BMA Mag 309 04 Sep 2008

THREE09 September 04.08

NEW ALBUM, NEW SHOW, NEW POP ETHIC

ALSO INSIDE: BIRDS OF TOKYO, DAVE GRANEY, UPSTEP BAND COMP, BIG DAVE, G.L.O.V.E.S. AND MORE

bma magazine

bma magazine

FREE STUFF No funny stuff, just free stuff.

Send your answers to: editorial@bmamag.com and don't stop believin'.

Hanging on the Telephone You know those people who say mobile phones give you head cancer and Bamix your brain? Well that’s nothing compared to the shenanigans taking place in One Missed Call.

It happens to one. Then another.

And another. College students discover eerie voicemail messages on their cell phones. Each call comes from the near future.

Each call has the chilling voice of the student during his or her last moments alive. And each call comes true. Absolute terror is One Missed Call away in this got-yournumber thriller based on the hit Japanese thriller Chakushin Ari. Is there something that links the victims? Psych student Beth Raymond (Shannyn Sossamon) and detective Jack Andrews (Ed Burns) scramble for answers. And they’re working fast....cos that damn telephone is surely gonna ring. Soon. Very soon. We have ten copies of One Missed Call, out now through Warner Home Video, on offer. To grab one, tell us the creepiest, most inappropriate voicemail you’ve ever received.

The Switch “Wherefore art thou, Switch 3?” local music aficionados have been wondering. Well unfurrow those brows, Canberrans, 'cause the four have returned!

After a year and a half of hard yakka, the band are readying themselves to release their debut LP Calm Before with a huge push into the emerging Chinese and Japanese markets. Recorded by ARIA winning producer Anton Hagop (Powderfinger, Missy Higgins, Will Smith, Silverchair) and mastered by Ted Jensen of Sterling Sound in New York (AFI, AC/DC, My Chemical Romance, Atreyu, Iron Maiden), Calm Before represents a shift towards a

darker, harder, more introspective sound. But before they head east, Switch 3 will regroup in their hometown for a special one off show to preview the album in its entirety. “Switch 3 is a Canberra band!” enthuses singer/guitarist Maf Davis. “No matter where we end up, or what path this journey takes, we owe a great debt of gratitude to the Canberra music scene and our fans here. This show is our way of saying thank you.” They play The Greenroom on Saturday September 13, with support from Fistful of Nothing and Zero Degrees and Falling.

Presale tickets are $12 from www. greenroomcanberra.com .

Somethin’ Fishy…

Fresh from a round of UK festivals and headline shows, strummin’, stompin’, howlin’ bluesman Ash Grunwald has triumphantly returned to home soil to launch the LP Fish out of Water, his most adventurous release yet. Collaborating with Countbounce of TZU, Ash’s scorching fretwork and powerhouse vocals are backed by beats and grooves, and the odd bit of junkyard percussion.

With Fish Out Of Water he has truly let his hair down, pushed all the boundaries and let rip in a major way. The result? A career highlight. To win a copy of the album, out now through Delta Groove/Shock Records, tell us about a situation when you’ve felt ‘out of water’. The man will launch the LP on Friday September 5 at the ANU Bar with Last Town Chorus. Doors from 8pm, tickets from www.ticketek.com and www.theatlasagency.com .

Without a Trace There is a killer on teh intahnetz.

The more people who visit his website, the faster his victims die. Would you watch?

Such rhetorical questions aside, this is exactly the premise of Untraceable, directed by Gregory Hoblit (Frequency, Fracture) and starring Hollywood veteran Diane Lane (Unfaithful, Under The Tuscan Sun) and rising star

Colin Hanks (Orange Country, King Kong). A seemingly untraceable, tech-savvy internet predator invites citizens to ‘Kill With Me’ via his website – providing they can drag themselves away from icanhazcheesburger.com long enough. The killer streams the graphic murders live and the fate of his tormented captives is left in the hands of the public. Enter Special Agent Jennifer Marsh (Lane), on the front line of cyber crime with the FBI. Mining the same vein as Se7en and Silence of the Lambs, Untraceable is a nailbiting crime thriller that explores the dangers of the internet while questioning modern day morality.

To win a copy, thanks to Universal, send us your favourite lolcat.

Clued In Satisfyingly schizophrenic, Clue To Kalo’s third full-length Lily Perdida is ten voices in one, all of them a different branch of the same electric folk tree. Amongst the wash of keyboards, harpsichords, laptop bleeps, jangly guitar, mod ribbons of flute, and the voices of mastermind Mark Mitchell and duet partner Ellen Carey, ten musical perspectives on fictional character Lily Perdida are given, each song from the point of view of a different person in her life.

Straight outta A-town (Adelaide), Clue To Kalo mastermind Mark Mitchell applies a lo-fi aesthetic to pristine computer-based production, layering melodies, elemental textures and multitracked vocals into gorgeous sonic concoctions. The live incarnation of CTK has played alongside Architecture In Helsinki, Four Tet, Manitoba, Death Cab For Cutie and Castiotone For The Painfully Alone, and recently completed a three month tour of United States and Japan. Inventive without being inaccessible, Clue To Kalo has established himself as a singular artist of extraordinary scope and depth. The LP is out September 6 through Popfrenzy.

To win a copy, give us a clue as to how we'd find Kalo.

bma magazine

STRUTH BE TOLD I was first diagnosed with depression when I was 16.

Clumsily, by a doctor who may as well have been doing a sudoku during the consultation.

I went in to complain about not sleeping, which I had already self-diagnosed was caused by the medical anomalies of thinking too much and having complex sexual fantasies set in the speech and drama costume room. Next thing I know I’m being threatened with questions like “Have you ever felt sad?” and “Do you worry all the time?” I said I had and did, but denied any suicidal thoughts. According to SuperScientific-Checklist-Beard that was enough to be charged with depression. I slumped in the musty beige seat, pale, acne annoyed and flat-haired as Dr Grumps sneezed out a prescription for anti-depressants and reached for the pamphlet ‘Buck Up Dickhead’.

I remember wandering out into the small town main street as a marked man. “YOU HAVE DEPRESSION!” The filthy neon billboard loomed down from above. I stared at a girl in the distance walking away – a girl from my class. I was different now. Separated. An invisible grey shroud kept me encased in glass. I sighed and thought about my after school routine of frozen Coke and CD shopping. The cold spring wind barged past my halfway legs. A reflection turned clockwise in my glasses as a car gruffed past. I was alone.

I threw the tablets in the bin. I was cranky at Dr Pillock’s emotionally careless handling of my precious self and got Dr Reality to give me a second opinion. I probably didn’t have depression, but the thought that I could was enough to evoke all the symptoms. I wasn’t exactly highfiving with schoolmates over this truth nugget, but quietly self-checking as I passed off this viscous circle with the lunchtime basketball.

A decade later I would escort myself into my local GP and ask to go on mood enhancing medication. After my relationship’s two year anniversary was brutally marred by an inexplicably ferocious beating of the doldrums, I was treating it like a spiritual emergency. Something was clearly wrong. After ten years of writing my ups and downs off as ‘sensitive me’, I had to bite the carob bullet and admit that there was a distinctly alien presence behind my eyes. A black substance creeping through my veins. A first degree soul deficiency. This shit was chemical, and with my girlfriend weeping on her bed, oh-so fucking personal (cue Alien montage with Justin in pharmaceutically sponsored robot suit).

Nobody really wants to talk about mental illness, let’s face it. It scares everyone, and well it should. A broken leg is kind of cute and you can write your name on the cast. A broken mind is mysterious and bottomless and the thing of disturbing art and newspaper tragedies.

We’re conditioned to hear the words ‘anti-depressants’ and assume the taker is some white eyed zombie pinned to the bed and talking backwards, or radiating twisted suicide frequencies and eying off your house as a site for a potential freak-out. Young people taking anti-depressants is very, very common. Despite repeated advertising campaigns, nobody’s very willing to name check mental illness with the same matter-of-factness as migraines or PMS. After three months I’m planning to go off mine (correctly, tapering dosage) as quite frankly I miss crying and am unnerved by the numbing of my ‘sad reflexes.’ But I find the more I talk about the whole thing, and the more people thank me for bringing it up, the more connected to the world I feel and along with laughter, acceptance is damn good medicine.

JUSTIN HEAZLEWOOD www.bedroomphilosopher.com

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NEWS Pyramid Songs

Making an Impact

By the beard of Tutankhamun, the Pyramid Rock Festival have delivered another top notch bill that rivals the Nile in length!

Between December 29 ‘08 and January 1 ’09, upwards of fifty bands will converge on Phillip Island, including Ohio blues kings The Black Keys, South Pacific soul monster Fat Freddy’s Drop, Aus electro kings Midnight Juggernauts (pictured), German dancefloor dons Digitalism plus The Living End, Morcheeba, Cut Copy, Karnivool, Gyroscope, The Teenagers, The herd, Dr. Dog, Birds of Tokyo, The Getaway Plan, Little Red, Salmonella Dub, The Black Seeds, PPP aka Platinum Pied Pipers, Muph & Plutonic, Mammal, Yo! Majesty, The Galvatrons and more to be announced soon. Prepare for three spectacular days of music, sea, surf and on-site camping, set on a private coastal property between picturesque Cape Woolamai and the festivals’ namesake Pyramid Rock. Tickets on sale September 4 from www. thepyramidrockfestival.com .

Those fervent bookworms of Garema Place, Impact Comics, will be celebrating their fourth birthday on Saturday September 6. Four years!

That’s 48 issues of Batman, over 100 issues of the Phantom and 208 'new comics Fridays.' To celebrate, they’ll be holding a sale on the day with discounts on products store-wide. Get in quick to snap up some quality comic bargains!

A Picture Postcard Epicure, Ballarat’s favourite gold-diggers, are beginning to reflect the feisty character of their gold rush-era forefathers.

Back after three years, the group are returning to Canberra to promote their new album Postcards From A Ghost. Lyrical laureate and frontman Juan Alban admits that it’s got a bit more guts than its predecessors. “I think it’s our angriest record. The other albums might be sadder sounding compared with this, but there’s definitely a lot of anger in this one. I think it’s the most sinister and darkest think we’ve done.” The first single Snakes and Foxes reflects the more heavy guitar-laden sound, which will undoubtedly impress the punters when they take the Transit Bar this Thursday September 4.

Sound Travellers In 2008, the first round of funding for Sound Travellers assisted 13 tours and over 60 artists to travel over 50,000 kilometres to every state and territory in Australia, showing the rest of the country the talent and creativity of our Australian artists. These artists have also been able to reach new audiences and reconnect with established audiences in venues ranging from the Darwin Entertainment Centre to the Blue Birdy in Byron Bay and many more in between. But the really exciting news is that applications for the second round of tour funding, commencing in 2009, are now available to download at www.soundtravellers.com.au . Funding is only available to artists from the genres of sound art/electronica, contemporary classical or improvised jazz. Applications close Monday September 22 2008.

Dollar Dollar Bills Local gangsta posse and burgeoning darlings of triple j’s playlist, D’Opus and Roshambo have just released the video for their thriving and undoubtedly livest lead single Million Dollar Bill. Taken from their recently-released debut full-length The Switch, the video is exclusive to Myspace and takes a tongue-in-cheek look at the ‘grind’ of taking a tune from conception, to release, and to the masses, while paying homeage to friends and family along the way. Word on the street is that the video for their second single The Basement, featuring none other than local scallywags Hancock Basement, is also in the works. The video for Million Dollar Bill can be found at www.msypace.com/dopusroshambo .

Fresh From The Vines Following on from their incredible recent performances at this year’s Fuji Rock and Splendour in the Grass festivals, headline-grabbers of old The Vines are set to embark on their first full-length national album tour in over four years this October and November in support of their blasting new LP Melodia. Word on the street is that this LP is their best work since Highly Evolved, and with their first single He’s A Rocker scoring spectacular airplay on the wireless, and their second single Get Out’s release to coincide with the tour, the group are likely to please fans of old with their timely return to form. They’ll hit the ANU Bar on Friday October 24.

Rebel Rock Michael Franti and his radical backers Spearhead will be returning to Canberra this October in support of their latest album All Rebel Rockers.

Recorded in Kingston, Jamaica with reggae’s most prolific production team Sly & Robbie, the album sees the group experiment with dub, soul and rock infusions within Franti’s renowned hip-hop, funk and reggae foundations. Crowds can undoubtedly expect as well to bare witness to Franti’s notorious outspoken political commentary, blending his dexterity in the field of poetry, music, and composition into one complete ‘revolution with dancing’ extravaganza.

Joining him will be special guests The Winnie Coopers and DJ Nick Toth.

The E.L.F. Indie sensation The E.L.F. (aka solo monike Darren Cross of Gerling) has been busy in his studio of late, writing tunes for his latest EP while we’re all fast asleep. Set for release on Oaks Records in late September, Sunray in the Rave Cave is described by the E.L.F. as an “anthemic super party sing-along EP, for dance floors and party people throughout the universe”. The LP’s first single Bounce Bounce Bounce is available from iTunes. To celebrate the release of Sunray in the Rave Cave, The E.L.F. will be burning up the dancefloor of the Transit Bar on Saturday October 25. Get stuck in!

bma magazine 13

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.

My mate Morty McCarthy (you may know him from such bands as The Sultans of Ping FC) was working on the merch stall, and it was he who pointed out the step ladder at the back of the tent. Morty was a mischievous teetotaller who gleefully goaded his less controlled chums into action, before stepping back and enjoying the show. He also ran a neat line in telling everyone else what you’d done after the event, which in those far-off pre-interweb and email days was no mean feat. Setting up the ladder outside, I found by standing on the top step I was able to reach over the board displaying the various t-shirts on sale. I hauled myself over and onto the roof of the tent. Lying flat on my back in the comparative peace and quiet of the tent roof should have been the moment where I saw sense and got back down to earth, but I was here now, so why not? Why the hell not?

Neil Young began cranking out the riff to Rockin’ in the Free World, and I was away.

Swaying precariously, holding a can aloft in salute and singing along out of tune, I soon became aware of the fact that people were pointing at me, laughing and cheering – I was in the full beam of a spotlight that was flashing across the site (something to do with security, I later learned, and not simply something which had been rigged up on spec to highlight my reckless genius). I soaked up the adulation, doffing the knotted hanky that still sat proudly atop my sweaty hair and bowing like some sort of wallet-chained restoration fop. At which point I noticed a burly, bald headed security man glowering at me like some sort of steroid-crazed chad (Google it) from behind the t-shirt board. He was gesturing and shouting – in like-minded adoration along with the rest of the crowd I assumed, before realising that, as his gesticulation became wilder, he was actually ordering me down. I jeered at him and flicked the V’s, much to the amusement of the hundred or so people now finding this scene more interesting than what was going on on the main stage.

Bouncer number one had been joined at the parapet by an offsider who was receiving instructions through a walkie talkie and relaying them to baldy, who was now waving a torch at me apoplectically. He hauled himself over and onto the roof and began crawling up towards me. I was hanging on to the central pole which held the whole structure up, and I found that by gripping tightly and bouncing up and down I could create a ripple effect that was preventing the snarling goon from being able to get to me. Doggedly, like incy-wincy spider, he kept returning to the task, gradually edging up the canvas skin until he was almost within touching distance… and then he was.

All that bouncing had tired me out and, more significantly the vibration, coupled with the weight of a full beer can in either pocket, had loosened the drawstring on my trousers. Baldy made a grab and touched my cloth, getting a handful of ankle and trouser. I toppled over, sliding down the opposite side of the tent. I felt a burning sensation to both knees as I realised he was still holding onto my trousers, in which I no longer resided. I landed, para style, in a pile of empty boxes at the back of the tent. I decided to lay low – inside a box, actually - until the hubbub died down…

SCOTT ADAMS thirtyyearsofrnr@hotmail.com

bma :: Issue309 www.bmamag.com "bma: the livest shit goin' down."

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.

To the person who drove into my friend and left her injured on the road: You are an awful human. You pissed me off. To the security guard who found my friend and helped her: You are a good human.

To the parking cop who thinks he’s a real cop, You pissed me off. first off, i wasn’t breaking any laws. If you go back to the erindale drive intersection with tuggeranong parkway and read the sign it says “turn left on red permitted after stopping” you wanker. Also im pretty sure i can’t be breaking a parking law while i am driving. You sped to catch up to me, took a picture of me while driving (removing your hands from the wheel to do so), impersonated a police officer, and then sped to get away. Im pretty sure thats worth more in fines than whatever you think you had.

Get out of the dirt and get a real job. You pissed me off greatly.

to the piss poor fucking drivers of Canberra...you pissed me off! how the hell can one get so indignant when they have broken a law and almost caused an accident and then flipped the bird! this is directed at the stupid woman who did such a thing in Dickson today, but feel free to make it a generalization about all drivers in our fair capital. to all who drive on our roads... you all have pissed me off ( at one time or another) To my new boss, I didn’t spend a fortune on getting a good education only to become your assistant. I am not your secretary, nor your bitch. Do not expect me to schedule your meetings or make phone calls for you. I do not work here so that I may have the glory of serving you. You piss me off, constantly.

FROM THE BOSSMAN Ooooo yes. Ya feel that, kids? That’s one girthy edition of BMA right there, huh? I can hear the extra pages wearing down your brittle wrist bones as we speak. Ahhh yes; nothing beats the sound of splintering bone under newsprint. You really should get some more calcium in your diet.

