BMA Magazine #520 - Nov/Dec 2021

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[CONTENTS]

[Canberra’s

#520

Entertainment Guide] November/December

So... What you been up to?

KIM YANG

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Mail: 36/97 Eastern Valley Way Belconnen, ACT 2617 Publisher ABN 76 097 301 730 Pty Ltd General Manager Allan Sko E: advertising@bmamag.com Editor Allan Sko E: allan@bmamag.com Accounts Manager Ashish Doshi E: accounts@bmamag.com Cover Design Juliette Dudley

KOPASETIC

p. 16

A NEW COMIC BY STUART MCMILLEN

p. 28

KIRKLANDD

p. 23

Cover photo Chris Walsch Article Design Daniel Kirklandd and Kim Yang designs by Marty Baker Christopher Samuel Carroll design by Monique Lewis Film Columnist Cam Williams Entertainment Guide Editor Allan Sko Social Media Manager Allan Sko & Ruth O’Brien Columnists Ruth O’Brien, Josh Nixon, Alice Worley, Chris Marlton, Allan Sko

CHRISTOPHER SAMUEL CARROLL

p. 30

Contributors Josh Eckersley, Millie Hayes, Ruth O’Brien, Vince Leigh, Allan Sko NEXT ISSUE #521 OUT Thursday, 16 December EDITORIAL DEADLINE Friday, 26 November ADVERTISING DEADLINE Wednesday, 8 December

LOLCOL: CHRIS MARLTON

ABN 76 097 301 730 BMA Magazine is independently owned and published. Opinions expressed in BMA Magazine are not necessarily those of the editor, publisher or staff.

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HOT TIX - LIVE MUSIC

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CBR MUSIC REVIEWS

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SPOTLIGHT - ARTS

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TIM FERGUSON

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FILM REVIEWS

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BMA GIG/EVENTS GUIDE p.42 @bmamag

FROM THE BOSSMAN

BY ALLAN SKO [ALLAN@BMAMAG.COM]

Canberra, I Bloody Love You...

Well clamp my nipples and call me Beryl; if I’m writing a Bossman column, that must mean… BMA is back!

And if BMA is back, that must mean… Canberra live music and arts is too! The Spirits have done it all in one night! They can do anything they like. Of course they can. “YOU THERE, BOY! WHAT DAY IS THIS?” Gosh, I missed you lot. That lockdown seemed to last longer than your grandparents’ marriage. 2.0 was an entirely different beast to its 2020 counterpart. The “novelty” had gone (and I air quote there so hard that I’ve dislocated a finger), we were locking down and opening up at different times, and the whole thing had the weight of, “UrrrgggGGGH… this again?”

Whereas the initial shock of the pandemic spurned a sense of alternative action, deep internal ponderance, and general life reassessment, the second obliterated the motivation, sparking a minor hum of depression disguised as couch-surfing inactivity.

But we have emerged, bleary-eyed and blinking, into the world once more. And wow, do we have a feast of fun to gorge upon.

This issue is a blushing cornucopia of Canberra creativity, particularly from the music fraternity. Despite the pox on all our houses, 2021 has shaped up to be one of the best for Canberra music. You can read about it here, and in next month’s edish, as there’s simply too much amazing music to report on in one go.

Artists have been vital during this most challenging of years.

Whilst I was wading through a malaise of a fugue of a swamp, every day my email would pop off with another amazing feat of ACT art actualisation. It’s enough to make you feel old and flabby.

And very, very grateful for the connection through art.

Now, of course, we can give one of the best kinds of love and support possible: getting along to live shows and events.

Which segues neatly into WOLO - What’s On, Lots On - an epic undertaking between Music ACT, your humble BMA Magazine, and venues, promoters, and artists Canberra-wide. It’s an up-to-theminute collection of music and arts events, with a print version still lovingly created at the back of this mag. There’s already close to 200 listings, and plenty of peeps checking it out. Keen? I present to you the paragon of modern technology; a QR code. Print and online combine to create a digital highway to speed you straight to the WOLO zone.

Look, it’s been a suck of a year. No question. A lot has been lost along the way. Yet, a sense of pentup energy abounds. I’ve been on the phone to countless artists, promoters, and venues and the electricity is palpable. Being out and about is genuinely exciting. And this could only happen because we really looked after each other, Canberra.

Bloody proud of you. facebook.com/bmamagazine

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[HOT TIX]

A Celebration of Funk & Soul / Three talented bands / Sun, 21 November / The Basement Three full, funky, soulful sets await for an end-of-spring Sunday arvie.

The Funkologists are from the engine rooms of local funk juggernauts Funk Shui and Brass Knuckle. They will be playing a mix of pure soul and funk classics, combined with some rare cuts. The incredibly talented Subway to Venus are described as 100% spacious, hard funk saturated in uplifting melodies that you can vibe the f*ck out to. And formed from the band Big Gumbo, five-piece funk ‘n’ soulsters Sister C & the Bad Habits are seasoned musicians who truly love putting their groove out there to entertain. 4pm-8pm, tickets $29.10 via Oztix

NYASH! / Afrobeat Ska / Sat, 27 November / Gang Gang Cafe Nifty nine-piece NYASH! are back at Gang Gang Café and Bar for a long overdue night of big band shakin’ goodness. Once again, hot and heavy vibes are promised, and why wouldn’t they be? NYASH! are Canberra’s very own enclave of Afrobeat + Ska + Reggae sounds who have been entertaining and delighting for many a year now. Expect the Afro-Funk of Nigeria’s Fela Kuti mixed with feel good Jamaican Skatalites vibes.

From 3:30pm, free entry

Chins + The Dalmations + Filthy Darlings / Fri, 3 December / Smith’s Alternative Five-piece indie-rocksters Chins – think The Cure meets Surf Curse with a twist grunge and a side serve of punk – are celebrating their new single Eloise Is Crying at the venue that gave them their first gig - Smith’s Alternative. Joining them on the night are The Dalmatians ft The Two Peas, who combine acoustic guitar, bouzouki, vocal harmonies and backing tracks to create catchy grooves, dance beats and woody ballads. Plus The Filthy Darlings, as filthy as The Police, but as sincere as The Darling Buds of May. 7pm, tickets are $20/$15 via smithsalternative.com PAGE 12 PAGE 12

UPCOMING LIVE MUSIC EVENTS

Bang!! Bing!! Beng!! Bong!! Bung!! / Weekly open mic night / Every Tuesday / Smith’s Alternative There’s no better way to stretch out those lockdown cramps than by attending Smith’s version of the open-mic. Enjoy sets of up to five songs from singer-songwriters, new to performing, new to town, or trying out new material in front of a friendly audience. In the next month alone you can witness Sean Hutterer, Natorious Burn, Minh Ngo, John Taylor, George K, Ali Bryant, Melody Bear, Evan Hanford, Wil Allen, CJ Shaw, Amy Paterson, Winningduo Band, Jasper Burfoot, Spaceman Africa, moss girl, Jasmine Golden, and plenty more besides! 7pm - 10pm, tix a mere $5 via smithsalternative.com

Nina Leo / Debut EP Fake It launch/ Thu, 2 December / sideway bar Nina Leo is socking it to sideway to celebrate the release of her Debut EP Fake It in its proper rock show fashion. She is known for maintaining a balance of that golden era rock; twisted with a soft acoustic, psychedelic gaze. This year she showcased herself with the release of her debut single Recover this April, along with her sophomore single Break The Renegade taking a polar-opposite turn with a power anthem that nobody saw coming. With the loving support from Canberra locals AVA Martina and dog world, you don’t wanna miss this one! 8pm, free entry

SummerSalt / Big Festival returns to Canberra / Sat, 26 February / Stage 88 SummerSalt is set to sizzle, with Missy Higgins, Xavier Rudd, Birds of Toyko, The Waifs, Pete Murray, The Dreggs & Tulliah all there. Promoter, John Zaccaria tells us: “After powering through a tumultuous time for live concerts, we are so excited to return to the ACT. We’re all keen to get back to enjoying fun days out with friends and some of Australia’s best live music. We have another top line-up of homegrown Aussie talent to bring to Canberra and can’t wait to see music fans out again making sensational summer memories with their mates.” Tickets $81.34 - $183.29 from Ticketmaster @bmamag

[SPOTLIGHT]

ArtSound FM Radio Theatre 1st Birthday / Weekly radio plays / Every Sunday, 4pm / ArtSound fm 92.7 Last year, radio drama returned to ArtSound FM, Canberra’s arts and music community radio station, with the addition of ArtSound Radio Theatre. It’s now celebrating its first anniversary. “Local writers and actors have enthusiastically taken on the challenge of producing work for radio,” says program producer Bart Meehan, a prolific local playwright. Each 30-minute episode, heard Sundays at 4pm (repeated Tuesdays at 4pm) features one or two short plays. Many are original works by Canberra region playwrights, while others are sourced from the ArtSound archives or are new productions of classics. Must-listen

Sydney Comedy Festival Showcase / 8 Top Comics / Sun, 12 December / Canberra Theatre Expertly curated and lovingly presented, the Syd Com Fest Showcase is bringing the crème de la crème of the Festival to Canberra. The showcase features some of the Festival’s hottest acts live on stage for an incredible two hours of hard-hitting laughter. Boasting a line-up of veteran favourites and some of the freshest emerging talents, this jam-packed night of pure entertainment includes Cameron James, Nikki Britton, Sean Woodland, local legend Chris Ryan, Bonnie Tangey, Daniel Muggleton, Bec Melrose, and Suren Jayemanne. 7:30pm, $36$40 + bf via venue

Randy Feltface / Puppetry of the Genius / Thu, 16 December / The Street Theatre After selling out festivals across the country, everyone’s favourite feltfaced comedian is bringing his finest hour of stand-up to The Street for two nights only. Randy started doing stand-up comedy in 2005 and has since given birth to seven critically acclaimed solo shows. He has appeared at Fringe, Comedy and Music festivals, performed on major stages in regal theatres and gigged in sticky-carpeted beer-barns from Edinburgh to Hong Kong, Galway to New York and Singapore to Sydney. 8:30pm, tickets $35 + bf from thestreet.org.au/shows/ccfrandy-feltface facebook.com/bmamagazine

UPCOMING ARTS EVENTS

A Christmas Carol / Festive classic; 30 characters by 5 actors / 26 Nov – 4 Dec / Canberra Rep Directed by Antonia Kitzel, A Christmas Carol is REP’s first production following the recent COVID lockdown and is a welcome return to the stage. Join Ebenezer Scrooge on his journey of redemption as he faces three ghosts who teach him the true meaning of Christmas, and the joy that giving yourself over to love and compassion can bring. This adaptation by Abigail Paul was first staged in 2015 by the Theatre Language Studio Frankfurt. In REP’s 2021 rendition, all 30 characters are brought to life by a cast of five actors. All tickets $20, check canberrarep.org.au for times and availability

Marky Worthington Open Mic Comedy / Thu, 7 December / The Basement Beloved local comic Marky Worthington and his third-Tuesday-everymonth open mic comedy nights are gaining popularity with each iteration. Whether you’re a seasoned professional looking to tryout some new stuff, or if it’s your first trembling step on the ‘boards, head on down and check it out. When it comes to bookings the “First In Best Dressed” rule will apply. There are 16 bookable spots. Or, of course, be a part of the audience and come along for the laughs and a bite to eat from Chompy’s while you’re at it! To get involved, or for more info, email markyworthingtoncomedy@gmail.com

Van Gogh Alive / Huge touring digital exhibition / From 5 March, 2022 / Parkes Place Lawns Created by Grande Experiences, Van Gogh Alive is a large-scale, multi-sensory experience visited by over 8 million people across 75+ cities around the world. Immerse themselves in Van Gogh’s artistry and truly venture into his world in this digital exhibition. Van Gogh Alive is housed in The Grand Pavilion, a giant, 70m X 25m bespoke marquee; the largest touring showroom in the southern hemisphere, featuring a themed bar & café space. The Canberra season opens during the Enlighten Festival in 2022. Make no mistake – this is no ordinary art exhibition. Bookings + info: vangoghalive.com.au PAGE 13 PAGE 13

Does that mean this entire column has just been made redundant? Nope! There’s still loads to chat about, so stick with me.

LOCALITY

[THE WORD ON LOCAL MUSIC] WITH RUTH O’BRIEN. SEND YOUR GIGS AND INFO TO: [RUTH@BMAMAG.COM]

Oh hi! How goes it?

It’s been a few months since we’ve been able to touch base about all things Canberra fun stuff, i.e. music, arts and the like. Lockdowns will do that kind of thing to one’s social life. Bet you’re super keen to get out of the house now that we can, right?

Well, you’re in luck. There’s a huge amount of stuff going on in the territory over the coming weeks and months so, let’s jump into it.

Between the 10th-18th of December, the Australian Dance Party (ADP) will be presenting their most recent work, Less, at the Dairy Road Precinct in Fyshwick.

