BMA Magazine 401 August 29 2012 by BMA Magazine

To find out why even Neil Young is a washed up old hack, turn to page 48. #401AUGUST29 Fax: 02 6257 4361 Mail: PO Box 713 Civic Square, ACT 2608 Publisher Scott Layne Allan Sko General Manager Allan Sko

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Sub-Editor Greta Kite-Gilmour Graphic Design Marley Film Editor Melissa Wellham NEXT ISSUE 402 OUT SEPTEMBER 12 EDITORIAL DEADLINE SEPTEMBER 3 ADVERTISING DEADLINE SEPTEMBER 6 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.

It’s an idea suggested countless times in venues all over Canberra: serious, legitimate awards for music in the ACT. Now, for the first time, we’ll have them: The MAMAs. Best Rock Group, Best Folk Group, Best Studio/Engineer/ Producer, Best Orchestra/Big Band; and publicly determined awards too: Artist of 2012, Live Performer of 2012, Live Venue of 2012. Awards that mean something. There are 19 in total, every one reflecting a comprehensive consideration of Canberran music. Each category will be judged transparently and rigorously by a panel of interstate industry experts and the awards will be delivered at the inaugural MAMAs at Albert Hall, Friday December 7. Envisaged by its creators as a celebration, attendees are encouraged to ‘Forget hours of boring speeches and bad food, and envision a night of dancing and drinking hosted by Paul McDermott where the main focus is what we’re there to recognise and rejoice in – outstanding local music.’ Submissions for the awards are open now via musicact.com.au, as are ticket sales for the event and MusicACT memberships. It’ll be like the ARIAs but we give a shit.

ANU LAW PROFESSOR: UK ASSANGE THREAT UNPRECEDENTED The extraordinary threat by the United Kingdom to revoke the diplomatic protection of the Ecuadorian embassy so that they can arrest Julian Assange is without precedent in modern history and could end up before the international courts, according to an academic from the Australian National University. Professor Donald Rothwell from the ANU College of Law said that the threat shows just how serious the UK is about extraditing the WikiLeaks founder to Sweden. ‘The threat by the United Kingdom… to revoke the

SOUND CHECK AUSTRALIA LAUNCHES NAT’L HEARING SURVEY The National Acoustic Laboratories (NLA), Hearing CRC and ABC have teamed up to run Sound Check Australia, a national noise and hearing survey. ‘Our access to noise and music is just unprecedented,’ says Elizabeth Beach, a researcher from NLA. ‘We hope that with Sound Check people will start a conversation

about it... One of the things we are trying to get a handle on is just how big a problem this really is... We don’t want to discourage people from participating in music activities, we just want people to be aware.’ In a counterintuitive twist they’re offering $1000 worth of concert tickets to participants. Moreover, people who take part in the online survey will be able to test their hearing, work out whether they are ‘overdosing’ on noise via ‘binge listening’ (exposure to sound through regular music listening) and find out what part of their social lives could be putting them at risk. Go to soundcheckaustralia.net.au to register and do the test. It runs until Wednesday September 12.

INT’L MUSIC COMPETITION CALLS FOR ENTRIES Not an issue passes without a band competition leaving a glistening pool of moneyscented piss and shit on our doorstep. We dutifully dress them up as ‘News’ and deliver them to you but it’s hard to tell if anyone enters as a result of this process. Do you? Do you sniff that piss and shit and chase money? The Global Battle of the Bands (gbob.com) is the latest and it’s heading to Moosehead’s Pub and Nightclub for the 2012 Canberra Heat. GBOB is a huge international event with over 30 countries involved. The first prize is worth US$100,000 and the title of ‘Best New Band in the World’! Yeah, in the world. The Canberra heat will be conducted on Friday September 14, 8pm. Bands wanting to take part can contact organisers now by emailing redletter@bigpond. com or calling (02) 9519 3978. No one was sure why Katie bothered to close her eyes when listening to music. She had, after all, been blind from birth.

MUSICACT ANNOUNCES FIRST ANNUAL MUSIC AWARDS: THE MAMAs

diplomatic protection enjoyed by the Ecuadorian Embassy in London is extraordinary and without modern precedent. It highlights how serious the United Kingdom Government is about extraditing Assange to Sweden where he is wanted for questioning over sexual assault,’ said Professor Rothwell. ‘If the United Kingdom revoked the Embassy’s diplomatic protection and entered the Embassy to arrest Assange, Ecuador could rightly view this as a significant violation of international law which may find its way before an international court.’ Professor Rothwell added that whatever happens next, the prospects for Assange finding safe haven appear to rapidly diminishing. ‘Irrespective of the outcome of this diplomatic impasse between Ecuador and the United Kingdom, the prospects of Assange enjoying any level of protection, even if he was granted asylum by Ecuador, now appear very remote given the determination of the UK to extradite him to Sweden.’ His observations will surely result in the Australian Government rushing to Assange’s aid as they would to any Australian citizen’s. Har har har.

FROM THE BOSSMAN We love trotting out the phrase, ‘It takes all kinds to make a world’ at opportune moments of twee. But throughout the rich and seemingly endless gamut of human combination there is a very distinct line that places us on one side or the other. You’re either the kind of person that ‘gets offended’ or you’re not. Upon clicking on a mysteriously titled headline for an AdNews article recently that stated, ‘Penis billboard draws complaint’ I read an article about a delicate churchgoing fellow who complained about the word ‘Penis’ being printed in 1200 point high font over a main highway in Melbourne. The ad was for the upcoming Puppetry of the Penis show; the complaint read thusly: ‘We teach our children to behave civilly and use words appropriately. This billboard offends against this dignity by thrusting the male genital part into the public arena for entertainment and laughs... Since the billboard is on our route to the City, to Church, and to numerous other events, we cannot avoid it without taking considerable detours. This is seriously impinging on our freedom of movement. It is clearly visible from places we have been invited to with our children for special events. We are reluctant to expose our children to it for that length of time, so it is affecting our freedom to participate. We would like it to be removed.’ This poor bastard is driving an extra 45 minutes out of his way simply because he doesn’t want to see the word penis. Not an actual penis, you understand, but the word penis. And let’s not even get into the clear sexual frustration on display illustrated by curious words choices - Thrusting? Exposed? Length? Oh dear. This is someone, my friends, firmly entrenched in the ‘gets offended’ camp.

YOU PISSED ME OFF! Has someone yanked yer chain recently? Well send an email to editorial@bmamag.com and have your sweet vengeance. [All entries contain original spellings] To the clunge muppets of landlords responsible for evicting the National Indoor Cricket Centre in Lyneham, what the fuck? Thanks for planning a redeveloped sporting complex that doesn’t accommodate the 1200-odd weekly punters who use the indoor cricket/soccer/netball facility. I’ve been whacking balls and smashing beers there for 13 years, now where the fuck am I supposed to go? Gungahlin? Do I look like a fucking soccer mum to you? Kambah or Queabeyan? Sorry, cunts, I’d like not to have my car stolen, thanks very much. And what’s this shit that you aren’t even knocking the place down until March next year? That’s enough time for a whole extra season! But no, you fuckbags had to jack the rent UP on a dilapidated, humid, leaking shithole of a site. Don’t get me wrong, it may have been a shithole, but it was my shithole. For fuck’s sake, I hope your tennis-centre-cum-gym-cum-pool-cum-every-fucking-thingexcept-a-fucking-indoor-fucking-cricket-facility fails miserably. I sure as shit won’t be giving you my patronage. You can all fuck right off because YOU PISSED ME OFF!!! And to the ACT Government who thought it was a good idea to co-fund this atrocity to the tune of $4 million of my fucking dollars, eat a dick, you pissed me the fuck off too!

To know a person who is in the constant grip of finding the most lavender-beige things offensive must be the most infuriating walk-on-eggshells kind of relationship you would have to endure. The very term, ‘I find that offensive’ is itself a power ploy to gain the upper hand. ‘I find that what you have said is offensive, therefore I want you to change your behaviour so as to not offend me any more.’ Well you can just go and fuck right off. For our poor 45-minute-detour-penis-guy, here’s a more to-thepoint version of that letter: ‘Dear Ad Standard Board, I have recently seen a billboard for a show that uses a word that I am uncomfortable with. Having been inflicted with a staunch religious upbringing and being indoctrinated to believe that the male organ is in fact the instrument of Beelzebub himself, I have shied away from any education, or indeed interaction, with the subject since the age of five. Now, as a result of having my own children who I love and care for and wish to protect, I find myself ill-equipped to deal with this confronting scenario. As such, I am writing to please ask for assistance in this matter. How can I approach my children and teach them about the concept of a p-p-p... appendage? I am hopelessly ill-equipped to do so and am doomed to see my children be denied any education on the matter, which will likely result in them gradually developing deep-seated emotional issues tied to the mystique of sex as they grow older, and will see them penning angry letters with curious word choices like thrusting and exposed. Please help. Yours sincerely, 45-minute-detour-penis-guy.’ ALLAN SKO - allan@bmamag.com

WHO: Eyes To The Sky WHAT: Mudd Music WHEN: Thu Aug 30 WHERE: Transit Bar

Mudd Music and Transit Bar have joined forces again on their mission to bring heavy music back to the city. The next instalment is predicted to be the heaviest one yet, featuring local band Eyes To The Sky. ETTS only have a handful of shows under their belt, but they have already proven to be one of Canberra’s most popular bands. With ‘chunky as fuck groove metal riffs, growls to make Phil Anselmo envious mixed with clean, Karnivool-esque vocals and a devoted army that follows them to every show,’ expect things to get rowdy. Supports include Na Maza and Johnny Roadkill. 8pm. Free.

WHO: Mr. Bill WHAT: Ableton Workshop WHEN: Fri Aug 31 WHERE: The Clubhouse

Before dropping thick slathers of wamp wamp on pale, elbowy, muppetfaced new-era club-types, Mr. Bill will be sharing pasty wisdom with any who care to soak it up. The workshop will cover how Mr. Bill approaches writing music as well as look at overlooked features in Ableton Live, with a focus on getting tracks finished without working on them for months. Participants are encouraged to bring a laptop with Ableton Live 8 Suite installed. Other suggested software participants: U-he: Zebra 2. U-he: Uhbik. Dada Life: Sausage Fattner. Komplete 8 Ultimate. Izotope: IRIS. Melodyne Editor (with DNA editing). Flux: Bittersweet. Some tricks will require these tools but most won’t. 5:30pm-8pm. $10.

WHO: John ‘00’ Fleming (UK) WHAT: J00F Editions WHEN: Fri Aug 31 WHERE: Academy

If you think J00F is a comical onomatopoeia, well, you’re correct. It also happens to be the DJ namesake of one of the UK’s leading producers, John ‘00’ Fleming. With an exhaustive list of industry successes that includes over ten million records sold, with numerous compilations and singles featured in the UK Top 40 charts, it’s no wonder J00F is considered amongst the pioneering DJs of the ‘80s rave revolution. The J00F Editions is an international tour which aims to ‘resurrect the scene of old’, refocusing the music on the clubbers. Expect extended sets and a good ol’ fashioned clubbing vibe. 9pm. Presale tickets $18.35 through Moshtix.

WHO: Children Collide WHAT: Monument Tour WHEN: Sun Sep 2 WHERE: Zierholz @ UC

Children Collide’s third studio album, Monument, was released mere weeks ago. To follow, they will take to the road to bring fans a hefty chunk of the new record. After drummer Ryan Caesar’s final jaunt with the band, drumming duties on The Monument Tour will be undertaken by mate, Melbourne local and former Dardanelles drummer Mitch McGregor. Another announcement from the camp is that frontman Johnny Mackay will relocate to New York City to begin writing new material and indulge in the NYC lifestyle – but not before making this tour all it can be. Supported by Dune Rats! And Bad Dreems. 7pm. $28.60 + bf through Oztix.

WHO: Nikko WHAT: NEW Album Tour WHEN: Thu Sep 6 WHERE: The Phoenix Bar

Brisbane-based Nikko will be touring the nation armed with their second album, Gold & Red. Following the release of their debut album, The Warm Side, in 2010, Nikko have progressively built themselves a fortress of fans and a reputation to be revered. Featuring strong sounds delivered with fearless conviction, their latest offering has been described as a ‘frighteningly destructive’ and ‘apocalyptic country’ record (in the most complimentary way, clearly). If you’re keen to rumble your soul, or at least witness the toe-tapping Armageddon, catch Nikko supported by Mornings and Killing Birds. 8pm. Free. More info can be found at nikkoband.com.

WHO: Bandaluzia WHAT: Flamenco Guitar Virtuoso WHEN: Sat-Sun Sep 8-9 WHERE: Tuggeranong Arts Centre

Flamenco is coming to Canberra! Damian Wright is a Sydney-based flamenco guitarist with impressive and wide-ranging experience in flamenco music, including four years’ study in Spain with some of the most recognised maestros of the flamenco style. After having toured Australia, the musical director of Sydney-based flamenco ensemble, Bandaluzia, will be bringing his latest highly-skilled, captivating and emotional performance to Canberra. The show includes a line-up of talented musicians and performers and will feature flamenco guitar, bass, flamenco singing and dancing, cajon and percussion. Allow yourself to be transported to a world of centuries-old musical tradition. 8pm. Tickets $30/$35.

ASHLEY THOMSON Some are under the impression that ALPINE are passive listening, a fleeting triple j fodder phenomenon. It would be easy to think so; the more cultivated and layered sound becomes, the less able radio is to convey its depths. Music like Alpine’s – on the surface, accessible indie pop – doesn’t win through on its base components. In the quiet, isolated realm of headphones or the rich embrace of a legitimate sound system, Alpine’s debut album, A is for Alpine, becomes a wonderlust. There are the six members in Alpine – two vocalists, a bassist, guitarist, keyboardist and drummer – and a talented producer, Dann Hume, behind every song on A is for Alpine and in every song they are employed to their full potential. The intricacy of the vocal harmonies alone is superb, but mixed to perfection with booming synth and restrained guitar riffs the tracks become some of the finest pop music released all year, let alone in Australia. The organic nature of this sound’s creation played a part, as did the band’s internal shift of emphasis since their debut EP, Zurich, in late 2010.

You have a whole day leading up to this one point where you expel all your emotional energy

‘Our whole writing process changed,’ explained Phoebe Baker, co-lead vocalist. ‘The songs on the EP were written by me and Christian [O’Brien, guitarist], or me, Christian and Lou[isa James, co-lead vocalist] – so only the three of us – but now it’s much more collaborative, the way we write. So it’s all of us pitching in and passing the songs around and then jamming on them so the whole sound is changing – which is working out well, so far, and we all seem to agree on what our sound is, whatever that is. We all have some kind of subconscious agreement. ‘We’re not preconceiving a common theme; it just comes up when we feel it – spontan—spont—oh my god, I can’t even say the word. SpontanAEously. You know what I mean, right?’ Having just released A is for Alpine – which went to number one on the iTunes Album Chart – Phoebe was excited. ‘It has gone quickly but it’s been a lot of work as well. It’s still going... We’re gonna celebrate tonight. I think we’re gonna have—’ she hesitated momentarily and the air of self-censorship fell between her words, ‘...definitely a few beers.’ In the two years since the release of the Zurich EP, Alpine have toured extensively as supports for a plethora of bands and were, in the culmination of that work, invited to appear at South by Southwest (SXSW) in Austin, Texas, one of the most revered independent music festivals in the world. But SXSW was as taxing

and unusual as anything that had come before. ‘We had some really tiny crowds but they were just the best... You know when you have a sigh of relief when you just suddenly feel comfortable?’ They came home with energy to spare. ‘We did the record... I think it was literally a week after we got back we started recording... But we felt ready. We felt like it had to happen.’ Plunging into it with them was producer Dann Hume. ‘He became like the seventh member... He had so many creative, genius ideas. I dunno.’ Phoebe trailed off, lost in positive phrases for a moment. ‘He was too good. He was just too good. We were so lucky. I dunno. He was perfect. We just did take after take after take and we felt comfortable because of him.’ The recurring appearance of ‘comfort’ as key to their music was not coincidence; their record reeks of intimate concentration. ‘We feel like we kind of have a finished product,’ Phoebe reflected easily, despite the intensity of the past two years. Having attained the reputation of an energetic, captivating live performance, the honed product is the result of conscious focus within the band – a difference from the Zurich days which is instantly notable. ‘We want, on the record, for it to sound perfect,’ Phoebe said. ‘We can focus in on the finer details, create all these amazing noises. Live, there’s a whole other aspect... We still want to get our sound out there but with improvisation.’ Live performance can be taxing for someone who puts themselves unreservedly into the show. ‘You have a whole day leading up to this one point where you expel all your emotional energy,’ Phoebe laughed – the small laugh of someone revealing something that weighs on them. ‘I try to give it 100 per cent every time but it’s— nothing is ever perfect, y’know? You’ve gotta not take things too seriously and make sure you’re having fun.’ Their upcoming tour will be different in that they are headlining, fuelling the ambitions of the band. ‘To tell you the truth, I’m a bit nervous. It’s a giant tour... We’ve been doing all the support shows so hopefully we’ll meet real fans and – you know, a celebration.’ The shows will see the band breaching their own high watermark once again but Phoebe was determined to remain laissez-faire. ‘Whatever happens happens. We’re just enjoying the ride at the moment,’ she said of her hopes for the band’s future. But pride – a gentle pride – was not absent. ‘People don’t often get proud of themselves – I don’t know why – but it’s really important to be happy with what you achieve... Of course we want [the album] to do well but it doesn’t matter what people think as long as some people out there love it.’ Expect to be treated accordingly if you bring that love to their stage. Alpine will appear at Transit Bar on Sunday September 2, 6pm, with Clubfeet and Georgi Kay. Tickets $15 + bf through Moshtix. Their debut album, A is for Alpine, is out now on Ivy League.

LOCALITY

Tonight, Wednesday August 29, at The Front Gallery and Café, a tall, fat, hunched, bald man, his demeanour reminiscent of a runt penis hidden in a forest of matted pubic hair, will tell jokes for an hour. Jay Sullivan – local, one-time mentor and dear friend until 22 words previous – will be present his new show, Cold August Night, for one night only. The show is free but book a seat via jaysullivan. com if it hasn’t booked out. He’s very funny if you picture him dying. And turn to page 38 to read Jay’s submission to our new comic’s soapbox, LOLcol. Good man… Sweats a lot… Likes kids…

The following night, Thursday August 30, rising local groove metal band Eyes To The Sky are headlining a show at Transit Bar with Na Maza and Johnny Roadkill from 8pm. And the same night, if dudes sweating and yelling shit isn’t your thing, the new retrospective of Canberran feature films, Local Feats, is continuing at Kendall Lane Theatre in NewActon with Sticky & Salty (1993). The film screens at 6pm and 9pm with a talk by the director and an accompanying short. Visit newacton.com.au/localfeats for info or to book. Turn to page 43 for our Local Feats feature. Friday August 31 will see Mr Bill appearing at The Clubhouse but before the show he’s running an Ableton Workshop, open to all. The workshop runs from 5:30pm to 8pm. Find more details on page 14. And the following day, Saturday September 1, the Short + Sweet Gala Final will be held at The Courtyard Studio of Canberra Theatre Centre. There will be a 2pm trial matinee before the show proper at 7:30pm. Book tickets through canberratheatrecentre.com.au or by calling (02) 6275 2700. The following weekend is equally worthwhile. On Friday September 7, Knightsbridge Penthouse will hold its Spring Fling – which is essentially a dressing up of something fundamentally poisonous to society: religion. I kid – it’s alcohol. Knightsbridge is launching its new cocktail menu and offering $10 cocktails from 6pm to 8pm, with music accompanying and following. Put some in a baby bottle for your kid. Then hit them with it. Saturday September 8 sees an epic line-up of MCs and DJs hitting Zierholz @ UC for Rhyme Intervention 5. I’m running out of space; see page 30 for our feature. And no local column would be complete without a mention of The Phoenix Bar. Monday September 10 gets the fortnight’s first nod. LocalnLive are presenting The Bootleg Sessions and bringing in an especially decent line-up, with Sanji De Silva making a return alongside Elisha Bones, Julia and the Deep Sea Sirens and The Missing Lincolns. As usual, 8pm is zero hour (plus or minus as many minutes as it takes to reduce that phrase’s relevancy to nil). The second Phoenix nod is to Thursday September 13, which will herald an official launch of the Punktuation Podcast (punktuation.me). Recently invented by local punk rock enthusiasts, Punktuation has broadcast ten episodes of local music from Lamexcuse, Super Best Friends, Outcom and more and will be celebrating their landmark with locals Yoko Oh No, Revellers and The Euphorics from 9pm. And that’s everything local I care about. ASHLEY THOMSON - editorial@bmamag.com

Xavier Rudd is a father to two sons, so you should go see him live. Whether he tells awesome dad jokes or not, I don’t know.

ALL AGES Hey folks. I thought this week I’d explore the father of all joke genres: the Dad joke. And since Father’s Day is coming up, I convinced myself that it’s topical enough to be the theme of this column, with no real relevance whatsoever to all ages events. So apologies in advance for really lame literal and punny jokes. Oh, you’re hungry? Nice to meet you, Hungry! That one’s funny the first 1000 times, right? Take Dad out on Saturday September 1 for a Father’s Day eve party. Convince him that his taste in music is out-dated, much like those photos of him when he had that terrible mullet. Take him to see local Canberra rock band Drawing North, who will be celebrating the release of their new EP, Of Sand and Stone, with a national tour. They will be playing at the UC Refectory and are supported by We Rob Banks, Sound of Seasons and Atlantis Awaits. You can either buy pre-sale tickets online at Moshtix for $15 + bf or at the door for $20. Show Dad what you could have done if you had seriously committed to that pair of roller-skates he bought you when you were a kid: come see a game of Roller Derby at Red Bellied Black Hearts vs. The Surly Griffins on Saturday September 8.They play at the Southern Cross Stadium in Tuggeranong. Doors will open at 5pm for a 6pm start. Tickets are $11.75 + bf and can be bought online at Oztix.

