BMA Magazine 400 August 15 2012 by BMA Magazine

abyss .607 (2012; commissioned by BMA Magazine for its 400th issue)

For breasts, see pages 26, 31, 32 and 39. And what did YOU get US for our 400th? #400AUGUST15 Fax: 02 6257 4361 Mail: PO Box 713 Civic Square, ACT 2608 Publisher Scott Layne Allan Sko General Manager Allan Sko

T: 6257 4360 E: advertising@bmamag.com

Advertising Manager Elisa Sko T: 6257 4360 E: sales@bmamag.com

Editor Ashley Thomson

T: 02 6257 4456 E: editorial@bmamag.com

Accounts Manager Yu Xie

T: 02 6247 4816 E: accounts@bmamag.com

Sub-Editor Greta Kite-Gilmour Graphic Design Marley Film Editor Melissa Wellham NEXT ISSUE 400 OUT AUGUST 29 EDITORIAL DEADLINE AUGUST 20 ADVERTISING DEADLINE AUGUST 23 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.

According to the ACT Electoral Commissioner, less than half of the ACT’s 18 and 19-year-olds are enrolled to vote in October’s Legislative Assembly election. ‘Only 48% of eligible 18-yearolds in the ACT are enrolled to vote, while only 42% of 19-yearolds are enrolled,’ said Mr Green. The ACT Electoral Commission has launched online campaigns through Facebook and Twitter – even running a competition with iPads awarded to people who ‘like’ Elections ACT. ‘We hope that we can achieve a higher participation rate for this year’s election by using innovative ways of communicating with young people,’ Mr Green said. You can check your enrolment status at elections.act.gov. au. To gauge the political expediency of your vote versus the effort it takes to engage with the political landscape in a meaningful fashion, hit yourself in the crotch. Then vote.

INT’L RED CROSS CALL FOR END TO NUCLEAR AGE It’s not a new idea but the Red Cross have endorsed what they term ‘a historic resolution’ to ban all nuclear weapons, gaining the backing of all Australian political parties in the process – a move which cost the parties very little effort. Wheeling out astonishing statistics – ‘Right now there are at least 20,000 nuclear weapons in existence worldwide, around 3,000 of them on launch-ready alert – put together they have a destructive force equivalent to around 150,000 Hiroshima bombs,’ said Australian Red Cross’ Head of Law and International Principles, Dr Helen Durham – the Red Cross are calling on any and all members of society to support the campaign. The Australian Red Cross has commenced online supportgather through its website: targetnuclearweapons.org. au. As yet there are no means of donating hopes and dreams, but Red Cross have stated they have plenty to go around.

Expressions of interest are now being sought for The Village, an old-style travelling carnival set to transform Glebe Park from Thu-Sun March 21-24 as part of Centenary of Canberra celebrations in 2013. ‘The Village is designed around the concept of an old European style village, with a gorgeous assembly of tents, caravans, buses, puppet booths and inflatables,’ said co-founder and co-director Stuart Vaskess. Visit thevillagefestival.com.au to find out how to get involved. The role of a man-sized badger creature who murders people who try to leave and then turns out to be a person, thereby transforming The Village into a horribly shit film by M. Night Shyamalan, has yet to be filled. BMA nominates Zed Seselja.

ANIMAL RIGHTS ACTIVISTS UNCOVER PIG FARM CRUELTY After undercover work by NSW and ACT Animal Liberation activists, three pig farms in the region – Wally’s, Allain’s and Tennessee piggery – have been the target of alleged animal abuse, the result of which was a raid by police, the RSPCA, the Animal Welfare League and the Food Authority on Wally’s piggery. As Mark Pearson, Executive Director of Animal Liberation NSW, stated, ‘This piggery [Wally’s] is one of the worst examples of factory farming.’ Jess Ferry, Co-President of Animal Liberation ACT, added, ‘The footage showed the owner of the piggery smashing his pigs

with a sledgehammer before cutting their throat and leaving them to die in agony over six minutes. … No stunning device was used, and workers were seen to be drinking from beer bottles during their shift in the slaughter room.’ Similar images have been retrieved at Allain’s and Tennessee piggeries. As Pearson stated, ‘To the pig industry, this is normal pig “accommodation”.’ To find out more, visit aussiepigs.com.au. Alternately, BMA recommends a new Japanese initiative: the Whaling Internship Program.

100 YEARS OF CANBERRAN LITERATURE TO BE ANTHOLOGISED Since 2009, a voluntary Advisory Committee of respected writers and literary experts has read hundreds of books, sent thousands of emails and drunk numerous cups of coffee, making discoveries and difficult decisions along the way. The Invisible Thread, an anthology of 100 years of writing by Canberra writers, is almost complete and will be published to coincide with the centenary of Canberra in 2013. It includes short stories, essays, poetry, novel extracts and nonfiction from AD Hope, Kate Grenville, Les Murray, David Campbell, Clive Hamilton, Manning Clark, Don Watson and Alan Gould. In order to meet the remainder of the costs and maximise The Invisible Thread’s reach, the Committee are calling for donations via Pozible. There are rewards on offer, including advance copies and VIP invitations to events. Pretend they’re that hobo you like because they play that harmonica with real passion

The competition in auditions for Toddlers In Tiaras was fierce.

LESS THAN HALF THE ACT’S YOUTH ARE ENROLLED TO VOTE

OLD-STYLE TRAVELLING CARNIVAL SEEKING EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST

YOU PISSED ME OFF! In order to commemorate a decade of pissed off people (you earned it), BMA has scoured the archives for the finest You Pissed Me Off! submissions of all time, beginning with the first EVER submission. For the full version, visit bmamag.com. April 2002: To the guy at Alex Lloyd who decided that I would make a good leaning post when he was too pissed to stand up YOU PISSED ME OFF! June 2002: To the idiot who sneezed all over the back of my head while I was watching Minority Report that stench you complained about was me farting. June 2004: To the guy who keeps letting his dog take a crap in my yard I peed in your mail box last week and I hope you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed stepping in your dog’s crap. YOU PISSED ME OFF! June 2005: To the Skanky Ho that gave me a STD!!!! Thanks a lot you lying sack of shit, you told me you were clean but your actually a filthy, germ infected bitch!!! I had to show my syphilis infected dick to the clinic nurse!!! THANKS A LOT!!!!!!!!!! YOU PISSED ME RIGHT OFF!!!!!! August 2005: To all the old people out there in our course at CIT who are trying to relive your younger years through the youth of today, YOU PISS US OFF! It is time that you take a long hard look in the mirror, take in all that saggy skin, drooping balls, and greying pubes and realise that you are F@#CKING OLD! and there is no amount of cosmetic surgery that is going to change your bitter, twisted, unfulfilled life so stop trying to live through us you JERK! Also stop taking up all the teachers time asking questions that your stale old mind can’t comprehend anyway, please just get on with it and die! you would be doing us all a favour. P.S. Did we mention that YOU PISS US OFF! June 2006: To the fat dickhead in the strapped on Dick Smith glasses on the Academy dance floor on Friday. You are disgusting. Spraying sweat over everyone is one thing (I would have brought an umbrella had I known) but to elbow people around you while you’re doing it!! And when my friend who is about four foot nothing politely tapped you on the shoulder and said, “Can you please be careful, you are hurting me,” you responded to her, “Fuck you, I don’t care.” It’s people like you who ruin the vibe for everyone. I hope I see you bleeding in a gutter one day. Please reach out to me for help when it happens cos there is nothing I would more than saying, “Fuck you, I don’t care!” YOU PISSED ME OFF!! March 2007: To a certain Dr that incorrectly diagnosed me…. Let me call you “Dr I now have fucking holes in my leg you fuckin cunt”.. So “Dr I.N.H.F.H.I.M.L.Y.F.C thanks to your incompetence I have *spent large amounts of cash on prescription drugs that did not work.. *spent a week in hospital (paying $8.80 a day on free to air tv, you guy’s also pissed me off) *Had surgery that resulted in a pimp limp and cancellation of gigs *Have run out of sick days so now using my “holiday pay” to work on my hospital tan.. Sleep with one eye open Dr I.N.H.F.H.I.M.L.Y.F.C June 2008: To the complete fuckmelt of a human being who felt compelled to destroy my face at wearhouse because i knew

someone who said something to your brother. Go fuck yourself and burn in hell. No you’re not built, your just a fat shit with a brain like a brick floor - and only you would shake my hand and hit me. If it wasn’t for the people who actually went to the effort to mail my shit back to me that you took from me i would have hunted down your fat pale arse and inserted another cinder block into your fucking mouth. You gravy chip shitdick, you pissed me off. August 2009: To the whores at The Basics gig who pretend that school was out for the night; you’re awful human beings. Britney has been there and done that, and makes a better school girl turned cock fanatic than you’ll ever be. To one in particular, your five year old brother is missing his backpack. How do I know? Because you had the fucking thing jammed up against me all night. You had no right to drag a good astronaut like Buzz Lightyear into your quest to be Canberra’s biggest whore baller. I understand you’re probably an undersexed ressie kid’s wet dream, but when no one shows an interest, that isn’t an invitation to thrust your been-around-town tits harder. Date for your diary: Summernats. March 2010: To the Nth shore private school educated, exboarding school yuppies who come to ANU, you piss me off every day of my fucking life. We all know that Mummy & Daddy are millionaire oil moguls, so stop presenting like a fucking HOMELESS PERSON. You are an insult to homeless people everywhere. Get a fucking job, put on some shoes, and stop meaninglessly supporting whatever pathetic third world cause has fallen in to your PRIVILEGED FUCKING LAP, in an attempt to make you feel good about your spoilt brat, self-absorbed piece of shit self. Also, you are not musically talented so move the fuck on. You are not special. Nobody likes you. YOU PISS ME OFF.

YOU MADE MY DAY!

Our 400th issue also sees the launch of this ray of sunshine. Designed as the light side of the Force (and named by my mum), You Made My Day! has been created so all you people out there with happiness in your hearts can pass the love forwards. Email editorial@bmamag.com to send a message of gratitude, warmth and generosity to the world at large. Aww.

To the dear old lady who crossed the road just outside Civic to see if I was OK after I had taken a nasty tumble running to make a green light... As I inelegantly crashed to the earth in front of scores of onlookers, nursing scraped hands and a deeply bruised ego, your simple “Are you OK, dear?” helped restore sanity to my swirling world. Your simple friendly banter and concern were enough to restore my wounded pride, and ignore the large rip in my trousers. So I’d just like to say... YOU MADE MY DAY! To the guy who accidentally spilled coffee over one of those signyou-up people in Garema Place just before they were going to coerce me; thanks for taking one for the team buddy! YOU MADE MY DAY! To my 18-month-old for deliberately saving up your fart until you could loudly unleash it on mummy’s lap amongst peals of wicked baby laughter. You make Daddy proud and YOU MADE MY DAY!

WHO: Dallas Frasca WHAT: Sound Painter National Tour WHEN: Sat Aug 18 WHERE: Transit Bar

After much hullabaloo, build, anticipation, blood, sweat, tears, money, lust and lunacy, Melbourne’s Dallas Frasca is touring the official release of her sophomore album, Sound Painter. After having an entire tour’s worth of savings stolen and, later, the master recordings of the album on a laptop too, this album (not to mention tour) has been a long time coming. After all the hard work, Frasca is blunt: ‘We just wanted to make a powerful fucking album.’ Turn to page 55 to read a glowing review of the release or just go to the show and find out firsthand. Frasca will be supported by Rick Steward and Owen Campbell. 8pm. $18 door/$15 presale + b/f through Oztix.

WHO: Culinary Wizards WHAT: Beer-matched Lunch WHEN: Sat Aug 18 WHERE: Durham Castle Arms

Like beer? Like food? Anyone who answered ‘No’ can GTFO. For the rest of you like-minded epicurean and therefore stable individuals, you are in for a treat this month with The Durham’s six-course, six-beer event. It’ll showcase beverages from the Little Creatures and White Rabbit Brewery, as well as exciting industry newcomers and entirely female-founded Two Birds Brewing (unbelievable name, awesome beer). Check out twobirdsbrewing.com.au for more on the incredible women behind this unique microbrewery. Did I mention the menu options? I just drooled on my keyboard. The six-course event starts at 1pm at $59 per head. Book by calling (02) 6295 1769.

WHO: Canberra Bands WHAT: National Campus BAND Comp ACT Final WHEN: Thu Aug 23 WHERE: Zierholz @ UC

NCBC is the largest live band competition in the southern hemisphere. Each year up to 400 bands from over 40 institutions compete live, looking to be crowned national winners of this competition. Previous winners and entrants: Eskimo Joe, The Vines, Jebediah, George, Frenzal Rhomb, Augie March and The Vasco Era, to name a few! Commonly recognised as between three and five, the fact that more than ‘a few’ bands were mentioned should be neglected. As should the fact that some of them didn’t win, from which you could glean that you can make a career outside of this competition. But, if you’re still on board after all that, head along!

WHO: Drumsound & Bassline Smith (UK) WHAT: Canberra Debut WHEN: Sat Aug 25 WHERE: The Clubhouse

True Jungle Souljahs continue an epic month of monster headliners at our favourite bass-blasting, night-devouring establishment, The Clubhouse. Local jungle-monkeys and womper-stompers: ready yourselves for Drumsound and Bassline Smith. If you’re not hyperventilating right now, you’ve either been living under a rock or possess one hell of a lung capacity. Together, the trio have enjoyed an impressive arsenal of diversity that’s ensured their place atop the D&B scene for over a decade, and show no signs of slowing down. Supports including Bec Paton, Shifty Business, Jaycee, Buick, Riske, Harlequin MC and more. 9pm.

WHO: Frankenbok WHAT: Tiernan’s 31st Birthday! WHEN: Sat Aug 25 WHERE: The Basement

Frankenbok are chomping at the bit to pummel audiences into the ground with new material. Supporting them on the night will be Na Maza, Tensions Arise, Not Another Sequel, Just Another Prequel (NASJAP), Beneath The Tides and Godomination. Na Maza’s top priority is leaving the Canberra metal core market with a post orgasmic chill. Tensions Arise are back for their first Canberra show after recording a long awaited album. NASJAP are proof that metal and rock can be combined without the term EMO or Screamo being thrown down. And Beneath The Tides and local metal monsters Godomination are rounding this affair out. 8pm. $15.

WHO: Pseudo Echo WHAT: Album Tour WHEN: Sat Sep 15 WHERE: The Abbey

Whether you’ve danced unabashedly at your mate’s birthday party, or sung along to any one of the Shrek legacies (to be honest, I don’t even know what number it’s up to anymore) you’ll have experienced – and loved, in all its kitschy ‘80s glory – Funky Town. For that reason, you’ll have also supported and celebrated Aussie electropop pioneers Pseudo Echo: the home-grown creators of this worldwide hit. This time round, they’ll be celebrating with you. As part of their 30th anniversary tour promoting the release of their new single, Suddenly Silently, they’re giving away digital download cards to the first 150 punters at each gig. 6.30pm. $40 from theabbey.com.au.

FROM THE BOSSMAN Column Disclaimer: Yes, this is a reminisce-y piece - I mean, you’d expect such a thing for a landmark issue - but I solemnly swear not to use the terms “journey” or “rollercoaster ride”. And so we arrive breathlessly at BMA Magazine’s inglorious 400th issue. They said it didn’t stand a chance. They said, “it won’t get past four”. But enough about my childhood. We feel understandably proud at reaching this landmark, and so should you dear readers - were it not for your probing eyeballs and slightly gropey embrace over all these years, we wouldn’t exist. And if we didn’t exist, we wouldn’t be able to cover, discover and champion all the wonderful things that happen in this fair capital city of ours. After all, as that poorly remembered phrase goes... If an artist creates something in the forest and no one is around to see it; did it actually happen? Ever since a young lass by the name of Lisa Howdin - eagerly clutching a father-funded answering machine in one hand and an invoice book in the other - unleashed the legendary ANUwall-busting Nirvana-Nevermind-tour-covering first issue of BMA Magazine way back in a mystical time known as 1992, it has marched steadily on, improving in office size, circulation, paper quality and, somewhat questionably, manners. When I came on board the good ship BMA in 2003 as a diamondeyed whippersnapper – a song in the heart and a nickel in the pocket – I didn’t know what would hit me. To this day, I still don’t. The mag was run out of an office that would give a shoebox an ego and photographers literally handed in their gig shots via Polaroid (well, the stubborn ones did) to be painfully scanned in by the Dot Matrix Scannomatron 73000 over a period of some weeks. I was home. I have been here for nine years now - a long time for any job - and I have no intention of leaving. I love it. I love the people, the culture, and the community, both in the office and through the readership. At its best, BMA Mag is a gateway into the creativity conjurors and wizards of whimsy we have in Canberra; a twisting wormhole connecting creators and consumers in an endless joyous dance of interconnectivity, all lovingly written in lively, witty prose by passionate and erudite writers. At its worst, it’s juvenile humour. And that’s OK too, ya big fartface. We’ve used this bumper edish to both celebrate BMA Mag past, and slide back the curtain on some new sections for BMA Mag moving forward. If there’s a murder of crows, a pride of lions, and a shuffle of zombies, then we’ve rounded up a shamble of BMA Mag Editors past to relive their former glory and regale us with fond slash amusing tales of their time at the helm (see page opposite). Former (and first) Exibitionist Arts Editor Naomi Milthorpe recalls the section’s creation, progression, how it’s placed in the current

arts scene and, most importantly, her favourite pun titles. You can find that on page 38. And we’ve dipped into the foul, bubbling river of slime that is the You Pissed Me Off archives to give you some of the best in BMA’s bulging bibliography of bile. Page 13 for your Two Minutes Hate fix. Speaking of BMA Mag’s more popular section over the years, we thought it high time that the raging yin of You Pissed Me Off was joined by the soothing yang of new section You Made My Day (I wanted to call it The Wind Beneath My Wings, but a Bette Midler impersonator said no). If you flipped past it already, it’s back on page 13. This uplifting skit is your chance to shout from the rooftops about an act of valour or a simple kindness that a stranger has paid you. It’s our way of restoring a little faith in humankind. As a recent happy giveaway winner recently wrote to me: ‘It astounds me how many people are suffering all around us and you never know about it. If you think you are doing it tough, most likely everyone else around you is too. Makes you realise how important it is to cut people some slack and try to be generous and kind to those you meet daily.’ Indeed. And looking to further churn the milk of human kindness into the buttery cream of hilarity is a new column with a name you’ll hate at first but will eventually grow accustomed to - LOLcol. This little nugget can be found in the arts Exhibitionist section on page 47. People of humour - be they established comedians or your piss funny mate Mick from down the pub - have 500 words to entertain and delight us all with. It’s like an Open Mic Night in column format. Our old mate Justin ‘The Bedroom Philosopher’ Heazlewood makes sure the inaugural LOLcol (See? You’re getting used to it already) is kicked off in fine style. To make yourself heard through either the You Made My Day or the LOLcol sections, write to editorial@bmamag.com with your lightbringing and/or witty submission. Be sure also to bask in the beautiful 400th ish comiss’ed artwork from three extremely talented local artists, with the hypercolour eyeslap of stencil/graffiti man Abyss (inside front), the intricate penned stylings of the magnificently named Walrus (inside back), and the beautiful hand drawn splendour of George Rose from design company New Best Friend (back cover). And there’s plenty more besides. Again, we can’t thank you enough for reading and supporting us, whether you’ve been with us for years or if you’ve just picked up your first copy. It’s been widely reported of late that it’s tough times for the print medium, but thanks to you we’re stronger than ever before, and as long as there are the artists, musicians, promoters and retailers tirelessly working to make this city of ours the best it can be, we’ll be here to celebrate and support them on their rollercoaster journey. Shit, there I go... So close. Here’s to the next 400; we hope you’ll join us ALLAN SKO - allan@bmamag.com

