RECRUITMENT HIVE TECH SPECIALISTS
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[CONTENTS]
[Canberra’s
Guide]
Entertainment
#514
Mar/Apr
BMA - promoting and celebrating the art of humans human-ing
ART, NOT APART FESTIVAL 10TH ANNIVERSARY LOWDOWN
p. 16
Mail: 36/97 Eastern Valley Way Belconnen, ACT 2617 Publisher Radar Media Pty Ltd General Manager Allan Sko T: (02) 6257 4360 E: advertising@bmamag.com Editor Allan Sko E: editorial@bmamag.com Accounts Manager Ashish Doshi T: (02) 6247 4816 E: accounts@bmamag.com Graphic Designer/Cover Design Juliette Dudley
POD PEOPLE
p. 15
NATIONAL FOLK FESTIVAL
DISMANTLE
p. 20
COWBOY JUNKIES
p. 20
Film Columnist Cam Williams Entertainment Guide Editor Allan Sko Social Media Manager Allan Sko Columnists Ruth O’Brien, Josh Nixon, Niamh McCool, Cody Atkinson, Allan Sko Contributors Frankie McNair, Rory McCartney, Cara Lennon, Ruth O’Brien, Cody Atkinson, Vince Leigh, Jeremy Edwards, John P Harvey, Travis Cragg, Allan Sko NEXT ISSUE #514 OUT Thursday, 2 April
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EDITORIAL DEADLINE Friday, 20 March ADVERTISING DEADLINE Wednesday, 25 March 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.
STUART MCMILLEN
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CHRIS RYAN
p. 30
KIRSTY WEBECK
p. 31
TIM FERGUSON
ES 199 T 2 PAGE 10
MELB SKA ORCHESTRA p. 32
IVA DAVIES - ICEHOUSE p. 34
DOROTHY-JANE @bmamag p.39
FROM THE BOSSMAN BY ALLAN SKO [ALLAN@BMAMAG.COM]
As my daughters are rapidly approaching the age of owning a car and *gulp* actually driving one (mercifully still a-ways off) my mind turned to my first car. It was an “Alpine white” 1972 Renault 12. Its European origin meant everything was on the opposite side to where you had just been taught over a terror-filled few months. Often, at times of stress, you found yourself frantically cleaning the windows when you wanted to turn left, or pointlessly indicating during a violent storm. In the cold months, the heater had the intensity of an old man blowing air through a straw. One would clamber into the car after a late night lecture at UC and desperately try to switch on the heater with hands so numb they could barely clasp the steering wheel. The 15-minute kick in time meant the first semblance of warmth finally sputtered through the vent just as you arrived home. You didn’t need a stereo when your chattering teeth provided a fitting soundtrack (fortunate, as there wasn’t one anyway). In summer, a Swedish sauna couldn’t touch the Renault 12 for its unmatched steam and condensation generation. Many a time I had to shoo an overweight Scandinavian man dressed in nothing but a towel from the passenger seat, such was the allure of my tiny metal sweatbox. The car was also an excellent way of socialising. It predated, quite alarmingly, handy little modern features we now take for granted, like a noise to make you aware that your headlights were still on after the engine was off. This allowed my forgetful self to meet many of Canberra’s finer citizens as they kindly offered me a jumpstart throughout the years. Yes, everyone remembers fanging around in their first bomb, that spluttery old banger that barely scraped you from A to B and ensured your mechanic’s early retirement. It was a ticket to freedom; you could go anywhere, any time (petrol money permitting, of course, and it was often not permitting). It was also a rites of passage. Sure, you suffered - either through sweating, freezing, or occasional electrocution - but it was all about ‘doing your time’ before getting a real job and affording a proper car. It’s different now, o’ course. With the advance of technology and the vagaries of the industry, good cars are getting cheaper. By the time my daughters reach that car-getting age, self-driving cars with in-built coffee machine and glovebox hot breakfast option will be standard. And this is all A Good Thing, no doubt; we want to be safer on the roads after all. But there’s something lingeringly melancholic about it, too. My daughters won’t have to suffer character-building occasions like enjoying a dead battery or engaging wipers to turn right, and there’s something not quite right about that. The end of an era is always hard. Ahhhhh, Renault 12. You were a shitty, shitty car. But I loved you, and the memories remain. facebook.com/bmamagazine
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[HOT TIX]
Kapa Haka Festival / Exhibition/ 13-14 Mar / Exhibition Park Celebrate the heart, soul, and history of New Zealand when the Australian Māori National Committee of Performing Arts proudly presents the 8th National Māori Kapa Haka Festival 2020. The National Kapa Haka Festival is a celebration of Māori performing arts with the groups competing in seven categories including tribal chant, poi dance, haka, and action song. It’s an all day event - gates open at 7am for an 8:30am start - with an After Party to boot. Tix range from $10 for Child, $20 for Adult, to $50 for a Family Pass and are available from trybooking.com
Rap Thali / Braidwood’s first ever hip hop show/ Sat, 21 Mar / Smokey Horse Canberra comely cousin, Beautiful Braidwood, is having its first ever hip hop show thanks to Smokey Horse to celebrate Harmony Day. Rap Thali brings together diverse flavas on a smorgasbord of riddims, featuring rappers and DJs: Maleezy, WeirdoGvng, Gabbadoo, Jemist, and Karuna. Keepin’ it trill with famed Smokey Horse curries and snacks. All ages welcome! Doors open 5pm. Tickets $10 (show only) or dinner + drink + show for $30, available at s mokeyhorse.eventbrite.com
Flickerfest/ 29th Short Film Festival / 1 & 2 Apr / Palace Electric Cinema Celebrating its 29th year in 2020, Flickerfest remains Australia’s leading Academy® Qualifying and BAFTA recognised short film festival, presenting a selection of entertaining, inspiring, and award-winning films hand-picked from the festival’s 3,500 entries. And it’s now over two nights, with the inaugural ASEAN region shorts programme and, of course, highlights from the Best of Australian Shorts, which is followed up by a fully catered afterparty with drinks and nibbles included in the ticket price. For tix and info https://flickerfest.com.au/tour/canberra/ PAGE 12
UPCOMING EVENTS
Eleanor McEvoy / Irish singer-songwriter / Thu, 19 Mar / Tuggeranong Arts Centre A highly talented multi-instrumentalist, Eleanor switches freely from acoustic to electric guitar, piano, and fiddle, engaging her audience with stories of her songs and experiences on the road. Her critically acclaimed canon spans 15 albums and numerous compilation appearances. Her song Sophie deals with the subject of anorexia; it is used internationally in treatment centres to assist patients and was described by David Smith in The Guardian as, “touching, inspiring and consoling thousands of anorexic girls around the world”. 7pm, tix $35 - www.trybooking.com/BHEGS
Running In The Shadows / #1 Fleetwood Mac tribute band/ Fri, 27 Mar / The Basement Internationally acclaimed Australian Fleetwood Mac Show Running In The Shadows is heading back to Canberra to pay homage to the superstar band. The six-piece explore Fleetwood Mac’s extensive back catalogue, covering all the classic ballads, blues, and rock songs from their five decade plus career. Renowned as Australia’s number one tribute to this iconic band, RitS play to sell out venues, and consistenly wow audiences into believing they were experiencing the real deal on stage. From 8pm, tix $32 from https://www.oztix.com.au/
Googfest 2020 / Canberra House Social Par-tey! Sat, 4 Apr / Rockley Oval, Googong Googong’s FREE live music festival, Googfest 2020, is on again. The event will see much loved ‘90s and early 2000s Australian band Bachelor Girl headline the festival. The duo will be supported by local Canberra artists The Baker Boys Band and Aya Yves, as well as former X-Factor star Nathaniel. You can purchase something from the food vendors there on the night, or bring a picnic and enjoy the show. Dogs are welcome if they are on a lead, and free buses are available. From 5-9pm, more info at https:// googong.net/news-and-events/googfest-4-april-2020
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LOCALITY
[THE WORD ON LOCAL MUSIC] WITH RUTH O’BRIEN. SEND YOUR GIGS AND INFO TO: [RUTHMVOBRIEN@GMAIL.COM]
Over in Queanbeyan we now have The QBN Hive. This beautifullyrestored cottage has pressed tin walls, exposed floorboards and fireplaces – including the original Bega wood stove in what was the old kitchen – and speaks to life of more than a century ago.
Endrey, Kirrah Amosa, and Citizen Kay all have new music out Hey guys! Welcome to another taster of some of the great art, events, and creative initiatives of Canberra. Let’s jump in! Autumn is the season for all things festival in Canberra. Enlighten is currently taking place for one. An aspect many enjoy about Enlighten is the annual Balloon Spectacular, this year happening every morning between 7-15th March. This wonderful event also has an array of Canberra musical acts playing each morning to entertain the bleary-eyed crowds. I personally haven’t gotten up in time to enjoy the last few years’ of this festival, but I might just make an effort this year – especially since it will feature a giant 38.7m Tyrannosaurus Rex! My spirit dinosaur *wink*. Check out enlightencanberra.com for all the details! If one festival just ain’t enough, why not get along to this year’s Art, Not Apart? From March 12-15, multiple venues will be taken over by exhibitions, performance art, multiple music stages, interactive installations, film and moving image, delicious food and drink, and one wild after-party. If you’ve been looking for an event that showcases a good majority of Canberra’s (and beyond’s) finest artistic talent, this is it. There’s literally something for everyone so check out the website for more info and support this amazing annual Canberra festival of events – artnotapart.com A little content warning on these next two paragraphs as they involve talking about child sexual abuse. On Sunday, 22 March, Canberra musician Dorothy-Jane Gosper is releasing an all-original concept album called The Witness. This album depicts the true story of a period of intense upheaval in Dorothy’s life. Born from a defining moment of witnessing her husband molest a child, the album takes the listener on the journey DJ has lived. Through the breakdown of family relationships, finding strength to take the stand and assist to incarcerate her husband, through to reaching a place of relative stability and beginning to establish a new normal. The album addresses things that we as a society often don’t talk about openly, and it will undoubtedly make many feel uncomfortable. But with DJ’s incredibly soulful voice, her spirit, and an undeniable authenticity and genuine willingness to shine light on a taboo topic to help prevent similar future events, this album launch is sure to be quite remarkable (full story on page 39). The launch happens on Sunday, 22 March from 4-6pm at Smith’s Alternative. Tix are $5, $10 and $15 from the Smith’s website. Good news on the live venues front for arts performances and music! Two new venues have opened in recent months and are taking bookings for gigs, workshops, parties, and events. And they’re at opposite ends of the Canberra region. PAGE 14
But on top of this detail, modern creative props are being added, like illustrations and photographs hung on walls, and rooms filled with upcycled chairs for watching live music, creating a quaint destination, “where people can truly connect”. It’s open Wednesday to Sunday, 10am-4pm, and Fridays 10am-9pm and is located at 274 Crawford St, Queanbeyan. For more info go to www.qbnhive.buzz and stay tuned here for future gigs as the calendar begins to swell. At the other end of town is The Circus at 17 Darling Street in Mitchell. This space accomodates many kinds of events, from parties and small festivals, to workshops and music events (including warehouse party Thunderdome occuring on Saturday, 28 March from 9pm til late). Run by the passionate peeps who also oversee Aerial Sports, the folk will make you feel welcome and supported in your vision from your first enquiry. Check out www. facebook.com/circuseventscbr for more info or to get in touch. Onto new Canberra music, as there are a few cracking releases that have just dropped. Music machine Endrey has a new single out on all streaming platforms. Holding Out is a song about connections and a plea to overcome the inherited cultures of division. You can find this emotive slow-burner on Spotify and Apple Music. He’s also having a single launch at The Polo on Friday, 27 March at 8pm. Tickets are available via TryBooking.com The wonderful Kirrah Amosa has just released a 4-track EP called Island Way. This great artist is going from strength to strength in her musical career. Infusing her love and ability to perform and write in many genres, Kirrah has dedicated this release to her Micronesian heritage and Polynesian upbringing. It can be found on all major streaming platforms. Citizen Kay (who, as it happens, produced Kirrah’s EP) has just released a new track of his own. Funny Business (ft. Genesis Owusu) is just that, especially if you watch the snappy music vid on YouTube. Their hilarious music video is an awesome pairing to this funky, easy-going track. And, they have made Canberra look like a very sleek and sexy place! Check it out. Finally, a little plug for my own creative endeavours. I run a business called Mary Violet Creative (MVC). My aim with this enterprise is to assist artists and creative people in developing sustainable careers. MVC provides administrative support for artists and arts organisations, puts on professional development and educational events for people in the creative industries, and provides individual and group coaching to help artists achieve their career goals. If you’re keen to learn more, please check out the MVC website at www.maryvioletcreative.com or email me at info@ maryvioletcreative.com And that’s all for now. See you next month! @bmamag
BMA ARTIST PROFILE Describe your sound: Stoner doom metal. Who/What are your influences, musical or otherwise?
