www.bmamag.com
#345MAR31
Bluejuice
Reverse punk wannabes
Steve Aoki He’s Our Friend!
Lisa Mitchell Definitely not idle
! p u d e k l o f t e Let’s g
2
3
john butler
4
5
Take A Walk on the Wild Side
You can find me at The Majestic.
# 3 4 5 M A R 3 1 Fax: 02 6257 4361 Mail: PO Box 713 Civic Square, ACT 2608 Publisher Scott Layne General Manager & Advertising Manager Allan Sko T: 6257 4360 E: advertising@bmamag.com Editor Julia Winterflood T: 02 6257 4456 E: editorial@bmamag.com Accounts Manager Ashish Doshi T: 6247 4816 E: accounts@bmamag.com Sales Executive Danika Nayna T: 0408 657 939 E: sales@bmamag.com Super Sub Editor Josh Brown Graphic Design Cole Bennetts Exhibitionist Editor Naomi Milthorpe Film Editor Mark Russell Principal Photographers (The Flashbulb Posse) Andrew Mayo Nick Brightman NEXT ISSUE 346 OUT APR 14 EDITORIAL DEADLINE APR 5 ADVERTISING DEADLINE APR 8 Published by Radar Media Pty Ltd ABN 76 097 301 730 BMA is independently owned and published. Opinions expressed in BMA are not necessarily those of the editor, publisher or staff.
6
YIS are a psych-rock band from Melbourne who make music described as “the schizophrenic ghost of Alan Vega from Suicide possessing someone with a narcissistic personality disorder who auditions for a Comets on Fire/Neu! supergroup.” Don’t ask me, I just rip from the press release. They’ll be making their first trip up the Hume over the Easter weekend, playing The Front on Saturday April 3 with Teddy Trouble. A gold coin gains you entry.
Hey, Gypsy! Intensely danceable gypsy music at The Front on Wednesday March 31 will make for ecstatic claustrophobia of the best kind. Take small steps, but take a lot of ‘em. On the bill are Jazz Manouche who are in the style of the great Django Reinhardt from Wim Glenn & Friends, followed by Romanian gypsy cimbalom music by Clankenstein. Experience gypsy music from both ends of Europe the way it was intended, up close and personal! 8pm, $10.
Getting Thornie It’s been a big 12 months for Lucie Thorne. Her latest album Black Across The Field was short listed for the prestigious Australian Music Prize and it was named Best Roots Album of 2009 by The Sydney Morning Herald, and she’s been touring constantly, both here and overseas, since the album’s release in March last year. Described as “Australia’s PJ Harvey... possessing the punch of Cat Power, and the wise words of Joni Mitchell” (Courier Mail), Lucie Thorne has certainly earned her place as one of the most striking lyricists and voices in Australian contemporary song. She’s playing The Front on Saturday April 17 with south coast drummer Jay McMahon. 8pm, $20/$15 at the door.
Laurie Anderson and Lou Reed have revealed the first part of their Vivid LIVE at Sydney Opera House program, set to take place from May 27 to June 11. As part of Vivid Sydney (May 27 – June 21), the annual festival of light, music and ideas, Vivid LIVE will see the next generation of musicians mingle with the masters under the soaring white sails of the Opera House. Large-scale solo concerts, small intimate evenings, a talks program, free events and lighting of the iconic Opera House sails will all feature. Perhaps one of the most exciting events of the festival will be Lou Reed’s Metal Machine Trio performing a night of improvised soundscapes on Sunday May 30. The trio features the man himself, sonic experimentalist Ulrich Krieger and live-processing specialist Sarth Calhoun. Head to sydneyoperahouse.com/ vividlive from March 29 for the Vivid LIVE program, regular news updates, loads of information and masses of multimedia.
Capital youth A couple of gigs for you young ‘uns! On Saturday April 10 the Tuggeranong Baptist Church (33 Jenke Circuit, Kambah) will presend Indie-cent Exposure, an all indie and alternative gig featuring Astrochem, Pleased to Jive You and many more. Tix are $10 on the door or can be snaffled at www.project512. com. All proceeds go to charity and it’s drug and alcohol free. On the very same day, Gungahlin Youth Centre presents Expo 10, a free Youth Week event at the Gungahlin Skate Park. There’ll be a massive BMX comp, live bands Loud So Clear, Tonight Alright, Pleased to Jive you and Steady The Fall, food and drinks, the return of the mechanical surf board, bouncy boxing ring, sticky fly wall and more! Crazy times.
The Truth is Out There ANCA Gallery is pleased to present Three Chords & The Truth, an exhibition of art works inspired by music, which is
Andrew Mayo, Pyramid Rock Festival (Phillip Island, Victoria), 2009
YIS Men
running until April 11. In keeping with the theme, the opening night features live music by local band Dr Stovepipe who have been playing recently around Canberra and will also be playing at Folkies. Featuring a diverse group of eight artists, the exhibition includes Ampersand Duck, Geoffrey Dunn, Nicci Haynes, Philippa Hofgartner, BMA’s own flashbulb posse member Andrew Mayo, Franki Sparke, Peter Stewart and Anne Warren. While some of the artists focus on the music makers conveying moments during performances and recording, others distil the rhythms and language of various forms of music to the point of abstraction. Free to explore any manifestation of music, the artists’ responses are broad and intriguing, and remind us of the universal appeal of music in one form or another. ANCA Gallery is open Wednesday to Sunday from noon to 5pm. anca.canberra.net .
LapTopping GAMES FOR ONLY CHILDREN (There are no winners). Kitchen Hovercraft Cover kitchen floor in butter. Sit on vinyl beanbag and kick off. (Hovercraft is uno-directional. It can only go straight – into Mum’s vase collection.) Bird Fishing Affix seed bell to fishing line. Cast into tree. When you get a nibble draw line in. At end of day get a photo of you holding up a cage with all your birds in it. Release birds. Repeat step one. Pillow Fight Club The first rule of Pillow Fight Club is don’t think about Pillow Fight Club. Just go into a bedroom and pummel yourself about with pillows. (Recommend filming it and uploading to YouTube). Internet Charades Start your own chat room with a focus on the game charades. Invite people to play. You have to type out the actions you are doing. Ie *holds up three fingers* *rolls around on ground* *makes arms as if holding a baby*. Car Piñata Make a piñata pony. Dangle it from nearest bridge that crosses over a busy road. Lower it until it is in reach of cars. When a car hits it run down, congratulate them and share the lollies. Cat Gladiators Place two to six cats on trampoline. Bounce around until only one cat remains. Cat is dubbed Meowsimus.
JUSTIN HEAZLEWOOD www.bedroomphilosopher.com Justin performs as The Bedroom Philosopher and writes for Frankie and Jmag.
7
and
another
YOU PISSED ME OFF!
thing…
I was talking to Clint Boge the other day. You know Clint, erstwhile lead singer of The Butterfly Effect, and now also frontman for the deliciously heavy Thousand Needles in Red, of whom more in the future. Anyways, TNIR are managing themselves, and the boy Boge was commenting on how much hard work it is getting that sort of thing up and running, even when you’ve made a bit of a name for yourself. I could only concur, having had a hand in managing a few in my time, but as we were meant to be discussing the more exciting aspects of his new band, I didn’t really have the time to go into just how mundane managing a band can be. So I’ll bore you with it instead. Many years ago, I worked for a company called Brilliant. Brilliant owner, Mark ‘Spitty’ Walmesley, had many fingers in many pies; a successful merchandise company (visitors to his home might be billeted in the ‘Bad Religion’ extension or the ‘Napalm Death’ wing, both names a tribute to the number of shirts sold by both bands throughout the early ‘90s, the proceeds of which contributed to the purchase and improvement of his domicile) and a management company amongst them. Though I was brought on board to add to the merchandise empire, Brilliant was run so tightly (some might say ‘on a shoestring’) that one was often roped in on the management side. This might involve booking studio time for bands such as Huge Baby, or, as you’ll doubtless remember, spilling kebab juice all over priceless original album artwork by Saxon. What came as a surprise immediately was how little money there was available to do all this, even for bands that had supposedly ‘made it’. Management turned out to be not one long round of champagne, cocaine and women of loose virtue, but more an extended lesson in fibbing to creditors, testing people’s patience and explaining to the band why people were knocking on their doors at the most ungodly hour of 7.30 in the morning asking where the mortgage money was. It was forwarding on royalty statements to band members in America, the cost of which in stamps outstripped the amount on the cheque within (and I’ll come back to the price of stamps later), and then fielding the inevitable reverse charge call explaining that no, there hadn’t been a mistake – people just didn’t like your last record as much as we expected; then taking a boxload of that record down to the record ‘n’ tape exchange on a Friday afternoon so you had enough beer money to go out that night and schmooze on behalf of them for that dream tour support they’ve been banging on about for months. But for all that, we were a good company who always did what we could for our bands. Years earlier even than that, a bespectacled figure approached me in the dressing room after a show I’d just done with my then band, Scit Scat Wah, promising us the moon. We’d heard it all before of course, but were tired of being a DIY outfit and thought it might be fun for someone else to do the hard yakka. The next week we turned up to our usual rehearsal space to find High Wycombe’s leading jazz funk outfit using our slot. Our ‘manager,’ Ruprecht, had forgotten to ring the studio to book out our usual Sunday morning four hours. The next time we saw him, he handed us an invoice for 79 pounds for ‘labour and stamps.’ He’s still in the business today, apparently – friends in the industry tell me you can tell it’s him by his odd, invoice-up-the-rectum gait… scott adams thirtyyearsofrnr@hotmail.com
8
Has someone yanked yer chain recently? Well send an email to editorial@bmamag.com and have your sweet vengeance. And for the love of God, keep it brief! [All entries contain original spellings] To the Nth shore private school educated, ex-boarding school yuppies who come to ANU, you piss me off every day of my fucking life. We all know that Mummy & Daddy are millionaire oil moguls, so stop presenting like a fucking HOMELESS PERSON. You are an insult to homeless people everywhere. Get a fucking job, put on some shoes, and stop meaninglessly supporting whatever pathetic third world cause has fallen in to your PRIVILEGED FUCKING LAP, in an attempt to make you feel good about your spoilt brat, self-absorbed piece of shit self. Also, you are not musically talented so move the fuck on. You are not special. Nobody likes you. YOU PISS ME OFF. To the human parasites that stole my brothers car from Waramanga and then torched it-YOU PISSED ME OFF. He was doing me a favour and looking after my place, and then you pathetic fuckwits came along. I know that you must be angry that you were born with half-inch cocks, but that is no excuse to take it out on decent people. Karma is a bitch you gutless cowards and I would say that you’ll get yours, but you clearly already lead such sad little lives that there is probably no way you can get any lower.
FROM THE BOSSMAN By the time you read this, I will have sat on a panel of my peers (including notable venue owners and organisers of some of Canberra’s most exciting events) to discuss “the reduction of barriers to live music”, which is basically your atypical longwinded government departmental way of saying “looking after live music”. “Yes, and about time too,” I hear you chorus. Some of you are well aware, others are probably too pissed to notice, but a lot of our venues are doing it tough out there, subjected to sound complaints from neighbours who not only got there after the venues, but don’t need to adhere to the same kind of strict sound proofing. Hardly fair, I hear you cry. Well, that’s the way we’ve set it up apparently. Since the closure of The Greenroom and Toast (among others) Canberra has hardly been spoilt for choice for entertainment shacks, we’re missing out on many a touring act, and current legislation is certainly not helping out. Now get me not wrong; I’m all for a good night’s sleep as much as the next old man (and after this deadline, combined with an eyeful of Lady Gaga to follow, I’ll need a good lie down) but the laws are skewed and must be tweaked. So, a small step in the right direction has been made. Stay tuned for more as events unfold. ALLAN “120db” SKO
9
with
TRAVIS HEINRICH WHO: YOU WHAT: THE GUM BALL MUSIC ‘N’ ARTS FESTIVAL WHERE: BELFORD, HUNTER VALLEY WHEN: SAT MAY 9
WHO: YOU, MINUS YOUR HANDS WHAT: SOCCER FOR LIFE WHERE: HAWKER FOOTBALL CENTRE WHEN: SAT APR 10
WHO: THE SCRAPES WHAT: ROCK DRENCHED IN FEEDBACK AND DOUSED WITH VIOLIN WHERE: THE FRONT. NIIIICE WHEN: FRI APRIL 16
WHO: HOUSE OF THUMBS WHAT: METAAAAAL WHERE: THE BASEMENT, $10 WHEN: SAT APR 17
10
Well hey this sounds really nice. So it’s a triumphantly eclectic festival (Hip-hop, country, rock and or roll) in the Hunter Valley. The Hunter Valley’s beauty is Johansson-esque, so slopping a gig their sounds remarkable. With their popular BYO policy, food and market stalls, fancy dress, art a plenty and heaps more – gimmeh gimmeh Gumball. As an added plus, it’s aimed at all ages, not just the ‘let’s wear horrible sunglasses, get drunk and yell Borat quotes with my private school buddies’ demographic. It’s more like a giant backyard party! Tickets are on sale via their website www.thegumball.com.au. Now, c’mon grab one! My plump, cold leg swung into the ball. The goalie quickened his step in confusion. As a six year old, my goalie wasn’t mentally prepared for mutiny. I had no idea how to fucking play soccer, but all I know is that I scored a home goal 15 seconds after touching my first soccer ball. I was rewarded later with a Happy Meal. I learned nothing. Soccer played an integral part in the next eight years of my life, and I’m happy to promote this event. Soccer For Life is an event aimed at promoting health and good plain fun. Get seven of your pals and form a team, it’ll be a gas. For more info phone 02 6264 0260 or email soccerforlife@bcsact.com.au . After the bliss of Massive Attack, The Dead Weather and Electric Lake I would hope that Canberra utilises the inertia that’s been handed to us. It’s a seasonal thing, and the gigs are currently as plump as ever. Huzzah! The Scrapes are another sort to punch the face off our boredom. They’ve got epic songs with violin, feedback and scary-as-charnwood guitar riffs. I’m not sure how they’ll tie this sound down at The Front. I’m predicting smashed windows and burning prams with beige goo dripping out the sides. The baby bonus can’t buy closure, but it can buy whiskey. My favourite thing about heavy metal culture is how it got intertwined with calligraphy. DEATH, DESTRUCTION, PRETTY LOGOS! “No Thor, the ‘T’ should look like this!” <Beautiful swift action with a fountain pen>. “THOR WANT MORE MIRRORED SYMMETRY!” Ha! Big fan, right here. So House Of Thumbs are touring on the coattails of their acclaimed album Crossing the Rubicon, and plan to smash your face to powder with their unique sonic destruction. Heaven the Axe and Blind Eyed Gods are supporting; a gig not to miss if you own leather pants. HOT’s polyrhythmic patterns are heavier then Rosanne Barr on Jupiter, and your pals will surely bully you into a noose if you miss it. \m/
WHO: PULL UP! (It’s Free!) WHAT: REGGAE/DUB Brought to you by Capital Dub Styles WHERE: MONKEYBAR WHEN: THURS APR 1
This is the first event of a regular thingamajig happening in town. It’s free, has music and the first night kicks on the night before a public holiday. Dub Ninja (from Agency Dub Collective) is headlining the first night, with Brujo, Jayo and HieronymusIX joining in. With acts that sound like Scandinavian Pokémon - how can you resist? If you go, then your imagination will expand beyond your wildest dreams and life itself will unfold in your lap. Stop trying to bagpipe cougars (that’s armpit sex) and shine your light upon this amazing free gig. With acts this good - I don’t need to sugar it up.
WHO: FIRST BASE MUSIC WHAT: MUSIC BUSINESS INFO WHERE: AA AT WODEN YOUTH CENTRE, O/18 AT THE AUSTRALIAN PUB WHEN: WED APR 7
So the girl you bothered at the hardcore gig in The Basement toilets is pregnant? Whoa, tough one buddy. Considering it’ll be an expensive ‘straight-edge’ birth (no drugs), you’ll be out of pocket huh. Well, your band is pretty good, maybe if you put the bucket bong down and took your life seriously you might make some money through your music? Just a thought. First Base Music are the people that will teach you business, give you management advice and keep your baby from Trainspotting on you. With over 40 years of business goodies, they’ve worked with heaps of people, including Usher and Beanort. RSVP: peter@firstbasemusic.com .
11
ben hermann You might remember that late last year somewhat of a brouhaha arose after the sudden, secrecy-shrouded axing of the Multicultural Festival’s Fringe Festival. For the sake of editorial efficiency, it suffices to say that the ACT Government, to its credit, subsequently threw the NATIONAL FOLK FESTIVAL a bit of extra dosh along with the words “go forth and placate these mischievous scoundrels, who naught but bother us with demands of greater arts funding, and more commonly the head of Mr Hargreaves!” And so it is that this year’s National Folk Festival will see the addition of The Majestic – not just a mere extra stage, but a venue, a world in itself, which seeks to “celebrate the weird and wonderful borderlands” of the Folk Festival. And no better man could have been chosen for the job of Artistic Advisor for The Majestic than Adam Hadley who, after being involved with running the former Fringe Festival for many years (whose 11 years at the Folk Festival puts him in the position, as he describes it, of being “not part of the old guard, but no spring chicken”) and whose involvement and accomplishment of all things theatrical and musical in and around Canberra is too extensive to fit within these here pages, make him the most natural – nay, the only natural – choice for such a position. “My aim for The Majestic has been to take the chaotic flavour of the fringe, to engage the audience as a community within the festival through workshops, and to present them with a diverse program of music, circus, poetry, and lunacy,” says Hadley, of his strategy in deciding on The Majestic’s rationale. “The Folk Festival has always had a strong fringe element, and I have seen this as a great opportunity to formalise this element, and give it a place to allow the performers to truly perform.