As well signalling exciting times ahead for the region, this super-sized edition is all the more fitting by marking a changing of the guard here at BMA HQ. Fearless editor Peter K, who has majestically steered the good ship BMA over the past year and a half, will be leaving us this issue for greener pastures – his old temp job at Woolworths. For the good of the nation, one hopes Peter will hang around the BMA pad in some professional form, or indeed simple skulk around the bins like so many editors before him. Regardless, I extend a hearty backslap Peter’s way for a job well done, and a friend well made.

Ushering in a new reign of terror will be long-standing BMA journo, and fourth placer in the Queanbeyan Beauty Pageant, Ben “The Gun Show” Hermann. I expect big things of this small man (the ability to fit into small passageways for one), and I’m sure he won’t disappoint. All I need decide now is how to explain away the “extensive meetings” one indulges in of a regular afternoon. Gum can mask the stench of alcohol only so much.

ALLAN “<HIC!>” SKO

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 Winterflood Graphic Design Jessica Condi Film Editor Mark Russell Principal Photographers (The Flashbulb Posse) Andrew Mayo/Nick Brightman/John Hatfield Issue 310 Out September 18 Editorial Deadline September 5 Advertising Deadline September 11

bma magazine 15

TIDBITS WHO MANUKA'S SOCIAL SET WHAT PAPARAZZI, NEW NIGHTCLUB & BAR WHERE 40 FRANKLIN ST, MANUKA WHEN EVERY FRIDAY AND SATURDAY

WHO MOBIN MASTER WHAT MELBOURNE HOUSE AFFICIONADO WHERE MONKEY BAR WHEN SAT SEP 6

WHO THE MUDDY TURDS WHAT TASMANIAN 'WEIRD' BAND WHERE THE POT BELLY WHEN SAT SEP 13

Speaking as a local C-grade celebrity, the word Paparazzi will usually have one recoiling in horror and reaching for the nearest blunt instrument. However, that’s all set to change with the christening of Paparazzi Nightclub and Bar, a new watering hole and jive den that’s stepping in to revitalise Manuka’s nightlife. Nestled comfortably at 40 Franklin Street Manuka, Paparazzi’s events schedule already has the foot tappin’ in anticipation. Every Friday night, get set for solid #1s, baby! Minds out of the gutter now, that’s number one hits from the ‘70s, ‘80s, ‘90 and, you guessed it, today! It all kicks off at 9pm and entry is free. Then ever Saturday, Latin Fever strikes as Mario “Brujo” Gordon spins the newest and the best Latin music in town. Again, a 9pm start and entry is a smooth $5. And with more events in the works, the musical onslaught shows no signs of abating. So wander on down to Paparazzi, where, as the slogan goes, “you are the celebrity!” SPENCER LEE Melbourne house music mogul Mobin Master will be tearing Monkey Bar a new ‘un this September, where he will be whipping out his trademark Show Me Love track, currently moving the sticky-soled dancing shoes of clubland, along with other upfront releases from his Safari record label, and tracks from his Stateside connections. Exhibiting a penchant for the Big Apple, Mobin has worked on worldwide releases with New Yorkers Roger Sanchez, Inaya Day, Rob Mirage, Corbo, as well as Robin S, Jodie Watley, D’Empress, Supafly, Marcia Hines and Madison Avenue, informing his own music with the energy associated with our United States cousins, whilst solidifying his international reputation in the vocal house arena. No slouch on the performance front either, you can expect driving basslines, exclusive remixes and layered acapellas when the man straddles the decks, building a set sure to spark euphoria in even the most flaccid. Joined by regular Monkey-goers Kiz, Tim Galvin and Trent Richardson, plus special guest Franco Lumicisi, Sep 6 is sure to be a night to remember. Or forget, depending on how large you make it. $15, doors 9pm. ALLAN SKO Tasmanian ‘weird’ band The Muddy Turds return! A sonic collision of vox, drums, keyboards, and distorted muddy-bass, their music falls somewhere between Morphine, Zappa, The Black Keys, TISM and Liam Lynch. Combining rock with comedy blues-punk slapstick, gigs often involve members hanging from the rafters, circus freak stunts, showering the audience with underpants and confetti during their song Dacks, and eating fruit from inside their own undergarments during their song Fruit Platter. Their keyboardist occasionally quits the band mid-set, but always comes crawling back. In their time they’ve undertaken five interstate tours, supported the likes of Butterfingers, 67 Special, The Bedroom Philosopher and The Go Set, as well as appearing at festivals such as The Falls Festival 05, 06 and 07, Rage At The Ranch Festival alongside TZU, Ash Grunwald and Parkway Drive, and the Hobart Fringe. Their recently-released LP I Don’t Think They’ve Given It Any Thought, Whatsoever, has scored some Triple J airplay, and will introduce it to Canberra audiences at The Pot Belly on Saturday September 13 with The Missing Lincolns and Mud Puppies. From 9pm, $5 entry.

For too long, the garage rock circuit has been plagued by pretenders and charlatans, so the folk at Aaarrrghtt!!! Records have seen fit to bring out one of the originals, MOTO, to give Australians a true display of raw power. Much like Guided by Voices, MOTO is essentially one WHO man, Paul Caporino, with a four track, cheap gear and a compulsive songwriting urge, backed MOTO by a revolving door of miscreants. Birthed in New Orleans in the early ‘80s and more recently WHAT based in Chicago, MOTO has, over the years, hosted some thirty odd members, released CHICAGO GARAGE 20 cassette albums, roughly the same amount of 7’’s and half a dozen LPs. Aaarrrrghtt! has ROCK ORIGINALS compiled a 31 strong CD, Battle of the Band, collecting songs from all eras and formats as a WHERE handy introduction/overview to MOTO. It’s lo-fi and high-adrenaline! Paul will travel ‘round BAR 32 the country backed by members of The Spazzys and the Eddy Current Suppression Ring. But perhaps the final word should be left to The Chicago Reader’s Bob Mehr: “if Raw Power had WHEN been released in the late ‘70s it might now be ranked alongside the best of the Ramones or THU SEP 4 the Undertones. Raw Power is still gonna sound great in 20 years, when everybody’s forgotten about Interpol – it’s rock ‘n’ roll without a sell-by date.” PETER KRBAVAC

WHO ILLZILLA WHAT LIVE HIP-HOP, BABY...

WHERE TRANSIT BAR WHEN FRI SEP 26

TZU blew you away? Muph & Plutonic knocked your proverbial little socks off? Well on September 26, Transit Bar continues to bring to you the finest in Australian hip-hop with the arrival of another one of Australia’s most promising crews - Illzilla! With their debut album Wasteland sounding regular sirens on Triple J at the moment, the boys are also gaining a reputation for being one of the livest shows in the country, fronted by the incredible lyrical dexterity of emcee Mantra. Coming from a divergent range of musical backgrounds, Illzilla fuse reggae, old-school funk, blues, classical and rock with their own unique brand of hip-hop. Having performed at Falls Festival, Pyramid Rock, the Roots, Rap and Reggae Festival, Illzilla are now looking to bring their vibrant and powerful sound to Canberra. Featuring the renowned Casual Projects in support, prepare for live hip-hop at its very finest! Entry is free you goons! ROWAN THOMSON

WHO END OF FASHION WHAT RETURN WITH A SECOND LP WHERE ANU BAR WHEN WED SEP 17

After their debut, Dennis Herring-produced (Modest Mouse, Elvis Costello) LP threw the band into the big leagues, End of Fashion frontman Justin Burford found himself adrift in New York.

“I had been through quite an emotional upheaval, which was fueling my compulsion to write as much as it was fueling my insecurities.” He returned to Perth and the band embarked on a mission to make a follow-up that was more personal and more collaborative. Recorded with Magoo (Regurgitator, Midnight Oil, Powderfinger) and Andy Lawson (The Avenues), and polished off by mixing master Tim Palmer (U2, The Cure, Robert Plant), the LP saw original EOF drummer Mike Hobbs return to the fold, while Julian Hamilton of The Presets also swung by the studio to help write Dying For You. The Clash’s London Calling and Bowie’s Station To Station served as reference points, and while the band retains their pop nous, they’ve crafted an album more ‘brutal and angular’ than the last. “This album came from, for me, this really dark place,” Justin notes. “Yet it’s actually an uplifting, melodic, almost spiritual record for us.

We’re really proud of it.” The band will unveil it at ANU Bar on Wednesday September 17 with The Seabellies and Harlequin League. Tickets from Ticketek. Book of Lies, boasting lead cut Fussy, is out September 27. PETER KRBAVAC

7 Akuna St

Canberra City

ALL SHOWS FREE ENTRY

w/ HENRY WAGONS

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

"One of them (Horizons) is a pure, Led Zepplin, rockin’ out, fuckin’ epic rock monster of a track that starts out sounding Massive Attack meets Zepplin meets Depeche Mode"

"IT'S ELECTRO POP ROCK NONSENSE, REALLY..."

Allan Sko The dance music climate has changed dramatically in the last two years, particularly at home. The Modular label shot to prominence, bringing into sharp focus Australian dance luvvies Cut Copy and The Presets and, in part, helped usher in the seemingly ubiquitous electro house sound we’re now drenched in.

PNAU combined their long-standing dance sensibilities with crafty pop nous to release one of the albums of 2007, and subsequently some of the best singles of 2008 in Baby and Embrace.

It is into this climate that the mighty INFUSION triumvirate stride once more, looking to reaffirm their position as one of Australia’s most beloved – and most enduring – dance acts. It seems an age since Girls Can Be Cruel delighted and entranced the unsuspecting public’s ears and that’s because, well… it has been an age.

Believe it or believe it not, 2008 marks a decade since three plucky Melbournites decided to shake up the dance world. After a string of successful 12”s on the Thunk and Roadrunner labels, the band caught fire in 2004, landing a slot at the revered Glastonbury Festival. Yes, if there’s anyone that knows how to adapt to the fickle and fast-changing dance scene, it’s messieurs Jamie Stevens, Frank Xavier and obliging BMA interview subject Manual “Manny” Sharrad.

Manny is a delightful character of the Australian dance music scene, a man who loves a chat, loves a dance, and loves a party. Fortunately for the world of music, he balances such decadence with a firm head on the shoulders, belying the musical intelligence we’ve come to know of the Infusion troupe. He comments openly and widely on topics such as dance music, Infusion’s place in it, their musical methodology, their new direction and, most pressingly of all, what the bloody hell they’ve been up to.

“Touring for a lot of it,” Sharrad quips.“Mostly Europe. By last count, we’d played in 39 countries and 123 cities. And we even managed a good old fashioned bit of relaxing by the end of it. We lived in London for a few months to try and crack the market over there, which formed the base for lots of the shows around Europe. We get along famously, but I think we were all getting a bit sick of the sight of each other towards the end, so the break was vital in unwinding and getting the creative juices flowing again.”

The break seemed to only fuel the muse of music within the camp.

“We were itching to start writing and recording again; we all had so many ideas by the time we got back into it. For the first time ever, we actually went to a retreat, of sorts, down on the coast, and got stuck into uninterrupted, focussed writing. It was really beneficial.”

Citing The Killers, “New York guys” The Strokes, and Belgium band dEUS as influences certainly helped fuel early rumours that the long-awaited follow up album to 2006’s ARIA award winning Six Feet Above Yesterday had a slower tempo, and more of a live band sound. But this is not the case.

“It’s sounding pretty fuckin’ hot, I must say,” Sharrad says, with lovable enthusiasm. “I wouldn’t say it was slower. We wanted a really good, strong, solid, up-tempo kind of album. There’s only really two vaguely slow songs on the album, but they’re by no means laid back!” he laughs.

“One of them (Horizons) is a pure, Led Zepplin, rockin’ out, fuckin’ epic rock monster of a track that starts out sounding Massive Attack meets Zepplin meets Depeche Mode. Frank [Xavier] and I were getting bored of 12 minute prog epics. We wanted more of a crossover-festival kinda-fun-stuff vibe overall; y’know, songs, proper pop songs that allow silly dance remixes further down the track. We wanted to make things tighter and catchier, so we wanted to make this one a good, solid, short, catchy album with good pop ethics.

“We’re not going total rock, we’re just getting more instruments involved,” Sharrad continues. “Some of the tracks have strings, and there are live drums that we’ve recorded, sampled, chopped the fuck out off, plus a fair bit of guitar and bass here and there, but only where it needs it, not for the sake of it. We start off writing the way we usually do – electronic sounds and beats – and if something needs a real guitar or some drums, we’ll include it.”

Canberra will mark the first performance on Australian soil for the merry men in a long time, and it seems a lot of pent up performance energy will be unleashed.

“I just can’t wait until the album’s out and we can start touring again.

I’m itching to get back out there. Canberra should be great. I’m looking forward to playing with the Karton boys again; they’re always fun. We’ll be playing a more dance-orientated set to fit in with the night, so live guitar and up-tempo numbers will be the go.

“We’ll have a guitarist; Pip Branson. He plays for Something For Kate, has a bunch of other projects going on; he’s an old mate, and a really good guitarist, so that will add an exciting element to the show.”

And new material one trusts?

“Oh yes,” Sharrad spouts, his enthusiasm positively dripping down the phone line. “We’ll be playing a helluva lot of new stuff. The one we’re really pushing to the forefront at the moment – and will probably be the new single – is Dogtown. It’s a crazy fuckin’ tweaked out dancefloor stomper of over-sexed madness. It’s just a really good dance track, a fun track of bouncing around craziness. And that’s what we’re all about these days, electro pop rock nonsense, really. Pop doesn’t have to be stupid, it doesn’t have to be shit. It’s about finding that balance. The people who turn it into gold are geniuses in my book.”

Glittering nuggets of dance pop brilliance exploding in the live arena with a sextastic performance mantra. It’s a description that could be applied to Infusion at any stage of their career, but perhaps even more so now. Despite their seeming absence in a scene that tends to change as rapidly as a kaleidoscope, the boys are set to shake us up yet again.

“I’m itching to get back out there. Canberra should be great.”

Infusion headline the massive ITM Party at ANU on Saturday September 13 with Grafton Primary, James Dela Cruz, Nick Thayer, G.L.O.V.E.S, Typhonic, Karton, Danielsan, D’Opus & Roshambo, Hubert w/ MC Darkwing, Alikeminds and Dazed & Flawlezz. Tix $45 plus BF from Landspeed, inthemix.com.au, ANU Union and Stocks.

ALL AGES

As I awkwardly bump into you all once again, embarrassed by the fact that I just said bye to you minutes prior and had just made an excuse about how I had to go meet someone just so I could get away from you all, I say “Oh, hello again” and attempt to giggle my way out of this particular pickle.

So, hello again. I didn’t realise you were all coming this way. Whoops.

But let’s put all this dilly-dally behind us. There are a few very important things happening over the next few months, the first of course being the return of Digbyfest! That’s right, you read correctly. After a successful response from the first Digbyfest, held at Woden Youth Centre a few months back, it’s on again.

Held once again at Woden Youth Centre on the September 12, Digbyfest 2 will feature the likes of Astrochem, Slovak, Pleased To Jive You and Monster Elephante (formally Fistful of Nothing). $5 will see you through those sliding youth centre doors and on to the dance floor with an uncontrollable

SLOWBURN urge to dance the Tarantism (thank you, Dahahoo). It’s set to be a great night friends, and will of course be presented

by Digby himself! I may add that the show starts at 6pm and is of course a drug and alcohol free event.

With a line-up shuffle that saw Murph of Hardluck taking over guitar duties, local hardcore juggernaut Slowburn have been in fine fettle recently. As their long-awaited EP inches ever

closer to release, they’ll be headlining a rare Thursday youth centre show at the Tuggeranong YC on September 4. Supports include crushing Gold Coast five-piece Vices For Virtues (think Poison The Well, Misery Signals, Stay Gold, Killing The Dream), locals Dead Kings and delay pedal aficionados (and one of the best local bands to emerge in an age) …Like Foxes. Cheap entry!

Having overcome the tragedy of losing their singer and roadie/ merch man when their tour bus crashed at the end of last year, Melbourne tech metal band The Red Shore decimated Canberra kids during their I Killed The Prom Queen support slot back in May. Now they’re heading out under their own steam, with a new album in the wings, for an all ages show at Tuggeranong Youth Centre on Thursday September 11.

They’ll be joined by The Bright Star Alliance, Time Has Come and Dead Kings. 8pm, $12 Trackside is on its way back for round two. By now I’m all sure you have triumphantly thrust your fists to the air that for once you don’t have to be 18 to not only attend a festival of such high calibre, but to do so in your own town. This year’s Trackside will be held on November 22 and will boast a massive bill featuring the likes of The Living End, Cut Copy, The Panics, Bliss n Eso, British India, Sparkadia, Something With Numbers, Muph & Plutonic, Carpathian, Bluejuice, Grafton Primary, Little Red, Hell City Glamours and of course Los Capitanes. Tickets can be purchased through Moshtix, Landspeed Records or Stocks.

Watch out. Get ’em up ya.

To the bands: get out there, play shows wherever possible, mix up a bill and keep the underage scene going, I beg you.

JOSH MOLONY joshmolony@hotmail.com

LOCALITY I think that it’s a known fact that when you use a middle initial, people take you more seriously, so it’s an experiment I’ve decided to try. Tell me what you think.

Our babies The Trivs will be supporting Mercy Arms on Canberra stop of their national album tour. It’s happening at The Greenroom on September 5. You can snaffle a $12 ticket through moshtix.com.au. Doors at 8.