The show boasts live music performed by Alex Voorhoeve (cello) and John Mackey (sax), with members of ADP activating their architectural surroundings. With a calibre of artists this high, this performance will truly be a fine example of how less really is, more.

To book tickets, go to events.humanitix.com/less The fantastic Canberra venue that is Gang Gang Cafe and Bar has a whole host of events coming up in the weeks ahead of us.

First up, WOLO is the newest (and coolest) Canberra acronym to get wrap your coconut around. Also known as What’s On? Lots On. WOLO is the brainchild and result of the hard efforts of MusicACT and BMA. Yup, throughout this year, we’ve been working alongside some of Canberra’s most talented and hard-working people in the music scene to bring together the most awesome gig guide this city has ever bloody seen!

On Saturday, 27 November at 7pm, Burntout Bookings present their inaugural live show with an amazing lineup to kick things off. That is Nina Leo, Lost Coast and Betty Alto.

Just a few short weeks later on Sunday, 12 December at 6pm, Creswick (aka Liam Budge) and his band will be taking over the venue to bring you some original tunes.

Now, venues, promoters and individuals across town are able to upload event info which enables the gig-goer to quickly and easily find out what’s happening in and around our beautiful city, all in one hit!

To find out what’s on, simply scan the QR code below or head to wolo.events to have a browse through this master guide of delicious gig information!

This will be Creswick’s first show since returning to Australia after living in New York for several years.

Tickets can be booked via Oztix, or you can simply go to the events link at linktr.ee/ganggangcafe for all the juicy info.

Heading over to the UC Hub now and Lucy Sugerman will be performing on Saturday, 11 December to celebrate the release of her eagerly awaited debut EP hurt that’s man made. The EP is an ode to your inexperienced heart taking over your inexperienced PAGE 14

@bmamag

y Luc rman a Sug

And finally, MusicACT is hosting the next Music Chats event on Sunday, 28 November at 3:30pm, at Canberra’s newest bar One22. Australia-based international booking agencies Select Music and Raida Artists will be leading a discussion through Vienna Bradley (Teenage Dads, Columbus, Sputnik Sweetheart) and Jimmy Kleiner (Yours Truly, Teenage Joans, TOWNS). They’ll be sharing their wisdom on the art of booking great gigs. A great chat full of juicy tips awaits. To book your free ticket go to musicact.com.au

head, and explores the tedious process of trial and error in taking back control over your life post-first love. Lucy will be supported by Parklands and Zuko. Tix via Moshtix.

For those of you not quite ready to head into the great outdoors just yet, Mustard Flats have just released a documentary about the much loved Academy nightclub and its history called, The Academy Story. Ah yes, I have many a hazy memory of that place… so many good times.

The endlessly talented Nic Vevers, director, filmmaker and the creator of Mustard Flats, has brought together an incredible collection of footage and insights from some of Canberra’s industry icons including Jim Medcraft, Chris Fraser, Ashley Feraude, Mikah Freeman and Frank Condi.

Featuring never before seen footage, The Academy Story tells the unknown history of Canberra’s first superclub and the incredible impact it had on local music culture. To watch the doco head to linketr.ee/mustardflats

facebook.com/bmamagazine

And don’t forget, if you’re a muso or industry professional, make sure you subscribe to Upbeat - the music industry newsletter I curate and email out every second Wednesday.

This free resource is full of all the latest professional opportunities, jobs, competitions and grants I come across that ACT-residents are eligible for. To sign up head to eepurl.com/g2T5iz or upbeatcbr.com That’s all folks! Catch ya soon.

Ruth O’Brien - Singer | Songwriter | Writer | Lover of all things artsy and creative - email: ruth@bmamag.com

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BMA BAND PROFILE Plucky five-piece roots ‘n’ reggae tinged, off-beat folksters Kopasetic are playing at The Street Theatre on Saturday, 4 December. They are celebrating the release of new single Petrified.

As such, we here at BMA thought it high time to catch up with the crew to find out where did they come from, where d’they go (giving them the ol’ Cotton Eye Joe treatment).

Let’s do it to it! Over to you Mr Alec Randles…

Group members: Kopasetic is: Alec Randles – Vocals and Guitar James Briguglio – Drums and Handpan Henry Overton – Bass Dylan Saunders – Percussion Adam Lilleyman – Keyboard Where did the band name come from?

Our name comes from the slang word ‘Copacetic’, meaning something like ‘in fine form’, or ‘in good order’. Hah! There is an interesting variety of ideas of where the word comes from. It’s been the name for my imaginary band since I heard it while backpacking across Jamaica in 2015.

A member of the Rastafari in the Blue Mountains of Jamaica kept saying the word. He told me it came up during the colonial period where pirates, locals, and colonials alike would use the word for when everything was cool and calm. I liked the story, and it stuck in my head as a band name.

I think it suits our music, and it’s also a subtle call out to rootsreggae folk because of the history of the word in that music.

How did you form?

I (Alec) started performing when I was studying in the United States and I was absolutely blown away by the music scenes in

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that part of the world – like in Memphis, Nashville, and Kansas City.

Inspired, I wanted to continue with performing when I got back to Australia. However, it seemed a lot harder for me to get momentum here as a solo folk artist than it was over there.

I just wanted to play more shows, and I thought putting a band together was the way to do it. I reached out to two guys from high school that I remembered were excellent musicians – Henry (bass) and James (drums). We got together in early 2018 and from there we started jamming.

Kopasetic started really slow, but we just kept practicing until we had a tight, distinct sound.

Describe your sound: This is a hard one.

Kopasetic’s original music is ‘roots’, but is probably just off-beat folk music that draws influence from the heavy lead bass and drums of roots-reggae music. We lack a lead instrument, so almost everything has gone into making a dope rhythm engine.

For the upcoming show at The Street Theatre, Kopasetic is lucky to have Guy Lilleyman (Guyy & the Fox) jumping in on some lead mandolin, which we are very keen for. Someone once called us a hornless version of The Cat Empire. I’m not too sold on that, but I kinda get where they are coming from.

Who or What are your influences, musical and/or otherwise?

Man this is another hard one to pick.

Despite the music Kopasetic plays, Henry (bass) is an absolute metalhead and also delves into a bit of jazz.

James’ (drums) background is in rock music.

I have a history of fingerstyle guitar and songwriting inspired from the late ’60s and ’70s (think Neil Young, Rodriguez, Townes Van Zandt, and Bob Dylan).

I was absolutely taken by reggae music since around 2014, and found myself drifting away from more classical styles of guitar and into roots music. Since jamming together, we’ve all started sharing a deep interest in roots and reggae music.

This said, we also hold some key band influences as Roberto Fonseca, Ray Lamontagne, Bob Marley and the Wailers, Don Carlos, Fortunate Youth, Bonnie Raitt, and Victor Wooten.

Aside from music, we draw influence from progressive activism and any person who stands up against environmental injustice.

What are some of the most memorable experiences you’ve had?

Sharing a stage with Australian roots legend Jeff Lang is a cool thing for us to look back on.

We also headlined the Roots and Reggae By The Lake festival at Lennox Gardens in 2019 with an audience upwards of 500 people. It was such a good vibe that afternoon; like something from a dream.

Another super memorable experience was when we sold out Smith’s Alternative for our debut EP launch back in 2019 with our close friends Bobby James supporting us. We sold over 120 tickets that night and around 70 EPs, which was such a surprise. It really encouraged us to keep pressing forward.

What is it that you love about the scene? Your genre’s scene?

Some of our biggest feels go out to venues like Smith’s Alternative.

Especially in the early days, we found Smith’s to have been one of the only venues that gave us artistic comfort as young people to play and create music the way we wanted to, and in tribute to the music and artists that we thought were important.

We think Smith’s does an incredible job of fostering artistic integrity in local musicians. Performing at Smith’s has always reminded me of those fascinating music scenes I was a part of in places like Nashville and Memphis. I can taste the nostalgia when I walk through those doors.

Aside from being regulars at Smith’s, we actually didn’t feel like we belonged to any particular music scene in Canberra until we met Raf Florez, the manager of Los Chavos and operator of Cultura Clandestino. He started booking Kopasetic for gigs on bills with bands like Los Chavos and Zambezi Sounds on Saturday nights. facebook.com/bmamagazine

It didn’t take long for us to realise that there was a roots music community in Canberra, and it was incredibly multicultural.

It’s a damn fine music scene, and we are stoked to have been welcomed into it. I think our recent growth and selling-out of headline gigs in Canberra started with those shows and audiences, and we have made some great friends along the way.

Keep an eye out for the Cultura Clandestino gigs!

Tell us about one of your proudest moments?

I actually think our recent recording of our new tune Petrified is something we will remember forever. We were having such a good time at Amberly Studios getting the scratch tracks down.

It is just such a vibe to be absolutely jamming to make a scratch track. To be able to look at each other from different rooms while you’re playing. Giving each other looks like “check out what we’re doing”. The connection you get with your bandmates at times like that is priceless.

People would pay so much money to feel that feeling, but it can only come from hard work and connecting together through music.

What are your plans for the future?

We were on a cool ride leading up to the outbreak of the pandemic, getting accepted into interstate music festivals and so on. But all that just ended so suddenly.

We would love to just keep pushing roots and folk music here in Canberra, and reminding people of how powerful the history, music, and messages can be in these genres. Not to mention how good it sounds live.

Our ultimate goal would be to play Woodford Folk Festival.

Mmmhmm.

Anything else you’d like to add?

Don’t forget to come see us perform at The Street Theatre for our single launch for Petrified on Saturday, 4 December.

Also, we love to chat with anyone about the history of roots music.

Feel free to reach out to us via instagram or facebook @kopaseticband PAGE 17 PAGE 17

THE DROP

[THE WORD ON EDM/DANCE MUSIC] WITH ALLAN SKO

The plague of Covid - and subsequent lockdowns - has played merry havoc with discerning dancesters’ schedule.

But we’re back! Just!

Venues and promoters have only just started to fire up their party planning. In the meantime, there’s a stack of fine releases to feast on. So let’s get to it...

A few months ago, this column ran a wee piece on Canberra-Melbourne label Late Night Music. Well, they’ve had a busy release schedule on their hands.

Pre-lockdown, Peter Kazuki O’Rourke (formally of this very column) released his Samsara/ Nirvana EP, which took on the task of, “exploring the cycle of reincarnation and recreation in the pursuit of enlightenment, playing out across two expansive, progressive cuts”.

Finally for the label, in late August Late Night invited friend from Russia Ewan Rill to showcase his EP This Kind. It features a veritable showbag of remixes from the label stable and an exciting guest.

The release comprises two stunning tracks - titular This Kind and Glide. Aussie electronic icon Jamie Stevens of Infusion fame provides a remix of This Kind, while Kazuki gives it a breakbeat spin.

A deep progressive version of Glide is dished up by James Beetham, with Liam Sieker’s remix rounding out the EP. Flipping over to the drum ‘n’ bass front, Futurebound and BSound dropped an absolute monster to see you through the early stages of lockdown. It has the wonderful moniker of Slap Suey, replete with a drilling, hard urgency to it.

As one a top YouTube commenter excitingly espouses: “Whoaaa, the “slap” in the title is TOTALLY JUSTIFIED HOLY FUCK”. Couldn’t have slobbered it better myself.

Now, back in the Before Times when we were Footloose and fancy free, I was to gleefully report on Canberra House Social presents Null (live) at sideway at a now mythical time known as Saturday, 28 August.

Sri Lankan progressive house maestro Subandrio joined the release with a deep and heady remix of Samsara. Said remix slotted in at #34 on the Beatport Prog House track charts. It’s also gained industry support from legends like Guy J, Nick Warren, Jamie Jones, Anthony Pappa, Kasey Taylor, Rigooni, and Mike Griego.

Further to this, former Canberran-now-Melbourne-based producer and label co-founder James Beetham applies an intricate touch with his take on Nirvana. And speaking of the B-man...

Around the same time was the label’s 13th release – Emanation from James Beetham. This happy occasion marks his first solo EP on Late Night.

Chunky progressive house cut Muon opens the EP, while Protosphere takes us in a merry progressive breaks direction.

Northern Ireland duo Loco & Jam bring a tough techno reimagining of Muon, while fellow Australian producer Fourthstate adds a breaks touch to the track in his remix.

So there’s a little summin-summin for one and all.

Indeed, the EP has already gained industry support from heavyweights Chris Cargo, Darius Bassiray, Gai Barone, Just B, Lonya, Steve Parry, and Zankee Gulati.

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Sadly, that never came to be. Although that show may still be on the cards one day, what has for sure happened in the interim is the release of Null’s Khoping Mech EP. I’ve been a keen follower of Null AKA Hayden Quinn’s career for - checks watch - shit! well over a decade now. This goes back to the very early days when he was palling around with James Hewson under the guise of Paqman (their Antithesis album was a cracker), and then later under the moniker of Rachel Haircut.

I couldn’t play the Rachel Haircut double A-side Aquaflash + Nicodeine Crush enough. Hell, reckon I’ll pop that badboy on right now!

