BMA Mag 298 03 Apr 2008

TWO98 April 03.08

SUNDAY APRIL 20 THE PLAYHOUSE, CANBERRA THEATRE

TICKETS FROM CANBERRA TICKETING

6275 2700

bma magazine

bma magazine

FREE STUFF So there I was, 3am on Monday morning, hunched over a typewriter, feasting on expired Easter Eggs and I thought "Sod it.

We already give you free stuff, so I’m damned if I’m gonna bother writing some witty opening paragraph." True story. Send your answers to the below questions to

with Hancock Basement, From the South and Jonny Telafone. And as they are such swell guys, they’ve passed on five shrink-wrap fresh copies of their newly minted, self-titled EP - featuring office favourite Goddess of Love - to dole out. To grab one, riddle me this – who you gonna call?

editorial@bmamag.com and leave me be.

Haunt You Down Haunted Attics are the very embodiment of the old axiom: great band, even greater guys.

Since dropping their Lavans title in favour of a spookier moniker, the Attics’ tunes have followed suit, moving into darker territory.

Stately Brit-pop, gothic alt-country and all-out rollicking rockers; they’re all on display throughout the band’s debut EP, which they’ll be launching at a free show at the Transit Bar on Thursday April 3

Everything’s Gone Green From the twisted collection of craniums that brought us Smack The Pony comes BBC’s Green Wing. The series kicks off with Dr Caroline Todd (Black Books’ Tamsin Greig) careening through her first day on the job, acquainting herself with the assortment of mad characters who work on the ward. Lauded

by The Guardian, who saw fit to proclaim “Channel 4’s hospitable sitcom is the most innovative since, well, The Office,” the series has also won the approval of the masses, picking up the Audience Award at the 2005 BAFTAs and becoming a cult favourite over in ol’ Blighty. Now it’s our turn, as

Hopscotch have just given the first series the all clear. To win a copy, tell us about a particularly memorable first day of a new job.

The White Whale Whether fighting against his branding as a teetotaling vegan Jesus freak, pissing off Eminem, or licensing his music to anyone with two sticks to rub together, there’s no escaping the antics of Moby. After the meditative electronica of 2002’s 18 and the singer-songwriter moves of 2005’s Hotel, Moby returns to the dance floor with a vengeance on his new recently released album Last Night. Spanning hands-in-theair, Smiley-faced rave anthems, cosmic Giorgio Moroder-styled Euro-disco, hip-hop both old school and underground, and downtempo end-of-the-night ambience, Last Night is a nod to Moby’s deep roots in the club scene, and an attempt to throw off his moody shackles. To grab a copy, tell us the significance of his track Thousand.

Clubbed to Death I’ve heard some real junk in my time, but The Gin Club’s LP of the same name is anything but. Junk - their third LP - sees the band spreading their musical wings across two CDs and 26 tracks, including a collaboration with You Am I’s Tim Rogers. Since 2003, the Brisbane-based collective have traded in trad folk and country with a hint of rock ‘n’ roll, topped off with glorious harmonies and heart-rending lyrics. Well experienced on the live circuit, having played with Midlake, Soundtrack of Our Lives, Iron and Wine, Laura Veirs, Lambchop, The Drones, and You Am I, and at both the Big Day Out festival and the St Jerome’s earlier this year, they'll be bringing their nine member-strong, madly chaotic live incarnation to town. Joining them at The Greenroom on Friday April 11 are brooding countrified bluesmiths Mike Noga & The Gentlemen of Fortune, featuring members of The Drones and Dallas Crane. To win a double pass, tell us how you like your gin.

STRUTH BE TOLD It’s 7:13 Monday morning and I’m sprawled in my warm blue sheets having a dream. My girlfriend and I are sitting outside a beachside café while an aerial battle is going on. Two squadrons of about 15 planes a-piece are locked in frenetic oscillation, their khaki green bodies murky against the pale sky. Like the jerky direction of a Hollywood film, it’s hard to tell who the teams are. I sit entranced as they swoop, spin and somersault around each other, bullets and missiles cannoning in all directions, leaving wisps of grey morning smoke.

I pay attention to one plane in particular whose underwing has the most foreboding set of weapons. It has been coasting along the skyline, away from the core of the battle, but now ducks its nose into a vacant pocket of airspace, unloading its cache one by one. Planes in the distance continue to perpetually loop, seemingly unaware of the threat. I watch as each missile glides in the slipstream, before arching gracefully skywards and reversing its trajectory. I’m surprised to see heat-seeking technology present amongst these World War II-era planes. I lose track of them amidst the cross fire, but a few seconds later hear a succession of deep explosions as each rocket meets its target. One pilot has managed to bail out, and his purple and white patterned parachute floats forlornly into the dark blue sea.

A moment later the pilot emerges from the shore, legs trudging through white foam. He’s cradling a guitar, and my instant concern is what the salt water could do to the strings. The pilot walks up the beach towards our table. He is dry now and still wearing a leather helmet and goggles. He proceeds to reach into his pocket and pull out a ten and five dollar note.

“I need to buy some breakfast, but have no idea where to start. It would really help me out if you could take this and buy me the best thing you can find.”

I am concerned. I don’t particularly want to help this man, I feel like I have other things to do. My girlfriend turns to me and speaks quietly. “I’ve really got to be getting home soon, I’ve got a lot of reading to do for uni.”

I would rather just leave as planned with her, but suddenly have a World War II pilot dependent on me. I am not comfortable with this, and the sense of responsibility curdles into deep seeded dread.

I consider for a moment another option, of taking the man’s money, combining it with my own, and offering him a $20 note. While I cannot buy him breakfast, I could at least boost his funds and perhaps give him a tip on a decent cafe.

My dream ends.

ANALYSIS: War scene: Last night I watched a few minutes of Pearl Harbour on TV. Heat Seeking Missiles: I’ve been playing a lot of Mario Kart lately.

Pilot with guitar: A metaphor for my relationship with music. This year I have written a number of songs as direct cathartic responses to feelings of distress.

Pilot asking for help: Lately I’ve been finding buying food a monumental chore. My dread in helping the pilot reflects my current inner unrest, and feelings of not having the emotional resources to offer anyone.

Girlfriend needing to do uni work: My girlfriend has recently become a university tutor and is much busier.

JUSTIN HEAZLEWOOD www.bedroomphilosopher.com

NEWS Most EXXcellent News...

Canberra unite! That most excellent of institutions, 2XX radio station, needs your hard earned. The 2XXcellent Radio Bash will be all ages, drug ‘n’ alcohol free event, and will take place at The Front Gallery and Cafe in Lyneham on Saturday, April 12 from 5pm until 9pm. The snuggly abode will tout the slender handed wares of local musos Andi & George Band, Marianne & Jonathan Mettes, Tim Maloney, Inflatable Ingrid and Heidi Gill. But cast not your eyes from the page yet, my friends, for there’s more!

Skate sessions by skateboard designer Ben Lewis and his company, London Tea, are expected to be another feature of the evening. Best of all, you get the support the station that has supported you for so long. Only $5 to get involved. Bam. Brought to you by 2XX and National Youth Week.

Against the Grain The last time Against Me! played at The Greenroom, it was the stuff of legend. The barrier that encircles the Greenroom stage was a direct result of the chaos that ensued when the US punk troupe let rip. From humble beginnings as a teenage solo acoustic act playing Laundromats, Against Me! have swelled into the thunderous four-piece we see today, and are returning to give Australia another serve of last year’s New Wave LP. Joining them will be Long Island-based punk band Crime in Stereo comparable to Gorilla Biscuits, Brand New, and Lifetime – who themselves recently released their third effort Is Dead on Bridge Nine Records. They’ll once again brave the Greenroom stage on Sunday April 27 and, praise be, it’s a licensed/all ages affair. Tickets from Moshtix.

Face Off On April 9, CackYaself at The Front becomes Creative Collision. In the realm of the arts that the arts don’t consider arts, two overweight lightweights will clash! In the red corner, from all over the world, the mighty team from Impro Theatre ACT - comprising Nick Byrne, Linda McHugh, Reid Workman and Ben Crowley - who will bring their word plays and games on the night. In the blue corner, the mighty Comedy ACT lads Tom Gibson, Geoff Setty, Kale Bogdanovs and Rick Meir. Your host and referee for the night will be Toby Halligan, so come along and see all the low blows and blood from 8.30 pm.

Scary Stuff The “new wave/punk” label has been a scary notion for pundits and punters alike. Legendary journo Lester Bangs described it as representing “a fundamental and age-old Utopian dream… if you give people the license to be as outrageous as they want in absolutely any fashion they can dream up, they’ll be creative about it, and do something good besides.” I suppose calling yourself Kiss Reid doesn’t hurt, as does the vocalist of “new wave/punk” band The Scare. Nor does a never-say-stay working schedule, which has seen the two-year-strong Queensland quintet take up camp in Birmingham for the best part of the year for album Chivalry, before bedding down in the big smoke of Sydney. The Scare shall be helping to pack a double punch with The Mess Hall at The Greenroom on Friday April 4 in a playful jostle of angular guitars, stabbing vocal spurts, a raging rhythm section, and synth lines that sit somewhere between haunting and classical.

Can’t Stand it, I Know you Planned it After the extremely successful release of The Getaway Plan’s debut fulllength album Other Voices, Other Rooms the band have announced a very special second show for Canberra fans on their sell-out national tour!

They’ll play a licensed/all-ages show at The Venue in Erindale on Sunday 6 April. The success comes from year full of hard work in 2007. Between countless tours, including national supports for both The Used and My Chemical Romance, the band took a three-month trip to Florida to record the LP with US super-producer James Paul Wisner (Underoath, New Found

Glory, Dashboard Confessional). Joining them for this second coming will be locals Kempsey, Escape Syndrome and Afraid You’ll Fall. Tickets on sale from all Moshtix Outlets. Doors at 4pm.

Ascend to the Summit The inaugural Song Summit Sydney (S³), which commences at the Hordern Pavilion on Thursday April 3, has upped the ante with the announcement that the Hon Peter Garrett will deliver the keynote speech covering the topic The Politics of Art. The Summit, presented by APRA/AMCOS and the NSW Government, is a unique event dedicated to the art and craft of songwriting. The event will see music creators, managers, publishers, technicians, marketers, lawyers and deal makers get together for three dynamic days of learning, networking, workshops and, of course, performances. For more information on S3 check songsummit.com.au .

Manual of Operations Much like Depeche Mode, they just can’t enough… of the ‘berra, that is!

Operator Please return for third show in the last year, this time touting the latest cut from their LP, Leave it Alone. Off the back of constant overseas a tour, featuring an itinerary that’d make your eyes water, Operator Please are well prepped for another ANU Bar showing, this time joined by Little Red and Flamingo Crash. For another helping of Gold Coast-style pop, head along to the ANU on Saturday April 12. Tickets are $16 pre-sale from Ticketek or $20 on the door.

Touch My Fires Damnit children, get a mop! Why? Witch Hats are coming back to town and Birds Love Fighting is proudly supporting this rampage until this town burns to… uh. Gosh. I really put my foot in it didn’t I? Not as much as last time they were here! Right? Well, if you missed them last time then you won’t want to miss this show as Witch Hats are showing off their splendid new album Cellulite Soul. The boys will be shredding alongside locals Golden Buoy and The Cherry Marines at Bar 32 Gangbusters on Thursday April 10. The following Bar 32 Gangbusters on April 24, Ethereal bring their pop-rock-punk-splashing-around show all the way from the North Coast. These guys have played with some great names and some of our local bands up their way. We have a few Front Gallery shows approaching with Jane Dust on Friday April 18 with local swooners Voss and then only days later Europe’s Vialka and glass face breaking man Justice Yeldham team up in a DualPlover show on Tuesday April 22. Once more Birds Love Fighting says “show us ya bills!” and support live music.

Dukes of Hazard The forthcoming Dukes of Windsor ANU show – originally scheduled for Apr 5, then moved back to April 23 – has now been canned completely.

Whilst heavy class A abuse, waking up in Brazil with no pants, and being on the wrong end of pistol duel with Eskimo Joe are all entertaining (and thoroughly wrong) potential reasons for said cancellation, the actuality is far less frivolous, with management stating the tour has experience dramatic dates shifts thanks to extraneous commitments (such as being selected to play for MTV showcase). But cheer up soggy bottoms – the troop are hoping for a Canberra stop come late May/ early June to support the new album, which should hit your ears around the late April/ early May. Come on Irene Possessing a finely-crafted classical jazz voice, Irene Atman has been compared to that of a young Streisand. She’s being hailed across the world as one of the rising stars in jazz music today, releasing her self-titled debut album in late 2007 to critical acclaim. The LP is being released in Australia on April 5, closely followed by a promotional tour where she’ll be backed up by high-profile jazz musicians including Sydney’s own Dale Willis. Irene Atman will be gracing the Hippo Jazz Bar with her warm voice on April 9.

AND ANOTHER THING...

YOU PISSED ME OFF

Has someone been a right turd burgular? Bit of a twat? An A grade bellend, perchance? Well, send an email to editorial@bmamag.com and have your sweet, sweet vengeance in an otherwise cruel and uncaring world. And for the love of God, try to contain yourselves and keep it brief! ALL ENTRIES CONTAIN GENUINE SPELLINGS.

The Charlatans have released a new album. This is good news because (a) I really like the Charlatans, and (b) It’s a really good record – easily in the top five of their ouvre, and a collection of music as good as anything to have been released by an English band in the last couple of years in any genre. But, and it’s a big but…

The album has been released as a download only release by the band in conjunction with English radio station Xfm. This is bad news because (a) I really don’t like download only releases, and (b) Er, that’s it.

Now, it’s not all doom and gloom – the album will eventually receive a ‘proper’ release, but, for the time being it’s available as a rather faceless, no-hoopla download from a radio website portal. Where is the fanfare, the hype, the celebration? Where is my all expenses paid trip to the top of a mountain in Switzerland to attend a VIP listening/release party?

This is music reduced to its most dowdy and functional, which, to my fervid brain, is not what this should be about at all.

You Cross My Path,, as I said earlier, is up there with the band’s seminal opus Tellin’ Stories (1997) as a testament to this most English of bands' sheer durability and flair with a tune. It should be welcomed warmly as such into our world rather than introduced as part of some larger stunt to encourage people to listen more to a two-bit commercial radio station. Rant over.

Actually, no it isn’t. While I’m about it, there’s something else I’d like to get off my chest about the ‘digital revolution’ – PROMOTIONAL ALBUMS. In the old days, by which I mean the age of vinyl, the promotional album sent for journalistic appraisal was the same version as was available to you, the punter, save for the fact that it would often be sleeve-embossed with the legend "Promotional Copy Only – not for resale." This message, of course, added vital tens of pence to the resale value of said disc at the local Cash Converters, whilst also giving one’s record collection a rather nice whiff of exclusivity which couldn’t fail to impress the casual peruser leafing through your stash.

Times move on, of course. I accept that they need to, evolution will win out, otherwise sitting here typing would be nigh on impossible due to the presence of my still not-quite obsolete vestigial tail getting in the way, but, really, the thin edge of the wedge is here. Not content with plastering disembodied voices over our promo copies, or chopping up each song into little parts so we can’t broadcast them on the interweb, the record companies have now stopped sending the bastards out all together. That’s right. Now you have to get a password to enter the website and then sit, like a lemon, listening to a live stream of whichever hopeless death metal band it is you’ve been charged with reviewing.

No more leisurely listening whilst out in the garden tending your succulents, no more pleasant filling in of crosswords on the bus whilst listening to the new Hammerfall. No. Now you have to sit and listen, thanking your lucky stars that you’ve been given a password, along with an official biography (but no actual info about the band, record or recording process) and some nice pictures to look at whilst chained to your workstation. Like I said, music at its most dowdy and functional, with all the joy sucked out. Thanks guys.

You fucking sicken me. You, the low lifes of society, have no guilt in your hearts that you disrupted an entire family’s existence? You have no guilt that now a family can’t sleep safe at night because their sense of sanctuary is broken?

Let alone you do it to other people, but MY family! I pray to God you come to my house and ask for my parents forgiveness, and I pray to Choronzon that I am there when you do come so I can deal slow and painful vengeance upon you! You expect society to pay you so you can support your life. You expect me and my family to pay taxes so you can get it as dole money, all to spend upon drugs! And when you run out of the Government’s money, you break into people’s houses, take whatever drugs are there and any cash lying around so you can spend MORE on drugs!

I can honestly say that right now I have true hatred for you, and it burns like the fires of Gehenna in my heart. My vengeance will be swift, the pain will be endless and when I have your mutilated carcass in front of me only then will I cease my carnage. I am going to cut you, slice you, set you on fire, poison you, and everything else I

can think of so you go through as much pain as humanly possible.

“Hate your enemies with a whole hart, and if a man smite you on one cheek, SMASH him on the other!; smite him hip and thigh, for selfpreservation is the highest law!”.

This is a very aggressive shout out to the degenerates of society who happen to find it out of their capability to place glass bottles in to a rubbish bin! Or worse, to the cunts who in some moronic form find it amusing to intentionally smash them on path ways… Clearly u have killed many brain cells with the contents of these bottles. My beautiful dog and I were cut short of our walk the other day as he’s paw was sliced n diced on a piece of glass from a VB bottle. Not only r u disrespecting people’s freedom to safely walk on pathways, u are also trashing this beautiful land we call Australia! U really do deserve a bottle to the head! Have a little respect!

To the succession of beautiful, lovely, intelligent girls I have had coffee with. You brighten my life, and my chicken-shit inability to make a move on any of you is really starting to PISS ME OFF.

FROM THE BOSSMAN It will be my birthday very soon, and what better way to mark the occasion than by dressing up as a strawberry, absorbing a disturbing amalgamation of strangers’ sweat, and dancing like a twat in front of a room full of people. Yes, ever since seeing PNAU’s Big Day Out show, I knew I had to be one of those costumeswathed goons.

For those unaware, part of the new look PNAU live show sees quaint cartoon characters incorporated via song-specific animations, and aforementioned life-size costumes. The lads ran numerous competitions through triple j to see which lucky members of the public would don said costumes for their BDO run and, with news that a Canberra show was on the cards, I knew it was my time to strike.

