BMA Magazine #536 - Aug/Sep 2023

BALL PARK MUSIC HAVE MOODS, WILL TRAVEL – BRON LEWIS CBR CHILDHOOD CAPTURED IN COMEDY

TUBULAR BELLS FOR TWO WHAT’S OLDFIELD IS NEW AGAIN – JACK BIILMANN DIVIDED MIND, SINGULAR PURPOSE

KATE CEBERANO X CSO – THE LYRICAL LIFE OF GRAEME CONNORS – VIVA VICTOR VALDES!

CARNIVAL ROAD 50 YEARS EXPERIENCE, ONE EDGY FOLK CBR BAND - NATHAN CAVALERI GIVES US MIRACLES

[Canberra’s Entertainment Guide]

#536 august/september 2023

You! Yes, you there. You have something on your lip. No, no the other side. OTHER side.

That’s got it.

Mail: 36/97 Eastern Valley Way

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Editor Allan Sko

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Cover Design

Sally McMillan (with additions by Marty Baker)

Article Design

Marty Baker & Allan Sko

Entertainment Guide Editor

Allan Sko

Social Media Manager

Angel Nash

Columnists

Jannah Fahiz, Josh Nixon, Alice Worley

Chris Marlton, Suma Iyer, Allan Sko

Contributors

Josh Eckersley, Jen Seyderhelm, Tamsin Kemp, Anthony Plevey, Ley Shoemark, Allan Sko, Vince Leigh

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Thursday, 28 September

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BALL PARK MUSIC @ STONEFEST

BRON LEWIS

KATE CEBERANO + CSO JACK BIILMANN

FROM THE BOSSMAN

BY ALLAN SKO

Father’s Day’s upon us again and not a moment too soon. And not, as you may think, for the prospect of breakfast in bed or the heart trembling embrace of one’s pink progeny, nice though that is. No, it’s because I’m perilously low on socks and underpants. Now, the sensible among of you—that is, women—may very well be imploring me to just go out and buy some, if the need is so dire. What you’re not contending with is men’s dogged ability to ride undergarments until they are more hole than cloth.

I believe I have unearthed the deep-set psychological reason from this. And it involves The Moment Socks and Underpants Go From Being The Worst Gift In The World To The Best.

Peer back through the fog of memory, if you will, and remember those moments at Christmas when your gangly-legged self would nip emu-like from present to present, gingerly squeezing each in turn in an attempt to form a sharp mental picture of what lay beneath.

Inevitably, you would come across a shudderingly soft present, one with the undeniable give of a pair of neatly folded socks. Your blood runs cold. A quick glance at the label confirms your worst fears - ‘Dear Allan. Thought you might need these. Much love, Gran.’

‘Drippy cow!’ my nine-year-old self would hiss. O well. Another fart in the ol’ thank you card it is, then.

This attitude to undergarments continues unwavering through the teen years. But then, one day, something strange happens. When a tired partner asked what you’d like for your birthday, you find yourself uttering the impossible words...

‘Oooo! Socks and underpants would be great!’

A strange phenomenon, yes, but there is a simple logic behind it. Years of presents from fart-caked elderly relatives has allowed a healthy supply of undergarments and - much like bills, food, and generally every other cost of running a household - their value has been shielded from us. When you finally move out of home at the trembling age of 28 and discover undergarments don’t just periodically appear, it’s a shock. I’m welling up just thinking about.

Socks and underpants are like cars - we need them, but we hate spending money on them. When we put Old Bessie over the pits, and the charlatan of a mechanic returns (no doubt rubbing oil off their hands with an unfeasibly dirty cloth like they do) to say it’ll be $1750 dollars for four new tires, a brake pad, and a new baffle-spigget, we don’t cheerily retort: ‘O well! Such is the inevitable wear and tear of daily life. I’m just happy I got five years in before having to replace anything. Thank you for your time and expertise, my oily chum!’

Instead we normally bark: ‘Thief! You won’t see penny one from me, you slag!’ before driving off into a tree.

So loathe are we to spend money in this vital area of modern civilisation that we go countless months—nay, years, if we could—with frayed undies, holy socks, and elastic so stressed its on six valium a day.

We can’t fathom paying for them after so long, so we try to figure out a way to avoid it. Stealing them could see you end up in jail, with a crime so lame you’d be the bitch’s bitch. Starting a fashion mag for the freebies is a shade more effort than required. And at that precise moment, we realise... We can get them as gifts, and so we enter into The Moment.

It’s either this, or it’s the fact we simply can’t be fucked to buy them. Just bring on Father’s Day already. I can hear the last thread unravelling...

Unplugged Sundays At The Lakes / 3 hours of local live music every Sunday / Gungahlin Lakes Club

Ahhhh! It’s good to see a super club throw open its lavish halls for local live music! Resurrecting the successful Unplugged Sundays sessions from December 2022 to March 2023, this refreshed version further builds on the growing weekly event, with a string of top performers: Alder Wild (27 Aug), Jack Lowman (3 Sep), Harry Carman (10 Sep), Code Red (17 Sep), and Gia Ransome (24 Sep) for starters. Enjoy up to three hours of music with the backdrop of a beer garden, relax, get up and dance, or enjoy the company of toddlers to seniors groups and all in between. 2:30pm - 5:30pm, free entry, all ages welcome

Joe Matera has been on both sides of the musician/critic divide. The Aussie singer/songwriter, guitarist, recording artist, music journalist and author turned his childhood music obsession into an early career in a covers band, with a day job as a guitar teacher. Many bands later, the advent of the internet opened up the possibility of writing about his first love. Join Joe as he gives a reading from his new peekbehind-the-curtain book Backstage Pass - The Grit and The Glamour, followed by a live acoustic performance. This is a free, all ages event, registration via librariesact.spydus.com required

The Paper Collar Pickers / Ragtime ‘n’ harmonies / Nest Café, Tumbarumba, 26 Aug + OCI, 27 Aug

The Paper Collar Pickers are Rod Vervest and Craig Sinclair, two musos from WA’s south coast, who share a love for ragtime guitar, close harmonies, and Albany’s granite coastline. Rod is a seasoned fingerstyle acoustic guitarist of many-a musical project (and Artistic Director, Albany Folk & Shanty Fest). Craig is an award-laden singer, songwriter, guitarist, and dobro player, who plants his storytelling lyrics in the rich riverbed of folk styles old & new. You can catch them at Nest Café Cinema Tumbarumba (Sat, 26 Aug, 7:30pm), Dalton Public Hall (Sun, 27 Aug, 11am), and Old Canberra Inn (Sun, 27 Aug, 4pm)

Dirtbag, the Lonely One, is a one-man rock ‘n’ roll band from Captains Flat. The Dust Collectors have dusted him off for a rare local show after his recent appearances in Sydney and Melbourne with the Cha Cha Chas and legendary wild man Nestter Donuts from Barcelona. Dirtbag is a mysterious figure, tutored by Chad Morgan and Dee Dee Ramone, he delivers fuzzed out bubble-gum garage rockin’ tunes guaranteed to make you shake your money maker and blow your top! Dirtbag endorses Supro guitars and Savage amplification. 2pm, free show, all welcome

It’s a trashtacular R-rated double feature movie screening followed by a trashtastic double header gig! At NFSA’s Arc Cinema, bare witness to Pub: The Movie, a punk rock doco on larrikin St Kilda artist/ muso Fred Negro; and Ribspreader, a(n) hilarious, bloodsoaked, no-budget splatterpunk masterpiece on the perils of smoking. Both films come with creator Q&As. At Smith’s Alt, wig out to the soundtrack of Brisbane’s good time noisy cowpunk rock’n’roll outfit Ketamine Cowboys, and Sydney’s trashbag psycho blues-rock ’n’ punk legends White Knuckle. 4pm, $25 - $50 via Trybooking

Energetic hard rock 3-piece The Black Souls are back and finally on proverbial wax thanks to Pendragon Studios. Yes, eagerly awaited debut album, Heartbreak and Redemption, is soon here, comprising a collection of songs typical of their fulminating and diverse sound, regaling hard-learned tales via hard-hitting hard rock. Catchy riffs and guileful guitar work from Bart Black, creative and funky lines from everyone’s favourite short rocker chick with the neon green-stringed bass Katrina Maree, and solid backing from true-handed drummer Stephen Deakin. Doors 7pm, show starts at 8pm. $15 at the door

Muso-Journo Joe Matera / Book launch + acoustic performance / Fri, 25 August / Woden Library

The Canberra Punk Rock Movie Massacre / Films + Music / Sat, 23 September / NFSA + Smith’s Alt

The Black Souls / Live Planet Die Single Release Party / Fri, 29 Sep / Pot Belly Bar

Dirtbag / Celebrating The Dust Collectors exhibition in music / Sat, 9 Sep / Tuggeranong Arts Centre

LOCALITY

[THE LATEST ON LOCAL MUSIC] WITH JANNAH FAHIZ. SEND GIGS AND INFO TO: [JANNAH.FAHIZ@GMAIL.COM]

Hello and welcome to another line-up of fantastic events happening around town! We are hitting the end of the cold season now; scarf wearing is nearly out for the year. While we say goodbye to another winter and welcome warmer weather with open arms, there’s some great gigs to get to!

The first on the list of events is Whiskerfest happening at The Basement on Saturday, 26 August from 7pm. This is a charity tribute night where the funds are being donated to local animal sanctuary, Whisker Woods, to help care for all their rescue animals.

Canberra Shanty Club, Michael Amon, James Cahill, Nicole Seifert, Cy Fahey, Cameron Ribbons, Johnny Duke, and the Irish Jammers. Phew! Tickets are $15 ($10 concession) via Smith’s website. Sidenote; if you want to get involved/host one of these nights, have a chat to the venue!

The line-up will be Korn performed by Kornholio, Limp Bizkit performed by Chocolate Starfish, Guns n Roses performed by Guns n Roadkill, and Metallica & Slayer performed by Slaytallica. Take a step back into old school rock ‘n’ roll and support a great cause while you’re at it. Tix are $25 via Oztix. Introducing for the first time to the stage, The Ukelele Man! Catch the story of the war time ukulele legend, George Formby (English actor/singer/comedian of the 1930s and 40s), before it hits the stage at Sydney Fringe Festival.

Marcel Cole (pictured) has written, and will perform, this story with Mirjana Ristevski taking on Director duties. Catch this unique historical music-filled performance at Smith’s Alternative on Tuesday, 29 August at 5pm. Tickets are $10 via Smith’s website. A night filled of variety, you say?! Smith’s Varietal does just as the name suggests. The long (LONG) running event is filled to the brim with music, dance, comedy, performance, and more! The full line-up for the—check notes... #199th Varietal?!?— is MCs Mischief and Mayhem (Sheri and Jaz), Rumi with Lumi, Lauren Bezzina, Bevan Noble, Edwina Arthur, Stavro,

Gutwrench Records presents the first annual Nervewreck festival! Head on down to Live at the Polo on Saturday, 9 September from 12pm for a day full of fantastic rock of all the juicy subtypes. You’ll see local legends Mr Industry, Spouse, HYG, Sonic Reducer and Vanishing Sound all take the stage. Joining them, we have a great selection of interstate music performed by CLAMM (VIC), The Belair Lip Bombs (VIC), Ricky’s Breath (NSW), and Chimers (NSW). Tickets are up on Humanitix for a bargain $25.

In further festival news, if you fancy an amalgam of top acts, but surf/pysch rock is more your vibe, well then, aren’t you in luck! BurntOut Bookings and The Shaking Hand are hosting a mini festival on Sunday, 17 September called SeaPsych

The line-up includes local bands Apricot Ink and Lost Coast as well as interstate acts The Lazy Eyes (NSW), Jet City Sports Club (NSW), Sitting Down (NSW) and Vinted Vineer (QLD). Get ready for high energy and good vibes.

This event starts at 6pm at The Shaking Hand and tickets are available via Humanitix for $30.

Well get to it! Grab your tickets and enjoy some nights out. Keep going to live music events and also start smelling the flowers as they begin to bloom again.

See you in the next one!

Where the journey began...

In late 2014, Anthony Ives (Ant) met Andrew Rickard at an open mic music evening at the Fyshwick Tavern. This unlikely meeting in an unlikely locale gave birth to a musical collaboration between the two that continues to this day.

It was the beginning of what we know as Carnival Road.

2020 saw drummer Stephen Deakin and guitarist Ole Nielsen join Ant and Andrew, bringing a new intensity and direction to the band in the lead up to their second album. All experienced musicians, performing in many bands, the lads boast over 50 collective years in the industry.

Join us on the road...

After two-and-a-half years of great fun, music, and some dedication to our craft, Carnival Road hope you enjoy the fruits of our fun. Carnival Road II is now available on all good streaming services!

Group members:

Anthony Ives - vocals, Ole Nielsen - guitar/vocals, Stephen Deakindrums, Andrew Rickard - bass/vocals.

The sound:

We often say it’s “folk rock with an edge”. That keeps it simple. That said, there are many musical elements to any one track. We’re all into creating an atmosphere that both mesmerises and lifts the spirits.

