael Caine as “kid” and Elijah Wood’s mod white turtleneck, this film offered little in the way of intentional entertainment. Let’s hope The Last Witch Hunter is actually the last Witch Hunter.

MAJELLA CARMODY

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the word on dvds

TERMINATOR – GENISYS [PARAMOUNT] Let’s be clear – there’s no valid reason for this movie to exist.

That it does is no complaint, but great movies tend to come from a place of necessity and passion.

Genisys seems to have been driven by acceptance of the inevitable – “another Terminator film? Yeah, why not.” But it’s not alone. Two different attempts have been made in the past 15 years to breathe life into the Terminator franchise and both have failed. Neither Rise of the Machines (the Claire Danes one) nor Salvation (the Christian Bale one) successfully re-energised the series. But with some goodwill still left in the tank, third time’s a charm right?

Genisys opens in 2029 with John Connor (Jason Clarke) leading the resistance against Skynet.

In this version, Skynet triggers a time machine sending some sort of space robot back in time to kill John’s mum, Sarah Connor (Emilia Clark). And if that wasn’t close enough to the original Terminator, things soon get wacky when Genisys reverts to the original 1984 film and setting. This means we have two Arnolds to contend with – the original one via digital trickery, doubles and archival footage and the actual, much older one. At this stage of the game, Genisys feels like a weird, fun, ‘greatest hits’ movie. They then jump to 2017 to stop Skynet – an operating system – becoming a reality. This new development is a bit tricky by half. We all make jokes about modern technology and surveillance cameras being Skynet, but here the writers carry that gag through to implementation.

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GOING CLEAR: SCIENTOLOGY AND THE PRISON OF BELIEF [MADMAN] When you put yourself in the public domain, you have to expect that some people will not like what you do, say or believe in. The Church of Scientology spends huge amounts of resources defending their belief structure, and disrupting filmmakers.

They aggressively defend the core tenants of its beliefs and equally aggressively attack those who question it. You get the sense that they can’t take criticism. Going Clear is 120 minutes of logical, researched criticism and question-raising.

Obviously, the Church of Scientology hated it and launched a pre-emptive attack on Alex Gibney (filmmaker), as well as taking out costly full-page ads in the New York Times and the Los Angeles Times denouncing it. Going Clear takes us into the heart of the organisation from those on the outside – those who have left. Speaking out against Scientology has long been a complicated task for ex-Scientologists and we see plenty of examples of that struggle – from full excommunication from families, to invasive surveillance.

Helpfully, it also goes into extensive detail of the man behind its creation and its current-day management.

Though it has become such a part of popular culture through its celebrity adherents, it’s surprising how little we actually know. Going Clear goes a long way to rectify this.

WHEN MARNIE WAS THERE [MADMAN] So this is the end, for now.

With legendary Studio Ghibli ceasing new production after the retirement of co-founder Hayao Miyazaki, the farewells have been protracted. First it was the final Miyazaki film (The Wind Rises), followed by fellow co-founder Isao Takahata’s final film (The Tale of Princess Kaguya). Now it’s the final film of the studio itself, directed

by Hiromasa Yonebayashi, a long-time employee who also directed The Secret World of Arrietty. The oddest thing about this set of circumstances is how conventional this film feels. Leave it to Ghibli to have a pretty basic self-discovery story without a single weird, fictional creature in sight as their grace note – we were not expecting that.

Anna Sasaki (Sara Takatsuki) is a typical emo teenage girl, uncomfortable with almost everything within and around her. After collapsing in a park, she is sent by her adoptive parents to stay with relatives at the seaside village of Kushiro to sort herself out and get some fresh air. Soon after arrival, she spies an abandoned mansion on the other side of a swamp where a mysterious blondehaired girl named Marnie lives.

Anna slips in and out of sleep and reality all the time, haunted by the familiarity of the house and Marnie – is any of this real or not? In one telling edit, Anna’s face profile fade-cuts into Marnie’s.

This series is a victim of its own success. The original 1984 Terminator is rightly regarded as a classic and the sequel – Judgement Day – was a hugely enjoyable juggernaut. Both cast a huge Skynet-sized shadow over anything that followed and no amount of playing with timelines and characters’ motivations changes the fact that just possibly, it might be time to turn Skynet off once and for all.

As a supporter of individual freedom, it’s hard to begrudge Scientology. Obviously a large number of people want to believe. But we don’t have to admire that decision or to not ask awkward questions, especially when tax-free status or alleged misbehaviour is involved. Handling criticism with grace, accountability and good humour is a sign of maturity and confidence. Attacking the messenger sends an altogether different message.

It’s important to clarify that ‘conventional’ is no insult.

If anything, the linear plot structure – with sidesteps into fantasy – creates a larger impact when the full story is finally revealed. Ghibli has a knack of creating complete, emotional worlds from thin air and like all of their films, it is visually flawless; even the bricks are gorgeous. And as with all Ghibli films, it’s best you use the Japanese audio track.

Though this won’t be in any ‘top 10’ list of the studio’s output, it’s still a beautiful, low-key film.

JUSTIN HOOK

JUSTIN HOOK

JUSTIN HOOK

@bmamag

JUSTIN HOOK It’s been a big year for the GRATEFUL DEAD. Fifty years after debuting as The Warlocks at Magoo’s Pizza Parlour in San Jose, they released a career-spanning $1,000, 80-disc, 75-hour box set.

Number 5,270 sits in my living room. One for the completists, as they say.

Then in the northern summer, the ‘core four’ guitarist Bob Weir, bassist Phil Lesh, and drummers Mickey Hart and Bill Kreutzmann reunited for a series of sold-out anniversary shows. Jerry Garcia – benevolent figurehead of the Dead – wasn’t there, of course. He died in 1995 of a heart attack brought on by years of drug abuse and unhealthy living. With Garcia and Pigpen gone, there’s no such thing as the Grateful Dead, so these shows were a ‘tribute’.

As for that box set (30 Trips Around The Sun), it also sold out and is already flipping 40% above retail. And that’s the least of it. In 2013, the Dead introduced a yearly $100 subscription service for four volumes. Archivist Dave Lemieux would scour the vaults, patch together soundboard and audience tapes, remaster and release. The first volume – a half-decent Spring ’77 show – trades anywhere from $400 to $700. Even as a fan, this makes no sense.

How can a long-deceased band demand such devotion? Who exactly are the Grateful Dead and why do they matter?

With over 2,300 shows – many professionally recorded – there’s plenty to sift through. For most bands, live albums were afterthoughts – contractual obligation. Not so for the Dead. Their first official effort, 1969’s Live/Dead captured highlights of their fabled Fillmore West run earlier that year. This is ‘primal Dead’ where acid, booze and speed seep out of every cascading note.

This is the era where Miles Davis paid attention to the Dead. This is the first golden era.

The next golden era was ’72, after their ‘Americana’ detour. By now, the song repertoire had expanded and the sonic palate broadened.

Cowboy tunes (‘El Paso’) and complicated party tunes (‘Playing in the Band’) sat easily next to freaked out psych-jamming. This era is the Dead at their tightest and most professional.

Then there’s the fabled ’77 Spring tour, by which stage prog (Terrapin Station) was in the mix. Barton Hall, May 8 is their most famous show and the 30-minute ‘Scarlet Begonias’>’Fire on the Mountain’ is some of the best music they ever played. Like thousands before, 5/8/77 was my gateway to the Dead. Though added to the Library of Congress in 2011, it has never been released officially.

“We’re in the transportation business. We move minds.” – Mickey Hart

Getting into the Dead, let alone understanding them, isn’t easy. To begin with, they weren’t a singles band. ‘Dark Star’, the song that ultimately defined them (the elongated live version, mind you) sunk on release. A few years later, ‘Truckin’ and ‘Uncle John’s Band’ were popular, but peaked in the bottom half of the Top 100. 16 years later, in their career twilight, the bouncy ‘Touch of Grey’ became an unlikely Top 10 hit.

