BMA Mag 346 15 Apr 2010 by BMA Magazine

www.bmamag.com

DEEP PURPLE #346APR14

the Bloody beetroots and the four horsemen of the apocalypse

THE Bedroom Philosopher

movers and shakers

There ne’er was a more perfect couple. Congratulations you gorgeous things.

# 3 4 6 APR 1 4 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 28 EDITORIAL DEADLINE APR 19 ADVERTISING DEADLINE APR 22 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.

The Foundation for Young Australians is now calling for applications to Young Social Pioneers 2010, a unique yearlong training and development program for young social change-makers. The program is designed for young Australians working with purpose and passion for a social cause. 14 social pioneers will gain a place on YSP 2010 and can benefit from skills development, mentoring, intensive group and individual training and access to an international network of social innovators. Applicants must be between 18 and 29 and have been actively working on an idea or project for six months. Applications are now open and close Friday June 11. For further info visit www. youngsocialpioneers.org.au .

the ouch, the touch One of Canberra’s favourite live indie parties returns with the help of Party By Jake to bring an indie dance treat to Transit Bar on Thursday April 15. Adelaide’s The Touch will be celebrating the release of their latest single Shot - a racey, fist pumping, boot stomping jam that will whip you into a late night frenzy. The night will also feature The Spitfires (Perth) and Assassins 88 (ACT) and Party By Jake DJs, to make this a quality night of up and coming action from all over Australia. Entry is free, doors 7.30. myspace.com/thetouchyew .

Frenzal Rhomb, The Loved Ones (US), punk rock royalty Strung Out (US), House Vs Hurricane, Grinspoon, British India, Bertie Blackman, Horrowshow and Calling All Cars. www. cometoghether.com.au .

vouchers and t-shirts. All entries need to be submitted by May 27. Head to the website for more hrc.act.gov.au/news.php/ article/art_id/4 .

Your majesty

Brisbane based singer songer Imogen Dean has just completed her debut album Chapter One. With a strong classical piano background and fresh vocals she will take you from funky grooves and jazzy tunes through to soulful ballads. She’s playing ANU on Wednesday April 21.

Queanfest returns on Saturday April 17 at AXIS Youth Centre, Queanbeyan Park, to show off the talents of an array of local bands during Youth Week 2010. From noon until 10pm Queanfest II promises to satisfy all your musical cravings. Not only is it all ages, it’s also free. Just don’t bring along any drugs/alcohol or you will be booted out of there faster than Joey Jordison on drums. The lineup includes Super Best Friends, Heartbreak Club, Steady the Fall, Short Fuse and many more.

ART RIGHT The ACT Human Rights Commission recently launched its 2010 Annual Art Award competition, which asks young people to create a piece of art consistent with a particular human rights theme. This year, the theme is: ‘disability: inclusion through friendship’. It’s open to young artists between 12 and 18, and entry forms can be collected from the Commission, or downloaded from the Commission website. There are a number of prizes to be won, including an iPod, movie tickets,

The First chapter

lion kings Top Irish rock group Aslan are returning to Oz after a ten year absence, and they’re appearing at the Canberra Irish Club on Wednesday April 28 at 8pm. Voted Best Irish Band by the Irish music industry in 2008 (take that Bono), Aslan have been together for 28 years and are still going strong. The band have serious credentials and for lovers of rock melodies, frontman Christy Dignam will have you spellbound. Equally comfortable playing to a few hundred loyal fans in a country bar as they are selling out major theatres, they’ve got to be the hardest working Irish band ever. Tickets are on sale now at the Canberra Irish Club, Parkinson Street, Weston. For bookings phone 6288 5088, and for more info head to www.aslan.ie .

right now, over me It’s winter, the Queen gives you a day off, and your summer shenanigans are a little hazy. Must be time to rock out with your Docs on at the annual all ages two day punk, rock and indie extravaganza, Come Together, taking place over the June long weekend at Sydney’s Luna Park. WA four-piece Gyroscope will be taking the trip over the Nullabor, and joining them will be one of Australia’s heavyweight touring acts The Butterfly Effect. Along with aslan

LapTopping WORLD CLASS JOKES Q. How many cool kids does it take to change a lightbulb? A. One, but they liked the old one better. Q. What do you get if you cross a high school reunion with a computer virus? A. Facebook. Q. What’s the most dangerous part of a budgie? A. The seedy underbelly. Q. How do horny office workers communicate? A. Booty fax. Q. Why did the secretaries get in trouble for doing their nails? A. They were file sharing. Q. Why did the internet cross the road? A. Something to do with porn! Q. What’s Ben Lee’s favourite CD? A. Claire Danes. (credit: Josh Earl) Q. How many iPhones does it take to iPhone? A. iPhone. Q. What do vegans read their children? A. Clarence and the Carob Kingdom. Q. What’s Peter Garret’s least favourite Midnight Oil Song? A. Beds are Burning (due to faulty insulation policy). Q. What do you get if you cross a graphic designer and a performer? A. Half of Melbourne. JUSTIN HEAZLEWOOD www.bedroomphilosopher.com Justin performs as The Bedroom Philosopher and writes for Frankie and Jmag.

and

another

YOU PISSED ME OFF!

thing…

I elected not to go to the Folk Festival over the Easter Weekend, despite repeated assurances in the Canberra Times that ‘it’s not all beards and sandals’ over at EPIC anymore; that may well be some sort of audited fact, although from the photographs I’ve seen of the event at least 50 percent of the women attending were still in possession of facial hair despite the best efforts of the organisers. The fact remains that the music is still largely dull as ditchwater, being as it is a documentation of assorted malcontents’ (usually Scottish or Irish) tedious attempts to escape paying tax to their English overlords, so myself and the Lady Wife were obliged to cast further afield for our dose of holiday culture. This is how we found ourselves at the Llewellyn Hall on Easter Sunday, thanks to the largesse of ABC’s Classic FM station for an extremely beguiling programme of choral music stretching, as the blurb had it, “from the renaissance to the modern day”. Classical music – it’s not all twinsets, pearls and Zimmer frames anymore, you know. Actually it is, as the vast majority of performers and audience would have been able to travel to the ANU by bus for free this particular Sunday (should such a service actually run with any reliability), but that can actually aid your enjoyment of an event when you’re used to being one of the oldest persons in a room observing a live exposition, and we took our seats with a spritely spring in our steps in readiness for the performance. And what a lovely performance it was. The Canberra Choral Society took us on a whirlwind, hour-long trip through 500 years of musical history, the highlight of which was a delightfully unaccompanied reading of Monteverdi’s Quell Augellin Che Chanta, although two settings of the Te Deum – one by Benjamin Britten, the other by Ralph Vaughan Williams – were also rather splendid. The whole thing was being recorded for broadcast by the ABC as part of their Sunday Live series and so – and here’s the best part if you’re feeling the pinch in these recessionary times – to ensure healthy applause in between pieces ADMISSION WAS FREE! Because it’s being recorded and broadcast live you have to be settled in your seat with moby switched to silent by ten to three, but I guarantee you’ll have a lovely time should you choose to go to either of the performances that will be still to come by the time you read this. ****** In further proof that time flies while you’re having fun, BMA head honcho Allan Sko will be a married man by the time you read this. Yet it barely seems five minutes since I shambled into the Mag’s old offices for the first time in search of some CDs to tell you all about, to find the little ‘un, by then already lord of all he surveyed (approximately three feet five inches of industrial carpet and some filing cabinets), deliberating in magisterial fashion over something or other. And now, sah, the lil’ massa is gon’ become a man! That is of course, if he survives the privations of his Stag Night (sorry, Buck’s Party) which, if rumour is to be believed, promises to be a drink up of biblical proportions. Be that as it may, I’d like to take this opportunity to wish the man and his soon to be Lady Wife, the delightful Elisa, every happiness in their future life together – as long as I can still book Al for a drink on the first Thursday in every month… scott adams thirtyyearsofrnr@hotmail.com

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 P-plater coast rat that gave me the finger when I was trying to merge, learn some road etiquette you dumb piece of shit. Just because I have ACT number plates doesn’t give you the right to act like a wanker on the road down the coast. Go home and fuck your step-sister dickhead, YOU PISSED ME OFF. To the two vile skanks who abused me, my girlfriend and other commuters at a Belconnen bustop on Wednesday, 7th April. HOW FUCKING DARE YOU say racist shit to my girlfriend because she is asian! I struggled not to backhand you while u crapped on endlessly about how this was ‘your country’. Australia is a country of 21 million people, and im sure they would rather see u buried alive than agree with your nonsense. You? Australian? Get fucked, anyone is more australian than an antisocial, dole-bludging crack addict who frequently scabs student discounts on buses with her 14 year old sidekick WHO DOESNT EVEN GO TO SCHOOL! You belong in a sewer you dirrrrrrrrrrrrrty fucking mole.

FROM THE BOSSMAN Hey gang! Check THIS out. I’ve just figured out a way to bat your eyelids in cyberspace: :) ;) :) ;) :) ;) Pretty cool, huh? Now you can send that to your beloved, or flirt with an office colleague without having to resort to that obscene language you normally use. Actually, now I look at it, it’s more of a disturbing demonic twitch than a meaningful and beautiful batting of eyelids. But I’m sure they’ll get the idea. Anyway, please forgive my apparent giddiness, dear readers, for you see by the time you read this, I shall be a married man (yes sorry fellas, threw you a bit of a curve ball there). Yep, I’ve got me the ol’ ball ‘n’ chain, the trouble and strife, the “missus”, if you will or, as my bearded And Another Thing counterpart Scott Adams would say, the dear Lady Wife. And you know what? It feels pretty damn good. So I dedicate both my column, and my heart, to Elisa Marie Macie; the most beautiful creature to walk upon God’s green earth. She’s made me a better man in so many ways, it wells the eyes with grateful tears just thinking about it. Worry not, cringe hounds, I’ll be back with my usual rambling bollocks next issue but for now, here’s to you, my beautiful, wonderful wife. ALLAN “SOPPY PANTS” SKO

with

TRAVIS HEINRICH WHO: You kiddo WHAT: uniJAM WHERE: ANU Union Court WHEN: Every Thursday between 12-2pm

A subjective opinion yes - but by golly does the saxophone just sound… embarrassing. Obviously there are exceptions, but I can’t help but think of Baker Street (hey! I love that song! – Ed.) or the I Still Believe scene from Lost Boys. It sounds like your dad turning up to your school dance in his pyjamas, only to get his foot stuck in a drain near the girls toilets. I’m sure everyone has their own sound they’re iffy about, but uniVibes are changing things up with their new uniJAM event. They’ve gathered a plethora of innovative musicians from the School of Music, and along with a live electronic producer (plus a schmick sound system) are having weekly gigs to enhance Canberra’s original, live scene. Sax through a chaos pad? I might change after all.