Lisa Howdin (1992 – 1994) BMA was officially born in the Shalimar Indian restaurant on Marcus Clarke Street when my dad listened to yet another of my hare-brained schemes and agreed to buy me the cornerstone of any successful business: an answering machine. Having watched a couple of attempts at Canberra street press go under, I had written a business plan to save the then-floundering Blitz magazine. When its owners skipped town, I thought – how hard could it be? I bought an invoice book and wandered around town seeing if anyone was interested. At my first or second stop, the top bloke at CD Revolution was keen enough to sign up for the first ad. This was great (and I am still grateful to this day) until several issues later a record company rep said point blank – this industry will not advertise with you while you accept money from people who rent CDs. Nevertheless, buoyed by what was surely the indicator of imminent and overwhelming financial reward I wrote letters off to all the record companies and waited for the interesting interviews, free gigs and free CDs to roll in. And when they did eventually trickle in, I realised I didn’t even have a CD player. Tracy Heffernan (2000 – 2004) From my arrival in the then-Barbie pink office, my tenure at BMA remains the source of 101 dinner party anecdotes. So in honour of BMA tradition, here’s my top five. 5) Editing days were accompanied by the calming zen of listening to Star Trek. And brownies. 4) Despite usually using the post, a record company publicist felt it necessary to send Nikki Webster’s debut CD, complete with sparkly confetti, by overnight courier. 3) Seeing our ‘100 things to do in Canberra’ list pinned to someone’s fridge, with things marked off. 2) Our dance columnist GMan looked so much like Ali G at our premiere that there were reported sightings of the man himself. 1) A hare-brained scheme for BMA staff to show up at a bar and ‘test drive’ their cocktails for free actually came off. That’s all I’m saying – I may want to write a book one day. Thanks to Pete Spicer and the Landspeed boys for their patience when I didn’t know trance from house, all the BMA crew past and present, and Vanessa, Lisa and Scott, who made my involvement possible. Scott Layne (2004) When I first joined the ranks of BMA, Lisa warned me of the gruelling toll that the parties, gigs and deadlines would demand. I thought ‘this isn’t my first rodeo’ and nothing in Canberra could faze me. I was wrong. BMA deadlines, for me, were brutal; frantic calls for artwork, late night solicitations for ad payments, lurching back to the office to prep artwork and then out again into the fray. Somehow pitching campaigns while sipping martinis with one young fashionista, who had small bags of very personal fluids sewn to her dress, became just another deadline. We always managed to pull it together. Whether we lost a week’s work due to hardware failures, faced advertisers pulling over bad reviews or extortion from printers insisting on pre-payment in cash. We published issue after issue after issue. As I write this, our editor, Ashley, still in the office, has been politely prodding me for better copy. Ahhh… the joys of deadlines. Allan Sko (2004 – 2008) When I came on board as a bright-eyed whelp, the mag was run from an office that would give a shoebox an ego and photographers literally handed in gig shots via Polaroid. Eight years on and not a lot has changed. Which is

to say that it has. One could indulge in a self-congratulatory wank about the mag’s progression but instead I choose to remember what really makes BMA Mag tick... The goofy shit. Like finding a dumpster’s worth of discarded porn and upending it all over the office just before two new young female writers turned up to say hi. Or pulling a party-fuelled all-nighter and thinking it a good idea to call giveaway winners at 7am on a Saturday. Or showering my hard-working Ad Manager in a graveyard’s worth of light-fixture trapped dead flies after a particularly spirited game of office cricket. Stupid shit shared with great people; that’s BMA Mag to me. Peter Krbavac (2007 – 2008) The BMA office cricket season of ‘07 was sport in its purest form, untainted by sponsorship dollars or ego. There was no scorecard, not even any clearly defined rules to cloud things: we played for the love of the game. Many an Australia Post mailing tube – sleeker and more deadly than any willow wood – was shredded in the name of sporting pursuit. When, after months of being swatted around the old metre-square office, our stress ball finally exploded in a hail of yellow rubber, the half that remained intact simply provided us with ever more crafty spinning opportunities. No one’s likely to forget the time someone dispatched Ol’ Yella for six, sending him straight into the fluorescent light above Advertising Manager Mark Russell’s desk, pulverising the plastic covering and unceremoniously showering Mark in a decade’s worth of dust and dead flies. Les Murray talks about The Beautiful Game. This was something else entirely. Ben Hermann (2008 – 2009) Snuggled between the completion of my law degree at ANU and seven months gallivanting around South America, my brief tenure as BMA’s editor saw, as all editors’ do, a number of evolutionary (and some not so evolutionary) changes to this here silky rag. The moving of our HQ from a dirty closet bordering CYT to a five-room palatial setting just across the Gorman House lawns; a brief dalliance in different paper stock (we got excited easily in those days); allowing any contributor to submit a ‘Top Ten Albums’ list for the year’s final issue; and giving away beer to readers, are just a few that come to mind. Between all of this madness and the endless deadlines, there was hardly any time left for cracking open beers at 12:01pm, spending long afternoons playing corridor football and Big Buck Hunter, listening to Girl Talk on repeat, or getting free access to any gig or festival under Australia’s sun. Talk about an Aussie battler... Julia Winterflood (2009 – 2012) My favourite part of print deadline Monday would roll around at about 5pm after I’d been proofing for nine hours straight and the familiar delirium of exhaustion was creeping in. We still wouldn’t have a cover line. ‘Cole!’ I’d call out down the corridor. ‘It’s that time again!’ Bossman Allan would spin around in his chair, fingers arched together against his earnest face. Graphic Designer Cole would stroll in stroking his ginger chin and take my seat. We’d all stare fiercely at the textless cover on my screen. ‘Bunch of Cunts,’ Cole would type immediately. He’d then position a giant turd over the face of whatever frontman or woman adorned the cover, while Allan fired off a string of offensive and hilarious puns. We’d do this for about half an hour until we’d found the one, and my sides would ache as I wiped the tears of laughter away, sighing with BMA love.

Prom Musical makes its way to the Yarralumla Woolshed on Saturday October 6 and Sunday October 7.

ALL AGES Hey folks, brains have been on the mind. Zombies are underrated. There should be more drop-dead hilarious jokes written about them – like this one: What did the zombie say to his date? ‘I just love a woman with braaains!’ Don’t we all? I think it’s safe to say we all also love musicals about zombies. It gives them a chance to show their sensitive side through music and dance. Aren’t you lucky that one is coming to town? It’s the ‘50s in America and we take a look into life at Enrico Fermi high school. There’s the classic boy meets girl, boy turns into zombie, but boy still wants to take girl to prom (oh, if I had a dollar...). Zombie

Letting you know early, so that you can be prepared for it, like you already should be for the zombie apocalypse. Tickets start at $25 + bf and can be bought online at Moshtix. The thought of the zombie apocalypse is a tad stressful. Good thing LIVE@BAC is on Friday September 14 because it’s practically designed for chilling. In fact, why not come along every second Friday of the month as scheduled? Watch live and local artists share their talent, look at some art and kill a few zombies. It’s held at the Belconnen Arts Centre and costs $5 at the door. It runs from 5.30pm-7.30pm. Details on performers are put up each month on their website: belconnenartscentre.com.au. Zombies in roller-skates. Awesome, but no events of this kind are scheduled to my knowledge. However, if you’re keen to see a real game of Roller Derby, come see the Red Bellied Black Hearts vs. The Surly Griffins on Sunday September 8. They play at the Southern Cross Stadium in Tuggeranong. Doors open at 5pm for a 6pm start. Tickets are $11.75 + bf through Oztix. Four awesome metal bands at a bar and, for once, your age doesn’t restrict you from being able to go (however, I can’t guarantee that you will be able to go if the apocalypse starts that night). The Amity Affliction, The Ghost Inside (US), Architects (UK) and Buried in Verona play on Tuesday October 2 at UC Refectory. Tickets are $51.30 + bf and can be purchased online or by calling Ticketek or Oztix. You know who probably wouldn’t eat your brains if you saw him live? Xavier Rudd. This chilledout acoustic wonder will be playing at Canberra Theatre Centre on Sunday September 9. In fact his music is so chill, I can imagine it to cause humans and zombies alike to hold hands in a circle, swaying to the music in a gesture of unity (then we pull the guns out and kill em’). General admission is $61.50 + bf and can be booked by calling (02) 6275 2700 or online at canberratheatrecentre.com.au. So that’s it from the all ages front for now. I wish you all luck in the upcoming apocalypse. If you happen to befriend one for some reason, I heard their favourite toys are dead-y bears. Cheers, ANDIE EGAN allagescolumn@gmail.com

LOCALITY

As far back as Homer’s Iliad, it’s been tradition for the physically and mentally maligned to pay their way entertaining social betters. Even Odysseus told his tale in exchange for a meal in every city he visited – turning Homer’s Odyssey from a ‘poem’ into an ‘epic’ through what may be the first use of flashback in a sequel. Anyway, The George Harcourt Inn has launched something called Sing For Your Supper. Every Wednesday night from 6pm you’re able to book a slot and play for a meal by signing up here: georgeharcourt. com/content/sing-for-your-supper. Given the area’s affluence, expect a few buck-toothed inbreds to guffaw while they casually fingerbang their nieces, but this experience will serve you well for that inevitable European tour. A new musically exploratory project by Austin Buckett (Kasha, Pollen Trio) entitled Limb will be showing at the ANU School of Music on Thursday August 16. See page 20 for our feature. If you like drums and people doing unusual shit with sound, head along. The same night, Local Feats, a retrospective showcase of feature films from the ACT, is kicking off at Kendall Lane Theatre, NewActon. They’re beginning with The Demonstrator (1971). There are screenings at 6pm and 9pm and more details can be found here: newacton.com.au/localfeats. The following night, Friday August 17, the undoubtedly mangled and wondrous talent show, Bone Idol 2, will be on at Canberra Contemporary Art Space, Gorman House. Proceedings kick off at 7pm so go watch a bunch of people plied with free booze try to win $500. The same night will herald the last Café Scientifique, a series of talks/cheese and wine soirées held at the National Botanic Gardens. Pennie Scott, food activist/designer of ecological communities, will be speaking at 6pm. (Happy hour starts at 5pm. You know when to get there.) The weekend rolls on with Trent’s Birthday Bash at The Basement, Belconnen, on Saturday August 18. The venue has put together two stages and a huge line-up, including Heaven The Axe, Breaking Orbit, Laced In Lust and Septimus Prime. Proceedings kick off at 8pm. Things are relatively quiet (Bootleg fans not inclusive, obvs) until Thursday August

23, which sees Cracked Actor taking the stage at The Phoenix. The following night (for anyone who missed them at The Basement) Frenzal Rhomb are playing the Hellenic Club, Civic, with Mindsnare in support. Get your paper through Moshtix. And the following week, Tuesday August 28, sees The Phoenix deliver another edition of Joel’s Nerd Trivia! For anyone who missed the last one, it was emotional. Shit gets real at 7:30pm. And finally, to ring in the following weekend, head along to The Basement for the ‘90s Music Festival on Friday August 31. It’s eight bands covering eight ‘90s bands: Nine Inch Nails, Rage Against The Machine, Primus, Weezer and Faith No More and more. Slap on the Nirvana tee. Hit the Bundy. And that’s everything local I care about. ASHLEY THOMSON - editorial@bmamag.com

I don’t go out searching for new sounds, like the Mighty Boosh episode

OUT ON A LIMB PETER KRBAVAC If Reset, the new contemporary percussion piece by local composer Austin Buckett, sounds chaotic, then that’s all according to plan. ‘The irony of Reset is that although it may sound at times chaotic and capricious, the majority of the piece is precisely and metrically set out,’ says Yvonne Lam, the local musician who commissioned the piece and will, along with William Jackson, perform it next fortnight.

Both former School of Music students, Austin and Yvonne have long been active in the local music scene; Austin as the keys player in experimental rock outfit Kasha and free-jazz band Pollen Trio; Yvonne as the drummer in indie-pop trios Ah! Pandita and Biscuits, and post-rock band Mornings. Yvonne hopes that LIMB, the new music night at which Reset will premiere, can bridge the gap between audiences. ‘I guess a lot of [experimental music] is misunderstood or is construed as an intimidating high art,’ she acknowledges. ‘The drive behind Limb is to encourage the sorts of people who go and see Mornings and Kasha gigs to check out another area of the local music scene by removing the barriers of the elitist and stifling connotations of classical music.’

Yvonne explains Austin’s initial vision for Reset was to make it detached and almost mechanical sounding. The piece incorporates field recordings Austin made at the LA International Airport and sees the performers follow multiple click tracks which slide in and out of time with each other. The result recalls, as Austin puts it, factory workers on a production line: ‘Overdriven and falling, regrouping then repeating. At times the workload bestowed upon them by the factory is almost impossible to keep up with and the system becomes dysfunctional, displaced. Other times the system works fine and workers are unified in what they are playing.’ To these ends, Reset incorporates some unorthodox methods – at one point calling on the players to go at their snare drums with sandpaper. ‘[It] creates this awesome white-noise effect, which is then amplified through a quadrophonic speaker set-up. The sonic effect is quite remarkable and is only something that can be experienced as a member of a live audience,’ Yvonne enthuses. ‘I don’t go out searching for new sounds, like the Mighty Boosh episode,’ Austin chuckles, ‘The sandpaper came about because I wanted some kind of grainy white noise textures crossing over each other. Many ideas don’t work, but the important thing is for me to just try it. Being too perfectionistic or idealistic results in nothing getting done and often a really stale product. All you have to do is listen to Wu-Tang Clan – RZA couldn’t have even been bothered to match the keys of half of his samples and it’s still amazing.’ Limb goes down in the School of Music band room on Thursday August 16 from 8pm, featuring a performance of Reset along with other new music pieces and a set by Pollen Trio. $15 standard/$5 concession.

HOW TO RIGG A BOOM TEDI BILLS THE DELTA RIGGS are packing their skinny jeans and raw rock energy and heading up the east coast to a sweat-stained dance floor near you. I caught the band’s self-proclaimed ‘chiller’, bassist Michael Tramonte, for a chat about the pressure of live recording and the message behind having no message. Since winning triple j’s Pyramid Rock Unearthed contest in 2011, the Melbournians have gone from strength to strength, taking their barefaced beats to Festival of the Sun, Queenscliff Music Festival and Gumball, and touring with consummate rockers The Jim Jones Revue, Devin and Stonefield. After living in each other’s tight denim pockets for six months, the boys are emerging from a four week hiatus to tour their third EP, Talupo Mountain Music Vol. II. Monte laughs, ‘We’re playing a gig on Friday after not having seen each other at all! We’re not going to rehearse – it’s going to be interesting – but I think we’re at the stage where we’re always in each other’s heads anyway.’

If someone fucks up, it kills us all

According to Monte, playing alongside bands like Stonefield has driven The Delta Riggs to new heights. ‘Stonefield are insanely talented; Holly’s only fourteen, but she’s already so much better than me at bass. Playing with those kinds of musicians to packed rooms added a positive pressure. They were really good, so we had to make sure we were really good too.’ The thrill of succeeding under fire also underlies their latest release. As with the band’s last EP, Talupo Mountain Music Vol. I, the creatively titled third addition to their repertoire was recorded in a single live session. ‘We’re a live band. That’s where we shine. Recording that way forces us to challenge each other. If someone fucks up, it kills us all.’ That’s not to say The Delta Riggs are anal in any way. Look them up on YouTube and you’ll find clips featuring jam sessions in orchards, scraggly skateboarding legends and impromptu garage concerts starring strangers who ‘got curious and wandered in off the street.’ You’ll also find comment boxes filled with hilariously spelt and grammatically munted accusations of hipsterism. When I mention the cursèd word, Monte groans, ‘We’re not hipsters. We’re all about having a good time and not taking ourselves too seriously. Above all, I think you’ve got to be real and honest. Life is about fun, not about getting caught up in image or industry.’ With song titles like Counter Revolution and Money and a sound that often harks back to late ‘60s protest rock, it might be easy to think The Delta Riggs are men with a message. Not so, says Monte. ‘We don’t play from a soapbox. We’re a band of the people for the people. Counter Revolution definitely carries connotations – it’s a ‘fuck you’ to everyone. But at the end of the day we just want our shows to be about having some real, rowdy fun.’

Get rowdy with The‘Riggs and their compadres, Money For Rope, at Transit Bar, Sunday August 19, 7pm. Tickets are $15.30 through Moshtix.

WHEN ONE DOOR CLOSES.... julia winterflood About six months ago I grabbed a lift home from The Phoenix with a new friend. Her stereo was up loud and distinctive dulcet tones carried by gentle guitars filled the car. ‘Is this LAVERS?’ I asked after a few seconds. ‘Yep!’ she replied cheerfully. The song was Cosmic Ambulance off their debut EP The Street is a Symphony, the recording of which, explains We wanted to make one half of the er few t something tha local brother re mo people liked and duo, Dom Lavers, people absolutely loved proved to be an invaluable lesson. ‘We realised that you can have African mahogany on the walls and it could all be worth a million dollars, but it’s not necessarily going to make your songs sound good.’ They scrapped the expensive but disappointing result and opted for DIY, repeating this method for their soon-to-be-released second EP, Endless Corridors, which most definitely does sound good. The evolution from their debut to sophomore is extraordinary. While The Street was ‘a polished, but not over-refined collection of infectious pop-rock tunes’ (Ben Hermann, BMA #389), Endless Corridors is a sumptuously immersive mini-album of six texturally rich and stirring songs and one instrumental. Headphones essential. Dom’s McCartney-esque croon is flawless; strong and sweet but never saccharine, it glides effortlessly over robust guitars, the occasional tender mandolin, entrancing effects, charming keys and a smattering of shit-hot tambourine. ‘It was all my older brother Sebastian. He did all the music for it downstairs in the basement. He in particular thought the last one didn’t reflect him as a musician. With this one he wanted to put everything into it and just try and create something that he was really proud of. We said early on when we started doing this one that we wanted to make something that fewer people liked and more people absolutely loved.’ While the brothers nailed the recording, what really makes Endless Corridors so effervescent is its masterful production. ‘We went up to Studios 301 to record vocals and there we met Simon Todkill, who’s worked with Kanye West. He’s a great engineer and when we were recording vocals I had a chat to him about mixing and he put his hand up and said he’d love to. Because this EP is so layered and complex we needed someone who completely knew what we were going for. It was like he read our minds with it.’ So how will this complexity translate to the stage with the current line-up consisting of only two? ‘We’re pretty much a walking advertisement for people who want to get involved with the band, whether it be as a drummer or a bass player or even a mandolin player.’ Hey, don’t forget the tambourine. ‘It’s actually not that easy to play tambourine! That’s something we found out. It’s actually really difficult to get it exactly right. So a lot of hours went into the tambourining.’

Lavers launch Endless Corridors at The Phoenix from 8pm on Friday September 14. Entry is free and you can nab a copy of their latest 7-track EP there for the generous price of $10.

Busking is a pure kind of practice. It’s not pretentious

can only be found in the simple things; friends being together, lighting bonfires and singing of life’s discoveries – its pains and its pleasures.’ Not withstanding gravitation towards themes of life’s electricity and exploration of the world, Mat connects quite deeply with the world of reggae.

THE MOST BEAUTIFUL GIRL IN THE ROOM sinead o’connell

A young Mat McHugh of THE BEAUTIFUL GIRLS was once living modestly in New York and India; busking, enjoying being young and wandering aimlessly. Having never been paid a cent in these years as a busker, Mat still maintains it is the ultimate rite of passage for musicians; the only real way one can understand the nature of their passion and the kind of rewards worth reaping. ‘Busking is a pure kind of practice. It’s not pretentious at all... you just explore.’ Eventually, the time came when his visa ran out and he headed on home to Australia with demos in mind and guitar in hand. It wasn’t long before he met his manager (a guy in the crowd at one of his gigs) and started playing open mic nights. All of these events seemed to align like the planets, leading to a persuasion that Mat would love and successfully champion for the following decade. Mat’s ethos is reflected in his music; from the simple poetry of Morning Sun (‘a refreshing breeze in the musical climate of the time’ – triple j), to Learn Yourself, the founding music that cemented the essence of The Beautiful Girls. ‘[It’s] that sense of pure joy that

A topic that lingered during our conversation was that of the stigma surrounding the perceived ‘band’ that is The Beautiful Girls. Not many people know that it is in fact just Mat, with crewmembers he picks up – friends and talented musicians – who fall in love with his idea and support the music he has created. The name itself was conceived in the early days as something of a joke amongst mates. It is therefore a very momentous occasion to finally have an album, Love Come Save Me, which credits the artist behind the ‘Girls. According to Mat, a distinct benefit of being the sole decisionmaker in The Beautiful Girls is to have been allowed the opportunity to nurture his burgeoning artistic vision: ‘It’s frustrating when you sit in a room and listen to how a song should be, but the democratic process gets in the way. I know who I am writing music for and what I want to write about. It’s like writing a script – there’s nothing radically different about composing music.’ Despite shifts and movements in the places that support Mat in his journey, he insists, ‘The Beautiful Girls remain on the Australian landscape right where they should: at dawn, the sand underfoot, shifting with the tides, forever changing colours as their own sun continues to rise, set and rise again.’ Love Come Save Me is out now through Die!Boredom Records. You can catch The Beautiful Girls when the trio drop into The Hellenic Club, Woden, on Thursday August 30 at 7.30pm. Tickets are $35 + bf via Oztix.

SOLDIERING ON

BLOOD BROTHERS

peter krbavac

Chris downton

As ever, TIM ROGERS’ time is at a premium. Our first attempt at a chat is scuttled when he’s called on set – he’s a television actor these days, doncha know? – and our second phone call comes before another night of filming in the middle of the MCG for a different project. ‘It’s pretty cold out there in a flimsy suit every night,’ he laughs. ‘I’m doing that, shooting all night tonight, and then heading off on tour tomorrow morning. One would think that I should really just concentrate on the one thing.’

The relatively small industrial town of Stoke-On-Trent isn’t exactly the sort of destination you’d immediately think of as being a hotbed of UK band activity. In this particular instance, though, you might be completely wrong. Since forming several years ago as an antidote to the drudgery of small town life, indie-rock four piece ALL THE YOUNG have experienced something of a meteoric rise, being touted by the ever-fickle UK music press as saviours of ‘the new guitar revolution,’ whilst also touring with Kaiser Chiefs and Morrissey, who apparently compared the band’s support slots to early Smiths days. Factor in two brothers amongst the band line-up, and you’ve got a salivating NME.