After buttering up Peter Mayes, one half of PNAU, for the best part of 30 minutes via phone (predominantly by offering a potentially lethal cocktail of A class wares and rare Belgium tequila upon his arrival), the deal was done. I wish I could say this will be the first time I’ve been inside a strawberry.

ALLAN “WILD“ SKO

SCOTT ADAMS - thirtyyearsofrnr@hotmail.com

bma :: Issue298 www.bmamag.com

"bma: ignorance is always an excuse" Published by Radar Media Pty Ltd | ACN 097 301 730

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

Editorial Assistant Ben Hermann Super Sub Editor Julia Winterflood Graphic Design Jessica Condi Film Editor Mark Russell Principal Photographers (The Flashbulb Posse) Andrew Mayo/Lisa Tolcher/Nick Brightman Issue 299 Out Apr 17 Editorial Deadline Apr 4 Advertising Deadline Apr 10

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WHO BLISS N ESO, FUNKOARS, WINNIE COOPERS WHAT UNIFIED TOUR WHERE ANU BAR WHEN WED APR 16

The O-Week festivities may be far behind us, but that doesn’t mean the university action is slowing down any time soon. And with the mighty hip-hop drenched Unified tour making a Canberra stop, it’s time to bust out the keg and send out for red celebratory cups.

Australian hip-hop darlings Bliss N Eso, who always attract a heaving throng of smiling sweat-soaked punters, will be back after a long time between yeasty gargles, and eager to tout their magnificent live show on the ANU floorboards once more. In tow will be The Funkoars, now well known for their passionate and outrageous lyrics, onstage antics and performance energy, giving them the accolade as having one of the best live shows in Aussie hip-hop. And be sure to catch the wicked Winnie Coopers, who have honed their live set over six years with some of the finest in the biz, namely Jurrasic 5, The Beastie Boys and Ugly Duckling. So if you’re penchant for hip-hop is feeling wayward, get Unified, baby! Ha! ALLAN SKO

WHO THE ANDI & GEORGE BAND WHAT TOUR FUNDRAISING GIG WHERE OLIM'S, AINSLIE WHEN SAT APR 5

How to grow your duo into a 14 piece band: By Andi Kirwin. It’s true that this is probably the longest body of text I’ve had to write since skipping out of my law degree last year. I still find it hard to believe I attended University for four years with the hope of becoming a lawyer, and that I once had a five year plan. All I can say is thank God I met George, because now every day is a surprise and I’m not too sure what’s happening next week. But that’s a good thing. I think. A lot of people ask me how our band grew from a duo to a 14-piece, feel-good jam band. Well, it had a lot to do with our drummer Mr Matty Sykes and the dreaded Mr Grahame Thompson roping in some talented friends. A few home cooked meals later and voila - I had a recipe for one band mix of musicians that are now ready to tour around Australia in a 36-seater coach to Festivals, protests and national parks alike.

Now all I need is to raise enough money to feed these musicians on our winter tour, so come party at Olim’s, 3pm on Saturday April 5, and give your hard earned cash to a bunch of happy-go-lucky musos who hope to one day get by on their music alone.

WHO '30s-STYLE CABARET CROONERS WHAT BERLIN WHERE STREET THEATRE WHEN FROM APR 11

No country is ever the same after a significant political change. An example of this is when Berlin became the focus of European culture in the later 1930s, a world where people longed for peace, truth and freedom. Anything the people were told would be dripping in hypocrisy. The onstage performance Berlin tells these stories and the facts through music.

The great lyricists and composers from that volatile time penned anthems that exposed the awful truth and hypocrisy of politics and gave a voice to the underground. The Street One stage will be transformed into a 1935 cabaret club, recreating the atmosphere of the period when Berlin was a powder keg of rebellion against Germany’s decline into fascism.

Berlin will be playing from April 11 to April 26, from 8pm Tuesday to Saturday and 4pm on Sundays at The Street Theatre, Street One. TEIGAN CONSTABLE

WHO MIKE NOGA & THE GENTLEMEN OF FORTUNE WHAT OZ ROCK SUPERGROUP WHERE THE GREENROOM WHEN FRI APR 11

The Gentlemen of Fortune is an apt name for a bunch of guys gifted with some of the best chops in the country. Somewhat of an Aussie supergroup, the Gents put rival clubs such as the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen to shame with an unbeatable team consisting frontman Michael C Noga (The Drones), Patrick J Bourke (Dallas Crane), Angus G Agars (The Vandas), Graeme B Cameron (Preston) and Stevie J Hesketh (Jet). Spawned after a conversation around the toxic embers of a dying campfire in Victoria, and coming out middle initials a-blazin’, the lads lay claim to being “everyone’s new favourite band”. With their powers combined, they offer a fusion of country, blues, folk and rock, a volatile mix that has been captured by superstar sidekicks Davy Lane (You Am I) and Dan Luscombe.

Flying into the Greenroom for one special show alongside alcoholic heroes The Gin Club, this may be your only chance to catch the Gents before forces of evil (i.e. their other bands) tear them apart. NICK CRAVEN

WHO LOCAL METALHEADS WHAT PAYING HOMAGE TO DIO WHERE THE GREENROOM WHEN SAT APR 5

Live Evil was formed in 2007 by Canberra-based musician Matt Davis. The band came together in tribute to the legendary Ronnie James Dio, who is known for fronting bands such as Rainbow, Black Sabbath and Dio. The name Live Evil is taken from the first live album by Black Sabbath with Ronnie James Dio on vocals, though during the mixing of the album Dio left due to apprehensive relations with the other band members. Since they formed, Live Evil have spent countless hours polishing their talents to provide an exciting and flamboyant live show. With this in mind the “devil’s horns” should be a very common trend at their gigs. Ronnie James Dio is acknowledged for popularizing the “devil’s horns” which is a common hand gesture in rock and metal music. The band has influences ranging from death metal and punk to jazz and blues, which has assisted in the band in progressing to the strong sound they have today. Live Evil savour the opportunity to play to Dio’s fans, but also introduce this historical rock music to new audiences. TEIGAN CONSTABLE

WHO GARY FRANCE & KIM O'CONNEL WHAT AN AUDIO-VISUAL MEDITATION ON MOVEMENT WHERE STREET THEATRE WHEN APR 3 - 6

Following on from a world premiere season at the 2007 Castlemaine State Festival, this work will receive its Canberra premiere at the Street Theatre. An audio-visual meditation on movement and travel, from the invisible dance of sonic harmonics to the tectonic grindings of world cultures, Re-percussions of Movement will weave a journey that starts at your birth and ends at the far edges of your dying thoughts. Henri Bergson: “I see how this body influences external images: it gives back movement to them. I also see plainly how external images influence the image that we call my body: they transmit movement to it.” In the tradition of conceptual musicians and performance artists like Laurie Anderson and David Byrne, Re-percussions is an investigation of movement, physical and psychological, through a kaleidoscopic integration of percussion, images, and spoken word. Sound as reality. Image as representation. Text as enquiry. Art as freedom of movement in the Street Theatre Studio.

Tickets from The Street on 6247 1223 or www.thestreet.org.au .

7 Akuna St

Canberra City

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8 0 0 2 s t’ I e ik L J D a Tonight We’re Gunn

ything like ally seen an going re r ve e n ve u’ll be like, ‘I’ s good as I’m ere where yo tting edge, that was aas DJing in 2008'" th t u o w o cu sh s put a at wa to see; that w "We want tothat was pretty cool, th , re fo e b that

Carlisle Rogers

DJ SHADOW AND CUT CHEMIST are bringing the Hard Sell tour to Australia, with an accompanying mix CD in tow. Based on the pair’s legendary Hollywood Bowl show last year, which incorporated eight turntables and two guitar loop pedals, the CD and the tour represent two of our generation’s finest turntablists pushing the musical, and their own technical, envelope. Both the boys jump on the horn for a few minutes to share their thoughts with BMA. Shadow says that, in terms of this tour, ‘showcase’ isn’t a bad word.

“There are people out there with a deep appreciation of music, and they want to be exposed to different types of music and have their musical vocabulary expanded. I think, on some level, my whole career has been based on that. In some ways I’m a gateway artist for other types of things to be experienced on a musical level. Almost like, it’s 1994, here’s what I’m into, go check it out. It’s 1996, my album reflects all the things I’m into, check it out. This set is very 2007/2008 for us. It’s about what we represent musically.

“Putting the set together really stretched my abilities because I’m not routinely used to doing a four turntable show. My most recent live show was four turntables, but they weren’t all vinyl turntables. If you throw a guitar pedal into the mix, which is something that Cut brought to the table, then we’re both using our hands and our feet. That’s what it is about. When we put a set together we’re not thinking ‘let’s do something we’re going to be comfortable with’. We try to put a set together where we think, ‘if we get through this thing, it’s going to be a miracle’. That is exciting to us. It is scary, but it’s when you are really alive as a DJ.

The new show is quite different in terms of the types of music we are playing,” explains Cut Chemist. “We are playing more genres, more turntables, and more records. We’re utilising all eight decks during certain points of the set, but we don’t have eight of the same record playing. Not because of difficulty, but because we didn’t have eight copies of a record. But we are using all eight decks at once and sometimes it seems like we’re playing all eight of the same records.

“Initially, we came up with that number because we had to during one part of the routine. The very first thing we do is to recreate the notes from Close Encounters of the Third Kind that the spaceship makes, so since we needed eight turntables to do that, we just figured we would use eight turntables for the rest of the set and up the profile. This has been the very first set that has been entirely 45s. During Brainfreeze, we cheated a little bit just to do some of our own stuff because it was the first set we did together. We thought it was important to break the theme.”

Chemist says that he and Shadow originally paired up after a remix request from Shadow for Number Song back in 1996. “That was when we started taking it to another level, from shooting the shit about records to actually doing something that involved something career-oriented. And then after that it was Brainfreeze, which was just a couple of years later. I was asked to do a set in San Francisco at a show and they wanted me to team up with Shadow. We thought if we were going to do it, we should do it with all 45s and challenge ourselves, hence Brainfreeze was born.”

“I think someone who can do technical, precision tricks that I can’t do is cool to watch and learn from, but when it comes to playing in front of 2,000 people, my favourite DJs know how to do that, but they also know how to get a flow going, a sense of movement over the course of several hours, so that you feel like you’ve gone on a journey. There is an end that makes sense and impact at various places, rather than just 100 mile-aminute technical tricks for an hour. I think both are important. We all have our strengths and weaknesses.”

Evolution has always been a huge part of what Shadow and Cut Chemist do together. DJ Shadow says the pair has always been in competition with their peers and with the rest of the musical world to do things first, or better, or both. “In 1999, nobody was really mixing funk 45s. That isn’t to say it had never been done in the history of mankind, but it wasn’t something that was currently available to the listening public at that time. We wanted to provide that. In 2001 we wanted to follow up Brainfreeze with something that we felt was infinitely superior; in terms of record selection, sophistication and throwing in different types of music in there that stretched our abilities.

Kid Koala is also on tour to support the pair for the first time, and Chemist says it’s been great having him along. “The best meal we’ve had so far was a home-cooked meal by Kid Koala’s wife. It was awesome. He plays all vinyl and we play all vinyl, so it’s part of the statement we’re trying to make. He’s been a lot of fun and is just one of those dudes who likes to see what’s going on and we’re learning from him and he’s learning from us. He’s like ‘hey man, let’s go out and check out some stand-up’. I’ve never had anybody ask me to see stand-up before and it was just crazy.”

“With my own live show in 2002 CD turntables were brand new, so I threw them in. In 2006 Serato was just getting on its feet, so we threw that in. In 2002 I factored visuals into my show, which a few people were doing, but not many. In 2008 it is more common, but we want our visuals to be better than everyone else’s, with more sophistication and effort put into them. We want to put a show out there where, if you pay to see it, you’ll be like, ‘I’ve never really seen anything like that before, that was pretty cool, that was cutting edge, that was as good as I’m going to see; that was DJing in 2008.”

Working together on vinyl since 1999’s Brainfreeze, DJ Shadow and Cut Chemist have moved on considerably in the ensuing nine years, changing their set and evolving to keep ahead of the rest of the world.

DJ Shadow and Cut Chemist present The Hard Sell on Wednesday April 23 at UC. Without a shadow of a doubt these tix will sell extremely fast, but you can’t get ’em at your local chemist, only Landspeed or Moshtix. The Hard Sell is out now on Reconstruction.

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bma magazine 13

ALL AGES

A very warm hug to you all on this cold, cold day. How was your long weekend?

Funky fresh, no doubt. I myself was at The Folkie. That wonderful time of the year in which the seed bags of society are filtered out through the gates of Morris dancers, fiddles, and dreadlocked 60-year-olds. Or so I thought. But no, somehow this year the filter was slashed open and in crawled some very unsavoury characters. Suddenly the night was no time to throw away all inhibitions but rather lurk in the shadows hiding from the swoosh of the pants and the abuse that was thrown towards those that just were enjoying themselves. And so might I add a very stern “get real” to that bunch of complete douches. And now, as the winter peeks its weary head over the clouds just to let everybody know that it’s coming, let us commence the planning of our outings.

Let’s start shall we?

night and is all set to start around the hour of 6pm. And remember it’s a drug and alcohol free event, so save it ’til after.

First up we have the Gungahlin Youth Week Expo over at Gungahlin Skate Park on April 5. Featuring the likes of Zero Degrees and Falling, Escape Syndrome and Just Like Josiah. There will be a hip-hop act

by E.E.S, dance performances featuring Kulture Break and Dynamic Dancers along with the usual festivities such as jumping castle, food and drink, and a BMX demo and comp. What more could you really ask for? My only answer was a place to get some airbrushed tattoos only to find… THEY HAVE IT… WOWZERS! Anyways kids, it all kicks off at the family friendly time of 10am so bring the olds, or don’t if you don’t want.

After all it’s for Youth Week.

And finally, The Getaway Plan are returning to C-Town to play a special one-off gig, so get planning to get away and over to The Venue on April 6. They’re being supported by Kempsey, Escape Syndrome and Afraid You’ll Fall. Tix from moshtix.com and doors from 4pm.

Next on the agenda (male), we have a show on over at Belconnen Youth Centre on April 11. This bad boy (male) will features the guys from Yoko Oh No as they hit the stage along side The Furthest!, Corporate Takedown, and Vera Cruise. Yet another stunning bill to stride through those blue sliding doors that you can’t get out of unless you press that red button on the right (remember that) for. The night will cost you absolutely nothing other than the possible $1.50 to get there on the

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And like a broken record, I remind you also on April 11 will be another ripping show on at Woden Youth Centre. This time the guys from Spoil will be headlining the night but with strong support from bands such as Escape Syndrome, Master Tang (Albury), Afraid You’ll Fall and others.

As part of Youth Week, Youth Services are throwing the Creeked 08 bash, which they’re hoping to make an annual shindig. The LLIK LLIK LLIK lads will be presiding over the decks, with Nick Smith, Alex McCloud and Drew Lyristakis spinnin’ up an electro techin’ storm. With an apocalyptic sound system and a lighting rig that “will be enough to give ya epilepsy,” it'll be wild. It’s all going down at the Weston Creek Community Hall, next to Cooleman Court shopping complex, on Friday April 4. Kick-off is at 5.30pm and the final whistle sounds at 10.30pm, all for a thrifty $5. The event is supported by Communities @ Work, JB Hi-Fi Woden and Save-A-Mate.

On Sunday April 6, US post-hardcore legends Off Minor will startle Canberra’s young thespians, playing a show at the C Block Theatre in Gorman House on Batman St in Braddon. They’ll be joined by The Diamond Sea (Melb), Ohana (Wollongong) and locals Spartak. 3pm start, $10 entry. Madness.

And so, that’s it for another edition my lovely children of the night.

Remember to not catch a cold. Wear a scarf and a singlet. And the thermal underwear that I bought you, and these gloves, and the beanie, and this Sloppy Joe I knitted. …Oh mum…

Bean out.

JOSH MOLONY joshmolony@hotmail.com

LOCALITY OoOoOoooo.

They were once The Lavans, but now they are The Haunted Attics, and these crazy cats are preparing for their EP launch at Transit Bar on April 3. They’ll be joined by Hancock Basement, From the South, and Jonny Telafone, and you’ll be able to pick up a copy of the six-tracker for $10. They’ve been doing time interstate in recent months and have recently launched a website that’s hotter than hell, so check it out at www. hauntedatticsmusic.com for up-to-the-minute info. Keep on flippin' for more on the guys

Gangbusters at Bar 32 is kicking on as usual; prepare yourself for Melbourne post-punk lords Witch Hats with local blades Golden Buoy and The Cherry Marines on April 10, and then Ethereal, and Inflatable Ingrid on April 24.

Always $5 entry and always kicks off at 9pm. Unless it doesn’t.

GOLDEN BUOY

ANDI & GEORGE There is so much stuff going on in CBR for Youth Week; one particular all-ages event of note is A 2XXcellent Radio Bash at the Front Café in Lyneham. It’s happening on April 12 and will include the lovely Andi and George Band, Marianne and Jonathan Mettes, Inflatable

Ingrid, Tim Maloney and Heidi Gill, along with awesome skate sessions with skateboard designer Ben Lewis and his company London Tea. Entry to this affair is $5, it kicks off at 5pm and music will start at 6.

Andi and George are also playing a show at Olim's in Ainslie on Saturday April 5 to raise money for their upcoming tour 'round the county. In the words of Aristotle, "give them yo cash!"

Much love and substance…

CAZ DENNES cazzed@hotmail.com

Still on Hancock Basement news, in case you don’t already know, the trio has become a quartet with bass player Jacob added to the mix. The latest goss is that they’re heading back into the studio, and that you may see a ‘mini-album’ during the year – straight from the horse’s mouth.

Apart from that they’re heading interstate, but will no doubt be popping their heads up around town before you know it. New material and more info at www. myspace.com.hancockbasement .

HANCOCK BASEMENT The Getaway Plan are stopping into the ’Berra on their national tour (how nice of them) and they will be supported, lovingly, by locals Escape Syndrome and Afraid You’ll Fall at The Venue in Erindale on April 6. As per blog info on their myspace, Escape Syndrome are in the process of writing a new album, and there’s a five-track EP currently in the works to satisfy the punters ’til the album is completed next year.