With the joyful “I will get by, I will survive” refrain, it became a coy celebration of the Dead’s near indestructibleness.

The studio albums are only a marginally better gauge. The early ones show a band rooted in the blues and R&B – experimenting with recording techniques, song structures and LSD. Tiring of the Haight-Ashbury scene, the Dead took a sharp left turn and returned to their roots. Garcia was a minor bluegrass legend before going electric, so the widely heralded folk-rock classics American Beauty and Workingman’s Dead weren’t huge surprises.

Nevertheless, they distort the narrative. After that, there was the good (Wake of the Flood), the average (Mars Hotel), the comeback (Blues for Allah) and the unbearable (Go To Heaven). I rarely visit the studio albums.

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Now comes the hard stuff; the live show. Onstage, the Dead sought and occasionally perfected sonic synchronicity.

Then there was decline, before a two-year purple patch starting in ’89. Approach post-’91 suspiciously.

Being a Grateful Dead fan means taking the good with the bad.

They never rocked as hard as the Stones or Zeppelin, couldn’t touch the Beatles or the Beach Boys in terms of concise pop and weren’t stylish like Roxy or Bowie. But they were true originals: gnarly, ugly, tripped-out weirdos who existed only to play live and attempt transcendence through music.

The stage is the leveller of talent where you rise and fall on the quality of your chops and songs. It’s why fans keep forking over cash to keep the journey alive. It’s why I search ’80s shows looking for a gem. The Grateful Dead matter because they are the embodiment of the classic rock band. As friend and promoter Bill Graham said: “They’re not the best at what they do. They’re the only ones that do what they do.”

59

the word

on gigs

Mustered Courage, Brother Be Transit Bar Friday October 30 Mustered Courage were playing Canberra on a very tricky evening.

It was a night where the gig guides were full to bursting, but it didn’t take long to determine that attending this gig over all the others was a solid decision. Brother Be took to the stage first, presenting a set that was technically impressive, but not as engaging as it could have been due to questionable sound and a set order that seemed flat, before a last-minute rally with a rollicking rock ‘n’ roll closer.

But as soon as Mustered Courage took to the stage, they immediately got the room’s attention. These bluegrass gents possess the kind of incredible musical ability that’s impossible to ignore. A small, dedicated band of fans up the front belted out every word as the rest of the crowd kicked up their heels to the banjofuelled beats. While Brother Be’s set had suffered from a lack of light and shade, Mustered Courage had it down pat, with the usual upbeat jaunts of the genre being balanced out with their own brand of ‘R n Bluegrass’, bringing the tempo down into more mellow tunes, before picking up the pace for another high energy number. While built on a foundation of their own material, they also demonstrated the value of a brilliant cover – their renditions of ‘Fat Bottomed Girls’ and ‘September’ both unique and absolutely stellar.

The entertainment wasn’t just kept to the musical offerings, however. Mischief abounded: cheeky hecklers, local banter, all the way to some incredible shoe-based shenanigans. Between that and the tunes, everyone in that room could confidently say they’d made the right Friday night choice.

NONI DOLL

the word

on gigs

Hands Like Houses, Lower Than Atlantis, Far Away Stables, Young Monks ANU Bar Sunday October 18 Fans were out in force for local openers Young Monks. The indie pop-rockers started with a laidback instrumental, before hitting their stride with a well-crafted set with character, humour, top rhythms and the impressive singing of frontman Sam Koster. Their cover of MGMT’s ‘Electric Feel’ was just sweet! Sydney-siders Far Away Stables opted for a soft lead-in too. Brendan Sheargold gave a demo of the vast range of his vocal chords – building to a screaming intensity, carried along only on the guitar of Mitchell Grace. The rest of the band took their places for a very polished set of nail gun rock, which was smoothed at the edges with keyboard and string samples.

The vocal interplay between Sheargold and Grace is striking, with Sheargold ramping up the rage with a megaphone boost.

UK band Lower Than Atlantis left no doubt as to who they were, with their name projected in huge letters behind them. Hard rockers with pop sensibilities, they matched catchy rhythms with lots of oomph.

The crowd reacted well, but a singalong attempt fell flat, not helped by the singer’s intonations which left some lyrics opaque. Musically however, LTA were the best of the night.

Hands Like Houses scored highest with the audience’s response, getting some lads so amped up that security felt obliged to get them to turn it down. Trenton Woodley commanded “jump!” and they jumped, “clap!”, and they clapped. There was a lot of love for a cover of ‘Torn’, ‘Perspectives’ showcased the quality of their latest LP and the best singalong of the set came with ‘Wisteria’. The band didn’t just play for the fans, but brought the crowd along with them, with Woodley giving a quick talk on the philosophy behind the songs.

60

RORY MCCARTNEY

@bmamag

GEORGE HARCOURT INN

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61

the word

Dallas Frasca, Critical Monkee, Local Horror The Basement Thursday October 22

on gigs

Not-so-straight rockers Local Horror liked to chuck in rhythm changes mid-song. It made it tricky for the drummer, as the tempo cycled through shifts. There was plenty of lowdown grunt in both the vocals and complex riffage. Their cover of Pentagram’s ‘Hurricane’ went over well, being a perfect fit for the band’s style.

The drummer kept his stool for the switch to Critical Monkee, with its stiff-edged guitars tempered by female harmonies. Between Hayley’s softer tones and Jeanie’s deeper vocals, they had it all covered. A favoured band approach was a gentle opening, followed by a ramping up of the amps to slam home the message. The drummer got his vocal interlude too, with a spoken word passage in ‘Oxygen Thief’.

PHOTO BY SOMEFX

The Dallas Frasca set contained all the flamboyant energy her gigs are famous for, as she and guitarist Jeff Curran fed off each other’s energy. The interplay between them was a beautiful thing to see. The drummer was feeling crook, so he got to wear a pair of her ‘magic pants’ (colourful tights). She lamented, “I’m spewing as he looks better in them than me”. Frasca works best with a packed bunch of punters. So when the crowd was a bit spread over the venue, she made her own scrum, storming the barricade with the long mic lead, singing in the midst of us. Then, after a huge group hug, it was time to sit around in a circle for a lecture on the need to go wild, which the crowd promptly did. The night ended with a rare (for the band) encore, with Frasca singing to a ‘birthday boy’, with only the pounding of the bass drum for backing.

RORY MCCARTNEY

the word

My Disco, Automat, Agency, Wives ANU Bar Friday November 13

on gigs

They say it’s passé to talk about the weather, so please forgive my indulgence. The summer deluge that soaked the town served as the only appropriate opener for someone like My Disco, even if it prevented some getting to the venue. As a result, I missed Wives’ set, which was certainly my loss given the punters’ comments around me.

About to release their debut album, Agency have modified their all-out attack just a little, and are better for it. Adding a keyboard into their arsenal, Agency tempered their hypnotic basslines and guitar howls with softer touches. The highlight of their set was ‘High Heat’, representative of how they sound when they really get going.

It was a little bit of a surprise that a side project of Einstürzende Neubauten would come to Canberra, namely Automat. Led by Jochen Arbeit, Automat struggled at first with technical issues, but quickly got down to filling the room with their brand of dub rock, with repetitive riffs punctuated by slide guitar. Perhaps a bit of an odd fit with the other bands on the bill, but a very good set nonetheless.

PHOTO BY MEGAN LEAHY

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My Disco hold a special place for me; they are the band who first gave me tinnitus. The band, comprised of Rohan Rebeiro and brothers Liam and Ben Andrews, have slowly evolved their live show over the years from intensity via speed to intensity by space.