Whew! Nine years? Has it really been NINE YEARS since Pod People blitzed our ears and blackened our souls? Forming waaaaaaay back in a mystical time known as 1991 (a year before a little publication called BMA emerged blinking into the sunlight), the now five-piece are back to wail doomy tidings, with big plans in the works. The Transit Bar on 13 March plays host to the return of the Canberra stoner doom institution and not only marks the band’s first Canberra show in nearly a decade, but the first show for “new” guitarist Roy Torkington (ex Alchemist) in as much time.
Black Sabbath, Cathedral, Entombed, Saint Vitus, Dante Alighieri, Bosch, George A. Romero, Mad Max, Giger, Celtic Frost, Canberra & Australian heavy metal, combat sports, violent video games, Runehild Gammsaeter, Inidica, Sativa, Autopsy, obese guitar tones, nature, magic, the elements, Dark Emu, hoppy beer, strong whisky, travel, and good views. What are some of the most memorable experiences you’ve had? Tours and shows with Electric Wizard, Celtic Frost, Cathedral, and many-many more. And playing lots of Metal for the Brains. Tell us about one of your proudest moments? Being the first Australian band to release an album on Rise Above Records.
It’s set to be a massive night with Victorian grind super group Remains (fresh from supports with Obituary, Cattle Decapitation and a host of local shows), Hekate featuring Marcus De Pasquale of Witchskull on vocals and guitar, and Point 17 to fire up the night.
What are your plans for the future?
We thought it high time to touch base with PP to see what glee they have in store for thee - ALLAN SKO
Dave Chapelle and Maggs.
Origin story: We formed in Belconnen in the last century. The name comes from the movie The Dark Crystal based on the race of creatures that drank, played music, and smoked pipes. Nothing much has changed. Group members: Brad – Vox DD – Bass/Vox Josh – Guitar Maggs – Drums/vox Roy – Guitar
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An EP this year and an album next year. What makes you laugh?
What pisses you off? Racism, sexism, fascism, homophobia, victim shaming, climate denial and everything else that Andrew Bolt and Miranda Devine have to say. Anything else you’d like to add? Please come to our shows and have a good time and respect the space and the fellow humans enjoying the riffs with you. And praise hail Satan.
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CHENOEH MILLER – PERFORMANCE ART CURATOR and SOUND AND FURY DIRECTOR It’s unusual to see so many different kinds of art in one festival. Performances interweave throughout the festival day with sculpture, film, the Suitcase Rummage, live music and so much more. I wanted to see the body in space without technology, without too many materials - just good performances. I was particularly keen to highlight the precinct that has been our home for so long. So, lots of roving and pop up performances. While most performers are local, we have a few from elsewhere including Anna Thomson whose clown show about climate change is super clever and fun. Her quote for the show is, “when things get this ridiculous, you send in the clowns”. The Anchor Theatre Company brings their new one-man show CIRCUIT exploring female gender stereotypes. In fact, the overwhelming themes of most proposals were climate and gender which makes sense given our theme of Today I, Tomorrow You. Local artist Sammy Moynihan has recently returned from Brazil and Palestine and will be running a theatre workshop inspired by his experience of theatre in times of conflict. We haven’t run many workshops before but I would really like to see this element of the festival take off in the future. Another highlight is a series of 5-minute lectures where women from various professions explore the festival theme. And after a quick nap and frock change following Art, Not Apart, it will definitely be time to party through the night at Sound and Fury. We have a huge line-up of guests plus our fabulous Ensemble. My personal highlight is always the unique and diverse audience that truly makes S+F so darn special - all sorts of people watching live performance and partying. For me it doesn’t get any cooler than that. CHLOE MANDRYK – VISUAL ART CURATOR Today I, Tomorrow You can be interpreted in myriad ways. The idea that change starts with us is a hopeful one but it requires a collective vision. It’s not a new dichotomy; we live in the binary of rich and poor, protesters and power mongers, belief in science and fiction and the reality of life and death. Art is a beacon for questions and resoundingly the artists are asking us to pay attention. The significance of art sometimes greets us down the track with a knowing wink, but in these times the reflex is instant – this is about climate change. The Today I, Tomorrow You exhibition will be on view in the Nishi Gallery from 12 March through to 4 April and includes new work from byrd, Millie Black, Michelle Day, Sophie Dumaresq, Rinaldo Hartanto, Rachel Howie, Kevin Adrian Miller, Nikkayla, and Bernadette Smith. BYRD – STREET ART CURATOR This is shaping up to be a good year for street arts at Art, Not Apart. Each year we have more artists involved than the last and this year is no exception. The mix of graffiti and street artists is much more balanced which means we have a better diversity of letter writers and picture makers. We have a strong showing of great local talent such as PAW, Atune, GraffikPaint, Eddie Mo, REM, QuietOne and practitioners based in Sydney, Melbourne and the Gold Coast. I am particularly keen to see what the travellers bring with the likes of Mexican-born Sydney based Goya Torres, Canberra based Meldar Murals returning from a year abroad, formerly Canberra based Houl working in the USA, and formerly Canberra based Goodie now working from Melbourne, all making work for presentation at, or during, this year’s big 10th anniversary festival. SAM DIGNAND – FILM AND MOVING IMAGE CURATOR
Photos this side by Caitlin Welch
This year marks the tenth Art, Not Apart festival and we’re celebrating with several days of amazing programming around the core festival. A focus of our satellite shows and parties, Melting Pot, Sound & Fury and Tech-Yes will be stunning projection-mapping and visuals from Australian duo Tszuj Corp (Carla Zimbler and Mikaela Stafford) within Canberra’s beloved Albert Hall. You’ll see the iconic space transformed over these three days as the team plays with immersive, soundreactive visuals and soft sculpture. PAGE 16
ART, NOT APART is finally here! After getting a tantilising tease from the Curators last issue, we now do a deep-dive into the many splendid things the team have conjured up for us. Flick to the front for the program and times. Something Art, Not Apart does really well is showcasing multi-disciplinary works. It’s something we strive for when curating the festival and I feel it brings audiences an experience they may not have been exposed to before. We’re lucky to have the Australian premiere of a powerful performance-art film, Text Messages From The Universe, which won best feature film at the Poland International Film Festival in 2019. It’s a unique viewing experience as the film is accompanied by a live, spoken-word performance that takes the audience on a journey into their own interior world of dreams in which time, space, and cause and effect logic are turned on their heads. The National Film & Sound Archive will play host to the majority of the film and moving image program as well as several live music performances in Arc Cinema and the NFSA’s Theatrette including commissioned short films from emerging Canberra filmmakers, experimental analogue projection artists, and some of the region’s finest musicians. DAVID CAFFERY – INTERACTIVE INSTALLATION CURATOR Once the god of wisdom, Ibises are now the boganised bin chicken somehow stomaching Australia’s waste. But that waste should not be in our recycling! Left Lane Outreach Theatre will bin chicken out your recycling and make a debacle about contaminants so good resources don’t become landfill. With online memes to comedically haunt you. Julia Boyd spurs hope for everyday climate action with charred found objects from bushfire zones and messages of lowering our environmental footprint. Her installation frames the lush Courtyard Stage. One action is proudly using a keep cup – decorate your own with Annika and Oliver at Mug Shots in Makeshift. Beside them are Clancy Baxter’s incredible Scents of a Future Earth. Jennifer Forest also focuses on society as agents of change by turning climate science data into tactile installations to trigger that ‘a-ha’ moment. Spark! articulates Noam Chomsky’s view that a, “smart way to keep people passive and obedient is to strictly limit the spectrum of acceptable opinion, but allow very lively debate within that spectrum”. Her interactive sculpture Changing Views clearly show where and how Australian politics have shifted to the hard right. Lightbulb Improv Theatre will collect insights into key life moments of people around the festival, and then stage a performance on how this affects much more than them, showing the interconnection of a culture that may feel individual today but needs to return to a shared field of meaning. Stefanie Lekkas approaches this same idea using string theory and a large world map for audiences to thread their meaningful journeys. The meta-patterns will show more than any individual can imagine, like our actions today. MICHAEL LIU – MUSIC CURATOR This year’s music programme is truly a melting pot of sights and sounds – and yes, the pun is also intended to highlight our Melting Pot “jam experience” featuring improvised grooves and projection art at Albert Hall on Friday 13 March. (Get your tix!) I’d be remiss not mention all of the stellar musicians who are performing: Canberra’s favourite daughter Lucy Sugerman, soulful powerhouse Alice Terry, musical storyteller CJ Shaw, art-pop duo I Hold The Great Rack, festival favourites Hope Street, former The Voice finalist Darren Percival, crosscultural fusion ensemble Bamboo Trio, sound artist Reuben Ingall, local hiphop heavy KG, and roving vocal ensemble Handel in the Theatre. And that’s not all. I’m particularly excited to announce the reunion gig of much-loved Canberra band Dub Dub Goose who will be closing the Soul Defender stage. For the little sprouts, we’re thrilled to bring indigenous performer Helen Moran of Wombat Wobble fame, and nine-year old rising star producer GHOS7. The future is in good hands if he’s leading the way. There are also plenty of multi-disciplinary and interactive musical works to experience, from the likes of the very zen Cris Clucas Sound Experience, Alex Raupach’s Line is Drawn which is an immersive soundscape experience in Arc Cinema at NFSA, and the poignant and eco-conscious Milk Carton Confessions by Michael Sollis. I highly recommend checking out the aptly named Rose Room in Makeshift featuring performances by Happy Axe and Aphir, as well as the retrospective protest performance The Revolution will be Televised. facebook.com/bmamagazine
Photos this side by Martin PAGE Ollman 17 PAGE 17
DANCE - THE DROP [THE WORD ON DANCE MUSIC] WITH NIAMH “IL VAMPIRO” MCCOOL [NIAMH.DOLFI.MCCOOL@GMAIL.COM]
Pioneers in Early Electronic Music The period of the ’70s to the ’90s was a time of great experimentation and innovation in music. This is an era where electronic music came into cultural consciousness. Behind the innovations and breakthroughs were talented, sharp, creative minds, many of which have been overlooked. I am going to cast a gaze over three artists that I believe made a significant contribution to contemporary music; whose work has made an impression, both to mainstream electronic music, and individually. First up...
