BMA Mag 308 21 Aug 2008

THREE08 August 21.08

ASH GRAYUSENPTWEMABELDR 5

@ ANU BAR, FRID

GYROSCOPE

LAMEXCUSE

THE PRESETS

HERE WITH THEIR PEOPLE AT FORESHORE

PROJECT X ALSO INSIDE: ROCKET SCIENCE, MUPH & PLUTONIC, HORSELL COMMON, PSYCROPTIC AND MORE

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anu business & economics full page colour

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ITM MONTH full page colour

FREE STUFF Git dooowwn - it's a cheapskate shindig! Send yer answers to: editorial@bmamag.com and await further instructions.

That Boy Needs Therapy By day an incredibly likable forensic expert for the Miami Police Department, by night a vigilante serial killer dispensing street justice to murderers who couldn’t otherwise be brought to task, Dexter (played by Emmy and Golden Globe nominee Michael C. Hall) returns for a second season.

Here we see Dexter’s sanguinary overtime catching up with him: Sergeant Doakes’s suspicions are growing, his victims are escaping and treasure hunters discover Dexter’s underwater dumping ground for his victims. The media dubs the killer the “Bay Harbor Butcher” and the FBI Special Unit is bought in to catch said Butcher.

The four disc set comes complete with interviews from all the key cast members and is cutely packaged in its own evidence bag that includes gloves, crime scene tape and even a blood sample. To grab a copy of Dexter: The Complete Second Season, out now on Paramount, tell us when you’ve dispensed your own brand of retribution.

Family Ties Overseen by action heavyweight producer and director John Singleton (2 Fast, 2 Furious, Hustle & Flow, Boys N Da Hood and Four Brothers), Illegal Tender is an action packed tale where family honour literally becomes a matter of life or death.

Born on the night his father was murdered, Wilson DeJesus Jnr grew up valuing the importance of family and, at the time of graduating, appeared to have it all; a devoted mother, adoring girlfriend and a promising future – far from the life his crimefigure father had lived. When the ghosts from his mother’s past

come back to haunt his present, he is forced to defend his family.

Thrilling from beginning to end, the final showdown boasts a fierce battle between family ties and blood feuds. To grab a copy of Illegal Tender, out now through Universal, tell us about when you’ve had to defend a family member’s honour.

Born to be Wiieeeeeeiiiiillldd!

Further proof that he is indeed an allrounder – a renaissance man, if you will – much loved comic Bill Bailey is the unlikely champion of endangered wildlife in the 10-part series Wild Thing I Love You. It follows the Black Books star and his team of experts on a mission to save some of the UK’s most vulnerable wildlife from human encroachment – but the team will only have a short time in which to solve the crisis. From crittercrossings to translocation, Bill and his team will stop at nothing to help Britain’s wildlife. Soon to touch down in Canberra as part of his Tinselworm infotainment extravaganza, we’ve got five copies of the three-disc Wild Thing series, out now on Shock, to give away. To win, tell us an amusing animal anecdote.

X Marks The Spot The sinister-sounding Project X doesn’t refer to any kind of secretive government-sanctioned cloning project – rather, it’s the banner under which three of

hip-hop greatest are uniting.

Kool Keith, Tim Dog and Marc Live, known as The Photographer, The Boss and The Rockstar respectively for this project, are teaming up to, in Keith’s own words, “resuscitate hip-hop and bring it back to its original state of dope lyrics and creative music.”

Presented by Koky Prik records, headed by Canberra’s own Big Dave, Project X’s tour will be hitting The Venue in Erindale on Saturday September 6. To win a double pass, hit us with your favourite Kool Keith lyric.

On Land Presented by Arts Projects Australia, Compagnie Philippe Genty will bring their acclaimed latest work to The Playhouse between August 20 and 23.

Conceived and directed by Philippe Genty, the master of theatrical fantasy and illusion, with his long-time collaborator and wife Mary Underwood, Lands End features a brilliant cast of multi-skilled performers who offer a breathtaking visual feast of theatrical illusion, dance and puppetry. Lands End is a poetic journey through a dreamlike landscape, following two characters – a man and a woman – on a surreal quest for an illusive, ephemeral goal. “Genty’s art can tug at the heart and refresh the spirit. Seeing is indeed believing” - The Australian. To win a double pass to a performance on either the 22nd or 23rd, tell us about a quest you’ve embarked upon. The Philippe Genty tour is supported by the French Embassy in Australia and Alliance Française.

Bookings through Canberra Ticketing (02 6275 2700 or www. canberraticketing.com.au).

STRUTH BE TOLD John Lennon sang “Nobody told me there’d be days like these,” and can I just say ‘I HEAR YA BUDDY!’ (sorry to shout but I wanted to reach rock’n’roll heaven).

Look, it’s not like I hadn’t been warned: my dear Nan, one of my greatest rockin’ role models, maintains her vaguely accusatory slogan "you’ve picked a very hard road in life." (From the creators of "Justin, you have to have a dream.") Of this I’ve been all too aware over the last six years of the nuclear shit-fight that is metamorphosing my art into a regular salary. I must admit there are days when all I can hear is Beck singing “I’m tired of fighting / fighting for a lost cause.”

In school you’re encouraged to study hard and get good marks and challenge yourself and believe in your heart and set goals. I did all that stuff. I took school very seriously. I took life very seriously. I wore Speedos to the swimming carnival for God’s sake – I was up on the blocks determined to break the boys freestyle record while everyone could see my penis. I decided to skip out on everything that was familiar to go to uni and even locked myself away for three months writing a play for my major writing project. Funny, the only job my bachelor of arts had me walking into was at the Canberra Labor Club.

In 2002 I won the Heywire competition for Canberra and subsequently got a foot in the door with triple j’s Morning Show, (literally, they had to call security) who gave me my own regular segment writing funny songs and dubbed me ‘The Bedroom Philosopher’. I worked parttime, wandering around the Pokie machines coming up with my own comedic jingles and jotting down lyrics on keno tickets. For the first time in my life I had national proof that I was good enough to make a living out of my art. I was excited and hungry for more.

I tried, and I tried, and I tried, but I couldn’t get no satisfaction. I just got Centrelink hassling me and music venue bookers saying "are you comedy or music or what?" I tried so very hard to make it work, but trying’s hard when you don’t have a blue print or a five year plan. I was all beer and novelty value and ‘bank of mum’. I couldn’t seriously sit down on the fl oor with butcher’s paper and plan out a professional strategy for national domination, I’d just end up writing a song or a shopping list (milk, eggs, sniper rifl e).

I did the Melbourne Comedy Festival, with wobbly confidence, and I’m So Post Modern gatecrashed into the Hottest 100. I did a national tour in 2006 and people came to my gigs and seemed to be excited by what I was about. The same can’t be said for the record companies. Was I not pretty enough? Was my brain too broken? Did I miss their calls while I was in the shower? Should I have gone down on that talent scout dressed as a medieval mermaid? Hang on - that was a dream.

What’s my point? I’ve run myself into the ground trying to make my second album. I’m $10,000 in debt and I have 20c in my bank. I’m on anti-depressants and almost lost my girlfriend. I’ve finished my album but have no budget, manager or label to put it out. Where was the high school seminar about this? In the movies, musicians wander into studios, record hits, get massive and cheat on their wives. Who could prepare me for this confusing car prangle of a career plateau. Hey John, apparently all you need is love, 15 grand and friends in the industry.

JUSTIN HEAZLEWOOD www.bedroomphilosopher.com bma magazine 9

NEWS What a Doll!

The 18th Meredith Music Festival will take place on the December 12, 13 and 14 this year at the Meredith Supernatural Amphitheatre, Victoria, Australia. Meredith is a pioneer of the modern music festival and after 18 years she is at the top of her game. One again, she’s upheld her reputation for snagging the most eclectic and intriguing acts the world has to offer.

The line-up reads thus: Ten East, Holy Fuck, MGMT, Saul Williams, Tame Impala, Man Man. Mountain Goats, Beaches, The Bronx, Grand Salvo, Final Fantasy, Muscles, Little Red, Black Diamond Heavies, The Ruby Suns, Yacht Club DJs, Architecture in Helsinki, Regurgitator, The Datsuns, Combo la Revelacion and Adam Green, with a few more to come. For ticket details and everything else you need to know, jump on to www.mmf.com.au .

The She Van She are hitting the road to support their debut album V which boasts new single Strangers, a tune which straddles indie and dance like prize bullfighter and hangs on for dear life. Renowned for their sizzling live shows, Van She’s aim for this tour is to “create a hybrid live/DJ tour that fashions a no-holds-barred party atmosphere,” with the band slipping many of their renowned remixes into their set. Supports include Lost Valentinoes, Mission Control and Knife Machine cutting it up on the decks. They’ll hit the ANU Bar on September 24. Tickets are available from Ticketek and www.inthemix.com.au .

Infusion Returneth With their eagerly awaited new LP in the wings, two time Aria Awardwinning group Infusion - regarded by many as the figureheads of Aussie electronic music on the international scene - are popping by to headline the InTheMix 50 Tour. Renowned for their explosive live sets, it’s little

wonder that the band have supported the likes of N.E.R.D., Basement Jaxx, David Bowie (!) and New Order, as well as playing festivals such as Coachella, Glastonbury, Roskilde, Creamfields, Big Day Out and Splendour in the Grass. They’ll be at the ANU Bar on September 13. Tickets on sale from Landspeed, Stocks and inthemix.com.au . …And The Circus Returns to Town Brisbane hard rockers and ‘berra favourites Dead Letter Circus have announced a whirlwind two week east coast run of dates, taking in The Greenroom on September 19. Formed in 2005, the hard-hittin’ foursome’s debut self-titled EP, showcasing their unique brand of alternative rock, quickly brought them national acclaim - the single Reaction receiving regular national airplay on triple j. They’ve also shared the stage with Aus-prog heavyweights Karnivool, The Butterfl y Effect, and Cog. Tickets are on sale now from www.deadlettercircus.com .

I’m Sorry Dave, I’m Afraid I can’t do That We Wuz Curious is the latest long player from ex-Moodists man and national treasure Dave Graney and his drumming partner in crime Claire Moore. To celebrate the 20th album of his coloured career, our man is embarking on a solo tour across the nation, taking in variety of regional areas that are rarely graced with rock ‘n’ roll royalty. Joining him at the Canberra show on September 13 at The Transit Bar in Civic will be Henry Wagons from Melbourne band The Wagons.

Slight Return After spending a gruelling 12 months in the US last year writing and recording material that become the acclaimed LP Sharing Space, Aussie prog-rockers Cog returned home to embark on what’s seemingly a neverending tour. With Sharing Space debuting at number two on the Aria chart and picking up a nomination for triple j’s Aus Album of the Year, the trio are more popular then ever. After a barnstorming UC show a few months back, they’re back in the vicinity, playing the Lake Jindabyne Station Resort on August 30.

Byron Bay Arts and Music Festival Returns Revived after a 12 year break, the Byron Bay Arts and Music Festival is back.

With production starting at the beginning of this year, the original Byron Arts crew heeded the call to re-birth the historic festival with assistance from their like-minded friends at the Falls Arts and Music Festival. With plans scheduled for Byron to share to some of the big acts of The Falls Festival, the outlook is bright for it to be a top quality show. Dates are booked in for January 7 and 8 2009 in Belongil Fields in Byron Bay, and organisers have described the content expected for the festival as “a utopian environment of world-class music, comedy, writers’ workshops, yoga, drumming circles, interactive art installations, burlesque, and international cuisines.” So make the “mystical” journey north to Byron in 09.

Got 'dem Blues "Blue King Brown is my favorite band right now. They embody everything I love in music from Ozomatli, African bands, Tower of Power to Santana.

They are the voice of the street and the band of the future!” - Carlos Santana. Can’t really get much higher accolades than that, can you? After spending most of this year recording their eagerly awaited new album, BKB will be back in town, playing Stonefest on October 31 at the UC. Tickets are on sale through Ticketek, Landspeed and UCU Print Shop.

AND ANOTHER THING...

YOU PISSED ME OFF Has someone yanked yer chain recently? Well, send an email to editorial@bmamag.com and have your sweet vengeance. And for the love of God, keep it brief! ALL ENTRIES CONTAIN GENUINE SPELLINGS.

Phoenix 1996 was one of the few festivals I’ve ever attended that wasn’t in some way interfered with by rain at some point – in fact, the temperature was in the mid-30s for the whole weekend – but of course, this total reversal in our weather fortunes brought its own set of challenges – how to drink beer all day without succumbing to sunstroke for one. I’d turned up at the site with a big bag of clothes, none of which looked like being necessary, but no sunglasses or headgear. After my exciting day travelling up to the festival I was in no mood for trawling about the site markets spending money on frivolous safety accessories, so, knotting a hanky and placing it atop my glistening forehead, I bade farewell to my bar-locked compadres and headed out into the throng…

Ten minutes later I was back in the safety of the backstage compound.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for the festival vibe, but a hundred degrees plus, and queues for the beer tent that have queues to get on the end of the queue before you start queuing, and chemical toilets recently vacated by a succession of pulse-eating sufferers of dysentery don’t set my fun meters tipping into the red. Add to this the fact that the Super Furry Animals had set up a tank – a real, albeit painted blue, tank – next to the Megadog Dance Tent that was pounding out techno at a volume usually reserved for jumbo jets and people talking about themselves into mobile phones on buses – had led to me scurrying back to the safety of ‘the industry’. How could the real world have become so damn weird in little over an hour? Why was everyone wearing sarongs and jester hats? But what did it matter? I could watch Britrock hopefuls Terrorvision churning out their grunge-lite on the telly, in the safety of our exclusive compound, whilst sitting on a plastic chair and sweating heavily all at the same time. Multi tasking at its absolute apogee.

This went on for some while, but sensing that the likes of Feeder and the Foo Fighters were going to keep up their disturbing racket whether I was watching or not, I decided it was better if I was (watching, that is) and headed out for another try. The sun was going down, the heat was abating a little, the more ‘enthusiastic’ festival goers had headed off for a look at the cruelty-free shoe stalls prior to a night of handbag pasadoble in the dance tent and, as I stood at the merch desk, snakebite in hand, the stage lights began to take effect as Massive Attack launched into Unfi nished Sympathy. A magic festival moment was happening before my very eyes, and I felt myself merging into my surroundings, man… I swayed in time to the repetitive beats, accepted a can of Guinness from one of my fellow merchandisers and went for it.

Of course there are degrees of going for it, and, with the added vigour afforded me by the cool night air, I decided to get on top of the tent in readiness for Neil Young’s imminent set. I’d been waiting all my ‘adult’ life to see Shaky in action, and what better way to enjoy one of the alltime greats than atop a canvass marquee with a convenient supply of lubricant at hand?

The answer to that, sir, is there’s no better way. And, next issue, you’ll find out just how good it was…

To all the people in canb that think they are more high and mighty then everyone else, you piss me off! get over yourself!!! you are better then anyone else, image doesn’t matter. what you wear doesn’t matter. the amount of money you earn does matter. and the friends you have doesn’t matter. seriously stop portraying something that just annoys everyone! and another thing, you don’t own the streets of canberra, stop walking round like ya king shit judging everyone that walks you...or meets your eye! you pissed me offf!

To a certain restraurant in civic that had a bitch of a waitress and a 1 and half hour wait on food!. you pissed me off and my seven other mates. we may be young but we still deserve to be treated like a human being. ignoring us and laughing

at us was just plain rude and inconsiderate. to the waitress your a stupid whorebag! that was a HAIR in our food not mushroom!? wtf is wrong with you. i hope one day you choke on one of those hairs and die. you pissed me off!!

To the guy in the UC car park who stopped me from carrying out my own form of justice and stealing his P-plates by asking; “do you really need those.” Well yes dickhead I do- because you’re too dumb and lazy to find an actual carpark you think you can just park wherever regardless of the fact your idiotic parking prevents people from being able to drive around the carpark without almost scratching your shit-box car with theirs. Don’t want your P-plates stolen? Don’t park illegally! You and those like you piss me off!

FROM THE BOSSMAN Miscellaneous Things I’ve Learnt About the Music Industry #33: The vacant stare of half recognition.

It’s a useful creature, this one, and a look than can be applied across the broad spectrum of human interaction.

Y’see, you meet a lot of people in this industry. A lot. Some of them are like you; ugly, dishevelled, manners of a baboon (complete with smell), spending Friday nights furiously masturbating to Neil Diamond records, and thus not worth remembering (worth reporting to your local constabulary, if anything).

Others are “important” people or, even worse, heart-achingly lovely people that deserve recognition from alcohol-soaked magazine operators. They have a name. A name you really should remember either because they’re ever so important, or they’re someone you’ve conversed with on multiple occasions and now, for the love of GOD, you can’t recall their simple phonetics.

Hence “the vacant stare”. Relax, and allow your eyes to cloud over. This will soothe them. Then, with as much gusto as you can manage, heartily slap them on the back, and call upon one of your many endearments: “Y’right mate! Champ! Squire! Tweacle! Sweetheart! Darling!

Honeybunch! Apple pie! Dickhead! (Dickhead?)

SCOTT ADAMS

Actually, perhaps lay off on that last one. One night in the cells is enough for anyone.

thirtyyearsofrnr@hotmail.com

ALLAN “WHAT’S-HIS-FACE” SKO

bma :: Issue308 www.bmamag.com "bma:insert 'witty' comment here."

Published by Radar Media Pty Ltd | ABN 76 097 301 730

bma is independently owned and published Opinions expressed in bma are not necessarily those of the editor, publisher or staff.