Influences:

David Bowie, Led Zeppelin, The Beatles, Counting Crows, Crowded House, Whiskeytown, Leonardo’s Bride, The Angels, Cold Chisel, Midnight Oil, INXS, Men at Work, Australian Crawl, Paul Kelly, and The Badloves!

Key tracks:

Yuendumu, Planet, Explain to Judy, and Frances Anne.

Memorable experiences:

The recent trip to Melbourne to record our second album at Andrew Rigo’s studio. Playing our first full house headline show at the Irish Club. Supporting amazing acts like Phil Emanuel, Johnny Reynolds Band, The SunBears, and others at various originals shows.

More recently, working on new material for our third album.

The scene:

With original music, you tend to have more “listening “ shows with engaged audiences. It’s enormously gratifying to have people return, and continue to enjoy themselves.

Our content defies description in a way. Although its grounded in deeply emotive lyrics and strong stories similar to folk music, our sound is energetic and powerful. Firmly in the rock arena.

Proudest moment:

Our guitarist, Ole, has recently recovered from a frightening health scare. Playing our first rehearsal after his hard won recovery filled us all with pride and admiration for him. His determination and obvious spiritual uplift and connection to his playing has inspired us all.

Future plans:

More gigs and recording new material. Watch out for announcements about October and November gigs.

What makes you laugh?

People having fun.

What pisses you off?

People misbehaving.

And finally:

Don’t miss our next live show - you will be in for a treat!

Cover art by James Scanlon for Carnival Road II

PUNK & DISORDERLY

[THE WORD ON PUNK] WITH ALICE WORLEY

Howdy y’all! It’s the last issue for the winter. Spring is in the air! But before you get ya shorts out, we got some more shows worth braving the cold for…

The biggest local punk event coming up is the much anticipated Nervewreck festival! Gutwrench Records have put together a bunch of amazing acts for what’s going to be such a kick arse night. We’ve got Clamm, The Belair Lip Bombs, Mr Industry, Ricky’s Breath, Spouse, Chimers, HYG, Sonic Reducer, and Vanishing Sound. C’moooon! If you’re looking for a way to see all the best up and coming punk bands around right now, Gutwrench is handing all of them to you on one bill.

This is it. This is the show. Live at the Polo on Saturday, 9 September Tickets are flying for this gig (I have mine), so if you wanna get onto it—along with a potent Polish beer and a steaming pierogi—then get on it fast!

Local beloveds Glitoris have kicked off a tour, and it’s coming to not one, but TWO local venues! The Come And Say That To Our Faces! tour is coming to both Queanbeyan AND Canberra!

Light back on a bill after the release of the excellent Sleep In The Garden, their debut album, in March this year. Also so excited to see The Lazy Susans back in town! Last time I saw them, they were the main support for Spiderbait at UC and they absolutely killed it. And if you haven’t seen Signs and Symbols yet, what are you doing?! Local bloody legends they are. An absolute must see for live local music. Hope all these amazing gigs I’ve been spouting over the season have kept you warm and entertained through the cruel Ngunnawal winter. Bring on the spring!

PUNK GIG GUIDE

Friday, 25 Aug - Highland Light w/ Turn South, The Lazy Susans, and Signs and Symbols

@ The Basement

Sunday, 27 Aug - HYMMNN w/ Glass Eater and Scrambled

@ The Front

Saturday, 9 Sep - Gutwrench Records presents Nervewreck w/ Clamm, The Belair Lip Bombs, Mr Industry + more @ Live at the Polo

Thursday, 14 Sep - DZ Deathrays w/ Press Club and Dust

@ The Basement

Saturday, 16 Sep - Slowly Slowly & Stand Atlantic

@ The Basement

Friday, 22 Sep - Glitoris “Come And Say That To Our Faces!” Tour w/ Downgirl and Backhand

@ The Hive, Queanbeyan

Come out and celebrate the release of Glitoris’s self-titled second album, starting on Friday, 22 September at The Hive in Queanbeyan with Downgirl and Backhand, and then round two the next night with the addition of Last Quokka at The Basement. Tix are $23.47 for The Hive gig, and $29.60 for The Basement, both available via Moshtix.

If you like your glam rock, your feminism, and your tunes-a-pumping, then come out ready to shout through the glitter and the sweat! Got a super awesome line-up coming up real fast at The Basement this month. Highland Light are jumping on the stage with Turn South, The Lazy Susans and Signs and Symbols. Great to see Highland

Saturday, 23 Sep - Glitoris “Come And Say That To Our Faces!” Tour w/ Downgirl, Last Quokka, and Backhand

@ The Basement

Saturday, 7 Oct - Cold Blood w/ Entrapment, Blindside, Facecutter, and Thantu Thikha

@ The Basement

Saturday, 14 Oct - RVG and Gut Health

@ sideway

"How To Navigate The Choppy Waters Of The Music Industry and Have a Damn Good Time While Doing It" by Ball Park Music

Picture the way shiny sitcom buddies are friends – listening to each other, sensing tension but ultimately sorting it out, looking out for each other, doing stuff together, road trips together, dinner together, and celebrating each other’s success. Mates forever. We love these cosy, warm feelings; these friends to whom we have bonds of the heart. Doesn’t happen in the real world, right? Except, sometimes it does.

Ball Park Music are these very friends. Fifteen years strong and getting stronger, there’s no discord or distance to be had. Indeed, not even the arrival of offspring for four out of the five members of the band over the past few years has hampered creativity nor dampened enthusiasm for making and playing music.

I spoke with Dean Hanson about all this, and more. Dean generously shared his insights on juggling acts, remaining faithful to one’s imagination, and how to stay friends in the music industry whirligig. Yes, the Ball Park Music troupe have been touring. Again. To say they tour a lot is putting it mildly. The 500 or so shows over the band’s lifetime gives an average of one every ten(ish) days. Of course, there are intense periods of activity and quieter times between, but it’s an impressive stat that comes via a gruelling schedule.

Since they started touring in 2010, only 2015, 2017 and 2021 have seen them stay at home (and let’s face it; everyone stayed at home in 2021). I asked Dean how one maintains relationships, both at home and on the road, and other projects, living such a peripatetic life.

“It’s just about learning and adapting as you go,” he reveals. “There was never a point in our career where we’ve hit that, ‘We’re successful now! We don’t have to worry about doing other jobs!’ moment.

“I always feel like your career is in the palm of your hand until it’s not. “We’re constantly adapting, constantly juggling things, and just hoping that we can keep it going.”

Dean is candid about recent challenges familiar to so many creative practitioners.

“COVID was a struggle, obviously,” he states. “It made us reflect, and think, ‘Wow, this can get taken away from us; taken out of our hands at the drop of a hat.’”

”Luckily for us, the fans kept growing over that period of time,” Dean muses. “I don’t know why; I don’t have an answer or know if there is some magic ingredient.”

If they have a “magic ingredient”, it’s undefinable to Dean, but he talks about being lucky multiple times. One could quickly counter by saying luck has nothing to do with it; good talent and sustained commitment always win out. But that would be a falsehood. Timing, serendipity, and blessed chance do play a part in most creative’s trajectory.

But Dean’s description of the band’s ethos is all about, “passion toward what we do and the love for what we do”. In this humble writer’s opinion, I’d call that a magic ingredient.

Whatever it is, it’s working, so it’s little surprise that the band’s intent is to “keep doing what we’ve been doing”. This includes the allimportant approach to the relationships and respect between the band members.

“It’s a balancing act, pure and simple,” Dean admits. “And there’s always new challenges. Jen’s little son is nearly one year old, and he’s been touring with us this entire year now. That alone has made things completely different.

“When we started out touring,” he goes on to explain, “the last thing you’re thinking of is that one day, you’ll be getting up for a 3 o’clock lobby call and Jen will be there with her son. You think, how is this going to be logistically possible?

“But then, when you’re actually there in the moment, all of this stuff is beautiful, and worth the sacrifice to be able to do what we love.”

Words by BMA’s own Tamsin Kemp Pics by Ball Park Music’s own Dean Hanson

But even with the love of their craft and great friendships at the core of it, touring remains a demanding beast. Is there conscious work put into the emotional intelligence expressed with each other?

“We have a very healthy relationship, all five of us, and openly communicate about our needs,” Dean reveals. “Our chemistry and understanding of each other is so solid. Tension can exist within the group, sure, but it’s never too much. It doesn’t become something we’re able to communicate about.

“I feel like we’ve built connections with audiences like that our whole career,” he continues. “A raw connection via the feeling and the energy in the room. It’s the reason why people keep coming back to see us… to have The Best Time Ever and scream every lyric to every song.”

Still in the US mindset, I can’t help but ask if the band would fancy playing a Tiny Desk Concert. His response is enthusiastically affirmative, and one that leads to the obvious follow up question: What song would you play? What would best tell America about you?

“It’s so peculiar; we live inside each other’s pockets. We know everything about everybody, and we consider everybody’s factors.”

Harmony reigns! So what’s their secret?

“We’re psychos,” Dean laughs. “In the sense that, when we’re on tour, we all have breakfast together every day, we go to the venue early, we sit down and have a beer, then we go out to dinner with the rest of the band and the crew. We do activities together.

“There’s many bands that will only see each at sound check and at the show, then go their separate ways. But for us, it’s a community; very much a family. It’s like our natural habitat.”

Throughout the interview, Dean’s affection for his band mates is tangible. They are a chosen family.

Talk turns to previous big tours across Europe and the USA. As exciting as it clearly was, it doesn’t sound like the band is in any hurry to return.

“When you go overseas as an Australian band there’s a lot of groundwork you have to do,” Dean reveals. “It’s never been something that is our strength.

“We rely heavily on putting forward our music, and our performance. The rest of it—like, trying to manufacture an inspiration to somebody to come—doesn’t come very naturally to us.

“Pushing yourself in a particular market, or trying to convince people that you’re good without actually convincing them with your music—through networking or schmoozing—has always been a barrier for us.”

Smooth but not schmoozy, then. Got it.

Of Ball Park Music’s many sterling qualities, their dedication to being the band that “surprises everybody in the room” is one they take great pride in. Dean says they thrive with opportunities like SXSW in Texas.

“We’re not performing as if our career depends on it,” he states. “Or as if we’re vying for a great opportunity to come out of this little gig in a pizzeria in Austin somewhere. We play with no expectation, and that reflects on the audience.”

Dean expands on this point.

“We still have people coming back many years after playing SXSW, telling us, ‘I can’t believe I was in that room of 20 people and saw you; you blew me away!’

“Good question!” Dean chirps. “Our focus when we write records, regardless of where a song goes in terms of production, is always making sure that you can always strip it back. That it can be performed even if it was just acoustic or Sam and Jen’s vocals together.

“So with that in mind, I’d probably play Cherub

“It’s one of my favourites,” Dean reveals. “It’s a slow burn song… I think it’s a great reflection of a lot of elements of our band.”

Ahhhh, yes. Cherub. The song that moves from intimate jingle to prog-rock fuzz in the space of five minutes, all whilst making you cry in the bargain. As I sit here composing this article, I am now kicking myself for not suggesting they enter Eurovision.

The film clip for Cherub—familiar and fragile, like the song itself—is also Dean’s work. He describes his interest in visuals and photography as “something I fell into, became passionate, learned more about”.

“It’s beautiful when you have a skill that people appreciate, and that you do out of love,” he continues. “I love taking our own press photos. It makes it easier, too, because the band can tell me if they hate the picture of themselves and I’m not going to be offended!”

Indeed, the cover shot for their fifth album, Good Mood, is of Dean’s authorship. Having a photographer in your ranks is a bonus, gifting us fans with a special feel for the relationships at play. It’s different when your family portrait is captured by a member of the clan.

I find Dean grounded, real, and thoroughly decent. During the course of our conversation, I decided that Ball Park Music—home bodies, best friends, good eggs—must be the most wholesome band in Queensland, if not all of Australia. They have nice hair, don’t behave badly on planes, and they like each other. They play everything from gentle optimism (It’s Nice to be Alive, which one might call their signature song) to ironic and, yes, sometimes dark (Nihilist Party Anthem and Hands Off My Body).

And I am chuffed to hear Dean say they could get louder still.

“There’s definitely some punk energy in Ball Park Music we’ve still yet to explore,” he touts. Good news.

Even better news is that Ball Park Music will return to Canberra for Stonefest, alongside Bakar, Dune Rats, Becca Hatch, Ike (From) Pluto, smartcasual, and Sophie Edwards. It happens on Saturday, 7 October, from 3pm to late. Tickets are $59 for students, $99 for general admission via Moshtix.

Most Australians remember Nathan Cavaleri as a young blues-guitar prodigy who, after overcoming leukaemia, became a global phenomenon, performing with huge stars like Mark Knopfler and B.B. King. Those that continued to follow Nathan’s career, know his story did not end there.

In recent years he has battled, and overcome, serious mental health issues to find a rejuvenated source of inspiration that has kickstarted a brand-new phase in his career.

Now, with his new album Miracles, and a massive national tour to support the release, Nathan Cavaleri is set to show us all how to find those miracles in our everyday lives via the medium of music.