Minimalism has always been in My Disco’s bag of tricks, but never has it been delivered as judiciously as it was this night at ANU Bar. Playing material off their latest album Severe, My Disco leaned on samples and processed atmospherics in addition to their trademark piercing guitars. The set was an exercise in measured sonic brutality, in the best possible way.

CODY ATKINSON

@bmamag

SHENANIGANS MINI FESTIVAL

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63

the word

on gigs

Mix 106.3 Live Royal Theatre Saturday November 7 The big event was billed as ‘1 Night, 12 Acts, 36 Hits’, and the line-up was enough to get any lover of classic ‘80s pop-rock salivating just reading it. The quality of the performances was a bit hit-and-miss early in the show, however. Some artists could still put together a tight set and deliver the goods in a manner that recalled their original glory, but the vocal abilities of a couple were well-off the boil. Mi-Sex set the standard for the night with their delivery of hits, including ‘Computer Games’. Their new vocalist (ex-Noiseworks bassist Steve Balbi) sang the lyrics true to their original style and had a vivacious stage presence. Steve Kilbey gave us the songs, including ‘Unguarded Moment’, which The Church might not play much these days, but which the fans wanted to hear. In a mood to boogie, Kilbey laid down ‘Under the Milky Way’ to interpretive dance moves. There was no mistaking the opening riffs to ‘Bad Boy for Love’, as Angry Anderson and Rose Tattoo absolutely killed it with the lowdown grunt of this rock classic. Dragon scored highest with audience participation though – getting the crowd to sing half their songs for them (everyone knew the words).

While a nervous security staff initially discouraged it, the punters were eventually given permission to get up and dance near the stage, in the aisles – almost anywhere. It’s probably the most energetic, supposedly ‘all seated’ show that has been seen at The Royal for a while. The fans didn’t mind the occasional ragged edge, as they were in their element, lapping up songs of 30 years or more past, with a happy nostalgia the big theme of the evening.

RORY MCCARTNEY

the word

on gigs

PHOTO BY MICHELLE MCCARTNEY

64

Don McGlashan, Fred Smith Smith’s Alternative Wednesday November 11 It was so good to be back at a recently reopened Smith’s Alternative (hurrah!), which now seems roomier with the bookcases removed, and glammed up with pillars decorated by local art students.

Canberra singer Fred Smith provided an intensely personal supporting set with songs about his daughter (who was in the audience and toddled up on stage) and his time in Afghanistan.

Being Remembrance Day, the songs of Australian soldiers were particularly apt. While the subject matter was often dramatic, Smith maintained his casual delivery style, peppered with bursts of harmonica. Tales of death in battle were balanced by a hilarious ditty about the more eccentric habits of the Dutch soldiers in Afghanistan.

There was an ANZAC flavour to the night as Fred Smith was followed by headliner Don McGlashan from NZ, who showed no signs of jet lag after catching a series of three flights in from LA. Fortunately, last minute travel dramas didn’t get in the way of tonight’s show. The intensity of McGlashan’s delivery – eyes closed in concentration with heavier strikes against the guitar strings in songs like ‘Home to the Other Side’ – contrasted starkly with Smith’s more laidback approach. Apart from selections from his latest LP Lucky Stars – the focus of this tour – there were treats for followers of his previous bands. There was the sad beauty of ‘Andy’, from his time with duo The Front Lawn. The old Mutton Birds song ‘While You Sleep’ charmed the room, only exceeded by a terrific version of ‘Dominion Road’ featuring a loop from a Tenor Horn which McGlashan threw together on the spot. A great set, there was a consistent tide of marvelous melodies flowing through the songs.

RORY MCCARTNEY

@bmamag

ENTERTAINMENT GUIDE November 18 – Nov 22

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

WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 18

THURSDAY NOVEMBER 19

ART EXHIBITIONS

ART EXHIBITIONS

Screens

Linea - From Eye to Hand

Until Dec 5. Mon - Fri 9am - 5:30pm Sat 9am - 1pm. Free.

CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ART SPACE (GORMAN HOUSE)

Borland + Borland 2 Nov - 31 Dec.

CANBERRA GLASSWORKS

Oceans Apart, Oceans Between Until 21. Tues - Fri 11am - 5pm, Sat 10am - 4pm. Free.

CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ART SPACE (GORMAN HOUSE)

The Distant Warriors

ANZAC Centenary exhibition inspired

by Indigenous and Maori soldiers. 9 Sp- 19 Nov. CANBERRA GLASSWORKS

Macquarie Digital Portraiture Award 2015 Free. Until Apr 2016.

NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY

Climat etat d’urgence Until 19 Dec.

ALLIANCE FRANÇAISE

Selected Works

Until 21. Tues - Fri 11am - 5pm, Sat 10am - 4pm. Free.

CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ART SPACE (GORMAN HOUSE)

New Work

Until Nov 22. Weds- Sun 11am- 5pm. Free.

CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ART SPACE (GORMAN HOUSE)

The Barbed Maze

By Bruce Trunks.

M16 ARTSPACE

Conviviality

Exhibition of art celebrating food

Majors Creek Festival 2015

Marlon Williams, Kate Burke & Ruth Hazelton, Women in Docs and The Timbers. Tickets at majorscreekfe MAJORS CREEK RECREATION GROUND (NSW)

Robbie Mann Plays Stride Piano

7.30PM. Free. Book online at politbar.co.

QL2 THEATRE

LIVE MUSIC Vendetta

By John Carolan.

ON THE TOWN

Rock or Be Rocked

Skew-whiff

Oscar

ROSE COTTAGE

M16 ARTSPACE

Artists from M16 Artspace’s Hands On Studio.

10pm. Free.

KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

M16 ARTSPACE

Max Cooper

COMEDY

WESTSIDE ACTON PARK

LOL Pol

Every Fri to 6PM.

Stand-up Comedy. 8pm. $5(online) $10(door).

Techno Party Series. 10pm.

Happy Hour

POLIT BAR & LOUNGE

POLIT BAR & LOUNGE

SOMETHING DIFFERENT

LIVE MUSIC

Cluedo Detective Game Night

Staunch Nation

POLIT BAR & LOUNGE

7pm. Politbar.co.

With Burn Out & CSKA. 9pm. $5.

The Salt Room

Dream On Runner

GORMAN HOUSE ARTS CENTRE

THE PHOENIX BAR

With Na Maza, Rumours, Whitefall.

7.30pm. Tickets through oztix.

THE BASEMENT

Annie and the Armadillos 7pm. Free.

NATIONAL PRESS CLUB

ON THE TOWN

Slam Poetry. 7.30PM. $5.

SATURDAY NOVEMBER 21 ART EXHIBITIONS Screens

Until Dec 5. Mon - Fri 9am - 5:30pm Sat 9am - 1pm. Free.

CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ART SPACE (GORMAN HOUSE)

KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

Borland + Borland

Playtime

2 Nov - 31 Dec.

COMEDY

TREEHOUSE BAR

Oceans Apart, Oceans Between

Improv comedy sketch night.

6:30pm. $10.

Passionate contemporary dance by young choreographers. Tix: QL2.org.au.

Live music. 8pm.

Vivid Perception

CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ART SPACE (GORMAN HOUSE)

Schnitz and Giggles

Hot to Trot

POLIT BAR & LOUNGE

STRATHNAIRN HOMESTEAD GALLERY

Chicago Charles & Danger Dave

Until Nov 21. Tues - Fri 11am - 5pm, Sat 10am - 4pm. Free.

DANCE

9pm. Free.

Top 40, Dance, RnB. 10pm. Free entry.

SOMETHING DIFFERENT

CANBERRA GLASSWORKS

ROSE COTTAGE

Classic rock cover band. 8pm.

Heuristic

10.30pm. Free.

KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

The Steptones

With The Gypsy Scholars. 9.30pm. $5.