The Muppets are the greatest exponents of late 20th century vaudeville
To this end, The Majestic will host a veritable Jacobean feast of bands, cabaret and vaudeville-inspired groups, theatre performers and circus acts. However, the chain of reasoning which begins with the aim of creating a ‘fringe’ type of vibe, and ends with circus performers and vaudeville acts, isn’t necessarily the inevitable one. Even once The Majestic’s identity was decided upon, the mammoth task of organising the groups which would espouse this identity still remained. “An important thing I considered was that all of the acts I was booking somehow belonged to a continuum, that they had a strong grounding in a tradition and were interested in running workshops,” says Hadley. One of the lucky groups chosen to pursue this destiny for The Majestic is Melbourne’s very own vaudeville bohemians,
12
Rapskallion. Consisting of seven musicians and two scantily clad circus/cabaret performers, Rapskallion have floated to the top of Melbourne’s bubbling gypsy/jazz scene in recent years with their mix of quirky lyrics and rustic, rowdy and romantic accordiondriven dance tunes, backed by junkyard drums, mandolin, violins, trumpets, trombones, guitars and a swagger of other music-making devices. Speaking with guitarist and Rapskallion spokesman Fingal ahead of their appearance at the Folk Festival, it’s obvious that Hadley couldn’t have chosen a more fitting group for The Majestic’s debut. “We have always had a flair for theatrical dress, and most of us are involved in one way or another with theatre,” says Fingal. “Although music is our major passion, the theatrics allow for added creative spontaneity, and we have always appreciated the need for scantily clad dancing girls.” Having witnessed in recent years the plethora of groups influenced by gypsy or eastern European music and theatrics begs the question as to the reason for this scene’s rapid expansion. “I think that people relate to the passionate, romantic and creative elements of these forms of entertainment. If you go out to see a band or act that embodies these elements, you know you’re in for more than just a gig, and more a timeless experience,” says Fingal; a sentiment which Hadley shares, but with certain qualifications. “It differs very strongly from band to band,” says Hadley, of different group’s specific musical influences. “Culture-wise, it is difficult, because there are obviously two major sides to it – the romantic culture of living on the road, playing music for food, and living a fun-loving life outside society as much as possible. And then there is the reality that the large majority of us come from relatively middle class Australian families, and in reality the Roma are a displaced people, subject to poverty and mistreatment that we will most likely never know.” Ironically, for Rapskallion, it seems that it was western, middle class society which brought them, at a young age, the inspiration that would eventually lead them to where they currently lie on the musical/cultural spectrum. “Rapskallion is made up of a renegade bunch of travelling musical misfits,” says Fingal. “But importantly, we grew up in the time of The Muppets, who are, in my belief, the greatest exponents of late 20th century vaudeville, so I think that had a profound effect on all of us from an early age. The rest has just been an organic and natural progression.” For Hadley as well, The Majestic represents an event of natural progression. “I feel like I’ve been working towards this for ten years,” he says. “I have probably smashed my shins on a few hurdles, but will most definitely be carrying my bobsled across the finish line on Monday April 5, while the German team slow claps me.” The Majestic stage will run at the National Folk Festival from ThursdayMonday April 1-5. Alongside workshops and theatrical and circus acts, the Majestic stage will host Emma Dean, Rapskallion, Lolo Lovina, Doc Jones & the Lechery Orchestra, Abbie Cardwell, Doctor Stovepipe, Mr Fibby, The Ellis Collective, Voss and many more.
13
LOCALITY
Difficult second column syndrome. I thought it’d plague me right up until the day before print deadline. That was until the night of Friday March 19. Massive Attack distracted a three quarters full Royal Theatre with global economic comparisons on a dazzling LED display, such as, er, the daily earnings of a Ghanaian social worker and the cost of a British MP’s toilet roll holder ($3 and $40, apparently). But as my astute housemate pointed out, how much were Massive Attack tickets? The moment they finished I cut a cracking pace to McGregor Hall, and boy am I glad I did, for Fun Machine were yet to begin. Tonight was the FUNdraiser for Fun Machine, who’d recently had all the funds from the sale of their debut EP stolen. James Fahy, close friend and Canberra’s own Jeff Buckley, had assembled a sizeable swag of acts to help recover some of their loss, and by the end of the night he was thanking the thief, for without the crime the night would not have been. And what a night it was. When I arrived at McGregor Hall, the soon to be demolished spiritual heartland of the CMC, bassist Ramsay Nuthall was getting frocked up and keysman Dave Crosby’s cheeks peppered with lipstick freckles. When Fun Machine play it’s not just about a rock show, but the spectacle of it too. From giant bird heads to shimmering capes, body paint to big hair; their onstage antics are a scream. Tonight Ramsay, lead guitarist Chris Endrey and drummer/pianist Bec Taylor were in matching Marilyn Monroe dresses, with black arrows down the bridge of their noses. Fun Machine have a huge following who know all the words to all their songs. Songs about cougars, songs about café stalkers, songs about toxic shock syndrome. Each one a pure pop gem, a relentless earworm, a cleverly crafted piece of intensely danceable pop rock. It’s not all quirks and cracking wit though; their rollicking power ballad Dreamers is straight out of Springsteen’s songbook with a chorus that could capture a stadium, while Mo, with its stop start rhythms and frenetic guitar freakouts, is funk at its finest. They all sing and they all dance and they all play their frequently swapped instruments like they’ve been at it since they were little ’uns. There’s no frontman syndrome here either. Everyone’s a star. Tonight people were dancing to Fun Machine like they have to no other local band I’ve seen, and the feeling of McGregor Hall’s wooden boards bouncing under my feet was bliss. The 50-strong crowd was corybantic, singing with full force, flying limbs and wild gesticulation. My hair was satched, my dress was drenched, but I just had to keep on twisting. And then they took a half hour break, only to return with four covers of local bands’ songs! They’d gone away and taught themselves a song by Ah! Pandita, The Trivs, Lady Grey, and Sweet Adeline. For me this was the epitome of Canberra’s music scene; the music made here is loved so much that bands aren’t covering classics, but each other’s songs.
I enjoyed myself more at McGregor Hall than I did at Royal Theatre. Don’t get me wrong, Massive Attack were gobsmackingly good, but I couldn’t put it better than Scott Adams did in his review: “they’ve wrapped themselves in the trappings of arena rock – the massive sound, the retina scorching lightshow, the triumph of bombast over beauty – to such an extent that some of the impact of their music is lost.” Fun Machine are all impact, as is our local scene, and I’m sure all who were there would agree. Julz’s hot tip: Mr Fibby at the National Folk Festival, playing on Friday April 2 at 5pm, Saturday April 3 at 9.30pm and around fourish on Sunday April 4. They’ll change your life. JULIA WINTERFLOOD julia@bmamag.com
14
CLICK CLICK BOOM ZOYA PATEL When you think ‘Canberra,’ your immediate thought may not be ‘the heart of electronic music production in Australia.’ However, that’s a perception that Jamie Green and Bo Percival, the masterminds behind AMPLIDYNE, are looking to change. Having noticed the distinct lack of opportunities for local electronic music producers to play live, Bo and Jamie decided to take matters into their own hands and host an event giving new producers a chance to gain some experience. “People get gun-shy about giving gigs to producers because they play original tunes and people might not know them,” Jamie explains, when I question the meager amount of opportunities available. Luckily, Knightsbridge Penthouse has a delightfully open mind and has agreed to host the guys’ event on Sunday April 11. Click-to-Click, as the show is called, will feature around eight to nine different producers playing live sets to get the crowd dancing.
You slap the first part down and then work on fine-tuning it
As well as rookie producers, Amplidyne will also grace the stage. The production duo come from distinctly different backgrounds; Jamie started his music career by playing drums in jazz bands and Bo is also a DJ, but they started playing together about a year and a half ago and immediately clicked musically. “It’s a really great relationship, musicwise. Bo and I both like kind of more minimal, progressive electronic stuff,” Jamie says, excitement spilling into his voice as he lists his favorite musicians. I’m surprised to hear Nina Simone make the list, but that’s clearly just the kind of complex guy he is! “We don’t really have set roles in the band. I have a studio at home and we just rock up with nothing in mind, sync up our computers and start with a beat. Then we just start layering and go from there,” Jamie adds. I laugh at how casually he describes it. Nothing seems more complicated to me than electronic music. Jamie, noticing my confusion, puts it into layman’s terms for me. “It’s pretty raw – a bit like painting. You slap the first part down and then work on fine-tuning it.” It does seem to be a fine art form and Amplidyne have clearly got their technique down. Although they’re hoping to make Click-to-Click bimonthly, the event has to fit in around both guys’ busy schedules. Jamie has a lot going on, with both a family and his music to keep up with, and Bo has “a finger in ten different pies!” To top it all off, all the proceeds raised from Click-to-Click (the event is essentially free, but a small donation is welcome upon entry) will go towards Profitless Productions, Bo’s charitable brainchild, that aims to assist struggling youths avoid substance abuse and channel their energies positively. With a great cause like that, not to mention awesome music and the cozy surrounds of Knightsbridge to lure you in, how could you possibly not attend? Click-to-Click is on Sunday April 11 and kicks off at around 4pm late. Check out www.amplidyne.com.au .
DANCE THE DROP Let me tell you a tale about name dropping. The story Kicks off in a Warehouse, where I sat watching the latest episode of Tool Academy. My stomach rumbled, a hunger Pang that screamed out for some Cheese on Toast. The hungering Heartbeat in my chest made me hallucinate and the Effigy of the impending meal appeared before me like Voodoo. At this moment I decided to head to the kitchen but in Transit I happened upon a large bag of Sherbies, ultimately my One Love in life and a more than acceptable substitute Fore-shore. I was so delighted that I crammed so many of those bad boys in my mouth at once that it acted like a Lollygag. I bet you are wondering what this has to do with dance music. The answer is ‘everything!’ Everyone knows that the ‘it’ sound at the moment is big room disco and our Australian representative on the international council of ‘gettin’ on down’ is Bang Gang 12” stable mate Cassian. The Heartbeat crew have thrown together a blood pumping evening of swirly brass fuelled mayhem featuring the man himself on Saturday April 10 at Transit Bar, underscored by a chic streetwear feature by Henry Holland and Josh Oldfield’s label Eleventh Commandment. Underwho? Whatworld? If you haven’t heard of Darren Emerson then we can’t be friends. The international superstar DJ and former Underworld member is appearing for the first time in Canberra thanks to Kicks Entertainment and Lollygag. Make sure to mark Easter Friday April 2 at Academy into your clubbing diaries as this is a once in a blue moon chance to catch the living legend in our city. Effigy have been churning out the quality underground gigs at Hippo Bar of late and the next instalment brings UK techno star Shepz to the fray along with a surprise international guest who I am advised (by an unreliable source) will be leaping out of a giant cake. Supports for this momentous event include Gabriel Gilmour, Yohan Strauss, Beat It and Hubert. For those of you that have been to Melbourne and not visited Brown Alley, shame on you! Luckily, the Soundtrap crew have been kind enough to hand deliver two of its residents, Craig Pringle and Muska to Transit Bar on Friday April 23 alongside residents B-Tham and Mikey G. I’ll warn you now though, do not go if you do not like quality music. Finally, I may as well mention PANG!. I mean they do deserve a little hype, right? With more epic gigs under their belt than you can poke a hangover at, the trend continues tonight with previously separated hetero life partners Kid Kenobi and MC Sureshock back together at last just in time to kick-start your Easter break at Lot 33. Not satisfied? How about book-ending your chocoholic exodus with a slice of international techno as the PANG! team combines powers with The Likes of You to sock you in the face with Oliver Huntemann on Sunday April 4. KO! TIM GALVIN tim.galvin@live.com.au
myspace.com/pangnight
15
LA FREEDOM
V FOR VERKUYLEN
RE
staky
A whirlwind career in music is something even American STEVE AOKI couldn’t have predicted. His background – obsessive, no less – in punk and hardcore paved the way for his future music success in his production work as a DJ and remixer, not to mention the odd clothing label here and there. And having played to eager crowds in Australia last summer, the American – of Japanese heritage – is set to return to tear things up again.
There must be something in Dutch water because superstar DJs are as synonymous with Holland as clogs and windmills. Marco Verkuylen is amongst their greatest alumni and he’s heading to Australia for the inaugural Creamfields tour plus Canberra’s Warehouse Festival. “Creamfields is a great party in England, I hope it gets the same vibe in Australia,” said the trance purist of his impending visit. “People are excited about it weeks before the event and there is much, I think the English word is, anticipation.”
Expect lashings of brilliance too from artists on his roster at his own Dim Mak Records. These include intellectual giants like The Bloody Beetroots, MSTRKRFT and Bloc Party. Of course, the now legendary club night Cinespace features in his LA repertoire, as do his diverse sounds that range from punk to garage to rock, disco and beyond. In fact, simply calling Steve a well rounded entrepreneur would be selling him short. It is the people that he surrounds himself with to whom he owes much of his success.
It’s for the kids who know what electro is and have been a part of it for years
“The most important issue with keeping all these different things going is having solid competent teams around the campaigns we have going,” chimes Steve. “For the label we have our LA office headed by a team who handle all the business from here and then we have our NYC offices that handle all our marketing, promotion, radio and planning. For the clothing side, all the business is handled out of the LA offices and from there we commit the work on both sides of Australia and LA.” Indeed, testament to his vision and foresight was his mix album, Pillowface & His Airplane Chronicles, which he explains with this: “the CD was more of a reflection of the current state of music that I am involved in and excited about. I think for a lot of kids, it’s an introduction to what electro is or defines what electro is to me. As far as electronic music is concerned, there’s a huge dividing culture between people that listen to Tiesto and people that listen to Justice. It’s also for the kids who already know what electro is, and have been a part of it for years.” For Steve, life was about finding an intensity that was misplaced in the largesse of an anonymous and fickle Los Angeles. It was important for him to be able to identify himself, what he believed in and what he was proud of. Sure, there was some self-doubt and some insecurity but with heroes like Malcolm X and Bruce Lee, coupled with a shrewd business mindset and an uncanny knack for whipping up exactly the tunes people want to hear, Steve is set to bring the noise back to Australia this year. Catch Steve and a host of others, including Laidback Luke, Tiga and Felix Da Housecat, live at the UC Refectory on Saturday June 5. Tickets through Moshtix.
16
MARCO V came to prominence in the golden age of trance with his breakthrough release Indicator more than a decade ago. His 2005 album, 200V, received critical acclaim with its brave undertaking in tech-trance, a theme for which he has since become renowned. Propaganda Pt. 1 and Propaganda Pt. 2, both out last year, were also well received with their string-driven melodies. It is clear though that Marco believes trance is in a different place from a few years back. “At the moment trance is flat and hopefully it will become deeper and more underground, you know, more progressive,” he says. “I don’t know if that will happen, but I hope it does because that sound is something I personally like.”
Australia has great crowds, every DJ says so
On Marco’s recent albums he has strived to not only go above and beyond musically but added extra flair with a unique digital comic book cut across two parts. Illustrator Vee Ladwa helped pioneer the concept to unite both parts of the Propaganda release. Marco believes the albums were as well received here as they were at home in Europe. “In general the trance scene is the same down there [in Australia] as it is in Europe,” he says. “It is more about each individual party and atmosphere and what it is that makes a great party. Of course some countries are a bit different and seem to be into it more.” Along with Marco’s artist albums his Combi:Nations mix series are a continuous trance stalwart. They keep fans in touch with Marco’s sound when he isn’t touring. Fortunately the Aussie contingent has had its fair share of Verkuylen over the past year. “Australia has great crowds, every DJ says so,” says Marco. “Last year I did the first Sensation party in Melbourne on New Year’s Eve and two months later I did Trance Energy, so I spent a lot of time in Australia. Both parties were huge!” With an as yet unnamed label out this year to cope with Marco’s burgeoning discography, 2010 is shaping up to be another big year for the Dutchman. “I don’t have a name for it yet, but I have lots of my own tracks to release on it,” he says. “Maybe I can think of some on the long plane ride over.” He is currently touring the music of both Propaganda albums and will showcase his talent in Canberra at this year’s Warehouse Music Festival at the AIS Arena on Saturday May 1. Tickets through Ticketek.
IMMERSE YOURSELF TIM GALVIN Thank god for DARREN EMERSON. The infamous UK native is one of a handful of aural educators responsible for emancipating me from the gateway world of pumping neon rave music in the late ‘90s. His contributions to the Global Underground mix CD series provided a perfectly clever mixture of tech, progressive and chunky house that lulled me away from regimented candy music into the purist universe. I must also mention that Emerson was one of the founding members of legendary anthem factory Underworld; although having left the group in 2000, he has forged a stellar solo career and hasn’t looked back. “Music is always what I’ve wanted to do so I’m very thankful,” he explains. “Of course [I am proud of Underworld] but that was in the past – it’s all about the new music for me right now and that’s what I want to focus on. It’s not something I want to play in my sets.”