Released in June, Miracles is a stunning musical achievement, highlighting Nathan’s ability to weave lyrical stories around blistering guitar grooves and heady instrumentation. Each track brings a new vibe that keeps the energy flowing throughout, displaying Nathan’s deftness at mixing different musical genres with blues fundamentals, something he did masterfully on previous album, Demons

The sound and style, according to Nathan, aligned with the feelings he wanted to inspire and express, especially after having spent such a long time away from music.

“Both Miracles and Demons have come after five years of mental and physical health challenges that took me away from music,” Nathan reveals. “I didn’t intend to return to music at all because I didn’t have any trust in my psychological and physical capacity to tour, and to deal with it all.

“But the songwriting always continued.”

During his hiatus, Nathan’s creative process shifted. He no longer had industry pressures bearing down on him, which had a very positive effect on his approach to songwriting.

“I no longer wrote for any purpose other than self-expression,” he says. “That’s how I used to create music as a kid. Somewhere in the middle there, I got a little lost; it became more about how to write songs for the radio.

“I lost that initial connection with myself, but I managed to get it back,” Nathan continues. “When I created these songs, the same theme occurred; of having to back my own creative decisions and not let the voices of others, or the voices of the past, steer me off-course.

I Believe In Miracles I Believe In Miracles

By Joshua Eckersley

“I can hear that when I listen to the album. There are a few songs where I think, ‘Woah! I totally bulldozed any insecure voices when I did that song!’ That unbridled feeling is what we bring to the stage as well.”

Speaking of “we”, when Nathan performs at The Playhouse in the Canberra Theatre Centre, we will be bringing a night of energised and exciting musical exploration with his somewhat unconventional band.

“I wanted to create something a little different,” Nathan explains, on the unique live line-up. “I have a guitarist named James Van Cooper. We also have a sampler, and my Swiss army knife (that is, he’s an accomplished multi-instrumentalist), Tommy Gun, who plays percussion, guitar, and trumpet.

“We all sing together as well. That might sound a bit stripped back but it’s absolutely not. It rocks hard!”

Included in that rocking set will be the first single from the album, Querencia; a feel-good summer-y tune that echoes the classic rock stylings of Dire Straits and The Go Betweens.

The title, Nathan explains, is a Spanish word that originates from bullfighting and describes the area where the bull seeks refuge and gains strength.

“In human terms, it represents a place that you can go within yourself, despite whatever chaos is happening,” Nathan extrapolates. “It is an inner source of strength, peace; a refuge that is not hinged to things having to be a certain way.

“I found that to be a very liberating concept.”

A concept that leads to a liberation on stage, with punters able to expect an entertaining night of thumping blues-rock tunes and riveting tales from Nathan and the band.

“I play a good portion of the songs off Demons and Miracles, and I string them all together with stories from my past,” he excitedly tells us. “From playing with all of these amazing people, to some of the philosophies I’ve learnt going through cancer as a kid, to my mental health struggles later on.

“We have a whole heap of laughs as well!” he’s quick to add.

“As much as we go to some deep places, we bang pretty hard on stage. It’s a great show and I really enjoy playing it.”

Nathan Cavaleri and his band will be performing at The Playhouse, Canberra Theatre Centre on Friday, 1 September. Tickets are $45$55 + bf and are available from Canberra Ticketing.

far off either and my early preview of that is a big step up on the debut.

METALISE

The blossoms have begun to bud, sure, but the heavy grey skies tell these old bones that riffs are a comin’ this spring. This unseasonably warm winter has already seen early lambs popping out, with Witchskull enjoying lots of attention on their national tour for The Serpent Tide and Krampus doing 666mas in July.

But there’s still plenty more on the way.

Spring brings forth all sorts of interesting fungi after the rain. Despite a relatively dry winter, a mere sprinkle was enough to usher forth Lucifungus and their 4th full length album, growing from some very fertile spores in Belconnen.

Makes for a very fertile winter for the ‘fungus with their sister band Hydranaut releasing new music recently, and Pod People finally heading to the studio in Melbourne in September to record a 3rd full length album thanks to the support of an artsACT grant.

Hydranaut headline a night at Pot Belly Bar on Saturday, 26 August and are joined by the rejuvenated Nunchukka Superfly from Sydney, as well as The Strike Outs. And all for a meagre 20 bucks.

The ‘fungi are launching the new album entitled 4 on Saturday, 23 September at Pot Belly Bar in Belco with Hekate, Mourners, and Voodoo Acid Space Kings. It all kicks off at 8pm and is also a mere 20 bucks.

Bloodmouth put out yet another shouty missive through their revolutionary social media accounts and network of balaclavas. My eyes could only stand the ALL CAPS ASSAULT so long, but in short, their new 7” Carnist Industrial Complex is here, and they’re still very angry about vegan related things. It’s a fertile anger, and they’re harnessing it to good effect. Like a more eco-friendly Ghost.

Pilots of Baalbek joined the ‘Skull for several interstate jaunts. Their Captain, Adam Agius, supplied me with a preview flight and there’s a lot to look forward to (especially the catchy tune about DB Cooper). The new Hekate can’t be

So all of that is out and about, and I trust you can forage about for even more. Looking further afield, the Gummo EP Assimilation is Death is 9 minutes and 6 songs of a good time with dual vocals and some absolutely filthy tones.

Yawning Man return to town on the Saturday, 24 August and their new 3-tracker, Long Walk of the Navajo, is more psych instrumental greatness. They are joined by their fellow Australian psych instrumental travellers Frozen Planet 1969, the aforementioned new song wielding Pilots of Baalbek and the ironically present The Absentee. Pot Belly Bar has built a new stage, so get along and support the show.

Questfest 5 got me wondering where I was for the other 4, but you have a twin city (The Basement for Canberra and then to Melbourne for the other half of the quest) bill featuring Orpheus Omega, Triple Kill, and our own Saralisse hitting The Basement on Saturday, 2 September so jump on board for that one.

International brutal bovine slaying delights abound on Sunday, 17 September with the return of Cattle Decapitation to the hallowed halls of The Basement. Along for the slaughter are the monstrously heavy Fallujah for the whole Australian run, and opening will be Melancolia. There are few tickets remaining so best grab one asap.

Probably a good reminder to ensure your fridge calendar/ phone/ticket budget is aware of the Archspire tour happening on Thursday, 12 October at The Basement. The shred will be in full effect and, in some cross Atlantic co-operation with UK deathsters Ingested, you can be sure maximum brutality is afoot. Melbourne’s excellent Werewolves round out the show, get yer’ tickets while they’re hot.

Lastly big shout out and flowers to Deprivation who seemed to have a lovely time representing Canberra metal at the almighty Wacken. Joined by Nic from The Basement, the socials were awash with our hometown brethren smashing out a killer, and well received, set, as well as enjoying the bill of great bands and rubbing shoulders with metal royalty. Congrats and well deserved guys.

Pic above: Nic Bergersen (The Basement) with a nice older metal gent (Steve Harris, Iron Maiden) at Wacken Open Air

[THE WORD ON METAL] WITH JOSH NIXON [DOOMTILDEATH@HOTMAIL.COM]

By Joshua Eckersley

The virtuosic Victor Valdes is returning to Canberra with his Viva Mexico Tour, bringing with him all of the exciting and emotive colours of Mexico’s musical landscape. His authentic and masterful interpretations of traditional Mexican and Latin music is a must-see event that is inherently of its place and culture, and yet unlike anything else.

The Viva Mexico tour will showcase the many varied and vibrant musical styles of Mexico, with the goal of sharing Victor’s life-long appreciation and admiration for the culture of his homeland. Victor has chosen some of the more internationally recognised styles to perform with his band, such as Mexican Polkas—with their vibrant and uplifting tempos—as well as Mariachis, Boleros, and Mexican Cumbia.

Thankfully Victor has done all the legwork and can break it down in simple terms for those of us not fluent in the intricacies of Mexican musical styles.

“Polkas and Cumbia are definitely styles of music that get the whole auditorium up and dancing,” Valdes enthuses. “But for the more romantic ones among us, Boleros will make the couples dance, and Mariachi makes you sing out loud.”

All these styles have their own distinct features and rich, historical origins that Victor carries with him wherever he goes. Perhaps the most influential style of all is Son Jarocho, due to the impact on a young Victor, growing up in Mexico, before moving to Australia and settling in Sydney, back in 1998.

“One of my dreams is to create Australia's own Son Jarocho movement, similar to what is happening right now in the USA,” he tells us. “The music is having a fantastic movement, particularly in California. It’s also an important part of Chicano culture too.”

Mexican and Latin American music is also seeing a notable surge in popularity here in Australia, but it is not just the music that is drawing people in. There is a wealth of creative and artistic activity contributing to a burgeoning fascination and appreciation for the unique aspects of Mexican and Latin American culture.

“There are many elements contributing to the Mexican and Hispanic cultural popularity in Australia,” Valdes attests. “Firstly, there is Hollywood, with all of the great movies based on Mexican and Latino culture, as well as the social and political issues. The soundtracks have become so recognisable that when I perform school shows for the kids, they ask for songs such as Remember Me and Un Poco Loco from the Disney movie, Coco.”

“Secondly, there are the many outstanding icons of Mexican art, such as Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera”, Valdes continues. “Their masterpieces have been displayed in The Art Gallery of NSW, and right now in The Art Gallery of South Australia, there is an amazing exhibition of their work.

“Frida, in particular, was a lover not just of art but music, and you cannot think about this amazing Mexican artist without associating her with traditional Mexican Music.”

As part of Victor’s Viva Mexico tour, he will be bringing his incredible band to perform once again at the beloved Canberra stomping grounds of The Street Theatre. It promises to be an unforgettable journey through the songbook of traditional Mexican music, and Victor has nothing but praise for his world-class band.

“I have 11 musicians on stage, each of them from different musical backgrounds, who have found new ways to express themselves through the infectious rhythms and challenging styles of Mexican music,” Valdes extols. “I feel so proud and accomplished every time we perform together, knowing that they come from so many different parts of the world.

“Some don't even speak Spanish, but they embrace and recreate Mexican traditional music here in Australia. On stage, it just feels like we are playing our favourite game.

“It is a lot of fun!”

Don’t miss out on Victor Valdes’ performing his Viva Mexico tour at The Street Theatre on Saturday, 23 September at 7:30pm. Tickets are $45 - $49 + bf available via The Street Theatre website.

“I love and respect all styles of music and dance,” Valdes says.

“I love opera. I love contemporary music and Aussie rock. But my heart will always be with the Son Jarocho music from my home town, Veracruz.”

More than two decades ago, I moved from my insular life in Sydney to Gunnedah in regional NSW. While I had some knowledge of what would be described as country music, my new home gave me a thorough introduction.

It was in Gunnedah that I first heard Graeme Connors.

As the years passed, and I moved to Mudgee, then up over the border to Gympie and Toowoomba, I would walk through these beautiful towns and, unbidden, Graeme’s A Little Further North Each Year would wander through my head, the beat of my footsteps as percussive accompaniment.

That song, released in 1988 during one of the peaks of Australian music, is undoubtedly his best known and most iconic. It was a 14-year journey to that point. In 1974, on the cusp of adulthood, Graeme would play local venues around school hours in his home of Mackay, QLD. It was here that he met his wife, Lyn.

Via a couple of gigs supporting Sherbert (a “promising young fellow called “Gary Connors”’, extolled a review at the time, Graeme says), he was noticed by Festival Records and offered the support act for Kris Kristofferson’s 1974 tour of Australia.

Kris saw something in Connors, and supported him to produce his first album, And When Morning Comes. It was a solid first outing, but Graeme himself notes that he wasn’t yet settled in his skin. He was still finding his sense of self; something that would come roaring into the light later.

“From 1984 to 1988 I’d stopped performing and moved into publishing for Rondor Music,” Graeme recalls. “I’d never had that song that is “you”; I’d never had that!

“I’d co-written Hot Town for Jon English and a couple of songs for Slim Dusty,” he continues.

“I got to that point where I thought it was time

Voice Of The Country GRAEME CONNORS My Lyrical Life

By Jen Seyderhelm

to leave Sydney. We’ve been making a fair to good living. We owned a house. But I felt like I’d missed my point.

“I loved performing, and it was gone.

“While I was working at the publisher,” Graeme continues, “I would get up at 5:30 in the morning and write these songs, ostensibly for our children. I wanted to tell them about my life, because they only knew Sydney.

“At night, on a weekend, I would tell them outlandish tales of the tropics. It was obvious that my need to tell stories was still powerful.

“Mango Shade was the first one of these songs I wrote. At the time, I was like: ‘Who’s gonna want to hear these? I know! I’ll tell my children…’

“And so came Cyclone Season, and Let the Canefields Burn

“I decided to go home and record them with friends, The Flying Emus and Bob Butler,” Graeme continues. “We cut it in a week, and then another week later we mixed it.

“I was going to move to the Tropics, work the islands and sell cassettes. But to my great good fortune, I was working with Diana Manson, head of ABC Music at the time, and she was putting together a large-scale music project for children and enlisted my help as a kind of consultant.

“During this time, she heard I was in the studio and asked what I had been doing. I said I’d recorded this personal album called North “She asked if she could listen, so I gave her a cassette. She called next morning and said: “This is what ABC Music has been waiting for forever! We want to sign you up!”