We wanna steal your girlfriend’s bus pass and get outta there

Regardless, these increasing non-musical commitments – be they theatrical, televisual, literary or otherwise – don’t seem to be cutting into Rogers’ songwriting time. ‘I don’t have a lot of hobbies, so there’s no problem with that,’ he says. ‘At stages in the past I’ve gone in half-arsed doing songs; there was a good drum roll and I’d think, “Wow, great, it’s a song,” and put it on a record. These days I demand a bit more out of myself, writing-wise. Really, when you’re going from work to work to day job, that’s good for not only kinetic thought but also creative thought. ‘If you’re sitting at a desk, stroking your pathetic beard, trying to find a perfect allegory for a hangover, there’s a possibility that you’re going to regurgitate someone else’s thought,’ Tim continues. ‘When you’re constantly on the move and not giving yourself that luxury of being able to sit down for seven hours and ponder over a major-seventh chord, I actually think you get better stuff out of it. At the times I’ve had more time to sit down and contemplate what I’m writing, I’ve come up with less interesting stuff.’ Tim has just released Rogers Sings Rogerstein, his sixth album outside the You Am I umbrella and second under his own name, which has drawn comparisons to his superb country-tinged 1999 outing with The Twin Set, What Rhymes With Cars And Girls. ‘See, I don’t see any country in this record at all,’ he quickly interjects. ‘If by “country” you mean real old country, fuckin’ weird, oblique, desperate stuff – yeah. But what I’ve really tried to avoid over the past couple of years is “guy with a guitar – Hey, let’s get loaded. Miss my baby. I suck – chorus, out.” Maybe as an itinerant country artist who’s forced to play songs of the Weimar Republic in Berlin in 1928, sure. That kind of country, I’m there.’ For the accompanying tour, Tim has wrangled a band of old friends who’ll be rehearsing in earnest. ‘We’ve got precious little time to get it together but we’re having a lot of fun. We’re playing songs off those records very differently from the way they were recorded, because of the instrumentation and just ‘cos we wanna push each other. We wanna be the baddest guys in town on that particular night and steal your girlfriend’s bus pass and get outta there.’ Tim Rogers plays The Abbey on Saturday September 1, supported by Catherine Britt. Tickets are $35 by calling (02) 6230 2905 or via theabbey.com.au. Doors open at 7.30pm.

We always had a dream and a vision… and that hasn’t changed since we were kids

When I catch up with bassist/backing vocalist Jack Dooley, though, he’s remarkably sanguine, countering my suggestion that being compared to Morrissey and Marr might be intimidating. ‘It can only be a positive thing. The Smiths are one of the best bands ever,’ he responds, dissolving any preconceptions of ‘next big thing’ angst. Much has also been made of All The Young’s extremely rapid success, with the band stating that their songs were online for about 48 hours before labels started contacting them, something that Jack confirms. ‘We demoed a few tracks in an old band of ours [former incarnation New Education], then literally days later the band split up as two members quit, so it was just me and [lead singer/brother] Ryan left,’ he explains. ‘We had these recordings, so we just decided to get ourselves a new name, make a Myspace page and stick them on there, just so they didn’t go to waste. People got in contact straight away, so we had to find some new members very quickly! ‘Me and Ryan have been in numerous bands since high school,’ Jack continues. ‘We always had a dream and a vision of what we wanted to do, and that hasn’t changed since we were kids. We had to learn a few lessons and be quite ruthless with personnel until we found the right people to be in a band [with]. In All The Young we finally got it right.’ They’re also launching out of the starting gate with their just-released debut album, Welcome Home, which comes produced by Garth Richardson, known for work with the likes of Rage Against The Machine and Motley Crue. ‘His track record speaks for itself,’ says Jack of the aforementioned Canadian producer. ‘His knowledge of guitars and guitar sounds knows no bounds. We always knew this record needed to be a big sounding guitar record, and that’s exactly what he specialises in. We’ve done loads of European shows, so we’re used to life on the road. Our first Australian tour will be an amazing experience though, and we’re mega excited to be visiting.’ All The Young will support King Cannons when they hit Transit Bar, Thursday September 6, 8pm.

DANCE THE DROP

I’m not going to grasp my idioms and slide them through an interminably cold metal contrivance, ripping and squashing them back together, thereby ‘mincing’ them. I am not going to mince words, why didn’t I just say that? Is it the crack talking? But I haven’t had any crack, or at least I thought it was salt I ground over my baked beans while casually gazing at limp-wristed Australian Olympic back-patting on my Android this morning. ‘Ooh, fancy man and his little portable hipster television,’ you might be thinking, but I’m not here to act as a conduit for social commentary; I’m here to vomit an opinion about a music album all over your Jimmy Choos. Ashley Feraude is a sexy ageless alcoholic elf who masquerades as a nightclub button pusher, and quite an accomplished one I might add. To hide this ghastly persona from his friends and family, Ashley has created an alter ego named Magnifik. His debut album, Amateur, is a frothy mix of eclectic disco, downtempo sex fist (it’s a new genre, OK?) and warm vocal house vibes and guess what? It’s great. For god’s sake, go to iTunes and buy it now, rr else. ‘What the hell is a Feenixpawl?’ I hear you ask. A gothic monster that rises from the ashes... named Pawl? No silly, it’s a Melbourne-based two-man production team famous for their epic progressive main room house sound. Now we have that straightened out, go and see them at Academy on Friday August 24. If the ol’ cinema’s sound system was built for anyone, it’s definitely these guys. Trinity Bar has a few aces up its baggy sleeve over the coming months. Friday August 31 brings battle-hardened electronic composer Oliver Tank (Syd) to the fray, while Irish booze-magnets The Potbelleez make their way back on Friday September 7. The Clubhouse junkies have a lot to look forward to as well, with Mr Bill (NSW) headlining Eargasm on Friday August 31 and Capital Dubstyle making its debut on Friday September 7. This week in Drop’s Top 5 chair is young Canberra DJ/Producer Choc St Clair. Take it away, sir: SBTRKT – Wildfire (Objekt Remix) [Young Turks] – Fits in perfectly with the broken beat techno I’m playing/producing at the moment. A big bass groove and synth-line that compliments the original vocal. F+S (Franz & Shape) – Acid One (Snuff Crew Vocal Remix) [Bang Gang] – Classic Chicago house combined with 303 and sexy vocals. Heaven! Snuff Crew are remixing one of my records, stay tuned! Delta Funktionen – Redemption [Delsin Records] – Deep, strippeddown techno with dark chords punctuating its huge kick drum. Darren Emerson – Au Go Go (Paul Loraine Remix) [Detone] –A beautiful melancholic take on another Darren Emerson masterpiece. Deep house heads need this track. Perfection! Bob Marley – Exodus (Kid Culture 2012 Re-work) –. Can’t wait to play this in summer. Cool runnings! (Free download.) TIM GALVIN tim.galvin@live.com.au

Ideas come during the least appropriate time and in very unexpected ways

of gigs he plays in Australia. ‘The tour I did in April was the first real Australian tour I’d ever done. It’s cool to play in your own country. The best gigs are when the crowd is great and all your friends are there.’

SHOWERS FOR THE SOUL sinead o’connell Where do artists do their best thinking? I’ve often pondered this following an episode of Bored To Death, where Jim Jarmusch cycles round and round in a New York loft, explaining that he does his best thinking doing just this – riding in a fixed motion in a confined space. Nick, aka CHET FAKER, introduces a practice that champions this concept: having a shower. ‘Someone told me recently that the sensation of having water running over your body stimulates a certain part of your brain. And it’s true. Ideas come during the least appropriate time and in very unexpected ways. For me it can be just as I go to bed. Then I have to get up and try and remember it to write it in my phone.’ He chuckles thoughtfully, ‘Same goes for when I just get up or when I’m in the car. I guess it’s just at a time when your brain switches off and your subconscious switches on.’ With an especially soft spot for his hometown Melbourne, Nick says that being born and raised in the city gives him bias in favour

Like many artists in the contemporary alternative scene, Faker is not one to compromise integrity with the traps of labelling. ‘Generally, I just leave the comments alone. It’s not like musicians really sit down and decide what type of music they’re going to play. Everywhere we look, music is blending and mixing together, definitely not just with my music anyway.’ Nevertheless, reviewers have branded Faker with all sorts of genres and adjectives, from ‘transient reggae’ to ‘postdubstep,’ at which Nick laughs, ‘Transient reggae? That’s definitely new! I guess if I had to look at my music and put a term around it I’d say it’s new soul with a bit of electronica in there.’ New soul and electronica it certainly is. The music is soft and assured in a melting pot of ballads and synths. The kind of music you might hear at the Ku De Ta in Bali or in a dimly lit cocktail lounge in the Meatpacking District. Leave no feat unappreciated when discussing the composing competence of Faker though. The honesty of his lyrics, alongside a sultry voice, bless him with the capacity to hush a raucous crowd, if only to pull at the strings of their curiosity. He is a warrior in this industry, one that will certainly prevail in a creative world that, as Faker puts it, ‘has no security in it.’ Come see and listen for yourself. Chet Faker is playing at Trinity Bar on Friday August 17 as part of his ‘Cigarettes and Chocolate’ your with special guest Thrupence. Doors open at 8pm, $15 door before 10pm.

THE REALNESS Next Level Records. Anyone with an interest in the history of hip hop should peep this out at youtube.com/watch?v=0MoATM4bT4s. Western Australian born Jim Blah has been making waves over the last few years, following his win of the inaugural Hilltop Hoods Initiative in 2007. He has just released his self-produced debut album, Face The Fire.Check them youtoooobs for a bunch of new music videos from the project and keep your eyes peeled for a national tour this year. Long-time contributor to the Australian hip hop scene (and former Canberra resident) Dazed has just received the bad news that due

to his high involvement with music throughout his life, his ears have given up and he will have to get nerve surgery and wear hearing aids for the rest of his life. My thoughts go out to Dazed during this difficult time, and it’s encouraging to hear that the hip hop community has put forward some of its finest in a benefit show for him. Proceeds from the show will help him to cover his medical bills and the good folk from Obese Records, Elefant Traks and Broken Tooth have all pledged giveaways on the night. The show, entitled Big Noise, is on Friday September 14 at Laundry in Melbourne. It features Smash Brothers, Maundz & BwivDeece, One Sixth, Mata & Must, Fluent Form, Fatty Phew and Dazed’s own DFTC crew. DJs on the night include Doc Felix, Blazin Marty and Hau. Hau is also on host duties, so should be a great night – try and make it if you can. Wishing Dazed all the very best for the show and the future. London’s grime king Terror Danjah is prepping his second solo album, Dark Crawler, on Hyperdub this September. The album is again vocal-heavy and features collabs with Lex Envy, Riko Dan, Mayhem, Deadly, Saf One, Meleka, Trim, Kozzie and Ruby Lee Ryder. Fellow grime stalwarts DOK and Champion pop up on coproduction duties. Check the killer first single, Dark Crawler feat. Riko Dan, on dem innernets right now. In true grime fashion, the instrumental for the tune shows up on the album a few times with various vocalists giving their take on it. Lukid is gearing up to release his third album for Actress’s Werk Discs label in late October. Entitled Lonely At The Top, the album should continue his take on moody blunted hip hop, inspired by ‘an old bag of cassettes’ he found on the street. In other news: Amon Tobin in readying a new Two Fingers album for Ninja Tune; drum ‘n’ bass vocalist DRS is getting set to release his debut solo album, I Don’t Usually Like MCs But…, which will feature production from D Bridge, Marcus Intalex, Genotype, Enei, S.P.Y. and Lynx; and LA’s Dam-Funk has a new EP entitled I Don’t Wanna Be A Star on the horizon for summer on Stones Throw. Plenty happening then, ya heeeaaard! To hear music from all these releases and much more, tune to THE ANTIDOTE on 2XX 98.3FM every Tuesday night from 9.30pm. Stream the show at 2xxfm.org.au. ROSHAMBO AKA CED NADA roshambizzle@yahoo.com.au

METALISE Soundwave made its first line-up announcement in between issues and (for the sake of those who have had their interweb cut off in lieu of the gas bill) here’s the whole shebang as we know it: Metallica, Linkin Park, Blink 182, A Perfect Circle, The Offspring, Paramore, Garbage, Tomahawk, Stone Sour, Kyuss Lives, Anthrax, Sum 41, Dragonforce, All Time Low, Flogging Molly, Ghost, Duff McKagan’s Loaded, Motion City Soundtrack, The Lawrence Arms, Kingdom of Sorrow, Fozzy, Sleeping With Sirens, Cancer Bats, Madball, Vision of Disorder, Pierce The Veil, Periphery, Shai Hulud, Of Mice & Men, Miss May I, Danko Jones, Woe, Is Me, The Wonder Years, While She Sleeps, Lucero, Such Gold, Six Feet Under, Deaf Havana, Red Fang, Chunk! No Captain Chunk! and Mephis May Fire. With at least two further announcements ‘as equally if not more exciting to come’ (according to AJ Maddah) – it’s going to be another ridiculous March of heavy metal and hardcore madness. This Friday August 18 at The Basement in Belconnen is a $15, 18-andover show featuring a wealth of local talent in the form of Nobody Knew They Were Robots, House Of Thumbs, Inside The Exterior, Perpetual End and Beneath the Tides. That’s followed up at The Basement on Saturday August 18 with Trent’s Birthday Bash, which includes the ridiculously hardworking Heaven the Axe, Breaking Orbit, Septimus Prime, Laced In Lust, Hence The Test Bed, Toxicmen, Final Lies and Miscreation. That’s a huge bill for another lowly $15 to celebrate a Basement regular’s birthday in Trent and the doors open at 8pm. Also on Saturday August 18 at Bar 32 is the Canberra leg of Canadian band Burning Love’s Australian tour. The show is slated to be an earlyish one so get there early to ensure a spot for this show. Fri-Sat August 24-25 are just retardedly packed with shows. You have Frenzal Rhomb, Mindsnare, Yoko Oh No and Frail on Friday August 24 at the Hellenic Club in the City, then you have a tough choice to make on the Saturday night. At The Basement in Belconnen, you got Frankenbok, Na Maza, Not Another Sequel, Just Another Prequel, Tensions Arise, Beneath The Tides and Godamnation for another Basement birthday, Tiernan Creagh’s. Now on that same night in Civic is the welcome return of Adam Agius of Canberra metal legends Alchemist, joined by the drumming prowess of Ben Hocking of Aeon of Horus, the bass and vocals of Mark Palfreyman of Alarum and Scott Young on guitar, who is exAlarum. The band is The Levitation Hex and they’re launching their new full-length at the Hellenic Club on the Saturday August 25 with A Million Dead Birds Laughing, Law of The Tongue and Orions Fire. The album is a stunning blend of extreme, heavy, progressive metal that combines the elements of Alchemist’s heavier material and spices it with a twin vocal attack. It’s a superbly produced record and a must-buy for fans of considered technical progressive heavy metal. The show should be a ripper. Unkle K’s Band Of The Week: Seremonia: Finnish fuzzed out retro rockers: facebook.com/seremonia666. JOSH NIXON doomtildeath@hotmail.com

ALCHEMIST REBORN carrie gibson THE LEVITATION HEX is the new beast of heavy psychedelic progrock for Australia and the latest project for ex-Alchemist member Adam Agius. The 25-year veteran recently divulged his views on the demise of Alchemist, lessons learned and musical rebirth. One might assume it would be a straightforward task promoting a group whose members had already made a name for themselves in previous wellknown bands. Not necessarily the case. ‘I used the name Alchemist to get the ball rolling. After 25 years I would be an idiot not to exploit that fact. Using names like Alchemist and Alarum to open up the interest has worked to a certain degree, but really it’s the music that brought the band together and got us offers from overseas.’

I swore I would never write music or be in a band again.…That lasted about a week

The death of Alchemist was indeed a sad day for the Australian music industry. However, it seems the experiences learned from this project have manifested into wisdom to be implemented by the ‘Hex. ‘I learned a lot of lessons during the last years of the Alchemist: only ever work with people who have a positive attitude towards what you are doing; work with those who are happy to share the vision and happy to slog it out. Being in a band is tough work but it isn’t hard to achieve the fun factor if everybody involved truly wants to do it. After the collapse of Alchemist, I swore I would never write music or be in a band again. … That lasted about a week.’ And, for that fact, metal fans far and wide can rejoice. However, it’s not only the neck-breaker aficionados to whom Adam’s new sound will appeal. ‘At first I toyed with the idea of trying to write music in a completely different style, but soon realised I was happiest with the material that was not at all contrived. However, the other musicians’ styles have enhanced the overall sound and I’m really happy about that. The Levitation Hex has some similarities to my past but is evolving on its own. I am stoked that it’s a heavy riffy approach with enough prog and psychedelia to make it interesting.’ So how did the line-up of the band come together? ‘I started writing and producing material and actually started to feel excited and happy about music again. At first I just demoed a few tracks and thought my bass playing was average, so I approached an old mate who I consider to be the best metal bass player in Aus: Mark Palfreyman. It was Mark who recruited Ben [Hocking] and Scott [Young]. We get along well and it’s a great vibe; I’m really feeling reborn.’ With the lead-up to the Canberra debut of the self-titled album, Adam confesses, ‘I am nervous as hell and really excited. I just hope all goes well and we entertain the crowd and ourselves.’ With a loyal following and a new sound, I have a feeling Adam has nothing to be nervous about. Let The Levitation Hex cast their spell at Hellenic Club, Civic, on Saturday August 25, 8pm with supports AMDBL, Law Of The Tongue and Orion’s Fire. $18.40 through Moshtix.

We didn’t see any Jersey Shore types, which was good

STORMRIDING CARRIE GIBSON HOUSE VS. HURRICANE are a young band hailing from Melbourne who combine a number of influences to create a sound that sits somewhere between hardcore punk and mosh-metal. Currently a fivepiece – having dropped a keyboardist and gained a new singer – their sound is perfection of a style that soars above their peers in terms of songwriting, production and overall listenability. In support of their new release, Crooked Teeth, they’ll be touring Australia to bring the nation a taste of their polished and energetic live performance. The album was recorded during April/May in New Jersey – an experience that the band evidently enjoyed. ‘It was great, man! We stayed and recorded at the studio. … It was pretty much a holiday with work involved. We did visit the Jersey shore, actually, but we didn’t see any Jersey Shore types, which was good.’ The album was released in July through the UNFD label, who approached the band directly. ‘We’ve known the guys there for a while and they reached out and expressed interest in us. We decided it would be a good fit for us so we got on board.’

The band set to work creating an album that would bring to life their new direction: sans keyboard with tight, crisp production. The quality of the recording can be attributed, at least in part, to producer, Machine – an enigmatic figure who has worked with a who’s who of heavy music artists. Aside from role changes (the vocals now being handled very competently by new recruit Dan Casey), the album marks a change in direction toward a more brutal and upfront approach featuring tracks such as Blood Knuckles and Get Wrecked. ‘It’s definitely a lot more aggressive and has a lot more attitude to it than our other stuff. There’s no synth or keyboard on this record, which is something we were known for in the past. … A new singer too, so quite a few changes.’

Despite drawing on influences such as Architects and Every Time I Die and contrary to what their track titles may infer, one thing the band is resolute about maintaining is optimistism. ‘It always has been and always will be a positive outlook on whatever the issue might be – that’s a theme we keep from song to song, from album to album.’ Having been together long enough to hold to claim some noteworthy releases and a stack of experience, House Vs. Hurricane are one of the better acts Australia has to offer. After touring Australia to launch the new album, the guys are looking forward to performances at Big Day Out, tours of the US and Europe later in the year. Finally settling on a line-up which they’ve described as ‘rock solid’, the band has a bright future ahead and, as one of Australia’s post-hardcore scene’s best, is worth checking out. House Vs. Hurricane will blow the roof off The Basement on Wednesday August 29, 7.30pm. Tickets are $18.40 through Oztix and Moshtix. Psych yourself up with Crooked Teeth, available now through UNFD.

E X H I B I T I O N I S T

BIRTHDAY SUIT:

THE GENESIS OF EXHIBITIONIST naomi milthorpe I just spent the last 20 minutes trying to think of a punning title for this piece. This might not sound like an explanation of the genesis of BMA’s EXHIBITIONIST section but it certainly indicates where a vast majority of the effort was expended. Pun (or ‘clever’) titles were generally my primary concern, with adequate coverage and advocacy of our town’s arts activity coming in a puny second place. Of course, I jest. Having publicly seethed about the paucity of column inches for local (and especially emerging) artists – first over pints of beer at The Phoenix and then, via the medium of my first BMA baby, the Theatre Column (2006-2009, R.I.P.), Exhibitionist was born in 2009 when Bossman Allan Sko asked me if I’d be interested in helming an eight-page lift-out arts section. I reproduce for you here my reply as an example of the selfpossession and quiet joy that bubbled within me at the time: From: Naomi Milthorpe To: Allan Sko Date: 31 March 2009 09:20 Subject: Re: Arts editor? Holy crap. Yes. Yes please. I have been ranting secretly about how Beems should have an arts section for about four hundred years. I would be absolutely delighted. […]This is AMAZING!!! Wow.’ In other words, if there was such a thing as verbal jizzing, this would be it. You see, it might not seem all that bad now but back in my day (and yes, I am now ancient, toothless and wrinkled – a reminder to quit smoking while you’re young) there was a serious lack of decent arts coverage, particularly if you were young or unknown. As we all know, being young and unknown doesn’t mean your work isn’t exciting, it just means you maybe don’t have the muscle to flex around editors (who, trust me, are just fanboys and girls wanting to fawn over their idols). Compounding the problem was the sad closure of some of Canberra’s old school arts mags (Vale, Muse) and the repositioning of The Canberra Times editorial focus which was making it a little bit tricky to get the word out there about local arts. So when our little baby was born in early 2009, Exhibitionist was truly filling a gap, covering major arts events but also allowing the light to shine upon less prominent names. The mission was always to mix quality local coverage with an awareness of what was happening nationally; particularly in the ways that national arts events impacted upon the Canberra community. In this, Exhibitionist was a quiet achiever from the start. My Exhi all-star team continually surprised me with their wit, dedication, and (importantly for an editor) punctuality. Yolande Norris, our visual arts expert (later to take a turn as Exhi editor) was continually in touch with the latest, hippest, most intriguing artists; reviews came thick and fast from Jemima Fort; theatre was gallantly covered by Emma Gibson and Ben Hermann; and I knew I could always count on Katherine Quinn to muscle in if I needed a hand.