Fax: 02 6257 4361 Mail: PO Box 713 Civic Square, ACT 2608 Publisher Scott Layne General Manager & Advertising Manager Allan Sko: T: (02) 6257 4360 E: advertising@bmamag.com Editor Peter Krbavac: T: (02) 6257 4456 E: editorial@bmamag.com Accounts Manager Fahim Shahnoor : T: (02) 6247 4816 E: accounts@bmamag.com

Super Sub Editor Julia Winterfl ood Graphic Design Jessica Condi Film Editor Mark Russell Principal Photographers (The Flashbulb Posse) Andrew Mayo/Nick Brightman/John Hatfield Issue 309 Out September 4 Editorial Deadline August 22 Advertising Deadline August 28

bma magazine 11

TIDBITS WHO CHRIS FORTESCUE, STARLIE GEIKIE WHAT EXHIBITIONS, PART OF VIVID PHOTOGRAPHY FEST WHERE CCAS, GORMAN HOUSE WHEN 'TIL AUG 23

Forget music festivals, art festivals are so hot right now. The Sydney Biennale is a must see, but don’t miss VIVID, a photography festival that is on in your own backyard. Perhaps not literally, but it is all over Canberra. So put on your jacket, tie your laces, and head to CCAS now: this is your LAST CHANCE to see two cutting-edge VIVID exhibitions. Chris Fortescue’s Resonant Sites and Starlie Geikie’s Low and Lone will amaze, and cost nothing to see. Fortescue’s sound work seems to make viewers either anxious or calm… how will it affect you? The pervasive sound provides a filter for the experience of the gallery space, Fortescue’s photographic work, and the whole VIVID festival, because it reminds you of the unique resonances that affect your experiences. Geikie’s patterned images of horror-movie characters, and her dazzling leather poncho are also worth a good look. And if you’re after more festival fun, new VIVID exhibitions open at CCAS on the 29th of August at 6pm, with the customary free wine and cheap beer kicking off great exhibitions, and hopefully a great night. ANNIKA HARDING

WHO CANBERRA'S CREATIVES WHAT CANBERRA LIVING ARTISTS WEEK WHERE ALL OVER TOWN WHEN AUG 22 - 31

Canberra Living Artists Week (CLAW 08, August 22 to 31) is back with lots of free events for all you cultured types! Get to Manuka at 6pm on Friday August 22 for the big CLAW opening night: a triple-whammy of exhibitions in weird places, video art, music, drinks and nibbles. August 23 to 30 brings Cabin Fever: Art meets Big Brother, when performance artist Pablo Latona is locked in a shopfront in the Civic bus interchange for seven days. Watch him 24/7 via web-cam at www.cabinfever.com.au . Find out whose art reigns supreme at State of Belonging, midday Saturday August 30 outside the Street Theatre in Childers Street.

With overtones of the Iron Chef, two teams of artists battle it out in a three-hour rampage of art making and interpreting - with special guests Andrew Frost, writer and presenter of ABC 1’s The Art Life, Deborah Clark, Canberra Museum and Art Gallery visual arts curator, and a host of surprise commentators. There’s also a cracking closing party at M16 Art Space from 3pm on Sunday August 31. The list is literally as long as my arm, so for more events and to check out artist profiles, go to artsaroundcanberra.com.au/claw .

WHO DJ FILTER WHAT ADELAIDE DNB MYSTRO, PLAYING BREAKOUT LAB WHERE MERCURY BAR WHEN FRI AUG 29

Following the demise of Toast, Mercury Bar, in the Sydney building along Northbourne Avenue, has fast established itself as Canberra’s home of drum ‘n’ bass. The next episode, as Dre might say, takes on Friday August 29 when local crew Pure DJs present BreakOut Lab. Billed as a night of “soulful, jazzy drum ‘n’ bass,” there’ll also be a liberal smattering of dub, chill-out, break beat and tech house spun in the opening and closing hours of the event.

Flying out from A-Town to headline the show is DJ Filter, one half of Adelaide’s Inbound Records who put on many a show around town and also run a dedicated DNB record store.

Filling out the bill are Rolex, Tranvo, Briller and Crowley, ensuring a suitably large evening for all. Doors swing open 8pm, with a multitude of drink specials on offer and $5 cover charge between 10pm and 2am. For more info, set your coordinates to www.puredjs.com. au and blast off.

WHO ARTISTS, CHEFS, MUSICIANS, STALL HOLDERS WHAT GORMAN HOUSENIGHT MARKETS WHERE GORMAN HOUSE WHEN SAT AUG 23

For many a Canberran, the Gorman House Markets are a Saturday morning ritual, a kick-off point for the weekend. Well now, as part of Canberra Living Artists Week (CLAW Week), Canberrans can enjoy the market and it’s many splendours well into the night on Saturday August 23. Music, art, food, market fun and special events are all on the agenda. From 8am to ‘til 9pm witness Artists in Action, which includes an exhibition of handmade glass bead jewellery by Carole Griffiths and her students in the Embroiderers Guild Hall, as well as Canberra Contemporary Art Space’s current exhibitions Resonant Sites by Chris Fortescue and Low and Lone by Starlie Geckie. For you swashbuckling types, there’ll also be ancient arts fellowship medieval re-enactment during the day. From 8pm to midnight Pasha’s Lounge will feature live and local music presented by 2xx Community Radio in association with the Canberra Musicians Club in the DNA Theatre. Entry is $15/$10 concession/$5 club member. Experience Gorman House under lights this weekend.

WHO BODYROX WHAT ELECTRONICA/ HOUSE DONS WHERE ACADEMY WHEN FRI AUG 22

Ivor Novello nominees Jon Pearn and Nick Bridges are two of the most talented and in-demand producers in the UK. Having both enjoyed huge success as solo producers and through previous partnerships, it is now both as Bodyrox, and through their own Juki Records imprint, that the pair are enjoying new-found success and scoring a vast new army of fans. Having produced the biggest electro record of the Miami WMC 2006, Yeah Yeah went on to be dubbed “the club anthem of 2006” with the help of sultry vocalist Luciana. Bodyrox will be touching down on the Academy fl oorboards this August, aided and abetted by local scallywags Fourthstate, Nick Smith and Alex McLeod. For a night of electronic jaffas, be sure to rock up and rock out. $15, $10 before midnight.

WHO SICKBOY WHAT PORT MACQUARIE FOLK-ROCKERS WHERE POT BELLY/ PHOENIX WHEN AUG 29/30

After a fairly dormant July, Sickboy is gearing up for an awkward sprint around NSW and the ACT following the official August 9 release of their new EP, Water Never Waits. This three piece garage folk/punk outfit is setting out to prove that even cash-strapped bands driving a dying band-mobile from Port Macquarie are every bit as noteworthy as their city counterparts. To keep things lively, Sickboy will be putting on a variety of its musical masks and drawing on 10 years of original material, including songs from the anti-folk past of singer/guitarist Mark Spence. Of course, all this pent up energy must be let loose at some point, so they will amp things into a frenzy as well. They’ll be at the Pot Belly on Friday August 29 with the Hussy Hicks and Saturday August 30 at The Phoenix with Manilla Green.

For more info, head to www.myspace.com/sickboy .

7 Akuna St

Canberra City

ALL SHOWS FREE ENTRY

bma magazine PH/FAX 6162 0899 / transitbar@gmail.com | www.myspace.com/transitbar

13

EVE OF THE APOCALYPSO Some of the songs on the record are about some of the weightier issues, like My People, and some of them are really quite light-hearted and flippant. Some of the other songs on the record are about hand jobs or dancing at a techno party.”

Josh Brown If the indie-electronica musical genre could somehow be transformed into an event at the Olympic Games, Australia would be blitzing the field. The past few years has seen the rise of a number of outstanding local electronic acts, many of whom have gone on to enjoy huge success on the international stage. Though the amount of these groups is plentiful – and I could spend all day namedropping – at the end of the day there is only one name which stands out from the rest of the pack: THE PRESETS. It seems as if this pair from Sydney – consisting of singer and synth wiz Julian Hamilton and his partner in crime, drummer Kim Moyes – can do no wrong. Their debut record, Beams, released in late 2005, was a commercial success and had both indie and club kids shaking their booties like there was no tomorrow. Three years and a sophomore album release later, the Presets still receive a frenzy of attention wherever they go. Only now they’re experiencing it on a much grander scale. This is largely due to the success of the first single from their second album Apocalypso, entitled My People.

Evoking many a dancefl oor riot, the true subject matter of the song often goes unnoticed by oblivious fans. With lyrics such as “I’m here with all of my people/Locked up with all of my people/So let me hear you scream if you’re with me,” fans could be forgiven for thinking the song was written with them in mind. Not so, according to Hamilton. The song is written from the perspective of a refugee in a detention centre, although he concedes it is open to interpretation.

“I think that’s fine that the song is interpreted in different ways and I know most of the fans think it’s about them and that’s fine!” Hamilton enthuses. “I’m really happy for the song to work on different levels and I must admit when I’m onstage performing it in a club or at a festival, it’s hard not to think of the audience as the people you’re singing about.”

He’s quick to point out that despite delving into deep issues such as the plight of asylum seekers, not all of the tracks on Apocalypso pack such a heavy punch. “Some of the songs on the record are about some of the weightier issues, like My People, and some of them are really quite light-hearted and flippant,” he reveals. “Some of the other songs on the record are about hand jobs or dancing at a techno party.”

When they’re not busy packing political punches with their lyrics, the Presets also like to cause the occasional stir with their video clips. The clip for second single, This Boy’s In Love, features stunning slow motion imagery of Hamilton and Moyes banging away at their instruments in a blizzard of glitter, interspersed with shots of two scantily-clad, attractive young males duking it out in what appears to be a giant pool of milk. Homoerotic much?

The clip has inspired a myriad of responses on popular video-sharing website youtube, with punters leaving such comments as “i love the presets.. they wouldnt loose me as a fan or anything just was hoping they wernt gay.... kinda like u hope ur kids arnt born with defects..

LOL!...” – and that’s the poster’s actual spelling, folks.

Homophobic comments such as this are like water off a duck’s back for Hamilton. “The kind of people that leave messages on youtube are usually a small percentage of people, you know? I think if you leave a comment on youtube you’ve gotta be pretty fired up and angry or really, totally in love with something,” he shrugs.

“When we read the treatment that the director sent us, his ideas, it sounded like a really classical thing. A really beautiful thing. Like an old painting… a Rembrandt or something. When you see cherubs and angels in these beautiful Renaissance paintings, you don’t think gay.

You think just… beautiful,” he gushes. “With the video, it’s sort of the same thing. I want you to think of ancient Greek statues.” He pauses thoughtfully and then adds, “I think it’s a classical thing before it’s a gay thing. But then it’s not as if we shy away from the gay imagery either. A lot of our favourite artists are from that sort of scene.”

Hamilton points out that the video shouldn’t really be that big of a deal, considering the type of fanbase he feels The Presets attract. “Perhaps back in the day things were a bit more rock ‘n’ roll and guys didn’t care what their hair looked like and everyone just wore black. But people are a bit more open to new things these days and that’s the world in which we operate,” he explains. “If Cold Chisel came out with a new song and it was the This Boy’s In Love video, I think that would be really weird. That would be controversial!”

Ultimately, hit singles and polarising video clips aside, The Presets’ real strength lies in their dynamic and exciting live shows. Their ability to turn a shy audience into a mass of sweaty bodies yearning for the next thrilling climax or thumping chorus is second to none. “It is a good feeling when you see everyone jumping around to it and getting into it,” Hamilton admits. “It’s like ‘Fuck yeah! We made this thing and everyone loves us.’” Indeed we do, Julian. Indeed we do.

The Presets headline the Foreshore summer music festival on Saturday November 29 in Commonwealth Place alongside Nick Warren (UK), The Galvatrons, Mission Control, 16 Bit Lolitas (Hol), Gus Da Hoodrat and Jamie Doom, plus many more. Second release tickets $89.95 + BF on sale from Ticketek, Moshtix, Landspeed, Parliament Clothing and www.inthemix.com .

Second round of acts announced on September 1, hit www.lexingtonmusic. com.au come the glorious day. Apocalypso is out now on Modular.

bma magazine 15

ALL AGES

I awoke this morning quite disorientated. My nose had collapsed and the only thing that seemed to keep it in its shape was the 14 gallons of mucus that seemed to have been placed there overnight. What had become of my head? I couldn’t think straight, it hurt to move. I experienced all of this discomfort in the time taken to open my eyes. After perhaps two minutes staring at the ceiling moaning, I finally came to the conclusion that I was sick. I immediately panicked. I had avoided this for almost the entire season, now as the weather began heating up I had foolishly let my guard down only to be quickly beaten by a mere cold.

And now I sit here with the strength half an infant, who is also sick. And is sleeping. That’s pretty weak.

Complaining, complaining I’m sorry readers I will now stop complaining.

But anyway, how are YOU? I hope you are all healthy and strong, happy and loud - all that sort of good stuff.

Firstly, it’s a bit of a hike but it’ll certainly be worth it. Moshorama hits the Goulburn PCYC on Saturday August 30, featuring a bill as loud as it is lengthy. Never See Tomorrow will head the charge, fl anked by The Payback, Stigmata, Get Lucky Prom Night and Cannibalistic.

Presented by Power Point Music, it’s enough to have you quaking in your boots! So if you’ve any interest in the heavy stuff, you’d be advised to get along. The show kicks off at 6pm, $10 entry and is a strictly drug and alcohol free event.

On Friday August 29, the Woden Youth Centre will be holding a charity event to raise money for a student from Wanniassa Senior School to attend an Inaugural Vietnam Trip in December 2008. The student will spend a week working in an orphanage in Hanoi alongside other students, where they’ll teach English, assist in sports programs and help to build and maintain the premises. The show will be a hardedged affair, featuring two of Canberra’s finest hardcore bands - gigging fiends Dead Kings and perennial favourites with the kids Slowburn - plus two other bands to be confirmed. Entry is $10, with money raised going towards this very worthy cause. The show runs from 6 to 10pm.

Bam: after completely dominating the all ages crowd at Monster Elephante’s album launch at Woden Youth Centre recently, up and comers Pleased To Jive You are set to play at Digbyfest 2. These four boys seem to be moving along at an incredibly fast pace both through their music and stage show. It’s rare that you will stumble upon a band that not only thrives on originality, but is fucking good at it. Pleased to Jive You are the exception - instead of stumbling upon these guys, you may find them running up to you only to be greeted by a massive slap in the face. DigbyFest 2 will be held over at Woden Youth Centre and will also feature the likes of Rubycon and Slovak, who have both begun smashing footprints in this local all ages scene. Plenty more to be announced. $5 at the door will be suffice. This one smashes out on September 12.

Kapow: It’s back again. After a massive success last year, Canberra’s own Trackside will be smashing up the town once again in late November. I am glad to announce that this year’s line-up already seems to be getting ridiculously big. For $79 tickets you have the chance to see The Living End, Cut Copy, The Panics, Bliss N Eso, British India, Something With Numbers, Sparkadia, Muph and Plutonic, Carpathian, Bluejuice, Grafton Primary, Little Red, Hell City Glamours, Los Capitanes with more to be announced. Some of Australia’s biggest names in this place for a relatively cheap-arse price. It’s silly. really. Like some sort of sick joke.

Is this for real? Apparently so, I’ve even seen posters and shit… for real.

There is a while to plan for this one boys and girls but don’t let it pass you buy. Heard?

JOSH MOLONY joshmolony@hotmail.com

LOCALITY

I firmly believe that instead of keeping a diary about times in my life, I can refer to taxi drivers I’ve had and that can bring memories fl ooding back. For instance, one time when I was at the Gold Coast with my family, I was freaking convinced that Tim Freedman from The Whitlams was driving my cab. I’ll never forget that holiday.

More recently, I was in a cab in Sydney. I’ve got a labret piercing (because I’m so badarse), and my cabbie commented on how he liked it. ‘Nice guy,’ I thought. Until my new friend, six foot tall and probably at a guess about 150 kgs, revealed that he had both his nipples pierced and that he enjoyed the pain. Never have I got out of a cab so damn quickly in my life. And truly, I’ll never forget it.

So onto way more relevant moments. The National Campus Band Competition has been running on Australian University and TAFE campuses across the country for 18 years. This year it’s at CIT (at their Music Industry Centre), and hopeful applicants can enter via www.aaca.net.au .

The ACT final is September 25.

So hop to it fools.

The Magic Hands, Canberra laddies, have defied the odds and made it through to the finals of the MTV Kickstart Awards, and they could use your support to spread their tunes like the proverbial wildfire. Kickstart is a national band search competition run by MTV and is open to all bands not currently signed to a major label. The Magic Hands will compete against four other NSW bands in the Sydney final on September 5. Each band gets to play two songs with the winner of each heat to have a clip of their performance posted on the MTV Kickstart home page. The eventual winner will be voted for by the public who view the MTV homepage and cast their vote.

Whoever has the most support will take out the MTV Kickstart award for 2008. So help 'em out!

Four mainstays of the local music industry - Nigel McRae of Culturazi.com, Ben Drysdale of Cardboard Charlie, Bill Arnett of Folkus and CIT’s Centre for

Creative Industries - have joined forces to launch The Canberra Musicians Club (CMC). A 12-hour music festival, Launch!, will be held on Saturday September 13 at the Albert Hall. The CMC is an incorporated notprofit association whose aims and objectives are: cultural enrichment of musicians and music lovers in the ACT; the development of new musical and cross-cultural arts events; and commitment to developing the potential of young musicians and those persons socially disadvantaged. Ultimately the CMC aims to have a permanent

THE MAGIC HANDS venue/clubhouse, but in the meantime will present a regular series of events around Canberra - including a showcase as part of CLAW Week in association with 2XX - and encourage members to put on their own shows utilising the resources of the CMC (including public liability insurance, PA, promotional networks and expertise). For more info hit www. canberramusiciansclub.org.au or email ourcmc@gmail.com .

Bungendore babes A Bridge Between are playing their little hearts out around town.

Catch them at Filthy’s with Julia and The Deep Sea Sirens, and Margaret Helen King on August 19, The Yacht Club on August 24 and The Soul Bar on August 29. For more info, hit thebridgebetween.com.au . Yah. CAZ DENNES cazzed@hotmail.com

DANCE: THE DROP My dear dishevelled dance masses, how good it is to see you once again. Pull up a fl oor cushion and let’s get started, shall we? Before we do, you’ve got a little something on the side of your mouth there. No, the other side. No the… ahhh, forget it, you daffy goon.

Sounds like we’re in for a treat with the encroaching ITM Top 50 Party. I jumped on the horn to Infusion’s Jamie Stevens this week, and he revealed “we’ve just finished the new album.” And will you be playing new ‘n’ exclusive tracks at said upcoming party, I enquired? “Oooooo yes. We certainly shall be.” Well isn’t that nice? Grafton Primary, James Dela Cruz o’ Avalanches fame, G.L.O.V.E.S, Nick Thayer and a stack of others (check ad for deets) join Infusion at ANU on Saturday September 13, which should prove to be an epic eve. Tix $45 + bf available from Landspeed, Stocks, ANU and inthemix.com.au.

