BMA Mag 300 01 May 2008

THREE00

May 01.08

THE OBESE RECORDS BLOCK PARTY HITS TOWN

Alchemist

The Panics

Bluejuice

Plastic Palace Alice

Also inside: Fred Smith, Azzido Da Bass, Whitley, Cloud Control, The Paper Scissors and more!

bma magazine

bma magazine

FREE STUFF In the immortal words of Miami bass bandits Tag Team, “Whoomp!

There it is.” And there, indeed, it is; another selection of slamin' free gear for your pleasure. Send your answers through to editorial@bmamag.com and we won’t mention 95 South…

Raw Elements DJs don’t come any bigger than Tiësto, and the Australian leg of his Elements of Life world tour has had eager punters frothing at the mouth for months. The May 3 Sydney show is long sold out, but tickets are still available for the May 4 Hordern Pavilion show through Ticketmaster on ticketmaster.com. au or 136 100. The man - voted the world’s #1 DJ in the infl uential DJ Mag Top 100 poll several times over - is known for his mindmelting live shows, which makes sense considering his track record; he’s played to a global audience of millions at the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games

in Athens, and holds the record for the second largest concert ever.

To whet the proverbial whistle, Central Station have unleashed the Elements Of Life Copenhagen DVD, an epic double-disc affair which captures Tiësto in full live glory and includes a plethora of extras. To win a copy, tell us who holds the record for the world’s largest concert to date. For more info on the tour, DVD and all things Tiësto, make a beeline for www.centralstation.com.au .

The Majesty of Rock Ah, yes, the funniest program since the Bluths decided that moving house was a good idea fi nally comes out on DVD.Having been royally shafted by the Prime network on TV, 30 Rock tells the story of a head writer of a sketch comedy show, Liz Lemon (Tina Fey), whose new boss Jack Donaghy (Alec Baldwin) forces Lemon to hire off-the-rails actor Tracey Jordan (Tracey Morgan).

This is hysterical stuff

and well worth owning, and those most nimble-fingered among you can do just that! To grab a copy, simply tell us which show Fey was head writer of.

Gruesome Twosome In a double bill to rival the two fi vers the comprised my pay packet last week, The Paper Scissors and Bluejuice are teaming up for the Less Talk, More Problems travelling circus. The Pap Sciss, as we like to call ‘em, have just rocked the Essential festival in Sydney and will be in fi ne form, while Bluejuice are still buoyed by their number 11 placing in triple j’s Hottest 100, and recent supports for The Specials and Gotye. They’ll hit the Transit Bar for a free show on Friday May 16, followed by PhDJ and Purple Sneakers DJs. We’ve got three packs, each containing a copy of both groups’ recent LPs to dish

out. To get your hands on one, just tell us who you’d like to go on tour with.

Roll up and Shine Academy Award-winning fi lmmaker Martin Scorsese brings to the world the musical fi lm spectacularShine A Light, a personally-levelled look at the sensation that is The Rolling Stones. And what an idea for a fi lm… The Stones are one of this biggest rock bands of all time and they were pioneers - or rebels, depending on your birth date - who shaped the road that rock music would take in years to come. Using a team of award-winning movie-makers, the Rolling Stones have come to share a look into the life of a real rockstar. We salute the release of Shine A Light, screening at Greater Union in Manuka from May 29, and we’ve got a stack of double passes to give away. Just answer me this: how do you roll?

STRUTH BE TOLD By the hammer of Thor! I have tinnitus. The alarm bell of my vulnerability is ringing in my ears. I’ve let the team down. I’ve hurt myself. I’ve quite possibly permanently damaged one of the most precious and valuable parts of my body. I’ve fucked up. (This is me being positive).

A friend gave me a good analogy of tinnitus. In some dormant volcanoes there are trees that grow inside.

When the volcano blows, the trees are fl attened, and never grow again.

Inside your ear there are thousands of tiny hair follicles that pick up sound. When you are exposed to loud music, they can be damaged.

Sufferers of tinnitus are left with the ghost of audio haunting their ear cave. A hollow howl-cycle filling up the evening silence like bats blocking the moon.

After examining the clues, detective me is pointing the fi nger at Ween.

I saw their three hour guitar blast-a-thon front and centre stage with naked ears. What was even more intense than the music was the incessant whistling and cheering of rabid fans around me. Having a high pitch whistle in your ear at the end of a concert is like quenching your thirst with vegemite.

What makes this all the more painful is that I knew better. My dear Mother has been going on about tinnitus my whole life. She saw a loud rock band in the '70s and attributes it to all manner of mental unrest.

With blue eyes wide I listened to her warnings, but headed off in my late teens to thrash about in all kinds of sonic muck pits. Naturally, it wasn’t going to happen to me. Since my mid-20s I’ve found my ears getting a lot more sensitive and have made a real effort to wear ear plugs.

Unfortunately, it tends to cut out too much of everything and you have a sense of missing out, like having sex wrapped in bubble wrap.

The reality is, almost all live gigs are too loud, and our hearing is a delicate entity. While we’re smashed over the head about protecting our bodies from the sun, or cigarettes, the concept of hearing damage is still a kind of novelty. Wearing sunglasses at an outdoor festival is cool.

Wearing ear plugs is piss weak, or something security do because they must hate the band. It’s all fun and games when your stomach’s full of kickdrum, and the power chords are changing your life, but where’s the pay off when its 2am and you’re still listening to DJ Dickhead’s minimalist German techno hit ‘eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.’

There’s stacks of stuff on the net about how to manage it and seek support, but I’m not even ready for that. I don’t want to manage it because I don’t want to have it! I’m already a short sighted, emotionally fragile insomniac – I don’t need an eerie tone thrown in the mix. I feel like the king who let the trapdoor down for one second too long and now some bandit has busted in and killed his best knight in his sleep. I should have been wearing ear plugs during Ween and because I didn’t, I may have signed up for 50 years of the same fucking noise in my ears. I feel hard done by, and I didn’t need any more help in that department either.

Look after your ears! Get custom ‘musician’s’ ear plugs that cut out around fi fteen decibels. They cost $300 from an audio clinic. You’d spend it on sunnies!

JUSTIN HEAZLEWOOD www.bedroomphilosopher.com

bma magazine 9

NEWS The New, New Violence Brisbane four-piece Violent Soho have had a violently busy calendar over the past couple of years, releasing an EP, playing as support for The Grates, Mess Hall, The Vasco Era and Grinspoon, and performing at the 2008 Laneway and the Devils’ Kitchen Festivals.

It doesn’t look like the calendar is going to be quiet anytime soon, as Violent Soho are soon to release their debut album, We Don’t Belong Here, and are even sooner to support Faker on their This Heart Attack tour this May. Faker, Grafton Primary and Violent Soho will be playing at the ANU Bar on May 28. For more details, www.myspace.com/violentsoho .

Pay attention as Thursday 8 May we got Melbournian indie pop deities Plastic Palace Alice gracing the stage of Bar 32 Gangbusters alongside locals The Trivs and You Hang Up; No You Hang Up. Plastic Palace Alice will be promoting their great new album The Great Depression. Then, Thursday 22 May shredding Sydney rock n rollers Dead Farmers pit it in with The Fighting League, Voss and The Cherry Marines for another loud Gangbusters. These boys love Canberra so come and make them feel welcome! Now we’ve promised you another Grass Stains at I Trip I Skip, and we’re working on it, but because someone’s mobile phone is switched off I can’t give you a date until next issue of BMA, but let us just say midmay so keep your diaries clear and your fashion in peak condition as it will be happening some time then! Word is it will involve cake … mmm. Until next time, you can check www.myspace.com/birdslovefi ghting for more hints on how to stay cool, or warm, this fast approaching winter.

Comical Stuff

A Many Splendored Thing Splendour in the Grass is back this August to bring us the best of Australian and international acts alike! More artists are yet to be announced, but here’s the line-up so far – Devo, Wolfmother, Sigur Ros, The Living End, The Presets, Tricky, Vampire Weekend, Ben Lee, Cold War Kids, The Fratellis, The Wombats, Pnau, Laura Marling, The Vines, The Grates, Operator Please, Band of Horses, Van She, The Panics, Gyroscope, Mstrkrft, Lightspeed Champion, The Brown Birds from Windy Hill, Scribe, The Music and The Gin Club. The Festival will take place in Belongil Fields in Byron Bay, on August 2nd and 3rd, with $2 from from each ticket sold towards the Byron Bay Hospital and the Wildlife Information and Rescue Service.

Carbon neutral tickets are also available. Tickets start from $199 are available from www.qjump.com.au only, from 9am May 22nd. For further information, visit www.splendourinthegrass.com.

One day each year - the first Saturday in May, which this year is 3rd May - comic shops all over the world join forces with publishers to offer FREE COMICS! Our own Impact Comics will be getting in on the act, fl inging their doors open 9am and offering inky salvation to the hordes of Canberra. There will be 40 different comic titles on offer that have been especially printed for the day, including Hellboy, Superman, Iron Man, Hulk, Simpsons, Transformers, Manga and many, many more. There will be titles especially for the younger readers including Tint Titans (an all ages reinterpretation of the very popular Teen Titans), Owly (popular every year, about an Owl and his worm friend) and plenty more. There will be per person limits so the key is to bring as many friends as you can and pool your free comic gathering resources. We’ve got literally thousands of comics to give away, but they may run out so getting in early is the key!

For more info check out www.freecomicbookday.com .

The More You Ignore Me, The Closer I Get

Bowditch Support Line

Having been a performing, touring and recording artist for over 25 years, averaging 200 shows a year, Nick Charles is off on tour once again to promote his 5th album, Closer To Home. Closer To Home features a number of guest artists, and demonstrates soundly Nick’s progression from fingerpicking-acoustic to ‘bluesier’ grooves. Nick won the Blues Performer of the Year away in Victoria, which saw him off to Memphis to compete in the International Blues Challenge. But he’s staying in Australia for a few months to grace us with his new album, and he’ll be in Canberra at the Folkus Room on Saturday June 21. More information is available from www.charlesguitar.com .

Following her recent success with band, The Feeding Set, Claire Bowditch is setting off on an exciting solo experiment across Australia, in the form of the Winter Secrets Tour. This closely follows the recent accomplishments with The Feeding Set, including shows at the Blues and Falls festivals, and alongside John Butler. The most exciting aspect of Claire’s upcoming tour is the fact that she’s giving upcoming, experienced and in-experienced artists alike to perform with her at various shows; anyone can enter – any instrument, any genre, and any background. Basically, you need to send in your take on Claire’s new single, Your Other Hand. For your change to perform in the Winter Secrets Tour, check out www.clairebowditch.com/competitions for competition details. And unfortunately, Claire won’t be visiting Canberra on tour, so be prepared for your own ‘real’ tour to Sydney, or the next closest city. Tickets available from www.moshtix.com.au .

Everyone do the Finch Wave Is it me, or did winter just arrive early this morning?! Get your stylin’ mittens on because it’s going to be cold outside Bar 32 the next few months, or you could just watch some freaking hot rock n roll inside!

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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.

Somebody on Facebook invited me to ‘Name That Bass Player’ the other day, a refreshing change from the usual ‘What Sitcom Character Are You?’ or ‘If You Were Baby Sick, What Would You Smell Of?’ type questionnaires that usually get referred to me. I took the test, and disappointingly scored only 86%, a laughably low score for someone who knows that the wielder of the ‘four string motherfucker’ for Mississippi punks The Cooters is the splendidly monickered Neuter Cooter. Here then, in the spirit of such things, is a short list of bassists I have known who may, or may not, turn up in such quizzes.

1. Nibbs Carter I first met Saxon bassist Timothy ‘Nibbs’ Carter in the dingy upstairs dressing room of a backpackers pub in London’s Kings Cross. Nibbs soon got with the program, realising that I was to be handed a beer immediately on arrival at any venue, anytime, if things were to be done properly, much like himself, and so we became firm, if necessarily fleeting friends. Our slick professionalism made us a dynamic combination in backstage areas all over Europe.

2. Dee Dee Ramone By the time I got to know Dee Dee his time was nearly at hand, and the years of neglect were starting to catch up with him. It was one of the saddest days of a generally chirpy career to see the man blundering about in our London office spilling scalding hot tea down his trousers.

Stay off the pills, kids…

3. Val.Ium Valerie Cannerozzi was the bassist for American goths Pist.On, and I took something of a shine to her after we spent a lot of time in the back of a van together on the band’s first cheaply undertaken tour of Europe.

The feeling was vaguely mutual, and after a long spell corresponding together via the gift of fax machines it was agreed that, prior to the band’s next tour, she’d come and stay with me for a few days. Except that matters became confused and she ended up stranded in a crack den by the seaside in Brighton, from which I had to save her, white knight style. Our relationship ended in Cologne, Germany, after my addle-headed drunken buffoonery became too much for her. I wasn’t there, but people who were say that her expletive-laden trashing of my tour bus ‘coffin’ was a sight to behold. We never spoke again.

The ancient one!! Look dude..

U have taken the time out of ur o so high and mighty existence to bag the fuck out of every1 u possibly can. Now why don’t u take ur own advice and enjoy yourself cause clearly u don’t have anythin better to do than rat out on others individuality!

Every1 conforms to somethin.

I would b extremely surprised if ur case differed! Every1 is entitled to their opinion yes.

It is the YOU PISSED ME OFF column yes. However, I do not agree in the necessity of ur fellow Canberrans having to read ur trash! Lighten the fuck up mate and look at the big picture. U may b in denial about bein ancient but don’t bag on we youths for doin what we do. I’m no goth, I’m no emo, I’m no punk, I’m no druggo, I’m no ‘billabong’, I’m no yuppie. I’m a 20 year old chick tryin to make an honest living and person out of myself but more importantly I’m a youth makin the best out

of life. U should do the same!

From The Young One To the illiterate fuck whose letter appeared in the most recent issue of BMA, YOUR RIDICULOUS GRAMMAR AND JUVENILE ATTITUDE PISSED ME OFF. My retinas physically burned whilst attempting to interpret your poor spelling and awful sentence structure.

Furthermore, anonymously bagging out someone for lacking breasts is not dissimilar to an occurrence I witnessed during my most recent visit to the National Zoo and Aquarium; two Colobus Monkeys hurling poo at each other. Go back to high school for this kind of exasperatingly futile bitchiness.

While you are there, consider paying attention in English as an alternative to evidently blowing your teacher in order to achieve a pass. For wasting my time with your pseudo angry rant, I hope your face is chewed off by flesh eating piranhas.

FROM THE BOSSMAN Well batter me to death with a rolling pin, and weep violently at my funeral… it’s the 300th issue of BMA already.

Like most milestones, it’s crept up like a wily grandma and sucker punched me in the teeth.

And like most milestones, this allows one a misty glance back at what has come to pass.

Of all my many achievements during my four year reign of terror – instigating “no pants” day, and staying drunk most of the time spring to mind – the most enduring has to be the time capsule nature of this jaunty fortnightly tome. Each one freezes our fine city at a particular place and time, capturing, like a camera, all that was going on. Do you have any old BMAs hanging around the house?

Propping up the wonky table leg, or lining the kitty litter tray perhaps?

Go on and crack it out now (perhaps wipe it down first). Amazing to see what came through town, eh? To see the ghosts of clubs and pubs past, to wander through the cloudy alleyways of half forgotten gigs.

The first ever issue of BMA, hitting the unsuspecting Canberra shelves in February 1992, contains pictures of the fabled ANU Nirvana concert, right on the pinnacle of Nevermind blowing up. Great stuff.

4. Keith Curtis (pictured above) ‘Brother’ Keith Curtis was brilliant. Once guitarist of punk legends The Membranes, I knew him as the bass player of Manchester style gurus Goldblade. The ’Blade were legends in their own right, purveyors as they were of a heady mix of DC Hardcore, psychobilly and the blues long before Rocket From the Crypt ever donned a pair of brothel creepers, but Brother Keith was a man apart. He never drank, preferring instead to observe the hilarity from its perimeter, safe in the knowledge that the information he would obtain during these revels would come in handy later – he was an incorrigible gossip – but this temperance meant he was an excellent man to know when you needed a lift somewhere. It also meant that he could intervene on your behalf with the local constabulary, as he did once for me during a particularly hectic train journey back to London after some ‘discussions’ in the Levellers’ Bar that very afternoon had dragged on longer than intended. For saving me from a spell in the cells alone the man would be accorded legend status, but he was truly one of the finest men ever to draw breath. Keith, I salute you…

So in celebration, we’ve only printed 300 issues for collecting sake. But don’t tell our advertisers!

SCOTT ADAMS - thirtyyearsofrnr@hotmail.com

ALLAN “HERE’S TO 300 MORE” SKO

bma :: Issue300

[bands music action] www.bmamag.com

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

Fax: 02 6257 4361 Mail: PO Box 713 Civic Square, ACT 2608 Publisher Scott Layne General Manager & Advertising Manager Allan Sko: T: (02) 6257 4360 E: 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

Graphic Design Jessica Condi Film Editor Mark Russell Super Sub Editor Erin Hill Editorial Assistant Shailla Van Raad Principal Photographers (The Flashbulb Posse) Andrew Mayo/Lisa Tolcher/Ricky Lloyd Issue 301 Out May 15 Editorial Deadline May 2 Advertising Deadline May 8

bma magazine 11

TIDBITS On May 10, Transit Bar institution Podwarz returns for its third official outing, not counting the fury of Celebrity Warz at Trackside. Four teams will stand in the spotlight for the coveted prize; reigning champs BMA, their media counterparts Fly (Canberra Times), dance-pioneers WHO THE COOLEST KIDS Exposed and even the Transit staff themselves will go head-to-head in frothy Pod madness.