This piece, like many of her works, is focused on evoking the expanse of space. Despite being composed by electronic instruments and exploring a subject matter often framed as alien, cold, and foreign, The Expanding Universe is affectionately grounded in the human, with the sounds warm and comforting. Long, rolling notes are sincere and deep, with a warmth similar to that of a sustained note on a cello but with a buzzing resonance that only a synthesizer can achieve. Rather fittingly, Spiegel’s work now floats in the space that inspired it; her realisation of Harmonices Mundi is the opening track of the Sounds of Earth golden record placed on the Voyager spacecraft in 1977. Christina Kubisch “I don’t know exactly what I am. I am a composer, I am an artist, I am a researcher. But for me its not a separation; it all goes together.” - Christina Kubisch
Laurie Spiegel
Born in 1945, American composer Laurie Spiegel is looked upon as a pioneer in the New York ‘new-music’ scene. She is also known for her computer graphics, electronic-music, studies at the Bell Laboratories, and her algorithmic composition software. Spiegel worked with Buchla and Electronic Music, as well as with experimental and prototype-level music and image generation systems, such as GROOVE and the Alles Machine. Spiegel’s opus includes works for the piano, guitar, other solo instruments and small orchestras, drawings, photography, video art, writing, and computer software. Spiegel wrote one of the first drawing programs at Bell Labs, which she expanded into interactive video and synchronous audio output in the mid-’70s. Perhaps Spiegel’s most influential work was the widely used software Music Mouse – an intelligent instrument for Mac, Amiga, and Atari computers. The “intelligent-instrument” is a program’s in-built knowledge of scale convention and stylistic constraints. The result of automating this process is that the user can focus on other aspects on the music in real time. Apart from improvisations, Spiegel composed several works using Music Mouse including Cavis Murris (1986), Three Sonic Spaces (1989), and Sound Zones (1990). Musically, Spiegel’s work is dense, resonant, and incanting. The Expanding Universe was initially overlooked when it was first release in the ’80s. It’s an incredibly moving, complex, and intricate body of work. The album is composed over many incremental layers and fine adjustments within the system. The name The Expanding Universe is fitting – Spiegel’s minimal sonic palette is always in progression; the notes float outward, with no discernible end, like ripples on a still pond. PAGE 18 PAGE 18
Christina Kubisch was born in 1948 in Bremen, Germany. Kubisch has been a professor of sculpture and media art at the Academy of Fine Arts in Saarbrucken since 1944 and of media art at the Akademie der Kunste, Berlin, since 1977. In 1980, she began creating interactive sound works, many of which were created with electromagnetic induction: magnetic fields that arise from interactions between specialised headphones and electric wires, or via various objects distributed in space. Kubisch discovered electromagnetic induction by accident. Out of curiosity, she had bought a telephone amplifier. She soon noticed strange sounds were coming out of it when she was in the laboratory at university. Immediately, she investigated what these unusual sounds were, determining that they were electromagnetic waves, building headphones to capture them. Kubisch’s works are synthetic experiences. Visually her works explore and challenge the natural/artificial binary; her considered placement of wires evoke nature; winding trees and organic forms. The Electrical Walks transform the perception of everyday realities by amplifying the electrical fields in the everyday environment. Kubisch’s discography is a diverse range of the experimental and the reminiscent. The Cat’s Dream from Night Flights is an 18-minute piece that is hugely evocative. It is as captivating as her installations, playing with similar themes of the artifical and the organic. In some sections the sound of crickets is overlayed with an undulating and piercing artificial hum, similar to electromagnetic induction. The piece rises and falls, vibrating, humming, with long prickled purring evoking both the image of a cat and the workings of machinery. Night Flights was, and remains, a hugely influential force in the contemporary avant-garde sound. @bmamag
Suzanne Ciani
For example, the Columbia Pictures Television Sound Logo, an impressive 2 ½ seconds, was created by Ciani. The extreme miniaturization provides a unique opportunity. In Ciani’s words: “It’s such a challenge to come up with the definitive, impactful sound to represent a whole world instantly.” One of the inspirations for Ciani’s work is the ocean. This is true of her first album, Seven Waves, a sensitive soundscape that is dense, gentle, and transformative. It is light and airy, with playful melodies and cavernous bass notes. She weaves the patch cables of Modular synth into a sound which moves in a slow continuous space, rolling forward and back; bringing you to the ocean. Ciani continues to innovate, and is touring even now. She remains loyal to the Buchla 200e synthesizer, but also includes new equipment like the iPad. What’s happening in Canberra?
Suzanne Ciani is a sound designer, composer, and record label executive. Ciani is renowned for her use of the analogue modular synthesizer. She is a five-time Grammy Award-nominated composer, electronic music pioneer, and neo-classical musician. Her body of work spans through commercials, video games, film soundtracks and, of course, albums. Her work on the pinball machine Xenon is groundbreaking. Her soundtrack reflects the frustration and excitement the game evokes; responding to the bumper hits with ‘oohs’ and ‘ah’ sound effects and the background sounds speeding up as if the ball is playing a melody. Upon the start of the game, ‘Welcome to Xenon’ is spoken in an alien female voice. This in itself was impressive, as female voices are of a higher frequency of male voices and thus need almost twice the amount of information. With only the limited space of a 1980s sound chip, Ciani had only five seconds to record her voice. Perhaps her success in working with incredible short times is in part due to her knack for Sound Logos; recording that are only three to five seconds long for the purpose of advertising.
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On the Saturday, 7 March get ready for some disco, boogie, and funk as the beloved PBS radio host and party DJ CC:Disco! hits sideways’ dancefloor before jetting off for Europe. The following night – Sunday, 8 March – Salt Mines at sideway features Berlin based Shedbug, Melbourne’s Reptant, and Canberra’s own Genie. You can expect some breakbeat, techno, and maybe a pinch of experimental. Also on Sunday, 8 March, co-founder of the legendary Hessle Audio label, Ben UFO, comes to the cavern at UC Hub with a jacked sound-system and production to boot. On Friday, 13 March at Mr Wolf, Kinetics pres. Project Pablo; a Canadian producer based in Montreal, Quebec, supported by Adi Toohey, Rather’s, and Roman. On Saturday, 7 March Club Muva takes over the National Gallery of Australia as part of Enlighten festival, with an inclusive street party celebrating community and connection. A night of spectacle, music, movement, and dance against the backdrop of Justin and Bhenji’s projected works of surreal ancestral beings and strange ecologies. This is an event worth going to for those interested in visual, movement and sound based art. Until next month.
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A Feast of Festivals
The 54th National Folk Festival is on its way, expecting more than 40,000 thousand festival-goers over the Easter long weekend. The Festival brings together people from all walks of life to enjoy in “Five Days in a Perfect World” whether they are young or old, locals or visitors, musicians or music lovers. There is no better example of this ethos than with the 2020 programme, presenting over 200 acts in 16 venues including a dedicated kids festival, a smorgasbord of street food and artisan stallholders, a new Community Co-op workshop program sharing ideas around sustainability, health and wellbeing, Canberra-based beer by Bentspoke Brewery Co. (including the exclusively brewed “BentFolk” beer), local wine courtesy of Lerida Estate, an array of street and circus performances, and so much more. A sizable 29 international acts will be performing at this year’s Festival such as roots and blues songstress Kyshona (USA), new-wave folk quintet Elephant Sessions (SCOT), BBC Radio “Folk Singer of the Year” Jon Boden (UK), and all-female Māori roots and dance ensemble Māmā Mihirangi & The Māreikura (NZ). The headliners will join an all-star cast of local and national acts including indigenous songwriters such as Stiff Gins, Gina Williams, and Guy Ghouse, plus country royalty Henry Wagons, Central Coast alt-pop trio Little Quirks, and Festival Youth Ambassador and Canberra favourite Lucy Sugerman. A poignant addition to this year’s festival comes in a heartfelt response to this summer’s devastating tragedies. The Festival has reached out to support fire-affected Folk Festivals at this year’s event with a host of relief and fundraising efforts. The popular Fitzroy Pavilion venue will be renamed the “Hope for Folk” Stage with 100% of proceeds from the adjoining bar going to the Cobargo, Nariel Creek and Numeralla folk communities. On Saturday of the National Folk Festival the “Hope for Folk” Concert features performers who were originally programmed for these affected Folk Festivals. Additionally, merchandise from these communities will be on sale at the venue and volunteers will be collecting donations for Cobargo, Nariel Creek, and Numeralla. Helen Roben, Managing Director of National Folk Festival says: “There has never been a better time to come to The National. Whether your first or fiftieth time, whether you check out a day or camp for the weekend, it’s an amazing experience with so many elements to explore. You don’t have to be a “folkie” to enjoy the Folk Festival!” With over 50% of attendees coming from outside Canberra, last year’s Festival injected a whopping $4.3 million into the local economy. Tickets are selling fast, truly cementing the National Folk Festival as “Australia’s Home and Heart of Folk for over 50 years”.