It’s all about the new music for me right now and that’s what I want to focus on
And finding new music is what Emerson does best. His Underwater record label launched the careers of house music stars such as Tim Deluxe, Paul Woolford and Steve Mac but now, as Emerson explains, with changing priorities it is time for a new evolution in his career. “I’ve not had Underwater for the last couple of years which is why I’m starting my new label Detone,” he says. “I’ve been working constantly in the studio the last few years and I’m looking forward to getting the music out there but I also have my family and the time I do get I want to spend with them.” With the annual Miami Winter Music Conference tractor beam locked on to his hard drive, Emerson has a few surprises up his sleeve for the music masses under the humid Florida sun, including his much anticipated longplayer. “I’m promo-ing my new single from my new label in Miami called Hard For Slow. I’ve several new singles coming out on the label over the next few months and I’ve just finished my artist album which is more Balearic and song-based.” His Uruguay, Singapore and Bogota Global Underground back catalogue hints that he is a true journeyman of the scene, rarely appearing in the booth in his home country. “These things come in waves, don’t they? I had my residency at the end for years and when that closed it was really upsetting; it had been my spiritual home for such a long time. We’re looking at putting on a new night and hopefully it’ll be as successful, if not more so.” While only stopping over in Australia for a few short dates during his whirlwind world tour in April, the powerhouse technician is already looking forward to a longer visit in the future. “I’m away from my family for five to six weeks as I’m touring the US, Australia and Asia. I’d love to come back for a longer tour of course, I love Australia and have a lot of friends there.” Catch Darren live at Academy on Friday April 2. Tickets from kicksentertainment.com.au .
17
I LOVE LUCILLE katy hall It’s that 50/50 chance you take when heading into a casino, really. You either win big or lose big. So when Sid O’Neil, lead singer of Melbourne outfit THE VASCO ERA decided to chance his luck and head down to the Crown, he managed to stumble upon the theme of their next album in the characters of Lucille and Sam. “We’d been rehearsing for about ten months and were starting to feel a bit unsure about things,” says bassist Ted O’Neil. “It just happened that one night Sid went to the casino as a complete departure of what he normally does and ended up meeting this couple.” “He only talked to them for about an hour, but their story really stuck with him. This guy and girl were so in love with each other; he was devoutly religious, but she had to strip to make money for them. Thinking about the emotions and anxieties that it would lead to and being in the situation of watching your girlfriend having to do that, and him trying to save her from that was something we were all into and something that Sid felt really interested in.”
With this album it felt like we could explore more and go anywhere we wanted to
And so from the brief encounter, Lucille and Sam were born. The characters play through the entire album (titled simply Lucille), tracking each other through all the emotions one could ever experience in a wayward relationship. “There’s a lot of things you can find when you’re on the outside,” says O’Neil. “We were looking into a fictional relationship and imagining what could happen. There wasn’t an exact moment where we decided that we’d make an album about it. It started with a couple of songs, and started to unfold, and as we saw it, it just gradually became an album of songs and something we decided to make whole. It was so different to our first album that it was really good for us to do something so different.” The Vasco Era’s debut album, 2007’s Oh We Do Like To Be Beside The Seaside saw the trio slammed onto the nationwide scene, tour the country relentlessly on several occasions, and leave their hometown and head across the Atlantic. “It was a really huge jump for us, once the first album was out,” O’Neil explains. “But that’s what we’d been working for and that’s what we wanted. It’s what all musicians want I think.” However, the unmistakable differences between the albums which resonate for listeners of old and new are not lost to the band. “The first album was pretty personal, it felt like we had strict parameters. With this one it felt like we could explore more and go anywhere we wanted to, really. I feel like we’ve matured a bit. While it sounds stupid to say you never stop learning, I think that it’s true and it will be true for the next album we make,” O’Neil quips wisely. The Vasco Era will play the ANU Bar on Wednesday April 14. Tickets through Ticketek.
18
19
national youth april 8-18 Thursday 8 April Gugan Gulwan Youth Aboriginal Corporation – Open Day
Time: 10 – 2 pm. Where: Grattan Court, Wanniassa ACT. Contact: 6231 9555 Teletha@gugan-gulwan.com.au www.gugan-gulwan.com.au Cost: Free
Friday 9 April Official Launch of National Youth Week 2010 in the ACT Time: 9.10 - 10.00 am Where: Ainslie Arts Centre Elourea Street, Braddon. Contact: 6205 3064 www.youth.act.gov.au Cost: Free
Falun Gong. So come down and get involved with National Youth Week Expo, best of all it’s free. Time: 4 – 8pm. Where: Garema Place Who: 6247 3540. www.youthcoalition.net Cost: Free
Woden Youth Centre – Band Night
Time: 7pm Where: Woden Youth Centre 29 Callam St, Woden Contact: 6282 3037 wodenyouth@wcs.org.au Facebook “Woden Youth Centre” youtube.com/user/WodenYouthCentre Cost: Free
Saturday 10 April
Contact: Ellie Daly 62475611 www.canberracentre.com.au Cost: Free
Disco/Talent Night Captains Flat
Time: 6.30 to 8.30pm Where: Captains Flat, Community Hall Contact: Anita King an 0423 203 041 www.palerang.nsw.gov.au www.yass.nsw.gov.au www.qcc.nsw.gov.au www.youthweek.com Cost: $2
Soccer for Life Multicultural World Cup
Where: Hawker Football Centre, Hawker, Canberra. Contact: 6264 0260 soccerforlife@bcsact.com.au www.bcsact.com.au Cost: Free * Teams must register
YOUTH WEEK PAGE TWO RollerLIFTOUT Derby
Youth InterACT Conference “Live it Loud”
Friday Ap
ril 9
Time: 8.45am - 3.00pm Where: Ainslie Arts Centre Elourea Street, Braddon. Bus Route 7 Contact: 6205 3064 www.youth.act.gov.au Cost: Free *Must register to attend
Weston Creek and Tuggeranong Youth Centre Local Talent Battle
Time: 3 – 7pm Where: Tuggeranong Youth Centre Cnr Pitman & Howell Sts Tuggeranong Contact: 6293 2146 www.commsatwork.org Cost: Free *Register your act, band or crew with Rebecca on rebecca.james@commsatwork.org
Jervis/Wreck Bay Family and Community Day TheCanberra Centre Wearable Art Competition Exhibition Launch DubDub Goose Friday April 9
National Youth Week Expo
Information stalls, performances, workshops, live music and theatre for and by young people aged 12 to 25 years old, including: Dub Dub Goose, Indigenous Hip Hop Project, Astrochem, Please to Jive You, Rollerderby, Parkour, Sassier, Campbell High School Big Band, Music for Everyone, Messenger Troupe, Jumptown Swing,
20
Time: 3:00 pm Where: Upper Glass Floor area of the Canberra Centre Contact: Ellie Daly 6247 5611 www.canberracentre.com.au Cost: Free
Canberra Institute of Technology, Australian Teachers of Media and ACT Filmmakers Network - Vacant Lot Film Event
Time: 4.00 – 6.00 pm Where: Canberra Centre, Ground Floor next to Myers
Time: 11.00 until 4.00pm (and 11 April 12.00pm until 4.00pm) Where: Wreck Bay Community Hall, Wreck Bay Contact: 6205 3064 Cost: Free
Sunday 11 April Zone 16 Pony Club INC Camp
When: 11 - 17 April Where: At the Bungendore Show Grounds, Matthews Lane, Bungendore NSW 2621 Contact: Marion Whalan 0427 383 115 zone16pres@bigpond.com zone16.pcansw.org.au
week diary of events
Tuesday 13 April Bimberi Youth Justice Centre Expo
An opportunity for young people in Bimberi Youth Justice Centre to establish further
D
When: 12th & 13th April. Time: 9am – 5pm. Where: Bombala. Contact: 6248 5057 www.cyt.net or christine@cytc. net Cost: Phone for cost
Time: 11am Where: The Belconnen Gallery, Belconnen Community Centre, Swanston Crt Contact: Simone Penkethman 62640235 - simone.penkethman@bcsact.com.au www.bcsact.com.au Cost: Free
EA
You, Me and Us – Canberra Youth Theatre Regional Workshop
Belconnen Community Service presents the Pretty Macabre Exhibition Opening
Wednesday 14 April You, Me and Us! Canberra Youth Theatre Regional Workshop
When: 14th & 15th April Time: 9am – 5pm Where: Jindabyne Contact: 6248 5057 www.cyt.net christine@cytc.net Cost: Phone for cost
Wednesday 14 April
PA G
Where: Belconnen Bus Interchange Contact: 6205 2222 ACTkids@act.gov.au www.ACTkids.act.gov.au Cost: Free
LF
Children and Young People Commissioner (CYPC)
contacts with services and workers in the community Time: This is a closed event, by invitation only
JUMPTOWN SWING
HA
Monday 12 April
TUGGERANONG YOUTH CENTRE
Youth Homelessness Matters Day “Countdown… Everyone Counts” EVERY NIGHT, ACROSS AUSTRALIA MORE THAN 100,000 PEOPLE ARE HOMELESS. NEARLY HALF ARE UNDER 25. YHMD is about raising the public’s awareness and to celebrate the resilience of young people who are experiencing homelessness. Activities include: YHMD Tepee, Build your own Dream Home out of Cardboard Boxes, Couch Surf Race, BBQ, Guess how many young homeless jelly babies in the act competition, Live Music/DJ. Time: 11 – 2 pm Where: Garema Place Contact 6247 3540
youthweek@youthcoalition.net
21
Wednesday 14 April
national youth april 8-18
Thursday 15 April
You, Me and Us! Canberra Youth Theatre Regional Workshop
Children and Young People Commissioner (CYPC)
Where: Tuggeranong Bus Interchange Contact: 6205 2222 ACTkids@act.gov. au or www.ACTkids.act.gov.au Cost: Free
U-Turn Mural Art Launch - U-Turn Youth Services, Belconnen Community Service Time: 2pm – 4pm Where: U-Turn Youth Services, Corner of Chandler St and Swanson Crt, Belconnen. Contact: 6264 0260 uturn@bcsact.com.aU www.bcsact.com.au Cost: Free
When: 16th & 17th April Time: 9am – 5pm Where: Cooma Contact: 6248 5057 www.cyt.net or christine@cytc.net Cost: Phone for cost
KickStart Photo Language Exhibition Launch
Time: 5pm Where: Belconnen Arts Centre, Emu Bank, Belconnen Contact: 6163 0431 kate.cvetanovski@northside.asn.au Cost: Free Friday 16 April
nypp
D A E G A P HALF 22
Friday 16 April
Children and Young People Commissioner (CYPC)
Where: Woden Bus Interchange Contact: 6205 2222 ACTkids@act.gov.au or www.ACTkids.act.gov.au Cost: Free
h week diary of events The Canberra Centre Wearable Art Competition Winners Announcement
Time: 1pm Where: Upper Glass Floor area of the Canberra Centre Contact: Ellie Daly 6247 5611 www.canberracentre.com.au Cost: Free
Time: 6.30pm - 10.00pm Where: Rydges Lakeside Hotel Contact: 6205 9286 This is a closed event, by invitation only
Saturday 17 April Young Carers Day Out
ReconciliACT ANU ‘Short Blacks’ Film Night
Time: 10.00am to 4.00pm Contact: 6232 2436 This is a closed event, by invitation only
Time: 6.15pm for a 6.30 - 9pm Where: National Film and Sound Archive, McCoy Circuit Acton Contact: Sophia: 0427 697 083 Sophia.christoe@anu.edu.au Cost: Free
Make, Believe Art Exhibition Opening Night and Fashion Parade Time: 6pm Where: ANCA Gallery 1 Rosevear Place, Dickson Contact: 62478736 anca@canberra.net.au www.anca.canberra.net.au Cost: Free
Young Canberra Citizen of the Year Awards 2010
A Gender Agenda Youth GenderSlam
Time: 7 - 10pm Where: Corroborree Park Function Room, Ainslie. (There will be a shuttle transport bus from Civic) Contact: 0416 851 894 gabriellehitch@hotmail.com genderrights.org.au Cost: Free
Sunday 18 April Sudanese Youth Association ACT Soccer Event
Sudanese Youth Association ACT Basketball Event Time: 3 – 5.30 pm Where: ANU Cost: Free
Time: 11.30 am – 5.30 pm Where: Bruce Field Contact: 0432 523 468 cephasdegarang@yahoo.com Cost: Free
Gungahlin Youth Centre and Regional Community Service – Expo 10
Monarch Madness Gridiron Game and BBQ
Time: 12 – 4 pm Where: Yerrabi Ponds – Gungahlin Skate Park Contact: Inge Shaw 62289210 grcscsm@gungahlin.org Cost: Free
Time: 1 – 4 pm Where: Yarralumla Oval Yarralumla Contact: 0407 008 626l cbollard@tpg.com.au Cost: Free
UC UNDERGRADS PROGRAM
23
Sunday 18 April
national youth april 8-18
You, Me and Us! Canberra Youth Theatre Regional Workshop
Contact: 6248 5057 www.cyt.net or christine@cytc.net Cost: Phone for cost
Events Over the Week Motorcycle Trials
Trials Club of Canberra Motorcycle riders doing crazy stuff Time: 10 - 3pm Where: Property at the bottom of Coulter Drive - COOK ACT Contact: David Ault 6259 0000 dault@pcug.org.au trialsclubofcanberra.ridenet.com.au Cost: Free
Daramalan Theatre Company and Shadow House PITS presents Ich Bin Faust When: 6 – 10 April Time: 8.00 pm. Courtyard Studio Where: Canberra Theatre Centre Contact: Canberra Ticketing on 6275 2700 canberratheatrecentre.com.au Cost: Phone for cost
u turn soccer for life
24
Canberra Dramatics presents When He Was Famous
When: 8, 9, 10 and 15, 16 and 17 April Time: 7:30 (17 April matinee at 1:30pm) Where: Tuggeranong Arts Centre Contact: 6293 1443 www.canberradramatics.org.au Cost: Tickets $20 for adults and $15 for concession/students
U-Turn Youth Services School Holiday Activities
When: 12 – 16 April Time: 12 – 6 pm Where: Belconnen Youth Centre Contact: 6264 0260 uturn@bcsact.com.au www.bcsact.com.au Cost: Phone for cost
ich bin faust
h week diary of events Woden Youth Centre School Holiday Activities
When: 12 – 16 April Time: Monday to Thursday 12 – 5.30pm, Friday open 12 – 7 pm Where: Woden Youth Centre 29 Callam St, Woden, across from Woden bus interchange Contact: 6282 3037 wodenyouth@wcs.org.au Cost: Phone for cost
Contact: Simone Penkethman Phone: 62640235 simone.penkethman@bcsact.com.au www.bcsact.com.au Gum Boot Sophie Penkethman
Belconnen Community Service presents the Pretty Macabre Exhibition When: 6 – 23 April Where: The Belconnen Gallery, Belconnen Community Centre, Swanston Crt.
When: 14 – 25 April Time: 12 – 5 pm Wednesday to Sunday Where: ANCA Gallery 1 Rosevear Place Dickson Contact: 62478736 anca@canberra. net.au www.anca.canberra.net.au Cost: Free
Other Youth Week Activities
Weston Creek and Tuggeranong Youth Centre School Holiday Activities
When: 12 – 21 April Time: Tuggeranong 2-6pm Monday –Friday, Weston Creek 3 -6pm Tuesday, Thursday & Friday Contact: 6293 2146 www.commsatwork.org rebecca.james@commsatwork.org Cost: Phone for cost
Make, Believe Art Exhibition
Australian Red Cross Pal Up Project
A support group for newly arrived young people from refugee or asylum seeker background to attend National Youth Week events. Contact: 6234 7602 Kristine Flanagan kflanagan@redcross.org.au
Northside Community Service Presents the KickStart Photo Language Exhibition
When: 15 – May 2 Where: Belconnen Arts Centre, Emu Bank, Belconnen Contact: 6163 0431 kate.cvetanovski@northside.asn.au
music for everyone
Look out for the National Youth Week TV ad to be screened on Southern Cross 10. Local film maker Aj Biega has made an ad to promote local events and activities that will be happening during National Youth Week When: Leading up to and during National Youth Week Where: On your telly!
???
25
ALL AGES First of all, I feel that I should correct some mistakes I made in the last issue about two gigs. Queanfest 2 at the Queanbeyan Youth Centre on Saturday April 17 with bands Heartbreak Club, Super Best Friends, Steady the Fall, Final Lies and more to be announced, will unfortunately not be featuring Atlantis Awaits. But on a brighter note it’s a FREE event. Also, Steady the Fall’s gig with AstroChem and No Assumption at the Woden Youth Centre will actually take place on Saturday May 15 rather than Thursday April 15 as posted in the last issue. Tickets cost $5 and are sold at the door. Sorry about all the confusion, guys. Well, thanks to the National event that is Youth Week, the kind souls at Woden Youth Centre (god bless them) are hosting a FREE gig in honor of the annual celebrations. You will have a chance to catch rising local bands Final Lies, Steady the Fall and Friend or Enemy free of charge. Doors open at 6pm on Friday April 9, and as for tickets, you don’t even need one! Then, on Sunday April 11 will be the first ‘non-hardcore’ gig to be hosted by our newest venue, The Warehouse in Fyshwick. Headlining is Sydney five-piece punk/ska band Chris Duke and The Royals and the bill also features punk band The Decline all the way from Perth, as well as local bands Steady the Fall, Humanimals and Short Fuse. This will be a spectacular feel-good gig that simply should not be missed by anybody who likes their heart pumping. At this point ticket prices are unknown, but doors open at 3pm. Go get your skanking boots on.