WHO: Purple Sneakers WHAT: Hipster DJs WHERE: Transit Bar WHEN: Fri Apr 30

According to the Sydney troop running this shindig, last month’s Purple Sneakers at Transit proved Canberra “isn’t all about politics”. Canberra, you’re letting yourself down! But thank god, they’re holding another one at the end of the month, and yes folks, it’s free. Feel free to rid this horrible stereotype that we’re all clueless about politics. Come dressed as your favourite minister, wear a powdered wig (like you do most days) and come dance to locals Princi, Celebrity Sex Tape and Fidel Maestro. Sydney crew DJ M.I.T., radio presenter Toki Doki and Kill the Landlord will also get your gams shuffling. Come and drink more than the government recommends you should.

WHO: Mick Turner WHAT: Dirty Three guitarist WHERE: The Front WHEN: Wed Apr 14

Dirty Three. If you haven’t heard them, please go find their music as soon as possible. On stage they’re vultures that eat you alive. Mick Turner strums the six-strings for the posse, and is playing a show at The Front with the help of Jeff Wegener on drums (from Laughing Clowns). Birds Love Fighting and Hellosquare recordings have done us good by setting this up, through the mighty Feel presents (ATP organisers) no doubt. I must stress, this gig is not to be missed. Meaning, it may not happen again. With Voss and Shoeb Ahmed supporting, you’d better pencil this one in bucko. 15 clams, starts at 8pm.

WHO: BLOCK WHAT: The 10th issue of this tasty journal WHERE: www. blockjournal.com WHEN: Submissions close May 31

Ah to be young. I recall when I was ten, swiftly climbing onto the roof of a nearby public toilet. I scaled up a tree, landing triumphantly on my concrete summit to rejoice - but the celebration was premature. Whilst on top, I glanced upon sheets of weathered paper; it was Tutankhamen’s tomb for the ten year old. I had found pornography. A new celebration? No - it was dude pornography. I yelped ‘til a neighbour let me down. Also at ten (issues), The Block Biannual takes a far more professional approach to distribution. They want short fiction, poetry, creative non-fiction, comics, photography and art from emerging artists. Find it in Smiths, Impact Comics and the Co-Op.

WHO: The Lucky Wonders WHAT: A sonorous Byron bay quadruplet WHERE: The Front, The Phoenix WHEN: Sun Apr 18 @ the Front, Mon Apr 19 @ The Phoenix

Byron Bay’s The Lucky Wonders are set to release their debut album Thirteen O’clock shortly and are stopping by our town twice in their 42-stop tour. 13 O’clock? Pff, not on my watch buddy (hurhur). The name The Lucky Wonders is suspiciously optimistic. My guess is they’re gypsies, and they stole their happiness and power from the Polish. Give the freakin’ Polish a break will you. Well unless I’m totally wrong, they might be amazing and excellent in all sorts of ways. They topped the JJJ roots unearthed charts, and have two gigs you can paw at frantically – one at The Phoenix and one at The Front (Canberra’s two best music venues in this writer’s opinion).

WHO: The Lazys WHAT: Ferocious Rock ’n’ Roll WHERE: The Pot Belly WHEN: Sat Apr 17

‘The Lazys’ - I like that. Being lazy isn’t always about ‘not being stuffed’; it’s about cutting corners to get your desired goal quicker. I apply the lazy approach to movies – I can get enough info from the trailer to piece the rest together. Titanic? Boat sinks. Philadelphia? Denzal Washington sues Tom Hanks for having AIDs. See, easy – it doesn’t take Alfred Einstein to figure it out. The Lazys understand this approach, playing alongside every band in the world, getting signed and recording the shit out of their soon to be released album Planet Earth. If you like your rock garnished with nuts, go to this gig probably. Viciously fun stuff.

Yes, yes, keep him talking. Divert his attention away from your flailing will. “So, you guys are a duo, where is your other half today?” Off killing babies and eating human flesh? I add with an almost inaudible mutter. “Bloody Beetroots is not a duo; Bloody Beetroots is my electro persona. It became a duo when we did DJ sets. I work in the studio alone – it’s a very complicated process.” Oh god, don’t make it mad, I tell myself. For all I know it is already thinking of a fine marinade with which to accompany my freshly chopped internal organs. Throw in a compliment for Christ’s sake! I recoil with a fake smirk, the corners of my mouth jagging upwards like a broken roller door. I finally manage “your first album was extremely successful. Warp has to be one of the most popular club records in recent times. So what are you planning to do with your recent recipe for success?” “I always do different things and I’m just worried about dying,” he coughs. “Romborama’s not yet finished, I’m releasing some ‘Spares of’ that will support it ‘til the end of the year. So 79 minutes just ain’t enough.”

bloody hell tim galvin Imagine for a moment that the four horsemen of the apocalypse, conquest, war, famine and death were devilishly furled into two enigmatically masked hominids. Creatures so devoid of morality that their mere presence starves the immediate area of ambient light like an odious black hole. To their creators they are known as Bob Rifo and DJ Tommy Tea but to the world which lies burning at their feet, they are THE BLOODY BEETROOTS. Just two days ago a dusty tape recorder and shredded notebook were unsheathed from the rubble of an obliterated building, the former site of an infamously rare face to face interview with the dastardly dyad. Until this moment, the story was thought to be legend. The grievous facts were too startling to retain any ounce of truth, the lone journalist was nowhere to be found; no trace of a body, no blood and no sign of anything resembling life. The air around the makeshift crypt smelt of burnt flesh and death, an anomaly of horrific proportions. The following extract is all that could be pieced together from the fragments of audio and text recovered from the warped devices. Please note, it has been censored in respect for the families involved and for your own sanity. Play. “Quality is anarchy,” scathes Bob from behind his infamous black mask, a faceless Rorschach canvas that gives away nothing, no allusion apart from absolute anonymity. He notices my stagnant gaze and offers a response. “I protect myself from UV rays. They are bad for the skin.” Phew, humans have skin right? If they are just like us, maybe I can reason with it. I adjust my collar to allow a single bead of sweat to trickle down my neck. At that moment, my eyes harden with an impetuous plan. Have I happened upon their Achilles heel? Of course, the sun! I avert my gaze to the crack in the curtains, a small sliver of yellow light confirms the presence of my new ally, but for now I must fill the widening void of heavy silence. “So, you ghouls… I mean, guys are from Italy, the partisan capital of the world!” I stutter. “Love one another, passion and romance, right?” “I am proud of Italy’s artistic heritage but I don’t feel Italian. Italy is imploding because it’s not able to generate ‘true culture’ any more. It’s stifling and I need a wider platform.”

I fumble through my notes like a startled gazelle, careful not to stare into his eyes, or at least the seething black smear where eyes probably fear to exist. Can it see me? “So, you are bringing your seven-piece Death Crew 77 live band to Australia for the Creamfields Festival, also stopping over in Canberra for the Warehouse Festival. Your last appearance at Foreshore in Canberra must have been quite memorable – do you prefer to play at big festivals or smaller club shows?” The creature stirs for a moment and leans forward slowly. I will myself to calm but still manage to flinch at the sound of creaking leather as its deep voice sprays me through the mask like a shotgun blast. “I love playin’ in the clubs but festivals are great too… maybe too big for me, no?” My nervous demeanour forces a jittery impish laugh from the depths of my gullet. Was that a joke? I think of my family back home, safe and warm in their beds and wonder will I ever see them again. My hands shake as I toss the page of my notebook, sweaty fingerprints pierce the lined sheets leaving a translucent smudge. Now, how to lighten the mood? “What… ah… what would give you greater joy; writing a track that sets a club audience on fire, a home cooked meal from your mother, or a proposition from one of the world’s sexiest ladies?” The dark figure retreats momentarily into the hard comfort of its chair and offers “maybe I could write a track inviting one of the world’s sexiest ladies to come and eat at my Mum’s… that should do the trick.” A deep breath fills my lungs and exits calmly through my nostrils. The devil has a sense of humour, I scribble on the page. Fuelled by foolish mental acquisitiveness, I allow my inner monologue to grab at my vocal chords like strapping reigns just long enough to murmur “so what is it exactly that you do… eat?” The light in the room flickers ominously, the dull pop of the overloaded bulb showers the room in complete and silent darkness. A bloodcurdling snarl rattles me to my very bones as I stop in mid-breath. “H-Hello? Mr Rifo?” Inaudible noise. End of transmission. The tales that are told through flashlights on warm summer nights to scare young children are all true. We live in a world where monsters really do exist; some are small fanged blood suckers, others huge and murderous monoliths. But one thing they all have in common – like us, they all fear The Bloody Beetroots. The Bloody Beetroots will strike fear into our hearts at Warehouse Music Festival at the AIS Arena on Saturday May 1. Tix through Ticketek.