Hey punk/metal fans of Canberra, listen up! Tuggeranong Arts Centre’s Woden Arts Program is presenting a brand new music festival, Dismantle, with a focus on celebrating diversity in punk and metal genres. This is one not to be missed. Dismantle is an inclusive, all ages music festival dedicated to celebrating cultural, linguistic, and gender diversity, held at Canberra College’s Asgard theatre on Saturday, 4 April, from 5:30pm – late. It is an incredible opportunity to catch some local and interstate acts, including some amazing bands who rarely (if ever) make it to the nation’s capital. Needless to say, this is a very exciting prospect for the Canberra punk and metal world. The scene in Canberra, while still being very much alive, has dissipated somewhat in the last couple of years, but perhaps an all ages festival will inspire some more punk and metal bands to form or to come out of the woodwork and inject some fresh blood into this very special, tight-knit community. Hailing from Gadigal country, Canine bring their molten mix of ferocious d-beat infused hardcore punk, fuzzy sludge, power violence and wailing wah-soaked stoner rock. Melbourne based Diploid is a three-piece grind, hardcore, black metal, doom band fresh off a tour of NSW. Newcastle’s crusty hardcore punk oddity Boudicca will perform alongside Sydney’s anti-colonial erratic hardcore Arafura and industrial doom band Bract. While Canberra’s very own alt/punk trio Box Dye will represent our local p-community. This event is expected to draw an audience from the ACT and wider region and create strong opportunities for community building and public recognition of the breadth of diversity found in Australia’s punk and metal music scene. Even the punk legend Henry Rollins himself said at an event in March last year that the future of punk is strong in Australia, and from predominantly non-male fronted acts, so it’s time to show off what we have. In the weeks following the festival there will a series of workshops held in collaboration with Girls Rock! Canberra, creating opportunities for young music enthusiasts to learn how to care for and repair their gear, build their own effects pedals, screen-print their own merchandise, and write their own songs. This all-ages event is alcohol free, with soft drink and food available for purchase. Tickets are only $10, available online at: https://www. trybooking.com/BILWD
The 2020 Festival programme is at www.folkfestival.org.au. For ticketing info, head to www.folkfestival.org.au/buytickets/. PAGE 20
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METALISE
[THE WORD ON METAL] WITH JOSH NIXON March kicks off brutal with the USA extremity of Sulfuric Cautery and Girth being joined by killer Melbourne band Contaminated and locals Blight Worms and Bloodmouth. This massive package is crammed into The Basement on Thursday, 5 March. And come Friday, 13 March you have choices to make, Canberra metal folk.
Pilot of Baalbek take the listener to into Uncontrolled Airspace
Canberra’s Deathbeds bring the sickness The Basement in Belconnen hosts Canberra’s Deathbeds launching their new album Sinner. The symphonic metalcore six-piece are taking off on an east coast jaunt from Canberra’s spiritual home of heavy, and have recruited Teeth for the whole tour plus Pillager and Purity for the Canberra gig, ahead of shows in Sydney, Newcastle and Melbourne over the month to continue the celebration of the fruits of their labours. At the Transit Bar, also on the 13th, plays host to the return of Canberra stoner doom institution Pod People. This will mark the band’s first Canberra show in nine years and the first show for “new” guitarist Roy Torkington (ex Alchemist) in ten years. It’s set to be a massive night with Victorian grind supergroup Remains (fresh from supports with Obituary, Cattle Decapitation and a host of local shows), Hekate featuring Marcus De Pasquale of Witchskull on vocals and guitar, and Point 17 to fire up the night. Saturday, 21 March at the Transit Bar celebrates the launch of the Pilots of Baalbek album Uncontrolled Airspace, a killer self release which has more ’70s shuffles than a nursing home. The launch party includes Sydney bands White Knuckle Fever and Mucho Sonar as well as the delights of locals Local Horror. The album is fantastic, check it out! The Exploited is a hot ticket for good reason. The seminal punk band have a 40-year history to draw from; their integrity is unquestioned and they’ll bring their barmy army of fans along for the party which still includes VIP tix with a load of extras as long as our collective arms. Wednesday, 25 March at The Basement. German psych rock trio Kadavar are at The Basement on April Fools and you would have to be one to miss this band as they air tracks from their back catalogue and their latest, For the Dead Travels Fast. I’m still waiting for confirmation on the supports, but you don’t want to miss these guys live. Melbourne two-piece Dead have a new album entitled Raving Drooling and they’re bring their new material to town for your entertainment on the Friday, 3 April at The Basement. In the interests of musical diversity, CHUD and Inebriator are on board for this auspicious occasion. PAGE 22
Like an aggressively growing cell, Fu Manchu in the late ’90s split in two and formed the formidable and equally special stoner act Nebula. Thanks to Your Mate Bookings, Transit Bar will play host to the supreme guitar skills of Eddie Glass and he’ll be abled and abetted by Pilots of Baalbek and Grand Duke on 7 May. I’ve been blasting a whole slew of newish music on recommendation of dear friends and my own musical sleuthing of late, and before writing some more considered reviews, I reckon here’s some albums to ask Landspeed Records to get in for you. Memoriam – Requiem for Mankind. Karl Willets of Bolt Thrower tries to out throw his own bolts in this slick and bludgeoning masterpiece. The previous two albums from this band did nothing to indicate how amazing this would be. Midnight – Rebirth in Blasphemy. Maybe not as great as their last one, but still quite great and lots of fun along the way. It almost feels like a heavier WASP in parts… Dragunov – Arkipov. Instrumental heaviness and really well played. Reminds me a bit of Capricorns when they’re doing their instrumental moments. Big visual scope to this work. Brutus – Nest. This Belgian three-piece have been a bit of a revelation for me in no small part due to the talents of their drummer/singer Stefanie Mannaerts. They blend hardcore and post rock with flashes of Neurosis at times. Wilderun – Veil Of Imagination. Like Opeth at their heaviest peak, glorious heavy prog with some great riffs and achingly pretty acoustic moments and melodic vocals segueing into blasts and death growls. Highly competent in both realms. Retortion Terror – ST EP. Japanese grind, really fast, for fans of Japanese grind like Unholy Grave. They stand out from a lot of their peers thanks to some slick guitar work that is a little more technically ambitious than the mean. Enforced – At The Walls. Three mates of mine with vastly different tastes recommended me this album. To combine the recommendations, this is raucous sleeveless t-shirt thrash that will equally please fans of hardcore a la Mindsnare, modern thrash like Powertrip, and old buggers that recall their skank glory days. Speaking of skanking glory days, don’t forget the DRI/Hirax on Thursday, 9 April at The Basement!!!! Until next month. @bmamag
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RIDING INTO TOWN WITH LOADED GUITARS BY RORY MCCARTNEY The moniker ‘Cowboy Junkies’ creates images of deranged wild western horse riders with needles hanging from their forearms. However, these hombres, who include three siblings from the Timmins family, hail from Canada and they push alternative country/folk rather than drugs. The band’s pedigree stretches back three decades and they’re now back to strut their stuff in Australia after a 20-year absence. Having played such famous venues as Carnegie Hall, Royal Albert Hall, and CBGB in New York, the Cowboy Junkies are now coming to Canberra. BMA spoke with band guitarist and songwriter Michael Timmins in advance of the show. Asked about the origin of the band name, Timmins said that it was a purely random selection. “There was no great thought in it,” he recalls. “Oddly enough, the music kind of evolved into the band name, rather than the other way around. It was a fateful choice.” The band’s line-up has been consistent since 1986 and Timmins confirmed that having three family members in the outfit helped things hang together. “Touring is hard and is what breaks up most bands,” he says. “Personality things happen on the road and no band is free of that. With us, the family side helps so that when something does come up, we are able to solve it. We have common history and always thought that the music was more important than any petty arguments.”
our records; that is part of the fun. It’s a big part of what we do and who we are.” The band has gone through a number of phases, from blues to country rock to more mainstream rock. Australian audiences will get a sample of everything in the upcoming tour. “The band is different in the studio compared to on stage,” Michael says. “On stage we have to deal with our entire catalogue. When we play live, you’ll hear a bit of blues and folk and the psychedelic side and rock side. Live, my favourite part is the more psychedelic part as it’s open ended with more room as far as music is concerned. The show is wide ranging, covering different eras of the band.” As the songwriter, Timmins was asked about the themes in the latest album All That Reckoning, which talks about the ending and beginning of things. “It’s about where one is in life in relationships, including our partners and kids. At the same time there’s a connection to more social and political reckonings about where we are as a civilisation and society. “So, there is a combination of micro and macro; the social and political and how they kind of blend together from song to song.” Cowboy Junkies play at Canberra Theatre at 8pm on Tuesday, 12 May. Tickets $79.90 - $149.90 plus BF, with full details at canberratheatrecentre.com.au/show/cowboy-junkies/
Cowboy Junkies sought out interesting places to do the song writing for albums, including a lone house on an island, and an old mill. Timmins fondly recalls the old mill because of its beautiful location and because, “of the best part of it; it was right before we had children, so it was the last blush of true freedom”. The band also has a preference for using unusual recording sites such as a church, and heritage buildings. Recording and mixing in Abbey Road was very memorable because of the studio’s history. “We finally had an album with a budget we could blow, so we decided to go to Abbey Road! That was pretty spectacular.” Nowadays, the band uses its own home studio, including used recording equipment put together by the members themselves. Timmins said that it helped him progress music at his own pace without worrying about the cost: “There is no commercial pressure to keep something, just because you’ve spent three days of studio time on it.” Unlike outfits that serve up variations of the material, Cowboy Junkies has a strong focus on trying new techniques, recording, and ways of involving other musicians. All members have input to new material and sometimes songs lend themselves to other musicians. “We’ve never been shy PAGE 24 about bringing in other people to play on
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Doing It All Alone is an extract from a larger comic titled Who Owns the Million Dollar Baseball? That comic describes the outcry surrounding the Boston Red Sox player who caught the winning ball of the 2004 baseball World Series, and decided to keep it as a personal souvenir. Stuart McMillen is a comics artist based in Canberra, Australia. Stuart draws long-form comics inspired by social issues involving science, ecology, sustainability, psychology, and economics. His archive of comics, including Who Owns the Million Dollar Baseball? can be read online at stuartmcmillen.com. S tuart is a crowdfunded cartoonist, with an ongoing Patreon crowdfunding campaign hosted at crowdfundstu.com. facebook.com/bmamagazine
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Exhibitionist | Comedy in the ACT What d’ya do to help yourself when you don’t feel inspired? When I feel as interesting as an old shopping list, I avoid social media or watching comedy because those things make me want to dig a large hole and hide in it forever. Usually, what works is I drink too much tea, go for long walks and listen to poignant music from my early 20s like some bereft lover. Eventually I get sick of that and comedy becomes an option again. Apple, orange, banana. Which one and why? Just quietly, I’m not that into fruit, even though I know you’re supposed to be. The banana is closer to desert than any of the others and can be made into cake and smoothies that are delicious, so, banana, if I must. Hardest thing about comedy? Driving to a gig at 8pm when you’d rather be in bed only to forget what you wanted to say, have a bad set, decide you should not do comedy anymore, then having to turn around and drive back home. Best thing about comedy?