What I can tell you is that he will be playing at Canberra Theatre on Sunday September 9. General admission is $61.50 + bf and can be booked through the Canberra Theatre Centre at canberratheatrecentre.com.au. LIVE@BAC is an acoustic gig for local musicians to showcase their talent whilst surrounded by a panoramic view of Lake Ginninderra. It runs every second Friday of the month. Next one is on Friday September 14 at the Belconnen Arts Centre. It costs $5 at the door and runs from 5:30pm-7:30pm. Details on performers are put up each month on their website: belconnenartscentre.com.au. Bring all your underage friends to UC Refectory to see Amity Affliction, The Ghost Inside (US), Architects (UK) and Buried in Verona. They play on Tuesday October 2. Tickets are $51.30 +bf and can be bought online or by calling either Ticketek or Oztix. 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. Zombie Prom Musical makes its way to the Yarralumla Woolshed from Sat-Sun October 6-7. Tickets start at $25 + bf and can be bought online at Moshtix. That’s it for now, folks. I’d like to end on a great pun to honour all bad Dad jokes out there: Did you hear about the guy whose whole left side was cut off? He’s all right now. ANDIE EGAN allagescolumn@gmail.com

THE TOP OF YOUR THINGS TO DO LIST julia winterflood ‘At the moment I’m organising 150 musicians, eight camera crews and three audio crews to go into Garema Place on Saturday September 1 from 7pm to do a huge flash mob performance,’ says MusicACT committee member, David Caffery, as if he were rattling off a shopping list. ‘Hopefully we can make a viral video out of it.’ This massive musical flash mob will be promoting THE MAMAs: the inaugural MusicACT Annual Music Awards. For over a year, MusicACT has been beavering away in industry workshops, from social media to electronic music production. The MAMAs is its first big event.

There’ll be dancing. A lot of dancing

‘We’re doing it in style,’ says Dave. ‘Albert Hall will be decked out like never before. There’ll be over 15 performances: everyone from choral groups to DJs. And there’ll be dancing. A lot of dancing.’ 19 awards covering a large array of genres, from Best Rock Group to Best Orchestra/Big Band to Best Folk Group to Best EDM Producer, will be presented, along with four major awards as voted by you: 2012 Artist, Youth Artist, Live Performer and Live Venue. But they’re not just giving gongs to those onstage – Best Contribution to the ACT Music Industry and Best Studio/Engineer/Producer are also on the list. Some may scoff at the significance of an awards night (AHA Awards, anyone?) but Peter Bayliss, MusicACT committee member and industry old hat, insists, ‘Artists will be reviewed by high calibre members of the national industry. Having access to and being reviewed by people at the level we’re getting is a real boon for Canberra artists.’ Among the judges announced so far are Gregg Donovan of Wonderlick Entertainment (whose current management roster includes Boy & Bear and Josh Pyke) and former head of Speak N Spell Records (The Dandy Warhols, Midlake, Four Tet) and Chris Reeves, who is now a consultant with Parallel Management and looks after such luminaries as The Presets. Peter continues, ‘While other award ceremonies are more about the individual and the individual award, this one is more about the broader concept of recognition of the ACT industry as a whole – in that we actually have one.’ Don’t we ever, Pete. We all know Canberra’s music scene is prolific, diverse and burgeoning. We’ve been to countless local gigs, concerts and dance parties and thought, ‘This is magic. If only the rest of the country knew.’ It’s time we told the rest of the country how much exceptional music is made in Canberra and the MAMAs are the way to do it – and have a damn good time while we’re at it. Says Dave, ‘We’re giving our best shot to unite this city, but we really need people to submit their applications and to represent Canberra.’ You heard the man. Get involved! Submissions for the MAMAs are now open and close Monday October 15. Public voting opens Thursday October 25 with finalists announced Monday November 5. The party’s happening on Friday December 7 at Albert Hall. Tickets are $30/$60 with food and drinks included. Head to musicact.com. au/mamas for all the info.

We’re All Here for a Drowning

julia winterflood For almost 40 years and in over 350 songs, PAUL KELLY has been connecting with Australians of all ages like no other Oz muso. His songs are about everyone in this country; lovers and sinners and mothers and migrants, alcoholic fathers and Aboriginal artists, legendary cricket players and junkies and jailbirds, cleaning ladies. He captures us all. And yet, until the release of his ‘mongrel memoir,’ How to Make Gravy, in 2010, we knew hardly anything about him. A perennially private and incredibly modest man, he revealed many secrets about himself in his brick of a book, but now, thanks to AFI award-winning documentary filmmaker Ian Darling, those closest to Paul have revealed their own secrets about him. Over 30 interviews with family, friends and fellow musos, along with rare archival footage, dozens of live performances and candid confessions from the man himself make up Stories of Me, the first feature length documentary about this loved singer-songwriter.

It was a matter of how we were going to bring in this huge rock and sculpt it into this beautiful figure

Director Ian Darling’s been listening to Paul for nigh on 30 years and all his documentaries have a strong emphasis on education, community outreach and social change – much like many of Kelly’s classics. Ian was clearly the man for the job. ‘Paul was sort of a reluctant subject,’ he explains. ‘I’ve heard that there’ve been many filmmakers over the years who have approached him but he really didn’t want to have a film made about him. He’s always been of the mindset of, “I really don’t want this fuss made about me, I just like to go and do my stuff.” But a couple of things were in our favour. One is that he was finalising his book and that was a period where he had to reveal a lot more about himself than he had in the past. He’d said in regards to How to Make Gravy, “A guarded memoir is a failed memoir.” But I think when he saw what plans we had for the education and outreach part of the film, he realised it wasn’t going to be a vanity piece or a puff piece, that it was actually going to have some use as well and I think that’s what did it.’ Along with producing a shorter version of Stories of Me as a free resource for Australian schools, Ian is working with the English Teachers Association of NSW and Victoria to develop a curriculum resource based on the film with all other states soon to follow. ‘The response from teachers has been extraordinarily positive,’ Ian says proudly. ‘They see it as something not only of great merit because of its local content, but also because there are so many

themes that jump out of it along the lines of identity and human journey, as well as themes of religion and Indigenous studies and music and poetry and storytelling.’ How does one include so many themes in a 100-minute film? Unsurprisingly, Ian admits that editing was an enormous challenge. ‘We had over 50 interviews that we’d conducted, over 100 hours of concert footage; there were dozens and dozens of hours of archival footage and thousands of photos and articles, so it was a matter of how we were going to bring in this huge rock and eventually sculpt it into this beautiful figure. It took us quite a while to work out that the best way to make the film, or the best way to tell the story, was in a non-linear way. So rather than start at birth we felt that it was a far better structure to start with him as a struggling artist in the late ‘70s and keep going back to his childhood or points of conflict that would actually reinforce the story that we’re telling. To me, it’s a seamless story that unfolds the life of a great artist.’ It’s here that Ian and I trade stories of how this great artist has influenced our lives, the first time his voice cut right through us, and what we love most about his music. ‘It’s interesting the way it hits you in different ways,’ Ian muses. ‘I think I smelled one of his songs at an early age. I was living near Punt Road, so Leaps and Bounds was a song that just jumped out. I can remember thinking, “Wow, this guy is so precise; it is always 11 degrees in Melbourne in May!” Also the line: “the burning leaves.” You were allowed to burn leaves in Melbourne in the mid-‘80s and in May that was the sensation – you could smell the burning leaves. I think that was a very strong emotion for me, being able to smell one of his songs. I think that was the first time I’d had that sort of sensation with a songwriter. One of his great friends [Australian author] John Kingsmill said, “Paul’s a real sensualist; he likes to feel and touch.” I think that’s why you can feel and touch his songs.’ And now the obligatory question: what’s your favourite Paul Kelly song? ‘In the closing credits, the whole film crew lists their favourite song, which I think is quite cute, but it all depends on what day you ask me. On the day we closed the credits it was You Can Put Your Shoes Under My Bed. I just love the rawness of it. It’s almost as if he’s singing it with a croaky voice from the night before. It’s beautiful.’ Chances are your favourite will be in the film too, along with the rich and wonderful stories behind his swag of songs now lodged deep in the Australian psyche. Stories of Me is screening for one night only at the Canberra Theatre Centre on Friday November 2, 7:30pm. After the screening, Ian Darling and members of the production crew will answer audience questions and Paul Kelly will play a song or two. Tickets are $42.49 and can be bought at canberratheatrecentre.com.au.

Personal stuff was coming through and I had a crazy experience with a Red-Tailed Black Cockatoo

‘Nothing is really conscious with my music. It comes through and I kind of always have a rule that it is what it is. It flows pretty strongly and for me to alter it with my mind, or try and achieve something with it, kind of disrespects whatever it is that is bringing it through.’

SPIRITED AWAY zoe pleasants Life is full of contradictions. So too is XAVIER RUDD’s latest album, Spirit Bird; from the ugliness of threatened environmental destruction emerges the beauty of his music. Spirit Bird is a soulful, meditative record with both big, sweeping tracks and stripped back, deeply personal ones. It is a reflection of Xavier’s life over the last two years. ‘A record is just a snippet of time of one big album in a lot of ways,’ Xavier explained. ‘I don’t try to capture every idea that comes through me or everything that comes into my mind. I just leave it and whatever’s in me after two years will come out.’

Xavier is looking forward to his solo tour of the record. ‘I feel really strong at the moment and really like I want to play music,’ he enthuses. ‘Like the old days, pretty much everything you hear on Spirit Bird is just me and I can do it all live.’ In particular he’s looking forward to touring through all the ‘crazy little nooks and crannies in Australia,’ as he feels this album is important for this country. It seems he’s already having an impact; Spirit Bird debuted at number two on the ARIA charts, and – I recently discovered – even Cadel Evans is chilling out to it during his post-ride massages. Xavier Rudd’s will play Sunday September 9, 8pm, at Canberra Theatre. Tickets are $61.50 on sale now from canberratheatrecentre.com.au.

Much of what has come out on this record Xavier discovered, or processed, in Western Australia’s Kimberley region. ‘I felt like the keys for this record were handed to me in the Kimberley.’ Xavier started travelling up to the Kimberley as a result of his involvement with the protest against the proposed gas processing plant to be built at James Price Point, 60km north of Broome. Constructing the plant would change forever the pristine wilderness of the Browse Basin. Xavier recounted, ‘I started doing these trips up to the Kimberley and through that powerful country, personal stuff was coming through and I had a crazy experience with a Red-Tailed Black Cockatoo.’ That Red-Tailed Black Cockatoo would become Xavier’s ‘Spirit Bird,’ the namesake of his next album. The record also marks over a decade of Xavier’s international success and what he describes as ‘the big life’ that comes with that: ‘Always moving fast, two kids, this amazing journey... high highs and low lows.’ When I first listened to Spirit Bird, I was struck by the ease with which Xavier’s personal insights and political ideas seemed to sit side-by-side. I asked him if mixing the personal and political was something he did consciously.

The Family Stone ASHLEY THOMSON

JULIA STONE has a back catalogue that will guide perceptions of her for years to come. Hers and her brother Angus’s album, Down The Way, is the benchmark by which Australian and international fans alike will allow their responses to the music on her new album, By The Horns, to be formed. It is an obvious point; she did not talk about it. She talked about California. ‘I love California. It keeps coming up lyrically because it’s a place where I’ve fallen in love and... I just love the coastline of that drive from San Diego all the way up to San Francisco; I find it to be one of the most beautiful places in the world. But I guess I feel the same way about Australia. I guess that’s one of the things that’s so striking about California, is that it’s so similar to places I went as a child and it has this familiarity to it, but it has the magic of the Redwood forests and the crazy big trees but you’re right on the ocean. I dunno, I think everything, when it comes down to it, is the experiences that I’ve had and the ones that have been really heartfelt end up making it into the songs... Home is a very odd concept at the moment but hopefully not for too long.

Home is a very odd concept at the moment

‘I remember the first time I started the drive – I’ve done it a few times now – but we started in San Francisco and I was seeing this guy at the time who was like, “You’ve gotta do this drive with me.” So we’re driving out of San Francisco and we finally get to the coast road – and we’ve got Paul Simon’s Graceland playing and I’ve never heard the record before, y’know, and we’re totally in love – and then we come out and I see the ocean and it’s like – I couldn’t help myself – it sounds so cheesy but I started crying,’ she laughed. ‘The beauty of it was so phenomenal and touching and I think, combined with the music, it was just magical, and then I always felt an affinity with that road. ‘I think the nature of travel and the nature of being in different places and constant movement and the feeling of—it’s a kind of mixed feeling of “I don’t belong here but I totally feel like I do.” You feel so inspired by the fact that total strangers can feel like family in places that you’ve never been before. You can be in a city that, y’know, you walk down some street and it feels like home in some bizarre way. It’s those experiences and combined with falling in love with amazing people and coming to leave and the sense of getting good at being in the moments that you’re in and having to let them go and not being very good at that – it’s all those things that keep it worthwhile. It’s part of the way my life has unfolded. Y’know how some people say it must be horrible not having a home? I dunno, I guess I really do love it. I love the chaos of it and the unknown entity. You might have your tour schedule and know what city you’re

gonna be in or how long you’ve got to spend here or there, but you have no idea who’s going to turn up and blow you away with a story of theirs that really touches you or takes you to a place that really moves you and makes you feel like, “Wow, Planet Earth is fucking amazing,”’ she laughed, pausing a moment before she added, ‘or, “Planet Earth is really disgusting.”’ We moved on to the album. ‘Angus and I have always operated like this: you get in the studio and whatever happens happens. It’s still “get in there and see what happens”.’ This approach led Julia Stone to a focus on vocal harmonies and experimentation with synths. ‘In the second verse [of new song With The Light] there’s this really low harmony. I like doing this thing when I’m recording, just soloing the voices... You’ve got this low harmony that’s just one note and all the voices singing in the intro like robots like, [putting on a deep robot voice] “Open the window/ we’re not free,” y’know,’ she laughed, ‘and then this really high voice like, [putting a choirboy’s voice] “Open the window.” It’s something that it does to your head, when you hear voices do that. For me it’s really peaceful.’ Stone also included a cover of The National’s Bloodbuzz Ohio on the album. ‘The National played a lot of festivals in Europe when Angus and I were touring Down The Way so I saw their live show, I dunno, six, seven times? I hadn’t actually thought of covering anything of theirs ever but it was just by chance. I did a show in New York with Thomas [Bartlett, producer of By The Horns and work by The National, Antony & the Johnsons] and he asked me to do four songs and one of them had to be a cover and he actually suggested that I do a song off High Violet... I mean, I love doing covers. I kind of always joke about it but I think one day I’ll probably be a cover singer. I just love it... Dad plays in a covers band so that was how we grew up... ‘Over the years the confusion of hearing a song and being so used to hearing Backbeat’s version of it – that’s Dad’s band – and when you hear the original it’s like, “Uhh, I think Backbeat did it better.” ‘That’s what we do as humans, isn’t it? It’s like a way of trying to explain something; you do it by comparison. We do it with everything.’ Finally, Stone talked about the upcoming tour. ‘Amsterdam to Paris to Berlin to New York to LA to Sydney to Melbourne and when you mix that up with doing press and video clips, it’s pretty hectic... It all comes down to the people you have on the road with you... Coming full circle back to travel, I get really itchy. When I come home and I have a few weeks off I start feeling like, “Alright, I’m ready to go.” Y’know? Life is too fun.’ Just as it is difficult to want to guide a life like Julia Stone’s, so it is to corrupt an organic conversation with authorial inserts. Julia Stone will appear at The Abbey in Federation Square on Wednesday September 12. Tickets are available through theabbey.com.au or by calling (02) 6230 2905.

There is definitely no plan to split from Boy & Bear

they produce incredible musical moods and soundscapes; a modern take on old ideas.’ As for his lyrical inspiration, Tim explained, ‘I’m not into the simple boy-girl relationship stories. I prefer to write from experience and draw on my personal journey.’

WITH A HART-ON FOR PLAYING SOLO Rory mccartney Has Boy & Bear seen the last of its drummer and backup vocalist TIM HART, whose debut solo album, Milling The Wind, recently hit the streets? I spoke to him in Gothenburg, Sweden, as B&B were preparing for the Way Out West Festival. Tim was quick to reassure: ‘No, there is definitely no plan to split from Boy & Bear. I intend to strike a healthy balance between following both careers.’

Despite a clear difference in style and sound, Milling The Wind features a fair amount of input from B&B members. ‘Whoever was hanging around the studio at the time I was making the record was invited to contribute. My favourite track is So Come the Rain because I worked with my producer Mark Myers to bring out the soundscape and atmosphere, so you can really understand the mood of the song.’ So, can we expect these studio collaborations to manifest live on tour? ‘It’s just me onstage, although at times I’ll bring my support acts up to contribute to my gigs.’ Tim Hart will show his stuff at The Front Café & Gallery on Wednesday September 5, 8pm, supported by Neda and Stu Larsen. Tickets are $15.30 through Oztix.

Tim’s solo project has been on the cards for a long time. Before B&B, Tim started out with uni band Wintersound. ‘This was really a best friends’ band, including Jon from B&B,’ explained Tim. ‘We practiced in our front room and gigged around Sydney but never made the leap to wider touring. We were into pop with three-part harmonies, like those found in The Eagles – I loved those harmonies. Even back then I was writing tracks for my solo project and being encouraged by Dave from B&B and our manager.’ As was to be expected, the success of B&B inevitably resulted in the delay of Tim’s solo plans. ‘While it was something I was always going to be doing, I had to wait for the right moment. B&B’s break from gigging when Killian got married was the right window of opportunity.’ During this time, Tim developed a personal style quite different from B&B. ‘The band is far more eclectic in its tastes with influences as far out as metal and The Mars Volta. I’m massively into folk music. My early influences came from my parents’ record collection, which included such acts as Simon & Garfunkel and Crosby, Stills & Nash.’ Tim’s more recent inspiration comes from US folk artist Sam Amidon and Irish Mercury Prize winner Fionn Regan. ‘You should go and buy an album from these artists if you are not into their music. While they have not received their due recognition,

SUX SUXTHS

LIVING THE AMERICAN DREAM MOMENT

mel cerato

RORY McCARTNEY

Singer/guitarist Matiu Walters of New Zealand band SIX60 is cut off minutes into our chat. Apparently we can put people on the moon but we don’t have the power or technology to maintain a stable phone connection to our friends across the ditch.

Why has MIA DYSON – once a frequent gigger at Tilley’s and The Southern Cross Club – been absent for the last couple of years? Mia, who scored a Best Blues & Roots ARIA for Parking Lots in 2005, is back from three years in the US, over her jetlag and rehearsing with a new band for an upcoming tour.

OK, second go, let’s see if this will last. ‘I can’t wait to get back to Australia; I think it is our fourth or fifth time,’ Matiu says excitedly, referring to the band’s quick Australian tour they are about to start. Released late last year, Six60’s debut self-titled album is indicative of the varied musical influences of each of the five band members.

Paul Mac put his flavour on it and you can definitely hear his flavour

‘I guess we don’t really confine ourselves to a genre, we just write whatever we feel at that moment,’ says Matiu. ‘We are all from different areas of the country, except our bass player; he is from Darwin and he brings a mostly punk influence into the group. ‘But, after all that, I guess we are kind of a mix of soul, roots, rock, dubstep and pop. It’s quite an eclectic mix but it works somehow,’ he says happily. The album has gone triple platinum in New Zealand, an amazing achievement for a debut by a bunch of guys who’ve only been playing together professionally since the end of 2009. The band’s influence in the music world extends to having remix legend Paul Mac work his magic on not one but two singles from the album. ‘As you put a single package together, it kinda makes sense to put a remix along with it, and our bass player, being from Darwin, suggested we approach his childhood hero,’ Matiu explains. The single, Forever, reached platinum and the band had such a good time working with Mac that they did it again for the remix of the next single, In The Clear. ‘We’ve never met in person but we’ve had some lovely Skype conversations and we seem to get on pretty well,’ Matiu says cheerfully. ‘We released the single, Paul Mac put his flavour on it, and you can definitely hear his flavour through the song; it’s got a techno thing going on. Now we’ve had two songs with him and we couldn’t be happier’ All this success means the next couple of months are going to be busy for Six60. ‘We leave Australia and fly straight to Portland, USA, of all places, and we start a pretty whirlwind three-week tour over there. Then we finish in Toronto and fly to Berlin for a show, then back to New Zealand in November.’ Then back to Australia for their spot at Homebake in Sydney. ‘Yeah, our first Australian festival. I’m really excited,’ says Matiu. ‘We get to gain some new fans and introduce a whole bunch of people to what we are up to, what we are all about.’ Six60 are visiting the ANU Bar on Wednesday September 12. Tickets are available through Ticketek.

In response to whether or not her parents’ record collection influenced her musical direction, Mia replies fervently, ‘Hell yeah! Not that I like to admit to it, but I grew up listening to The Band, The ‘Stones and Bob Dylan. They impacted upon me from when I was a baby.’ The inspiration for her songs, however, she attributes to ‘mainly my own life experiences. Although, sometimes someone comes to me at a show with a special story, which turns into a song like Jesse about forced adoption.’ Her latest LP, The Moment, was similarly born out of real-life scenarios. ‘It’s about leaving the security of Australia, going outside my comfort zone, trying to make a career in the US and playing solo for the first time again.’