Their tour diary is looking pretty full, so catch them around town (playing mostly at a youth centre near you; check ’em out at www. myspace.com/escapesyndrome .

bma magazine 15

DANCE: THE DROP Welcome to another squalid amalgamation of time-sensitive dance information, brought to you by the good people of Tingles Chemicals: Because once you pop, seriously man, you can’t stop.

And speaking of which, The Presets are perched on the eve of their much anticipated follow up to debut LP Beams, entitled Apocalypso, which is their bid at pushing themselves further into international stardom. And their next single, the Daniel Johns-sporting This Boy’s In Love, is their best chance to prick new ears yet, lacing their pumpin’ electro sounds with a glittering pop nous. If nothing else, it will be one pill-munchers the world over will lose their gums over. Good news is the lads should be making a mid June stop at the ANU, so stay in touch for more info about that one.

It’s rare I get the chance to spraff on about all age dance gigs, but youth Services have just allowed me that pleasure. As part of Youth Week, Youth Services are throwing the Creeked 08 bash, which they’re hoping to make a permanent fixture, and they promise “it’s not gunna be your ordinary piss weak mind-numbing all ages event either.”

As Manager April Masters Smith was happy to tell me: “DJs on the night are LLIK LLIK LLIK, featuring Nick Smith, Alex McCloud and Drew Lyristakis and trust me, they’ll deliver an electro techin’ buzz straight through your head, which will blast straight out the other side of your friggin’ body courtesy of a kick arse sound system! And P.S, it’s guaranteed that the lighting rig will be enough to give ya epilepsy, and if that’s not enough to make your tongue drop, well f*%kin’ stay at home then! This is a NO POVO EVENT MY FRIENDS!!!! Sooo ball tearin’, even bloody Communities @ Work, JB HI FI Woden and Save-A-Mate are supportin’ it!”

Weston Creek Community Hall is the locale (just next to Cooleman Court shopping complex) and Friday April 4 is the date. ‘Tis but a mere five bucks to get in and it’ll run from 5.30pm -10.30pm. Get involved.

The no-doubt amusing spectacle that is the Tommy Lee and DJ Aero Electro Mayhem tour is nearly upon us (ANU, Apr 11 to be precise).

The duo are sponsored

by Pioneer Pro DJ and Native Instruments and their tech specs make for some interesting reading.

Their live setup consists of: two Pioneer DVJ-1000 DVD-players, an Edirol V2 video-mixer, a Pioneer DJM-800 mixer, two Pioneer CDJ-1000MK3 CDplayers, a Pioneer EFX-500 effects unit, two Apple Mac Book Pro laptops, an M-Audio Oxygen O2 keyboard, and assorted live-performance software, including: Ableton Live 7.0, Artillery 1.3, Traktor 3.3. Komplete 5 and Kore 2. They’ve just added the Pioneer SVM-1000 audio-video mixer to their setup, and the unit oft replaces the other mixers. We’re promised a “frenetic whirlwind of synthesized beats and high-energy sound”, which is not dissimilar to my Year 7 piano recital. If nothing else, I’m sure you can borrow a rolled up fiddy from Lee when you’re there. Tix are $40 + bf, with Milkbar Nick, Hubert, Dave Norgate and The Aston Shuffle in support.

TOMMY LEE

At this stage, the Nas tour, which was rumoured to have an April Canberra stopover, has been postponed. Frankly, I’ll believe this gig when I see it, so don’t hold your shallow breath.

Something that definitely is happening is Friction’s winter festival at the end of May. After shaking down Fricitonite Jeff Drake with a combination of my pseudo-British charm and a sock filled with coins, I can say it will harbour at least three internationals and some so-hotright-now Aussies. America, France and Britain will all be represented.

The venue is a fraction away from unconfirmed, but we’re looking at a good 5,000 capacity here. Stay tuned next issue, when we blow tha lid on this mother.

Purveyors of trip-tech prog house SOS (that’s SexOnSubstance for those of you over 16) will make a Sunday stop at (Trinity) Bar on April 6. Having just whipped together a very tidy 3CD opus marking the 13th release in the Balance series, the trip-tech triumvirate comprising Demi, Desyn Masiello and Omid 16B (his mother was a firm pencil), the lads shall be packing a slew of SOS edits, top draw treasures, and a few kinky surprises. Look to your right for more.

After a stompin’ Easter Thursday with the Stafford Brothers, Pang are again set to relive the holiday good times by bringing party hounds the Funktrust DJs for Anzac Day Eve (that’s April 24). It’s $15 before 11pm and $20 after, and for that fistful o’ change, you’ll also get The Aston Shuffle, erstwhile BMA Urban Columnist DJ Rush, Shunji, D’Opus, Hubert and Dave Norgate.

It’s been a long time comin’, but the next Podwarz is on the horizon, May 10 at old haunt the Transit Bar to be exact. Teams most likely to be taking part are reigning champs and all round sex nuggets BMA, as well as Deep Throat, Ug Beats and Exposed. And there’s plenty of talented DJ ack-sha-on to catch, with sets from Apollo Kids (Melb), Milkbar Nick, D’Opus, Textie N Wayne Vs Lex Dizzle and Smish. Some of those acts are TBA, so stay tuned for a solid update further down the track.

And before we part ways, allow me to leave you with a rather amusing/ clever nugget of musical interpretation. Jump onto YouTube and search for “predator rap” and click on the top one (it should go for six-and-a-half minutes). Yes, it sounds horrid, but it’s surprisingly enjoyable.

ALLAN “WATCH ME BE A STRAWBERRY AT PNAU” SKO

es v a w d n u o S r u o Save “I guess the man upstairs decided that we should meet; we all had a common interest in music and it all really clicked and the partnership just grew and grew” Tim Galvin Desyn Masiello, Omid 16b and Demi are all internationally recognised DJs in their own right and (using the Saturday morning cartoon formula), on a fateful night in the UK in 2004, their powers were combined to form an electronic dream team that travels the globe righting wrongs and bringing happiness to all. They are SOS. They are three friends who draw inspiration from their rich and diverse musical heritage, and direction from their beloved Deeper Substance and Sexonwax music labels. SOS was born of a desire to create synergy and a unique experience for anyone who has the pleasure of witnessing them in action.

"We are just preparing mentally for our Miami shows,"Demi says. "We are constantly working with our solo stuff and SOS; it’s like a never ending quest really."

The idea initially came together back in 2004 at a party that was organised by Demi at Neighbourhood nightclub in London. “I guess the man upstairs decided that we should meet; we all had a common interest in music and it all really clicked and the partnership just grew and grew. The first time we [performed as SOS] was in 2004 when we were organising this party where we all had different roles, and I guess that also comes through in our music because we are all quite individual. I am a real '70s buff, I love disco and soul. Omid is ‘band’ oriented, as he is from one himself, and I guess Desyn is a bit of both. I can say it definitely came together really well!”

The trio have a reputation as real party starters, playing on multiple mixers with more hardware than a hi-fi store, and their travels have taken them across the globe - but their next stop is the Miami Music Conference.

“We have three shows all together: a launch for the porn shop on March 26, a Tiki boat party on the Friday during the day, then one for the Sexonwax record label at a hotel - but we are hosting that one, which is just a chance for us to walk around in Speedos and robes.”

Due to popular demand they have recently completed the latest edition of the coveted Balance mixed CD series. Their effort spans three discs, which gave them the opportunity to communicate their supernatural precision through your home stereo. “Being able to generate the same vibe as we do when we play together was something that we were conscious of. We wanted people to think ‘what are they like live?’ and be able to feel that through the three discs. It actually took a lot of versions; we got to about version 38 before it made sense and it was really only in the last hour that it clicked, which was lucky for us (laughs).”

This is DJing in the 21st Century. They are consistently pushing their art forward and challenging themselves in their live shows. "We really want to take it to the next level," Demi says, "always make it a real surprise for the crowd and also a surprise to us too! We have never practiced together; it’s all just made up on the spot really. There is a lot you can do with four extra arms!"

Coming to our fair city on Sunday April 6 for Sound Baked Sundays at Trinity in Dickson, Canberrans can finally answer the riddle “What has six hands, three heads and an English accent?” The arvo rages from 3pm, features supports Club Junque (Syd) and Vance Musgrove (Aston Shuffle) and, best of all, it’s free! There ain’t no party like an SOS party.

THA REALNESS Plenty of recommendations this month! The Roots release their new album Rising Down later this month, but to tide you over, check out their new videos for ’75 Bars and Get Busy with Dice Raw and Peedi Peedi on the net at Videos On Smash. Both tunes are heavy. Also check out the new Rick Ross and Jay-Z tune Maybach Music from Rick Ross’ newy Trilla.

Produced by J.U.S.T.I.C.E League, it's incredible!

Anyone that saw A-Love perform recently at ANU will attest to the DJ skills of Mathmatics from Newcastle. I grabbed a copy of his new mix-tape Deejay Mathmatics: B-Boy Throwdown Vol. 2 and it is the niceness. Track him down on Myspace to grab one.

Locally, Canberra based hiphop group Kash Boys have just released their debut album The Birth, with production from Israel and the Nu Firm. You can grab a copy at Landspeed now.

Hired Goon member Billy Bunks has caused a stir with his debut

single The Devil’s Clay about throwing poo at people (check the video on Youtube). He’s just released his album Spit & Gristle and it delves deeper into his self professed ‘booze bastard’ derelict style. Produced by Nick-1 from Brisbane, the album has a deep mid-'90s rap influence for Bunks to dirty the mic with his tales of urban depletion, liquor abuse and anti-social behaviour.

Akrobatik is back with his second full-length and it’s killer. Every track is brilliant, showcasing a variety of topics, sounds and styles. Ak sounds hungrier than

ever and with beats from Illmind, 9th Wonder, Da Beatminerz, Hezekiah and J-Zone, did you really expect anything but class?

Speaking of class, the legendary Pete Rock has returned with NY’s Finest on Nature Sounds. A musthave addition to his impeccable back catalogue, the album is another soul-drenched and refined beat-chopping exercise in dopeness from the master, featuring collaborations with Jim Jones, The Lox, Redman, Little Brother and Raekwon to name a few. NY’s Finest is in stores now.

In the same league as Pete Rock are D.I.T.C heroes Show & AG.They’ve just dropped a brilliant EP Live Hard in anticipation of their new LP. Seven tracks deep, plus instrumentals, it conjures that classic boom-bap sound typical of the duo; smooth, crisp and neck-snapping. Plus, AG still has one of the best voices and deliveries in the game.

Now for some other snippets! Only Madlib would have the audacity to remix an album that’s barely six months old, and yet he’s done just that with Percee-P’s Perseverance.

The Remix album is out now and is booming. Eykah Badu’s new record New Amerykah is brilliant and features production from Madlib, Sa-Ra, Kariem Riggins and 9th Wonder. Fat Ray + Black Milk’s The Set-Up is another speaker devastating outing from the Detroit masters and The Don Kool G Rap has a new EP out entitled Half A Klip. Finally, J.Dilla’s lost classic Jay Loves Japan is finally available and you must have it. Enough said.

Show wise, the Unified Tour is coming to town at ANU on April 16 featuring Bliss N Eso, Funkoars and The Winnie Coopers. Local boys Casual Projects are garnering nationwide appreciation for their new sounds and will launch their second album No Rest at ANU on April 18 with Ro and D’O and The Andi & George Band in support. The boys also repped on The Kerrie-Anne show recently.

That’s hip-hop right there!

To hear dope music from all the above and more tune into the 2XX 98.3FM’s The Antidote from 9.30pm Tuesday nights.

ROSHAMBO

"It’s funny when people talk about us and think that we’re a new band and this is our first record" Dave Ruby Howe “We do kind of feel like the old guys returning to the scene,” Nick Littlemore, one half of PNAU and all-round indie superstar, says down the blower as he and his partner in riddim, Peter Mayes, prepare to take the Pnau experience to the masses. “But, y’know, we’re different too.

Every kid is just using some software on a laptop now. We’re nothing like that. We start all our stuff on old, old, old equipment from the ‘70s, the tools that our old heroes like Todd Terry used. We’re using that ethos but bringing into a modern context.”

In case you didn’t know, or are just kinda, well, thick, Pnau are back. Better than ever, some might say. Myself included. And the reason why I start Nick off with this question is because it certainly feels that with the whole synths, beats, distortion-times-infinity thing becoming as ubiquitous as it is right now, Pnau, utter legends of Australian electronic digs, have come back triumphantly to show the new school how it’s truly done.

But after so long in the woods, what brought the Pnau pair out of retirement? “We saw how all of our friends were getting big and touring all over the world, and we were just like, ‘why can’t we do that?’” Nick says, laughing. “We knew we had a base with Pnau, it had history, and we’d been growing in confidence all the time. I was producing a lot of stuff and was also doing Teenager. That was great for me. That’s how I learned to write songs… real songs. That’s what is special about this record, it’s got real songs on it, with intent and meaning,” Nick says of the buzzed-up album.

“We were working on it for ages, tweaking something here and there, making it just what we wanted it to be. I think we got there. It’s a fun

Pnauler record. We just gathered all our friends around [holy gosh, Feadz,Luke Steele, Ladyhawke and more] and tried to make something with positive messages the whole way through,” he says. “Really, that’s what people want to hear, you know. We’re not trying to make something that’s dense and complicated. We’re not self indulgent.”

In a way, the new album is a road map for everything’s that’s happening in the booming electro scene, both in Australia and international hotspots like France and LA. From the pumped rave of Wild Strawberries to the synth pop power anthem of Embrace, and the tweaked giddiness of current single Baby, Pnau show the kids how it’s really done.

“Everyone’s doing great stuff right now, but these songs have real, meaningful messages in them and I think that’s been missing from a lot of the stuff around,” Nick says of the new wave of electro. “Listening to Justice is cool but it’s just a lot of [squealing synth distortion] biddlioo biddlioo biddlio bssjjhhhhh,” he laughs. “There’s more to us than all that.”

It would seem as though the band’s devious strategy for world domination has started to take effect, with international audiences going gaga for Pnau’s infectious brand of electro-poppery. “The reaction from overseas has been pretty spectacular so far,” Nick enthuses proudly.

“That’s been cool for us. To know that people who wouldn’t normally be exposed to it are responding to positively… it feels good,” he says. “It’s a bit funny when we hear people talk about us and think that we’re a new band and this is our first record. But at least they’re listening.”

Pnau play at the University of Canberra refectory on Wednesday April 9, with Van She and Breakbot (France). Tickets on sale through Ticketek and inthemix.com.au . Pnau is out now through EtcEtc/Universal.

Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun

WE TAKE A LOOK INSIDE THE NEWLY ESTABLISHED BLACKSUN STUDIOS IN THE HEART OF BELCONNEN Peter Krbavac We’ve all been there. The band is in the folks' garage on a Saturday afternoon, powering through an incendiary rendition of Bulls on Parade.

Johnno’s mounted Macca’s Peavy Rage and, fist raised aloft in triumph, prepares to bring it home with one final, blood-curdling scream.

Suddenly, you’re interrupted mid jam-ousting by crazed pounding on the roller door. It swings open to reveal Ms Miggins from down the street, brandishing a gnarled fist in your face. Through a maelstrom of saliva and dentures, she raves on about how, in her day people, listened to ‘real music,’ and what you’re playing is ‘just noise,’ and she rues the day Australia got rid of conscription - a couple of years doing real work would teach you some respect.

As she storms off down the driveway, cabbage and Gin fumes trailing in her wake, you bask in the glow of being shut down by ‘the man.’ But realistically, you know you can’t keep rockin’ the 'burbs forever. As Pete Shelly shrewdly pointed out all those years ago, Noise Annoys – if it didn’t, what’d be the point? – and after all, you do have to live with these people.

This is when the heavens open, a blinding beam of light breaks through the clouds and the Fox brothers slowly come into view, cantering in on their snow white filly, armour radiating in the noonday sun.

Since November 2006, Ralph Fox has been operating the long-running Redsun Rehearsal Studios in Fyshwick (previously Sonic Sound Studios), taking over from previous owner Gordo. Late last year however, they found demand from Canberra’s fevered rock community was simply too great, and so Lance Fox, an industrial designer and head honcho of Grind FX industrial design firm, broke out the tool box and began work on Blacksun in Belconnen. “I didn’t expect it to do quite as well as it’s done,” Lance says of Redsun’s recent success. “Redsuns’ been there for so long and has provided such a good service to the bands for such a long time. It’s a service to support the music industry in Canberra. If you didn’t have that, where the fuck would all the bands be?”

Although Blacksun has only been open a mere couple of months, it’s already mirroring its sister studios' success. “We’re already at sufficient capacity for me to be very, very pleased with the way it’s going. I don’t need it to be bigger than what it is.”

Walking into the freshly renovated Blacksun complex, it’s immediately clear this isn’t your average rough ‘n’ ready rehearsal space. One is immediately confronted with the lounge, complete with pool table, dart

board, video jukebox and Lance’s guitar-themed artworks. From there, we wander down the main corridor, its walls bedecked with an impressive collection of six and four string oddities. “I hope as it starts to grow that people will bring in old guitars and other oddities,” Lance says, “so it will start to build up a bit of character based around the bands which isn’t graffiti or old band posters hung up, because that’s not what it’s about.

It’s creative. I want people to come out here and feel inspired. It seems traditional that a rehearsal space or any kind of place that has bands will have this huge collage of band posters, and that’s a bit of a cliché.

[Blacksun is] a piece of art, it’s an active, working piece of art.

“It’s a space where you can let yourself go,” he continues. “We originally thought of this concept as a PMC, a private musicians' club. A space where you can get away from out there,” he gesticulates to the world outside. “Everyone that comes through is so careful, so respectful,” Lance chuckles, “and I say ‘guys, it’s your space, make yourself at home.’”

Lance’s singular interior design sensibilities define the look of the studios. His pièce de résistance is a rehearsal room, done up to resemble a padded cell in a psychiatric hospital, that comes complete with straight-jacket, which will no doubt come in handy keeping unruly drummers in check.