If you like yer beats frenetic and your rhythmz tribal, then you, my psychedelically clad chum, are in luck. Friday September 12 at Mercury Bar (Northbourne Avenue) marks the Transmission Warmup Party, for what’s sure to be a big event in an intimate setting. Sydney’s Jason Suae, Pulsar and SDee lead the charge, with locals Nomad, Fi-End, Nasty, Enerv8, Simon Hunter and Neonik bringing up the proverbial rear. Tix went on sale last Monday and are available from Landspeed Records. Buggered if I know how much they are. It’s an early start (8pm) and a late finish (4am) so be sure to pack your industrial strength multicoloured furry ugg boots.

Reapercussion is back for a second instalment, sporting your favourites Matrix and Hellraiser. Ruth “Artemis” Robertson will be making a welcome return set from Melbourne, bringing regional compatriot Exa-cist with her. Throw in Loose Cannon, Neonik, Frodo and Fi-End and you have yourself a banging eve. ANU is the place, Saturday September 20 is the date, and $25 plus BF is the fee.

Those with a penchant for classic breakbeat will be overjoyed to hear that the Plump DJs will make a triumphant return on Friday October 3 to Academy, thanks to the handsome Landspeed folk. Touting their very tidy new Headthrash album, this eve should be a stormer; you will find me surprised if this night is anything less than a sellout. If you haven’t heard the album already, jump onto their myspace page for a preview. Or just man up and buy yourself a copy. Karton, who themselves are putting the finishing touches to their debut long-player, will be in support. Tix are $30 plus BF from Landspeed, Stocks, inthemix.com.au and etc.

Academy are sexing themselves up this August. Mish Mash Fridays is the new installation for the end of week eve, with Bodyrox roxing yo body on Friday August 22. They of club hit Yeah Yeah fame will be supported by specially selected Mish Mash residents.

Saturdays sees Academy launch Decadance Saturdays. The club promises to let you “spoil yourself on the best night of the week with the biggest acts, top local DJ talent, live elements and themed visuals”. Friday August 23 sees Beni from Riot In Belgium kicking up a storm, with beloved residents Ashley Feraude, Pred, Rexy and Miles in tow. The night is also host to the seven sinful $5 drinks promo, so binge drink your little tits off.* Drum ‘n’ bass head? Of course you are. I’ll be seeing you at Muffler this Friday August 22 at Mercury Bar then (check the ad this ish for all the deets). To get you in the mood, DJ Dred has dropped the third chapter of his Ruff’N’Ready mix comp, a two-side 40-cut selection with tracks from Nu:tone, Logistics, Survival, Subfocus, Commix, The Brooks Brothers, Alex Perez, Spectrasoul and more. It’s a free download, available from www.agentkaos.com/tjs/viewtopic.php?t=418, so whaddya waiting for, huh?

And regular readers o’ this column will remember BreakOut Lab is on Friday August 29 at Mercury Bar, with DJ Filter from Inbound Records Adelaide. It’s a night of soulful jazzy drum ‘n’ bass, chillout, dub and tech house. 8pm start, $5 entry. For more info, hit www.puredjs.com.au .

And that, my pretties, is that. More than enough mischief to be getting up to. So go. Get. ALLAN “PSYCHADELIC TROUSERS” SKO

"I did take General Midi to see Romeo & Juliet in Bristol several years ago"

toasted, nicely toasted...

Tim Galvin If I were to use a current media event as an analogy to describe NICK THAYER (pronounced Tay-ya), it would definitely be that he is the Georgia of Australian dance artists, going against the global superpower of the current electro house trend while carrying the fl ag for breakbeat independence. He is also ‘pro bush’, but we’ll leave that one for Zoo magazine.

“I must’ve been reading the wrong timetable," he laughs. "Seriously though, although I don’t find that sound hugely inspiring on the whole, there are a couple of tracks here and there that find I really like, and so I’ll play them. I’ve always just played records that I like, and there aren’t that many records from that scene that I really like.”

Nick has recently been busy showcasing his trademark bumper funk symphony in the guise of a long awaited artist album. “It has been hectic over the past few months,” he confirms. “I cut right back on touring so I could concentrate on finishing my album Just Let It Go. It is pretty much there now, just a little spit polish to finalise it all. It feels great to actually be in sight of the finish line. It is certainly a mixed bunch - just trying to glue everything together into something coherent has been an effort!”

Nick honed his skills over in the UK, where he rubbed shoulders with some of the planets broken beat elite such as the Stanton Warriors, Plumps DJs and General Midi (who we will get too later). “I spent a lot of time at Fabric when I was about 18 and living in London for a few months, so even just to not have to wait in that freezing queue was perks enough.

Actually getting to play there a couple of times was a dream, and a lovely ‘full-circle’ moment. The funny thing is though, in those sorts of places, no matter who you are your name just gets lost amongst everything else that goes on, there is just SO much happening.”

A Nick Thayer set is always a grand experience: only ten fake aerial explosions and a miming child model away from opening ceremony prodigious proportions.“I’ve always had the same general approach to DJing, which is that if I like a tune, I’ll endeavour to find a way to fit it in to whatever else I’m playing. I spend a lot of time these days editing out bits of tunes that I don’t like, which seems to make the whole set much tighter too.

I recently switched to Serato which I am loving! The fl exibility is out of this world, and so that has certainly energised the way I’m DJing.”

His new album comes off the back of a few massive singles like the enormous bass-bin behemoth Toasted, which has been at the front of many a CD wallet across the global breaks fraternity. “There are plenty of club ready cuts like that, and some branching out too. I’ve done my best to make an album that makes sense when you put it on in the car, or the iPod or whatever. The thing I find myself drawn to when I like other acts or bands is musicality over studio trickery, so I’ve tried to refl ect as much of that as I can in the music on this album.”

Among his many achievements we can also add ‘renaissance man’, as his biography lists a quote from General Midi that states that he is “the only DJ in the world who’s taken me to the ballet.”“Hah. Well, at the very least, it is true," Nick says. "I did take General Midi to see Romeo & Juliet in Bristol several years ago. That was before I even met my wife, who dances with Aus Ballet. I grew up around a lot of that stuff and I go as often as I can.”

It would be true to say that Mr Thayer is truly a well-rounded man of the arts who promises to deliver Canberran audiences something special in his upcoming show.“(I have) plenty of new music. I’ve got all the stuff from my album to play, plus loads of re-edits, remixes and a few surprises too. I’m getting really excited about doing some touring again now, having been couped up in the studio so long.”

Nick Thayer plays alongside Infusion, Grafton Primary, G.L.O.V.E.S, James Dela Cruz, Danielsan, Typhonic and many more at the InTheMix 50 party at the ANU Bar on Saturday September 13. Tickets on sale from Landspeed, Stocks and inthemix.com.au .

“We are here to tell them that hardcore hip-hop will never die. Prepare for the destruction of the matrix”

x factor Josh Nixon Timothy Blair and Keith Thornton are en route. To where is unclear and unspoken and for which purpose one can only assume a classified response. As the interview covers them in New York, at JFK airport before being told to switch off their phones and, upon landing, driving around their mystery destination, it is apparent there is only one thing on their agenda at the present time. Answering in the form of their better known guises, Tim Dog, fake rapper antagonist supreme and Kool Keith, rap’s general chief and two thirds of PROJECT X, spell out a simple and concise mission statement. Tim ‘The Boss’ Dog wants “world domination.

To clean out the infection that is in Australia and the rest of the world.”

So the ‘project’ is medical in nature? What is there to clean out? “Idiot promoters and dumb radio people that support the sensationalism of pop music. We are here to tell them that hardcore hip-hop will never die.

Prepare for the destruction of the matrix.”

So apparently there are some counter-terrorist components to the Project. According to Keith, the project is here “to resuscitate hip-hop and bring it back to its original state of dope lyrics and creative music.

We decided to get back together with cats who really respect hip-hop. I think hip-hop needs to be revitalised ’cause the way it is now people are more focused on the gimmicks and flashy lifestyles.”

The Project group consists of Tim Dog aka The Boss, Keith aka The Photographer and also Marc Live, aka The Rockstar, whom Australian audiences have seen grace the stage with Keith over his four recent Australian tours.

After rapping on the seminal Ultramagnetic MC track A Chorus Line and other UMC material, Tim Dog shook the rap world to its core with his inflammatory 1991 single and ode to notorious gangster rappers N.W.A., with the title summating the message: simply, Fuck Compton. This kicked off the East vs West coast beef in fine style. Fast forward to 2008 and you have Keith and Marc, who were both members of Analog Brothers, with Ice Oscillator, best known as Ice-T. Hip-hop fans have all heard about the beef that has brewed following Ice-T’s review of Soulja Boy on YouTube and so I had to ask if the new object of the Project’s ire was pointed in his direction. “Well, Soulja Boy is nothing to exterminate, he is a baby roach, if he pops his head up I will stomp him. I’m the Russell Crowe of the camp. I’m Gladiator Maxiumus.”

So what draws venom from the pen of this project? According to 'The Boss': “The injustice and the politics of hip-hop have taken over. Now the people that don’t care about the art form are rich and the people that are creative and bring real hip-hop to the game are broke. We gotta send them to their home or their cage, they’re little animals.”

Keith ‘The Photographer’ (“My photography has been a big thing in my career; I like to involve my photography and my music ’cause it is relaxation for me. My photography is a lot to do with my musical inspiration.”) is based back in New York but still regularly commutes around Atlanta and California as part of his regular haunts.

After 20 years in the game in New York I wonder what the city’s hip-hop scene has that the rest of the world doesn’t; rarely can you get a more informed response. "Basically," he says, "while the rest of the world is just rapping about anything, New York still has that lyrical edge."

Tim expands: “Rap’s gimmicky these days - rappers just use something to sensationalise their product and the marketing sells it. Real rap sells itself, if it’s real cats will feel it. We’re here to give the fans real music, after all these gimmicks, that’s innovation these days.”

Project X play at The Venue, Erindale on Saturday September 6 with local lad Big Dave and more. Tickets available through Moshtix (online and local outlets), Oztix and iTicket now.

inthemix top 50 full page colour

THA REALNESS I’ve been looking forward to Music To Live By, the second album from Adelaide’s Terra Firma for a minute now and it will finally be officially available on August 30 through Shogun. The album is produced by Simplex and features the entire Certifi ed Wise collective (including Hilltop Hoods and Funkoars) and also legendary Bronx MC Percee P. Music To Live By has been touted as a collection of personal musings, inextricably ensconced in the culture of hip-hop music and the mindset behind it. Can’t wait!

I’ve been blown away by the debut record by Sydney’s Horrorshow, The Grey Space, which has just been released on Elefant Traks. Rising from hip-hop’s tremendous undergrowth, Horrorshow exhibit both wisdom and quality of style beyond their young ages. The Grey Space is intelligent and beautiful music, full of deft lyricism, honest social observation and dry humour. On The Grey Space, the pair of vocalist Solo and producer Adit take centre stage, limiting guest appearances to their Sydney affiliates Fame and Spit Syndicate, who contribute heat with their guest appearances, complementing their respective tunes perfectly.

Add No Rides Left to the mix, which is one of the best tunes I’ve heard in a long time and you’ve got a near-classic!

Don’t miss out on this one!

HORRORSHOW

On August 16, Sydney based label Grindin’ released their new Grindin’ Remixed record with the mighty M-Phazes remixing artists on the label’s roster – a first for Australian hip-hop. The album features a variety of artists from across the globe including OC, Jehst, Mystro, Kohndo, P-Money, 4 Corners, Move.meant, Foreign Beggars, 13th Son, Muneshine and many more! Dopeness.

Melbourne’s Reason is indisputably an icon of Australian hip-hop.

Personifying both quality and standard as one of Australia’s true veterans of the underground scene, Reason was the first artist signed to Obese Records and released the label’s first record, titled Solid, in 1999. Now he is set to continue his trademark social commentary on his forthcoming EP The Tides Are Turning. Featuring a selection of Australia’s finest producers and MCs including Debris, Trials, Pegz, Pressure, Dazastah, Ciecmate & Newsense, Ghost, Vame and Lazy Grey, the EP is out August 30 through Obese. And, whilst on Obese, big ups to both Dialectrix and Thundamentals from the Blue Mountains who are the latest signings to the label.

Choose Mics consist of UK emcee Haunts and Gold Coast producer Mules.

They’ve just released The Pre Album on Formula records, their preview release to spark interest in an official debut which is coming soon. Over 21 tracks the duo display their versatility in both production and lyrics by delivering a head-nodding album. Mules’ beats are smooth as butter and Haunts’ lyrics portray both intelligent messages and cocky braggadocio.

I’ve also just managed to get my hands on a copy of Tasmanian duo Mdusu & Dameza’s Can We Get A Soul Clap! It’s been out for a few months now, but it’s a very impressive debut album. Producer/emcee Mdusu is a true talent, handling all the production and the vast majority of the albums lyrics and Dameza is a beast on the cuts. At 20 tunes, the record is ambitious in length but it never feels overlong or laboured, with versatility in production and songwriting styles taking the listener on a real trip! Mdusu excels with his down-to-earth storytelling and selfconscious lyricism! Expect big things from this duo in the future.

To hear music from all these releases and more, tune to The Antidote on 2XX 98.3FM, Tues nights from 9.30 to 11pm.

ROSHAMBO

NATIVE TONGUES “We learnt a lot from the second record and this time we didn’t have a hard time letting tracks go. If something didn’t work with a song or the album’s theme, we were a lot more brutal when it came to cutting them out” Ema Bourke “We really respect our audience, I think it’s a big mistake to assume the audience is stupid. I think a lot of artists make that mistake by dumbing their shit down, because they don’t think the fans will be able to work things out for themselves. We like to make our songs somewhat ambiguous so people can put their own spin on our music. Leaving it open-ended like that is really cool because people always have different views on what our songs really mean, along with the fact that they get to add their own personal experience.”

MC/lyricist Dan, aka Muph, and Leigh, otherwise known as producer extraordinaire Plutonic have taken it upon themselves to revolutionise Australian hip-hop using a diverse range of rhythms, beats and grounded lyrics in which portray Australian life at its best and worst.

MUPH AND PLUTONIC are the talented Melbourne duo determined to show Australia that we too can have a voice in the diverse yet cutthroat world of hip-hop.

“In Australia, Aussie hip-hop is a genre on its own compared to anything else,” Leigh says. “If a rock band from Australia were to get huge overseas we wouldn’t call them Oz Rock. They don’t dissect it like they do with any other genre in Australia. It’s so segregated, Australian hip-hop’s style isn’t a world wide thing.”

Muph and Plutonic’s unique approach to production and lyrical assembly is an audio gift to the music world; they use an assortment of production and lyrical techniques that one would hear in work from the likes of De La Soul and Jurassic 5. Recently releasing their third LP And Then Tomorrow Came after a two year wait since their previous album Silence the Sirens, Muph and Plutonic feel they have risen to the occasion this time, bestowing confidence and authentic intrepidity. Using live horn sections and producing the entire album in Plutonic’s Melbourne home, their latest record is an indication that the two are focused on growing as artists. “As a group we’re getting tighter,” Leigh explains. “We learnt a lot from the second record and this time we didn’t have a hard time letting tracks go. If something didn’t work with a song or the album’s theme, we were a lot more brutal when it came to cutting them out.”

Leigh feels that discussing important issues in a positive manner is quite an effective approach when it comes to the hip-hop scene in Australia.

Said to produce ‘organic’ music, Muph and Plutonic are making their way up in the music world and seem to be creating a snowball effect when it comes to gaining recognition.

Muph and Plutonic are a truly original duo and will be launching And Then Tomorrow Came at the Transit bar on Wednesday August 27 with DJ Bonez and D'Opus and Roshambo. Free entry. The LP is out now on Obese Records.

PROJECT X full page colour

PUNKSKA Whether you a lawbreaker or you a informer, this news is for you. I haven’t received any details for local shows, so keep your eyes open for any gigs.

Melbourne pop-punk power trio Antiskeptic has decided, after nine years and over 900 shows, enough’s enough. Their farewell tour won’t include Canberra, so local ’skeptics will have to settle for the band making available, for free download at their myspace, a studio recording of previously unreleased live favourite I’ll Follow (myspace.com/antiskeptic).

EXCUSES, EXCUSES!

News in from local punk legends Bladderspasms: reports are in that the band are recording around ten songs in Sydney for a CD to be released in September. Watch this space. Also, there are new ’spasms shirts for sale up at Raven.

Sydney’s Irrelevant have been recording in the US with producer Brian McTernan (Thrice/Strike Anywhere) and hope to have the new album out in October. More details and tour dates TBA. Dead Kennedys’ bassist Klaus Flouride has announced his departure from the band after over 30 years. His statement seems humble considering the bitter split with Jello Biafra over royalties, and the band's reformation without Jello in 2003.“Over the past 30 years I have had the great fortune to have been a founding member of Dead Kennedys. It’s been tough at times but particularly rewarding working and collaborating with men like Biafra, 6025, D.H. (Peligro), and especially (East Bay) Ray. However a recurring medical condition, Angioedema, has caused me to withdraw from the road and as a touring member of Dead Kennedys.”

Alternative Tentacles, the label created by Biafra in 1979 to release Dead Kennedys’ material, has a DVD documentary out chronicling the 21-year history of a volunteer-run, all-ages venue in Berkeley, California.

924 GILMAN STREET Let’s Talk About Tact And Timing is an intimate portrait of a small punk venue that continues to foster a vital music scene, and most importantly, a sense of hope that punk principles and practices can build a successful, long running community. Featured interviews include Jello Biafra, Ian MacKaye (Minor Threat/Fugazi), Jesse Michaels (Operation Ivy), Matt Freeman (Rancid/Operation Ivy), Lars Frederickson (Rancid/UK Subs), Dick Lucas (Subhumans/Citizen Fish) and The Offspring’s Dexter and Noodles. Band performances include Operation Ivy, F-Minus, Screeching Weasel, Against Me! and Citizen Fish. It should be available mid-September. Order it online at the Alternative Tentacles webstore at www.alternativetentacles.com .

The Meanies have announced the death of Tas Meanie.

Tasman Blizzard, who joined the band as a second guitarist in 1993, passed away in a car accident recently. The band lost founding member DD Meanie to cancer in February.

TAS MEANIE

August 1981: The 4 Skins release One Law For Them (Clockwork Fun Records) and are banned by all major record chains in the UK. It’s not a refl ection of the lyrical content, just that the band were playing indoors at the Hamborough Tavern when the Southall Riots erupted in July.