It was funny to be briefly in that Hollywood world

Although Mia believes her songwriting style remained unaffected by her experience in the US, she admits, ‘The US experience of a rollercoaster ride of struggle and triumph has made me more honest and direct; I’m less concerned with the response of the listener to what I play.’ Mia also openly acknowledges that the impetus for her journey did not transpire for purely musical reasons. ‘I’d always wanted to travel from a young age, even before I started performing. I prefer to travel while gigging, rather than just straight travelling.’ Whether or not her time in the US resonates through her latest album, it has clearly left a lasting impression on Mia. ‘I started in Boston before moving to LA to work with Dave Stewart (ex-Eurythmics). I let go of the reigns of my career a bit there and the opportunities with Dave did not pan out. I wasted some time before getting it back together and building a West Coast following. Dave Stewart is a fascinating character with famous friends. It was funny to be briefly in that Hollywood world, but musically we’re not on the same page; the US is very competitive if you’re after commercial success.’ To this, Mia carefully adds, ‘If you put your head down and do what you really like, you can achieve your potential. In LA, people were optimistic, encouraging you to pursue your dreams.’ So after what seems like a mixed bag of emotions experienced during her last visit, will Mia be planning a return to the US? ‘Yes, I will be here for a year before returning there. I’d like to be based in both countries and establish homes in both.’ Mia showcases her latest album, The Moment, at The Abbey on Sunday September 16. Doors open at 6:30pm for a 9pm start. Tickets are $35 + bf/$105 + bf with dinner through theabbey.com.au. Mia also headlines at the Sydney Blues and Roots Festival, Thu-Sun October 25-28. See sydneybluesfestival.com.au for more details.

We don’t expect to conquer the world again

THE BEAT GOES ON justin hook If you wanted to be a pop star there was no better time than the ‘80s. Once punk had subsided it was smooth sailing into big hair, keyboards, million dollar videos, cocaine and supermodels. Right? ‘Well to be honest – that was all part of an act I didn’t want to be a part of. I was very passionate about the music and that was the goal. Not about how famous or outrageous of a rock star you were.’ Brian Canham is lead singer and guitarist of PSEUDO ECHO, whose mid-‘80s cover of Lipps Inc.’s Funky Town launched them into the stratosphere. It was enormously successful – topping the charts in Australia, New Zealand and Canada and cracking the Top Ten in the US and England when these sort of things actually meant something.

Coinciding with the forthcoming national tour is the release of Suddenly Silently. It doesn’t hitch its sails to any prevailing musical trend. And if it sounds like it does, that’s because keyboard-based pop is popular again, although it has never really gone away. Fittingly, it sounds exactly like Pseudo Echo. ‘That’s what I wanted to achieve. I’m not guilty of being caught by the latest trends and it did take me while to get my head around what I wanted to do. But that’s futile. So I thought more about the early material and it all became really clear.’

As for global ambitions a la 1986, Canham remains firmly grounded. ‘We’re all very realistic about it. We don’t expect to conquer the world again. We do it because we want to play music and we realise there’s a fanbase who want to hear out music.’ Pseudo Echo will play at The Abbey in Federation Square on Saturday September 15. Doors open at 6:30pm with the main act starting 9pm. Tickets through theabbey.com.au or by calling (02) 6230 2905.

Pseudo Echo had experienced a degree of success in Australia but nothing prepared them for Funky Town. Turns out nothing could prepare them for what they were about to experience. ‘Not really, not at all. We were just thrown into it. Next thing we were pop stars getting chased round the street. Before you know it you’re thrust into extreme celebrity and pressure. And it was moving way too fast so it didn’t really sink in. Fortunately for me I stayed with my feet firmly on the ground. I didn’t believe the hype. I definitely embraced being a pop star, but for me it was about making music. That attitude kept me grounded.’ Despite all the best intentions of Canham to remain solidly focused on the music and minimise the accruements of fame, Funky Town was a blessing and a curse, playing a part in derailing Pseudo Echo Mk. I. ‘I think it did. When I look back at our career I can see a real uniqueness when we started but I do think we lost sight of where we were heading. My mission really has been to reclaim that. To go back to our roots. That’s what we have done with the new material.’

was infinitely listenable, even for those with no patience for what the ‘80s did to pop music.

SOMETHING WICKED

ashley thomson

Earlier this year, one of the most unapologetically ‘80s-style diva synth-pop records in years was released by a Brooklyn duo, CHAIRLIFT. It took every horrid, tacky sound from the ‘80s – Ataristyle synth melodies, thwacking electro-snare, shimmering star shine effects, essence-of-diva sing-along choruses – and remastered them with such confidence and songwriting finesse that the LP, Something,

I make the stuff to please myself – and it does

Chairlift is Caroline Polachek, the group’s vocalist and frontwoman, and Patrick Wimberly, best known as producer of Das Racist’s Relax. ‘I’m in my kitchen in Brooklyn,’ said Polachek when connected. She sounded tired. ‘We just came back from tour a few days ago.’ Though seasoned now, one of Chairlift’s groundbreaking touring experiences was as a support for The Killers, an experience they may be partially reliving when they support Gotye on his upcoming US tour. ‘Playing a 20,000-person stadium – it’s not even people any more; it’s just a sea of cell phones. The sound is immaculate, there are hot and cold running stage hands in all directions. We’ve never had sound production like that.’ Sound production is something that’s come to mean a lot to Chairlift. The bursting sound on Something was purpose-built by Dan Carey (Hot Chip, Santigold, M.I.A.) but that this unapologetic approach is reminiscent of ‘80s diva synth-pop is not something she’s often confronted with. ‘I’m actually quite refreshed and relieved to here someone say that. It’s funny – I listen to a lot of synth music that came from, like, the dawn of synth music, and I think unfortunately I’ll be drawn to [its] raw quality... [Laughs] I guess I can’t even offer a perspective on whether or not it’s good, but yeah, I make the stuff to please myself – and it does.’ As the band’s creative figurehead, making pleasing music appears to be something close to Polachek’s heart but she shies from altruism. ‘Most of the music I listen to is actually quite dark and gloomy... Maybe everyone’s just constantly trying to counterbalance themselves. I think in general I’m kind of more a brooding, solitary person, so my music – maybe that’s an exciting way for me to be more extraverted.’ This extraversion takes on exciting incarnations in every one of the band’s videos, the direction of which Polachek was responsible for until other responsibilities became too much. The latest – for Met Before, designed as a ‘choose your own adventure’ – led her to withdraw completely: ‘I’m gonna go crazy if I try and direct this one.’ But whether stepping back will guide the the next record is unclear. ‘Something was a very dense record,’ she said. ‘It had kind of lush, full sound to it and I’m interested in seeing how much we can lose and still have a buoyancy.’ The gluttonous upswing of Something should not be missed.

Something is available now via Columbia Records. Chairlift will perform at Parklife Festival in Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Brisbane and Adelaide between Saturday September 29 and Sunday October 7.

FRATERNAL FLAME chris navin THE MEDICS are a talented young band hailing from Cairns who have managed, in their small hometown scene, to blossom into a band that offers something truly special. Their music is best described as a deeply moving, emotionally-charged brand of atmospheric rock that utilises influences as diverse as At The Drive In and Radiohead to create a vast, reverbladen bed of guitars, upon which singer Jhindu Lawrie delivers his soulful, heartfelt crooning. Originating in a small city, their musical career took off following an invitation to the Brisbane 2009 BIGSOUND music industry conference – an experience which landed them their manager and ultimately led them to sign with Brisbane independent label Foot Stomp Records. ‘It was our first proper showcase to the industry so it was our first chance to show what we’re made of in a live environment.’

When we first recorded we’d never really seen a microphone

Their first EP, This Boat We Call Love, earned them success on triple j Unearthed and a collection of glowing reviews that led to extensive touring and festival slots. Their latest release, Foundations, continues that success. ‘The new album is going well. If we had preempted what we wanted the public response to be, it would have been very similar to what it is: people are buying it, people are liking it. I guess we can’t really want any more than that. If we can tour it and people come to the shows then that’s another high five.’ Foundations was recorded at both Byron Bay’s 301 and Brisbane’s Airlock with the help of well-known producer Yante Browning. ‘[Yante] was really good in the studio. Really fast and really nice. He got into the whole attitude of the band – how we treat each other and just have fun.’ This relationship has helped craft the band’s sound into a solid full-length display of their talent. Part of what makes it work so well is the sense of balance and cohesion between the members as they play, which may be due in part to the drummer and singer being cousins, or perhaps the attitude of kinship the members share. ‘It’s all always been the same; everyone treats each other like brothers, just like a brotherly love kind of thing.’ The new material showcases the development of the band as their experience and song-writing improves. ‘I guess it shows the growth of the band musically – when we first recorded we’d never really seen a microphone. We’re self-taught and now everyone’s figuring out that they can play a little bit faster or a little bit louder.’ With a new album, some engaging film clips and a winning attitude The Medics are setting off on an extensive tour of Australia, leading them to both Canberra and Jindabyne to share their much hyped live show with local audiences. Catch The Medics on their Foundations tour at Transit Bar on Thursday September 27 at 8pm with I, a Man, Sincerely and Grizzly. Tickets are $15.30 from Moshtix.

XCX, Peking Duk and Offtapia. The party kicks off at 8pm on Friday October 5 at the UC Refectory. Tickets are available from Moshtix.

DANCE THE DROP

In a faraway land in the depths of a dank basement, a pimply teenager peers through the lenses of his oversized black-framed scenester spectacles at the dusty screen of a hand-me-down Macbook Pro. The roughly constructed string of loops appears as benign and inconsequential as any he had crafted during his efforts as a music producer. But this one is different; this one is My Name Is Skrillex. Love him or hate him, the young Sonny Moore, aka Skrillex, has changed the face of popular club music. He filled the gaping void left after the death of pop metal and rap music with his own brand of facemelting dubstep. Kids lapped it up like hungry kittens. His next project is a collaboration with German techno wizard Boys Noize called Dog Blood. Their Middle Finger EP is available now and it’s bursting with festival-sized electronica. You should all check it out or, even better, get your mum to listen to it and post a reaction video on YouTube.

J00F might sound like a Batman punch to some people but trance fans know better. The moniker is of course attributed to UK stalwart John ‘00’ Fleming, one of the most respected old-school DJs on the planet. Fleming is renowned for being a committed crowd pleaser – his last trip to Canberra continues to be remembered with aplomb to this day. The wily secret agent is back in the capital on Friday August 31 at Academy playing a special three-hour extended set. If you love waving your hands in the air, you can’t miss this. The Pang! conglomerate has just announced this year’s All Our Friends At Night festival. The monstrous 2012 line-up is a lot more diverse than previous years, including Chiddy Bang, Jack Beats, Hermitude, Rizzle Kicks, Charlie

Violent electro Wunderkind Kimosabi has taken the reins on The ‘Drop’s Top 5 this week. You can catch Kim playing at North Bar, Meche, Transit Bar and Mercury Bar. Adrian Lux - Teenage Crime (Thomas Gold 2012 Rework) [Axtone Records] – Such an epic rework of a great tune to which all the kids are responding really well every time I play it. Felguk - Jack It (Original Mix) [Dongle Records] – Has that funky driving electro that I’ve been really digging. This sound has been appearing in a lot of my sets lately. Doctor Werewolf - Lasercat Rocket Attack (Chardy Remix) [Klub Kids] – Any remix of Lasercat Rocket Attack is killer! As soon as you hear that riff you just start feeling it. Don’t believe me? Check it out! Magik Johnson ft. KillaQueenz & Silva MC - Just Wanna Party (Extended Vocal Mix) [Hussle Recordings] – I just love the bouncy, happy feeling of this track. Everything about it is just fun. Ivan Gough & Feenixpawl feat. Georgi Kay - In My Mind (Walden Remix) [Neon Records] –Walden has been labelled the next Avicii. I’ve been following him for a while now; everything he touches is amazing. TIM GALVIN tim.galvin@live.com.au

THE REALNESS Going back many years now, Obese Records released a series of compilations entitled Culture Of Kings which, over time, helped to form a benchmark for the local hip hop scene. During this time, Obese also released the famed Obesecity compilation which featured tunes from artists which today are recognised as pioneers in a flourishing industry; Hilltop Hoods, Muph & Plutonic, Bias B, Pegz and the late Hunter. Ten years on, Obese are celebrating the anniversary of this extremely popular (and revered) compilation with the release of Obesecity 2 – a dual disc compilation which showcases a group of promising new artists (alongside some true legends) in the local hip hop scene. The compilation puts emphasis on the label’s distribution roster as well as independently established acts, with representation across the wide geographic spread of Australia. Naturally, the styles and sounds are as varied as the personalities. Obesecity 2 features the likes of Bingethinkers, Newsense, Dialect & Despair, Mortar, Maundz, Lazy Grey, One Sixth, Bigfoot, Eloquor, MoneyKat, Fluent Form and many more. It should have something for everyone, as well as paying homage to its genre-defining processor. It’s out now. Grab a copy to support the next generation of hip hop in Australia One Sixth has finally released his long-awaited full length album, Electronic Mail, through Pang Productions. There has been big buzz around his name and much anticipation for his solo project. Electronic Mail does not disappoint. Working as a concept record, themed around the poignant and increasing apparentness of digital communication, One Sixth has crafted a versatile record, cleverly referencing pop culture with a mixture of seriousness and humour. Producers Dyl Thomas, Must, Tony Wolf, Charles Parker and Geko have all stepped up to the plate with fresh sounds which perfectly suit One Sixth’s charismatic flow. One of the local scene’s crowning achievements in 2012, this is a must listen. Planet Mu continues their support of the juke/footwork movement with the debut album from 18 year-old Chicago producer Young Smoke. Entitled Space Zone, the record finds him experimenting, blending electronic and techno influences into the juke template – a vast difference from the usual pillaging of hip hop and R&B. Also showcasing a healthy obsession with space and the outer limits, Space Zone is out late September. Black Acre are known for pushing the ‘bass music’ template to some pretty out-there places, as well as releasing some of the most crucial sounds in the last few years. Their next endeavour is the debut album I Sleep at Waking from the elusive Memotone. Recorded at his home, a ‘400 year old haunted cottage in the middle of dense woodland,’ the album will prick up the ears of electronic fans from the likes of Aphex Twin to Boards of Canada. It’s out Monday October 15. The legendary R&S imprint are set to release the debut album from the much blogged-about Egyptian Hip Hop. Of course (as is the intended irony) this four-piece from Manchester has very little to do with ‘hip hop’ per se and more to do with warped electronic pop sounds. They’ve recorded for Warp Records before and collaborated with Hudson Mohawke. Should be an interesting listen. The album, Good Don’t Sleep, is out in October. To hear music from all these artists and much more, tune to The Antidote on 2XX 98.3FM every Tuesday night from 9:30pm. Stream at 2xxfm.org.au. ROSHAMBO AKA CED NADA - roshambizzle@yahoo.com.au

SERIOUS CYPHERS FOR SERIOUS CAUSES alistair erskine For a scene that prides itself on tough guy braggadocio, Aussie hip hop sure opens its heart up to worthy causes often. Now in its fifth edition, Canberran full-day hip hop showcase RHYME INTERVENTION is back this year after a few years away and has an immense line-up – all volunteering for the show to raise money for Cancer Council ACT. I spoke to one of the Canberran artists on the bill, veteran rhyme-spitter, beat-smith and label boss NEWSENSE, and kicked off by asking him about the hip hop community’s glut of charity events.

It’s a great thing for a lot of the up and comers to get to play in front of bigger crowds

‘There are heaps,’ explained Newsense with a hint of pride in his voice. ‘Just in 2012 – before Robert Hunter passed away earlier this year – he commissioned enough tracks from the community for a double disc compilation to raise money for Can-Teen. Everyone offered the tracks up for free and the Hunter paid for the pressing of it as the last thing he put out before he passed – both Ciecmate [pronounced ‘checkmate’] and I contributed solo tracks to that. And then there is the annual Robert Hunter Cup, which is a friendly AFL game between the East Coast and the Westside rappers.’ Newsense is a veteran behind the mic – by 2002 he had already set up Broken Tooth Entertainment, his own production company, and got to signing up acts like Ciecmate, Maggot Mouf, and Hospice Crew and was living and working in Melbourne. Returning to Canberra several years ago, he is a veteran of the local scene too and revels in the opportunities that something like Rhyme Intervention presents. ‘It’s a great thing for a lot of the up and comers to get to play in front of bigger crowds than they are used to – with so many people in a venue they get a bit of exposure to entertaining crowds that are hard to get when you are just starting out or have a lower profile.’ After a hiatus of a few years, Rhyme Intervention is back here in Canberra. ‘Layla and Dazastah are coming over from Perth, Briggs and Reason, Def Wish Cast coming down from Sydney and my mates Maggot Mouf and Gutz, [and] I will be performing with Ciecmate. We are going to do a set made up of some tried and tested crowd pleasers, as well as a set of tracks that haven’t really been that widely released but have got out there on compilations and stuff. Both Ciecmate and I had solo tracks on Hunter’s Can-Teen compilation and the really recently released new Obese Records compilation so we are looking forward to showcasing some stuff people maybe haven’t seen live yet!’ enthused Newsense. Rhyme Intervention 5 is on at Zierholz @ UC on Saturday September 8 from 3pm til midnight, with Reason & Briggs, Def Wish Cast, Dazastah & Layla, Ciecmate & Newsense, Too Terrorble Tablists, Flawlezz and many more performing. Tickets are $48 + bf from Moshtix and more on the door, all raising funds for Cancer Council ACT.

METALISE Highlight of the touring week for me was news that Soundwave are bringing out the mighty High On Fire for a three-show weekend running in September. The shows are: Friday September 28 in Melbourne at The Espy; Saturday September 29 at Manning Bar in Sydney; and Sunday September 30 at The Zoo in Brisbane. After releasing one of my albums of the year in the form of De Vermis Mysteriis earlier this year and a hefty back catalogue, it’s going to be essential among all the other great shows coming up in the next couple of months. Check the Fertile Green film clip out on YouTube as well – it’s a rippa! Soundwave also made their second announcement: Slayer, Cypress Hill, Bullet For My Valentine, Bring Me The Horizon, Billy Talent, Mindless Self Indulgence, The Blackout, Fucked Up, Gallows, This Is Hell, Amity Affliction, Cerebal Ballzy, Crossfaith, Polar Bear Club, Dear Hunter, Blood On The Dance Floor, Versus The World, Sylosis, Cancer Bats and Confession. Another announcement due soon. Thursday August 30 is the return of some good local heavy shows at Transit Bar in the city with Eyes To The Sky hotting the stage along with Na Maza and Johnny Roadkill. This one is brought to you by Mudd Music and the Transit Bar so get along and show support to build the nights up a bit. Doomsday fest has announced dates and its international headliner for its fourth run. Saturday October 13 is the Canberra date at ANU Bar. This year 666 Entertainment bring instrumental three-piece Atomic Bitchwax out. Heathen Skulls present the Earth tour in Sydney at Hi-Fi on the Thursday September 13. The drone gods haven’t been out before so make sure you get along. Heathen Skulls are also bringing out Russian Circles, Eagle Twin and local supports I Exist to ANU Bar on Thursday October 4, and Sunn o))) on Thursday October 25 to Hi-Fi. Parkway Drive has announced their next tour dates to coincide with the release of their fourth full-length entitled Atlas. The album is due out later in the year with a tour slated for December. Canberra is getting a date at the UC Refectory with I Killed The Prom Queen, Northlane and Survival, the touring partners for the whole run of dates. Sunday December 16 is the date, so maybe you can ask Santa for an early 666mas present. Between The Buried And Me have announced a tour with Animals As Leaders. For guitarists out there who haven’t checked out AAL’s stuff before or their main man Tosin Abasi’s work on his Ibanez, Strandberg and other custom eight-string guitars, check this monster player out at once. The tour is happening in November and there is a show at The Metro Theatre on Saturday November 17.You can get tickets through Ticketek or Metro Theatre website. At The Gates tickets are selling like hotcakes for their Metro show on Thursday November 1. Unkle K’s Band Of The Week: Radar Men From The Moon: Dutch space-rock instrumentalists well worth a suss for something completely different: radarmenfromthemoon.bandcamp.com. JOSH NIXON doomtildeath@hotmail.com

HONESTY IS POLICY Chris navin Allow me to gush. THE SMITH STREET BAND are amazing, truly one of the most honest, hardworking, likable bands in the country and within a short time they’ve earned themselves the reputation of being one of Australia’s best and brightest new offerings. If you don’t believe me, just look at the accolades being thrown their way: their last album was Bombshellzine’s pick as best of the year; Stu Harvey labeled them a band that needs to be heard; and Frank Turner named them as his official new favorite band. Following on from their 2011 release, No One Gets Lost Anymore, they’re sating the anticipation of a growing fan base with the soon-to-be-released Sunshine and Technology, an album that promises to deliver more of the same earnest, melodically rich and lyrically brilliant anthems that have earned them so much praise and a slot at Gainsville’s ‘Fest’.

It upsets me when people sing with American accents. It seems like a grab at something that isn’t real

The group was, in its inception, a mixture of Wil Wagner’s solo efforts and a relatively new backing band. As the name changed to reflect the cohesion of the group, the sound followed suit. ‘The first album we did was sort of an extension of my solo stuff,’ explains Wil. ‘It was me writing songs and bringing them to those guys, whereas this album doesn’t have acoustic songs and is a lot more band-orientated.’ Aside from stylistic differences, the new record is also a more measured and patient release than some of their earlier work. ‘We had two weeks to record, whereas the first album we had four or five days. It was cool to be able to spend more time working out how we wanted things to sound and spend more time on the vocals.’ Part of what makes The Smith Street Band so engaging is the frequent references to the experiences of touring and the relationships formed with their peers. ‘That camaraderie that you get with other bands is a pretty special thing that you’ve got to make the most of.’ The group possesses a mentality of cooperation and fun that has served them well. ‘I think it’s really important to look after people that are good to you; pretty much everyone we’re playing with on this tour is bands that have helped us out in the past and we’ve helped them out in return when they come to Melbourne’. To support Sunshine and Technology, the lads will be touring Australia and the US with Poison City Records label-mates Restorations. ‘We’re all big fans of them. We’ve had a lot of Skype and phone conversations and they just seem like really lovely people.’ Audiences can expect an energetic and, above all, earnest performance. ‘It upsets me when people sing with American accents. It seems like a grab at something that isn’t real.’ Well said. The Smith Street Band will showcase Sunshine and Technology at The Phoenix on Sunday September 9, 8:30pm, with supports Restorations and Outocome. Tickets at the door.