More pertinently though, each of the four rooms is fitted out with a brand new PA. “I thought it was important to invest in good quality equipment that could stand the test of time, but also supply the quality of sound that you expect – the biggest issue, of course, with any band is… can you hear the PA and can you hear the vocals? All the bands have said ‘this is fantastic,’ because they can hear themselves.” And knowing the notoriously haphazard operating hours of most musicians, Blacksun’s hours are impressively flexible: they’re available at almost all hours, throwing open the doors at very un-rock ‘n’ roll hours in the morning and powering on ‘til the midnight hour seven days a week, with the option of booking a lockout too.

Just as our chat is winding up, Lance makes one final, important point.

“I like the bands, I like the people,” he enthuses. “I want the people to know that I really enjoy their company and that they’re welcome. Being able to work with, and know, these people has been the best part of the whole thing, ‘cause people come and go with big smiles on their faces and if we can help make their lives a little bit easier then I feel really good about it, I feel like we’re providing a really good service."

Blacksun Rehearsal Studios are located at 666 Wignall Place, Belconnen. For bookings or further information, phone 0404 178 996

PUNKSKA

Musically mad, whether you’re sick or you’re sad or you’ve lost the love you had, it’s the punk ‘n’ ska news. Sad indeed, this month, with two more Jahmekyan legends rolling their final spliffs.

Mikey Dread, the Jamaican producer/reggae star who produced The Clash’s 1980 single Bankrobber and contributed to their Sandinista album, died of a brain tumour on March 15. Dread, born in 1954, went on to tour and record with The Clash.

Also, back in February internerd rumours suggested that legendary JA producer Joe Gibbs had died. Sadly he passed away at a Kingston, Jamaica hospital, on February 21, aged 65. He’s responsible for ska classics like The Soul Sisters’ Wreck a Buddy, The Pioneers’ Jackpot, Nicky Thomas’ Love of the Common People and also Althea & Donna’s 1977 smash, Uptown Top Rankin’.

Underrated paddy punks The Tossers released a stomper of a CD/DVD on March 4. The Victory Records release showcases a sold out performance at Chicago’s legendary Metro, and includes behind the scenes footage

and music videos. Gloatin’ and Showboatin’: Live On St.Patrick’s Day is a 15-track CD/23-track DVD. This seven-piece outfit is one of Chicago’s biggest secrets.

Check out their myspace: http:// myspace.com/thetossers .

Jayson Nugent, guitarist for New York’s The Slackers, posted news about his side project Crazy Bald Head’s album. Sound of ’69 features covers of James Brown, Johnny Cash, The Beatles, and The Stooges among others.

Featured vocalists include The Pietasters’ Steve Jackson, The Slackers’ Vic Ruggiero, Hepcat’s Alex Desert and Bucket (The Toasters). The band features

Jay and Eddie Ocampo (The Insteps, Stubborn All-Stars, Dave Hillyard Rocksteady 7), arguably the best drummer of the third-wave ska movement. Others include Victor Rice (New York Ska Jazz Ensemble, Stubborn All-Stars, The Scofflaws), and Vic Ruggiero (The Slackers). Dave Hillyard (The Slackers, Hepcat, Stubborn Allstars et al) helps out the horn section. Jay and Victor Rice are producing. Expect the full length this year.

Let’s return to the Crack Rock Steady Beat. Recently Leftover Crack supremo, Sturgeon (StzA), informed us he’s been at Fat Mike’s Motor Studios in San Francisco, recording with sideproject Star Fucking Hipsters and finishing up their debut, tentatively titled Allergic to Peoples. Though Fat Mike’s in the production seat, StzA’s unsure if Fat Wreck Chords will release said record, but it’s likely. When he mentioned that L.o.C. would be attempting an Australian tour this year, I blacked out.

April 1981: The Decline of Western Civilization reaches movie screens in California.

The documentary featured live footage of bands like Black Flag and Circle Jerks, and behind the scene glimpses and street scenes surrounding the Los Angeles punk world. Capturing the mood of the film is this quote from Claude Bessy, singer for Catholic Discipline and editor of Slash Magazine: “I have excellent news for the world. There is no such thing as new wave. It does not exist. It’s a figment of some lame cunt's imagination. There was never any such thing as new wave. It was the polite thing to say when you were trying to explain you were not into the boring old rock and roll. But you didn’t dare say you were punk, because you were afraid to get kicked out of the fucking party, and they wouldn’t give you coke anymore.

There’s new music, there’s new underground sound, there’s noise, there’s punk, there’s power pop, there’s ska, there’s rockabilly. But new wave doesn’t mean shit.”

Oi Oi that’s yer lot! Next deadline is April 28. Send news, gig promos and abuse to rudebwaay@gmail.com SIMON HOBBS

"Jamie tends to hand out lyric sheets and encourage midset questions, so there is an invitation for people to establish some kind of relationship with the songs or with us"

Teigan Constable New York's OFF MINOR will be hitting Australian shores this coming April for their second national tour, which will include their 300th show - a a prospect the band seems quite excited about. For those who are not familiar with the band, they formed in early 2000 with the original three members coming from the highly-influential band Saetia, and play a chaotic brand of jazz-influenced punk rock. In 2001, Kevin Roche stepped in on bass. They have since toured the US a handful of times, and made trips to Europe, New Zealand, Canada and Australia. Recently, they completed the recording of their third LP, which does not have an official release date but will likely see release in Australia sometime in May. “Collectively I think we see many of the shows we played in Australia on previous tours as being among our best. I remember really intense shows and such a positive reaction and interaction - serious good vibes,” states Kevin Roche about their previous tour. “Jamie tends to hand out lyric sheets and encourage mid-set questions, so there is at least an invitation for people to establish some kind of relationship with the songs or with us.” This is done due to the fact that sometimes the lyrics can be incomprehensible.

The band agrees that live performance is the key to communicating their music successfully, as “there is an immediacy and energy to a live show, which is not altogether lost but is far less obvious on the recordings. The music is at times incomprehensible live and unless you’re reading a lyric sheet maybe you would have no idea what we’re talking about, but I think it is a decent trade for the physical and visual component you lose in the clarity and precision of a recording.”

A Minor Revival A do-it-yourself ethos is a characteristic of bands such as Off Minor.

So, sounds pretty easy right? Just play where you want and be your own boss. Roche explains, “the only serious disadvantage that I see is constantly spending our own money - losing money. But that comes mostly from ambitious travel itineraries. And even then, we are spending money to do what we love doing, the risks and rewards are fully ours.”

Off Minor have not fallen into the so-called ‘trap’ of the industry, where bands turn to managers and other paid professionals, as they believe “when bands begin to look to hiring help to handle the business aspect of being a band, they’ve either outgrown the smaller, do-it-yourself model or they want to outgrow it… We’ve been to dozens of countries, played hundreds of shows, and made a lot of friends directly and indirectly because of it. Not sure what a professional would bring to the equation.”

As for the imminent tour, Kevin says that “this time we were all specifically interested in going to Perth and Tasmania and both are happening thanks to our tour manager/living legend Tom McGuigan.

Australia is actually one of the few places that we’ve toured that I feel minimal pressure to ‘experience’ the country, but this is only because I’ve spent so much time hanging out here outside of touring. Once the tour starts, our interests will have to be restricted to the best cafes and veggie restaurants within reach.”

Off Minor hit town on Sunday April 6, playing in the C Block Theatre at the Gorman House art complex in Braddon. They'll be joined by The Diamond Sea (Melb), Ohana (Woll) and Spartak. From 3pm, $10 entry.

“I wanted there to be a section of the album represented by Eastern instruments to reflect a little bit about my musical heritage and Israeli background”

In the Lior's Den

“Not only do we get the door money but we go into the audience and steal their money, eat all the food at the buffet, the whole Viking trip. It’s the Viking Pillage Tour.”

Luke McGrath

n n y l F e k i L In

BOBBY FLYNN was the beanpole oddball a couple of seasons ago Miranda O'Brien The curly haired man with inestimable charm has created a melting pot of Eastern and Western flavours to once again warm our hearts. With tunes like This Old Love under his belt, you may wonder if LIOR can continue to deliver songs with the same warmth, integrity and honesty.

He can, and certainly has, with new album Corner Of An Endless Road. First track April Bloom lures you into aural intoxication with its Eastern vibe and unique instruments, one of which is an Egyptian guitar called an oud.

“I wanted there to be a section of the album represented by Eastern instruments to reflect a little bit about my musical heritage and Israeli background - having grown up in Israel listening to Eastern as well as Western music,” Lior says.

Producer Francois Tetaz’s musical diversity is one of the reasons Lior enjoys working with him. Prior to starting work on Corner Of An Endless Road, Franc composed the score for horror movie Wolf Creek, as well as Rogue.

"He’s a really great arranger, but he also has such a great knowledge of instruments," Lior says. "He brings something to the table which is outside my realm of knowledge, so I think together we make a good team."

Sometimes, you will find an album where the music eclipses the lyrics, or vice versa. But Corner Of An Endless Road is a beautiful album in that the music and lyrics perfectly compliment each other. “With songs like Heal Me I wanted to portray the catharsis of a relationship ending, so there’s nothing like the power and energy of an orchestra to do that. Franc and I sat down in an involved pre-production process and decided on what instruments and arrangements would convey the core emotive function of the song. A lot of the orchestral arrangements are like adaptations of vocal lines, and they’re very much Eastern slanted arrangements where the string lines are sliding in and around notes,” Lior says.

The album generally coaxes you into a serene state, and latest single I’ll Forget You, a duet with Sia, is no exception. Duets are quite uncommon these days, with Lior’s reaction being “‘a male/female duet, you can’t do that! What if it’s terrible?’ But he (Franc) convinced me and I thought, ‘well, what if we do it really well’? I was in LA doing some shows and I literally ran into Sia; she’s probably one of my top five favourite female singers. She heard the track and was right up for it,” Lior says.

The shadow puppetry used to tell the story in the filmclip adds to the bittersweet nostalgia of the song and portrays the sometimes delicate nature of relationships. “I saw this poster of this shadow puppet group and it looked like such a beautiful world. I went and saw it and was totally taken by this magical world. It became really unique in the sense that they built this 15 metre set and it was all shot in one take,” Lior explains.

The puppeteers hands are visible as “it was really important for us to convey that it wasn’t a computer animated clip… there’s no editing at all, I think that seeing the hands suggests that this is about human beings performing in real time.”

So get a good glass of wine, rug up in your winter knits and truly soak up the honesty, integrity and superbly written lyrics of this album.

Lior brings Corner of an Endless Road to the stage at The Playhouse on Thursday April 10, from 8pm. Tickets on 6243 5711 or canberratheatre.org.au .

on Australian Idol – week after week he provided a refreshing alternative to the mannered Whitney Houston and Justin Timberlake wannabes.

His breezy folk-jazz style, coupled with his lilting haunting voice, was almost jarring in context; his courage to stick to his strengths and his confidence to pull off the unthinkable (remember his samba version of Superfreak, or the smear of black face-paint?) endeared him to those weary of the manufactured creations the show normally featured. No stranger to the road, Bobby will be returning for his third visit to our nation’s capital, this time performing at…Vikings?

“It’s a rugby club, right? Yeah well, not only do we get the door money but we go into the audience and steal their money, eat all the food at the buffet, the whole Viking trip. It’s the Viking Pillage Tour,” he giggles.

Describing touring as a “good exercise in tolerance,” he cites it as a perk of his current job. “Meeting people is the best thing,” he enthuses. “Going to places that I wouldn’t necessarily go to if I wasn’t a musician, you know?

Places like the ACT but also smaller places like Bathurst, Albury, Wagga Wagga, or parts of Tassie that I have seen that are just magic.”

Bobby defines his band The Omega Three’s sound as “a folk-jazz/ambient rock experience, if you like. There’re hints of the ’70s and some more modern edges as well, along with a Cuban kind of percussion feel.”

And does he still do the covers that brought him to national attention?

“Absolutely. For sure, the people love them. Any of those songs that the audience already have a relationship with are good ones [to play]. It’s brilliant actually; there is already a list of songs that people want to hear you play and they’ll yell ’em out and stuff like that. It’s cool and we always encourage that… we’ve just added Slave To The Rhythm by Grace Jones.”

Reflecting on his audience post-Idol, Bobby says “It’s the same people that are saying, ‘You know what? McDonalds is great but I want to go to a restaurant to have good meal, or I want to have dinner at my house and entertain and have a nice bottle of wine’, it’s those kind of people. People that are…‘disgruntled’ is a strong word but a little bit frustrated with the pop machine as it is at the moment.” Aware of the stigma attached to reality music shows (“I used to watch from a healthy distance and was quite cynical”), he believes the good outweighs the bad. “In a sense it’s activating people to like music and getting them to see how things work behind the scenes. A lot of it too is just about how much time people have to spend on different pursuits and finding new music – you know, going to the gym, doing this, doing that. It’s easier if they can get it [their fix of music] in an hour show.”

While he wouldn’t have it any other way, he does admit his newfound career can be challenging. “Ten years ago I was playing music to relax… and now it’s almost the complete opposite. I still do it to relax but it’s funny, it’s a matter of rediscovering that… remembering the joy in it – when you start losing that joy it’s time to change what you are doing.”

Still, this is a man as laidback and carefree as the music he creates; he struggles when asked what makes him angry. “Intolerance, which I know is an irony,” he smirks. “What else? Missing public transport by a fraction always frustrates me.”

Bobby Flynn and The Omega Three’s debut Out Front is available now.

Catch him performing tracks from it, and a swag of choice covers, at The Auditorium, Vikings Wanniassa on Wednesday April 9 with Ashleigh Mannix. Tickets on 6121 2131 or theauditorium.com.au

COMING SOON: FRI Apr 18th

CASUAL PROJECTS FRI May 2nd

HELMET SAT May 10th

THE PANICS

First Rule of Gin Club...

THURS May 15th

ROGUE TRADERS

"On our first album we were always making concessions, but this is what we really want... something close to perfect"

TUES May 27th

KISSCHASY WED May 28th

Shailla Van Raad

FAKER

It’s a lazy Thursday morning, fast approaching midday, and Ben Salter is still in bed. God knows what the circumstances surrounding his late working week bedding are but he certainly was enjoying stretching, and (presumptuously to say) speaking to a BMA interviewer. With a laid-back tone, he begins to describe the origins of THE GIN CLUB and why such a lifestyle choice appeals to him. And yes, The Gin Club is a lifestyle choice; this is especially evident late-week when all the ‘other people’, who hold down the 9 to 5 slaving away at their LCDs, don’t have the luxury of the doona so late in the morning.

“It feels like I’m in this amazing band where everyone is just as good as each other. Everyone is massively talented and, what’s more, we all get on really well and have a fantastic time. That’s an important part of being in a band for me; it’s all about being nice to each other and being decent human beings.”

The words of a new Messiah of music, perhaps? Ben Salter is one of the new testament of ‘nice’ and down-to-earth musicians. Not to mention the interesting and diverse talent he’s with: a formula for a successful and appealing combination directed towards a rather large niche market. Originally from Brisbane, this unique band treasures their city of origin as it churns out such a like-minded but diverse range of talent.

The eccentricity of The Gin Club started as soon as they formed and welded each band member’s style together, all from the humble beginnings of an inner city pub in Brisbane. Salter says, “Ben (Tuite) and I used to put on an open mic night where many different musicians came to play their own compositions. It was a regular thing and most people who came were also the same. We got to know each other really well and jam, eventually covering each other’s songs. It was my crazy idea to form a musical collective.”

Whilst performing, the band members play intermittently depending on the composition played and who has composed it. This makes their performances a very different and diverse experience, featuring anywhere from two to nine band members playing at a time. This type of organised performance doesn’t result in a hodge-podge concoction as one would think, but instead in something of an indie-folk-electro-classic.

The interesting combination of instruments includes mandolin, banjo, cello and piano, giving birth to this intriguing genre. Both this combination and the resonance of diverse movement on stage definitely purport a new testament of music.

The group has released three albums with the most recent, Junk, featuring 26 tracks and receiving rave reviews. Working with the infamous Australian music producer Magoo on Junk, Ben happily croons, “For the first time our album sounds professional... on our first album we were always making concessions, but this is what we really want... something close to perfect.”

SAT May 31st

THE AUDREYS

April THURS 3rd

FRI 4th

FRI 11th

SAT 12th

WED 16th

TELEFICTION + THE GODS OF LOVE, YOUR SAD HONEY SOUND & MANNY SPARKS $5 BRIGITTE HANDLY + THE CHUFFS & INFLATABLE INGRID $10 PANG! & LANDSPEED present TOMMY LEE (MOTLEY CREW) + DJ AERO, MILKBAR NICK, HUBERT, DAVE NORGATE & THE ASTON SHUFFLE Tix avail @ LANDSPEED, MOSHTIX & STOCKS $40 + BF OPERATOR PLEASE + SPECIAL GUESTS Tix on sale NOW @ Ticketek $19.70 TRIPLE J & MTV presents BLISS N ESO + FUNKOARS & THE WINNIE COOPERS Tickets on sale soon - LANDSPEED & ANU BAR $22+bf presale. More on the Door.

Very rarely does a musician use ‘perfect’ and ‘album’ in a self-referential statement, but obviously Ben Salter is the new musical testament preacher who ate the cream.

The Gin Club plays on Friday April 11at The Green Room with Mike Noga and the Gentlemen of Fortune (featuring members of The Drones and Dallas Crane) and Dan Mangan (Canada). Doors open 8pm. Junk is out now on Plus One Records/Shock.

bma magazine 25

BLACKBOX “Are you ready?” the glossy promo material for re-invented ’90s game show Gladiators (Prime, Sun, 6.30pm) asks.

Your answer should be no. Australia is very good at emulating some American traits (like a love of anything with cheese), but that WWF-style bravado/ego where the stars take themselves incredibly seriously while everyone else is laughing at you is not something we’ve managed to pull off successfully. Of course, there are those poor misguided souls who believe the WWF to be a sport – it’s on television and based on circus acts of old people. You’ll probably see some of them (and your local gym junkies) as challengers on the show. And Greg Harrigan, who made his name as a football referee should be ashamed of himself for using his whistle for this. Gladiators may turn out to be a more effective fitness motivator than The Biggest Loser (SCTEN, Mon-Fri, 7pm) – while it may not shift tellytubbies from the couch, it will surely make them switch off the box.

Lovers of anime will want to rearrange their Monday viewing schedule for Death Note (ABC2, Mon Apr 14, 9.30pm). The Madman Entertainment series features a notebook with the power of life and death and all the sorts of noble goals you expect from anime.