Defending themselves against charges of being Nazi sympathisers and National Front supporters they release the following statement. Signed by all four members of the band, it read in part, “We wish to point out we are not, and never have been a racialist band. We are totally opposed to the neo-Nazi groups just as we are opposed to extreme left wing organisations. No dictatorship, fascist or communist would allow bands like ours to exist… We reject the censorship and hypocrisy that we have experienced from the music industry, effectively banning our single when it simply TELLS THE TRUTH about the British class system.”

Oi Oi that’s yer lot!

SIMON HOBBS Next deadline is September 9. Send news, gig promos and abuse to rudebwaay@gmail.com .

"We used to joke about how we would do this forever ’til we were old and grey, and at the time it was just joking around, but I don’t think any of us could have said for sure, ‘yeah we will still be playing in 2008’.

But here we are."

Carrie Dennes According to uniqueanniversarygifts.com.au (a most reliable source, no doubt), one presents a gift of pottery, or leather, for a ten year anniversary.

Ten years is a long time by any stretch of the imagination, and it’s been a decade since LAMEXCUSE started rat-bagging around the Canberra music scene - and they’re not planning on budging.

While I’ll leave what leather gifts sprung to my mind to the imagination, the exciting news for Don, Gaffers, Ando and Chris is that their gift to the Canberra public is the launch of their brand spanking new album, Life.

Like.Wild, and it’s set to be launched on September 6.

Donny, Lame’s bassist and vocalist, speaks like a kid on red cordial of the band’s new LP, and their ten years together.“People can expect a lot of hard punchy melodies, loads of vocal harmonies and it’s probably a fair bit more listenable for a wider audience than previous releases. We spent as much time as we wanted on the album so we’re all very happy with the way it turned out.” The album was recorded in Wollongong, and was funded by the band.“Subsequently leaving a huge hole in the pocket,” Donny adds.

The guys formed in high school after discovering their kindred love for all things music. “We went out and bought ourselves some really cheap and nasty gear and started jamming. We really just loved playing tunes together and it was something to keep us out of trouble.”

So the boys are taking time off from their day jobs (graphic designer, glass and aluminium worker, vintage car mechanic and Telstra employee), loading up the van and trailer and setting off into the wild. “We’re doing 14 shows in total, up and down the east coast,” Donny explains. “We can’t wait for the tour to start. We always love it on the road, getting to catch up with old mates and getting to meet a whole heap of new ones.”

Being veterans (of sorts), the guys have not only nabbed some awesome supports, but have a telling perspective on the developments in the Canberra music scene over the past ten years.“I guess we’ve seen Canberra develop over the years with so many excellent bands come and go,” he says.“It’s just great we’ve had the opportunity to keep playing and having the good times… without any major dramas along the way. We used to joke about how we would do this forever ’til we were old and grey, and at the time it was just joking around, but I don’t think any of us could have said for sure, ‘yeah we will still be playing in 2008’ - but here we are.”

So what has changed since they picked up those instruments ten whole years ago? “Our music has improved massively,” Donny says.“I mean we are always learning new things from each other and constantly evolving into something different without straying too far away from where it all began.”

Finally, are there any touching odes or tributes that Donny would like to make? Refl ections of a decade of rockin’ Australian stages? Wise anecdotes or witty closing remarks? “I just have to add the word ‘Fricco’,” he says. “It’s baked cheese and it’s the best. Definitely recommend it to anyone who wants to kick start the heart.”

Well, it’s your story I guess. Check out their new tunes at www.myspace.com/lamexcuse. It’s actually a pretty sexy site.

Lamexcuse launch Life. Like. Wild on Saturday September 6 at The Basement with Local Resident Failure (Newcastle) and more. From 8.30pm, $10 entry. The LP is out on the same day through Amphead.

“Sometimes at a gig when it’s going off I feel more like a DJ going nuts with my stomp box creating grooves, getting people to dance”

COMING SOON: SUN 14th September

BIRDS OF TOKYO WED 17th September

END OF FASHION SAT 20th September

REAPERCUSSION II WED 24th September

VAN SHE

ROMPER STOMPER

TUES 7th October

VOICES OF MASADA (UK) THURS 9th October

HOLLY THROSBY

Miranda O'Brien Once upon a time there was a dreadlocked man who only saw himself as a blues musician. Happy in his musical box, he put his own stamp on tunes the likes of Tom Waits’ Going Out West and recorded his first album in a mere 24-hour period. His original blues songs had always been a tad unconventional as there was no adhering to the usual lyrical themes. Time passed and, fortunately for the ears out in music land, ASH GRUNWALD realised he had enough talent to do so much more with his music – though that's not to say his contributions up until that point weren’t more than enough. And so we have a very brief history of the musical journey of Ash Grunwald.

So where to from here? In what can truly be described as eccentric for a blues musician, Ash used baking trays, hammers, iron bars and many other everyday objects to add a new fl avour to his music. Obviously he’s made a distinct effort to evolve what's typically labelled 'blues' music, so what is it about Delta blues that has infl uenced Ash so much? “It’s the sound of the blues that’s appealing to me; the origins of blues as a genre are in poverty but I never write about personal hardships. I might write about my car breaking down which is something trivial, but it’s the sound that appeals to me,” Ash says.

For a musician typically categorised as ‘bluegrass’, working with hip-hop producer Countbounce of popular Aussie hip-hop outfit TZU makes the title of Ash’s new album Fish Out Of Water aptly titled. Your feet will become eager to move, your buns will be eager to groove, and your ears will be greedy little devils for some good old-fashioned stomp boxing, funk mama beats and copious amounts of positive energy. And then there’s his deep-as-dirty-water grizzly vocals.

Stomp boxes seem to have become the signature trade mark of the one man band, which “does put more pressure on you being solo, but it’s a good pressure. It forces you to be more inventive. You’ll have a band with a bass player and a drummer, and that’s cool, but it’s not really doing anything different. It’s fair to say I value progression,” explains Ash. I find the one man band thing so interesting as it defies conventional notions of instrumentation and shows there’s a breed of musician who is being innovative and isn’t hesitant to try new things.

Interestingly, Ash feels Fish Out Of Water has more in common with electronic music as “sometimes at a gig when it’s going off, I feel more like a DJ going nuts with my stomp box creating grooves, getting people to dance – it’s a great feeling, I love playing live. The new album has the grooves and beats found in a lot of rap and roots music; it excites me to add that element!" exclaims Mr Grunwald. He also mentions he’d be reluctant to call himself a blues musician these days.

“It’s funny, when you’re a part of the ‘roots/blues’ genre you tend to talk about genre so much! It’s like you compare your music to what it is and what it isn’t,” Ash says, which will definitely be the case with the hybrid style of Fish Out Of Water. To catch one of Ash’s electric live performances, head down to ANU – your dancing shoes will thank you Fish Out Of Water is available August 30 on through Shock. You can catch Ash live at ANU on Friday September 5 with the Last Town Chorus. Tickets $20 from Ticketek and www.thelastagency.com .

FRI 10th October

THE GO SET

August/September FRI Aug 29th

TUES Sep 2nd FRI Sep 5

SAT Sep 13th

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Pure bred "Dan travelled to Derby and spent a lot of time being surrounded and exposed to Indigenous people. He was surprised at how some of these people lived… He was inspired to write about Indigenous Australia" Shailla Van Rad A GYROSCOPE is a device for measuring or maintaining orientation, based on the principles of angular momentum. It's similar with the band of the same name, as Gyroscope’s orientation seems to be the right one: after 12 years, six EPs and three studio albums, their third album has debuted at number one on the ARIA charts. Rob Nassif, the band's drummer, reminisces on their humble beginnings: “We started the band in 1996, met Zoran through a mutual friend, we had a jam with him and it was great. We had already heard about Dan and eventually met him at a party. We were all living in the same area of Perth; it was understood that you hung out with people who were the same type as you - you were either a sporty type or a muso sort of guy. We were all the guys who loved music and were passionate about it.

“Getting ourselves known has been such a long and slow process, it feels normal now to be widely recognised," he says. "Granted, most of the press that we do is better because people care about us a little bit more.” So is their real secret weapon a gyroscope? It seems to be something more intangible. “Our secret weapon is chemistry; we are good friends, first and foremost. I was Dan’s best man in the bridal party at his wedding. When you are friends in the first place, it gives you a good foundation. It is the key to our existence as a band.”

“We all write songs together, and we all contribute to the music," he continues. "It starts off as just an idea, a spark, and the members can feed off the idea; this initial spark creates a spark in another member and we go with it… we have a different variety of music, from songs that are bass oriented, to military inspired music…”

The band - completed by guitarist and vocalist Daniel Sanders, guitarist Zoran Trivic, bassist and back-up vocalist Brad Campbell - like many musicians, consider their art as unique. “Our music would be described as ‘rock’ which is such a broad category and really good because I don’t like being pigeonholed.” It also seems their travels, both as individuals and as a band, have made a fair contribution to their sound. “Touring South Africa was definitely the most interesting thing overall we’ve done as a band, it was an amazing experience to play a show there. There’s extreme poverty and shantytowns, so many juxtapositions. They still have so many issues to sort out… It was a great eye-opening experience.”

“The South Africa trip provided the first step, one of many, to start creating the album Breed Obsession," Rob explains. "We like moving around not purely for the dynamic but we move because we find people, such as Dave Eringa (UK), who we really wanted to work with and if it’s not possible for them to come to Australia, as in Dave’s case, then we go to them."

Gyroscope have matured into a band with a wider-scoping sound that comments on important socio-political issues. "Our new single Australia sends out a great message," Rob says. "Dan travelled to Derby and spent a lot of time being surrounded and exposed to Indigenous people. He was surprised at how some of these people lived… He was inspired to write about Indigenous Australia."

So what’s next for the four successful Perth-dwellers, besides touring?

“At the moment we’re trying to write songs for the next album, which we hope to bring out next year. We’re in such a better headspace than when we were making Breed Obsession.”

Gyroscope will be performing at ANU Bar with Shihad and Sugar Army on Tuesday September 2. Tickets are on sale from Ticketek, Oztix and www.gyroscope.com . Breed Obsession is out now on Warner.

VAN DIEMEN'S BAND "Joe pretty much wrote the whole album and he doesn’t really listen to much extreme metal these days. That’s why I think it sounds quite fresh, as it’s an original take on extreme music – not directly influenced by the genre itself" Luke McGrath In 1999, four lads from Tasmania embarked on a musical odyssey that has taken them around the world. PSYCROPTIC, as they named themselves, have toured extensively throughout Australia, Europe and the US, converting many to their unique brand of technical death metal. Technical death metal? “We fit into the death metal genre I guess,” acknowledges drummer David Haley, “but I think that is a little bit limiting. I guess the best way to describe it would be a combination of all styles of extreme music. Go to the Myspace and listen and make your own judgement!”

Having been sequestered in isolation, chipping away at their soon to be released fourth album Ob(servant) for much of last year, the band is excited about getting back out there and bringing the noise to the people. Taking a dig at the whingers, David says “some bands treat touring as a necessary evil, but for us it’s a privilege. To be able to visit different countries and cities while playing music is a great feeling.

Every show we do is important for us, and we aim to have the most fun possible while on the road.” This maxim was borne out on their recent US jaunt, playing the Summer Slaughter Tour alongside such heavyweights as Kataklysm, Vader and Crytopsy: “We could not have asked for a better tour. I think it’s the first time a Tasmanian metal band has toured over there as well. Every day was a new adventure,” says David, before adding, “I’m pretty sure we exceeded the intake of Miller Draft and Mexican food recommended while on tour!”

Having recently signed to Nuclear Blast (“the best metal label around in my opinion,” says David), he is keen to sing the praises of his fellow band members: “Jason (Psycroptic lead singer) worked his ass off with all his parts and the results are just killer. We spent a lot longer with vocal parts this time, and Jason introduced a lot of new sounds due to his huge vocal range”. David’s brother (and Psycroptic’s guitarist) Joe also gets a rap for engineering the sound that has brought the band to international recognition. “Joe pretty much wrote the whole album,” proudly says David, “and he doesn’t really listen to much extreme metal these days. That’s why I think it sounds quite fresh, as it’s an original take on extreme music – not directly infl uenced by the genre itself.

Ob(servant) is definitely our best work thus far and I’m really excited to get it out for people to hear.”

Asked what the future holds for the band, David answers succinctly: “In the near future we will do an Australian album launch tour, and following that either return to the US or Europe. As far as beyond that, we just want to keep having fun playing extreme music!”

Psycroptic will be blowing minds at the ANU Bar on Friday August 29. Their fourth album Ob(servant) is slated for release sometime in October - head to myspace.com/psycroptic for more details as they come to hand.

DIFF'RENT STROKES “I wouldn’t recommend listening to it when you’re feeling particularly fragile fi rst thing on a Sunday morning, but that’s about the only time I would recommend not listening to it!”

Luke McGrath For those of you unaware, there is a war going on out there. For the last ten years, ROCKET SCIENCE have been at the frontline of this war – plenty of their comrades have fallen, but this four man army have continued firing shot after shot of filthy garage rock, and their latest offensive Different Like You may finally cause the other side to hoist the white fl ag. “It’s the best sounding record we’ve ever made and that’s for sure,” says Kit Warhurst, first lieutenant and lead skin beater. “It’s an amazing record, we’re incredibly proud of it. it’s taken us a long time to produce, we’ve been through a lot…” he sighs before continuing at breakneck pace. “Y’know, fuck, Roman (Tucker, vocalist and keyboardist) nearly died for god’s sake - he went into a coma. Then we lost our record deal, we went into a studio and made it completely on our own. As a result you can hear all of that process and all of that frustration and all of that joy is condensed into these ten songs and I reckon it is, by far, the record of our career.”

To say Rocket Science has had its share of ups and downs would be an understatement. From being called “the greatest live band in the world” in 2001 by Rolling Stone magazine and touring the UK with Supergrass, the band’s (physical) maladies have included “Roman having a head injury, Paul breaking his ankle, and then myself having a roadcase dropped on my head not long after...” recalls Kit. Still, it would take more than that to bring these staunch soldiers down: “If there is any sort of notion that superstition exists then bad luck comes in three… so let’s put all that well and truly behind us, and it’s all good luck from here!”

As much as they are traditionalists, Rocket Science aren’t planning extravagant tin gifts for each other to commemorate their ten year anniversary. “We’re just going to celebrate by getting out on the road and fucking finally realising we have a brand new record in our hands,” laughs Kit. “That’s celebration enough for us! I’m sure at some stage that will involve having drinks and being incredibly merry. We choose to celebrate not over one night but over the month long period we are on the road, so it’s gonna get nasty for sure.”

It’s obvious speaking to Kit that this is not a band swayed by hype or hoopla (speaking of touring with some of the more famous buddies, he says: “The bigger the band, the more people hanging around whose names you don’t know”). This is a fact borne out in their new album - it’s not so much a progression as a refinement - Different Like You is as loud, as brash and as concentrated a dose of Rocket Science as any fan could want. Or as Kit puts it, smirking, “I wouldn’t recommend listening to it when you’re feeling particularly fragile first thing on a Sunday morning, but that’s about the only time I would recommend not listening to it!”

Rocket Science’s fourth album Different Like You is out on High Spot through Fuse. Catch them performing in support of it at The Greenroom, Philip on the Saturday August 30 with Peabody and The Shake Up.Tickets available through www.moshtix.com, $15 presale, or $18 at the door.

SPG Security Xibit Printers

"He threw himself all over the audience, sang up on the bar and attempted to seduce many audience members multiple times during his set"

ganging up Peter Krbavac “Too much of a good thing.” You’ve probably had this proverb tutted at you by a worrisome parent at some stage during your childhood, possibly when you were threatening to blow your pocket money on a volatile combination of whiz-fizz and five cent lollies. Your mum may have been right then, but there are some scenarios when it just simply doesn’t apply. The recent of promotion of GANGBUSTERS, Bar 32’s previously fortnightly live band night, to a weekly event is one.

Warwick Smith, the man behind Birds Love Fighting and Gangbusters overlord gives us the skinny.

So firstly, what prompted the switch to weekly? “A combination of influences, one being that we’d like to remain consistent so that every week you know what you’re getting when you walk through Bar 32 on Thursday. And Canberra has heaps of bands - some quite well known, others unheard of but amazing!” he enthuses.

But what exactly does a Gangbusters hold in store? I could relay long, rambling and ultimately pointless tales of nights fuelled by Cooper’s Pale, cheap tomato ‘n’ cheese pizza and Flying Nun-influenced indie rock, but Warwick explains it all in a more concise, and hell, more informative and downright useful fashion. “For $5 you can expect to be up close and face-to-face on the dance floor with three or four local and interstate bands, plus an old-school indie disco following at midnight.”

Neatly summarising what sets Gangbusters apart from yer average club night, Warwick says succinctly: “Rock ‘n’ roll. And a personal touch.”

In Gangbusters’ almost year-long tenure, the night has hosted many a memorable evening from every end of the musical spectrum; whether it was Canberra’s twee-pop fraternity emerging from their bedsits to jam Bar 32 to capacity for The Brunettes, or gloriously ragged and violent sets from the likes of Witch Hats, Hardluck and Dead Farmers.

For Warwick, however, one-man party starter Tomás Ford’s recent appearance remains a highlight. “I would say Tomás Ford takes the cake for being one of the most entertaining dudes in the electro wave” he says. “He threw himself all over the audience, sang up on the bar and attempted to seduce many audience members multiple times during his set. The best moment was him running out onto the street and singing to the Mercury Bar crowd smoking outside, which to my amazement bought people inside to see what was going on - and they loved it!” It’s no surprise, then, to hear that Mr Ford will be back on October 2nd for another assault on the bar.

Also in the pipeline are appearances from the Australian incarnation of Detroit garage rockets MOTO - featuring members of the Spazzys and Eddy Current Suppression Ring – internationally acclaimed Melbourne popsters Crayon Fields and Wollongong post-punk band Ohana, launching their highly anticipated debut album - an LP set to be one of the most important and vital local releases of the year. There’s a whole bunch more, too, but you’ll have to head to the internet for that.

In terms of the future, Warwick’s plans are typically modest and pragmatic. “We’ll just see how far we can push the envelope. There’s a whole world of crap music out there and I hope that Canberra can make its way through all that – we’re not a one trick pony.”