26
Finally the highly anticipated Fireworks tour is approaching. Sensational pop punk band Fireworks have jetted all the way from Detroit to headline a tour of Australia with Sydney pop punk band Heroes for Hire, who I am sure we are all somewhat familiar with. The spectacular lineup will be hitting Canberra on Wednesday April 21 for a gig at the Tuggeranong Youth Centre. The gig starts at 6pm and for this gig you’ll most likely have to buy your tickets in advance, they cost only $15 (+BF) from any Moshtix outlet. Now, I am aware that usually there is not much mention of things like this in the AA column, but the god honest truth is that everybody loves and needs a little bit of stand-up every now and again. For just $39-$49.90 you can catch a show by the legendary and obscure Tom Green (far more widely known as ‘that guy from Freddy Got Fingered). THAT’S RIGHT, Freddy will be in Canberra for one night only and this is one funny bastard that you simply can’t afford to miss. The show begins at 7.30 at The Canberra Theatre on Saturday April 10. Just to notify you all long in advance of this particular event, Evergreen Terrace from Florida, USA will be in Canberra on Tuesday May 18 at the Tuggeranong Youth Centre. Accompanying them on their tour of the country will be another Florida band Casey Jones and Newcastle band Dropsaw. Tickets are on sale now! Once again, purchase them in advance; they cost $36.30 (+BF) from Moshtix. NAOMI FROST allagescolumn@gmail.com
E X H I B I T I O N I S T on the particular audience, the universal appreciation comes from the production’s underlying message. “In terms of jokes and references I would say it varies from place to place,” says Scannell. “But essentially The Walworth Farce is a family story, told with a darkly comic heart. It is about a father trying to protect his sons in a way – a very extreme way, sure – but everyone has families who they want to protect. Everyone can relate to that.”
WALWORTH A LOOK AND BETTER THAN A SLAP IN THE FARCE BEN HERMANN At first glance, THE WALWORTH FARCE both looks and sounds like a show written to be performed by high-school drama departments: relying on acutely British humour and replete with dress-ups, it doesn’t appear to be the type of show that has the ability to strike deep in the hearts of audiences all around the world. But the production, which first opened in 2006 and was commissioned by Ireland’s most prestigious and internationally-renowned theatre company, Druid Ireland, does just that. It’s difficult to explain the premise of The Walworth Farce because it is so, well, farcical. Set in a council flat on the 15th floor of a tower block on the Walworth Road, Dinny and his two sons Blake and Sean act out in the apartment, each and every day, the day Dinny left Ireland to live in London. The repetitive acting out of the story is Dinny’s attempt to protect Sean and Blake, by teaching and reminding them of how London is peopled by barbaric hordes who are only out to get them. But like any message repetitively stated, it has lost its meaning on Sean and Blake. Their simmering boredom and agitation is brought to the fore one day when Hayley – the cashier from the local Tesco – follows Sean home to deliver his forgotten shopping. With the addition of an outside, objective observer, Dinny, Sean and Blake, along with the audience, are given a mirror whose reflection of the farce shows its darker, more disturbing, but at the same time, its most heartfelt elements; what the audience first sees as humorous and endearing is revealed by Hayley to be so much more. And so it is, that what at first appears to be a superficial comedy becomes shockingly, nearly horrifying realistic, and the real ‘farce’ seems to be the fact that such a meaningful, deepreaching production is clothed in frenetic, madcap slapstick. The play, now in its fifth year, and with its second cast, is making its first journey to Australia. Raymond Scannell, who plays the character of Blake, points out that, although the play’s humour may hit or miss depending
The play was written by Enda Walsh, who has long been considered a vanguard of contemporary Irish theatre, and has had his plays translated into more than 20 languages. With The Walworth Farce, he has created a play which is, essentially, a farce in itself – a play about people constantly re-enacting a story which, being a touring play, must itself be re-performed identically night after night. “Yes, it can feel a bit like life imitating art,” says Scannell. “Having to bring yourself to such emotional and physical extremes every night can be very taxing on the brain and body.” Added to that is the fact that Scannell, alongside Michael Glenn Murphy (Dinny) and Tadhg Murphy (Sean) are professional actors who, in the production, are required to imitate people who are in fact bad actors. “Well, you’d have to ask Michael and Tadhg about that. In rehearsal, [director] Mikel Murfi discussed with me the fact that Blake has to be a good actor. He’s a good mimic. But Tadhg and Michael do a fantastic job. Not many people realise that it’s harder to act at being a bad actor, than to act well.” The reason why Blake is required to be a good actor is that, in the Farce, he is given not only the most characters, but the most difficult to play. Dinny plays only himself as the father, while Sean plays a small amount of men. Blake, on the other hand, plays a plethora of characters, including all the relevant females, one of which is his absent mother. It is through Blake’s inhabitation of the women – and most importantly his own mother – that the onion skin-like layers of the play are shown. What sounds at first like cheap laughs is in fact disturbing and a little macabre. “The character of Blake, like many people, has been a bit misguided from a crucial stage,” says Scannell. “He has been pretty much cooped up in a flat for the last 20 years, replaying the same story. So it’s life under a microscope. He thinks, feels, loves, hates and acts in extremes, because this is all he knows. For him, playing female characters makes sense only within the story. It brings up faint memories of his mother to be playing her, and it actually shows that his love for his family is unquestionable.” Ultimately, The Walworth Farce appeals to the love, adoration, resentment, and irrationality that can only reach such great heights when encountered in a familial context. As the New York Times has suggested, it is a “homecoming for all those who have felt trapped by the way their families rewrite history.” “I’ve definitely had to face some demons when playing Blake, to make the character more real,” admits Scannell. “But that’s what’s great about it too. It’s human, beautiful, funny, and dark. And like any great play, everyone can see themselves in the characters.” The Walworth Farce plays at the Canberra Theatre from 7-10 April. Tickets from Canberra Theatre.
27
X
H
I
B
I
T
I
O
N
I
S
T bjorn goodwin
E
thou shalt covet thy neighbour’s pants katherine quinn What would futurist aliens wear if they were ridiculously stylish humans who lived in the present? ELEVENTH COMMANDMENT clothing, according to the label’s co-founder Henry Holland. Eleventh Commandment has followed in the footsteps of brands like Ksubi and One Teaspoon, delivering Aussie made denim and apparel with a grungy, paleo-future edge. The brand is the next feature label at Party by Jake’s Heartbeat, showcased alongside live music by Sydney-based DJ Cassian. “So much of what we do is influenced by music, which is why it’s so exciting for us to get involved with Party by Jake,” Henry says. “We’re constantly playing music and drawing from it, everything from Bloody Beetroots to Jimi Hendrix to Billie Holliday.” Believe it or not, this cool cat used to write for BMA, before leaving the ‘Berra to make his fortune and see the world. “When I was travelling occasionally someone would come up to me and even though we couldn’t speak the same language, we would indicate that we liked each other’s style,” Henry tells me. “Our motto is ‘style is a language’: it’s a way of communicating to others, something that you use to relate to people and to define yourself.” Eleventh Commandment’s irreverent mix of conventionality and originality provides the perfect companion to Cassian’s crisp, funkinfused dance music. With a focus on making “musical dance music,” Cassian incorporates instruments such as organ, bass and guitar in order to “keep the laptop out of it for as long as possible”. A commerce student by day, Cassian was discovered by Bang Gang DJs after posting his songs on MySpace. This quickly led to a Triple J favourite Friday Night, with two new singles set to be released in 2010. “I was in a band and the lead singer’s big brother worked at a club in King’s Cross,” Cassian says, of how he first got into the dance music scene. “He let me use the gear in the club when it was closed, and I figured it out. It just felt like the right thing to do; it came about really naturally.” As for Henry, he jokes that he “started Eleventh Commandment because we had too much time and too much money - now we have no time and no money! It was a huge gamble, but we’re starting to get a solid following now which is great to see.” And who wouldn’t abide by the Eleventh Commandment, with jeans and hoodies in electrifying tie-dyed colours and prints that look like they’ve been sent from outer space. So any advice to those wanting to enter the fashion industry, Henry? “Don’t. It’s ours,” he responds, and I’m not sure if he’s joking or not. “We will fight you if necessary. I can throw tins of tuna with deadly accuracy, and Josh once killed a man. But that is a story for another time.” Eleventh Commandment will show as part of Party By Jake’s next Heartbeat event at Transit Bar on April 10.
28
people in glass houses Yolande Norris Site specific artworks, and exhibitions that exist outside of a gallery context, are fickly beasts. When they work, they are fantastic, thrilling - a revelation. The trouble is, they often don’t. This conundrum is currently being brought to light by the Canberra Glassworks, who have handed the reins to independent curator Narelle Phillips for their latest exhibition POWERHOUSE. Phillips has invited eight artists (not all necessarily of the glass persuasion) to respond to the Glassworks building – the antiquated Kingston Power House. The building truly is something to behold – particularly in the context of the historyhungry Canberra sprawl. The cavernous structure, with its industrial fixtures and nonsensical collage of windows, doors and corridors has a wonderfully imposing, and perhaps slightly whimsical presence. Herein lies a problem. I am instantly reminded of my ventures to Cockatoo Island for the 2008 Sydney Biennale. Also a historical and imposing locale, Cockatoo Island proved a problematic setting for the viewing and consideration of art, difficult to identify where the artworks were, and indeed where the Island’s daunting infrastructure ended and the art began. But to return to the Glassworks, and a similar predicament. The artworks are displayed throughout the building, both inside and out, with a small selection in the designated gallery space, and a map provided to assist in location. It is the works presented in the gallery that are shown to their best advantage. Jacqueline Bradley displays yet another elegant, slightly skewed take on domesticity, and twisted clusters of phosphorescent resin light bulbs by Bjorn Godwin draw the audience in towards them. Further into the building, the project appears to have brought out different aspects of many of the artists’ practices. Local glass-world favourite Trish Roan displays an uncharacteristic industrial edge with her contribution Longing, while sculptor Geoff Farquhar-Still makes a subtle intervention within the building’s lift that is a far cry from his usual approach. Adelaide artist Nicholas Folland’s ever growing and melting ice piece, a truly remarkable creation but understated for him, is let down by its position above the stairs (although it manages to alert visitors to its presence by dripping on their heads). The majority of works, however, are overshadowed by both the overwhelming surrounds in which they appear and the way in which audiences engage (or don’t engage) with the infrastructure of the building. I would have missed both Roan and Farquhar-Still’s works completely had I not asked for help to find them. On the whole, Powerhouse presents itself as the sketch of a great idea that could and should be built upon, with more fully realised works that make a greater impact on the space. It does, however, give you the perfect excuse to inspect all corners of the Glassworks you may not have otherwise yet visited – a licence to explore. Powerhouse is on show at the Canberra Glassworks until April 29.
ARTISTPROFILE: TJ Phillipson
What do you do (ie, in the arts)? Photography/Video/make things. When did you get into it? 2002. I discovered the joys of being in a darkroom and went from there. Who or what influences you as an artist? I find I’m influenced mostly by culture. A YouTube video with a kitten in a box, or a bad ‘80s movie, or Today Tonight… real life often gives me the most ridiculous ideas. What’s your biggest achievement so far? Being awarded a Canberra Contemporary Art Space residency. What are your plans for the future? Moving to London at the end of 2010. See how that goes, then maybe onto Berlin or Paris to live the bohemian dream. What makes you laugh? Bike stacks on Funniest Home Videos, things that have been shrunk in ovens, Cake Wrecks (it’s the best blog ever - cakewrecks.blogspot. com/), it always cheers me up. What pisses you off? Bad coffee and dickheads at gigs who buy two drinks at once and think it’s funny to push people over. You know the type. What’s your opinion of the local scene? Canberra always surprises me - one minute everything is happening and its great, other times it’s a ghost town. But overall, for its size, it’s a pretty exciting place. What are your upcoming performances/exhibitions? I am in a group show called Musk with two other Canberra artists at M16 Artspace in Kingston. Opens April 15 at 6pm. Contact info: www.tarrantj.com, mail@tarrantj.com
29
UN I N H I B I T E D Here at Uninhibited we’ve been thinking a lot about acquisitions recently, both personal and national. Par example, we went to Blaze #4 at CCAS the other day while on an innocent Gorman House shopping experience and wandered out madly texting our art world contacts to try to buy some of the pieces on show there (Erica Hurrell, if you’re reading this, we’d really like some of your trashily decadent party images. Call us.). Our interest was further piqued by the recent announcement of the National Gallery’s acquisition of an 1892 five-colour lithograph by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec. Toulouse-Lautrec is, of course, our favourite dwarfish absinthe-and-whore addicted artist and the news that his piece Eldorado was bought by the Gallery prompted both glee and envy: glee that there will be another of his gorgeously coloured pictures to gaze at, and envy that we at Uninhibited don’t have the possible 300K needed to pony up for personal ownership. We have never acquired a serious work of art before (apart from inheritance and gifts – unless you count the amazing life-sized portrait of Jesus picked up from out back of Menzies library one night). With the calendar year clocking through our 29th year on this earth, we think perhaps its time to do so - for the good of our walls and eyes and hearts and egos… and so we can say we own at least one asset apart from a massive cedar chest of drawers and a mouldering handful of first edition Evelyn Waughs.
30
Yes, Uninhibited (or the writer thereof) recently turned 28. It’s a terrifyingly old age to be when one has no super, no house, no ceiling lining on one’s rapidly dilapidating car, and an employment history as varied and relevant to the current economic climate as those old Target pick-and-mix sweet stands. It’s not all bad – we have a healthy variety of experiences and anecdotes with which to entertain and instruct: like the time we saw Alice Cooper in the Canberra Centre, and about how we aren’t going to the Masterpieces exhibition because we “went to the Musee Dorsay not that long ago, and it’s not that good anyway”. About how The Waste Land becomes much less opaque on the forty-second reading, or how WE remember grunge the FIRST time around and it wasn’t about the flippin’ haircuts, man. It’s always good to take stock at these times – to pause and reflect upon what one has (see above) and what one would like to have when the next anniversary of one’s birth rears its increasingly crows-nested head. What Uninhibited would like, apart from world peace, a cure for cancer, the timely death of Tony Abbott, and a first edition of Cold Comfort Farm and/or a new car (the first three being glorious dreams and the latter two of which would set you back around about the same amount) is a more orderly, mature life. The ability to talk politely on the telephone, and to return movies to the video store on time. Less nights waking up in a cold sweat because we didn’t put the bins out for the third week in a row. A working knowledge of money. And maybe, just maybe, a nice series of decadent photographs by Erica Hurrell, to remind Uninhibited of life before maturity. NAOMI MILTHORPE naomi@bmamag.com
bit PARTS WHO: Max Cullen WHAT: Faces in the Street: A Salute to Henry Lawson WHEN: April 10 – 24 @ 8pm WHERE: Street Two, The Street Theatre There was movement at the station, for the word had passed around… wait. That’s a different guy, innit? O no… Max Cullen will give us a beating. That’s right – veteran Aussie actor and all round awesome gent Max Cullen will be performing at The Street postEaster with his original solo work Faces in the Street: A Salute To Henry Lawson. You may think you know Lawson, but, like us, probably don’t. Find out more by checking out Faces in the Street, a witty and moving portrait of this great Australian.
WHO: Stuart Cohen WHAT: 5 Nights WHEN: April 1 - 5 WHERE: National Folk Festival 5 Nights is an exhibition of happy snaps (and actually pretty good uns) by lensman Stuart Cohen, celebrating our favourite patchoulidrenched destination event, the National Folk Festival. For five nights over Easter for the last 43 years, great swarms of the adorable unwashed have traipsed through our town, bringing peace, love and Hot Orange Juice for our delectation, and Cohen has captured it all! Better yet: not only are the pics of the Folky, but they’re being shown exclusively at the Folky – so you better buy yourself a ticket.
WHO: Beth Jennings WHAT: Leaving Traces WHEN: April 14 - 27 WHERE: The Front Gallery and Café, Lyneham Shops More photos – this time by Canberra-based photographer Beth Jennings, who has travelled the world over taking lovely pitchers of lovely places and the people in them. Huzzah! Beth says: “Who can explain the connection a person feels to an old courtyard in Berlin, sand dunes in the Sahara or a field of grass in Toronto? It happens, and my role is to capture that connection. This exhibition brings to light our link to the landscape and the traces we leave behind.” The exhibition is running at The Front and is entirely free. Check out her work at www.bethjennings.com.au .