Interstatians (?) have bagged it, and we’ve defended it to the death, and it seems that Stonefest is going to be bigger and better than ever before. It’s been around since my mum went to uni, and it’s celebrating its 40th birthday - on October 31 and November 1 - in style, with Grinspoon, The Dandy Warhols, Faker, The Drones, and a buttload more acts on the bill.

Tickets are available from ticketek outlets, Landspeed, or online (just follow the links from www.stonefest.com.au) And in other festival news Trackside (November 22) tickets are ON SALE. Headlined by The Living End, Cut Copy, and other such delicious acts announced in the first line-up, you can grab tickets from moshtix, Landspeed, Stocks, and get more info on myspace and facebook. It'll also mark the first Canberra show in ages by ska fiends Los Capitanes.

Since its inception in June, the Canberra Musicians Club has done a whole lot for the good of the CBR music community. Having acquired a Premier Foundation Sponsor (The RiotACT) and two Major Foundation Sponsors (CIT’s Centre for Creative Industries, Culturazi.com), there’s a ton of bands jumping into this community of musos and a good calendar of events being hosted by the CMC coming up.

Their launch is coming up on September 13. It’s an all-day/allnight music festival, the first part free, and you’ll be able to catch <inhales> Ellis Collective, The Fuelers, Dubba Rukki, Fire on the Hill, The Wedded Bliss, Hashemoto, Julia and The Deep Sea Sirens, The Cashews, Smitten, Lotzi and Friends, Bionic Hearts, Adelyn, Starfish Hill, Simone Penkethman,

Mechanical Pterodactyl, Alice, Fred Smith, Aleshia Flanagan, Haunted Attics, The Black Hat Band, Toucani, Kooky Fandango, Joseph Taylor Quintet, Los Chavos and more... (more? jayzus).

Cost is $30/$20(conc) and $10 for CMC members. Get on it!

Looking Glass are playing a show at the Pot Belly, Belconnen, on September 19, along with Monster Elephante, The Chuffs and Voss. This will be one of LG’s last shows in Canberra for 2008 as they gear up to their NZ tour in December. Only $5 entry. So catch ‘em before they become international superstars and forget all about us.

As I’m sure you’ve ALL read in the last ish of BMA, Lamexcuse are gearing on up for their album launch at The Basement on Saturday September 6.

Exciting times, people.

Exciting times...

Pirana Music - aren’t they the popular ones? They’re so busy that they’re closing the store on Mondays. To make up for it, they’re giving up part of their weekends, and will be open all day Saturday from 9am to 5pm and extended

VOSS hours during the week, from 9am to 6pm Tuesday to Friday. Plus there’s a bonus - if you shop on a Tuesday they’re offering 10% off everything in the store. For Tuesdays only, greedy sods.

Big love and spoonage, CAZ E DENNES cazzed@hotmail.com

DANCE: THE DROP Well-well-well-well-well. Well. If it isn’t you guys, what with your things ‘n’ stuff hanging about the place. No, I have no idea what I’m on about either; it’s been a big weekend.

So, the ITM Top 50 poll has been and gone for another year, and thanks to the hard work and turgid talent of our local dance music glitterati, it’s been the best yet for the ACT. A mightily over-exaggerated tip of the cap goes to the Aston Shuffle boys, who came in at a staggering sixth place in the national – yes, the national – polls. Bloody nice work, chaps. And a jubilant and congratulatory cockney wink goes to Foreshore for taking out the Best Event category. In your face, Big Day Out. Locally, the top five were as follows: #1 Aston Shuffle, #2 Tori Mac, #3 Ashley Feraude, #4 Tim Galvin, #5 Mikah Freeman (enjoying another excellent year, it seems). For the full results, hit up http://www.inthemix. com.au/50 .

Those delightful Servants of Sound kids – yes, the very same that brought you the much loved and highly successful Liquid Sun and Galactic Centre parties – are back with their biggest show yet; a three day festival with the rather fetching name of Dragon Dreaming, happening on Oct 4 to 6 at a TBA location. I caught up with plucky whelp Lynton Sheehan to get the goss.

“Servants of Sound, REGEN, Ixchel and Suntribe are excited to announce Dragon Dreaming Festival 2008 – the first ever three day festival of its type to be held in Canberra!” the man enthused. “Get your fix at the Dragon Dreaming Launch party at Teatro Vivaldi (ANU) on Saturday September 13 from 9pm. Not only is this a launch for Dragon Dreaming, but it’s also a birthday for a special someone – so we’ve gone all out with a burlesque theme! Servants of Sound are giving the best dressed person a free ticket to Dragon Dreaming Festival, so trot out the top hat and tails and come and strut your stuff to a selection of acts such as Eukali, Close?, Psytata, freebasstoad, Aneurysm and more! Check the website for more details - www.servantsofsound.org .”

More on Dragon Dreaming next issue, you ravenous hounds.

The international drum ‘n’ bass nights at Mercury Bar continue to roll out. The UK’s Survival of Creative Source/Exit Records/ DNAudio/ Qurantine and Shogun Audio fame will be in town on Friday October 3. Benjammin, Rhombus, Kilojulz, Buick, Tidy and Crooked Sound System will be in support. $15 before 10pm, $20 after. Doors 8pm.

And then a little further down the track, the awesome might of Apex, also a dweller from the land of bad teeth, will be here on Friday October 17, with Bowl & Scissor, Centaspike, Escha, Dred and DJ C. $15 before 10pm, $20 thereafter. Jump onto his myspace (just type in Apex myspace into your preferred search engine) and have a listen to Entrapment. Killer.

Academy has a few aces up its sleeve for the month ahead. I caught up with ACT ITM #3 Ashley Feraude both to find out what’s happening, and to stare dreamily at his undeniably chiselled features.

“Thursday has a “show us your trash” stencil comp coming up which can win you two platinum passes. More details on the comp and how to get the sticker on the website www.academyclub.com.au . Fridays we have John Course (Friday Sep 5), then the One Love Party which features TV Rock with Seanie B live on the mic (Friday Sep 12) and the Ministry of Sound Clubbers Guide Spring Tour with Groove Terminator (Friday Sep 19). Decadence Saturdays continue with Chris Fraser, Ashley Feraude, Miles, Pred, Saad and Rexy and live elements throughout the month include percussionists, vocalists and even MC Roshambo, who’ll be complimenting one of my sets with his skills! The Candy Bar features the Latin musical journey of Mi Casa Es Tu Casa with Frank Madrid or the funk, soul and retro sounds of Ear Candy.”

Much to enjoy. Be sure to read up this ish on Mobin Master @ Monkey Bar, Sep 6 (Tidbits, p16), Infusion/Grafton Primary/G.L.O.V.E.S @ ANU, Sep 13 and bask in the glory that is Foreshore’s second round line-up on p2/3. I’ll see you at the ITM Party, kids.

ALLAN “MIRTH ‘N’ GIRTH” SKO

“I do tend to genre hop a lot; it’s more challenging!”

THE G.L.O.V.E.S. ARE OFF...

Tim Galvin Yama Indra is quite an enigmatic force in Australian music; by day he is a member of popular indie group Damn Arms, but once the sky darkens and the horizon releases the cool light of the moon, he changes into G.L.O.V.E.S. I guess the only difference between him and an actual werewolf would be the whole ‘killing and eating people’ thing, though there is still the chance he may wake up naked in a park somewhere with no memory of the night before – but that, my friends, is just rock and roll.

“I think it all started with a huge obsession with music. As soon as I knew how to operate my parents’ turntables and cassette players I was scouring through their collections, reading all of the information I could get from the covers and making cassette mix tapes of my favourite tracks to listen to on my walkman on the school bus. While everyone was getting into Nirvana and Pearl Jam I was listening to New Order, The Carpenters, Beach Boys, Devo and the Human League.

“I played guitar, bass guitar, piano and trumpet in school and then saved up and bought my first drum machine and analogue synthesiser when I was 19. From there I just wanted to play in a band, but no one was taking the new wave/’80s music I was making seriously, so I just programmed everything - without a computer! - and convinced my mate Tim, who I still play with in Damn Arms, to play the parts I didn’t have enough hands to play. I guess what I’m saying is that I fell into the music industry by chance as an artist, rather than consciously deciding to pursue a career in music. I’ve been really lucky!”

His solo career has spawned hot remixes for ‘now’ acts like Amy Meredith, Operator Please and Gameboy/Gamegirl. "The vocal is the main thing I consider, even if their music isn’t really my thing - if the vocal is strong and I can hear some good melodies around it then I’m usually interested, as it means I can create something collaborative and great. I’m just finishing up a 12” for Bang Gang 12”s. They have two originals which I’ve basically finished, just tinkering with them a little before sending them off for remixes. So the 12” will probably make it out around November or so. I’ve been testing out the tracks live and response has been awesome!”

To try and describe the G.L.O.V.E.S. sound would be like asking a butcher, ‘so what’s in the sausage?’; his mish mash of electronic noise and melodic soul is best expatiated by the man himself: “At the moment everything I’m doing is just coming out really pop sounding. I’ve been listening to predominantly ’80s RNB and pop funk for the last six months. To narrow it down, I would describe what I release under the G.L.O.V.E.S moniker as Euro-disco-’90s-yacht-rock-heavy funk. Well, that’s what the originals I have coming up could be summed up as anyway; some of my older work would need another description. I do tend to genre hop a lot; it’s more challenging!”

I close by asking the arcane musical master what his most interesting experience in a club has been. The response was decidedly unexpected.

“Playing at Teenage Kicks in Tokyo. It was just really bizarre. It’s all a bit of a blur but the two most surreal moments were seeing groups of girls in fancy dress doing synchronised dances to some of the songs on the floor and then having a confrontation with a seven foot tall Caucasian transsexual who was wearing a motorcycle helmet with the visor down.

Oh and this wasn’t a fancy dress party, that’s just the way they roll there!”

G.L.O.V.E.S. plays alongside Infusion, Grafton Primary, Nick Thayer, James Dela Cruz and many more at the InTheMix 50 Party at the ANU Bar on Saturday September 13. Tickets from Ticketek, Landspeed and Stocks.

“Happiness has got a really cool reggae vocalist who hasn’t done anything for 15 years. He heard us play and just decided that he had to do something with us, which was pretty cool”

lean wit' it, rock wit' it Caitlin Croucher Don’t be fooled by their name. TV ROCK actually have nothing to do with TV. Namely because they’re a DJ/producer duo. Anyhow, if you have a penchant for ra-ra-sweaty-man-sweat-doof-doof-big-room-electro kind of music then TV Rock are probably your kind of pie. According to the latest onelove Neon Lights compilation they’ve just recorded a mix for, these chaps ‘party in Ibiza and wave the flag for the Melbourne Mafia like no other’ (there are quite a few of these Ibiza mafia flag-waving chaps waltzing about apparently). Grant Smillie, one half of the Rock, didn’t seem to be knifing anyone in a hot pink g-string bikini when we spoke about their debut mix 3am on the latest onelove album. But who knows, it was a phone call after all.

Grant Smillie and Ivan Gough have been working the electro-house circuit in both Europe and Australia for a fair few years now. After spreading their musical seed throughout the European clubs and releasing their debut album Sunshine City, they’re back with their latest single Been a Long Time and lending a few decks toward the well-oiled onelove machine. “In the past we’ve been trying to push our singles a lot more” says Grant, “but we felt that it was time to do a compilation.”

Their 3am mix on onelove incorporates the old with the new. The Rock boys have included some unusual vocal tracks, including Zoe Badwi, a newbie from Melbourne’s underbelly pub scene. “It’s good to be able to give new talent a foot in the door. We found Zoe singing in a band one night.” Other tasty little numbers include Carl Kennedy (no, not the guy from Neighbors), Laidback Luke, David Guetta and Bookashade.

As for their other stuff, the Rock chaps have been “trying to play at a club level lately, rather than putting everything on the radio,” Grant explains.

“We try and let the clubbers own the record!” Conveniently, Grant also has a show on Radio Nova, which he and John Course have been running for a while now. The upside for Grant is that “most radio stations aren’t prepared to take a chance with new music, so for two hours a week we get to play whatever we want.”

One mix from TV Rock that is likely to receive some decent airplay is their latest single Happiness, which is sure to release a crap-load of serotonin on the unsuspecting listener soon. “[Happiness] has got a really cool Jamaican reggae vocalist,” Grant explains, “who hasn’t done anything for 15 years. He heard us play and just decided that he had to do something with us, which was pretty cool.”

It looks like TV Rock are well and truly smug for now. And rightly so, as they’ve certainly earned their chewing gum in the competitive DJ/ producer world. “I’ve been doing this for years,” Grant admits, “and I’m an old man now! But I still love it.”

TV Rock will be doing something fairly loud and stimulating at Academy on Friday September 12 to launch the onelove Neon Nights set. Supports include Tim Galvin, Sean Kelly and Staky.

“There’s definitely room and potential for legitimate education in music, including in ours.

Sometimes it’s good to have a bit of meaning behind things, whatever the music is like.”

an eon of neon Ben Hermann It seems that so many promising groups who venture into our deceivingly quiet city become somewhat put off by an unluckily poor attendance at their shows, or perhaps even the cold weather. Hell, some of them are so pretentious and conceited that, despite having a near-packed venue, they’ll still complain that the guy who works at the bar “looks too hip-hop”. In addition, as Pete K brought to my attention just last week, other musicians, like Nick Cave, despite having an overwhelming ability to pack any venue in Canberra, may nevertheless choose to journey to our modest metropolitan only twice in the space of a 30 year career because, well, they’re too busy growing moustaches or doing anything else. So while too many of them choose to leave Canberra off their touring schedule for years to come, others, such as GRAFTON PRIMARY, tenaciously work to build up their fan base by returning to the ’berra with consistently more impressive live performances on each visit. And so, after playing several progressively more electric and packed shows at Transit over the past couple of years, followed by several larger supports for Midnight Juggernauts and Faker, Australia’s newest darlings of electronica will be returning this September as one of the headliners of Sony’s In the Mix Top 50 Party.

As fate may have it, the boys’ debut full-length Eon will be released on the same day as their Canberra show. Much-anticipated by fans and critics alike, it is expected to be one of the year’s largest and greatest dance records from a group that has, over recent years, broken the mould of what popular dance music should sound and look like. While the group was keen to develop their sound and lyrical genius beyond that displayed on their 2007 EP Relativity, Benjamin Garden (synth/ keytar/vocals) admits that their extensive touring of late was a strong influence on the new album. “The album is definitely a reflection of our shows, which have influenced our sound. Playing live, which we do much more often now, is obviously very different to just sitting around in the studio. When we write, we don’t directly think about how the song will sound live, but simply playing live has influenced us. Having done all the mixing on the new album ourselves, I think it sounds more polished than the EP, but it’s still stuff that might work better live.” While Grafton Primary were once self-confessed obsessive producers, hesitant to make the leap between loungeroom perfection and the studio and stage, they now seem to have struck a stunning balance between their decadent production tendencies and their live sound.

2007’s Relativity captured both the attention and imaginations of many dance-inclined fans with its overwhelmingly confident fusion of ’80s synth madness, classic pop infectiousness and celestially orchestrated lyrics. While dance music of late has so often been associated with bleached-haired, tanned youngsters in short shorts, white slip-ons and v-neck fluoro t-shirts, Grafton Primary is one of many groups in Australia

determined to reclaim dance music from the grasps of its current fashionistic, shallow possessors. Their live performances during recent years was one factor present in their musical development between Relativity and Eon, however the group also strove for greater diversity in their songwriting. “The greater diversity reflects the way the songs have been written. There was a much wider range of influences and inspiration.

There are many distinct ways of writing songs, and we use a lot of them.

Sometimes Josh will come up with stuff himself, sometimes I’ll come up with music ideas and he’ll put lyrics over the top, and sometimes we’ll just start with a blank page and work something out together.”

This diversity is easy to hear on Eon; not only has the group had to maintain listeners’ interest for a whole album, but there is an increased degree of seriousness on top of their usually cheerful tone. “It’s certainly a bit darker and not as blunt and happy as Relativity,” Garden admits.

“Our sound is evolving all the time.” However, not only has the group’s development come about due to greater influences, but their use of different musical mediums has greatly expanded the potential for their diversification and advancement. “Originally we didn’t even play live,” Garden says. “We just wrote songs in the loungeroom with a computer and a keyboard. Then we added the keytar later. Now we’re even considering getting some guitar and bass onto some of our songs.

Although that won’t be immediately. For the moment, the multimedia foundation is working pretty well for us.”

Lyrically as well, Grafton Primary have crafted out a unique niche for themselves. Using their motto ‘educate, innovate, liberate’, their lyrical union of love, science, maths and desire often contains a sly undercurrent of seriousness in their seemingly tongue-in-cheek use of educational imagery and academic allusions. “Josh is definitely the expert at talking about those academic sort of things, as he’s the one who comes up with a lot of the imagery. But yes, I think music is a good way of conveying a message,” Garden says. So while you might become infatuated with Grafton Primary’s entrancingly divine sound, chances are that you’re only getting half the potential experience if you ignore their beautifully poetic lyrics. Like their music, the group’s lyrics seem to reflect a belief that communicating a worthwhile message can be done without being preachy, self-righteous and overly serious.

“There’s definitely room and potential for legitimate education in music, including in ours. Sometimes it’s good to have a bit of meaning behind things, whatever the music is like.”

Grafton Primary will play at the Sony In The Mix Top 50 party at the ANU Refectory on Saturday 13 September. Tix are $45+bf from the ANU Bar, Landspeed Records, Stocks, and inthemix.com.au . Nick Cave will not be appearing. The band independently release Eon is out September 13, distributed by MGM.