THE PHOENIX BAR

Majors Creek Festival 2015

Marlon Williams, Kate Burke & Ruth Hazelton, Women in Docs and The Timbers. Tickets at majorscreekfe MAJORS CREEK RECREATION GROUND (NSW)

Confluence feat. Goal to Hurl $15/$10.

AINSLIE ARTS CENTRE

ON THE TOWN Disco Kids & (pa)Rents Dance Off

Under 13s dance fun in a real night club. 3.30-5pm. $15.

POLIT BAR & LOUNGE

Sneaky: Surgin aka Steve Lising From 9PM $5.

TREEHOUSE BAR

Miss Summer Trick Star Amateur Pole Dancing Comp.

5.30pm. $30.

THE BASEMENT

Until 21. Tues - Fri 11am - 5pm, Sat 10am - 4pm. Free.

Taking Flight/The Runway

Speed Talking: Evening Session

CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ART SPACE (GORMAN HOUSE)

ALLIANCE FRANÇAISE

Until 19 Dec.

Fashion Parade. 6pm.

FITTERS WORKSHOP

DIGRESS COCKTAIL BAR

Free for members. 5PM.

Climat etat d’urgence

SOMETHING DIFFERENT

ON THE TOWN

Men Inc

ALLIANCE FRANÇAISE

Fashion and Fantasy

Robot Wars

Live at Reload.

RELOAD BAR & GAMES

SOMETHING DIFFERENT Fashion and Fantasy

12 Sep-22 Nov. Collectors talk Wed 23 Sep at 1PM. CANBERRA MUSEUM AND GALLERY

BAD!SLAM!NO!BISCUIT! Poetry. 8pm. Free.

Every Thurs 5pm. Grooming, style and entertainment for the versatile man. Info @ qtcanberra.com.au/b

Linea - From Eye to Hand

Tarot Card Reading

Until 21. Tues - Fri 11am - 5pm, Sat 10am - 4pm. Free.

QT CANBERRA HOTEL

Booking only 0404364820. 5-7pm.

POLIT BAR & LOUNGE

FRIDAY NOVEMBER 20 COMEDY

THE PHOENIX BAR

Frency

TALKS

UC REFECTORY

7PM. $29 from oztix.

By Bruce Trunks.

M16 ARTSPACE

Selected Works

CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ART SPACE (GORMAN HOUSE)

That’s Not Glass!

Showcase of Katherine Class’ work. 2pm.

CANBERRA GLASSWORKS

Vivid Perception

By John Carolan.

M16 ARTSPACE

New Work

The Burley Griffin

CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ART SPACE (GORMAN HOUSE)

THE POLISH WHITE EAGLE CLUB

The Barbed Maze

7pm. $10.

9pm. Free

Until Nov 21. Tues - Fri 11am - 5pm, Sat 10am - 4pm. Free.

Afternoon Session/Oscar

Skew-whiff

GORMAN HOUSE ARTS CENTRE

S.A.M

TRIVIA

TREEHOUSE BAR

Tranny Trivia

Glamour & Song questions. 8pm.

Book Online.

POLIT BAR & LOUNGE

5pm/10pm. Free.

KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

Lift Off Music Comp 2015 Heats 6pm Fri & 20 Nov.

Meet and talk to artists, view work in progress. 10am-4pm.

CANBERRA GLASSWORKS

WORKSHOPS Make Your Own Paperweight 10am. $70.

CANBERRA GLASSWORKS

SUNDAY NOVEMBER 22

Passionate contemporary dance by young choreographers. Tix: QL2.org.au.

PALACE ELECTRIC CINEMA

EP Launch.

Canberra Glassworks open studios

DANCE

LIVE MUSIC

Why Should We Value The Arts?

CANBERRA MUSEUM AND GALLERY

Until Nov 22. Weds- Sun 11am- 5pm. Free.

The Ownership of Things Talk Fix & Make, 6pm

12 Sep-22 Nov. Collectors talk Wed 23 Sep at 1PM.

CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ART SPACE (GORMAN HOUSE)

Artists from M16 Artspace’s Hands On Studio.

M16 ARTSPACE

Hot to Trot

QL2 THEATRE

LIVE MUSIC Matt Dent 1.30pm.

THE DISTRICT

WODEN YOUTH CENTRE

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65

ENTERTAINMENT GUIDE November 22 – Nov 28 SUNDAY NOVEMBER 22 Amblesides

With Pridelands, Purity, Silver Linings, Stepson. 7pm.

THE BASEMENT

Majors Creek Festival 2015

Marlon Williams, Kate Burke & Ruth Hazelton, Women in Docs and The Timbers. Tickets at majorscreekfe MAJORS CREEK RECREATION GROUND (NSW)

Irish Jam Session

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

KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

SOMETHING DIFFERENT Canberra Glassworks open studios

Meet and talk to artists, view work in progress. 10am-4pm.

CANBERRA GLASSWORKS

SOMETHING DIFFERENT

TRIVIA

Inga Simpson - Mr Wigg & Nest

Tranny Trivia

8pm. musecanberra.com.au.

EAST HOTEL

TRIVIA Nerd Trivia with Joel and Ali

Presented by Impact Records. 7:30pm.

THE PHOENIX BAR

WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 25 ART EXHIBITIONS Screens

Until Dec 5. Mon - Fri 9am - 5:30pm Sat 9am - 1pm. Free.

CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ART SPACE (GORMAN HOUSE)

Borland + Borland 2 Nov - 31 Dec.

CANBERRA GLASSWORKS

Climat etat d’urgence

WORKSHOPS

Until 19 Dec.

Glamour & Song questions. 8pm.

Book Online.

POLIT BAR & LOUNGE

THURSDAY NOVEMBER 26 LIVE MUSIC Benny C And The Associates 7pm. Free.

CIT MUSIC INDUSTRY CENTRE

With The New Gods of Thunder & PJ Michael. $10/$5.

THE PHOENIX BAR

Taking Flight/The Runway

M16 ARTSPACE

MONDAY NOVEMBER 23 LIVE MUSIC The Phoenix Birthday Bootleg Sessions 8pm. Free.

SOMETHING DIFFERENT Blues & W(h)ine

Blues & half price wine. www.politbar.co.

POLIT BAR & LOUNGE

DesignBuzz Lecture Series 7pm. $40/$20.

TUESDAY NOVEMBER 24 KARAOKE

SOMETHING DIFFERENT Shaken and Stirred

Burlesque and cabaret. 7:30pm. $20.

POLIT BAR & LOUNGE

Schnitz and Giggles

ALLIANCE FRANÇAISE

$35.

Improv comedy sketch night.

6:30pm. $10.

Men Inc

FILM

QT CANBERRA HOTEL

Culture Reels: The Five Obstructions $10/$5. 7pm.

GORMAN HOUSE ARTS CENTRE

Check Your Head 10pm. $10/$5.

THE PHOENIX BAR

AINSLIE ARTS CENTRE

Top 40, Dance, RnB. 10pm. Free entry.

Beaujolais Nouveau Party & Raffle

LIVE MUSIC

TALKS

ON THE TOWN

COMEDY

DIGRESS COCKTAIL BAR

THE PHOENIX BAR

Karaoke Salon

M16 ARTSPACE

TALKS 19 Objects: New Ways to Value Talk Fix & Make, 6pm NISHI GALLERY

8PM. Book online at politbar.co.

POLIT BAR & LOUNGE

OPERA THING

Every Fri to 6PM.

POLIT BAR & LOUNGE

With DJ Reload. 9pm.

SOMETHING DIFFERENT

GORMAN HOUSE ARTS CENTRE

Los Chavos

TREEHOUSE BAR

Artists from M16 Artspace’s Hands On Studio.

Happy Hour

Words on a Wire

Vivid Perception

FITTERS WORKSHOP

ON THE TOWN

KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

9pm. Free.