WHO: Canberra Dramatics WHAT: When He Was Famous WHEN: April 8 – 17 @ 7.30pm WHERE: Tuggeranong Arts Centre Canberra Dramatics are back at the TCA with their latest work by Can playwright Seth Robinson. To quote: “This play is the hilarious story of a Hollywood bad boy who doesn’t believe in the straight and narrow and manages to slide his way out of ANYTHING. Robert J. Taylor’s life is all about women, drinking and an illegal form of rodent tranquilizer that induces some great hallucinations. He constantly finds himself getting in trouble, but he’s about to find out that it’s the few things he can’t have that will change his life for good!” Word.
WHO: Artists WHAT: The story is the thing: An exhibition of artists’ books WHEN: Submissions close Monday April 26 WHERE: ACT Writers Centre
WHO: John Sharman WHAT: Carnival, Caterpillars and Cars WHEN: March 27 - April 11 2010 WHERE: Paintbox Fine Art Gallery, Lonsdale St Braddon
If you are an artist, then maybe this would be up your alley. The ACT Writers Centre is calling for entries for an exhibition to be held in June, The story is the thing: An exhibition of artists’ books. To quote: “Artists’ books are books (usually handmade) which are themselves considered to be a work of art. The story component of entries may be the creation of the book artist, or it may be a collaboration (for example, a writer provides the story and a book artist makes the book). The books can be sculptural in form and can be made of materials not usually associated with books.” Entries to the exhibition close April 26. For info and entry forms head to www.actwriters.org.au .
South coast artist John Sharman has a new exhibit on at Paintbox Fine Art called Carnival, Caterpillars and Cars. To quote: “The transformation flows from his brushes just as easily as the sand in his much loved beachscapes. The essence of Sharman’s work is in the mood, light and shade that his deft brushwork achieves as he renders the paint to board or canvas. To capture the melting heat of a deserted mining camp, or catch the mood of the holiday carnival requires masterful skills that convey these elements.”
31
COMING HOME
WELL VORN
ELSBETH HASTINGS
Melissa Wellham
At the start of 2007, local lad Kieran Ryan finally grew tired of the Canberra winter chill and went in search of sunnier climes, eventually hanging his hat on the Gateway Bridge – metaphorically, of course. It was here, within Brisbane’s thriving scene, that he formed folk-tinged alt-country group CASCADEER. But as Kieran explains, starting a band was never really part of the plan.
Canberra expat troubadour-type VORN DOOLETTE is self-effacing, self-deprecating and, well, a nice guy dedicated to his craft. Which he seems to think explains his preoccupation with making folk music. “I’ve always been strangely predisposed to folk… maybe because I’m a wussy man.”
“The move wasn’t musically motivated in any way, shape or form,” he says. “In fact at the time when I moved up I really had let go of music and was actually more focused on theatre.” After a year of working in Brisbane’s cafés and hospitals however, the creative urge struck again. He enrolled in a music course at QUT and found himself in the midst of a I’ll be more nervous fertile musical community.
in Canberra than any other show I’ve played in Brisbane
“Basically through that degree, 90 percent of my musical endeavours of the last few years have evolved, whether it’s been through meeting other like-minded people, other bands and also learning the skills and being given the mentorship,” he says. “It’s a very productionbased university, so they do a lot more of the composing and recording side of things as opposed to performance and traditional classical musical areas.” After Kieran’s teenage foray into the world of angsty pop punk during his Canberra years, Cascadeer presents an altogether more refined sound. Built around the man’s gentle vocal delivery and finger picked acoustic, the sound is filled out with layers of electric guitars, horns, banjo and vocal swells. “In the last few years I’ve been going down a very country, Americana-based listening experience,” Kieran explains. “Bands like the Avett Brothers from America are where we pull a lot of our cheesier, hammy country licks from and inspired us to whip out the banjo and get a bit more of the thigh-slapping country stuff going on. Likewise, we definitely draw inspiration from more layered and textured sounds like Fleet Foxes or Art of Fighting.” For their first out of town shows, the streamlined six-piece incarnation of Cascadeer will be teaming up with Brisbane compatriots Epithets and Canberra’s Voss. For Kieran, the prospect of returning home is exciting, though just a little nerve-racking. “I think I’ll probably be more nervous in Canberra than any other show I’ve played in Brisbane, because I’ve got a lot of family who I’m sure will be more than happy to come down and embarrass me at Transit Bar,” he laughs. “But on the other hand I’m really looking forward to being able to show them something that I’ve been working on since I’ve moved away from Canberra. I’m pretty proud of the sounds we’ve been coming up with and I’m really happy we get the chance to do it now while we’ve got a full band and a recent recording. Hopefully my grandma will be there!” Cascadeer play with Voss and Epithets at Transit Bar on Thursday April 8.
32
After splitting with Canberra project One Night Jam – another folk group, known for their absurd songs about plants becoming Prime Minister and zombies eating ice cream – Vorn moved to Adelaide where he has continued making music, with no small amount of success. In 2008 his single 9 Songs a Problem won the triple j Top Song Competition in South Australia, which led to the release of his debut self-titled album in 2009. Vorn’s album is by turns emotionally vulnerable and surprisingly funny, and his rich voice is a treat to listen to. More recently, he kicked off the year performing at WOMADelaide, before moving on to a national tour. Vorn is enthusiastic when talking about the tour, but admits that next time he won’t “stay at friend’s houses, because you just end up staying up until four o’clock in the morning getting drunk.”
I’d like to play on the moon
Vorn will be playing at the National Folk Festival, and it is clear that “Canberra’s beatnik culture,” as he puts it, has contributed to his musical education. As well as acts like The Waifs, Paul Kelly and Tom Waits, he cites Canberra locals as influences, including Mr Fibby and the late Dahahu. Later in the year Vorn will be playing at the CMJ Music Festival in New York. He admits he has never travelled overseas and so is currently “freaking in his jocks,” but also sounds hopeful about travel prospects in the future. “I just want to play everywhere, see as many places as possible and meet as many people.” Anywhere in particular he’d like to go? “I’d like to play on the moon,” he quips. When it’s pointed out that venues would be pretty sparse, he remarks “even worse than Canberra,” with some affection. Despite joking that I should close the interview with some negative publicity to pique interest – a rumour about Vorn stealing lunch money, perhaps? – he finishes the interview as he began: modest, and all about the music. Vorn admits that he has been in fewer musical projects than he could count on one hand, because he “likes to do them properly.” This commitment is evident when asked about his long term goals. “I just want to get a lot better at playing and perfect what I’m doing. Perfect the performance so that when people come and see me, the performance is 100 percent kick-ass good.” Kick-ass good? He laughs. “Yeah. Kick-ass good.” Catch Vorn at the National Folk Festival, held at Exhibition Park from Thursday-Monday April 1-5. Tickets can be purchased from www. folkfestival.asn.au/tickets .
NEOPOLITAN DREAMS STEPHEN SAMARA LISA MITCHELL’s career has been bolstered by her appearance on Australian Idol, making it to the final six before being eliminated, but her album Wonder, released last July, has diverged from the show and given her a new name with a sound to go with it. “I couldn’t help but bring my own influences into the show,” says Lisa, talking to me on the phone in the stairwell after a show in Manchester. “My time on Australian Idol isn’t relevant, but I’m not sick of it. My life is completely different from that.” Lisa’s agenda for 2010 includes playing the summer festivals in the United Kingdom, an Australian tour in May, a potential show in New York in April and, in her own words, “lots of travelling and gigs.”
I’m inspired by a lot of everyday things, like a perfectly boiled egg on toast
Wonder has received a largely positive response. “From the amount of people coming up to me after shows, it must be going quite well,” she quips. Lisa states that her influences don’t just come from music. It’s evident that Wonder has a magical folk-esque sheen to it, with some reference to the songwriting and structure of Bob Dylan’s songs. “I’m inspired by a lot of everyday things too,” she says. “Like a perfectly boiled egg on toast.” At only 19, Lisa is a young achiever in the Australian music scene. Is the recognition and reputation too much to handle for someone her age? “I don’t know what this life is like at any other age,” she replies. It might just be the case that her unique music having such exposure is injecting some fundamentally decent music into the mainstream. Along the way, Lisa has had the opportunity to work with such artists as Clare Bowditch and, of course, Ben Lee. “Ben is a really lovely and very positive man. We ended up writing a song together but it didn’t go on the album. We’ve done nothing with it,” says Lisa regarding her collaboration with Lee. Aside from the realm of music, there are elements in her music which give hints to her life, especially elements of the fantastical. “I’m fascinated by fantasy. I loved Spirited Away and Alice In Wonderland.” In a world where Myspace and Facebook are helping young musicians promote their own music, Lisa’s advice to the budding young songwriters of her generation is thus. “Take your time. You’re not under a ticking time bomb. Everything that happens happens, it’s all about fate. Be open and be positive, but you also have to be careful.” After three nominations for ARIA Awards within six months of her album coming out and a chart position of six, in addition to a Big Day Out slot and her songs being used in commercials and video games, Lisa Mitchell is destined to achieve her goals in the near future, if they haven’t already been achieved. Catch Lisa Mitchell the Groovin’ The Moo Festival on Sunday May 9 at the University of Canberra. Tickets through Moshtix.
33
METALISE Brutal greetings thrashers. I’m thinking I’ll reverse the trend of announcing more international tours in the column by letting you know that the Paradise Lost and Stryper tours have been cancelled. The Paradise Lost tour due to “promotional problems” – get your refund at the place of purchase. Stryper has been postponed, and to hell with the devil if I know when they’re coming back but I shall persevere until I do. There have been many rumblings of other long stay metal and hard rockin’ outfits coming out though, either officially or about to be announced. The Cult, for example. The band are bringing their Love tour to Australia to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the album with the same name and hit The Big Top at Luna Park in Sydney on Thursday May 6. Tickets at Ticketek. On the rumours front, Metallica are dropping hints for a Q3 or Q4 Aussie tour and that’s looking more and more likely with the rumour coming from Lars himself. A Metallise get well card to a pioneer and champion of the double kicks, Pete Sandoval, who is currently recuperating from an operation to relieve chronic back problems. Tim Yeung (Hate Eternal/Divine Heresy et al) will fill in for Sandoval whilst he recovers. The Black Dahlia Murder and Unearth are heading down for a run of seven Australian shows in late May/early June. The Sydney show is all ages at The Factory Theatre on Monday May 31. The Black Dahlia Murder are touring their Deflorate record. The Dillinger Escape Plan tickets have also gone on sale and for 64 smackers the band plays The Metro on Friday May 21 with Maylene and The Sons of Disaster. Ticketek has got you covered for these tickets and the show is licensed all ages. Cunt Butcher, Grannyfist, Hell Mary and Teenage Skank Parade make an interesting combo for a live show and you can witness the grindin’ times at The Basement on Friday April 9. The following Friday (April 16), The Basement hosts a huge local show featuring System Addict, Loud So Clear, Barbarian and Imperial. The night after, Saturday April 17, there’s House of Thumbs, Melbourne rockers Heaven The Axe (featuring Steve Watts of Terrorust/Manticore on guitar), Spoil and Blindeyedgods. The Vivid Live Festival is happening over two weeks in Sydney in May/June and whilst Lou Reed or Laurie Anderson may not float the Metallise boat too much, welcome news that Japanese champions Boris will be doing a show on Friday May 28. The whole fest is on at the Opera House and the Boris show is at The Studio for $35 bucks, if you don’t wanna go see any of the other festival performances. The Red Shore is currently touring the country along with The Abandonment and Forgotten Rival. The tour includes an all ages show at The Jam Factory in Fyshwick on Wednesday April 28. Marty Friedman, he of the poodle locks, the Megadeth, the Cacophony and the shred, is doing a guitar clinic tour of Australia that hits Alan’s Music on Tuesday April 27 at 7.30pm. If you’re looking to add to your box of thrashin’ tricks, you can get tickets at the Alan’s Music website, www.allansmusic.com.au. Saturday May 8 at The Basement is an interesting show under the banner of Welcome to Slavery. The show features an eclectic lineup including Voltera, Sin City and Nobody Knew They Were Robots. I’ll track down some details in the coming weeks. Josh – np: Sink to the Centre – Age Eternal – Middian JOSH NIXON doomtildeath@hotmail.com
34
have failed to achieve. By combining the use of brutal screams, harmonic clean vocals and their uniquely organic instrumentals with atmospheric and ambient sub-tones, they have in fact perfected their sound.
ROCK YOU LIKE A HURRICANE naomi frost Having quickly risen to be one of our country’s most prestigious hardcore acts, Adelaide’s HOUSE VS. HURRICANE have taken yet another leap into the skies. Recently they’ve taken part in the Boys of Summer Tour with US hardcore legends Every Time I Die, they’ve travelled abroad for recording, have been signed by Shock Entertainment and have released their first full length and soon they’ll be back on the road, doing what they do best. I had the pleasure of chatting with highspirited vocalist Chris Dicker.
Overwhelmed by the distribution deal landed with Shock Entertainment, Dicker expresses his extreme gratitude towards the label. “Everything they said they’d deliver, they have and I have nothing but good things to say about that label,” he says. “We know what kind of a band we are, we know how we want to do it, so it’s really excellent to find a label that will give us that freedom.” The excitement caused by the album is leading House vs. Hurricane on the anxiously awaited Perspectives Tour. Accompanying them across the country will be New Zealand’s Antagonist AD and surging Australian hardcore band Mary Jane Kelly along with Gold Coast pop punk band Skyway. Anticipating what will be their most significant headline tour yet, Dicker says “let’s just have fun. That’s all we want to do on this tour, at every show just party!” Catch House vs. Hurricane and the other bands mentioned above live at an all ages show at The Warehouse in Fyshwick on Saturday April 3. Tickets through Moshtix.
House vs. Hurricane jetted halfway across the world to the US to record their unique and breathtaking debut full-length album Perspectives. In Baltimore the boys met celebrated producer Brian McTernan, who would craft their masterpieces into one of the most anticipated hardcore albums of 2010. “Brian personally is such a sweet dude,” says Dicker. “His experience is blatant. It shines through as soon as you talk to him about music.” McTernan has worked with impressive big names like From Autumn to Ashes, The Sleeping, Darkest Hour, Thrice, Emarosa and so many more. “Baltimore itself was a really fucked up place,” Dicker shares. “It was pretty intense, but ultimately I think the record is better for it. We came back a lot closer after that trip. We spent so much time together and shared such an experience.” Dicker eagerly shares that “lyrically, it’s quite a personal record. It’s myself and Ryan’s perspectives on a lot of things in our own lives and a lot of situations in the world around us that we all know shouldn’t be the way they are.” Maintaining the raw, post-hardcore sound that has won House vs. Hurricane the massive and devoted fanbase they have at present, Perspectives brings to the world a new sound that many musicians have strived for but
35
THE REALNESS I’ve now heard the entire new LP from Mantra entitled Power Of The Spoken on Obese Records and I can safely say that it both lives up to the hype and the symbolism of the album title itself with Mantra, as stated in his press release, blazing a lyrical path “driven by the importance of the verbalised thought.” The production didn’t hit me at first, but after a few listens it has truly sunken in… and how! Mista Savona, Count Bounce, Zim, Joe Louis and M-Phazes all supply a varied soundscape of different style beats which all compliment Mantra’s flow and subject matter perfectly. Following hot on the heels of his excellent debut LP of 2009, Thorts has dropped a new EP called Louder Actions Are Needed. 11 tracks deep, it plays more like a full length and Thorts has been very generous by offering up the entire release for free at www.myspace.com/ thortsthescorpion. Production comes from Proph 1, Efmp and Saint Surly with guest slots from Aetcix, 1/6, Kadyelle, Reach and Aamir. Heading down the bass music path I highly recommend two new EPs on Planet Mu. Firstly, Jamie Vex’d under his Kuedo moniker with his amazing Dream Sequence EP. Full of colour and fuzzy distortion adrift over thumping stuttering percussion, this is brilliant and vibrant stuff. Likewise, and even more neck-snapping, is the new EP Ultra Heat Treated from broken-beat specialist Slugabed. Tunes like Skyfire, Titan and Quantum Leap build the perfect bridge between a tough hip-hop aesthetic and deep resonant bass music. Absolutely mind shattering! Also just released is the new double A-side single on the ever dope Blunted Robots label featuring two big tunes from Bok Bok and Brackles + Shortstuff respectively, each melding dubstep basslines deeper into jittery garage influenced house. Outta Minneapolis is the new album from Mux Mool on Ghostly International. Skulltaste is IDM-tinged electro nostalgia with plenty of dub and hip-hop mixed in. A highly original sound chock-full of inspiration and tweaky, jangled sounds to keep your ears interested. Just on the horizon we can expect new albums from Sadat X who returns with Wild Cowboys II after a stint in the slammer. Beats come from Will Tell, Diamond D, DJ Spinna, Nick Wiz, 9th Wonder and Buckwild. Pete Rock, Rhymefest, Kurupt and Grand Puba are guesting too, so it’s quite a lineup. The first Wild Cowboys is a personal classic, so looking forward to this one. Marco Polo has teamed up with Rustee Juxx for a full length on Duck Down entitled The Exxecution – should be dope. DJ Rev is on the cuts, while Rock, Freddie Foxxx, Black Moon and Sean Price guest. To hear music from all these releases and more, tune to The Antidote on 2XX 98.3FM every Tuesday night from 9.30pm. ROSHAMBO roshambizzle@yahoo.com.au
36
AUTHOR [BODY] recommended word count 550
SOMETHING BORROWED, SOMETHING BLUEJUICE
BEN HERMANN
It’s an oft-quoted criticism of the instant-messaging phenomenon, the ability to both express and identify irony and sarcasm is hindered, if not completely disabled. Over the phone, vocal intonations and pauses can help express such rhetorical devices, but the absence of facial expressions and body language still swathe the conversation in a degree of uncertainty. And so it is that, when speaking with BLUEJUICE vocalist Jake Stone, you’re never too sure whether he’s speaking from the heart, or simply taking the piss. It’s not made easier by the fact that Bluejuice are renowned for never taking themselves too seriously. So, unsure as to the tact I should utilise with Stone, I fall back on the reliable ‘vanilla’ interview question, asking Jake whether the group is exhausted after their epic touring schedule in 2009, only to back it up with the (Ain’t) Telling the Truth tour, which will bring them to the ANU this April. “We’re fuckin’ tired, but we’d miss it if we were gone,” says Jake. “We’re like this guy I’m watching making fish and chips right now. He’s financially, creatively, and professionally successful, but probably very tired as well. We’re not that different.”