METALISE Meshuggah hit Australia in October this year thanks to triple j and Blue Murder.

Touring their latest record ObZen, the band bring their hyper kinetic stylings down under and the only band to do this tour are our own well-seasoned international vets Alchemist, who are doing the whole national tour support.

Well done lads. In continuing the trend of international bands touring but not playing here, the closest date for you keensters is Monday October 13 at The Roundhouse in Sydney.

It's an all ages show. The Melbourne show is Wednesday October 15 the Palace Theatre, which used to be the Metro up the top of the city near Parliament House.

Whilst on international tour supports, Carcass tour supports have been named, the Sydney show on Sunday October 12 at The Metro will have Daysend and Beyond Terror Beyond Grace, and the Melbourne show on Monday October 13 features Terrorust and Picture The End. Opeth are playing a combined all ages/licensed Sydney show at the Big Top on this Saturday September 6, but I’m sure you’re all wired onto that one already!

Kill For Satan have been quiet of late, but that certainly hasn’t seen Lucifer’s Assassins sitting around idling. The SHACKLES band has begun work on the follow up to Thy Kingdom Undone at Infidel studios. Eight songs with the promise of a surprise or two is the word from camp Satan at this time. Having just done a big show at the Lewisham Tavern with a slew of Sydney’s finest last weekend, the guys are primed for a show at the ANU Bar this Saturday night to help celebrate Raven Clothing’s Third Birthday Party. Also along for the ride are Sydney bands Shackles and Backyard Mortuary. You will also be able to catch the band at the Basement’s second annual Helloween show in early November.

In response to a heap of interest in the Pod People vinyl release of Mons Animae Mortuorum, the Goatsounds label have commissioned an extra special double album addition to the record’s already stellar artwork to include the full 57 minute album in its entirety, as well as the fourth side featuring even more grim etched artwork from Glenn Smith to further compliment the awesome artwork from the CD. The album will be available in late October or early November.

The new Metallica single The Day That Never Comes hit the interweb a couple of weeks back. Aside from some issues with the mix that were blamed on the source copy, the only thing Rick Rubin has bought to the mix so far is encouraging James Hetfield to sing like a cross between Johnny Cash and Waylan Jennings before trying to staple the corpse of their ’80s thrash glory onto the tail-end of the corpse of the songwriting style from Reload. It’s like Franken-tallica only even scarier than Mary Shelly’s classic novel. I guess when Death Magnetic hits the stores there’ll be a more informed place to gauge the claims of ‘return to form’ that the hype machine is endlessly shoving down our throats. I stopped listening on …And Justice For All; I don’t think this is going to start a revival.

They’ve been suspiciously silent in recent years, but after nearly five years enduring the slow and painful process of writing a new album, NSW black metal duo Arkheth - comprising Tyraenos and Skolthorn - have returned with Algaresh. An epic in every sense, this two-hour-long double disc marks a new chapter the band, who “has never truly given itself the chance to reach its full potential. Until now.” Originally formed after a split in symphonic black metal outfit Eternal Dark, veterans may remember the band from a pre-Metal for the Brain show a few years ago. They play The Basement on Friday September 5. Doors at 8pm, $12 entry.

JOSH NIXON doomtildeath@hotmail.com NP: Pavarotti – A.C. – 40 More Reasons To Hate Us

IN THREES “The band isn’t something we do, it’s something we are” Ben Hermann Speaking to Mick Hoorweg, bassist for Canberra rockers SWITCH 3 on the eve of the release of their debut album Calm Before - out September 12, with their launch at The Greenroom on September 13 - you get the impression that the group is utterly comfortable with where they are and what they’ve produced – a refreshing sign that their sense of achievement is based upon what they have already created, and not simply on how it will be received by music critics. “We’re really happy with the way it turned out,” Hoorweg says. “Tight time constraints meant we had to follow a pretty rigorous schedule in the studio, but that added pressure helped us remain focused. At the end of the day, it was great fun - which is what really counts.”

Teaming up again with producer Anton Hagop, who has worked with acts including Powderfinger, Missy Higgins and Silverchair, as well as working with Switch 3 on their 2005 EP Memories Fade, Hoorweg suggests that the relationship was a nice balance between strict independence and constructive guidance. “Anton totally understood the direction we wanted to go in with the new material. He didn’t try to change anything stylistically, but certainly helped resolve some of the more esoteric elements.”

Beginning in 2002, Switch 3 have survived for quite a respectable period of time, especially as they are now split between Canberra and Brisbane.

They have stated openly that Calm Before will to some extent represent a shift in focus from their older material and will be more mature, but nevertheless Hoorweg sees this as simply a reflection of the past years which does not represent a solidified path for their future creations. “When Switch 3 first started, we were all at different stages musically and in our lives. As a young band, it was amazing just jamming and coming up with songs,” Hoorweg admits. “We’ve now found that blend of light and shade that works for us. As we continue to grow both personally and musically over the coming years, there’s no doubt things will keep evolving.”

Switch 3 have declared that as a band they do not wish to feign concern or compassion, wishing only to explore the darker crevasses and quieter moments of life where character is solidified from within. Although this seems to come from a sense of alienation from the sense of transparent insincerity present in so much rock, punk and pop, it may also be influenced by the determination and attitude of Japan’s music communities, which they boys experienced first-hand when touring there several years ago. “Japanese bands are consummate professionals. They have ability in spades without any attitude,” Hoorweg beams. “Everyone is there to put on a good show. There wasn’t a single person that couldn’t play like a demon, and they all had ridiculously tight acts. It was really inspiring. There are bands out there who sing about certain topics because it’s fashionable. They write a bunch of lyrics in the hope that it’ll sell albums, not because they believe in what they’re saying.”

Regardless of what has been or what will come about in the future, Switch 3 sound confident enough to take anything and everything in their stride.

Brimming with excitement about the release of Calm Before, they nevertheless retain an uplifting sense of perspective about the whole experience.“We are constantly planning out the future. Switch 3 is a vehicle for us all to experience what life has to offer: travel, art, creativity, meeting people, friends. The band isn’t something we do, it’s something we are.”

Switch 3 launch Calm Before at The Greenroom on Saturday September 13 with Monster Elephante and Zero Degrees and Falling. Doors 8pm, entry $12.

UP WITH THE BIRDS “An album is like a child. You worry about it, because it’s almost like putting them out to the wolves.

They’ll either be accepted and loved, or eaten up” Cecilia Pattison-Levi “Agendas,” says Adam Spark. “The BIRDS OF TOKYO have no agenda to push. Other than to make, write, perform and enjoy good music.” Adam, guitarist and tunesmith for the band, just wants to get music fans to tune into what he and his bandmates are up to with recording and touring good live music.

Birds Of Tokyo from Western Australia are a band on the rise. They've previously released an EP to critical and fan praise and have just released a new album called Universes. They are now about to set off on a massive tour around the East Coast of Australia and will be heading to Canberra in September. “It’s pretty damned exciting to have new music out and to be touring,” says Adam. “It’s always a lot of fun putting out a new album, but there is that momentary concern as well. An album is like a child. You worry about it, because it’s almost like putting them out to the wolves. They’ll either be accepted and loved, or eaten up.”

Birds Of Tokyo may have an unusual name, but they formed in the usual way. “Well, the name came from Ian Kenny. He was reading a Readers Digest article about Tokyo having no native birds or any birds at all because of the pollution,” says Adam. “We thought that sounded great. But the band formed in the normal way with Ian and me jamming and gigging to ten people at the local pub on a Wednesday night.” The've been kicking around Perth’s local music scene since 2003, although they have really risen to prominence in the past 18 months. “To many people we appear to be a young band, but we started writing for the band about five years ago,” says Adam. “We’re pretty lucky to have achieved what we have so far.”

Birds Of Tokyo have most certainly been achieving. The band has been attracting attention from music fans and critics alike for their dynamic songs like Silhouettic, a powerful track that has received quite a bit of airplay, and the new single from the album Universes, Broken Bones, a song that possesses the prequel clip to that of Silhouettic. “We did that on purpose,” says Adam. “We thought it’d be funny if we filmed it in order but released it back to front to annoy punters. In all seriousness, we chose to release Silhouettic first, because it was the ‘in your face’ song that would make people sit up and take notice.”

Notice they did, and the band has announced a tour to celebrate the launch of the album.“We’re going everywhere! Places we haven’t toured before, like Canberra, Coffs Harbour, Bendigo, Wollongong and Sunshine Coast,” says Adam.“It’s going to be a good mix of locations. We’d like to play as many shows as possible. We’d love for the fans to have a chance to listen to the album in full, so that when they come to see us, they’ll recognise the songs. There’s nothing worse than going to a gig and spending 40 minutes standing still because it’s all new and unfamiliar.

"But we will play some new music. We write all the time,” says Adam.

“There is new music for Birds that we may or may not use. The writing never really stops for us. I guess, the day it does, then that’s when I’ll probably leave music alone. But we are in for the long haul – hopefully.” For now, Birds of Tokyo are in full flight and want music fans to step inside their universe.

Catch Birds of Tokyo live at ANU Bar on Sunday September 14 with Calling all Cars and Degrees of Freedom. Tickets from Ticketek. Universes is out now on MGM.

LIMITED TICKETS

HAVE mercy

urselves st. We found o ing and re te in t es b r u rd "It was in o money to fund the reco nd we with enough EP as well as this album. A release of an creative control!" have complete Erin Cook Ash Moss is laughing as he denies any accusations of “intricately weaving baskets in rehab.” In a perfect example of why your tutor hates Wikipedia, the page of Sydney rock quartet MERCY ARMS has been vandalised. Taking the stock-standard biography of the band, the wouldbe defamer has rearranged sentences to imply Mercy Arms have less interest in their music and more in smack.

Touted as the ‘next big thing’ for a few years now, the release of Mercy Arms’ self-titled debut couldn’t have been more timely, nor without more then its fair share of dramas. After a highly publicised label bidding war in 2006 and 2007, rumoured to include million dollar offers from labels such as Modular, they eventually signed with US powerhouse Capitol, the label behind numerous fellow Sydney-siders meteoric rise to international hypedom just a few years earlier. After a massive overhaul of the label by parent company EMI, the fate of Mercy Arms, and many other bands, hung precariously in the balance.

04

“They wanted to keep a domestic roster”, Moss explains, “but for some reason they overlooked us. But we were the youngest band left and the only non-Americans, so we negotiated our way out of it.” Obliquely referring to the well-worn path of small band vs massive label issues that have plagued the industry since the beginning, Moss couldn’t be happier about their newfound freedom.

“It was in our best interest. We found ourselves with enough money to fund the recording and release of an EP as well as this album. And we have complete creative control!” The album recording saw the band working with Tony Cohen, the famed producer behind many classic Australian albums, notably works by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds and The Go-Betweens. “We’re very happy with it and we’ve had a good reaction. If we waited any longer or did it earlier it would’ve been completely different, so we’re very content.”

With the album released less than a month ago, a long wait for a followup isn’t on the cards. “We’re definitely thinking about it. But we’re just trying to focus on touring for now.” A month-long tour of Australia will be promptly followed by a jaunt to Europe with bedfellows Cut Copy.

“We leave in October for London and Scandinavia which we’re really looked forward to. We get along with them great.”

And is Cut Copy’s burgeoning success overseas something the boys would like to replicate? “We haven’t released anything over there [Europe] yet, but that is a huge aim, absolutely ideal. I really think we’ll translate well in the UK.” And after years on the Sydney live show circuit a fresh change may do them well. After a short-lived show sabbatical (“Well, we were recording” Moss justifies) they returned to the Sydney stage with a residency that “got a great response”. However, it is a live scene Moss is clearly disappointed in. “There’s a lot less band nights, which is a real shame. We used to go to Club 77 all the time but now it’s often one night a week, the rest is club nights.”

Paying their live show dues with support slots for The Strokes and the Pixies, among many others, this tour is their first of multiple dates as headliners. How the Mercy Arms show will translate from the massive stages of festivals and international touring acts to the more modest stage of Canberra’s Greenroom is something Moss has been thinking about a lot lately. “I’m worried about that! There won’t be nearly as many people, but they’re here to see us. This is our tour, our show.

Mercy Arms will be smashin’ up The Greenroom floor on Friday September 5. Joining them will be The Process as well as local rapscallions The Trivs.

Tickets are $12 plus BF or $15 at the door.

COMING SOON: SAT 20th September

REAPERCUSSION II WED 24th September

VAN SHE TUES 7th October

VOICES OF MASADA (UK) THURS 9th October

STEP ON

HOLLY THROSBY

"I have been told that working with bands can be challenging..."

FRI 10th October

THE GO SET *Tickets thru Ticketek.

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September FRI Sept 5th SAT Sept 6 SAT Sept 13

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RAVEN'S THIRD BIRTHDAY W/ SHACKLES, KILL FOR SATAN & BACKYARD MORTUARY FROM 8PM TO 1AM. $10 ENTRY

PANG! + SUBSUMO + BMA present

IN THE MIX TOP 50 PARTY Tix available @ ANU Bar, Landspeed, Stocks & inthemix.com.au $45+bf

BIRDS OF TOKYO

SUN Sept 14

CALLING ALL CARS & DEGREES OF FREEDOM

WED Sept 17

"BOOK OF LIES" ALBUM TOUR + THE SEABELLIES & HARLEQUIN LEAGUE

TIX @ TICKETEK $26.00*

END OF FASHION

Tix on sale @ Ticketek $20.70*

Ben Hermann “I have been told that working with bands can be challenging, but we have had nothing but positive experiences.” Larissa Tyler might not be working with Chris Martin or Pete Doherty, but it’s still nice to know that Canberra’s budding musicians limit the emulation of their respective musical idols to their song-writing prowess and do not extend it to their hollow, conceited personalities. As co-director, alongside her daughter Samantha, of the inaugural UPSTEP 2008 BAND COMPETITION, it’s obvious that Tyler has learned a lot from organising this event over the past year.

Aimed at showcasing the region’s young talent while raising money for local charities and causes, the vision of Upstep was the creation of Tyler’s daughter Samantha, who wanted to hold an entertaining event while making a difference. “Samantha has been passionate toward human rights issues since the age of 8,” Tyler explains. “Upstep was an idea inspired by Sam’s desire to make a difference to her world by contributing toward humanitarian causes. After developing the concept, we spent 16 months working toward our event goals, a journey that has taught us a great deal about the challenges young musicians face here within the ACT. Upstep re-shaped as we recognised a need, and decided there was a lot we could do here in support of our youth and emerging artists.”

Each year Upstep will choose one worthy local cause to receive the funds raised by their activities and profits. This year, with the support of independent music label Hardrush Music, Tyler and her daughter have chosen the Canberra Hospital Paediatric Ward. “Choosing a charity has been a challenge for Sam and I, as there is so much we would love to do, so it’s difficult to choose just one cause. For 2009, we chose a cause that we felt both the community and our entrants would identify with.”

This year, the six finalists – consisting of The Magic Hands, MyOnus, Starfish Hill, Rubycon, Distance Fallen and Alone With You – will be competing for a $6,000 grand prize and, although there will only be one winner, Tyler hopes that simply taking part in Upstep will enhance the knowledge and know-how of the participating bands. “We would like to see Upstep as an annual event cultivating and showcasing original material from young musicians within our local region. We want all of our entrants to walk away from the competition with experience, and skills relevant both to the industry today and for life.” Although this year there will only be one competition category, which itself will host bands from a diverse milieu of genres, Tyler is hoping to expand the competition’s scope in the future. “This year, our six finalists range from pop-rock to punk rock, to indie, alternative, dance-electro and metal.

Our solo performer, Tabitha Omaji will perform soul, so we have an interesting mixture for everyone to enjoy,” Tyler says. “However next year, if we get the support we need, we would like to extend Upstep to a second category for original solo songwriters.”

However, it seems that supporting local bands and raising muchneeded funs for worthy causes aren’t the only rewarding memories produced by organising this year’s Upstep competition. “Learning that one of our band members had lost 11 kilos for our Competition Finals was a fond memory. Being the only single guy in the band, he figured it just had to be done. The Biggest Loser has nothing on Upstep – I think we have outdone ourselves here!”

The Upstep Stage Two Concert and Competition Finals will be held on Friday September 12 at the Southern Cross Club Woden, from 7pm.

Entry is $12. For more info head to www.upstep.info .

"To me, there’s too much humility in Aussie hiphop. None of them get out and act large.

There’s nobody ‘bad’ in it, they’re all humble and small"

THE CHILDIS H GAMBINO Luke McGrath DAVEY GRANEY has been there and done that. Since he came into the public consciousness as lead singer of seminal post-punk band The Moodists in the '70s, he has continually been on the road or in the studio, educating and entertaining those in the know. An exquisite dresser, a consummate showman, a gifted interpreter and a man with a vision. As he states in his own press release, he has never put out a bad album. Ever. And it’s true – after the Moodists, he changed tacks slightly and recorded a variety of albums under several names (The White Buffalos, The Coral Snakes and now The Lurid Yellow Mist). When I speak to him, Dave is in Hamilton, Victoria, partway through a solo tour of the country to indoctrinate people into his latest opus We Wuz Curious.

“It’s a real r‘n’b flavoured album. It’s credited to my band The Lurid Yellow Mist, but all the songs on it are quite autobiographical so I’m quite happy to do them this way as well. I can’t do all of them, but I do most of them”. Like Dave himself, the title of the album, We Wuz Curious, is multifaceted – it can be taken literally but there is much more just under the surface. “It’s influenced from an old cry from boxing trainers, as in ‘We wuz robbed!’” Dave laughs. “Like a complaint before something happens.