This time the perverted minds of event creators and hosts Roshambo and Milkbar Nick IN TOWN have teamed up with another of Canberra most successful club nights, Whoa!, and enlisted WHAT some of their finest tune-selectors to raise the bar. Headlining are Melbourne partyPODWARZ III veterans Apollo Kids, two professionals who mash together only the finest ass-thundering WHERE Baltimore club, crunk and baile funk-style beats. They’ll be joined by Whoa! veterans D’Opus, Textie-N-Wayne and Rangatang, plus your boy Smish and Mr Milkbar Nick himself, TRANSIT BAR rounding out a line-up that would even impress Kate Moss! Sponsors Southern Comfort WHEN and Six One Three will supply prize delights and Transit Bar will get you gurning with an SAT MAY 10 abundance of drink specials so you feel sexy and in the Podwarz mood. It’s free, it’s dope, it’s Podwarz beeyatch! SIR FROTHALOT III WHO THE SILENTS WHAT PERTH GARAGE ROCKERS WHERE TRANSIT BAR WHEN THU MAY 1

If there’s anyone who knows a thing or two about top-notch guitar-based music, it’s the gents in the offices of Ivy League Records. With the likes of 78 Saab, The City Lights, The Mess Hall, The Buff Medways, Youth Group and The Vines - to name but a few - on the books, their endorsement certainly carries a certain weight. So, one can only assume that The Silents’ debut LP Things to Learn is a winner. Which it is. Following 2007’s critically acclaimed 23 EP, which yielded the triple j high rotation singles Nightcrawl and 23, the LP is “the sound of time spent in music, poetry, ideas and revelations juxtaposed with the bleak reality of dayto-day living.” Trading in garage rock with strong pop foundations and a dark psychedelic edge, the Perth quartet are fresh off the Essential Festivals in Melbourne and Sydney and ready to hit the Transit Bar on May 1 alongside Melbourne hot-shots The Galvatrons, who’ve generated a ridiculous amount of hype recently. And entry is, as always, free. PETER KRBAVAC

WHO ELENA KATSCHERNIN & BAND WHAT SOUNDTRACKING FELIX'S EXPLOITS WHERE STREET THEATRE WHEN FRI MAY 9

Try something different - why not a late night, cat-inspired cabaret held as part of the Canberra International Music Festival? Up Late…The Cat’s Cabaret is set at a Sullivan family gathering, where Pat Sullivan, father of the famous feline Felix, shows his family the latest of his Felix animations. Leading the skilled musical team soundtracking the original Felix cartoons is Elena Kats-Chernin on keyboards. Trained in Australia, Moscow and Germany, her work extends from operas to chamber pieces, and has been featured at the opening ceremony of the 2000 Olympic Games. Accompanying Elena are David Pereira, Rebecca Collins and the Clarity Clarinet Quartet. Up Late…The Cat’s Cabaret is showing at the ACR Theatre, National Film and Sound Archive, as part of the Canberra International Music Festival, from 10pm on May 9. Tickets are available from The Street Theatre Box Office, on 6247 1223, or from www.thestreet.org.au . The Canberra International Music Festival takes place in Canberra from May 7 to 18, more information is available from www.cimf.org.au . ELLA PALIJ

WHO SIMON PHILLIPS WHAT SYDNEY TROUBADOUR WHERE THE PHOENIX WHEN SAT MAY 10

Despite acquiring a Bachelor of Music degree, busking for two years with Sydney Latin guitar duo Urban Gypsies to earn the money to record an album, and time spent in Aceh to provide Tsunami relief, Simon Phillips has somehow found the time to release his own EP Tree. To celebrate, he's embarking on a tour of the Australian East Coast! Simon’s one to keep an eye on, being described as "one of Australia’s most promising up-and-coming singer/songwriters." Although his musicianship has almost been crafted unto the point of perfection, his live shows share an inviting intimacy, which has thrilled audiences Australiawide. Simon has previously released a solo concept album dedicated entirely to the great leaders of our time, which leaves no wonder that his lyrics are mainly of a political bearing, though beautifully fashioned all the same. With a talented group of musos along for the ride as his backing band, the tour promises to please. Simon will in Canberra performing at the Phoenix on Saturday May 10. For more on the man, visit www.myspace.com/ simonphillips . ELLA PALIJ

WHO WINNEBAGO DEAL WHAT THUNDEROUSLY MINIMALIST UK DUO WHERE THE GREENROOM WHEN THU MAY 8

Considering they’re only two guys from near Oxford in the UK, Winnebago Deal sure make one hell of a racket! The Bens (Ben Perrier on vox/guitar and Ben Thomas on drums) will hit our shores for the first time in support of their new CD/DVD release Flight Of The Raven through Amphead. Recorded by Seattle legend Jack Endino – who’s cut records with everyone from Mudhoney to Nirvana – the LP is “inspired by the crazy shit that takes place on tour. It’s about damaging yourself playing, staying up too late, drinking all day long…

Going on tour is basically a death trip.” 15 tracks of tub-thumping, amp-quaking, guitargrappling, larynx-shredding, lynx-licking mayhem it is, too. Aside from hundreds of shows alongside ‘80s Matchbox B-Line Disaster, Therapy?, High On Fire, The Dwarves, Brant Bjork and Nebula, it’s also worth noting that the pair backed ex-Queens of the Stone Age bassman Nick Oliveri in Mondo Generator for a time. Join their death trip this May in Australia.

WHO Psych-rock fans and theatre buffs alike rejoice! Supa Productions, the team who brought SUPA PRODUCTIONS The Who’s Tommy and The Full Monty to the ‘berra, will be bringing Pink Floyd’s epic The AND PAPERMOON Wall to the live stage - the first time it’s been staged as a full musical in our fine town.

Staged with full approval from the creator Roger Waters, it recounts a shocking night of the WHAT rock ‘n’ roll madness. The story is based on the central character, Pink, who suffers from an PINK FLOYD'S overbearing, overprotective mother, a father who he never met, a wife who deserts him and THE WALL a self-destructive lifestyle. All of these are bricks in Pink’s ‘emotional Wall’ and eventually WHERE lead to a complete mental breakdown on the opening night of a world tour. To recreate the ANU ARTS CENTRE overblown majesty of the Floyd, a 12-piece rock band has been drafted in to soundtrack the eve. The show runs from 8pm between May 9 to 24 at the ANU Arts Centre, with 2pm WHEN matinees on May 17 and 24. Bookings on www.supaproductionsinc.com or 1300 737 363 MAY 9 TO 24 Mon to Fri, and dinner and show packages available from Teatro Vivaldi on 6257 2718.

12 bma magazine

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Canberra City

ALL SHOWS FREE ENTRY

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@ TRANSIT BAR THURSDAY MAY 1 bma magazine PH/FAX 6162 0899 / transitbar@gmail.com | www.myspace.com/transitbar

13

Block Rockin' Beats Carrie Dennes

The word ‘obese’ generally won’t conjure up a positive image. In fact, it’s a term plastered about in a negative tone on current affairs shows and Government sponsored ads everywhere. For all that said, it also happens to be the name of Australia’s dominant hip-hop label, and one that has nurtured the biggest hip-hop acts in the country – acting as a springboard for Hilltop Hoods, Bliss N Esso, Muph and Plutonic and Downsyde, just to name a few.

The man who sits in the big boss chair of OBESE RECORDS is wellversed in business and well-versed in verse. He goes by the name of MC Pegz – though his business card may read Tirren Staaf – and he began his work with Obese Records as a checkout chick with a love for hip-hop.

“Obese records began as a store,” he says from Obese HQ in Melbourne.

“It was in the back of a surf shop and became a specialist hip-hop shop with clothing, vinyl, spray cans, and other paraphernalia. I worked behind the counter there for a couple of years before moving into the top job… it became a bit of a Mecca, people from all over Australia would visit the shop.”

It was in 1998 that Obese would attempt – and succeed at – releasing an album. The fi rst artist, “A chap by the name of Reason,” Pegz explains, was the fi rst of what is now a multitude of releases on the fully independent label, and it was undoubtedly the start of bridging an obvious gap in the Australian music scene between hip-hop and other genres.

“A few labels were doing things with hip-hop, but people really weren’t investing the capital into it,” muses Pegz. “Obese was born out of necessity – there was nobody touching Aussie hip-hop. Maybe the majors didn’t know how to market it, or the independent labels didn’t have any faith?” he questions.

It was in 2002 that Pegz emptied his savings and purchased the business. Having already helped released five or six albums - including his own self-titled EP in 2001 - through the burgeoning label, while working behind the counter, his intention was always to keep the Obese roots alive and kicking. The retail aspect of the company was to remain as it was, but the label and distribution arm was what he aimed to develop. “I’ve seen this scene grow from nothing to what it is now,” he enthuses. “We’d get to see a few gigs a year, and now it’s sort of at 20 to 30 gigs happening per week. It really was diffi cult in the beginning.”

As an artist, Pegz has been writing rhymes for what he says is coming up to at least 20 years. “I was attracted to hip-hop because of its power in delivering a condensed message,” he explains. “The format of a hip-hop song inherently lends itself to speaking, talking, and allowing you to delve deeply into subjects.”

The beginning wasn’t easy by any stretch of the imagination. “I’ve been performing in spurts from as early as 1995. I was rocking up to battles and trying my hand, and they were diffi cult days. They were the days you caught the bus everywhere, and if you were lucky and got a gig, you wouldn’t get paid,” he says. “I guess sometimes you’d get 50 bucks to tide you over for some food for a few days, but I was lucky to have done those hard yards so I could build some form of fan base and release an album.”

Spray can to mic stand has become a natural progression for many.

According to Pegz, Melbourne has the strongest graffi ti scene in Australia, and as a result, Victoria was a good place for the MC to fl ourish.

14 bma magazine

“I’ve always been content if we’re making enough money to keep a roof over our heads and food in our bellies.

Ideally, we’d love to have ten million in the bank... but as long as we make sure that we’re creating opportunities for artists, I’m happy to kick along forever doing that.”

“Graffiti and hip-hop in general have been strongly linked in the genre’s evolution,” he says. “Some of the stand out pioneers of hiphop were legendary graf artists, and that goes for many of the guys you see on stage today.”

His October 2007 release, Burn City, had Pegz indulging in a darker shade of song writing. “It’s a little more serious, the themes are perhaps a bit more sombre, and the songs are perhaps a little more structured than anything else I’ve ever done,” he says. Pegz will also be hanging up the hoodie as a solo artist to concentrate on the continuing success of Obese. “I need a break,” he chuckles. “This will be my last solo effort I think; I’m not in the mental space to be juggling everything right now, but we’ll see what happens. I’m always writing. Always.”

But what of the rumours we may see Pegz in some sort of hip-hop supergroup? He remains relatively tight-lipped, but explains that he’s “got the people that want to be part of the group. I wanna have a bit of fun, with no pressure to become huge or make a hit record; it’s important to get back to the start and really enjoy the creative process a bit more than I have been.” So who will be included? “We all need to sit down fi rst and discuss all that,” he says. Nice dodge.

In what is set to be a massive hip-hop roadtrip, Obese is presenting the Block Party 5 National Tour – a major city tour of the country with a line-up that includes the biggest names in hip-hop du jour, the Canberra stop including Pegz himself, Muph and Plutonic, Chasm, Hyjak N Torcha, and Spit Syndicate. “It’s a really great vibe, and the response from people is phenomenal the whole way through,” he says. “The artists’ sets are a little bit shorter than the usual hour slot, so it’s a really condensed 40 minutes or so and it’s the best of everybody’s work.” While it was launched as a national event in 2007, it hits Canberra due to popular demand for the fi rst time this year.

“I was in Canberra recently for my Burn City launch; it was half an hour out of town at some dingy pool hall. I walked out on stage twice and my mic wouldn’t work,” he laughs. “Man, it was possibly one of the worst disaster shows I’ve ever done in the last few years so I wanna really make it up to everyone and bring it to the ACT.” Pegz is all too keen to sing the praises of the scene’s up-and-comers.“Mark my words,” he says,“Spit Syndicate will be the next big thing in this country, perhaps the changing of the guard with Hilltops. They’re 20 years old, two guys from Sydney, and they’re making music and hip-hop on par with anyone in this country. They’ll be taking things to a new level for sure.”

At the end of the day, Pegz explains that he’s happy with a label that is as successful as it can be, as long as it’s contributing to the development of Australian hip-hop. “I’ve always been happy enough and content if we’re making enough money to keep a roof over our heads and food in our bellies,” he says. “Ideally, we’d love to have ten million in the bank and make ten bloody Jay-Z videos for each artist, but as long as we make sure that we’re creating opportunities for artists, I’m happy to kick along forever doing that.” With that in mind, it’s plain to see that they’re not just Obese. They’re phat, too.

The Obese Records Block Party hits the ANU Bar on Friday May 23, featuring the combined talents of Pegz, Muph and Plutonic, Chasm, Spit Syndicate, Hyjak N Torcha and more. Tickets are a lean $35 from www.oztix.com.au, the ANU Union, Landspeed Records and Writer's Block. For more info, hit the Block Party website: www.obeseblockparty.com .

bma magazine 15

ALL AGES The cold… it’s back.

I forgot what it feels like to actually blow down your own shirt in hopes that somehow your own breath (which is only just above room temperature) is the equivalent of sun bathing on the coast of some tropical paradise. I forgot that after being in the cold, lukewarm showers burn your feet to the point in which you truly believe you must have them amputated. I forgot how cold cold can be. It’s not all

bad though - the same coffee and tea I was letting cool until it was cold before gulping down as refreshments in the summer are now used as lava which can almost heat your entire chest for a brief moment.

Sitting in front of a fi re is for once an extremely pleasant feeling, and continuously adding extra layers for warmth 'til you may be the twin of the Michelin man is extremely satisfying.

Another warm hug to all of you boys and girls. This issue holds the secret to a few great nights ahead, so don’t get too snug in those bed

sheets because May holds the tastiest of treats.

First and foremost, we say goodbye to one of Canberra’s best. With scrunched Kleenex up our sleeves we will gather at The Greenroom in Phillip on May 3 to bid farewell to none other then Paqman. The boys, or shall I say men, are off to the big lights of Melbourne and so, in true form, shall be headlining one of the biggest AA shows to hit this fi ne town for a while. The bill includes the likes of GSD, Dissection (who will join Paqman on their move) and Fistful of Nothing; a fi tting bill to support the duo who

have absolutely slaughtered the Canberra scene for the past few years. The show begins at 1pm and is a cheap $5 on the door.

So get your moves down before you come ’cause there will be a ridiculous amount of dancing going on. Support your scene, and farewell one of Canberra’s most talented. At least that way you can say you were there when they become big and famous.

Next on the agenda we have another one also over Southside way, as The Venue will be the venue <boom boom> for none other than Sydney’s own Sienna Skies, who hit Canberra with a bombardment of "experimental post-hardcore" on May 9. These guys have more than a lot of talent which should be enough reason to get on down to the show. If that doesn’t satisfy your musical buds, then perhaps Till Death Do Us Part, Redivine and A Silent Fiction as support will.

6pm on the wrist watch, $10 in the pocket.

If you’re in an adventuring mood, why not make the trip out to The Lanyon Youth Centre to catch the black-fringed punk antics of Acid Eyeliner, touting their new LP Future Lies. Entry’s only a fi ver, and they’ll be joined by Finabah all the way from QLD and with locals Afraid You’ll Fall and Vasdefferen. Oh, and it goes down on Friday May 2. Always remember...

And just when you thought I had no more to give, I just keep on giving. Brothers and sisters, here’s one to get excited for in the weeks to come. May 27 will see the Say Goodbye tour featuring big ass names including I Killed The Prom Queen, Bring Me The Horizon, The Red Shore and The Ghost Inside. In case you’re wondering why I’m not going over the top with this one, it's the same reason you don’t like smearing someone else’s blood in an infection. It’s going to get big, and spread, and overfl ow with intensity. $30 + BF. It’s going to be huge. ’Nuff said.

That’s it for now Sucka MCs. Don’t get a cold.

That’s no fun.

See you about.

Peace. Love. Funk.

JOSH MOLONY joshmolony@hotmail.com

LOCALITY Well. Happy 300th issue BMA. May I say you don’t look a day over 299? Nah seriously. I may be biased in that I am one of the superstars of Canberra’s free streetpress, (Z-grade celebrity, if you will), but I have to say that it’s a bit of an honour to have my incessant ramblings continuously published fortnight after fortnight in such a quality magazine. It makes me a little teary. Group hug.

Eileen Francisco So, I had a great convo with Eileen Francisco in the toilets at Transit the other night, and she does inform me that she is, in fact, in the studio recording some awesome little tunes. Keep your eyes peeled for more info on that one. Speaking of Solo material (was I?), I have it on good authority that Jake (vox-er and guitar-er from the Haunted Attics) is working on some of his own material at the moment. It’s all happening in the ‘berra, folks.

A friendly reminder that Greenfest, a free music and movie night, is on in Garema place on May 2. Bands include The Andi and George band, Changeable Dan, and Caracol, and the fi lms include Uranium - What Lies Beneath, Adaptive Greening, The Fridge and Imagine. The night is being put on to promote sustainable living, so walk or ride there and show some support, yo.

The Missing Lincolns are putting the fi nishing touches on their yet-to-be-titled debut album.

The recording is a product of Big Wednesday Studios, and the

band is anticipating a release in the next few months. You’ll probably hear a whole lot of familiar sounds on the tracks – the guys have included a lot of guests,

The Missing Lincolns

Julia Johnson, members from Dahahoo, The Cherry Marines, and The Ellis Collective. And Luke McGrath, the Lincolns’ guitar fi ghter, assures me that it is “The Lincolns like you’ve never heard them.” Word.

You may remember them from such recordings as Seditious Material, released in 2007, but Super Best Friends are fi nished touring the universe and are heading straight back into the studio to record their follow-up EP. No rest for the wicked eh? So don’t expect to see Adam, Matt, and Johnny on stage for a little

while, but rest assured they be workin’ hard.

And for something a little different, One Night Jam and The Spooky Men’s Chorale are joining forces to create a super evening called One Night Spook.

It’s happening on May 13 at Corroboree Hall in Ainslie, and it’s on from 7.30pm. Cost is only $10, or $7 concession.

That is all. Send your love letters to: CAZ DENNES cazzed@hotmail.com

THA REALNESS Veteran UK emcee/producer Braintax has just released his third and fi nal album on his very own Low Life imprint, a label that has been synonymous with quality hip-hop from the UK for many years. Self-consciously titled My Last and Best Album, the record is the perfect accompaniment to his previously two albums and is the perfect conclusion to Braintax’s solo career. Time will tell if his retirement from the mic is permanent (Jay-Z, anyone?) as he turns his hands to the business side of his label.