For more information on the laundry list of upcoming shows, head to www. birdslovefighting.com or myspace.com/birdslovefighting .

FLORIADE full page colour

BLACKBOX

Patriotic souls will have noticed Prime bombarding viewers with ads for dramas that are coming soon. Those looking for respite from Johanna Griggs and Bruce McAvaney will have noticed the same phenomenon on the other networks.

Amongst all the froth and bubble about the exciting new schedule, at press time, on the commercial networks, there was only a start date for one – new Australian drama Packed to the Rafters (Prime, Tue Aug 26, 8.30pm). Starring Rebecca Gibney, Erik Thomson, Michael Caton and a bunch of relative newcomers (including Kick’s Zoe Ventoura), it’s about a suburban family and doesn’t involve police, a legal firm or a doctor’s surgery, which has got to be good.

Prime has also announced a start date for the Jack Thompson–hosted Find my Family (Prime, Tue Aug 26, 8pm), which helps people find family members they have never known. And yes, just in case you missed the 500 ads, Australian Idol (SCTEN, Sun Aug 24, 7.30pm) is back.

And what of the Olympics? The lack of HG and Roy was a great disappointment. Sure the timing was lousy and there’s probably few people watching anyway, but Andrew Daddo had to have known his show was just filler, something to plug the gap between Sunrise and competition. The Dream was must-watch-telly. Yum Cha was not.

And as far as the general coverage goes, there was too little focus on those odd sports that you only ever see at the Olympics. Rather than see Grant Hackett’s heat swim repeated 15 times, it might have been nice to see more table tennis, handball or BMX. While not dedicating themselves to blanket coverage, it’s safe to say that the folks at good old Auntie will have more Paralympic coverage than any broadcaster in the world, with two one-hour highlight packages (ABC1 daily from Sun, Sep 7, 6pm and 11.30pm) and stacks of live stuff on ABC2 and ABCHD. Head of the commentary panel for the live broadcast of the Opening Ceremony (ABC1 and ABC2, Sat Sep 6, 9.50pm) will be Adam Hills.

Between ABC and SBS, there are quite a few gems over the next fortnight, including what they’re calling series two of Hollowmen (ABC1, Wed Sep 3, 9pm). There’s also the new comedy from the people behind The Librarians. Small Business (ABC1, Wed Sep 3, 9.30pm) stars Stupid Man’s Wayne Hope and like The Librarians, will grow on you but probably not become don’t-miss-TV. Top Gear’s affable, yet oft pilloried James May takes his technical ability on a journey looking at some of the world’s technological advances in James May’s 20th Century (SBS, Sun Aug 24, 8.30pm). Like Top Gear, it’s much more entertaining than it sounds – he talks to Status Quo about the electric guitar, gets his brain photographed while looking at cars and takes a drive with Jamiroquai’s Jay Kay in his replica Lunar Rover.

In the don’t miss basket is Roller Derby Dolls (ABC, Tue Sep 9, 8pm), a doco about a group of Brisbane women who have just set up a rollerderby league. The full contact women-only sport is having a resurgence lately and plans are afoot for a local league. Check out the doco and then visit http://crdl.wikispaces.com for more info on what’s happening locally.

Still on full contact sport and repeated Murderball (ABC2, Wed Sep 3, 8.30pm) is about the guys who play wheelchair rugby.

Other shows to catch include the SBS Australian movie season starting with Look Both Ways (SBS, Sun Aug 24, 9.05pm) and Home Song Stories (SBS, Sun Aug 31, 9.10pm), Great Australian Albums: The Go Betweens -16 Lovers Lane (SBS, Sat Sep 6, 10pm), Nynne THE GO-BETWEENS (SBS, Sat Sep 6, 11pm) a kind of Danish Bridget Jones made into a series, The Cook and the Chef (ABC1, Wed Sep 3, 6.30pm) go to Nimbin and new series of Southpark (SBS, Mon Aug 25, 8.30pm), The Mighty Boosh (SBS, Mon Aug 25, 8.55pm), Shameless (SBS, Mon Aug 25, 10.05pm), Mythbusters (SBS, Sat Aug 30, 7.30pm) and Rockwiz (SBS, Sat Aug 30, 9.20pm).

TRACY HEFFERNAN tracyheffernan@bigpond.com

IN TODAY'S NEWS...

“Being a support band for a couple of years was good but every time you’re up on stage you’re aware that the crowd isn’t yours… you wish the crowd was yours” Shailla Van Raad As HORSELL COMMON first blasted their sound into the Melbourne music-sphere in 2002, their namesake, originating from a setting in HG Welles’ War of the Worlds, portended an alien-nerd-musical takeover, one city at a time: "It was actually our parents who were the nerds," says bassist Luke Cripps. "Our drummer and I used to go on family skiing trips. We were indoctrinated with HG Welles’ War of the Worlds. We heard of the name ‘Horsell Common’ and thought it was going to be temporary, but it stuck somehow."

Slowly but surely, Horsell Common has infiltrated our airwaves and are fulfilling their hostage quota, but not without suffering on their front too. The band used to consist of three members: Mark Stewart (vocals/guitar), Luke Cripps (bass) and Leigh Pengelly (drums), but now, there are unfortunately two. “Our former drummer quit due to a number of reasons – it was mostly over the touring aspect and everything associated with it. We’re in a van for long periods of time travelling and he had a lot of back and leg problems from the confined spaces and because he played the drums. We’re all still good friends… So right now we don’t have a drummer; Shane Wakker (from Bodyjar) is filling in and is phenomenal. He works really well with us.”

How did this PoA (Plan of Action), through the front of a band, start? “It’s a bit cliché. We all got into music in our mid-teens, 14 and 15, playing at school in the music room. We met there. We never actually took it seriously until a few years later, and now here we are touring. Our Satellite Wonderland tour was the first real headlining tour we’ve done. We went everywhere in Australia except for Tasmania and Brisbane. We played about 15 shows. It was really good to be headlining and not supporting.

We first started off as a supporting band and gradually worked our way up to do our own tours. Being a support band for a couple of years was good but every time you’re up on stage you’re aware that the crowd isn’t yours… you wish that the crowd was yours. Before, we felt like we had to really impress. Now, when we tour on our own tours we know that the crowd is ‘our’ crowd and they have been exposed to our music before and know it. It’s a different experience from before. It’s a great thing and we love it, but most of all we don’t take it for granted… An overseas tour is definitely being looked at in the future.”

So did the band confess whether alien life-forms really did influence them? I was just faced with denial. "Our infl uences vary from Nirvana to the Foo Fighters. I can name lots of bands but essentially we like to think our music is not really about the image, it’s more about good and honest music.” Obvious denial.

Their dichotomous old-new album, which came out in September of last year, and their latest single Sing the News are certainly very unique.

“With this album The Rescue we did try to write a positive record, but the lyrics are certainly a little darker. In terms of the music itself, we tried to make it uplifting, so that juxtaposition is there, like in Sing the News.” But is it too unique? Alien-muso invasion aside, these boys surely do know what they’re on about, especially when posed with an open-ended and single-minded question such as 'UK or American music?' “I prefer the UK music, it sounds better; their accents are awesome and their sound is more stripped back, not as polished. If you can’t replicate your sound on stage as a band, then what’s the point?”

Horsell Common hit town as part of their Sing the News tour on Friday August 29 at the Transit Bar. From 8pm, free entry. The Rescue is out now on Boomtown Records

THEATRE COLUMN What’s on? Well the biggest thing at the moment is the fabulous Canberra Living Artists Week. Yes, CLAW has rolled around again and there’s a bunch of stuff to see and do round the NC. Theatre, art, photography, music… Juicy tidbits below but if you want to check out the programme, head to www.artsaroundcanberra.com.au/claw .

Comedy Gold!

Chuckles aplenty can be had in various locations round Canbs. First up, Hot 5, two nights of comedy associated with CLAW: the deal is, a bunch of Canberra comics will dish up their best five minutes of comedy gold.

Featuring Tom Gibson, Emo Willis, Jay Sullivan, Kale Bogdanovs, Geoff Setty and Rick Meir, Hot 5 will serve up on August 25 and 26 from 8pm at the Cacophony Space in Manuka. $5 entry. Check it out on the CLAW programme.

Second, the Green Faces grand final will be held on September 4 so if you want to support your favourite local comedian, head to the CTC website for info on the show and to book your tickets! www.canberratheatre.org.au .

Tableaux Vellum Also part of the CLAW programme is the next Tableaux Vivants, titled Vellum. Vellum uses human bodies as living manuscripts. Words created by local writers inscribe and describe elements of the relationship the Muses have with their bodies. And yes, there will be nudity, so no prudes allowed. Also no lechers.

Tableaux Vivants presents Vellum, at Smith’s Alternative Bookstore.

Sunday August 24, 6.30 to 7pm and 7.30 to 8pm. $15 entry. Bookings are recommended so give ’em a buzz on 6247 4459.

8 Women Auditions Centrepiece Theatre are returning to the Canberra stage and need eight women to stand on it. Auditions for their new show, 8 Women, based on the delightfully nutty Francois Ozon romp will be held on Saturday August 23. This show is particularly exciting for all you gals out there who, like me, are constantly frustrated by the lack of good female roles in the theatre. Email Centrepiece’s AD, Jordan Best, on jordan.best@ homemail.com.au for info and to book a slot.

Wicked Voice The Street has announced the cast for their upcoming and incredibly exciting-sounding new show, The Wicked Voice. The premiere world exclusive show features four ‘melodramas’ created in collaborative awesomeness by Caroline Stacey, Dianna Nixon, ACT Australian of the Year Geoffrey Lancaster, legendary Oz composer Larry Sitsky, and acclaimed mezzo-soprano Angela Giblin. The cast includes Canbs stalwarts Raoul Craemer and Chrissie Shaw, plus debutantes Clare Blumer and Miriam Miley-Read.

The Street Theatre presents The Wicked Voice at Street 2. Friday August 29 and Saturday August 30 @ 8pm, Sunday August 31 @ 2pm and 6pm. Tickets $29/$25/$15. Call the B.O. on 6247 1223 for info and to book.

A Tribute Finally, though it seems unfit to eulogise in these pages that so often are the scene for mirth, Canberra has too soon lost one of the lights of the theatre community and we must pay our respects. On Friday 25 July Jan Wawrzynczak, theatre maker extraordinaire, former GM of Canberra Youth Theatre and Multicultural Arts Officer through artsACT, manager of Belconnen Theatre and their Community Arts and Culture Program, all-round legend and inspiration to us all, passed away. Our deepest sympathy to his loved ones. He will be sorely missed.

NAOMI MILTHORPE princessnaea@gmail.com

DISCOLOGY Bodies Of Water A Certain Feeling (Popfrenzy/Secretly Canadian) Bodies of Water hail from Los Angeles and are fronted by husband and wife team David Metcalf and Meredith Arthur, although why anybody is using this as an excuse to palm them off as some sort of modern-day Momma’s & Papa’s is inexplicable and beyond me. Blogospheric pedantry aside, A Certain Feeling is the band’s second release this year and if they can keep up the quality at this sharp work rate, they’ll be playing mid-afternoon sets to confused inner city PR-types at every festival this summer before you can say “Wolfmother? Headlining? Are you sure?” For the most part A Certain Feeling is rousing and robust anthemic indie-prog recalling Danielson, Polyphonic Spree and any number of string-led bands from the Montréal metropolitan area. Under The Pines approaches the wild giddy abandon of an Akron/Family set ending rave up, which itself is basically a ’70s era Yes rip off, whilst the opener Gold Tan Peach and Grey throws in all stylistic references mentioned thus far and a little Neko Case/AC Newman escalating harmonic competition. They don’t lack for melodies and there’s an abundance of ideas but at times it seems like there’s a rush to get them all in a song, resulting in a sensation of disjointedness - and if it all sounds a little tiring, it can be. But, like exercise, it’s all worth it. I’ve heard.

JUSTIN HOOK Boris Smile (Southern Lord) For baffl ing reasons, this album has generally received lukewarm reviews, with a lack of musical progression as the common issue. But I would counter with the ‘if it ‘aint broke why fix it’ argument. Across eight feedback-laced tracks, Japanese noisemongers Boris conjure a delicious tension and release dynamic which becomes apparent on the opener Flower, Sun, Rain. This track commences with the muffl ed strains of a melancholy power ballad, originally performed by the 1970s Japanese band PYG, and builds insistently to a crashing finale. Elsewhere on LaserBeam, the band revisits more familiar speed punk territory that nevertheless sounds fresh and brutally energised. This track ends with a plaintive guitar strum that abruptly segues into a burst of searing lead guitar announcing the amped-up thrash of Statement. This unexpected transition suggests the band enjoying itself, as does the usual nod to late-‘60s acid rock, performed without a trace of self consciousness. Boris situates the fuzzed guitars and heavy rhythms of this earlier music within the contemporary Japanese psych-rock scene which, as the album title suggests, has put a great big smile on this usually jaded listener’s face.

DAN BIGNA Bowerbirds Hymns for a Dark Horse (Dead Oceans) Bowerbirds write timeless sounding simple music based in Appalachian folk or country, with inventive and interesting melodies that are wrapped like lollies in amazing harmonies and

then hung as sweet and golden fruit on a brilliant big tree. Bowerbirds write songs about simple things like birds, horses, trees or the environment and yet manage to sound totally bad-ass and not like boring hippies or environmentalists at all.

Bowerbirds play a few instruments to create a huge, beautiful and continuously interesting sound that, despite beginning terribly traditional, always sounds fresh, amazing and inviting. Bowerbirds make this reviewer use far too many adjectives and gush about how this is one of the best albums released this year/last year/many years ago. I don’t care about the hype, or if this comes back to bite me! It’s brilliant!

OWEN CARROLL Fonda 500 Je M’appelle Stereo (Low Transit Industries) Of course it’s almost impossible not to point out Fonda 500 sound exactly like Super Furry Animals circa 1998. Or the Beta Band, same era. Or Stereolab for that matter. Or Granddaddy. Oh jeez, it’s gonna be one of those reviews it seems. Anyway, where were we? Yes, right. You know there’s no law against bands copping their sound from another era and running with it like lost teenagers on an alcopop-fuelled frenzy. But there should be. Je M’appelle Stereo, roughly translating to ‘My Apple Flavoured Steroplayer Machine’ I think, has a definite lo-fi vibe about it: cheesy Casio’s rule, simple power chord thrushes, childish solos and vocals pushed way, way up front, almost apologetically. Gratefully, the twee is turned down a little half way through on Everything is Connected but, by gods here we go again, they end up sounding like The Books. Come Alight, a welcome redeemer follows soon after and it's here things begin to gel a little better - they’ve calmed down primarily.

Alas, it doesn’t last long. Fonda 500 have two styles: the kitchen sink approach and the more traditional song strum approach. The former wins in sheer numbers over the latter on Je M’appelle Stereo, but that’s hardly a victory.

JUSTIN HOOK Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu Gurrumul (Skinnyfi sh) A former member of Yothu Yindi, now with the Saltwater Band, this is Yunupingu’s first release under his own name. His voice is disarming – one of those rare soulful instruments, imbued with wisdom and empathy and sadness. Blind from birth, Yunupingu sings in a mixture of English and Aboriginal dialects, picking hypnotic arpeggios on his acoustic guitar, whilst telling stories of almost haiku focus – tales effortlessly mixing the land, the weather and the people into one. Tastefully produced by Michael Hohnen, with the exception of the odd double-bass line or harmony vocal, this is just Yingupingu, in his unassuming way, drawing you in as if he were playing in your living room. This is not a record that screams for your attention, but once under its spell, you will find yourself returning again and again.

LUKE MCGRATH

Grand Magus Iron Will (Rise Above/Riot) As Nicko McBrain might say, “Fuck My Old Boots”. It’s the only phrase that comes close to decribing how much your uncle Nambo’s Ghast has been fl abbered by this absolute stormer of an album. My Last FM profile tells me that I’ve been listening to this album a lot recently, and with good bloody reason. This is an absolutely pant-wettingly good album.

In the ‘70s and early ‘80s all heavy metal sounded like this – colossal (yet always tuneful) riffage, melodic choruses and guitar solos you can whistle along to – and Swedes GM have made an absolutely titanic record in Iron Will that encompasses all of those qualities. Every time you slip this album on something new presents itself for your delectation, and every time you slip this album on a different track will be your favourite, whether it be the Manowarly stentorian stomp of the title track, the viking fury of opener Like the Oar Strikes the Water or the frankly staggering Candlemass homage Silver Into Steel that knocks well-meaning buffoons such as Hammerfall into a neatly-cocked studded denim hat – you’ll keep coming back to this album in the months to come like the slavering dogs you are, and still you won’t be sated. I want to listen to this album for ever and ever.

NAMBUCCO “HOVDING” DELIRIA Jaguar Love Take Me To The Sea (Matador/Remote Control) Sonically, Jaguar Love are the precocious and bratty continuation of BiS – equally shouty but demonstrably more tuneful, with a better grasp of song construction.

But as good as the propulsive glam, power-pop backing tracks are, there’s no doubt Johnny Whitney’s voice is difficult to warm to: a shrill, shrieking, hysterical falsetto leaping around relentlessly and often times unnecessarily. The phrase ‘acquired taste’ comes to mind. That he wraps it around some monster and memorable hooks is either a damn shame or the greatest trick since the rabbit was introduced to the top hat. Take Me To The Sea is the sort of release that will divide a crowd. It’s exuberant, energetic and everything – but by god it’s a tiring listening. Whitney’s voice insidiously drills into your head with equal parts repulsion and fascination – 'can he really keep it up,' I wondered.

More to the point – can I? The songs

are rhythmically and melodically complex enough to encourage repeated custom – indeed I found myself wondering what exactly it was that forced me to keep listening to them again, and almost everything here would go down a treat on a festival side stage. Assuming of course you don’t recoil in horror at that voice.

Within their “throw everything at the wall” remit, Jaguar Love have pulled off one of the more intriguing releases of the year thus far.

JUSTIN HOOK Lamplight S/T (Fuse Music) Following the success and promise of Melbourne’s self-described ‘folk-rock orchestra’, Lamplight’s early EP release, it’s safe to say the expectations surrounding an album are pretty high. Lamplight are a multi-instrumental five-piece led by the distinctive vocals of Mijo Biscan, who play lush traditional and electric folk music. Listening to the opening song, the title track of their EP Ship in a Bottle, you get the feeling that the album will follow in the same straightforward but pleasant way. But there is a surprising shift after the hum of the leading single: track by track the songs become more abstract, less focused.