FEELING LUCKY, PUNK? peter krbavac Like so many teenage punks bands before before it, Canberra’s own PUNKTUATION PODCAST was born in a dusty suburban garage. The brainchild of housemates and local music enthusiasts Nick and Chris, the series aims to document and promote the local punk scene and the broader DIY music community. As Chris explains, Punktuation was, in part, forged because the pair believe punk music often goes underrepresented in the media. ‘I think it’s inherent because it has an anti-mainstream attitude and ethic,’ he says. ‘In Canberra especially, there’s so much metal and School of Music experimental stuff that the punk scene gets lost in the crowd at times. We want to help it keep a foothold and hopefully build upon it.’

In Canberra especially, the punk scene gets lost in the crowd at times

From the first episode, Nick and Chris established an endearingly freewheeling style for the show, with conversation taking its course and Chris later burning the midnight oil to edit the chatter into a cohesive 40 minutes. While music discussion remains at its core, topics can range anywhere from current affairs, politics and culture to what guests had for dinner earlier. ‘Part of our inspiration came from verbal and comedy podcasts,’ Chris says. ‘We decided on a balance: some news and discussion of the scene and life in general and some music to showcase local talent and keep it interesting.’ So far, Punktuation has hosted members of local bands such as Yoko Oh No, Lamexcuse, Hoodlum Shouts and 4Dead, as well as the selfproclaimed King of the Capital, Dominic Death of The Fighting League and former BMA photographer John Hatfield. As Chris explains, the pair hunt out local personalities they know will provide ‘a good mix of war stories, educated opinions and interesting or funny things to say about their band and the scene. Jon from 4Dead was a highlight; he’s a great talker and has so many great stories and insights into the ways of the world. With so much talent in Canberra right now, it’s a pleasure to explore and get to know some of the enigmatic and charisma-laden people that make up the Canberra punk/DIY music scene.’ While Chris and Nick do dip into the history of the local punk scene, they see Punktuation as less of an archival project and more focused on there here and now. ‘Anyone who lives here knows the reputation for being a fairly un-happening place,’ Chris acknowledges. ‘We’d like to be part of the city evolving out of that, for people to think when they’re organising a tour that it’s a place worth coming to. Also, to be part of promoting the values that come from the better parts of the punk ethos: political awareness; tolerance; ethical issues. As well, we just want to see the bands that we like and are friends with succeed and to help where we can for them to achieve bigger and better things in the music world.’ Past Punktuation episodes, along with music news and reviews, are available at punktuation.me. Punktuation’s launch show, featuring Yoko Oh No, Revelers and Melbourne’s The Euphoriacs, will be held at The Phoenix on Thursday September 13. Entry is free.

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

IDEAS WORTH SPREADING ASHLEY THOMSON ‘36 hours,’ said Stephen Collins, director and creator of TEDxCANBERRA. Collins was wearing a heavy black parka, black leather gloves and a Kangol-style beret turned backwards; his broad, flat palms had callouses at the base of each finger – a weightlifter or gym junkie’s hallmark – and, gripping a white plastic fork, he began shoveling rice from one compartment into the other in the takeaway curry before him. This year, its third year and at double the capacity of its 2011 venue, TEDxCanberra sold out in 36 hours. Three years ago, Collins adopted the model of the world’s foremost lecturing conference – TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design), a conference conceived two decades ago in California – when the opportunity to create satellite conferences under the moniker TEDx[City] became possible. Having watched other TEDx conferences spring up – an extension of the TED format, wherein a series of presentations (each no more than 18 minutes in length) by specially invited speakers are held to promote a simple cause: that there are ‘ideas worth spreading’ – having watched them, Collins decided to create TEDxCanberra. ‘I’ve always been involved in stuff where new ideas are being born,’ he said, taking pauses between quickly spoken sentences to chew. ‘It turns me on intellectually... About, maybe, 2005, I heard about TED. Before it came online [at ted.com]. I thought that’d be something I’d be really keen to see if I ever got the chance. It came online in 2006 and I started watching the videos. They were the sort of brain food that I really thrive on, particularly the ones where they leave the questions hanging and say, “What are you going to do about it?” ’ Presenters at the central TED conference vary greatly in background – from journalists and scientists to self-help gurus and musicians – but they are all invited because they are perceived to have a tangible revelation or innovation to offer and, often, there is a practical or socio-cultural applicability therein. ‘In March 2009 they announced TEDx and I’d already done stuff like BarCamp so the model wasn’t something I was unfamiliar with: Open source, free to do, put in as much effort as you want version of a “big ideas” conference. We threw a website up and immediately started getting attention from the wider community, which is interesting because you’ve got a thing that doesn’t exist. For all intents and purposes, it’s an idea.’

On the strength of this idea, the National Library of Australia came forward and, citing their ‘innovation agenda,’ offered the use of their auditorium free of charge, providing the venue for the first two TEDxCanberra conferences in 2010 and 2011. Upon review, talks from both of the conferences were uploaded to the central TED database, a significant achievement as very few are selected. Though Collins cited a modus operandi akin to licking a finger, sticking it in the air and hoping things fall into place, strokes of luck like this have not been unearned. ‘I figured if I was going to put on a conference, I wanted to make it as TED-like an experience as I could, which imposes on you – as someone who’s been to TED – a significant level of intellectual stress. Quite seriously, it doesn’t matter what conference you’ve ever been to – TED’s a whole step up.’ The upshot this year is a number of innovations. First, the TEDxCanberra team – a group of 19 entirely unpaid volunteers – have brought in three speakers they have been ‘working on’ for over 18 months: Samah Hadid, social justice advocate, Karen Barlow, ABC reporter and global adventurer, and Leslie Cannold, humanist and ethicist. But, as anybody who peruses the TED website regularly will know, it is the talks you least expect to interest you that often have the greatest resonance. ‘There are talks that will upset people,’ said Collins. ‘And if I think about the talks we’ve had over the last two years and the feedback we get, every presenter has been somebody’s favourite and the same presenter has been somebody’s least favourite – which I guess is a reflection of the diversity of our audience. ‘One thing that we haven’t had up until this year is somebody speaking from a faith perspective [Peter Kennedy, former Catholic priest]. We didn’t want someone to talk about faith but we wanted someone to speak from a perspective informed by faith. I’m a happy, card-carrying atheist... but there are a number of really interesting people of faith here in Australia who have really strong perspectives on a whole bunch of social justice issues and are addressing those issues in interesting ways.’ The second innovation is TEDxCanberra’s initiation of collaborations with various local organizations aiming to reorder the way certain processes are conducted. Collins, after having the term recommended to him, dubs them ‘poputchiks,’ a Russian term denoting those who aid a revolution through art. ‘We’re working with

some guys called Sit and Split who are a little startup about sharing travel to events. We’re gonna work with The Yellow Van to make sure that any excess food is offloaded to them and they can do with it what they do every night of the week [redistribute the food to charities]... None of these things are very hard to do; they just require forethought. ‘I see it as our job to make people change their minds about how they do business as usual. Just because it has functioned up until now doesn’t mean it’s the right way to do things. No one can look at us and think we’re people who just watch a TED talk and sit back and think, “Well, I’ve done my job because I’m a white person and I’m informed.” We want to be people who actually walk the talk. That’s what makes us excited – and run off our feet.’ The third innovation is the extension of this idea to sponsors of the event – sponsors screened carefully for their support of TED principles. ‘We’re giving the senior partners what we call a “partner space.” We’ve said to them, “Think of all the events you’ve ever been to where you’ve stuck up a three metre by three metre booth and stuck a trestle table there and someone’s handing out brochures; all those things you would ever do at those events – don’t do them. Don’t do them. Throw all those things away and do other things.”’ An idea taken from the central TED conference, the extraconference experience is something most online patrons of TED are not privy to, but about which Collins speaks with awe. ‘You get a Google there or a you get car-maker there with their latest hybrid cars or you get an airline there asking an engaged group of people, “What should the economy airline experience look like for the 21st century?” and all this takes place outside.’ But turning the foyer of the Canberra Theatre Centre into a creative showcase is only the first of a series of steps Collins hopes to take. ‘One thing that [TEDx]Amsterdam has done – that emulates something TED does annually, which is the TED Prize – is they’ve created a little prize that they call Ideas Worth Doing. So you go from Ideas Worth Spreading [the TED mantra] to Ideas Worth Doing. And they use some of the funding that they get, leftover money, to actually, on a small scale, fund something that’s come up in Amsertdam and help it happen, which is a really nice idea. It’s not a lot of money – not like the TED Prize, which is $1 million this year – but they’re giving a couple thousand euro.

‘The other thing we’d like to do is an idea we’re going to steal from TEDx in Boston. Two years ago they did a thing they called TEDxAdventures. The week before TEDxBoston, they put on ten different events. They went to a bunch of different people and said, “We want you, for free, to do the tour that you would never otherwise give to anyone.” And in Boston you’ve got MIT and Harvard... and you get the back office tour of those things that you would never otherwise see. ‘Let’s get a back office tour of Parliament House. Let’s go and see art curation happening at the National Gallery. Let’s go and look at the particle accelerator at the ANU. They’re all doable. It’s just a matter of getting someone to agree. Pick up the phone to Kate Lundy and say, “We want you to give the back office tour of Parliament House that you would only ever give to nobody else. We want you to do that for free and in exchange we’ll give you a seat in the room.” And we’re going to ask people to do that.’ Regardless of whether these latter ideas come to fruition – which they undoubtedly will if the notoriety and acclaim of TED and its manifestations continue to grow and Collins’ dedication remains unwavering, which also seems likely: ‘My wife accuses me of working to support my TEDx habit’ – perhaps one of the greatest intentions of TEDxCanberra is to remain fiercely local. ‘The only real ‘rock star’ [speaker of this conference] – and for a very small group of people – is Brian Schmidt as Nobel Prize winner... [but] it’s never going to be people who are not Canberra people. It’s a Canberra event.’ The bottom line for Collins, though, is that the conference has an effect. ‘As long as [attendees] say to themselves, “Well, if these people can get off their arses and do something that changes the world—” and “changes the world” can be, y’know, teensy... [but] I want you to walk out of there at six o’clock on the Saturday night and say, “I’ve been changed by today. I want to do something.” Doesn’t matter what you do; matters that you do something.’ All this may seem redundant to those unable to attend but the fundamental brilliance of TED (and therefore every strictly and rigorously monitored satellite) is its virtual accessibility – from a beginner’s first visit to ted.com to a devotee’s satellite conference in Canberra. TEDxCanberra will take place at The Playhouse on Saturday September 8. Video of all presentations will be available on tedxcanberra.org, as is video from past conferences and further information on everything discussed above.

A THEORY OF DEVOLUTION morgan richards What does BILL BAILEY put in his hair to give it that characteristic shine? ‘All kinds of herbs, y’know. Stuff I gather from the forest. A poultice. The tears of tusken voles.’ I couldn’t quite believe it. I was sitting in an armchair next to Bill Bailey in the Southbank ABC studio, quizzing him about hair products. It was just a tad overwhelming. ‘I actually have been very lax recently in the product department,’ continued Bill, ‘because I’ve been in the jungle. After a while, you just go a bit feral. I don’t know what it is. I start to get a bit earthbound, start casting off the trappings of western civilization. I think I’ll probably end up as a wild man or hermit.’ Bill had flown in from Bali that morning. He’d been tramping through the jungle for a BBC documentary inspired by Alfred Russell Wallace – ‘an extraordinary adventurer, naturalist, a brilliant scientist and an independent originator of the theory of evolution, along with Darwin,’ in Bill’s words. ‘He was probably the greatest field naturalist of the 19th century, if not ever. He has 200 species named after him; Darwin has 120. He leaves this extraordinary legacy of 22 books, 200 or so scientific papers and yet hardly anyone knows who he is. ‘I first encountered him 15 years ago when I was trekking in Seram, in Eastern Indonesia, because the area where that is is called Wallacea. And I hate not knowing things. I’m a bit OCD about that. It bothered me that I didn’t know why this place was called Wallacea. As soon as I got home, I realised that this was the Alfred Russell Wallace of the Malay Archipeligo who I knew about. And so I started to join the dots in my head – how come, then, his name was given to this huge area? So one thing led to another and eventually I pitched the idea to the BBC: to try and walk in Wallace’s footsteps. ‘The more I’ve got into this, the more I’ve realised that very few people in Britain know who Wallace is, and maybe around the world [too]. This struck me as a sort of injustice. And because I’ve travelled to Indonesia many times, I know the kind of places he’s been and how fantastic they are. So I thought, “I can combine my knowledge of Indonesia for my passion for Wallace and his legacy.”’ At about this point in the interview, a small moth began flapping about Bill’s head. I wondered if it had followed him back from the wilds of Indonesia, attracted by the lush environs of his flaxen locks. He was also wearing a t-shirt depicting a terrifying double-jawed wooden goat-creature – perhaps some sort of Wallacean jungle yak? It is, in fact, an album cover from the prog-metal band Mastodon, who played at a UK metal festival in July called Sonisphere. Bill also performed at Sonisphere; indeed, he was one of the headiners. ‘It was just stupendous,’ said Bill. ‘And very scary, at the same time – because this was a metal festival, and specifically metal. It wasn’t like a multi-genre festival, like Glastonbury or something like that; this was purely metal. There was the big four: Metallica, Megadeth,

Anthrax, Slayer. Slipknot were playing too, Mastodon, various other bands. And I was headlining one of the stages, doing a comedy act! I thought, “This is a bit daunting.” Perhaps they wouldn’t even take to comedy. I might be thrown into the mosh pit and consumed by the moshers. But luckily, and I suppose not unsurprisingly, a lot of metal fans cross over with comedy.’ He related, in song form, how he performed a Rammstein-inspired version of Scarborough Fair to win over the metalheads. ‘It seemed to work very well. If you translate that to German, you know, “Sind sie gehen auf Scarborough Fair...” See, there’s a sort of Germanic lilt to it.’ Some of the material in Bill’s latest show, Qualmpeddler, relates to a recent visit to China. While many might describe such a trip as ‘eye-opening’ or ‘culturally challenging,’ Bill cut straight to the chase. ‘It’s insane. It’s an insane place. There are cities of millions of people, just in the middle of nowhere. People in factories. Making things. All day long, for the West to buy. And Beijing is a vast place. And unlovely, I have to say. A grey, drab unlovely place. Enlivened by bits of old Chinese culture and bits of youth culture and monumental architecture projects, but by and large a very drab and dull and grey place. And there’s the dead hand of Soviet Communism, which you see in a lot of places. And then suddenly, between the cracks, you get flashes of old Chinese culture. It’s a shame because they’ve almost forgotten what their culture is. Gradually now they’re trying to reconnect with it. But it was an insane place where we were offered a live owl at a restaurant. We went to an empire which was entirely staffed by dwarves.’ At this point, one of Bill’s PR guys came in, gesturing that we only had a couple of minutes before the next interview. I have time for one more question. I know what I must do. Clearing my throat, I ask Bill if he’s ever done a nang. ‘A nang? No. What is that?’ The next two minutes are a bit blurry. I remember reaching into my bag for the whipped cream dispenser I’d brought along for Bill to sign. As I loaded a fresh bulb into the chamber, I explained to him how to operate a ‘nanginator’. His intrigue turned to slight alarm as I turned the twisted the bulb-holder and the chamber filled with a loud hissing noise. The PR guy came over shaking his head, saying, ‘That’s not one of those “legal high” things, is it?’ It was all over. What had I been thinking? Of course Bill Bailey wasn’t going to do a nang with me, in the ABC studio, moments before a live-on-air interview. But there was no reason I couldn’t do one. Muttering under my breath, ‘YONO!’ [You Only Nang Once], I inhaled the compressed gas deep into my lungs. Minutes later, standing outside the ABC building, I thought to myself: had it all been a dream? But in my hand was a photo of me, clutching a freshly-signed nanginator, standing next to my hero of comedy, the great Bill Bailey. Bill Bailey’s Qualmpeddler tour arrives in Canberra for one night only on Saturday September 1. Tickets are available through Ticketek.

UNINHIBITED ‘Did I miss anything?’ People hate missing out on things. That is one of the reasons they must have their phone on, constantly ready to interrupt their existence at all times. If asked to turn their phone off, most of us will switch it to vibrate so we’re alerted by stealth the second anything occurs. If we put it on silent we will check it compulsively, like a crazy person. Why? We do not want to miss ANYTHING. What you need is a Bat Signal. Until then, we will work within the confines of our Vodafone cap or Optus pre-paid. When that phone rings, we will be ready to pounce. Thankfully, they have ringtones now that play a song you used to like before you made it your ringtone and now it sounds like a morning alarm during a good dream. But it is a good thing; you wouldn’t want to miss anything. Unless, of course, you don’t want to speak to the person who rings you, which, let’s be honest, is a lot. But when you are contactable anytime, anywhere, so you don’t miss anything, inevitably ANYONE can call you. So you let it go to Voicemail. And you put off listening to that Voicemail, because listening to it is like jamming a fork in your ear. But eventually you listen to it; you don’t want to miss anything. But most of us do a lot in a day – making yourself available anytime is not a reality. So again, Voicemail, or you answer because nothing makes you feel more superior than when your phone rings and you get to say, ‘I have to take this.’ Then you feel superior to the caller by telling them you are in a meeting and you will have to call them back. You’re a busy person! People can’t just call you anytime, anywhere. What you really need is a Batcave, a Batphone and an Alfred. Until then, you’ll need a smart phone. The problem is that smart phones make stupid people. I used to know all kinds of things. I used information as a basis for general knowledge. I used it to form patterns, ideas and, occasionally, a concept worth discussing. I would retain things I had read in my brain and my brain had an amazing capacity. Now I have a smart phone and having a capable brain is just annoying. Thankfully alcohol can assist me to kill off my brain – let’s just hope I don’t drop my smartphone, which is inevitable with all the drinking. ‘Did I miss anything?’ Of course you missed something. You can’t do everything. So most of the time you do nothing, just in case something comes up and you have to drop everything, because let’s face it, you can do anything. But you can’t. If you could, you’d be Batman. Jay sullivan Jay’s show, Cold August Night, is on at The Front Gallery and Café, Wednesday August 29 at 7:30pm. Tickets are free and ONLY booked through jaysullivan.com.au.