The album is entirely produced by the brilliant and versatile C-Swing (aka Emmanuel) and takes in a variety of infl uences including Sa-Ra and Slum Village as well as the usual dusty funk associated with Joey Brains. My Last and Best Album is out now through Low Life and is simply brilliant from start to fi nish.

Following on from the excellent Boston supergroup Special Teamz (Edo.G, Slaine & Jaysaun) is the next hip-hop supergroup eMC. Comprising of Masta Ace, Wordsworth, Punchline and Strickin, their new album The Show is out now through M3 Entertainment.

The Show features a loose narrative of sorts, much like previous Masta Ace solo albums, and features production from Nicolay, Marco Polo, The Are, Ayatollah and Frequency. Sean Price and Little Brother also show up on guest duties.

Travelling the country as part of Uni-Fied, Bliss N Eso have also just released their third and most dynamic album to date. Flying Colours is full of the vivid poetic imagery often associated with the trio. The album is rich with soulful production and showcases their original sound while also demonstrating an impressive growth in production, lyrical maturity and subject matter. The album was recorded in three different continents over 12 months and features Illmaculate, Debaser, Hyjak, Phrase and a 20-piece African choir! Beats come from Bliss, M-Phazes and Bliss N Eso Hattori Hanzo.

Perth emcee and Syallabolik’s crew member Drapht will drop his third solo LP Brothers Grimm on Obese in May. Possessesing one of the most unique voices in Australian hip-hop, Drapht could easily rest on his style alone but this new album presents an artist not afraid to push boundaries. Brothers Grimm is an uplifting album destined to capture the imagination with catchy hooks, intelligent wordplay and consistently phenomenal production. Produced by Trials with guest production from Plutonic Lab, M-Phazes and Simplex, the album is sure to impress when it drops.

Something a little different now from Tres Records! C.R.A.C (aka Crass Knucks) is a new project from Blu (from Blu & Exile fame) and Ta’Raach. Their album The Piece Talks is an exercise is style and innovation (check out Buy Me Lunch!). Channelling a multitude of genres, all doused with that distinct Detroit sound, C.R.A.C represent the forefront of a new sound of hip-hop, which refuses to recycle the same old formulas! Loving it!

Other bits and pieces that I’m digging lately that are also little left of hip-hop centre are new albums from Gnarles Barkley (The Odd Couple), Cut Copy (In Ghost Colours), Hot Chip (Made In The Dark) and The Presets (Apocalypto).

To hear music from all these releases and more tune to The Antidote, Tues nights on 2XX 98.3FM from 9:30pm ROSHAMBO

“We have all been in bands for years. Sure, this is the band that went somewhere and, granted, it was in a short period of time, but it doesn’t mean we haven’t worked our arses off in the past year and in every band before that.”

Eva Lubulwa WARNING WARNING WARNING: Transformers are invading, robots are attacking and THE GALVATRONS are fi nally coming to town. For those who are painfully unaware, Galvatron is a transformer closely related to the Megatron whose unique power is… Scratch that, a more valid point to make is that the band Galvatrons are the newest addition to the Australian music arena (if you want to discuss transformers I confess I know nothing).

The band is made up of Jonny Galvatron, Manny (Lady Killer), Condor and, last but not least, my brother in arms and my brother through blood, Peter… I mean Gamma. Nepotism aside, I am increasingly amazed at the calibre of music Galvatrons have produced. I was able to catch up with my brother for an interview and, after passing on the long list of messages that my mother wanted me to deliver to my somewhat elusive sibling, we were free to discuss the long or rather the short story of the ’Trons.

So I did what any sister would do and went for the tough question like a punch to the stomach; I told him that people thought their band was an overnight success to which Gamma laughed and said, “We have all been in bands for years, playing with different people that we have learnt a lot from. Sure, this is the band that went somewhere and, granted, it was in a short period of time, but it doesn’t mean we haven’t worked our arses off in the past year and in every band before that.”

In the beginning: “We played a lot of club gigs. Mostly small clubs around Melbourne and usually the midnight shows and a lot of back to back gigs.” And through constant gigging the band developed a cult following for their music which Gamma describes as “high energy electro rock”. During the closing months of 2007, Galvatrons played gigs with The Divinyls, You Am I and played at Meredith Music Festival.

In early 2008 it was Melbourne Big Day Out, showcases in London and a tour with Shihad, and, if that wasn’t manic enough, they continued to play gigs in Melbourne and record their new EP When We Were Kids, which will be released on May 3.

Seeing as he is pretty much living the dream, I asked Gamma to describe the experience in terms of an ice cream fl avour. “Butterscotch candy ice cream. It’s like the intense ice cream fl avour with little bits of candy goodness.” Galvatrons are now touring Australia to accompany the release of their EP. After the tour they will play Come Together Festival and return to the UK to play the O2 Festival, Download Festival and Hyde Park Calling with The Police.

They will be arriving in Canberra (or as Gamma calls it, “the little city that could”) on the May 1 at the Transit Bar. If you want more information, stalk them at www.myspace.com/thegalvatrons (don’t feel weird about it, I do it all the time). And, at most, come and see them play on the 1st, embrace the inner transformer geek and spread the robot love.

Bring your favourite plastic fi gurine to Transit Bar on Thursday May 1.

The Silents will also be transforming your music mind. Free entry.

Disclaimer: It’s a) weird interviewing your own brother and b) calling him Gamma!

DANCE: THE DROP

Gurned greetings and sweaty salutations my dear dance brethren. Welcome to the dance column with a stomach like a walnut.

Drum ‘n’ bass makes a blistering return this month, thanks to the combined might of True Jungle Souljahs and Royal Rollers.

Purveyor of filth-rippers Raiden will be charging into the new look Mercury Bar come Saturday May 17 (along Northbourne Avenue, formerly Echo Bar, next door to Bar 32). The Estonian resident promises everything and the kitchen sink. “My live sets are an eclectic mix of many styles of electronic music all mashed up into D&B and remixed on the fl y,” he says. “I combine my own material with splices from artists as varied as Jeff Mills, Nitzer Ebb, Vengelis, Aphex Twin and Surgeon.”

Be prepared for that one. Entry is $15, with supports from Bec Paton, Escha, Karton, Rookie-One, Fourthstate (playing dubstep) and Ug Beats regular Miss Universe (playing breaks).

The promotional twosome (Souljahs/Rollers, remember) will also be bringing Perth’s ShockOne to The Greenroom on Friday June 27.

Check out Let Me Go on New York label Incite Recordings, or Riddler on Andy C’s sister label to RAM Recording, Frequency Recordings, for a taste of things to come.

As reported last ish, that lovable rogue and erstwhile Canberra stomper Chris Fraser has returned with another hard fought addition in the Raw series, cunningly entitled Raw: Vol 2. Explain yourself, Chris: “The fi rst CD kinda caught everyone by surprise and sold really, really well,” says Fraser, “so this time I got to raise the bar by sourcing more tracks and spending more time on the artwork. So I’ve got a bunch of really great tunes on there, including the Fake Blood mix of Count & Sinden’s Beeper, The Presets My People (D.I.M. remix), Hot Chip, Gameboy Gamegirl, Aston Shuffl e and a bunch more. Plus, I’ve also got fi ve of my own remixes on there, which I’m stoked about. I’m about to spend the next two months touring the country to support the release, starting in Canberra of course : ).”

Suck hole. We love him though. The CD is out May 2. Sidenote: what’s the editing “go” with emoticons at the end of a quote? Should it be ‘smiley face, full stop, end quotation’? Or ‘smiley face, end quotation then full stop’? Or does said contented face serve as a punctuation mark itself, thus rendering the full stop void?

Ooo right. Dance news.

That beloved pair of pyrotechnic pup-princes that is Paqman, are packing up! Yes! They’re off! To Melbourne!

“At their age?!?”

“Yes, at their age!”

Not even cracking a 40 year-old between ‘em, James Hewitt and Haydon Quinn are off to pursue their no-doubt disgustingly successful dance career in the bright lights and very-reasonable-to-get-around-ness of Melbourne. When asked for comment, they said “…….”, not because they’re rude, or in anyways up themselves per se, but simply because I forgot to put batteries in my recorder.

Anyway, their “see-ya ‘Berra” show is on Saturday May 3 at The Greenroom, Phillip, with supports GSD, Dissection and Fistful of Nothing. It’s a middle o’ tha day kick off time of 1pm and a positively scandalous $5 entry (“fi ve nicker?!? You’re ‘aving a bath, mate!”) I most certainly am not, random cockney.

Anyway enough of that. Silly.

Before I oft, the Red Bull Academy is on again. Described as “set up fi rst and foremost to provide attendees with an opportunity to broaden their musical horizons, gain knowledge into the industry and create invaluable networks with fellow artists across the globe,” the DJing dance music wunderschool is accepting entries until May 5, so hurry up if yer keen.

ALLAN “THE” SKO

“This is my fi rst time in Australia. On Monday I arrive in Sydney and I am very tall, like 195cm, with blonde long hair so I look like a surfer and I will fi t in” Tim Galvin "WOMP, WOMP, WOMP, WOMP." Everyone has heard this sound before. Like ‘that’ Nokia ringtone that gets instantly programmed into your phone after you hit 50, Dooms Night is instantly recognisable; the electronic rotary chug has been played to the public more than the Barry Hall ‘brain snap’ video. The seminal record rocketed German native AZZIDO DE BASS to international notoriety overnight, and it wasn’t even his remix, the original being a banging trancer which was re-worked by fellow superstar Kraut Timo Maas into the breaky anthem we know and love.

The success of that one single gave Mr Bass the platform from which to share with the world his many musical talents, as the extremely friendly artist explains from the other side of the globe.

"Well, the money was nice," he laughs. "It allowed me to travel a lot all the time to places like Russia, the UK, all over, and one of the things that I got to see is the difference between the poor side of living and the rich side, which taught me a lot about the world through meeting all these people through music. I learn more and more for my production. Meeting many people makes me happy and when they ask for an autograph or talk to me after the show it makes me feel like a popstar, you know?”

He appears overtly motivated by developing his art and communicates his love for change as passionately as a shoeless vagrant with an outstretched palm in Garema place.

“At the moment I am changing all the time. I like to change a lot of things, my music, my life, the women (laughs). At the moment I am playing that nu-rave style; it’s electro rock, like a journey, where the

music goes up and down. I will take it to its highest point then bring it back down again. My taste is very eclectic; I like everything from Michael Jackson to Beethoven. In Germany they like you to play harder and more underground, but I was more influenced by the Soulwax sound - it was a really big influence on me. I went through the whole techno mash-up stage as well, but now I am more focused on this electro noisy sound with live elements. Anything goes, really!”

Since having recent success with the indie dance record Lonely by Your Side, the genre rollercoaster has propelled him into many styles of production. He has also been working on his own record label, Luscious Sounds, which he is in the process of expanding to include some Australian artists, an exciting prospect in itself for local musical talent.

“I have just completed a remix for the new Muscles record The Lake which is a big club sounding tune. For my own label I am looking for that real electro rock sound, people like Malente, Play Paul, Princess Superstar, Mstrkrft. I am looking to produce some music in Australia when I am over there as well so people can contact me on my myspace page (myspace. com/azzidodabass) if they would like to speak to me about it.”

Surprisingly, the giant one-man revolution has never been to this corner of the world. I advise him that the weather should be acceptable when he lands and that girls are required to wear bikinis by law if there is a sun in the sky. “This is my fi rst time in Australia, I am really looking forward to it. Everyone tells me the ladies are great! On Monday I arrive in Sydney and I am very tall, like 195cm, with blonde long hair so I look like a surfer and I will fi t in,” he chuckles.

Mr Da Bass will be in the place - Academy, that is - on Friday May 9 supported by DJ KIZ and Jeff Drake. $10before 11.30pm, $15 thereafter.

“We really fl ogged ourselves on those tours and played as much as possible.

We are absolutely stoked to be added to these 2008 summer festivals - lucky and honoured”

Alchemical Crusades Josh Nixon

When you see your friends’ bands grow and go beyond the garage to hit interstate stages in the metal scene in this country, it has as much in common with Indiana Jones in the third fi lm when he comes to the second challenge in uncovering the Holy Grail. Faced with a broad, seemingly impassable gulf between safety and certain death at the bottom of an apprehensively deep pit, a leap of faith is required.

ALCHEMIST have been taking that leap of faith, and like Indy, discovering and taking that leap has launched them onto a near invisible path that leads to one’s goal and tests one’s faith.

After 20 years, Alchemist have more than walked the invisible path; they practically forged it for many Australian bands through their work on the much missed Metal for the Brain festivals. Now, in a sign of heartwarming good karma, it seems the path is leading toward the next and ultimate challenge, the European summer festival circuit.

In speaking with Roy Torkington, Alchemist’s guitar slinger and artist extraordinaire, it seems the faith is being rewarded big time. Hellfest in France, Graspop in Belgium and Waldrock in Holland alongside bands such as Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Slayer, Carcass, Motorhead and Morbid Angel to name a (very!) few; it represents the reward for their leap of faith to reach the pinnacle of the heavy metal touring circuit. How does it feel and how did it come about?

“There was a defi nite buzz for us in Europe last year and we were aware that some serious promoters were attending the shows and taking note. We really fl ogged ourselves on those tours and played as much as possible within the time we had. We are absolutely stoked to be added to these 2008 summer festivals - lucky and honoured. It is also reassuring as we have been focusing on Europe for some time now and Tripsis is our sixth record. In a way it has been a long time coming!”

The Prog Power festival in Holland has really helped to catapult the band to the next level and the types of festivals they’re playing now are obviously in the A division. Apart from the massive festivals, Alchemist are right at home in an intimate club atmosphere. Are there many smaller shows lined up this time? “We will be there for three weekends and two full weeks; we have agents trying to get us club shows or support slots presently in between the big weekend festivals. It is, however, a very competitive time and we are not expecting to have a show every day, as in the past. We have to wait and see what happens.

It is defi nitely peak time over there for everything. Our big hope is to secure some Ministry supports as they are touring at the same time, but there is nothing confi rmed as yet.”

Tripsis has been well received over there and a keen European fan has overseen its vinyl release, another benchmark in the band’s storied career. “We all grew up listening to records and it was always a goal for us to get some out there. We seemed to just miss the boat in the '90s in that regard when the industry shifted to CD. The packaging and sound is as good as possible and it’s bound to become a collector’s piece. It is a limited edition of 500 copies, of which we have brought 100 or so home with us for Australia.”

So the guys take on a four show run of Aussie gigs in Brisbane (home to drummer Rod), Sydney, Canberra and Melbourne, then to Europe and back to start on album number seven. “We have discussed some ideas and I think are all looking forward to writing again – I presume we will start on the next record when we return in July.”

Alchemist play the ANU Bar on Saturday May 3 with Pod People and Looking Glass. Doors 8.30pm, $15 entry. Tripsis is out through Chatterbox.

PUNKSKA With more cred than the latest taped missive from al-CIA-duh, it’s the BMA punk ‘n’ ska news.

In March, the Belcore punk scene was given a kick in the proverbials when The Toxicmen tore up a 21st party somewhere in darkest Belcompton. This saw the return of Johno, whose ditched his Trannies and thrown his lot in with The Toxicmen. You can catch The Toxicmen in all their streetpunk glory at the Pot Belly on Saturday May 10. Bring your earplugs and boots, because Sydney’s Rule 303 and All In Brawl will also be playing.

So-Cal punks and Fat Wreck Chords veterans, No Use For A Name, released their ninth full-length on April 1. Yes, that is April Fools Day, but this was no joke… even if the 14-track slab was titled The Feel Good Record of the Year. It’s not really a return to form for the band as they’ve never strayed too far from their melodic skatepunk roots. Incidentally, NUFAN will be appearing at the ANU Bar with label mates Strung Out for their Strangers in the Outback Tour on Sunday July 13. Tickets available through Ticketek from May 2.

New York’s ska supremos The Slackers are to release the follow-up to 2006’s Hellcat released Peculiar, on The Pietasters-founded Indication Records, April 29. A song from the new LP, Self Medication, can be heard here: www.myspace.com/theslackers .

Generating a buzz in music magazines over there in the United States of Amiracle right now are a new punk band called The Bitchfi ts, and they’re about to head to Europe. But get this… they’re an all-female tribute to The Misfi ts. Indeed, it’s the Bitches Doin’ Misfi ts’ Death Comes Ripping Tour. For those who don’t know their punk history, The Misfi ts are the horror-punk legends who began their career some 30 years ago and still rock all over the world. Original Misfi ts membersJerry Only and Doyle have even given a nod to the raw sexuality the Bitchfi ts bring to the aggressive music. With member names like Gwenn Standzbig, Cherry Blow-Me, Goil Von Frankenhooker and Robosie, the music of The Misfi ts will never be the same. The Bitchfi ts are appearing at festivals

in Austria and the UK with more established acts like Agnostic Front, UK Subs, MDC, US Bombs and The Subhumans.

Rancid have been the studio working on their new album, which will hopefully be released in June. No name yet, but there is word that they’ll also be releasing a DVD with 18 video clips on it shortly.

May 1979: The Specials’ debut single is reviewed in the NME by Ian Penman, describing it as “…a tweety, bouncy interpretation of Prince Buster’s Al Capone rhythm, profi cient but only pretty, the production isn’t at all hard enough. Still preferable to the like of yer Members and Clash Xerox reggae attempts.” Specials’ vocalist Terry Hall explains the band, in the NME, this way: “It’s not that we’re just trying to revive ska. It’s using those old elements to try forming something new. In a way, it’s all still part of punk. We’re not trying to get away from punk. We’re just trying to show some other direction. You’ve got to go back to go forward.”

Oi Oi that’s yer lot!

Next deadline is May 19. Send news, gig promos and abuse to rudebwaay@gmail.com .

SIMON HOBBS No Use For a Name and Strung Out bring the spirit of the '90s to the 'berra in July.

COMING SOON: FRI May 23rd

OBESE BLOCK PARTY TUES May 27th

KISSCHASY + THE DONNAS WED May 28th

FAKER + GRAFTON PRIMARY FRI May 30th

SEBASTIAN BACH

“It’s certainly not at the point where you’ll see life size paper cut outs of us in Sanity or anything!”