We’re curious people and we were curious to try out a few things, so what the hell – it’s our defence in a way. There’s also an old porno movie called I Am Curious Yellow, so it’s bit of an allusion to the ‘yellow’ in The Lurid Yellow Mist. Some people might tune in to that, I don’t know, but it’s a really old porno flick. You know how quick the porno scene moves, being in Canberra especially where you pump it all out!”

As much as Dave has done, and despite the accolades he has received for his various work (including the ARIA for Best Male Vocalist in ’95, as well as a nomination for his soundtrack work to the Aussie flick Bad Eggs in 2004), he has still always operated outside the public radar. As such, the decision for a solo tour is as much an artistic opportunity as it is borne of financial considerations. “You can talk about [the record], but people need to hear it. You know what Australian radio is like, it’s fuckin’ diabolical.

So we’re trying to figure out how to do it,” he laughs. “For us to go out with everybody, we need to be played on radio - we’ve never been on commercial radio, but we try and we give them our records and we invite them to play our records. triple j, we invite them to play our records too, but they’re distracted by something it seems. I think it’s the NME!” Reflecting on the r‘n’b influences on We Wuz Curious and Dave’s professed love of hip-hop, I ask him his thoughts on the Australian hip-hop scene.

“I can’t say I hear a lot of it. In general, to me, there’s too much humility in Aussie hip-hop.” he laughs, “It’s part of its ‘keeping it real’ kind of agenda.

None of them get out and act large. There’s nobody ‘bad’ in it, they’re all humble and small. But what do I know? Maybe that’s good. If I was to do a hip-hop album, I’d be pretty big, just like I am in my own music.” Any thoughts on what your rapping name would be then? “Well, I looked up my Wu name on the Wu name generator. You can put in your name and it would generate your name if you were in the Wu-Tang Clan. Mine was ‘Childish Gambino’ or something like that, so I think I’d go for that!”

Accompanying himself on both acoustic and electric guitars, Dave has also brought along friend and troubadour Henry Wagons, of the alt-country band Wagons, to lend support on this current tour. “It’ll be a pretty sprawling show. If anybody wants to hear a song, they can just ask me, but I like the more weirdo requests of my songs! I haven’t been to Canberra in a while so I’m looking forward to it!”

Dave Graney and Henry Wagons will be playing at the Transit Bar on Saturday September 13 from 8pm (and it’s free!). We Wuz Curious, by The Lurid Yellow Mist feat. Dave Graney and Clare Moore is out now.

JOIN THE CLUB "Our basic motivation has always grown from our despair that there is so much awesome music in Canberra, that it is so under-appreciated by local punters, and that the best musicians Canberra produces must go elsewhere to advance their careers" Megan McKeough Let’s be honest – while Canberra is certainly not short on public servants, porn and questionable public art, it is hardly overflowing with good venues and events for the musically inclined. That being said, we do have a decent few of both – but the founders of the new not-for-profit CANBERRA MUSICIANS CLUB are hoping to improve, enhance and develop the Canberra music scene even further, so that up-andcoming talent will not only be bred here, but will also want to stick around. Nigel McRae, President of the Canberra Musicians Club, outlines the fledging club’s goals and aims as they prepare for their launch.

So, from where did this idea spring forth? “The Club formed around the group of people responsible for the Backyard Backanalias, an underground series of concerts that eventually grew too big for its own backyard,” Nigel explains. “Our basic motivation has always grown from our despair that there is so much awesome music in Canberra, that it is so under-appreciated by local punters, and that the best musicians Canberra produces must go elsewhere to advance their careers.

We hope the Canberra Musicians Club will be one more reason for musicians to stay in town and a great place for the people of Canberra to see them do their stuff.”

And what then? Take over the world, one gig at a time? “We want to have a permanent clubhouse in Canberra, something like Fremantle’s Fly by Night Club, a venue dedicated to live, original, contemporary music,” Nigel says. “Also, through our association with CIT’s Centre for Creative Industries, we hope to be a working classroom for students in

audio, video, lighting, staging and public relations. We want it to be a hive of activity all day and night, a meeting place for Canberra’s cultural community and a place to celebrate music and the people who make it.”

Why do we need the Canberra Musicians Club? “Canberra has a wealth of contemporary music talent but there are few opportunities to see it presented at its best. As a not-for-profit organisation, we prioritise the music and ensure that any profit goes to the performers, to community initiatives and to making the Club, and Canberra, an even better place to experience contemporary music.”

To celebrate this new addition to Canberra’s musical landscape, the Canberra Musicians Club is having an epic launch, with a 12-hour music festival of eclectic acts and events. Some of Canberra’s musical talent helping to break the soil on the new club include the Ellis Collective, The Fuelers, Dubba Rukki, Fire on the Hill, The Wedded Bliss, Hashemoto, Julia and The Deep Sea Sirens, The Cashews, Smitten, Lotzi and Friends, Bionic Hearts, Adelyn, Starfish Hill, Simone Penkethman, Mechanical Pterodactyl, Alice, Fred Smith, Aleshia Flanagan, Haunted Attics, The Black Hat Band, Toucani, Kooky Fandango, Joseph Taylor Quintet and Los Chavos.

So, if the Canberra Musicians Club achieves its goal of transforming Canberra into a veritable musical hub of enriching art, action and appreciation, musicians and music lovers alike take note – there is a change afoot in the Canberra music scene.

The Canberra Musicians Club launch will take place on Saturday September 13 from 12pm (free entry between 12 to 6pm) at Albert Hall. Cost is $30 (full), $20 (conc.) or $10 (CMC Members). www.canberramusiciansclub.org.au

TER T A M T C E J B U REAL S "A guy struggling with the justice system or dealing drugs to stay afloat isn’t going to relate to the lyrics on a Hilltop Hoods album. I rap for that guy, not the mainstream" Petal Skobavac The very nature of hip-hop is about who you are, and where you’re from. With this in mind, MC and Koky Prik label boss BIG DAVE PARSONS has a rich vein from which to draw. Kidnapped by his father as a youth, a five year jail sentence, dealing to survive and being banned from Canberra are just some of the “highlights” of what has been a very colourful career.

Holy Grail - Civic Friday 10 October, 8pm $35 presale/$38 door price 6257 9717, www.ticketek.com.au

“It’s certainly been a rollercoaster ride of ups and downs, bro,” Dave understates.“The biggest highlight would certainly be the birth of my baby girl and the connection I’ve found with my girlfriend. Building Koky Prik Rekordz and completing my album is something I’m really proud of too.

Working with John Payne, EDI Mean and Kool Keith has been surreal and something I won’t forget. One of the lowest points would be my first night sitting in prison after receiving a five year jail term; when the gravity of what had happened really dawned on me. Reality sure can switch quickly.”

Dave’s debut LP Raw Stories Volume 1 serves as a conduit for the rich tapestry that is Dave’s life, and the man is understandably excited about it. “It's the first I’ve had professionally mastered and it’s easily the best stuff I’ve ever put out,” he enthuses. “The album is the past decade of my life; the first chapter. From my time living on my own as a kid back when I was hustling and scamming to make a living; my days dealing weed and finding some limited success in life; time in prison and life after my release; building a record label and starting a family. There are songs about love, hate, mates, enemies, revenge, loyalty, and a lot more.

Lyrically, Raw Stories is expectantly frank, remaining true to the man’s street level ethics. “My favourite hip-hop has always been true-to-life story telling rhymes. That’s what I’ve aimed to create.” And Dave has brought the big guns to help tell his story, featuring an appearance from EDI Mean of Tupac’s Outlawz.

Whilst making the big commercial push, Dave isn’t compromising on his edgy subject matter. “In a commercial sense, I’m still behind groups like Bliss N Eso and the Hoods, but mainstream pop hits were never my goal,” he says. “I’m no Video Hits guy. I feel as though the people I make music for don’t have many Aussie rappers they can relate to. A guy struggling with the justice system or dealing drugs to stay afloat isn’t going to relate to the lyrics on a Hilltop Hoods album. I rap for that guy, not the mainstream.

“I come with the ‘real’ street level, no compromise music for the true heads of Australia,” he continues. “No fairy floss raps and no bending to commercial appeal. How many times have you heard a music group, hip-hop or otherwise, dis a government agency or speak on an issue, then all they do to help the situation is write a song about it? That’s piss weak. I make the song but then I get my hands dirty too.”

Proving he walks it like he talks it, Big Dave has Big Plans ahead. “Mate, to say I’ve got big plans would be an understatement!” he exclaims. “On a personal level I want to move back to Canberra and give my family the life I missed out on. Politically, I’m stepping up my fight with corrective services and taking that to the next level. Musically, I’ve got other artists at Koky Prik that I plan to share my opportunities with. More chapters of Raw Stories are on the way, as well as a controversial mixtape. I plan to keep kicking up dust till I win or lose.”

Big Dave will be supporting the massive Project X tour hitting The Venue, Erindale on Saturday September 6, with Tim Dog, Kool Keith and Marc Live.

Tix are $35 plus BF available through Moshtix, Oztix and iTicket. Big Dave’s Raw Stories Volume 1 is out now through Koky Prik Recordz.

BLACKBOX

Promised riches, promoted ad nauseam throughout the unimpressive Olympics coverage have finally reached our screens, with all networks flooding schedules with new programming this week. And the new rush of observational documentary and lifestyle programming looks just like the old, except that they’ve joined two concepts to make one show – Outback Wildlife Rescue (Prime, Sun, 7pm), for example,

adds a bit of wildlife doco and throws in Ernie Dingo for good measure. You can just imagine the producers of The Outdoor Room (Prime, Sun, 6.30pm) and Bondi Rescue: Bali (SCTEN, Wed, 7.30pm) sitting around thinking ‘let’s come up with an idea that involves us getting to travel’.

The new shows kick off on Monday with Taken Out (SCTEN, Mon-Fri, 7pm), a kind of noughties version of ’80s dating show Perfect Match and 90210 (SCTEN, Mon, 8.30pm), a noughties version of ’90s teen drama Beverly Hills 90210.

Blackbox recommends avoiding both. However do check out

Secret Diary of a Call Girl (WIN, Tue, 10.30pm).

On Tuesday John Doyle (better known as Rampaging Roy Slaven) and Tim Flannery jump in a car instead of a tinnie and discover the north in Two in the Top End (ABC1, Tue Sep 16, 8pm). Follow that up with new cop drama Rush (SCTEN, Tue, 9.30pm) starring Roger Corser and Callan Mulvey of Underbelly (which is as good a reason as any for Blackbox viewing).

Wednesday, it’s worth sticking with The Hollowmen (ABC1, Wed Sep 24, 9pm). Many have been disappointed and, while it won’t have you rolling on the floor, it’s

actually clever satire – maybe a bit too close to the bone. Elsewhere there’s the much promoed world tour of lavatories, Kenny’s World (SC10, Wed, 8pm).

Thursday is reserved for new glitzy Gold Coast cop drama The Strip (WIN Thu 8.30pm), starring McLeods Daughters’ Aaron Jeffrey and Frankie.J.Holden who seems to be in demand as a cop lately.

Don’t let the glossy new shows blind you to an absolute nostalgic gem. Doctor Who: The Stolen Earth (Sun, Sep 21, 7.30pm) sees a plethora of the Doctor’s companions on hand including new girl Donna, Rose Taylor, Martha Jones and ’70s stalwart Sarah-Jane Smith. In those circumstances, the Doctor should consider taking on an earth-style nickname – Heff perhaps? Follow the Doctor with Black Box’s new fave show, Dexter (SCTEN Sun 10.40pm).

And when is somebody going to buy The Wire off WIN? Black Box is not in the least bit surprised at the contempt WIN showed for such a great show but now it’s getting really hard to find the DVDs! Please Auntie, do what you did for West Wing fans a few years ago – buy The Wire and keep it in a reliable and reasonable timeslot.

REAR WINDOW

One offs to look out for include Australia’s Greatest Islands (Prime, Sat Sep 13, 6.30pm), Flipping Out (SBS, Tue Sep 16, 10.05pm) which is about young Israelis who travel to India after their compulsory military service, Rear Window (ABC2, Sat Sep 20, 8.30pm) which kicks off a Hitchcock season, Great Australian Albums (SBS, Sat Sep 20, 10pm) and The Boy Who Sees Without Eyes (ABC2, Wed Sep 17, 8.20pm). And the new series of NCIS (SCTEN, Tue Sep 16, 8.30pm) winds up. No doubt the rolling repeats will continue.

TRACY HEFFERNAN tracyheffernan@bigpond.com

THEATRE COLUMN Well, having been stupefied (and terrified in parts) by Philippe Genty’s amazing wordless visual theatre FEAST, Lands End, I’ve been feeling rather overwhelmed. The spatial beauty! The ambiguity of identity!

The puppets (eeek)! Yes, Genty is a master.

But I couldn’t help thinking that a tiny lil' spot of story wouldn’t have gone astray.

Such is the opinion of this philistine. Shake your fists at me if you want. I can’t see them.

Nothing. Again, Nothing Lots of hoo-hah about it, that is: yes, Papermoon is partway through its run of the Bard’s romantic comedy classic Much Ado About Nothing.

Pros: a cast of ’berra stalwarts (Steph Brewster, Jamie O’Connell, Jim Adamik, Cam Thomas, et al), direction from The Lesson’s Bec Clifford, delightful malapropisms. Cons: no Nanu Reeves hamming it up as Don John. Sigh. Anyway, get down to the ANU Arts Centre before it finishes.

There’s Vivaldi dinner packages as well, as always.

Papermoon presents William Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing, directed by Bec Clifford. Now until Saturday September 6 @ 8pm. Tix $25/$20 at the door. For Vivaldi dinner and show packages: 6257 2718.

Steven Berkoff The big scary Nosferatu-lookin’ theatrical master, Berkoff, Steven Berkoff, STEVEN BERKOFF (OMG) is coming HERE to pour awe into the hearts of the N.C.’s theatrekinds with One Man. The show consists of him, The Berkoff, performing two pieces: 1. an adaptation of Poe’s classic tale of gnawing guilt, The Tell-Tale Heart, and 2. Dog, an original Berkoffian piece in which Stevie B. plays both man and dog. Holy sheet.

Steven Berkoff in One Man at the Playhouse, Tuesday September 16 to Saturday September 20 @ 8pm. Tix $44 for U27, or $69/$62.50. Tix thru Canberra Ticketing, 6275 2700 or head to the CTC website at www.canberratheatre.org.au .

Hunting Season We’ve mentioned it before in these pages (what? You don’t remember?

Shame on you!) but we’ll mention it again because it’s about to kick off in a big way. The Hunting Season, the massive major initiative of awesome made by and for young’n’emergings, is coming to Belconnen Theatre from September til November. Stay tuned for more details, or head to the Hunting Season’s website at www.huntingseason.com.au Crème de la…

Season 2 of Cabaret Crème, the Street’s monthly Monday lounge session, has begun already and here it lands with a bombshell-bang in the form of Jennifer Ward-Lealand. Ward-Lealand (who is staring sultrily at me from the webpage as we speak… oooh-er!) brings us The Look of Love, a celebration of love through song. THROUGH SONG! Check it out at Street 2 on Monday September 8 @ 7.30pm. Tix $35 from the Street B.O. (6247 1223) or on the website (www.thestreet.org.au).

One Night Only – but what a night!

In what has to be the best development in theatrical nomenclature ever, Melbournian comedienne Joanne Brookfield is bringing her show, Princess Pissy Pants the Greedy Cheese Eating Bitch and Other Naughty Dog Tales to the CTC for, yes, one night only. The show was apparently declared a “must-see”

by The Age, and consarnit if it ain’t true: Theatre Column certainly feels that we ‘must-see it’, if only for the name.

JOANNE BROOKFIELD

Joanne Brookfield in Princess Pissy Pants the Greedy Cheese Eating Bitch and Other Naughty Dog Tales, Canberra Theatre Courtyard Studio, Saturday September 6 @ 7pm. Tix thru Canberra Ticketing. See above.

Ciao, la mia piccola parte di carne, il mio cuore.

NAOMI MILTHORPE princessnaea@gmail.com

DISCOLOGY SINGLED OUT

WITH DAVE RUBY HOWE Cut Off Your Hands Expectations (Speak N Spell) I know that I do this every other week.

I know it and I apologise. But the thing is, I can’t help it. Something will come along, grab me by the junk and sucker-punch me with delight. And I end up saying something like this. Cut Off Your Hands are the best band in the world. Yes. Dean Geyer and Caitlin Stasey Unforgettable (FreemantleMedia) So will Rachael follow in the famous footsteps of other Neighbours singer/actors like Kylie, Nathalie and Delta and be the next big thing? Or will that move fizzle a la Stephanie McIntosh? My guess is the latter. And Dean Geyer? Well his music career is decomposing in a mass-Idol grave as we speak. This is pretty bland, plain pop. One for the poms.

Empire Of The Sun Walking On A Dream (EMI) Talk about a team up. Having hooked up last year for Pnau’s comeback smash masterpiece, Luke Steele (The Sleepy Jackson) and Nick Littlemore (Pnau/Teenager) are together again.

Empire Of The Sun is the new project and from this first taste it’s going to be special. Nick drops the marching beat and filtered synth tracks for Luke to spill his warbling whispers over. Genius.