Citing The Chemical Brothers as a big inspiration - which always gets a hard tick from this Chemmies devotee - I was deeply saddened to learn of their parting of ways.

But years back, Quinn made a move to Melbs, created Null, released a slew of rad tunes, and has now released a shiny new EP. @bmamag

I caught up with Mr Quinn in light of this happy occasion: “The EP is a hint at things to come,” Quinn explains. “It’s two x 4/4 tracks, with one in my typical rave/breakbeat style.

“I wanted to get something a little more stripped back and reserved out into the world before pushing forward with more “album artist” type material in 2022.”

So there you go. Null’s Khoping Mech EP is out right now.

Rightey-o. On to gigs we go. Somewhat.

With the news of nightclubs being able to re-open only happening recently (and DANCING permitted! The very idea!) the Canberra clubbing cognoscenti are still putting together their party masterplans.

One crew that’s got going from the get-go of lockdown-lift is perennial favourites Hot Foot Records, who have utilised the mighty Soul Defender machine for their wonderful wares.

But take not my word for it. I caught up with Hot Foot hotshot, the loveable Loky ‘Say’ Watt, to get the deets: “It’s a free party every Friday afternoon from 5pm-9:30pm with the Soul Defender running stage and sound out the front of Lonsdale Street Cafe,” he gleams.

If you’re unfamiliar with the Soul Defender; get acquainted stat! It’s an urban artwork designed as a static stage, parade vehicle, or festival installation. Previously used as a weapon of war, it has been transformed to now launch only feel-good music, bubbles, fun lighting, and uplifting performances.

Here’s a happy pic of the Don of The Dance, Doppel, rocking it at the Escape Ferocity party back in March of this year. Photo by the irrepressible Martin Ollman:

I wonder if my swivel-eyed gurning self makes a cameo here and there. I remember so many epic nights: Deep Dish & Danny Howells, Ugly Duckling, Roni Size, Justice. And by remember, I mean not at all.

The endlessly talented Nic Vevers, director, filmmaker and the creator of Mustard Flats, has brought together an incredible collection of footage and insights from some of Canberra’s industry icons. These include videographer to the stars Jim Medcraft, legendary DJs Chris Fraser, Ashley Feraude, and Mikah Freeman, and venue owning magnate Frank Condi.

Neat, eh? Anyway, back to Loky: “The parties will be running each week till Christmas for now, possibly running into next year, with the line-ups being predominantly Hot Foot artists.”

And further to this: “The cafe has created a new menu for the evenings,” Loky adds, “and will have a temporary liquor licence to sell alcohol.”

In other news, Fiction has opened its doors again, including its regular Saturday party nights, so that’s good news.

Speaking of that space, production house Mustard Flats have just released a documentary about the seminal Academy nightclub and its history called, The Academy Story. facebook.com/bmamagazine

Featuring never before seen footage, The Academy Story tells the unknown history of Canberra’s first superclub and the incredible impact it had on Canberra’s music culture. To watch the doco head to linketr.ee/ mustardflats Right, that’s enough bollocks from me.

The words, that is, not the acts featured.

They’re not bollocks.

They’re great! This final paragraph right here… Now THAT’S first-rate bollocks!

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PUNK & DISORDERLY [THE WORD ON PUNK] WITH ALICE WORLEY

Hey all! How lovely to be back. Hope lockdown wasn’t too hard on all of you!

So what’s new? Well, the big woo-hoo is that we can start going to shows again!

For starters, we’ve got sideway starting up their weekly Thursday band nights. Some of their upcoming line-ups include dog world (11 November), The Jim Dusty Drive-Thru Garbage Casino (18 November), and Enfants w/ Gin On The Rocks (25 November).

And we have shows at The Basement back in action! The Cohen Street Bash on Friday, 26 November will be the first standing show out of lockdown, featuring Parklands, Box Dye, dog world, and Welly.

We’ve also got ’90s Aussie indie-punk legends The Meanies finally back on the road and they’ve confirmed their new Canberra date is Sunday, 3 April! Although it’s been out for a year already, their latest album Desperate Measures deserves to be celebrated at long last. So let’s celebrate! Unfortunately they won’t be joined by Dicklord anymore, but our locals Charlotte and The Harlots will be stepping up to fill those mighty support slot shoes.

Side note: it’s so awesome to see Charlotte and The Harlots landing so many cool shows. They’re absolute shredders and it’s exciting that they’re getting the recognition. Love you guys! st.sinner have released an EP, Politics and Other Drugs. What a corker of a debut EP! Their much loved singles are on the track list: Mr Prime Minister, We’re All Going To Hell, and Dead For The Weekend. And there’s also some new tracks: Power, Danger, and Faking. Highly recommend checking it out; it’a currently up on Spotify. Congratulations to y’all!

And Avalanche are popping down from Sydney on their East Coast Tour, supported by Clarity of Chaos, Hence The Testbed, and Highland Light on Sunday, 12 December.

There are two other The Basement shows I’m particularly keen for. They’re kinda ages away, but you should probably think about getting tickets now cos they’ll definitely sell out.

Hard-Ons are stopping by The Basement on Thursday, 31 March.

Not only have they released an album, I’m Sorry Sir, That Riff’s Been Taken, but they’ll be sporting their new frontman – You Am I’s Tim Rogers! I’m really interested in seeing this new line-up. It’s going to be a super fun show that won’t leave anyone wanting.

Transit Bar seems to be getting close to a reopening date. This is huge news for us Canberrans that are so starved for music venues.

There were a fair few shows lined up for the end of 2021, but lockdown has apparently prevented the necessary construction from being completed. As such, reopening has been delayed. I’ve heard we’ll be waiting until around mid-January 2022 before we can see their brand new location and fit out.

I am super curious to see if Transit Bar have, in fact, ended up at the old Hog’s Breath Cafe location in Bailey’s Corner as rumoured. The wait continues to see how they have converted the old steakhouse into what will hopefully be a new home for local, interstate and, maybe one day soon, international music.

PAGE 20Hard-Ons PAGE 20

- now with 100% more Tim Rogers!

Alright people, once again, your music community needs your post lockdown support. These last two years have been so hard for musicians and venues all over Australia. If you want to see it back in full force sooner rather than later, get out and get amongst it. @bmamag Hope to see you at the punk rock show!

Desecrator summon up some meaty metal

METALISE

[THE WORD ON METAL] WITH JOSH NIXON [DOOMTILDEATH@HOTMAIL.COM] Is it over?

Can we come out and thrash yet?

Of course we can! A flood of gigs are flowing forth, and with restrictions lifting piece by piece, the capacity for bangovers and hangovers increase by the day.

The questions around vaccination seem to have been flowing around the metal scene more so than a lot of other genres. I know of several hesitant people, almost all interstate, who for principle or other reasons have chosen to not to get the jab. They are losing out on gigs as a result.

Melbourne thrash lords Desecrator have a new album out this year in the form of SUMMONING and are hitting the delayed road with fellow Mexican thrashers Harlot. The full Aussie tour includes both bands, and in Canberra we also get to enjoy a group self described as “…stylistically hard to describe”, The Ascended. Are you not intrigued? All will be revealed Friday, 7 January at The Basement.

Hard to miss and hard to get tickets for is the Canberra Metal Fest.

Happily, it has has sold out its first release.

This is a tough time for the music industry, and for everyone, when making a choice about their bodies. But after a brush with the C19 as close as my neighbours, and learning of their experience – the choice was clear for my family and I.

And it’s not hard to understand why, featuring the might of: Abramelin, Misery, Pod People, Holy Serpent, Wretch, Reaper, Ploughshare, Sumeru, Carnal Viscera, Lucifungus, Carcinoid, Burn The Hostages, Gape, Womb To Tomb, Laceration Mantra, 12 Gauge Rampage, Hekate, Immorium, Point 17, Dying Sun, Outcest, Terra Mortem, Goat Shaman, Hypergiant, Rooted, Arkanae, Celestial Oath and The Ending.

There’s very strong feelings out there. I hope that over time those hesitating for whatever reason can come to terms with an option that sees them protecting themselves, loved ones, and hitting stages for us all to enjoy. Stay safe people.

Not sure if there have been some scratchings over the shut down but I’m sure it’s all still going ahead. And I’m sure that there will be more tickets available as our high vaccine rates ensure that capacities will increase. Keep an eye out!

Lucifungus can’t go more than a couple of months without producing more spores of riffs. November is no exception.

With the release of their single The Sloth (lyric video on Youtube), they’re hitting The Basement on Saturday, 20 November. The guys have put together a killer line-up including Sydneysiders Astrodeath and Master Leonard. Add to this locals Mourners, who will ably help to celebrate the new riffage. Tickets on the Oztix website.

Immorium have been working hard to bring you their album launch for the aptly named This Too Shall Pass release. It looks like the team will finally be able to strut their stuff on Saturday, 4 December. Aided and abetted by Axiomatic Theory and Auld, the tickets are on sale now through Oztix.

Friday, 29 April tickets to Sunburn 3 are still available for the alphabet of literal doom.

Amammoth, Astrodeath, Atolah, BØG, Bog Monster, Burn The Hostages, Butterfly, Creep Diets, Dr. Colossus, Droid, Frozen Planet 69, Futility, Ghostsmoker, Golem, Hekate, Holy Serpent, Kitchen Witch, Lucifungus, Master Leonard, Mountain Wizard Death Cult, Mourners, Nunchukka Superfly, Piston Fist, Planet of the 8s, Pod People, Religious Observance, Smoke Witch, The Balls, Whitehorse, Yanomamo. All shall hit The Basement over two nights with tickets available at Oztix.

There are a bunch of international shows promised that we hope will also return. These include Nebula, Hirax, and DRI. Hopefully their dates will firm up as international travel solidifies.

There’s so much on. There’s allegedly some news afoot on a certain long awaited civic live music venue incoming. Not to mention a bunch more for us to be optimistic about.

Get keen Canberra!

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Stuart McMillen is a comics artist based in Canberra. Stuart draws long-form comics inspired by social issues involving science, ecology, sustainability, psychology, and economics. His archive of comics can be read for free online at stuartmcmillen.com

The Town Without Television is Stuart McMillen’s latest comic, about a classic 1970s study into the impact of television. In 1973, researchers studied the last remaining Canadian town without TV reception, and ran ‘before’ and ‘after’ experiments on the community. The comic can be read online at townwithouttelevision.com

Exhibitionist | Arts in the ACT

Four Year Fever!

By Chris Marlton Every four (five) years we Aussies are blessed (cursed) with an event that takes hold of our hearts and minds, whether we like it or not.

Yes, you guessed it, I’m talking about mouse plagues. While many of your neighbours and friends will bemoan this semi-regular cultural impost, you have the chance to be different.

Embrace the chaos.

Adoption Adopting a child in Australia can take between 5 to 7 years, which is a logistical nightmare for even the most well-meaning clucksters.

However, adopting a mouse takes about 5 to 7 minutes. Parenting was never so easy. All you need are some humane mouse-traps from your local conglomerate hardware chain, a bit of determination, and some cheese. Some people will tell you that a diet of just cheese is bad for mice, and that the whole “mousecheese” connection is just a myth. They are lying. Feed your new baby mouse the most expensive cheese you can afford. Preferably blue-vein… preferably imported.

Naming Rights

Mouselympics

Once you’ve got 3 to 4 little mousey-faced tikes in your custody - with bellies full of cheese and a roof over their heads - it’s time to give them names. Double-barrel surnames are great for mice, as are lordships and similar titles. Names such as Baron Frederick Von Sharp, Duke Michael Meepsworth III, Lady Elissa Monsterton, and Duchess Sarah Godhead are a few sweet examples of how much fun you can have naming your mice.

Take your time, but don’t let it stress you out; naming mice should always be fun. Go ahead, enjoy yourself.

Over time, as your mice breed and your mousociety grows, you will find that some of your mice are more suited to athletic achievement than working in an office 9-5 and paying off a mortgage. These athletic mice will need goals. Arrange for some of the more organised and motivating mice to become coaches, and have them train the athlete mice in a range of different sporting endeavours. Eventually they’ll be ready for a large scale, formal athletic games; it’s up to you to host a Mouselympics!

Training Day Mice are the most intelligent mammals on earth (not counting wallabies or frogs), so you’ll find training them to be both rewarding and extremely easy. The more expensive cheese you feed your little Barons and Duchesses, the smarter they will get. But don’t overdo it. While you hold the cheese, you hold the power. DO NOT LET YOUR MICE HAVE FREE REIGN OVER YOUR FRIDGE! Within a few weeks of 7-8 hours a day of training you can teach your mice to read, understand politics, and start building towards university level mathematics.

Jobs and Certainty The smarter you let your mice become, the more prone they will be to depression and other forms of mental distress. To help allay these problems you will need to give your mice meaningful and productive jobs, where they have autonomy and a sense of achievement. My mice usually end up working for fringe political parties and local law firms.

Mice are fascists, so be aware which political parties you get them jobs with. Also, start taxing your mice’s income.