SAT May 31st

THE AUDREYS

+ J WALKER (MACHINE TRANSLATIONS) THURS June 5th

Ella Palij

RESIN DOGS

How would you feel about being given a few thousand dollars to do whatever the hell you wanted? Pretty good huh? In the case of Melbourne band PLASTIC PALACE ALICE, you’d feel that, um, well, “in terms of funding, you really don’t mind where you get the money from!”

I’m talking to Huw, guitarist and latest joining member of Plastic Palace Alice, who recently released their debut album The Great Depression in March. Huw admits, “It’s interesting to be the recipient of funding… if you’re writing grants you can’t think ‘is this good use of the government’s money?’ You sorta have to go ‘we need the money to complete this album – and it would be really nice if someone gave it to us!’” Seeing PPA aren’t bent on getting a record deal any time soon, they’re pleased with the grant money from Arts Victoria and their distribution deal with Inertia. “That’s what we’d always intended,” says Huw. And what a way to go. Plastic Palace Alice was only formed around two years ago, with members joining along the way to create the fl amboyant sextet it is today. Considering many bands take years to get out in the scene, fi nd their own voice and produce an album, PPA have achieved a lot in a small time. Huw suggests this is simply because the band have done things backwards – releasing an album early in their career, and pushing advertising after the initial release. The band does hope to coincide the promotion of The Great Depression with their tour of Australia, but as Huw says, “It’s certainly not at the point where you’ll see life-size paper cut outs of us in Sanity or anything!”

With infl uences such as David Bowie, Tom Waits, Bob Dylan, Neil Young and backgrounds meddling in indie and jazz, the complex ideas and structures that arise in their music are no surprise. Having six members in the band allows Plastic Palace Alice to layer their music as much as live as they do on the album. Huw fi nds this important and a great asset, though he does feel that the band’s sound has progressed to a slightly more stark, lean sound than what you may hear on The Great Depression. He feels the album is really a representation of where the band was at at that particular time.

Huw explains that the album should be treated as a whole, like a concept album (think The Wall or Space Odyssey!), an idea that is becoming exceedingly rare in this modern day of iPods and downloads. “We all have different opinions, and it’s very diffi cult because you earn from other jobs and you save money to put an album together then realise half the people who like it are gonna download it anyway.” He doesn’t disagree with the ideas of hit singles and one hit wonders per say, but he does feel that this album and its beautiful arrangements are to be taken in altogether – they’re an indie band, after all, so they don’t expect the album will be a hit all at once.

“We always expected that if the album was a success it would be over in a couple of years; it’s more of a grower.”

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Coming back to the received government grants, Huw does permit that musicians have real jobs too… a sound word of advice. After all, we can’t all be given money to do whatever the hell we want.

Gangbusters at Bar 32 sets in for winter early on Thursday May 8 with indie pop deities Plastic Palace Alice, supported by the rock stylings of The Trivs and the psych-outs of You Hang Up; No You Hang Up. $5 entry.

bma magazine 25

“… indie is such an oxymoronic, redundant term. It’s so dumb and doesn’t really mean that much these days” Ben Hermann I sat looking confused at PAPER SCISSORS’ bio the day before I was scheduled to speak to frontman Jai Daniel Pyne. "Hmm, ‘post-indie’…" I thought to myself. "I must really be losing touch." I like to think that I’m mostly ‘down’ with the hip slang and colloquialisms that all the kids are using these days, but I was certain that this phrase ‘post-indie’ had never before been seen by my eyes or heard by my ears. After clumsily and half-embarrassingly asking Pyne to clarify, I’m relieved when he assures me, laughingly, that it’s not a common term. “No, I just made it up, actually. I put it in our bio and I hope it starts getting used. I’m claiming it right now!” he says. “I put it in there to take the piss because I think indie is such an oxymoronic, redundant term. It’s so dumb and doesn’t really mean that much these days. I guess I wanted to make it sound like we were trying to go a bit beyond that genre.” Whether indie, postindie, or something just as obscure, what we can be sure of is that Paper Scissors will be displaying their oxymoronically-styled brand of Sydney rock at Transit Bar in mid-May as a part of their Less Talk, More Problems tour with mischievous lads Bluejuice at their sides.

After sauntering their way into the limelight in 2006 with their track We Don’t Walk from The Paper Scissors EP, the group released their debut effort Less Talk, More Paper Scissors in 2007, again with a colossal single hit, this time in the form of Yamanote Line. While the album has received much critical acclaim within the alternative circles of the east coast, Pyne claims that it’s still far from what he would consider a perfect album. “I’m happy with it as a fi rst album. I know the next one will be much better, because we’ve learned a lot from it,” he says. “I still listen to it and all I hear are the mistakes, you know?” While the title of the album may evoke comparisons with other similarly-titled releases (Propagandhi, anyone?), Pyne admits that this was in part the purpose of going with such a title. “It’s sort of just a phrase that me and a bunch of friends use at work to take the piss. To just say, ‘get on with it’. We wanted to have something a bit brash that made people take notice. Although some of the stuff I write about is serious, overall our aesthetic and mindset is kind of not taking ourselves too seriously.”

People would be forgiven for speculating that a tour combining Paper Scissors and Bluejuice wouldn’t turn out to be the greatest idea in the world. However, while somewhat musically different, the brazenness of both live shows and the attitude both groups take towards crowd interaction seem, in the end, to make them a veritably suited pair.

“They’re pretty full-throttle and very high energy. We can get to that point sometimes, but we’re a bit more dynamic in that some of our songs are a bit quieter,” Pyne admits. “But we’re the same in that both bands try to really get the fans involved, unlike a lot of indie bands out there. We both realise that the biggest part of music is giving something to the crowd and getting something back from them.”

Paper Scissors will be safely cutting outside the musical lines on Friday May 16 at the Transit Bar. Joining them will be fellow Sydney pranksters Bluejuice and the Purple Sneakers DJs. Entry is free.

“There are too many chin-strokers around, too much exclusivity… We wanted to go all out and make people dance; we didn’t want to exclude anyone” Ben Hermann “It wasn’t a conscious thing. I was hungover one day.” From the very beginning, I had a feeling that speaking with Jake Stone, one half of BLUEJUICE’s MC team, was going to be a good experience. Like the band, he’s playful and mischievous, but you know there’s always a more serious message or subtle taunt lurking beneath. As he describes the inspiration for the less-than-serious cover to the group’s 2007 hiphop/punk/funk success Problems, it’s obvious that this half mocking, half sober attitude resonates throughout everything the band does.

“We were supposed to do a really good photo shoot, but because I was hungover I thought I’d just wear a sweater and undies to look foul. Then they suggested I lose the shirt as well and suddenly Steve stripped down to his undies as well. It wasn’t planned, but it summed up the feel of the band and what we’re trying to do.”

Returning to the Transit Bar in May for the Less Talk, More Problems tour with fellow Sydney hipsters Paper Scissors, Stone admits that during the song-writing process a strong focus is placed upon creating music which will come off well in a live setting. “All we do is rehearse live. We don’t rehearse or demo with a computer; everything we do is focused on the live performance. We’ve never been a band that has known how to do anything else except put on a good live show.” However, while the group’s monolithic anthem Vitriol never seems to fail in sweeping a crowd up into a veritable frenzy of sweaty, floor-shaking hop-bopping, Stone seems to only wish that all their tracks could have the same nuclear fallout effect. “You’d have to be really bitter and jaded to get sick of playing a song like that – it’s way too fun and really gets the crowd excited. But I’m sick of it being the only song that’s doing that crazily

well. The others are doing well, but I’m really excited about writing something that’s as popular as that again.”

Comprised of fi ve members whose music tastes range from indie, punk and commercial pop to funk, soul, jazz and electronica, the broad spectrum of infl uences that go into making the cocktail that is Bluejuice seems like a mix that would leave you feeling on top of the world.

However, as Stone points out, it has been the group’s shared sense of humour and attitude that has acted as the secret adhesive which keeps them together and directs them musically. “The reason we’re all friends is our sense of humour, and I’m glad it’s obvious to the listener that the group has a very stated aim of not taking themselves too seriously”, Stone says. “One thing we all had in common was that we all saw that the indie scene in Sydney was getting a bit too serious for its own good.

There are too many chin-strokers around, too much exclusivity and ambition and we all found it unnecessarily cruel. We just wanted to go all out and make people dance; we didn’t want to exclude anyone.”

Stone is quick to mention that their touring buddies Paper Scissors certainly aren’t of the indie elite of which he has just admonished, but nevertheless admits that they do have their share of indie fans. “They are a bit more indie than us, but I think that’s good, because I think people see us as just a triple j band, so we get more indie fans coming to see us.

It’s not easy to distinguish the groups of fans though. I think indie crowds are just triple j crowds anyway. They just like to think that they’re not. “ Bluejuice will be setting fi re to the Transit Bar dancefl oor with fellow Sydney indie-slicks Paper Scissors and Purple Sneakers DJs on Friday May 16. Entry is free. The lad's debut LP Problems is out now.

bma magazine 27

“We want to do this for the rest of our lives. We don’t really want to do anything else… We’re going to keep doing this for a very long time”

Julia Winterfl ood In 2005 THE PANICS were nominated for what is quickly becoming the most exalted annual award of the Australian music industry, triple j’s J Award for Australian album of the year. Their second album, Sleeps Like a Curse, was topped by Wolfmother’s self-titled debut. Two years later they managed to beat both Juggers and the ’Chair to the Jays’ 2007 cross-eyed emu and kangaroo emblazoned gong. And rightly so.

Their third LP, Cruel Guards, is an Australian magnum opus, a record of robustly rousing songs that evoke an enormous range of sensations.

From the fi rst few bars of stirring drum rolls, swirling strings and solo hand claps, the epic intensity of opener Get Us Home is indicative of the LP’s consistent brilliance. Indeed, the orchestral splendour is one of the album’s most outstanding elements, so it was a bit of a shock to discover it was produced almost entirely by sampling.

Says guitarist Drew Wootton, “Myles, our drummer, is pretty good on the sampler. He makes hip-hop on the side so he’s got that part of the music world down. He uses a program with pretty much every instrument ever recorded on it so you can compose whatever you want.” Quite a feat considering the depth of symphonic sounds that Cruel Guards elicits.

But at the heart of its beauty resonates a distinctive Australian sound that induces a sense of great expanses and solitude; this is not lyrically explicit but one does get the feeling it could not have been produced by a band in another land.

“I don’t think it’s a conscious sort of, ‘woah, that sounds really Australian, lets do that’,” says Drew. “We do appreciate music that does sound uniquely Australian, like Nick Cave and The Triffi ds. We admire how they sit in the world market because we do sound very different from people from say Sweden or the US. We write songs completely differently to them and feel completely different about certain issues. We have different ways of tackling things so it’s always going to be there. We are Australian and we don’t want to change that.”

The Panics have been kicking around together since high school and their fi rst EP was released in ’02. Since then a string of ripper EPs and albums, including their incredibly captivating sing-along-to-everyword worthy debut A House on a Street in a Town I’m From, has seen them slowly but surely enter the mentality of the quality music minded masses, in this country at least. And so, of course, the next step is obvious. “We aren’t the biggest band here so we’ve got room to move, but we just want to get a start on the rest of the world before we get too established or set in our ways. We didn’t really want to be an overnight success; we want to do this for a very long time. We wanted to give ourselves time to develop as people while we were making music.”

“We’re more concerned now about establishing something overseas and making a go of that. We don’t want to abandon what we’ve got here but it is a very small market and we do want to have an impact around the world. We want as many people as possible to go ‘oh yeah that’s alright’ or ‘that’s shit’. We just want to give them the chance.” Sounds like you’ve got a while to do so, though, if you haven’t already discovered their achingly beautiful melodies, sublime choruses and infectious rhythms. As Drew says emphatically, “we want to do this for the rest of our lives. We don’t really want to do anything else, so we have to keep it interesting for us and for the people who listen to us. We’re going to keep doing this for a very long time.”

The Panics are playing ANU Bar on Saturday May 10. Tix through Ticketek.

Cruel Guards is out now through Dew Process/Universal.

“I went through a couple of piano teachers. The fi rst had a hair transplant and the next had a heart attack… and then as a teenager I played electric guitar and went through a rebellion where I listened to Sex Pistols” Shailla Van Raad What’s in a WHITLEY? Add one Lawrence Greenwood, some pseudonym action and an assortment of instruments including banjo, violin, toy synthesisers, the dobro and piano. Then stir, anticlockwise.

Apart from the eclecticism and the cockle-warming smooth sound that’s produced, which can be tentatively described as ‘alt-country’, Lawrence Greenwood is a very modest individual. “I don’t want to scream ‘Lawrence Greenwood’ from the rooftops. It makes sense to me to separate this particular area of my life. I just get on stage and I’m Whitley. But in a way, I’m still very much me on stage.”

And like most (tortured) artists who seem to be running from a ghostly mass that tells them of their impending mortality every morning when they wake up, Whitley has an ever-changing attraction to different types of music. “I’m restless. I’ve got itchy feet. The guys in the band call me ‘The Chameleon’. I see the good in most sorts of music.”

Whitley started off playing in hardcore and punk bands and progressed onto country, a genre he describes as “very versatile. Country technically means ‘traditional song’, but it is a genre that is more open to change.”

Maybe Whitley has found his genre-match, something that moves with both Australian culture as well as his own life changes.

He has come a long way from his early life when he went through piano teachers like he did pants. “Music has always been in my life. My parents bought me my fi rst piano when I was four. Even then I was frustrated and I went through a couple of piano teachers. The fi rst had a hair transplant and the next had a heart attack… and then as a teenager I played electric guitar and went through a rebellion where I listened to Sex Pistols.”

So in a way, there was constancy to his future direction.“By age 14 I decided music was what I wanted to do. Everyone has a calling, and I couldn’t imagine doing anything else.” You might say Whitley had it better than most people who go through mediocre lives, job after useless job and just die, leaving behind two point four kids and a partial mortgage.

Like most ‘callings’, which usually give you at least a narcissistic disorder, Whitley sees music instead of a psychiatrist. “Music gets me to that consciousness where the voice inside your head is and makes you at ease with yourself. When I play it’s like a meditation; it’s that point that I get to where I am the most honest with myself. I start writing and realise through my music exactly how I was feeling and just how truthful it was.”

These things are usually inherited, and the travelling troubadour attributes his empathic qualities, which give him the ability to only see the detail of a leaf when a tree falls on someone or hear Björk when a mushroom cloud commits genocide, to his mother.

“I see the world in a similar way to my mother. She is a perceptive lady that picks up on things that most people don’t pick up… I think girls pick up on stuff quicker when they latch onto music.”

His album is so simple and has a dulcifying effect on my usual irritated self.

Its gorgeous atmospheric harmonies, strums of guitar and Whitley’s deep, orgasm-inducing voice does wonders in songs such as More Than Life and the ever-popular I Remember. I had to buy it, because for that instant of a song, I did not want to shove someone’s face into a meat-grinder.

Whitley will be crooning his way into your heart at the ANU Bar on Tuesday May 13, supported by Seagull. The Submarine is out now on Dew Process.

bma magazine 29

“We’re not a fashionable band…

We want to make something that’ll last” Chiara Grassia “We’re not a fashionable band,” says Elliott Brannen who lends his trumpeting talent to Perth’s INSTITUT POLAIRE. “We want to make something that’ll last.” Drawing from their status as "fans of classic pop music" and constant line-up additions, the band have since produced last year’s EP The Fauna And The Flora, featured on the bill of many festivals and toured as support acts. They are currently touring the country with Cuthbert and the Night Walkers.

The title The Fauna And The Flora is "a line from the movie 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea. Erik Hecht (vocals, guitar and keyboard) was writing this song and came to the chorus, just singing la las. He came back a couple weeks later and said ‘by the way, I’ve got the chorus and it’s going to be the title track’. He didn’t tell us for a week and then it was the husband of the violin player who spotted it right away, 'I know where that’s from!'"

For a band that has been described as "musically schizophrenic," Elliott agrees people don’t know what to label them. “People tend to use big terms when describing us, ‘bombastic’, ‘orchestral’.” And what can people call them? “All sorts of things, as long as they think highly,” he says with a laugh.

“You run into people you used to go to school with,” says Elliott on the subject of their single City Walls & Empires, doing the rounds on Triple J, “and you tell them you’re in a band, and mention the song and they go ‘I know that song!’” The fi rst time he heard the song on radio? “I was driving down to the shop for lunch, and I hear the drums start and I go ‘oh, I know that song!’ It’s still quite a novelty, still quite strange,” he muses.

“I only found this out the other day,” Elliott admits when asked how the band formed.“A group of guys were studying sound recording and one day said ‘stuff it, we’ll make our own song’, so they sent it off to the main community station in Perth.” From there, the song received airplay and when the invitations to start playing live started to hit them, the band realised they needed more people who eventually ended up being Institut Polaire.“Whoever they found suitable, ‘you can join the band’. We’ve up to eight, I don’t know if we can go any further. Hard to believe it started with three and ended up with eight. A natural evolution to where it is today.”

Does the band’s sound change with the addition of new members and new instruments? “I think you have to have the confi dence to say, ‘I don’t fi t in with this song’. There are fi ve or six people who can play at least two instruments. I often shake my head, think how the hell am I going to... but you come to terms and fi gure it out as you go along.”

And news on an upcoming album? “We’ll start recording as soon as we fi nish the tour, early June. We have the demos down so we know how it’s going to turn out.” Elliott confi rms that it should be out by November this year. Will it be different to the EP? “As a member of the band I can’t judge it properly. To me, it’s a slow, organic process. I think that we’re a hopefully better version than what we were.”

They’re looking forward to touring with Cuthbert and the Nightwalkers, but Elliott realistically notes “it’s a lot of people to take around the country, so we’ll see how it goes.”

Institut Polaire play on Saturday May 17 at the Transit Bar with Cuthbert and the Night Walkers and The Cherry Marines. Entry is free.

"The great strength of Americans is their self-belief, but it’s also their great weakness and Iraq has laid this bare once again" Caitlin Croucher Well, his name may be a little on the dull side but the person certainly isn’t. FRED SMITH is a man of action with one thing on his mind: Texas. And possibly cheese sandwiches. But I can’t confi rm the latter.