[FRANKE McNAIR] Your show… Give us a bloody run down. I don’t think I’m alone in feeling somewhat devastated by 2020 so far, but instead of becoming a Zen Master or trying to win the World’s Most Ethical Consumer award, I’m panning through soot and hailstones for the glimmers of comedy gold. My new show scans my worry landscape which includes such items as the moral imperative to be grateful, the cost vs benefit of keeping up appearances, and whether being right is much chop. Incidentally, how society has expected parents (who are blatantly unqualified for the most important job in the world) to know what they are doing is beyond me. I will try and put that in some order that makes sense to me and tell people about it.
When you meet new people, they think you’re interesting and exciting if you tell them you do comedy even though you are actually neurotic and sedentary and, if I’m honest, kind of uptight and confused. Parting words of wisdom? If you accidentally get some olive oil onto a t-shirt because someone (possibly you) left the lid off and you clumsily catch it in your boobs, you can just drip some dishwashing liquid onto it, rub for a bit, and leave it for five minutes before rinsing it under warm water and it’s as good as new. I Googled that so you didn’t have to, by the way. You’re welcome. Chris Ryan’s new comedy show I Thought It Would Be Nice is at the Courtyard Theatre, Canberra Theatre Centre on Friday, 20 March and Saturday, 21 March at 7.15pm. Tix are $25 + bf from https://canberratheatrecentre.com.au/show/ chris-ryan/
Why are you excited about doing your show? I’ll be as excited as anyone to see the show because I don’t even know what’s in it yet, so it will be a fun surprise for all of us. At least by doing it, it gets done, and I have one less thing on my To Do list. Plus I get to see people afterwards and it feels like I have more friends than I do in real life. Have you always wanted to do comedy? When I was eight I wanted to be a flight attendant (although in the ‘70s we called them air hostesses) because they seemed so nice and they looked happy. Further research has suggested I may have been wrong about those things and I would totally suck at being nice for a long time in the air even if I am being paid for it. In Year 9, I decided to become a journalist after following a photographer around for work experience at The Canberra Times. That panned out for a while, then at about 25 I wanted to try stand-up but I had to wait until I was 38 before I had anything to say.
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Exhibitionist | Comedy in the ACT
[Canberra Comedy Q&As With Allan Sko]
[ALLAN SKO] So, your show… Hit me with your rhythm stick. Gosh! is my brand new lighthearted and fun stand-up show. It’s a bunch of stories of misfortune, just unlucky enough to be hilarious but not too full on that they’ll upset anyone. Like all of my previous shows, it won’t solve the world’s problems, it won’t leave you with too much to think about, but it’ll allow you to leave your worries at the door and have a big ole laugh for a while! I opened the show at Hobart’s Fringe At The Edge Of The World in January and it was nominated for Best Comedy, so it’s officially a really fun show. For audiences, too, not just for me. You’re a Canberran at heart, but moved away at 22. What’s that about? I graduated from the Uni of Canberra and had to get away from Goodberry’s so I moved to Taiwan for six years. I was sure to come back each year for a family-sized Frozen Custard Concrete... I mean, to visit my family. I went over to study Mandarin and when I came back, I figured Canberra might be a little bit small after the flashing lights of Taipei, so I moved to Melbourne. I still adore Canberra, though. Can’t go past a quick lap of the bridge-tobridge whenever I’m in town! You actually did work experience for BMA back in high school. How did you survive that? BMA was THE PLACE TO BE when I was applying for work experience. I was so stoked to be approved to go there for a week. I was really keen to be a journalist at the time and I just remember arriving at the office and thinking, “this isn’t what I thought it would be like.” The practical office environment didn’t take the shine off it for me, though. The people working there were so cool and they got to interview my favourite musicians, so I was a bit starry eyed. I had an absolute blast. You wrote a great LOLCol in BMA last year, where you stated: “I realised I was no longer a young person when I started defending my hometown, Canberra, with a fury the intensity of a thousand burnouts at The Summernats.” That feeling still going strong? Definitely! I love Canberra. I remember thinking I was hilarious calling it ‘The Nation’s CRAPital’ when I left (I’m certain I’m not the only one to come up with that) but I never really believed it. I had a great time growing up there. Most of my best memories are from Arawang Primary School Oval (this is not true). I love getting back there a couple of times a year. I hate myself for saying this, but Canberra’s coffee game has gotten very strong. Top 3 Things you miss/like about Canberra? Assuming Kingsley’s Chicken would take the 1. (Unbelievable chicken) and 2. (Awesome chips) spots Haha. I’ve got to come clean now. As a vegetarian, my love for Kingsley’s Chicken is a distant memory. A very vivid and justified one, but a memory nonetheless. I had to give it a mention in LOLCol. It would have been UnCanberran not to! I miss my family! They’re mostly still there. One of my sisters has recently moved away but the rest are still loitering around Cooleman Court. I also miss the awesome facebook.com/bmamagazine
walks and the proximity to beautiful parts of nature AND I really miss sitting in the sunshine at Tilley’s on a cold winter’s day, drinking coffee and working on a project. I still pop into Tilley’s for a coffee whenever I’m in town. Why do you like doing comedy? I love it because it’s constantly challenging, there’s always more work to do, and the end result makes people happy. I get to meet lots of awesome people and I get to travel to places I probably wouldn’t have gotten to if I didn’t work in this industry. Hardest thing about comedy? Maybe being away from home so much. I’m lucky in that my beautiful partner often travels with me when I’m away on weekends but when she can’t, I really miss having her around. Best thing about comedy? The good people you meet and often (not always) being around people when they’re at their best: relaxed, happy, and enjoying their downtime. Parting words of wisdom? Always try to enjoy yourself. In this instance, the best way to do that would be to attend Gosh! PLUG YOUR SHOW Gosh! is on for one night only at the Canberra Comedy Festival. It’s on Saturday, 21 March at 7pm at The Novotel on Northbourne Avenue. It’s going to be an absolute blast and you and everyone you know should definitely come. You could even get the fancy new tram. I hope? I actually don’t know how it works.
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Exhibitionist | Arts in the ACT
LITERATURE IN REVIEW WITH CARA LENNON A Long Petal of The Sea Isabel Allende [Bloomsbury Publishing; 2020] I picked this up with great suspicion, not knowing anything about Isabel Allende but caving to my curiosity after seeing her all over best seller lists. Suspicious, because this is the same way I came to read The Rosie Project, which I deeply regret and can never take back. That, however, is a rant for a different day. Fortunately, I have no such rant about A Long Petal of the Sea. It opens on a war medic with his bare hands wrapped around another man’s heart and evolves into a compelling, multi-decade romance set against two fascist uprisings. Beginning in the Spanish Civil War, Long Petal is based on the true story of the Winnipeg, a freighter commissioned by poet Pablo Neruda to help thousands of refugees flee to Chile. On the boat are Allende’s characters Victor and Roser Lamau, newly wedlocked in a marriage of convenience to ensure Roser’s safe passage to Chile. Roser is grieving for her dead lover, Victor’s brother, and is pregnant with Victor’s nephew. It’s reminiscent of Love in the Time of Cholera in scale and setting, but where that is a love story first and a historical fiction section, Long Petal of The Sea quite consciously uses the romance to explore the social and political environments of the two countries. There’s as much history as there is fiction, as Allende’s characters are fictionalisations of people from her personal life. Victor Lamau is Victor Pey, a friend of Allende’s cousin. Allende’s cousin is Salvador Allende, president of Chile until he was overthrown by Pinochet in the military uprising. He also features as a character. Allende’s Chile is one peopled by a deeply conservative middle class and a working class enamoured with socialist and Marxist ideals. It’s through the beliefs and foibles of the populace that Allende embodies the country. Long Petal is light on the imagery and visuals, without the detailed descriptions of landscapes, food, and clothes that often come with historical fiction, and this works to its credit. The friction between social classes and between the characters’ impulses and moral standards of the day throw the character of the country into vivid relief without sacrificing pace. On the other hand, the romance is a tad rote. Love, loss, pregnancy, betrayal. The characters are of the stoic, intelligent type that work so well in wartime romances and for me their likeability carried the romance, rather than the romance standing on its own. But then, apparently, I’m the only person in the world that thought The Rosie Project was absolute shithouse so maybe my standards are too high.
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Ska Tissue by Matt
Parnell
The first thing that’s clear when you talk to Nicky Bomba, the commander-in-chief of the MELBOURNE SKA ORCHESTRA, is his passion for community. Even his 25-strong band aside, Bomba runs a community hub/workshop/gig space/recording studio (etc) and helps his daughter run her own fashion label. It’s all about, “celebrating everybody’s values, or everybody’s worth,” Bomba says. “I see it as 25, 30 amazing minds that can be shared and tapped into, and it becomes a creative hub”. It’ll be their first time playing in Canberra, touring most recent record, One Year Of Ska. “Really looking forward to Canberra because it’s a new audience,” Bomba says. “It’s like playing in a new country; new heads, new vibes, new energies.” Given ska’s rich history as a performance art Bomba loves the history of the genre. “Every week, they’d write a new song to get people to come to their sound system, so rather than getting a gun and saying ‘give me my money back’, I’d write a song, I’d say ‘ah where’s me money’ and I’d say come to our sound system this weekend because we’re gonna play that song about blah blah blah, and that’s how they’d get people to come to their shows”. And so was the rationale behind their four-part 52-track record One Year of Ska, and part of their psyche. Once again, this is a twenty five person band, recording and releasing one track, every week, for a whole year. It netted them the World Music ARIA. But just... How? “It’s a military operation,” Bomba says. ”Who’s writing what, what song, who’s doing the arrangement for this. It was kinda a happy discipline. How this band works is a big dose of love for the music. We’ve never had any problems with anyone; everyone gets it.” An impressive accomplishment considering that, despite the band’s recent record containing 26 covers - half ska classics and half theme songs - Bomba’s confidence in the live show comes from being able to improvise to create something new. “One of the great things is the band’s ability to go off on a tangent, as a unit,” he says. “Stop on that, give me this, give me this chord; and we’ll go off to make a new groove. You don’t see that with a duo or a trio because there’s not really that musical flexibility, or that trust. That’s one of the breautiful things about the band. “Performing live is to create a sense of unity and community, to raise the vibrations of who’s there,” Bomba continues. “We’re creating a beautiful electronic bubble between us and the audience, so that at the end of the two hours you’ve been taken somewhere.” That’s Bomba’s take on the live show - it all comes back to community, to raising the vibrations in the room to bring everyone together. With such an ethos, and the hardware and success to back it up, their first Canberra trip is sure to be a winner. Don’t miss out. The Melbourne Ska Orchestra hit the UC Refectory on Sunday, 15 March. Tickets 40+b/f through Moshtix or the band’s website. @bmamag
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GREAT SOUTHERN BAND
The identity of Australian music wouldn’t be the same without him. Now IVA DAVIES is taking ICEHOUSE to headline Anthems. BMA’s Jeremy Edwards talks legacy, licks, and nearly dying along the way
I’m going to have to break tradition and present this in the first person. For me, speaking with one of Australia’s most iconic vocalists, and voice of my personal favorite band as a kid, is something that I have to relay as a story, not a report.
number of them are lecturers. They all play with other ensembles and that’s what they love to do. These guys have been doing it a long time because they love doing it. I guess I was the one saying nup, nup, nup but as soon as I said maybe they jumped on it.