Since Exhi’s first days, we’ve covered major arts news in Canberra. We covered the closure of the ANU Drama Department, the fostering of emerging and local artists through Canberra Youth Theatre’s The Seed and Open House programs and the Street Theatre’s incredible Made In Canberra and The Hive, the ongoing excellence of the local dance scene through bastions like QL2, the birth (and rebirth) of local theatre companies like Everyman, Centrepiece, and Boho Interactive (whose shows continue to surprise and exhilarate), and the coming and going of scores of talented artists, writers, actors, jazz flugelhornists and whatnot. In this regard, one of the best ideas with which Exhi began – and continues to this day – is the Artist Profile. Here artists, both emerging and established, describe themselves in their own words and there is a space to place an image of themselves or their work. The Artist Profile is stridently democratic, profiling anyone who creates (whether it be in an emerging, professional, amateur or miscellaneous category) and in whatever weird, wonderful genre you can imagine. As the Exhi editor, I stalked artists for their profile, but artists also approached me to be featured – and this is the beauty of Exhibitionist; as a section, it’s always on the lookout for something fresh and innovative, something outside the box. In all our efforts, we were whipped along by the enthusiasm, pizzazz, and all-round Top Aussie Babe-ness of BMA’s then-Editor, Julia Winterflood. I cannot express how much Exhibitionist would have failed without her: her encouragement, support and advice to a fledgling ed. was truly saintly. Over the years, we developed a short-hand for supportive buckingup (lobster emoticons) and spurned each other on with evergreater pun titles, of which the better include: • A piece on the opening of the NGA’s Nolan Gallery in May 2010 by Yolande Norris: ‘Don’t Lose Your Ned,’ • Emma Gibson’s story on TheatreSimple’s adaptation of The Snow Queen: ‘Snow Country For Old Men,’ Aaaand… • Ben Hermann’s cover story for The Walworth Farce, brought to the CTC in March 2010 by Druid Ireland: ‘WALWORTH A LOOK AND BETTER THAN A SLAP IN THE FARCE.’ If I’m remembered for anything in this lifetime, I want it to be that. Again, I jest. Exhibitionist was born from a furious desire to profile the distinct culture and community of artists working in Canberra. Julia Winterflood and I are Canberra arts apologists of old and our mission was to go beyond the mere assertion that there is, indeed, life in this old town yet. We wanted to show it off; dress it with some fancy-pants peacock feathers, and push it into the spotlight. The fact that the section has thrived so brilliantly is testament to just how much Canberra deserves it.

THE HANGING GARDENS OF ILLEGALITY duncan felton Such a wonderful variety of street art has popped up around Canberra lately. It almost seems like an act of nature; artworks appear overnight like sudden blooms of flowers amidst the concrete and steel, only to disappear the next day under a coat of grey paint. Maybe I’ve just primed my eyes to notice. But maybe you’ve also sensed the invisible bursts of individual energy behind these ephemeral creations. Eight months ago artist Dale Newbery began planning a showcase for such local talent, gathering artists via word of mouth. The hanging garden that grew out of it is HUNG: 40 pieces of street and urban artworks by ten local artists spanning the longest wall in Soju Girl. I arrived in the stylish space on opening night and barely glanced at the walls before I was offered edamame, lotus root crisps, stunning spiced pumpkin rice paper rolls and bizarrely delicious tempura cauliflower with gobs of mayo-mustard and rice puffs. I planned a return visit for the food, grabbed a one-two-three cocktail punch named Mr Miyagi and joined those waxing lyrical over the artworks. It was great to put names to some styles I’d seen on the streets, though most of the artists maintained a low profile. Some works blended the mystical with the bohemian, like Abyss’ varied but distinctive Seers – one of which was released into the wild via the back door onto the Odgers Lane substation. Likewise, Walrus’s works were hypnotising. His Knowledge, Wisdom, Enlightenment is like a swirl of mercury across the surface of your third eye. Zedar’s black and white works criss-cross the boundary between mystic sigil and tattoo design, while Swerfk’s works (particularly Nonsense) were busy and fun. Dale’s works stare out at you: two bristle with beards, another features a familiar lurid sheep statue. Then there’s a painted pair from Jess Mess, a nice little set from Kook and one each from Gibbo and Byrd. Impressive diversity, but Houl’s selection is the standout amongst them. His Attack Sustain Decay Release is an eye-catching array of macabre cartoonish hands. He also reimagines a variety of figures onto street signs: Edgar Allen Poe, HP Lovecraft, Ganesh and a macroherpetophile. Don’t Google that. Beyond the question of taste, there’s a notable lack of overt politics in the exhibition. Refreshing to some perhaps, but for art that resides in a grey zone of legality, legitimacy and acceptance, I wanted a bit more of that counterculture spirit. However, by the time Dale stood on a chair to toast the bustling crowd, it was hard to resist a silent auction bid. Head along and you might still be able to grab yourself a piece of Canberra’s urban/street art history.

You can check out Hung at Soju Girl until Sunday September 30. Nestled in the heart of the Melbourne Building, they’re open Mon-Fri 12pm-11pm and Sat 2pm-12pm. Free.

A GOLDEN AGE LAUREN STRICKLAND I AM ELEVEN is a new Australian documentary. It takes 23 11-yearold kids as its subject and explores what it’s like to be a child in the 21st century. Filming was an epic expedition spanning 15 different countries with 12 different languages and it took six long, unpaid years to make. A single decision made by director Genevieve Taylor at a crucial age could have snuffed the entire idea out of existence. ‘[When I was 11] I wanted to be a forensic scientist – I look back now and I just laugh at that! I was very into maths and science, but I was also very into filmmaking. I started shooting when I was quite young... just little strange home movies and special effects videos I’d make with my brother and sister. It wasn’t until high school that I thought, “I wanna go to uni – what do I want to study?” I thought I could do many things, but I was most passionate about telling stories and making films.’ Genevieve hopped on a plane in 2005 and started collecting stories. ‘I look back now and I think it’s really funny that I never actually did any research interviews to see if 11-year-olds were as interesting as I thought; I just got on a plane to Japan and spent the next six years making it! ‘I had hoped I would find a sense of optimism and willingness to say how it is, rather than worrying about sounding cool or whether it was “right” or “wrong”, and that’s definitely what I found. And I found that even though the kids were all living in different circumstances.’ The movie features children from France, England, America, Germany, Sweden, India, Morocco, Thailand and many more countries. ‘I didn’t just want to study Australian children; I wanted it to be a global perspective. I think that the world is a different place now in terms of a global economy and mindset, where people feel far more connected now with technology than we ever have before.’ While most documentaries focus on three or four subjects at most, Genevieve included as many of the kids as possible. ‘I was really conscious of the fact that what I was doing was quite different, but I was really happy that we managed to include so many voices in the film and that the audiences are responding so well to all these different, diverse characters.’ But why 11? Genevieve refers to it affectionately as her favourite age. ‘I look back at it as being a special time when you’re full of ideas and personality and opinions. You’re not yet a teenager but you also don’t feel like a little kid anymore – it’s sort of a cusp. I think you know your interests and passions by then and I remember just

feeling like the world was big – in a good way. I think I’ve always been really aware of how insightful and inspiring kids can be, but I think a lot of people overlook that age. People don’t necessarily think to put them on a platform and hear their views, but there’s a sense of clarity when they’re 11.’ The kids in this film are surprisingly eloquent. Invited to share their opinions – perhaps listened to properly for the first time – the kids expound their views on everything from love and war, to religion and the environment, to family and the future. Genevieve smiles as she recounts the answers she received to the question, ‘If you could change anything in the world, what would you change?’ ‘A lot of the kids said they would want to stop war and poverty and wanted everyone to be treated equally. Remi says that he’s always dreamt that there would be no more borders, that way there’d be no more inequality. Whereas Kimberly from New Jersey found that question really hard to answer; finally, she said, “Oh, I’ve got it! I would make it so that weekends are four days, and you only have to go to school three days a week.” ’ Audience reactions to the film have so far been overwhelmingly positive, though the film brings up some old anxieties concerning how fast kids are compelled to grow up in modern times. ‘I think it’s hard to assess... but I think it’s probably less than a lot of people worry about. I think the kids I met in the 15 different countries were more mature and had to face more adult, complex issues than others, but I also think there’s this united sense of playfulness and ability to be a child.’ The project will live beyond the rolling of the credits. Genevieve has plans for an I Am Eleven sequel exploring what’s become of the kids and intends to expand the project’s web platform, iameleven.com. ‘At the moment you can see the trailer, character profiles, audience reactions... things like that. The next stage is expansion to include even more 11-year-olds, so children who we met who aren’t in the feature can go in there. ‘More importantly, it gives us the opportunity to invite 11-year-olds from here and around the world to submit their own stories – photos, video entry or drawings... anything that they want to have shared with the world.’ I Am Eleven is now showing at Dendy Cinema, Canberra Centre. For more information on the documentary see iameleven.com.

OLD DANCE, NEW WORLD ASHLEY THOMSON It’s a significant majority of people who haven’t seen ballet. Despite enjoying Billy Elliott and Black Swan, they have no fascination with its actual realisation. But the director of THE RUSSIAN IMPERIAL BALLET COMPANY is a fascinating person regardless. Gediminas Taranda [Ged-im-in-us Ta-run-duh] made his name during the time of the Soviet Union and, to the detriment of his career, refused to remain silent in the face of its oppressive autocracy. At a time when the only ballet companies were government-owned, Taranda, a star in his early 20s, was repeatedly turned back from international tours at the airport in effort after effort to bully him silent and deprive him of his dream. Today, over 30 years later, Taranda runs Russia’s first independent ballet company, but being kept from leaving Russia continues to necessitate the presence of a translator. Taranda is a stocky man, handsome in a heavy, sunken way, and his voice was earthy and rich. ‘Hello, yes, yes, OK, my translator speak English OK? Problem for you?’ Taranda’s translator, Nadia, began acting as intermediary. Russian ballet prides itself on its Russian character. I asked Taranda if they risk losing their ‘Russianness’ with such lengthy tours. ‘A-haha-ha!’ He’d understood. ‘There are lot of good ballet in Russia,’ Nadia said after conferring with Taranda. Her connection was so poor that she was almost unintelligible but choice phrases were discernible. I kept trying. The company is touring Sleeping Beauty, a classic and, like Swan Lake (the last piece they brought to Australia), another with music by Tchaikovsky. ‘Sleeping Beauty is the biggest ballet of classical stories in music; this is the most imperial ballet of them all,’ translated Nadia. Then she dropped out. We waited, Taranda politely afraid he would be unable to answer well enough. After a minute’s silence, Taranda spoke. ‘Ashley?’ ‘Yes?’ ‘Ah, OK, you stay.’ I laughed. ‘Yeah, I’m here.’ ‘Ashley. I think it’s fantastic, the time. You stay in Australia, I stay in Russia, yet I speak on the telephone, yah? It’s absolutely fantastic. 50 years ago – it’s not, not possible. Now on phone – speak? Why not. It’s very nice, very nice. A long time when I travel lonely, I was in Australia – wow! – but [back then] is the Pavlov ballet – you know, pavlova? – but one month maybe, the ship from Russia to Australia, maybe more. This is very hard time for market, yes? For travelling. But many many many times go the travelling. Now you sit the plane, the airplane – 24 hours.’ My mother was on a boat for three months to Europe when she was a girl, I told him. ‘Aw-ho-oh-oh! Ho-oh-oh-oh-oh! Yes, this travelling very hard. OK, I don’t know where is Nadia but maybe I am understand a little.’ And he did; the rest of the interview was just us.

When Taranda named his company, it was a controversial name. It was not only not progressive, but harked back to a time in Russia most perceived as a step down even from state socialism. ‘I like my country, Russia. Yes, very like,’ Taranda explained. ‘My name, my ballet, is Imperial Russian Ballet. When I picked this name for my ballet, many many communists and other politicians say “Why!? Why you doing Imperial Ballet? Remember!” I say, “Yes, but I like my country, Russia, many years ago.” But after perestroika, I say, my company’s name is Imperial Russian Ballet, but this a remember about old Russia. This is my political, yes?’ he laughed. ‘My small political war, with communists, with KGB, with anything. ‘Now is much better. I have many roles, many roles. If I don’t like this Russia, no problem... [But] I want to work in my country – work work work work work for my people. For Russian people, for other people. But ballet is absolutely like, like fresh water. Classical ballet, fresh water, every day; if you drink one drop fresh water, this is your life – different.’ Taranda’s belief in ballet is important. He is working to maintain a costly art form at a time when art is furthest from potential financiers’ minds, especially internationally. ‘Ab-so-lutely. Now is very big problem with Spain, France, Greece... Every day work work work work work work, but this is very hard... This time, touring Australia, 45 dancers. Now, I work like Artistic Director; little dance, psychology with young people. Every five years, they change direction; every time – maybe in Australia, maybe like Russia – but young people is different, not like me, not like you.’ Taranda’s necessary preoccupation with youth is something he extends to the creative imagining of his ballets. The room for modern choreography in classic ballets is limited, especially in Russia, but Taranda attempts to accommodate it. ‘Young choreographer is very very hard work in Russia. Very different from French, from Greek and other company. If you have talent, if you very young choreographer, not possible to do many performances in government theatre. I invite choreographer in my company, say “Why? If you want to do choreography, join my company. OK, come on, come on! Do your choreography – try, try!” And next year, I show you,’ Taranda boasted, ‘I take in Australia many choreographer who is young people.’ Until The Russian Imperial Ballet Company returns in 2013 with an as-yet unannounced show, Sleeping Beauty, imbued with financial necessity, creative vision and almost delusional passion, may be a window to ballet for non-believers. The Russian Imperial Ballet Company will appear performing Sleeping Beauty at Canberra Theatre Centre, Wed-Thu August 22-23, 7.30pm. $71.40$101.40. Bookings (02) 6275 2700 or canberratheatrecentre.com.au.

Says Art, Not Apart producer David Caffery with his usual infectious vitality, ‘We’re calling for artists of any kind until [Monday] August 27, then we’ll be outlining in instalments everything that will be happening. We’ll be doing it in instalments because there’s just so much going on.’ Naturally, Dave, naturally. ‘We’re working off the same basis as the last festival, but we’ve realised that if we offer people space – and it’s all about space – it doesn’t have to be a traditional market stall space; it could be space up a tree, it could be space on stage. But if we give artists time to think about how they’re going to use that space, then we have a festival already in action.’

IT’S ALL ABOUT SPACE julia winterflood It was one of those shining Canberra days we shower in superlatives for months. The kind we cycle home from with sunburned shoulders and flushed cheeks, glowing with revitalised love for this city and in awe of its countless creatives. The first ART, NOT APART in March was one of the best days I’ve had in my beloved ’Berra. Never before had I relished such a glorious mélange of music, poetry, film, dance, and visual and sartorial splendour in a place as intriguing as NewActon. As local writer Ashley Orr espoused in her RiotACT review, ‘As I turned down Kendall Lane to leave… I wished Art, Not Apart was on tomorrow.’ I wished it was on every other weekend. Thankfully, the second Art, Not Apart is only a couple of months away, so if you’re one of our city’s said countless creatives, now is the time to come and play.

Art, Not Apart curator Becca Chandler’s main focus will be assisting artists to use NewActon’s diverse areas ingeniously. Says Dave excitedly, ‘She’s really trying to integrate whatever artistic form an artist may have into the laneways, the grass areas, hanging off trees. … We’re now talking to an artist to make a piece that’ll be installed on a crane! There’s a guy doing a kinetic installation – a kinetic sculpture where the wind will make one bit move, which will make another bit move, which will make something beautiful move.’ And that’s it, right there: the ethos of Art, Not Apart. It’s ‘a day without divide’; a day to symphonise and celebrate our city’s often disparate arts communities in a space designed specifically for this purpose. The first instalment saw jazz fusion followed by folk, slam poetry followed by samba, and the Canberra Symphony Orchestra accompanied by a painter who produced an arresting work by reacting to their stirring strains. And that was just what was happening on the main stage. I can only begin to imagine what other wonders await us in October. The extended version of this article can be found at bmamag.com. To get involved with Art, Not Apart (happening Saturday October 27 at NewActon), contact Becca Chandler at becca@newacton.com.au, David Caffery at dave@newacton.com.au, or head to newacton.com.au/ana.

DIAMONDS IN THE RED

WE’LL HAVE TO GO – THROUGH IT

mELISSA WELLHAM

BEN HERMANN

The day after the Australian premiere of THE SAPPHIRES in Melbourne, I spoke to Miranda Tapsell, who plays Cynthia; the film’s ballsy, funny man-eater. Having observed photos of the event and admired the red carpet outfits of the female stars, my main interest remained in the audience’s reception to the film. ‘It was fantastic,’ Miranda gushed, ‘just really, really fantastic.’

‘Evolved, mutated, twisted, turned and changed; from four pages to seven, from 45 to two. It even changes from evening to evening, depending on what the audience is finding funny,’ says Lucas Stibbard, star of the one-man show BOY GIRL WALL, regarding the ongoing changes to the production since it debuted in Brisbane in 2009 and subsequently toured to sell-out seasons in Adelaide, Sydney and Melbourne. ‘Sure, there are still jokes that occasionally go sideways – a few risqué and salty jokes that the audience isn’t always completely taken with – but we get rid of the bad vibes. With a bit of drumming, a bit of stage burning; we exorcise the demons.’

It’s not that surprising. The film received a ten-minute standing ovation at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival and has been met with praise almost universally. It’s hard to criticise a film as joyous as this one. ‘The support from overseas – [particularly] in France – has been incredible. Everyone who has seen it has been so positive.’ From the way Miranda talked about the film it became clear that she and the rest of the cast view The Sapphires as their baby. It is, after all, a product of hard labour. ‘Everyone involved is just so proud of this project, and we’re so happy that other people are enjoying it too.’ Miranda found that, especially with such a great group of people working on the film (including Deborah Mailman, Jessica Mauboy, Shari Sebbens and Chris O’Dowd), filming was a fantastic process. It’s easy to see the chemistry between the cast onscreen. ‘The connection between myself and the other girls was pretty immediate, which was great. It was easy to show that closeness and affection.’ There were few tales of hijinks on set – ‘We were aware that we have this important story to tell and we wanted to do it justice’ – but Miranda did gleefully reveal that many laughs were shared during the dance and choreography sessions in which the girls were involved as they attempted to learn the moves for their performances: ‘That was all very funny!’ For a film that is so warm, The Sapphires also deals with some big themes, including racism, war and death. Miranda sounded particularly passionate when talking about what the story has to say about racism and the extent to which stereotyping is still prevalent today in the media industry. ‘This film is about these amazing, talented women overcoming how they have been marginalised and discriminated against. What I hope this film does is open up more roles for Aboriginal actors; just regular roles on mainstream television. It would be great if we could see an Aboriginal doctor or an Aboriginal lawyer on a law drama.’ The Sapphires is a jewel-bright film that deserves to be seen and, if the right people see it, it will go some way towards changing the status quo. The Sapphires is now showing at Dendy Cinema. Check dendy.com.au for session details.

The production follows Thom and Alethea, two neighbours in an apartment block in the West End whose lives, in a state of despair, are brought together by the very wall that separates them. Stibbard plays 25 characters assisted only by a stick of chalk, a sock puppet and musician-composer Neridah Waters, who contributes sound effects from side-stage using a xylophone and soundboard. It all sounds a little bit twee and a little bit rom-com in a very dry, Wes Anderson fashion. But Stibbard, while not displeased with the comparison, denies this is the case. ‘Well, firstly, it’s like a pre-rom-com. There’s definitely a lot of ‘com’, but the show’s pretty much – if not completely – over by the time the ‘rom’ begins,’ he says. ‘I’m a big Wes Anderson fan, but he’s basically Chekhov for America – a group of intellectual people complaining about their situation in a really funny way.’ The production was written by Stibbard and Matthew Ryan; two members of The Escapists, an acclaimed group of four Brisbane independent theatre makers (Waters and Jonathon Oxlade round out the group). The group is noted for its challenges to traditional approaches to theatre and storytelling. Again, an influence is suggested – this time Bertold Brecht – and again it is denied. Again, not without pleasure. ‘I’m a huge fan of Brecht. You cannot look at modern theatre without doing so in the context of how it is an influence of or reaction to what Brecht did,’ Stibbard says. ‘But he took epic theatre and politicised and turned it into didactic theatre whose purpose was education as much as it was entertainment. This show is discursive and episodic, but not epic. With Brecht’s plays, you put all the parts together and you’ll end up with a message like “war is bad” or something similar. This isn’t like that. From this play you’ll probably get the message that you should do something with your life that you enjoy.’ Boy Girl Wall is showing at the Street Theatre from Wednesday August 22-Saturday September 1. Book tickets by calling (02) 6247 1223 or visit thestreet.org.

[Ed. This column, inaugurated in our 400th issue, has been designed to serve as a platform for comedians of any background to have their soap box say. It is now open for submissions, so if you want 500 words to abuse, email editorial@bmamag.com and get blathering.] I began my creative life in Canberra in 1999, drifting through a Professional Writing degree. Coming from Tasmania, Canberra was like New York with roundabouts. UC wasn’t exactly the thriving artistic metropolis I had imagined campus to be. When I rocked up to the Curio office, the editor was waving his hands around saying, ‘no-one gives a shit!’ I was keen as, and immediately set to writing self-indulgent reviews, vox-popping friends and hassling record companies for more CDs. Once, I forgot my recorder but still chatted to JC from Powderfinger for half an hour on the phone like some old friend. Over two years, I helped Curio bust the big stories. The Students Association were told they could no longer sell cheap bottled water because the refectory had signed a deal with Coca Cola. We were there. When a girl was attacked walking home from campus, we followed the story. At the last minute, we were told by the Students Association that we weren’t allowed to run it because of ‘legal issues.’ I was furious. We figured at least our headline of ‘Beer o’clock dropped – Shock’ would make waves. Hell hath no apathy like a student warned.