Having just returned from a long and eye-opening three year journey through our favourite cesspit of political mayhem (America), Fred is back in Australia to give his fans a taste of some pie from the Land of the Free.

Fred is one of those singer-songwriters who’s been playing around Canberra since the dawning of time (not that he’s old, he just really likes Tilley’s). But residing in Canberra hasn’t stopped the man from living in far more interesting places over the years, inspiring a distinctly quirky and amusing brand of travelogue CDs. These albums are inspired by a range of topics, from Fred’s peace work in the South Pacifi c’s Bougainville - name’s funny, situation isn’t - to his current release, Texas.

Texas isn’t necessarily all about Texas. It’s more like a snapshot of the America that Fred experienced while “working out of home as a house husband and meeting a lot of really interesting people.” It was a fascinating time to be living in the States, with the controversy of America’s war on freedom and the terror of the Bush administration adding a little pickle to Fred’s McDonald’s fries. Frankly, how could the man not spiff out a fair few political ballads. Especially since he had the perspective of an Aussie coming from the nation’s slightly (less) exciting political capital. “In many ways it felt like a divided, confused and angry place,” Fred explains. “Certainly at the political level, but I think the economic realities of peoples’ lives relative to their high personal expectations also puts pressure on.”

Capitalism and war make for a juicy album, but a potentially serious one too - and sometimes they’re not so fun. Luckily, Fred has a cracking sense of humour to lighten up the mood, after all “the natural Australian

response to America is to take the piss.” Which he does, tastefully of course.“No quite so tasteful” is the way that many Americans Fred has met tend view to the Iraqi invasion.“The intervention is traumatizing America at a very visceral level. At least half of the country thought it was a dumb idea to start with. The great strength of Americans is their self-belief, but it’s also their great weakness and Iraq has laid this bare once again.”

Touring up and down the North American circuit has made for quite a few interesting shows. Apparently Fred is up for anything, as long as it involves an amp. “I’ve done everything from an 18 day folk festival in the middle of Texas, to house parties and Quaker meeting halls.’ (Quaker the religion, not the cereal. Or are they the same thing? This is highly irrelevant anyway.)

After spending so much time in America, it’s worth asking whether Fred’s been beaten up for his humour more than he’s been praised. I mean, Australian’s aren’t always the most tactful of creatures, especially when singing politically-charged satirical ballads in some remote part of a country you don’t belong to in the fi rst place. But it seems the charming old Fredster’s come away from this experience with a greater appreciation of the culture and its quirks. “Duke Ellington once said you should never underestimate your audience and that is certainly so of Americans.” Just don’t mention Dr Phil.

Fred Smith will be playing at Tilley’s Devine Cafe, Saturday May 10 with The Fred Smith Band. The last few remaining tickets are available from Canberra Ticketing or Tilley’s. He kind of looks like a more a wholesome, less drug-addled version of Nick Cave. Nice

bma magazine 31

BLACKBOX

Big Brother (SCTEN, daily, 7pm) is upon us and it appears there are some changes… apart from adding TV’s biggest tool Kyle and his vapid sidekick Jackie O as hosts.

It’s pure irony that the man who couldn’t last five minutes on the ill-fated celebrity version of the show because of the coffee (shameless publicity seeking alert), will be grilling the ‘contestants’.

On the plus side, this pair is more likely to give the show it’s goldfi sh bowl quality. It always felt a bit too much like Gretel was protecting her kids. From the promos, it appears they’ve also rid themselves of the decision to fi ll the house with pretty people who spend all day complaining about not having any hair product. Instead they’ve gone completely base level, choosing people who will once again make all Australians look bad. How can they put someone who thinks she’s like Pauline Hanson in the house with a clear conscience? Gone too are the late-night feeds so it’s back to telemarketing for nightowls. Unfortunately, the Friday night live show (SCTEN, Fri, 7.30pm) continues to provide a steady income for two of the ex-housemates.

The one good decision – no return of the uncut show. Instead there will be a panel show, Big Mouth (SCTEN, Mon, 9.30pm), hosted by Tony Squires and Rebecca Wilson, that will appeal to an entirely new audience and almost make BB worth watching. Almost.

Most will be happy to hear of the Biggest Loser Final Weigh-in (SCTEN, Sun Apr 27, 6.30pm), even if it does herald the beginning of BB. This is the interesting episode for those that cringe at making fun of fat people’s ability to cry when asked to do push-ups. Here there will also be tears but you get to see all the contestants next to a Jenny Craig style before image.

And the TV stations are up to their old tricks. With SCTEN that means scheduling repeats to fi ll up prime time. Just as we get a new series of NCIS (SCTEN, Tue, 8.30pm) it’s followed by repeats at 9.30pm. How long until they start seeping into the 8.30pm timeslot? And WIN has once again alienated its sci-fi audience. After pushing Terminator: the Sarah Connor Chronicles into a late night timeslot without warning, the show has followed so many others and disappeared altogether. Perhaps if fans had been shown a little respect by being told where it had gone…

Intrepid doco maker and sub-cultural explorer Louis Theroux goes inside the controversial Westboro Baptist Church with the Phelps family in The Most Hated Family in America (Prime, Mon May 5, 10.40pm).

While this was designed as a one-off, Prime is starting a series with it.

If you want to know how hard it is to break into the US music industry (and you haven’t watched any of the multitude of ‘follow the struggling band’ docos) then check out Flight of the Conchords (SCTEN, Sun May 11, 10.10pm).

Returns this fortnight include a new series of Boston Legal (Prime, Mon May 5, 9.30pm) – no that’s not a misprint – 9.30pm, Ugly Betty (Prime, Wed May 7, 7.30pm) and a news series of Spooks (ABC1, Fri May 16, 9.20pm).

Also worth looking out for are How to Look Good Naked (SCTEN, Mon, 8pm) where Queer Eye’s Carson Kressley teaches women the aforementioned art, Michael Palin’s New Europe (Prime, Sat May 10, 7.30pm) visits Poland, Freddie Mercury – The Tribute Concert (ABC2, Sun May 11, 2pm) and Death in Santaland (ABC1, Thu May 15, 9.35pm), which looks at a Columbine High style mass murder plot in the town of North Pole, Alaska, named and founded for the tourist dollar Lapland has managed to capture.

Buy a DVD, darn some socks or spend your evening on Facebook on Tuesday, May 13 – it’s Budget night.

Don’t miss The State Within (ABC, Thu May 2, 8.30pm) and the new series of Big Love (SBS, Sat May 10, 8.30pm) and watch out – Eurovision is coming.

TRACY HEFFERNAN tracyheffernan@bigpond.com

THEATRE COLUMN Oooh it’s been a heady two weeks, what with all the activity at The Street (Berlin, The Eisteddfod) and also emerging developments over Belco way with The Hunting Season (read below). The Street should especially be commended for the visual feast that was Berlin. Who would’ve thought that Street 1 would scrub up so beautifully? Designer Imogen Keen should win some kind of award. Justine Campbell again stood out from the crowd with her beautiful Piaf-esque performance. Not to be outstripped, Bridget Balodis’s professional directing debut The Eisteddfod lit fi res of interest. While I wasn’t too keen on Lally Katz’s script, Balodis’s direction and the fi ne performances of Virginia Savage and Peter Cook made for a wondrous night at the Theeee Ayter. It’s on until May 3 so if you can get there, do. Exciting times!

The Hunt Is On The Hunting Season is Belco’s new deal for young’n’emerging artistes de théâtre. Briefl y, Belconnen Theatre, with the support of the Foundation for Young Australians, will this year be presenting a season of cross arts performance created by and for young people – The Hunting Season. The season will run from September to November, showing-off the talent of young people from all art forms. You can check out the website at www.huntingseason.com.au .

Overseen by The Hunting Party, a bratpack of emerging Canberran creatives (Ali McGregor, Ben Drysdale, and Michael Bailey), the Season will develop two new works that will incorporate a plenitude of art forms into theatrical performers. For this THEY NEED YOU! Actors, writers, directors, visual artists, video artists, circus freaks, musicians, dancers, designers, conceptual artists working in the medium of men’s hats... if you’re between the ages of 15 and 25 and like to call yourself an artiste, The Hunting Party want you to be involved in their cross-artform collaborative mash-up performance spectacular!

IF YOU WANT IN on said exciting cross-artform-collaborative-mashup-spectacular, email The Hunting Party with this info: who you are, what you do, and how you think you can contribute to devising this spectacular new work. Remember, they’re interested in excitement, enthusiasm, and something interesting you can bring to the table. Like a salted herring. For more information on what they’re about, or to express interest in being involved, email The Hunting Party at callout@huntingseason.com.au . Get in quick!

Theatre Dossier #247 Name: It Was That Way When I Got Here. Category: Musical, Lighthearted and Hilarious. Theme: Thinly Disguised School, Attack of.

Parties Responsible: Hackwell, Andrew and Flack, Jonathan. Location: Theatre 3. Company: Canberra Repertory. Dates: May 8 – 11. Pedigree: Local. Price: $33/$28. Likelihood of Show Being Good: Unknown.

Rebel Without A… Free Rain are again pushing the dramatic envelope, with an adaptation to the stage of Rebel Without A Cause. I can totally see how Nicholas Ray’s 1955 classic movie would work wonders on the 2008 stage, especially the crucial, tense scene where Jim and Buzz are doing the chickie race on the edge of the cliff and Buzz gets caught on the car strap thing and plummets with the car over the edge of the cliff to his death… That kind of thing could really play well in the Courtyard Studio.

Free Rain presents Rebel Without A Cause at the Courtyard Studio, CTC, from May 1 to 17 @ 8pm. Wednesday shows @ 6.30pm. Sunday twilight show May 11 @ 5pm. Matinees on Saturdays @ 2pm. Tix $27/$22. ‘Pay what you can’ on the Wednesday performances.

Call Canberra Ticketing to book or head to the website www.canberratheatre.org.au .

NAOMI MILTHORPE princessnaea@gmail.com

bma magazine 33

DISCOLOGY SINGLED OUT

DAVE RUBY HOWE Gabriella Cilmi (Warner) Sweet About Me I get that Amy Crackhouse impersonations are in this season. Everyone’s dropping shit with a shuffl ing beat, faux-Motown horns, and lashings of vanilla soul. But is it just me or can half these dicks not even sing properly?

At least Winehouse had a heroin addiction and a small township growing on her cheek to make it all interesting.

What have you got Gabs? Oh yeah, no talent.

M83 Graveyard Girl (Mute/EMI) Gorgeous graveyard sex. Totes.

Mystery Jets Young Love (Speak n’ Spell) Renowned for being the princes of esoteric indie rock, on this Mystery Jets aim straight for the heart of pop, and score big time. Young Love fi nds the ‘Jets bounding along, eyes wild with the rush of, derr, young love. It’s pretty marvellous. Speeding them along is production maestro, Erol Alkan, making things slicker than ever and ready to be, like, an actual hit. Yes! Sebastien Tellier Divine (Record Makers/Lucky Numbers) Cheesed-out synths coupled with some “shop-do-bops” signal from the get go that this is going to be really awesome. Sure, it’s dripping in nostalgia, and is a surprising turn for the eclectic Frenchman, Tellier, but what a great surprise it turns out to be. It’s like he’s teleported to some beach in California, to eat fondue/pussy in the ‘70s and is never coming back. Vote 1 Sebastien Tellier for Eurovision 2008.

The Tough Alliance First Class Riot (Modular) Calypso-tinged pop from Sweden.

Crazy, right? But it works, really well.

The Tough Alliance crank up the fun with this one, all palm trees, streamers and strangely named cocktails. Too much fun.

The Ting Tings That’s Not My Name (Sony BMG) With its lo-fi production and surf-pop stutter, this new cut from the Ting Tings shows exactly why they’re going to be big. It’s deceptive but all the while incredibly infectious. THAT’S NOT MY NAME!!!!!! X 4 The Kooks Always Where I Need to Be (Virgin) Always Where I Need To Be is The Kooks’ new single and is an uncomplicated power pop tune heavily rooted in knee-slapping drums and guitars that jangle in a manner that’s frenetic yet always aurally pleasing. Fans will like this song as it bounces along nicely above a jaunty tune as it is a tried and tested formula.CECILIA PATTISON-LEVI

The B-52’s Funplex (Astralwerks) Is it really that easy to write the B-52’s off as a novelty act? Their late ’70s debut was a minimalist party funk classic, possibly the most overlooked record when new wave top ten lists are being complied. But it is the absurdist doo-wop pop of Rock Lobster that sticks in the memory the most. Fast forward ten years, almost to the very day, and Cosmic Thing further solidifi ed undeserved novelty act status via a little ditty about a shack with a rusted tin roof. Take a look closer though and you’ll fi nd a band revelling in their gaudy party status writing hook fi lled pop songs that work in the car, the bar, on the stage, the radio… pretty much anywhere and everywhere. In a way, they are the ultimate universal band. They’re hard to dislike and not annoyingly naff, empty or supercilious – witness the sly, up-turned lip doubleentendre delivery of Fred Schneider and Keith Strickland’s inventive, underthe-radar surprisingly substantial guitar riffi ng and rhythming. The twin harmonies of Kate Pierson and Cindy Wilson, on vinyl together for the fi st time since 1989, again merge effortlessly with Schneider’s sexed up stop/start bark – really, a wonder of contemporary music and a reminder of where CSS, Operator Please, Cut Copy et al have copped their moves from. I expected this album to deliver diminishing returns and soggy perfunctory numbers that reeked of piss stained empty dance fl oors and irrelevancy.

Funplex is actually a vibrant, sharp, snappy rock pop album that belies the bands collective age of 220. And there are only four of them! Gadzooks!

JUSTIN HOOK Even Even (Rubber Records) Like death, taxes and the awesomeness of George Clooney’s jaw/hair combo – some things in this life are inevitable.

And so it is, Even release their fi fth album in a riot of fi rst position major chords, effortless riffi ng and sunshine melodies coming at you from every which way. The template hasn’t really changed that much in their ten year plus career – although the most recent Free Kicks was a surprisingly drab, listless affair – but dependability and longevity often obscures the fact Even are one of the most polished re-toolers of the classic ’60s-’70s songbook around. Think of them as the more subdued, less controversy prone You Am I, or perhaps You Am I as the showboating ‘look at me!’ version of Even. Either way, they both play the same fi eld to remarkably similar effects. Tone is king, songs are ‘crafted’ but rarely overworked and rhythm and swagger rule. The fact Even haven’t broken through to mainstream success is hardly a measure of quality as some hapless broadsheet commentators would have you believe; Sister Rock, Rainbows and I Am The Light are radio ready, high rotation hits that will probably never happen. Diversions into country and swamp rock are less successful and probably indicative of the frustration of being classed as simply a marvellous underachieving power pop band. Shame, because that’s where Even leave everyone else behind. JUSTIN HOOK

Camille Music Hole (Virgin/EMI) My fi rst reaction to hearing this record was one of absolute horror.

Barking, meowing, squealing… what the hell has Camille done now!? Then I remembered who exactly I was listening to. The French songstress hasn’t made her name by writing conventional pop songs. She likes to push the envelope and does so brilliantly on this new album. Music Hole may initially offend the listener’s ear but given time it unfolds to reveal true beauty. This album is different to its predecessors in that the vast majority of it is sung in English. Any mystique lost with the axing of the French phrasing is made up tenfold with an explosion of innovative aural delights (ranging from operatic warbling to dirty beat-boxing). There is a fi ne line between genius and insanity. Animal sounds aside, Camille’s new work defi nitely leans towards the former. JOSH BROWN Foals Antidotes (Warner) The Oxford band, Foals, make hard, trebly, uncomfortable, spiky, anxious, uptight, straining-to-bedifferent music, and for all that, it’s rather good. Energy and ambition roll off Antidotes, though it’s important to say up front that depending on your tolerance for English post-punk mannerism — you might fi nd it grating. In the music, there is a huge emphasis on upbeats, adenoidal chants, stabbing or twinkly guitar lines, tempos and arrangements that are claustrophobic and too fast, all for reasons of style.

The stand out tracks are the propulsive Cassius, Balloons and the delicate Olympic Airways. There are some good ideas and moments all over this record, but the drones and its echoes bog the band down just a little. Interesting!

CECILIA PATTISON-LEVI Laura Jean Eden Land (Shock Records) Yes, yes, she’s the one who sang I’m A Rabbit, I’m A Fox, and her new album Eden Land sees the return of her delicate vocals and haunting melodies. The opening Magic Unnamed/Eden Land is quiet, stripped bare of any other sounds but her voice and soft guitar and piano for the fi rst thirty seconds, before being backed up by an array of instruments and breathless backing vocals. Her voice is simply captivating, highlighted by the subtleness of the music and accompanied by the suitably named The Haunting

Bird Choir. The album has a storybook quality, hinted at by “I can see your ruby slippered feet / yellow brick road fl oating on the sea” onNovember, as well as featuring recurring themes of religion, rites of passage and love. It’s a startlingly beautiful album, wrapped up in just nine somewhat ethereal songs. CHIARA GRASSIA Lenny Kravitz It is Time For a Love Revolution (Virgin Records) It is Time For a Love Revolution is the eighth studio album by Lenny Kravitz, and can be best described as going to your favourite amusement park because they have a new ride... and fi nding that the ride is closed. Not that the record doesn’t have the usual merry-go-round and dodgem car fun and excitement; songs like I Want to Go Home and The Long and Sad Goodbye have a soulful R‘n’B sound and the title track Love Revolution recalls the recognisable rock style that has made Mr Kravitz famous.