There have been times in my life when I wanted Winston Churchill’s depression. Winston, the creative depressive who: painted landscapes during bouts of melancholia; managed to publish close to 40 books in his lifetime; dabbled in politics in his spare time; and, somewhere between canvas, writing desk and Westminster, took up bricklaying – as a hobby. Depression and its relationship with creativity is a perennial topic of discussion in the arts, usually in the context of how the darkness allegedly brings forth works of great worth. The names associated with this relationship are so many and so storied they don’t need repeating. But, for many of us, depression serves to prevent rather than facilitate creativity. And that’s not said often enough. I’m writing this because I was once seriously depressed myself. That was from the age of nine to 32 and I can confidently say that depression, as I experienced it, did not allow for a creative outlet. While the ‘black dog’ of Britain’s wartime Prime Minister led him to the easel, mine sat on my chest and kept me in bed for most of my 20s. When I wasn’t between sheets I could often be found on the couch, where I’d be trying to work up the energy to go to the video store with my frequent companion, Anhedonia, who would tell me I didn’t really want to watch anything anyway. I firmly believe that what goes before makes you who you are, so I don’t mourn lost years. I learnt from that period that it was the lifting – not the presence – of depression that allowed me to create. Not that I didn’t have ideas during those long uneventful days. It’s just that for the most part ideas were all I had. When I did make something of an idea the results were unwaveringly terrible. Like the time I managed to pen a pastiche of the words of Operation Ivy’s Jesse Michaels. Badly aping the works of a teenager (even a gifted one) when you are 24 is, well, depressing. A well-documented cause and symptom of depression is a feeling of not being part of the world; watching rather than participating. One benefit of the condition I did share with those lucky few who pair creativity with their depression is the ‘outsider’s perspective’ – an excellent vantage point from which to observe humanity. However, it’s no good having such a great view when you can’t make anything of it. And that’s why at times I wanted Churchill’s depression. So I could spend my days guiding brush strokes, filling pages and laying bricks rather than sleeping. But I imagine Winston, were he alive and seated beside me on that couch, would have told me I would have been better off without a black dog altogether. Pete Huet petehuet@yahoo.com

A LOADED LANDSCAPE chloe mandryk THE LOADED GROUND is an exhibition of individual and collaborative paintings by two leading contemporary artists. Michael Nelson Jagamara’s works are expressive and transfer time-honoured symbols that connect with ancient values and a contemporary audience. Imants Tillers puts down luminous colour on a large scale that is incised with text to cut through a categorical understanding of culture. Jagamara’s Five Stories (1984) was appropriated without permission by Tillers for his work The Nine Shots (1985). By chance, the works were reproduced side by side in a catalogue for the Sydney Biennale in 1986, stirring a debate that took root in all directions outside the art world and was the catalyst for this exhibition 26 years later. One stream led straight to ideas of dispossession; another wound up in the Western Desert, where only under the auspice of Warlpiri Law may artists appropriate the iconography of ancestral beings. However, at the time, Tillers argued that borrowing symbols (from Jagamara and Georg Baselitz) was a way to swim upstream against an ethnographic appreciation of Indigenous art. He has since said that the appropriation was naïve, but that he sees the creation of all art as an experiment. I had a chance to preview the gallery space before the opening night and spoke to Tillers about the works on show. One of the first pieces in front of which we stood has three jagged lines; one black, white and brown. They radiate across the painting, From Afar, by Jagamara and Tillers and could come to represent the different ideologies people adopt when thinking about their artistic relationship. In From Afar, Tillers has painted a big T-shaped signpost in the centre of the canvas, but this is overlaid with the markings of the ‘possum dreaming,’ a layered effect which is carried through the show. The repeated symbol for this dreaming looks like a capital ‘E’ and is a signature of Jagamara’s work. The personal and political collide here, with the artists literally leaving their mark over one another. You get the sense this is a contested map with words like ‘Empathy’ and ‘I take but I surrender’ marked out on the canvas. Instead of using formal elements such as colour, line or form, the text spells out the emotional topography of this imagined Australian landscape. This collaboration sparked about ten years ago. The pair reconnected and decided to collaborate with the help of Michael Eather. They worked with Tillers’ format of multi-panel canvasses where background, text and imagery are juggled across the boards like a very sophisticated jigsaw puzzle. Each artist takes and concedes ground on the work in different ways. This is especially powerful in two of the mega structures of the show, Hymn to the Night and Fatherland. Fatherland depicts the five dreamings and the scene of the redemption as one. Tillers explained that the process of collaboration is at its core an exchange of empathy,

and that the irreparable damage to Indigenous people and culture is not forgotten or neglected in this show. The huge final works are hung to look over The Loaded Ground, a painting made up of Tillers’ tiles that are covered by Jagamara in desert sand. The piece sits on a plinth at ankle height and evokes the landscape from which Jagamara’s iconography emerged. The dreaming can be understood as Indigenous people’s signposts in their own land. Some signposts are above ground and fixed, whereas others are embedded in the land. Jagamara’s Big Rain and Lightning is a work of seven panels in black and white. The painting from 2002 shows how Jagamara’s experimentation has led him to focus on his symbols, elevating their presence from indicative powerful marks within a canvas to monumental characters of their own. It appears he has mixed sand into the paint. You could imagine this as earth combusted by a lightning bolt, disintegrated by rain, or perhaps demonstrates the Papunya Tula way of working, with a board on the ground. Lightning Men At Mirawarri is powerful in a way you have to see to understand. Opaque paint is trowelled rhythmically across the canvas, and the combination of two large crescent shapes, which represent men meeting, with the alien colour in the background makes the painting hum with a special energy. Tillers’ room contains four paintings. Each contains appropriation that is revealed and concealed by carefully composed text. The canvasses come to feel like a flickering newsreel with what may seem like disjointed grabs of time. No wonder Tillers’ work has been described as creating and inhabiting a third space. After Civilization (for Geoff Bardon) (1986) is an early work using a composition inspired by Giorgio de Chirico as well as the design of the Forecourt mosaic, Parliament House, inspired by Jagamara’s Possum and Wallaby Dreaming painting. The two works take the sinewy line of Emily Kame Kngwarreye’s yam dreaming paintings. One of these, Surrender, uses text from Australian playwright Janis Balodis, who, like Tillers, has a post-WWII Latvian heritage. Black lines creep across this painting and are tangled with the text ‘wave after wave after wave.’ This juxtaposition communicates universal feelings of transience, dispossession and oppression. This exhibition is bookended by two rooms; one with Jagamara’s lyrical paintings of possum and lightning dreamings from his early years to now, where his iconography has become bolder and his experimentation with paint has a quiet confidence. Tillers’ room has an ‘Alice in Wonderland’ appeal, as you walk into the space and are suddenly dwarfed by the scale of the paintings and ideas with their complex references to art history and the heavy footprint of colonisation. The collaboration strives for a middle ground and it is a pleasure to view, whether or not you know the loaded history. The Loaded Ground is currently showing at The Drill Hall Gallery until Sunday September 23. The gallery is open Wed-Sun, 12pm-5pm. Free.

THE POETRY OF THE PLAINS GRACE carroll Flamingos are not something that spring to mind when one thinks of the Australian landscape. Similarly, Sydney Long (1871-1955) is not the most well-known of Australia’s landscape artists. The National Gallery of Australia’s new exhibition of the eclectic artist’s paintings, etchings and watercolours, SYDNEY LONG: THE SPIRIT OF THE LAND, reveals Long’s significance as an early 20th century painter/etcher through over 500 works on display. These include, of course, a selection of his much-loved flamingo paintings. Combining Symbolist, Art Nouveau and Aesthetic influences, Long has used art to explore the poetry of the Australian landscape. The Spirit of the Land showcases the breadth of Long’s practice. In this first major exhibition of Long’s work for the past three decades, Curator Anna Gray has thoughtfully assembled a group of artworks that canvas the artist’s working career. When asked why she put together such a comprehensive exhibition and catalogue, Gray simply stated: ‘Because he deserves it.’ It is clear that Gray doesn’t merely admire Long’s work but also feels a duty to promote the somewhat mysterious artist. She added that Long explored the Australian landscape ‘in a very unique way’ which contributes to his importance within Australian art. Surprisingly, Long was one of the first major Australian artists born in this country. In fact, as National Gallery of Australia director Ron Radford points out, he was the first to be born in NSW, in Goulburn in 1871. This area had an enduring influence on the artist. Gray sought to emphasise the significance of his connection to the land and appreciation of its understanding and knowledge possessed by the Indigenous Australians. For the Curator, the title, The Spirit of the Land, ‘could well be the title of an Indigenous work.’ His painting, The Music Lesson (1904), goes some way to revealing this interest, through its depiction of an Aboriginal flutist in a composition bearing the hallmarks of European portraiture, yet located in a distinctly Australian setting. Walking through The Spirit of the Land one is struck by the poignant vision of Australia expressed in this and other works. The most compelling aspect of Long’s art is the way in which he combined the Western mythological and artistic traditions with Australian folklore and imagery. This is best expressed in his celebrated painting, The Spirit of the Plains (1897), which depicts a mythical figure leading a flock of brolgas across an Australian outback setting. As Gray observes, through exaggerating the sinuous anatomy of the birds and also that of the trees in the background, he incorporated artistic styles characteristic of the European Art Nouveau into a compelling Australian image. The visual impact of these influences evokes the mystery and lyricism of the country. It is refreshing to see a major exhibition that offers a new perspective on the Australian landscape tradition. Sydney Long: The Spirit of the Land is showing now until Sunday November 11 at the National Gallery of Australia. Tickets are $12/$15. The NGA is open daily 10am-5pm.

feat of success.’ In terms of the abundance of accolades LOVE has received, Wright adds once more, ‘It’s really been the icing on the cake to this whole adventure.’ While Eubank was building the space station, ‘there were vast periods of space and time between shooting.’ Wright said he managed to squeeze in some commercial work but had difficulty adapting back into character. However, he admits, ‘playing Lee Miller was amazing. He’s just a regular guy and it resonates so much with all of us… I mean what would any of us do in that situation?’ Wright refers to the situation his character Lieutenant Miller finds himself in, in space, learning he has lost all communication with Earth and won’t be returning home.

WHAT IS LOVE? sinead o’connell A film that took four years to make, on a budget of less than $200,000, has cleaned up on the 2012 film festival circuit. LOVE, directed by exceptionally capable writer, director and cinematographer William Eubank, explores the ultimate human construct – what it means to be human. ‘Much of LOVE is built on the idea of interpretation... [It’s] a spiritual science fiction element that will make audiences question setting and reality.’ A conversation with the lead actor Gunner Wright led to some behind the scene insights that justified the film’s excellence all the more. For example, with a narrative that necessitated a space ship set, Eubank, his brothers, friends and a few other helping hands spent six months crafting their own, better set on his parent’s farm. Wright adds fairly to the anecdote, ‘Getting the film finished was a

The cultivation of the film, too, is what makes it this interesting. Starting with the band Angels and Airwaves, Eubank was asked to direct a video accompaniment to the band’s release of their album, LOVE Part II, where, long story short, the video evolved into something far greater. ‘We just had a macro idea… and so we had to start detailing it.’ The group of friends and like-minded musicians who make up AVA includes frontman/guitarist Tom DeLonge (from Blink-182); guitarist David Kennedy (from Hazen Street and Box Car Racer); and bassist/keyboardist Matt Wachter (from 30 Seconds To Mars), who joined in 2007. In their words, the idea from the get-go was to ‘create an artistic spirit that departed significantly in style and scope from many of the musicians’ previous efforts.’ Ultimately what results is an unparalleled multi-sensory experience of aesthetics and sound. Despite the mediations on screen regarding human connectivity LOVE’s point is as much poignant as it is ephemeral. You grasp the moral just as soon as it disappears deeper within the enigma of its final destination. LOVE is showing from Thursday August 30 exclusively at Greater Union Manuka.

Canberra?”’ says Doran of the retrospective’s inspiration. ‘Within hours there were 108 replies. Not 108 films, but people asked the right questions and we all slowly worked out who, what when, where and why. There ended up being 18 official feature films made in Canberra.’ Finding that the National Film and Sound Archive (NFSA) had only one of these films in their vaults, Doran proceeded to hunt down the 18 films - ‘like being on a noir trail of intrigue’ - and submit them to the NFSA. NewActon offered the intimate Kendall Lane Theatre as a venue to screen the films, the Canberra Short Film Festival offered its partnership and Local Feats was born.

WHY NOT HERE? ben hermann You could be forgiven for thinking that the concept of a retrospective of Canberra-made feature films is more than a little over-ambitious. Yet Canberra’s feature film history, like so many facets of Canberra’s character, exists modestly below the surface of Canberra’s collective popular memory; known and appreciated by those who seek it out but never large enough to break into mainstream consciousness. Yet that is something which LOCAL FEATS: A RETROSPECTIVE OF LOCAL FEATURE FILMS intends to change. Curated by Canberra Short Film Festival Director Christian Doran, the retrospective will present ten Canberra-made feature films created between 1971 and 2000 over the coming months at Kendall Lane Theatre, NewActon. ‘The idea started from a single question on Facebook: “Have any feature films been made in

To give audiences some insight into each film and its history, each screening will be accompanied with a talk from the director (as well as a short film); the only exception being the retrospective’s launch – 1971’s The Demonstrator, directed by Warwick Freeman. Freeman, now in his late 70s, lives in Brisbane but passed on some notes for Doran to read out to the audience. The film follows a young left-leaning activist who organises a number of protests in order to disrupt a south-east Asian security conference being held in Canberra and hosted by his father, the Minister for Defence. ‘It surprised me with a decent storyline, high production value and social message,’ Doran says. ‘One thing we [Canberrans] don’t do enough of is politics! Ridiculous, I know, but Canberra has a niche there that not many of us have used. That makes The Demonstrator a great look at something we know a lot about. Contrary to that sentiment, think about how many films are made in New York City. Those stories could be told anywhere in the world; they don’t need to be about the city itself, just interesting characters doing interesting things. Why can’t those films be told in Canberra?’ Local Feats will screen a Canberra-made feature film every second Thursday until Thursday December 20 at Kendall Lane Theatre, NewActon. Sessions at 6pm and 9pm. Tickets are $15 ($5 of which goes to the film’s maker) and available at newacton.com.au/localfeats.

of dollars worth of prizes, ranging from tattoo vouchers to photo shoots. The two highest placing winners from each state pageant go through to compete at the Grand Final at the end of each year. With a fresh idea and the help of close friends, Fallon hosted her first Miss Ink event at The Basement in Canberra in 2009. The event was an absolute victory with like-minded women and men of the capital and within 18 months the Miss Ink mission stretched both nationally and internationally, with the debut New Zealand event selling out in a record 20 minutes. Although 2012 saw the Miss Ink venture at its most fruitful, Fallon admits she loves to return home to The Basement for the Canberra heat each year. ‘The venue may be small but it’s where I started; it’s the roots of Miss Ink.’

AN INKREDIBLE WOMAN CARRIE GIBSON The concept of MISS INK came about in early 2009 because of a fraught and passionate woman by the name of Fallon Nicole. Her aim was to prove to the world that tattooed women were not thugs or criminals, but simply everyday human beings with great careers, families, and personalities. ‘Having tattoos, I received quite a bit of discrimination. I was turned down from job interviews and constantly received judging looks from passers-by in public places. In the years I have been doing these events I have come across midwives, doctors, mothers and lawyers who have all been mistreated due to tattoos.’ It was with this concept that Miss Ink was born; a tattoo pageant in which entrants compete for the ultimate crown and title, as well as thousands

With over 11,000 followers, the popularity of these events has not gone unnoticed, with Fallon and Miss Ink being poached by networks and producers all wanting a piece of this pie. By 2013 Fallon will be armed and ready to turn Miss Ink into its own television series and magazine. ‘Both projects will kick off just in time for our 2013 tours in January and we could not be more excited.’ The Grand Final for the 2012 Miss Ink will be held in Melbourne on Saturday December 1 at The Espy. With the success of 2012 behind her, 2013 will see Fallon and her missus of ink embark on their most ambitious tour yet through Australia and New Zealand, after which they will launch the event in Canada throughout the summer. 2013 will also include an addition to the Miss Ink pageants: a Battle of the Band competition, the winner to perform at the 2013 Grand Final. Miss Ink: making Australia beautiful, one tattoo at a time. If you’re keen to show support for our ACT State Finalist (or are simply a tattoo aficionado), head to The Espy in Melbourne for the 2012 Miss Ink Grand Final on Saturday December 1. Show starts at 10pm, tickets are $25.80 through Oztix . For information head to missinkaustralia.com.

passive and set out to show that the primal basics of human beings are more enduring than the political and religious constructs that divide modern societies. It’s a powerful message, coming from the political and religious Ground Zero of the 20th century. And we are lucky to have it. Jurnou is in Canberra by chance, having come with his wife and daughter while the former undergoes a post-doctoral stint at ANU. With a deep love of portraiture Jurnou hopes to nurture that love in Canberra, splitting his time as a freelance photographer and stay-athome dad. ‘Canberra is a beautiful place. I love it and I am exploring so many different parts of this city.’

OBSERVE BETWEEN THE LINES karen radford As someone who’s had the good fortune to live in his native country of Israel, as well as India, England and now here in sunburnt Oz, photographer LIOR JURNOU works with the wisdom of the welltravelled. ‘I like to focus on the eyes,’ he says. ‘You can see deep into people that way. The eyes are like a window that lets you see what it is to be human.’ With that nugget of artistic truth as a guide, Jurnou has spent the last five years photographing people and landscapes across the length and breadth of Israel to form the mosaic that is his Observation exhibition, showing at The Front Gallery and Café during September. As the title suggests, the works are generally

Jurnou studied photography and media art at Kiryat Ono Photography College in Israel and has shown his work on several occasions in his homeland. This is his first solo exhibition outside of Israel and he is excited he stumbled across The Front Gallery and Café. Inspired by music, art and the people who make a place what it is, Jurnou says, ‘Music and photography have created the sound and scenery of my life; the look on people’s faces, the colours of the sky, the shapes of life. And I am here to document it; between the black and white, between the truth and the lie.’ Observation is a mostly black and white exhibition but Jurnou hopes viewers will be encouraged to engage and imagine the different subjects and their respective environs. ‘Imagine the music, imagine the colours, feel the people,’ he urges. The exhibition gives a candid insight into everyday life – the minutia – in a place largely unknown to most Australians: an old man playing music; a veiled women, face obscured, walking down the street; a lone tree in a quiet landscape. His works will have your eyes transfixed to those of his object. Lior Jurnou’s Observation shows at The Front Gallery and Café, Mon-Sun September 3-23. On Thursday September 6 at 6:30pm, all will be welcome to take in the collection and meet the photographer. Free.

can be used to critique modernity. ‘By taking the story out of the contemporary world, I think you’re better able to really get at the ideas without contextual distraction or bias. For me, the first big question I wanted to explore was about suffering and sacrifice. In Widowbird, the lead character, Atajarah, first fights to be allowed to work as a healer and is then exploited. It’s not written in reference to a particular current event, but I like to think that it could be applied metaphorically.’

LOCAL GIRL GROWS WINGS, FLIES tedi bills A Canberra playwright. An American director. A Swedish hit. Currently being performed as part of the 2012 Women’s Playwright International Conference in Sweden, Emma Gibson’s latest work, WIDOWBIRD, is set to fly from the stages of Stockholm into The Street Theatre (sorry – some metaphors hit you in the face like a kamikaze pigeon). Considering the global nature of Gibson’s project, it seemed only fitting that I would interview the bordercrossing Canberran via email, sitting on computers at opposite ends of the world. Set in an imagined kingdom plagued by war, class and disease, Widowbird is inspired by such epic narratives and mystic fables as Joan of Arc and A Thousand and One Nights. Interestingly for a play influenced by the violence and beauty of antiquity, Widowbird explores how the creation of a mythic past

Gibson insists that her play is not just a tale about women, for women. ‘I think there are global challenges for women in taking their place as equal citizens. Certainly that’s an idea I explore in Widowbird. Even so, I was also interested in exploring oppositions; between an individual and society, genders, classes.’ Gibson’s struggle to create theatre grounded in a sense of universality has been validated by the response Widowbird received in Stockholm. ‘It was really impressive to hear it read with a different accent and realise that it did translate. I set out to write something universal and I think I’ve achieved that.’ Throughout the development of Widowbird, Gibson worked closely with New York director Joanne Schultz. ‘It’s been great to have an advocate for the script, especially someone with Joanne’s robust, intellectual approach... Not only did I trust her with my baby, I basically shoved it at her and left the country knowing it was in good hands.’ International acclaim has not diminished Gibson’s appreciation of her hometown; Widowbird was developed through The Street’s HIVE writer’s program and is being performed this month as part of the Made In Canberra series. ‘Canberra is really brimming with creativity and possibility. I’m hoping this points to a creative renaissance.’ Widowbird shows at The Street Theatre, Saturday September 8 at 7:30pm. Tickets are $22-$30 and are available through The Street Theatre.

IN REVIEW: Motherhood the Musical

Motherhood the Musical doesn’t depend upon much of a plot; it’s more of a character study, the character being a young woman, Amy, finding herself with a new job: parent. And the fun lies in the advice and experience that emerges from those more experienced in the art. Although this enlivening exploration of the pains and strains (as well as the delights) of finding oneself a mother is obviously not intended to be truly educational or even true, the experiences of its characters obviously resonated in much of its almost entirely female audience, judging by the laughter it evoked. Those without parenting experience may leave this performance realising not only that raising children is unlike the ideals presented in books and movies, but also that there’s more to it than simply being there: that it’s a job which, whilst rewarding if you do it well, is also thankless; that a woman’s relationship with her children’s father will inevitably undergo change; that having uninterrupted sleep, finishing a cup of coffee or being alone in the toilet might become impossible dreams; that, though you may still be young, it inevitably changes your body. The play illustrates those ordinary choices a mother happily makes for her children’s environment, such as wall colours and clothing styles, only to have reality dictate otherwise – along with a complete refurbishment of life’s priorities. But if I give the impression that the play casts in a sorry light the experience of motherhood then I do it a disservice. Yes, it makes plain that there are limits on the prospects of finishing a meal of one’s own before it goes mouldy, of keeping clothing and furniture free of foodstuffs and of holding a conversation that’s not about teeth or eliminatory functions. It’s no lament, though, for lost freedoms; rather, it’s a sly dig at unrealistic expectations. The characters do a great deal of closely choreographed dancing even as they sing. And what they sing is a variety of original songs by Sue Fabisch, a couple of which could be annoyingly catchy as well as amusing reworkings of well-known pop standards, executed flawlessly in well-arranged four-part harmony under the musical direction of Vicky Jabobs. The music alone is impressive and uplifting; the choreography is original and amusing. Even the set is a tickle, largely comprising well-lit panels of bright colour and some furniture adapted variously for the dance numbers. This production would succeed in my book even as a concert, albeit that all the songs revolved around a single topic. Admittedly, the songs occupy a majority of stage time. But the compositions are delightful, the vocal arrangements are superb, and their execution by four ladies sharing the insights of motherhood is flawless. john p. harvey

ARTISTPROFILE: Rosalind Lemoh

What do you do? I’m a sculptor, rummager and collector of old and discarded things. I love casting objects such as fruit and vegetables and have even cast a dead bird once, which was actually the grossest thing I’ve ever done. I always seem to make quite heavy and physically laborious work using industrial materials such as aluminium, concrete and, in my latest work, sump oil. When did you get into it? I got into sculpture when I was about 13. We had a family friend who was a sculptor and ceramicist and she used to let me stay in her garden and play with bits of clay. It was love at first sight and probably my first example of a ‘professional artist’ and how the whole shebam works. I found her garden to be a completely wondrous place filled with these incredible sculptures. She also wore a full-body leopard print jumpsuit thingy (covered in plaster) which I thought was pretty rock star. Who or what influences you as an artist? Lots of people influence me in my life. My friends, family and my partner are actually huge influences that I draw a lot of my work, connections and ruminations from. Aside from that, travelling always gets the blinds lifted from my eyes and new work seems to come pouring out after a great trip overseas. In terms of professional artists, Kiki Smith, Louise Bourgeois and Anselm Kiefer are my top three. What’s your biggest achievement/ proudest moment so far? My proudest moment was during a solo show in Sydney at GRANTPIRRIE window space. I was lucky enough to meet Hossein Valamanesh, who is a very well-respected Australian artist and was exhibiting in the main space at the time. I found myself standing next to him while we talked about my work and practice. I have to say that getting good but discerning feedback from those who I admire is a very humbling and inspiring experience. It also kind of demonstrated a generosity of spirit which I think is a really great quality, especially in someone who is very successful and well established. What are your plans for the future? I just want to keep making!! I want to expand my practice, hone my skills and try and show at some different galleries around Australia. Having said that, I love the Canberra art scene and I think the quality here is top notch. Building a practice is a slow process but I just want to keep it steady and keep making work that I am connected to and that I believe in. What makes you laugh? Cheesy animal impersonations – every time! :)

What pisses you off? Actually when I’m hangry (hungry and angry), everything pisses me off! :) Beware... What’s your opinion of the local scene? Probably just the collaborative aspect. I feel like sometimes we’re all trundling along on our little mouse wheels. Programmes like JUMP are a step in the right direction but I reckon we could do more local grass roots and cross disciplinary collaborations. Upcoming exhibitions? My show Walking Blank is at CCAS Gormon house as we speak!! Check it out if you get a chance, it runs till Saturday September 29. Contact Info Very soon to have a website at rosalindlemoh.com.au; watch this space.

bit PARTS 2012 BLOOM FESTIVAL WHAT: Ainslie Arts Centre Showcase WHEN: Fri Sep 7 – Sun Sep 9 WHERE: Ainslie Arts Centre The 2012 Bloom Festival showcases the Ainslie Arts Centre’s vibrant musical Community, including the Australian National Eisteddfod Society, Canberra Youth Music, Music For Everyone, Pro Musica, the Young Music Society, and The Hall Village Brass Band. The weekend will offer a variety of performances from local musical acts, staff and tutors, all within the Arts Centre. An Open Day on Sunday (11am-5pm) will allow visitors to explore the diverse music programs on offer and enjoy an array of local market stalls, including favourites from the Gorman House Markets. Tasty food and beverages will be available all day in the open courtyard. Tickets prices vary. Contact info@cimf.org.au or call (02) 6230 5880 for more information.