The structures loosen, and they begin to incorporate elements such as field recordings and varied instruments.

Likewise, the music becomes harder to classify, still keeping its folk-roots and strong Australian feel but ambitiously expanding the picture in a continuously vibrant and interesting way. By the time you have reached the second half, the album has dissolved into a spectral mid-afternoon haze, somewhere very far away from the straightforward stomp it begins with, and somewhere very, very good.

OWEN CARROLL Monkey: Journey To The West (Remote Control) At Britpop’s zenith in 1995, a bunch of housing estate thugs battled it out for chart supremacy against the soft, nancy-boy rivals from down South.

It was 100% pure, silly nonsense. Oasis accounted for Blur on the day and duly became one of the most tedious rock bands ever to engage in a tabloid style chart war. Blur took a rather more interesting path: Graham Coxon left the band to struggle with fame

Little Red Listen To Little Red (Hooch Hound/Shock) My god this is good. It’s rare to find a young group with such impeccable musicianship that also have taste.

Solidfying their reputation as a live draw, the album’s unfussy production showcases their assets - raw guitar tones, impassioned singing, breezy songs, those indelible tossed-off harmonies and more tambourine than I’d thought was even legal. Like The Vasco Era picking through the Buddy Holly songbook, this is simultaneously classic and fresh. Most importantly, they sound like they are having a ball, a feeling that quickly is passed to the listener. The band themselves do a sterling job of summing their sound up - their Myspace refers to it as “original doowop punk”. And how – now if only they’d play Canberra!

LUKE MCGRATH

and an agreeable singing voice, Dave Rowntree became a spectacularly unsuccessful politician, Alex James turned into a Lord of the Manor-type gent, cheesemaker and columnist du jour, and Damon Albarn struggled to sit still for any length of time whatsoever. In short order, Albarn created a superb ‘it’ll never work’ cartoon supergroup (then toured them!), skirted the edges of credulity and Paul Simon comparisons with a North African music obsession, formed another supergroup – human form this time - became a Reykjavik local and bar owner and now this: a full scale opera based on the Ming Dynasty-era literary figure, the Monkey King. You’ll most likely know him as the hyperactive, egg-spawned, poorly dubbed character from the ’80s Japanese TV show Monkey Magic! but the escapades of Monkey, Pigsy, Tripitaka and Sandy form the essence of 16th Century Chinese legend Journey To The West. Last year Albarn teamed up with Jamie Hewitt and Chinese theatre director Chen Shi-Zheng and delivered a lavish stage production of the ancient story to rave reviews.

This is the ‘soundtrack’ to the show – not a live recording, but a re-recording with more of clear emphasis on atmospherics over attention grabbing and dramatic flourishes as normally expected in stage productions. It’s an alluring fusion of traditional Chinese instrumentation, Kraftwerk, The Cocteau Twins and the second half of Bowie’s Low. Removed from their theatrical context, some pieces lack focus and at times it can drift by peacefully in the background, but after a week in its presence this CD stubbornly and unexpectedly refuses to leave my conscience or stereo. Not being a sinologist I am unable to vouch for the authenticity of the score or the dramatic thrust of the adapted story, but Monkey: Journey To The West is another mesmerising addition to the

Albarn CV, proof positive of a restless and thoroughly unique English talent – one who takes enormous risks where others coast ill-advisedly on the mediocrity of the past.

JUSTIN HOOK One Day As a Lion S/T (Anti-Records/Shock) For people that like Rage Against The Machine but wish they were shit. (So while the above statement is a little dramatic, there is some truth to it – eight years and this is the best Zack can come up with? Eight years of patient waiting and we have been rewarded with just five songs that sound like they were written and recorded in an afternoon. Mr de la Rocha still has one of the best voices in the game, but it is squandered over these lazy arrangements. Lead single Wild International has its charm, but even it would struggle to make the cut back in the RATM’s halcyon days.

Audioslave copped their fair amount of bile from the diehards, but were a guilty pleasure for many – listening to this is simply a chore. Pull Evil Empire back out of its sleeve and slam-dance around your living room to it instead).

LUKE MCGRATH Primal Scream Beautiful Future (Warner) Like it or not acid house traditionalists, but Primal Scream peaked at the turn of the millennium with the chaotic, amphetamine rush of XTRMNTR. Live performances of that era caught the band in full

flight indulging in every rock fantasy conceivable, being so unbelievably vital, playing the loudest (thank you Mr Shields) set I have ever heard and appearing to be on a collision course with the sun. It was a beautiful noise.

Then they started slipping, as is their wont, and they faxed in the tolerable follow up Evil Heat and appeared to have given up altogether judging by their most recent and rightly vilified effort Riot City Blues. Expectations were justifiably low. It is somewhat of a relief to find Primal Scream getting back on track again, slowly but surely.

Roping in Bjorn Yttling of Peter, Bjorn and John semi-fame and UK scene producer Paul Epworth, Beautiful Future is reclamation of the past and a steadying album for those who’d given up. The welcome reminders of the past - Beautiful Future = Vanishing Point and Can't Go Back = XTRMNTR - are essential to provide some backbone to the album, but for the first time in years Primal Scream at least appear interested in making music.

Often overlooked are Gillespie’s sharp choice of collaborators (Kate Moss notwithstanding), and it’s no different here with the supreme Linda Thompson co-anchoring the obligatorily white boy soul number – Fleetwood Mac’s Over & Over.

Elsewhere Josh Homme and Lovefoxxx bob their heads up above the parapet with negligible degrees of stylistic invasion. Stay away from the turd that is Zombie Man though – not a warning, an order. Any Primal Scream album will invariably suffer in comparison to Screamadelica and XTRMNTR, unfair as it may be, and it’s no different here – they excel when they pick the right producer and look forward. Let’s see what happens next.

JUSTIN HOOK

Time Machine Life is Expensive (Leisure Cult/Shogun) I love Time Machine; their Ugly Duckling-style upbeat boom-bap hip-hop gets the fingers snapping and head nodding every time. This, their second artist LP (not including compilation Time Machine Radio) took a few spins for it to warm to me. What started as a slightly disappointing release with a handful of highlights has bloomed into a start-to-finish pleasure.

Don’t be fooled by laidback opener In The City of Everything; this is a distinctly more up-tempo affair, and it’s the slick ‘n’ sassy production – in particular the ball-tearing breaks and chunky beats on offer – that make this album a repeated winner. Personal favourite We’re Making a Video combines a coy and distinctly Asian flute melody with one of the more rippin’ break lines you’re likely to hear this year. The Unfortunate Twist and The Groove That Just Won’t Stop are instant club favourites; upbeat, humorous and permeated with an overall sense of fun. And title track Life is Expensive is excellent, and in its sound signalling a unique contribution to hip-hop’s increasingly large (and some might argue increasingly diluted) pool; a marching synth/beat combo drives MCs Jet Set Jay and Biscuit as they list positives and negatives on the nature of life in the modern world.

Throw in the magic build (involving chimes, military-esque shouting, switching beats and layered vocals, and all without being cluttered) and you have one of the hip-hop nuggets of the year. The fat balls production of Mekalek combined with the quicklipped wit and sharp rhyming of Jet Set Jay and Biscuit make this a highly enjoyable hip-hop record indeed.

ALLAN SKO

Cell Out

With Mark Russell; he's a stank job.

When inviting a mate to watch The Square, all that I told him about it was that it was Australian. “So is it about bogans or criminals or both?” he asked. This would be much funnier if he hadn’t nailed the fi lm’s genre. I like a mulleted gangster as much as the next guy but how many times can you watch a character with a shotgun in one hand and a VB can in the other before it gets old? Surely the entire gamut of Aussie inventiveness didn’t go into the hills hoist did it?!

The Bank Job The words ‘based on a true story’ tend to have the same generous boundaries on the truth as your average political campaign promise. This tale of a bank robbery and its repercussions for London’s crime, crime-fighting and espionage communities could be frame for frame accurate, but it’s unlikely. The set-up is plausible though extreme: an unnamed female royal is photographed in an incredibly compromising position and the prints are kept in a safe deposit box deep within a bank vault. MI5 (or MI6) can’t be linked to any attempts to get the photographs back so they surreptitiously hire some low-level crims, headed by Terry Leather (Jason Statham), to do the place over.

Wanted Wanted, to be frank, is nothing but bullet holes and plot holes. While I did find it quite entertaining, to say that this film pushes the limits of basic believability would be a vast understatement. I’m all for bending the laws of the known universe, and it is a ‘superhero’ type movie of sorts, but more than once I found myself going, “Oh, come ON!” Based (oh-so-loosely) on a graphic novel, Wanted follows the mundane activities of Wesley, a downtrodden nohoper in a dead-end job and crappy relationship. One day while going about his dull-as-dirt business, Wesley finds out from the coy and mysterious Fox (Angelina Jolie) that a) his absentee father was some sort of awesome assassin - before he got

The Square The events of The Square take place in the quiet community of Haven Cove, which was built in a timewarp near Sydney where the cars, haircuts and most of the population haven’t progressed past the early '90s. Director Nash Edgerton seems to be a local here as well, evidenced by his wish to cover so much ground all aptly depicted many, many times since the late Heath Ledger first screwed up a money drop-off for Bryan Brown.

Ray (David Roberts) is a married construction foreman who’s conducting dodgy dealings on site and dodgier dealings off it with Carla (Claire van der Boom), the wife of a local thug/gangster-type Smithy

"How the hell did that happen?"

Kevin Swain (Stephen Campbell Moore) "Fucked if I know. Just keep walking."

Terry Leather (Jason Statham): The Bank Job

The problem is that these deposit boxes are the closet where many infl uential and insidious people keep their skeletons.

The robbery itself is pretty uninteresting on the whole and is given far too much of the film’s running time. What is of interest is the fallout as the many dirty secrets, and the dirtier secretkeepers, come out of the woodwork.

Pretty soon everyone’s after Terry and his gang and it’s a race against time to see who can kill them first.

The ‘true story’ card goes a long way towards making this film work. These guys are way out of their depth going into a bank to open an account, let alone to rob it. Add in an international scandal and a lot of pissed off neighbourhood heavies and they’re in

very hot water. Other than the odd hiccup, Terry generally handles these new circumstances with aplomb, though some of his plans seem to be based almost entirely on luck. Statham is solid in this role and gets good support from most of the cast, though femme fatale Saffron Burrows offers little more than a gorgeous bit of eyecandy who kills every line she’s given.

There are still many moments that will test your belief, common sense and attention span, and many of the threads are not satisfactorily cleaned up, but The Bank Job is worth watching for the conniving final third alone.

capped; b) his anxiety attacks are actually <insert bullshit exposition> which allow him to slow down reality and perform superhuman feats; c) he can ‘bend bullets’; and d) he is being recruited into an ancient group called the Fraternity, headed by Sloan (Morgan Freeman), to hunt down his father’s killer.

Yes, this is one of those vendetta stories, where the ‘everyman’ suddenly pulls off something amazing and sticks it to the man. The concept of the Fraternity is fl imsy to say the least – not only do they work out of a filthy warehouse, they kill people they don’t even know in order to possibly (yes, possibly) ‘save a thousand’. Oh yeah, and they take their orders from a prophetic loom that knows binary code.

Wanted is high speed, and unapologetic in its action. Director Timur Bekmambetov has a slick style (see Night Watch, et. al), which suits this ridiculous story. Plot holes abound, but instead of pretending to explain things, Wanted merely gives you the finger and launches into another explosive action sequence.

There is also a nifty gratuitous shirtless scene of McAvoy – why is it that in films, people always seem to get dressed while their rippling torso is still wet from a magical, healing wax bath?

Overall, this is a really bad film that is really good to watch. Oh yeah, and Morgan Freeman says "motherfucker."

If anything, see Wanted just for that.

(Anthony Hayes). When Carla presents Ray with the opportunity to steal the proceeds from Smithy’s latest enterprise, he has to decide whether he’s man or mouse. Things get a little hectic from here.

There is brilliant tension to The Square.

As the events gradually pull you into the spiral of shit that Ray’s life becomes, you can’t help but wince at the strain he’s under. The only motivating factor to be sucked in however, is a vague general sympathy for another human being, as otherwise there’s nothing here to care about.

Personally, I need a film to have at least one major character who is either intelligent, or likeable. It definitely doesn’t have to be both but without a

fl icker of one of these characteristics, I fail to care what happens. Ray is underhanded, selfish, usually stupid and a prick to those he has power over.

Carla is kind when she’s getting her way but a manipulative bitch when she isn’t. There is slightly more depth to Billy who is played by Joel Edgerton, Nash’s brother and the writer of the piece. However, he doesn’t command enough screen time to utilise this.

Add in a lot of clunky dialogue and the predictability that comes from basing a story arc on stupidity and greed, and you’ve got another unfortunately forgettable Australian crime thriller.

MARK RUSSELL

MEGAN McKEOUGH

MARK RUSSELL

kaz technology full page colour

GIG REVIEWS

Peter Combe and The Juicy Juicy Green Band @ ANU Bar, Sunday July 20 Everyone was wearing newspaper hats and it was all very cute and ‘lets rediscover our childhood whilst chugging schooners of beer and saying fuck a lot’. The guy with the hardcore metal tattoos wearing a folded paper on his head dancing to the spaghetti song was pretty much the most awesome thing ever.

What is it about a daggy kids musician who’s going on 60 that can make people so goddamn happy? If Peter Combe had been throwing handfuls of Prozac out into the crowd it would have made a lot more sense. But maybe that’s just it.

We were drinking beer and dancing like retarded monkeys to a man who brought us up on ’80s songs like Wash Your Face in Orange Juice, Spaghetti Bolognaise, Chops and Sausages, Toffee Apple, Chopsticks… Christ, the list is endless. And Combe, like a trooper, made sure he played them all. Funny thing is, it wasn’t just about the novelty of hearing the songs you once danced around to in the loungeroom wearing Astro Boy underpants on your head (oh wait, we still do that). Combe has taken these kids classics, thrown in a few more instruments/young, good-looking musicians/a slightly better beat and given his songs a contemporary edge that still maintains a Vegemite charm. To some it might seem that the whole Combe phenomenon is more about an idea than the actual quality of his music. Screw that. I’m going so far as to say that Combe the ‘adult’ performer now has a musical edge that just cuts out the wank. The man described puberty at one stage through the metaphor of a sexually confused tadpole. He’s a dag. And he’s goddamn proud.

At the end of day, Combe was just a guy doing what he loves. No pretensions, no awesome stories involving Russian prostitutes, crack and another wacky band adventure (oh, those crazy bands). He seemed a little bemused by the mass hysteria that almost every second song seemed to excite, but this guy took it all in his early ’80s stride. I’m pretty sure a few people cried during Chopsticks. Who can blame them?

CAITLIN CROUCHER The Herd/The Last Kinection @ ANU Bar, Friday August 8 When I arrived at the bursting ANU bar, The Last Kinection had just launched into their set, supported by a crowd that was loud enough, keen enough and rowdy enough to suggest that these guys were in fact the headlining act. The Last Kinection have been somewhat of an underrated presence in Australia’s hip-hop scene over the past years, receiving a large amount of critical acclaim and stellar live reviews, but never really infiltrating the realm of household familiarity in the world of alternative music. After seeing them live, it’s hard to believe that their presence in the Australian music scene hasn’t become more dominant.

Using their indigenous backgrounds and experiences as inspiration for much of their songwriting, TLK’s stylish and bouncing hip-hop style is given extra strength by the sense of purpose and determination conveyed through their lyrics. Although the group maintained their energy and engagement admiringly consistently throughout their set, the peak definitely came shortly before its end with the group’s infamous anthem Still Call Oz Home, a poignant yet passionate adaptation of the much-loved Australian gem.

THE HERD &THE LAST KINECTION @ ANU BAR PHOTOS BY NICK BRIGHTMAN

Most of the sold-out crowd had packed into the refectory area by the time The Herd came on stage. Although everyone was seemingly crammed in shoulder-to-shoulder, there was a little fluidity within the crowd, as everyone managed slowly to create a little bit of dancing space around themselves in anticipation of what was to come. The group had somewhat of a false start, caused apparently by a mixture of technical problems and a missing group member, but as soon as they eventually launched into 2020, their recent radio favourite and opening track from their new album Summerland, every person in the building was bopping about and chanting along in a manner reminiscent of many of the Herd’s standout live performances.

Like TLK, the Herd’s set was outstandingly strong the whole way through, although at an even higher intensity than the former. There weren’t any surprise inclusions or exclusions from their set, however they performed an altered, latin, Rhythms Del Mundo-esque version of 77%. While it was fun to see them playing around with their music so creatively and interestingly, as well as it being understandable that they may be tired of playing this staple at every show, I’m sure that many fans – myself included – were a little disappointed at being unable to shout until their throats were hoarse to a usually epic live song.

Overall, highlights were hard to pick, but the electric energy that bolted through the crowd during Unpredictable was particularly memorable.

Sold out shows at the ANU rarely disappoint, however as usual, The Herd put on a performance that, as hard as it would have been, still managed to surpass many expectations.

BEN HERMANN Na Maza/Voltera/Our Last Enemy/Corgi Crisis @ The Basement, Friday August 15 Local band Corgi Crisis presents a sound that would be an excellent accompaniment to any riot. The rabid, rapid fire lyrics from the vocalist are a blaze of insanity and the instrumentalists reveled in their

discordant, random approach to making music. While the bass was downplayed, the lead guitarist had a frantic workout, producing a sound that jumps from one rhythm to another with any actual melody only a temporary, casual stranger.

Our Last Enemy from Sydney produced a more melodic, layered approach with considerable depth made possible by the introduction of keyboards into the mix. The vocalist displayed an impressive ability to drag out the powerful screams that were a feature of every song - his frequently employed technique of shaking the mic produced a unique quavering tone. Another remarkable skill involved rapid chops to his throat with the side of his hand, producing further extraordinary vocal effects. The band gave an awesome show of extreme metal that wowed the audience and they finished strongly with the closing song Headless.

Voltera from Melbourne kicked off their set with Do What Your Daddy Says. They have moved on from the genre of progressive metal and planted their flag firmly in the field of shock rock. Vocalist Jessica has changed her image and abandoned the block eye shadow look, however she entered a new zone of effects with fake blue blood oozing down her chin onto her chest. The antics of the guitarist, with live crickets crawling from his mouth, brought back memories of the glory days of gross-out, in your face effects. Exorsister and a cover of Push It were set highlights.