However, the album is lacking anything amazingly new. Love Revolution is Lenny taking a journey into the rock and soul style of the ’60s and ’70s; Back in Vietnam is, obviously, penned about the Vietnam War and Good Morning is almost a homage to The Beatles. The album is well written and produced but the lyrics are disconnected from Mr Kravitz and seem uninspired, which makes the whole affair sound a little vacuous. My verdict: only buy it if you like fairy fl oss albums, or wait until the new ride is fi nally open. EVA LUBULWA Ólafur Arnalds Eulogy For Evolution (Erased Tapes Records) Okay class, hands up who knows the population of Iceland.Any takers? No? Let me enlighten you: approximately 300,000.Yes folks, that cold little island houses less people than our nation’s capital yet consistently churns out the most amazing and uniquely beautiful music. Ólafur Arnalds is the latest Icelandic sensation – a 21 year old composer who knows his way around a piano and pulls on the old heartstrings with, er, swarms of soaring string fl ourishes. The astute observer will also note the occasional indie rock and electronic infl uences, helping to give the songs a quirky fl avour on their epic journey. It’s impossible for the young Icelander to avoid comparisons to his famous peers, Sigur Rós, but Eulogy For Evolution differs in the sense that it is sans vocals and more delicate – like a snowfl ake dancing on an Arctic breeze. JOSH BROWN

Gnarls Barkley The Odd Couple (Atlantic) While there are precedents (N.E.R.D’s debut for one) this group still seems to me to be something altogether fresh.

Two hip-hop heads getting together to make psychedelic soul music is not that crazy (forgive the pun) in the age of mash-ups, but Cee-Lo’s adroit lyrics of self-doubt and self-loathing imbue even the up-tempo numbers with an angsty menace (“Hurry little children run this way / I have got a beast at bay” from lead single Run). Indeed, perhaps it’s this absence of macho posturing that is so refreshing and compelling – you can’t imagine Kanye or 50 Cent writing a song about wanting to marry a blind girl because “she has no idea I’m ugly” (Blind Mary). Strange, cathartic, inspired.

LUKE MCGRATH

Penny Coco Penny Coco (Independent) Sydney born Penny Coco has released her self titled EP. Unsurprisingly, with the exception of somewhat folk acoustic closer It’s You, the EP is essentially a pop release with additional guitars. Penny’s songs are simple, honest, and from the heart. Her voice has a raw honesty and it gently cracks through the nuances of her vocal work. This EP is a real taster and I really like the tracks Dreaming and It’s You. Penny Coco still has a bit of distance to travel, but she is well on her way. It will be interesting to see what she delivers with her debut album. CECILIA PATTISON-LEVI R.E.M. Accelerate (Warner Music) In the early nineties R.E.M.’s response to their then increasing insignifi cance and the prevalence of guitars – lots of loud guitars – was to record a self confessed ‘guitar album’. The result was Monster. It was a ham-fisted moronic mess; there were a couple of good songs – as there always are on R.E.M. albums – and many middling, forgettable ones. It seems we have the same thing operating here when exclamations and exhortations of “They’re back!” give over. I prefer it when they pull their collective heads in, don’t signpost intentions and release out-of-nowhere near classics like New Adventure In Hi-Fi. The gorgeous, descending minor chord arpeggios that characterised the IRS-era R.E.M. are in full focus on the track Until The Day Is Done, and it sure is a treat to hear them again with such confi dence and completeness. Nevertheless, I still felt an overwhelming urge to pull out Reckoning or Fables of the Reconstruction to get a whole album of that sort of genius. That’s the problem with R.E.M. circa 2007. Horse To Water is a late entry for album highlight, a joyous racket reminiscent of Document-era noise battery. It’s good, but I doubt their blustery Jacknife Lee enabled, by-the-numbers indie rock (done well I might add) will pull in any recent converts to the cause, and the fans who’ve stuck fi rm from the eighties are only hearing a band they desperately want to hear not what they actually are – 50 year old men trying to replicate sounds from their catalogue like a highlight reel, for this isn’t a forward looking album. It’s an apologetic album …. “Sorry about the last shit three albums, this should make you happy” and for that, it’s a damn shame. The question is not whether Accelerate is a return to form or not, the bigger point is: are R.E.M. even relevant any more?

I’d argue they aren’t. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.

JUSTIN HOOK

“I’ve noticed a lot of couples coming along to listen to our music, so it appeals to both guys and girls, together. I think it’s because it’s a guaranteed nice night out”

Shailla Van Raad Cloud Control: unusual name and unusual sound. One and the same, perhaps? Maybe Australia needs some more of CLOUD CONTROL, with the drought ’n’ all. Describing their sound can be nostalgia that doesn’t seem entirely familiar. Or, as Alistair Wright, the guitarist and vocalist puts it, “We take inspiration from pieces reminiscent of the '60s and '70s. Neil Young, The Lucksmiths and Fleetwood Mac are part of our infl uences. We like taking familiar sounds and putting them together to create something entirely different, but still very recognisable.”

Cloud Control consists of four members, each as important as the other.

They all are originally from the Blue Mountains so it is no coincidence they went to school together, and although from different disciplines, they are united through their love for playing music. Heidi Lenffer, vocalist and keyboardist, is writing a thesis, Jeremy Kelshaw, the bassist, is now involved in HR and Ulrich Lenffer, beatist, studies media.

Alistair studies architecture; music is obviously the dominant part of his passions, but as he tours this month and the next, he has his fi nal architecture presentation for the semester. “It’ll be a bit tricky getting it all done and I’ll be in Sydney to present, but this tour is very exciting.”

There was no question about whether he was going.

Cloud Control formed at university. “It was inevitable that we met just a month before the Sydney University Band Competition. Heidi rallied us together and we formed the band. And that was that.”

None of the members miss out on contributing to the creation of the music. “There isn’t a ringleader of the band. I’d like to think we are a very democratic band, but if you have an idea you have to prove that it would be effective. You have to fully back up your idea and have done your research before you present it to the other members.”

"I especially don’t like playing solo," Alistair comments. "I work much better with other people. We can collaborate as a group."

Each member has written and composed a piece in their current EP. I asked Alistair about the quite popular Into the Line. Kooky as it might seem, Alistair laughed nervously and shortly spieled, “you can tell I wrote this song after a copious amount of wine. It’s primarily about people who are dead.” Oh? “Our ancestors, looking down at us and seeing the things we do day to day, and thinking about what idiots we are.”

Obviously he’s not talking about Cloud Control. They have only gone upward and onward.

Building on their initial success, the group would like to reach even further still, geographically and otherwise.“We’re all keen to go overseas. The plan is to record an album and then go from there… see what happens.”

So what type of crowd essentially comes to their performances?

“I’ve noticed a lot of couples coming along to listen to our music, so it appeals to both guys and girls, together. I think it’s because it’s a guaranteed nice night out.” Why not judge for yourselves, dear readers?

Cloud Control team up with Brisbane's The John Steele Singers for the Flying High tour, which glides its way to the Transit Bar on Thursday May 8. Entry is, as always, free, so pop along. The JSS supported Built to Spill fer chrissakes, so you know it'll be good!

Cell Out With Mark Russell; his self respect is gone, baby, gone.

The 11th Spanish Film Festival is coming very soon to our local Dendy, hitting the silver screens on the 7th of May and cruising on through 'til the 11th. 7 Mesas de Billar Frances (reviewed a few inches southward) opens proceedings but there are mucho fi lmic delights to be seen: www.dendy.com.au/event_detail.asp?Event_ID=254. C’mon people, get some culture up ya – andalé andalé! (I apologise for any and all stereotyped Spanish terms used as my linguistic training comes mainly from Warner Bros. cartoons.)

Gone Baby Gone Ben Affl eck has a lot of things to answer for (Jersey Girl, Pearl Harbor, Jennifer Lopez), but Gone Baby Gone is not one of them. In his directorial debut, Affl eck delivers an atmospheric, gripping drama that is not only exceptionally powerful, but also full of brilliant performances.

Gone Baby Gone follows Patrick (Casey Affl eck), a private detective trying to fi nd a kidnapped little girl, Amanda (Madeline O’Brien), amidst much police and public frenzy. As he struggles to fi nd the truth, with both the help and hindrance of the police force (notably Morgan Freeman and Ed Harris), Patrick comes up against some major ethical and personal problems. Based

Seven Billiard Tables (7 Mesas de Billar Frances) Y Tu Mamá También star Maribel Verdú plays Ángela (please do not adjust your magazine, all the weird foreigntype punctuation marks are because this fi lm is Spanish),a woman who’s fortunes recently took a major hit from the gods of fate. Her father has died, leaving sizeable debts and an irate girlfriend named Charo (Blanca Portillo), while her policeman husband is AWOL and can’t be reached. Money and lodgings need to be secured, so Ángela reopens her father’s billiard hall and moves herself and her nine-year-old son Guille into the house upstairs. The

Forgetting Sarah Marshall Regular BMA readers may have noted the praise heaped upon each new work Judd Apatow and his cohorts release. The 40 Year Old Virgin, Knocked Up and Superbad reinvented adult comedy and suggested that life could be funny and sweet without making you want to do evil things to Meg Ryan. Sadly, Forgetting Sarah Marshall has slightly cracked these rosecoloured glasses.

Peter (Jason Segel) is a mildly successful TV theme composer in a long-term relationship with very successful TV actress Sarah Marshall (Kristen Bell).

When she breaks up with him he is left broken and inconsolable. A holiday to

Brian (Bill Hader): “You don’t need to put your P in a V right now. “ Peter Bretter (Jason Segel): “No, I need to B my L on someone’s T’s.”

Forgetting Sarah Marshall

on a Dennis Lehane novel (see also: Mystic River), expect lots of gunfi re, dark moody locations and plenty of moral questions.

Casey Affl eck is wonderful as the rough-around-the-edges Patrick – he gives a powerful, believable performance and holds his own against the likes of Freeman and Harris. Freeman is brilliant as always as the police captain, and both he and Affl eck give some convincing speeches in the closing scenes. And Harris is able to transform completely into the infuriating and magnetic Detective Bressant.

Aside from the title, one of the only other things I didn’t like about Gone Baby Gone was Michelle Monaghan’s snooze-worthy turn as Patrick’s partner

and girlfriend, Angie. Not only do you not give a shit what she does, she is effectively a background prop that does absolutely nothing to enhance the fi lm. Perhaps it was her useless character (who just lurks by Patrick’s side like a broom handle), but I don’t think Monaghan’s thoroughly uncharismatic performance helped.

Overall, Gone Baby Gone is full of colourful profanity, violence, dark scenes, Boston fl avour and heavy themes. It’s one of those fi lms that you’ll want to talk about afterwards, in the very least to praise Ben Affl eck for actually doing something right after Gigli.

only way to reverse their bad luck is to reform a squad of ex-billiard heroes to champion the hall.

Seven Billiard Tables is a quaint fi lm of reasonably unremarkable people with just enough quirks to keep things interesting. We the audience are slowly sucked deeper into their histories and the personal secrets they keep from each other. Momentum gathers as we learn that these secrets are perhaps a little less secure than fi rst thought.

The performances are, on the whole, full of quiet nuance; with Verdú’s stoic forbearance leading the charge.

Portillo also supports admirably as Charo’s story gradually becomes a dominant part of proceedings.

But there are a few unfortunate drawbacks. The measured way that everyone deals with their issues in the beginning makes for an uneven tone once they later start to breakdown under the emotional strain. It all starts to feel a little bit melodramatic. A few story threads also remain loose and unresolved as the credits roll.

Everything here is interesting and subdued, but doesn’t quite capitalise on what could have been made of these characters.

Hawaii seems the only solution.

Forgetting Sarah Marshall is just not quite there. Segel, who also wrote the script, was a very effective bit-part character in Knocked Up but he just doesn’t have enough charisma to carry an entire fi lm. Instead, actors that do have this ability (Jonah Hill and Paul Rudd) are relegated to second fi ddle. There are way too many bizarre characters forced into events and only Peter’s new love interest Rachel (Mila Kunis) is a consistently real person rather than a caricature.

Most criminal of all, Kristen Bell - luminous star of the brilliant Veronica Mars - isn’t as good as fans of this sexy, blonde ball of sass know she can be.

She’s uneven throughout, and a

tearful speech about a TV star trying to make it in fi lms just doesn’t have the self-aware irony the filmmakers are striving for.

There are some high points. Once Segel realises that the innate hilarity of male nudity and crying have been exhausted (about halfway through), a few of the one-liners hit home and the occasional set up comes together.

Forgetting Sarah Marshall will pass the time and give you a few good chuckles, but it ends up feeling like a good Adam Sandler movie, rather than even an average one from these guys.

MEGAN McKEOUGH

MARK RUSSELL

MARK RUSSELL

GIG REVIEWS The National Folk Festival @ EPIC, March 20 - 24 You wander around, accosted by children busking with tin whistles stuck up their noses, guys on stilts, and guys dressed up as Irish Setters.

There’s a wide variety of eco-friendly stalls selling knitted hats. The smell of hot kransky, hot orange, and hot hippies wafts through the air. It’s the National. The Nash. Folkies. Whatever you choose to call it, it always turns out to be a weekend to not remember very well because you’ve drunk too much alcoholic ginger beer.

Friday was a red-letter day for not paying much attention because I wrote myself off Thursday night. Still, I managed to drag myself to the Marquee to see Kate Burke and Ruth Hazelton play, and Thank Christ Who Died For Our Sins that I did. Their pure harmonies are the perfect antidote to sour head and sour breath (although their wrenching version of The Wreck of the Dandenong is perhaps a little too cry-making for a hungover lass to handle.

Saturday was Disappointment Day (viz: Klezmer Connection, who had no accordion, and The Duhks, who were the big news of the Festival but who were as interesting as a mash-up of the Dixie Chicks and lame fiddle music can be) which luckily bled into Night of Awesome Radness (CYT’s HiJinx, then The Counterfeit Gypsies, The Crooked Fiddle Band and Dahahoo one after the other at the Mallee, a line-up which sent everyone into paroxysms of spaz-dancing fun).

Sunday I schlepped around the Festival trying madly to make up lost time by catching the last 20 minutes of every band at the Fitzroy, seeing some Unidentified Bush Poetry at the Budawang, and slurping down caffeine in an effort to stay awake. The Spooky Men’s Chorale were enjoyable as always, and Rory McLeod played some mean harmonica, while Truckstop Honeymoon lived up to every expectation of K-rad awesome bluegrass-country. The pick of the festival. Or at least one of them. The other was Canberra’s own The Ellis Collective. These bloke-folkies take the crown for local talent and top-shelf festival performances. I caught two of their sets and, though I’ve seen them play before around town, I was blown away afresh by the beauty and honest wit of their songs.

T’was a good festival. I can’t remember much, but what I do remember is sheer fun, virtuoso musicianship, and a lot of delicious cider.

NAOMI MILTHORPE Muscles @ Academy, Friday March 28 Being at Muscles was sort of like being in a sardine can, with a bunch of scantily clad, gyrating, pushy sardines that are all up in yo grill.* Still, it was a very upbeat, fun, and excited sardine can all the same. And Muscles put on a pretty good show. Since atmosphere is everything - except for one surly looking girl who spent the whole time scowling with her back to the stage - it was definitely a pro that everyone seemed to be in a pretty damn good mood and were enjoying themselves immensely.

Perhaps the best part was listening to everyone sing all the words to Ice Cream, or screaming “Hey Muscles, I love you, I want to have your babies!” Muscles tripping a little as he went onstage for the encore was a little bit adorable too, and his ‘impromptu’ acoustic reprise of Ice Cream pretty much tipped the scales over to awesome.

Overall, I was probably going to enjoy this show because I like Muscles right now. After scrambling for the one review ticket to the show, I did have somewhat of a problem with standing in a puddle of beer being elbowed by a giant mulleted goon while just trying to enjoy some tunes about being sweaty. Generally though, Muscles made up for all that by seeming pretty happy throughout and playing some damn fun tunes.

MEGAN McKEOUGH *Editor's note: author may not have actually written last phrase.

National Folk Festival @ Exhibition Park.

Photos by S. Cohen

The Black Crowes @ The Royal Theatre, Wednesday April 2 It’s funny when our parents try and tell us about how music was much more ‘real’ in their day and how current top 40 music lacks soul and passion. Well, it was funny until I saw The Black Crowes - now I can kinda see where they were coming from.

On the Warpaint tour, the band looked to take a new direction with their live performance and deliver the new Warpaint album in its entirety. I must admit that I didn’t really know what to expect, but I was completely blown away with their presence onstage. Backed by two gospel singers, songs like Oh Josephine and Walk Believer Walk really showcased the vocal range of lead singer Chris Robinson, and the guitar work of Rich Robinson, Luther Dickenson and Sven Pipien was simply awesome to watch. One of the real highlights was the mind-blowing organ and drum solos from Adam MacDougall and Steve Gorman respectively, who were just unbelievable at their art.

I really felt like the sizable crowd was witnessing something special and although the encore didn’t see my favourite song played, the crowd was still treated to the classic Black Crowes cover Hard to Handle which, along with a few more favourites, was a great way to fi nish off a memorable night.

I felt like I was being drawn into one of those ‘60s kaleidoscope wormholes that you see in the Austin Powers movies. I was mesmerised by the raw energy of the blues/rock hybrid that seemed to drag the whole audience back to a time when music was about sharing an experience with a whole bunch of strangers. Thank God for bands like the Crowes!

TIM GALVIN The Mess Hall/The Scare @ The Greenroom, Friday April 4 First of all, heck yes to The Greenroom nestling Southside again. There’s nothing greater then watching some of Australia’s fi nest in a venue with cheap vodka and oranges and then paying $10 for a taxi home, as opposed to the $40 ride or sleeping on a couch in Belconnen.

I won’t lie though, those cheap vodka and oranges were my downfall of the evening. The night was spent running up and then stumbling down the stairs that connect the GR to O’Shea’s to check on the Canterbury vs Roosters game, something I had cared very little for until ten minutes in when it became a seemingly life or death situation for myself.

After a few misunderstandings at the door, I popped up as The Scare began. These boys have always been a band I’ve intended to see but never have, on account of confl icting festival timetables and such, so I was disappointed to fi nd them so bland. Dressed like a hybrid of The Horrors and the Birthday Party but unfortunately sounding nothing like either, suddenly watching Willie Mason exact revenge on his ex-team was a lot more appealing.

Racing back up the stairs at the sound of The Mess Hall’s sound check, the crowd’s anticipation had the kind of palpability that only truly amazing bands can entice. Having an audience eating from your hand before even coming on stage is a true testament to the power and general radness of The Mess Hall.

They’re a band of few words, wasting no time with lame onstage banter or breaks between songs, rather jumping right into a rollicking set where both older songs and newer tracks from the 2007 AMP awardwinning album Devils Elbow collided into each other. My personal favourite Mess Hall song, Pills, has never been a let down live and the boys truly seem to enjoy playing it as much I love to hear it.