Wash Your Hands Go get a blood test, there’s a good chance your neutrophils (bacteria-fighting white blood cells) are low. You’ve probably got Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis from spending too much time with wild rodents.

Common symptoms include fever, reduced appetite, head and muscle ache, nausea, and vomiting, which can last anywhere from 1 to 3 weeks.

Maybe it’s time to get rid of the mice.

Chris Marlton is a Canberra-based comedian, writer, painter, and film-maker.

You can catch him live at The Front Standup Comedy @ The Front in Lyneham on Friday, 26 November as well as Friday, 17 December.

You can follow Chris: @threeblindmencomedy on Instagram @ChrisMarltonComedy on Facebook

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Stranger Things:

Christopher Samuel Carroll

BIG IDEAS

by Allan Sko

IN A SMALL SPACE “I’ve read The Stranger four or five times over the years, and it gets under my skin. It jolts my perspective of how I go about interactions for the weeks during, and afterward.”

So says Irish-born, Canberra actor Christopher Samuel Carroll about French-Algerian writer/ philosopher Albert Camus’ 1940s classic The Stranger (also know as The Outsider). He is taking on the daunting task of turning the text into a one-man show. Throw in a two-month break for lockdown, and it’s an even more perilous exercise.

The existential, absurdist story explores the alienation of an individual who refuses to conform to social norms. Meursault, the anti-hero, will not lie. When his mother dies, he refuses to show his emotions simply to satisfy the expectations of others. And when he commits a random act of violence on a sun-drenched beach near Algiers, his lack of remorse compounds his guilt in the eyes of society, and the law. It is, in short, a real thinker.

Carroll, a talented mainstay of Canberra arts, is known for his physical theatre. His upcoming show marks his sixth solo venture.

“Solo work is a very particular form of theatre to do as an actor,” Carroll explains. “It’s rewarding in that it connects you in a very pure way to the audience.

There’s incredible freedom in it. You’re lacking other performers, of course, and the reciprocal energy generated. But it means you become sensitised to everything the text is giving you. And everything in the atmosphere of the room that particular night with the audience, what you’re doing, how that’s landing, how that’s resonating in the space.”

So of all the world’s stories, and with complete autonomy of choice that a one-man show provides, what led Carroll to The Stranger?

“It’s different to the solo shows I’ve done before,” he reveals. “I’m known for doing physical work.

But fundamentally, I trained as a classical actor and have a strong relationship to great text, great words, well written characters. Complex, sensitive, challenging stories.

PAGE 28

“The Stranger is all about the text, and the acting of the text, and bringing the honesty of it,” Carroll continues. “I have an image in mind of this slow burning cigarette; this contained smouldering energy that carries through this subtle, meditative journey of this character. There are still moments of high emotion, and high drama. It’s theatrical.

But it’s not all explicit.

“Personally, with theatre, I love being able to suggest; to make an offer to an audience to come and lend their own imagination, and participate imaginatively on stage. Become co-creators.”

Co-creators we may be, but the fact remains that Carroll is alone on that stage. As such, he is able to examine the material in the most intricate of ways.

“I find The Stranger darkly funny,” he says. “It’s dripping with an irony that really appeals to me.

It’s an Irish thing as well. It’s deeply human, and I feel that sense of heaviness. It’s something I carry with me. I’m a foreigner in this place. I’m someone who emigrated. So to an extent, I felt like an outsider. And the place that I came from, I never really felt like I belonged there either.

“But then again, maybe that’s part of an artistic disposition as well. It’s taking a step back, looking at things from a different angle, because you don’t really feel a sense of belonging.” @bmamag

It’s clear by now that the big ideas contained within The Stranger resonate with Carroll. Of course, there would have to be a strong drive to put on such a solo venture, with the prospect of memorising many, many thousands of words being a nightmarish one for most.

It is here that Carroll gives a generously detailed and thoroughly fascinating insight into the process; from inception, through development, up to a cautious state of readiness.

“It’s a big confrontation with yourself; a big, big challenge that you put in front of yourself,” he says.

“It doesn’t feel real, at first. It can be quite fragile, up until a certain point until it becomes tangible, which only starts happening once you’ve made certain commitments to it becoming a real thing.

“When you get a great designer on board, you’re talking to them, they’re getting excited, you’re getting excited back, you do photos, talk to the venue, and… it becomes more real. Up until that point, the idea only ever feels as good as your confidence in yourself on a given day.”

And this confidence has to be self-fulfilling, with no actors to bounce off.

“You have to create a cause and effect - as happens with other actors - within this massive monologue of one line next to another next to another,” Carroll explains. “It’s about linking the character’s thoughts. “[Rehearsal is] just me sitting by myself for hours, just mumbling the thing, one line at a time, and then two lines at a time, then small chunks of paragraphs, then a quarter page, and then a half page. Then taking a break for 20 minutes, and turning my mind off by watching the least taxing movie you could possibly watch. It’s like cramming for an exam.”

shallow short term memory to somewhere deeper into the mind.

“I have this analogy of, like, plowing furrows. And it’s very much an analogy, because I’m a city boy, what the hell do I know about farming?” he smirks.

“But you know, the idea of breaking the hard topsoil, plowing the furrows so that, ultimately, something will grow.”

This Groundhog Day approach naturally leads to a deep understanding of the material, with countless hours poured into the comparatively, and eventually, brief performance.

The trick, though, is to not show your working.

“On stage, you live out under two hours of the character’s life, but you get to do it to a kind of depth that comes from all that time and energy and focus and concentration into what is, ultimately for the audience, a show.”

It is the perpetual paradox of the great actor rehearse so well that it appears the characters are saying the words for the very first time.

“Yeah, it is a paradox. I know,” Carroll confirms.

“That freedom that comes from being able to let go, to not have to think, and to hide all the work that you’ve done.

“The audience hasn’t come to see your technique.

If you’re doing your job, they’re engrossed in the story and the character. And in a sense, you can disappear into the character absolutely.”

Finally, we have the performance space. For a story with such big ideas, Carroll is determinedly set on a smaller environment.

From here, the indefinable process of taking words and incorporeal ideas and setting them into the concrete of memory occurs. Again, and again.

“Being in a small theatre, the character and his actions are there to be examined by the audience.

To gain an individual insight into this man. He’s absolutely flawed, and you can pick apart his actions, but as the hero of the story, there’s still so much about him that’s relatable.

“There’s different layers that happen,” Carroll explains. “It’s a terrifying alchemy of the mind that you don’t fully feel in control of. You just put in the hours. These words, you’re gorging them; cramming them into your memory. And maybe this feels so painful because you’re actually forming new synapses. My brain is creating new things rolling into existence.

“I want to create something that’s intimate, that has the effect of stepping from the world outside and into the space of this world. I want the audience close enough to share that space with every little moment. Every little impulse can be witnessed and felt; they are drawn into the intimacy and solitude of the character, rather than having to dial up everything to 11 and hit the back rafters.”

“But, gradually, it happens,” Carroll asserts. “At first, when you come back to it a few days later, it feels like you’ve forgotten everything. You work on it a bit, and it takes less time to learn from scratch. And then you come back to it a few days later. And it begins to be there. The character’s thoughts arrive in your mind. But you never fully feel in control or understand how the material passes from the very facebook.com/bmamagazine

Bare Witness Theatre Co. supported by Ainslie and Gorman Arts Centres presents Christopher Samuel Carroll’s The Stranger

by Albert Camus. The show runs 8 - 11 December at Gorman Arts Centre: Ralph Wilson Theatre, 7:30pm - 9:30pm. Tix $25 PAGE 29 $30 + bf via Humanitix.

Ego is not a dir ty word...but, it’s complicated.

Canberra’s Kirklandd dives deeper in

By Millie Hayes

Photo: Harry Chalker

For Canberra-raised rapper Kirklandd, the concept of success isn’t straightforward. Arguably, it may seem easier to interrogate success when you’ve just been awarded an arts grant, and your childhood hero T-Pain plucks your video from a list of hundreds, gives a glowing review (“This shit is dope.”), and tweets as much to his 1.3 million followers right before you announce your upcoming tour.

But Kirklandd is just excited those opportunities mean he can make more music. Exploring the complexity of ego, self-belief, and self-doubt in his latest release, SUCCESS $TAINS, he gets closer to defining his own version of achievement.

“Across the two songs, I explore my relationship with success and my conflicted push and pull with it through an PAGE 30 I’ve created called the Stains,” he explains. entity

While the concept of failure is anathema to the songwriter—he almost flinches at the mention of it—a sense of balance permeates his ambition, his creative approach, and the two tracks released last week.

Hubris and humility, pop melodies and trap bangers, conviction and curiosity. This is an artist hungry for authenticity, wherever it comes from.

“The Stains are a visual embodiment of how success can wrap around me and control me. At times, they might give me power and make me feel confident and successful and I get an ego glow from that energy.

“But then other times they make me feel really conflicted because my idea of success is constantly changing. So, then, I can never hit that target, which can lead to me getting down on myself.” @bmamag

That duality flows through SUCCESS $TAINS in the tracks man of my word (with Lil Spacely) and idwbf (I don’t want to be famous), produced by Cam Buff.

The first song begins with a dark rumination on drowning, building tension until the beat drops and the confidence erupts. Kirklandd’s ensuing verbal gymnastics are made to sound easy, matched by the effortless flow of Lil Spacely’s feature, bringing the Western Sydney sound to Canberra for the first time. Accompanied by a high-concept animated music video by visual artist Adam Dal Pozzo, the anthemic single demands your attention.

“The chorus is borderline cocky,” Kirklandd states. “I don’t usually like making music like that, but I had been writing a song a day for a month at this point, so I was feeling authentically confident and wanted to embody that energy.”

Following that raw confidence, the second single idwbf starts off light and breezy, only for melancholy and anxiety to bleed through the lyrics. Uncertainty is present even in the shifting grammar of the refrain ‘I’ll need another life’.

“In it, I’m confused about what I’m trying to achieve,” Kirklandd reveals. “Maybe it’s that people will love me when I become successful, so I try to reach for that. But as I get closer, I realise all my idols are struggling with their vices and dealing with pain.”

In conversation, Kirklandd’s energy is infectious, which probably has something to do with the intensity of his ideas as a lightspeed lyricist, chewing through topics of conversation and sources of inspiration like a more-ish bowl of M&Ms. Obsessed with quality, and open to artistic influence from any quarter, he pivots comfortably from spiritual exploration to videogames to Little Miss Sunshine to his migrant ancestry. While often referred to as a rapper, his discography similarly shapeshifts in genre, but it’s always, above all else, personal.

On his upcoming tour, audiences will be introduced to the emerging punk direction of his sound, integrated with visual effects and the stage presence of his live band and Lil Spacely.

“Punk has a nostalgic value that can’t be beaten,” he said, reminiscing on Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater game soundtrack.

“At least half the set is unreleased songs that I’m working on for next year. It’s really this evolution in my style and in becoming one with these Stains, becoming comfortable with what my idea of success is.

“I’m so excited about this tour. I want to draw out the energy that’s been building up in me and in everyone else. I want people to let out every bit of pent up frustration or anything they went through in lockdown. And I want us to be all together in the same space and have the best fucking time.”

A performer containing multitudes, you can be sure his evolution into a punk-driven sound will be informed by it all.

Keep listening, Canberra, because Kirklandd (Kirk, to the facebook.com/bmamagazine fans) has got plenty more coming.

Photo: Claire Warren

Keep up to date with Kirklandd’s latest projects on his website and socials (Insta, Facebook, YouTube, bandcamp).

Get tix for the upcoming tour (and a taste of Kirklandd’s mixtape slated for a 2022 release) on 10 December in Sydney, or 18 December at our own UC Hub, Canberra.

SUCCESS $TAINS is available on streaming services.

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Fortune Favours The Brave

By Joshua Eckersley With lockdown officially over, let the Summer of live music begin! Lucky for us, December is already looking jam-packed full of entertainment in the beautiful city of Canberra as Taiwanese-Australian singer-songwriter, Kim Yang, launches her exquisite EP Brave at The Street Theatre. We caught up with the delightful Kim to find out what has been happening in her corner of the world, and what to expect from her upcoming show.

There are few modern-day artists that possess the ability to instantly captivate an audience with their openness and heartfelt honesty. When it comes to folk music, it is hard to find a more genuine artist than Canberra’s own Kim Yang, who is ready to electrify audiences with the highly anticipated live launch of her second EP Brave.

Due to the recent Canberra lockdown, the launch, originally scheduled for September, was postponed, prompting Kim and her talented musician friends to stage a star-studded virtual gig with performances

by Evan Buckley, Bec Taylor, Chris Endrey, Sophie Edwards and Lachlan Hawkins.

Kim also made the hard choice to release the EP during lockdown and, as a result, has received national airplay and rave reviews from Double J, AAA Backstage and triple j unearthed, proving that all the hard work was worth it.

The Brave EP was actually recorded during the 2020 lockdown period (it seems so long ago, I know) and the subsequent time that followed.