Art Safari (ABC2, Sun Apr 13, 9.30pm) returns for another up-closeand-personal look at interesting artists. The first ep explores the work of Japan’s answer to Warhol, Takashi Murkami.

Rev heads may want to check out Scrapheap Challenge: Tanks (ABC2, Sat Apr 19, 6.35pm), because there’s nothing quite like a tank built from junk, and Mini Challenge (Prime, Sat Apr 5, 1.30pm), because there’s nothing cooler.

While the Power of 10 (WIN Mon 7.30pm) means putting up with game show contestants and host Steve Jacobs, it’s an interesting case study on what people think. Family Feud surveyed the audience for their response – this purports to survey ‘Australians’. If only they had Bert to host. Blackbox would of course be interested to hear from anyone who has been ‘surveyed’ for this program.

Looks like the folks at WIN realised there are only so many stories about a Navy Patrol boat off the Aussie coast – Sea Patrol II The Coup (WIN, Mon, 8.30pm) gives them an actual enemy.

Oh how the once-mighty have fallen. One of the hit shows from five or six years ago, Queer Eye for the Straight Guy (SCTEN, Fri Apr 11, 4am), returns with new episodes in the bleary-eyed timeslot known only to serial killers, insomniacs and shift workers.

The Dog Dominatrix takes an interesting turn with It’s Me or the Fat Dog (SCTEN, Sat Apr 12, 6.30pm), putting porky pooches through their own Biggest Loser hell. And if the dog and you have been chowing down on Maccas over the summer recess, you’ll be glad to know Jamie at Home (SCTEN, Thu Apr 10) is back to save you from yourself.

Rove returns to our screens (SCTEN, Sun, 9pm) and has Delta’s new squeeze, Mr Boyband Brian McFadden, on the show on April 6.

Music viewing this week should include Planet Rock Profiles: Beck (ABC 2, Sun April 13, 1.25pm), Madness: Live at Finbsbury Park (ABC 2, Sun April 13, 4pm), Jane’s Addiction: Three Days (ABC 2, Mon April 14, 10pm).

Never Plead Guilty!

"One of the best things about the Chopper character is that he sees everything in black and white. It means that he either loves something or he hates it" Henry Holland We all know deadshits. We see them at work, at parties, in public and sometimes even in private. Maybe you’re a deadshit. If you are, be warned… you are being targeted. Someone out there is looking to get rid of you and all your kind. Even worse, this someone is big, hairy, decorated in prison-looking tattoos and closely resembles one of Australia’s most notorious criminal underworld figures: Mark ‘Chopper’ Read. The good news is that this someone is actually just actor and comedian HEATH FRANKLIN, who has been playing Chopper for the past three years on television and stage. And after touring successfully last year with his Harden the F*ck Up Australia act, Franklin is taking his alter-ego back on the road, this time with the new Make Deadsh*ts History show.

“A lot of people are going to get targeted,” Franklin says. “I think this show is more about behaviour than specific individuals. It’s about some of the dumb things that people do, as well as people who do things and don’t quite realise how dumb they are. I have a bit of a whack at celebrities, especially the celebrities that try and help people when they’ve really got no qualifications for it. There’s not really anyone specific but if you look around and see an idiot, hopefully what they’re doing will be in the show.”

Franklin says his Chopper character has developed a lot since he first slipped into the persona while having drinks with friends. His original Chopper, which came to prominence in 2005 on The Ronnie Johns Half Hour comedy sketch show, was heavily based on Eric Bana’s portrayal of Chopper in the award-winning movie of the same name.

“I think if you watch the first couple of episodes, apart from the moustache being really bad, it is really different,” Franklin says. “As it has gone on, I’ve stretched it out to include people that I’ve worked with and weird idiosyncrasies from people in my family to just expand it a bit more. I’ve accumulated a lot of different traits from a lot of different people over the years.”

The Make Deadsh*ts History tour will feature all new material from the same unique perspective. “I think one of the best things about the Chopper character is that he sees everything in black and white,” Franklin says. “There are no shades of grey for him, which is very liberating. It means that he either loves something or he hates it.”

And now we know who to blame for the woeful term emo: Red Dwarf (ABC 2, Mon, 8pm). The ep entitled Emohawk Polymorph II about an ugly tribe selling engine parts airs April 14. Pity we can’t blame them for the music. Address all complaint letters to Editor, BMA Magazine.

The real Mark ‘Chopper’ Read is a fan of Franklin’s work, remarking when they met that impersonation is the highest form of flattery. The real Chopper went on to suggest that if Franklin wanted to do a proper impression he should emulate the infamous gangster’s mangled appearance and cut off his ears.

Lastly this week, the return of two of the greatest comedy finds in the last couple of years – The IT Crowd (ABC, Wed April 16, 9pm) is back for a second season and My Name is Earl (Prime, Sun, 8pm) is back for a third.

And don’t miss Michael Palin’s Europe (Prime, Sat April 5, 7.30pm).

“I’m not that dedicated,” Franklin laughs. “I would like to keep my options open to do something different in the future or maybe even get an earring – I don’t want to rule that out. We’ll have to see how it goes.”

TRACY HEFFERNAN tracyheffernan@bigpond.com

I was tempted to encourage Franklin to go through with cosmetic adjustment, but somehow I don’t think he’s that much of a deadshit.

Franklin brings his terrible mo’ to town on Sunday April 20 at Canberra Theatre. Tickets are available from Canberra Ticketing on 6275 2700.

THEATRE COLUMN Goodness gracious me there is ever so much on, and with this theatre columnist only just recovering from the super weekend had at Folkies, the waves of new shows to see is somewhat overwhelming.

Let’s start with The Street, where a few things are of the type to tickle fancies.

First up, there’s the Canberra premiere of Repercussions in Movement by Gary France and Kim O’Connell, a percussion-sculpture-audiovisual-spoken word-movement performance whose press release is nothing if not charmingly obtuse. Favourite phrases: “sonic harmonics”,“tectonic grindings”,“kaleidoscopic integration”. Oooh. Yes please.

Berlin: Cabaret of Desire is next up at Street 1, where rumour has it the auditorium is being transformed into a “haven of vice” ala the Kit Kat in order to bring you the musical stylings of the Weimar. With musical direction by Tim Hansen, directed by Naomi Brouwer, and set design

by Imogen Keen (who made the awesome set for last year’s The Give and Take) and PJ Williams, Berlin should be a cracker of stylish, sonic debauchery. They’re booking tickets by tables so get some mates to go along with you and it’ll be cheaper. There may be some kind of bar.

Finally, there’s Lally Katz’s The Eisteddfod, directed by ANU-tykemade-good, Bridget Balodis. The Eisteddfod is a magical, absurd, and uncomfortably real exploration of the relationship between Gerture and Abalone, orphaned siblings who create their own reality.

The Street Theatre presents: Repercussions in Movement, Street 2 from Thursday April 3 to Saturday April 5 @ 8pm & Sunday April 6 @ 4pm. Tix $25/$21, $15 student rush.

Berlin: Cabaret of Desire, Street 1 from Friday April 11 to Saturday April 26 @ 8pm, Sunday April 6 and April 13 @ 4pm. Tix $35/$30 or table of four $120/$100.

The Eisteddfod, Street 2 from Wednesday April16 to Saturday May 3 @ 8pm, Sunday April 20 & 27 @ 4pm. Tix $25/$21, $15 student rush.

For more info or to book tickets for any of these shows, head to The Street’s fabulous website at www.thestreet.org.au, or phone 6247 1223.

Meanwhile, over at the CTC there are some exciting outta-towners coming including Queensland Theatre Company doing Tom Stoppard’s translation of Gerald Sibleyras’s Heroes, Puccini’s La Boheme for one night only, and Bell Shakespeare back in action with As You Like It. Primo theatre never looked so good.

QTC presents Heroes by Gerald Sibleyras, translated by Tom Stoppard, starring Robert Alexander, Max Gillies, Dennis Olsen. The Playhouse, Tuesday April 1 – Saturday April 5 @ 8pm, matinee Saturday April 5 @ 2pm. Tix $50/$43/$30/$22.

SERTO/Melbourne Opera presents Puccini’s La Boheme @ Canberra Theatre, Saturday April 5 @ 7.30pm. There are a bunch of ticket prices ranging from the mid-fifties for the Gainfully Employed to cheap-as $20 seats for U27 members.

Bell Shakespeare presents As You Like It @ The Playhouse, Tuesday April 22 – Saturday May 3 @ 7.30pm. Matinee Saturday April 26 & May 3 @ 1.30pm. Twilight Monday April 28 @ 6.30pm. Tix $60/$50/$30.

For info and to book tickets for these shows, check out the CTC’s website at www.canberratheatre.org.au or ring Canberra Ticketing on 6275 2700.

Finally, I know this won’t make it out in time to make a lick-o-difference, but Moonlight has started their 2008 season with a bang and a crash of awesome, moving, quality theatre. Sam Shepard’s True West is a masterpiece of Modern Americana, and the performance flourished in the assured hands of Fiona Atkin. Ben Williams and Jarrad West as rival/doppelganger brothers Austin and Lee were wonderful, while Cara Irvine’s set was a revelation. Top shelf, A1, primo.

That’s your lot for the fortnight. Now let me get some rest.

NAOMI MILTHORPE - princessnaea@gmail.com bma magazine 27

DISCOLOGY SINGLED OUT

WITH DAVE RUBY HOWE Axle Whitehead I Don’t Do Surprises (Sony BMG) Yeah, that Axle. But still, I can appreciate a Snow Patrol rip when it’s done this good. When it comes down to it, if my iPod is out of battery, jjj are playing Behind Crimson Eyes and I have to switch to ‘commercial’ radio, I know I’d prefer to hear this than Xtina.

Britney Spears Break The Ice (Warner) Shit, this is pretty good. Awesome/ annoying synth repetition (always a must), thick production and a space choir. Oh, this is the instrumental.

Damn. I kind of prefer it. After all, Britney is just an auto-tuned voice these days.

Flo Rida ft. T-Pain Low (Warner) Ah, Shooters. How I’ve missed you.

Masif, roight?

Madonna ft. Justin Timberlake & Timbaland 4 Minutes To Save The World (Warner) Timbaland can do pretty much anything. With this he adds some banging horn-heavy marching band stuff to his arsenal. Unfortunately, Madonna can’t do it all. She sounds like an afterthought on this. That thin voice strangled by the mess of brass.

And while the beat is hot they kind of forgot about getting a decent chorus.

Not really single material.

The Bedroom Philosopher The Happiest Boy (Nan & Pop) Dropping ref’s to Richie Benaud and Iced Vo Vos is always going to win points in my book. It’s no surprise that this endearing slice of both astral and naval gazing indie-pop comes from the esteemed Justin Heazlewood. With all the dry wit and lolz you’d expect from him, plus an extended flute backing, you can’t go wrong here.

The Ting Tings Great DJ (Columbia) By all rights this should be huge. It’s got stick in your head lyrics (duh), a lo-fi shuffle, an eye for hipster culture and major label dollars pushing out to the kids. It’s good. Unfortunately that means that even if you’re sick of this in three months time, it’ll be hanging around on iPods and cleverly orchestrated ‘indie’ compilations belonging to those friends who just wish they could be as cool as you.

Adele 19 (Remote Control/XL Recordings) In the early months of each new year, record companies foist fresh acts onto a hung over and bleary-eyed public with outrageous claims al la “the best new band of 2008” or the “it will be the best album

of 2008”. They’re as empty as midnight promises and usually as squalid as the pashes and fleshy gropes that soon follow. Adele is this years Amy Winehouse with a bit of Lily thrown in – albeit without the smack addiction, hair don’t, dental challenges, convict boyfriend or most importantly, talent, as 19 sadly proves. It’s an unremarkable start with a few ballads aiming for the understated smoky soul thing, which is all well and good, but the arrangements are forgettable and I swear there is an acoustic slap bass in there somewhere. Inexcusable. Ears visibly prick up on Cold Shoulder – only to realise it’s actually Massive Attack’s Unfinished Sympathy getting me excited; as a ploy it’s a savage reminder of enjoyment to be found elsewhere.

It muddles along during which time there’s adequate proof Adele has an undeniably great voice but Right as Rain sounds suspiciously like the '80s new soul revival of Curiosity Killed the Cat or Lisa Stansfield, which is doing no-one any favours. The Dylan cover Make You Feel My Love, whilst a highlight, shines a light on the lacklustre original melodies and emotional pull on offer. In a world where Jack Johnson sells records by the thousands, a case could be made for 19 being a reasonable way to spend a loose hour. I won’t be making it though. Easter is now a memory so diminished capacity is no longer an excuse and 19 should not be contender for album of the year – it’s an amiable enough release that, stripped of its record company penned back story, is simply an easy distraction whilst waiting for the next Winehouse tabloid spazz out.

JUSTIN HOOK Bullet for my Valentine Scream Aim Fire (Sony BMG) BFMV’s stated aim is to become ‘the biggest band ever to emerge from Wales’, a big deal when you take into account the not inconsiderable success of the Manic Street Preachers, Stereophonics, Funeral for a Friend and, um, Persian Risk. And whilst they are undoubtedly extremely talented – there are moments on Scream… that’ll have your metal meter leaning dangerously into the red – there’s still too much generic dicking about to really mark them down as true pretenders to the throne. Yet, there’s still plenty of time ahead for this absurdly young bunch of Celtic pups, and if they can continue honing the likes of Waking the Demon and the title track, whilst weeding out emo pants like Deliver us from Evil, and if vocalist Matt Tuck can put his doomed Hetfield/Shadows affectations to bed, then a bright future undoubtedly awaits. Frighteningly bright in fact.

Bigger than Persian Risk, anyway.

SCOTT ADAMS Cat Power Jukebox (Matador) Cat Power’s first album devoted to covers released nearly ten years ago is a highlight of her catalogue.

Understated interpretations that didn’t suffer from the ‘how novel’ gimmick factor, which is quite an achievement given her inversion of The Stones’ Satisfaction. Since then, Chan Marshall has reigned in her legendary erratic behaviour, alcoholism, stage fright and only recently added a graceful and confident swagger to her repertoire. Jukebox is the sound of Marshall getting lost again but doing it

in a far less interesting and rewarding way. It’s not a return to the emotional fragility of her walking-off-stage-midsong years, but rather a discovery of a bland, tiresome and vacuous delivery style replete with vocal tics and mannerisms that wouldn’t sound out of place coming from an Australian Idol contestant’s idea of what smoky, ersatz bar jazz should sound like. Take for example Metal Heart from Moon Pix, which has been stripped of all its sparse edgy glory to be unnecessarily reborn as a plodding, vacant dirge.

Exception can be made for her Dylan ode, Song to Bobby, but even its inclusion is a cheat – it’s an original. Long time collaborator Jim White is back, not that you’d know from the uninspired rhythms, and Judah Bauer charts some mediocre blues riffing light years from his explosive years. On the surface, Jukebox sounds like an obvious successor to the vastly superior The Greatest, but the feeling of emptiness engulfs quickly so that forty minutes spent with it represents wasted opportunity and an empty experience.

JUSTIN HOOK Disfear Live the Storm (Relapse) WOOOOAAARRRGGGHHH!!!! It’s the only term that can accurately encapsulate the utter filth, fury and goddamn realness of this record. Swedes Disfear, the kings of this thing known as D-Beat (look it up on Wikipedia, I don’t have enough space to explain here), have really done the business with this, their sixth bona fide full-length. The sheer heaviness inherent here is staggering, and I really don’t think I can do this record justice with mere words. All I can say is you’ll get a massive surge of adrenaline every time you insert this and press play, and, well, just make sure anything in the vicinity regarded by your loved ones as ‘precious’ is strapped down safely for the duration. Utterly monstrous, near perfect, look – if you love Motorhead, Discharge, Christ, anything heavy, really, just put this down and go out and buy the thing now.

SCOTT ADAMS High Contrast Watch the Ride (Mix Series) (Harmless/Inertia) And so marks another fantastic contribution to the world of drum ‘n’ bass by fro-sporting old timer Lincoln

‘High Contrast’ Barrett. The man has turned his deft ear for melodic cum hard-hitting tunes by plucking 25 little sonic nuggets and masterfully lacing them together. Like all good mix CDs, Barrett mimics a well built live set, bookending proceedings with some delightful dabs of old school rave (catch that intro piano), and guiding us through the prerequisite peaks and troughs. With a running time of a little over an hour, the mix moves swiftly, with decent sized blends deftly executed that exhibit, unlike the TC mix in this series, much thought on the sound and mood of the tune that follows. It’s a joy from start to finish, but the smooth energy hits a peak on Danny Byrd’s future gurn classic Labyrinth, before charging all the way to the finish. An enjoyable reminder of how drum ‘n’ bass can be like a smack in the face with a velvet fist.

ALLAN SKO K.D. Lang Watershed (Nonesuch) K.D. Lang’s new album Watershed is like a musical version of my year nine time table. This album, produced by Lang herself, introduces you to a musical spectrum that includes pop (general studies), country (agriculture), some Latin rhythms (Latin) and a bit of Level 1 French with the track Je fais la planche (I don’t know what it means either) to broaden the young mind. On a different level the lyrics are poetically wise. I Dream of Spring introduces the album with the words “she arrives like Autumn in a rain storm,” and in the track Once in a While, Lang pens the lyrics “love beyond reason is a love so hard to find”. But if you have no flare for poetry, foreign languages and Latin, loving this album will make you fall in love with its mellow and unobtrusive sounds. Lang, who hasn’t released original material since her 2000 album Invincible Summer, has impressed on her return to our musical consciousness. Watershed was released February 5 and debuted at number three on the ARIA charts; this placement is definitely well deserved. Invest in your education and get a copy of this album. Public education works!