Uni was all about creating your own opportunities. We started the Harmonica Lewinski’s Musos Club because we couldn’t detect a live music scene; it was all DJs and doof. With a weekly BBQ we drew fellow musos out of the woodwork, the rest of club money spent on our haircuts. We formed two bands; one funny, one serious, and entered both in the Campus Band competition. One judge wrote: ‘guitar-playing was out of time, but couldn’t tell if this was done on purpose as some kind of musical protest.’ We played regularly at the Pot Belly – a cosy venue which supported our psychedelic piss-takes. I fondly remember Trouser Trouser leading the whole pub in Bowie’s Space Oddity. I entered Pop The Pot in 2001 and won my heat. The organiser, Mark, wrote a review on his website: ‘As a musician he struggles and as a comedian he tries that little bit too hard, but today he came through with the goods.’ I’d later play some sweet gigs at Toast, the night ending with Brian getting out his mini-dragster and hooning around the dance floor. It’s easy to be negative about a boutique scene like Canberra. I was around in the post-Gypsy Bar/Landspeed Records slump, but now there’s The Front and The Polish Club & UC’s new venue. Julian Fleetwood runs a poetry night while Green Faces gives comedy a home. It’s vital to bypass the bitching and find excited people and make shit happen. Think outside the box and try and beat my world record for performing Daryl Braithwaite’s The Horses while riding on the horse carousel on Melbourne cup day (30 minutes). In the words of local cover band ACTC, ‘It’s a long way to the middle if you want to be a public servant.’ Justin heazlewood - a former contributor to BMA, Heazlewood

wrote the column, StruthBeTold, from 2002-2010. He’ll be performing as The Bedroom Philosopher at Zierholz @ UC, Friday September 10, 8pm. Special guests include Omar Musa & Leisure Suit Lenny. Tickets are $15/12 + bf from Moshtix/door. His Ebook, The Bedroom Philosopher Diaries, is out now.

‘Jonathan’s experiences were more in the country towns, so it’s probably more reflective of their celebrations and what they do, says Chan. ‘But it’s a social commentary on Australia in general.’

VERY UNAUSTRALIAN, THAT ben hermann For a writer and comedian who specialises in comic political satire, taking aim at one of Australia’s most sacred and controversial national celebrations is not only a fitting task, but a task that would surely be taken to with ravenous enthusiasm. It’s unsurprising, then, that after 12 years of writing for Sydney Theatre Company’s infamous political comedy revue, The Wharf Revue, and a number of years as an Australia Day Ambassador, Jonathan Biggins has used his first independent full-length play, AUSTRALIA DAY, to lampoon that very national institution. In the small (fictional) country town of Coriole, the members of the Australia Day committee are having difficulty exactly what it is they are celebrating. Kaeng Chan plays Chester, the Australian-born Vietnamese school teacher, representing Australia’s rooted multiculturalism.

Alongside Chester on Coriole’s Committee is the Liberal Mayor, the CWA rep, a Mayor hopeful, a bigoted builder and a Greens Councillor. Having had what sounds like a fairly standard upbringing in Perth, Chan related strongly to the character of Chester and his having to constantly remind others that, despite his ancestry, he is no less Australian. ‘When I first read the script, I thought “Geez, this character is very similar to me in terms of his humour, and how he handles aggressive prejudice and the innocent but completely wrong observations of people who aren’t familiar with his background”,’ says Chan. ‘It’s nice to be a part of a play that so accurately portrays the ethnic Australians; the “Asian Australians”. Even nowadays in the arts and especially on TV, the portrayal of other cultures can be a bit hit and miss.’ The production’s set was designed by Richard Roberts and was intended to evoke memories of Australia Day ceremonies of old. ‘It’s amazing, you actually feel like you’re stepping back into your old primary school’s hall,’ says Chan. Rehearsals, as well, were aimed at developing the characters organically so they were believable and recognisable. ‘The ownership allowed us to make them as we knew them,’ he says. Yet, for a production that lambasts one of the nation’s cherished national holidays, it has received little, if no, discernible criticism. ‘Even the people who come in with a bit of skepticism will find something amusing. Whether they think it’s just absurd or they see a bit of themselves in the characters, they always enjoy it.’ Sydney Theatre Company and Melbourne Theatre Company present Australia Day at The Playhouse, Canberra Theatre Centre, from Wednesday August 29 – Saturday September 1. Tickets from Canberra Ticketing on (02) 6275 2700 or canberratheatrecentre.com.au.

IN REVIEW The Mousetrap The Playhouse Wed-Thu August 1-9

Once just another murder mystery by the world’s bestselling novelist of all time, The Mousetrap is now a phenomenon: the longest-running continuous production in the world – nearly 60 years – including performances at St. Martin’s Theatre, London. In celebration of this diamond anniversary, 60 productions will tour worldwide. It’s currently in Canberra before a season in Perth, Melbourne and finally Adelaide in late October. The Mousetrap may not be the most edge-of-your-seat whodunnit you’ve ever seen. It may not even be Agatha Christie’s most intriguing mystery. But seeing a production of The Mousetrap by its London company is something everybody should do once. The intrigue it holds for audiences has become something of a tradition – one that includes the audience in a benevolent global conspiracy not to spoil the climax for those who haven’t yet participated. It’s one of those experiences you could describe to not only your friends but your grandchildren years from now.

You may wonder whether the consistently high volume of the actors’ speech is completely necessary in the relatively cosy Playhouse – something I noticed particularly in its making one of the leads sound somewhat strident. The production seems to be sufficiently well mic’d to withstand rather more natural speech. Aside from impressions of slight overacting that this may engender, everything about the production –from the beautiful set and perfect lighting to natural costuming and hair styling, distinctive makeup characterisation and thoughtful prop use – conspire to bring the audience along for the ride with the players. In this isolated time and place, the dreadful threat of a murderer on the loose takes hold of the imagination, undermines trust and engenders enterprising discovery and desperate measures to prevent it. The Australian cast comprises very seasoned actors backed up by a faultless crew and directed with finesse. This is a first-rate production that you may regret never having seen. John p. Harvey

The setup (stock-standard Christie stuff) is that an isolated guesthouse appears to have been selected by a killer motivated to target one or more of its guests. Christie’s usual array of seemingly innocent characters is present: the young couple, the Major, the strident woman and so on. Joining them, thankfully, is a policeman working to protect the guests. Of course, not everybody survives the experience without unexpected surgical trauma. But this story of hidden violence has many genuinely funny moments. Subtle modernisations render the original 1952 lines relevant to modern audiences, while the timeless jokes endure well without alteration.

UN I N H I B I T E D How you been enjoying your sporting contests? The Olympics serve as an excellent reminder that cliché knows no bounds, that fit and fast people tend to struggle with the language (with a few exceptions – I’m saluting you Bradley Wiggins, you magnificent mod) and that while the whole notion of participation is the supposed core of the ‘Olympic spirit’, it’s really about winning. These London games have been of greater interest to me not for the feats of athletic prowess, but as a case study in national and, more specifically, city branding. These games have proven to be a showcase of London itself, framing it in a fascinating light. London itself is the great winner of this 30th Olympiad; somehow an essential sense of place has managed to creep out from the under the fist of the International Olympic Committee and the guff they charmlessly propagate. We could say that this has been a very British ‘Games, knowing not what that actually means, but that the statement is somehow true. These notions of city branding got me thinking of Canberra’s centenary and, though Britain’s capital and ours could never be described as similar, we might look to what has just gone down in London and ponder how we can sell our place to the world. I’d argue that what set the tone was the opening ceremony, and there are key

lessons to grab from it. Danny Boyle’s bravery should be noted and knighted; this was simultaneously celebration and a snotty V-sign and the tremulous balance was struck through Boyle’s expert use of Britain’s greatest export: arts and culture. The ceremony struck gold because it chose not to go for childish kitsch (hello, Sydney 2000), nor totalitarian bombast (hi, Beijing 2008), instead celebrating the mess of Britain through its songs and visual culture. Scoring a ceremony with tunes from Underworld, Blur and most memorably The Sex Pistols (as Her Maj watched on, probably unamused) was outstanding. Managing to sneak a lesbian smooch onto Syrian and Iranian TV through a grab from a British soap was brilliantly cheeky. In celebrating the National Health Service through dance and song, Boyle showed that art and politics can mix with rare grace. Boyle knew that the best of his nation could be reflected in its creative culture, with its flaws and its successes sharing equal billing. He chose not to peddle a simple, jingoistic vision, producing a ceremony that was coherent and satisfying, with great humour. The piss was taken, and that shows proper confidence. The lesson for Canberra 2013 is clear and simple: a complicated story of a moving target, like a city still finding its feet, can be told well through the work of its creative citizens. Want to brand a city properly? Dismiss the PR folk and use its artists. Reflect the mess and difficulty. Tell the real story so far. Throw in a joke or two. Pride will follow. GLEN MARTIN glenpetermartin@gmail.com

ARTISTPROFILE: Elliot Bastianon

What do you do? Object maker… mainly furniture. When did you get into it? I’ve always had a passion for working with my hands and an appreciation for interesting and well-made things, whatever they may be. I guess designing furniture is just an extension of this.

work strengthens what is going on in a city that is more often than not overlooked by people in Sydney and Melbourne. Canberra is definitely developing a voice of its own. Upcoming exhibitions? Commonwealth Exhibition, London Design Festival, Friday September 14. Workshopped 12, Sydney, Wednesday October 31. Interior Design Excellence Awards Gala Party, Sydney, Friday November 9.

Who or what influences you as an artist? This and that. I try not to get too caught up in what other people are doing, although it’s important to be aware of what’s going on out there. I think one of the biggest influences, on not necessarily my work but on how to look at things in a different way, has been one of my lecturers at the ANU, Rodney Hayward. What’s your biggest achievement/proudest moment so far? I was pretty stoked to be invited to exhibit at this year’s London Design Festival. So I’d have to say that’s the biggest achievement so far. What are your plans for the future? Travel the earth. What makes you laugh? Inane humour. What pisses you off? Inane people. What’s your opinion of the local scene? It seems to be developing nicely. As far as furniture design goes, there seems to be two separate camps in Canberra: Art School kids and UC kids. Both approach making in different ways and hold different philosophies towards the making process. Despite this, very interesting work is coming out of both institutions and as a cohesive whole, this

bit PARTS MY FAVOURITE... WHAT: Annual Pre/Primary School Art Showcase WHEN: Wed Aug 15 – Sun Aug 26 WHERE: ANCA Gallery My Favourite… is ANCA Gallery’s fourth annual exhibition showcasing artwork by Canberra’s pre and primary school students, promising to tickle your imagination and connect with your inner child. A collection of 50 wondrously delightful, vibrant and diverse artworks have been selected to hang in the gallery representing children ranging in age from 4 to 12 years. (Letters of firm dismissal and a lump of coal were sent to runners-up.) Every pre and primary school in Canberra was invited to participate in the themed exhibition (even the poor ones), which is produced at no cost to schools or families. This year, students have depicted all the colour and movement of their favourite things, places and people in a variety of weird and wonderful media (including paint, glitter and corn syrup!). In conjunction with this year’s exhibition, gallery visitors will be invited to vote in a People’s Choice Award (because playing favourites is great for self-esteem). The gallery is open 12-5pm Wednesday-Sunday, and the exhibition opening is Wednesday August 15, 6pm.

PLAYING FIELD STUDIO WHAT: Artist in Residence Program WHEN: Applications Open Until Fri Aug 24 WHERE: Kingsley St, Civic Canberra’s newest community arts studio has opened applications for their Artist in Residence program. The residency provides artists with the opportunity to develop their art practice through the use of the Playing Field Studio for seven days from Mon-Sun October 8-14 and a materials allowance of $750. The residency is open to all artists, both professional and amateur, living in the ACT and surrounding region practicing in music, dance, theatre, visual art, media and design. The purpose of the residency is to support the development of artistic work that align with the aims and objectives of Playing Field Studio. Applications close Friday August 24. For more information about the residency or an application form contact 0402 597 959 or playingfieldstudio@gmail.com. WordSMITHS + SOMETHING ELSE WHAT: Wordsy Meetings + Literary Readings WHEN: Thu Aug 16, Wed Aug 22 WHERE: Smiths Alternative Bookshop What better way to ward off the week’s willies than by reclining among the fabulously collated list of genres adorning the walls of Smiths? Coming up in the bookish surrounds are two regular events courtesy of Scissors Paper Pen. The first is WordSMITHS, a casual meet/greet for young writers. That’s you, if you’re under 30 and you write. If you’re over 30, you really couldn’t have anything to contribute – so fuck off. Then there’s Something Else: a new evening of storytelling and music, featuring Finnigan and Brother and a variety of readers, all around the theme of ‘Wires Crossed’. Head to scissorspaperpen.com for all details. 6pm and 7pm respectively. LOCAL FEATS WHAT: Canberra Feature Film Retrospective WHEN: Thu Aug 16 – Thu Dec 6 WHERE: Kendall Lane Theatre, NewActon

FASHIONABLY EARLY WHAT: Design Schools’ Fashion Expo WHEN: Wed Aug 8 – Sat Sep 15 WHERE: Gallery of Australian Design Fashionably Early: Designing Australian Fashion Futures will bring together educators, graduates and students from six Australian design schools (Canberra Institute of Technology, RMIT School of Architecture and Design, RMIT School of Fashion and Textiles, University of Technology, Sydney, Queensland University of Technology, Curtin University of Technology and ANU School of Art) in a discussion about the design challenges that will inspire the next generation of Australian fashion. Seven emerging designers from these schools have been invited to propose a Fashion System for Tomorrow that inspires new models of practice, informing Australian fashion that is authentic, sustainable and valued. For more information and/or to ogle sharp-angled skinny brunettes in outlandish shit, visit fashionablyearly.com.au or gad.org.au.

Local Feats is a retrospective of Canberran feature films made between 1971 and 2010. Featuring an intimate Q+A session with directors, Local Feats showcases our city’s cinematic history each fortnight, giving the audience a chance to hear the filmmakers themselves reflect on their films and practice. Each film will also screen with a recent short by the director. Starting with the oldest, The Demonstrator, from 1971, this program is a unique introduction to Canberra’s often unacknowledged feature film history and a chance for locals to support our filmmakers. Tickets can be bought online and from NewActon eateries Moçan and Green Grout and Bicicletta. All information, films, dates and times can be found at the official Local Feats website: newacton.com.au/localfeats. CATCH-22 WHAT: National University Theatre Society WHEN: Wed Aug 22 – Sat Aug 25 WHERE: ANU Arts Centre The satire Catch-22 follows Captain Yossarian as he attempts to escape his bombardier duties in World War Two. His attempts to be declared unfit to fly are defeated at every turn by the mysterious Catch-22, an undefinable rule that defies all logic: if you are willing to fly into combat, you must be insane; but if you wish to be removed from combat due to insanity, you must be sane to realise combat is insane. The world famous novel, based on Heller’s own experiences in the US Air Force, was adapted for the stage by Heller himself and interrogates bureaucracy, authority and insanity and questions the value of life. After all that, it’s really funny. The show will have three performances at 7:30pm and a matinee on Friday August 24 at 2pm. Bookings at nutsanu.wordpress.com or on the door. $5-$15.

the word

on albums

REGINA SPEKTOR what we saw from the cheap seats [Warner Brothers/ Sire Records]

album of the issue

ALPINE a is for alpine [ivy league]

A Is For Alpine is Alpine’s debut album and follows, after a two-year gap, their debut EP, Zurich. They’ve kept two songs from the EP – Villages and Too Soft – and the transformation the songs have undergone in those two years tells a great deal. Led by two female vocalists, the key to this instrumentbased, electro-inspired six-piece band is simple: they are accessible but sonically complex, catchy not vapid, and their complexity is something they have cultivated to excellence. The album opens with two close-to-instrumental tracks: a simple set of lyrics repeated in harmonic, resonating waves over a backdrop of pushing cymbals; a cavernous and comforting synth echo; a muted guitar riff that hooks the song in familiar territory; and the two lead vocalists’ breathed tones. Both with wispy voices, the singers are key to the fine, airy atmosphere of the songs. Though they never raise their voices, they create lingering waves one moment and catchy, fluting

refrains another. They have a feel for the kind of ethereal throbs and snaps a voice can create and this feel for sound extends to the band at large. The Strokes-like guitar riffs; insistent keyboard stabs that herald the arrival of bass-heavy synth choruses; clapping drums that keep a firm rhythm to songs that need them; and the intimately captivating breakdowns to vocal harmonies, drums and guitar, before the wall of sound falls again: all are executed (and produced by Dann Hume) to perfection. The messages within are simple – heartbreak, selfdoubt, sexual and emotional frustration – but are delivered with effortless purity, their potential self-consciousness a non-issue. Alpine are a band about whom it is easy to be sure. There has been no alt-indie record this year as qualitatively well-crafted and splendidly accessible as A Is For Alpine. This album’s key tracks (Gasoline, Hands, Villages and Lovers 2) will appear in films, ads, bars and on radio stations everywhere. If you ask not to hate it for its inevitable over-exposure, you’ve asked enough. ASHLEY THOMSON

The dorky cover should have warned me (where did she get that hat?) and curtailed my anticipation of more gems from this muse. Regina’s sixth studio album is unusual in that it includes several old live songs which have not previously been captured on disk. She co-produced it with Mike Elizondo, well-known for working with such hip hop artists as Eminem. The opener teases with rippling keys and ‘that voice’, which is loaded with such wonderful inflections. Then that irrepressible Spektor quirkiness rocks up, producing a surprising variety of shifts and mood changes in the one track. Disappointment continues with Oh Marcello, which could be a song from a B-grade musical. The keys impress but the scatting and the campy Italian accent do not. All The Rowboats and How provide glimpses of her masterful piano skills and unique vocal tones. However, the pretty songs such as Firewood lack real sizzle and tracks such as Ballad of a Politician have an annoying theatricality. Open should be the best song on the CD by far, until Regina makes a sound like she’s repeatedly gagging on pizza. This release is no Begin To Hope and nothing approaches such tracks as Fidelity, which crowned the success of that album. To her credit, this LP is undeniable proof that Regina shows no sign of bowing to mainstream pop, but it is a record only to be appreciated by true fans. Rory Mccartney

MY BLOODY VALENTINE EPs 1988-1991 [SONY] My pleasure bits tingled upon learning that one of the most compelling and mysterious bands in popular music was going to remaster the two albums released in its lifetime – both classics and worthy of attention. This was back in 2008. My Bloody Valentine songwriter and producer Kevin Shields had done some good work on the Lost In Translation soundtrack and the band’s music always remained startling and exciting, but it is only now that the remasters have appeared. Sound-wise, these could never hugely add to what had already been pristinely recorded, but the bass guitar does sound more sexy on the superb 1988 album Isn’t Anything, as does the oceanic wash on tracks such as Cupid Come. The superb Soon from the band’s second masterpiece, Loveless, now sounds more intoxicating, confirming it as a near-perfect song. Of the reissues, I am particularly satisfied with the EP collection which brings together peripheral material as good as the stuff on the albums. The way punk rock meets ethereal harmonies and roaring guitars on opener You Made Me Realise sounds pretty amazing when sitting alongside mindblowing album tracks like Feed Me With Your Kiss. My Bloody Valentine may have derived inspiration from all those classic walls of noise but always sounded unique. This EP collection runs over two discs and every heavenly harmony and burst of psychedelic guitar needs to be soaked up. DAN BIGNA

JEREMIAH JAE raw money raps [brainfeeder/inertia]

FIONA APPLE The Idler Wheel... [sony australia]

PEAKING LIGHTS lucifer [Domino/EMI]

DALLAS FRASCA sound painter [Spank Betty/MGM]

Los Angeles-based MC/ producer Jeremiah Jae has been affiliated with Flying Lotus’ Brainfeeder label for the last few years, and in the wake of remixes for Gonjasufi and last year’s mixtape with Teebs, Raw Money Raps is his debut album.

The Idler Wheel Is Wiser Than the Driver of the Screw and Whipping Cords Will Serve You More Than Ropes Will Ever Do or, for brevity’s sake, The Idler Wheel is Fiona Apple’s widely acclaimed fourth album. A seven year hiatus has done nothing to dull the power and raw emotion of Apple’s songwriting, complemented on this album by beautiful acoustic arrangements and her unmistakable voice. A musical Virginia Wolfe, perhaps, or a female Nick Cave, intense doesn’t begin to explain Apple’s lyrics. Obsessive, nihilistic, dramatic and masochistic tendencies all rear their heads in her stories of low selfesteem, uncaring partners and disillusionment. Third track, Valentine, gets heavy with lyrics: ‘While you were watching someone else/I stared at myself and cut myself/It’s all I’ll do ‘cos I’m not free/A fugitive too dull to flee.’

The collaborative project of Numbers’ Indra Dunis and former Rahdunes man Aaron Doyes, US-based duo Peaking Lights have been prolific over their comparatively brief lifespan, with Lucifer offering up their third album in four years. The minimal disco explorations of last year’s 936 have left a discernible impression upon the nine tracks here, with an increased emphasis on propulsive rhythms.

Spit in my eye if Dallas Frasca does not possess one of the best female rock voices in the country. Her second LP was a record determined to be born in spite of dramas. It survived a robbery that saw her seed funding – gained through touring – lost.