I have distinct memories of it being 1987 and my mate Paul and I sharing Walkman headphones while we listened to Man of Colors on repeat. We knew every note and every word.
“We don’t live in the same city,” Davies continues. “We’re split between Melbourne and Sydney so there’s no social opportunity other than when we play, which is possibly not a bad thing. It is special when we eventually end up in the same spot, in the same hotel, in the same city. It’s great fun.”
Fast forward 32 years and I find myself sharing news that I was about to interview Iva Davies. I put out a post, and it turns out pretty much everyone I know has a certain love for Icehouse. Bands that have done covers, people who have kept vinyls and cassettes, people with memories of seeing the band or memories that formed with an Icehouse song as the soundtrack. According to Davies himself: “I worked out that at one point, Man of Colours was in one out of every four households in Australia; that’s how many it sold”. I reckon he’s right. Speaking with Davies via phone, we begin by discussing what the band has been up to. “We’ve been doing quite a bit actually,” Davies chirps. “We’re starting to wind up a bit because we got quite a few shows between now and May including New Zealand, so that’ll be kind of busy.” Since there has not been any new material out recently, I asked Davies to explain the motivation behind the tour. “We basically kind of stopped playing completely in 1993 and it was our tour manager who had the idea for, and initiated, the whole Sound Relief set of concerts in 2009. He dobbed us in without actually asking me. He rang me and said, ‘Oh, by the way, you’re headlining Sydney’ and I said, ‘are you insane?’ We hadn’t played in 16 years. But it was great fun.” An observation from the interview is that it seems Davies considers himself attached to a very accomplished band of musicians. He speaks of his bandmates almost as if it were his voice attached to their music. There have been around 24 musicians credited with contributions to Icehouse.
After not playing together for so long, I wondered if they fell back into their groove easily. Again, showing his obvious admiration for his band, Davies replies: “The thing is, we don’t rehearse a lot. We just went through a series of rehearsals about a week-and-a-half ago because we did two shows in Melbourne the previous weekend and did some rehearsals before that but, I mean, they’re incredibly fine musicians. These guys do their homework and they don’t mess up; they’re really sharp.” On being asked how their recent shows have been received Davies explains: “We’re actually playing to more people now than we were previously. What struck me is the longevity of the catalogue. When I was writing those songs, it was out of survival; desperation. Once you’ve signed a record contract and you’re obliged to keep going and putting out new albums and so on, it really was like running to catch up the whole time. The last thing on my mind would have been: is anybody going to remember these songs in 10 years’ time or 20 years’ time or 30 years’ time or even 40 years’ time? It was a thought that simply just never occurred to me. “It’s amazing to be in the position that we’re in now where we go and do shows to thousands of people who actually know all the lyrics and know these songs, and some of them have been incredibly young. It’s obviously gone down a couple of generations and that’s kind of mind-blowing, really.”
“The interesting thing is these guys are all working musicians so this band is their main thing,” Davies explains. “They all have other musical jobs and a
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Davies continues that sentiment. “What’s fantastic about the internet is that people of my son’s generation – he’s 23 – have the ability to go back and discover absolutely anything they want to, including the ’60s and the ’70s. I think if I was to pin down his taste I would say the late ’60s and ’70s is his thing, which is interesting for a 23 year-old. “By contrast, I can remember myself at 23; I never really collected albums. Just getting out of high school, I literally only had three or four albums because they were expensive. When Double J arrived that was a lifesaver. I can remember literally sitting on the floor listening to Double J because that was such a source of great, interesting, new music and I couldn’t afford to buy any so Double J was the internet of the day.” As a band who achieved fame before the internet, as well as not being overly active throughout its inception, it’s not a surprise that there’s not a lot of social media surrounding Icehouse. That’s where Spellbound comes in. “In the early-to-mid-’80s an amateur fan club popped up in the United States and it turned into a fairly serious operation,” Davies says. “It really took off with that period of Measure For Measure and Man Of Colours and we had a lot of success in the United States. “Since that time, we’ve developed a relationship with the two women who started it. Spellbound is quite an important official fan club that’s run out of America. It’s more than a fan club too. Kristen and Cheryl who are the women involved, they administrate a lot of stuff for us as well. They’ve become an integral part of the team.” My final question referred to the possibility of new music, and while Davies answered by leaning towards a no, the question spurred a personal insight. “When we were touring back in the Man of Colors days, I was kind of a gym junkie,” Davies reveals. “It was for self-preservation. It started up in America where I nearly fell apart completely; it was such a big tour. I had a minder then because I couldn’t go anywhere. He was one of the
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top fifteen kickboxing champions in the world and he was a tank of a man, a body builder. He actually went to our management and said, ‘Iva’s gonna completely fall apart if he doesn’t get some time to himself’. So then, in my schedule, they insisted that I have two hours every day where I had to go to the gym. And I did. He trained me over 14 months and I was incredibly fit. He kind of saved my life in a weird way because I don’t know what would’ve happened if I had not been able to get that break every day.” This is usually the point where I say something like, ‘If you haven’t heard these guys, check them out’. But this is Icehouse. You have heard them, you do know their music, and from what I can gather, they’re a significant part of most people’s musical journey. Happily, Icehouse are out on tour again, part of which sees them hit Canberra for the Anthems Music Festival on Saturday, 28 March. The Anthems promoters will be showing their gratitude to our firefighters, and the hard work and sacrifices that have made in the recent months, by offering all local and interstate firefighters, registered volunteers and associated emergency workers free entry. Anthems will be a great local event, bringing together the community for a night of music, fun, and cheer. Anthems Festival features Icehouse, The Temper Trap (performing Conditions in full), Eskimo Joe, Rogue Traders, Frente, Mark Wilkinson and more. It happens on Saturday, 28 March at Commonwealth Park. Tix are $126.57 from https://anthemsfest. com.au/
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[ SINGLES, AND LOVIN’ IT - SINGLE REVIEWS] CITIZEN KAY FT. GENESIS OWUSU FUNNY BUSINESS [
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The ARIA-nominated Citizen Kay has had a successful few years since the release of his first track Yes! back in 2013. Having received tremendous support from many key players such as Spotify, Tone Deaf and The Music, as well as touring extensively with some of the greatest exponents of the rap genre, including Public Enemy, Run The Jewels, Ice Cube, Danny Brown and Wiz Khalifa, Citizen Kay has returned all guns blazing with Funny Business.
And did someone say the ‘80s? That decade’s impervious style is running all the way through this groove-heavy track. But the stylistic signposts don’t end there. This much-appropriated style is blended with some
THE RUBENS LIVE IN LIFE [
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The Rubens originated as a five-piece from the tiny town of Menangle, just off the Hume Highway between Canberra and Sydney. The band has been around since 2011, launching three albums including the successful 2018 release Lo La Ru. The sound of new song Live in Life is indie with R&B influences, with a very catchy chorus which melds seamlessly into the flow of the song; a quality which gives the song a mesmeric, endless feel.
The track carries a serious earworm of a tune that will either have you happily humming away for ages, or it will drive you nuts because you cannot get it out of your head.
early old- school funk sensibilities, and when this is all infused to the contemporary elements such as the lush production and the hook of the chorus, it makes for a superbly sophisticated record. The message in the missive here is about the trust surrounding social media, with the repeated line, ‘Don’t trust it’, cutting to the chase of the core concept. Indeed, why should we trust it? It’s a worthwhile endeavour at this junction in time, to communicate such warnings. And Citizen Kay, with some help from Genesis Owusu, does so tastefully and with subtle and persuasive precision. The sentiment relies on the power of its rhythmic counterpart; the groove of the song, infectious and highly contagious. The main hook, featuring the lyric, ‘Don’t want no funny business,’ is equally as irresistible with some of the surprise elements of the production, such as the pauses, swishes, and other sonic decorations helping to the give the track a natural-sounding light and shade. One can just imagine thousands of festival-goers relishing Citizen Kay’s unassailable new release. VINCE LEIGH He wants to die, but he wants to live, too. It all seems to turn out fine, with the subject choosing to carry on, singing, ‘Think I’m gonna live in life’. However, his mental confusion continues right to the end of the track with the lyrics, ‘If the end of the world gets me close to you, Well baby I’m finished’. So, it’s a bet each way. Live in Life takes the R&B shuffle of Lo La Ru tracks such as Woman Oh Woman and adds a whole lot more silky smoothness and flavour of the ultra-popular mainstream R&B. It is sure to be a winning move when it comes to increasing The Rubens’ fan base. RORY McCARTNEY
The theme is a bit like the confessions of a seriously confused guy in a counselling session (or a monologue playing in the head of a recently dumped individual).
TEEN JESUS & THE JEAN TEASERS DESK CHAIR [
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As their press release states, this band of 19-year-old gals have a knack for crafting gritty, nostalgic grunge-pop. But that’s not all you’re getting with this latest track, their first for 2020.