“She cut two video clips that she got onto ABC TV before the news, nationwide, and suddenly Graeme Connors, A Little Further North Each Year, was permeating the subconscious of the entire country.”

Now celebrating a staggering 50 years in the often-perilous music business, Graeme has over 20-plus albums’ worth of songs, and is touring to celebrate.

He will also be bringing a book with him called My Lyrical Life (hence the title of the tour), compiling all the lyrics he has conjured over his career. It will be available to buy in the latter half of the year. And by the way...

It has 256 pages.

As well as prolific, Graeme has been a prodigious voice for our country. But even after all these years, there’s still work to do.

“I have an unshakeable faith that, in time, we will transcend this mindless internationalism where we're just aping other places,” he says, of the current musical landscape.

“We’re in a real lull when it comes to telling our story. Back in the ‘80s, we had this resurgence; people wanted to hear the Australian story.

“It'll take time. But it will happen again.”

And for those budding songwriters out there, and those in the game awhile, Graeme has some parting words of wisdom to share.

“Character is the most difficult thing to put into a song if you don’t have it,” he says. “But tell your story. You’ll get better at it. Write about where you live, what you do, how you do it. You won’t get it right from the start, but you get better from doing it.

“Remember that every child says, 'tell me a story!' And the story that they love is from their own backyard.

“‘That’s my garden, my back yard.’

“I find that so invigorating.”

Graeme Connors – My Lyrical Life, celebrating 50 years in the Australian Music Industry, is on at The Street Theatre on Friday, 13 October at 7:30pm. Tickets are $69 + bf via the venue.

Acclaimed flamenco guitarist Paco Lara has traveled the world, sharing his passion and skill, for over 30 years. The Spanish ambassador of this art form in Australia represents the very best of flamenco from his hometown of Jerez, Spain. In this exclusive concert, Paco will perform songs from his albums The Andalusian Guitar and Duende, and will be joined by exceptional guest flamenco dancer, the 20-year veteran Deya Miranda Giner, who has fine tuned her skills with master dancers in Spain. 7pm, $35/$30 via Smith’s Alternative website

Chaika Theatre is excited to announce their production of startlingly relevant contemporary play The Children, by Lucy Kirkwood (Chimerica, Mosquitoes) directed by Tony Knight with Sophie Benassi, assisted by Belinda Henderson. Laced liberally with humour and wit, the play is set in a coastal cottage - the home of married couple, Hazel and Robin, both retired nuclear engineers and organic farmers. After a natural and man-made disaster, the couple are visited by an old colleague with mysterious motives. A richly suggestive and beautifully written work. 7:30pm + 2pm matinee, $35 via thelittleboxoffice.com

This spectacular South Indian entertainment event consists of stand-up comedy, dances, and song. Jabardasth is an Indian Telugu-language sketch comedy TV show produced by Mallemala Entertainments. Prominent and talented comedians from the Telugu entertainment industry perform a collection of humorous routines, skits, and jokes. Dhee is an Indian dance reality show telecasting in ETV and is referred to as one of the biggest dance show in Telugu TV industry. A rare chance to be in the auidence for this recorded & telecasted-in-India spectacular. 6pm - 9pm, $99 via Moshtix

India’s Pawandeep Rajan and Arunita Kanjilal are beloved, highly regarded singers. Pawandeep won Season 12 of Indian Idol and The Voice India, with Arunita as an Idol runner up. Powerful singers in their own right, they soon realised the power of their combined voices, and have gained a large international following via their duets, TV appearance, and romantic vibes. In recognition of the large Indian community in Australia, Shine N Rise event and Yarik Studios will be hosting Magnificent Duo Grand Concert. 7pm, $90 - $170 via Moshtix

Dust Collectors / Triple-Exhibition / On from now until 21 October / Tuggeranong Arts Centre

Three artists, three expressions, with one shared interest in trash, obsolescence, nostalgia, and what they mean. Ceramicist Shaun Hayes’ sculptures set the fantastical and comical against wasteful consumerism. Ellie Kaufmann’s paintings deal with a reflection of everyday mundane life exploring the theme of ‘one’s trash is another’s treasure.’ And printmaker Adam Bell studies the graphic and sonic form of the compact cassette, and the crucial role it has played in social change and the spread of music cultures. Free, all welcome. Showing until 21 October

triple j’s Hobba & Hing say seeya and thank ya! Come farewell them in style as they wrap up a stellar innings on triple j Drive. To mark the end of an era, triple j are giving the guys a huge send-off. They’ll be joined by special guests you know and love from triple j Drive as they relive some of their greatest moments before saying goodbye. But this isn’t the end of the road for Hobba & Hing – they’ve got a new comedy podcast called Silver Bullet available now on the ABC listen app. 6:30pm, $49 + bf via Canberra Ticketing

Pawandeep Rajan and Arunita Kanjilal / Powerful duet / Fri, 22 September / Kambri at ANU

Hobba & Hing’s Last Show Ever / triple j hosts bow out in style / Sat, 16 Sep / The Playhouse

Chaika Theatre Presents - The Children / Play by Lucy Kirkwood / 31 Aug - 9 Sep / ACT Hub

The Biggest Teluga Star Studded Heavens / Comedy & Music / Fri, 8 Sep / Kambri Theatre

Amadeus / Play written by Peter Shaffer, Directed by Cate Clelland / 27 July – 12 Aug / Canberra Rep

Paco Lara w/ Deya Miranda Giner / Flamenco guitar & dance / Sat, 16 Sep / Smith’s Alternative

Crying Wolf

BUYING GUIDE: Top Five LEGO® Kits for 2023

September is here! And you know what that means… LEGO® Christmas! Each year, 25 September marks this most important day of the LEGO® calendar. To celebrate the occasion, Resident Brickmaster General Chris Marlton brings you the inside scoop on the hottest new LEGO® kits to buy on this Bricked Out Holiday.

This set has been rigorously tested so you can be sure that the model is as robust as it is beautiful. On sale until the end of August, so act quickly and you’ll save some money! (but there is nothing that will save the Governor-General)

One of the biggest moments in Australian political history is captured with this advanced LEGO® Old Parliament House - 11 November 1975 set. With 6,745 pieces, this set is guaranteed to challenge the staunchest Monarchist with both a complicated build and an even more complicated and unsatisfactory explanation of Constitutional events.

Packed with features, this build includes 14 mini-figures, including Sir John Kerr, Malcolm Fraser, a young Bob Hawke, Frank Crean, three journalists, two photographers, a cameraman, two undercover CIA agents, Norman Gunston and, of course, Gough himself. It’s time to say It’s Time again, and relive your favourite moments of the day that Paul Keating described as “a political coup.”

Enjoy one of Australia’s great engineering achievements (and ecological disasters) with this LEGO® Murray Hydroelectric Power Station set.

Modelled after the second Murray power station, this kit lets you build all four Hitachi-manufactured vertical Francis turbines and, of course, the associated ASEA generators. At a slick 12,452 pieces, this difficult scale-model is LEGO®’s largest and most intricate. Once completed, you can pour water into the turbines and the fully functioning ASEA generators will power the small light at the top of the set. Also included are four mini-figures of ghost-platypus, whose ecosystem was destroyed by the Snowy Mountains Scheme.

What LEGO® list would be complete without an aircraft? In 1971, the Boeing 747-238 joined the QANTAS fleet. Now you can own a part of that history with this 5,427 piece masterpiece.

5. Whitlam Dismissal (#10396)

4. Snowy Hydro (#10452)

3. First QANTAS 747 flight (#10431)

The cockpit opens with seats for 5 crew members (3 crew minifigures are included with the set). The top of the plane opens too, with access to all 416 seats in the realistically rendered main cabin. You can place a LEGO® mini-figure in every seat, and even conduct your own drinks and meal service with the included air-host and hostess mini-figures.

In a first for LEGO®, one of the included mini-figures has an ultra-wide-angle lens camera built into the head, which allows owners of the new LEGO® VR headset to feel like they are inside the aircraft themselves.

2. Travelodge in Rushcutters Bay (#10499)

You’re in for a treat with another slice of Australian political history. In June 1987, former Liberal Party Leader Billy Snedden passed away at a Travelodge motel while spending some quality time with his son’s ex-girlfriend.

This 7,302 piece set lets you build the lobby and reception of the motel, featuring seven rooms in varying levels of disrepair.

An innovative addition is a set of board game rules that allow the display, once completed, to act as the game board to a Cluedo-style detective thriller. Can YOU figure out which minifigure dispatched the famed politician?

This is truly a build for adults, where you can spend quality time crafting all the details of this LEGO® Travelodge - Rushcutters Bay. With glamorous decor, it’s a touching tribute to the original hard man of Australian politics.

1. Phar Lap Wins the Melbourne Cup (#11013)

And the most prized LEGO® set that everyone is after this year is the detailed and innovative 2,319 piece LEGO® Flemington Racecourse - 1930 Melbourne Cup. After building the track you can play to your oversized heart’s content with 16 included horses and 16 mini-figure jockeys.

The James E. Pike mini-figure is especially interesting, as his beaming drawn-on smile seems genuinely genuine in a genuine way. Re-live the greatest heights of the Don Bradman of horses as Phar Lap wins his only Melbourne Cup over and over again. The set also comes equipped with a mini-figure vet holding a shot-gun.

Chris Marlton is a comedian, writer, painter, and film-maker. His comedy special Mephisto Waltz is available to watch for free on YouTube. For upcoming shows linktree/ChrisMarlton. Follow @chris.marlton and @laserfirecomedy on Instagram and @ChrisMarltonComedy on Facebook.

It’s Virgo season! Which means there’s no better time to darn your trousers, fret about whether you planted your tomatoes too early (you have) or complain about your neighbours at an Owner’s Corp meeting. Fake Spring is around the corner, so it’s time to put your Kathmandu puffer away, with a view to retrieving it in a fortnight.

Sadly, a bunch of planets are going retrograde this month, which include Jupiter, Mercury, Neptune, Timothee, Venus, and that weird looking one. Phew! That’s all the non-loser planets and then some. But fear not! With my celestial compass as a guide, you can cheerfully navigate, or at least await with crushing inevitability, any and all trials and tribulations coming your way. And to think you get this for free…

Aries (March 21 – April 19)

Venus rules love and beauty, natch, but she’s out on smoko for the rest of the month. As such, now is not the time to ask your hairdresser to give you that bleach and tone you crave.

You will anyway. You’re a boss bitch who everyone is scared of. Do be aware—for the safety of yourself and others—when your locks turn out more brass than platinum (and they will) you will need to lean into a look that includes hats and beanies.

Taurus (April 20 – May 20)

Honesty is not usually difficult for you. The challenge this month is to use tact as well. Can you do that, Taurus? Mmmm? Can you at least try to tell Stephanie from Book Club that the lemon cake she brings is a bit dry WITHOUT becoming an anecdote she takes to therapy about how shit her friends are?

Probs not. Stephanie describes herself as an ‘empath’ but has disliked every book that wasn’t her pick. Maybe send her the link for your scone recipe from taste.com.au – everyone deserves a chance to shine.

Gemini (May 21 – June 20)

Take two Sudafed and go to No Lights No Lycra with Jill from work. But remember: Mercury, that trusty steed of transport and communication, is seeing a man about a dog (possibly yours) this month, so for the love of GOD… don’t get the bus.

Cancer (June 21- July 22)

Think hard before leaving your house. Fake Spring has lulled Canberrans into a false sense of security about the cold weather, and your flat has the spectacular advantage of being not-outside. The cold that is inside is predictable: it is concentrated in the large kitchen box that keeps your perishables and medication for your cat, Darling Hugo.

Although there is that weird cold bit on the landing at the top of the stairs that Hugo stares at from the parapet but will not go near. Why is it so cold there? Why do you shiver every time you pass through it? To what past evil does The Cold Bit on The Landing bear witness?

This month, the long buried truth will finally out…

Leo (July 22 – August 22)

You will ask people whether they’ve heard of Brené Brown, they will say “no”, and you will get to explain her Four Pillars of Leadership in

exquisite detail! You will then get to talk about how authentic your leadership style is, and that the key is vulnerability, and shitloads of it. Too much, many might argue, including Brené Brown herself.

People will nod and smile at you genuinely. Be sure to note: Jupiter is on stress leave from 5 September, so after that people might not see your values as clearly as you do. Remember, this is very much Their Problem.

Virgo (August 23 – September 22)

That lemon cake you bring to Book Club is delightful. Everyone says so. Of course it is! You’re the most experienced baker in the group. By miles. And yet, everyone bangs on about the scones Greg makes. Why? He doesn’t even use pastry flour! And he brings Cottee’s Jam for everyone to put on them. Cottee’s, I ask you!

Ever heard of Strawberry Bonne Maman, Greg? Even AMATEURS know that’s the base standard.

Libra (September 23 – October 22)

Your period tracking app is not to be trusted this month. If you are a man, this is doubly true.

Scorpio (October 23 – November 21)

Your trusty illegal firearm that you have in your toilet cistern will serve you well during the next Reckoning. Cyborgs take at least three shots to go down, and that’s providing you hit their weak points (the lifesaving locations of which you will recall from a previous column).