It’s a collection that firmly conforms to Brainfeeder’s established left-of-centre aesthetic. The abstracted and free-flowing nature of the 18 tracks gathered here frequently conjures a sense of listening to a mixtape of sketches more than anything else, with an emphasis on the sorts of lo-fi beats and instrumental backings you’d associate with Anticon. There’s a sense of honesty throughout, whether in the form of Money And Food, which sees Jae tackling the subject of money through three different personas of varying affluence, or closing track Cable’s weary-sounding lyrical introspection, as his bravado completely falls away against blurred string loops and funereal beats. Guns Go Off calls to mind some meeting point between Company Flow and Suicide, as relentless retro synths buzz away against Jae’s relentless verbal flow. Guerilla (Evolution Pt.1) meanwhile manages to showcase this album’s more eccentric end, representing little more than a half-heard phone conversation over loops of what sounds like cartoon orchestration. While there’s an occasional sense of self-indulgence and deliberate impenetrability, Raw Money Raps offers up plenty of intriguing experimentation. chris downton

In the catchy Jonathan she sings, ‘Just tolerate my little fist/Tugging on your forest chest/I don’t wanna talk about/I don’t wanna talk about anything.’ The jazz-filled Left Alone is a standout and beautifully demonstrates Apple’s striking voice and lyrical intensity: ‘How can I ask anyone to love me/... When all I do is beg to be left alone.’ This is an album that challenges the listener, and is as complicated as its somewhat neurotic name. But fans who’ve adored Apple since 1996’s Tidal and remember belting out Criminal as an antidote to their own teenage woes, will equally adore 2012 Fiona Apple.

By contrast, there’s far more of a sense of meandering looseness in place on tracks like Moonrise, which brings out the dreamlike and hypnotic qualities of the duo’s curious blend of krautrock, down-tempo electronics, blues and leftfield folk to even more potent levels. The gently swaggering Live Long ventures much further into swinging reggae and dub styles than Peaking Lights have previously ventured, while the jazzy Cosmic Tides even sees hints of flashing African highlife rhythms locking in against the vintage drum machines. More than anything else, there’s a sense here of Dunis and Doyes absorbing the influence of their undoubtedly eclectic record collections and using them as impetus to create something cohesive and personal, rather than a record that’s simply eclectic for its own sake. In short, Lucifer proves to be something of a sleeper favourite that proves stronger and stronger over repeated listens, and it’s also possibly the duo’s most fully-realised collection to date. Australian tour, please?

karen radford

chris downton

Then came the rock attack on her New York taxi and the temporary loss of the laptop with the album hidden in its ones and zeros. The undoubtable strength of the Melbournian’s fan base crystallised in the form of money raised by punters to move the album forward. Recorded in Brooklyn with producer Andy Baldwin (whose credits include Björk, The Living End and The Cat Empire), the live-to-tape format has stamped the results with a special authenticity and achieved spectacular results. Delivered with Dallas’ throaty roar, there is so much melody intertwined with frenzy, all cast out at V8 speed to a blasting bass drum, with a little blues and funk mixed in. Coming Home climbs the walls with savage riffage and pulses of energy. Better Without You is the most free-spirited track in the collection. It comes complete with vocals that alternate between chanted and screamed and rhythms that vary from deliberately measured to a frenzied crescendo. Tough and triumphant, the spirit of the album is declared in the lyrics of Anything Left to Wonder: ‘You will have to punch me harder.’ Rory Mccartney

the word

on films

WITH MELISSA WELLHAM

A part of me does wonder if I am not being just the slightest bit unfair in not roundly criticising Magic Mike as being sexist, stereotyping bullshit, which has been created for the sole purpose of objectifying the male form. If a film of similar content and calibre was released about women, one might assume I would be up in arms. However, read my review and you’ll find that I think this is a surprisingly nuanced film. That’s right; I’m calling a film about male strippers nuanced.

quote of the issue ‘Fact is, the law says you cannot touch… But I think I see a lot of lawbreakers in the house tonight!’ - Dallas (Matthew McConaughey), Magic Mike

the sapphires

step up 4: miami heat

magic mike

The Sapphires could be a fun, superficial story filled with show-stopping numbers and there would be nothing wrong with that. However, director Wayne Blaire has managed to combine the fun, show-stopping stuff with serious themes – racism, oppression, war – and that’s what lifts The Sapphires a step above.

I spent the opening 20 or so minutes of Step Up 4 snickering into my chocolate milk and feeling superior.

Magic Mike isn’t as bad as you are undoubtedly assuming it is – and not in that, ‘I’m going to go out for cocktails, and then seeing it with my girlfriends, and ogle Channing Tatum’s chest! Woo, ladeeeez!’ way.

Inspired by a true story, The Sapphires follows four talented, driven and vivacious Indigenous girls who form a soul group and are selected to travel overseas to entertain the US troops during the Vietnam war. Gail (Deborah Mailman), Julie (Jessica Mauboy), Cynthia (Miranda Tapsell) and Kay (Shari Sebbens) convince somethingof-a-deadbeat-but-genuinelygood-guy Dave (Chris O’Dowd) to become their manager and set off overseas to learn life lessons – jazzed up by some sweet Motown tunes. The film takes a while to hit its stride – but once it does, it’s an all-singing all-dancing emotionally-affecting extravaganza. The film attempts to cover a lot of ground – the stolen generation (which many would like to believe is a distant part of Australian history but, as the film rightly points out, continued into the ‘60s), the issue of ‘Am I black enough for you?’ re. Anita Heiss, as well as racism more generally – and it’s thanks to a neat and nimble script that it doesn’t falter. Plus, the girls can sing. The Sapphires is yet another great Australian film released in recent months. Here’s to many more.

Melissa wellham

What ridiculous acting! What a stupid script! I was confident I would come out with tons of material for a scathing review. After a couple of dance routines, though, I was feeling genuinely entertained – the dance numbers are pretty effing cool. Even though the love story is a snore (no one talks with their faces that close together when they’ve just met!) and the plot formulaic, we’re not there for that, are we? We’re there for krumping and pop-locking! Events centre around a gang of flash-mobbers who regularly engage in dance spectacles around Miami and even though said flash mobs are ridiculously elaborate, you kind of just go along with it. There’s also the rich girl/local boy subplot and some other unimaginative storylines – but, as I said, we’re not there for emotional resonance. I didn’t see this in 3D, mainly because I didn’t need to see sweat flying at me as though in real life, but there is plenty of gyrating, some lovely contemporary dance, and zippy routines propelling Step Up 4. By the end, I was taking the plot with a grain of salt and enjoying the balls-out dancing. It’s hardly high art and pretty corny in parts, but Step Up 4 is a vehicle for dancing – and it’s delightfully unashamed of it. megan mckeough

Mike (Channing Tatum) gets his kit off on weekends and shakes his booty, with the goal of saving enough money to open his own furniture design business. He introduces his new friend Adam, aka The Kid, to the world of stripping and the film follows the two protagonists through emotional journeys and buttocks-heavy dance routines alike. The cast is rounded out by the seedy, sweaty and shiny ringleader Dallas (Matthew McConaughey), Big Dick Richie (Joe Manganiello from True Blood), and a few other overlymuscled men in arse-less chaps. The reason this film isn’t as bad as it could be – including necessary film devices such as plot and believable dialogue – is thanks to director Steven Soderbergh, the guy behind Contagion, Erin Brokovich, Ocean’s Eleven, etc. Under his deft direction (and commitment to doing more than merely showcase men in g-strings dancing to bad music), Tatum and McConaughey turn in subtle performances (which are over-the-top only where necessary). I don’t even think Tatum is worthy of heartthrob status and I think McConaughey is just about the most repulsive person on the planet and I still enjoyed this film. That should tell you something. Melissa wellham

the word on dvds

Chuck – The Complete Fifth and Final Season [Warner home video] When the first season of Chuck was reviewed in these pages over three years ago, we suggested it was a show destined for cultdom. That’s hardly going out on a limb because everything about it screamed lo-fi cult glory; from the premise – geek becomes superhero thanks to CIA database dumped in his brain – through to the Get Smartstyle acting, scripting and set design. And so it proved to be. Chuck never rated particularly well and up against serious cable drama competition it was hardly going to become the champion of the critics. But by gods it stuck it out and over five seasons built an enviable fan base that prolonged its life by at least three seasons. Through thick (an overload of guest stars readily hamming it up and obviously having a blast) and thin (always living on the edge of cancellation), Chuck was a show that was built for low-stake thrills. The best thing about Chuck has been the growing chemistry between the three lead characters – Chuck (Zachary Levi), Sarah (Yvonne Strahovski) and John Casey (Adam Baldwin). Chuck and Sarah broke the cardinal sin of TV scripting and survived on-screen coupling, thanks mainly to Casey forever being in the damn faces about it. Even though they’re spies, the audience need not believe these characters are real, as much as we believe Walter White would have lasted as long as he has. Suspension of disbelief served this show well – as has looking past the low-budget production design. Together they made the show goofily fun; a rare quality in an environment that prefers discord, anger and self-pity. The writers knew this and played to the show’s strengths in this shorter13-episode goodbye season; a stylish and fond farewell that is neither mawkish nor profound – just the humble ‘good guy prevails’ mantra. justin hook

Pink Floyd: The Story of Wish You Were Here [Eagle Rock Entertainment/Shock] One of the most rewarding music documentaries in recent years has been the Classic Albums series, which captures a small world in each 60-minute episode through interviews with the main players, a wealth of footage and music breakdowns from behind the mixing desk. These docos are highly detailed, evenly paced and a treat for music fans. I’m not entirely certain whether this exploration of Pink Floyd’s 1975 masterpiece, Wish You Were Here, is from the Classic Albums stable, but the format is very similar and the quality just as good. It begins with a brief look at Floyd’s early days with lysergic traveller Syd Barrett. His songs were projected from a deep psychedelic consciousness, but this spirit unfortunately flew too high and paid a terrible price. Floyd nevertheless continued on, hitting the jackpot in 1973 with Dark Side of the Moon, which struck a popular chord with weighty themes about the fragility of human existence. Written and arranged in response to the band’s unexpected success, Wish You Were Here arrived in 1975. This album featured a synthesised, highly atmospheric song suite which placed an emotional response to the legacy of Syd and the profound effect of his mental decline alongside growing disillusionment with the artless, money-driven entertainment industry. Through a series of illuminating interviews, unusual artwork details and sound-mix breakdowns of key album tracks, bookended by the sublime two-part Shine On You Crazy Diamond, the filmmakers piece together the driving forces behind this extraordinary album. It is a fitting testimony to the band’s founder, who inevitably influenced much of what Pink Floyd went on to create, including the superb Wish You Were Here. dan bigna

Koyaanisqatsi [umbrella] In his youth, Godfrey Reggio joined a small community of strict Catholic monks. By his own admission he’d lived a fast life in New Orleans and the Monastery offered stability instead of chaos. Over 14 years he honoured vows of chastity, poverty and obedience. He fasted regularly and at one point washed his hands over a hundred times a day, leading to bloodied stump hands. But Reggio had a restless mind and the church kicked him out. The push and pull of order/disorder became the dominant motif of his next career: groundbreaking filmmaking. Released in 1982 and beginning a 20-year long trilogy, Koyaanisqatsi was one of the first films that took the remit of telling a story through imagery alone to the extreme. There’s no dialogue, short scenes of nature and humanity – and the battle between the two – are edited tightly against a pulsating Philip Glass score. Some is stock footage but most of it was filmed specifically for the film. 30 years on, the clarity is astonishing – especially in an age where even the most banal sporting events are slowed down in an attempt to lend gravitas. This is the real thing. And this is where those hacks got the idea in the first place – Reggio and cinematographer Ron Fricke. Koyaanisqatsi roughly translates to ‘life in balance’ and is unashamedly an ecological polemic. Reggio is an idealist but the story he tells is not exactly a promising one. The shimmering emptiness of glass monoliths in anonymous cities are no match to the natural beauty of Monument Valley, Utah. And yes, microchip motherboards do look like endless suburbs. But it’s up to you to make the link, create the narrative. It might confirm your biases, but maybe it’ll force you to consider the consequences of your actions; and that’s a dangerous idea. justin hook

the word

BLACKBOX

on games

The Dark Knight Rises / Batman: Arkham City Lockdown

Platform: iOS Developer: Gameloft/NetherRealm Studios Length: 2-4 hrs Verdict: Don’t bother/Take or leave In the few weeks since the release of Nolan’s final Batman effort, the film has grossed over $700 million. While a sizeable figure, it has been estimated that the absence of an official console or PC game cost $100 million in missed earnings. However, for those of you desperate to get your bat-fix, the iPhone has you covered, with the aptly titled The Dark Knight Rises (or TDKR, for the sake of fitting on your home screen). True to the film, the game is largely disappointing. The game claims to be ‘inspired by’ the film and it shows. Be it for gameplay reasons or simply because they only watched the trailer prior to developing it, the game presents a small number of iconic moments mixed in amongst a fodder of boilerplate gameplay. Key lines are clumsily dropped in, while numerous scenes have been generously reinterpreted; the prison scene for one, which drops the Arabic look in favour of an industrial feel. From both a technical and gameplay standpoint, the game feels unrefined. It seems, however, that at some stage the developers did have some ambitions. The game attempts to tackle open world gameplay, a decidedly tricky task on the mobile platform. Such a gameplay not only introduces many technical demands, what with it needing to put forth a wealth of navigable scenery, it also involves a complex control set. On the iPhone this means you’re using the same three-and- a-half-inch screen to move Batman, control the camera and perform actions, all whilst wanting to be able to see that damn screen. Unfortunately, the game doesn’t execute this well. Even after overcoming the camera-flinging stage, I still found myself randomly shooting my bat-claw off (that’s not a euphemism). This poor control scheme is confounded by how much they try to achieve with this game. Even Batman: Arkham City – the console game this one seems like it’s trying to be – didn’t have vehicles. The expression ‘jack of all trades’ comes to mind. In contrast, another recent iOS Batman game comes in the form of Batman: Arkham City Lockdown. Unlike TDKR or even Rocksteady’s previous Batman titles, which include the aforementioned Batman: Arkham City, the game drops the free navigation in favour of an Infinity Blade style, beat-em-up gameplay. It’s amusing to see the regular villains put down their usual tools of destruction in favour of a good old-fashioned fist-fight. Unfortunately, this game doesn’t quite have the same sophistication as the Infinity series. For the most part, button-mashing (or should I say finger-slashing) will get you through. Furthermore, the difficulty curve kinda drops off somewhere around the mid-point. That said, Lockdown is still certainly the better of the two Batman titles. torben sko

Something has to be said about Nine’s terrible free-to-air coverage of the world’s biggest event. Chez Blackbox was bubbling with excitement at the prospect of two weeks of weird and wonderful sports, postcards from London and fun. Unfortunately what we got was an extended version of Wide World of Sports with a little too much Karl and way too much Eddie. No Roy and HG, no Bruce McAveny, no wider cultural backstory and very little coverage of weird sports – just the same races repeated over and over, endless commentary about the swim team and information about what footy team they support. No doubt the Paralympics (ABC1, from Thu Aug 30, 5.20am) will be better viewing. Adam Hills is hosting the Opening Ceremony for starters. What the Olympics has done is jump-start a round of new viewing across the networks, beginning with Puberty Blues (SCTEN, Wed Aug 22, 8.30pm) which is so far showing the right mix of elements to make it worth the investment – great cast, good backstory, excellent (and well-researched) writing. The new version of Dallas (WIN, Wed Aug 22, 9.30pm) isn’t as bad as expected – the creators actually made some good decisions. 1) They retained more than a token of the original cast to reprise their roles – JR, Bobby, SueEllen and Lucy are all back. 2) They’ve got some real talent like Josh Henderson in the lead roles. While Chez Blackbox is usually not a fan of reality TV, the concept behind Don’t Tell the Bride (SCTEN, Tue Aug 21, 7pm) is intriguing but here lies the rub – would any bride let their hubby organise a wedding if there was any possibility they would totally screw it up? Elsewhere there’s Howzat! Kerry Packer’s War (WIN, Sun Aug 19, 8.30pm), Destination Flavour (SBS1, Thu Aug 16, 8pm), a foodie trip around Australia with Adam Liaw, Renee Lim and Lily Serna, House of Lies (SCTEN, Tue Aug 20, 9.40pm), the US comedy starring Don Cheadle as a management consultant, I Will Survive (SCTEN, Wed Aug 22, 7pm) – despite the marketing campaign it isn’t yet clear whether these guys will be performing as drag queens, Underbelly Badness (WIN Mon Aug 20 8.30pm) the saving grace will be Anthony LaPaglia, Charlie Sheen’s new comedy Anger Management (WIN Tue Aug 21 8.30pm) and Big Brother (WIN, Mon-Fri, 7pm). Docos to check out include God Bless Ozzy Osborne (ABC1, Wed Aug 29, 9.30pm) – sure, it’s produced by Sharon but it does feature interviews with Sir Paul McCartney and Henry Rollins, Compass: My Brother’s Cult (ABC1, Sun Aug 19, 6.30pm) about a Sydney cult, the next instalment of the Three Men Go franchise – Three Men Go to New England (ABC1, Tue Aug 28, 8.30pm), Sunday Best: Murderball (ABC2, Sun Aug 26, 8.30pm), which looks at wheelchair rugby, and Male Hookers Uncovered (ABC2, Fri Aug 24, 9.30pm). Movies include 2001: A Space Oddity (SCTEN Sun Aug 26 1.50am), In Bruges (Prime, Thu Aug 16, 9.50pm), A Nightmare on Elm Street (Go!, Thu Aug 23, 9.30pm), Mad Max (Go!, Sat Aug 25, 9.30pm), and The Addams Family (WIN, Sat Aug 18, 7.30pm). Weirdest TV listing – WIN celebrating the Ten Year anniversary tour of Auntie’s Long Way to the Top (WIN, Sat Aug 18, 3pm) without so much as a nod in ABC’s direction. Don’t miss the second instalment of rage’s trip down memory lane, Celebrating 25 years of rage: 1991-1994 (ABC1, Sat Aug 25, 11pm). More new shows next week. TRACY HEFFERNAN tracyherrernan@bigpond.com twitter.com/ChezBlackbox

the word

Pataphysics, BRB Digress Cocktail Bar Saturday July 28

on gigs

It could have been considered a most unusual event, if it weren’t for the fact that each of its elements were so distinctively at odds, so completely non-germane to each other, that it seemed the only explanation could be that the force of some higher, interventionist power was responsible for bringing together such a mismatched concoction. On a clear and still bitterly cold Saturday night in Canberra, a cocktail lounge which shares its space with an Indian/Italian fusion restaurant hosted a producer/MC/multiinstrumentalist group self-described as ‘soulful guerilla hip hop’. Bordered above and on all sides by the dark, empty offices which, for five days a week, are home to various Government departments, punters sipped frosty mojitos while a long-haired trumpeter waxed lyrical about the Zapatistas and then complimented the venue for its ‘awesome’ Tandoori Prawn Arrabbiata. So it was that Pataphysics’ show at Digress Cocktail Bar was, in fact, an event seemingly appropriate for the varied, experimental style of the group in question. To back up, the night began with a poetry slam featuring a number of local participants. Although your otherwise-occupied author missed these early performances, from all accounts it was a great display of Canberra’s burgeoning poetry/spoken word scene. Hosting the evening’s ceremonies was Canberra-based MC BRB, who preceded Pataphysics’ performance with a set of his original material showcasing his various influences and abilities. Originally from New Jersey, the rhythms of Run-DMC and Beastie Boys underscore much of his music, although its driving force was the engaging, sometimes complex and often involved narrative he weaved over his breaks. His direct messages may have been inspired by social or political issues, but were just as often taken from his own experiences, whether they be his gaol time for drug dealing, near misses with death, or most recently his battle with cancer which he only just survived. BRB’s appeal was in his wisdom, his avuncular story-telling and the stark earnestness that made his performances so immersive. The night’s stars – Melbourne’s Pataphysics – are a group who would rarely come across as unpolished. Across two lengthy sets, they first soothed, then charmed, then energised and finally incited the audience with their understated mix of soft jazz, spoken word, downtempo electronica and hip hop; all generated by the multiinstrumentalist, multi-lingual Pat Marks, his trumpet and his band, consisting of a guitarist and one laptop-armed beat-master. The group used their first set to gently warm up. Much of the crowd remained seated in the shadows while Marks dabbled in some subdued trumpet and sultry rapping over understated, ambient triphop beats. Alongside Marks’ often politically-focused yet grounded lyrics, they exuded Thievery Corporation’s sense of ultra-cool rebellion, sans the pretence.

PHOTOS BY ADAM THOMAS

The boys gradually increased the tempo and the boldness of their music, announcing a break between sets just as the audience was starting to fill the dance floor. Thankfully, the break between sets enthused the crowd rather than leaving them flat, and for the entirety of the second set Pataphysics had almost the entire venue – bar staff included – on the dance floor as they gave an ecstatic display of their jazz, funk and hip hop credentials. The intimacy of the venue was well-suited to Marks’ charismatic and sincere crowd engagement, with the absence of the usual demarcations between crowd/stage/band creating a warm, fuzzy sense of connectedness between crowd and performers. But then, Marks seems like he could bring out the best in a crowd in any setting – even without the mojitos and Tandoori Prawn Arrabbiata. BEN HERMANN

ENTERTAINMENT GUIDE August 15 - August 16 Wednesday AUGUST 15

Exhibition - Signature

Arts

Strong, vibrant and highly skilled craft practitioners and designers. Tue-Fri 9:30am-5pm, Sat 12-4pm

Exhibition – Around Canberra

Exhibition - Foodjects

A debut solo exhibition of paintings by Debbie Paton. Free.

CRAFT ACT

Exhibition - Rings

Objects/utensils spawned from movement towards ‘new Spanish cuisine’. Tue-Fri 9:30am-5pm, Sat 12-4pm

BILK GALLERY

Exhibition – Terra Aqua

GALLERY @ BCS

Contained works by Carlier Makigawa.