I wanna be more pop and straight-laced
The group’s sophomore effort of 2009, Head of the Hawk, stunned and impressed critics and fans alike, departing from their debut’s ragtag combination of punk and hip-hop and embracing stadium pop rock sensibilities with open arms. “We’re not trying to be more commercial,” says Stone. “It’s deliberate that we want to be on as many radio stations as possible, but we’re not sitting in the studio thinking ‘how can I shape this emotion to impress Nova radio listeners?’” While the group seems to have hit upon a good thing with Broken Leg, they won’t be sticking religiously to that particular pop recipe. “We wanna be like Ween. They get accorded a lot of freedom because they don’t have to uphold a particular sound. We’re trying to make a point of not being a good original band, but good mimics. Being a mimic allows you to shape things in a very artistic way. Broken Leg is just a condensed form of all these stadium rock songs. My goal is to make these reductions of popular culture.” He elaborates a little more, after some prompting. “At the moment we’re doing the mid-‘80s, that Phil Collins, ‘85-‘87 period. I wanna push it back a bit further though, onto the end of post-punk, when The Police were pushing over into the new wave and into what would become the ‘80s sound.” Lastly, he goes on to decry the extreme banality of the avant-garde wannabes – the indie scene. “I wanna be a reverse punk. Everyone just tries to be more alternative these days. I actually wanna be more pop and straight-laced. I wanna do Huey Lewis rock ‘n’ roll. If you deny a song like The Power of Love you’re lying to yourself, and you should lighten the fuck up.” Bluejuice play at the ANU Bar on Thursday April 15, with support from The Holidays. Tickets from Ticketek.
the word
BLACKBOX
on games MAG (Massive Action Game) Developer: Zipper Interactive Publisher: SCEA Style: MMO-FPS (Massively Multiplayer Online FPS) Length: 5-10 hrs Rating: Worth a borrow These days, there are so many games out there, it’s hard to get excited about one unless it decides to do something a little special. Luckily, MAG steps up to the challenge by offering you the chance to play a first person shooter against 255 other players. Of course, such a feat isn’t so impressive if the developer just assumes we all have super fast internet connections. However, to MAG’s absolute credit, the game runs brilliantly, even on a minimal internet connection. To give an example, whilst I was still able to shoot at numerous enemies and simultaneously listen to the mindless dribble from my fellow teammates, I wasn’t able to watch a YouTube video using the same shaped, internet connection. Unfortunately, if online play isn’t your forte, then I have bad news – it’s multiplayer only. As such, the initial learning curve is a bit steep, given you’re immediately pitted up against those who already know the rounds. What’s more, the game doesn’t do much to help you out. For a while, I was running around wondering how everyone was managing to revive each other, without any hint of an explanation (I should add at this point that review copies don’t tend to come with instruction manuals). Turns out I needed to earn it as skill, which requires XP. However, once again they’re not exactly forthcoming in telling you how best to earn it. I incorrectly assumed kills would be the way to go (what was I thinking?). Instead, it seems that healing is the hot ticket, which would explain why many players are more inclined to run into battle holding a health kit than a gun. Great for being revived during a firefight, but it doesn’t tend to win you the war. That said, the ranking-up system does keep the game quite fresh; once you get over the induction period, that is. However, despite its presence, the game still feels a bit empty. Firstly, there are only four game modes, so you’ll be finding yourself retreading familiar ground quite quickly. Whilst this offers you the chance to master a level, it does tend to get a bit repetitive. Also, there are only a handful of weapons and upgrades, so there’s not much room for branching out. However, I think the greatest thing missing from this game is an overarching objective. Without one, I found that once I reached a reasonable rank and tried each scenario a couple of times, I didn’t feel compelled to play much more. Despite a few other quibbles, such as slightly unintuitive controls and a lacklustre interface, this title is still one worth checking out, if for no other reason than to see what it’s like to run around a map with 255 other people. TORBEN SKO
Two new Australian-produced series from Auntie are due to make it to your loungeroom in the next month. The first, dramedy I Rock (ABC2, Mon May 3, 9pm), follows a band as they try to break into the Australian music scene – not really a new idea but one that hasn’t been done all that well in Australia (remember Garage Days) so there might still be hope. It’s penned by and stars comedian Josh Maplestone and includes cameos from the likes of Tim Rogers and Laura Imbruglia. Blackbox is awaiting a preview tape so stay tuned. Check out the promo clip – www.youtube.com/watch?v=rGADze5KcgY . Lowdown (ABC1, Wed Apr 21, 9pm) is a new comedy from Adam Zwar (of Wilfred fame). Zwar stars as Alex Burchill, an entertainment reporter and gossip columnist for the fictional Sunday Sun. Zwar’s former life as a columnist for the Sunday Herald Sun has provided a fertile source for his latest effort. Narrated by Geoffrey Rush and also starring Kim Gyngell, Judith Lucy, Julia Zemiro, Steve Bisley and Beth Buchanan, the show looks like cementing Adam Zwar’s place in Australian comedy. Big call but the promo clip had Blackbox in stitches – www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dx7sR5mwipg . Blackbox has just returned from a trip to the good ol’ US of A and while telly viewing wasn’t top of the priority list, some gems were uncovered. That is, amongst all the news shows – American news – the only mention of Australia was about the US President not coming here. And weather – for some reason the Americans are obsessed with the weather – most news shows had more stories about weather than anything else. Anyway, among the 57 channels with nothing on, Blackbox discovered Extreme Loggers, one for fans of Deadliest Catch and Ice Road Truckers, and Brotherhood, a well written and acted drama that takes the government corruption and Irish heritage of The Wire, mixes it with the gangsters of The Sopranos (7TWO, Tue, 9.30pm) and dumps the whole thing in Providence, Rhode Island – proving there is a seedy underbelly just about anywhere. Underbelly: The Golden Mile (WIN, Sun Apr 11, 8.30pm) (Good segue! Ed.) is about to hit the box with a two hour premiere. Unfortunately the start of WIN’s lineup proper also includes Hey, Hey it’s Saturday (WIN, Wed Apr 14, 7.30pm) on a Wednesday (!?) and Sea Patrol (WIN, Thu Apr 15, 8.30pm). Other new series to keep an eye out for include Iconoclasts (ABC2, Wed Apr 7, 9.30pm) which pairs two artists who admire each other – Sean Penn and author Jon Krakauer travel to Alaska in the first ep to retrace the steps of the protagonist of Into the Wild, Gavin and Stacey (ABC2, Thu Apr 1, 9.30pm) the second series which disappeared from Prime’s schedule, Waking the Dead (ABC2, Fri Apr 16, 8.30pm) – British cold case drama, treated with no respect by Nine and resurrected by Auntie and Barry Humphries’ Flashbacks (7TWO, Thu Apr 15, 7.30pm) which looks back at Australian pop cultural history. Docos to catch include Rituals Around the World in 80 Faiths (SBS1, Fri Apr 9, 7.30pm) which looks at customs and ceremonies from the world’s religions and tribes, Travels with a Tangerine (ABC2, Thu Apr 15, 9.30pm) which takes viewers on a journey in the footsteps of medieval explorer Ibn Battutah, and A Son’s Sacrifice (SBS1, Sun Apr 11, 9.30pm) – the best short doco winner at Tribeca follows a young muslim American who struggles to takeover his father’s halal butchery in NYC. TRACY HEFFERNAN tracyheffernan@bigpond.com
37
the word
on albums
album of the week Fear Factory Mechanize [Stomp]
Fear Factory were the cutting edge in 1996, when their brutal synthesis of unforgiving metal guitar, ethereal vocal melody and jackhammer percussion provided a steely, automated blueprint for extreme music in the 21st century. Come 2010 the cyber sheen has oxidised slightly, as the band first fell apart, then splintered amongst much recrimination before reforming (in part) to deliver a comeback album, Mechanize. But was it worth all the wrangling? Irrefutably yes. Mechanize is the best effort from the band in a decade, with the stunning album closer Final Exit in particular worthy of anything from the band’s past. Returning guitarist Dino Cazares proves he was the missing ingredient, with his staccato riffage melding perfectly with new drummer Gene Hoglan to create a sound almost more Fear Factory than Fear Factory. And on top of all of this is the majestic vocal work of Burton C. Bell, a man able to move from stentorian bark to sleepy croon in the blink of a cybernetic synthesized retina. They ain’t the sound of the future anymore – but they’re still crushingly good. Nambucco “Edgecrusher” Deliria
38
Agoria Balance 16 [EQ recordings]
Gyroscope Cohesion [Universal]
the john butler trio april uprising [jarrah records]
In the latest incarnation, French techno aficionado Agoria steps up to the controls and offers something a little more spacey and, dare I say ‘passive aggressive’ than the last few efforts from Joris Voorn and Will Saul. Disc one is a twisted mechanical opera that gives you a distinct ‘Oh my god I have just walked in on a drugged-up robot orgy’ motility. The first eight tracks filter through like rain, washing over your eardrums in tones that are both dark and calming, foreshadowing the arrival of a brilliantly woven kick-drum that pulls you into the fantasy even further, while subtly reminding you that you are indeed listening to a dance music compilation. Although it is difficult to select individual highlights from such an expertly crafted organic whole, notable mentions include the extremely haunting Agoria – Altre Voci, a mesmerising live version of The Field – Over the ice and the beautifully amoebic Felix Laband – Whistling in Tongues (Todd Terje mix).
Breed Obsession was a hard act to follow, with its melodic riffs and mega-catchy tunes. If there was any criticism, it would be that it sounded so pretty it almost verged on power pop. Well, you can forget all about that now, ‘cause the rock is back! With Cohesion, Gyroscope have done a U-turn and emerged closer to their garage roots. The gloss of the previous albumn has been shed to expose the glory of the band’s sharper core.
A wise hermit by the enigmatic moniker of WikiQuote once bent my ear and spaketh thusly: “Change begets change.” John Butler, master of the fleetfingered displays of righteous banjo, seems to agree, going as far as to assemble a new trio to find that new spark, leaving scattered strands of glorious dreadlocks in his fearless wake. Ironically, his actions proved that change doesn’t necessarily change. Confuzzled? Onwards, cherished reader.
Disc two leaps into a more socially admissible 4/4 techno format while still retaining the plasmic undertones of its predecessor. The funky electro of Francesco Tristano – Knee for thought is expertly braided into bouncy tech house records like Different Gear – One more thing and Michael Forza – Abstractor 2.0 before disappearing into an ambient void of sound and reappearing as acid house on Avril – French kiss. Take a pair of Sennheisers and a horse tranquiliser and call me in the morning. TIM GALVIN
This time around, the band scorned a highly produced, silky studio finish in favour of a gutsier product, with more distortion and harsher vocals. Some of the Places I Know retains the formula of the last album, but the real highlights are in the screaming wall of sound presented by tracks such as Tunnel Vision. There’s more fury than finetuning evident in I Still Taste Blood. Instead of riding a cleanly delineated vocal track, Dan Sanders’ voice has to compete with the guitars for supremacy in Don’t Forget Me When I Die. The CD doesn’t even slow down with a true ballad to draw breath. Working with Wood has a soft intro, before it changes its spots with strident vocals and hacked guitar notes. The last track often takes a gentle line and Spider fools you initially before zapping your eardrums with its echoing, fuzzed guitars. The boys from the West have done it again, and this is an album for the true believers! RORY McCARTNEY
April Uprising is a glistening collection of polished pop gems for the masses that he seeks to unite against the menacing terror of the ubiquitous, omniscient “they”. But for now ignore the sparkling production, forget every statement he’s made as a public figure and simply listen to the record: remember that he is an artist creating music first and foremost. Yes, there is some relative experimentation; John Butler fires off some hip-jerking pseudo-disco in Close to You and croons from the perspective of the teenage girl in To Look Like You, but as with the tragic haircut: it’s all on the surface. The breathless, rapid-fire syllable stacking, the eerily precise finger-picking, the driving rhythm section and lyrics rife with socio-political indignation; I ask you: why did he put so much emphasis on his evolution? I stress that there is nothing wrong with having a comfort zone or staying the same. But sometimes just singing about the desire for change, for revolution, for uprising; it isn’t enough to make a great record. palimah panichit
singled out
with Dave Ruby Howe
seja We Have Secrets But Nobody Cares [rice is nice]
SPACE INVADAS Soul-Fi [Invada/Remote Control Records]
Generally seen manning a rack of synthesizers and sharing lead vocal duties as part of Brisbane trio Sekiden, or more recently augmenting the line-up of venerable alt-rockers Regurgitator - not to mention freelancing for SPOD, Dave McCormack, The Mess Hall and Not From There’s Heinz Riegler - We Have Secrets... marks Seja Vogal’s first solo venture.
Katalyst has built up quite the cred over the years with his hip-hop infused take on the funk/soul sound, showcased on albums Manipulating Agent and What’s Happening, which both really went the distance. UK future-soul singer Steve Spacek has been a regular collaborator, but last year it emerged the pair would be working together on an entirely new project. Those expecting a Katalyst rehash are in for a nice surprise, because Soul-Fi sees them both journeying to wicked new places. What’s most captivating is the futuristic rubdown Katalyst has given the funk-soul sound. The production is really quite amazing, and while he’s shown elements of this approach in the past, it’s taken a step further on Soul-Fi. But as much as the album might rest on Katalyst’s superb sonic craftings, equally as sublime is Spacek’s crooning – he’s got as soulful a voice you’re ever likely to hear, but there’s a welcome dash of darkness to what he does. His sinister whisperings take us deep in Listen, with the live instrumentation playing beautifully off the assorted bleeps and synths. Similarly, the funk jams and vocal harmonies of Closer bounce blissfully off Katalyst’s spacey soundscapes. Funk-soul and sci/fi electronica may often appear mutually exclusive, but Katalyst and Stacek make them perfect bedfellows. In fact, the standard is kept high across the album’s 17 tracks, with the occassional creepy vocal interludes reinforcing the kitchy ‘60s B-movie aesthetic, and leaving us with a cohesive piece of work that draws together most satisfyingly. Dope.
Unsurprisingly, the record is dominated by Seja’s collection of vintage synths, though in contrast to the fuzzed-out power pop of Sekiden and the similarly hyped-up steez of the ‘Gurg, it is, for the most part, a pretty downbeat affair. Seja’s languorous vocals, swathed in layer upon layer of overdubbed harmonies and mixed with gently fizzing and pulsing electronics, create an almost dreamlike state of semi-consciousness. The crisp, snapping beats on Framed You in Action and A Million Wheels hint at a hip-hop influence, while Through the Backstreets, built on a clappedout drum loop, acoustic guitars and an insistent keyboard line, is an obvious stand out. In truth the LP could have used a bit of judicious pruning as all this mid paced synth-pop balladry tends to blend together after a while - though you can probably forgive this slight indulgence as surely that is, after all, the very nature of a solo record. While as not immediate as the rest of Seja’s back-catalogue, We Have Secrets... has an understated charm that reveals itself over repeated listens. peter krbavac
ANGUS PATERSON
various Nigeria Afrobeat Special: The New Explosive Sound in 1970s Nigeria [soundway] Some top-notch African funk compilations have been hitting the shelves in recent times which transcend all the messy political turmoil of the 1970s, and present that decade as a totally exciting period in African popular music. In particular, the Soundway label deserves a big thumbs up for its ongoing series which explores variations of popular music in Nigeria and neighbouring Lagos in the ‘70s, and which reveals the influence that the extended funk workouts of late 1960s James Brown had on upbeat highlife sounds suffusing Nigerian music. An emphasis was placed on butt-shaking rhythmic patterns accentuated by horns and guitars that were uplifting to the point that listeners could only respond with exuberant dance moves that would push to one side somewhat harsher realities. In terms of conjuring a sustained joyous groove, this latest Soundway compilation sits comfortably alongside its peers, and I have to say that around half-way through the first listen even a hesitant dancer like me had to tongue and groove in a most satisfying way. The album opens with an infectious workout from the one and only Fela Kuti who brought to the fore the absurdly vibrant afrobeat sound, and his 1971 total-funk contribution Who’re You? brings out the right stuff at a relatively concise eight minutes in length. Fela gets things off to a good start, but other included artists would pick up on the influence and well and truly run with it. dan bigna
Jónsi - go do [mgm] There’s something to really love about Jónsi going solo away from Sigur Rós. Almost instantly it’s clear to see (err, hear!) that working alone has given Jonsi the freedom to once and for all shake off that ‘glacial’ tag, with Go Do sounding like the most jubilant slice of organic pop you’ll hear all year. And it’s also good because it still sounds like Sigur Rós, and what’s not to like about that?