ERIN COOK Pnau/Van She/Breakbot @ University of Canberra Refectory, Wednesday April 9 On Wednesday 9 April, the UCU Refectory was transformed into a messy pit of depletion by Australian dance legends Pnau. From the epic opening build up into the sonic boom that is Wild Strawberries, Nick Littlemore and Peter Mayes held the swarming crowd in the palms of their well-party-worn hands, turning the venue into a mini-Stonefest of

sorts. It was an unusual but highly-satisfying night and while the vocals were perhaps a little swallowed up by the intense sound levels, the live drums hit hard in time with live-visuals playing above the stage. It all made for a highly enjoyable viewing experience! And, there was no doubt that the very young crowd had an absolute ball, showing their appreciation through a number of colourful and aesthetically pleasing methods and items: a) Skin: both women and men alike fl aunted a variety of different shaped and toned flesh - boobs, bellies, arms, booties and lanky legs gyrated happily along with the booming percussion! b) Gurns - I seriously haven’t seen jaws shift like that since Deebo got ‘knocked the f*ck out’ in ‘Friday’. c) Tinny ‘Holding-Up’ – Tinnies were often seen held high, shimmering amongst the pulsating lasers. d) Tinny Stomping – after holding said tinny high, I saw a group of dripping males stamp ‘pon them in jubilant appreciation. There was a defi nite sense of reckless abandon, as if Pnau’s music had unleashed a carefree Wednesday night defi ance! It seemed as though no one had anything important to do on the impending Thursday morning. e) Allan Sko’s Bulge - although but one part of a joyous whole, the BMA chieftain, along with his dearest beloved, risked losing all available body fl uid by packing into oversized Strawberry and Dead Dove costumes respectively and two-stepping the stage with aplomb. Allan’s sweaty packed-bulge post jig was truly something to behold and will be hard to top in ‘08 as Celebrity Bodypart of the Year.

Supports Breakbot and Van She also both held it down. Breakbot was more than apt at hurling out some big rattlers early on and in between live sets. Crowd favourites Van She once again ran through their repertoire of enjoyable tunes, although the sound was intensively high during their set, forcing much of the crowd out to the chilly air to repair their damaging eardrums. Even as Pnau fi nished and as droves of revellers found themselves herding off to the vomitus caverns of The Lighthouse, it seemed that the party was indeed ‘not over’. This was credit to the performance of the headliners leaving everyone satisfi ed, filled with that warm ‘drunk-happy’. One young girl was heard to screech, “Do you think Nick Littlemore will go to The Lighthouse?” Going by the mania of proceedings I really would not have been surprised if he did! Wouldn’t that have been something.

ROWAN THOMSON Lior/Leroy Lee @ The Playhouse, Canberra theatre, Thursday April 10 We live in an age of tiny white earplugs and MP3s where the small musical details, perhaps inconsequential but still important, are lost in the ether of MP3 waves, in the many burned CDs, and rendered obsolete, thus fundamentally changing the way we listen to and experience music. So having the pleasure of hearing Leroy Lee create a textured, interesting soundspace where every musical murmur has an acute presence makes you truly appreciate live music.

Leroy’s use of a looping pedal held a grip on the audience. The woman in front of me was moving forward in her seat admiring Leroy’s concentration, marvelling over his stomp box and quickly became a victim of intrigue! The great thing about looping pedals is the way they create spaciousness – you spend the time trying to pick out instruments, chords and at what point a certain loop was created. It’s a wonderful ‘keep you on your toes’ gift to give an audience; it makes music fresh, lively and interesting.

Leroy was quite an amusing chap when interacting with the audience and had a lot of character. His song Daddy Long Legs, a screw-you ode to an old manager, was quite a fun number – nothing like hearing about a good old fashioned grass roots struggle. The crowd certainly showed their appreciation, and it was a little sad to see Leroy exit the stage.

The Playhouse is a beautiful and charming venue, the type of space where you can’t escape being completely immersed in a performance.

So put a beautiful venue into the equation, a musician whose music is fraught with emotional power, add a string section and you’re set to have

GIG REVIEWS CONT. a lovely night. Lior can have delicate, gentle vocals or a rockier edge with yearning facial expressions. He played songs from both albums, wedding friendly single This Old Love, I’ll Forget You (minus Sia), as well as Sitting With a Stranger which initially sounded seductive with the string section.

Lior has a lot of variation in vocal pitch and loudness, however at times there isn’t much variation in rhythm, making his songs a tad tentative and monotonous. Besides a Nick Drake song for his encore, Lior made the bold move of treating us to the worst song he’s ever written, and yes, it was a treat. He began playing the song the way he wrote it when he was 16, and spruced it up by playing silly vocal games with what sounded like deep bearded man vocals, frequently changing the fl ow and pitch. You’ve gotta be fairly down to earth to play your worst song and announce it so in a public forum, let alone have fun with it.

Lior has an uplifting quality to his music - I felt grateful just to be alive and to experience such beautiful music. I can only hope I follow in the footsteps of the two nanas in the crowd and continue to attend quality live music.

MIRANDA O'BRIEN Heath Franklin’s Chopper in Make Deadsh*ts History @ The Playhouse, Sunday April 20 According to Franklin’s Chopper comedy persona, in his irreverent send-up of Bob Geldof’s Make Poverty History movement, every three seconds, somewhere in the world someone is being a deadsh*t. Uncle Chop-Chop set out to prove just that in his live show, via some strong reasoning (well, actually, it was mostly observations, peppered with fwords and other strong language), audiovisual presentations (including a sequence on animals that are deadsh*ts, like cows, which Chopper describes as being made from milk, steak and leather) and some audience participation.

As you would expect, it’s not a show for the easily offended, with Chopper attacking charity, celebrity, emo culture, and even the 2020 Summit. That said, it’s still hilarious. Heath Franklin delivers a cleverlyconstructed parody; from the texta tattoos to the vocal mannerisms and the precisely timed f-bombs.

I wondered if he’d be able to sustain it for the whole show, and indeed he did, though the laughs weren’t as concentrated as they are in the Ronny Johns TV sketches. However, many of the best moments in the show were ad libs – from threatening an audience member with his empty stubby and a violent mime, to cajoling another unwilling participant who was once paid for eating a rock.

Using three audience members, Chopper set out to prove that two out of every three people are deadsh*ts. And apparently, in Canberra, about the same amount are public servants.

Chopper managed to elicit some hilarious responses from his three victims, and for a psychotic, he seemed to have a knack for making them feel comfortable on stage. His three subjects took to the stage and helped him perform the pilot for a biographical television show that centres on Chopper’s awesomeness, sex appeal, and ability to pop a sandwich shop owner with name changes for legal reasons.

Franklin is more Chopper than Chopper, and arguably more so than Eric Bana’s depiction, which is both disturbing and a little post-modern. And, of course, absolutely bloody hilarious.

Some times there is high brow humour to be found in the crudest lowbrow entertainment… but not in this show. Oh, but don’t say that to his face, or Chopper will f***ing break your f***ing head off.

EMMA GIBSON Casual Projects @ ANU Bar, Friday April 18

Pnau @ UCU Refectory. Photos by Nick Brightman.

Casual sex is amazing, but just how much can you take before it becomes too much? The Casual Projects are similar to casual sex – it’s exciting and enthralling when new, but in excess it becomes the long term relationship you never wanted but now have.

On April 18 Casual Projects launched their new single Move Along from their album No Rest at ANU Bar. The fi ve MCs appeared on stage with an eruption of energy and professions of why sometimes life can be uplifting. The plethora of rock, jazz and hip-hop carried well together.

There are three sections to the group which individually could be a band in their own right. The percussion and guitar combines in an earnest twang to form riffs that could make an ADD-ridden kid stand still, entranced; the brass section with saxophones and trombone oozes sex; and the synth/MC vocalist combination knows that it loves itself but doesn’t care. Together they are Casual Projects and are tantamount to some good casual sex; belting orgasmic wave after orgasmic wave into the audience.

When I fi rst heard Casual Projects their recording seemed to be sonically lacking. The band just seemed to be almost ordinary, almost a massproduced, squandered hip-hop/alternative Australian group. Recordings do not do justice to Casual Projects’ live performance. I found myself saying “I’d rather the real deal, not casual cyber-sex, thank you”. In summary: they need a better producer.

In addition, I don’t need a long term relationship. Their music was quite good and I did enjoy the fi rst performances, especially the voice of the quixotic but guileful Julian Abrahams in Move Along and the indubitable synth/keyboard skills of Keanu-Reeves look-alike Munro Melano. But then I noticed the audience dwindling as they played for too long. Give us just a smattering instead next time guys, so we can drool for more.

Give us some casual sex.

SHAILLA VAN RADD Chasing Gravity/Stereophile/The Happy Endings @ The Greenroom, Friday April 24 Once again, a Canberra long weekend proved deadly for a gig. Everyone must have been at the coast for the last patch of good weather before winter. Joppy, The Happy Endings vocalist, cheerfully welcomed the mainly band-member audience to an ‘Industry Only’ show. We got music mixed with stand-up comedy as he made personal remarks about most of those present. However, determined to rock out, The Happy Endings put the same energy into their show for 20 as they would for 200. On the surface, they played feel good pop-rock with a pleasing mixture of catchy melodies. Underneath, there was social and political comment, with songs such as Mr Minimum Wage. Talking to You and Get Around This were set highlights.

Beginning with Red Card, Stereophile kicked in with more serious, heavier rock that lit up the audience. Their songs featured thumping, head-banging riffs that, whilst appearing simple on the surface, employed some pretty clever guitar work underneath with the fl ying fi ngers of Owen on lead. Their sound combined with the new Greenroom rotating overhead lights to great effect. Song themes, featuring lost loves, missed opportunities and the vagaries of life on the road would go down well at an all ages gig. Top songs in the set were Junk and Superfl y.

Chasing Gravity set up their drum kit at 90 degrees to the audience, giving us a rarely seen aspect of drummer Dominic. Beginning with Bright Lights, vocalist Peter wowed us with his rich, seductive tones. The PA had the perfect set-up, so his voice rang through clearly, without being over-ridden by the instruments. After a rapid-fire series of songs, there was an instrumental interlude before Peter set to it again with Epilogue.

Towards the back of the set, the beautiful Risk began gently with only acoustic and lead guitars, before the bass and drums stormed in for the close. There was audience participation for the fi nale as Peter roamed room with the long mic lead, getting us to join in the chorus of Bring it On. Chasing Gravity entrances with forceful lyrics, underpinned by complex yet eminently danceable melodies. The atmospheric guitar playing soars and cries out from the depths of infi nite caverns. A class act!

RORY MCCARTNEY

Casual Projects @ ANU Bar. Photos by Nick Brightman.

BMA Band Profile

Dave Bishop and the Sinners Where did your band name come from?

I was given my name when I was born, didn’t really have a say in that one… The Sinners are a bunch of my close mates. I think the name was sort of relative to my surname… You know, Bishop? I can save them!

Group members: Dave Bishop - guitar/vox. I wrote all the songs on the album, exfrontman for Night Train/ Juggernaut 101, play in duo Detour in Canberra pubs and clubs. Dave Price - current drummer of Red Tram Blue, ex-Night Train and Ice Cream Headache. Top bloke. Anthony Price - guitarist from HEAPS of old Canberra and Goulbourn bands, Nocturnal Youth, Pawn. Parris MacLeod - keyboard player from HELL, producer of my new album, owner of Cloud Studios in Wyong, winner of Producer of the Year at the Chain Blues Awards ‘07/‘08, Keyboard Player of the Year 2007 for band Bluezone. Shaun Cullerton - double bass, bass player for various Central Coast bands including The Wooden. Also co-recorded and mastered the album. Dave O’Neil - fiddle/mandolin. Played with anyone and everyone in the Australian folk scene. Toured with Eric Bogle for ten years.

Describe your sound: In one word: Organic. A cross between country music, folk and rock. All the songs are played on acoustic instruments on the album, except for a few Hammond Organ bits. The rest of the keys were done on a baby grand piano. It’s all fairly melodic but mostly showcases lyrics.

Who are your influences, musical or otherwise?

Pretty broad, but a lot of my inspiration comes from good Aussie songwriters like Paul Kelly, Eric Bogle and John Butler. Lyrically I think they’re brilliant. Also been having songwriting duals with Chris Canham and drawn a heap of inspiration from that. He comes over and shows me his new tunes and it’ll make me want to write something just as good.

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

I’ve fallen off stage, been wrapped in leads, fallen into the drums, been spat at (by band mates), passed out, ‘accidentally’ elbowed bass player in the jaw… Take your pick.

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

Cliché, but obviously becoming a Dad. That wins hands down EVERY time!

What are your plans for the future?

I’m hoping to play some folk festivals around Aus to coincide with some touring to promote the album. I’ve also been writing for the next album.

What pisses you off?

Commercial TV stations. I hate it when they put on stupid reality TV shows in place of good stuff like Scrubs or Secret Life… WANKERS!!

What’s your opinion of the local scene?

A lot has been done in lately to pump it up. 104 had Homegrown and Band of the Month for a while which showcased local artists and made the non-gig goers aware of original projects. The Greenroom is a godsend and more bands are realising that you don’t have to play The Gambler and Khe Sahn for hours in a pokie-filled room just to get a gig.

What are your upcoming gigs?

May 16 at The Greenroom from 8pm. Co CD launch- Chris Canham: The Gardener & the Flower/Dave Bishop: Above the Roof, with Adam Hole Contact info: www.myspace.com/bishodave

FIRST CONTACT

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

Aaron Peacey Aaron 0410 381 306 Afternoon Shift Adam 0402 055 314 After Close Scotty 0412 742 682, afterclose@hotmail.com Alcove Mark 0410 112 522 Alice 0423 100 792 Allies ACT (Oxfam Group) alliesact@hotmail.com/ myspace.com/alliesact Amphibian Sound PA Clare 0410 308 288 Annie & the Armadillos Annette 6161 1078/0422 076 313 The Ashburys Dan Craddock 0419 626 903 Aria Stone singer/songwriter(guitar), sax & flute Aria 0411 803 343 Australian Kingswood Factory Sharon 0412 334 467 Australian Songwriters Association (Keiran Roberts) 6231 0433 Arythmia: Ben 0423 408 767/ arythmiamusic@gmail.com Backbeat Drivers Steve 0422 733 974, www.backbeatdrivers.com 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.

DJ & the Karismakatz DJ Gosper 0411 065 189/karismakatz@yahoo.com.au DJs Madrid and Gordon 0417 433 971 DJ/MC Bootcamp Donte 9267 3655 DJ Latino Rogelio 0401 274 208 DJ Moises (RnB/Latin) 0402 497 835 or moises_lopez@hotmail DNA Vic 0408 477 020 Drumassault Kate 0414 236 323 Dubba Rukki Jim 0409 660 745 Easy Mode Daz 0404 156 482, easymodeband@gmail.com, myspace. com/easymodeband Entity Chris 0412 027 894 Epic Flagon band@epicflagon.com EYE eye@canberra.teknet.net.au Fighting Mongooses, The Adam 0402 055 314 Final Warning Brendan 0422 809 552 Fire on the Hill Aaron 0410 381 306/ Dan 0410 480 321 FirePigs, The Danny 6238 1673/0413 502 428 4dead Peter 0401 006 551 Freeloaders, The Steve 0412 653 597 Friend or Enemy 6238 0083, www.myspace.com/friendorenemy Funk Shui Dave 0407 974 476 Gareth Hailey DJ & Electronica 0414 215 885 GiLF Kelly 0410 588 747, gilf.mail@gmail.com Guff Damian 6230 2767 HalfPast Chris 0412 115 594 Hancock Basement Tom 6257 5375, hancockbasement@hotmail.com Happy Hour Wendy 0406 375 096, 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 May 1 - 3 THURSDAY THURSDAYMAY MAY11

THURSDAY MAY 1

ARTS _____________ The Eisteddfod Reality is for losers. Until May 3.

Book now 02 6247 1223 www.thestreet.org.au THE STREET THEATRE Saxophonix Saxophone ensembles for adults and youth from 15 yrs. Until Dec 12. Expand and enrich your musical repertoire. Info: 6230 7190 AINSLIE ARTS CENTRE Singing Group Classes for adults and college students. 'til 10 Dec. Info: 02 6230 7190 AINSLIE ARTS CENTRE Here + There Sarina Noordhuis. Until May 4 CCAS MANUKA Max Dupain on Assignment Until May 25. Max Dupain is widely considered to be Australia greatest photographers NATIONAL ARCHIVES Australian Surrealism The Agatipos/Wilson Collection, until May 11. Free entry NATIONAL GALLERY OF AUSTRALIA Turner to Monet The Triumph of Landscape.

Until June 9 NATIONAL GALLERY OF AUSTRALIA Bordertown: Ed Whalan Free. Photoaccess of socio-economic interplay of Canberra and neighbouring towns. Running until May 11 PHOTOACCESS, HUW DAVIES GALLERY, MANUKA Film Screening: Broken Sun Broken Sun looks at the tragic effects of war and the men who survive it. Special ANZAC presentation QUEANBEYAN PERFORMING ARTS CENTRE Cresside Collette Textiles Exhibition of miniature tapestries SCHOOL OF ART, DRILL GALLERY The Fine Arts of Tapestry Weaving Work by master weavers from Finland, Scotland, Japan, UK, Australia and Canada SCHOOL OF ART, AT THE FOYER ART GALLERY Land includes the Tapestry Foundation of Victoria and American Tapestry Alliance Awards SCHOOL OF ART, TEXTILE WORKSHOP

Swing Dance for Beginners Mon, May 5: 6:30pm-7:30pm: Monday Classes - McGregor Hall Wed, May 7: 6:30pm-7:30pm Tuesday Classes - Harmonie Club Tues May 13: 6:30pm-7:30pm Wed, May 14 6:30pm-7:30pm Wednesday Classes - White Eagle Polish Club, Turner VARIOUS VENUES Autumn Pottery Fair Canberra Potters’ Society. Until May 4. 10am-4pm. Watson Arts Centre: 1 Aspinall St. Ph 62411670 WATSON ARTS CENTRE

DANCE _____________ Trash Thursdays DJs Adam & Esscue. $5 entry ACADEMY

LIVE _____________ Live Band From 9:30pm. Get yer kicks with a curently unknown band DURHAM CASTLE ARMS Symbiosis With special guests. 8pm, $8 THE GREENROOM Dos Locos From 9pm to midnight KING O’MALLEY'S Kremlin Live Performances by local musicians KREMLIN BAR GILF and Glacier Girls From 6:30pm THE SOUL BAR The Galvatrons & The Silents Much-hyped electro rockers, with Perth garage rock troopers.