The only downside? You may have to form an alliance with the man down the hall who smells like burning but has a stash of steel cut oats. Remember to breathe, but not without your C3453 mask if you’re outside.

If you have trouble sleeping, bring to mind Greta’s impossibly blue smiling eyes from that day on the Ferris Wheel; before everything changed.

Sagittarius (November 22 – December 21)

You absolute reprobate. But then again: dat ass.

Capricorn (December 22 – January 19)

Being a Single Plant Dad is tough. You talk to them, sure, but they’re at that age where they’re more interested in their peers than their parents. You feel shut out.

With Neptune having a good hard look at itself this month, now is the time to really try and connect with your Golden Pothos over a nice, steaming cup of liquid fertiliser.

Aquarius (January 20 – February 18)

McDonalds is a restaurant of expediency. It’s the culinary equivalent of getting married after 40. You’re on an interminable trip to an undesired place, it’s getting late, and this may be the best you can do.

You could wait for a wholesome little pie shop to appear on the horizon. Or you could pull over and be double teamed by a cheeseburger and a McChicken right now.

Remember: shame can’t catch you if you drive fast enough.

Pisces (February 19 – March 20)

The planet Timothee is powdering its nose in the cosmic bathroom. So, take a break from your rigorous schedule of living in smelly trenchcoats and breathing heavily on public transport and just sit on a bench and sniff the air. Or yourself, if you’re so inclined.

Suma Iyer is a Canberra comic who performs across Australia. To keep up to date with Suma, head to @sumaiyercomedy on Instagram.

BMA Comedy Profile

Following sold out show YEP!, award winning stand-up comedian Bron Lewis is bringing her highly acclaimed new show Probably to The Street Theatre on Friday, 15 September (get yer tix via the venue!)

Stacked with stories from her Canberra upbringing, including her clumsy and desperate approach to fitting in at a private highschool whilst living in government housing. performing Probably here ticks off a Canberran childhood dream of hers.

So let’s get to know her better before the show!

What got you into comedy?

I am a mother of three and was a highschool teacher for close to a decade, so convincing apathetic people to listen to me is part of my wheelhouse. I began performing at storytelling events, and the rush that comes with making an audience laugh is way better than teaching Hamlet, so the choice to ditch teaching and follow comedy was logical.

How would you describe your style of comedy to the layman?

Dry, observational, and physical - the bigger the stage the better. My comedy is filled with stories, and Probably is extremely nostalgic about my childhood in Canberra. I absolutely love fleshing out a story and finding all the funny bits in it.

Who are some of your favourite comedians?

I love Kitty Flanagan, Urzula Carson, Cal Wilson, Claire Hooper, and Daniel Connell. All so clever and so damn funny.

What’s one of the funniest/weirdest things that’s happened?

I did a gig once when a man heckled me a number of times. I don’t mind a heckle, but this guy was relentless. His heckles were strange, and they were all respectfully about my mother.

Assuming he must have been my mother’s friend, I approached him after the show and asked him if he knew her. He did not.

What’s one of your proudest moments?

Apologies for the humble brag, but I am only four years into my comedy career, and am so proud at how many shows I have sold out. I will never get over looking at an audience and seeing people I have never met, who have willingly (I assume) come to see me do an hour of stand-up. It blows my tiny mind.

Comedians hate being asked “tell us a joke”. So... What’s one of your favourite jokes? (either of yours, or someone else)

“I am an avoidant person. I avoid hard feelings, negative thoughts and difficult conversations. Some people say, “You have to feel hard things to grow as a person”.

And to those people I say… Nothing, because I avoid people like that.”

What exactly is the meaning of life?

I’ve watched a lot of people get rich and it genuinely made them unhappier, so I figure you may as well go for a career in the arts.

Hecklers… A help or a hindrance?

I’ve had a lot of hecklers in my career and, sorry to brag again, I’ve won every single battle. It isn’t too much of a brag though - hecklers usually aren’t the smartest person in the room.

As an ex-highschool teacher, I am extremely accustomed to rude confrontations. But now that I don’t have registration to worry about, I’m allowed to say exactly what I am thinking back.

It is perhaps one of the greatest parts of my job.

What is your favourite stand up set?

Mike Birbiglia’s Netflix special The New One is incredible. It is not only hilarious, but it is filled with stories and heartwarming moments; exactly how I want people to describe Probably

Danish word ‘hygge’ encapsulates a general feeling of warmth. What creates this sensation for you?

I wish I could say something philosophical here, but I would be lying. I feel hygge when my children sleep through the night. Since becoming a mother ten years ago, I can count on one hand the amount of times I have woken in the morning naturally. My youngest is only two, so I imagine I have about another 200 years until he sleeps through the night consistently. Can’t wait.

Anything else you’d like to add?

I have toured Probably around the country, but I am most excited to bring it to Canberra on 15 September. I grew up in Canberra, and a lot of my stories stem from there. It will be at The Street Theatre, and I recall being a chubby teenager obsessed with Drama, never imagining I would be performing there. Tickets have been selling really well, so it is bound to be my favourite performance of Probably ever.

KATE CEBERANO 40 YEARS, 30 ALBUMS ONE HELLUVA SHOW

By Ley Shoemark

Australian treasure, Kate Ceberano, has forged a heck of a career. She has spent 40 years in the record industry with a staggering 30 albums to her name, ten of which hit the top 10, with 11 platinum albums, 8 gold albums, 15 Top 40 singles, 4 ARIA Awards, and 19 nominations to boot.

It’s a heck of a career, alright. But Ceberano is far from done.

I was thrilled to talk to her about her 30th album, the celebratory My Life Is a Symphony, and her subsequent tour and Canberra show. After all, there’s plenty to talk about.

Ceberano is marking the mighty milestone in style, having recruited the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra no less. A career retrospectus of sorts, it’s a varied track list featuring well known hits as well as some hidden gems.

Of course, such an endeavour isn’t the case of simply slapping orchestral instruments atop established songs, as the veteran Ceberano well knows.

“I have worked with symphony orchestras throughout my career,” she tells us. “The fundamental difference, this time, is I have approached it in more of a bespoke way.

“Orchestral arrangements are naturally a big task. You try to project yourself into a future crowd, to see if people will enjoy listening to those songs in that setting. Will they like the songs with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra? Or am I just taking a great big ego trip?

“Professionally, you take the leap of faith when making an album like this,” Ceberano continues. “I’m so happy with the result. The response to the tour indicates people are open to the experience, which has been intense to put together, and I’m beyond excited.”

I suggest to Ceberano that it’s her career, after all, and with 40 years she can damn well do what she wants. While she was unsure about the album’s reception, she needn’t have worried. The metamorphosis of fun, power-pop classics into sweeping orchestral delights is a joy to behold.

Of course, she couldn’t undertake such a venture alone, with Ceberano enlisting only the best and brightest to work on such an important endeavour.

“Roscoe James Irwin is a genius,” Ceberano says, of the singersongwriter and her arranger/composer. “This young adult is so old school, and when preparing [My Life Is A Symphony], I told

him I wanted to incorporate different influences, from Story to Willy in between.”

For Ceberano, it seems like Irwin was the natural choice.

“He and I have met in different places over the years,” Ceberano recounts. “He was an artistic director for James Morrison at his Jazz Academy in Mount Gambia, which is where I first met him.

“He was the music director for The Cat Empire and did arrangements for The Bamboos as well, so Roscoe has come from a background with a mixture of funk, pop, and jazz, at the highest levels.”

One of many massive hits for Ceberano was 1999’s energy filled single Pash. On into an intimate love song which is, frankly, remarkable. Ceberano is equally blown away by the result.

“With everything I have experienced throughout my entire career, I still have moments where I think, ‘Wow… Is this really happening?’,” she says. “I still ask myself if I am deserving of this; of the nostalgic beauty of this version of Pash

“It ended up being Pash that I asked (arranger) Roscoe to incorporate some West Side Story influences; that ‘girl from the wrong side of the tracks’ vibe. After all, that’s basically what I am!

“So this version of Pash turned out perfect to me. It resonates, capturing that ‘pinch yourself’ feeling which I still experience.”

Intrigued by Ceberano’s comments, it seemed the time to ask about her upbringing, and how that led to where she is now.

“I had an interesting upbringing,” Ceberano starts. “My father is a Filipino who was born and raised in Hawaii; I guess probably more Polynesian centric, actually. We were dirt poor, and as a child I couldn’t think of anything more remote than a career in music.

“I was raised by a superstar in martial arts. My Dad has the highest rank for his style. Martial arts is similar to orchestras in that it takes discipline, constant practice, and endurance. I was raised in, and surrounded by, a very noble community. We travelled together, and regarded each other as family.

“Louise Song, which we have on this album, is about raising a baby in that community.”

I venture to Ceberano that a true artist is never truly satisfied; that music, like martial arts, as an expression is like an endeavour that never ends.

“That’s a beautiful way to put it. I love that,” Ceberano says. “40 years on and I’m still honing my craft. There isn’t a time or place in your career where you’re meant to relax and say, ‘I made it!’

“In the beginning, the destination doesn’t even matter,” Ceberano continues. “You set sail, you discover some great places and great

people, and that’s a life worth living. I started out in a band called I’M TALKING which was basically a jazz and dance pop band. We had five Top 10 singles in one year.”

This reflection leads Ceberano to a sudden realisation.

“In fact, I think we’re a little neglected in retrospect, as far as the history of Australian music goes!” she muses. “There’s a lot of focus on the one identity of Australian pub rock, whereas I’M TALKING was academic, New York style jazz and dance music.”

It’s amazing to consider that Ceberano was still a teenager in the late ‘80s when she wrote her triple platinum album Brave, an LP that features the sultry Bedroom Eyes

“During the ‘80s, we thought we were free. In a way we were,” Ceberano recalls. “But you only need to look at George Michael’s recent documentary and see what he had to deal with; how closeted and ashamed people were made to feel.

“Some of my songs from that album, like Brave and Bedroom Eyes, spoke for a very large community for different reasons. 40 years ago, a lot of young people had not come out, and there were a lot of challenges. The world was different.

“I still love playing Bedroom Eyes,” Ceberano continues. “It’s a very sexy song written by Raymond Jones, the musical director for Spike Lee in New York. He works on Spike Lee’s theatre productions, as well as other projects.”

Now in 2023, Ceberano is chomping at the bit to get playing at much as possible. It’s been a long and arduous road to get here.

“I’d come out of two-and-a-half years of COVID feeling empty,” she reveals. “So much time was lost. It got so bad, I wondered if I’d ever get to do this again, as did a lot of artists.

“I fell ill with bronchitis and also contracted COVID. We had recorded the album before lockdown; it was all in the can the week of Victoria’s lockdown. I was optimistic at the start. But when it came time to do the vocals, because I had been sick, I couldn’t make the notes sound the way I wanted to.

“I was distraught!” Ceberano recalls. “We had to drop it for months while I recovered. We eventually got back into a different studio and had to start all over again.”

Turbulent times indeed, but as Ceberano tours the country with one of her most audacious, ambitious, and joyous pieces of music to date, she couldn’t be happier.

“This tour it’s the greatest thing I’ve done in all my life,” Ceberano enthuses. “It is really one of the most beautiful things that I have done in music. I love this album; it’s got everything for me. The cinema, the magic, the force of the orchestra.

“Melbourne sold out, we announced a second show, and that sold out. I have my daughter on stage with me, I got to recover some songs that had been lost in the past or at the time were outshined by the single releases… This album is authentic Kate Ceberano.” In closing, she has some touching, fond words for us Canberrans.

“After COVID, the people of Canberra saved my life,” Ceberano reveals. “When we started getting back out on the road, we were doing some smaller shows, just to get back on track. Everyone in Canberra came out after COVID to support me. They are the best audiences; I had so much fun.

“So I cannot wait to get back to Canberra and bring this performance to you.”

And with the fresh arrangement of her songs brought to life by the Canberra Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of conductor Vanessa Scammell (Opera Australia, The Australian Ballet), we can’t wait either.

Kate Ceberano’s My Life Is a Symphony tour will touch down at Canberra Theatre on Friday, 15 September at 7:30pm. Tickets are $99–$119 + bf via Canberra Ticketing.

What’s Oldfield Is New Again

“It all started around 2007,” Holdsworth recalls. “It came about by accident when we were experimenting with what we thought was this fantastic, amazing toy.”

And the toy in question?

“My original collaborator, Aidan Roberts, had just bought an innovative, new loop pedal,” Holdsworth tells. “After one or two bottles of red, and listening to Tubular Bells, we decided to try to recreate the famous procession of instruments section; ‘grand piano, reed and pipe organ... etc’.

“So we got the looper, looped the bass, and just kept adding the instruments on the loop pedal. It was just a bit of fun. We never planned a show at all.”

A bit of fun soon morphed into a lot of work.

“Then at some point we sat down and listened, figured out the parts as best we could, and wrote out the whole album like an orchestral score. Next, we pieced together how two people could perform it— you know, ‘who’s got a spare hand?’—whilst keeping it as authentic to the original 1973 release as possible.”