Light Year - Night Vision [Bang Gang 12 Inches] So electro is dead? Pfft. Tell that to Light Year. The Sydney duo make wonderfully driving, deep electro with none of the bells and whistles that’ve been tacked onto the movement since Justice’s Cross. It’s all sub-bass, squiggly synths and smiles all ‘round. Long live electro.
The Lonely Island Boombox ft. Julian Casablancas [UMA] The best parodies are the ones that pay reverence to their subject of choice whilst taking pot-shots at the curious characteristics and elements of it. And that’s why The Lonely Island works so well. Andy Samberg and his buddies are scholars of self-serious cheeseball rap of something like Boombox, making you love it while you laugh. Oh and I think Julian Casablancas could pretty much sing on any track and make it a gold nugget. Dude is fire.
Train - Hey, Soul Sister [Sony BMG] Hey, Train, 2001 called and not even they want you back.
39
the word
on films
WITH MARK RUSSELL I’m starting to get a little concerned about the late rash of good films. Sit amongst a group of reviewers for any length of time, it soon becomes clear that you get no credibility ‘liking’ everything. You need to cut it down, especially if everyone else loves it. Too bourgeois, too unoriginal, not enough foreign language and cigarette smoke. But with The Hurt Locker, The Road, Brothers and now A Single Man I’m starting to look like Mr Cinematic Sunshine and Lollipops. Fear not though, I promise a river of vitriol is building, ready to tsunami over some feebly-structured target. If all else fails, the American remake of Death at a Funeral is on its way, and that’s bound to suck.
quote of the issue
“It takes time in the morning for me to become George. Time to adjust to what is expected of George and how he is to behave. By the time I have dressed and put the final layer of polish on the now slightly stiff but quite perfect George, I know fully what part I’m supposed to play.” George (Colin Firth) A Single Man
micmacs
green zone
a single man
Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s last big international hit Amelie is one that pushed audiences very firmly into personality types as optimists or pessimists. You could love the film for its sublime quirkiness and playfulness (or even merely for Audrey Tatou’s smile); or you could bah-hum-bug your way through its celebration of life’s minutiae. With Micmacs, Jeunet has kept the same tone – though embellished on Amelie’s mischievous vindictiveness.
It’s shortly after the ‘03 invasion of Iraq, and Chief Warrant Officer for the US Army Roy Miller (Matt Damon) becomes increasingly disillusioned at orders from his superiors to search for seemingly non-existent WMDs and goes rogue. Special Forces are sent to stop him, so he must outrun them whilst attempting to get vital information about Sadam’s top generals to Baghdad’s sympathetic CIA bureau chief Martin Brown (Brendan Gleeson).
The first thing that hits you about A Single Man is the look, it’s spectacular. First time Director Tom Ward is best known for his work as a fashion designer, responsible for something to do with rescuing Gucci. We could care less about that however, cause he’s a filmmaker now.
Bazil (Dany Boon) is a man beset by misfortune. A land mine killed his father when Bazil was just a boy then, while working at a video store, a stray bullet catches him flush in the skull. It doesn’t kill him however, instead firing up a vengeful hatred of the two manufacturers behind these weapons. With the aid of a collection of quirky vagrants, Bazil sets out to bring the CEOs of these unethical empires to their knees.
Any film that attempts to waterboard the Bush administration’s invasion of Iraq is alright by me, and Green Zone does so with gleeful gallons. Whereas other recent war efforts such as The Hurt Locker and Brothers study the psychology of war and its affect on soldiers’ minds, taking a balanced political approach as a result, Matt Damon and director Paul Greengrass are in camera-swaying Bourne Identity mode with a main purpose of yelling from the rooftop: America invaded Iraq based on filthy, dirty lies.
The characters in Micmacs are uniformly entertaining. All have that slightly-broken quality Jeunet seems so fascinated with. Their heart of gold at the base of a moral flexibility carries the innovative story along beautifully. The whole experience would’ve been better for shaving 15 minutes from the running time, and the humour tends to encourage knowing glances and tips-of-the-caps at its cleverness rather than genuine belly laughs. But overall, this is a supremely enjoyable cinematic ride. mark russell
40
So while the subject matter gets an enthusiastic thumbs up from me, it seems out of place and somewhat inappropriate to give it the balls-out handycam action treatment. Yes, the action is played out with good set pieces, and Damon is a likable character to cheer on. But the concluding action sequence seems tacked on and dilutes the film’s heart and thus impact. At the core, there’s a good film here, but one can’t help but feel it would have worked better as a taut, political thriller a la The Constant Gardner. allan sko
Someone swapping to cinema after dominating a purely aesthetic-based world was almost guaranteed to take the visuals too far. But Ward has created a world of near perfect sumptuous beauty. Everything is saturated with colour and design, yet he still keeps it restrained – going over the top only once or twice. The look isn’t distracting, or over-wrought, and is reminiscent of Hong Kong director Wong Kar Wai’s brilliant visual integration. This is not to say the acting and story have been left behind. Colin Firth puts in a brilliant turn as brooding intellectual George, whose partner’s death fills him with an unremitting grief so brutal, it can’t be truly understood. Julianne Moore is equally strong in her role as George’s life-long friend Charley. Their relationship is nuanced and powerfully honest. Everything in this film happens at just the right pace and the events play out to a satisfying and thought-provoking conclusion. In all truth, I’d have been very happy seeing this film win the best picture Oscar over The Hurt Locker. There is something so intense about Ward’s incredible directorial debut. I walked away with the two things all films should deliver but which they so rarely do: a full mind and a vacant gaze. mark russell
the word on dvds
Haeundae [Madman]
chevolution [madman]
bronson [madman]
Here’s some simple analysis even the most economically-challenged movie studio executive should understand: Roland Emmerich’s 2012 cost $260 million and is universally acknowledged to have sucked total ass whereas Yoon Jekyoon’s Haeundae cost $16 million and is one of the finest examples of disaster porn to grace the screen for quite some time. The former is a horrendous example of Hollywood at its most overblown, under-performed, formulaic and downright offensive. The South Korean entry on the other hand is a mind-blowing experience balancing in-your- face technical wizardry, goofy humour and actual delicate human stories revolving around characters that have actual relationships. That’s one of the joys about the current crop of South Korean big (relatively) budget flicks; white-knuckled action sequences can co-exist quite happily with dialogue, emotions, feeling and acting. 2007’s The Host was a perfect example of a monster movie that re-taught mainstream Hollywood how to make a monster flick. And gratefully, it was a success. Likewise Haeundae was rewarded with significant commercial success in its homeland. The story itself is actually pretty standard disaster film stuff. A series of increasingly severe earthquakes in the Sea of Japan suggest the ‘big one’ is on the way. Kim Hwi (Park Joong-hoon), a divorced geologist at the National Earthquake Centre, raises the alarm but no one takes heed, of course. His ex-wife works in real estate (boooo!) and her evil boss is about to open a new development right on the shoreline. The next thing you know a bloody tsunami is bearing down on the resort town of Haeundae-gu. The ensuing chaos tears the town apart in a way that $260m worth of CGI cannot accomplish, and in this film heroes die – and stay dead. I know, amazing. Haeundae conforms to the broad rules of these sorts of film, but at its heart there’s a tenderness and lightness of touch that is staggeringly original.
Ernesto ‘Che’ Guevara either is a revolutionary hero driven to eradicate hunger, poverty and disease in Latin America or an over-intellectualised tyrant of the worst order who sided with ruthless military dictatorships and oversaw the murder of innocent civilians. The man is divisive, but Chevolution thankfully doesn’t get too bogged down in mythology and politics, instead focusing on the iconography of that image: Guerrillero Heroico or Heroic Guerilla Fighter. That intense, tousled-haired, distant-gazed image of a young Che was taken as he stood at a memorial service for the victims of a suspicious explosion in Havana. Alberto Korda was the photographer and this doco is equally his story; a man who revelled in the bohemian, boozy lifestyle of pre-revolution, pre-Castro Cuba; a man who excelled in the field of taking photos of floozies and bimbos; a man not given to revolutionary zeal; a man more familiar with the business end of a Leica M2 w/ 90mm lens than a Kalashnikov. The image itself was deemed too bland for immediate publication and it wasn’t until a few years later when it began popping up at rallies and demonstrations that it began to take on a life bigger than its subject. The tumultuous late ‘60s proved the perfect incubation ground and with cheap re-production and printing methods the image launched onto the walls, banners and t-shirts of students the world over. Would Che have been disgusted at the commercialisation of his visage or would he approve of it being the clarion call for protests spanning generations and countries? Probably the former, but in the end the image represents something undefinable transcending Che’s mottled and contradictory life story. Chevolution is as both a primer on Che and a fascinating thought bubble on the power of political, commercial and revolutionary imagery.
Born Michael Peterson, Charlie Bronson adopted his nom-deplume to toughen his image as a bare-knuckle boxer. It was a completely unnecessary name change as he was a violent recidivist thug who derived peculiar pleasure at being on the receiving end of a steady stream of punches, kicks and all-round good time thrashings meted out to him courtesy of Her Majesty’s Prison Service. It’s a predilection that has made him the most dangerous man in the British prison system. This is his story. It’s vulgar and repellent. Tom Hardy inhabits Bronson in all his thicknecked, crazy-eyed, cock-out glory and there’s no doubt it’s a performance that holds together an otherwise incredibly flimsy piece of filmmaking. But few films escape the tangle between a solitary bravura performance and undercooked scripts, and Bronson is no different. Bronson’s inner dialogue is dealt with through both a tiresome theatrical one-man show concept and simple, bold, straight to the camera retelling of key events. Wobbly as they are, they sure as hell go some way for making up for the lack of cohesive plot development – it seems to be one adrenalised punch up after another with little thought given to context or meaning, and a few slow scenes chucked in for good measure. It looks fantastic – thank Stanley Kubrick’s latecareer cinematographer Larry Smith for that – but Bronson so clearly wants to be a cult film it practically gets lost up its own reference points. The excessive use of grand operatic, classical music surges is risible and manipulative, it’s far too Clockwork Orange-y to be a coincidence. Peterson/Bronson is obviously a unique individual, but this film is unable or unwilling to address the complete story – why is he still in prison? Is he beyond redemption? What should society actually do with this guy? Some would argue Bronson poses those questions. It doesn’t. It’s a punch that doesn’t connect.
justin hook
justin hook
justin hook
41
the word
Massive Attack/Martina Topley-Bird The Royal Theatre Friday March 19
on gigs
And so, Bristol’s Massive Attack return to Canberra on the back of an album, Heligoland, that seems to have polarised opinion amongst the faithful (though most critics, it has to be said, have loved the thing) and amidst complaints (worldwide, and not just the always cranky Canberra gig-going masses) of exorbitant ticket prices on this, their latest tour. Now whilst it would be a tad cheeky for this freeloading hack to complain about ticket prices, it has to be said that the original wad of sovs required to see a band that apparently peaked about a decade ago did frighten a fair few prospective punters off (until those in charge saw sense and started offloading them at heavily discounted rates), so, as BMA strides manfully past the Casino and up to the venue, we are genuinely worried that another big name night in Canberra is going to be a bit of a fizzer. Would the fact that you can now ENJOY A BEER INSIDE THE ARENA whilst watching your heroes entice a few extra waverers in from the excitement that is Canberra’s ‘entertainment’ quarter on a throbbing, vibrant Friday night? We needn’t have bothered, as the auditorium, though not exactly resembling a tin of sardines is decently populated, though not necessarily populated with decent people. So hello, then, to the twat who shouted “Canberra sucks!” and the even bigger twat who, sitting behind myself and the lady wife, decided to kick my beloved in the back and “sshh!” her when she had the temerity to enthuse about vocalist Debbie Miller’s heroic take on the band’s biggest hit, the always perfect Unfinished Sympathy. But enough twattism. You’re here to read about Massive Attack and read you will. The band seems genuinely pleased to be here (Grant Marshall being particularly grateful and effusive in his thanks to the crowd), but something seems to have changed. Over the years ‘the band that invented trip-hop’ has, at glacial speed, evolved into something akin to a ‘70s prog rock behemoth. Which, though not entirely unpleasant, is a little unsettling, as large parts of the set now involve you, the listener, not dancing joyously or swaying hypnotised to the lushly orchestrated bleeps ‘n’ breaks but being pummelled by the Killing Joke-style waves of sound washing over the room whilst being confronted with a Manic Street Preachers-esque stream of politically charged polemic spewing forth from the screens which form the band’s backdrop. Sure, main men Marshall and Robert Del Naja still have the stoned cool they learnt from their soundclash days, but they’ve wrapped themselves in the trappings of arena rock – the massive sound, the retina scorching lightshow, the triumph of bombast over beauty – to such an extent that some of the impact of their music is lost. Not entirely of course; vocalists Miller, Marshall, Martina Topley-Bird (who also filled in as support for the night) and Horace Andy have enough collective personality and charisma to cut through the sturm und drang, especially Topley-Bird when called upon to undertake the impossible and emulate Liz Frazer’s ethereal majesty on a very welcome Teardrop, but you have to be slightly worried when one of the biggest cheers of the night follows the appearance not of an old favourite like Karmacoma, but a message on the LED screens reading “Bingle… Who Cares?”
PHOTOS: nick brightman
All of which is churlish piffle, of course. At night’s end we lurched into the cool air, senses reeling, having enjoyed a top night of perfectly executed, mightily impressive ‘serious’ music, all – for some at least – at low, low prices. And that’s a result, right? SCOTT ADAMS
42
GIG GUIDE March 31 - April 7 wednesday march 31 Arts
Pedestrian Orchestra
Foreplay Fridays
18 PEDDAR STREET, O’CONNOR
CUBE NIGHTCLUB
The all-welcoming open mic night is the newest Canberra institution.
Coco Chanel and Igor Stravinsky
Followed by Q&A with director Jan Kounen. 6.30pm.
ARC CINEMA, NATIONAL FILM & SOUND ARCHIVE
Three Chords & The Truth
Art inspired by music. Opening featuring Dr Stovepipe. ‘Til April 11. ANCA GALLERY, ROSEVEAR PLACE
Trucking
thursday april 1 dance
9 ‘til 5 with DJs Pete & Matt. Free entry before 10pm.
REV
Open Good Friday. DJs spin indie, rock, electro, punk and more. Double happy hour 9-11pm. BAR 32
Vinyl Only: Party
Wax from Goldfinger, Smish, Buick, Ravs, Jay Oh, and MGO. TRANSIT BAR
Luke Chable & Club Junque
Presented by Effigy. Not to be missed.
Dance Chrome
HIPPO LOUNGE
Get down and slinky on the groove.
Featuring resident DJs and special guest End the DJ (US) plus Genitorturers giveaways. 9pm. $6.
Rational
Pull Up!
Ashley Feraude
CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ARTS SPACE - MANUKA
MONKEY BAR
With Mario Gordan (full live percussive set up).
Live
Disco
HUW DAVIES GALLERY
Exhibition by Ben Forster. ‘Til April 4.
Systematic
Three emerging artists explore systems and structures in print and sculpture. Until Sunday 11 April. M16 ARTSPACE
Reflections
Rafael Pintos-Lopez employs incisive humour and wit in an exhibition of realist portraits and more. M16 ARTSPACE
Carnival, Caterpillars and Cars Exhibition by South coast artist John Sharman. ‘Til April 11. PAINTBOX FINE ART GALLERY
Live Small Steps
Intensely danceable Gypsy music from Jazz Manouche and Clankenstein. $10, 8pm. THE FRONT CAFE AND GALLERY
He Drank Too Many Cigarettes
KNIGHTSBRIDGE PENTHOUSE
Reggae / dancehall session. Free!
Infinite Decimals
Minimalist string drones and visual delights. 8pm, $5. THE FRONT CAFE AND GALLERY
National Folk Festival
Enormous five day festival. Tickets 1300 235 849. folkfestival.asn.au . EXHIBITION PARK
Newton Faulkner Tix through Ticketek.
ANU BAR AND REFECTORY
Cash prizes, 2 for 1 basic spirits and tap beer, and free pool. DJ Peter Doree from 11pm.
dance
Mike Price Trio and Vertical Dynamic jazz double bill. LLEWELLYN HALL
Something Different Trivia / $5 Night TRANSIT BAR
Fame Trivia
Do you know lots of stuff about nothing? From 6pm.