Greg Cerrone Pilling Me (Sexosonic) Words don’t even begin to describe my indifference to this. Every week there’s a new, more offensively-stupid club monster to aurally spike your drink and violate you in the corner. So Greggy, mate, this ain’t nothing new. It isn’t special and it isn’t memorable. And that’s probably the way people like it.

Mercy Arms Half Right (Independent) Independent? You mean some cokey A&R dude hasn’t thrown some ridiculous budget at these kids and signed the away? Holy shit. While I was never a fan of their free-Ksubi cool, this single alone is enough to make me fall head over heels in love with you, Mercy Arms. Nice one.

The Presets Talk Like That (Modular/UMA) Sure, it doesn’t have the sophisticated sheen that This Boy’s In Love did, but The Presets have another hit on their golden hands. It’s got their trademark fist pumping electro, heavy beats, some club-happy vocals and even a little Phantom Of The Opera-aping intro. Almost makes you forget that every bogan out there loves them too.

Ash Grunwald Fish out of Water (Delta Groove/Shock) He wants his mojo back - and baby, he’s got it! Ash covers new musical terrain in what is by far his best album yet.

While laden with beats - Booty shakin’ beats at that - courtesy of TZU's Countbounce, Fish out of Water is no hip-hop joint. Stand out tracks include Can You Find A Way, Mojo, the sly and sexy Working Hard and The Bottle, with its alcohol themed lyrics. Not too shabby for an album where the lead track was born out of a songwriting workshop where Ash and Countbounce had one day to write, record and present a song.

MIRANDA O’BRIEN Car Stereo Wars For Your Comfort And Safety (Greg Records) Chill-out music: is there a more offensive term?

Be it the dreadful, poorly assembled compilation albums or moribund moroseness of hushed vocals and inarticulate instrumentation, the chillout term is a short cut to boredom.

Car Stereo Wars have been burdened with this term, most likely a result of the bands brief stint at Ministry of Sound and their vague Kinobe-esque undertones. This is a travesty. For Your Comfort And Safety is one of the stand out releases of the year. An intelligent, perfectly-pitched album that feels like an album, a deft controlled movement through space that recalls Underground Lovers (Philippa Nihill was an early contributor/supporter of the band… as was everyday lazy genius, Ash Naylor) and little-known UK band Engineers. There’s no doubt there’s an electronic element at work here, but it inhabits the background grooves, only rarely rising to the forefront. Otherwise, it’s strummed guitars, sharp pop hooks (Smooth, Radio Edit, November) and Alyssa Doe’s intoxicating mellifluous flow. I’ve listened to For Your Comfort And Safety more consistently than any other album this year and despite not knowing exactly why, I keep going back.

JUSTIN HOOK Ceremony Still Nothing Moves You (Bridge 9/Stomp) These Bay Area, California hardcore heads will soon be playing their brand of hateful and unrelenting hardcore/punk at the Tuggers Youth Centre. They’ll be promoting this new LP and, if you’re planning on going along, don’t forget your earplugs.

On record it sounds LOUD, so in a live context it must be devastating.

Besides a dull start (over two minutes of slow, ominous build-up before the first song) the album actually plows along quite well through some intense moments of angst and aggression.

This is stylistically similar to early HC acts like Negative Approach and Black Flag, or more recently, Unbroken. Like much of hardcore, the songs are angry and aggressive, but a closer look at the lyrics (thankfully included) will reveal they are quite unique. Not for the fainthearted.

SIMON HOBBS

Liz Phair Exile On Guyville: Guyville Redux (ATO Records) At the height of the post-Nirvana years, it seemed anyone with a disaffected attitude, detuned Mustang and potty mouth could get a record deal. This doesn’t account for Collective Soul or Marcy’s Playground, but whatevz. Coattails are fun. Exile In Guyville hit the streets in ’93 in a flurry of commotion: a whip smart Chicago native and self-anointed Blow Job Queen who shoved it right back in the face of every “get yer tits out” indie guitar jock in town. Fun morally ambiguous fact: she does indeed get her tits out in the album artwork.

Along with possessing a lazy, apathetic vowel-extending drawl that was a neat counterpoint to the sexually charged material, Phair also turned out to be a master of media manipulation selling Guyville as a song-for-song retort to the lasciviously raw Rolling Stones classic Exile On Main Street. It was no such thing, although it sure made great copy. 15 years on its arguable there is any need to reissue the definitely lo-fi Guyville – it certainly doesn’t dazzle with rehabilitated studio glitz. But that’s a good thing as Phair’s occasional and glorious knack for simple, bold melodic hooks stand robustly on their own. Standouts such as 6’1”, Mesmerizing and Stratford-onGuy still radiate with warm basement joy and if anything, time has been kinder to this album than others of Chicago scene bands of the same era; namely Urge Overkill and Smashing Pumpkins, both of whom are alarmingly still pottering around the traps and should have given it away long ago. Phair’s career in the proceeding 15 years turned out to be incredibly patchy and charted a downhill path to abhorrent teen pop-ism, but nevermind. Skip to the start and revisit Guyville today.

JUSTIN HOOK Luciano Jah Is My Navigator (VP Records/Hardwax) Luciano’s latest offering delivers 15 tracks of herbal healing, positive messages and a plea for peace. This type of rocker is about the voice and the song, pushing for crossover appeal with US R&B audiences. Not so much the classic reggae and dub

elements that first attracted me to the genre. He does delve back into the archives to version a few choice ryddims, like the classic organ melody lifted from a King Tubby masterpiece for track seven, Trod Out. On Sweet Jamaica he mourns the loss of his homeland’s innocence, an island now plagued by gun culture, shottas and drug wars. Third son of Peter, Andrew Tosh, guests on a version of his father’s classic I’m The Toughest and the dulcet tones of Rochelle Bradshaw also contribute to the LP. Try before you buy!

SIMON HOBBS Magic Dirt Girl (Emergency Music) Magic Dirt’s headlong (and very commendable) rush away from the pop charts after the comparative success of 2003’s Tough Love is well documented; their need to make ‘their kind of music’ overrode record company constraints or the mores of fashion, but, after the anti-pop of instrumental noise album Roky’s Room and the mini album Beast, it’s a measure of the band’s integrity that, with the filth out of the system, they ain’t too big to do a little u-turning and add a big dollop of melody back into the mix for Girl. Of course, that’s not to say that what we have here is a cavalcade of Watch Out Boys-style bubblegum madness; rather that Girl is probably as good a synthesis of the Dirt’s many strands as we’re likely to hear – for good or bad, and whilst it takes a bit of getting used to, the final wash-up will find these tunes placing Girl as one of this most admirable band's more satisfying efforts.

SCOTT ADAMS Michael Franti and Spearhead All Rebel Rockers (Boo Boo Wax/Liberator Music) Michael Franti and his band of revolutionary musos drop this eagerly awaited, soundsystem boomin’, floor shaking, 13-track follow-up to 2006’s Yell Fire!. Deviating from earlier, more soulful sounds, this release, recorded entirely in Kingston, Jamaica with reggae’s most prolific production team Sly & Robbie, comprises a hybrid dub-infused soul flavour with some hard-hitting dub production.

Motorhead Motorizer (SPV/Riot) In 1996, wearing my general practitioner’s hat, I declared Motorhead legally dead. Their album of that year, Kiss of Death, showed no signs of life, and reluctantly, I decided it was time to pull the plug on Ian ‘Lemmy’ Kilmister and company. HOW WRONG CAN A MAN BE? Motorizer is, to coin a cliché, the shit.

I was expecting to write ‘Motorizer is shit’, but how important that little definite article is. This album is comfortably the best Motoroutput since 1986’s Orgasmatron, quite possibly their best since their late '70s/early '80s heyday when the band seemingly tossed off classics like Ace of Spades, Overkill, and Bomber in their limited sleep periods (the band were famed for their heroic ability to ingest industrial quantities of snooze-resistant stimulants ‘back in the day’), with utter diamonds such as Rock Out, Teach You How to Sing the Blues and Back on the Chain all coming equipped with labels saying ‘top notch bludgeon riffola’ hanging around their dandruffed necks. There’s nothing new here – just marvellous rock and roll. And that’s a relief. Skin-meltingly brilliant. SCOTT ADAMS

Jamaican soul/dancehall star Cherine Anderson and Marie Dauline (Zap Mama) both chip in their smooth voices with guest spots, but sometimes Franti’s ‘Cookie Monster’ vocals are a bit irritating. Try before you buy!

SIMON HOBBS Randy Newman Harps & Angels (Warner) As an angry young man that never ran with the Laurel Canyon ‘it’ crowd at its height, to an awarded scorer of films (The Natural, Toy Story), Randy Newman has spent his entire career being the incisive, exquisitely talented outsider. Hailing from an extended family rich in composers and arrangers, it was almost pre-ordained that Newman would follow the family tradition; that he chose to do so at the height of the counterculture, where the possibilities of revolution infected the air like a rancid burning tyre, and succeeded beyond all expectation is a singularly gratifying story. Whilst his almost-contemporaries flailed under the yoke of the ‘man’, Newman undercut them all with the savage political satire of Political Scientist – a song that has stunning resonance to this very day and is updated on Newman’s first collection of new songs since 1999 on A Few Words In Defense Of Our Country.

Musically, it’s classic Newman – rollicking New Orleans piano gumbo, exhilarating unexpected time shifts (Harps & Angels) and classy tender simplicity of Feels Like Home and Losing You. So by all means check the latest shit out, hitch your ride to the trend train and drop the name of the latest – make as much noise as you can because no one will remember in two years time and when you reminisce, dress it up thick in irony cos you’re sure gonna look the fool. Making a stand, being different, acquiring taste, levelling your head, savouring quality are the things that stand the test of time, like Randy Newman. Good satire is phenomenally difficult to pull off.

Engaging and memorable songwriting is even harder. Harps & Angels combines both and is a major contender for album of the year.

JUSTIN HOOK Scar Symmetry Holographic Universe (Nuclear Blast) Though on the face of it Sweden’s Scar Symmetry are identikit death metal dullards, a little surface scratching will reveal layers of musical brilliance you, the unsuspecting casual observer, would never have dreamed lurked within the bands predominantly bald, bearded heads. Taking their cues from fellow Scandinavians Soilwork, and following on from the excellent blueprint they themselves laid out on 1996’s marvellous Pitch Black Progress, the Syms create a soundscape that is as thoughtfully proficient as it is growlingly brutal, with every track coming chocfull of memorable vocal hooks, manic axe-thrashing of frankly ludicrously technical quality and, most importantly, great songs. Indeed when it come to songs, Scar Symmetry may even have the edge over the new melodic death competition, as these ears have yet to stumble over anything so marvellously fulfilling in this genre as album standout Ghost Prototype I – Measurement of Thought (ridiculous title I know, but hell, when the music’s this good who cares?).

Less techno, more organic than PBP, this is hopefully a harbinger of greater, and even more ambitious things to come from this most promising of acts.

SCOTT ADAMS

Thee Silver Mt Zion 13 Blues for Thirteen Moons (Constellation) Whenever I’m feeling a bit despondent about the eternal vacuousness of the mainstream entertainment industry, one response is to put on an album with the compelling emotional weight and encompassing atmospherics of this latest release from Thee Silver Mt Zion. The four lengthy tracks comprising 13 Blues for Thirteen Moons engage the listener with dramatic textures and themes, where all spaces are taken up with a layered and detailed sonic activity that unhurriedly reveals new dimensions with repeat listens. What distinguishes this album from previous work is a more emphatic guitar heaviness that takes precedence over an earlier fondness for sweeping orchestral dynamics.

This brings the music of Thee Silver Mt Zion more in line with the simmering intensity of fellow Canadians Godspeed You! Black Emperor which makes sense given that both bands share various members. Both have also explored the notion that establishing an ambience with shifting textures and moods within the realm of postpunk is no less important than raging guitars. On this album, Thee Silver Mt Zion has bucked those contemporary indie-rock trends centred around quirky pop melodies or heavy-handed electronics, by focusing on arresting sound combinations that make for a complete listening experience.

DAN BIGNA D’Opus and Roshambo The Switch (Shogun) Well, well, well.

Haven’t our beloved hip-hop rapscallions come a long way since The Question EP of 2006? Combining their stoic hip-hop ethics with a sprinkling of pop nous, the duo have turned in 14 tracks drenched in slick new production, lovingly combined with new distribution, new music friends, and new fans.

Opener The Mercury Switch is a slow grungy number that crunks its way out of the speakers, boldly announcing D’O & Ro in 2008 as a very new and very exciting outfit. Leave Her Alone, with Stateside lyric-spitter Supastition is a highlight, with a swaggering ear worm melody by D’O underpinning the to-and-fro wordplay of Supa and Ro. And one can’t use the term “ear worm” without mentioning single Million Dollar Bill, deservedly tearing up the triple j airwaves with its highpitched vocal positivity, and placing the lads in the top 10% on the radio’s playlist. Having said this, the album isn’t flawless. Again, our local legends fall into the trap of including too many tracks; the equivalent of wringing their peddlar’s cap in hand, casting eyes downwards at their foot twizzling the dirt, and offering up an apology. Which is silly, because what’s on offer is shit hot. Instead, a firm finger salute should be brandished, shouting “here’s ten tracks, and they’ve fucking ‘aving it. Get them down yer gob and wait patiently for the next LP, you filth.” As a result, too many slow numbers bog down the album’s final stage, meaning The Switch peters out when it should fire. But with tracks like the electro house stomp of the Hancock Basement-sporting The Basement, and the punch and confidence of live-favourite Two Advanced, this is a moot point. I eagerly await their sophomore effort.

ALLAN SKO

SPG Security Xibit Printers

Cell Out

With Mark Russell; he's taken your thunder.

I gotta say, I just don’t find Ben Stiller funny. I think he has his place, Zoolander is one of the truly great hangover films, but overall – he’s just kinda annoying. He seems to have some talent as a writer and in the right hands he’s quite strong. His line “It’s been a hard year Dad,” is a dramatic highlight in the dramatic highlight that is The Royal Tennenbaums. It’s just a shame that, like so many of his young male audience members, the hands he ends up in most often are his own.

Tropic Thunder Chuck Ben Stiller in a film and you know what to expect. Jack Black’s presence means he’s playing a little against character but still not too strange. Throw Robert Downey Jnr in the mix, and we’re toeing the border of the twilight zone.

Downey Jnr stretches his dramatic muscles, playing an actor who takes his craft so seriously that he undergoes pigmentation alteration surgery in order to portray a black character. He, Stiller and Black are the cast of a big budget war film being shot in Vietnam.

They get a little out of their depth when they move from the ‘authentic’ war zone to an actual war zone in the area near a drug compound in the golden triangle.

Persepolis On watching Persepolis for the second time, I was struck by three things: a) how visual stunning it actually is b) how fascinating it’s story and history are and c) how the second half is not nearly as good as the first.

Not that it’s an uninteresting film – quite the opposite in fact. Detailing the fascinating life of the feisty Marjane (Marji) Satrapi - a young girl growing up in Iran and struggling with war, identity and independence - Persepolis is an original and extremely watchable biographical tale. As she grows from a young girl to a young woman, Marji deals with typical teenage problems as well as more devastating questions of freedom and democracy.

Taken Hey you, marketing guy! No matter how many similarities you see between your film and the Bourne franchise, you better make sure it’s as good if you’re gonna compare the two in every single bit of promo. To save some suspense, Taken is not strong enough to survive the comparison.

The hyper-realism that made the Matt Damon vehicle-films work means more than just using choppy edits and handheld camera work. It means research and thought, not skimming clichés across gaping plot-holes. This kind of background work could have ironed out some odd little story points. Story points like using two girls in their late teens following a worldwide U2 tour as a catalyst. U2?! Is that what all the cool kids are listening to these days? I’m in

“Hey, Alpa, if you come over here and untie me, I will literally suck your dick, right now…

I’ll cradle the balls, stroke the shaft, work the pipes, and swallow the gravy.”

Jeff Portnoy (Jack Black) Tropic Thunder

Tropic Thunder is a lot of fun. Black takes a long time to warm up but when he does he’s on great form. Downey Jnr manages against all possibility to turn his character into a real person, right up until the final stages when the script tries to humanise him. Even supporting cast members Jay Baruchel and Brandon T. Jackson are well on point for their scenes.

Stiller is the only one holding the film back – especially odd considering he wrote and directed the piece as well.

His overacting shtick doesn’t fit in with what everyone else is doing and many times proceedings are interrupted by a sudden shift to focus on him. It feels like he’s trying to steer his character into a main role in what is essentially

an evenly balanced ensemble piece.

This also detracts further from the greater story as the over-the-top moments are tedious. The comedy sings along sharply when the others apply a more realistic take on the ridiculous set-up.

The story is a little meandering but some really great one liners and well cast cameos make this supremely watchable. Entertaining throughout with some moments of brilliance.

Based on the graphic novel, Persepolis has a fantastic look (most of it is black and white), and all of the scenes are wonderfully imagined. The horrors of war and oppression in Iran are told through Marji’s eyes matter-of-factly, honestly and compellingly. Coupled with Satrapi’s striking visual style and some excellent animation, they make for a powerful and thoughtprovoking film.

Persepolis is probably not for everyone, but I found it rich with interesting characters, ideas and information, and certainly a must for anyone interested in the Islamic revolution or the history of Iran. As I said, I thought the second half (depicting Marji’s life as a young woman in Vienna, and later Iran)

meandered around a little too much, and was certainly not as engaging or succinct as the first half.