Local lads Na Maza were back on song after a longish break from playing and a recent first reappearance at The Greenroom. Vocalist Mila began the set by pounding the beat on a solo drum by the barrier, calling the fans to near the front of the stage. After the uncanny behaviour of a couple of the previous bands, locals Na Maza took us back to straight forward, traditional metal. There were no stunts, just roaring vocals, killer riffs and enticing pulses of sound that had the rate of head banging and hair rotation going off the scale. Pressure and Whisky Song (gotta be an anthem for any drinking session) were set highlights.

RORY MCCARTNEY

BMA BAND PROFILE

partybus Where did your band name come from?

Well, the band’s main theme is partying, however we believe in sustainable public transport and performance spaces. Why partycar when you can fit more people on a partyBUS? Group members: Parturno Culto (yeller of words), Partonymous (Windows Media Player operator/backup words), Nuclear Partycausto (OG loops and yells – now resides on the internet).

Describe your sound: Loud beats and yelling/raging electro fury.

Who are your influences, musical or otherwise?

Black Flag, Aryan Disgrace, Drexciya, Dopplereffekt, Chronic Sick, NigHeist, Elecktroids, Zero Boys, James Stinson, Project X, Slapshot, the straight edge.

What’s the weirdest experience you’ve had whilst performing?

Wow. Definitely having a girl who we had never seen before request that we play Suck My Dick again so she could dance to it. That was pretty odd.

What’s your biggest achievement/proudest moment so far?

Getting paid after shows for our music I guess. It’s just stuff that we made on fruityloops to have fun with, so getting paid after shows was completely unexpected. We’d do it for free, but it is a nice surprise.

What are your plans for the future?

Basically we just wanna finally release something (next show we should have some EPs done up, real cheap), party hard and play more shows. We really just want have fun with it.

What makes you laugh?

That bit in the Brothers Karamazov where Aloysha goes up to Lise all like “Girl, you’re the shit. I’m gonna marry you and stuff”. And then she starts getting all up in his face, NIHIL THOUGHTS. What pisses you off?

Too much blood in the caffeine stream.

What’s your opinion of the local scene?

Local scene rules at the moment, heaps of gigs across the board, heaps of sweet bands such as Baby Freeze, Hardluck, Slowburn, Andi and George Band etc. It’s also great to see that dudes are bringing down some sweet interstate and international bands and becoming more ambitious with the shows they put on. Only things that sucks is that someone failed to book Toxic Lipstick. Definitely a downer.

What are your upcoming gigs?

We’re playing Bar 32 on Thursday Auguest 28 with Slowburn, Coldfront and Stepping Stone. Good dudes, bands, backed hard. $5, come early, dance violently.

Contact info: If you want us to ROCK YOUR PARTY, send a message to the partyspace (http://myspace.com/xxxpartybus) and hope for a response. Or call 0410 704 667. Yeah.

FIRST CONTACT: Write your band’s name as well as the name and phone number of the

person to contact (limit of two contacts ie. phone and email) and send $5 (cheque or money order made to Bands, Music, Action) to bma: PO Box 713, Civic Square, ACT, 2608. For your $5 you’ll stay on the register until you request removal. Changes to listings also cost $5.

Aaron Peacey Aaron 0410 381 306 Afternoon Shift Adam 0402 055 314 After Close Scotty 0412 742 682, afterclose@hotmail.com Alcove Mark 0410 112 522 Alice 0423 100 792 Allies ACT (Oxfam Group) alliesact@hotmail.com/ myspace.com/alliesact Amphibian Sound PA Clare 0410 308 288 Annie & the Armadillos Annette 6161 1078/0422 076 313 The Ashburys Dan Craddock 0419 626 903 Aria Stone singer/songwriter(guitar), sax & flute Aria 0411 803 343 Australian Kingswood Factory Sharon 0412 334 467 Australian Songwriters Association (Keiran Roberts) 6231 0433 Arythmia: Ben 0423 408 767/ arythmiamusic@gmail.com Backbeat Drivers Steve 0422 733 974, www.backbeatdrivers.com Bastards Jamie 0424 857 282/ www.bastards.altpro.net Big Boss Groove Andrew 0404 455 834, www.bigbossgroove.com.au Birds Love Fighting Gangbusters/DIY shows - bookings@birdslovefighting.com Blister Bug Stu 0408 617 791 Bridge Between, The Rachel 0412 598 138, thebridgebetween.com.au Bruce Stage mgr/consultant 6254 9857 Casual Projects Julian 0401 016 885 Catchpenny Nathan 0402 845 132 Caution Horses Nigel 0417 211 580 CD and Website Design Brendan 0404 042 574 Chuffs, The Glenn 0413 697 546 Cold Heart Projects Andrew 6294 5450 Cole Bennetts Photography 0415 087 833/colebennetts@gmail.com Colourful Racing Identities Josh 0410 135 605 Cool Weapon Luke 0410 983 450/ Josh 0412 863 019 Cris Clucas Cris 6262 5652 Crooked Dave 0421 508 467 Cumulonimbus Matt 0412 508 425 Dahahoo Rafe 0416 322 763 Dance With Amps Marcus 0421 691 332 Danny V Danny 6238 1673/0413 502 428 DayTrippers, The Reidar 0414 808 677, daytrippers@grapevine.com.au (dp) New Media Artists Mal 0414 295 297 Dogact dog-act@hotmail.com, Paulie 0408 287 672.

DJ & the Karismakatz DJ Gosper 0411 065 189/karismakatz@yahoo.com.au DJs Madrid and Gordon 0417 433 971 DJ/MC Bootcamp Donte 9267 3655 DJ Latino Rogelio 0401 274 208 DJ Moises (RnB/Latin) 0402 497 835 or moises_lopez@hotmail DNA Vic 0408 477 020 Drumassault Kate 0414 236 323 Dubba Rukki Jim 0409 660 745 Easy Mode Daz 0404 156 482, easymodeband@gmail.com, myspace. com/easymodeband Entity Chris 0412 027 894 Epic Flagon band@epicflagon.com EYE eye@canberra.teknet.net.au Fighting Mongooses, The Adam 0402 055 314 Final Warning Brendan 0422 809 552 Fire on the Hill Aaron 0410 381 306/ Dan 0410 480 321 FirePigs, The Danny 6238 1673/0413 502 428 4dead Peter 0401 006 551 Freeloaders, The Steve 0412 653 597 Friend or Enemy 6238 0083, www.myspace.com/friendorenemy Funk Shui Dave 0407 974 476 Gareth Hailey DJ & Electronica 0414 215 885 GiLF Kelly 0410 588 747, gilf.mail@gmail.com Guff Damian 6230 2767 HalfPast Chris 0412 115 594 Hancock Basement Tom 6257 5375, hancockbasement@hotmail.com Happy Hour Wendy 0406 375 096, Haunted Attics band@hauntedatticsmusic.com Hitherto Paul 0408 425 636 Adam Hole Adam 0421 023 226

Infra Retina Kyle 0437 137 775/Michael 0430 353 893/www.infra-retina.com In The Flesh Scott 0410 475 703 Inside the Exterior Nathan 0401 072 650 Itchy Triggers Andrew 0401 588 884 Jacqui Seczawa 0428 428 722 JDY Clothing 0405 648 288/ www.jdyclothing.com Jenn Pacor singer/songwriter avail. for originals & covers, 0405 618 630 Jennifer Versatile singer looking for band; 0422 158 362 Jim Boots 0417 211 580 Kurt's Metalworx (PA) 0417 025 792 Lenders, The Tim 6247 2076 Little Smoke Sam 0411 112 075 Los Capitanes Tim 0421 842 247 Los Chavos Jules 0413 223 573 los.chavos@yahoo.com.au Manilla Green Herms 0404 848 462, contactus@manillagreen.com, Martin Bailey Audio Engineer 0423 566 093 Malumba Dan 6253 5150 MC Kayo Marbilus 0405 648 288 kayo_101@hotmail.com, www.myspace. com/kayo_marbilus, Meatbee Ben 0417 492 560 Missing Zero Hadrian Brand 0424 721 907/hadrian.brand@live.com.au Murder Meal Combo Anthony 0419 630 721 MuShu Jack 0414 292 567, mushu_band@hotmail.com Myriad Kath 6253 8318 MyOnus myonusmusic@hotmail.com/ www.myspace.com/myonus Neptune's Necklace Mark 6253 1048 No Retreat Simon 0411 155 680 Ocean Moses Nigel 0417 211 580 OneWayFare Chris 0418 496 448 Painted Hearts, The Peter 6248 6027 Para 0402 277 007 Petra Elliott Petra 0410 290 660 Phathom Chris 0422 888 700 The Pigs The Colonel 0422 412 752 Polka Pigs Ian 6231 5974 Premier Audio Simon 0412 331 876, premier_audio@hotmail.com Queanbeyan Music & Electronics 6299 1020 Redletter Ben 0421 414 472 Redsun Rehearsal Studio Ralph 0404 178 996/6162 1527 Rhythm Party, The Ross 0416 010 680 Roger Bone Band Andy 0413 483 758 Rob Mac Project, The Melinda 0400 405 537 Rug, The Jol 0417 273 041 Samsara Samahdi 0431 083 776 Sansutra J-Ma 0403 476 350 Sara Vancea Sara 6247 9899 Seditious Intent Toby 0419 971 547 Sindablok Duncan 0424 642 156 Simone Penkethman (Simone & The Soothsayers, Singing Teacher) 6230 4828 Soundcity Rehearsal Studio Andrew 0401 588 884 Solid Gold Peter 0421 131 887/ solid.gold@live.com.au Stalker and Liife Darren 0413 229 049 strong like sam Luke 0423 762 812 Super Best Friends Matt 0438 228 748 Surrender Jordan 0439 907 853 Switch 3 Mick 0410 698 479 System Addict Jamie 0418 398 556 Taboo Bamboo Greg 0439 990 455 That ‘80s Band Ty 0417 265 013 The Morning After (covers band) Anthony 0402 500 843/ myspace.com/themorningaftercovers Tim James Lucia 6282 3740, 0413 609 832, LUCIAMURDOCH@hotmail.com Top Shelf Colin 0408 631 514 Transmission Nowhere Emilie 0421 953 519/myspace.com/transmissionnowhere TRS tripstate@hotmail.com Udo 0412 086 158 Undersided, The Baz 0408 468 041 Using Three Words Dan 0416 123 020, usingthreewords@hotmail.com Voodoo Doll Mark 0428 650 549 William Blakely Will 0414 910 014 Woden Youth Centre Jeremy 6282 3037 Zeitgeist www.zeitgeist.xwave Zero Degrees and Falling Louis 0423 918 793 Zwish 0411 022 907

GIG GUIDE August 21 - 23 THURSDAY AUGUST 21

THURSDAY AUGUST 21

ARTS _____________

LIVE _____________

DANCE _____________

ARTS _____________

Resonant Sites (Chris Fortescue) & Low and Lone (Starlie Geikie) Photographic exhibition, continues til Aug 23 CCAS, GORMAN HOUSE Carmel McCrow: Nature's Veils Exhibition continues til Aug 24 CCAS, FURNEAUX ST, MANUKA Colour and Sound New paintings and textiles by five recent ANU graduates exploring visual responses to sound. Til Aug 31, 12-5pm Wed-Sun M16 ARTSPACE, FYSHWICK Lands End: Compagnie Philippe Genty An intriguing mix of puppetry, illusion, mime and dance, where audiences are taken on a poetic journey through a dreamlike landscape. Tix $60/53/35 (U27) from 6275 2700, til Aug 23 THE PLAYHOUSE, CANBERRA THEATRE CENTRE, CIVIC Pidgin A road trip of photography THE GALLERY, CANBERRA GRAMMAR SCHOOL, RED HILL Recovering Lives Showing, through archival material, how lives once hidden can be found again. Til Sep 21 ANU DRILL HALL GALLERY, ACTON Ainslie Arts Centre Classes Including drumming and percussion, electric bass guitar, clarinet, fl ute, string swing, tarantella and singing group classes.

Until Dec 9. Info 6230 7190 AINSLIE ARTS CENTRE Icon and Archive Photography of the World Wars AUSTRALIAN WAR MEMORIAL Traces of Italy Until Sep 15 WATSON ARTS CENTRE

Euphonic and Kempsey With special guests. Free entry TRANSIT BAR, AKUNA ST, CIVIC Gangbusters Now weekly, with Hancock Basement, The Magic Hands, and The Trivs. From 9pm, $5 BAR 32, NORTHBOURNE AVE Live Music With Mitch, from 9:30pm THE DURHAM, KINGSTON Naked From 9pm-midnight KING O'MALLEY'S, CIVIC

Muffl er Snarling, energy-infused drum 'n' bass from Finland via London, with Ben Jammin', The Crunch, Karton, Escha, Buick & Dred. $20 MERCURY BAR, N'THBOURNE AVE Mish Mash Fridays: Bodyrox They of smash Yeah Yeah fame.

With supports Fourthstate and Nick & Alex. From 10pm ACADEMY, CIVIC Frankie Madrid Funkin' it up KNIGHTSBRIDGE PENTHOUSE Ashley Feraude From 6 to 9pm BINARA ONE (CROWN PLAZA HOTEL) Souled Out Fridays R&B with DJs Daz, Nate & Adam MINQUE, FRANKLIN ST, MANUKA Dusty Grooves With local sex wagon Jemist. 9pm HIPPO, GAREMA PL, CIVIC Llik Llik Llik TRANSIT BAR, AKUNA ST, CIVIC Havana Nights Tropical rhythms from 8:30pm MONKEY BAR, BUNDA ST, CIVIC After Work Beats With Jam Master Jemist TRANSIT BAR, AKUNA ST, CIVIC

CLAW Gorman House Markets Into the Night Music, food, market fun, with handmade glass bead jewellery, and live 'n' local music with 2XX's Pasha's Lounge GORMAN HOUSE ARTS CENTRE CLAW: Cabin Fever Local artists Pablo is locked inside a room in central Civic for 7 days for all to see 112 ALINGA ST, CIVIC Canberra Photographic Society Until Aug 31 STRATHNAIRN HOMESTEAD GALLERY Bryan Dawe - Interval Melbourne artist specialising in projected images wrapped around the female form PHOTOACCESS HUW DAVIES GALLERY, MANUKA ARTS CENTRE Chris Morrison - Compressed 8 min widespread projection of 14,000 digital images PHOTOACCESS HUW DAVIES GALLERY, MANUKA ARTS CENTRE

DANCE _____________

The Big CLAW Opening Night Featuring Make Your Mark II by Cole Bennetts, a one night only photo exhibition of body art, Nosferati! (video art), The Terrace Display and CLAW Cacophony THE TERRACE, MANUKA

Michael O'Rourke Smooth vibes, fun times KNIGHTSBRIDGE PENTHOUSE Trash Thursdays With DJs Adam and Esscue. $5, $2 til 2am ACADEMY, CIVIC Blast From The Past Tunes from the ’80s and ’90s MINQUE, FRANKLIN ST, MANUKA

SOMETHING DIFFERENT _____________ McFadden's McComedy Night With Kale Bogdanovs, Emo Willis, Tom Gibson, Georgie B, Wes The Irish Guy, Jay Sullivan, Geoff Setty and more. Free FILTHY McFADDEN'S, KINGSTON Steve "The Sandman" Abbott Plus 6 acts from Melbourne CANBERRA IRISH CLUB, WESTON Guitar Hero Comp Win your round, advance to the next level and win Peado's Greenroom Cash. Doors 7pm, comp 8pm, free, 2-4-1 jagerbombs till 8pm THE GREENROOM, PHILLIP Braddon Brainbuster Trivia 6pm rego, 6.30pm start. Beer/ food vouchers, cash prizes to win THE BRADDON CLUB Carry On Karaoke PJ O'REILLY'S, CIVIC Basement Pool Comp THE BASEMENT, BELCONNEN Karaoke with a Twist PJ O'REILLY'S, TUGGERANONG FRIDAY AUGUST 22

ARTS _____________

FRIDAY AUGUST 22

LIVE _____________ Frankenbok With Synperium, Rake Sodomy and Point.17. $12, 8pm THE GREENROOM, PHILLIP The Remnants 10pm-2am KING O'MALLEY'S, CIVIC Town Hall Steps Playing a special birthday show for Sanyana "Spin" Pethes.

Happy 16th!