ALL AGES I have some very important news to deliver to all you happy-go-lucky under-aged scamps! Our newest and very much appreciated all ages venue, The Warehouse, has changed its name! From now on it shall be known as The Jam Factory. You will no longer be put through the frustrating ordeal of Googling ‘The Warehouse, Fyshwick’ and being directed straight to DFO, Sportman’s freaking Warehouse or Onya Bike! DAMN IT! It angers me! But it can hurt and anger no more, all has been made right. Melbourne hardcore five-piece bands Confession and Lover’s Grave will be passing through Canberra on The Mistake Tour with Sydney’s Thy Art is Murder and Wish for Wings from Brisbane. After the release of Confession’s new full-length Cancer fans are anxiously awaiting a chance to hear the tunes live in action. I am proud to say that you can catch this spectacular lineup at… The Jam Factory, formerly known as The Warehouse, on Sunday May 2. Prices at this point have not been specified, but regardless, it’s a gig worth attending. The Tuggeranong Youth Centre is taking a leap out of its comfort zone for a couple of weeks, bringing to us delinquents some lighter and slightly more ‘catchy’ tunes than the regular hardcore lineups can bring. US pop/punk band Fireworks have come all the way over from Detroit to be joined by ‘well-travelled’ Sydney band Heroes for Hire on a tour of Australia. They will be at the Tuggeranong Youthie on Wednesday April 21, you can grab your tickets for just $15 (+BF) from any Moshtix outlet. Then on Saturday May 1 you’ll have a chance to see Sydney powerpop/ alternative sensation, Chemical Transport, accompanied by local bands Retraspec, Atlantis Awaits and more that will be announced closer to the date. Ticket prices are at this point unknown, but they will be sold at the door from 6pm on the evening of the gig. But on Tuesday May 18 the Tuggeranong Youth Centre will return to upholding its prized reputation as one of the city’s prime AA hardcore venues. Adding yet another name to the long list of American acts to be touring the country, hardcore pioneers Evergreen Terrace along with Casey Jones, both from Florida, USA, will be joining forces for a national tour with rising Newcastle hardcore band Dropsaw. This is a lineup that quite simply won’t reoccur, at least not any time soon. Tickets cost only $36.30 (+BF) from Moshtix outlets. Finally, it’s almost time for Groovin’ the Moo! Grab yourself a ticket quickly, and on Sunday May 9 you’ll find yourself kickin’ it back in the meadows of the UC, being entertained by Vampire Weekend (USA), Tegan & Sara (Canada), Spoon (USA), Silverchair, Grinspoon, Empire Of The Sun, British India, Lisa Mitchell, Kisschasy, Miami Horror, Bag Raiders and so many more. If you can manage to snatch up one of the very few remaining tickets, you can count yourself a part of the last big feel-good festival of the summer for just $95.90 (+ bf). Soon enough you’ll be missing the summer, dreading that first step out of the door in the morning and wishing that you had enjoyed it when you had the chance. Quickly, get yourself a nice heart-warming memory of the summer to tuck away in your winter coat. NAOMI FROST allagescolumn@gmail.com

LOCALITY

Hello again readers. Your regularly scheduled columnist is taking a well-deserved break this fortnight, leaving Locality, and all the perks that come with it, in my greedy little hands. One perk that comes with writing a column is getting to see your own name in print, in capital letters, again and again and again. This will be my final edition of Locality, so I figured I’d make the most of it and write the most quotable column in the history of columns. That’s right. I want my name on posters. On websites. On press releases. I want my name all over the damn place. And to that end, I am helpfully putting anything that would make a great pull quote in inverted commas, starting… now. First up this fortnight, we have “the single greatest band in the world,” The Wedded Bliss. The boys are playing at Phoenix, or as I like to call it, “an incredible place where magic happens.” You can catch their “inconceivably good” show on Wednesday April 21. The music starts at 8pm and entry is free. Next up, check out the “heart-stopping genius” of local indie favourite JW Sparrow when he plays at “my absolute favourite venue,” Bar 32. JW is playing alongside “all round nice guys” The Scrapes (Bris) and “prince among men” Alejandro Alcazar on Friday April 16. The fun starts at 8pm and entry is $10. “Canberra’s home of explosive good times,” also sometimes known as The Pot Belly, is hosting its annual band comp on Saturday April 17. Pop the Pot is always a huge night, showcasing hours and hours of music from a range of local acts. This year’s event features eight Canberra bands. Locality suggests you keep an eye out for the “effortlessly graceful” John Lollback, the “oft-celebrated” Dan Ihasz, the “ impeccably groomed” Tim Maloney, the “dazzling greatness” of Robert the Bruce, the “undeniable attractiveness” of the Adam Hole & Marji Curran Band, the “incomparable” Paulie the Water Tiger, the “monumental” Pleased to Jive You and those “uncompromising superstars,” Teen Skank Parade. The night kicks off at 5pm and goes ‘til late, and entry is free. There’s another big night of local music at The Pot on Saturday April 24. “Sensitive lovers” Johnny Roadkill, “great conversationalists” Activate Jetpack and the “unstoppable force” known as Flat Earth Confederacy are playing from 9pm, and entry is free. The Bootleg Sessions are back at Phoenix this fortnight. On Monday April 19, catch “first-rate talent” Emma Dryden, “master of his genre” Drew Walky, “musical marvels” The Lucky Wonders and the “rampant sexuality” of Julia and the Deep Sea Sirens. Be there on Monday April 26 to see “feisty” Joe Oppenheimer, the “dazzling” Matt Dent, the “superior” Second Sun and the “ever provocative” Matthew Simpson Morgan. The music starts at 8pm and entry is free. Get along to Phoenix on Wednesday nights for the Domus Adultus sessions. On Wednesday April 15, check out “vivacious virtuoso” Soheyla, the “irresistible” Teddy Conrick and “breathtaking prodigies” Readable Graffiti. On Wednesday April 22, catch sets by “local luminaries” David Goliath, the “hot, hot, hot” James Fahy Trio and the “still dazzling” Matt Dent. The bands start at 9pm and entry is free. That’s it from Locality this time around. Have a great fortnight, kids! CATHERINE JAMES locality.bma@hotmail.com

DANCE THE DROP Ladies and gents the days left to secure a Warehouse ticket are depleting at a rapid rate. With a strong ‘live’ influence from the likes of the Bloody Beetroots and LMFAO, the event is predicted to sell out well before gates open. If that isn’t enticement enough the Kicks team have divulged the construction of a stage structure, the cost of which could fund the down payment on a house. The mammoth tower is to be comprised of numerous angled and overlapping white surfaces giving a three-dimensional projection piece that will steadily evolve as the day progresses. Furthermore the outside area has been promoted to stâge deux thus increasing capacity and wow factor. Also don’t miss the after-party at Cads featuring Lifelike and the Bingo Players! Moving on to gigs of less grandeur, Thursdays around town continue to be dominated by $2 drinks and ubiquitous walks of shame. Fortunately Party By Jake has teamed up with indie promoters Pyramid to present The Touch on Thursday April 15 for some quality tuneage at Transit Bar. Hailing from Adelaide, The Touch are currently making waves on their Shot single tour (def checkout the Loot & Plunder remix). Support comes in the form of The Spitfires from Perth and locals Assassins 88 plus the Party By Jake DJs. Make sure you head down, part your hair to the left and order a gin and tonic. Also look up PBJ’s notzine P R E S C R I P T I O N on Facebook for all your fashion and music dos and don’ts. Looking to the weekend Aussie electro maestro Tommy Trash is bringing his Russell Hammond good looks to Academy on Saturday April 17. Tommy’s recent remix of Rihanna’s Rude Boy is slowly building as a big winter hit, so make sure you keep an ear out for it on the night. The best of the southside parties on Saturday April 16/Sunday April 17 comes in the form of Pang!’s Lot 33 infamous soiree. On Saturday April 16 Sweat It Out’s Act Yo Age returns to the club, followed by former Stupidfresh member Nom De Strip (UK) on Sunday April 17. Nom De Strip would be my pick of the two for some international flavour. It has been almost three long years since The Freestylers have toured the ACT. After a string of breakbeat classics, including Get Down Massive and Don’t Stop, it was their crossover 2004 release Push Up that launched them into the superstar DJ realm. Finally the wait is over! Academy-goers can fasten their seatbelts on Friday April 23 with a two hour Freestylers set. On Saturday April 24 Hippo opens its doors again for another quality gig. This time it’s Villany featuring Sydney’s Alex Caminer and Zushy Woolstone who are best known for their Kings Cross residencies at LadyLux and House Inspection. The talented Scottie Fischer, Yohan Strauss and Sam Turnbull will also return to the Villany fold. mi favorito… Freestylers! Fingers crossed they will stick with a traditional breaks-influenced set. STAKY staceymanson@gmail.com

myspace.com/pangnight

Harvey, “but when it comes down to it, it’s really still in its infancy. It’s a bit like music for children, really. It’s music produced by people who have failed at drum ‘n’ bass; it only Dubstep is uses one idea at a time, like a bassline and doesn’t incorporate music for any harmony or chords at all. children, for It started off as kind of black people who music and now it’s really white,” have failed at he laughs. drum ‘n’ bass

D ORD NCOR CONC THEE CO OF TH HT OF IGHT FLIG FL tim galvin “One coffee please,” crackles down the phone line, followed by an inaudible reply from a Czech waiter. The momentary lapse in conversation allows me to approbate the mental image of a bearded Kiwi wandering the streets of Prague. Such is the life of drum and bass virtuoso Matt Harvey, one half of the exceptionally auspicious New Zealand duo CONCORD DAWN.

Harvey returns to Canberra soon for a rare local festival set, although one might think he would be more at home in the safety of a club. “I do like a bit of both, really, but if I had to choose I would say clubs. I think I would go mad if I only played festival gigs because they can be a bit of a pain in the ass and you always get your shoes dirty. The Big Day Out this year was bananas though… it’s good to get around and show people that drum ‘n’ bass is alright, y’know?” Catch Concord Dawn live at the All Our Friends Festival at the UC Refectory on Saturday June 5. Tickets through Qjump.