After some local performances, Universal Records invited the duo to perform at the launch of the Australian edition of the Tubular Bells 40th Anniversary Box Set. Comprised of Aiden Roberts (who was replaced by Tom Bamford in 2017) and Holdsworth at the time, the duo were invited to perform at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2012. At the same time, Mike Oldfield reprised Tubular Bells at the 2012 London Olympics opening ceremony, raising the profile of the classic work again. The timing turned out to be fortuitous indeed.

“From there things went ballistic,” reflects Holdsworth. “We’ve now done nearly 600 performances across more than 25 countries.”

It is a unique approach to an old classic, but Holdsworth and Bamford (and Roberts before him) adhere to the adage: if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

“We have kept the original design of the show,” Holdsworth says, emphasising his commitment to both the music and the performance. “We made a very conscious decision not to have computers on stage ever.

By Anthony Plevey

“We don’t want the audience to think we’re cheating!”

For Daniel Holdsworth, 2023 has been an emotional year. His world renowned, multi-award winning Tubular Bells for Two show enters its final year of touring, giving audiences one last chance to see the audacious performance whilst celebrating the 50th anniversary of the original release of Mike Oldfield’s 1973 opus.

“When we first started, some people thought we were just taking the piss!” Holdsworth passionately decries. “People need to know we take the performance very seriously. It’s live, and needs to be as authentic as possible.”

You may think recreating Oldfield’s epic 49-minute multi-MULTI instrumental piece live would be extremely difficult. And you would be right!

“We could do all sorts of things with current technology,” Holdsworth muses. “But no. By limiting ourselves to the tools that helped us put the show together, we’ve set ourselves a task so difficult that it’s nearly impossible to do perfectly. That’s what makes it so entertaining and so tense.”

Whether you’re an old school Oldfieldian or hearing the Bells ring for the first time, you will find yourself in good company.

“There are two different audiences.” explains Holdsworth. “The Mike Oldfield fan base is huge. Those who love this record, including younger people who understand it as a piece of music, come to hear it live.

“However, the show also has a reputation: two guys with 20-something instruments on stage absolutely stressing out as

they try to pull this off in a really tense situation which is kind of hilarious. The music serves as a soundtrack to the task.

“And it still brings a risk, because if you make a mistake you’re going to hear that mistake over and over for the next five minutes!” Holdsworth laughs. “Disasters have happened, resulting in memorable performances as we’ve problem-solved on-the-fly.

“Sure, it sometimes isn’t the most musical of performances, but it certainly is entertaining.”

Not bad for an outfit that started with scant knowledge.

“We weren’t obsessive Mike Oldfield fans at the start; we just casually knew the record,” Holdsworth confesses. “But I’ve come to appreciate Tubular Bells for the breakthrough album it was, in both composition and production. It pushed the limits of what was possible in the recording studio at the time.

“The grand vision of Tubular Bells is mixed with musical naïveté, not in a negative sense, makes it something special,” Holdsworth continues.

“I think there’s greatness in the naïveté of it because of how young Oldfield was at the time.

“There’s something exciting about music that’s written when an artist is on the threshold of a deeper understanding. The studio became an instrument in itself.”

All this said, what of the man himself? What does he make of it all?

“Mike Oldfield thinks we are mad,” Holdsworth reveals. “He’s teased us about following-up with Amarok or other of his works. But I think that he particularly loves that we are performing it because he doesn’t perform any more.”

And so too, it seems, for the duo, with the upcoming Canberra show being one of the last chances to witness the spectacle.

“Because it’s been such a massive part of my life, it doesn’t feel like a tribute act or a cover show,” Holdsworth reflects.

“We never intentionally went out to take Tubular Bells to the world. It happened organically, and the key to its success is the unique style of the performance.

“What I hold so dearly about this show,” he concludes, “is that it is great music. It’s Mike’s music, but it is our show.”

Tubular Bells For Two, fittingly, plays just the two shows at The Street Theatre on 29-30 September, 8pm. Tickets are $45 - $49 + bf available via the venue.

HOME IS WHERE THE ART IS

By Jen Seyderhelm

Located in the NSW Snowy Mountains, in the sparsely populated town of Rocky Plain on the traditional lands of the Walgalu and Ngarigo people, there stands a sandstone church. Surrounded by gravestones, with Stony Creek running on either side of the road around it, The Round Plain Church has stood there since 1870.

Plain though it may be in name, it is a place of great significance for Canberra singersongwriter Jack Biilmann; a place that holds the key to the man’s past, as well as his musical present.

I caught up with Biilmann via Zoom. Jack’s voice is pure grungy blues and rock ‘n’ roll. His CV speaks of collabs with Gibson and Maton Guitars. And now the man tops his Divided Mind tour in the ol’ stomping ground of The Street Theatre.

The two-side album of the same name neatly melds together Biilmann’s solo blues-roots-country guise with his ‘90s-tinged, blues inspired band-based rock ‘n’ roll sound. This is niftily presented in a Side A / Side B format showcasing the best of each mode.

And it comes all with an interesting story to boot. Let us return, now, to that enigmatic sandstone church.

“It’s about 45 minutes away from Cooma; my Grandfather owned the Church in 1965,” Biilmann tells. “He was a farmer up there and bought the land the church stood on. He immediately fenced the land off and donated it back to the community.”

As such, the Biilmann clan have a generations-spanning bond to the place.

“My family still visit the country there,” Biilmann says. “We’ve got a hut, two hours from civilization. It’s the most beautiful untouched landscape. When we were kids, Dad used to tell us the story of the land and our family.”

Little did wee Jack know how this unassuming area of the world would play a part in his adult music life.

“When I was a bit older, I stopped in there on the way back when I was camping,” Biilmann says. “I had a guitar, and I brought it into church.

“The acoustics were just phenomenal.

“So, I did it a few more times. It wasn’t long before I thought: ‘I wonder if I could record an album in here?’”

Wonder turned into action, and so the idea of a live church recording was birthed. There was an immediate impediment, though. The church had no power. But via the willingness of Biilmann’s recording engineer Matt Barnes, an artsACT grant, and Jack’s gifted musical friend Sara Flint available for vocals, an album, story and once in a lifetime experience was created (all captured in documentary format. More on that later).

Recording an album is taxing feat at the best of times, let alone effectively two of them, AND with one being a live recording far removed from the amenities of a city. If anything went wrong, they had to start the whole take again. In all, they did three full recordings of each song, picked the best, and mixed it.

“It was the hardest thing I’ve ever done,” Biilmann admits. “Playing guitar, harmonica, stomp box and tambourine, plus singing, as well as coordinating it all with Sara…

“But I’m now so much better as a musician for it. It’s been my most successful release so far.

“Previously, I’d go back into the studio and add more layers. This time, I knew I couldn’t add anything. What was there, was there.”

Rather fittingly, in the same way Divided Mind brings together Biilmann’s two musical modes, the recording became a congregation between music and family.

“My Dad was there for the whole time, as well as my Uncle Kevin. They were basically our maintenance men,” Biilmann chirps. “The generator had to be going the whole time. Their job was to top the petrol up and then come back and ensure that everyone was dead silent while we were recording.

“We were still writing songs as we recorded the doco,” he adds. “I am super proud of it.”

Ahhh yes, the doco! Biilmann’s mini-documentary on the Divided Mind recording process is called Drink the Water Where You Come From; words from Papa Biilmann about appreciating where you are from. Giving a rare peek behind the curtain, it is well worth taking the 11 minutes to, ahem, drink it in.

If nothing else, it will get you geared up for Biilmann’s crowning Divided Mind tour show in hometown Canberra.

And make no mistake about it, this is a ‘show’, rather than a gig, with the night meticulously mapped out. Both A & B sides will have their time, peppered with some back catalogue classics, then Side B gets its time to shine before Sara Flint joins and showcases Side A in a different, yet familiar setting.

“This is the first time that Sara and I have done this together live since the Church recording,” Biilmann reveals. “And it will be terrific to do it where we are. I did The Street Theatre back in 2021 for the Full Circle album, and that now has a million streams!

“That was between lockdowns,” Biilmann says, a memory being sparked. “I’d driven all the way to Queensland to play some shows only to be turned away from the border.

“That Street show was probably the best solo show I’ve ever done,” he recalls. “So coming back with Sara, and probably ten guitars, a story telling spectacle, and the last show of the tour in my hometown for once? It’s going to be really special.”

Jack Biilmann’s Divided Mind tour touches down at The Street Theatre on Saturday, 7 October at 7:30pm, where he will be joined by Sara Flint. Tickets are $35 + bf pre-sale via the venue.

Photo: Creswick Collective

The first new release for 2023 from Canberra’s ARCHIE is yet another genre-busting treat, taking leave of the funktinctured disco celebration of Closure to explore new terrain. Flexing their technical muscles to a distinguishable degree, the band’s new one has us veering from laidback acoustic chorus whose refrain, despite its brevity, transforms into a willing hook.

No pun intended.

Prior to the new release, the band had been busy touring. Since their inception in late 2018, ARCHIE has attracted a growing fanbase, with sold-out headline shows and sharing the stage with the likes of Ball Park Music, Lime Cordiale, Thirsty Merc, Surf Trash,

and recently scoring a coveted spot on the Yours & Owls Festival to boot.

ARCHIE’s previous releases contained a level of discernible refinement, whether by the band’s harnessing of varying influences and inspirations or by instilling a sense of abandon into the tracks without sacrificing a melodic focus.

This can also be said about Hook, Line and Sinker. Yes, we have all the dynamic fun on display as the band perpetually changes gear in a seemingly endless array of surprises—from the heart-thumping pace of the verses, the triple assault of the pre-chorus accents, and a return to the lulling we’re introduced to at the song’s start—but it’s reigned in by the lead vocal.

As he plays off the frantic approach of the group, Grant’s equally heated method conveys a conviction and warmth that’s doing what it ought to—leading the charge. We’re carried along the rippled surface of ARCHIE’s trip, eventually succumbing to the discomforting yet fertile revelation, the ‘you had me’, whose repetitions are seemingly infused with all the complexities of the track, respective fire of the performances. Top stuff.

VINCE LEIGH

for the notes, the second half maintaining the rhythmic shape. It goes on to settle on a few very sweet spots indeed, allowing the resolve of the verse; a distinctive sense of

Rather than segue straight into the chorus, there’s a deliberate attempt to create a space for surprise and, of course, tender drama. A stream of vocal flourishes once again emphases the warm glow of the chord progression.

And it pays off, with the primary chorus line fulfilling our expectations and imploring us to keep listening. The repetition of the melodic hook works, leading us to an intensification of proceedings, from added background vocal swells to an acoustic guitar push that eventually leads

Sprinkling this second cycle with various changes, such as a revitalising set of accents and an overall urgency scale-up, helps strengthen the focus of the track, with Leila’s vocal the most vehement aspect of them all. This demonstrates, without any doubt, that Leila has a finely-honed and seemingly natural ability to connect the emotional to the tangible; a trait that will undoubtedly resonate with many. is an impressive and accomplished feat that will undoubtedly kickstart Leila’s artistic future.

The debut single for Canberra’s

OPPENHEIMER

When J. Robert Oppenheimer (Cillian Murphy), one of the rare U.S. physicists familiar with the crazily counter-intuitive field of quantum mechanics, began teaching physics at U.C. Berkeley in 1929, little could he have imagined the monster he would work to create.

General Leslie Groves (Matt Damon) selected Oppenheimer in 1942 to establish and lead a project to use atomic energy to create a super-bomb. In 1943 Oppenheimer chose a location, Los Alamos, for the project’s location, and he and Groves recruited an extraordinary team to create and test the first atomic bomb. The physicists who entered into the picture in one way or another included practically all of the colossi of the new physics. It was their collective genius that Oppenheimer coordinated in a Herculean effort to achieve the impossible.

In Oppenheimer, we follow the man’s trials and moral difficulties, both at work and in his personal life. Through Cillian Murphy’s marvellously emotional performances (yes, plural), we come to understand something of Oppenheimer as a rash youth and as a well-controlled adult, and the loves of his life: Jean Tatlock (Florence Pugh), and his wife, Kitty (Emily Blunt).

We also glimpse the opposition of those involved to demonstrating the bomb’s formidable power on a dense population centre.

In developing the country’s nuclear capability, Oppenheimer inadvertently made personal enemies, including the A.E.C.’s director, Lewis Strauss (Robert Downey Jr) — enemies who influenced the McCarthy-era Atomic Energy Commission hearing that, ironically, stripped Oppenheimer of his security clearance.

Some of the film’s more personal scenes are, naturally, speculative, and even established facts have been altered here and there to create a clearer narrative. Even so, the film depicts a complex web of political events, replete with suspicions, accusations, and underhanded vengeance — as well as a love story, a war story, a scientific epic, a moral conundrum, and a courtroom drama, all invisibly crafted into a gripping whole through narrative sophistication and acting finesse.

And it is all brought to pulsating life in both exquisite studio sets and gargantuan outdoor creations.

Screening at Dendy, Palace, Hoyts, and Limelight cinemas.

— JOHN P. HARVEY

Its central characters and colour scheme already familiar wherever plastic toys are sold, Barbie opens with a scene of surprising girl violence. Girls whose dolls have traditionally always represented babies are suddenly exposed to something new — an idealised woman as a doll — and, hilariously emulating the opening of 2001: A Space Odyssey, put their old baby dolls to violent new uses, forever freeing their owners’ from visions of motherhood.