LINO TAGLIAPIETRA WHAT: The World’s Greatest Glassblower WHEN: Wed Sep 5 – Tue Sep 18 WHERE: Canberra Glassworks Lino Tagliapietra and his three-person team of internationally renowned US glass artists, David Walters, Darin Denison and Nancy Callan, will visit Canberra for two weeks for a series of demonstrations, workshops and exclusive events. Venetian-born Tagliapietra started his working life in a local glass factory at the age of just 12, before becoming the youngest ever Maestro at the age of 21 at the prestigious Venini Factory. Today, he is considered responsible for the contemporary Venetian wave that has been the dominant international style in glass for the past 25 years. Tickets vary. Details at: canberraglassworks.com/visit/special-events/. SNAP WHAT: Secondary Students’ Photo Exhibition WHEN: Thu Sep 6 – Sun Sep 23 WHERE: Huw Davies Gallery, Manuka Arts Centre Photographic work by students from twelve ACT senior secondary schools and colleges will be shown in SNAP, a display which aims to provide an opportunity for students to exhibit their work in a public gallery. It will also provide a platform for a ‘student voice’ and engage students in a dialogue about contemporary photographic practice. The exhibition is a survey of the best student work selected by school photography teachers (and we all remember what harsh judges they could be?). All ACT schools and colleges offering the BSSS (Board of Senior Secondary Studies) photography course were invited to submit up to three entries from current Year 11 and 12 photography students. Tue-Fri, 10am-4pm, Sat-Sun 12pm-4pm. Go to photoaccess.org.au for information or call (02) 6295 7810. REUSABLE ENERGY COMMUNITY FESTIVAL WHAT: Stalls, Music, Prizes, Sausage Sizzle WHEN: Sat Sep 8 WHERE: Cook Shops Are you sick of polarised debate about climate change and pricing pollution? Ever wondered if there’s something you can do here in your community to make a real difference? People Power Canberra and the Australian Youth Climate Coalition are kick-starting the reusable energy revolution with a community festival at Cook shops. The festival aims to encourage shoppers to support participating outlets, all of which have committed to spend a portion of their profits from the day on renewable energy and energy efficiency for their buildings. If you’re planning to do some shopping on this day, make a difference – do it at Cook shops. 10am-2pm.

THE MORNING STAR PROJECT WHAT: Mirramu Dance Company Performance WHEN: Sun Sep 2 WHERE: Mirramu Creative Arts Centre Mirramu Dance Company members have just returned from a fortnight on the Yirrkala community in north-east Arnhem Land. The visit was part of the first stage of a two-year project centred on the ancient Morning Star story from this region. The project is a significant cross-cultural artistic collaboration between Indigenous and non-Indigenous dance artists. This informal showing of Stage 1 will be presented in an outdoor setting beside Lake George. Warming drinks and hors d’oeuvres will be served around the campfire after the showing. 2:30pm. $20/$15, under 12 free. All proceeds support Stage 2 of The Morning Star project. More details and booking at mirramu.com.

TERRAIN: THE WONDER OF LAKE EYRE WHAT: Bangarra Dance Theatre Production WHEN: Thu Sep 13 – Sat Sep 15 WHERE: Canberra Theatre Centre Bangarra Dance Theatre’s new work, Terrain: The Wonder of Lake Eyre, is the newest work by award-winning Aboriginal choreographer Frances Rings. A powerful fusion of contemporary dance and storytelling, Terrain is inspired by Australia’s inland sea, Lake Eyre. Audiences will be transported through drought and deluge, witnessing the ephemeral transformation of a place where nature delivers in abundance, promises all, but guarantees nothing. Bangarra has maintained the cultural integrity and spirit of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander tradition, combining it with contemporary expressions of stories, dance and music. Tickets $39-$63 single, $30-$53 season. Contact (02) 6275 2700 or visit canberratheatrecentre.com.au for info and tickets.

the word

on albums

neil young & crazy horse AMERICANA [REPRISE]

album of the issue

frank ocean channel orange [def jam]

With last year’s mixtape, nostalgia, ULTRA, and now his debut LP, channel ORANGE, Frank Ocean is establishing himself as a pioneer of modern music – hip hop, R&B and otherwise. Unafraid of pushing boundaries, channel is both accessible and experimental. Though the genres on the album are scattered – ranging from hip hop and funk to techno – it is always firmly grounded in the stylistic tenets of R&B and cohesiveness is guaranteed. The LP is tied together by Ocean’s haunting voice – as genuine as it is beautiful – and surreal narratives, the other focus being the soulful, oddball melodies that have become Ocean’s trademark. Production from Pharrell Williams, Malay and buddy, Tyler, the Creator, has delivered a diverse group of sonically rich compositions that at times feel as hard-hitting as they are euphoric. Productions like Crack Rock and Monks have bite, while cuts such as Pilot Jones and Sierra Leone have a melancholy beauty. The key focus of channel is the stories and characters within the

songs. Stories maybe fictional, maybe not, but which ring true; about drug addicts, spoilt brats, prostitutes and Ocean himself. Ocean takes equally delicate and detail-oriented care with all of them.

He explores all elements of his life, including his recently self-exposed bisexuality, romantic encounters and the high-class/low-class culture clash of upper middle-class California. The mix of songs is an eclectic one. The newly revamped Thinkin’ Bout You, the album’s opener and an ode to the first man he loved, is chill-inducing, the voice effects adding an eerie sense of space. Sweet Life and Forrest Gump have a classic R&B/soul feeling, while Bad Religion and Pink Matter give the album its most touching moments, Bad Religion marking a thematic climax with the crashing refrain, ‘If it brings me to my knees, it’s a bad religion.’ channel delivers a muchneeded and dramatic change in popular music. Ocean challenges listeners to allow themselves to embrace something different, something bold, and provides extraordinary incentive. TIM O’BRIEN

Assuming you have vastly diminished expectations of what a Neil Young/Crazy Horse collaboration means these days, you might really like Americana. It seems that Young was hoping to rescue this motley collection of traditional songs from over-familiarity but lack of real understanding. An admirable gesture, some might argue. Not me. Ignoring the logic behind this album, what we have here is an undeniably cracking, scruffy, classic rock combo belting out covers that barely belong on B-sides. Get A Job is a lumbering mess that is as bad as The Delltones’ version. When garish RSL-inhabiting ‘50s revisionists are your benchmark, you’re in trouble. Jesus Chariot (i.e. She’ll Be Comin’ Round The Mountain) at least bristles with some kinetic energy, but it’s all but lost on a song few would wish to revisit that often and Crazy never truly deliver on their shambolic glory. And that’s Americana; great playing, woeful song choices. If you bother sticking it out to the end, there’s a real treat in store: a dirge-like version of God Save The Queen. Not The Sex Pistols’ version. That would have at least made sense. No, this is the British national anthem through a gnarled black Gibson and with inane angelic harmonies drifting in and out like the Littlest Lost Hobo. As a Young/Crazy Horse album, Americana is a failure. As an attempt to get a spot in the Smithsonian it’s tragically misguided and heavy-handed. JUSTIN HOOK

toby martin love’s shadow [IVY LEAGUE] Toby Martin, rhythm guitarist, vocalist and songwriter from the band Youth Group, has delivered his first solo album with close support from his former bandmates. Cameron Emerson-Elliott plays guitar on the album and Youth Group collaborator Tim Kevin coproduced it. The band (probably best known for its cover of Forever Young) last played in 2009 but ex-Narrabundah College schoolboy Toby has kept himself busy, doing a PhD on the history of Australian country music (Yeehah!), playing gigs in Sydney and New York and supporting female supertrio, Seeker Lover Keeper. The Toby Martin magic that propelled Youth Group to fame is still there but the sound has changed from indie-rock with a country undercurrent to soft, urban indie-pop. Every song breathes the vibe of the message captured in the lyrics, which circle round the puzzle of why things turn out the way they do – a mystery that is both an everyday puzzle and the biggest question in life. There are lots of dark hues, including Good Friday and the incredible Postcard From Surfers, a gritty portrait of the sleazy emptiness of the resort town, with menacing strings and a piano which tolls like a funeral bell. Brighter highlights are The Curve of the Earth, a Josh Pykelike ballad featuring the sweet vocals of Sarah Kelly from The Red Sun Band, and Lead You In, with a melody that rises joyfully like a kid on a swing. RORY McCARTNEY

Rüfüs Rüfüs [gigpiglet/inertia]

the jungle giants she’s a riot [create/control]

Since releasing their debut self-titled EP last year, Sydneybased indie-dance trio Rüfüs have enjoyed a big twelve months, releasing a remix EP and playing a string of festivals. This second six-track EP, also curiously self-titled, sees the trio adding considerably more breadth and detail to their sound. Stylistically, a large share of the material here would slot in smoothly alongside the likes of Van She and Cut Copy, but in this case it’s the fluid interplay between live instrumentation and synth programming that impresses. Opening track, This Summer, smoothly grafts a vaguely prog-house rhythmic backing beneath Tyrone Lindqvist’s curiously melancholic-sounding vocals and layers of shimmering synths, in a moment that carries hints of former tourmates Royksopp. The Gun, meanwhile, ventures further out into streamlined electrohouse as Lindqvist’s falsetto merges with shimmering synth arpeggios in a manner that calls to mind Temper Trap’s epic soar. Elsewhere, the slamming Selena drops things straight down into a storm of sub-bass drops and squealing overloaded electronics that’s more reminiscent of the indieelectronic styles fashioned by Bloc Party circa Intimacy, particularly as the house snares gather momentum beneath the yelped chorus vocal hooks. While the reference points loom large, there’s plenty here to make the aforementioned Modular Records massive pretty nervous.

Just a year after launching their self-titled debut EP, The Jungle Giants are back with a release that’s lighter than air. They had their genesis in different school bands in Brisbane, before being jig-sawed together by songwriter Sam Hales, whose indie-pop genius was recognised in a 2011 Billy Thorpe songwriting scholarship.

chris downton

In She’s a Riot, the band builds on the success of their last release with a bright, crisp sound reminiscent of San Cisco. Boy-meets-girl themes abound as the romantically challenged members of The Jungle Giants share the relationship insecurities in a bid to save you from loneliness. The title track is a real hand clapper with chunky, chopped guitars, smooth harmonies and a strong Last Dinosaurs flavour. The perky Don’t Know What Else To Do punches through the ceiling with super high notes and revels in happy licks to tickle your eardrums. You’ve Got Something is a smile-inducing album highlight, projecting its message with space-filling sound, while Way Back When is a real hip-swinger with ‘Ooo-ooo’ harmonies delivered against pulsating drumming. The bright and vigorous Back to the Start closes the disk with a battle for supremacy between keys, guitars and sticks. A bit like a bucket of chips, this EP is fun and crunchy, as any punters would have found when they played here recently at Transit. (See page 57 for a gig review) RORY McCARTNEY

the flaming lips the flaming lips and heady fwends [warner] As a longtime fan, in recent years I’ve resigned myself to the sad fact that I’ll never own many of the Flaming Lips’ collaborative EPs, such as the increasingly bizarre Gummifoetus-and-skull-encased releases and the limited vinyl editions which apparently have the participants’ blood samples etched into the grooves. In truth, if you: a) are not extremely rich, and b) don’t live in Oklahoma, Heady Fwends – issued as a limited ‘Record Store Day exclusive’ earlier this year – is the closest you’re likely to get. Given that it was originally recorded without the intention of being an ‘official’ ‘Lips album, it’s also easily the most experimental and esoteric collection the band have released in some time. It’s possible that more casual ‘Lips fans will find moments like 2012 (You Must Be Upgraded)’s Ke$ha and Biz Markie-fronted descent into industrial noise and Is David Bowie Dying?’s Neon Indian-assisted wander out into dark ambience slightly hard going. The persistent, however, will find some of the most gorgeous moments in the band’s songbook to date lurking amidst the undergrowth here. Bon Iver collaboration Ashes in the Air and the transcendent ten-minute long Erykah Badufronted reinterpretation of The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face rank as particular highlights. While there’s an unavoidable lack of focus to Heady Fwends, that won’t necessarily be a minus for many listeners. chris downton

the gaslight anthem handwritten [mercury records] Handwritten is The Gaslight Anthem’s fourth studio album release and their major label debut. It is preceded by the band’s striking tradition of honest, unabashed and nostalgic rock anthem storytelling, straight from the streets of working-class New Jersey. With Handwritten, we see The Gaslight Anthem joining the ranks of Mercury Records, making their first real reach for polished, stadium rock. The album begins with promise. Opening track 45 is punchy and stirring, carried with the assurance that the band exhibited throughout 2010’s American Slang. The title track continues to sustain the same driving pace, singer Brian Fallon selling lines like ‘And we only write by the moon/Every word handwritten’ with the conviction of old. Cracks in the polish begin to appear towards the mid-point of the album, where perhaps for the first time the band’s commitment to pounding out four-chord chorus after four-chorus becomes fatiguing. The hard rock riffs in Too Much Blood play like an Audioslave B-side, and while the band transfuses some life with the punk-esque shake-up Howl, they lose this momentum with the plodding, tiringly repetitive Mae. Ultimately, while Handwritten may display enough of the band’s catchy, rousing urgency to sustain some, others will be disappointed to find much of the grit that made their previous releases so special has been polished away. david smith

the word

on films

WITH MELISSA WELLHAM

While watching Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter – which I enjoyed immensely, just so we’re clear – I couldn’t help but notice that Benjamin Walker, who acts the part of Mr. Lincoln himself, looks a little bit like Benedict Cumberbatch. You know Benedict Cumberbatch, right? He’s the talented actor from BBC’s Sherlock, the National Theatre Company’s filmed stage performance of Frankenstein, and soon-to-be Smaug in The Hobbit. And once I thought this, I couldn’t stop thinking about how much better the film would be if he were in it – he’s that good. Yep, 90 words on how much I love Benedict. That’s all.

quote of the issue ‘History prefers legends to men. It prefers nobility to brutality, soaring speeches to quiet deeds. History remembers the battle, but forgets the blood.’ - Abraham Lincoln (Benjamin Walker), Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter

Abraham lincoln: vampire hunter Try not to judge me too harshly when I tell you that I really enjoyed Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. It’s the silliest-titled film since Cowboys and Aliens, and explains exactly what the film is about, in exactly the same way. But where Cowboys and Aliens took itself far too seriously, Abraham Lincoln is the epitome of ridiculousness – and that’s why it works. There has been a recent trend in storytelling towards subverting classic literature with supernatural themes, or mashing up fact with fiction. Based on a novel itself, the film tells us that the 16th President of the United States – remembered for leading his country through a military and moral crisis (the American Civil War) – had a secret life as a vampire hunter. Abraham Lincoln is enjoyable because just doesn’t give a damn about the rules. It gives the proverbial finger to the laws of genre, history, scriptwriting, physiology, physics and more.

cosmopolis

This was something of a silly film choice really, since I can’t even confidently say whether I have or haven’t seen the Bourne trilogy or parts thereof. In this continuation, Damon is nowhere to be seen and new action favourite Jeremy Renner gets his mitts on the story.

Based on the novel by Don DeLillo, Cosmopolis follows young multi-billionaire Eric Packer (Robert Pattinson) as he travels across town in his tricked-out stretch limo to get a haircut. Isolated behind soundproof and bulletproof glass, he loses billions of dollars as he tries to bet against the yuan, is caught in the middle of an anti-capitalist riot, and discovers that an unstable stranger is planning his assassination. Also, he has a lot of sex with beautiful women, apropos of nothing.

Aaron Cross (Renner) spends much of the film pummeling people, running for his life, fighting off impending stupidity, and sweating in a shirtless manner – sometimes with confused scientist Marta (Rachel Weisz) in tow. It has all your usual elements of an action film and delivers the shoot-outs and car chases that we’ve come to expect (and, let’s be honest, guiltily enjoy). Unlike Cross, this film isn’t breaking any rules or doing anything out there. Renner does have a vaguely Daniel Craig-esque thuggish charm and, while he is only given a few short scenes to really flesh out an actual character, he does an adequate job of it - with humour to boot. Weisz dials in a charming enough performance, and support Edward Norton is fab as always.

It’s monumentally silly, but moves as fast as a freight train, so you don’t really have time to dwell on how Lincoln gains his super strength from a belief in truth and justice – the same principles that help him fight slavery. It’s got style, it’s got special effects, and it’s got one of the silliest premises to be seen on screen in recent years.

The conclusion was a bit unsatisfying though; I felt like all the momentum had been taking me somewhere and then it just sort of… ended.

It’s fine spectacle cinema.

megan mckeough

melissa wellham

the bourne legacy

Possibly I was so entertained and into the whole thing that I didn’t want it to end? It’s fun, it’s fast paced and, really, for what more is anyone asking from a film like this?

The plot of the novel resists the transition from page to screen, given that most of the action takes place inside Eric Packer’s mind. It’s a story of excesses, of wanting, of society’s flawed attempts to assert order onto nature. It’s about wealth, self-worth, sex and hunger; messages of which are incidentally undermined by the film’s didactic tone. Cosmopolis is like one long, surreal dream sequence, and I assume that many people will dislike it because they ‘don’t get it.’ I also disliked the film, but because I thought that the weight given to every line, every idea – even simple ideas – became tedious. This film is like a first year Arts student who has just discovered Marxist theory. David Cronenberg’s direction is impeccable, the cinematography is superb, and the film is interesting enough. But it doesn’t deliver any new message – except that Robert Pattinson can actually act. MELISSA WELLHAM

the word on dvds

hoop dreams [Madman]

dumb, drunk and racist [Roadshow]

margin call [Paramount]

At the athletic carnival that just wrapped up in London, the US Basketball team had market value well into nine figures.

It’s not hard to start an argument about racism in Australia. Battles are waged along political affiliations; the Left see racism everywhere, whereas the Right angrily deny the existence of race issues whatsoever. The lines in the sand are so unshifting, the sloganeering so simplistic, that mature debate is impracticable. So who better to step smack-bang in the middle than The Daily Telegraph’s Joe Hilderbrand – a fuzzy-haired, progressive smartarse who writes for one of the more reactionary mastheads. Working from the assumption that the subcontinent thinks we are an island bunch, or alcoholic racist thugs who love nothing better than beating up on Indian students, Hilderbrand chaperones a group of four Indians around the country to show them the ‘real’ Australia – a slippery notion if ever there was one – and let them decide if the press reports back home were correct. Hilderbrand is a talented host with a wry, selfdeprecating larrikinism that easily deflates tense situations; the antagonistic anti-Burqa mural incident in Newtown is an abject lesson of how TV hosts should let their subjects bury themselves with shaky invective. He’s also unafraid to expose the vile undercurrents of anti-foreignism in our cities and is visibly taken aback when one of his guests breaks down upon viewing Cronulla riot footage. But then the open arms of our rural areas throw a spanner in the works. Even though Dumb, Drunk and Racist enjoyed strong ratings on ABC2, it’s hard to escape the feeling the show is preaching to the converted. And, while it probably didn’t persuade the talkback radio crowd that Lakemba is actually a decent, normal suburb, it certainly educated Hilderbrand’s guests about the nuance of race relations in Australia. So; four down, billions to go.

A margin call is initiated when an investment falls beyond a certain level and you – the canny investor who put all your hope in pork bellies – get a call from your pig broker to pump some collateral into your account. You get that call because you’ve invested using credit, not actual funds, and your stocks are falling in value. It’s a call no investor wants. In 2008, the global financial market received one gigantic margin call. After years of financial trickery, incomprehensible credit tools and ballooning debt, someone realised the whole thing was built on cheese stilts. It melted. Margin Call is the (largely factual) story set at the heart of the tornado as it gathered strength.