“Sorry, I’m about to go to lunch,” says Harvey. “I’ve been living in Vienna for the last few years. I’m doing a gig here on the weekend in a castle – I think we’re actually staying in the castle too, which is pretty cool. I’m back here now after spending some time in New Zealand at the beginning of the year where I did lots of gigs and drank lots of beer.” Twenty ten has been a crazy year for the beat technician, juggling the stress of a European tour schedule with an inundation of new production work to complete without his usual partner in grime, Evan Short. “At the moment I’m taking some time off to write on my own,” explains Harvey. “This is the first record I have really done by myself and I think I’m dealing with it okay. I’ve taken a breather from the whole DJ thing because I’ve been gigging the whole time and it doesn’t give you enough time to do both things. You end up going through tunes on Thursday, playing on Friday and Saturday then recovering for the rest of the week!” At this point in the conversation I drop what certain game shows would refer to as the ‘word of the day’ but instead of a cavalcade of coloured balloons raining down from the ceiling, I’m met instead with a hilarious oral tirade of epic proportions, thanks to the simple idiom ‘dubstep.’ “I do like some dubstep,” says

Beneath our rock hard exteriors we’re giggly little cups of care jelly wanting to be loved

ALL ABOARD! david butler Without any hesitation, Justin Heazlewood (aka THE BEDROOM PHILOSOPHER) recounts the strangest scene he’s witnessed while travelling via public transport. “A man crying,” he says. “I don’t think you’ll see anything that slices through your mental screen saver like a man in that level of distress.” It was a scene that cut to the core of this talented satirist, always on the lookout for the unique in the everyday. “It was tragic, and kind of fantastic. Like a gentle reminder from nature that we’re all just organic alien super freaks doing our best, and beneath our rock hard exteriors we’re giggly little cups of care jelly wanting to be loved.” With a rich vein of similarly odd experiences aboard the 86 tram in Melbourne, Heazlewood set about adapting some of the characters he’d witnessed into a comedy set for the Melbourne International Comedy Festival. Incisive, hilarious and poignant, the Songs from the 86 Tram project has grown into Heazlewood’s third full studio album, with a subsequent national tour underway in support.

By depicting a diverse range of characters from different demographics, Heazlewood has stepped out of the introspective quirk-cult comedy of hits like I’m So Post-Modern and Golden Gaytime to something a little more ambitious. “I was interested in taking on demographics that are rarely satirised in any way,” he says. “Indie musos, wanky artists, middle-aged women and refugees all get a mention. My last album Brown & Orange was all about me and delving into my own strange mind, so for this project I was keen to basically not be in the show at all.” A lot of the frivolous and biting satire that marked earlier Bedroom Philosopher work remains on the Songs from the 86 Tram album, and current single Northcote (So Hungover) is a typically hilarious depiction of a slacker-scenester talking overloudly and overconfidently on a mobile phone, punctuating his too-cool drawl with plenty of ‘uhs’, ‘yas’, ‘likes’ and ‘whatevers’. Though a sharp character assassination of the modern hipster, Heazlewood says he can’t swear by the authenticity of the character. “To be honest I can’t say I’ve ever met the guy, yet I know he exists. My god, people say ‘like’ a lot. We’ve all been slowly yet completely brainwashed by American television culture. It started with Sesame Street and ended with Gossip Girl, but whether we like it or not we like, say like a lot, like, uh, ya, whatever man.” This ride aboard the 86 tram is likely to take audiences to some very odd places. “I’m pretty keen on depicting characters in a comedic way that goes far deeper that the average kind of thing you’d see on TV,” Heazlewood says. “People are damn strange and dark and idiosyncratic. This isn’t something to be shied away from and edited – it should be heralded.” With a host of new, challenging and hilarious characters under his belt, Heazlewood will be playing material from his new album at an intimate solo gig at The Front on Wednesday April 28. Tickets are $12 on the door.

RUSSIAN ROULETTE katy hall Out in the sticks of the Northern Territory is an unlikely place to find a brass-playing, Tatar-singing, blonde haired Russian immigrant (you’d think). But, when I get through to ZULYA KAMALOVA, that’s exactly where she is. This well established songbird is “seeing some of the most wonderful sights in Australia” and embarking on her most extensive nationwide tour to date (a whopping 29 dates in total) on the back of her latest album release, Tales of Subliming. For those unfamiliar with Kamalova’s work, her background is extensive. Coming to Australia at the age of 21, she decided to set up camp and never leave. “Things were very hard [in Russia] in the early ‘90s and I don’t think there was space for me,” she recalls. “I came to Australia and people were always so open and interested.” With a strong and ever-growing fanbase and her latest album being met with rave reviews, now more than ever, she’s firmly rooted.

I came to Australia and people were always so open and interested

Growing up in Communist Russia, Zulya and her Turkish descendants would always play music and she adds “it was a normal thing to sing and play the accordion. We grew up with the one songbook we would all learn from and pass around.” Zulya admits that her heritage runs stronger than just singing in her native tongues too. “There are some songs that sound like the Red Army Choir, and there is my constant love of accordion and brass. Those sounds are a strong part of music for me.” When it came time to follow up 2007’s ARIA Award-winning 3 Nights, Zulya continued to look to her childhood for inspiration. “Every album has a theme,” she says earnestly. Though the colourful tales of Disney are a far cry from the original morals learned through the likes of Red Riding Hood and Snow White, in the depths of translation, a peek into one singer’s retrospective of childhood was born, and so Tales of Subliming came to be. “There’s a symbolism in fairytales that I don’t think we are able to grasp the first time. The original tales are about being human, and that journey, and the relationships you might make along the way. I was really interested in the female characters; they are not maidens, but strong and determined, even when lost.” When I ask Zulya about her unbreakable Russian tie, and why she has not followed the path of many other singers in similar situations (think Regina Spektor) she admits “it definitely affects who I am and how I perform. If I stayed, I don’t know if it would have happened for me at all. To be Russian and have my own roots and now look at life from a different angle is what made me find the type of music I am now making. Each person looks at things differently, and my angle is the philosophical one.” Zulya and the Children of the Underground are playing at The Street Theatre on Sunday April 18. Tickets from the venue’s website – www. thestreet.org.au .

E X H I B I T I O N I S T in awe because the man really knows Shakespeare. I’ve never worked with John before and didn’t know what he was like but he’s a really lovely man.” Purcell says he has amazing energy on stage, which lifts her own performance. “In Act II, scene four he comes and wants to stay with me and I tell him no, go back to my sister. We really give it to him so that’s a real highlight. Then of course, I’m in the eye gouging scene. That’s pretty awesome. I get to throw guys around.

KING LEAR emma gibson This year Bell Shakespeare celebrates its 20th anniversary. In that time it has staged some 30 plays and performed to more than two million Australians. From a glam-rock inspired Antony and Cleopatra, to the classic Romeo and Juliet, and the 1998 Barrie Kosky extravaganza of KING LEAR, Bell Shakespeare has established itself as a theatrical icon. In a relatively short period of time, the company has changed Australia’s perceptions of Shakespeare, and converted schoolkids to Shakespeare fans across the country (I should know. I was one of them). Actress Leah Purcell’s appreciation for Shakespeare came a little later in life. She couldn’t stand Shakespeare when she was at school. “I fell asleep up the back!” Purcell laughs. “It was not that I didn’t like Shakespeare, I just never understood it. I thought it was a waste of time anyway – I’d never have to learn to talk upside down and back to front. I was convinced it wasn’t my cup of tea. But after working with John Bell, who is just a legend, I love Shakespeare now.” In King Lear, opening soon at the Canberra Theatre Centre, Purcell plays daughter Regan to John Bell’s Lear. Bell Shakespeare cheekily describes it as a play filled with tips for coping with old age, retirement and ungrateful children, though it’s an understatement to say things don’t turn out well. The ageing Lear prepares to retire from his position and in dividing his kingdom, asks his three daughters how much they each love him. The two older sisters, Goneril and Regan, sing his praises to get what they want, but his youngest daughter Cordelia refuses to be obsequious and Lear disinherits her. From there, insanity, greed and betrayal set in, complete with eye-gouging and bodies littering the stage. It’s a complex text and a challenge for any actor, but Purcell has embraced the challenges of her role. She says on the first day of rehearsals, she was apologetic because she was so intimidated to read opposite John Bell. “On the first day we were all petrified. John opened his mouth and read the first two lines of the play and we were

“I learnt so much with John. I was very open and said I don’t know much about Shakespeare. John just took me aside one day said, ‘I’m not going to bore you with theory. I’ll just teach you the tricks and have you talking like me in a week.’” Purcell said she also had help wrapping her head around the language of Shakespeare in the website No Fear Shakespeare, which offers plain English versions of the plays. She recommends any first timers read it before seeing the play. Purcell is down to earth and enthusiastic. She’s so enthusiastic about the show that she spends all our time talking about that and not her own personal achievements, which are impressive. Purcell is an award winning writer, director and actor, best known for her semiautobiographical play Box the Pony, set in an Aboriginal community in Queensland. She worked previously with King Lear director Marion Potts in 2008 in The Story of the Miracles at Cookie’s Table for which she won a Helpmann Award. But she’s always eager to learn more, and is enjoying seeing King Lear evolve on stage. “It’s always changing. We find things in the script that we didn’t see before or someone reacts to something in a different way. It’s great. It means the play’s alive. It’s about us mortals finding all the tricks Shakespeare placed in there. It keeps it interesting for us,” she says. She also enjoys the simplicity of the staging. “As an actor I prefer the open space and people interacting as opposed to lots of props and so forth. So there’s no hiding in Shakespeare. It’s about trusting yourself and the other actors. That’s why I’m so glad I did this role at 39, because I appreciated the lesson and got a lot more out of it.” Also hitting the stage this year as part of the twentieth birthday celebrations is Twelfth Night, described by Bell Shakespeare as “the sort of thing that can happen when a man looks too much like his sister”, and Just Macbeth, by Andy Griffiths—he of My Bum Went Psycho fame—which will no doubt appeal to its young target audience. Bell’s policy of tackling Shakespeare in different ways – such as in 2008’s stunning ‘remix’, Anatomy Titus, is one way the company has achieved such success in the last two decades. “John had a vision and brought it to fruition and without the quality of work it couldn’t have lasted so long,” Purcell says. “There are people who appreciate the literature and Shakespeare’s form of writing. But Bell Shakespeare makes it accessible to everyone—they take it out to Aboriginal communities and young people all over Australia, making Shakespeare easy to grasp. They’re a great company to work for and they all work hard and they all believe in what they’re doing.” Bell Shakespeare’s King Lear opens at The Playhouse, CTC, on April 15. Tickets through Canberra Ticketing on 6275 2700.