EVA LUBULWA

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!! (Mute) When Nick Cave was inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame last year, the expected excoriations didn’t quite eventuate as predicted. Yes, there were a few snipes, but the most appealing moment was Cave’s gracious decision to overrule the ARIA committee and self induct members of The Birthday Party and The Bad Seeds, for whilst his name has become synonymous with epic, gothic, dark tales from the squalid gutter to the needle to the tender bedroom of late, it could never have happened without those rotating bunch of glorious musicians, in their own right assisting Cave paint the picture. On Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!! The Bad Seeds certainly aren’t the same opiate, wiry band of Tender Prey, but the churning intensity is still there, hidden beneath the grinding sludge noise of Albert Goes West and the too obviously self-referential it can’t be true We Call Upon The Author. Through it all Cave’s storytelling abilities remain almost peerless, commanding a unique ability to thrust the listener into the author’s world in an instant – I’d happily rank American Music Club’s Mark Eitzel with him, and equally happily dismiss John Darnielle on the spot. It’s the remarkably vivid places and characters (Larry as Lazarus, Albert wigging out on a dude ranch and a late appearance by Deanna) he conjures with precise word selection that elevates this album to the upper limits of The Bad Seeds discography. And for those complaining of Ellis’ input somehow muddying The Bad Seeds’ legacy and throwing his focus off with the swamp blues side project, you’re utterly missing the point as Cave himself explains on Jesus of the Moon: “I’m more afraid of things staying the same/’Cause the game is never won/By standing in one place too long”. Long may they never stand still. JUSTIN HOOK

Mind the Gap "I really like working with analogue gear. Sometimes digital sounds really flat, whereas vintage sounds a lot richer" Caitlin Croucher Yes, wherever CHASM goes he is bound to tear some sort of giant hole in the backside of soul-driven hip-hop and nicely chewy beats. He’s recently been signed to kingpin Aussie hip-hop label Obese Records, and there’s already a sniff of success in the air. Coming to prominence as a member of Astronomy Class with The Herd’s Ozi Batla and Sir Robbo on Elefant traks, Chasm has now decided to solo it with his debut album Beyond the Beat.

The chap has been doing a lot of remixes lately - “actually, I just started on a Resin Dogs one,” he reveals - and now he’s embarking on an album tour that doesn’t actually include Canberra... Yeah, there was a bit of an awkward pause when we both realized that Chasm may not even be coming to our humble little town and the conversation kind of felt like a first date when you realize the person may be a serial killer. Fear not though, we figured it out.

Chasm is a part of the Obese Block Party tour - and yes, that’s actually coming here. No, it’s not a Bloc Party gig for obese people (although that would be kind of funny and scary at the same time), it’s Obese Records holding their annual showcase of talented artists signed to the label, performing for one night only in what is sure to be a very large event.

Chasm isn’t allowed to comment much on the Block Party gig, as details involving the extravaganza are being kept tightly under wraps lest the public guess that it’s actually a ploy to bring down Hilltop Hoods in some kind of whack voodoo ritual, but he can talk about his album.

It’s been hailed as a journey through the best of Australian hip-hop and the man is enjoying favourable reviews for his debut effort, reaping the benefit of being close friends with a few awesome MCs and producers.

“You gotta get the love while you can, man,” he explains.“Most of the MCs on the record are dudes that I just hit up when the time came.” These dudes include Urthboy and Ozi Batla.“Most of the guest spots on the album are people I’m down with or have met on tour or through rap in some way. I just hit up MCs that I thought would suit particular beats, and there were younger rappers coming up that I wanted to work with too like Thundamentals and Dialectrix,” Chasm says.“Me and Robbo have also been working on beats for the new Astronomy Class album, so it’s pretty hectic.”

Chasm is a bit of an old school master when it comes to mixing. Just as there was a time before the iPod - yes children, come gather ‘round the fire and I shall tell you the tale of Disc Man - there was also a time when it wasn’t all digital. Chasm prefers vintage gear in the studio. “I really like working with analogue gear,” he explains. “There’s harder and more challenging aspects to mixing on vintage. Sometimes digital sounds really flat, whereas vintage sounds a lot richer.”

Luckily for ol’ Canberra, we’ll get to taste a little bit of Chasm’s musical cuisine, as well as acts like B Pegz, Downsyde, Drapht, Muph & Plutonic, Chasm, Spit Syndicate, Bias B, Reason, Hyjak N Torcha, DJ Bonez, Tommy Illfigga, Jeswon, Dialectrix, DJ 2Buck and mdusu&damez, all coming together for the Obese Records showcase. Golly darn gosh, it could almost be a party!

The Obese Records Block Party is happening on May 23 at the Uni Bar, featuring the likes of Pegz, Muph & Plutonic, Chasm, Hyjak N Torcha, Spit Syndicate and many more. Tix are $35 plus BF from the venue, Landspeed Records, Writer’s Block or www.oztix.com.au .

Rock the Cas-P-Bah

"It’s nice to feel like we can make it as an independent band – it’s just all getting that much better for us at the moment" Megan McKeough For a band that started out as a ‘casual project’, CASUAL PROJECTS are doing pretty damn well. Currently on the move completing a tour to promote their upcoming album No Rest, the eight-piece hip-hop/funk outfit are starting to make quite a name for themselves, having also released a video for their song Move Along. Casual Projects consists of Dan Bray (sax/synth), Julian Abrahams (guitar/vocals), Kane Watters (bass), Muchtar Johnson (vocals), Munro Melano (keyboard/vocals), Nick Keeling (vocals/synth/trombone), Pat Lillicrap (vocals) and Yen Nguyen (drums). They’ve rocked on with Kerri-Anne Kennerley, had the Indy clip of the week on Rage, and have recently been added to the Channel V playlist. Overcoming time differences and some bad reception, Munro fills me in on what life is like in the Projects.

The Move Along tour, which has taken Cash Proj from capital city to country town, has so far included sleeping in wet tents and almost being decked by an unlucky gambler. “It’s been random but great at the same time, you know? Kind of like the pay off for four years of hard work. We’re in our downtime week at the moment, so no gigs… we just went to Dreamworld actually! It’s been really great so far.”

There is a little glory along the way, however, thanks to some good timing. “Oh, you know what was magic, actually? After our gig in Nimbin, we went and watched Rage because we knew we were going to be on. This guy that was working in the hotel came in and he was like, ‘Oh, you guys are a really great band!’ So we said, ‘Thanks, this is our film clip actually, on Rage,’ and he just couldn’t believe it. He sat there for a while, freaking out, and then after about a minute he just walked out of the room. That was pretty awesome, just having that guy be like, ‘Hey, that’s you! That’s you on TV! Nah, it can’t be you!’”

So what can we expect on the upcoming album, which follows a debut filled with catchy, good-natured gems? “We took a long time putting it together… the people who produced it are pretty heavy people, like Tony Buchen and Chris Geheringer. It was really incredible getting to record in one of the best studios in Australia. There are some things that if we could change them, we would, but that’s the nature of the game. We talked to our producer about it before we went in and he was like, ‘the album is just a moment in time – it just captures where you guys are as a band at that time’. We are very happy with the result.

It’s definitely got more synthesisers, so it’s a bit newer sounding I guess.

There are some party tracks on there, and storytelling tracks… all kinds.”

So what is next, what are some of their upcoming goals? “Hopefully we’re going to own our bus soon, and we’re going to get a trailer too, just to make it a lot more realistic and feasible to go on the road again. We’re going to be doing some school gigs too, workshops and that kind of stuff.”

Any final thoughts? “It’s nice to feel like we can make it as an independent band – it’s just all getting that much better for us at the moment. We’re starting to get some kind of radio play, and people are supporting us. I mean, people always have, just more people are supporting us now, and in the right places, I guess.”

So what three words describe Casual Projects? Ever democratic, Munro puts it to the band. “Explosive, conscious, and fun. Yeah, definitely fun.”

Casual Projects will be bringing the party to ANU Bar on April 18 as part of the Move Along tour. Their upcoming album No Rest is released on May 10. bma magazine 29

Cell Out

With Mark Russell; the other, other Boleyen girl.

Michel Gondry is the MacGyver of directors. If you’ve any doubts, check out the special features on Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind DVD. You would be shocked at how few special effects were actually employed in that film’s creation. The bits where Kate Winslet is disappearing from the rooms of Jim Carrey’s fractured memory – done with fake doors and quick changes of costume. Them sitting under the kitchen table while his mother walks round twice their size – a long tapered table and a camera angle that makes use of perspective. It’s the kind of thing that just screams “I love what I do.” You can see this ingenuity in Be Kind, Rewind. The quality however…didn’t quite translate.

The Other Boleyn Girl The Other Boleyn Girl seems to have it all, doesn’t it? The oddly sexually attractive Eric Bana (who would have thought?!), the quite obviously sexually attractive Scarlett Johansson, and the personification of perfection, Natalie Portman. Add to that some period dress, a 16th century setting, some good old-fashioned sibling rivalry and the definitely dreamy Jim Sturgess (see: Across the Universe) and this film is bound to be good! Right?

Well, almost right. All the elements are there – sexy stars, an (almost) historical story full of betrayal and bitchiness, and plenty of sinning. But for me, The Other Boleyn Girl is a fairly middle-range historical film – without the saucy additions of Portman and Johansson, it could easily be overlooked.

Be Kind Rewind I’ve got a lot of time for Michel Gondry.

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind sits up there with the greatest cinema achievements to date in my opinion.

But with Be Kind Rewind he’s pushing his luck.

Mike (Mos Def ) works in a video store in a poor area of New Jersey. When his friend Jerry (Jack Black) becomes accidentally magnetised and wipes all the tapes, the two are forced to replace some cinematic and pop culture classics with their own lo-fi versions.

This set up is very workable. It demands Gondry’s usual levels of suspension of disbelief but that’s usually something to be relished.

Unfortunately he’s not willing to stick with it. Once the fantasy premise is in

Step Up 2 The Streets Ding ding. Round 2 in the fight between the Step Up films and good cinematic sensibilities. Here we take another trip into the ghetto, seen as if it were a part of an Andrew Lloyd Webber musical. Emotions are spoken through dance, attitude comes from a Cornflakes packet and friendship groups are an ethnicity rainbow.

Andie (Briana Evigan) is a hard-asmanicured-nails kid whose outlet in life is to dance and cause mild tremors of a ruckus with her ‘crew’ The Four One Oh. She gets in just that little bit too much trouble and her guardian Sarah (Sonja Sohn) - her mother’s best friend before she died - threatens to

“Don’t sweat it. They just be hatin’ you cause you dope.”

White Guy Step Up 2 The Streets

Many people have heard of Anne Boleyn (Portman) - the second wife of King Henry VIII (Bana) - but fewer know about her sister Mary (Johansson), who also had a relationship with the king. The beautiful pair compete for his affections – sweet, simple Mary who genuinely cares for Henry, and the more confident Anne, who (not satisfied with being merely another mistress) has her eyes set firmly on the crown. Full of confrontations, interesting ‘moral’ decisions and thinly-veiled insults, this troubled tale doesn’t exactly end in a merry forest frolick.

The plot is fairly compelling, although there is a change in tone about twothirds of the way through the film, with the thus-far fairly light-hearted depiction shifting rapidly into a darker mood. Portman plays the

manipulative, determined Anne fantastically, and often outshines Johansson, whose sensitive, meek Mary isn’t really a good fit. Both actresses share some steamy scenes with Bana, whose troubled but strong portrayal of King Henry VIII has you shifting from empathy, to disgust, to pity.

The Other Boleyn Girl tells an interesting story, and is supported by solid performances from everyone.

Overall, there is very little to fault, except perhaps the blatant historical inaccuracies and fictitious allusions - but it’s Hollywood, we expect that.

Sadly though, The Other Boleyn Girl left me fairly unimpressed. Perhaps I’ll check out The Tudors.

place, things get very reality based. I’m sorry Michel, but you can’t accidentally magnetise a person then pretend you’re working within the parameters of this world. But this isn’t really a film about mixing fantasy and reality. It isn’t even really about celebrating and remaking filmic faves. Be Kind Rewind is about Gondry’s love of the inventiveness and creativity of guerrilla film-making. Low budget special effects are his thing, and the moments where we see how you would cheaply recreate the rocket-powered car ride through a packed New York tunnel in Men In Black (for example); are some of the best in the film. These moments do occupy a strong patch of the overall running time but they are interspersed with a lot of superfluous story arcs.

A stern script editor and effective producer would have been a real asset to this project. They could have sifted the magic from the over-indulgent flab. The ingredients of a good screenplay are definitely there. Strong ideas run all through Be Kind Rewind and there is good attempt at set up and pay off; but they’re just not brought to the fore.

A few genuinely funny moments but c’mon Gondry, start working with good writers again and climb back onto your pedestal.

send Andie to Texas to live with her aunt. A cameo from original Step Up star Channing Tatum convinces Sarah to give Andie one more chance; if she can make it at the Maryland School of the Arts then maybe everything will be AOK. It’s amazing that the plot took a paragraph to write, built as it is on wafer thin clichés. This may be a reflection of the mountain of cringeworthy fluff paving the road to its obvious conclusion. And once we get there, the sheer force of the hot air generated by the cheesy and gushing speeches threatens to blow these cardboard cut out characters away. All of them end up learning Nickelodeon lessons about tolerance,

responsibility and self expression. But we, the audience, forget why we sat down in the first place. Oh that’s right, the dancing. It is good but only when they’re polished and doing everything right. The parts where they’re learning and making mistakes are tedious and dull - Team America was wrong, not everybody needs a montage. The amount of crap you wade through to see someone pose in a handstand, or pop their chest just right, ain’t worth it.

I sure as hell think they can dance, I just also think they should do it without talking or trying to act.

MEGAN McKEOUGH

MARK RUSSELL

MARK RUSSELL

"When I look at the photos I’ve taken I can’t help thinking of Renaissance paintings – brutal scenes with bodies everywhere!"

Ghostly Characters "Our keyboard player Nigel listens to a lot more classical music, and the soundtrack to The Lion King, so we’ve got that influence" Megan McKeough

HAUNTED ATTICS haven’t been on the scene that long (they’ve only really been around since 2007), but with a slick new EP about to be released, they’re definitely set to make themselves known. The fivepiece indie-rock band consists of Nigel (keys), Jacob (singer/songwriter/ guitar), Adrian (bass), Nick (drums) and George (lead guitar). Struggling through some erratic phone reception and the perils of speakerphone, I chatted to Adrian, George and Jacob, who filled me in on why change is a good thing, the glory of postering, and the story so far. (Note: I won’t even pretend that I figured out whose voice was whose, so the three of them become one entity for the purposes of this interview. One equally witty and informative entity.)

Formerly The Lavans, Haunted Attics have changed names, changed sounds, and have a new outlook on being a band. I asked them why they decided to ditch The Lavans. “We changed from The Lavans because we didn’t think much thought went into it - it was sort of just the name off the street that we used to practice on. Personally, I thought that outlook of not thinking about things ran through our music as well, so we changed direction. We collaborate more as far as the direction of the music goes now - we spend more time thinking about the concepts and trying different things. They’re all completely new songs as well, we kind of scrapped all of the Lavans songs, bar two, and started afresh.”

So what inspires and influences the new, reborn Haunted Attics? “We’ve got such a diverse range of musical influences - from The Doors, The Who and ‘60s bands, to you know, Wu-Tang Clan… But seriously, our keyboard player Nigel listens to a lot more classical music, and the soundtrack to The Lion King, so we’ve got that influence… We’re all so different. I think if we didn’t all have different interests, then we’d just sound like any other band.”

Indeed, their new six track EP Haunted Attics is full of brooding yet catchy tunes that each have a distinct sound. “They’re all pretty different.

Another thing about us as a band is that a lot of our songs sound quite different from each other. We don’t aim for a particular sound. They do have things in common, but I think you can tell them apart more easily than with other bands. With the EP, We Eat Young Souls and Alisoun Baudelaire are quite folky, where things like Oriental Girl are quite punk, almost. Mormons at the Mall has a little bit of a new wave chorus. There’s quite a mixture on there.”

What plans and goals do Haunted Attics have next? “I’d like to be able to give up my office job and be a professional band, that’d be pretty sweet. And I’d like to have a go at this whole touring thing, I hear it gets pretty tiring, but I’d like to give that go. That would be an interesting experience for us I think.”

So what three words do Haunted Attics use to describe themselves?

“Would ‘massively inflated egos’ work?”

In the end, they diplomatically decide to choose one word each energetic, sinister, and hope. Interesting choices - and just like the band, certainly not boring.

Haunted Attics launch their debut, self-titled EP at the Transit Bar on Thursday April 3, with Hancock Basement, From the South and Jonny Telafone. From 8pm, free entry. More info at www.hauntedatticsmusic.com .

Inside Out Yolande Norris

Hardluck 02 By Tess Stewart-Moore

Local photographer TESS STEWART-MOORE is inside looking out... “In Canberra we pull so much down only to build another cheap construction. I’m really frustrated by that lack of value for our history as a young city. Things just get knocked down and we don’t get a chance to voice our opinions. I feel like there is a lot to be angry about and things like the punk scene seem to speak directly to those feelings.”

Like the chicken or the egg, it’s hard to know whether photography or politics came first for Tess. She got her hands on an SLR camera in high school and started cutting her teeth at the youth centre shows of bands like Half Mongrel, Mugshot, Henry’s Anger and Mightyfew. “I was reading lots of political and hardcore/punk zines, I was going to punk shows and those scenes had an incorporated media that was much less static than the sort of thing in say, Rolling Stone.”

The fascination didn’t wear off and now Tess is a graduate of the ANU School of Art, still into photographing live shows. While these photos are a way of documenting the music, the emphasis is on capturing the raw experience of the whole show and often that comes through the crowd, rather than just the band’s performance. “I like the way the crowds interact,” she says. “When I look at the photos I’ve taken I can’t help thinking of Renaissance paintings – brutal scenes with bodies everywhere! Our society doesn’t allow much in the way of human contact - it’s sort of taboo - this is a chance to let go of social norms and etiquette.

“Everyone has been going to shows for so long, you all know each other.

Guys jump on each other and spit on each other but everyone’s friends.

I guess it’s kind of like a feeling of community when you’re in an isolated place like Canberra.”

Does she think that living in Canberra is good for artists and musicians creatively? “There are so many artists in Canberra making exciting and inspiring work, whether or not living here encourages this might be hard to see.

“I’ve lived in Canberra for nearly 25 years - my whole life - and as a creative person you can only take from what you know. Canberra is made up of these banal institutional spaces. I started taking photos of them because they were so sterile - I find it funny but sort of depressing at the same time. Whenever I go anywhere in Canberra I’m seeing images I could make.

