p.42p. 34CBR MUSIC REVIEWSFILM REVIEWS BMA GIG/EVENTS GUIDE

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 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! 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. 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

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. 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. 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 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.

ORBITS Melbourne based exLIVING SOULS Canberrans 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. 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. 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

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. 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

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. It is, however, equally as effective. 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. It’s the insomniac’s limp towards the ocean’s grey mouth. The existential walk towards the gallows. VINCE LEIGH

(BAND PIC BY @ lachietphoto)

TRACK IN FOCUS

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. 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. 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)

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). IamSnap has toured extensively and shared the 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

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 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. 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

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 Slagatha Christie + Barely Coping + Birdcapital Celebrate Aus Music T-shirt Day. Run in collaboration with Burntout Bookings. 6pm, $15 + bf Eventbrite THE FRONT 90s & 00s Tribute Show Homages to Metallica, A Perfect Circle, Green Day, and Nirvana acoustic. 7pm, $35.20 via Oztix THE BASEMENT Viktor Rufus Trio A free night of mesmerising jazz. From 7pm GANG GANG CAFE & BAR 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 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 Lucifungus Sloth Single Launch With Astrodeath, Master Leonard, and Mourners in support. 7pm, $29.60 via Oztix THE BASEMENT 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 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

IQ Trivia From 6pm THE OLD CANBERRA INN 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 Lachlan Coventry Duo 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 or $5 for conc. SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE 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 Beau Sykes 12pm CITY WALK, NEAR THE MERRY-GO-ROUND 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 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

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 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 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

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 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 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

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 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

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

MONDAY 6 DEC

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 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 IQ Trivia From 6pm THE OLD CANBERRA INN 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

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 Live Jazz From 6:30pm THE OLD CANBERRA INN 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 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 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 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 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 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

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 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