PHOTO: ‘pling

David Finnigan will be well known to most Canberran theatre-goers. His post-apocalyptic coming-of-age road trip play Oceans All Boiled Into Sky was nominated for the 2006 Max Afford National Playwrights Award and was performed as a live radio play at the Street Theatre in 2008. At the first staged reading of the Seed program, CYT’s senior actors ably performed six of Finnigan’s short absurdist pieces. Autopsy Play Backwards, which had never been staged before, presented a particular problem for the performers. “I understand that stage directions such as: ‘ZOFIA puts MR G’s heart back into his chest. The blood is sucked back into MR G’s body,’ may be challenging to carry out, but man, 90% of the fun of theatre is in finding ingenious solutions to such challenges,” Finnigan said on his blog (blind-dragonfly.com).

planting seeds emma gibson Canberra Youth Theatre’s latest venture, THE SEED STAGED READING PROGRAM sprouted on Tuesday April 6, with David Finnigan’s Autopsy Play Backwards, and other plays brought to life by CYT’s senior actors ensemble. The idea is simple: once a month, CYT stages a rehearsed reading of work by young and emerging playwrights. CYT’s artistic director Karla Conway says it benefits writers and performers alike. “Our senior actors have a fantastic show planned for the end of the year, which will be a site-specific devised hybrid work. In contrast, I wanted to give them experienced in text-based work,” Conway says. “At the same time, CYT is committed to providing pathways for emerging artists and one area I could see that we weren’t servicing was writing.”

CYT’s ensemble tacked that problem by reading some stage directions aloud, and moving symbolically to others. The minimal style worked, though Conway says they’d love to stage the piece properly one day. For me, though, the real highlight was Coat Made of Eyes, performed by TseYee Teh. Finnigan describes the piece as: “a smashed broken rhythmic rave-up based on an acid vision of Portland collaborator Jay Christian. It’s not poetry…but it’s not a traditional drawing room theatre piece.” But Teh evoked the image of an old woman, desperately trying to recapture lost memories, and finally, letting those memories eat away. At the Q&A session afterwards, she explained how she came to that reading of the piece, and Finnigan was pleasantly surprised to discover a new layer of meaning. Conway is justifiably excited about the program. “It literally is a seed and we’re hoping with time it will sprout into something amazing,” she says. The series of staged readings take place on the first Tuesday of each month, at C Block Theatre, Gorman House Arts Centre. The next reading is at 7.30 pm, Tuesday May 4, and the playwright will be announced soon. Writers can submit scripts at us@cytc.net .

ARTISTPROFILE: Jarrad West

What do you do? Co-Artistic Director of Everyman Theatre, also I write and act and direct and shit. When did you get into it? When I was eight years old, my mother was heavily involved in theatre in WA, and therefore I was the obnoxious child giving my opinion to everyone during the rehearsals where she couldn’t find a babysitter. Who or what influences you as an artist? I have no idea. Does television count as an influence? And is that good? I take bits and pieces from everywhere, visual arts, music, so I guess that makes me a pastiche. I like that word. What’s your proudest moment so far? Two things – completely nailing the reprise of I’ll Cover You in RENT 12 nights in a row (I got a tattoo for that) and getting both parts of Angels in America to the Canberra stage in 2008 (I got a tattoo for that one too). What are your plans for the future? Everyman Theatre is building on it successes, and I’m excited about seeing it going from strength to strength this year and into the future. Oh, and maybe a Sondheim musical. What makes you laugh? Any number of things. Jessica Brent at rehearsals, Duncan Ley doing an American accent, Sue Sylvester, boobs. What pisses you off? People who assume they’re in charge. What’s your opinion of the local scene? It’s growing, developing and changing, and I love being part of that. What are your upcoming performances? I’m directing The Laramie Project, Everyman’s next show. It’s on at the Courtyard Studio from May 20. Bookings and info from Canberra Ticketing – 6275 2700. Contact Info: My email address is jarrad.west@gmail.com. I haven’t had a date in nearly a year, so hit me up. No, seriously.

Infatuated, immature and desperate, Annabel does the opposite – she moves into his cupboard. There are echoes of the story of Queensland teen Natasha Ryan, who ‘disappeared’ for several years and was the subject of an extended police investigation, only to be discovered living in her boyfriend’s walk-in-wardrobe. For Gibson, though, the bizarre reality of the story is underlined by the symbolic opportunities it opens. “It’s both a physical cupboard and a metaphor for how people can become trapped,” explains Gibson. “People can choose to trap themselves in a situation.”

live-in lover courtney boot “What if you loved someone so much you were willing to give up the rest of the world and live in a cupboard just to be with them?” This is the question posed both rhetorically and literally in Emma Gibson’s new play LOVE CUPBOARD, launching the 2010 Made in Canberra season at The Street Theatre this month. “The idea came to me late at night when I was half-watching TV and thought a subtitle said ‘Love Cupboard’,” explains Gibson. “It didn’t, but I thought it was such an interesting title I had to write it down.” The play centres on Warren (Scott Cummings), and his 12-yearsyounger, claustrophilic girlfriend Annabel (Hanna Cormick). Annabel’s parents disapprove of her dating a man so much older and order her to break up with Warren.

In this case, both sides are trapped – Annabel by her immaturity, and by the fantasy life she plays out during her lonely days in the cupboard, and Warren by his complicity in Annabel’s decision. The play is receiving its ‘premiere’ performance launching The Street Theatre’s 2010 Made in Canberra season, a performance opportunity in which Gibson is proud to be involved. “It’s really exciting,” says Gibson. “It really does bring interesting and exciting works to the stage. Having the support from The Street Theatre means we can realise our vision.” No mean feat, given the difficulties of staging new work in a field of tough professional competition. “It’s really hard to get a start,” says Gibson. “There’s only one David Williamson. “It’s rare to find really solid support behind you from a theatre organisation. I think it has a really positive impact on the local theatre scene.” Although this is its official debut, Love Cupboard is now several years (and rewrites) old. Gibson worked with dramaturg Peter Matheson at The Street, and took the play to the World Interplay young playwrights festival in Cairns in 2009, workshopping it into shape with the help of international mentors. “It’s amazing how much the script has changed and it continues to surprise me,” says Gibson. “It’s a lot darker. I hope people will be surprised by it.” Love Cupboard opens at The Street as part of Made in Canberra on Thursday April 29, running to Sunday May 2.

bit PARTS WHO: Gary Lee WHAT: Day Visitor WHEN: April 10 – May 15; exhibition opening Friday April 16 6pm WHERE: Canberra Contemporary Art Space, Gorman House Braddon Opening at CCAS Gorman House is Gary Lee’s latest exhibition, Day Visitor, a collection of photographs of the extraordinary beauty of ordinary men. Quoting the artist HIMSELF: “In this new work I am involved with the notion of the beauty of the ordinary male as opposed to the ‘model’ type […] The nature of male beauty that appeals to me lies with the ordinary kind of self-assurance that, in fact, the average guy may not even be remotely aware he has (and which can also evolve in the course of a photo shoot).” O BOY! The exhibition is totally free, which is also nice.

WHO: Indigenous artists WHAT: Nomad Art Gallery WHEN: Open now! WHERE: M Centre, Palmerston Lane, Manuka It’s always a bit lovely when a new art gallery opens here in the N.C., and even more so when there’s a definite raison d’etre. Such is Nomad Art, a new gallery specialising in limited edition prints by Indigenous artists from northern and central Australia. To quote: “Nomad Art is well known for unique projects in the Top End and works in crosscultural collaborations with artists nationally. These curated projects promote collaboration, reconciliation and understanding and include documentation with an educational focus.” There’s also hand made textiles, sculpture, ceramics and bronzes on sale.

WHO: Co-Opera: Opera on the Move WHAT: La Boheme WHEN: Tuesday April 20 and Wednesday April 21 @ 7.30pm WHERE: The Street Theatre It’s a story that has touched the hearts of music lovers and romantics for over one hundred years. Now, Co-Opera celebrate their 20th anniversary with this chamber production of Puccini’s beloved opera, La Bohème, performing at The Street Theatre for two nights only. Reflecting on Co-Opera’s 20 year history, General Manager and Musical Director Brian Chatterton explains the two conditions that have made their story a success: “One is the keen desire of professional singers, especially young ones, to sing. And the other is the seemingly inexhaustible thirst for live operatic experience by regional and remote communities in Australia and elsewhere.” Tix on 6247 1223.

Gary Lee Billy 2009

WHO: Canberra Repertory WHAT: Moon Over Buffalo WHEN: April 30 – May 15 WHERE: Theatre 3, Ellery Cres, Acton Quoting! “In the madcap comedy tradition of Lend me a Tenor, the hilarious Moon Over Buffalo centres on George and Charlotte Hay, fading stars of the 1950s. At the moment, they’re playing Private Lives and Cyrano de Bergerac in rep in Buffalo, New York with five actors. But maybe they have one last shot at stardom: Frank Capra is coming to town to see their matinee, and if he likes what he sees, he might cast them in his movie remake of The Scarlet Pimpernel. Of course, everything that could go wrong does, and knowing it could happen, makes it even better.” Tix: 6257 1950.