Candy Cube
10 ‘til 5 with DJs Peter Dorree and Matt Chavasse. CUBE NIGHTCLUB
TRANSIT BAR
Alex Masso
Teams up with local ANU jazz students for a night of creative music. 7pm, $5. THE FRONT CAFE AND GALLERY
Something Different Fame Trivia
Do you know lots of stuff about nothing? Come on down every Monday from 6pm. P J O’REILLY’S, CIVIC
tuesday april 6 Arts Ich Bin Faust
Presented by The Daramalan Theatre Company. ‘Til April 10. COURTYARD STUDIO, CTC
Frank Madrid
Live
KNIGHTSBRIDGE PENTHOUSE
James Annesley Quartet
That trademarked Madrid Madness.
saturday april 3
YIS
Urbantramper THE PHOENIX PUB
MONKEY BAR
P J O’REILLY’S, CIVIC
CUBE NIGHTCLUB
With Cat Cat.
The best from the ‘70s, ‘80s and ‘90s. Regular live entertianment and bands. 9pm.
live
Karaoke
Hospitality Night
With Mingle DJs. Free entry.
ACADEMY NIGHTCLUB
Carry-On Karaoke
Fiona Thorn Sings Serge Gainsbourg. Closing event of the 2010 French Film Festival. 9.30pm. HIPPO LOUNGE
HOLY GRAIL, CIVIC
Something Different From 9.30pm.
dance
Live saturday april 3
A collection of images of huge interstate trucks by Canberra photographer Lorna Sim. ‘Til April 1.
Jemist
monday april 5
Unique style of contemporary jazz which draws influence from serene, earthy folk music as well rock. THE FRONT CAFE AND GALLERY
Something Different
Psych-rock band from Melbourne. Gold coin entry. 8pm.
Trivia Night
The Sunpilots
The dynamite competition continues!
THE FRONT CAFE AND GALLERY
With Tom Woodward.
THE PHOENIX PUB
TNT Karaoke Dynamite TRANSIT BAR
THE PHOENIX PUB
friday april 2
Darren Emerson
Ex-Underworld. With Fourthstate, Biggie, Sean Kelly and Scottie Fisher. ACADEMY NIGHTCLUB
Fergie (Ireland) & Shepz (UK) With Hubert, Gabriel Gilmour, Yohan Strauss and Beat It. 8pm, $10. HIPPO LOUNGE
Local DJs
TRANSIT BAR
wednesday april 7
sunday april 4 dance RnB Heat
Arts Wednesday Gallery Talks: Prima Ballerina
Cube Sunday
Lee Christofis Curator of Dance NLA discusses the Ballets Russes. 12.45.
CUBE NIGHTCLUB
Live
ACADEMY NIGHTCLUB
Party on after the weekend’s over with DJ TJ from 10 ‘til late. Free pool.
NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY
Gangbusters
Assassins 88, Readable Graffiti, Heeey, Teddy Trouble, JW Sparrow. BAR 32
P J O’REILLY’S, CIVIC
43
GIG GUIDE April 7 - April 14 One Final Word
friday april 9
ANU BAR AND REFECTORY
Hippo Live
Candy Cube
10 ‘til 5 with DJs Peter Dorree and Matt Chavasse.
Live Andy Star - Sunday Set
Singer/songwriter, guitar sling’n alt pop troubadour is all geared up to play a lazy Sunday set. 3pm
Mario Gordon.
dance
Captain My Captain
Ashley Feraude
Live
Wednesday Lunchtime Live
KNIGHTSBRIDGE PENTHOUSE
David Pereira Cello Series
Humanimals
WESLEY MUSIC CENTRE
Nasty bad evil retro.
Something Different
Foreplay Fridays
WESLEY MUSIC CENTRE
THE WAREHOUSE, FYSHWICK
HIPPO LOUNGE THE PHOENIX PUB
Anna Peterson (soprano).
CRESSIDA
Dark music producers networking night. 6pm, free. KREMLIN BAR
Music Business Info Session All Ages
Interactive sessions are aimed at providing the skills and tools needed to help ACT Based musicians. WODEN YOUTH CENTRE
Music Business Info Session O/18
Interactive sessions are aimed at providing the skills and tools needed to help ACT Based musicians. THE AUSTRALIAN BAR
Fame Trivia
Do you know lots of stuff about nothing? P J O’REILLY’S, CIVIC
Transit Trivia
Starts at 7.30pm. Get in early. TRANSIT BAR
Pedestrian Orchestra
The all-welcoming open mic night is the newest Canberra institution. 18 PEDDAR STREET, O’CONNOR
thursday april 8 Arts When He Was Famous
The hilarious story of a Hollywood bad boy presented by Canberra Dramatics. ‘Til April 17. TUGGERANONG ARTS CENTRE
Wildest Dreams
A 9-week journey for a group of creative people living with and without a disability.
Canberra’s king of smooth and silky.
Cheese
TRANSIT BAR
Mingle Intimates
Cheese, Faux Real, Offtapia, Michael Hazan. HIPPO LOUNGE
D’Opus
Party music on a school night. KNIGHTSBRIDGE PENTHOUSE
Live Djembe Duo
With Kate Gascoyne and Dan Graetz. A journey of traditional West African rhythms. 7.30, $5. THE FRONT CAFE AND GALLERY
Cascadeer
With Voss in support. Free.
Nice Shoes
THE BASEMENT
HIPPO LOUNGE
HIPPO LOUNGE
CUBE NIGHTCLUB
The Crunch
REV
Thousand Needles in Red
Youth Week Event
Stencil printing. 2-6pm.
TUGGERANONG YOUTH CENTRE
ANU BAR AND REFECTORY
Y Factor
Fame Trivia
Live
TUGGERANONG YOUTH CENTRE
P J O’REILLY’S, CIVIC
BAR 32
David Pereira Cello Series
Program II featuring Budos The Three Sisters and Troselj Walking on Broken Glass. WESLEY MUSIC CENTRE
Cunt Butcher
With Grannyfist, Hell Mary, Teen Skank Parade. THE BASEMENT
BadCat
Bit of blues, alt folk and a few rockers. 7.30pm, free. THE FRONT CAFE AND GALLERY
Dos Locos
P J O’REILLY’S, CIVIC
Rock School
Catch the Rock Academy bands in action at Youth Week Expo. GAREMA PLACE
8 Ball Aitken
tuesday april 13
THE PHOENIX PUB
Something Different Soccer For Life
Temple Twenty Ten
HAWKER FOOTBALL CENTRE
THE QUEANBEYAN PERFORMING ARTS CENTRE
Risqué Soirée
Something Different
Parlour Wine Room’s 2nd Birthday. 1920s cocktail party. Tix $125. Ph. 6162 3656.
Carry-On Karaoke
An eclectic band of comedians letting the new stuff rip. Come and get caught up in it. 8pm.
P J O’REILLY’S, CIVIC
Youth Week Event
From 9.30pm.
THE FRONT GALLERY AND CAFE
Screen printing. 2-6pm.
sunday april 11
TUGGERANONG YOUTH CENTRE
AINSLIE ARTS CENTRE
Heat one of the scriptwriter’s competition. More info at canberrarep. org.au/studio/logues-2010 .
Arts Tom Green
Yeah, I know, Tom Green! On his World Standup Comedy tour. Bookings: canberratheatre.org.au .
Santo Miguel’s extensive collection of celstial weaponry among other celestial things. ‘Til April 29
Funny at The Front
PARLOUR WINE ROOM
Arts
saturday april 10
Arts
A soccer tournament for all young people 12-25. Grab seven of your mates and form a team, oh, and choose a country to rep! Call 02 6264 0260 to register.
Live It Loud: Youth InterACT Conference
Get involved, have your say, forums and workshops, music and food. youth.act. gov.au .
Do you know lots of stuff about nothing? Come on down every Monday from 6pm.
Local bands battling it out. Register your band/crew at rebecca.james@ commsatwork.org. All welcome!
Something Different
wednesday april 14
The ‘Logues
live
THEATRE 3
On their Lucille tour. These lads put on one helluva show. anu bar
Dance Cube Sunday
Something Different
Party on after the weekend’s over with DJ TJ from 10 ‘til late. Free pool. CUBE NIGHTCLUB
The Vasco Era
Youth Week Event Sculpture art. 2-6pm.
Tuggeranong youth centre
CANBERRA THEATRE CENTRE
Dance Nathan Frost
Serve chilled and tasty.
KNIGHTSBRIDGE PENTHOUSE
Click To Click: Producer Sessions
A talented lineup of local electronic music producers laying down all original productions. Gold coin donation. The best from the ‘70s, ‘80s and ‘90s. Regular live entertianment and bands. 9pm.
Disco
MONKEY BAR
Burns
ACADEMY NIGHTCLUB
Heartbeat
A party by Jake, with special guest Cassian (Bang Gang). TRANSIT BAR
44
something different
Your weekly Big Night Out with DJs playing rock, indie, alternative, punk and dance 9-way late.
Something Different
CUBE NIGHTCLUB
monday april 12
With Project Mayhem and Johnny Roadkill.
With Bucky.
KNIGHTSBRIDGE PENTHOUSE
Cash prizes, 2 for 1 basic spirits and tap beer, and free pool. DJ Peter Doree from 11pm.
With Chris Duke and The Royals (Syd), The Decline (WA) and Short Fuse (ACT). AA.
Program II featuring Budos The Three Sisters and Troselj Walking on Broken Glass.
9 ‘til 5 with DJs Pete & Matt. Free entry before 10pm.
TRANSIT BAR
Karaoke
THE FRONT CAFE AND GALLERY
Charlie Greaser
THE FRONT CAFE AND GALLERY
Dance
CUBE NIGHTCLUB
OUT APR 14
warehouse festival the bloody beetroots the bedroom philosopher deep purple …AND MORE
45
SIDE A: BMA band profile
Na Maza Where did your band name come from? ‘Na Maza’ translated into English means ‘And Metal.’ Our lead vocalist, Mila, is part Native American and we thought it would suit our band perfectly. Group members: Mila Haske (vocals), Kyle Jackson (guitars), Iza (guitars), Simo (bass) and Nick Tartaris (drums). Describe your sound: Great driving beats with a heavy smattering of brutality. We like to think that you could walk into a fight to it. It’s guitar-heavy, drum-heavy, everything… heavy. Can be put into the genre of metal or metalcore. Who are your influences, musical or otherwise? Killswitch Engage. Pretty much any music, movies or anything that gets your blood pumping. What’s the weirdest experience you’ve had whilst performing? At Halloween a fan dressed up as Mick Thompson from Slipknot and sung with our singer, although forgot the lyrics to the Slipknot cover that we were playing. Then he performed an infant/penguin’s interpretation of a rain dance-ish thing. What’s your biggest achievement/proudest moment so far? Representing Canberra in Melbourne at the Emergenza Festival and showing Melbourne how brutal Canberra really is. Also the fact that it was an ‘all expenses paid’ trip, where we got to play at one of Melbourne’s best venues. What are your plans for the future? To release a full length album and play some east coast gigs. Also to start playing more gigs and reaching audiences outside of Canberra. What makes you laugh? Drunk fans and flatulence! Also the big laughs that we’ve had at gigs both at our expense and at the expense of our fans. What pisses you off? A lack of technical ability among mainstream musicians in the current age. Plus we don’t see a lot of metal bands being given the opportunities that they deserve. What’s your opinion of the local scene? There are a lot of dedicated metal fans, and a lot of great bands out there. But Australia and the world doesn’t give Canberra bands the credit they should be getting for their musical quality and skill. What are your upcoming gigs? Metal at the Maram on Friday April 23. Plus a heap more that haven’t been confirmed yet. Contact info: Mila – 0420988547, Iza – 0400240706
46
FIRST CONTACT Aaron Peacey Aaron 0410 381 306 Activate Jetpack activatejetpack@ hotmail.com Adam Hole Adam 0421 023 226 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 Amplif5’d Classic rock covers band Joy 0407 200 428, joybarac-heath@hotmail.com Annie & the Armadillos Annie 6161 1078/0422 076 313 The Ashburys Dan Craddock 0419 626 903 Aria Stone, sax & flute, singer/ songwriter (guitar) Aria 0411 803 343 Australian Songwriters Association (Keiran Roberts) 6231 0433 Arythmia: Ben 0423 408 767/ arythmiamusic@gmail.com Backbeat Drivers Steve 0422 733 974, www.backbeatdrivers.com Big Boss Groove Andrew 0404 455 834, www.bigbossgroove.com.au Birds Love Fighting Gangbusters/DIY shows - bookings@birdslovefighting.com Black Label Photography Kingsley 0438 351 007 Blister Bug Stu 0408 617 791 Bridge Between, The Rachel 0412 598 138, thebridgebetween.com.au Bruce Stage mgr/consultant 6254 9857 Caution Horses Nigel 0417 211 580 Chris Harland Blues Band 0418 490 640 chrisharlandbluesband@yahoo.com.au Clear Vision Films rehearsals/film clips/stunts - 0438 647 281 wcoulton.clearvisionfilms.com Cole Bennetts Photography 0415 087 833/colebennetts@gmail.com Cris Clucas Cris 6262 5652 Crooked Dave 0421 508 467 Danny V Danny 6238 1673/0413 502 428 Dawn Theory Nathan 0402 845 132 D’Opus & Roshambo hifidelitystyles@yahoo.com DJs Madrid and Gordon 0417 433 971 DJ Latino Rogelio 0401 274 208 DJ Moises (RnB/Latin) 0402 497 835 or moises_lopez@hotmail DNA Vic 0408 477 020 Drumassault Kate 0414 236 323 Easy Mode Daz 0404 156 482, easymodeband@gmail.com Entity Chris 0412 027 894 Epic Flagon band@epicflagon.com Fighting Mongooses, The Adam 0402 055 314 Final Warning Brendan 0422 809 552 Fire on the Hill Aaron 0410 381 306/ Lachlan 0400 038 388 4dead Peter 0401 006 551 Freeloaders, The Steve 0412 653 597 Friend or Enemy 6238 0083, www.myspace.com/friendorenemy Funk Shui Dave 0407 974 476 Gareth Hailey DJ & Electronica 0414 215 885 GiLF Kelly 0410 588 747, gilf.mail@gmail.com Guy The Sound Guy live & studio sound engineer, 0400 585 369, guy@ guythesoundguy.com HalfPast Chris 0412 115 594 Hancock Basement Tom 6257 5375, hancockbasement@hotmail.com Happy Hour Wendy 0406 375 096 Haunted Attics band@hauntedatticsmusic.com Hitherto Paul 0408 425 636 In The Flesh Scott 0410 475 703
Inside the Exterior Nathan 0401 072 650 Itchy Triggers Andrew 0401 588 884 Jacqui Seczawa 0428 428 722 JDY Clothing 0405 648 288/ www.jdyclothing.com Jenn Pacor singer/songwriter avail. for originals & covers, 0405 618 630 Jim Boots 0417 211 580 Johnny Roadkill Paulie 0408 287 672, paulie_mcmillan@live.com.au Karismakatz DJ Gosper 0411 065 189/ dj@karismakatz.com Kayo Marbilus myspace.com/kayomarbilus Kurt’s Metalworx (PA) 0417 025 792 Little Smoke Sam 0411 112 075 Los Chavos Andy 0401 572 150 los.chavos@yahoo.com.au Manilla Green Herms 0404 848 462, contactus@manillagreen.com, Mario Brujo Gordon world/latin/ reggae/percussionist and DJ. 0405 820 895 Martin Bailey Audio Engineer 0423 566 093 Words for You: writer/publicity/events Megan ph 6154 0927, megan@wordsforyou.com.au Mercury Switch Lab Studios mercuryswitch@internode.on.net Missing Zero Hadrian Brand 0424 721 907 hadrian.brand@live.com.au Moots aspwinch@grapevine.com.au Huck 0419 630 721 MuShu Jack 0414 292 567, mushu_band@hotmail.com MyOnus myonusmusic@hotmail.com/ www.myspace.com/myonus No Retreat Simon 0411 155 680 Ocean Moses Nigel 0417 211 580 OneWayFare Chris 0418 496 448 Painted Hearts, The Peter 6248 6027 Phathom Chris 0422 888 700 The Pigs The Colonel 0422 412 752 Polka Pigs Ian 6231 5974 Premier Audio Simon 0412 331 876, premier_audio@hotmail.com Redletter Ben 0421 414 472 Redsun Rehearsal Studio Ralph 0404 178 996/6162 1527 Rhythm Party, The Ross 0416 010 680 Roger Bone Band Andy 0413 483 758 Rob Mac Project, The Melinda 0400 405 537 Rug, The Jol 0417 273 041 Samsara Samahdi 0431 083 776 Sansutra J-Ma 0403 476 350 Simone Penkethman (Simone & The Soothsayers, Singing Teacher) 6230 4828 Soundcity Rehearsal Studio Andrew 0401 588 884 Solid Gold Peter 0421 131 887/ solid.gold@live.com.au 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 The Morning After (covers band) Anthony 0402 500 843/ myspace.com/themorningaftercovers Tiger Bones & The Ferabul-Zers Danny feralbul@aapt.net.au Tim James Lucia 6282 3740, LUCIAMURDOCH@hotmail.com Top Shelf Colin 0408 631 514 Transmission Nowhere Emilie 0421 953 519/myspace.com/ transmissionnowhere Udo 0412 086 158 Undersided, The Baz 0408 468 041 Using Three Words Dan 0416 123 020, usingthreewords@hotmail.com Voodoo Doll Mark 0428 650 549 William Blakely Will 0414 910 014 Zero Degrees and Falling Louis 0423 918 793 Zwish 0411 022 907
47
48