The band’s first two releases, their breakthrough I Like That You Like That and the irresistibly unyielding See You In A Bit (I Still Care), drew on a youthful exuberance and garage rock indie swagger to create a refreshing synthesis of post-punk, pop, and grunge, with traces of maturation in the darker undertows of their sound. Desk Chair reveals a full-throttle application of the band’s developing artistic sensibilities. From the brash vocal and chugging guitar intro to the expansive aural assault of the closing bars, the new track solidifies the style of the band, with Anna’s vocal performance once again spearheading the charge. PAGE 36
The track builds steadily to arrive at a soaring chorus that’s as unrelenting as it is hooky, with the band’s rousing energy swirling behind the fervour of the melody line. The arrangement offers a few surprises, with the second chorus hook getting stripped to its essentials, which enhances the effect of the onslaught at the song’s end. Overall, Desk Chair is indeed a worthy addition to the band’s oeuvre, not only because of its melodic strength but for the high-level performances and assisting production. This is adroitly articulated grunge-pop as antidote to the current crop of musical frivolities deadening the airwaves, and thus worthy of your attention. No doubt the band’s appearances at several serious festivals in the last year, including Groovin’ The Moo, Falls Festival, and Stonefest, and a showcase at BIGSOUND, have been critical, exposing TJ to larger audiences who have viewed the band’s enormous potential first hand. To quote the band’s press release again, yes, the band’s Doc Martens are firmly planted at the forefront of Australia’s indie scene, but I would imagine that the global indie scene beckons also. And rightly so. VINCE LEIGH @bmamag
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[ALBUM REVIEWS] MODULII THE LAST ALBUM [
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Despite the deceptive title, The Last Album is the debut album for Canberra’s Modulii (formerly Teen Skank Parade), a set that’s been a few years in the making. There are some variances in style and treatment on offer here but generally, The Last Album makes for a persuasive first offering. A listen through every track reveals a kind of bluesy grunge melodic susceptibility married to a doom slash sludge metal aesthetic that’s enriched by a slight broadening of the scope of these styles. Many of the songs begin with evocative musical passages that take on unexpected and curious turns throughout the course of the song, such as in Doomfist, where a bass introduction leads us, eventually, into a thick, intense layer of stoner ooze before segueing into a kind of swaggering rock feel that soon becomes a bridge section with an almost cinematic fervour to it.
bridge. Yes, electric piano. But it all seems to work, giving the album a magnitude that goes beyond the stereotypical traits of metal, adding weight that is not solely reliant on fire and brimstone distortion, confrontational vocals, and unapologetic depositions, though rest assured, there is still an abundance of these attributes here. The album’s opener, Death of The Nightrider, aside from its inspired title, paints a full picture of the rest of the material: thematic introductions, a medium-paced thumping tempo (though on occasions these can hover either side of this middle), the aforementioned blues-like melodic tendencies, tastefully inventive bridge sections and performances that are steadfast, convincing, and often laced with enough venom to be entirely compelling. One cannot review such a record without taking note of the slip of humour that slides through the crevices, let alone the kind that’s on full display. The Last Album is well worth a listen for any admirer of metal, and those who might not be but are intrigued by the power of this most persistent of musical styles; and who knows, you could be recruited. And with lines such as this reverberating in your head, ‘You’re not losing your mind, you just give it away’, you’re sure to feel okay about it. VINCE LEIGH
Another example of these kinds of abbreviated transmogrifications appears in Space Madness, with its cascading electric piano in the
SPACE ENGINEER RADIO STATION IN MY HEAD [
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Radio Station In My Head is a suitable title for this collection of songs by Space Engineer, the alter ego of Sydneybased musician and songwriter Terry Lyndon. Although the 11 tracks here do fall into the same musical category, an accomplished encapsulation of fizzy, melodic indie guitar rock, there are discernible variances that set each track apart to create a fusing sonic narrative that veers from a jangly, bright mood, such as represented in the track Tangles Up Inside, to an acoustic-driven shuffling melancholic lament via Thinking Of Leaving.
and his corresponding conceptual concerns, with a telltale line, ‘She gives me too much of everything’, previewing the scope of his fervent memorandums surrounding relationships. The production style contains all the associated correlatives too, with the songs’ fiery pop sensibilities receiving their mirror aura image with fitting sonic embellishments and the necessary instrumentation. In some cases these enhancements are as pertinent as the tune, such as in the closing track Playwright, with its evocative textures and hippiedom backing vocal parts. If you like your indie pop guitar-driven yet not overdriven, featuring songs with a melodic flair that rarely give in to cliché and performances that are as spirited as the most dashing of the indie-rock avant-garde, i.e., Guided By Voices, Built To Spill and Pavement, then Space Engineer’s Radio Station In My Head is for you. VINCE LEIGH
Amid this light and shade is a fine sense of restraint and melodic invention that makes for an enjoyable if not wistful experience. Terry’s voice adjusts to these attenuations in style very well, in some cases moving from Elliott Smith like cadences to Lou Reed inspired inflections with ease and convincing coolness. Kicking off the album is Static, a good opener, a power-pop ode with a stomping feel that reveals the tasteful vulnerabilities of Terry’s vocal PAGE 38
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Baring The Witness by Ruth O’Brien
Trigger warning/Content warning: Child sexual abuse, mental illness, incarceration, cancer. From the moment Dorothy-Jane (commonly known around Canberra as DJ Gosper) walked in on her husband of twenty years molesting a young child, she knew that every part of her life was about to change. Determined that this child would be safe and that this man would never do this again, she immediately reported the incident. In the months following this incomprehensible event her marriage dissolved, her husband was incarcerated, she was perpetually at risk of homelessness, her car and other belongings were repossessed and many relationships in her personal life became fractured, were strained, or just disintegrated. Almost everything she knew and trusted had become a fallacy - a cruel joke. And, as you can imagine, after all this, her mental health was not in the best way. Psychs and counsellors were stunned that she managed to cope without being admitted to a mental health unit. During the hardest times, DJ wasn’t even able to respond if someone asked her how she was. Completing a “simple” daily task, let alone dealing with the financial mess and negotiating avenues to seek assistance, was a gargantuan achievement. There were long spaces in that time where DJ simply has no memory. Anyone who’s experienced the brain-fog of depression, mixed with the paralysing terror of anxiety (and many other mental health issues), will know to an extent what this is like. I sat down at Lonsdale Roasters 7 with DJ last week to chat about her new album, the recording process, the launch, and everything in between. “The last song [on the album] is really about how I coped. And that’s called Rest. Not that I got any decent rest [she laughs] but it was more like, I took to talking to myself out loud. “It was more a subconscious thing, I didn’t even think about it. But I had to tell myself, ‘holy shit, DJ, you’re doing really well under the circumstances. In anybody’s book this is fuckin’ horrible. And it’s too much to cope with. “But you’re doing great. You’re doing really good.’” Her 13-track concept album, The Witness, is essentially DJ’s diary of the last few years. This album is definitely not for the faint of heart. DJ honestly, and sometimes graphically, depicts the details of her experience. And while sharing this story is undoubtedly cathartic for DJ, her main hope with the album is to shine light on this extremely difficult and taboo topic. With the title track, she wants to hold her, “excuse-making, minimising, trivialising ex-husband” accountable. With the single, Speak Out, she wants to leave a legacy of hope for anyone who is being abused, with the message that, “some secrets are not meant for keeping”. During the recording of this album, DJ got the terrible news that her breast cancer had returned and that it was terminal. Luckily, DJ is receiving treatment that is currently keeping the disease at bay. And while it’s undeniably devastating news, even without considering what the artist has been through in the last few years, DJ is among the most kind, warm, and genuine people you’ll meet. These days, DJ is just trying to find a new normal. “I’ve found the words. I’ve found ways of being. But it still all feels very surreal.” Finishing such an intense emotional and artistic project is simply phenomenal. DJ’s courage, ability to cope, and resilience is, well, quite remarkable. She’s an incredible human and one of Canberra’s facebook.com/bmamagazine hardest working artists.