WHO: You! WHAT: NAIDOC on the Peninsula 2010 WHEN: Sunday July 4 WHERE: AIATSIS forecourt on the Acton Peninsula

WHO: The Griffyn Ensemble WHAT: Latin Flavour WHEN: Saturday May 1 @ 5.30pm WHERE: Belconnen Arts Centre

To quote: “This year’s NAIDOC on the Peninsula, proudly organised by the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS), is a free, major public event held annually on the shores of Lake Burley Griffin. Some 2500-3000 people turned out for last year’s event - the biggest turn-out to date. We invite all interested Indigenous, non-Indigenous, government, private sector, community groups, schools and individuals to get involved.” Getting involved could mean holding a stall, putting together a performance, or organising activities – and if you want to do so, why not? For more info about the event and getting involved, contact Nova Batman on 6261 4203.

Head north of the lake to go south of the border with Latin Flavour: the first in a new concert series presented by Michael Sollis, playing at Belco Arts Centre monthly-ish from May/June and beyond. Latin Flavour sees acclaimed musical wunderkinds the Griffyn Ensemble performing music from Spain, Catalonia, Chile, Uruguay, Brazil, Cuba, and Mexico. Admission includes tapas by Neftis Madrid, renowned South American chef. For information and bookings call or email BAC on info@belconnenartscentre.com.au or 02 6173 3300. Hasta luego!

FAIR SHAKE OF THE SAUCE BOTTLE, MATE!

shaun bennett

In their short tenure Sydney’s THE SHAKE UP have lived up to the ‘fair dinkum’ slang of our PM. In the spirit of supergroup heavyweights like The Dead Weather and Them Crooked Vultures, the band is a collaboration of renowned Sydney musicians including Tim Browning, Miles Selwyn and Ben Caruana who have been a part of a bunch of Sydney bands like Apple and Jets of Lightspeed in the past. Though the band have been around for nearly two years, drummer Tim Browning feels that things have been more productive with the current lineup. “Once I joined things got more energetic and things started to happen quicker,” he says. After recruiting bassist Ben Caruana the boys established their energetic power pop/punk edge and jumped in the tour bus on their first national headline tour for their EP Make Me Sick. Through their relentless work ethic and commitment to the band they attracted producers Jim Diamond (White Stripes, Electric Six) and John Agnello (Dinosaur Jr, The Hold Steady) to help them with their forthcoming debut album …If You Have No Shame.

We book our own shows, have no record label, no external support and film all our clips

Despite having these two industry champions on their doorstep, the boys are proud to be an independent act. “We book our own shows, have no record label, no external support and film all our clips. We thought we’re going to do this properly and not just be a side project and we’ve been doing that for around six months now,” Browning says. Although, he is adamant that they’ve had a “bloody good start” being around the people they admire. At the start of their current Everybody Loves It single tour, the boys are at ease with where they are as recording and touring artists. “We’re approaching this tour with a lot more confidence and experience from our last tour since we’ve been to every state and territory now and know the right places to go and the right people to work with,” Browning says. It’s clear that the boys have the work ethic to rival that of The Dead Weather and Them Crooked Vultures as Browning reveals that this is only the beginning. “The album is set and ready to go and this tour will give people a taste of it. We’ll release more singles as the year goes on and will finally tour the album,” Browning says. “We feel there’s plenty more territory to cover in the coming months ‘til the album drops.” He is unwilling to reveal what that may be when pressed. What we do know is that with the band’s combination of hard-edge punk and indie rock melodies, The Shake Up will leave you, as Elvis would say, all shook up. The Shake Up will blow away the Phoenix Bar on Saturday April 24 with Girl Sized Hands. The show is free.

METALISE The Metallise sources are proving reliable of late as the rumoured Metallica tour has now been confirmed in interview, with Mr Ulrich announcing that the band will do a run of Australian and New Zealand dates in November this year before the band takes a break and begins a new record cycle. For me though, the Metallica news wasn’t as nearly as exciting as the email that arrived in my inbox from a good friend late last week. Why? Because of welcome news that the folks at Obsidian Records are bringing out one of my all time favourite Japanese bands, Coffins. If you have not heard albums like Buried Death or The Other Side of Blasphemy, then mete out some self-flagellation and get them at once, especially if you’re into Autopsy-style dirty old school death metal. The tour is due to hit Australia for three shows in September, in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne. The Melbourne show is Saturday September 18 at The Hifi Bar and the Sydney show Sunday September 19 at The Gaelic Club. All shows are 18 and over as the kiddies might not be able to handle a band as brutal as a Tibetan sky burial (Google it). You can get pre-order tickets at the Obsidian Records homepage (www.obsidianrecords.com) or from Moshtix when they go on sale Friday April 23. Do not miss this tour. On the local front this weekend, Friday April 16 at The Basement in Belconnen hosts a big lineup of local talent in the corpulent riffs of System Addict, Loud So Clear, Barbarian and Imperial. Saturday April 17 is a mix of interstate rock and metal acts with Melbournites House of Thumbs touring last year’s Crossing the Rubicon album with Heaven The Axe, Spoil and Blindeyedgods. Speaking of local albums, here are a couple of Australian releases to keep an eye out for that have just dropped. First is the monumental work of Orange (NSW) black metal band Arkheth. Their double album XI & I: The Quintessence of Algaresh has taken four years of hard toil and the band’s labours result in this huge double album out now through Obsidian Records. Algaresh provides the band a conceptual geographic platform for their concepts and the album is the long awaited follow up to 2003’s Hymns of a Howling Wind. Also out this week is The Death of Utopia from Adelaide’s Space Bong. You may have caught their ungodly hate-filled doom dirge at the Doomsday shows late last year, but if you didn’t, the band’s blackened stoner/sludge is set to full uncompromising dirge on this record. You can pick it up for only 15 bucks through 65degrees.com. Albums from Five Star Prison Cell (M A T R I A R C H) and Astriaal (Anatomy of the Infinite) coming soon too; a big year for Australian metal. I also note with interest that the Aussie metal band Gospel of the Horns have come back now more times than even John Farnham (thanks Geoffy) and touring Europe this winter. Pod People will be at The Basement on Friday May 7 with Sydney band Fattura Della Murte who recently got themselves a new vocalist, I Exist and possibly another surprise act or two to come. Josh np – Jaws of Life – Hatred Surge – Collection 2005-2007 JOSH NIXON doomtildeath@hotmail.com

IN YOUR DREAMS KATY HALL It’s no secret that the local music scene has been a bit of a mess of late. What with the review of noise restrictions (think Transit Bar and the constant complaints The Front suffers) and the closure of some truly great venues in the last couple of years, the Canberra scene seems to be losing its touch. While more and more people are opening up their grungy inner north share houses to provide ample venues, more and more bands are putting up their hands to play. And while there tends to be a lot of hit and miss with this, the remarkable thing about it is how willingly everyone is pulling together to make sure it happens, like a rebellion to the larger cities that are always dissing on Canberra as the town that nothing ever happens in. And so on the morning of print deadline, running hours behind and showing no organisational skills whatsoever, I’m stopped in my tracks and completely bowled over by a band we’ve all been hearing quite a bit about of late, and the approach they’re taking to the less than ideal conditions local bands are currently facing. ASSASSINS 88 – made up of Timothy Guthrie and Lachlan Thomas – the self-described “drum and bass combo that plays noise-pop/punk” are doing it any old way they can. Their CV boasts appearances at more houses around Canberra than thought possible, performances in the street, The Front, Phoenix Bar and a slot at last year’s TINA (This Is Not Art) Festival in Newcastle. But now, when times are tighter than ever to find a venue, there seems to be a certain flourish in their method of making it happen. The release of their 2009 debut Go Go Second Chance Virgin saw a whole lot of wider attention focussed on the duo (who met back in high school and finally decided it was time to put their heads together) with praise such as “matching the simplicity of ‘60s pop with the rawness of punk rock, all condensed into lo-fi fuzz… the album’s tracks are no-brainer epics that lay on the melodrama and pull at the heartstrings, and plays like a house party in a John Hughes film, making the Daniel Johnston cover at its end the perfect comedown.” As a member of the recently established Dream Damage label, Assassins are perched on the brink of something much bigger, and taking us all along with them. This month will include a gig with Brisbane’s Kitchen’s Floor, and later this week, a slot with Adelaide band, The Touch. But as things get bigger and better, there’s still a constant determination to open up the local scene to Canberrans and get our eyes and ears open to new old bands that are in the same situation all over the country. This makes for something that’s pretty exciting to be around for, and gives reason to refute the claim that nothing’s ever happening here. You can catch Assassins 88 at Transit Bar on Thursday April 15 or at the Phoenix on Sunday April 18. Both shows are free!

That’s deep, man. good things about it more. You know the bad stuff, like travelling or waiting around, is coming, and you get through it. And you feel lucky to still be able to play for people at the end of the day!” You’ve joined two of the biggest rock bands in the world, replacing founding members along the way. Was it difficult to join Purple after Ritchie Blackmore, one of heavy rock’s iconic guitar players? You have a very different style. “It wasn’t difficult. There will always be people who don’t want you, who only want the original lineup or whatever. But there have been eight lineups of Deep Purple, you know? Generally people are pretty good. And we’ve still got three guys in the band who were there in 1969 – which is pretty good going! But it was a lot easier I think to join Kansas. Kerry [Livgren] is a great guitarist and a good man. Kansas’ heartland is the heartland of America, and maybe people were a little more accepting there initially.”