Some parts of the film did grate on me – the Eye of the Tiger montage comes to mind – but I found most of the story to be personal, well-told and beautifully depicted. Persepolis deals with serious issues without sounding preachy or self-righteous, while still being full of humour and wit. Overall, a brilliant and unique film.

my mid-20s and I consider Bono to be an older generation’s hero. How wrong could I be? Pass me the wrap-around sunnies and a pamphlet for world vision.

The film does feature some really tight scenes and gripping set pieces, even if they are deflated somewhat by laboured pacing. I personally feel that if you call a film Taken, you don’t need to take half an hour to get to the kidnapping.

More could have been made of Neeson as the aging, slightly unfit spy; trying to find his daughter in the terrifying world of human trafficking. There are moments throughout where the film makes a very clear statement about its intentions, with graphic subject matter and our hero’s questionable morals. But then it cops out by making his daughter

too pure. She just doesn’t fit in with the evil that is in every other character in the filmmakers’ world. She’s also constantly running giddily to meet her parents like she’s ever so slightly ‘special’.

There are times when the script itself walks a fine ethical line. If one were to read too much into it one could possibly draw the conclusion that young women who drink and have sex get what they deserve.

Things get tense and fast-paced towards the end but as a top spy, it feels like Neeson relies on fortunate circumstances more often than intelligence.

This may have been the same blueprint the filmmakers were working from.

MARK RUSSELL

MEGAN McKEOUGH

MARK RUSSELL

GIG REVIEWS Paul Weller @ The Forum, Melbourne, Sunday August 17 As BMA absent mindedly peruses the merch stall in this fine venue’s foyer, an intriguingly pleasant sound punches through the excited chatter every time the door to the auditorium opens. Interest piqued, we move through and find that the admirable Even are just finishing their set, and I’m very miffed. I hadn’t bothered to check who was supporting, and once again my inability to do journalism has cost my ears dear.

But never mind. We’re here because we’re here, the lady wife and I, and we’re here to see Woking’s finest in action, as it were. At nine on the dot the man himself is walking amongst us, agreeably husky voice to the fore and pulling all manner of shapes from the Gibson 335 dangling from his shoulders in best ‘rock god’ style. Before you know it Weller and his band have peeled off the likes of Changing Man, a stellar version of the Style Council’s Shout it to the Top and many people’s highlight from his latest offering 22 Dreams, Echoes Around the Sun, and the crowd, agreeably pissed-up on booze and looking for a good time, are lapping it up. Of course, Weller being Weller, the crowd pleasers are interspersed by a fair amount of Paul-pleasers, but just as the attention begins to wander, he masterfully pulls out the first Jam cover of the night (a rousing That’s Entertainment), which, to paraphrase the song, really does come as a ‘kick in the balls’ after some of the more meandering dad rock we’ve been subjected to in the 20 minutes prior to this rather splendid moment of effervescence. Add in a marvellous Eton Rifles, a marvellously bucolic Wild Wood, a broodingly portentous Light Nights, a set-climaxing run through Town Called Malice and some hilariously diverting crowd antics and you have overall probably the best set I’ve seen from Mr Weller in a dozen years. Well worth the trip in fact.

SCOTT ADAMS Lands End, Compagnie Philippe Genty @ The Playhouse, August 20 – 23 The Red Shoe, Jigsaw Theatre Company @ The Street Theatre, August 28 – Sept 6 They wouldn’t often be mentioned in the same breath, but France’s Compagnie Philippe Genty and Canberra’s Jigsaw Theatre both recently served up eye-popping productions for the 'berra stage, challenging audiences visually, thematically, theatrically.

Descriptive clichés abound in trying to describe Lands End, from French master Philippe Genty. Sumptuous is one over-used adjective that seems particularly appropriate. The dancers, black against a ground of changing colours, moved hyperbolically in their quest for identity in a world of aimless change. Genty’s use of shape and colour is superb, and the company effortlessly created unexpected and astonishingly beautiful tableaux. Having said that, I did have reservations, one – the question of story - based on my own prejudice for words which is maybe possibly irrelevant when discussing visual theatre; the other, the issue of technical and performance lapses (the synchronicity of the dancers, for instance, which occasionally left something to be desired) were, I think, unconscionable for a company of this level of status and prestige.

But it was pretty.

Jigsaw Theatre fulfilled their aims better, I think, with The Red Shoe, their adaptation of Ursula Dubosarsky’s novel. The Red Shoe explores family and secrets, the imaginary vistas that spring from the real world, and the effect of history on individual lives. Director Kate Shearer, with video designer Rolando Ramos and designer Jo Briscoe, created a splendid, multidimensional world seeped in childhood imagination and noir-ish mystery. Kate Sherman’s performance as six-year-old Matilda, comedic and charming, stole the show (an opinion not at all intended to underrate the performances by seasoned cast members Andrea Close, PJ Williams, Caroline O’Brien, and Naomi Brouwer, who all brought a touching solidity to their characters). And although this is, technically, a show for young people, The Red Shoe’s maturity and gravitas certainly appeals to older audiences. Simply wonderful.

NAOMI MILTHORPE

Frankenbok/Synperium/Rake Sodomy/Point 17 @ The Greenroom, Friday August 22 It was a big evening for the genre that seeks to punish as much as it does to entertain. The flavours were predominantly death and black metal with tales of evil and disaster. A surge of blast beats announced the start of Spitfire as locals Point 17 began their set. The addition of a vocalist has greatly enhanced their act. They are also busy generating material as their singer had lyrics sheets spread on the stage to assist with the new songs. Guitar notes with a Middle Eastern twang announced the start of Osama and Destroyer of Masses featured random solos by alternate guitarists.

Three piece Rake Sodomy lacked the punch of the opening band’s three guitars, but compensated for it with thundering drums and vocals delivered with an infernal snarl, as featured in Dreams of Torture. Their style introduced a new level of rhythmic anarchy and they featured a couple of covers including the Morbid Angel song Day of Suffering. The crowd responded to Hammersmash Face with an enthusiastic melee.

As the guitarists from Synperium tuned up, their vocalist gave a few warm-up growls in preparation for the onslaught to come. The discordancy went up yet another notch and the power of the sound caused my beer glass to move of its own volition across the wooden covering over the stairs. Through their maelstrom of noise, epitomised by Parasite, the band demonstrated that it’s not the variety of the songs that counts, but the power and sustained intensity of the sound that matter.

A sample of sinister sounds then set the scene as the bearded ones took their places. The black gloom that had dripped from the preceding bands lifted a bit as headliners Frankenbok took one step back from black metal.

The journey through their set list began in hell but ended in redemption, with a theme that you can still win through in the end, in spite of it all, as epitomised by Triumph. These showmen of metal demonstrated how ten years of polishing your act on stage can result in a tour de force of furious music. Their vocalist paints a powerful picture, with tattooed portraits covering his bare upper torso, as he literally screamed his message into the faces of the crowd. The rhythms were slightly more melodic, which is better for head-banging than totally random sounds. Victims, with its opening hypnotic riffs, was a personal favourite.

RORY MCCARTNEY The Hot Five @ The Cacophony Space, Manuka, Tuesday August 26 As part of 2008’s Canberra Living Artists Week, the concept for the Hot Five was to have Canberra’s leading comedians give the best five minutes of hilarity they could muster over two consecutive nights. And my Lord, was there a lot of hilarity. Canberra’s live comedy community has been slowly gaining momentum over the past couple of years, much due to the hard and persistent work of a small group of dedicated individuals, and this evening it was evident that Canberra’s comedians are finally receiving the attention that they deserve. Tonight was the second night of the Hot Five’s run and so, although the comedians may have been building on the buzz and adrenaline of the previous night’s performance, a few chats with fans who had come the night before assured me that both nights were as stand-out in quality as the other.

The Cacophony Space, with its walls replete with the art of local workers, was packed to the brim, with fans not only filling up every available seat, but also sitting in aisles and forming a large standing crowd at the back of the room. The Stevenson Experience opened the night with an incredibly funny and polished two-man musical experience that would have nearly made Flight of the Conchords look like a bland episode of Everybody Loves Raymond, and none of the acts thenceforth fell below the high bar which these boys set.

While Jasper’s off-centre strategy of revolving his entire set around the multiple uses or non-uses of a walking stick didn’t gain too much reaction at first, the crowd quickly warmed to his absurdist edge. As much as I’d like to mention every comedian who gave an outstanding performance this evening, the fact that everyone greatly impressed means I unfortunately do not have enough space.

However all the stalwarts of Canberra’s comedy circuit – Jay Sullivan, Tom Gibson, Emo Willis, Geoff Setty, and Nick Smith – all gave pantspissing routines. Although every now and again the laughs seemed to come almost solely from a group of severely inebriated young women, the success of this evening is more than adequate proof that Canberra’s comedy scene is worthy of much support and respect.

BEN HERMANN Muph & Plutonic/D’Opus & Roshambo @ Transit Bar, Wednesday August 27 I have mixed feelings about arriving at Transit Bar at 9pm on a cold Wednesday night and having to wait in line in the cold for 20 minutes before gaining my way into the packed, bustling crowd in the bar below.

At first I feel frustrated and almost angered by having to line up to gain entry to a venue which, until recently, would rarely, if ever, have drawn a crowd requiring a line; a venue which I sometimes loved as much for its reliable and consistent offering of quality, fee-free music as I did for the diverse characters which it seemed to attract. However, after calming down, I became excited about the fact that Canberrans are becoming ever more willing and desirous to come and doggedly support local and interstate acts – even on a cold Wednesday night.

Not too long after I found myself a nice vantage point in the pool table area, (which due to the large crowd, was now becoming far too packed to allow any pool playing), D’Opus & Roshambo launched onto the stage in front of a crowd that was already starving for something to dance to. The quality of the duo’s live shows, in combination with the electric atmosphere and intimate nature of the show would have made it hard for them to disappoint anyone. The charismatic, stagedominating Roshambo was never off the mark, and D’Opus slickly laid down his polished, bouncing beats in the manner which local punters would have come to expect. While the group’s Million Dollar Bill, which has been receiving high rotation on Triple J, received a rapturous response, the crowd nevertheless jumped along to every beat the boys produced during the whole set, proving that both their songs and their live performance are all up to the quality of their single.

When Muph & Plutonic, alongside the genius of DJ Bones, took the stage, the heat in the bar was reaching summer levels with condensation rolling down the walls and beginning to drip from the ceiling. Although it seemed like everyone in the venue was trying to dance, the amount of people trying to get as close as they could to the stage often meant that the dance floor took on the surge-like effect of a dense moshpit. However, unlike a moshpit that becomes so tight that no one can move, the crowd never stopped dancing along to Muph & Plutonic’s tight set and never stopped doing the ‘party up in here’ hands-in-the-air move. Once again, the intimacy of the venue worked to the group’s advantage, with Muph strongly engaging, and sometimes even casually chatting to the crowd between songs and really nurturing the amazingly fun vibe that only a place like Transit could produce. The group’s performance was incredibly glossy, being both flawless while at the same time seeming relaxed and not too formulaic. If there was a flaw to be found in this set, it would only be that despite the dazzling and sweaty performance, the crowd was still left wanting even more – a testament to the outstanding performances of both the punters and performers this evening.

BEN HERMANN

BMA BAND PROFILE

Dead kings Where did your band name come from?

PatrickXXX thought of it, because he’s a babe.

Group members: Damo (vox and noise), Morgan (bass), Rohan (guitar), Paul (guitar), Mitch (drums).

Describe your sound: Blatant 7 Angels 7 Plagues rip off.

Who are your influences, musical or otherwise?

The Good Life records back catalogue.

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

People liking what we are doing.

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

Booking our first out of Canberra show and getting ready to record at Complex Studios in Melbourne in January.

What are your plans for the future?

Tour tour tour! Play every show we can.

What makes you laugh?

Aaron from Slowburn ---> What pisses you off?

Under-18 shows that we put on with bands from interstate, and having no one turn up.

What’s your opinion of the local scene?

Getting better after a long stint of being really slow. New bands coming through like Coldfront, Psyus and …Like Foxes, and more established bands like 4Dead and Slowburn and Pod People killing it at every show.

Make sure you check out Gasma, they have a new EP coming out soon, it will melt your brain, and Infinitum, ’cause they are very metal.

What are your upcoming gigs?

Thursday September 4 at Tuggeranong Youth Centre with Slowburn, Vices For Virtues (QLD) and …Like Foxes (All Ages!)

Wednesday September 10 at The Greenroom with Thy Art Is Murder and Gallows For Grace Thursday September 11 at Tuggeranong Youth Centre with The Red Shore (All Ages!)

Thursday October 9 at Tuggeranong Youth Centre with Amity, A Secret Death, Rex Banner and House VS Hurricane.

Contact info: www.myspace.com/deadkingsaus

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 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, Mario "Brujo" Gordon world music DJ/percussionist 0405 820 895 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 September 4 - 6 THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 4

THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 4

friday SEPTEMBER 5

SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 6

ARTS _____________

LIVE _____________

DANCE _____________

ARTS _____________

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, flute, 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 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 Annie The classic musical that ran for 6 years on Broaday. It had that song Tomorrow in it. Remember?

Until Sept 20 ERINDALE THEATRE Lookin Up, Cheviot Beach, and Stuart Bailey Desert Mouth Three exhibitions by Dianne Jones, Cathy Laudenbach and Stuart Bailey respectively. Until Oct 11 CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ART SPACE, GORMAN HOUSE Hang It Yourself Billed as 'street art indoors.'

Until Sept 7 HUW DAVIES GALLERY, MANUKA 2008 Swedish Film Festival Until Sept 7 DENDY CANBERRA CENTRE

Gangbusters With Moto (USA), Cherry Marines and the Fighting League From 9pm, $5 BAR 32, NORTHBOURNE AVE Next of Kin KING O'MALLEY'S, CIVIC One Love - Reggae Sessions Featuring Capital Dub Style - One Love, DJ Brujo and Heronimous IX. Entry $7 HIPPO BAR, GAREMA PL, CIVIC D'Opus From 9:30pm THE DURHAM, KINGSTON Huckleberry Swedes Small Cage, Big Land Tour Sometimes alt-country, sometimes soul, but always honest HOLY GRAIL, KINGSTON The Detonators '50s Elvis-chrome-rock glory OLD CANBERRA INN, LYNEHAM Bennie James With The Hesitant Few, Cathy Petocz and Angels Are Architects. 8pm. $15 THE GREENROOM, PHILLIP Epicure With The Sundown Kids TRANSIT BAR, AKUNA ST, CIVIC Dead Kings With Slowburn, Vices for Virtues and Like Foxes TUGGERANONG YOUTH CENTRE

Frankie Madrid KNIGHTSBRIDGE PENTHOUSE Ashley Feraude BINARA ONE, CIVIC Souled Out Fridays R&B with DJs Daz, Nate & Adam MINQUE, FRANKLIN ST, MANUKA Havana Nights Tropical rhythms from 8:30pm MONKEY BAR, BUNDA ST, CIVIC After Work Beats With Jam Master Jemist, from 5pm TRANSIT BAR, AKUNA ST, CIVIC Friday #1s All hits from the '70s, '80s, '90s and today. Free. From 9pm PAPARAZZI, MANUKA Mishmash: John Course The house legend returns to spin up a storm ACADEMY, CIVIC UG Beats Featuing Buick, Rubicon, Exit, Jemist, Alistair and Pornstylus TRANSIT BAR, AKUNA ST, CIVIC Friday Night Mix Up With DJ Craig PJ O'REILLY'S TUGGERANONG Cube's 3rd Birthday With 6 of Sydney's top Drag Queens. Doors 9pm CUBE

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 Joanne Brookfield With her new show Princess Pissy Pants The Greedy Cheese Eating Bitch and Other Naughty Dog Tales. 7pm CANBERRA THEATRE COURTYARD STUDIO Arc Cinema - Sanjuro Mifune's rogue samurai returns in Kurosawa's follow up to Yojimbo. 7:30pm NATIONAL FILM AND SOUND ARCHIVE

SOMETHING DIFFERENT _____________

FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 5

DANCE _____________

ARTS _____________

Michael O'Rourke KNIGHTSBRIDGE PENTHOUSE Trash Thursdays With DJs Adam and Esscue ACADEMY, CIVIC Blast From The Past Tunes from the ’80s and ’90s MINQUE, FRANKLIN ST, MANUKA

Crystal Spiral Opening The first solo exhibition from Kenneth Appleby. Including live psychedelic ambient music and performance art. Until Sept 9 THE FRONT GALLERY AND CAFE

Next of Kin From 10pm-2am KING O'MALLEY'S, CIVIC Arkheth With War Daemonic, Iciclan, and Reign of Terror. 8pm. Entry $10 THE BASEMENT, BELCONNEN Ash Grunwald With Last Town Chorus. Tix $25 ANU BAR, ACTON RockZone THE DURHAM, KINGSTON Mercy Arms With the Process, and The Trivs.

8pm. $15 THE GREENROOM, PHILLIP Dilly and Jimmy PJ O'REILLY'S, CIVIC The Rafael Jerjen Trio SOUL BAR, WODEN

Carry On Karaoke PJ O'REILLY'S, CIVIC Basement Pool Comp THE BASEMENT, BELCONNEN Karaoke with a Twist PJ O'REILLY'S, TUGGERANONG Green Faces National Final THE IRISH CLUB, WESTON

LIVE _____________

SOMETHING DIFFERENT _____________ Classic Karaoke From 7:30pm THE BRADDON CLUB

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

DANCE _____________ Mobin Master Leading exponent of the Melbourne house scene. $15 MONKEY BAR, BUNDA ST, CIVIC Ashley Feraude BINARA ONE, CROWN PLAZA Saturday Latin Fever The newest and best Latin music in Canberra and region. $5 entry. From 9pm PAPARAZZI, MANUKA Decadence Saturdays Featuring Rexy & Pred, plus Tu Casa Es Mi Casa rocking in the Candy Bar ACADEMY, CIVIC Chrome Bringing you a feast of treats from the golden age of industrial through to current electornic machincations. With Stealth.