THE BASEMENT, BELCONNEN Live Band With Mr Lincoln, from 10pm THE DURHAM, KINGSTON Maureen O'Brien With Jim Stubbs backing band support act. From 7:30pm POLISH WHITE EAGLE CLUB, TURNER Los Chavos From 6:30pm SOUL BAR, WODEN

SOMETHING DIFFERENT _____________ Dita Hollywood in The Devil Wears Target Live drag show, from 11:30pm CUBE NIGHTCLUB, CIVIC

SATURDAY AUGUST 23

DAY PLAY _____________ Gorman House Markets GORMAN HOUSE Burley Griffi n Antique Centre KINGSTON FORESHORE

DANCE _____________ Decadance: Beni Single (Riot in Belgium) From the group that brought you La Musique, with Tim Galvin and Ashley Feraude. $15, $10 B4 midnight ACADEMY, CIVIC Exposed An epic night of dance featuring scallywags Staky, Sean Kelly and Terrorvision. Free TRANSIT BAR, AKUNA ST, CIVIC Nocturnals Playing sexy house music, with supports Kiz, Tim Galvin and Trent Richardson. $5 MONKEY BAR, BUNDA ST, CIVIC Shunji One of Canberra's favourite ex-pats returns KNIGHTSBRIDGE PENTHOUSE Ashley Feraude BINARA ONE, CROWN PLAZA Jazz Sessions: Phil Jenkins Trio Smooth jazz, wine tastings. 2pm MINQUE, FRANKLIN ST, MANUKA

GIG GUIDE August 23 - September 3 SATURDAY AUGUST 23

SUNDAY AUGUST 24

WEDNESDAY AUGUST 27

THURSDAY AUGUST 28

LIVE _____________

LIVE _____________

ARTS _____________

DANCE _____________

Bachelor of Arts Melbourne hardcore outfit, with Condorcet and Archaeopteryx in support. From 6pm, $5 BAR 32, NORTHBOURNE AVE Escape Syndrome With Tonk and All Guns Blazing. $10, 8pm THE GREENROOM, PHILLIP Red Valley Depravation With Futility THE BASEMENT, BELCONNEN Rockzone $8 cocktails from 4pm THE DURHAM, KINGSTON Agent 86 10:30pm-2:30am KING O'MALLEY'S, CIVIC Angels Are Architects THE PHOENIX, CIVIC Shakedown Regular indie/alt/dance night with DJs Tom and Chris. Follows Bachelor of Arts. From 9pm BAR 32, NORTHBOURNE AVE

KarismaKatz Launching their Spirit On The Rise disc, from 2pm AINSLIE BAR @ OLIM'S, AINSLIE The Bridge Between From 3-6pm YACHT CLUB, YARRALUMLA Irish Jam Session From 5pm KING O'MALLEY'S, CIVIC Kooky Fandango From 5-9pm ALL BAR NUN, O'CONNOR MONDAY AUGUST 25

CLAW Lecture on Jan Brown With Deborah Clark CANBERRA MUSEUM & GALLERY Ladies Night @ CLAW Cacophany Local songstresses. $5 THE TERRACE, MANUKA

Trash Thursdays With DJs Adam and Esscue. $5, $2 til 2am ACADEMY Ashley Feraude KNIGHTSBRIDGE PENTHOUSE Blast From The Past Re-live your favourite tunes from the ’80s and ’90s MINQUE, FRANKLIN ST, MANUKA

SOMETHING DIFFERENT _____________ Macabre Canberra Canberra's secrets revealed at this book launch RAVEN CLOTHING, BUNDA ST SUNDAY AUGUST 24

ARTS _____________ Tableaux Vellum: Words On Skin

By Min Mae. $15 SMITH'S ALTERNATIVE BOOKSTORE

DAY PLAY _____________ Old Bus Depot Markets KINGSTON Burley Griffi n Antique Centre KINGSTON FORESHORE Tuggeranong Homestead Markets TUGGERANONG HOMESTEAD

DANCE _____________ Sunday Playground: Random Soul Chill out on the Astro deck or misbehave on the dancefl oor. $3 Coronas and finger food throughout the afternoon MINQUE, FRANKLIN ST, MANUKA

ARTS _____________ The First Blow: Word Smithing With collected contributions by Andrew Galan. 3:30pm. Til Aug 29 SMITH'S ALTERNATIVE BOOKSTORE Hot Five @ CLAW Comedy Night $5. 7-10pm THE TERRACE, MANUKA

DANCE _____________ Hospitality Night With Sean Kelly & guests TRANSIT BAR, AKUNA ST, CIVIC Bootleg Sessions Local musos bustin' it out THE PHOENIX, EAST ROW, CIVIC TUESDAY AUGUST 26

LIVE _____________ Chuse Jazz Tuesdays (TRINITY) BAR, DICKSON Musical Madness @ Filthy's FILTHY McFADDEN'S, KINGSTON

SOMETHING DIFFERENT _____________ Hot Five @ CLAW Comedy Night $5. 7-10pm THE TERRACE, MANUKA Fame Trivia From 7:30-10:30pm. Book early to avoid disappointment by calling 6295 1769 THE DURHAM, KINGSTON Comedy Night THE PHOENIX, CIVIC Pot Belly Trivia POT BELLY BAR Carry-On Karaoke Win $1000. Yes, $1000 TRANSIT BAR, AKUNA ST, CIVIC Trivia Night $100 cash prize PJ O'REILLY'S, TUGGERANONG

DANCE _____________ Muph & Plutonic Aussie hip-hop favs launch new album And Then Tomorrow Came, with supports DJ Bonez and local larrikins D'Opus & Roshambo. Free entry TRANSIT BAR, AKUNA ST, CIVIC Caribbean Vibes MONKEY BAR, BUNDA ST, CIVIC

LIVE _____________ Tom Hall: Tangential Uprise National Tour Brisbane based exploratory sound artist THE FRONT GALLERY, LYNEHAM Slim Pickens THE PHOENIX, CIVIC

SOMETHING DIFFERENT _____________ Carry-On Karaoke Grand Final It all boils down to this. $1000 grand prize, Snowy Mountain beer tasting, $5 Coronas. 9pm THE DURHAM, KINGSTON Fame Trivia PJ O'REILLY'S, CIVIC Trivia Night ACT RUGBY UNION CLUB $5 Night TRANSIT BAR, AKUNA ST, CIVIC THURSDAY AUGUST 28

ARTS _____________ Capital Comickers: CLAW Meet the Artists Night IMPACT COMICS, GAREMA PL CLAW Opening Night Colliding Worlds III: The Wicked Voice Four melodramas for piano and voice. $15. Til Aug 31 THE STREET THEATRE, ACTON Retroactive III Til Sep 7 CCAS, FURNEAUX ST, MANUKA The Red Shoe Set in the Cold War era, this play explores the human drive to find ways to make sense of our surroundings. Til Sep 6, tix $15/12 from 6247 1223 STREET THEATRE, ACTON

LIVE _____________ Gangbusters: Stepping Stone With Cold Front, Slowburn and Partybus. $5 BAR 32, NORTHBOURNE AVE Ben Ransom 9pm-midnight KING O'MALLEY'S, CIVIC Live Music With Mitch, from 9:30pm THE DURHAM, KINGSTON

SOMETHING DIFFERENT _____________ Guitar Hero Comp Win your round, advance to the next level and win Peado's Greenroom Cash to spend on whatever you like at the bar.

Doors 7pm, comp starts at 8pm, free, 2-4-1 jagerbombs til 8pm THE GREENROOM, PHILLIP Dave Callan Plus 6 acts from Sydney CANBERRA IRISH CLUB, WESTON Braddon Brainbuster Trivia 6pm rego, 6.30pm start. Beer/ food vouchers, cash prizes to win THE BRADDON CLUB Basement Pool Comp THE BASEMENT, BELCONNEN Karaoke with a Twist PJ O'REILLY'S, TUGGERANONG Carry on Karaoke PJ O'REILLY'S, CIVIC FRIDAY AUGUST 29

ARTS _____________ Triple Exhibition Featuring Dianne Jones' Lookin Up, Cathy Laudenbach's Cheviot Beach and Stuart Bailey's Desert Mouth CCAS, GORMAN HOUSE Cardboard Charlie @ CLAW Cacophony With Bliss, Amax and Starfish Hill. $5 THE TERRACE, MANUKA

FRIDAY AUGUST 29

SATURDAY AUGUST 30

MONDAY SEPTEMBER 1

DANCE _____________

SOMETHING DIFFERENT _____________

LIVE _____________

DANCE _____________

BreakOut Lab: DJ Filter A night of soulful/jazzy drum 'n' bass, breaks, chillout and tech house, with Tranvo, Briller, Rolex, Crowley. Free B4 10pm, $5 after MERCURY BAR, N'THBOURNE AVE After Work Drinks From 5pm, with Jemist TRANSIT BAR, AKUNA ST, CIVIC Downtown Brown KNIGHTSBRIDGE PENTHOUSE Ashley Feraude BINARA ONE, CROWN PLAZA Souled Out Fridays R&B with DJs Daz, Nate & Adam MINQUE, FRANKLIN ST, CIVIC Havana Nights MONKEY BAR, BUNDA ST, CIVIC Mish Mash Fridays Rin Tin Tin presents Oh Snap.

From 10pm, $10 ACADEMY, CIVIC

Dita Hollywood in The Devil Wears Target Live drag show, from 11:30pm CUBE NIGHTCLUB, CIVIC Miss Kitka's House of Burlesque Presents: Searchlights and Sirens A saucy WWII love story. 7pm AINSLIE FOOTBALL CLUB SATURDAY AUGUST 30

Bootleg Sessions Local musos bustin' it out THE PHOENIX, EAST ROW, CIVIC Hospitality Night With Sean Kelly & guests TRANSIT BAR, AKUNA ST, CIVIC TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 2

LIVE _____________

DAY PLAY _____________

Psycroptic With Black Asylum, Rather Be Dead, Punishment and Templestowe. $15. Article this ish ANU BAR, ACTON Sickboy and The Hussy Hicks THE POT BELLY, BELCONNEN Horsell Common Free entry, with The Mission in Motion and Lamexcuse TRANSIT BAR, AKUNA ST, CIVIC Between Mind & Exhile With Broken Days and Barbarian.

Free entry, 8pm THE GREENROOM, PHILLIP After Dark 10pm-2am KING O'MALLEY'S, CIVIC Karen Lynne With John Taylor on bass, and Craig and Simone Dawson POLISH WHITE EAGLE CLUB, TURNER The Bridge Between From 5:30-7:30pm SOUL BAR, WODEN Woden Youth Centre Fundraiser With Dead Kings and Slowburn, raising money to get Wanniassa Senior School kids to Vietnam. $10, 6-10pm. Drug/alcohol free WODEN YOUTH CENTRE Live Band With Heuristic, from 10pm THE DURHAM, KINGSTON Blues Night With Taquya Blue, Tim Maloney, Freyja’s Rain and Saltbush THE BASEMENT, BELCONNEN Rev BAR 32

Gorman House Markets GORMAN HOUSE Burley Griffi n Antique Centre KINGSTON FORESHORE

Rocket Science With Peabody and The Shake Up. Tix $15 + bf from moshtix. com.au . 8pm THE GREENROOM, PHILLIP Moshorama!

All ages event, featuring Never See Tomorrow, The Payback, Stigmata, Got Lucky Prom Night and Cannibalistic. $10, from 6pm GOULBURN PCYC The Filth New monthly interstate night featuring Lover, Chaingang, Bridgemary Kiss and The Magic Hands. Free, from 8pm TRANSIT BAR, AKUNA ST, CIVIC The Cool 10:30pm-2:30am KING O'MALLEY'S, CIVIC Live Band With 3rd Exit from10pm, $8 cocktails from 4pm THE DURHAM, KINGSTON Manilla Green and Sickboy THE PHOENIX, CIVIC Shakedown Regular indie/alt/dance night.

From 9pm BAR 32, NORTHBOURNE AVE

FRIDAY AUGUST 29

ARTS _____________ State of Belonging: State 08 A sawdust/carpet battle of arts supremacy, Iron Chef style.

Midday-4:30pm STREET THEATRE, ACTON Cabin Fever Conclusion Pablo celebrates his freedom after being trapped for 7 days 112 ALINGA ST, CIVIC

DANCE _____________ Pang!: Funktrust DJs Pang!'s largest night returns. $15 on the door, from 10pm LOT 33, KENNEDY ST, KINGSTON Club Junque Coming all the way from Chinese Laundry, Sydney, for your listening pleasure.

Supports Kiz, Tim Galvin and Trent Richardson. $10 MONKEY BAR, BUNDA ST, CIVIC Decadance Saturdays Clubbing indulgence with guest acts, live elements, visuals and resident favs Ashley Feraude, Pred, Miles, Rexy and VJ Jim, plus the Ear Candy, Mi Casa Es Tu Casa and Future Love Affair nights in the Candy Bar. 10pm ACADEMY, CIVIC Latin Night Enjoy Latin music from Canberra and Sydney DJs, and sassy salsa dancing and entertainment PAPARAZZI, FRANKLIN ST, MANUKA D'Opus KNIGHTSBRIDGE PENTHOUSE Jemist Rippin' it up from 7pm (TRINITY) BAR, DICKSON Ashley Feraude BINARA ONE, CROWN PLAZA

LIVE _____________ Gyroscope and Shihad The Aussie/Kiwi band combo return, with Sugar Army. $34.70 ANU BAR, ACTON Chuse Jazz Tuesdays New regular jazz night, with Bliss. $5 beer/wine and free cheese spread!

(TRINITY) BAR, DICKSON Musical Madness @ Filthy's New and eclectic sounds every Tuesday from beloved Canberra performers. Free entry FILTHY McFADDEN'S, KINGSTON

SOMETHING DIFFERENT _____________

ANU Open Day ANU, ACTON Carry On Karaoke PJ O'REILLY'S, CIVIC SUNDAY AUGUST 31

Carry-On Karaoke TRANSIT BAR, AKUNA ST, CIVIC Trivia Night THE PHOENIX, EAST ROW, CIVIC Fame Trivia THE DURHAM, KINGSTON Pot Belly Trivia POT BELLY BAR Trivia Night PJ O'REILLY'S, TUGGERANONG WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 3

DAY PLAY _____________

DANCE _____________

CLAW Closing Party From 12pm-late M16, FYSHWICK Tuggeranong Markets TUGGERANONG HOMESTEAD

Caribbean Vibes MONKEY BAR, BUNDA ST, CIVIC

DANCE _____________

Fame Trivia PJ O'REILLY'S, CIVIC $5 Night TRANSIT BAR, AKUNA ST, CIVIC Carry-On Karaoke From 9:30pm. $1000 prize THE DURHAM, KINGSTON

SOMETHING DIFFERENT _____________

Sunday Playground $3 Coronas, and free finger food MINQUE, FRANKLIN ST, MANUKA

LIVE _____________ Irish Jam Session From 5pm KING O'MALLEY'S, CIVIC The Bridge Between From 5-9pm ALL BAR NUN KarismaKatz From 3pm YACHT CLUB, YARRALUMLA

SOMETHING DIFFERENT _____________

LIVE _____________ Rhys Crimmin THE PHOENIX, EAST ROW, CIVIC

DVDEVOTEE

Juno (Fox Video)

The Wire – Season 3 (Warner)

The Wire – Season 4 (Warner)

Writer/director Jason Reitman had a strong big screen debut with Thank You for Smoking, and his follow-up Juno features two of my favourites in Jason Bateman and Michael Cera from Arrested Development, as well as a pleasant cast of other well known faces. So - and you might not believe this - what went wrong? Simply put, the hype didn’t equal the finished product. This is little more than indie filmmaking 101; see any film from Happy Texas to Garden State and you have pretty much summed up the look and feel of Juno, with every character acting irritatingly quirkily and talking like Jeneane Garafalo for two hours.

This was nothing more than a sweet, remotelylikeable comedy and really, a film about a pregnant teenager could have been so much more, but the lack of identifiable characters and not enough Michael Cera made me pray for the final credits. Certainly it was not all doom and gloom; there were some amusing one-liners, nice cameos - particularly from Rainn Wilson, J.K Simmons and Allison Janney - and some interesting soundtrack choices (Belle and Sebastian and Mott the Hoople), but from my perspective that was about it. Ellen Page was good in the role but certainly didn’t overwhelm - I can’t see what all the fuss is about. To make matters worse, the thing they leave us with, that final long, drawn, pull-out shot featuring the two protagonists singing was beyond a joke and really shat me to tears (who cares about churches and steeples!?).

Extra features include commentaries, deleted scenes and behind the scenes stuff.

There’s no point getting into some lengthy treatise about the shabby treatment of quality US drama on Australian television. Irregular scheduling and lacklustre promotion is par for the course when it comes to shows like The Wire, The Sopranos and Curb Your Enthusiasm.

And in the era of TiVo and torrents it’s the major distribution studios that have shown the foresight lacking in TV executive land with swift releases of TV shows, many of which were lucky to even be screened here. Sure, it’s a business and it’s just another product, but still, at least they treat fans with a degree of respect. One of the most justifiably acclaimed shows in the history of television and one of few unapologetic examinations of the American underclass, The Wire was created by ex-Baltimore journo and small screen scribe David Simon (Homicide: Life on the Streets) and fellow Baltimorean and ex-homicide detective Ed Burns. Together they formed a formidable writing partnership, took the drug laden streets of Baltimore as a canvas and painted an unbelievably rich portrait of life in Anytown, USA; replete with chaos, violence, sex, drugs, corruption, duplicity, old-fashioned honour, betrayal and booze. There are no heroes or villains to speak of – it’s not that simplistic and it demands much of the viewer. Story arcs are not always explicit and character motivation only becomes apparent upon devoted viewing, and sometimes not at all. It sounds like a chore, but it’s the furthest from it. Season Three is the reminder that politicians are just as grubby in power consolidation as the thugs, although with far less lethal consequences.

This becomes very clear as one of the main characters meets their demise in the season finale, so obvious on paper but still hard to accept. There are mayoral elections, the ill-fated ‘Hamsertdam’ experiment and Stringer Bell imparting MBA-quality business advice to his underlings. Throughout it all, the density of plots and dialogue is breathtaking – as one of the cast members comments in a supplied doco, it’s the only English language script he’s ever received with a glossary. At times, you wonder whether that glossary should be included as a necessity in each box set. How do you top this effort? Well, I’ll see you next column...

Oh hai – you’re back. Picking up from a few centimetres to your left we have the simultaneously released Season Four, wherein the gaze is turned to the school yard where thugs and runners are made. Where do they come from? Nature or nurture? The kids are gonna learn – then the questions are what and where? The street or the school room?

This season is one of the strongest yet with the young unknown cast shining as wise-ass hustlers and sage souls years ahead of their age. One of the main drawcards of the entire series, Dominic West as the hopeless, irascible drunk Jimmy McNulty, plays a smaller role here, but with every characterisation so rich and deep and each actor so committed to the material it simply doesn’t matter. The Wire is one of those rare shows that straddle entertainment and social commentary, making a point for sure but not ramming it down your throat, and it’s uncommon a plot device appears that isn’t absolutely essential for narrative thrust. Amazingly, this is a rarity in modern televisual screenwriting. It draws heavily on the first hand experience of Simon and Burns, but draws in an intimidating cast of contributors, writers and consultants: Richard Price (Clockers), George Pelecanos, trial lawyers, politicians, academics, prosecutors, academics and, most importantly, criminals.

All the pieces matter. It presents urban decay dysfunction exactly as it is: to the police and criminals hierarchies matter and are very much the same - you are simply a cog in the system. Buck the trend and you’ll end up paying for it with demotions or death. There is an illuminating and compelling documentary in two parts on this disc and that’s not only due to the appearance of Baltimore’s other favourite son, John Waters. Congratulations due to everyone involved in the simultaneous release of these discs (five per season) and, being one of the few shows that not only stands up to – but demands – repeated viewings, they are necessary additions to any collection. Elevating the street to art, The Wire is better than the rest, or as Simon says, “If we had done everything wrong it would have been a cop show.” That’s enough effusion for now. Or at least until Season Five is released.

JUSTIN HOOK

JUSTIN HOOK

GEOFF SETTY

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