Exhibition - The Sacking

Canberra artist McCarron-Benson explores bullying, women and the workplace. Wed-Sun, 12-5pm. M16 ARTSPACE

Exhibition - Phosphorescence

CRAFT ACT

By Anne Tassie, John Tassie, Ian Haynes: The role of water. Mon-Fri 9am-5pm, Sat-Sun 11am-3pm. Free. CSIRO DISCOVERY CENTRE

Live Music

EASS Exhibition winner, Christine Atkins, creates light refracted on glass. Wed-Sun, 12-5pm.

Jinja Safari

Exhibition - Word of Mouth

ANU BAR AND REFECTORY

Cafe Scientifique

Equal parts wine and science! Cafe 4:30pm. Reserve seats: http://www. anbg.gov.au/gardens/. 5pm. NATIONAL BOTANIC GARDENS

Theatre The Memory Of Water

By Shelagh Stephenson, directed by Ed Wightman. 8pm. (02) 62571950/ canberrarep.org.au for bookings. THEATRE 3

Trivia

Revertigo

Exhibition - Canberra Bells

THE BASEMENT

CRAFT ACT

Exhibition - Japan: Kingdom of Characters

THE GEORGE HARCOURT INN

On The Town

With life-sized figures of Hello Kitty, Neon Genesis Evangelion, Gundam and more. Wed-Sun, 12-5pm. M16 ARTSPACE

Exhibition - Beyond Boundaries An exhibition by Encuentro artists featuring paintings, photographs and ceramics. Tue-Fri 10am-5pm. TUGGERANONG ARTS CENTRE

Flex your noggin. Table bookings essential! 7:30pm. Free.

All You Can Eat EP launch tour. 8pm. $10 door. Singers, poets, musicians! Feeling hungry? Book your slot for a free meal! (02) 6230 2484. 6:30pm.

thursday AUGUST 16 Art Exhibition - The Sacking

Wed-Sun, 12-5pm. M16 ARTSPACE

Exhibition - Phosphorescence Wed-Sun, 12-5pm.

Latino Wednesdays

M16 ARTSPACE

MONKEYBAR

Cathy Franzi draws attention to plants threatened by development. Tue-Fri 9:30am-5pm, Sat 12pm-4pm.

$8 cocktails. 9pm. Free.

Something Different Bad!Slam!No!Biscuit! Poetry slam. 9pm. THE PHOENIX BAR

Exhibition - Canberra Bells

CRAFT ACT

Exhibition - Japan: Kingdom of Characters

With life-sized figures of Hello Kitty, Neon Genesis Evangelion, Gundam and more. Wed-Sun, 12-5pm. M16 ARTSPACE

Exhibition - Word of Mouth

New film from Rolf de Heer. 2pm, 7pm. ARC CINEMA

Karaoke 1st place wins cash prize! Plenty of bar vouchers to be won too. 8pm.

Karaoke

$50 cash prize, 2x $25 Old Canberra Inn vouchers to be won. Every singer goes in! 7:30-11:30pm. OLD CANBERRA INN

Live Music Pigeon

Oh Hebe tour. Supported by Readable Graffiti. 8pm. Free. TRANSIT BAR

Thursdays At The Bar

With uniVibes. Beers, bands and DJs jamming in the afternoon sun. Free. ANU BAR AND REFECTORY

The Bee Cons

With Loki Dip. 9pm. THE PHOENIX BAR

Limb

By Austin Buckett (Kasha, Pollen Trio). An introduction to the possibilities of new music. 8pm. $15. ANU SCHOOL OF MUSIC

Charles and Dave

KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

Nigel Wearne

With Hannah Gillespie. 7:30pm. THE FRONT GALLERY AND CAFE

We Dont Give A F***

Encounters with abstract art. Mon-Fri 10am-5pm, Sat-Sun 12pm-4pm.

10pm.

Exhibition - Beyond Boundaries Tue-Fri 10am-5pm.

With Horrorshow and Briggs. $44.85 + bf thru Oztix.

Exhibition - View From Here

Ash Grunwald

CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ARTS SPACE - MANUKA

THE ABBEY

CANBERRA MUSEUM AND GALLERY TUGGERANONG ARTS CENTRE

An exhibition by Mark Mohell. Wed-Sun 11am-5pm.

Exhibition - Signature

Strong, vibrant and highly skilled craft practitioners and designers. Tue-Fri 9:30am-5pm, Sat 12-4pm CRAFT ACT

Exhibition - Foodjects

Tue-Fri 9:30am-5pm, Sat 12-4pm CRAFT ACT

Exhibition – Terra Aqua

By Anne Tassie, John Tassie, Ian Haynes: The role of water. Mon-Fri 9am-5pm, Sat-Sun 11am-3pm. Free. CSIRO DISCOVERY CENTRE

Exhibition – Around Canberra

A debut solo exhibition of paintings by Debbie Paton. Free. GALLERY @ BCS

Exhibition - Rings

THE CLUBHOUSE

Hilltop Hoods UC REFECTORY

With Pete Akhurst. Presale only. $35. Doors 7pm, show 9pm. Tickets: www. theabbey.com.au.

Mario Gordon

KNIGHTSBRIDGE PENTHoUSE

On The Town 4Some Thursday

Awesome 4Some Drink Specials. 9pm. Free entry. ACADEMY NIGHTCLUB

Thursday Ladies Night

Free champagne for ladies til 11pm + iconic tunes by ladies all night from female DJ Pumpin DIGRESS COCKTAIL BAR

Theatre The Memory Of Water

BILK GALLERY

By Shelagh Stephenson, directed by Ed Wightman. 8pm. (02) 62571950/ canberrarep.org.au for bookings.

Comedy

The Flood

Contained works by Carlier Makigawa.

Fiona O’Loughlin

Part of Greenfaces. www. canberraticketing.com.au or (02) 62752700. Seen on Celebrity Apprentice. CANBERRA IRISH CLUB

The King Is Dead (MA15+)

P J O’REILLY’S (TUGGERANONG)

Encounters with abstract art. Mon-Fri 10am-5pm, Sat-Sun 12pm-4pm.

Sing For Your Supper

KENDALL LANE THEATRE

THE STREET THEATRE

TRANSIT BAR

Cathy Franzi draws attention to plants threatened by development. Tue-Fri 9:30am-5pm, Sat 12pm-4pm.

Retrospective of Canberra feature films, 1971–2010. Tix/info: http://newacton. com.au/localfeats

Karaoke Night!

A Finucane and Smith production of the award winning play. 7:30pm

They’re worldly and whatnot but still good fun. Tix through Ticketek. 8pm.

CANBERRA MUSEUM AND GALLERY

Local Feats

The Flood

Transit Trivia

M16 ARTSPACE

Film

THEATRE 3

A Finucane/Smith production. 7:30pm THE STREET THEATRE

Hairspray

Broadway musical brought to you by Canberra Philharmonic. Bookings: www. philo.org.au or 62571950. ERINDALE THEATRE

ENTERTAINMENT GUIDE August 17 - August 18 friday AUGUST 17 Art Exhibition - Phosphorescence

EASS Exhibition winner, Christine Atkins, creates light refracted on glass. WedSun, 12-5pm. M16 ARTSPACE

Exhibition - Canberra Bells

Cathy Franzi draws attention to plants threatened by development. Tue-Fri 9:30am-5pm, Sat 12pm-4pm. CRAFT ACT

Exhibition - Japan: Kingdom of Characters

With life-sized figures of Hello Kitty, Neon Genesis Evangelion, Gundam and more. Wed-Sun, 12-5pm. M16 ARTSPACE

Exhibition – Terra Aqua

By Anne Tassie, John Tassie, Ian Haynes: The role of water. Mon-Fri 9am-5pm, Sat-Sun 11am-3pm. Free. CSIRO DISCOVERY CENTRE

Exhibition - Word of Mouth

Daz

8pm-12am.

ROYAL HOTEL BUNGENDORE

Nobody Knew They Were Robots (Syd)

Ride The Pony

Corona Madness

THE BASEMENT

9pm-12.50am.

WALSH’S HOTEL

Cheese/Retro

Cheesy cheesy cheesy retro badness. 8pm. Free. TRANSIT BAR

Newfangled 10pm.

THE CLUBHOUSE

Digress Dual Friday

Funk/live 6-8pm (Happy Hr 5-7pm). Resident DJ + more play allsorts 9:30pm on. $8 J/bombs 10-11pm. DIGRESS COCKTAIL BAR

Joel Harrison

KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

Oscar

Exhibition - Beyond Boundaries

hellosQuare Presents. 8pm. $5 students/$10.

TUGGERANONG ARTS CENTRE

Exhibition - View From Here An exhibition by Mark Mohell. Wed-Sun 11am-5pm.

CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ARTS SPACE - MANUKA

Exhibition - Signature

KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

Rishin Singh & Sam Pettigrew SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE BOOKSHOP

Chet Faker

With special guest Thrupence. $15 before 10pm. TRINITY BAR

Matt Dent 6pm. Free.

CHARLIE BLACK

Popsicle

Strong, vibrant and highly skilled craft practitioners and designers. Tue-Fri 9:30am-5pm, Sat 12-4pm

Live music.

Exhibition - Foodjects

ACADEMY NIGHTCLUB

CRAFT ACT

THE DURHAM

On The Town

Encounters with abstract art. Mon-Fri 10am-5pm, Sat-Sun 12pm-4pm. An exhibition by Encuentro artists featuring paintings, photographs and ceramics. Tue-Fri 10am-5pm.

A dynamic 4-piece band fronted by singer/guitarist/all round good guy Mr Mark Thompson.

With House of Thumbs (Melb), Inside The Exterior, Perpetual End. 8pm. $15.

8pm.

CANBERRA MUSEUM AND GALLERY

Spruce Moose

CASINO CANBERRA

Havana Nights Presents. $5 Coronas all night + DJs Trent Richardson & DJ Spink. 9pm. MONKEYBAR

Something Different Bone Idol 2

The ultimate in terrible talent quests. $20 door. 7pm.

CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ART SPACE GORMAN HOUSE

Cafe Scientifique

Equal parts wine and science! Happy hour 5pm. Reserve seats: http://www. anbg.gov.au/gardens/. 6pm.

Exhibition - View From Here Wed-Sun 11am-5pm.

CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ARTS SPACE - MANUKA

Exhibition - Signature

Strong, vibrant and highly skilled craft practitioners and designers. Tue-Fri 9:30am-5pm, Sat 12-4pm CRAFT ACT

Exhibition - Foodjects

Objects/utensils spawned from movement towards ‘new Spanish cuisine’. Tue-Fri 9:30am-5pm, Sat 12-4pm CRAFT ACT

Exhibition - Japan: Kingdom of Characters

With life-sized figures of Hello Kitty, Neon Genesis Evangelion, Gundam and more. Wed-Sun, 12-5pm. M16 ARTSPACE

Exhibition - The Sacking

NATIONAL BOTANIC GARDENS

Canberra artist McCarron-Benson explores bullying, women and the workplace. Wed-Sun, 12-5pm.

Theatre

Exhibition - Phosphorescence

The Memory Of Water

By Shelagh Stephenson, directed by Ed Wightman. 8pm. (02) 62571950/ canberrarep.org.au for bookings. THEATRE 3

The Flood

A Finucane and Smith production of the award winning play. 7:30pm THE STREET THEATRE

Hairspray

Broadway musical brought to you by Canberra Philharmonic. Bookings: www. philo.org.au or 62571950. ERINDALE THEATRE

Project XO

saturday AUGUST 18

Presented by XOXO & Friends. 9pm.

M16 ARTSPACE

EASS Exhibition winner, Christine Atkins, creates light refracted on glass. Wed-Sun, 12-5pm. M16 ARTSPACE

Comedy Judith Lucy

Nothing Fancy tour. One night only. Tickets through (02) 6275 2700, www. canberratheatrecentre.com.au CANBERRA THEATRE CENTRE

Dance Old Skool Saturdays

Mix of Old Skool R‘n’B, 80s & 90s. Free entry. $5 vodka original & flavours 10-11pm.

Art

DIGRESS COCKTAIL BAR

Tex Perkins rinses Cash, with Rachael Tidd. Details/tickets through Canberra Ticketing.

Exhibition - Canberra Bells

Live Music

Contained works by Carlier Makigawa.

Chad Croker

CRAFT ACT

Exhibition - The Sacking

OJO CAFE AND BAR

By Anne Tassie, John Tassie, Ian Haynes: The role of water. Mon-Fri 9am-5pm, Sat-Sun 11am-3pm. Free.

Tue-Fri 9:30am-5pm, Sat 12-4pm CRAFT ACT

Exhibition – Around Canberra Free.

GALLERY @ BCS

The Man In Black: The Johnny Cash Story

Exhibition - Rings

THE PLAYHOUSE

BILK GALLERY

6:30-10pm.

Canberra artist McCarron-Benson explores bullying, women and the workplace. Wed-Sun, 12-5pm. M16 ARTSPACE

Live Music Moment of Truth

From 7pm-9pm, followed by resident DJ Craig with dancefloor classics/hits. P J O’REILLY’S (TUGGERANONG)

Mario Gordon HIPPO BAR

Annie and the Armadillos

Masquerade Cocktail Night. Prizes and giveaways. 8:30-11:30pm. Free. OLD CANBERRA INN

Sebastian McFox

KNIGHTSBRIDGE PENTHOUSE

Cathy Franzi draws attention to plants threatened by development. Tue-Fri 9:30am-5pm, Sat 12pm-4pm.

Exhibition – Terra Aqua

CSIRO DISCOVERY CENTRE

Duel (M)

Goji Berry Jam

A five-piece funk band to ease in your afternoon. 2pm. MOCAN & GREEN GROUT

Faux Real HIPPO BAR

Leanne Melmoth 8:30-11:50pm.

JERRABOMBERRA HOTEL

Spielberg’s brilliant debut feature film. 4:30pm.

Killing the Sound

Exhibition - Word of Mouth

Trent’s Birthday Bash!

ARC CINEMA

Encounters with abstract art. Mon-Fri 10am-5pm, Sat-Sun 12pm-4pm. CANBERRA MUSEUM AND GALLERY

8pm.

KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

8 bands. 2 stages. Heaven The Axe, Breaking Orbit, Laced In Lust, Septimus Prime + more. 8pm. $15. THE BASEMENT

ENTERTAINMENT GUIDE August 18 - August 20 Burning Love

With Fun Things, Birdman, Victims, Babeez. 8pm. BAR 32

Tomba

Subsquad Presents. 10pm. THE CLUBHOUSE

Dallas Frasca

With Rick Steward and Owen Campbell. 8pm. $15 +bf presale through Oztix, $18 door. TRANSIT BAR

Frequently Asked Questions CASINO CANBERRA

music, coffee

Bass, violin, looped vocals or something similar. 10am-11am. MOCAN & GREEN GROUT

DJ Mo

‘Sydney’s Most Wanted DJ’ mixtape launch. CD giveaways all night. With DJ Karma + more. 10pm. MONKEYBAR

Pop Singles

Talks Water Reform & Climate Change Antarctic Ice: Dr M. Curran, Dr R. Massom, Dr R. Robertson. 9:30am. http://www.trybooking.com/BSBN. CSIRO DISCOVERY CENTRE

Theatre The Memory Of Water

The Man In Black: The Johnny Cash Story

Details/tickets through Canberra Ticketing. THE PLAYHOUSE

Broadway musical brought to you by Canberra Philharmonic. Bookings: www. philo.org.au or 62571950. ERINDALE THEATRE

sunday august 19 Art Exhibition – Terra Aqua Sat-Sun 11am-3pm. Free. CSIRO DISCOVERY CENTRE

Sat-Sun 12pm-4pm.

Exhibition - View From Here

8.30-11.30pm. Free.

CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ARTS SPACE - MANUKA

Parklife Warm-Up Party

Exhibition - Japan: Kingdom of Characters

4-7pm. Free.

OLD CANBERRA INN

Talks

Workshops

Hairspray

An exhibition by Mark Mohell. Wed-Sun 11am-5pm.

TRINITY BAR

David Knight

To The Starry Island (1993, U/C18+)

THE STREET THEATRE

ACADEMY NIGHTCLUB

Offtapia and Ladybones DJs playing music from Parklife 2012. 9pm.

M16 ARTSPACE

THE PLAYHOUSE

The Bressonian. 2pm.

A Finucane and Smith production of the award winning play. 7:30pm

Love Saturdays

OLD CANBERRA INN

EASS Exhibition winner, Christine Atkins, creates light refracted on glass. WedSun, 12-5pm.

The Flood

CANBERRA MUSEUM AND GALLERY

Wayne Ryder and Band

Exhibition - Phosphorescence

Tex Perkins rinses Cash, with Rachael Tidd. Details/tickets through Canberra Ticketing.

Murray Darling Basin: Ms J. Swirepik, Prof. A. Curtis. 1:30pm. Free: http:// www.trybooking.com/BSBN.

THEATRE 3

Exhibition - Word of Mouth

With Runamark. 9pm.

M16 ARTSPACE

The Man In Black: The Johnny Cash Story

Film

Ced Nada

KNIGHTSBRIDGE PENTHOUSE

Canberra artist McCarron-Benson explores bullying, women and the workplace. Wed-Sun, 12-5pm.

By Shelagh Stephenson, directed by Ed Wightman. 8pm. (02) 62571950/ canberrarep.org.au for bookings.

With Cat Cat (Melb) + TV Colours + Biscuits. 8pm. THE PHOENIX BAR

Exhibition - The Sacking

Wed-Sun, 12-5pm. M16 ARTSPACE

The Flowers of Shanghai (U/C18+) ARC CINEMA

Film by Lee Chang-Dong. 4:30pm. ARC CINEMA

Live Music Dallas Frasca

Water Reform & Climate Change

CSIRO DISCOVERY CENTRE

COZMO Info/Planning Session

All mandolin, mandola, guitar, bass players welcome! Join COZMO! Details: 0421 043 082. 5pm. HELLENIC CLUB (CIVIC)

Sound Painter tour, with Rick Steward and more. Presale from Oztix. 8pm.

monday august 20

TRANSIT BAR

Sunday Best

Art

A BITE TO EAT CAFE

A debut solo exhibition of paintings by Debbie Paton. Free.

Brett Galt-Smith: Cruisy and original stories in song. 5pm. Free.

Canberra Blues Society’s Monthly Blues Jam

A great afternoon of blues hosted by Canberra’s leading blues bands. $5/$3 members. 1pm-4.30pm. STATESMAN HOTEL

Exhibition – Around Canberra

GALLERY @ BCS

Exhibition – Terra Aqua Mon-Fri 9am-5pm. Free.

CSIRO DISCOVERY CENTRE

Irish Jam Session

Film

KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

Monsieur Lazhar (2011, U/C18+)

Traditional Irish music.

Canberra Blues Society Jam Hosted by Rustic. 1pm. STATESMAN HOTEL

Screening and reception presented by High Commission of Canada. 6pm. ARC CINEMA

ENTERTAINMENT GUIDE August 20 - August 22 Live Music Biscuits

Post-weekend sounds from Ryz, Peekz, Kimosabi, Steve On Weekends! Free pool, 2-4-1 pizza, 9pm. Free. TRANSIT BAR

The Bootleg Sessions

FasterLouder presents Elisha Bones, Lavers, Pete Akhurst. 8pm. Free. THE PHOENIX BAR

On The Town Mojito Monday

$10 Mojito’s, $7 Nojitos. The best latin DJ’s & Music in Canberra. $7 entry w. free drink. DIGRESS COCKTAIL BAR

Theatre The Flood

A Finucane and Smith production of the award winning play. 7:30pm THE STREET THEATRE

tuesday august 21 Art Exhibition - Signature

Strong, vibrant and highly skilled craft practitioners and designers. Tue-Fri 9:30am-5pm, Sat 12-4pm

Exhibition – Around Canberra

A debut solo exhibition of paintings by Debbie Paton. Free. GALLERY @ BCS

Exhibition – Terra Aqua

$100 cocktail party as first prize. 7:30pm. Free. DIGRESS COCKTAIL BAR

Exhibition - Canberra Bells

THE PHOENIX BAR

CSIRO DISCOVERY CENTRE

Cathy Franzi draws attention to plants threatened by development. Tue-Fri 9:30am-5pm, Sat 12pm-4pm. CRAFT ACT

Dance No Lights No Lycra

The Phoenix Quiz

Every week a special Phoenix brand trivia. 7:30pm.

PJ’s Trivia Tuesday

1st place cash prize with Bar and Kitchen vouchers to be won! 7pm. P J O’REILLY’S (TUGGERANONG)

wednesday august 22

Exhibition – Terra Aqua

By Anne Tassie, John Tassie, Ian Haynes: The role of water. Mon-Fri 9am-5pm, Sat-Sun 11am-3pm. Free. CSIRO DISCOVERY CENTRE

Exhibition - Canberra Bells

Cathy Franzi draws attention to plants threatened by development. Tue-Fri 9:30am-5pm, Sat 12pm-4pm. CRAFT ACT

Live Music Bart Thrupp

Supported by Pete Akhurst. 7pm. THE FRONT GALLERY AND CAFE

Sing For Your Supper

Singers, poets, musicians! Feeling hungry? Book your slot for a free meal! (02) 6230 2484. 6:30pm.

Dance where no one’s watching. 7:30pm-9pm. $5.

Art

Karaoke

John Vukovic: Scribbles & Dribbles. Street art.

On The Town

Exhibition - Signature

$8 cocktails. 9pm. Free.

CORROBOREE PARK HALL

Karaoke Love

Croon and wail your heart out on the Transit stage. 9pm. Free. TRANSIT BAR

Live Music Kate Miller-Heidke

With special guests TBA. Tickets through Moshtix. ZIERHOLZ @ UC

Irish Jam Session

Exhibition - Foodjects

KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

CRAFT ACT

Trivia Tuesday

By Anne Tassie, John Tassie, Ian Haynes: The role of water. Mon-Fri 9am-5pm, Sat-Sun 11am-3pm. Free.