Free entry TRANSIT BAR

SOMETHING DIFFERENT _____________ Carry On Karaoke Pete and the gang warm up their cords for a good ol' fashioned sing-song PJ O’REILLY’S

FRIDAY MAY 2

FRIDAY MAY 2

ARTS _____________

DANCE _____________

A DAM Good Night Dinner, auction, music. Fantastic range of items to be auctioned incl. a three night Murray river cruise for two. Canberra Youth Music Big Band, Canberra Youth Music Children’s Choir playing CANBERRA SOUTHERN CROSS CLUB Long Jack Philipus Tjakamarra Solo Extraordinary exhibition of Papunya works. Until May 30.

Free. Info: 02 62952550 CHAPMAN GALLERY All The Rivers Don’t Run Presented by the Mirramu Dance Company and The Street Theatre. Info on 6238 1492 THE STREET THEATRE

UG Beats Jemist, D’Opus, Miss Universe, Alistair, Pornstylus, Not You. Free entry, from 9pm. Is good, is rad TRANSIT BAR Friction Presents B.A.D Yep, Back Alley Disco's back featuring Ashely Feraude and Sean Kelly on the steel wheels. $10 entry ACADEMY DJ & Karisma Kats From 5:30pm THE SOUL BAR Ashley Feraude Spinning a soundtrack of soulful tunes as you sip your after work drinks. From 6-9pm BINARA ONE (CROWN PLAZA HOTEL) Chrome Industrial/goth/dark electro with DJs Salem, Stealth.Elf and metaVirus HOLY GRAIL, CITY Havana Nights Hot and spicy tropical dance rhythms. Doors 8.30pm MONKEY BAR After Work Funk N Dranks Kick Back with Jemist. 5pm TRANSIT BAR

LIVE _____________ Helmet Seminal New York hard rockers, with Tonk and Using Three Words. Tickets from Ticketek ANU BAR The Squirrels From 6pm AINSLIE BAR @ OLIM’S Rev Indie/alternative/rock/pop/punk madness every Friday, $5 entry BAR 32 rd 3 Exit Rocking on from 10pm DURHAM CASTLE ARMS Greenscreen Featuring the Andi & George Band, Caracol and Changeable Dan, enviromentally focused movies, info etc and a clothes swap. From 5 to 10pm, free GAREMA PLACE Dave Larkin (Dallas Crane) Supported by Justin Huehn and Black Creek. From 8pm, $10 THE GREENROOM Low Key 10pm - 2am KING O’MALLEY'S The Jacksons Good old live music PJ O’REILLY’S Keep the Faith Bon Jovi Show Shooting for the heart from 10pm. Double denim HOLY GRAIL, KINGSTON

SOMETHING DIFFERENT _____________ Kremlin Happy Hour From 5 to 8pm KREMLIN BAR SATURDAY MAY 3

ARTS _____________ All The Rivers Don’t Run Presented by the Mirramu Dance Company and The Street Theatre. Info on 6238 1492 THE STREET THEATRE

DANCE _____________ Love Saturdays & Ladies Lounge Ladies receive FREE Cocktails from 10 to 11pm, $10 entry ACADEMY Ashley Feraude BINARA ONE, CROWN PLAZA HOTEL Rockout Doors open 8:30pm, free entry until 10 MONKEY BAR

GIG GUIDE May 3 - 14 SATURDAY MAY 3

SUNDAY MAY 4

MONDAY MAY 5

WEDNESDAY MAY 7

DAY PLAY _____________

SOMETHING DIFFERENT _____________

SOMETHING DIFFERENT _____________

ARTS _____________

Gorman House Markets GORMAN HOUSE Burley Griffi n Antique Centre Open every weekend, selling groove retro furniture and much, much more KINGSTON FORESHORE Tuggeranong Homestead Markets Home of the hard to fi nd TUGGERANONG HOMESTEAD

Old Bus Depot Markets Find that thing to make that other thing work KINGSTON Burley Griffi n Antique Centre Open every weekend, selling groove retro furniture and much, much more KINGSTON FORESHORE

Dance Week 2008 Join in the fun! Booking: 02 6247 9103 or visit www.ausdance. org.au VARIOUS VENUES, CANBERRA

_____________

Drumming and Percussion Until Dec 9. Group classes for youth and adults. 5pm (youth), 6pm (adults) Info: 02 6230 7190 AINSLIE ARTS CENTRE Canberra Museum and Gallery Concert Tues 12pm. FREE! CANBERRA MUSEUM & GALLERY

Vintage Blak Ground breaking exhibition bringing together new textile and glass works by three Ingenious Australian artists.

Wed-Sun: 12pm-5pm ANCA GALLERY Jon Gordon With the ANU Jazz Ensemble Adult: $16, Conc: $13, ANU student: $6 ANU SCHOOL OF MUSIC, JAZZ ENSEMBLE Inuk 2 Running May 7-10.

Adults $50, Party $43, Pensioners $43, Full Time Student $43 CANBERRA THEARE Opening of Spanish Film Festival Featuring Seven Billiard Tables and The Orphanage, Tel: 6221 8900 for more info DENDY CANBERRA Canberra International Music Festival Book now! 02 6247 1223 THE STREET THEATRE

LIVE _____________ Paqman Farewell Show With Dissection, GSD, Fistful Of Nothing. All ages, $5, 1-5pm THE GREENROOM Matty Sykes Quartet From 4pm AINSLIE BAR @ OLIM’S Alchemist The mighty metallos hit us with the long awaited album launh of Tripsis, with support from Pod People and Looking Glass ANU BAR Mr. Lincon Kicks off at 10pm DURHAM CASTLE ARMS Moh VanWah Alta Volante and special guest!

18+, free entry, 8pm THE GREENROOM Curious Fate 10:30pm-2:30am KING O’MALLEY'S DJ & the Karismakatz From 8pm, $5 entry THE FRONT, LYNEHAM Undercover 10pm KINGSTON HOLY GRAIL Queen Juanita and the Zydeco Cowboys Come and hit them PHOENIX DJs Ahoy With DJ Sean Kelly, Terrorvision and special guests TRANSIT BAR

SOMETHING DIFFERENT _____________ Carry On Karaoke Great prizes as we duel it out behind the microphone PJ O’REILLY’S

LIVE MAY 3 SUNDAY

Jacquie Apps & Smitten From 2pm AINSLIE BAR @ OLIM’S Irish Jam Session 5pm KING O’MALLEY'S Brighton to Bondi: A Recital of Songs of the Sea and Long Journeys Adults $25, Conc $20, students $10 and children free WESLEY MUSIC CENTRE

SOMETHING DIFFERENT _____________ Collector Village Pumpkin Festival Various venues around Collector.

Pumpkin Ball is on Friday 2nd of May VARIOUS VENUES, COLLECTOR Bingo!

Heaps of prizes. Starts 9pm CUBE MONDAY MAY 5

ARTS _____________ Electric Bass Guitar Group Classes For youth and adults. Mon, 5th: 7:00. Music for everyone presents electric and bass guitar group for beginners. Fun and affordable AINSLIE ARTS CENTRE

LIVE _____________ Cindy Blackman Quartet Cutting Edge Jazz. Seen to be believed. Album Music For The New Millenium. Doors: 8pm.

Show: 8:30pm CANBERRA SOUTHERN CROSS CLUB Mikah Freeman & Guests Hospitality, Retail, Backpackers et al Night TRANSIT BAR

TUESDAY MAY 6

ARTS _____________

LIVE _____________ Fame Trivia 7:30-10:30pm. Be entertained, be educated and win great prizes! Book early to avoid disappointment. 62951769 DURHAM CASTLE ARMS

SOMETHING DIFFERENT _____________ Trivia Night DURHAM CASTLE ARMS Trivia Night From7pm KINGSTON HOLY GRAIL Trivia Night Nerd-O’Clock PHOENIX Pot Belly Trivia Every Tuesday POT BELLY BAR Carry On Karaoke Come kroon, yodel, lipsinc or just rockout at Canberra's best midweek party. From 9pm TRANSIT BAR

DANCE _____________ Caribbean Vibes Kick-back and recharge for the last leg of the week. Doors 8:30pm MONKEY BAR (EX MOMBASA)

LIVE _____________ Carry-On Karaoke 9pm-1am Sing along to all your favourites. Happy Hour 9-10pm. $5 Coronas all night DURHAM CASTLE ARMS Simon Phillips Band More info in the tidbits section PHOENIX

SOMETHING DIFFERENT _____________ Trivia Night From 7.30pm ACT RUGBY UNION CLUB Australian Dance Week: The Radiance Dance Project 11:30am-12:30pm. Celebrate DICKSON COMMUNITY CENTRE Karaoke 9:30pm KINGSTON HOLY GRAIL Fame Trivia Are you inane enough to win a major prize PJ O’REILLY’S

THURSDAY MAY 8

FRIDAY MAY 9

ARTS _____________

ARTS _____________

Matter Beatrice Thompson. Opening from 6pm CCAS MANUKA What I See Free. Thurs to Sun: 10-4pm.

Info: 02 6241 1670 WATSON ARTS CENTRE

Pink Floyd’s: The Wall Until May 24. Dinner and show.

Bookings supaproductionsinc. com or 1300 737 363 ANU ARTS CENTRE NFSA and The International Music Festival presents: Felix The Cabaret With Elena Kats Chernin and many others. 16+ only. 10:30pm. $25, $15. Book early! 6247 1223 NFSA ARC NFSA and The International Music Festival presents: Cell Free family street party, 6-10pm NFSA LAWNS

DANCE _____________ Trash Thursday DJs Adam & Esscue $5 entry ACADEMY

DAY PLAY _____________ Sydney Dance Company Masters 10:30am-12:00pm Adult: $20, Members: $15.

Info: 02 6247 9130 CANBERRA DANCE THEATRE

LIVE _____________ Plastic Palace Alice Alongside The Trivis and You Hang Up; No You Hang Up. $5 BAR 32 Mitch From 9:30pm DURHAM CASTLE ARMS Winnebago Deal (UK) 18+, 8pm THE GREENROOM Naked 9pm-midnight KING O’MALLEY'S Kremlin Live Performances by local musicians every week KREMLIN BAR From the Underground Featuring John Steel Singers and Cloud Control TRANSIT BAR

SOMETHING DIFFERENT _____________ Carry On Karaoke Pete and the gang get their sing on for Some good old fashioned fun PJ O'REILLY'S

DANCE _____________ Azzido Da Bass (GER) He of Doom's Night fame. $15 ACADEMY Ashley Feraude BINARA ONE (CROWN PLAZA HOTEL) Havana Nights Hot and spicy, tropical dance rhythms. Doors open 8:30pm MONKEY BAR After Work With DJ Jemist TRANSIT BAR T-Rex Freakshow Disco $15 Entry. Doors open 10pm LOT 33

LIVE _____________ Toucha Soul AINSLIE BAR @ OLIM’S Rookwood With Ironwood, Infi nitum, Aeon of Horus THE BASEMENT DJ Gosper's 'Glory Box' DJ & The Karismakatz duo, $15/$12 entry. $5 from each CD goes to Breast Cancer Reseasrch THE FOLKUS ROOM, SERBIAN CLUB MAWSON Rev BAR 32 Heuristic DURHAM CASTLE ARMS Light Noise Angels Are Architects. 8pm, free THE GREENROOM Casual Sets KING O’MALLEY'S Nude Antz KINGSTON HOLY GRAIL Live Music PJ O’REILLY’S

FRIDAY MAY 9 Terrorvision With Sean Kelly and Staky TRANSIT BAR After Work Funk N Dranks Kick Back with Jemist. 5pm TRANSIT BAR SATURDAY MAY 10

SUNDAY MAY 11

LIVE _____________ Slim Pickens From 2pm AINSLIE BAR @ OLIM’S Irish Jam Session from 5pm KING O’MALLEY'S MONDAY MAY 12

ARTS _____________

ARTS _____________

Celebration of Families Festival FREE. 11am-3pm. Calling for non-profit stalls to attend!

Live entertainment, children’s and senior’s activities FORESHORES OF LAKE TUGGERANONG, LIBRARY ARTS CENTRE END

NFSA and The International Music Festival presents: The Spinifex Campfi re Two breathtaking performances of recent works for ensembles, visuals by Robert Davidson & Ian Grandage 8pm. $25, $15 NFSA ARC TUESDAY MAY 13

DANCE _____________ Podwarz III & Special Guests Feat. Apollo Kids TRANSIT BAR Love Saturdays & Ladies Lounge Ladies can enjoy cocktails from 10-11pm. $10 entry ACADEMY Ashley Feraude BINARA ONE, CROWN PLAZA HOTEL Rockout Sexy house, rockin’ electro, funky beats. Doors open 8:30pm, free entry until 10pm MONKEY BAR

LIVE _____________

LIVE _____________ Whitley With special guests Seagull ANU BAR

SOMETHING DIFFERENT _____________ Fame Trivia 7:30-10:30pm. 6295 11769 DURHAM CASTLE ARMS Trivia Night from 7pm KINGSTON HOLY GRAIL Pot Belly Trivia POT BELLY BAR Carry On Karaoke from 9pm TRANSIT BAR WEDNESDAY MAY 13

Low Key From 4pm AINSLIE BAR @ OLIM’S The Panics 02 6125 8191 for info ANU BAR Rockzone 10pm. $8 cocktails 4-10pm DURHAM CASTLE ARMS Trial Kennedy With Calling All Cars. 8pm, $10 THE GREENROOM Agent 86 10:30pm-2:30am KING O’MALLEY'S Top Shelf From 10pm KINGSTON HOLY GRAIL

DANCE _____________

SOMETHING DIFFERENT _____________

Trivia Night from 7.30pm ACT RUGBY UNION CLUB Carry-On-Karoke 9pm-1am. Happy Hour 9-10pm DURHAM CASTLE ARMS

Carry On Karaoke Great prizes on offer PJ O’REILLY’S

Caribbean Vibes Kick-back and recharge for the last leg of the week. 8:30pm MONKEY BAR

LIVE _____________ Angels are Architects PHOENIX From the Underground Featuring Wishing Well, Circles and special guests TRANSIT BAR

SOMETHING DIFFERENT _____________

DVDEVOTEE

Method Man: Live From The Sunset Strip (HD Entertainment)

Death Proof (MA Roadshow)

It is strange that rapping, which began entirely as a live artform, should so often struggle to produce quality performances. For every Up In Smoke tour there seems to be some money-grabbing budget release with too many ring-ins on stage shouting over the top of the talent. Method Man: Live From The Sunset Strip thankfully leans to the former camp. As to be expected from a Wu-Tang Clan member, the performance is raw and stripped-back; Meth is only joined onstage by DJ Mathematics and hype-man Streetlife. Setting a fitting mood, the show starts with Mathematics imploring the crowd to chant “Make marijuana legal,” before Meth enters, his face hidden underneath a haze of smoke and his hoodie. A natural and energetic performer, it only takes him to the second song before he stage dives into the crowd. By the eighth song (fi rst album fan favouriteWhat The Blood Clot) he is rapping from the middle of the moshpit like some hip-hop Iggy Pop. It’s a thrilling moment and the excitement of the audience in the packed small venue is palpable, as the continual call and response chants work them into a frenzy. It would have been nice to see some guests on stage a la Jay Z’s Fade To Black concert DVD. Because of the largely collaborative nature of hip-hop, there are several key Meth cuts missing or truncated from this fi lm – chiefl y, the Grammy award winningAll I Need is severely lacking without Mary J Blige’s hook-line and is thus cut short before the fi rst chorus. Masta Killa and Inspectah Deck do turn up for Wu-Tang Clan’s Ain’t Nothin’ to Fuck Wit but fail to add anything to the performance, standing awkwardly near the DJ booth. Still, it’s a minor quibble, easily forgotten by the bizarrely enjoyable sight of Method Man trying to walk across the crowd during fi nal songDa Rockwilder.

Death Proof is the fi rst of the two Grindhouse movies; this one directed

by Quentin Tarantino is fun, but really too long. The idea of Grindhouse fi lms are to be quick and painless exploitation fi lms. These kinds of fl icks were underground hits in the '70s and featured a stream of forgettable actors and actresses running around with most of their clothes missing.

Thanks to the Weinstein brothers the initial trim and taunt running time has been thrown out the window and now the cinematic and DVD release of Death Proof has been extended to approximately two hours, and the extra time shows. While in previous fi lms Tarantino’s penchant for snappy pop culture references and dialogue works, this fi lm makes it laboured with too much dialogue and only two action sequences.

However, those sequences work like a charm. With a great performance from Snake Plissken himself (Kurt Russell) as the sleazy and dangerous Stuntman Mike and support from Rose McGowan, Rosario Dawson and stuntwoman Zoe Bell, the action sequences of Death Proof are like watching the Crusty Deamons go nuts. As with many of his fi lms,Death Proof sits comfortably in the Tarantino universe, particularly alongside the Kill Bill duo. He references earlier works with joy, but his shtick is growing a bit passé with so many impersonators and wannabes. As an individual fi lm, and forgetting the fact the Weinstein’s fucked with Tarantino and Rodriguez’ original vision, Death Proof works, but only if you’re prepared to put a bit of work in to get over the dialogue. As this one is a double disc it’s loaded down with extra features including a look at the cars, stunts, girls, editorial process and so much more. These extra features are certainly worth a gander and both Rodriguez and Tarantino bust a gut to load their fi lms with special bits and pieces. I’ll be casting my eye over Planet Terror in the next issue.

LUKE MCGRATH

GEOFF SETTY

Her's what's cookin' next issue: Kisschasy, Sebastian Bach, Chris Fraser, Faker, DJ Krush and loads, loads more!

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