SCOTT ADAMS Steve Morse is, in my (not so humble) opinion, the greatest guitarist in the world. Starting out in the early ‘70s in jazz rock outfit the Dixie Dregs, Morse carved a name for himself as one of the most versatile axemen in rock. But, as is ever the way, though critically acclaimed, the Dregs didn’t sell enough records for the liking of the man, and by the mid-‘80s Morse was looking for a new gig. Fittingly, the best guitarist in the world was asked to join the best band in the world – Kansas. But after two albums it was clear once again that record company politics were going to conspire to stymie a band above such things and, after the release of the greatest album ever recorded – 1988’s In The Spirit of Things – Morse was on his way again. A noted workaholic, the man spent a while as a commercial pilot whilst keeping a solo band on the road before, somewhat surprisingly, being asked to join DEEP PURPLE in 1994. Which is why I’m on the

phone to him now. Y’see When everyone else the Purps are headed our , out g gin was han way again, and I’ve heard drinking beer… I was it may be for the last time practicing. I love playing – is this true Mr Morse? “I haven’t heard that rumour. Did you get that from a hitman? Because, you know, the only way I can see this band stopping playing is a direct hit from a cruise missile!” This is of course comforting news for Purple fans such as myself. So what kind of set should we expect this time around? “Well, the set we’re playing at the moment is different from the last time we were in Australia, but it’ll be different again by the time we get back there. It depends a lot on Ian [Gillan, vocalist]. On any given night on the road we meet and greet with a hundred or so people, and he sometimes comes down with a bit of laryngitis, or a sore throat,so sometimes we tailor the set to get the best out of him, to help him get through the hard times. Obviously there are always some old classics we have to play, as well as five or six new songs that we like to throw in… then there are seven or eight songs that we rotate from night to night throughout a tour, plus me, Don [Airey, keyboards] and Ian [Paice, drums] throw in some improv, so it can be anything from those four groups that we come up with.” So perm 15 from 120 then! But, I’m supposing, this must be the only way to prevent rigor mortis from setting in on the brain? “Exactly. Because as much as someone coming to the band as a young kid for the first time might just want to hear Smoke on the Water or some really fast playing, it’s that ability we have as musicians to keep things fresh, just little things like phrasing within that song, that keeps things exciting. I still love touring. Or the playing part at least. I think as I get older I appreciate the

I’ve been listening to your work since about 1982 – in many ways you’ve formed the soundtrack to my life. Are you ready to call it a day now? In between stints with Purple you still tour your solo band and hold guitar clinics – what drives you? “You know, it’s almost like I’ve earned the right to do this. When I was young, all I did was practice, practice, practice. When everyone else was hanging out, drinking beer… I was practicing. I love playing. And I get the chance to play with some great guys. My new solo album is called Outstanding in Their Field – on the back cover there we all are, standing in a field. I love this stuff!” After we’ve finished chortling I remark that those guys who were hanging out drinking beer all those years ago aren’t now in Deep Purple… “No, and I don’t want to disrespect those people. There’s a good deal of hanging out and drinking beer in Deep Purple – I’m involved too!” I remarked earlier that Morse was, in my opinion, the greatest guitarist in the world. This isn’t just me though. In the ‘80s the readers of Guitar Player Magazine voted Morse their favourite guitarist in their end of year poll on five consecutive occasions, a run that in the end had the poll organisers ‘retire’ Morse from the running to give someone else a chance. So who are the man’s idols? I’m giving him the chance to curate his own time travelling, money-no-object festival, featuring the five artists he’d most like to see on stage together. Steve – curate away! “Wow… that’s too hard! Let’s see. Opening up, I’d have Crosby Stills and Nash. Then, um, I’d like Led Zeppelin from around the time of their first album. Can I reform The Beatles?” You can have whoever you like. You’re in charge. “Okay, then The Beatles. Then I have to get a little left field, so I’ll put in [jazz fusion legends] The Mahavishnu Orchestra…” Maybe they could jam with George Harrison? Morse laughs nervously. I’ve offended the maestro? “Um, I don’t know. Maybe, depending on their set list…” I move on. Headliner? There’s a pause, and some audible umming and ahhhing. “Erm, really, it’s too hard. Lynyrd Skynyrd or The Allman Brothers. You decide.” Tell you what, as a thank you for 30 years of peerless entertainment – I’ll let you have them both. “Thank you! And see you in Canberra!” Deep Purple play the Royal Theatre on Saturday May 1. Tickets through Ticketek.

diverse six track offering, entirely produced by Kaos himself, and shifts gears through a number of styles exhibiting their different tastes and talents. You can grab a copy through www.justiceandkaos.com .

THE REALNESS G’day there! Well, it came outta nowhere, but the new Method Man, Ghostface and Raekwon full length on Def Jam is out now. Entitled Wu Massacre (and boasting some incredible cover art) the album is chock full of heavy hitting Wu-style production from RZA, Allah Mathmatics, BT and Scram Jones. Admittedly it’s very short and feels a little rushed, but for those wanting their next Wu fix there’s plenty to embrace, enjoy and nod your head to. All three share undeniable chemistry; there’s bloodthirsty storytelling galore, trademark Wu skits and even some nice sequels to classic Wu anthems. Is it me or does Ghost sound like he’s got a bit of a cold on some tunes though…? Apart from getting in trouble for wandering down the street nude whilst filming music videos, the incredible Erykah Badu has just dropped the second part of her New Amerykah album series. Pt II is entitled Return Of The Ankh and continues her exploration of otherworldly psychedelic soul which, bottom line, has me completely entranced. Again she has collaborated with the best of the best (think James Poyser, Sa-Ra, Madlib, 9th Wonder, Ta’Raach, J.Dilla and Karriem Riggins) and the results are spectacular. Do yourself a favour and have some of what she’s having. Battle champions Justice & Kaos release their Theme Music album prelude on Saturday April 17 through Red Giant Music. Having reached the pinnacle of the battle scene, getting their TV doco on and supporting some of the biggest names in the business, the renowned duo are back to re-announce their presence with some new sounds. The release is a

I’ve been meaning to big up these next two releases for a minute now, so it’s only right I put you on to local lad Jayo. His two mix-tapes Astronaut Vitamins and 100 Million Dollar Mix have been glued to my stereo for the past 12 months since his relocation to the capital and they are the certified business. Jayo has an uncanny knack for selecting the best of each of the genres that he is so obviously passionate about; moving from hip-hop, ragga, reggae or just good old fashioned dusty soul, these mixes are about quality sounds and good times and definitely set the right mood whenever you drop them in your system. Representing Good Foot Promotions, you’ve probably seen his name around town of late, whether dropping wax-bombs with MGO at Transit Bar’s ‘Vinyl Only’ nights or representing on the reggae/ragga tip with Capital Dub Styles. You can grab copies for the price of cheap at Landspeed Records in the city and check him out at: www.myspace.com/jayoptics.com . There’s a few big hip-hop showcase events popping off in Canberra over the April/May period, so prep and free up your calendar. On Friday April 23, The Basement in Belconnen plays host to a big local hip-hop bash featuring Wax Lyrical, Buick, The Truth Benders, The Smith Brothers, Smish, Rhyme Ministers, Old School Al and Dub Seven. Get along to both and support the local hip-hop scene for only $12 on the door from 8pm. On Saturday May 22 Transit Bar will play host to a hip-hop showcase of some of Australia’s dopest and most underrated talents in Choose Mics and Social Change, as well as a host of your fave locals. More on this show later… To hear music from all the above artists and more, tune to 2XX 98.3FM’s The Antidote from 9.30pm every Tues night. ROSHAMBO roshambizzle@yahoo.com.au

the word

on games God of War III Developer: Santa Monica Studio Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment Platform: PS3 Rating: Worth owning Length: 10+ hours Style: Intelligent hack and slash In reflecting back on God of War III, I’ve come to realise it’s pretty hard to fault. Sure, there are occasionally some mindless sections and maybe a few bits could be considered repetitious, but overall it’s very entertaining. Now don’t get me wrong, I am still a bit reluctant to say that, and it’s not just because I’m adverse to saying something positive for once. No, I’m reluctant because I’m new to the God of War series, which means I’m not really sure how this game differs to the previous ones. To put that in context, had I not played Modern Warfare, I probably would have thought the second was the greatest thing since Jesus sliced bread. However, it did exist, I did play it, and as such the second was just more of the same really. However, as they say, ignorance is bliss, so let’s continue praising the shit out of it. The first thing to love about the game is its combat system. Despite essentially being a hack and slash, the game manages to remain surprisingly fresh throughout. Whereas I thought I would just be continually hit by hoards of mindless minions until my button mashing thumb fell off, instead I encounter a wide variety of enemies, arranged in a series of challenging set pieces, each requiring their own tactical approach to overcome. If you also consider that you’re continually receiving new weapons and abilities, you’ll start to realise why the combat is so enjoyable. The game also does well in the other key areas. For instance, the graphics are beautiful. On numerous occasions I found myself pausing just to take in the scenery. Likewise, the storyline and acting is top quality. Sure, having not played the previous games I’m not really sure what’s going on, but that doesn’t bog it down. From the very start, you know what Kratos is there to do, so it’s immediately full speed ahead. What’s more, even the difficulties settings are done magnificently well; hard can be brutal, but without feeling overwhelming. Sure, I think Hades probably killed me about 30 times, but it just made tearing his soul out all the sweeter. Need any more selling? How about gratuitous nudity? Check. A quicktime sex scene? Check! Massively violent deaths? Well, if you consider ripping someone’s head off whilst they’re still alive violent, then hell yes! So all up the game is great fun to play and as a testament to this, whereas with some titles I’ve struggled to get enough play time in before doing a review, this is one I know I’ll be playing even when I move onto the next title. Oh and if I don’t manage to get my work paper in on time, I’m blaming you Kratos! TORBEN SKO

the word

on albums

nebasia

Omega [Frontiers/Riot]

album of the week angus and julia stone down the way [emi]

After endearing themselves to the hearts of so many with their 2007 debut LP A Book Like This, Australia’s favourite brother-sister duo have, with this sophomore effort, succeeded in creating a folk-pop opus to match, if not surpass, their debut. The Stones have survived the dreaded second album curse by, most notably, taking their (almost sickly) sweet, quasi-freak folk inclinations and adorning them with more substantial, complex and involved instrumentals inclusive of drums, banjos, piano, and fuzzy guitars. With such strategic developments, the pair – but most notably Julia – sound less doting, and parts of A Book Like This now sound like the naïve angst of a 13 year-old girl in comparison. The vocals are as enchanting as ever (although the constant alternation between songs sung by Angus and those by Julia may be irritating to some), but they’re now enriched with a deep, nourishing undergrowth to their standard acoustic foliage. This gives the album a tone which is at times surreal and at times electrifying, but overall undoubtedly more confident, mature and – most importantly – more lasting. BEN HERMANN