CRAFT ACT

Objects/utensils spawned from movement towards ‘new Spanish cuisine’. Tue-Fri 9:30am-5pm, Sat 12-4pm

Trivia

Traditional Irish music.

Theatre The Flood

A Finucane and Smith production of the award winning play. 7:30pm THE STREET THEATRE

Exhibition - Wednesdays at the Wall HONKYTONKS

THE GEORGE HARCOURT INN

Latino Wednesdays

Strong, vibrant and highly skilled craft practitioners and designers. Tue-Fri 9:30am-5pm, Sat 12-4pm

MONKEYBAR

Exhibition - View From Here

The Flood

CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ARTS SPACE - MANUKA

THE STREET THEATRE

CRAFT ACT

An exhibition by Mark Mohell. Wed-Sun 11am-5pm.

Exhibition - Foodjects

Objects/utensils spawned from movement towards ‘new Spanish cuisine’. Tue-Fri 9:30am-5pm, Sat 12-4pm CRAFT ACT

Exhibition – Around Canberra

A debut solo exhibition of paintings by Debbie Paton. Free.

Theatre A Finucane and Smith production of the award winning play. 7:30pm

Hairspray

Broadway musical brought to you by Canberra Philharmonic. Bookings: www. philo.org.au or 62571950. ERINDALE THEATRE

Boy Girl Wall

Award winning play. Not a love story, a story about love. 8pm. THE STREET THEATRE

GALLERY @ BCS

ENTERTAINMENT GUIDE August 22 - August 24 Trivia

Live Music

Transit Trivia

National Band Campus Comp Final

Flex your noggin. Table bookings essential! 7:30pm. Free. TRANSIT BAR

Exhibition - View From Here

An exhibition by Mark Mohell. Wed-Sun 11am-5pm. CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ARTS SPACE - MANUKA

Exhibition - Foodjects

Art

Open Decks

Objects/utensils spawned from movement towards ‘new Spanish cuisine’. Tue-Fri 9:30am-5pm, Sat 12-4pm

Exhibition - Signature

THE CLUBHOUSE

Exhibition – Terra Aqua

CRAFT ACT

thursday august 23

Tue-Fri 9:30am-5pm, Sat 12-4pm

Exhibition - View From Here An exhibition by Mark Mohell. Wed-Sun 11am-5pm.

CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ARTS SPACE - MANUKA

Exhibition - Foodjects

Objects/utensils spawned from movement towards ‘new Spanish cuisine’. Tue-Fri 9:30am-5pm. CRAFT ACT

Exhibition – Terra Aqua

By Anne Tassie, John Tassie, Ian Haynes: The role of water. Mon-Fri 9am-5pm, Sat-Sun 11am-3pm. Free. CSIRO DISCOVERY CENTRE

Cracked Actor

With guests. 9pm. THE PHOENIX BAR

10pm.

CRAFT ACT

The Jungle Giants

Supported by Toucan. 8pm. Presale from Moshtix.

By Anne Tassie, John Tassie, Ian Haynes: The role of water. Mon-Fri 9am-5pm, Sat-Sun 11am-3pm. Free.

Dos Locos

Exhibition – Around Canberra

TRANSIT BAR

8pm.

KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

Thursdays At The Bar

With uniVibes. Beers, bands and DJs jamming in the afternoon sun. Free. ANU BAR AND REFECTORY

Princi

KNIGHTSBRIDGE PENTHOUSE

CSIRO DISCOVERY CENTRE

A debut solo exhibition of paintings by Debbie Paton. Free. GALLERY @ BCS

Exhibition - Canberra Bells

Cathy Franzi draws attention to plants threatened by development. Tue-Fri 9:30am-5pm, Sat 12pm-4pm. CRAFT ACT

Chris Harland Blues Band Live music.

CASINO CANBERRA

Frenzal Rhomb

With Yoko Oh No and Frail. Tickets through Moshtix. 8pm. HELLENIC CLUB (CIVIC)

Glasshouse 8pm. Free.

TRANSIT BAR

The Crunch HIPPO BAR

Digress Dual Friday

Funk/live 6-8pm (Happy Hr 5-7pm). Resident DJ + more play allsorts 9:30pm on. $8 J/bombs 10-11pm. DIGRESS COCKTAIL BAR

Academy Fridays

With Feenixpawl (‘In My Mind’ - Aria Dance Chart No. 1). 9pm. ACADEMY NIGHTCLUB

Boppo and The Acoustic Set 6:30-10pm.

OJO CAFE AND BAR

The Cherry Pickers

On The Town

Comedy

8.30-11.30pm. Free.

Thursday Ladies Night

Puppetry of the Penis 3D

Polographia

Brand new show. So real you can almost feel it. See canberraticketing. com.au for bookings.

OLD CANBERRA INN

With Readable Graffiti, Ladybones DJs, Wastey and Kazuki. Free before 10pm.

A debut solo exhibition of paintings by Debbie Paton. Free.

Free champagne for ladies til 11pm + iconic tunes by ladies all night from female DJ Pumpin DIGRESS COCKTAIL BAR

CANBERRA THEATRE CENTRE

Exhibition - Canberra Bells

4Some Thursday

Live Music

From 7pm-9pm, followed by resident DJ Craig with dancefloor classics/hits.

Illy

Sebastian McFox

Exhibition – Around Canberra GALLERY @ BCS

Cathy Franzi draws attention to plants threatened by development. Tue-Fri 9:30am-5pm, Sat 12pm-4pm. CRAFT ACT

Comedy Dave O’Neil

Part of Greenfaces. www. canberraticketing.com.au or (02) 62752700. From In Gordon St Tonight. CANBERRA IRISH CLUB

Film To The Starry Island (1993, U/C18+)

Film by Lee Chang-Dong. 2pm. ARC CINEMA

Awesome 4Some Drink Specials. 9pm. Free entry. ACADEMY NIGHTCLUB

Theatre Hairspray

Broadway musical brought to you by Canberra Philharmonic. Bookings: www. philo.org.au or 62571950. ERINDALE THEATRE

The Flood

A Finucane and Smith production of the award winning play. 7:30pm THE STREET THEATRE

Boy Girl Wall

Award winning play. Not a love story, a story about love. 8pm. THE STREET THEATRE

Karaoke Karaoke

$50 cash prize, 2x $25 Old Canberra Inn vouchers to be won. Every singer goes in! 7:30-11:30pm. OLD CANBERRA INN

Karaoke Night!

1st place wins cash prize! Plenty of bar vouchers to be won too. 8pm. P J O’REILLY’S (TUGGERANONG)

friday august 24 Art Exhibition - Signature

Strong, vibrant and highly skilled craft practitioners and designers. Tue-Fri 9:30am-5pm, Sat 12-4pm CRAFT ACT

With Chasm Soundsystem, Skryptcha, Jackie Onassis, Elemont and Flagrant. Tickets through Oztix. ZIERHOLZ @ UC

Monks Of Mellonwah

TRINITY BAR

Moment of Truth

P J O’REILLY’S (TUGGERANONG) KNIGHTSBRIDGE PENTHOUSE

Special K 4pm.

KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

With The Glaciers, Critical Monkee & Lavers. 8pm. $12 door.

On The Town

Outcome

Free entry and champagne for women before 10:30pm. Doors 9pm.

THE BASEMENT

All Ordinaries EP launch with Batpiss (Collingwood), Mammon and Worthwhile Jones. 7pm. $10 door. ANU FOOD CO-OP

Killing the Sound

Ladies’ Night MONKEYBAR

Theatre

8pm.

The Flood

Dubstep Invasion 3 Australian Tour

THE STREET THEATRE

KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

With Phetsta & Glovecats. 9pm.

A Finucane and Smith production of the award winning play. 7:30pm

Hairspray

8pm-12am.

Broadway musical brought to you by Canberra Philharmonic. Bookings: www. philo.org.au or 62571950.

The Red Henrys

Boy Girl Wall

THE CLUBHOUSE

Adam Conroy ROYAL HOTEL BUNGENDORE

9pm-12.50am.

WALSH’S HOTEL

ERINDALE THEATRE

Award winning play. Not a love story, a story about love. 8pm. THE STREET THEATRE

ENTERTAINMENT GUIDE August 25 - August 29 saturday august 25 Art

Love Saturdays

Live Music

Trivia

ACADEMY NIGHTCLUB

The Bootleg Sessions

Trivia Tuesday

THE PHOENIX BAR

DIGRESS COCKTAIL BAR

With Jamie Vale. 9pm.

Owen Campbell

Exhibition - void/Walking Blank/Unique State

Album launch. Presale only. $20. Doors 6:30pm, show at 9pm. Tickets through www.theabbey.com.au.

CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ART SPACE GORMAN HOUSE

Oscar

Sat 11am-4pm. Free.

Exhibition - View From Here Wed-Sun 11am-5pm.

CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ARTS SPACE - MANUKA

Exhibition - Signature Sat 12-4pm CRAFT ACT

Exhibition - Foodjects Sat 12-4pm CRAFT ACT

David Page

The award winning composer shares his creative process. 12:30pm. THE COURTYARD STUDIO

Exhibition – Terra Aqua

By Anne Tassie, John Tassie, Ian Haynes: The role of water. Mon-Fri 9am-5pm, Sat-Sun 11am-3pm. Free. CSIRO DISCOVERY CENTRE

Exhibition - Canberra Bells Sat 12pm-4pm. CRAFT ACT

Dance Old Skool Saturdays

Mix of Old Skool R‘n’B, 80s & 90s. Free entry. $5 vodka original & flavours 10-11pm. DIGRESS COCKTAIL BAR

THE ABBEY

8pm.

KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

Goji Berry Jam

A five-piece funk band to ease in your afternoon. 2pm. MOCAN & GREEN GROUT

Theatre The Flood

CIT presents Bruges, Mind the Gap, Heidegger, Ruth O’Brien. 8pm. Free.

Biscuits

ERINDALE THEATRE

Boy Girl Wall

Award winning play. Not a love story, a story about love. 8pm. THE STREET THEATRE

Trivia Aids Action Council Trivia Night Extravaganza

$200 for 8-person table, $25 single tix. Great prizes. See www.aidsaction.org. au/trivia. 7pm. CANBERRA LABOR CLUB - BELCONNEN

Live Music

sunday august 26

Special: Joel’s Nerd Trivia! 7:30pm. Free. THE PHOENIX BAR

TRANSIT BAR

PJ’s Trivia Tuesday

1st place cash prize with Bar and Kitchen vouchers to be won! 7pm.

On The Town

P J O’REILLY’S (TUGGERANONG)

Mojito Monday

$10 Mojito’s, $7 Nojitos. The best latin DJ’s & Music in Canberra. $7 entry w. free drink.

wednesday august 29 Art

DIGRESS COCKTAIL BAR

Exhibition - In Residence 2011

tuesday august 28

THE STREET THEATRE

Broadway musical brought to you by Canberra Philharmonic. Bookings: www. philo.org.au or 62571950.

The Phoenix Quiz

Post-weekend sounds from Ryz, Peekz, Kimosabi, Steve On Weekends! Free pool, 2-4-1 pizza, 9pm. Free.

A Finucane and Smith production of the award winning play. 7:30pm

Hairspray

$100 cocktail party as first prize. 7:30pm. Free.

9:30am-5pm. Free.

MEGALO PRINT STUDIO + GALLERY

Art

Exhibition – Terra Aqua Mon-Fri 9am-5pm. Free.

Exhibition - In Residence 2011

CSIRO DISCOVERY CENTRE

Works by Megalo’s 2011 Artists in Residence. Open 9:30am-5pm. Free.

Exhibition - void/Walking Blank/Unique State

MEGALO PRINT STUDIO + GALLERY

Free.

Exhibition – Terra Aqua

CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ART SPACE GORMAN HOUSE

By Anne Tassie, John Tassie, Ian Haynes: The role of water. Mon-Fri 9am-5pm, Sat-Sun 11am-3pm. Free.

Live Music

CSIRO DISCOVERY CENTRE

Boy Girl Wall

Sing For Your Supper

Award winning play. Not a love story, a story about love. 8pm.

Singers, poets, musicians! Feeling hungry? Book your slot for a free meal! (02) 6230 2484. 6:30pm.

THE STREET THEATRE

Exhibition - void/Walking Blank/Unique State

THE GEORGE HARCOURT INN

Art by E. Hutch, H. Michaelsen and M. Oren/R. Lemoh/J. Gailer. Tue-Fri 10am5pm, Sat 11am-4pm. Free.

House Vs. Hurricane

With Confession & In Hearts Wake. 8pm. $20 door.

With Na Maza, NASJAP, Tensions Arise & Beneath The Tides. 8pm. $25 door.

Art

CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ART SPACE GORMAN HOUSE

Exhibition – Terra Aqua

Dance

Pete Batu

Sat-Sun 11am-3pm. Free.

8:30-11:50pm.

CSIRO DISCOVERY CENTRE

No Lights No Lycra

Drumsound and Bassline Smith

Mark Mohell. Wed-Sun 11am-5pm.

Frankenbok

THE BASEMENT

JERRABOMBERRA HOTEL

Exhibition - View From Here

With Bec Paton, Shifty Business, Jaycee, Risk and more. Harlequin MCing. 8pm.

CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ARTS SPACE - MANUKA

THE CLUBHOUSE

Film

The Monotremes

Green Fish (1997, U/C18+)

With guests. 9:30pm. THE PHOENIX BAR

DJ Gosper Band Live music.

CASINO CANBERRA

music, coffee

Bass, violin, looped vocals or something similar. 10am-11am. MOCAN & GREEN GROUT

With AMDBL, Law Of The Tongue, Orion’s Fire. 8pm. Tickets $15/$25 with CD.

Trivia

Sunday Best

Irish Jam Session

Transit Trivia

Beth n Ben: Local lyrical folkal legends. 5pm. Free. Traditional Irish music.

KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

Supported by Pete Akhurst. 4-7pm. Free. OLD CANBERRA INN

Davesway

1-4pm. Free.

THE GEORGE HARCOURT INN

monday august 27

Awesome Source

Art

WALSH’S HOTEL

Exhibition – Terra Aqua

OLD CANBERRA INN

Traditional Irish music.

KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

A BITE TO EAT CAFE

KNIGHTSBRIDGE PENTHOUSE

8.30-11.30pm. Free.

ERINDALE THEATRE

Live Music

Jemist

Dead Sea Rollers

Bookings: www.philo.org.au or 62571950.

Live Music

HELLENIC CLUB (CIVIC)

9pm-12.50am.

Hairspray

Karaoke

ARC CINEMA

Claude Hay

The Levitation Hex

Theatre

CORROBOREE PARK HALL

TRANSIT BAR

MONKEYBAR HIPPO BAR

MONKEYBAR

Film by Lee Chang-Dong. 2pm.

Irish Jam Session

Hazan

$8 cocktails. 9pm. Free.

Croon and wail your heart out on the Transit stage. 9pm. Free.

DJs Karma/Jswiss/Hypnotic/ MC Tee Urban Playground Presents. 10pm.

On The Town Latino Wednesdays

Dance where no one’s watching. 7:30pm-9pm. $5.

Karaoke Love

THE BASEMENT

The role of water. Mon-Fri 9am-5pm, Sat-Sun 11am-3pm. Free.

OUT

Aug29

Boy Girl Wall 8pm.

THE STREET THEATRE

Table bookings essential! 7:30pm. Free. TRANSIT BAR

alpine julia stone chairlift bill bailey tedxcanberra ...and more!

CSIRO DISCOVERY CENTRE

FIRST CONTACT

SIDE A: BMA band profile

Sydney Creswick Where did your band name come from? Our name is a composite of our lead singer’s crazily long name – Liam Creswick Sidney Pepper Budge.

Group members? Liam (vocals), Matt (Guitar), Tom (Trumpet), Arlene (bass) Callum (keys) and Sim (drums). Describe your sound: We have an eclectic sound that verges on alternative/folk. Who are your influences, musical or otherwise? We all have different influences, but we try and draw from them all in our music, even if they are John Farnham... What’s the most memorable experience you’ve had whilst performing? Liam slicing his finger open on a knife before sound check at our first Melbourne gig. Fail. What’s your biggest achievement/proudest moment so far? Either winning the ACT finals of the National Band Comp or leading the ANU School of Music rallies. What are your plans for the future? Releasing our EP! What makes you laugh? The sound engineer asking Arlene how to mic her ‘really big cello’. She plays double bass. Dickhead. What pisses you off? ANU Jazz School parking inspectors. What would you change about the local scene? Save the School of Music from eventual ruin. What are your upcoming gigs? We will be playing a launch for our EP in the near future! Contact info: sidneycreswick.com.

Aaron Peacey 0410 381 306 Activate Jetpack activatejetpack@hotmail.com Adam Hole 0421 023 226 Afternoon Shift 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 Amplif5’d Classic rock covers band Joy 0407 200 428, joybarac-heath@hotmail.com Annie & the Armadillos Annie 6161 1078/0422 076 313 The Ashburys Dan Craddock 0419 626 903 Aria Stone, sax & flute, singer/ songwriter (guitar) Aria 0411 803 343 Australian Songwriters Association (Keiran Roberts) 6231 0433 Arythmia: Ben 0423 408 767/ arythmiamusic@gmail.com Backbeat Drivers Steve 0422 733 974, www.backbeatdrivers.com Big Boss Groove Andrew 0404 455 834, www.bigbossgroove.com.au Birds Love Fighting Gangbusters/DIY shows - bookings@birdslovefighting.com Black Label Photography Kingsley 0438 351 007 Blister Bug Stu 0408 617 791 Bridge Between, The Rachel 0412 598 138, thebridgebetween.com.au Bruce Stage mgr/consultant 6254 9857 Capital Dub Style - Reggae/Dub Events + DJs facebook.com/CapitalDubStyle Rafa 0406 647 296 Caution Horses Nigel 0417 211 580 Chris Harland Blues Band 0418 490 640 chrisharlandbluesband@yahoo.com.au Clear Vision Films rehearsals/film clips/stunts - 0438 647 281 wcoulton.clearvisionfilms.com Cole Bennetts Photography 0415 982 662 /colebennetts.com Cris Clucas Cris 6262 5652 Crooked Dave 0421 508 467 Danny V Danny 6238 1673/0413 502 428 Dawn Theory Nathan 0402 845 132 D’Opus & Roshambo hifidelitystyles@yahoo.com DJs Madrid and Gordon 0417 433 971 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 Easy Mode Daz 0404 156 482, easymodeband@gmail.com Entity Chris 0412 027 894 Epic Flagon band@epicflagon.com Fighting Mongooses, The Adam 0402 055 314 Final Warning Brendan 0422 809 552 Fire on the Hill Aaron 0410 381 306/ Lachlan 0400 038 388 4dead Peter 0401 006 551 Freeloaders, The Steve 0412 653 597 Friend or Enemy 6238 0083, www.myspace.com/friendorenemy Gareth Hailey DJ & Electronica 0414 215 885 GiLF Kelly 0410 588 747, gilf.mail@gmail.com Groovalicious Corporate/Weddings/ Private functions 0448 995 158 groovalicious@y7mail.com Guy The Sound Guy live & studio sound engineer, 0400 585 369, guy@guythesoundguy.com 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 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 Jim Boots 0417 211 580 Johnny Roadkill Paulie 0408 287 672, paulie_mcmillan@live.com.au Karismakatz DJ Gosper 0411 065 189/ dj@karismakatz.com Kayo Marbilus myspace.com/kayomarbilus Kurt’s Metalworx (PA) 0417 025 792 Little Smoke Sam 0411 112 075 Los Chavos Latin-Ska-Reggae facebook.com/loschavosmusic Rafa 0406 647 296 Andy 0401 572 150 Manilla Green Herms 0404 848 462, contactus@manillagreen.com, Mario Brujo Gordon world/latin/ reggae/percussionist and DJ. 0405 820 895 Martin Bailey Audio Engineer 0423 566 093 Words for You: writer/publicity/events Megan ph 6154 0927, Mercury Switch Lab Studios mercuryswitch@internode.on.net Missing Zero Hadrian Brand 0424 721 907 hadrian.brand@live.com.au Moots aspwinch@grapevine.com.au Huck 0419 630 721 MuShu Jack 0414 292 567, mushu_band@hotmail.com MyOnus myonusmusic@hotmail.com/ www.myspace.com/myonus No Retreat Simon 0411 155 680 Ocean Moses Nigel 0417 211 580 OneWayFare Chris 0418 496 448 Painted Hearts, The Peter 6248 6027 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 Rafe Morris 0416 322 763 Redletter Ben 0421 414 472 Redsun Rehearsal Studio Ralph 0404 178 996/6162 1527 Rhythm Party, The Ross 0416 010 680 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 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 STonKA Jamie 0422 764 482/ stonka2615@gmail.com Super Best Friends Matt 0438 228 748 Surrender Jordan 0439 907 853 Switch 3 Mick 0410 698 479 System Addict Jamie 0418 398 556 The Morning After (covers band) Anthony 0402 500 843/ myspace.com/themorningaftercovers Tiger Bones & The Ferabul-Zers Danny feralbul@aapt.net.au Tim James Lucia 6282 3740, LUCIAMURDOCH@hotmail.com Top Shelf Colin 0408 631 514 Transmission Nowhere Emilie 0421 953 519/myspace.com/ transmissionnowhere 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 Zero Degrees and Falling Louis 0423 918 793 Zwish 0411 022 907

Walrus (2012; commissioned by BMA Magazine for its 400th issue)