While DJ often wears her heart on her sleeve when she performs, this project will take that to a whole new level. Some people close to her have questioned why she has to release this album, it being such an uncomfortable topic. Her response is simple: “I don’t feel like it’s out of my system until it’s out in the world.” Dorothy-Jane will perform The Witness at Smith’s Alternative on Sunday, 22 March, from 4-6pm. She’ll be joined onstage by the musicians who performed on the album including: Ali Penney (keys); Ben Hoare (guitars); Matt Nightingale (bass); and Jack Barnard (drums). Special guests: John Mackey (saxophone); and Julia Horvath (cello). Tickets are $15 (standard), $10 (concession), $5 (for those who donated to the album) and can be bought online via smithsalternative.com The Witness was recorded and produced in Canberra by David Pendragon and is available on all major streaming platforms. You can read more about DJ and the album via her website www. dorothy-jane.com If this article has raised any personal concerns for you or someone you know, here are some services that may help: • 1800 RESPECT on 1800 737 732 • Lifeline on 13 11 14 • Kids Helpline on 1800 551 800 • Suicide Call Back Service on 1300 659 467 • Beyond Blue on 1300 22 46 36 • Headspace on 1800 650 890
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[MOVIE REVIEWS]
EMMA [
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Jane Austen’s beloved novel Emma, published in 1815, is once again brought to the screen, this time by screenwriter Eleanor Catton and director Autumn de Wilde. Emma tells the tale of Miss Emma Woodhouse, a handsome and privileged young woman who, fancying herself a gifted matchmaker, meddles in the lives of others to disastrous effect. Several of the actors deliver worthy performances: Mia Goth, commendable as the easily influenced Miss Smith, a parlour boarder residing at a nearby school and Emma’s chief matchmaking focus; Bill Nighy, as Emma’s father; Gemma Whelan and Rupert Graves as Mr and Mrs Weston; and especially Miranda Hart, loveably memorable as Miss Bates. Regrettably, Anya Taylor-Joy’s Emma inspires neither interest nor sympathy. Although Austen wrote the character as someone no one else would like, she did not create the selfabsorbed, snobbish, unpleasant Emma in this film. Austen’s Emma is spoilt and naïve, with much to learn, but is also sparkling and redeemable with an essentially good heart. Against Taylor-Joy’s unlikeable Emma is Johnny Flynn’s Mr Knightley, whom Austen imbued with maturity and great strength of character: a true mentor and eventual life-partner for Emma. Unfortunately, Johnny Flynn’s Mr Knightley lacks character, showing a little backbone only when chastising Emma for her unkind rudeness to Miss Bates. This Mr Knightley is not a man to look to with respect, and in some ways seemed as immature as Emma. As well, Taylor-Joy and Flynn convey no sense of a romantic connection, making for an unbelievable relationship — which the film’s direction led to occur abruptly rather than via gradual transitions. Emma is a spoilt and silly woman one moment, and a humbly mature one in the next, and Mr Knightley unaccountably falls in love during a single dance with a woman whose faults and limitations have vexed him for years. These and several other glaring omissions unfortunately create motivational vacuums, the film’s various threads eventually squeezing out an uncomfortable resolution and forfeiting overall success. The departures arising from Catton’s screenplay and de Wilde’s direction failed not only to bring anything refreshing to Austen’s Emma, but also to make best use of the tact and subtlety so integral to the novel. The production is nonetheless largely rescued by the way in which its exquisite sets, splendid and lush costuming, fine cinematography, and many likeable characters bring Regency England superbly to life. MICHELE E. HAWKINS
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THE LIGHTHOUSE [
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With the cinema domination in the 2010s of superhero franchises, remakes and reboots, immediate sequels, belated nostalgia sequels, and countless movies about old people rediscovering their joie de vivre, there hasn’t been much room for truly original/independent filmmaking to grace the screens. But it has always been there in the sidelines, chipping away in Cinema 13, waiting to be discovered. It occasionally makes a break-out into the populist zeitgeist – the emergence of The Favourite a year ago was a welcome culmination for Yorgos Lanthimos aficionados (who’d been sharing their enthusiasm for The Lobster and The Killing of a Sacred Deer for years to anybody they could corner). Horror has been one genre that, in recent times, has been leading the way in innovative and/or challenging storytelling. And one recent example was The VVitch, a Sundance break-out that went on to disturb audiences worldwide (not to mention make a cult figure out of Black Phillip). The writer-director, Robert Eggers, was given a bigger budget and access to more widely known actors, and he has now produced The Lighthouse. The plot of The Lighthouse is essentially “new lighthouse keeper (Robert Pattinson) arrives on island to work with grizzly old lighthouse keeper (Willem Dafoe) for two-week stint”. It’s the atmosphere that you should be here for, though, not the story. Seagulls, mermaids, dead bodies, rocks (LOTS of rocks) and farts all sway somewhere between reality and madness, as the two characters get through the drudgery of the daily/ nightly chores, converse in dialogue from centuries past (the credits tell us that most of it comes from the writings of Herman Melville and other sea-shanty-like texts), and try to keep their minds from decaying through boredom. The film was shot in Academy ratio (appearing square on the screen) and black-and-white by regular Eggers cinematographer Jarin Blaschke (who received an Oscar nomination for this), and it is hauntingly beautiful. The sound is also effective in transporting you to the windy, lonely island. And the bizarre chemistry between the two leads is tangibly bonkers – Dafoe in particular is having a hoot as the craggy sea-salt, uttering lines like, “sparkle like a sperm whale’s pecker” with glee. The level of eccentricity does veer close to saturation point towards the end of the film (The VVitch was much more succinct, and therefore more affecting), but ultimately it doesn’t detract from the mixture of merriment and creepiness you receive from this film. Sometimes horror, sometimes comedy, regularly cryptic, but always entertaining and original, The Lighthouse is a breath of fresh (or maybe stinky) air for your cinema excursion. TRAVIS CRAGG facebook.com/bmamagazine
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GIG REVIEW - Everclear, Renegade Peacock, Local Horror @ The Basement, Sunday, 9 Feb Review and photos by Paul Kerr Everclear, the ’90s alternative rockers, made their way back to Australia after a three-year hiatus with a Canberra slot happily added to the itinerary. We can be a fickle lot, us Canberra crowd. So coming to The Basement on a Sunday night, I was wondering what we were in for. But once inside I was pleasantly surprised to find the place humming with a good crowd in early. The Basement is looking sharp these days and is one of the best places in Canberra to see live music in my opinion. This is borne out by the amount of large national and international acts stopping in there on tours over the last year or two. Back to the music itself, and first up is Local Horror, a bunch of Canberrans who are given the task of warming up the early crowd. The guys put on a really good set that is tight and draws a great round of applause for each and every song as the crowd starts to get into it. The guys play about 30 minutes and do a great job kicking off proceedings. After a short hiatus while Renegade Peacock set up and get ready to kick things into gear, the crowd has been building and there is a larger contingent now placed squarely at the front. Renegade Peacock are sporting a new member in this incarnation, and this is their second gig of the weekend that I have been to. The energy shifts up a gear as the lead guitarist/singer struts around the stage, engaging all and sundry. This band is sounding great, with influences from some of the greats of rock and this clearly comes across in their stage show. Original lead singer Christian Sep, now handling bass duties as well as vocals, adds to the melody and fun mood. These guys really rock the stage (my wife agrees, and we only have few instances where our tastes align) so if you get a chance, go check them out. Then it is time for Everclear. The crowd starts pushing forward and this is where I can tell that The Basement has a very healthy-sized crowd for a Sunday night. The minutes tick by as some last-minute adjustments are made to the setup before the band hit the stage, kicking off with So Much For The Afterglow. The crowd surges forward again as they move into Everything to Everyone and the band grow in stature. A large portion of the crowd start bouncing along, aptly encouraged by Art Alexakis. There is a bit of banter with the crowd where Alexakis shows his appreciation for the turnout on a school night. The band continues to rock through a range of hits from the early years with some newer songs sprinkled in. Classics such as Heroin Girl, Wonderful, Father of Mine, and AM Radio were all in there, as well as an acoustic mini set including Song From An American Movie and Strawberry before finishing the night strongly with Summerland and Santa Monica. All up, it was an energy-enriched night. Everyone I talked to thought that they put on a great show, while Alexakis played the crowd like a fiddle the whole night, encouraging movement, sing-alongs aplenty, and pure entertainment. Yes, Alexakis may not have the range of voice he once had 20 years ago (a comment I was given), but people didn’t mind as the majority that I saw left as happy campers.
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[POLL GUIDE [ENTERTAINMENT ] ]] ] GUIDE POSTER PRINT PAGE [ENTERTAINMENT ENTERTAINMENT GUIDE [POLL POSTER PRINT PAGE]
Thu 22 Aug
ARTS Metamorphosis Adapted by Steven Berkoff Featuring an all Canberra cast including Christopher Samuel Carroll, Ruth Pierloor, Dylan Van Den Berg, and Stefanie Lekkas. Shows until 31 Aug. Tix from venue website THE STREET THEATRE Annika Romeyn exhibition - Endurance Inspired by the personally significant site of Guerilla Bay, Yuin Country. Runs until 20 Sep MEGALO PRINT STUDIO & GALLERY Shakespeare in Love Comedic theatrical tell of the Oscar winning film starring Gwyneth Paltrow and Joseph Fiennes. Running until 31 Aug with Saturday matinees. Tix from Canberra Theatre CANBERRA THEATRE
DANCE
Tix from venue THE STREET THEATRE
Local Horror. 8pm TRANSIT BAR
LIVE
Red Hot Chili Peppers Tribute Show Performed by Chilly Willy, with Nirvana and Garbage tributes as support. 7pm – 9pm, tix from Oztix THE BASEMENT
The Missing Lincolns Lost Album launch From 7pm. $10 on the door SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE Girls Rock! Canberra fundraiser Featuring The Buoys, Cry Club, Lady Denman, Lucy Sugerman and Peach Lane. From 6pm UC HUB
DANCE Rising Stars New up-and-coming DJs hit the decks, featuring the might of Woody, Theo, Alex Allen, Vivace, Haylee Karmer, Nue Dae, Bouncii, and Take-Tu MR WOLF Blanke Bass heavy house and EDM FICTION CLUB
Techno Thursdays Techno techno techno techno! FICTION CLUB
Saturday August 24
Section Seven: Martial Order SIDEWAY BAR
Blood on the Dance Floor by Jacob Boehme Through a powerful blend of theatre, image, text and choreography, Boehme pays homage to their ceremonies whilst dissecting the politics of gay, Blak and poz identities (recommended for age 15+). 5pm & 8pm. Check the website to book TUGGERANONG ARTS CENTRE
FRIDAY AUGUST 23
COMEDY Tommy Little Self-Diagnosed Genius After completing the world’s most gruelling marathon in Antarctica (with no previous experience), Tommy’s got a cracking story to share. Two shows at 6:45pm, and another at 8:30pm THE PLAYHOUSE The Song Company Mind Over Matter A zany and toonful chamber opera about two lifts and a computer virus in a bed of 1980s pop gold served up by five singers, two speakers, and PAGE 46 four hands at one piano. 7:30pm.
MAY 27 – JUNE 2 MAY MORE EVENTS @ bmamag.com/entertainment-guide MAY1818– –MAY MAY2222 FOR MORE EVENTS HEAD TO bmamag.com/guide
ARTS
LIVE MUSIC Powder Blue - Flower Town single launch With supports The Narcissists, The Dirty Sunflowers, and Hedy Blaazer. 7:30pm – 11:30pm, $10, at the door THE FRONT Smoke Stack Rhino Doom Boogie single tour Support by Muddy Wolfe and
Signs & Symbols Counting in Colours album launch 8pm - Tix at the door The Polo
DANCE It’s a London Thing UK grime/garage/2-step covered with Big Ting Recordings (SYD) & MCs Dtech & Tukka D SIDEWAY BAR
TALKS Isaac Butterfield Why So Serious? Explores our changing world. With a fast-growing audience, Isaac’s commentary videos have had more than 60 million views. 7:30pm, tix from Moshtix KAMBRI PRECINCT Wed Aug 28
AUTHOR TALK Evie Farrell, author of Backyard to Backpack: A Solo Mum, a Six Year Old and a Lifechanging Adventure
paperchainbookstore.com.au or (02) 6295 6723 PAPERCHAIN BOOKSTORE
THEATRE The Good Doctor An adaptation of Anton Chekhov’s short stories for the stage, featuring a cast of memorable characters from an acting troupe plays out the stories as each scene is introduced. Runs until Sat 31 Aug. 7:30pm. Tix from stagecenta.com PERFORM AUSTRALIA STUDIOS
LIVE MUSIC Canberra DIG hosts Crop Up Sessions. For your mid-week dose of music head over to have a listen to Eloria, Neko Pink, LIV LI and Pheno from 8pm. Tix available at the door for $10/$5. SIDEWAY BAR Thursday August 29 SoundOut Series #3 Featuring Mahagonny “Qrt” (revealing sonic places), Lena Czerniawksa (drawing; Poland) Emilio Gordoa (vibraphone; Mexico/Germany), Josten Myburgh (electronics; Perth) Laura Altman (clarinet; Sydney) TRIO Alexander Hunter (viola de gamba; Canberra), Tony Osborne (vocal/electronics; Sydney), and Richard Johnson (wind instruments; Canberra). 7:30pm, $10/$20, at the door
Listings are a free community service. Email editorial@bmamag.com to have your events appear each issue.
For up-to-date listings, visit bmamag.com/gigguide.
NEXT ISSUE: #494
OUT JUNE 7 In conversation with Evie will be Amanda Whitley, of HerCanberra. 6pm. RSVP: books@
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