ON THE TOWN

Skew-whiff

HARMONIE GERMAN CLUB

Special K Duo

Playtime

Fashion Parade. 6pm.

8pm.

DIGRESS COCKTAIL BAR

End of year showcase for the CIT Music Industry Centre. 6pm. Free.

By Bruce Trunks.

By John Carolan.

Blues Piano Night

Ruffhouse

CANBERRA GLASSWORKS

M16 ARTSPACE

POLIT BAR & LOUNGE

MICfest

ALLIANCE FRANÇAISE

Linea - From Eye to Hand

7.30PM. Free. Book online at politbar.co.

NATIONAL PRESS CLUB

Make Your Own Paperweight 10am. $70.

Robbie Mann Plays Stride Piano

$5. agac.com.au.

Counter Strike Global Offensive Spring Cup.

RELOAD BAR & GAMES

TALKS Cafe Scientifique

Climate change, science and policy: a difficult romance. Free. 6pm.

ALLIANCE FRANÇAISE

SATURDAY NOVEMBER 28 ART EXHIBITIONS Screens

Until Dec 5. Mon - Fri 9am - 5:30pm Sat 9am - 1pm. Free.

CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ART SPACE (GORMAN HOUSE)

Every Thurs 5pm. Grooming, style and entertainment for the versatile man. Info @ qtcanberra.com.au/b

Borland + Borland

Tarot Card Reading

Until 19 Dec.

POLIT BAR & LOUNGE

Linea - From Eye to Hand

2 Nov - 31 Dec.

CANBERRA GLASSWORKS

Climat etat d’urgence

Booking only 0404364820. 5-7pm.

ALLIANCE FRANÇAISE

The Basement Jerk Off

By Bruce Trunks.

Jerky Tasting night. Contact the Basement for more info. 7pm.

THE BASEMENT

FRIDAY NOVEMBER 27 LIVE MUSIC

M16 ARTSPACE

Vivid Perception

By John Carolan.

M16 ARTSPACE

Skew-whiff

Artists from M16 Artspace’s Hands On Studio.

M16 ARTSPACE

Matt Dent

LIVE MUSIC

TOURIST HOTEL

Matt Dent

7pm.

Tom Hathaway From 9pm. $5.

TREEHOUSE BAR

Ruffhouse & DJ Reload

With Twisted System, Hax, and more. 9pm.

DIGRESS COCKTAIL BAR

Australian Chamber Orchestra, Sol Gabetta With the Basel Chamber Orchestra, 8pm.

LLEWELLYN HALL

Lift Off Music Comp 2015 Finals 6pm Fri 27 Nov.

CIT MUSIC INDUSTRY CENTRE

7pm.

TOURIST HOTEL

Pete Murray $45. 8pm.

CANBERRA THEATRE CENTRE

90’s Night 5pm. Oztix.

THE BASEMENT

Novia Scotia 9pm. $10/$5.

THE PHOENIX BAR

Amber Nichols 6.30pm. $30.

THE ABBEY

Punk Vs. Rock

ON THE TOWN

THE BASEMENT

Oscar

8pm. $15.

Heuristic

10.30pm. Free.

10pm. Free.

KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

Twin Beasts Farewell Tour

The Fuelers & Moochers Inc., 9pm. $10/$5.

THE PHOENIX BAR

66

@bmamag

ENTERTAINMENT GUIDE November 28 – Dec 5 SATURDAY NOVEMBER 28

THEATRE

SOMETHING DIFFERENT

Evangeline

Sneaky: S.A.M.

THE COURTYARD STUDIO

Sneaking in the city’s finest DJs. From 9pm. $5.

TREEHOUSE BAR

Counter Strike Global Offensive Spring Cup.

RELOAD BAR & GAMES

WORKSHOPS

Little dove theatre art.

WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 2 ART EXHIBITIONS Skew-whiff

Artists from M16 Artspace’s Hands On Studio.

Make Your Own Paperweight

M16 ARTSPACE

CANBERRA GLASSWORKS

Until Dec 5. Mon - Fri 9am - 5:30pm Sat 9am - 1pm. Free.

10am. $70.

SUNDAY NOVEMBER 29 LIVE MUSIC Irish Jam Session

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

KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

Matt Dent

Awesome Aussie Roots Music. 3pm.

WILBUR’S CAFE BAR

SOMETHING DIFFERENT Counter Strike Global Offensive Spring Cup.

RELOAD BAR & GAMES

WORKSHOPS Make Your Own Paperweight 10am. $70.

CANBERRA GLASSWORKS

MONDAY NOVEMBER 30 LIVE MUSIC CIT Presents The Bootleg Sessions

8pm. Free.

THE PHOENIX BAR

SOMETHING DIFFERENT Blues & W(h)ine

Blues & half price wine. www.politbar.co.

POLIT BAR & LOUNGE

TUESDAY DECEMBER 1

Screens

CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ART SPACE (GORMAN HOUSE)

Borland + Borland 2 Nov - 31 Dec.

CANBERRA GLASSWORKS

THURSDAY DECEMBER 3 LIVE MUSIC Chris Cornell

Info at livenation.com.au.

LLEWELLYN HALL

Chicago Charles and Dashing Dave 9pm. Free.

KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

TREEHOUSE BAR

Cocoon

2-13 Dec. 12-5pm.

ANCA GALLERY

Improv comedy sketch night.

6:30pm. $10.

DIGRESS COCKTAIL BAR

FILM Walk In My Shoes

M16 ARTSPACE

Until Dec 5. Mon - Fri 9am - 5:30pm Sat 9am - 1pm. Free.

Men Inc

2 Nov - 31 Dec.

QT CANBERRA HOTEL

Booking only 0404364820. 5-7pm.

THEATRE Evangeline

Little dove theatre art.

THE COURTYARD STUDIO

FRIDAY DECEMBER 4

COMEDY Schnitz and Giggles

Skew-whiff

CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ART SPACE (GORMAN HOUSE)

POLIT BAR & LOUNGE

M16 ARTSPACE

ART EXHIBITIONS

SOMETHING DIFFERENT

M16 ARTSPACE

By John Carolan.

SATURDAY DECEMBER 5

Screens

Top 40, Dance, RnB. 10pm. Free entry.

Tarot Card Reading

Vivid Perception

THE COURTYARD STUDIO

Playtime

Linea - From Eye to Hand

By Bruce Trunks.

Little dove theatre art.

ON THE TOWN

Until 19 Dec.

ALLIANCE FRANÇAISE

Evangeline

Artists from M16 Artspace’s Hands On Studio.

Every Thurs 5pm. Grooming, style and entertainment for the versatile man. Info @ qtcanberra.com.au/b

Climat etat d’urgence

THEATRE

LIVE MUSIC The Utopia Experiment $11.73 - $47.45.

NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY

Matt Dent 7pm.

Borland + Borland CANBERRA GLASSWORKS

Climat etat d’urgence Until 19 Dec.

ALLIANCE FRANÇAISE

Linea - From Eye to Hand

By Bruce Trunks.

M16 ARTSPACE

Vivid Perception

By John Carolan.

M16 ARTSPACE

Cocoon

2-13 Dec. 12-5pm.

ANCA GALLERY

COMEDY A Very Canberra Comedy Festival Christmas $37-$39. 7.30pm.

CANBERRA THEATRE CENTRE

LIVE MUSIC

Stories By Muslim Women in Canberra.

6pm. Free. Booking Required.

TOURIST HOTEL

Beyond Opera Concert

Robbie Mann Plays Stride Piano

QUEANBEYAN UNITING CHURCH

THEATRE

POLIT BAR & LOUNGE

GORMAN HOUSE ARTS CENTRE

Evangeline

Little dove theatre art.

THE COURTYARD STUDIO

TRIVIA Tranny Trivia

Glamour & Song questions. 8pm.