As difficult as those times were, they appear to have inspired, and even propelled, Kim to capture her most poignant work to date, laying down a collection of stunning and haunting tracks with Guyy Lilleyman at the amazing Amberly Studios in Kambah.

One of the standout tracks, Dominoes, was captured in those dark days, and as Kim explains, it seized upon an unsettling feeling and the uncertainty of the times that, for most of us, was something we’d never experienced before.

“We recorded Dominoes around the time of lockdown, and we workshopped the song together to make it into a fuller, richer sound,” Kim explains.

“The song tells the story of how people who are feeling lost in this whole COVID situation are not alone, and that everyone is feeling self-doubt and uncertainty at the moment. We just have to experience this journey towards our own unique destination and embrace the struggles, because time is so subjective and one day we will reach our destination in our own way.”

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@bmamag

Like any seasoned storyteller, Kim’s ability to capture the poetic realism of everyday events in her compositions is quite profound.

Another example is the recent single Garden of Eden, which also features on the Brave EP. The song is a beautiful yet heartbreaking retelling of Kim’s own experiences in the 2019 Australian bushfires.

As dark as the subject matter gets, it still conveys hope in the form of the human spirit and our ability to rise above fear to help others in need.

Recalling the harrowing tale that occurred on New Year’s Eve in 2019, and inspired the tune, Kim tells us: “Garden of Eden is about my experiences during the bushfires. I was on holiday on the south coast and unfortunately, I became one of those people who got trapped. We were camping at the time, and it was such an eye-opening experience.

“It was crazy, and I was so anxious and angry.

“I actually thought I might not make it out of Eden,” Kim adds. “I talk a lot about the things I’d seen that night, with people showing empathy and checking on each other. We were all trying to find shelter, kids were crying, and I was really traumatised by that experience.

“I wrote that song to give people an idea of what that experience was like.”

Kim will be performing these emotionally loaded songs at The Street Theatre as part of her Brave EP launch, with her new 5-piece band helping to bring the songs to life on stage.

An excited Kim tells us: “This really is something new for me to be playing with a band like this, because I’m so familiar with playing solo.

“I think we’re sounding really great though, so people can look forward to this awesome new band sound, and to see us having fun on stage and enjoying ourselves, and some nice merchandise too!”

Adding to the musical mix is the eclectic and enigmatic Evan Buckley of The Burley Griffin, who is the support act on the night.

Kim is clearly excited to have Evan along for the ride.

“I love Evan,” declares Kim. “I think his music is really heartfelt and his voice is divine! When I listen to his songs, I feel like I could cry. He is quite a character.”

WHAT: Brave EP Launch WHERE: The Street Theatre WHEN: 17th Dec 2021 TIX: For further information, visit https://www. thestreet.org.au/ PAGE 33

facebook.com/bmamagazine

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[BEST OF CANBERRA MUSIC] TEEN JESUS AND THE JEAN TEASERS AHHHH! [

]

Things are getting serious for Canberra’s grunge-pop maestros Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers. Fifth single in, and the group are on target to hypnotise and hijack the indie rock scene.

AHHHH! is a sonically smoother punk-pop excursion than previous outings but an equally expressive and wondrous one.

This is the bottom line here, folks: I believe what these women are saying. The ebb and tide of friendships, relationships, the break-ups, the breakdowns, the leaving, the letting go, the talking down.

I’m exhausted just contemplating it.

AHHHH!’s chorus is just that: a sustained desultory cry that doubles as a hook and highlight. An apt conclusion befitting the double-tracked guitar thrusts supporting it.

Actually, the guitars might not necessarily be double tracked, but they sure do issue a reinvigorating punch.

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The tune is snippy and compact—a two minute and twentyfour-second congé—segueing from a repeated verse, chorus cycle to a half-time bridge, and back to a chorus out that remains at this cut time rhythmic temperament.

This is a drive-by post-grunge delivery of youth angst and postpandemic tolerance.

Or is that intolerance? Either way, Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers is having none of it.

AHHHH! sounds like an argument. The one you’ve been meaning to have but keep putting off. Yes, this is a euphonious grilling.

But a one-sided, scrupulously produced one, albeit with the vital raw elements intact and a healthy degree of grit and prankish charm.

There is a lot to like here: the dynamic arc, Anna Ryan’s snarling vocal, the guitar work smouldering in the background, the band’s general bristling countenance. This latest offering will undoubtedly continue to enthral live audiences.

The band continues their ceaseless march to a bright future. Via the muscle of the music and the anticipated release of tension in the lyric, one is tuned to an unambiguous invitation to scream along to the sentiment.

AHHHH! is a gladiatorial reaffirmation of Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers’ allure, replete with all the glory of a new rock and roll promise.

VINCE LEIGH

@bmamag

NINA LEO BREAK THE RENEGADE

Nina Leo’s sophomore single is a flying leap into garage blues rock terrain. Although her [ ] debut Recover showed signs of a similarly aligned percolating edge, Break the Renegade displays a more strident, bootsand-all embodiment of that approach.

Leo’s expulsions are wedded to a stadium-ready drum groove.

This cruises alongside a swaggering, central bass and guitar riff that’s as majestically ragged as the best rock riffs go.

The verses are suitably downplayed, with melody and low vocal register providing the perfect foil for the following slide up the scale and the tremulous density of the chorus.

Punctuated by guitar chimes and an incremental increase in energy level, the pre-chorus—or variated verse section, or hook, or whatever you want to call it depending on what might reel you in—guides us from the lyric:

You will never break the renegade And we’re back to the recurring riff once more, with a higher register reiterating this lyric.

In some ways, this structure is quintessentially rock.

Still, what gives it its more compelling, soulful bite is Leo’s determined grit.

When fused to the raucous nature of the guitar and the affiliated dynamics, the result is a thumping musical enterprise.

By the time the surprise bass break is done—and we’re back in the maelstrom of riff, drums and vocal—one figures Nina Leo has taken her hellbent fury as far as it could go. But we’re soon exposed to another peak. Perhaps the most enticing—the altered dominant guitar riff and a series of ‘Heys’ that one imagines losing themselves to at the finale of a show.

It’s real pub floor abandon at its most stupefying.

Rawness proportionate to a communicational level of artistic expertise is an idealistic kind of balance at the best of times.

Yet, with Break the Renegade, this equilibrium is as close as it might get.

VINCE LEIGH (ARTIST PIC BY EMILY LESEBERG)

B. COMING BOATS EP [

]

Canberran singer-songwriter B. Coming – the musical moniker for Benjamin Cumming – has only recently returned to his hometown. 2019 saw him spending time in Montreal and touring North American.

After signing to local independent label Vacant Room Records, Ben began work on this debut EP.

Boats, already attracting thousands of streams, opens with the lead single Afar, which was on the triple j unearthed charts for over three weeks. Afar is a reliable indication of B. Coming’s style and melodic choices.

dream. It’s a track whose splintered dynamic is reinforced by the undulating nature of the band’s performance.

But as mood-inducing and evocative as these tracks are, the EP’s stand-out is Holy. It’s a meditative, seemingly acute summation of B. Coming’s empirical observations.

With its swaying recurring lyric motifs and sustained melodic focal point, the song discourages the listener from relegating the music to the position of a mere soundtrack. Holy insists on bending your attention—just as some of the vocal notes poignantly arch—to the unearthly nuances.

These include not only Ben’s voice, but the internal tremors that have instigated his subdued inquiry.

Boats is undoubtedly more than an introductory EP. It’s a decisive juncture in B. Coming’s subsequent presence on the Australian scene.

VINCE LEIGH

Of course, equally important are the narratives embedded into these choices. Afar is as intimate and gentle as the other tracks, with the verse melody more direct and immediately recognisable than the chorus. But no less effective.

Boats also features this dynamic, continuing to affirm the explored emotional preoccupations.

With its sunnier disposition and markedly upbeat acoustic guitar strumming pattern, Breezy reveals a few added and welcome textures. A band’s raw, dependable gestures supplement B. Coming’s ruminations.

Weird Feeling closes the EP, a shuffle-based funk-tinted groove that provides the undercurrent to Ben’s disquieting facebook.com/bmamagazine

PAGE 35

[FILM REVIEW - pre lockdown]

THE WORD ON

FILMS with Cam Williams CRUISING FOR A BRUISING

After a nightmare, you may wake up and reassure yourself by saying, ‘it’s only a dream’.

During a film based on a Disneyland ride you may comfort yourself by saying, ‘it’s only based on a ride’.

Prepare to say this a lot during Jungle Cruise.

Disney continues to mine its theme parks for ideas and Jungle Cruise follows in the tradition of Pirates of the Caribbean, Tomorrowland and The Haunted Mansion. Yes, it’s someone’s job to sit on a ride with a notepad and figure out how to dramatise it; a task that fell to co-writers Michael Green (Blade Runner 2049), Glenn Ficarra (Focus) and John Requa (Bad Santa).

If you’ve never been to Disneyland, the Jungle Cruise is a riverboat attraction where you sit in a little vessel and pass animatronic animals. The ride opened in 1955 when robot animals were kind of a big deal.

But not so much as the decades wore on.

The ride got a second life when the captains were allowed to perform a quasi-stand-up comedy routine on the boat full of dad jokes and glorious puns. Jungle Cruise now survives as part of

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Disneyland’s heritage and a genuine curiosity if you love to enjoy corny humour (I’ve been on the ride and it’s a delight).

So how do you go from that to Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson and Emily Blunt on a boat? Get out the notepad!

Blunt’s usual charm is absent, and The Rock never gets a chance to flex his Rock-ness; it’s gobsmacking how much this film misunderstands the appeal of the people’s champion.

The irony of Jungle Cruise is that it’s synthetic re-creation of an action adventure ends up feeling like a spin on a rundown theme park ride

Set during World War I, a scientist (Blunt) and a captain (The Rock) go on a quest to find a flower with unlimited healing powers. In their way are ZE Germans (Jesse Plemons with a terrible accent), ancient curses, and poorly rendered digital animals.

Jungle Cruise wants to be a lot of things: an adventure in the spirit of Indiana Jones but with a little of the old school romantic charm of The African Queen (1951) and the gusto of The Mummy (1999).

Jungle Cruise is only a vision board of these influences, and has more in common with a fake plant.

Everything is way too phoney for a setting – the god damn jungle – that’s supposed to be so tactile, vibrant, and alive.

Director Jaume ColletSerra (The Shallows) lumbers through each action sequence with zero sense of awe or adventure. @bmamag

[FILM REVIEW - post lockdown] with Cam Williams LONG ANSWER YES, WITH A BUT...

An opening crawl works for Star Wars, but it’s a red flag for Eternals.

It’s the first film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), now 26 films strong, to explain so much up top.

There’s a lot to take in because it includes singularities, celestials, deviants, eternals, planets, and it’s all tied up in the creation of the entire universe.

Yes, Eternals is biblical in scope because it makes an existential flex within a superhero story. But it gets too caught up in lore to allow its huge roster of characters to grow beyond their showy godlike status.

The titular Eternals, ten immortal beings with their own unique abilities, arrive on Earth in 5,000 B.C. The mission? To exterminate predator beasts called Deviants and protect the human race.

The Eternals’ boss is Celestial Arishem, one of the beings responsible for the creation and expansion of the universe, and its numberone rule is to never interfere with human history; which explains why the Eternals have been missing from the MCU. The team stay on Earth and blend into history like Forrest Gump but eventually go their seperate ways.

But when Deviants begin to re-appear shortly after the events of Avengers: Endgame, the Eternals reunite and discover their true purpose.

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Eternals is the reverse of a majority of the films in the MCU because these characters arrive empowered. There’s no origin story, no first night out, no time to test their superpowers. The usual Marvel formula of relatively normal people coming to terms with newfound power is absent. Eternals is about god-like beings coming to terms with their flaws and ultimately their humanity, which has always been a strength of Marvel’s rival DC Comics.

by L. Ron Hubbard, the founder of Scientology.

Zhao’s naturalistic, magic hour visuals, captured by cinematographer Ben Davis (Dumbo, Captain Marvel), give the film a look, but are at odds with the effects used to bring the lumpy, fibrous Deviants to life.

Eternals: it’s hard to be a god, but it’s even more of a challenge to get caught up in the lives of these mopey beings and keep pace with a backstory billions of years in the making.

It’s a lot for screenwriter and director - Chloe Zhao (Nomadland), and co-writers Patrick Burleigh (Peter Rabbit 2), Ryan Firpo and Kaz Firpo - to stretch across ten characters who all wrestle with how to best guide humankind without breaking the rules. There’s enough conflict amongst Eternals to drive the story, but it’s sidelined by backstory and Deviant smackdowns as an excuse to show off their powers.

Eternals was created by comic book legend Jack Kirby, but the amount of excessive lore in the film makes it feel more like a pseudo-religious science fiction novel cooked up PAGE 37 PAGE 19

[BEST OF CANBERRA MUSIC] ORBITS LIVING SOULS [

]

Melbourne based exCanberrans Orbits have released Living Souls, taken from their forthcoming album Beyonder. The new release is a sustained monolithic slice of dense contemporary psychedelica. It’s a migration from shoegaze to drone.