The average NBA salary is a touch over $5 million but Kobe Bryant, one of the league’s biggest stars, makes around $25 million per year with endorsement deals equalling that figure annually – at least. If you can shoot hoop real good, a lucrative life is in the offing. But the road to riches is paved with rejections and there simply isn’t enough talent in the pool for everyone to be a star. Hoop Dreams is an unflinching, near-three-hour gritty swim in that pool with very 90’s austere narration that often jars contemporary ears. It follows a pair of teenagers, Arthur Agee and William Gates, as they try to make dreams a reality as they battle injury, poverty, racism, losing big matches and unpaid bills to become the next Kobe Bryant (or Isaiah Thomas in the this particular timeline). But talent and determination can only get you so far – the rest is circumstance. And for a couple of black kids from the projects, circumstance ain’t grand. In short, it’s all about money; how to be a good cog in the system and finance the journey to get within shouting distance of the goal. A point made in more incendiary style by Spike Lee at an early ‘90s Nike summer camp: ‘You have to realise that nobody cares about you. You’re black. You’re a young male; all you’re supposed to do is deal drugs and mug women. The only reason you’re here is to make the team win. And if they win, these schools get a lot of money.’ These kids are commodities in the early parts of their product life cycle. It’s a complicated and disturbing trip to market, which few successfully navigate. justin hook

Zachary Quinto (Star Trek, Heroes) co-produced the film, and therefore gets to choose the hero role. Peter Sullivan (Quinto) is a deliberate logical risk analyst who uncovers the fault lines and struggles to sell it up the line. His battle to do something is also the story of corporations; buck-passing, harm minimisation and ignoring the root cause of the problem. At the top of the heap is John Tuld (Jeremy Irons): ‘be first, be smarter, or cheat.’ Irons has the time of his life as the archetypal scheming CEO lizard and can do this shtick in his sleep – but this is another level. In the final scenes, the villains cast their gaze over a serenely quiet Manhattan, knowing full well that they got away with it. The bail-out saved them and they’ll live to rort another day. Surprisingly, few lost their jobs – unlike the millions of minions below them; different sets of rules apply. Margin Call is an incendiary piece of filmmaking, capturing the ignorance, malfeasance and outright criminality of allegedly good corporate citizens; Margin Call is a thinly-veiled horror film. justin hook

justin hook

the word

BLACKBOX

on games

Prototype 2 Platform: Windows, PS3, Xbox360 Developer: Activision Length: 20 hrs+ Verdict: Rent or, you know, whatever the kids do these days without Video Ezy Take a dash of Grand Theft Auto, a pinch of the FEAR franchise and the vaguest sense that someone in the development team had once played Ninja Gaiden and thought, ‘This needs more rocket launchers,’ and you got yourself a stew – *cough* – Prototype 2. Prototype 2 follows the travails of one James Heller, a former US Marine who returns from military deployment to his home of New York City, only to find the ‘blacklight’ virus that had decimated it previously has been re-released. The release of the virus is attributed to the protagonist of the first Prototype, Alex Mercer. He, in the process of allegedly (ooh, plot twist!) releasing the virus, also kills Heller’s wife and daughter, giving Heller the moral high ground for the not insignificant amount of murder and destruction that he unleashes throughout the rest of the game. In the opening moments of the game Heller is infected with the virus, giving him his super powers, including: ultra-strength, ultraspeed, the ability to manifest a number of special infected powers (e.g. razor-sharp claws for hands) and the ability consume other life forms and make use of their DNA. This last ability allows Heller to absorb the memories and capabilities of those he consumes, which is both the mechanism by which the storyline progresses (cutscenes initiated by consuming particularly important characters) and how he improves his super-power skills (by consuming marked enemies). The fighting in Prototype 2 is just hard enough to be a challenge without being frustrating, the free running world traversal is enjoyably fluid and the addition of arcade-style side quests will keep you engaged between storyline missions. Less impressive is the enemy AI. I never lost the simple amusement from hopping in a tank and, without doing anything, watching every civilian within 500 metres completely lose their shit, with cars driving into each other and people running in every direction screaming. It generally turned out that their fears were well justified...

While the ‘70s pop cultural journey of discovery (or trip down Memory Lane for some) of Howzat: Kerry Packer’s War (WIN, Sun, 8:30pm) and Puberty Blues (SCTEN, Wed, 8:30pm) has kept Chez Blackbox enthralled, the most anticipated series of 2012 is yet to arrive. But it’s close. And the second season of Rake (ABC1, Thu Sep 6, 8:30pm) is a humdinger. Of course Chez Blackbox is also shivering with anticipation at the prospect of new Dr Who (ABC1, Sat Sep 8, 7:30pm) within a week of its UK and US premiere. And they aren’t the only shows to let the post-Olympic dust settle before launching. There’s a second season of Lowdown (ABC1, Thu Sep 6, 9:30pm), GCB (Prime, Mon, 8:30pm), a comedy about grownup mean girls starring the inimitable Kristen Chenoweth, the much promoted House Husbands (WIN, Sun Sep 2, 8:30pm), Kath & Kim: The Souvenir Editions (Prime, Sun, 7:30pm), repackaged just in time for the movie, Up All Night (Prime, Mon, 10:30pm), Kevin’s Grand Design (ABC1, Sun Sep 9, 7:30pm), Rick Stein Tastes the Blues (ABC 1, Tue Sep 11, 8:30pm), full of soul food from America’s south, Glory Daze (Go, Sat Sep 8, 11pm), college comedy set in the ‘80s – a cult hit since it was canned, Sinbad (ABC1, Sat Sep 8, 8:20pm), a reimagining from the folks behind Primeval, and new seasons of Episodes (WIN, Tue Sep 4, 9pm) and Weeds (WIN, Tue Sep 4, 11:55pm). Meet the Amish (SBS1, Wed Sep 5, 8:30pm) is the ultimate fish out of water doco. It takes a mob of Amish kids from the American midwest to live with contemporary British families in London. Aaron Sorkin’s Newsroom (SoHo, Mon, 8:30pm), which is about to reach its conclusion in the US (to the joy of many critics), has been picked up here on cable. It’s not the only new US show to go cable with JJ Abrams’ post apocalyptic sci-fi, Revolution, and 666 Park Avenue, pitched as an Hitchcock psychological thriller rather than a horror gore-fest, bypassing free-to-air. The Beer Factor (Go, Sat Sep 1, 10:30pm) is a curious hybrid – part marketing ploy, part comedy. There’s more promising shows in the works here and OS including Whitlam, a two-part doco on the former PM from the crew behind Bombora and Wide Open Road, a new season of Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries, Better Man, about Van Tuong Nguyen, the Australian who was executed in Singapore in 2005 for drug trafficking, Janet King, a political thriller off the back of Crownies, Mockingbird Lane, an NBC re-imagining of The Munsters with Portia De Rossi and Eddie Izzard, Dracula, based on Bram Stoker’s tale, a Marvel comic superhero show to be developed by Joss Wheedon, a-yet-to-be-named-drama about an interpreter being described as West Wing in the UN to be written Tom Brady, Slings and Arrows, a new Ben Elton Comedy and a reimagining of classic ‘80s BBC sci-fi Blakes 7 from the folks behind Battlestar Galactica.

Through its simple dialogue, minimal emotion range and focus on large-scale destruction, this game is squarely aimed at the 14-18-year-old male gaming demographic and, as such, Prototype 2 falls into the same category as the kind of game that tends to alienate rather than include. The Gears of War series was a serial offender but at least it was set on an alien planet where the protagonist’s lack of neck provided comic relief. If you like your simple pleasures of an open world and almost unlimited destructive power, Prototype 2 is right up your alley, but it doesn’t break any ground in providing a gameplay experience.

As teen dramas go, the re-booted 90210 (11, Sun, 5pm) and Melrose Place (11, Tue, 10:30pm) leave a lot to be desired. Wait for the final season of Gossip Girl (airing in the US in October and here on cable) or seek out the early ‘90s originals. Better still, wait for next year and get your retro on with the mid-‘80s trip that is The Carrie Diaries. After press time last issue, SC10 announced they would air Canberra-produced drama Space (11, Sun, 10pm).Catch the encore (11, Sun Sep 2, 1am) and follow Chez Blackbox on Twitter for the stuff that happens between eps – sorry, issues. Don’t miss Clerks (Go, Wed Sep 5, 9:30pm). One of the best cult movies ever.

torben sko

TRACY HEFFERNAN tracyherrernan@bigpond.com @ChezBlackbox

the word

Owl Eyes & Stonefield Zierholz @ UC Thursday August 9

on gigs

The Zierholz (or ‘decorative wood’ as per Google Translate) @ UC is a typical student pub. So typical, it feels like a miniaturised copy of the legendary ANU Bar, though thankfully with all the flaws of the original smoothed away. For instance, the rather naff design, which allows you to still keep watching the band play while ordering the next round at the bar. Still a relatively recent addition to Canberra’s pub scene – what with the micro-brewery about to be installed and a niche-like cleanliness – Zierholz feels like a new best friend. Certainly a great place for two up-and-coming darlings of triple j to galvanise the locals. And galvanised we were. Arriving late, I hurriedly entered through the doors, only to be immediately assailed with the brutal crunch of guitar and vocals that could teach Robert Plant a few things about soaring. A girl was singing. ‘Cool,’ I thought. Then I realised there was another girl playing guitar, and another on keyboards. And another on drums. All of them united in a frenzied homage to ‘70s hard rock. Considering the phallocratic world that was early ‘70s hard rock, the fact that a group of girls were taking cues from the era felt almost avantgarde. A shot of energy into a style that has become, over the decades, little more than Dad-rock. Thus was my introduction to the marvellous world of Stonefield; a group of sisters (a round of applause for Mum and Dad!) with a sound that comes across as a Zeppelin album mashed with the soundtrack to Easy Rider. Lead singer Amy Findlay has the voice of a disgruntled angel; a mellifluous, primal battle cry which wouldn’t have shamed Queen Boudicca. And, despite her tender years, already has the presence of a great frontwoman. Sister Hannah’s riffs blasted from the speakers like the best of bluesy rock with a dash of funk thrown into the mix. For a band without an LP to their name, they seemed to have a lot of crowd favourites already in the bag, and new single Ruby Skies was a definite highlight. It will be great to catch them next time they cruise the ‘Berra to see how they’re getting along in their rock ‘n’ roll adventures. Two memories of Owl Eyes stand out most vividly when I recall watching Brooke Addamo, the indie-pop songstress in question. First, her performance technique, which came across initially as very corny, with very earnest clawing at the air with one hand while clutching the mic with the other, but which, by the time she had come to the second verse of the opening song, had become utterly memorizing to watch. Second, two potato-shaped imbeciles grinning stupidly behind me as they yelled out ‘show us your boobs’, and my own doomed fate, no matter how far I pushed through the crowd, to end up with these two always behind me and always saying imbecilic things. Miss Addamo apparently was a finalist on Australian Idol, but considering her magnetic performance and her tunes, which sounded tailor-made for triple j, those days seem far behind her. Presenting the swagger that is unavoidably attached to any artist with a rising buzz, her cover of Gorillaz’s Dirty Harry and her own hit, Raiders, were infectious, and by the end I was a zealous convert.

PHOTOS BY KATER MAY

Then the perfunctory encore – though Ms. Addamo and Stonefield at least shook the very real feeling of it being completely contrived by forming a temporary supergroup whose performance was a novel and fun way to end the gig. MICHAEL QUINCEY O’NEILL

the word

on gigs

Tex Perkins: The Man In Black The Playhouse Fri-Sun August 17-19 How much you take away in terms of enjoyment from The Man In Black depends very much on how much you enjoy the medium of musical theatre. Me? I don’t care if I never see another production of Rent ever again, so there are many elements of this tribute to Johnny Cash your reviewer found jarring at best, flesh crawlingly contrived at worst but generally hovering somewhere between these two points. Musically, of course, the show is nearly faultless – Tex Perkins in the role of Cash is an engaging performer and his backing band, named for the evening The Tennessee Four in honour of the real Cash’s original backing band, The Tennessee Two, steam through the hourand-three-quarter set without putting a single foot wrong. They get plenty of time to rest between songs, however, because part of the show – a large part, actually – is given over to Perkins and foil Rachael Tidd (here tonight to play the role of Cash’s muse, June Carter Cash) giving a life story of the great man; from his early days as a son of the deep south working the cotton fields of Arkansas from the age of five, through his hellraising Memphis days to his life as a sometime human rights advocate, TV star and pill popping addict, right through to his final days as the grand old man of American music and his Rick Rubin-produced American Recordings albums. All well and good but, for reasons that are never explained, Perkins and Tidd move in and out of character in the blink of an eye, sometimes narrating in role, sometimes (and this is especially true of Tidd) delivering their spiel as a desperately-wanting-to-be-downwith-the-kids lecturer might deliver to a new intake on the first day of term. Assuming most of the people gathered here on a freezing, soaking wet Canberra Friday night are devotees of Cash, it’s debatable whether this is needed at all, but if it is, the way these factoids are delivered could probably do with some tweaking to make it a bit less contrived. Tidd also lets the side down when, as Perkins talks in hushed tones of Cash’s final days to a you-could-hear-a-pin-drop auditorium, she forgets to turn her mic off and we get to hear her backstage conversation leaking through the PA. It’s obviously an honest mistake, but at 70 bucks a pop for a ticket you’d hope that little hiccups like this could be avoided. Tidd – and I’m not trying to turn this into a witch hunt, honestly – also lets the side down when it comes to songtime. Whilst Perkins sings not only effortlessly but also so well that if you closed your eyes he could actually be the man in black (indeed, surprisingly, the only track he struggles with is Cash’s reading of Trent Reznor’s Hurt), and the band, as mentioned earlier, play with verve and style throughout, Tidd just doesn’t have the chops to hold her own in this company. When she tries to yodel she sounds like a wolf searching for its mate in a deserted mountain forest and when she tries to introduce a bit of June Carter Cash’s playful wink-of-the-eye gravel into her voice she sounds like she’s dislodging a little frog from her throat.

PHOTOS BY GAVIN D. ANDREW

It’s not bad enough to spoil people’s evening – everything, especially the little Folsom Prison tableau that starts off the evening’s second half is met with generous, genuine applause – but it takes a bit of shine off the more ‘Broadway’ aspects of a largely enjoyable show. SCOTT ADAMS

The Jungle Giants, Toucan, The Universal Transit Bar Thursday August 23 Slithery wet roads and plumes from passing cars did not bode well for the Thursday night gig, but pre-sales of 100 tickets promised the start of a decent crowd to see the line-up. Loud and proud in their woolly jumpers, Melbournites The Universal were touring to push the launch of their EP Thrill House. They kicked off the night with Drink It Down. A ‘click-clack’ sample laid the song foundation, with drums creeping in and a slow base sneaking into the mix. Wah-wah guitar completed the picture, producing some understated and very cool rock. A few tricks were on show in the next song, with a false ending filled with a scrubby sound like a rushed tuning-up of guitars. Frightened was a real foot tapper with some curly twangs from the lead guitar Cameron Urquhart, who specialised in having minor skitz fits as he played, enjoying himself enormously. These purveyors of indie-pop with attitude finished up with an explicit flourish: their single, Sexual Intellectual.

the word

on gigs

There were distinct signs of shimmying and shenanigans in the crowd in the break with blokes drawing on each other’s faces. A few melodic sounds from the keys during set-up had a couple of punters engaging in a quick jig. Jess & Shea, the triple j Unearthed/NIDA Video Competition winners have been joined by stick master James to move their band Toucan from a duo to a trio. The guys, touring to support their new single, were the real surprise of the night, coordinated more by accident than design with their denim shirts and black jeans. Diminutive diva Jess showed she can strut her stuff with a pop, blues or jazzy edge to her voice. The opener, Simplicity, delivered a silky vocal with occasional harder tones to dress it up and the keysdrums combo sounded fantastic. The punters started to pay more attention and shuffled towards the stage as the band played Brave New World. Age of Consequence had a welling-up atmospheric vibe, while Warrior slowed the pace with ambling keys and a storybook singing style. Hard took a funky turn with pounded chords and thumping bass drum. Toucan had a cool finish with jazzy keys and blues-tinged vocals with the single Mr Television. Soooo impressive! Another break, with some male-female wrestling in the pool room to break the monotony. My Heart Is Like A Jungle (theme from The Slap) played in the break music mix to set the tone before the headliners took stage. The Jungle Giants had the audience gyrating from the word go, kicking off ringing guitars with Back to the Start from their latest EP. Way Back When cruised along with some ‘ooo-ooos’ and some good licks from guitarist Cesira Aitken. (So refreshing to see a female lead guitar after the usual run of female bass players.) Vocalist Evan Jones complained of a sore throat but you would never have picked it from his performance. Next up was new song When You Go, with choppy guitars and lots more ‘ooo-ooos’. We were given some stores of tarty behaviour on tour. A cry of ‘You guys are really sexy!’ was countered by Evan with a disappointed, ‘It doesn’t count when someone you know says it.’ The quirky You’ve Got Something earned a huge crowd response and an announcement that the next song was Mr Polite, from their first EP, brought excited screams from the lasses up front and a wave of moshing. The new single, She’s a Riot, closed the set with sweltering summery licks. That ended the shortish set; the band doesn’t yet appear to have enough in their portfolio to furnish an encore.

PHOTOS BY MARTIN OLLMAN

RORY McCARTNEY

ENTERTAINMENT GUIDE Aug 29 - Aug 31 wednesday august 29 Art Exhibition - void/Walking Blank/Unique State

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

CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ART SPACE GORMAN HOUSE

Exhibition - In Residence 2011 Works by Megalo’s 2011 Artists in Residence. Open 9:30am-5pm. Free. MEGALO PRINT STUDIO + GALLERY

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 - The Loaded Ground Paintings by Michael Nelson Jagamara & Imants Tillers. 12pm-5pm.

Trivia

Boy Kid Cloud

Transit Trivia

THE CLUBHOUSE

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

thursday august 30

Sing For Your Supper

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

En Toaste

Original jazz fusion from 8:30pm. P J O’REILLY’S (TUGGERANONG)

House Vs. Hurricane

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

On The Town Latino Wednesdays

$8 cocktails. 9pm. Free. MONKEYBAR

Theatre 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

Intelligent quirky jazz. 7:30pm. $10.

Exhibition – Alive

Songs about Love, Loss, Opiates and Trains. 7:45pm. $10 door.

E. Rose, H. Townsend, P. Larmour, R. Sol Gi Jang and S. March. 11am-5pm. CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ARTS SPACE - MANUKA

Exhibition - void/Walking Blank/Unique State Tue-Fri 10am-5pm. Free.

CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ART SPACE GORMAN HOUSE

The Bodies + Oh My Kidd

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

CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ART SPACE GORMAN HOUSE

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

KNIGHTSBRIDGE PENTHOUSE

Exhibition - The Loaded Ground

9pm.

MEGALO PRINT STUDIO + GALLERY

Eyes To The Sky

Paintings by Michael Nelson Jagamara & Imants Tillers. 12pm-5pm.

Mudd Music Presents. With Na Maza, Johnny Roadkill. 8pm. Free. TRANSIT BAR

Teal

MEGALO PRINT STUDIO + GALLERY

THE PHOENIX BAR

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

Exhibition - void/Walking Blank/Unique State

Nathan Kleyn

THE FRONT GALLERY AND CAFE

Exhibition - In Residence 2011

Exhibition – Terra Aqua

Live Music

MIC Night feat. Alcohotlicks CIT MUSIC INDUSTRY CENTRE

Comedy

THE FRONT GALLERY AND CAFE

With uniVibes. Beers, bands and DJs jamming in the afternoon sun. Free.

Art

ANU DRILL HALL GALLERY

Cold August Night: All new jokes said for the first time. Book (ltd no’s): www. jaysullivan.com.au

Thursdays At The Bar ANU BAR AND REFECTORY

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

Jay Sullivan

We Dont Give A F*** Presents. 10pm.

With Nevermind, Pleased to Jive You. 9pm.

The Beautiful Girls

TBG.10. Celebrating ten years over two sets with The Beautiful Girls. Tickets through Oztix. 7:30pm.

ANU DRILL HALL GALLERY

Live Music Nite Society

Special guests TBA. TRANSIT BAR

Jemist 9pm.

KNIGHTSBRIDGE PENTHOUSE

HELLENIC CLUB (CIVIC)

JOOF Editions

Exhibition - The Loaded Ground

Kleyn

ACADEMY NIGHTCLUB

ANU DRILL HALL GALLERY

On The Town

HIPPO BAR

Comedy

Thursday Ladies Night

Havana Nights Presents. 9pm.

CSIRO DISCOVERY CENTRE

Paintings by Michael Nelson Jagamara & Imants Tillers. 12pm-5pm.

Russell Gilbert

KNIGHTSBRIDGE PENTHOUSE

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

John 00 Flemming (UK). 9pm.

Ced Nada DJ Trent Richardson & DJ Spink MONKEYBAR

Digress Dual Friday

4Some Thursday

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

ACADEMY NIGHTCLUB

Oliver Tank

Film

Theatre

TRINITY BAR

Local Feats: Sticky & Salty (1993)

Hairspray

Part of Greenfaces. www. canberraticketing.com.au or (02) 62752700. Seen on Thank God You’re Here. CANBERRA IRISH CLUB

Canberra feature films w/ director’s talk. 6pm + 9pm. Tix/info: http://newacton. com.au/localfeats KENDALL LANE THEATRE

Karaoke Karaoke

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

DIGRESS COCKTAIL BAR

UV Party. 9pm.

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

friday august 31

DIGRESS COCKTAIL BAR

$15 before 10pm.

Leo Josephs Key Grip 8.30-11.30pm. Free. OLD CANBERRA INN

Russell Vincent 8.30pm

ROYAL HOTEL BUNGENDORE

The Burners 9pm

WALSH’S HOTEL

‘90s Music Festival!

8 bands covering 8 ‘90s bands. 2 stages. Faith No More, RATM, NIN, Primus, Weezer + more. 8pm. $20

OLD CANBERRA INN

Art

THE BASEMENT

Live Music

Exhibition – Alive

Live music.

Charles and Dave 9:30pm.

KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

An exhibition by E. Rose, H. Townsend, P. Larmour, R. Sol Gi Jang and S. March. 11am-5pm. CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ARTS SPACE - MANUKA

Kooky Fandango CASINO CANBERRA

Matt Dent 6pm. Free.