Book Online.

POLIT BAR & LOUNGE

KARAOKE Karaoke Salon

8PM. Book online at politbar.co.

POLIT BAR & LOUNGE

ANDREA KERWEN

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7.30PM. Free. Book online at politbar.co.

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10pm. Free.

KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

7.30pm. $25/$15.

The Utopia Experiment $11.73 - $47.45.

NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY

The Surrogates 10.30pm. Free.

KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

ON THE TOWN

ON THE TOWN

Happy Hour

Sneaky: Lucrative & NORM

Every Fri to 6PM.

POLIT BAR & LOUNGE

9PM . $5.

TREEHOUSE BAR

SOMETHING DIFFERENT

SOMETHING DIFFERENT

Summer Garden Party

Hustle & Scout

6pm. $10/$15.

GORMAN HOUSE ARTS CENTRE

Twilight fashion market, 3-8pm, free entry LITTLE NATIONAL HOTEL

CANBERRA POTTERS SOCIETY

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ENTERTAINMENT GUIDE December 5 – Dec 17 SATURDAY DECEMBER 5 “Murder in The House” Who Dunnit Game Night $45.

POLIT BAR & LOUNGE

THEATRE Evangeline

Little dove theatre art.

THE COURTYARD STUDIO

SUNDAY DECEMBER 6

TRIVIA Tranny Trivia

Glamour & Song questions. 8pm.

Book Online.

POLIT BAR & LOUNGE

THURSDAY DECEMBER 10 ART EXHIBITIONS M16 Artspace Drawing Prize 2015 Galleries 1, 2 & 3.

M16 ARTSPACE

LIVE MUSIC Irish Jam Session

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

KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

MONDAY DECEMBER 7

ON THE TOWN Playtime

Top 40, Dance, RnB. 10pm. Free entry.

TREEHOUSE BAR

SOMETHING DIFFERENT

SOMETHING DIFFERENT

“Murder in The House” Who Dunnit Game Night

Blues & W(h)ine

POLIT BAR & LOUNGE

Blues & half price wine. www.politbar.co.

POLIT BAR & LOUNGE

TUESDAY DECEMBER 8

$45.

Men Inc

Every Thurs 5pm. Grooming, style and entertainment for the versatile man. Info @ qtcanberra.com.au/b QT CANBERRA HOTEL

SATURDAY DECEMBER 12 ART EXHIBITIONS M16 Artspace Drawing Prize 2015 Galleries 1, 2 & 3.

M16 ARTSPACE

Until 19 Dec.

ALLIANCE FRANÇAISE ANCA GALLERY

The Illusionists 1903

DANCE Hot to Trot

Passionate contemporary dance by young choreographers. Tix: QL2.org.au.

QL2 THEATRE

LIVE MUSIC Special K

10.30pm. Free.

KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

East West Death Grind Fest THE BASEMENT

Karaoke Salon

THEATRE

ON THE TOWN

POLIT BAR & LOUNGE

The Illusionists 1903

Sneaky: Surgin aka Steve Lising

8pm. $20/$25.

POLIT BAR & LOUNGE

THEATRE The Illusionists 1903 $45-$99.

CANBERRA THEATRE CENTRE

WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 9

FRIDAY DECEMBER 11

From 9PM $5.

TREEHOUSE BAR

Chrome

Resident DJs playing industrial, EBM, alternative, dark electronic. $10/$5.

7.30PM. Free. Book online at politbar.co.

POLIT BAR & LOUNGE

Awesome Aussie Roots Music. 9:30pm.

9am-3pm. Free.

CANBERRA THEATRE CENTRE

WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 16 ART EXHIBITIONS M16 Artspace Drawing Prize 2015

Galleries 1, 2 & 3.

M16 ARTSPACE

Borland + Borland

Schnitz and Giggles

The Illusionists 1903 $45-$99.

CANBERRA THEATRE CENTRE

8pm. $15.

DANCE

Heuristic

Hot to Trot

Pantera Tribute Night

Cocoon

THE BASEMENT

ANCA GALLERY

10.30pm. Free.

KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

ON THE TOWN Happy Hour

Every Fri to 6PM.

DIGRESS COCKTAIL BAR

POLIT BAR & LOUNGE

FILM

THEATRE

20 Feet From Stardom

The Illusionists 1903 $45-$99.

CANBERRA THEATRE CENTRE

Until 19 Dec.

THEATRE

ALLIANCE FRANÇAISE

Until 19 Dec.

CANBERRA GLASSWORKS

COMEDY

Climat etat d’urgence

CANBERRA THEATRE CENTRE

$45-$99.

EXHIBITION PARK IN CANBERRA (EPIC)

SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE

$45-$99.

The Illusionists 1903

ALLIANCE FRANÇAISE

Robbie Mann Plays Stride Piano

EP Launch. 9pm.

The Illusionists 1903

THEATRE

Canberra Christmas Markets

Happy Axe

THEATRE

POLIT BAR & LOUNGE

Climat etat d’urgence

CANBERRA GLASSWORKS

GORMAN HOUSE ARTS CENTRE

Karaoke Salon

8PM. Book online at politbar.co.

ANU FOOD CO-OP

End of Year Party. 7pm. $10/$8.

2 Nov - 31 Dec.

8pm. $10/$5.

KARAOKE

SOMETHING DIFFERENT

DURHAM CASTLE ARMS

Improv comedy sketch night.

6:30pm. $10.

TUESDAY DECEMBER 15

Acoustic Soup

Borland + Borland

Schnitz and Giggles

CANBERRA THEATRE CENTRE

2 Nov - 31 Dec.

Matt Dent

COMEDY

$45-$99.

DIGRESS COCKTAIL BAR

LIVE MUSIC

ART EXHIBITIONS

2-13 Dec. 12-5pm.

POLIT BAR & LOUNGE

THEATRE

2-13 Dec. 12-5pm.

THE DUXTON

Benefits with Friends

Blues & half price wine. www.politbar.co.

Cocoon

Matt Dent

CANBERRA THEATRE CENTRE

MONDAY DECEMBER 14

Blues & W(h)ine

Climat etat d’urgence

POLIT BAR & LOUNGE

ON THE TOWN

CANBERRA THEATRE CENTRE

CANBERRA GLASSWORKS

Tarot Card Reading

$45-$99.

$45-$99.

SOMETHING DIFFERENT

2 Nov - 31 Dec.

7pm on Oct 3. 8.30pm 12 Dec.

8PM. Book online at politbar.co.

The Illusionists 1903

Borland + Borland

Booking only 0404364820. 5-7pm.

KARAOKE

THEATRE

SUNDAY DECEMBER 13

Passionate contemporary dance by young choreographers. Tix: QL2.org.au.

QL2 THEATRE

LIVE MUSIC Matt Dent 12pm.

THE GEORGE HARCOURT INN

Improv comedy sketch night.

6:30pm. $10.

DIGRESS COCKTAIL BAR

THEATRE The Illusionists 1903 $45-$99.

CANBERRA THEATRE CENTRE

TRIVIA Tranny Trivia

Glamour & Song questions. 8pm.

Book Online.

POLIT BAR & LOUNGE

THURSDAY DECEMBER 17

Irish Jam Session

ON THE TOWN

KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

Top 40, Dance, RnB. 10pm. Free entry.

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

SOMETHING DIFFERENT Canberra Christmas Markets 9am-3pm. Free.

EXHIBITION PARK IN CANBERRA (EPIC)

Playtime

TREEHOUSE BAR

SOMETHING DIFFERENT Men Inc

Every Thurs 5pm. Grooming, style and entertainment for the versatile man. Info @ qtcanberra.com.au/b QT CANBERRA HOTEL

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ENTERTAINMENT GUIDE December 17 – Jan 17 THURSDAY DECEMBER 17 Tarot Card Reading

Booking only 0404364820. 5-7pm.