That said, the governing drone elements are not necessarily the stand-out features. Embedded into the polyphonic somnambulant soundscape is a recurring guitar-like motif. Its sampled characteristics becoming somewhat of an anchoring point throughout the track.

This is aided by a spare, throttled percussive pulse that adds to the general sense of inevitable gloom. It’s a gloom to which the work seems to allude to incessantly.

arrival point. Instead, it exposes and reiterates a human voice as if was some delirious tour guide, protesting, lamenting, inwardly pinwheeling—though most assuredly, its protestation is of the brooding variety.

When experienced with Orbits’ accompanying video—a series of stark vignettes in colour and monochromatic tones that veer from National Geographic cobras and horses galloping along shorelines to vein prepping and nasty retro dancing techniques—the aural viscosity of Living Souls sounds less laboured and more pronounced.

These elements all contribute to the track’s disquieting allure, our attention drawn to a musical lawlessness, to an even more despairing plea the tonal utterances offer. During intervals (I am cautious about labelling them ‘verses’) a voice appears. A cry, in fact, lurching from out of the sonic shadows as if being tossed across a night tide.

It is, however, equally as effective.

This Orbits track is a kind of tide. Our attention, just like the lone cantor’s Plutonian murmurs, is swallowed, taken in as much by its menace as it is by its harrowing meditative pull. The quavering lethargy doesn’t vary much from its

It’s the insomniac’s limp towards the ocean’s grey mouth.

The existential walk towards the gallows.

SLOW DIAL GLADSTONE [

]

Gladstone from Slow Dial followed the pleasingly chaotic You Don’t Talk Much, which was released earlier this year.

The track relinquishes some of the urgency present in their previous single. Still, this is substituted with a more refined palette of guitar-centric understated rock. The kind of rock that utilises an undertow of psychedelic intonation and light funk to create a kind of melancholy swagger.

The vocal performance generously swims along with this riff laden current, neither getting lost amid the interweaving notes nor attempting to gain the upper hand. One of the first elements that stand out is this interplay between guitar and vocal. It’s a well-balanced collaboration that not only fits the mood of the track but might even be the reason behind its gratifying temperament.

The governing guitar riff mutates, despite keeping to its original opening structure for the most part. Yet, the variances offer the listener mini detours towards less rigid confines, adding colour to the multi-toned, musical excursion.

There is a brittleness, and there are edges. A deft rawness in the approach. This all adds to the early ’70s landscape Slow Dial has found themselves in.

PAGE 38 Page 38

One imagines the track as a musical prelude to a ritual. Its tribalistic attributes are reflected in the song’s repetitive, cyclical nature; a sullen readiness communicated through a sense of accepted dread, apprehension.

VINCE LEIGH The instrumentation boundaries have imbued the song with an alluring style with certain features. These include the ever-present guitar strike on the two and four, anchoring the rhythm while giving it a bustling retro taint.

While the verses and riffs feel steadfast and as tight as a secret, the chorus and its treatment provide an almost dream-like bloom. The lead vocal performance rides towards the crest of the song’s waves with lazy, self-assured command. The melodies here are instantly identifiable, and when wedded to the music’s circuitous nature, the result is a unifying blend.

Gladstone sounds like the work of a band discovering its true compass. And the direction they’re heading towards is quite enticing.

VINCE LEIGH (BAND PIC BY @ lachietphoto)

@bmamag

TRACK IN

FOCUS

Inadequacy is the band in a somewhat measured mode. It’s a trampling rhythmic pulse thickened with muted fuzz and a drum feel whose restraint gives the verses an amiable sort of tension.

The melodic structure from the outset is also controlled, allowing the straight meter to affect an adjoining sense of trickling heat.

All the while, textures such as vocal harmonies and snippets of liberated guitar wedge a signpost what’s to come.

And what’s to come is a chorus that takes flight.

MOANING LISA INADEQUACY Canberra-based band Moaning Lisa has been steadily releasing EPs and singles and collecting praise and prime live supports since 2017. This single, along with the album Something Like This But Not This, will undoubtedly add to the ever-growing teams of allegiance.

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A post-grunge styled riff underpins a chiming melodic line. Its further sweetened by a suite of buoyant vocals and an overall souped-up energy flow.

Inadequacy has two distinct sound identities.

The verses intone a clear-eyed confession, with lines that reinforce this, such as ‘my greatest mistake is one I get to make’. It then segues into choruses that don’t merely poke around the emotional centre but transmit directly from it.

The balance works. The shade before the avowing light carries the song right up the conclusion’s high harmonies and cloudburst guitar, wrapping up the exposed perspective with a seemingly impromptu edge. The accompanying video for the track is also split.

Wrestlers are first revealed prepping for a skirmish. At the same time, the band is positioned not inconspicuously around them in the verses. Combatants are then leaping and lunging at each other in the chorus.

Of course, this is a symmetrical visual redoubled by the agile dynamics of the track. Yet, despite the video’s gritty, good-humoured, and quasitruculent tone, the song doesn’t necessarily need anything else.

It has a glimmering indie dreampop kineticism bolstered by an aggregation of committed, piquant performances.

A persuasive appetizer for the album.

VINCE LEIGH (band shot by CLAIRE WARREN)

PAGE 39

Page 39

[BEST OF CANBERRA MUSIC] BIG REEF DO IT AGAIN

Canberra-based duo Big Reef has released their debut track, Do It Again. The new project is a [ ] collaboration between brothers Morgan and Hayden Quinn (NISSAN:Unstoppable and NULL respectively). Strap in for an exploration of pop, dance, funk, and electronica with a notable humorous, deadpan devilry.

Like Hot Chip meets Client Liaison—or thereabouts—Do It Again extols the virtues of a pop panorama without giving in too freely to high-flying melodic sweetness. It prefers to keep a moderate pace throughout; for most of the track anyway. At least until a series of bridge sections reveals the song opening up in a myriad of intriguing ways.

The juiciest pop moments feature in these tail-end parts. With the lead-up—the verses, pre, and chorus—a blend of intrepid programming occurs. Wham bam funk fare and an entirely unexpected down-home vocal gives this particular hybrid style a specific, surprising, fresh energy.

An entertaining chiaroscuro value.

Intercepting the various parts is a series of tumbling machine toms. They are an almost more humorous element than some of the lyric. However, it’s difficult not to hear ‘white lines in the bathroom’ without at least grinning.

The song doesn’t necessarily feature gargantuan pop hooks. Still, funnily enough, this may be one of its selling points. The focus is on the ‘idea’ behind the outfit, the conceptual angle. This presents a style comprising a heavy amalgamation of influences, which are put through a contemporary, weren’t-the-80s-a-real-laugh-riot irony appliance.

The band’s touchstone artists, Talking Heads, Depeche Mode, Tears For Fears, despite their new wave costumery and stylistic accoutrements, nonetheless had tunes that withstand scrutiny and any number of acute musical autopsies. That is to say: the songs, the songs, the songs.

However, Big Reef’s explorations will continue, and will undoubtedly lead to more robust melodic muscle. Just as the bridge sections reveal, it’s all there. And what is there is a pleasurable electro-pop funk jumping-off point. VINCE LEIGH

I-AM-SNAP FREEZIN’ [

]

Aussie rap/hip hop artist IamSnap (Shannon Elliott) has been a writer, actor, and recording artist for over 15 years. After a year of enormous chart successes, IamSnap has returned with another notable track, Freezin.

Throughout his career, IamSnap has collaborated with many household names. Still, he has also endured many highs and lows. He has emerged from the consequences of addiction to become the powerhouse music artist he is today.

Born in Brisbane but growing up in Canberra, IamSnap has also been an inspiration to many people worldwide.

With numerous Billboard and Top 10 U.S iTunes Chart impacts, he has also written songs for countless artists.

These include Honey Shazad (Britain’s Got Talent), Noah Fonoti (X-Factor) and Chris Sheehy (The Voice Australia).

stage with such rap luminaries as Grammy Award winners Bone ThugsN-Harmony. He has also worked with artists such as Krayzie Bone, Layzie Bone, Swifty McVay (D12), B.G. Knoccout and Dr Dre’s son Curtis Young.

He’s also featured on the DJ Cell Smoke Chronicles with icon E-40, peaking at #4 on the US iTunes Charts. That same project charted again in 2021 and went to #1 on iTunes and #20 Billboard Charts.

Within hours of the release of IamSnap’s EP, The Entry (2021), the record attracted 340k streams. The two projects both made the top 50 iTunes Charts, peaking at #31 and #33.

As for Freezin, what we’re given is a contemporary hip hop rap-pop hybrid featuring massive hooks, a poignant lyric, and a universality that cuts deep and direct. From the stirring intro key lines to the highpowered beats, IamSnap exposes a startling real narrative, complete with melodic might and soulful expression.

The track sounds up-to-the-minute contemporary, utilising a modern musical sensibility to great effect.

Mixed and mastered by world-renowned producer Zak Baney (Afrika Bambaataa, Ladytron), Freezin is IamSnap’s next significant release: a natural musical progression that combines the very best of his multiskilled writing, recording, and performing prowess, paving the way for another global hit.

VINCE LEIGH

IamSnap has toured extensively and shared the PAGE 40

@bmamag

ALBUM IN

FOCUS

his deserved nomination for Music Teacher of the Year.

As the title suggests, All Sorts is indeed a mixed bag. Predominantly folkorientated, the collection highlights Shaw’s versatile songwriting ability and a flexible facility to render narratives persuasively, tinctured with humour, benevolence, and a wholesome sensibility.

CJ SHAW ALL SORTS All Sorts is the new album for ARIAnominated educator and musician CJ Shaw.

Shaw has spent over 20 years writing songs, and performing at folk clubs and festivals alike. This latest release draws on this lengthy period.

In 2019, one of the featured tracks, ANZAC Biscuits, generated over 30k views on social media. This feat righty exposed Shaw to a broader audience, and subsequently nudged

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Setting the tone for the subsequent tracks is the album opener, Adelaide, an acoustic guitar-driven, lyric-focused song that crosses from country pop to traditional folk seamlessly and assuredly. Despite the album’s heterogeneity, there are a few detours regarding theme. This said, consistent production, performances, and appropriated styles create a commonality and cohesiveness.

Shaw’s education experience also features prominently. Tracks like ANZAC Biscuits and Terminator Shades provide the album’s jubilant moments. Shaw’s enthusiasm and optimism are easily discernible in the vivacity of his vocal.

There are history lessons transposed to song—the motivation for writing Ain’t Many Like Lennie neatly underscores Shaw’s province.

And there are tracks with melancholic temperaments that seem encased in another kind of history, that showcase a more vulnerable, personal aspect regarding Shaw’s thematic terrain.

These tracks, Lonely Rd and Full On Heart (feat. Hannah Czaban), help add a varied poignancy to the album without subtracting from its family values ethos. It submerges these tales of loss and isolation within the context of style.

This is particularly notable with Full On Heart.

The song acts as a change of dynamic; an example of how Shaw’s writing has progressed, not necessarily regarding skill but more so his psychological preoccupations.

And this progression is perhaps most evident in the album’s closing track, One + One, an open-hearted celebration of Shaw’s transition to parenthood.

The most salient aspect of All Sorts, aside from Shaw’s obvious songwriting acumen, is its clear sense of unguarded and genuine joy.

VINCE LEIGH

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ENTERTAINMENT GUIDE

THURSDAY 18 NOV Dirk Zeylmans Trio Live music from 12pm CITY WALK, NEAR THE MERRY-GO-ROUND Smith’s Scribblers Life Drawing Life Drawing at Smith’s is relaxed, inclusive, and fun.

Spend your lunchtime making something beautiful. 12:30pm, $10/$5 SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE Jimmy Plants and the Kashmir Pants - A Led Zeppelin Tryout Four handsome men, delivering one of the best Led Zeppelin tryouts ever conceived. 7pm, $20 via Oztix THE BASEMENT Live & Local Thursday Taliesin Canberra prog/art rock specialists Taliesin bring a night of lively, moody, engrossing, emotive and original music delivered with energy and precision. 7pm, $16.84 via Eventbrite HARMONIE GERMAN CLUB Thursday Band Nights sideway’s weekly band nights return! Featuring The Jim Dusty Drive-Thru Garbage Casino. Music from 8pm, free SIDEWAY

FRIDAY 19 NOV Sam Sly From 12pm CITY WALK, NEAR THE MERRY-GO-ROUND Big Veranda @ OCI Big Veranda busts out a free set from 4pm OLD CANBERRA INN Smith’s Irish Jam Some of Canberra’s finest exponents of trad Irish tunes gather for a weekly jam. 5pm, free to one and all SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE Burlesque @ Wakefield’s 8:30pm WAKEFIELD’S

PAGE 42

Slagatha Christie + Barely Coping + Birdcapital Celebrate Aus Music T-shirt Day. Run in collaboration with Burntout Bookings. 6pm, $15 + bf Eventbrite THE FRONT

Smith’s Spring Series: MRU/ David Bath and the Hot Tubs A sumptuous selection of sensational, but sensible, soirees in salubrious settings.