“Walking around public service districts on the weekend – they’re the most bizarre places. These little towns that are created for public servants and Monday to Friday they’re chaos but on weekends they’re ghost towns. I always found those empty spaces interesting as a metaphor for the whole city.”

In her latest exhibition Tess is showing the photos she has taken at gigs alongside the images she has made of buildings and spaces. Although it isn’t immediately obvious, there are strong connections between the two subjects. “The gig photos aren’t so much about the music but about showing an internal side of our static environment. The whole show is more about a psychological space. It’s about buildings and building something, construction and deconstruction… The way things go up and come down and as a product of that the tangible things that matter - our family and friends” Tess Stewart-Moore’s exhibition Inside, Outside, Puppy Dogs Tails is on at Canberra Contemporary Art Space Gorman House from April 5 to May 17.

Opening night drinks are from 6pm on Friday April 4. bma magazine 31

GIG REVIEWS Corinbank @ Corin forest, February 29 – March 2 Driving 45 minutes out of Canberra to seemingly the middle of nowhere, only to be greeted by a suspicious looking dirt ‘road’, I can’t say I was in the best of moods upon arrival. Also, I wondered if Corinbank was actually a ploy to lure unsuspecting Canberrans into the middle of nowhere in order to brainwash an undeniably lefty crowd into a party of liberal voters.

The very impressive set-up for the main stage, the plethora of exotic food smells that lingered and stalls like the creepy clown caravan quickly soothed my cynical soul. The first thing you look for in a good festival is the Hari Krishna food stall. Second, the music. Luckily there was no shortage of kofta balls at this event and therefore no mass panic amongst the hungry crowds. Next, it was a walk around the camp site, lit rather beautifully by rows of Chinese lanterns, glowing different colours against the gum trees in the dark. If you were looking in the daytime you would have seen the giant bamboo sculptures, creating a canopy of architectural genius near the chai tent and the awesome chocolate guy who just wanted to ladle hot melty goodness onto everything savoury he could possibly find.

Being Corinbank’s first year in the wilderness, everyone seemed keen to make their experience one of those events that you can look back on years later and say in a smugly patronisingly tone, “oh yeah, I was at the first Corinbank. Of course it was a lot more intimate then.”

When The Herd played on Friday night it was the start of something very big and very cool. Nobody wanted to sit down, and nobody wanted to be mean to each other, which is sometimes nice. Yeah, that was the overriding feeling of Corinbank. Some would say it was full of fucking hippies, I would say it was full of fucking hippies with a lot of fucking love.

When Darren Hanlon had problems with the PA system he walked into the crowd and played an entire set without a microphone. It made you want to take the charismatic lad home and eat him on toast. When you saw the ever-growing Andi and George band play, it reminded you how awesome it is that we have so much talent in our own little town. Xavier Rudd brought the weekend to a close and, let's face it, you can love or hate the guy but the moment he gets those cute kids on stage you are gone. He may slap the political sunscreen on a little hard for some, but the man has his heart in the right place.

As the sun set over the mountains and a clearing full of people danced like they weren’t going to school or work tomorrow, it kind of made you realise why we need festivals like this so much. They promote creativity, environmental sustainability (the pit toilets don’t actually stink so bad) and remind us that we are definitely not alone.

Sounds corny, but I’d have to say the overwhelming feeling of this festival was love. For the amazing wilderness that surrounded us, for the joy that music can bring us and lastly, for each other. This is the kind of thing I hope will last for many years to come, because everything about it was so positive, and God knows we need a little more of that in the world. And hamsters. You can never have enough of those.

CAITLIN CROUCHER

Midnight Juggernauts/Grafton Primary/Magic Hands @ UC Refectory, Friday March 7 I arrived at the University of Canberra on a bus from Civic with three friends and a stomach full of Happy’s Chinese and several bottles of wine. Magic Hands were playing when we got into the Refectory but I had trouble deciding what I should make of them and figured that a Smirnoff might settle my head and allow me to make a more rational judgment than my friends, who had concluded that “any lead singer who wears a t-shirt with a scarf is a knob,” and promptly made their way to the outside seating area. The band had a devoted group of followers cheering them on for much of their set and the way they

were able to bounce off each others’ energy made me think they would probably do a very good job of engaging a much larger audience. Their electronic tinge made them interesting and fun to bop along to, but they seemed unwilling to capitalise on this element to its full potential, being quite content to sound like another indie/rock/pop/Strokes/scarfpeople covers group.

Grafton Primary, conversely, is a group who I am convinced is incapable of putting on a show that comes anywhere close to being bland or mundane. I’d seen the group numerous times before at Transit and never been disappointed or left wanting. To lump the group in with the broader electro or synth-wave movement would do an injustice to their tight, chiseled and intricate melodies and would unwarrantedly fail to distinguish them from the vast monolith of groups who sound like they’re trying to write the next bad-arse, doof-doof club hit. Grafton Primary are so fucking cool because you get the impression that they really don’t give a shit about the wider music scene, a sense that is driven home by Joshua Garden’s knack of having the crowd eating out of the palm of his hand, the whole time maintaining a somewhat deadpan, seemingly cavalier, stage presence.

Although it would have been incredibly hard in my mind for Midnight Juggernauts to surpass Grafton Primary’s extraordinary performance, once they took the stage it was obvious that this was the group that everyone had come to see and that the crowd was going to make it a great 80 minutes, whether or not the band had similar intentions.

Thankfully, the group is unlikely to have disappointed too many people. In many ways the performance was quite similar to any other they’ve done over the past six months, but this is a group whose naturally colossal, galactic sound means that they can fill a room with explosive energy without even trying too hard. My stomach may not have been too happy being jolted around while full of Chinese food, but every other part of my body was left tingling and electrified after two blissful performances.

BEN HERMANN

Ron Sexsmith @ Tilley’s, Tuesday March 18 When we arrived at Tilley’s at a quarter to eight on an unseasonably warm evening, the venue was already packed, with not even the sniff of a seat to be had. This was, of course, a good sign, and my mind was immediately cast back to the only other time I’ve seen Canada’s finest living singer-songwriter (does Neil Young count? Hasn’t he spent too much time down south to be counted as a true son of the Northern sky? He has in my book, and as I’m writing this you’ll have to put up with such arbitrary rulings), on a similarly sultry night in London in 1996.

Back then, Sexsmith was something of a hot ticket, with the cream of London’s ligging crowd in attendance for what was billed as one of the shows of the year for those in the know.

That night in the big city Ron delivered in spades and now, in a tiny Canberra café 12 years later, the hype may have dissipated somewhat, but he’s still delivering. The slavering faithful were treated to just over ninety minutes of pure aural bliss, punctuated regularly by the man’s self-deprecatory musings, and at times as his doleful, fragile tones floated over the venue there seemed a real danger of there not being a dry eye in the house.

Accompanying himself on guitar and piano with a sparse bass and drums backing when required, Ron traversed his whole back catalogue with a quiet assurance borne of many years at the top of the tree, but there’s never cockiness lurking, never an air of over-confidence to taint the beautifully simple oeuvre on offer. This was great stuff, and, as ever when Sexsmith is in attendance, a special night was had by all.

SCOTT ADAMS

CORINBANK PHOTOS BY LISA TOLCHER

bma magazine 33

FIRST CONTACT

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

BMA Band Profile

Blacklist Where did your band name come from?

Random suggestion at a jam one night.

Group members: Sepy (vocals), Jakey (guitars), Matty (guitars), Witty (bass), and Phatty (drums) Describe your sound: Acer Arena rock.

Who are your influences, musical or otherwise?

Guns ‘N Roses, Deep Purple, Iron Maiden What’s the weirdest experience you’ve had whilst performing?

The first show was a nightmare. Broken strings, fucked leads, flimsy stage!

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

Selling out three shows consecutively What are your plans for the future?

Write music, record music, play music What makes you laugh?

Green stuff. Oh, and bands that think they’re better than everyone else.

What pisses you off?

Arrogance What’s your opinion of the local scene?

18+ kicks ass, AA seems like it doesn’t exist anymore…

What are your upcoming gigs?

April 5 – Jindabyne Public School (Youth Week) April 12 – Blacklist Birthday Party at The Greenroom w/Zero Degrees and Falling and Gasma Contact info: Call Pat on 031 967 454 or email eldestsonmusic@hotmail.com

Aaron Peacey Aaron 0410 381 306 Afternoon Shift Adam 0402 055 314 After Close Scotty 0412 742 682, afterclose@hotmail.com Alcove Mark 0410 112 522 Alice 0423 100 792 Allies ACT (Oxfam Group) alliesact@hotmail.com/ myspace.com/alliesact Amphibian Sound PA Clare 0410 308 288 Annie & the Armadillos Annette 6161 1078/0422 076 313 The Ashburys Dan Craddock 0419 626 903 Aria Stone singer/songwriter(guitar), sax & flute Aria 0411 803 343 Australian Kingswood Factory Sharon 0412 334 467 Australian Songwriters Association (Keiran Roberts) 6231 0433 Backbeat Drivers Steve 0422 733 974, www.backbeatdrivers.com Bastard Sons of Liberty Jamie 0424 857 282 Big Boss Groove Andrew 0404 455 834, www.bigbossgroove.com.au Birds Love Fighting Gangbusters/DIY shows - bookings@birdslovefighting.com Blister Bug Stu 0408 617 791 Bolj James 0410 534 057 Bridge Between, The Rachel 0412 598 138, thebridgebetween.com.au Bruce Stage mgr/consultant 6254 9857 Casual Projects Julian 0401 016 885 Catchpenny Nathan 0402 845 132 Caution Horses Nigel 0417 211 580 CD and Website Design Brendan 0404 042 574 Chuffs, The Glenn 0413 697 546 Cold Heart Projects Andrew 6294 5450 Colourful Racing Identities Josh 0410 135 605 Cool Weapon Luke 0410 983 450/ Josh 0412 863 019 Cris Clucas Cris 6262 5652 Crooked Dave 0421 508 467 Cumulonimbus Matt 0412 508 425 Dahahoo Rafe 0416 322 763 Dance With Amps Marcus 0421 691 332 Danny V Danny 6238 1673/0413 502 428 DayTrippers, The Reidar 0414 808 677, daytrippers@grapevine.com.au (dp) New Media Artists Mal 0414 295 297 DOGACT dog-act@hotmail.com, Paulie 0408287672.

DJs Madrid and Gordon 0417 433 971 DJ/MC Bootcamp Donte 9267 3655 DJ Latino Rogelio 0401 274 208 DJ Moises (RnB/Latin) 0402 497 835 or moises_lopez@hotmail DNA Vic 0408 477 020 Drumassault Kate 0414 236 323 Dubba Rukki Jim 0409 660 745 Easy Mode Daz 0404 156 482, easymodeband@gmail.com, myspace. com/easymodeband Entity Chris 0412 027 894 Epic Flagon band@epicflagon.com EYE eye@canberra.teknet.net.au Fighting Mongooses, The Adam 0402 055 314 Final Warning Brendan 0422 809 552 Fire on the Hill Aaron 0410 381 306/ Dan 0410 480 321 FirePigs, The Danny 6238 1673/0413 502 428 4dead Peter 0401 006 551 Freeloaders, The Steve 0412 653 597 Friend or Enemy 6238 0083, www.myspace.com/friendorenemy Funk Shui Dave 0407 974 476 Gareth Hailey DJ & Electronica 0414 215 885 GiLF Kelly 0410 588 747, gilf.mail@gmail.com Guff Damian 6230 2767 HalfPast Chris 0412 115 594 Hancock Basement Tom 6257 5375, hancockbasement@hotmail.com Happy Hour Wendy 0406 375 096, Melinda 0400 405 537 Haunted Attics band@hauntedatticsmusic.com

Hitherto Paul 0408 425 636 Adam Hole Adam 0421 023 226 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 Jenn Pacor singer/songwriter avail. for originals & covers, 0405 618 630 Jennifer Versatile singer looking for band; 0422 158 362 Jim Boots 0417 211 580 Kurt's Metalworx (PA) 0417 025 792 Lenders, The Tim 6247 2076 Little Smoke Sam 0411 112 075 Los Capitanes Tim 0421 842 247 Manilla Green Herms 0404 848 462, contactus@manillagreen.com, Martin Bailey Audio Engineer 0423 566 093 Malumba Dan 6253 5150 MC Kayo Marbilus 0405 648 288 kayo_101@hotmail.com, www.myspace. com/kayo_marbilus, Meatbee Ben 0417 492 560 Murder Meal Combo Anthony 0419 630 721 MuShu Jack 0414 292 567, mushu_band@hotmail.com Myriad Kath 6253 8318 MyOnus myonusmusic@hotmail.com/ www.myspace.com/myonus Neptune's Necklace Mark 6253 1048 No Retreat Simon 0411 155 680 Ocean Moses Nigel 0417 211 580 OneWayFare Chris 0418 496 448 Painted Hearts, The Peter 6248 6027 Para 0402 277 007 Petra Elliott Petra 0410 290 660 Phathom Chris 0422 888 700 The Pigs The Colonel 0422 412 752 Polka Pigs Ian 6231 5974 Premier Audio Simon 0412 331 876, premier_audio@hotmail.com Quagmire Jason 0409 802 543/ Ben 0401 442 099 Queanbeyan Music & Electronics 6299 1020 Redletter Ben 0421 414 472 Redsun Rehearsal Studio Ralph 0404 178 996/6162 1527 Rhythm Party, The Ross 0416 010 680 Roger Bone Band Andy 0413 483 758 Rug, The Jol 0417 273 041 Samsara Samahdi 0431 083 776 Sansutra J-Ma 0403 476 350 Sara Vancea Sara 6247 9899 Seditious Intent Toby 0419 971 547 Sindablok Duncan 0424 642 156 Simone Penkethman (Simone & The Soothsayers, Singing Teacher) 6230 4828 Soundcity Rehearsal Studio Andrew 0401 588 884 Stalker and Liife Darren 0413 229 049 strong like sam Luke 0423 762 812 Super Best Friends Matt 0438 228 748 Surrender Jordan 0439 907 853 Switch 3 Mick 0410 698 479 System Addict Jamie 0418 398 556 Taboo Bamboo Greg 0439 990 455 That ‘80s Band Ty 0417 265 013 The Morning After (covers band) Anthony 0402 500 843/ myspace.com/themorningaftercovers Tim James Lucia 6282 3740, 0413 609 832, LUCIAMURDOCH@hotmail.com Top Shelf Colin 0408 631 514 Tripitide Jason 0409 802 543/ Cam 0412 553 842 TRS tripstate@hotmail.com Udo 0412 086 158 Undersided, The Baz 0408 468 041 Using Three Words Dan 0416 123 020, usingthreewords@hotmail.com Voodoo Doll Mark 0428 650 549 William Blakely Will 0414 910 014 Woden Youth Centre Jeremy 6282 3037 Zeitgeist www.zeitgeist.xwave Zero Degrees and Falling Louis 0423 918 793 Zwish 0411 022 907

GIG GUIDE April 3 - 5 THURSDAY APRIL 3

FRIDAY APRIL 4

ARTS _____________

ARTS _____________

A Fractal Eye For the Colours of Nature Beautiful landscapes of stark, sometimes warped, colour.

Opening 6pm April 3 and running til Apr 20 HUW DAVIES GALLERY @ PHOTOACCESS, MANUKA An Absurd Double Bill: The Lesson and The Bald Soprano

By Eugene Ionesco. Until April 13. Matinees Saturdays at 2pm ANU ARTS CENTRE Arc Cinema - Hellboy Guillermo del Toro’s comic book adaptation, starring Ron Perlman. From 7:30pm NATIONAL FILM AND SOUND ARCHIVE Repercussions of Movement An audi-visual meditation on physical and psychological movement. Until April 6 STREET THEATRE

Slater, Stewart and Akira Opening Night Opening night for Bernie Slater’s Conquer in Comfort, Tess Stewart-Moore’s Inside, Outside, Puppy Dog Tails and Akira Akira’s All That is Solid Melts into Air CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ARTS SPACE, GORMAN HOUSE

DANCE _____________ D'Opus Mixing up hip-hop, funk and soul for your listening pleasure KNIGHTSBRIDGE PENTHOUSE Trash Thursdays ACADEMY

LIVE _____________ Haunted Attics CD Launch With Hancock Basement, From the South and Jonny Telafone.

From 8pm. Free entry TRANSIT BAR Telefiction With The Gods of Love, Your Sad Honey Sound, and Manny Sparks. Entry $5 ANU BAR Mitch From 9:30pm DURHAM CASTLE ARMS Naked 9pm-midnight KING O’MALLEY’S Kremlin Live Performances by local musicians KREMLIN BAR Wendy Rule The Melbourne diva of the shadows makes a rare visit for a special solo show THE FRONT CAFÉ Den Hanrahan From 8:30pm THE VALLEY TAVERN, WANNIASSA

DANCE _____________ Ashley Feraude Spinning a soundtrack of soulful tunes as you sip your after work drinks. From 6-9pm BINARA ONE (CROWN PLAZA HOTEL) Girl Thing 7 with DJ Tori Mac 9pm-1am girls only. Free entry until 1am CUBE Jemist KNIGHTSBRIDGE PENTHOUSE Double Happiness From 5 til 9pm. Featuring Ashley Feruade, Frank Madrid and other live guests OLD PARLIAMENT HOUSE Creeked 08 Electronic Dance Party Creeked 08 is a drug and alcohol free all ages event hosting a wide range of electronic dance music, with DJing from the Llik Llik Llik clan WESTON CREEK COMMUNITY CENTRE HALL

LIVE _____________ Brigitte Handley With The Chuffs and Inflatable Ingrid. Entry $10 ANU BAR Rev Indie/alternative/rock/pop/punk madness every Friday, $5 entry BAR 32 Owen Cambell Happy Hour from 4:30pm, with $2.50 beers CAFÉ MACCHIATO Dos Locos AINSLIE BAR @ OLIM'S HOTEL 3rd Exit Rocking on from 10pm DURHAM CASTLE ARMS

FRIDAY APRIL 4

SATURDAY APRIL 5

DANCE _____________ The Mess Hall With The Scare THE GREENROOM Heuristic 10pm-2am KING O’MALLEY’S The Chris Harland Blues Band From 6:30pm THE SOUL BAR Lecothica With Never Serum, and Sobrusion. Doors 8pm. Entry $10 THE BASEMENT Funk’n’ Fridays Featuring Jemist. The weekend begins with warmth, funk and sweet grooves. Followed by...