This girls’ revolution appears to have established a transformative role for Barbie (Margot Robbie) in the lives of little girls everywhere. In that context we meet the movie’s title character, living, and in Barbieland, with pals marginally distinguishable, her life one of consumerist heaven — until the day she finds herself thinking of sadness and death.

Learning that her owner, the little girl who has been playing with her, is the source of these thoughts, Barbie obtains directions to the real world in order to find her and straighten things out. Naturally, her nominal boyfriend, Ken (Ryan Gosling), comes along for the ride.

With this setup for Barbie and Ken’s sojourn into the real world, the movie studies gender from many angles and to suggest that wanton consumption of plastic goods is a means of raising one’s spirits. Upon impressionable children, and upon others only half listening, it may indeed do so. Interestingly, rather different viewpoints emerge with close attention, exposing the hypocrisies of both radical consumerism and radical agneda pushing in letting others bear the real costs of their eerily similar dedications to having it all. Beneath its superficial charms and lunacies lurks a movie with occasional bursts of such insights.

Let neither its obvious vacuity nor its less obvious intelligence discourage anybody from seeing it, though: it’s a lot of fun. For its plot complexity, it may be a little lengthy. But, with actors of the calibre of Gosling and Robbie and ironic narration by Helen Mirren; uncompromising production, including an enormous dance scene; bursts of dramatic action and humour; and the aforesaid gems of insight, it’s a movie most can get a kick from.

Screening at Palace, Dendy, Limelight, and Hoyts cinemas.

— JOHN P. HARVEY

THU 24 AUGUST

Robertson Brothers

The Robertson Brothers are thrilled to be returning with their new heart-warming and uplifting 1960s Variety TV Show! 7pm, tickets $79.95 + bf via venue

GOULBURN PERFORMING

ARTS CENTRE

Smith’s Miscellaneous

The monthly variety night where anything is possible! Comedy, music, magic, and more! With your host, Marcel Cole. 7pm, $15/$10 concession via venue

SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE

Queen: It’s a Kinda Magic

The show is set to once again immerse fans in the spectacle, grandeur, and extravagance of Queen and Freddie Mercury. And with the incredible Dominic Warren on board, things are looking bigger and better than ever! 7:30pm, $55-$65.50 +bf via Canberra Ticketing

CANBERRA THEATRE

Shake Appeal

Shake it up every Thursday nightl! The Shaking Hand and BurntOut Bookings are bringing you a weekly free music night supporting local and interstate acts. 7:30pm, free entry THE SHAKING HAND

FRI 25 AUGUST

Joe Matera - Backstage Pass: The Grit and The Glamour Gather ‘round music lovers and aspiring musicians, your backstage pass has arrived! Join veteran muso/journo Joe Matera as he launches his new industry insider book, followed by an acoustic performance!

3pm, free

WODEN LIBRARY

Lakeside at 5: Divine Devilles

Musicians, Ali Penney and Dorothy-Jane “DJ” Gosper, come together as Divine Devilles as a part of Tuggeranong Arts

Centre’s monthly jazz series

Lakeside at 5. Joined by their very special guest, Moondog.

5:30pm, entry by donation

TUGGERANONG

ARTS CENTRE

Taylor Swift: Speak Now Party Drop everything now!!! Taylor Swift is rereleasing Speak Now and we’re going to have an enchanting party to celebrate!

7pm, $16.50 + bf via OzTix THE BASEMENT

Jo Fabro - Don’t Make a Liar Out of Me Album Tour

7pm, $25/$20 via venue

SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE

Highland Light w/ Turn South, The Lazy Susans and Signs & Symbols

As winter nears its end and we welcome spring, the Abyss Bar will be hosting an unforgettable night with four of the regions rockin’ bands who all promise to bring the goods. 7pm, tickets $20 via OzTix

ABYSS BAR, THE BASEMENT

WinterbourneVelvet, Honey & Wine Tour Following their successful return to the live arena in early 2023, Winterbourne are embarking on yet another Australian tour.

7:30pm, $38 + bf via Humanitix

THE SHAKING HAND

Fright Night – Cult Cinema

Classics: Videodrome

Venus Mantrap hosts this cult classic body horror about a sensationalist TV station broadcasting violent exploitation. Part of a series of Friday night filmic feasts. 8pm, $12/$10 via National Film and Sound Archive

NATIONAL FILM AND SOUND ARCHIVE (ARC CINEMA)

The Chris Harland Blues Band Live

Every CHBB set is a memorable musical event, revisiting the best of the blues standards: B.B. King, Buddy Guy, Muddy Waters et al. 8pm, free entry

DICKSON TAPHOUSE

SAT 26 AUGUST

Saturday Screening: Death By Hanging

A subversive, surreal satire from Japanese New Wave provocateur Nagisa Ōshima, presented by the NFSA and the NGA with an intro from curators Russell Storer and Beatrice Thompson. 2pm, free

NATIONAL FILM AND SOUND ARCHIVE (ARC CINEMA)

The Subterraneans + Jeroen Pek

One of Oz’s most exciting jazz(rock) bands, The Subterraneans, are touring this summer with (according to esteemed German music magazine Jazzthetik)

“one of today’s most fascinating jazz flautists,” in Jeroen Pek as their special guest. 6pm, tickets $30/$20 via venue

SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE

WhiskerfestCharity Tribute Show

Shananigans Entertainment, and the bands, are donating their time to raise funds for the Whiskerwoods Animal Sanctuary. Featuring tributes to Korn, Limp Bizkit, Guns N Roses, Metallica, and Slayer. 7pm, $29.60 via OzTix

THE BASEMENT

The 046 - Rhythm & Gutta Tour

A breath of fresh air in a crowded local scene, the heralded return of ET, Kymza, Ronza and their best mate Jizza are ready to take on the world with their unique take on G-funk infused hip hop.

7:30pm, $37.46 via INTIX

FICTION

smartcasual

Hayfever Awareness Tour

The Shaking Hand host the Canberra leg of hometown heroes smartcasual’s Hayfever Awareness tour with Brisbane Band SAMMM + more. 7:30pm, $15 + bf online, $20 on the door

THE SHAKING HAND

Tommy Little -

Rapidly Ageing F*ckboy

Tommy finds the humour in being robbed, generational bedroom behaviour, his standing in the art world, his semi-narcoleptic housemate, and six months of world record training that amounted to absolutely nothing. 8pm, tickets $49.90 +bf via

Canberra Ticketing

CANBERRA THEATRE

James Sherlock + Chris

Johnstone Quartet -

The Music of George Benson

Known to the wider public as a Grammy Award-winning pop singer, George Benson is also one of the greatest guitarists of all time. His mastery of blues, jazz, funk, and Latin grooves has influenced a swathe of guitarists across a multitude of genres.

9pm, $25/$20 conc via venue

SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE

SUN 27 AUGUST

Golden OldiesCanberra Men’s Choir

An afternoon of song and merriment from this outstanding all-male choir! 2:30pm, $15 + bf via Eventbrite

HARMONIE GERMAN CLUB

Paper Collar Pickers Live Acoustic blues/ragtime duo currently touring ACT/NSW, hitting the Sydney Folk Festival before touching down at our own and Old Canberra Inn. 4pm, free

OLD CANBERRA INN

Moondog Live

A master of the blues harmonica and a formidable guitarist, singer and song writer, Moondog’s voice holds a deep authenticityto the great blues singers of the old. 4pm, free entry

DICKSON TAPHOUSE

TUE 29 AUGUST

The Ukulele Man - Preview!

The story of the World War Two entertainer and ukulele legend, George Formby. Join Marcel Cole and director Mirjana Ristevski as they preview Marcel’s brand new solo show before taking it to the Sydney Fringe Festival in September! 5pm, $10 via Smith’s website or at the door

SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE

THU 31 AUGUST

CSO Goes South: Twilight

The CSO Chamber Ensemble envelops Tuggeranong Arts Centre in beautiful night music from two beloved Romantic composers. 5pm, $20 child / $25 student / $35 full via TryBooking

TUGGERANONG ARTS CENTRE

FRI 1 SEPTEMBER

Shake Your Booty Dance Party

6-piece disco showband playing all your groovy favourites for one BIG night of gettin’ down on it. 6:30pm, $35 + bf via Eventbrite

HARMONIE GERMAN CLUB

Miss Ink Australia Grand Final

Come and join us as our tattooed finalists from around Australia come together to compete for the ultimate title of Miss Ink Australia 2023. 7pm, $27 via OzTix

THE BASEMENT

Joeys Coop

Hang on a minute. You mean Died Pretty’s Brett Myers has another band? 7pm, $20 via venue

SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE

STUMPS -

Life’s Moving Past You Tour

The genre-bending Sydney trio bring stirring new single Life’s Moving Past You along with special guests Jet City Sports Club. 7:30pm, $18.40 via OzTix

THE SHAKING HAND

Nathan Cavaleri –

Miracles Album Tour

In celebration of his brand new single, Broken Lines, from the forthcoming album Miracles, Nathan Cavaleri will finally be making his triumphant live return as he embarks on a mammoth 28-date national tour. 8pm, $45$55 +bf via Canberra Ticketing

CANBERRA THEATRE

Blindsided Live

Canberra rock covers band playing a diverse mix of rock songs with a twist. 8pm, free

DICKSON TAPHOUSE

SAT 2 SEPTEMBER

Inez Hargaden Live

Inez Hargaden is an Irish singersongwriter from County Cavan, who draws from folk, pop, rock, and jazz to reflect on the joys and tria of life. 2pm, free entry

OLD CANBERRA INN

Femme Punk Picnic

Joined by epic Sydney bands

The Hot Ness and So I Says To Mabel, the grand old dames of punk, Matriarch, will be serving up three hours of loud, punky, grunge goodness to kick off your Saturday night. 4pm, $15/$10 conc via venue

SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE

Questfest 5

Australia’s premier annual epicfantasy music festival,Questfest is back in 2023 for its 5th year running. 6pm, $40.30 via OzTix

THE BASEMENT

Canberra premiere:

Behrouz + Q&A

The documentary on Behrouz Boochani’s experience of immigration detention on Manus Island is followed by a Q&A with director Simon V Kurian, with Boochani joining via livestream. 6pm, $12/10 via venue

NATIONAL FILM & SOUND ARCHIVE (ARC CINEMA)

Fatlip + Wetwork (BNE) + Skorn (NEWY)

Hardcore for the 2-steppers and the spinkickers, soundtracked by local moshlords Fatlip, Brisbane’s Wetwork and Skorn from Newy. 7:30pm, $15 + bf on Humanitix

THE SHAKING HAND

Pseudo Echo – The Ultimate Tour After sell-out shows across the country, Pseudo Echo are back with their Ultimate tour 2023, which coincides with the release of the Ultimate double album & DVD, chronicling their expansive 40-year music career. 8pm, $65 +bf via Canberra Theatre Centre

CANBERRA THEATRE

Canberra Blues Society presents Bondi Cigars

Rarely has an Australian band received as much consistent and widespread acclaim from critics & music fans alike as the Bondi Cigars. This award-winning band has well & truly worked its way into Australia’s musical heart. Support: Moondog. Doors 7pm, show 8pm. $25/$30 + bf via Humanitix, $35 at the door

HARMONIE GERMAN CLUB

Magic Rob Universe

The Canberra folk-rockers take you on a journey from the theatrical to the esoteric. 8:30pm, $15/$10 conc via venue

SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE

SUN 3 SEPTEMBER

Honeyclub Live

The Canberra-based blues & rock duo play an array of covers across several genres, peppered with their own spin. 4pm, free entry

DICKSON TAPHOUSE

Moondog Live

Moondog performs solo and as front man of the Moondog Blues Band. Master of harmonica, and a formidable guitarist and singersongwriter to boot. 4pm, free

OLD CANBERRA INN

Smith’s Mega Mic

Smith’s Mega Mic is on the first Sunday of the month. Everyone is welcome to come along, drink coffee, and laugh at your friends. Sign up on the night, but be sure to turn up a few minutes early so you don’t miss out. 7pm, $5 via venue

SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE

TUE 5 SEPTEMBER

Comedy Open Mic Night

7pm, free registration OzTix THE BASEMENT

WED 6 SEPTEMBER

Friendlyjordies Presents: Brûz

“This is about the most insane thing that’s ever happened to me - being sued for defamation.” 7pm, $51 via OzTix

THE BASEMENT

THU 7 SEPTEMBER

Friendlyjordies Presents: Brûz

“This is about the most insane thing that’s ever happened to me - being sued for defamation.” 7pm, $51 via OzTix

THE BASEMENT

Dane Blacklock and The Preacher’s Daughter

Just your friendly neighbourhood satanic gospel blues rock ‘n’ roll cabaret ten-piece. 9:30pm, $25/$20 conc via venue

SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE

FRI 8 SEPTEMBER

Dead Creek Album Launch

Dead Creek celebrate the release of their much anticipated studio album! Joining the bill are Canberra’s Slowbeard, Mangrove, plus a special guest appearance by Spaceman Africa the Musical.