Elf, metaVirus, Salem, and guest DJ Novatalis (Syd). From 9pm.

Entry $5 HOLY GRAIL CIVIC Saturday Night Sessions With DJ LYLT PJ O'REILLY'S, TUGGERANONG

bma magazine

GIG GUIDE September 6 - 17 Saturday SEPTEMBER 6 Project X Tour With Tim Dog, Kool Keith and Marc Live THE VENUE, ERINDALE D'Opus KNIGHTSBRIDGE PENTHOUSE

LIVE _____________ Shakedown Regular indie/alt/dance night with DJs Tom and Chris. From 9pm BAR 32, NORTHBOURNE AVE Kooky Fandango THE PHOENIX, CIVIC Agent 86 From 10:30am-2:30am KING O'MALLEY'S, CIVIC Lamexcuse CD Launch With Super Best Friends and Local Resident Failure. 8pm.

Entry $10 THE BASEMENT, BELCONNEN Mr Lincon Kicks off at 10pm. $8 cocktails 4-10pm THE DURHAM, KINGSTON SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 7

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

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

LIVE _____________ Irish Jam Session From 5pm KING O'MALLEY'S, CIVIC The Yearlings Well known duo of Robyn Chalklen and Chris Parkinson are promting their third full-length Highway Dancing. 4-6pm THE FRONT GALLERY AND CAFE

SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 7 Silver Sundays Held on the first Sunday of every month. Light tapas, smooth music and a relaxing atmosphere.

KNIGHTSBRIDGE PENTHOUSE Aron Lyon Trio From 5-9pm ALL BAR NUN, O'CONNOR MONDAY SEPTEMBER 8

ARTS _____________ Season 2 of Cabaret Creme With The Look of Love, a celebration of love through song STREET THEATRE, ACTON

DANCE _____________ Hospitality Night With Sean Kelly & guests TRANSIT BAR, AKUNA ST, CIVIC Bootleg Sessions Local musos bustin' it out THE PHOENIX, EAST ROW, CIVIC Recovery Night Several DJs playing PJ O'REILLEY'S, TUGGERANONG TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 9

LIVE _____________ Chuse Jazz Tuesdays With Casual 'Soul' Projects (TRINITY) BAR, DICKSON Musical Madness @ Filthy's Featuring Tim Maloney, Phil Moriaty and Teddy Conrick FILTHY McFADDEN'S, KINGSTON ASA WAX Lyrical Sessions THE PHOENIX, EAST ROW, CIVIC

SOMETHING DIFFERENT _____________ Fame Trivia From 7:30-10:30pm. Book early to avoid disappointment by calling 6295 1769 THE DURHAM, KINGSTON Comedy Night THE PHOENIX, EAST ROW, CIVIC Pot Belly Trivia POT BELLY BAR Carry-On Karaoke Come along to Canberra's best mid-week party. $5 Coronas.

From 9pm.Win $1000. Yes, $1000 TRANSIT BAR, AKUNA ST, CIVIC Trivia Night $100 cash prize PJ O'REILLY'S, TUGGERANONG

wednesday SEPTEMBER 10

ARTS _____________ Youth Dance Festival 32 secondary schools and 45 dance works. Until Sept 12 CANBERRA THEATRE CENTRE Guerre et Sante War and Health documentary.

8:15pm. Free ALLIANCE FRANCAISE, TURNER

LIVE _____________ Julia and the Deep Sea SIrens THE PHOENIX, EAST ROW, CIVIC The Lethals Live at the Hippo CD available.

Entry $7 HIPPO BAR, GAREMA PL, CIVIC Dead Kings With Thy Art is Murder and Gallows for Grace THE GREENROOM, PHILLIP

SOMETHING DIFFERENT _____________ Fame Trivia PJ O'REILLY'S, CIVIC Trivia Night ACT RUGBY UNION CLUB $5 Night TRANSIT BAR, AKUNA ST, CIVIC Carry-On Karaoke $5 Coronas & Snowy Mtn Brewery beers. From 9:30pm THE DURHAM, KINGSTON Open Mic Night with Stillton Detox PJ O'REILLEY'S, TUGGERANONG Comedy ACT Great Debate No. 1 - This Time It's Sporting Those Impro Theatre ACT performers have decided once again to enter into the real artists turf and debate against Comedy ACT. From 8pm FRONT GALLERY AND CAFE THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 11

ARTS _____________ Hearbeat The new exhibition curated by Jan Lewis. Until Sept 21 CCAS, MANUKA Arc Cinema - Ghost Dog NATIONAL FILM AND SOUND ARCHIVE

DANCE _____________ Trash Thursdays With DJs Adam and Esscue. $5, $2 til 2am ACADEMY, CIVIC

thursday SEPTEMBER 11 Ashley Feraude KNIGHTSBRIDGE PENTHOUSE Blast From The Past Your favourites from the '80s and '90s MINQUE, FRANKLIN ST, MANUKA

LIVE _____________ Gangbusters: Cigars for the Man, Babyfreeze and Jonny Telafone. Entry $5 BAR 32, NORTHBOURNE AVE Live Music - Mitch THE DURHAM, KINGSTON Tripitide KING O'MALLEY'S, CIVIC Dead Kings With The Red Shore TUGGERANONG YOUTH CENTRE

SOMETHING DIFFERENT _____________ Basement Pool Comp THE BASEMENT, BELCONNEN Karaoke with a Twist PJ O'REILLY'S, TUGGERANONG Carry on Karaoke PJ O'REILLY'S, CIVIC Braddon Brainbusters Trivia From 6pm THE BRADDON CLUB FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 12

DANCE _____________ Mish Mash Fridays Featuring TV Rock and Seanie B Live (One Love)$10 ACADEMY, CIVIC Dirty Laundry With Exposed DJs and Strangeways DJs TRANSIT BAR, AKUNA ST, CIVIC After Work Drinks From 5pm, with Jemist TRANSIT BAR, AKUNA ST, CIVIC D'Opus 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 Friday #1s All the hits from the '70s, '80s, '90s and today. Free. From 9pm PAPARAZZI, MANUKA Friday Night Mix Up PJ O'REILLEY'S, TUGGERANONG

friday SEPTEMBER 12

LIVE _____________ Rev Indie-alt extravaganza BAR 32, NORTHBOURNE AVE Bluestone KING O'MALLEY'S, CIVIC RockZone Rocking on from 10pm THE DURHAM, KINGSTON Upset Stage Two Competition Finals Including The Magic Hands, Rubycon, Alone with You, and more. 7pm. Entry $12 SOUTHERN CROSS CLUB WODEN The Third Cycle With Moh Van Wah and Degrees of Freedom. 8pm. $10 THE GREENROOM, PHILLIP Late Night Duo SOUL BAR, WODEN Maximum Wattage Support your local candidate Matthew Watts and enjoy local bands. $10. 7pm THE BASEMENT, BELCONNEN Ampes de France With Marcela Fiorillo. 7pm. Until Sept 13 WESLEY MUSIC CENTRE Tripitide PJ O'REILLY'S, CIVIC SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 13

ARTS _____________ Arc Cinema - Zou Zou From 4:30pm NATIONAL FILM AND SOUND ARCHIVE Arc Cinema For a Few Dollars More From 7:30pm NATIONAL FILM AND SOUND ARCHIVE

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

DANCE _____________ Decadance Saturdays With guest acts Ashley Feraude & Saad. 10pm ACADEMY, CIVIC Latin Night DJs spinning Latin tunes PAPARAZZI, FRANKLIN ST, MANUKA Jemist (TRINITY) BAR, DICKSON

SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 13 Pang!, Subsumo and BMA present In the Mix Top 50 Party Featuring Infusion, Grafton Primary, G.L.O.V.E.S., James Dela Cruz, Danielsan, Typhonic and D'Opus & Roshambo. Tix $45+bf ANU BAR, ACTON Ashley Feraude BINARA ONE, CROWN PLAZA Jemist Rippin' it up from 9pm KNIGHTSBRIDGE PENTHOUSE Vicious Cuts CD Tour With Lorne Padman. Entry $10 MONKEY BAR, BUNDA ST, CIVIC

LIVE _____________ Switch 3 Album Launch With Zero Degrees and Falling and Monster Elephante. 8pm. $12 THE GREENROOM, PHILLIP Canberra Musicans Club Launch Night Featuring The Ellis Collective, The Fuelers, Dubba Rukki, Fire on the Hill and many, many more.

From midday to midnight. Tix $30/20/10 ALBERT HALL Shakedown Regular indie/alt/dance night.

From 9pm BAR 32, NORTHBOURNE AVE The Magic Hands With From the South THE PHOENIX, EAST ROW, CIVIC The Cool KING O'MALLEY'S, CIVIC The Muddy Turds Joined by The Missing Lincolns and Mad Puppies. From 9pm.

Entry $5 THE POT BELLY, BELCONNEN Infinitum WIth Dred, Norse, Daemon Foetal Harvest and Rake Sodomy. 8pm. Entry $10 THE BASEMENT, BELCONNEN Heuristic!

Kickts off at 10pm. $8 cocktails THE DURHAM, KINGSTON Dave Graney With Henry Wagons TRANSIT BAR, AKUNA ST, CIVIC

SOMETHING DIFFERENT _____________ Carry On Karaoke PJ O'REILLY'S, CIVIC Vinnies Charity Ball 2008 A Night of Magic 6:30pm. Tix $95 RYDGES LAKESIDE

Saturday SEPTEMBER 13 Dragon Dreaming Launch Party With a burleque theme TEATRO VIVALDI (ANU)

TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 16

LIVE _____________

DAY PLAY _____________

Chuse Jazz Tuesdays New regular jazz night, with Bliss. $5 beer/wine and free cheese spread! With Andi Campbell Band (TRINITY) BAR, DICKSON Musical Madness @ Filthy's New and eclectic sounds every Tuesday from beloved Canberra performers. Featuring David Eastwood, Angel are Architects and Amax-Duo. Free entry FILTHY McFADDEN'S, KINGSTON The Bridge Between Live at Groovin in Garema from 12:30-2pm GAREMA PLACE, CIVIC

Tuggeranong Markets TUGGERANONG HOMESTEAD

SOMETHING DIFFERENT _____________

DANCE _____________

Carry-On Karaoke TRANSIT BAR, AKUNA ST, CIVIC Games Night Play board games, win booze. A veritable nirvana THE PHOENIX, EAST ROW, CIVIC Fame Trivia THE DURHAM, KINGSTON Pot Belly Trivia POT BELLY BAR, BELCONNEN Trivia Night PJ O'REILLY'S, TUGGERANONG

SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 14

ARTS _____________ Experimental Poetry This one-day workshop will look at the examples of the genre from the French symbolists to Ern Malley ACT WRITERS CENTRE, GORMAN HOUSE

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

LIVE _____________ Irish Jam Session KING O'MALLEY'S, CIVIC Birds of Tokyo With Calling All Cars and Degrees of Freedom. Tix $26 ANU BAR, ACTON The Bridge Between From 3-6pm ROSE COTTAGE Dos Loc With Mitch, Jason and Alex ALL BAR NUN, O'CONNOR MONDAY SEPTEMBER 15

DANCE _____________ Bootleg Sessions THE PHOENIX, EAST ROW, CIVIC Hospitality Night With Sean Kelly & guests TRANSIT BAR, AKUNA ST, CIVIC Recovery Night Several DJs playing PJ O'REILLEY'S, TUGGERANONG TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 16

ARTS _____________ Steve Berkoff Consisting of two on-act plays, Tell-Tale Heart and Dog CANBERRA THEATRE CENTRE

WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 17

DANCE _____________ Caribbean Vibes MONKEY BAR, BUNDA ST, CIVIC

SOMETHING DIFFERENT _____________ 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 Open Mic Night With Stillton Detox. Other talents welcome PJ O'REILLEY'S, TUGGERANONG

LIVE ____________ Fire on the Hill THE PHOENIX, EAST ROW, CIVIC End of Fashion The Book of Lies album tour, featuring The Seabellies and Harlequin League. Tix $20.70 ANU BAR, ACTON

bma magazine

DVDEVOTEE

Bill Bailey Presents Wild Thing I Love You (RDF/Shock) If Bill Oddie can do it… you know, the hairy one from The Goodies, then why not standup comedian and Black Books star, Bill Bailey (yes, the weird one who looks like a curious wizard)? He loves animals, too, after all. This three disc set shows Bill and his intrepid team of zoologists and engineers taking on the massive task of saving some of Britain’s much loved critters. The inexorable encroachment of human development has endangered the very existence of these long-surviving members of the animal kingdom. Each of the ten unique episodes covers some of the UK’s most endearing animal inhabitants, from badgers and pine martins, to puffins, otters and bats.

Through the creation of critter-crossings to translocation, Bill and his team stop at nothing to help Britain’s wildlife. This is an easy on the eye, typical ABC-style animal rescue documentary series. The critters are endearing, so it can get a little upsetting at times when you empathise with their plight. It’s certainly not a gag-fest like Black Books, but if you love animals, you will love this as well. Sorry, no DVD extras to speak of.

SIMON HOBBS

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Classic Albums Under Review: Guns’n’Roses – Use Your Illsuion 1& II (Shock)

Radiohead The Best Of (Parlophone)

OK, the sleight of hand in the title is in the suffix ‘Under Review’. The addition of these two words means much, for this is definitely not part of the superior BBC Classic Albums series. Rather it’s a shoddy, poorly filmed, scripted, edited and attended shadow of the originating concept. First and foremost is the total absence of the band or anyone remotely associated with the recording of the over-thetop, in parts hugely enjoyable behemoth that was Use Your Illusion I & II. Instead we get DJs, magazine publishers, empty TV news bobble heads and assorted hangers on to the LA glam scene that resolutely refuse to let past recede and ramble on with pointless, wearisome anecdotes about how they used to hang with Axl and the boys back in the day. It wouldn’t have been so bad if there was a vague association of the subjects on offer, but when you have to rely on sub-par concert footage to flesh out the discussion it’s a doomed mission.

Indeed, spending the best part of the first half of this DVD talking about the superior nature of their scorching debut, Appetite For Destruction, is surely a recipe for destruction, or disinterest of the main event at the very least. Having said that, there is some awesome vox-pop type footage of an Australian crowd prepping for a Gunners show in the great western expanses of one of our major cities in the early ’90s, and I was wishing the whole doco had been about those shows at Eastern Creek and Calder Park. But I was shit out outta luck. The Classic Album series is a success because it assembles behind the scenes information, stories and explanations for well known albums sounding the way they do. The band, key production and management staff reliving the moments where splices of tape transcended their humble origins, becoming amazing, memorable songs often induces wide eyed wonder and invariably enriches all future listening experiences, all the while dodging excessive wonkishness. This DVD does nothing of the sort. It’s a shameless cash in worthy of nothing but a court injunction on the grounds of offence to common decency.

JUSTIN HOOK

Radiohead: The Best Of, assembled against the band’s wishes at the conclusion of their relationship with EMI/Parlophone, is exactly what the cover art says – a visual chronological jaunt from the little band from Oxford that could. It’s no spoiler to point out at this early stage that the only things that remain constant with this band over the 11 year run represented here is Johnny Greenwood’s insanely stark square-jawline that mathematicians have yet to figure out, and Thom’s obsessive need to not be a star.

He’s against all that malarky, don’t you know.

It’s about the music see. Proceedings start creakily at Creep – a song which still leaves me cold – and there’s little at this early juncture to suggest this ragged, poorly-attired mob would become the Krautrock inspired prog monsters they morphed into circa 1997 to 2001. In fact, they come across as a rather redundant and annoying indie-pop band (Shed Seven, Mansun, anyone?) waiting for the bomb to drop. Next up, Anyone Can Play Guitar, clearly honouring the mantra of The Shaggs, proves that anyone can make clips like EMF and by Pop Is Dead an obvious XTC debt looms far too large and any casual observer would have justifiably lost interest and jumped on the nascent Crash Test Dummies juggernaut. Then, by gods, they redeem. But you already know that – it’s no surprise at all.

Clips circa The Bends find a band settling into the college rock format, visually and sonically, before their Pink Floyd moment arrives in the Magnus Carlsson directed Paranoid Android.

Then it all gets very large and ubiquitous, it was OK Computer after all. Record company cash funds the deconstructionist dystopias of Pyramid Song and Sit Down, Stand Up. As the years progress, the band recede into the background and become less of a feature until their appearances feel more like a contractual obligation than a genuine interest in actually being onscreen. Indeed, by Go To Sleep it’s CGI time - an animatronic success it should be noted. There are many genuine late night Rage classics contained herein, but more importantly, this DVD chronicles Radiohead giving a resolute middle digit to the industry whilst still playing within its confines. That either makes them hypocritical cop outs or smart ass renegades.

OUT SEPTEMBER 18, YOU SLAGS! WE BID FAREWELL TO WINTER AND HELLO TO SPRING WITH THE POTBELLEEZ, YVES KLEIN BLUE, THE VANDAS, FLORIADE, DRAGON DREAMING AND LOADS MORE!

JUSTIN HOOK