POLIT BAR & LOUNGE

FRIDAY DECEMBER 18 LIVE MUSIC Matt Dent

7pm.

TOURIST HOTEL

Robbie Mann Plays Stride Piano 7.30PM. Free. Book online at politbar.co.

POLIT BAR & LOUNGE

Cellblock ‘69

Tickets through moshtix.

THE BASEMENT

ON THE TOWN Happy Hour

Every Fri to 6PM.

POLIT BAR & LOUNGE

SATURDAY DECEMBER 19 ART EXHIBITIONS M16 Artspace Drawing Prize 2015

Galleries 1, 2 & 3.

M16 ARTSPACE

Borland + Borland 2 Nov - 31 Dec.

CANBERRA GLASSWORKS

Climat etat d’urgence Until 19 Dec.

ALLIANCE FRANÇAISE

SOMETHING DIFFERENT Canberra Blues Society Monthly Jams

Dorothy-Jane Band. 2pm. $3/$5.

HARMONIE GERMAN CLUB

MONDAY DECEMBER 21 SOMETHING DIFFERENT Blues & W(h)ine

Blues & half price wine. www.politbar.co.

POLIT BAR & LOUNGE

TUESDAY DECEMBER 22 KARAOKE

FRIDAY DECEMBER 25 LIVE MUSIC

LIVE MUSIC

Robbie Mann Plays Stride Piano

Matt Dent

7.30PM. Free. Book online at politbar.co.

Matt Dent

ON THE TOWN

THE GEORGE HARCOURT INN

Playtime

ON THE TOWN

TREEHOUSE BAR

8pm.

2 Nov - 31 Dec.

CANBERRA GLASSWORKS

TRIVIA

Tarot Card Reading

Booking only 0404364820. 5-7pm.

POLIT BAR & LOUNGE

Men Inc

Every Thurs 5pm. Grooming, style and entertainment for the versatile man. Info @ qtcanberra.com.au/b

CANBERRA GLASSWORKS

QT CANBERRA HOTEL

ON THE TOWN

SATURDAY JANUARY 2

Sneaky: NORM 9pm. $5.

TREEHOUSE BAR

ON THE TOWN Sneaky: Surgin aka Steve Lising

MONDAY DECEMBER 28

Tranny Trivia

SOMETHING DIFFERENT

POLIT BAR & LOUNGE

Blues & half price wine. www.politbar.co.

Glamour & Song questions. 8pm.

Book Online.

THURSDAY DECEMBER 24

Blues & W(h)ine

Confluence

Karaoke Salon

8pm. $15/$10.

Top 40, Dance, RnB. 10pm. Free entry.

AINSLIE ARTS CENTRE

TREEHOUSE BAR

ON THE TOWN

SOMETHING DIFFERENT

Sneaky: Surgin aka Steve Lising

Tarot Card Reading

TREEHOUSE BAR

Men Inc

Booking only 0404364820. 5-7pm.

QT CANBERRA HOTEL

FemaleCentric

Vee Malnar. Paintings and photographs.

5-18 Jan. THE FRONT GALLERY AND CAFÉ

SATURDAY JANUARY 16

8PM. Book online at politbar.co.

POLIT BAR & LOUNGE

WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 30

POLIT BAR & LOUNGE

Every Thurs 5pm. Grooming, style and entertainment for the versatile man. Info @ qtcanberra.com.au/b

TREEHOUSE BAR

ART EXHIBITIONS

TUESDAY DECEMBER 29 KARAOKE

From 9PM $5.

WEDNESDAY JANUARY 6

POLIT BAR & LOUNGE

Playtime

LIVE MUSIC

SOMETHING DIFFERENT

2 Nov - 31 Dec.

ON THE TOWN

SUNDAY DECEMBER 20

TREEHOUSE BAR

SATURDAY DECEMBER 26

LIVE MUSIC

From 9PM $5.

S.A.M. & NORM. 9pm. $5.

POLIT BAR & LOUNGE

Borland + Borland

Borland + Borland

NYE 2016

Every Fri to 6PM.

POLIT BAR & LOUNGE

ART EXHIBITIONS

Top 40, Dance, RnB. 10pm. Free entry.

Happy Hour

ART EXHIBITIONS

WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 23

9pm.

CHISHOLM TAVERN

POLIT BAR & LOUNGE

Karaoke Salon

8PM. Book online at politbar.co.

THURSDAY DECEMBER 31

ART EXHIBITIONS Borland + Borland

2 Nov - 31 Dec.

LIVE MUSIC Festival All Sorts

2 Stages, 25 acts. 12pm.

THE BASEMENT

SUNDAY JANUARY 17

CANBERRA GLASSWORKS

COMEDY

Matt Dent

Jimmy Carr

Awesome Aussie Roots Music. 3pm.

Funny business tour.

WILBUR’S CAFE BAR

CANBERRA THEATRE CENTRE

OUT

DEC 14

CANBERRA PRIDE QUESTIONING BEST ALBUMS OF 2015 ...AND MORE!

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FIRST CONTACT SIDE A: BMA BAND PROFILE

Aaron Peacey 0410381306 band.afternoon.shift@ gmail.com.au Adam Hole 0421023226

Afternoon Shift 0402055314

Kayo Marbilus facebook.com/kayomarbilus1

Amphibian Sound PA Clare 0410308288

Kurt’s Metalworx (PA) 0417025792

Annie & The Armadillos Annie (02) 61611078/ 0422076313 Aria Stone sax/flute/lute/ harmonica, singer-songwriter Aria 0411803343

AGENCY Where did your band name come from? To tap the agency of the four of us with intent to write and play music. It’s Latin, right?

Group members? Luke Robert (bass, vocals), Shoeb Ahmad (guitar, vocals), Hew Atkin (guitar, vocals) and Josh Bates (drums, vocals).

Describe your sound: That’s always a hard one. You always want to think that you have a unique take on a particular style or genre, but it’s also great if people get where you are coming from by drawing comparisons.

Who are your influences, musical or otherwise? Obvious signposts might include Fugazi, The Mark of Cain, Unwound and Mission of Burma, but we listen and talk about a lot of different music between us – Tortoise, PJ Harvey, The Mint Chicks and Portishead came up amongst conversations last week.

What’s the most memorable experience you’ve had whilst performing? Sharing and contributing music you have an affinity to with strangers and long-time and new friends is always liberating.

Of what are you proudest so far? That would definitely have to be the release of our upcoming LP, The Stillness of Speed. We recorded it ourselves over four days at the Street Theatre. It’s out now via hellosQuare recordings.

What makes you laugh? Punk rock Pete (@warramoose) and Glen the song and dance man (@glenroiheights) from Waterford are wizards of wit. Andy from Ramps provides a safe place for those in the aspirational dad joke game.

What about the local scene would you change? We want more interplay between scenes as there’s so much interesting music out there at the moment. Our LP launch in Canberra is like a mini festival with a whole heap of great local groups – Primary Colours, p a r k s, Passive Smoke, Evan Dorrian, Otiose Duo – who you might not always see on the same bill.

What are your upcoming gigs? The Street Theatre on Saturday December 5, where we’ll be launching our LP. Contact info: agencycbr.com or agencycbr@gmail.com.