TRANSIT BAR Ug Beats With rippers of funk featuring DJs Enerv8, Miss Universe, Alistair, Not You, Jemist, Pornstylus and special guests TRANSIT BAR

SOMETHING DIFFERENT _____________ Generate 2008 This is an exciting, dynamic way for all young people aged 12-25 to ‘Generate and Communicate’ their opinions and ideas regarding what impacts on the youth of today. 8:45am – 3pm AINSLIE ARTS CENTRE Youth Week Expo Featuring The Guests, Andi and George Band, Kulture Break, Love Sage, MyOnus and more.

All free! Free BBQ, stalls, jumping castle, boxing, and more 4pm-8pm GAREMA PLACE saturday april 5

ARTS _____________ La Boheme CANBERRA THEATRE Arc Cinema – What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?

Bette David and Joan Crawford in Robert Aldrich’s biting take on celebrity. From 4:30pm NATIONAL FILM AND SOUND ARCHIVE

Ashley Feraude BINARA ONE, CROWN PLAZA HOTEL Jemist KNIGHTSBRIDGE PENTHOUSE DJ Trent Mixing up fresh new tunes and old favourites every Saturday from 9pm KREMLIN BAR DJ Sean Kelly With Staky and special guests TRANSIT BAR

DAY PLAY _____________ Gorman House Markets Mmmm… …stuff GORMAN HOUSE Expo 2008 With jumping castles, bouncy boxing rings, food, BMX demos, dance performances by Kulture Break and Dynamic Dancers and live performances from Zero Degrees and Falling, Escape Syndrome and Just Like Josiah. 11am-3pm GUNGHALIN SKATE PARK Burley Griffin Antique Centre Open every weekend, selling groove retro furniture and much, much more KINGSTON FORESHORE

LIVE _____________ Live Evil A Ronnie James Dio Tribute Show, with two hours of classic rock hits. Entry $15. 8pm THE GREENROOM Chrome Resident DJs Salem, Stealth.Elf and metaVirus playing EBM/ Industrial/Goth/Dark Electro and other forms of filth THE HOLY GRAIL, CIVIC

GIG GUIDE April 5 - April 16 Saturday april 5 Agent 86 10:30pm-2:30pm KING O’MALLEY’S Mr Fibby With the PantiChrists and Ben Drysdale PHOENIX Andi & George Band Tour Fundraiser Music from 3pm, with Alice Cottee and Ellis Collective. Free BBQ at 2pm THE AINSLIE BAR @ OLIM'S HOTEL Barbarian With Act of Malice, Thundasteel, and Machette. Doors 8pm. Entry $10 THE BASEMENT SUNDAY APRIL 6

DANCE _____________ Baila Social Club With resident DJ Mario “Brujo” Gordon. Salsa, reggaeton, bachata, merengue, samba and more CASINO CANBERRA Silver Sundays (with Ashley Feraude) Film social networking event KNIGHTSBRIDGE PENTHOUSE

DAY PLAY _____________ Old Bus Depot Markets KINGSTON Tuggeranong Homestead Markets Home of the hard to find TUGGERANONG HOMESTEAD

LIVE _____________ Off Minor (USA) With Diamond Sea (Melb), Ohana (Wollongong) and Spartak. From 3pm. Entry $10 C BLOCK THEATRE, GORMAN HOUSE ARTS CENTRE Lowkey Playing live from 5pm.

Free entry ALL BAR NUN Irish Jam Session From 5pm KING O’MALLEY’S Sounds @ The Soul From 12pm THE SOUL BAR The Getaway Plan Thrusting their new album into your ear drums. With Kempsey, Escape Syndrome and Afraid You'll Fall THE VENUE, ERINDALE

Sunday APRIL 6

wednesday april 9

friday april 11

SOS @ Sound Baked Sundays Featuring Desyn Masiello, Omid 16B and Demi (UK), Club Junque (Syd) and Vance Musgrove (Aston Shuffle). Free entry.

(TRINITY) BAR, DICKSON Marty Simpson Australian Idol place earner performs unplugged. That’s right. Seriously TRANSIT BAR

Irene Atman (Canada) Hailed across the world as one of the rising stars in jazz music today, Canadian vocalist Irene Atman is coming to Australian shores to promote the Oceanic release of her debut album HIPPO BAR Bobby Flynn and The Omega Three Launching the new album Out Front VIKINGS CLUB, WANNIASSA

ARTS _____________

MONDAY APRIL 7

LIVE _____________

SOMETHING DIFFERENT _____________

The Bootleg Session With Bridie Hill, Nick Walker, Quagmire and Professor Anarchy PHOENIX

Trivia Night From 7.30pm ACT RUGBY UNION CLUB Carry On Karaoke Sing along to all your favourites.

From 9pm-1am. Happy hour 910pm. $5 Coronas all night DURHAM CASTLE ARMS $5 Night Come try something new, drink what you like. Within reason TRANSIT BAR

SOMETHING DIFFERENT _____________ Singes and Doubles Pool Comp Register by 8pm TRANSIT BAR TUESDAY APRIL 8

THURSDAY APRIL 10

SOMETHING DIFFERENT _____________

ARTS _____________

Jam Session 9pm-1am. Some of Canberra’s best musos getting together with some of Canberra’s newest talent to jam and entertain you at no cost!

COOLABAR POOL HALL Fame Trivia Be entertained, be educated and win great prizes. Book early to avoid disappointment DURHAM CASTLE ARMS Pot Belly Trivia Every Tuesday POT BELLY BAR Carry On Karaoke Come croon, yodel, lipsinc or just rock out at Canberra’s best midweek party. From 9pm TRANSIT BAR

Arc Cinema – Irma Vep Maggie Cheung in Olivier Assayays’ exploration of French cinema’s past and future. From 7:30pm NATIONAL FILM AND SOUND ARCHIVE

WEDNESDAY APRIL 9

LIVE _____________ Andrew Higgs PHOENIX PNAU Touting their excellent new self-titled album, complete with gaudy live show. Van She and Breakbot in support UC REFECTORY

DANCE _____________ Shunji KNIGHTSBRIDGE PENTHOUSE

LIVE _____________ Lior Corner of an Endless Road tour THE PLAYHOUSE Gangbusters Featuring Witch Hats, supported

by Golden Buoy and The Cherry Marines. Entry $5 BAR 32 Special K From 9:30pm DURHAM CASTLE ARMS Where To Now 9pm-midnight KING O’MALLEY’S Live from the Underground Featuring Aleisha Flannagan, Sally Holiday, Cyclone Rangers TRANSIT BAR

Berlin: Cabaret of Desire Until April 26 STREET THEATRE

DANCE _____________ Ashley Feraude Spinning a soundtrack of soulful tunes as you sip your after work drinks. From 6-9pm BINARA ONE (CROWN PLAZA HOTEL) April Drag Idol Come one come all! Doors open at 9pm. Come and see local Drag Kings and Queens battle it out for the title of Cube’s Drag/King Queen winner CUBE Downtown Brown KNIGHTSBRIDGE PENTHOUSE Double Happiness From 5 til 9pm. Featuring Ashley Feraude, Frank Madrid and other live guests OLD PARLIAMENT HOUSE

LIVE _____________ Tommy Lee + DJ Aero: Electro Mayhem Tour No, it’s not just some degenerate with the same name – this is the Tommy Lee, from that video with Pamela, as well as some band called Motley Crue. With DJ Aero, Milkbar Nick, Hubert, Dave Norgate, and Aston Shuffle.

Tix $40 + booking fee.

ANU BAR Rev Indie/alternative/rock/pop/punk madness every Friday, $5 entry BAR 32 Yoko Oh No With The Furthest!, Corporate Takedown, Escape Syndrome, Master Tang, and Afraid You’ll Fall, Vera Cruise. From 6pm.

Free entry BELCONNEN YOUTH CENTRE Pete Gare Happy Hour from 4:30pm, with $2.50 beers CAFÉ MACCHIATO Special K Rocking on from 10pm DURHAM CASTLE ARMS

friday APRIL 11

saturday april 12

SATURDAY APRIL 12

DANCE _____________ Dan Mangan & The Gin Club Releasing his new album Postcards & Daydreaming. Tying together the roots of acoustic folk and subtle symphonic pop, Postcards & Daydreaming is unabashedly mellow THE GREENROOM Live Music From 10pm KING O’MALLEY’S Kremlin Live Performances by local musicians KREMLIN BAR Toucan Du AINSLIE BAR @ OLIM’S HOTEL Queen Juanita & The Zydeco Cowboys From 6:30pm THE SOUL BAR Shave (Rock) for a Cure Featuring Tonk, System Addict, Sister Scarlette and Charlie Greaser. From 7pm. Entry by $10 donation. All funds raised will be donated to charity. Mikee will be shaving it all off if $5000 is raised on the night, so come down and support it!

THE BASEMENT Funk’n Fridays Featuring Jemist. This weekend begins with total cool TRANSIT BAR Woden Youth Centre Band Night Woden Youth Centre hosts Escape Syndrome, plus Master Tang (Albury) and Afraid You’ll Fall. Free dinner at 5:30pm, with music from 6pm. $5 entry WODEN YOUTH CENTRE

SOMETHING DIFFERENT _____________ Kremlin Happy Hour From 5 to 8pm KREMLIN BAR saturday APRIL 12

ARTS _____________ Arc Cinema – Vertigo Hitchcock’s greatest on the big screen, with Jimmy Steward and Kim Novak. From 7:30pm NATIONAL FILM AND SOUND ARCHIVE

Ashley Feraude BINARA ONE, CROWN PLAZA HOTEL D’Opus KNIGHTSBRIDGE PENTHOUSE

DAY PLAY _____________ Irish Jam Session From 5pm KING O’MALLEY’S Gorman House Markets Mmmm… …stuff GORMAN HOUSE Burley Griffin Antique Centre Open every weekend, selling groove retro furniture and much, much more KINGSTON FORESHORE

LIVE _____________ Operator Please With special guests Little Red and Flamingo Crash. Tix $19.70 ANU BAR rd 3 Exit Kicks off at 10pm. $8 cocktails 4-10pm DURHAM CASTLE ARMS Blacklist With Gasma, Zero Degrees and Falling and Corgi Crisis. 8pm.

Entry $10 THE GREENROOM Curious Fate 10:30pm-2:30am KING O’MALLEY’S

A 2XX-cellent Radio Bash An all ages and drug and alcohol free event featuring the Andi & George Band, Marianne & Jonathan Mettes, Inflatable Ingrid, Tim Maloney and Heidi Gill. Entry $8 THE FRONT CAFÉ The Trivs With the Magic Hands and Sophia Christopher PHOENIX Temtris With Reign of Terror and System Addict. Doors 8pm. Entry $10 THE BASEMENT Free Agent Crew With Hancoock Basement and special guests Foxx on Fire TRANSIT BAR SUNDAY APRIL 13

DANCE _____________ Baila Social Club With resident DJ Mario “Brujo” Gordon. Salsa, reggaeton, bachata, mengue, samba and more. From 7pm CASINO CANBERRA

DAY PLAY _____________ Old Bus Depot Markets KINGSTON Tuggeranong Homestead Markets TUGGERANONG HOMESTEAD

LIVE _____________ Owen Campbell AINSLIE BAR @ OLIM'S HOTEL monday april 14

LIVE _____________ The Bootleg Session With The Amazing Brainboy, Lloyd Alison-Young, Glacier Girls and Easy Mode PHOENIX

SOMETHING DIFFERENT _____________ Hospitality, Retail, Backpackers et al Night Featuring Mikah Freeman and Special G TRANSIT BAR

tuesday april 15

SOMETHING DIFFERENT _____________ Pot Belly Trivia Every Tuesday POT BELLY BAR Carry On Karaoke Come croon, yodel, lipsinc, or just rock out at Canberra’s best mid week party. From 9pm TRANSIT BAR wednesday APRIL 16

ARTS ___________ The Eisteddfod

By Lally Katz and directed by Bridget Balodis. Gerture and Abalone, orphaned by a freak pruning accident, have retreated into a world of their own fashioning where reality is what they make it. Until May 3 STREET THEATRE

LIVE _____________ UNIFIED: Bliss N Eso With Funkoars and The Winnie Coopers. Tix $22 + bf ANU BAR Bjorn Solli Trio From New York. $10 entry HIPPO BAR Owen and Satch Campbell PHOENIX Charlie Landsborough Gentle and provocative singer songwriter Charlie Landsborough returns with his brand new album Under Blue Skies, almost 15 years after his debut album VIKINGS CLUB, WANNIASSA

SOMETHING DIFFERENT _____________ Trivia Night From 7.30pm ACT RUGBY UNION CLUB Carry On Karaoke Sing along to all your favourites.

Happy hour 9-10pm. $5 Coronas all night. 9pm-1am DURHAM CASTLE ARMS Kremlin Cocktails Special $6 cocktails menu KREMLIN BAR $5 Night Come try something new, drink what you like TRANSIT BAR

DVDEVOTEE

Green Wing

Across The Universe

Amazing Journey: The Story of The Who

(Hopscotch Entertainment)

(Sony Pictures)

(Universal)

Very British and astoundingly funny, Green Wing comes to us from the incredible creative brain that gave us Smack the Pony - the delicious Victoria Pile and her team of eight writers. This truly ensemble comedy tells the story of Dr Caroline Todd’s (Tamsin Greig – Black Books) first days at work in a student hospital. Caroline quickly gets involved in a love hexagon - seriously, everyone from shy Dr Martin Dear (Karl Theobold) to hospital administrator Sue White (Michelle Gomez) has a thing for Caroline. The exceptions to this rule are the in-and-out of love/sex couple Dr Alan Statham (scenery chewer Mark Heap – Spaced) and Joanna Clore (Pippa Heywood – The Brittas Empire). Of course, while all of this is going on they have to attend to patients.

While this might seem a bit like a UK version of Scrubs, Green Wing works better because the pacing is faster and the absurd enters the real world, instead of just being dream sequences.

The writing is fun and performances flawless without exception. Closer in style to Arrested Development than anything else, Green Wing has the same flashback-forward style and absurdist payoff and wit. There is so much to like in Green Wing; as mentioned, all of the performances are great, including the cameos and minor roles – Oliver Chris as Boyce and his two-play with Statham is fresh and very funny.

It really does illustrate the adage that there are no small roles, only small actors. Green Wing is the kind of show that anybody can watch and enjoy, picking up new gags with repeated viewings. Extra features on this set include deleted scenes, audio commentaries and a behind the scenes featurette.

If the intention of the powers behind Across The Universe was to make you revisit those fantastic old Beatles songs, then they have succeeded without question. If, however, we are to take the film on its own merits, then it is a bit of a shambles. Jude (Jim Sturgess) and Lucy (Evan Rachel Wood) fall in and out of love, while Max (Joe Anderson), Lucy’s brother, is carted off to war. In terms of plot, that’s about it, and as a film with a running time of 133 minutes it therefore is really a bit too long. The songs, though, are what keep you watching and the Lennon/McCartney compositions have rarely sounded fresher than when sung by the cast of excellent special guests including Joe Cocker and Dana Fuchs (don’t worry – you will hear of her). The problem is that during a couple of the scenes, they try to incorporate the drugs the band were on as a plot device and this drives the piece well off the rails. In fact, as soon as a high-profile Irish singer comes into view – alright, it’s Bono - the whole thing takes a walk for about 20 minutes that we could have done without.

With no word of warning, we are dropped into a drug-fucked miasma of images and noise, however 20 minutes later it returns to the norm but never quite finds its footing.

Across The Universe is a wonderful homage to this great music, it’s just a shame the whole thing is one long rambling music clip. The performances are all passing, and the direction and script (by Clements and La Frenais who brought us the sublime Porridge) are a little plodding - a shame considering what could have been. Extra features include audio commentary, behind the scenes features and deleted scenes.

Years back, upon foolishly attending one of Kiss’ endless Farewell Tour gigs, I had the fortune of witnessing a truly nerve-jangling experience far outshining the laughable cartoon parade soon to follow. Pre-show, Won't Get Fooled Again was playing and as the natives rustled, the instrumental section grew slightly louder as it approached the crashing Pete Townsend power chorded mid-song crescendo, at which point the house lights swiftly dropped and the volume ascended to stadium strength. A potent display of melodic dynamics, it remains my only memory of the show. It’s also a reminder why The Who were one of the most powerful bands around and, as can be seen on Amazing Journey: The Story of The Who, they were also one of the most disparate, opinionated, honest and forgiving set of individuals to inhabit the ‘glory years’ of rock. In this revealing doco each band member gets a personal history, and whilst each is equally fascinating and in-depth, you still end up wondering out how the hell they made it work. Fortunately this isn’t some airbrushed hagiography – Townsend’s kiddie porn issues are broached and stridently defended, John Entwistle’s bewildering fiscal immaturity is dissected and Keith Moon’s erratic behaviour is remembered fondly yet not entirely excused. Soul baring honesty sees Townsend explain the pressure of being the default songwriter and the need to be a hit factory is made all more harsh when Daltrey chimes in, saying he had no idea how to help him, so he just left him alone. Also particularly illuminating is agreement by Townsend and Roger Daltrey in separate interviews that the rock opera Tommy triumphantly defined Daltrey as the bare-chested, lionmaned frontman after years of searching for a purpose within the band. Somehow out of dysfunction grew an arm-swinging, fist-pounding unit who made drum blowing up, guitar mauling and amp smashing de rigueur – Townsend’s not-so-playful bitterness at Jimi Hendrix’s wholesale theft of his act at the 1967 Monterey Festival is genius. Archival footage is voluminous and goes some way in showing the raw intensity The Who exuded – something I have witnessed first hand and can happily report is breathtaking. Extras, including extended interviews, make an already worthwhile release near essential for any fan of big-nosed guitar rock.

GEOFF SETTY

Next issue:

GEOFF SETTY

More unashamedly cheesy nonsense, plus articles on Cog, Helmet, Against Me!, Obese Records Block Party and much more.

Out April 17

JUSTIN HOOK