3pm, $10 via venue SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE

90s & 00s Tribute Show Homages to Metallica, A Perfect Circle, Green Day, and Nirvana acoustic. 7pm, $35.20 via Oztix THE BASEMENT

Lucifungus Sloth Single Launch With Astrodeath, Master Leonard, and Mourners in support. 7pm, $29.60 via Oztix THE BASEMENT

Viktor Rufus Trio A free night of mesmerising jazz. From 7pm GANG GANG CAFE & BAR

FICTION Saturdays House, EDM and mashups in the main; RnB, hip hop & party jams in the Fact Bar. 9pm – 5am, free before 10pm, $21.79 from intix.com FICTION CLUB

Hot Foot Records Presents: Loosen Up A free party every Friday afternoon from 5pm-9:30pm featuring the label’s best and brightest talent, plus special guests, on the mighty Soul Defender stage SOUL DEFENDER STAGE, LONSDALE STREET CAFE Now & Then - Live at The Glen An energetic and talented 4-piece band featuring two talented lead singers, with two seasoned musicians backing them up. 7:30pm THE BURNS CLUB Big Veranda @ Dickson Taphouse Free set. 8pm DICKSON TAP HOUSE Vinyl DJs From 8pm Spinning funk, soul ‘n’ more THE OLD CANBERRA INN

SATURDAY 20 NOV Leo Joseph’s Blues Piano Sessions Running since 2011, Leo’s familiar solo blues piano sessions takes the audience on a whistle stop tour of the many genres of blues piano with some bluesy detours into the American songbook.

12:30pm, free event SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE Jodi Phillis @ OCI Free set from 2pm OLD CANBERRA INN

Muesli Muesli is one of Canberra’s newest pop/funk/indie bands playing a blend of jazz harmony, pop arrangements, and funk sensibility. Shows at 7pm & 9pm, $15 via venue SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE

SUNDAY 21 NOV Words Alive: poetry performance workshop with Jacqui Malins Jacqui will lead you through a series of fun and thoughtful exercises, to expand your range and bring more clarity and expression to your poetry reading or performance. Then strut your stuff on the Smith’s stage! 11am, $20/$10 via venue SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE CBS Monthly Blues Jam W Wade’s Wildfire Blues Band will host CBS November Blues Jam. A natural born storyteller and joker with an ability to find the shadows behind the notes. 1pm-4pm, $10 + bf via Humanitix HARMONIE GERMAN CLUB Mitch Canas Live at The Glen Entertaining Canberra crowds since the early ’90s, Mitch is the consummate performer, combining his easy-going, funloving character and a good sense of humour, along with his passion for music. 3pm THE BURNS CLUB

Smith’s Spring Series: An Inconvenient Groove With grooves as deep as the Marianas Trench and energy as high as global temperatures, An Inconvenient Groove is the funkiest thing to come out of Canberra since blue green algae in Lake Burley Griffin. 3pm, $10 via venue (may be sold out) SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE Live Music @ Edgar’s Pub Live Music in Edgar’s Beer Garden every Sunday 3-6pm EDGAR’S PUB Wakefield’s Sunday Sessions Live music from 3pm WAKEFIELD’S A Celebration of Funk & Soul Three full, funky, soulful sets, from 4pm-8pm by The Funkologists, Subway to Venus, and Sister C & the Bad Habits. $29.10 via Oztix THE BASEMENT Jodi Phillis @ Dickson Taphouse Enjoy a free set by Jodi Phillis from 4pm DICKSON TAP HOUSE s.wells ‘Blood’ Single Launch s.wells is a singer-songwriter playing his own brand of folk touched by flourishes of altcountry. This first gig out of lockdown marks the streaming release of his single Disappointing, off his upcoming sophomore release Blood. 5:30pm, pay what you wish $15 - $25 + bf via Oztix GANG GANG CAFE & BAR

MONDAY 22 NOV Johnny Huckle From 12pm CITY WALK, NEAR THE MERRY-GO-ROUND Lunchulele Every Monday lunchtime, 12.30pm-1.30pm, ukulele players mysteriously appear at Smith’s Alternative. Free SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE

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ENTERTAINMENT GUIDE

TUESDAY 23 NOV

THURSDAY 25 NOV

FRIDAY 26 NOV

IQ Trivia From 6pm THE OLD CANBERRA INN

Lachlan Coventry Duo From 12pm CITY WALK, NEAR THE MERRY-GO-ROUND

Beau Sykes 12pm CITY WALK, NEAR THE MERRY-GO-ROUND

Smith’s Scribblers Life Drawing Life Drawing at Smith’s is relaxed, inclusive, and fun.

Spend your lunchtime making something beautiful. 12:30pm, $10 or $5 for conc.

SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE

Canberra Rep Presents: A Christmas Carol Join Ebenezer Scrooge on his journey of redemption as he faces three ghosts who teach him the true meaning of Christmas. In REP’s 2021 rendition, all 30 characters are brought to life by a cast of five actors. See venue for times and tix info CANBERRA REP

Adelaidethegirl From 12pm CITY WALK, NEAR THE MERRY-GO-ROUND

WEDNESDAY 24 NOV Kim Yang From 12pm CITY WALK, NEAR THE MERRY-GO-ROUND Old Timey Wednesday Luminaries from the local old timey/folk/acoustic scene will gather at Smith’s to lead an open session of Americana/ old timey music. 4pm, free SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE Live Jazz From 6:30pm THE OLD CANBERRA INN Chiaroscuro Caravaggio is remembered as the father of modern portraiture. He was a complicated man: violent, provocative. Chiaroscuro reclaims Caravaggio’s place in queer history. From David Atfield, one of Canberra’s most respected directors and playwrights, a winner of three Canberra Critics’ Circle Awards and founder of BITS Theatre Company. 24 - 27 Nov, $49 + bf via venue CANBERRA THEATRE CENTRE

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Live & Local Thursday Woodface This exceptional 4-piece deliver great “unplugged” renditions of classic covers – new, old and unusual – and some well-received originals.

7pm, $16.84 via Eventbrite HARMONIE GERMAN CLUB Silentia Taliesin doing acoustic covers of prog, metal and rock stuff. 7:30pm, free entry, but tix needed via Oztix THE BASEMENT Thursday Band Nights Boasting the post-punk inspired sound of Enfants, with blues & rock duo Gin On The Rocks. Music from 8pm, free entry SIDEWAY

Smith’s Irish Jam Some of Canberra’s finest exponents of trad Irish tunes gather for a jam. 5pm, free SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE Muesli the Band Muesli is one of Canberra’s newest pop/funk/indie bands. They try to emulate the sounds of their heroes such as Vulfpeck, Lake Street Dive and Rex Orange County, but they miss the mark, resulting in their own unique blend of jazz harmony. 6pm, $10 + bf via Trybooking THE POLISH WHITE EAGLE CLUB Cohen Street Bash #1 Bringing together some of Canberra’s premier indie and alternative acts, Cohen Street Bash #1 is set to be a great night for anyone whose been missing local shows over the last year and a half.

7pm, $13.30 via Oztix THE BASEMENT

Vinyl DJs From 8pm Spinning funk, soul ‘n’ more THE OLD CANBERRA INN Hot Foot Records Presents: Loosen Up A free party every Friday afternoon from 5pm-9:30pm featuring the label’s best and brightest talent, plus special guests, on the mighty Soul Defender stage SOUL DEFENDER STAGE, LONSDALE STREET CAFE Friday Hot Club ft Canberra String Swing Collective A free night of string swing in the style of Django Reinhardt.

Dancin’ shoes a must. 7pm GANG GANG CAFE & BAR Walking Deads - Live Australia’s premiere Talking Heads tribute show. With special guests local funk comedy act Goese. 7:30pm, $25 + bf via Humanitix HARMONIE GERMAN CLUB Cassidy’s Ceili Canberra’s finest cross over act Cassidy’s Ceili play Celtic and contemporary folk music with energy and panache. A highly interactive performer, Cassidy enjoys getting to know the audience and her superb lead vocals will take you from delicate ballads to full-on party, from Danny Boy to The Pogues! 7:30pm THE BURNS CLUB Band Beng Bing Bong Bung Half hour “open mic” sets from local bands. Ft Freelings, Rental Snake, Axis, Bluemilk.

8pm, $10/$15 via venue SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE

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ENTERTAINMENT GUIDE

SATURDAY 27 NOV NYASH! Afrobeat Ska NYASH! are Canberra’s very own enclave of Afrobeat + Ska + Reggae sounds.

Expect the Afro-Funk of Nigeria’s Fela Kuti mixed with feel good Jamaican Skatalites vibes. 3:30pm GANG GANG CAFE & BAR Welter From the Mountains of Tasmania to the coastal surf of NSW, Welter are producing outstanding “Music for the good life”.

Songs about things that matter: family, friendship, love and loss. Two shows: 6:30-7:45pm & 8:3010:15pm, $20 via venue SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE A Great Night of Rock’n’Roll Milestone Entertainment presents A Great Night of Rock’n’Roll featuring NTT, Matriarch, The Black Souls, Dead Lazarus, and Taliesin.

Hosted by comedy king Marky Worthington. 7pm, $20/$29.60 via Oztix THE BASEMENT Wakefield’s Music Live music from 8pm WAKEFIELD’S A Salute to Cliff Richards & The Shadows The show stars John Smith & Paul McCann with The Picks & Specs Band. More than 30 number 1 & top 10 hits are performed over two hours in a Greatest Hits/ Variety” concert. 7pm, tix $27.33 – $64.06 via Eventbrite HARMONIE GERMAN CLUB Burntout Bookings pres: Nina Leo, Highland Light and Betty Alto Restrictions have finally eased, letting live music jump back into focus!

Burntout Bookings gives its first ever in-person show.

7pm, $17.35 via Oztix GANG GANG CAFE & BAR

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FICTION Saturdays House, EDM and mashups in the main; RnB, hip hop & party jams in the Fact Bar. 9pm – 5am, free before 10pm, $21.79 from intix.com FICTION CLUB

MONDAY 29 NOV

Sophie Edwards EP Launch With dear friends Sam Sly, and Lucy Ridge & the Derby Widows. 8pm, $15 + bf via Trybooking THE POLISH WHITE EAGLE CLUB

Lunchulele Every Monday lunchtime, 12.30pm-1.30pm, ukulele players mysteriously appear at Smith’s Alternative. Come one, come all; it’s free SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE

SUNDAY 28 NOV Traditional German Breakfast Back by popular demand!! An experience not to be missed!

Bookings essential and tables go fast so get in early. 8:30am HARMONIE GERMAN CLUB Live Music @ Edgar’s Pub Live Music in Edgar’s Beer Garden every Sunday 3-6pm EDGAR’S PUB Special K Solo Popular local solo singer guitarist Ken, front-man for Canberra’s favourite party band Special K, brings his vast vault of hits spanning five decades providing an impressive array of musical choice, adding a splash of reggae, funk, soul and RnB. 3pm, check venue for details THE BURNS CLUB Wakefield’s Sunday Sessions Live music from 3pm WAKEFIELD’S Josh Veneris @ Dickson Taphouse 4pm, free set DICKSON TAP HOUSE Morris + adelaidethegirl + Monica Engel Come on down for a lovely evening of silky smooth original music. 7pm, $22.95 via Oztix GANG GANG CAFE & BAR

ANU Chinese Classical Ensemble From 12pm CITY WALK, NEAR THE MERRY-GO-ROUND

Victoria K Australian Tour Melbourne’s rising stars of Symphonic Metal, Victoria K, are bringing their live show to Canberra. After supporting the folk metal giants, Eluveitie, in 2019, Victoria K released their critically acclaimed debut album, Essentia, through Rockshots Records in April 2020. 7pm, $18.40 via Oztix THE BASEMENT

TUESDAY 30 NOV Wicked Strings From 12pm CITY WALK, NEAR THE MERRY-GO-ROUND Music at Midday Major Darren Cole and the Royal Military College Band bring a mix of big band hits and musical surprises, with all donations benefiting the Soldier On cause CANBERRA THEATRE CENTRE Band Beng Bing Bong Bung Half hour “open mic” sets from local bands. Ft Melody Bear, Evan Hanford, Wil Allen, and more. 8pm, tickets $10/$15 via venue SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE IQ Trivia From 6pm THE OLD CANBERRA INN

The War On 2021 Join Australia’s satirical all-stars: Charles Firth (The Chaser), Mark Humphries (ABC TV’s 7.30), Freudian Nip’s Jenna Owen and Victoria Zerbst (SBS The Feed) and James Schloeffel (The Shovel) as they dissect the scandals, corruption, incompetence, and empathy training courses of the past 12 months. 7:30pm, $35-$75 + bf via venue CANBERRA THEATRE CENTRE

WEDNESDAY 1 DEC Classical Capers Opera star Tobias Cole hosts an entertaining evening for classically trained musicians and enthusiasts. Held on the first Wednesday of each month, it’s an excellent opportunity for students to hop up on the stage and play anything from Twinkle Twinkle Little Star to a virtuosic concerto. 7pm, $10 entry for non-performers SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE Live Jazz From 6:30pm THE OLD CANBERRA INN Old Timey Wednesday Luminaries from the local old timey/folk/acoustic scene will gather at Smith’s to lead an open session of Americana/ old timey music.4pm, free SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE

THURSDAY 2 DEC Chris Ryan: Big Hair, Big Dreams (Warm Up Show) Join the award-winning Chris at Smith’s as she dusts off her award nominated Stand Up hour Big Hair, Big Dreams after a few months stuck inside! 6pm, $20 via venue SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE Burlesque @ Wakefield’s From 8:30pm WAKEFIELD’S A.C.T Pub Rock #2 After a sellout A.C.T Pub Rock #1 back in October 2020, the sequel is here. Ft. Metropolis, 3 BroKen Strings, Dark Horse, & Drinking Lizards. 7pm, $15 via Oztix THE BASEMENT @bmamag

ENTERTAINMENT GUIDE Live & Local Thursday Johnny Reynolds Band Playing original Johnny Reynolds compositions and some classic covers with their own original slant. A highly engaging funky, bluesy atmospheric rock show that amazes all who attend. 7pm, $16.84 via Eventbrite HARMONIE GERMAN CLUB Small Town Alien There will be laughs, cries, yips of ecstatic bliss, existential philosophy, jarring non-sequiturs and engrossing, Woodstock-esque jam sessions.