CHARLIE BLACK

ENTERTAINMENT GUIDE Aug 31 - Sept 3 Something Like This

Comedy

Princi

Exhibition - The Loaded Ground

Mitch Canas/ Something Like This

Bill Bailey

KNIGHTSBRIDGE PENTHOUSE

ANU DRILL HALL GALLERY

KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

5pm/10pm.

KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

Mr Bill

Bailey returns to Canberra with his Qualmpeddler tour. Tickets through Ticketek. ROYAL THEATRE

Eargasm Presents. 10pm. THE CLUBHOUSE

Dance

On The Town

Old Skool Saturdays

Fridays At PJ’s

Free champagne 5-7pm. Live music 7-9pm. DJ Craig 9-11pm with classic hits. DJ Harley 11pm-close. P J O’REILLY’S (TUGGERANONG)

Something Different Poetry Slam

7.30pm. Entry by donation.

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

Bar menu available. Doors 7:30pm. Main act 9:30pm. $35. THE ABBEY

CASINO CANBERRA

Hairspray

With friends. 8pm. $10 door.

Live music.

Scaramouche TRANSIT BAR

music, coffee

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

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

Variodivers

Workshops

THE BASEMENT

THE STREET THEATRE

Ableton Workshop with Mr Bill

Bring a laptop with Ableton Live 8 Suite 8 if ya got it. 5:30-8pm. $10. THE CLUBHOUSE

saturday september 1 Art

Final show with Barrel Of Monkeys, Perpetual End and Critical Monkee. 8pm. $15.

Drawing North

Classical Ballet, Hilal, Bollywood, Flamenco, Colonial Bush Dance and more. 3pm. Free.

With Jared de Veer. 9pm. ACADEMY NIGHTCLUB

Soul Strangers 9pm

WALSH’S HOTEL

8.30pm.

DJ Soup

KNIGHTSBRIDGE PENTHOUSE

Jensen Interceptor

CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ARTS SPACE - MANUKA

8.30-11.30pm. Free.

Gasoline

4-7pm. Free.

OLD CANBERRA INN

Oscar

Alpine

HIPPO BAR

10:30pm.

KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

Something Different Fash ‘n’ Treasure

A smorgasboard of kitsch old stuff! O, the smells! 10am-3pm. $3. EXHIBITION PARK IN CANBERRA

Hairspray

ERINDALE THEATRE

Boy Girl Wall

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

Exhibition - void/Walking Blank/Unique State

Lavers

THE COURTYARD STUDIO

CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ART SPACE GORMAN HOUSE

THE PHOENIX BAR

Julia Rose

KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

Tit For Tat

Short + Sweet Gala Final

Sat 11am-4pm. Free.

Irish Jam Session

Traditional Irish music. 5pm.

With Reverend Jessie Custer, Canberra Cannons and Law of the Tongue. 7:30pm.

THE CLUBHOUSE

OLD CANBERRA INN

Album Launch with Elisha Bones. 9:30pm.

Live Music

DEAD

Subsquad Presents. 10pm.

DJ Tikelz & Alize Coco Launch Party

MONKEYBAR

monday september 3

Nick Thayer

TRINITY BAR

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

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

BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

Fun On The Run

Theatre

UC REFECTORY

Dance Kaleidoscope

Motorik! Presents. With The Finger Prince, CSMNT61 and Vivi. 9pm.

EP Launch. With We Rob Banks, Sound Of Seasons, Atlantis Awaits. 7pm. $15 thru Moshtix/$20 door.

Exhibition – Alive 11am-5pm.

Love Saturdays

MOCAN & GREEN GROUT

JERRABOMBERRA HOTEL

Theatre

Boy Girl Wall

Dance

Live Music Tim Rogers

12pm-5pm.

A five-piece funk band to ease in your afternoon. 2pm.

Under The Covers

As Famous as the Moon

ERINDALE THEATRE

Goji Berry Jam

DIGRESS COCKTAIL BAR

THE FRONT GALLERY AND CAFE

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

9pm.

Preview 2pm. Final 7:30pm.

sunday september 2

THE PHOENIX BAR

A Is For Alpine tour. With Clubfeet and Georgi Kay. 6pm. Tix thru Moshtix. TRANSIT BAR

Paul Greene + Steve Lane & The Autocrats Seek What You’ll Find tour. 7:30pm. $10.

THE FRONT GALLERY AND CAFE

Sunday Best

Party Gravy: Jazz-tinged sounds of New Orleans. 5pm. Free. A BITE TO EAT CAFE

Children Collide

With Dune Rats! and Bad Dreems. $28.60 + bf thru Oztix. ZIERHOLZ @ UC

The Bootleg Sessions

CMC presents The Bus Vipers, Julia Rose, Buck et Alia, The Guitar Cases. 8pm. Free. THE PHOENIX BAR

Biscuits

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

Australian EP tour with CC The Cat and Beth n Ben. 7:30pm. $14.

Art

On The Town

Sat-Sun 11am-3pm. Free.

Southside Sessions

Exhibition – Alive

Mojito Monday

Exhibition - In Residence 2011

11am-5pm.

CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ARTS SPACE - MANUKA

DIGRESS COCKTAIL BAR

Exhibition – Terra Aqua CSIRO DISCOVERY CENTRE

Open 9:30am-5pm. Free.

MEGALO PRINT STUDIO + GALLERY

Exhibition - The Loaded Ground Paintings by Michael Nelson Jagamara & Imants Tillers. 12pm-5pm. ANU DRILL HALL GALLERY

THE FRONT GALLERY AND CAFE

The Home of Live Musical Entertainment. Musical covers by The Naughties. 9pm. Free. P J O’REILLY’S (TUGGERANONG)

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

$10 Mojito’s, $7 Nojitos.

Trivia King O’s Trivia

Free entry and bar prizes. 6:30pm. KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

ENTERTAINMENT GUIDE Sept 4 - Sept 8 tuesday september 4 Art Exhibition - void/Walking Blank/Unique State

Tue-Fri 10am-5pm. Free.

CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ART SPACE GORMAN HOUSE

Exhibition - In Residence 2011 Open 9:30am-5pm. Free.

MEGALO PRINT STUDIO + GALLERY

Dance No Lights No Lycra

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

Karaoke Karaoke Love

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

Live Music

Tim Hart

Travelling the world with Boy & Bear, singer-songwriter Tim Hart has now gone solo. $15 door. 8pm. 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. THE GEORGE HARCOURT INN

On The Town Latino Wednesdays

$8 cocktails. 9pm. Free. MONKEYBAR

Trivia Transit Trivia

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

thursday september 6 Art Exhibition - The Loaded Ground

Dream On Dreamer

12pm-5pm.

THE BASEMENT

Exhibition – Canberra Potters’ Society Award

With Like Moths To Flames, Hands Of Mercy and In Hearts Wake. 8pm.

ANU DRILL HALL GALLERY

Turkey and Goose

Tue-Fri 10am-5pm, Sat 12-4pm. Free.

Sure to ruffle your feathers... I’m so sorry. 7pm. $5. THE FRONT GALLERY AND CAFE

Trivia PJ’s Trivia Tuesday

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

Trivia Tuesday

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

The Phoenix Quiz

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

wednesday september 5 Art Exhibition – Alive 11am-5pm.

CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ARTS SPACE - MANUKA

CRAFT ACT

Exhibition – Alive 11am-5pm.

CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ARTS SPACE - MANUKA

Exhibition - void/Walking Blank/Unique State Tue-Fri 10am-5pm. Free.

CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ART SPACE GORMAN HOUSE

King Cannons

Hating Alice

TRANSIT BAR

OLD CANBERRA INN

8pm. Presale from Moshtix.

Nikko

With Mornings and Killing Birds. 9pm.

Digress Dual Friday

Marsh-Croft

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

KNIGHTSBRIDGE PENTHOUSE

The Devilzwork

THE PHOENIX BAR

9pm.

DIGRESS COCKTAIL BAR

Thursdays At The Bar

With Inside The Exterior, Deathcult Massive and more. 8pm. $10.

With uniVibes. Beers, bands and DJs jamming in the afternoon sun. Free.

THE BASEMENT

Chad Croker

Chicago Charles/Something Like This

KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

On The Town

Presented by DJ Rush. 9pm.

ANU BAR AND REFECTORY

9:30pm.

Thursday Ladies Night

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

5pm/10pm.

The Rush

ACADEMY NIGHTCLUB

Adam and Ash 6.30pm.

OJO CAFE AND BAR

DIGRESS COCKTAIL BAR

Stuart King Trio

4Some Thursday

CASINO CANBERRA

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

friday september 7 Art Exhibition – Alive

11am-5pm.

CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ARTS SPACE - MANUKA

Exhibition - The Loaded Ground 12pm-5pm.

ANU DRILL HALL GALLERY

Exhibition - void/Walking Blank/Unique State Tue-Fri 10am-5pm. Free.

Exhibition - In Residence 2011

CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ART SPACE GORMAN HOUSE

MEGALO PRINT STUDIO + GALLERY

Exhibition - In Residence 2011

Exhibition – Landscapes and Place

MEGALO PRINT STUDIO + GALLERY

Open 9:30am-5pm. Free.

8.30-11.30pm. Free.

Live music.

Muso and Poetry Night 8pm.

ROYAL HOTEL BUNGENDORE

The Bedroom Philosopher & His Awkwardatra BMA Magazine Presents. With Omar Musa and Leisure Suit Lenny. $12 + bf through Moshtix/$15. 8pm. ZIERHOLZ @ UC

The Crunch HIPPO BAR

Spring Fling

Help Knightsbridge launch their Spring cocktail list with music and $10 cocktails until 8pm. 6pm. KNIGHTSBRIDGE PENTHOUSE

Swamp Dogs 9pm.

WALSH’S HOTEL

Boom Ting

Open 9:30am-5pm. Free.

Dub, reggae, dancehall, bass with Iron Gate Sound, Gill Sun and more. 10pm.

RocKwiz

CRAFT ACT

Exhibition – Ginninderra Journey

Exhibition – Urban Forest

BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

Tue-Fri 10am-5pm, Sat 12-4pm. Free. Tue-Fri 10am-5pm, Sat 12-4pm. Free. CRAFT ACT

Exhibition – Earth Works 10am-5pm. Free.

BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

Comedy Green Faces Grand Final

10am-5pm.

Exhibition – Landscapes and Place

Tue-Fri 10am-5pm, Sat 12-4pm. Free. CRAFT ACT

Exhibition – Urban Forest

Tue-Fri 10am-5pm, Sat 12-4pm. Free. CRAFT ACT

THE CLUBHOUSE

Some Kind Of Genius Tour. 8pm. Tickets through Ticketek. ROYAL THEATRE

saturday september 8 Art Exhibition – Canberra Potters’ Society Award

Dance

Tue-Fri 10am-5pm, Sat 12-4pm. Free.

CANBERRA IRISH CLUB

Brazilian Independence Day

Exhibition – Alive

CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ART SPACE GORMAN HOUSE

Exhibition - Wednesdays at the Wall

Exhibition - void/Walking Blank/Unique State Tue-Fri 10am-5pm. Free.

Lisa T: Paintings & Drawings. HONKYTONKS

Exhibition - In Residence 2011 Works by Megalo’s 2011 Artists in Residence. Open 9:30am-5pm. Free. MEGALO PRINT STUDIO + GALLERY

Exhibition – Earth Works 10am-5pm. Free.

BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

Exhibition - The Loaded Ground 12pm-5pm.

ANU DRILL HALL GALLERY

Live Music Acoustix

Acoustic covers from 8:30pm, followed by resident DJ with pub classics. P J O’REILLY’S (TUGGERANONG)

www.canberraticketing.com.au or (02) 62752700.

CRAFT ACT

Live samba, capoeira and more. 9pm.

11am-5pm.

Karaoke

MONKEYBAR

CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ARTS SPACE - MANUKA

Karaoke

Live Music

Exhibition - The Loaded Ground

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

Jemist

ANU DRILL HALL GALLERY

9pm.

Exhibition - In Residence 2011

‘Tuggies Idol’ Karaoke Competition

Moment of Truth

MEGALO PRINT STUDIO + GALLERY

OLD CANBERRA INN

$5 before Fri Aug 31 to win $1000 JB HIFI gift card. 8pm. See facebook.com/ events/512928288733928/ P J O’REILLY’S (TUGGERANONG)

Karaoke Night!

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

Live Music Open Decks 10pm.

THE CLUBHOUSE

KNIGHTSBRIDGE PENTHOUSE

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

Bloom Festival: A Celebration Of Music

Pro Musica Presents. Remembering John Smith Murdoch, 7:30pm. Alex Raupach Dectet, 10pm. 02 62305880. AINSLIE ARTS CENTRE

Funkin’ Gonutz

Funk, soul, and grooves with Buick, Faux Real, Goldfinger and more. 8pm. Free. TRANSIT BAR

12pm-5pm.

Open 9:30am-5pm. Free.

Exhibition – Ginninderra Journey 10am-5pm.

BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

Exhibition – Urban Forest

Tue-Fri 10am-5pm, Sat 12-4pm. Free. CRAFT ACT

Exhibition - void/Walking Blank/Unique State Sat 11am-4pm. Free.

CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ART SPACE GORMAN HOUSE

Exhibition – Earth Works 10am-5pm. Free.

BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

ENTERTAINMENT GUIDE Sept 8 - Sept 12 Dance Old Skool Saturdays

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

Live Music Stonka

With The Electric Sunkings, Bloodlane and Vintage Vulva. 8pm. $10.

sunday september 9 Art Exhibition - The Loaded Ground 12pm-5pm.

ANU DRILL HALL GALLERY

Rhyme Intervention 5

With Reason & Briggs, Def Wish Cast + more. Proceeds to Cancer Council ACT. ZIERHOLZ @ UC

Bloom Festival: A Celebration Of Music

Pro Musica Presents. Remembering John Smith Murdoch, 7:30pm. The Exceptions, 10pm. 02 62305880. AINSLIE ARTS CENTRE

Nite Society 9pm.

TRANSIT BAR

Rufus Wainwright

10am-5pm. Free.

Exhibition – Alive 11am-5pm.

CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ARTS SPACE - MANUKA

Live Music

Pro Musica Presents. Open Day 11am5pm. Music for everyone, 5:30pm. 02 62305880. AINSLIE ARTS CENTRE

The Toasters (USA)

Supported by The Resignators. 6pm. Tix through Moshtix.

ANU SCHOOL OF ART

Exhibition – Ginninderra Journey

Exhibition – Landscapes and Place

CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ART SPACE GORMAN HOUSE

Local & interstate comedians compete for $1000! Entry/tickets at www. comedyact.com.au. 7pm.

Tue-Fri 10am-5pm. Free.

Hot Five Comedy Competition

Exhibition – Ginninderra Journey

CHARLIE BLACK

CRAFT ACT

Cromwell: Lyrical old school pop in a bed of bebop riffs. So old school it’s old testament. 5pm. A BITE TO EAT CAFE

4-7pm. Free.

BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

Tue-Fri 10am-5pm, Sat 12-4pm. Free.

Exhibition – Earth Works

Pete Cornelius + Alex Bowen

Karaoke Love

Andy Sorenson

Two of Australia’s best young bluesinspired guitarists. 7:30pm. $15.

monday september 10

See www.alexanderboynes.com for more. 9am-4pm. ANU SCHOOL OF ART

Live Music

Subsquad

The Bootleg Sessions

Subsquad Presents KPC / Kemikoll / Autoclaws / Empress Yoy. 10pm. THE CLUBHOUSE

LnL presents The Missing Lincolns, Elisha Bones, Julia and the Deep Sea Sirens, Sanji De Silva. 8pm.

Dirty Byrd

THE PHOENIX BAR

WALSH’S HOTEL

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

9pm.

Love Saturdays

With Ashley Feraude. 9pm. ACADEMY NIGHTCLUB

Spruce Moose

Biscuits

TRANSIT BAR

A dynamic 4-piece band. OLD CANBERRA INN

On The Town

Something Different

Mojito Monday

CAPO Art Auction

6:45pm-10pm. Visit: www.capo.org.au M16 ARTSPACE

THE BASEMENT

Tickets through Ticketek. 8pm.

8.30-11.30pm. Free. OLD CANBERRA INN

Details TBC.

THE PHOENIX BAR

Exhibition - The Weight of Shadows

Spruce Moose

The Red Paintings

Karaoke

Art

THE PHOENIX BAR

THE GEORGE HARCOURT INN

No Lights No Lycra

With Restorations (USA) and Outcome. 8pm.

KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

With the Hovering Spooks and Jay (The Longest Day). 9:30pm.

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

Dance

CORROBOREE PARK HALL

Killing The Sound Waterford

Sing For Your Supper

BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

Goji Berry Jam

Call (02) 62302905 or visit www. theabbey.com.au for bookings. Tickets on sale June 15. 6:30pm. THE ABBEY

10am-5pm. Free.

THE FRONT GALLERY AND CAFE

10:30pm.

MEGALO PRINT STUDIO + GALLERY

Comedy

They just played to more than 10,000 punters on the main stage at Easterfest. 7:30pm. $15/$20.

MOCAN & GREEN GROUT

Open 9:30am-5pm. Free.

Exhibition - void/Walking Blank/Unique State

The Smith Street Band

A five-piece funk band to ease in your afternoon. 2pm.

Exhibition - In Residence 2011

Tue-Fri 10am-5pm, Sat 12-4pm. Free.

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

THE FRONT GALLERY AND CAFE

BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

CRAFT ACT

THE FRONT GALLERY AND CAFE

OLD CANBERRA INN

New Empire

10am-5pm.

Tue-Fri 10am-5pm, Sat 12-4pm. Free.

Julia Stone

Sebastian McFox KNIGHTSBRIDGE PENTHOUSE

CRAFT ACT

Exhibition – Canberra Potters’ Society Award

7:30pm. $15/$20.

Mal Osborne

9pm.

Tue-Fri 10am-5pm, Sat 12-4pm. Free.

9am-4pm.

New Empire

Urban Playground Presents. 10pm. MONKEYBAR

Exhibition – Urban Forest

Live Music

Sunday Best

DJs Karma/Jswiss/Hypnotic/ MC Tee

Exhibition - The Weight of Shadows

10am-5pm.

The Bridge Between CASINO CANBERRA

Art

MEGALO PRINT STUDIO + GALLERY

CRAFT ACT

With Teddy Thompson. Tickets through www.canberratheatrecentre.com.au or (02) 62752700 Live music.

Open 9:30am-5pm. Free.

KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

Bloom Festival: A Celebration Of Music

THE PHOENIX BAR

wednesday september 12

Exhibition – Urban Forest

Traditional Irish music. 5pm.

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

tuesday september 11

Irish Jam Session

TRANSIT BAR

CANBERRA THEATRE CENTRE

The Phoenix Quiz

DIGRESS COCKTAIL BAR

BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

MOCAN & GREEN GROUT

KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

Free entry and bar prizes. 6:30pm.

Exhibition - In Residence 2011

10am-5pm.

Jemist

Bass, violin, looped vocals or something similar. 10am-11am.

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

Art

Exhibition – Earth Works

music, coffee

King O’s Trivia

Exhibition – Ginninderra Journey

THE BASEMENT HIPPO BAR

Trivia Tuesday

Trivia

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

Six60

ANU BAR AND REFECTORY

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

Live Music The Royal Artillery Details TBC.

THE BASEMENT

Trivia PJ’s Trivia Tuesday

Vouchers to be won! 7pm.

P J O’REILLY’S (TUGGERANONG)

OUT

SEP12

Underwater Breathing tour. 7:30pm. Tix $20 online at http://www.trybooking. com/BSUI or on the door. THE FRONT GALLERY AND CAFE

On The Town Latino Wednesdays

$8 cocktails. 9pm. Free. MONKEYBAR

Trivia Transit Trivia 7:30pm. Free. TRANSIT BAR

regurgitator billy bragg jeru the damaja paul mcdermott lanie lane ...and more!

FIRST CONTACT

SIDE A: BMA band profile

No Hausfrau Where did your band name come from? It embodies my pledge to stay true to the inner songstress no matter how much of a mother I become. ‘Hausfrau’ is German for housewife, which then became urban speak for your ‘50s housewife whose social life was her husband, kids, cigarettes, gin & tonic, etc. Only two of these apply to me. Group members? Alice Cottee (vocals, guitar, soon-to-be other stuff), Pandora Holliday (fiddle), Lachlan Coventry (guitar & pedal steel), Tom Carruthers (double & electric bass) and we’ve recently been joined by John Irving (drums). Describe your sound: My Brightest Diamond & Susanne Vega meets Johnny Cash while eating sushi off Tia Carrere. Who are your influences, musical or otherwise? We’re fans of my small chap Jago (two years old). He’s created versions of your traditional nursery rhymes, for example his bogan metal rendition of Twinkle Twinkle on bongoes. He busts a move at our jams, reminds us to keep it honest and carefree. What’s the most memorable experience you’ve had whilst performing? My blue velvet mini-shorts from our last gig. What’s your biggest achievement/proudest moment so far? Being finalists at the 2012 Musicoz Awards...schmoozing the ‘red carpet’ (it was concrete) at the Opera House, fake tans and sequins. The Australian ‘music scene’ can be garish. What are your plans for the future? Our forthcoming debut EP! We are saturating the local scene like a toddler’s first day nappy-free and our tendrils shall tickle the crevices of interstate and beyond. We hope to do an album next year. What makes you laugh? Places laughter isn’t appropriate, kitchen dancing, and the ‘fish heads’ song on helium. What pisses you off? The narrow-minded injustice of the world and SUVs. What about the local scene would you change? More all-night live music venues, national media exposure and vegemite-wrestling. What are your upcoming gigs? EP Fundraiser at The Front, Saturday September 15; EP Launch at the Polish Club, Friday October 19; Corinbank! And MORE. See below. Contact info: nohausfraus@gmail.com, reverbnation.com/ nohausfrau. ‘Like’ our page No Hausfrau on Facebook.

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