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 Bridge Between, The Cam 0431550005 Chris Harland Blues Band, The Chris 0418 490 649 chrisharlandbluesband @gmail.com Cole Bennetts Photography 0415982662 Danny V Danny 0413502428 Dawn Theory Nathan 0402845132 Danny 0413502428 Dorothy Jane Band, The Dorothy Jane 0411065189 dorothy-jane@dorothyjane.com Drumassault Dan 0406 375 997 Feldons, The 0407 213 701 Fire on the Hill Aaron 0410381306 Lachlan 0400038388 Fourth Degree Vic 0408477020 Gareth Dailey DJ/Electronica Gareth 0414215885 Groovalicious Corporate/ weddings/private functions 0448995158 Guy The Sound Guy Live & Studio Sound Engineer 0400585369 guy@guythesoundguy.com

Los Chavos Latin/ska/reggae Rafa 0406647296 Andy 0401572150 Merloc - Recording Studio, Watson. Sam King: 0430484363. sam@ merlocrecords.com 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 Rafe Morris 0416322763 Redletter Ben 0421414472 Redsun Rehearsal Studio Ralph 0404178996/ (02) 61621527 Rug, The Jol 0417273041 Sewer Sideshow Huck 0419630721 Simone & The Soothsayers Singing teacher Simone 62304828 Sorgonian Twins, The Mark 0428650549 Soundcity Rehearsal Studio Andrew 0401588884 STonKA Jamie 0422764482 stonka2615@gmail.com Strange Hour Events Dan 0411112075 Super Best Friends Greg greg@gunfever.com.au System Addict Jamie 0418398556

Haunted Attics band@hauntedatticsmusic.com

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

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Johnny Roadkill Paulie 0408287672 paulie_mcmillan@live.com.au

Zoopagoo zoopagoo@gmail.com

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THE GREEN SHED

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WELCOME TO DESIGN CANBERRA AVI AMESBURY Looked at through the window of design, Canberra is an uncommonly rich landscape of innovation and opportunity. Our city hosts renowned educational institutions; it hosts national level planning and architectural peak bodies, it hosts our nation’s cultural institutions and boasts a high concentration of practicing craft artists and designers. DESIGN Canberra brings all these strands of Canberra’s identity together to enhance Canberra in an increasingly design savvy world.

It showcases this strong network, raising consciousness about the fundamental application of design in all aspects of daily life and makes Canberra synonymous with excellent, innovative design and business practices.

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DESIGN Canberra is authentic and playful and at the leading edge of design conversation and practice. It extends the perception of

AD SPACE Canberra as a creative, stylish, contemporary and entrepreneurial city.

DESIGN Canberra encapsulates the ambition of younger generations, who come to Canberra to study, then stay and develop their practise and business. Generations that prize originality and resourcefulness and value the benefits of community and collaboration. Canberra is a dynamic and artistic city, well connected to the rest of Australia and the world. You don’t have to leave Canberra to see successful thriving design and craft-based careers, F!NK + Co, SKEEHAN, Kirsty Rea, Alison Jackson and Elliott Bastion of Six Wiluna to name just a few of the hundreds you will discover during the nine-day festival.

Connecting the creative industries to audiences, markets and collaborators, DESIGN Canberra creates a platform for showing, discussing, selling and developing craft and design in the Canberra community. DESIGN Canberra is well on the way to being recognised as part of the international calendar of design festivals, festivals that put the spotlight on the creative economies of world-leading cities.

It raises awareness of Canberra as a world-class design city and increases a global focus on Australian design, reinforcing our longerterm ambition for Canberra to join this network of other cities around the world.

DESIGN Canberra objectives are ambitious but achievable. They have arisen collaboratively from leading individuals, organisations and institutions in Canberra’s design industry. The enthusiasm with which so many Canberra communities have engaged with DESIGN Canberra is remarkable. Its appeal lay in its emphasis on design ideas and experiences, and authentic programing based on compelling and creative engagement with broad aspects of design.

Design is a universal language and Canberrans are global thinkers. They care deeply about their local ecology, about the arts, and their urban environment and pride themselves on the fertile ground it provides for taking on the big challenges. Our sponsors, partners and supporters are taking the lead, meeting these challenges and embracing DESIGN Canberra’s ambitions head-on.

Craft ACT is immensely proud to be working with so many artists, designers, businesses, professional bodies and cultural institutions to present DESIGN Canberra in 2015.

DESIGN Canberra launches at the National Portrait Gallery on Thursday 19 November at 6pm.

We welcome you to DESIGN Canberra.

Avi Amesbury CEO/Artistic Director Craft ACT: Craft and Design Centre

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Q&A WITH LEAH HEISS As a trans-disciplinary designer, Leah Heiss’ practice is at the nexus of art, design and science, using advanced technologies to develop potent human-scale projects. Her process is deeply collaborative.

Leah works with experts from nanotechnology through to manufacturing. Current projects include new forms for hearing technologies, biosignal sensing jewellery, emergency jewellery for times of crisis, swallowable devices to detect gas fluctuations within the body, and ongoing experimentation with next generation materials. Leah holds a BA (Communications), a Bachelor of Design (Interior Design), a Masters of Design (SIAL) and is currently studying for a PhD in Fashion and Textiles at RMIT University.

How did you first get into art and design?

After my first degree (Bachelor of Communications at the University of Canberra) I worked for a while in the advertising industry and travelled before realising that I needed to pursue a much more creative pathway. It was while living in the UK and encountering the work of Anish Kapoor and a range of other spatial installation artists that I realised I was interested in creating immersive spatial experiences. This was what led to my return to Australia to study Interior Design. That, in turn, led to a Masters in wearable technologies at the Spatial Information Architecture Laboratory and the establishment of my practice working between design, science and technology.

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Design has a strong role to play in destigmatising our health technologies

facilitators.

The outcomes were amazing but so was the development of a cohort of really extraordinary technology focused people who have gone on to do great things. The other key influence was my 2008-9 residency with Nanotechnology Victoria supported by Arts Victoria and ANAT during which I developed the Diabetes Jewellery and Arsenic projects. This was really when I turned my attention to designing for health and wellbeing and realised that design has a strong role to play in de-stigmatising our health technologies.

What projects are you currently developing? And who are you collaborating with?

I’m currently working with a very progressive hearing aid company called Blamey Saunders Hears to develop technologies for hearing loss. This is such an under-explored area for designers and the work is really rewarding.

I’m also working on a range of bio-signal sensing jewellery devices, which incorporate woven textile structures. These are jewellery items, which can deliver a full cardiac waveform to a practitioner and are for people who have recently suffered heart arrhythmia, but they are designed to look like cherished possessions rather than medical devices. Think a beautiful necklace that is comfortable but that is also helping to keep you well.

What do you find most rewarding about your career?

I love the opportunity to work with people from a wide range of disciplines and expertise areas. Within my current project I’m working with weavers, doctors, electronics engineers, researchers and other designers. Also, it’s a great challenge to keep the final user of the technology in mind at all times through the complexity of a project. The idea that I can design a therapeutic technology for an unwell person that doesn’t look medical, clunky or beige definitely keeps me motivated.

You are a speaker in the DESIGN Buzz series, as part of the DESIGN Canberra festival. Can you give us a sneak peak of what you will be talking about?

Diabetes Jewellery ring and nano-engineered patch, 2007-8, Leah Heiss. Supported by Nanotechnology Victoria. Image Narelle Sheean

At the DESIGN Buzz talk I’ll be looking at the key role that thoughtful design can play in de-stigmatising medical technologies. I’ll also talk about emotional design – really engaging with the lived experience of people while designing technologies for health and wellbeing – and the difference this might make in the world.

Can you tell us a little more about your practice as a transdisciplinary designer?

Through my research and practice I am focused on developing projects that aim to improve or even save life. While these take many forms there are several recurrent themes: all of my projects are developed in a trans-disciplinary context with experts from a range of fields; all projects seek to ‘de-stigmatise’ therapeutic devices through thoughtful design; and all of my work is designed using iterative processes.

What and or who are some of your biggest influences?

One of the pivotal influences in my practice was being a participant in the 2007 ANAT ReSkin Wearable Technologies workshop that was hosted by the ANU School of Art. This was an amazing experience in which 20 artists and designers were brought in from around Australia to live at ANU for 3 weeks and develop wearable technology projects with the help of incredible international

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