8pm, $10/$15 via venue SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE Vinyl DJs From 8pm Spinning funk, soul ‘n’ more THE OLD CANBERRA INN

FRIDAY 3 DEC Hot Foot Records Presents: Loosen Up A free party every Friday afternoon from 5pm-9:30pm featuring the label’s best and brightest talent, plus special guests, on the mighty Soul Defender stage SOUL DEFENDER STAGE, LONSDALE STREET CAFE Nirvana + Alice in Chains + Deftones Tribute Show 7pm, $24.50 via Oztix THE BASEMENT Hypnotise Me! Join Andy Vening for an evening of hilarious hypnotic fun where volunteers demonstrate the power of their unconscious mind in displays of hilarity and mayhem. 8pm, tickets $32.57 via Eventbrite HARMONIE GERMAN CLUB Welcome To Friday (WTF) Live Local Music A focused program of performing artists from the local Canberra and adjacent regions. Check venue website for latest acts. 7:30pm, free CANBERRA IRISH CLUB Chris Harland Blues Band @ Dickson Taphouse Free set, from 8pm DICKSON TAP HOUSE

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SATURDAY 4 DEC Miss Pole Dance Australia ACT Heats The longest running pole competition in Australia!

Hosted by Miss Chilli Rox, watch Canberra’s best Amateur and Professional pole dancers battle it out for the Miss Pole Dance ACT crown, with the chance to compete at the Miss Pole Dance Australia finals in December. 7pm, $55-$70 +bf via venue CANBERRA THEATRE CENTRE Chris Harland Blues Band A free set from 2pm OLD CANBERRA INN Immorium Album Launch Ashes to Dust Touring presents Immorium’s long awaited album launch for This Too Shall Pass, which is finally upon us...

AGAIN! 7pm, $25 via Oztix THE BASEMENT Kopasetic: Petrified Single Launch For more, turn to the big Band Profile on page 16/17! 7:30pm, $25/$30 via venue THE STREET THEATRE FICTION Saturdays House, EDM and mashups in the main; RnB, hip hop & party jams in the Fact Bar. 9pm – 5am, free before 10pm, $21.79 from intix.com FICTION CLUB Matriarch + Space Party Matriarch is a grunge rock band with a bit of a twist – four ‘mature’ women over the age of 50 who write and play loud, original, and sometimes political music. Culprits are Lorena Quinlivan on vocals/ guitar, Glenda Harvey on guitar/vocals, Lee Grunwald on bass and Leanne Thompson on drums.The band is stoked to be back at Smith’s Alternative with their mates from Space Party for a great night of rock and roll. Space Party is a four-piece power surf pop garage punk band hailing from land-locked Canberra. 9:30pm, $10/$15 via venue SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE

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ENTERTAINMENT GUIDE

SUNDAY 5 DEC

TUESDAY 7 DEC

THURSDAY 9 DEC

FRIDAY 10 DEC

German Markets A German deli and German grocery shop including cakes and bread will be among the attractions. As well as German wines, beer, schnapps and a German BBQ. Great Handmade crafts and specialty stalls are a feature. There will even be a jumping castle for the kids. The markets are from 9am to 1pm at the club, and entry is free HARMONIE GERMAN CLUB

The Resilience Project Join founder Hugh van Cuylenburg as he walks you through his journey and tells stories of the incredible people who have inspired him and The Resilience Project to spread happiness. Share a laugh and pick up some wellbeing tips along the way. 7pm, $40.95 + bf via venue CANBERRA THEATRE CENTRE

Live and Local Thursdays Escapado Providing country, soul, Latin, jazz & funk-based solutions since the late Quaternary period! This rockin’ local outfit features 5 seasoned musicians, combining many years of professional touring across Australia in many different bands.

7pm, $16.84 via Eventbrite HARMONIE GERMAN CLUB

Hot Foot Records Presents: Loosen Up A free party every Friday afternoon from 5pm-9:30pm featuring the label’s best and brightest talent, plus special guests, on the mighty Soul Defender stage SOUL DEFENDER STAGE, LONSDALE STREET CAFE

IQ Trivia From 6pm THE OLD CANBERRA INN

Transista Groove Album Launch Showcasing a 13-track original album covering multiple genres from blues to grunge to jazz to funk and hard rock. 7pm, $12/$15 via Oztix THE BASEMENT

An Afternoon At The Proms This stunning spectacular salutes the famous BBC Proms Concerts of London’s Royal Albert Hall, including wellknown favourites Rule Britannia, Jerusalem, Radetzky March and Elgar’s Land of Hope and Glory. 2pm, $85 + bf via venue CANBERRA THEATRE CENTRE Live Music @ Edgar’s Pub Live Music in Edgar’s Beer Garden every Sunday 3-6pm EDGAR’S PUB Wakefield’s Sunday Sessions Live music from 3pm WAKEFIELD’S

Comedy @ The Basement 6 comedians are ready to make you laugh including your headliner, Married at First Sight star Ryan Gallagher with local legends Tom Gibson, Fateh Singh, Caitlin Maggs, Dom, and your MC Marky Worthington.

7pm, $20 via Oztix THE BASEMENT

WEDNESDAY 8 DEC

Jeff and Deej A free set of live music, from 4pm OLD CANBERRA INN

Live and Local Presents - Killwater & Sunset Palominos Two of Canberra’s top original acts team up to bring you a night of pure unadulterated joy! 7pm HARMONIE GERMAN CLUB

MONDAY 6 DEC

Live Jazz From 6:30pm THE OLD CANBERRA INN

APIA Good Times Tour The 8th anniversary with a line-up of eight (!) all-time favourite Oz music megastars.

Brian Cadd, Deborah Conway, Joe Camilleri, John Paul Young, Kate Ceberano, Leo Sayer, Vika & Linda Bull and, making her Good Times debut, Ms. Wendy Matthews. 7:30pm, $99.90 – $129.90 + bf via venue CANBERRA THEATRE CENTRE Lunchulele Every Monday lunchtime, 12.30pm-1.30pm, ukulele players mysteriously appear at Smith’s Alternative. Free event SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE

MICfest 2021 MICfest is an annual end-ofyear concert, hosted by CIT Music & Sound. CIT music performance students will showcase a mix of originals and covers, supported by sound production students on audio. 7pm, free entry THE BASEMENT Old Timey Wednesday Luminaries from the local old timey/folk/acoustic scene will gather at Smith’s to lead an open session of Americana/old timey music. 4pm, free event SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE

Lightbulb Improv: Christmas Special Join Lightbulb for light-hearted fun as they deliver a night of comedy inspired by your suggestions and the joy of Christmas. In a lively and daring journey, the players craft stories, games, songs, and fearless theatre. 7pm, $15 via venue SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE Burlesque @ Wakefield’s From 8:30pm WAKEFIELD’S Canberra Youth Theatre Present: Two Twenty Somethings Decide Never To Get Stressed About Anything Ever Again. Ever.

A young couple are worried about, well, everything. From student debt to hand hygiene, the resurgence of ISIS to whatever the hell edamame is. After a ruined dinner, they write a list of everything that troubles them. A deal is made: they will never be stressed about anything, ever again.

Ever. A play by Canberra Youth Theatre. Runs 9-14 Dec, $30 + bf via venue CANBERRA THEATRE CENTRE

Daniel Champagne Beautifully crafted vocal melodies with exhilarating guitar playing. Daniel is regarded as a leading light in acoustic music, with a firm reputation for dropping jaws, making crowds buzz, not to mention breaking guitars wherever he goes! 7:30pm, tickets $33/$35 via the venue THE STREET THEATRE Arj Barker – Comes Clean Be prepared for some home truths, some vague truths, and some information none of us are ready to hear, but won’t be able to forget any time soon.

8pm, $54.90 + bf via venue CANBERRA THEATRE CENTRE Impro ACT: One Night Only Laugh-a-minute improvised games, songs, and scenes, plus some unusual physical performance styles, all in one night, and one night only. Impro ACT students at all levels combine to give you the ultimate variety of spontaneous work, in a single celebration of their last set of short courses. 8pm, $15 per session SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE Australian Dance Party (ADP) Presents: Less The show boasts live music performed by Alex Voorhoeve (cello) and John Mackey (sax), with members of ADP activating their architectural surroundings. With a calibre of artists this high, this performance will truly be a fine example of how less really is, more. Runs 10 - 18 Dec, tix $22 $39.60 via Humanitix DAIRY ROAD PRECINCT, FYSHWICK Vinyl DJs From 8pm Spinning funk, soul ‘n’ more THE OLD CANBERRA INN

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ENTERTAINMENT GUIDE Welcome To Friday (WTF) Live Local Music A focused program of performing artists from the local Canberra and adjacent regions. Check venue website for latest acts. 7:30pm, free CANBERRA IRISH CLUB Bingo Loco Xmas Special The runaway child of traditional bingo complete with rave rounds, lip sync battles and dance offs. 8pm, $49.37 – $52.52 via Eventbrite HARMONIE GERMAN CLUB

SATURDAY 11 DEC Renae Stone Playing acoustic covers from 6pm MAGOO’S CAFE & BAR Sam Simmons Have you or a loved one ever been affected by someone with not good knees? Don’t miss Sam “Trixy” Simmons in Sam Simmons Is Putting Things On His Knee To Raise Awareness For People Who Not Have Good Knees. 8pm, $39-$45 + bf via venue CANBERRA THEATRE CENTRE FICTION Saturdays House, EDM and mashups in the main; RnB, hip hop & party jams in the Fact Bar. 9pm – 5am, free before 10pm, $21.79 from intix.com FICTION CLUB Lucy Sugerman - hurt that’s man made - EP Launch Canberra singer-songwriter darling Lucy Sugerman celebrates her debut EP with a full band headline show with local legends Parklands and ZUKO. 8pm, $23.18 via Moshtix UC HUB

SUNDAY 12 DEC Sydney Comedy Festival Showcase Boasting a line-up of Festival faves and some of the freshest emerging talents, this jampacked night of laughter brings the best of the fest. 7:30pm, $36 - $40 + bf via venue CANBERRA THEATRE CENTRE

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Live Music @ Edgar’s Pub Live Music in Edgar’s Beer Garden every Sunday 3-6pm EDGAR’S PUB Avalanche Second Hand Band East Coast Tour West Sydney Hard rockers Avalanche are on the road again for a massive almost year long tour. A raucous, energetic live show awaits.

With supports Clarity of Chaos, Hence the Testbed, and Highland Light. 3pm, $18.10 via Oztix THE BASEMENT Creswick AKA Liam Budge Since releasing his debut jazz album to critical acclaim and a four star review in The Australian, Creswick a.k.a Liam Budge has continued to establish himself as one of Australia’s leading vocalists and song-writers. Supported

by Soph Maurice. 6pm, $20 GANG GANG CAFE & BAR

MONDAY 13 DEC Lunchulele Every Monday lunchtime, 12.30pm-1.30pm, ukulele players mysteriously appear at Smith’s Alternative. Free SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE

TUESDAY 14 DEC IQ Trivia From 6pm THE OLD CANBERRA INN

WEDNESDAY 15 DEC Live Jazz From 6:30pm THE OLD CANBERRA INN Old Timey Wednesday Luminaries from the local old timey/folk/acoustic scene will gather at Smith’s to lead an open session of Americana/ old timey music.4pm, free SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE

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