7:30pm, $10 + bf via Humanitix

THE SHAKING HAND

Larry’s Cabaret Beret

Sydney’s underground cabaret rooms have been ablaze with provocateurs. For one night only, three of these unique and outrageous cabaret luminaries unite with local Canberra veterans of cabaret! 8pm, $40 full $30 concession via venue

SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE

Sneaky Jeremiah Live

Sneaky Jeremiah are a Canberrabased feel-good, good time band delivering soul, blues, R&B, popular anthems, Americana, and classic rock. 8pm, free entry

DICKSON TAPHOUSE

SAT 9 SEPTEMBER

Nervewreck Punk Festival

Gutwrench Records’ first annual Nervewreck festival. See this issue’s Locality or Punk & Disorderly columns for more info, including full line-up! 12pm, $25 via Humanitix

LIVE AT THE POLO

Adventure St Live

Adventure St are a 4-piece rock band that delves into many genres using many instruments: bongos, bass, electric drums, djembe, trumpet, harmonica... Plus mind melting guitar solos to take you down every musical avenue. Adventure St’s originals have flavours of jazz, blues, and psychedelia. 2pm, free entry

OLD CANBERRA INN

Dirt Bags Show

In conjunction with the Dust Collectors group exhibition at Tuggeranong Arts Centre, the artists and their friends invite you to join them for an afternoon of rockin’ good tunes by Dirt Bag, the Lonely One from Captains Flat. 2pm, free, via trybooking

TUGGERANONG

ARTS CENTRE

Songs for Freedom

Songs for Freedom is an uplifting concert of original songs created by Ngarluma and Yindjibarndi artists in the Pilbara town of Ieramugadu (Roebourne WA).

7pm, $10 via Ticketek

LLEWELLYN HALL

After Dark Emo Night

Join us for a naughty night of fun while we blast your favourite emo tracks. Dress code: be inspired by after dark culture. Get out your chains, buckles, leather, latex, and lace. Best fitout wins prizes! 7pm, $24.50 via OzTix

THE BASEMENT

SUN 10 SEPTEMBER

The Cuttings Live

Canberra Based 4-piece boasting a delightful mix of country, blues, and indie. 4pm, free entry

OLD CANBERRA INN

Adam Corbin Live

Adam Corbin is a very talented canberra-based musician who plays a mix of original material, Australian covers, and good ol’ blues. 4pm, free entry

DICKSON TAPHOUSE

ENTERTAINMENT GUIDE

TUE 12 SEPTEMBER

The Decideds & Alder Wild

A double dose of musical brilliance!

First, let Alder Wild’s dreamy pop captivate you, then let loose as The Decideds bring soulful dance vibes to close the night. 7:30pm, tickets

$25/20 via venue

SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE

THU 14 SEPTEMBER

DZ Deathrays w/ Press Club & Dust

Fresh off their sixth studio album

R.I.F.F, the DeeZees are touring the land to champion what is arguably their most experimental, enhanced, and immediately resonant record yet. They will be joined by the everreliable Press Club, and Dust. 7pm, $45.40 via OzTix

THE BASEMENT

FRI 15 SEPTEMBER

Tania Kernaghan and Jason OwenTogether in Concert

It makes perfect sense for Tania and Jason to join forces and embark on this fabulous national tour! 7pm, $40 + bf via Eventbrite

HARMONIE GERMAN CLUB

Bron Lewis - Probably

Bron is unashamedly avoidant of vulnerability, hates hard convos, and steers well clear of pesky negative feelings and bad thoughts. And she’s bloody funny about it too, importantly. 7:30pm, $30 - $35 + bf via venue

THE STREET THEATRE

JD Band Live

Old school blues and roots with Dorothy-Jane ‘DJ’ Gosper (vocal, blues-harps, guitar); Jeff Prime (guitars); Dean Edgecombe (bass guitar). 8pm, free entry

DICKSON TAPHOUSE

SAT 16 SEPTEMBER

JD Band Live

Old school blues and roots with Dorothy-Jane ‘DJ’ Gosper (vocal, blues-harps, guitar); Jeff Prime (guitars); Dean Edgecombe (bass guitar). 2pm, free entry

OLD CANBERRA INN

The Lonely Fates +

The Royal Belgian Conspiracy

Double bill of two of Canberra’s favourite (re)emerging bands. 3pm, $15/$10 conc via venue

SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE

Slowly Slowly & Stand Atlantic Co-Headline Tour w/ Towns

Slowly Slowly and Stand Atlantic are thrilled to announce they are joining forces on a mammoth Australian regional tour. 7pm, $59.90 via OzTix

THE BASEMENT

Spirograph StudiesLowlights Album Launch

Cinematic and dream-like, building genre-bending music using influences from post-rock, minimalism, and neo-classical. 7pm, $25 + bf via venue

THE STREET THEATRE

Paco Lara

Australia’s own Spanish-born, critically acclaimed international flamenco guitarist, Paco Lara, presents a wondrous evening of Spanish guitar and culture. 7pm, $35/$30 conc via venue

SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE

Sunsoli Album Launch

Get ready to immerse yourself in the captivating charm of Sunsoli! Hailing from the Central Coast of NSW, this 4-piece band has wowed audiences across Australia. Joined by with special guests Kopasetic, and Eden Plenty. 7:30pm, $25 via Humanitix

LIVE AT THE POLO

Canberra Blues Society presents: The Jive Bombers ft. Steve Edmonds

The award-winning Jive Bombers have been playing their swing, blues, & Boogie Woogie tunes since 1985. With Steve Edmonds joining on guitar, this outstanding line-up will definitely have the house rocking. Doors 7pm, show 8pm. $20/$25 + bf via Humanitix, $30 at the door

HARMONIE GERMAN CLUB

SUN 17 SEPTEMBER

Red Belly Blue

Hosting the Canberra Blues Society

September Blues Jam with some rocking originals and new takes on genre classics. 1pm, $10 + bf via Humanitix or $5 for CBS members

HARMONIE GERMAN CLUB

Mic Conway with Robbie Long

A circus of comedy, music, and magic. 4pm, $25/$20 conc via venue

SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE

Chris O’Connor Live

Chris O’Connor plays vintage blues as if they were written yesterday.

4pm, free entry

OLD CANBERRA INN

Eden Plenty Live

Australian artist, singer-songwriter, and guitarist Eden Plenty is a devoted music craftsman, each song a personal exploration of emotion, intimately shared with the listener. 4pm, free entry

DICKSON TAPHOUSE

SeaPsych Fest 2023

BurntOut Bookings and The Shaking Hand present SeaPsych Fest 2023! Featuring a mix of local and interstate acts bringing surf rock and psych rock vibes. 6pm, $30 + bf via Humanitix

THE SHAKING HAND

Cattle Decapitation & Fallujah

Two of the most cutting-edge bands in the easy-listening genre of extreme metal, Cattle Decapitation and Fallujah are teaming up for a tour that will take you on a journey through the darkest depths of the human psyche, and possibly back again. 7pm, $62 + bf via OzTix

THE BASEMENT

WED 20 SEPTEMBER

Classical Capers

Opera star Tobias Cole hosts an entertaining evening for classically trained musicians and enthusiasts. 7pm, $10 via venue

SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE

The Exploding Universe of Ed Kuepper

First live band experience of Ed Kuepper’s solo material since 2009. 7:30pm, $69 + bf via venue (NB: sold out at time of print, but check venue for reserves)

THE STREET THEATRE

THU 21 SEPTEMBER

Django Jam

A monthly get-together for string swing enthusiasts with a passion for Django Reinhardt’s music. Hosted by the Gypsy Jazz Project. 6pm, free

SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE

Leah Senior

Australian-based folk diviner Leah Senior silences audiences with vivid lyricism and a voice that soars, with a disarmingly honest Sandy Dennylike clarity. 8:30pm, tickets $20/$15 conc via venue

SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE

FRI 22 SEPTEMBER

Bear the Mammoth Purple Haus

Album Launch + Lost Coast + The Absentee + Mangrove

Canberra alternative/post-rock

5-piece band Lost Coast will be headlining the four band affair, with Melbourne post rockers Bear the Mammoth making the trip to tout their third album, Purple Haus. 7pm, $18.40 via OzTix

THE BASEMENT

Bec Charlwood - Good Funny

After touring Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, and Brisbane, Bec Charlwood is finally bringing her 2023 stand-up show Good Funny to Canberra! With local supports Laura Johnston and Suma Iyer. 7pm, $30/$20 conc via venue

SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE

Lloyd Spiegel Trio -

Bakehouse Dozen Tour

This tour celebrates the release of Bakehouse Dozen. Recorded live in session, with no overdubs, at Melbourne’s iconic Bakehouse Studios, the record showcases the raw energy and depth of the trio. Doors 7pm, show 8pm. $25/$30 + bf via Humanitix or $35 at the door

HARMONIE GERMAN CLUB

Adventure St Live

4-piece rock band that delves into many genres via many, many instruments. Their originals have flavours of jazz, blues, and psychedelia. Watch out for those mind melting guitar solos! 8pm, free

DICKSON TAPHOUSE

SAT 23 SEPTEMBER

OktoberFest Celebration

A free celebration of Oktoberfest all day at The Old Canberra Inn featuring live music, German beer, and plenty of bratwurst! 12pm, free OLD CANBERRA INN

Zines + Bands 2

The Sticky Institute crew returns to Canberra with tonnes of Zines. On the Band front, Made Austria and The Secret Migraines are at it again! They’ll be joined by locals petre out & the tyreslashers. 3pm, $15/$10 conc via venue

SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE

Punk Rock Movie Massacre

A trashtacular R-rated double feature movie screening followed by a trashtastic double header gig! 4pm, $10 - $50

ARC CINEMA @ NFSA & SMITHS ALTERNATIVE

ENTERTAINMENT GUIDE

GlitorisCome Say That To Our Faces! Tour

Loud. Unapologetic. Hilarious. Fierce AF. Join Glitoris and super special guests on their biggest national headline tour to date to celebrate their eponymous sophomore album (out now via Buttercup Records/MGM). 7pm, $29.60 via OzTix

THE BASEMENT

Dreams - Fleetwood Mac and Stevie Nicks Tribute Show

Australia’s top tribute show is back. 7pm, from $44 via Eventbrite

HARMONIE GERMAN CLUB

Victor Valdes: Viva Mexico Tour

A journey through Mexico’s musical landscape - playing all the Mexican favourites: Mariachi, Boleros, Banda, Son Jarocho, and Mexican Cumbia. 7:30pm, $50 - $55 + bf via venue

THE STREET THEATRE

The Pearl Jam Experience: Celebrating 30 years of VS. It’s all of VS., which means unforgettable hits Animal, Daughter, and rearviewmirror, with an extended encore of fan faves. 7:30pm, $42.58 via Moshtix

UC HUB

SUN 24 SEPTEMBER

O.K China Live

O. K. China is a guitarist and singersongwriter who plays acoustic and electric guitars with every song produced from scratch live. No backing tracks! 4pm, free entry

OLD CANBERRA INN

SAL Live

Join Sal and her handmade Cole Clark acoustic guitar as she takes you through a list of her favourite covers including the likes of The Pixies, Fleetwood Mac and The White Stripes. 4pm, free entry

DICKSON TAPHOUSE

TUE 26 SEPTEMBER

Celebrating Recalibrating

Celebrating Recalibrating is a collection of cathartic snapshots, acknowledging the turbulent period we have been going through since the Australian Bushfire season 2019-20. 6pm, $15/$10 conc via venue

SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE

WED 27 SEPTEMBER

The Thin White Ukes

The Smith’s faves return on their endless quest to honour the songs of David Bowie in the spirit of adventure that defines his legacy. 7pm, $30/$25 via venue

SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE

THU 28 SEPTEMBER

Comedy Storytellers

Six captivating stories told by comedians Sarah Ison, Dylan Holmes, Anneli Cole, Nathan Hillman, Nick Starkey, and Marky Worthington. 7pm, $20 via OzTix

THE BASEMENT

FRI 29 SEPTEMBER

The Whitlams Black Stump Band

Tim Freedman and long-time drummer Terepai Richmond are joined by an A-Team of roots musicians, reconstructing the best of The Whitlams’ repertoire with a smattering of new songs, and some classic Americana. 7pm, $56.10 via OzTix

THE BASEMENT

It’s Ladies NightWith Alpha Men Australia

Ladies, start your engines! More than just eye candy, these guys have the moves! 7pm, $35 plus bf via Eventbrite

HARMONIE GERMAN CLUB

Rosieville by Mary Rachel Brown

A play about family, homing pigeons, and helping each other through the world-shattering changes of life. Mary Rachel Brown’s play is a universal story about getting back up after a blow to the heart. 7:30pm, $25-$35 +bf via venue

COURTYARD STUDIO, CANBERRA THEATRE CENTRE

Tubular Bells For Two

Two blokes juggle over 20 instruments live on stage in a spellbinding performance. 8pm, $45 - $49 + bf via venue

THE STREET THEATRE

The Black Souls - Live Planet Die Single Release Party

They’re finally recorded! And they’re bringing Useful Industriousness and Upper Body Denim to the party to celebrate. Live Planet Die is the 2nd single from new LP, Heartbreak and Redemption. 8pm, $15 at the door

POT BELLY BAR