In 1982 British rock supergroup Asia stood, seemingly alone, stemming the new wave tide on behalf of the arena rock dinosaurs of the seventies. Fused from elements of Yes, King Crimson, Emerson,Lake and Palmer and, um, The Buggles, they ruled America’s airwaves for a couple of years with streamlined tearjerkers like Only Time Will Tell and Heat of the Moment. Egos inevitably intervened, and Keyboardist Geoff Downes was left to guide the band through a quarter century of revolving door lineups and performances in Midwestern Irish Pub venues to ever diminishing crowds of the faithful. Then, somehow, the man engineered a reformation, and in 2008 Asia Mark I, with vocalist/ bassist John Wetton, guitarist Steve Howe and drummer Carl Palmer rejoining Downes for the gloriously pompous Phoenix, which became the first Asia album to chart in 20-odd years in the US and led to a successful bout of touring worldwide. In 2010 the unit has held firm, and returns with Omega, a collection of songs that, whilst not so immediate as its predecessor, is still rather good. Asia in 2010 is less bombastic than of yore, though opener Finger on the Trigger starts off proceedings in spritely enough fashion, preferring to ease back on the extraneous noise in favour of some tastefully restrained arrangements that really allow the listener to enjoy throatsmith Wetton’s marvellous performance, both vocally and lyrically. As ever, a welcome treat. SCOTT ADAMS

Goldfrapp head first [mute]

thE KNIFE Tomorrow, In A Year [etc etc]

Will Gregory and Alison Goldfrapp have been in the dress up cupboard again, and this time they’ve come out wearing, well, basically head to toe Elton John outfits, with a guest appearance of Olivia Newton John and potential ex boyfriends sprinkled on the side.

Enigmatic electronic Swedish outfit collaborate with avant garde opera artists and release concept album about controversial evolutionary botanist. If that sentence doesn’t strike the fear of god into you, then nothing will. The Knife aren’t the most accessible of bands, known more for masks and not playing to any of the accepted norms of media participation, record promotion or publicity.

Their fifth offering to the masses, Head First, is one of sweeping synths and unaffected disco, the type that makes people like me wish the attempted revival had had a more successful comeback of late, but, there are elements of boredom to it. The problem is Goldfrapp do what they do well, better than most of their counterparts in fact, it’s just, that’s all they do. It’s a tried and tested formula that works brilliantly, and that’s why Head First is such a confusing album. Revealing the standout single Rocket too soon, the album’s sleek and shine swallows up its potential to blow you away, as the score for the Lennon biopic Nowhere Boy did. The other exception to this is Shiny and Warm that commands listening and makes you feel a little bit cooler than you were four minutes before. They’re a band of subtleties, and Head First is full of them, but there’s no moment of even the slightest explosion, which leaves this album in the predicament that Seventh Tree suffered, sitting next to their others in a catalogue, and not being raved about like it could have been. KATY HALL

So it’s hardly a surprise they’re in the market for astringent barely listenable noise operas. Tomorrow, In A Year is based on Charles Darwin’s On The Origin of the Species but I would challenge anyone to point that out without the benefit of cheat notes and reviews like this pointing it out. It starts out with a trickle of mild bleeps that could be bird noises I suppose and ends 120 odd, really odd, minutes later with a couple of tracks that might have fallen off a Knife album (Colouring of Pigeons, The Height of Summer) But the album sits uneasily in the bands discography – it’s neither a spooky, icy electronic record nor a thoroughly immersive otherworldly aural space exploration. Being stuck inbetween doesn’t suit Karin and Olof and despite the occasional flourish I can’t see even the most devoted Knife fan listening to it all the way through more than once other than to prove a point to the idiots who just don’t get it. Like me. JUSTIN HOOK

singled out

with Dave Ruby Howe

THE LUCKY WONDERS Thirteen O’Clock [Vitamin Records]

serena maneesh No 2: Abyss in B Minor [4AD/Remote Control]

Songwriting duo Jessie Vintila and Emma Royle have released a stunning debut album with tracks ranging right across the broad roots genre. Song styles vary from the country tones of Nothing to Fear, to the bluesjazz combo of Rather Be Lovin You, to the folksy Closing In. Whether by accident or design, themes follow the classic three part romantic movie format. First they’re about getting high on love, then love going bad, then back to the triumph of love in the finale.

Presented in a standard issue 4AD sleeve complete with dark, murky visuals and clean typography, things bode well for Norwegian shoegazers Serena Maneesh’s second effort. The legendary British label has, after all, been home to the likes of Cocteau Twins, Lush and Pale Saints, all groups who’ve been slapped with the ‘gaze tag at one stage or another.

It’s a very emotional journey, with a mix of the good and the bad, just like real life. Happy Pill, about the downside of chemical release, and the anguished Please Don’t Break Me Down, are particularly powerful. Jessie’s vocals are the highlight of this CD, with tones that really lift the heart. She sounds achingly beautiful in Emotional and in So You’ve Never her sweet voice brings to mind Frente’s frontwoman Angie Hart. Melodies are beguiling in their simplicity and, combined with the crystal vocals and some nerve-tingling harmonies, they make a winning package. The pair from Byron Bay are touring with their two compatriots and will be at The Front on Sunday April 18. The band put their wallets behind strong personal eco beliefs, with part-proceeds from CD sales going to environmental projects. So Thirteen O’Clock could help sweeten your day, whilst helping save some endangered critters at the same time. RORY McCARTNEY

However, the most obvious reference point on No 2: Abyss in B Minor - which was, incidentally, recorded in a cave in Olso - is My Bloody Valentine. Melody for Jaana, a wall of woozy, distorted guitars over which some Norwegian dame does her best whispered Bilinda Butcher vocal, is vintage MBV, while Magdalena (Symphony #8) sounds like the long lost companion piece to Swallow, right down to the flute. The influence of Kevin Shields hangs very heavily over this LP: when they aren’t mining Tremoloera MBV, Serena Maneesh’s more electronic based excursions - all jacked-up beats, fuzz bass and ultra blown-out production - recall Primal Scream circa XTRMNTR, an album Shields also worked on. But hell, the famously perfectionist Shields has been testing the patience of his fanbase since the release of 1991’s landmark LP Loveless. And, as we’re nearing two decades without a follow-up in sight, punters could do worse than to lend an ear to Abyss. peter krbavac

Various Off The Wall Volumes 1 and 2 [Past and Present] Once upon a time I walked into Landspeed Records, and the garage rock mania filling the room turned out to be the Primary Colours album from Eddy Current Suppression Ring. It was good to once again be reminded of the considerable mileage gained over the years from a combination of three chords and snarling attitude. And given the sheer volume of garage rock compilations that have appeared in the wake of that momentous pre-Ramones Nuggets set released in 1972, the success rate has been pretty good. Off The Wall first appeared on LP in the early 1980s when the garage rock reissue market was still in its nascent phase, and contains bucket loads of impolite hormone saturated rock ‘n’ roll that sprouted all over the place around 1966. It is in fact heartening to consider that raw-beat rock music has maintained its place in the pantheon of the greats because of sheer perseverance, if nothing else. This welcome Off the Wall reissue compiles a bunch of bands that were destined to never receive much attention from the mainstream music industry for the simple reason that the guitars are way too distorted, the production is sometimes a product of the stone age, and that niggling suffering at the hands of the opposite sex is ever present. With this in mind, The Purple Underground with its unrestrained 1967 rave-up Count Back will tell you pretty much everything you need to know. dan bigna

Flight Facilities Crave You ft. Giselle [Bang Gang 12 Inches] Single of the week? Month? Year? It kinda is all of those actually. It begins unassumingly with some laidback piano chords and loungey beats before transforming into a truly gorgeous slow burner of a dance jam, with gurgling bass and an honest to goodness sax solo. Damn. You need this.

Kelis Apace [UMA] Wow, I never realised just how awful Kelis’ voice was. Bossy was pretty awesome, but when it comes to actually singing over radio-baiting Guetta production like this, well, she just really sounds like shit. Like, I feel bad for her levels of shit.

Owl City Vanilla Twilight [UMa] Does the dude pulling the strings behind Owl Shitty not realise the irony of naming a tune Vanilla Twilight? Because, newsflash, this is even more bland and cruddy than Fireflies. Either all his fans are constantly getting punk’d or he’s really the most overly earnest white simpleton on Earth. Both would work, though.

The Aston Shuffle I Wanna See You [Ministry Of Sound] Canberra’s own golden boys The Aston Shuffle hit back with another blast of undeniably energetic electro, featuring a delightful mess of jumping synth squiggles, glitchy vocoders and pounding beats. This is fire.

the word

on films

WITH MARK RUSSELL

In a Hollywood boardroom in 2008 – Executive # 1: “What do people really want in a film? They wanna be drawn into it. They wanna put themselves ‘in’ the characters shoes. Be scared when they’re scared.” Executive # 2: “I’m listening...” Executive # 1: “3D!” An awed silence. Executive # 2: “You mean, like they’re actually ‘in’ the movie?” Executive # 1: “Exactly.” Awkward CoffeeBoy: “But 3D’s so gimmicky. Wouldn’t it be better to just draw them ‘in’ with characters and plot?” Another awed silence. Awkward Coffee-Boy: “I’m fired, aren’t I?”

quote of the issue Phil Foster (Steve Carell) “C’mon honey, you’ve gotta relax. Breathe. Are you breathing?” Claire Foster (Tina Fey) “Yeah but only ‘in’.” Date Night

KICK ASS

CLASH OF THE TITANS

DATE NIGHT

“Why hasn’t anyone ever tried to be a superhero, like in real life?” Unremarkable high-schooler Dave Lizewski (Aaron Johnson) sees a real dearth of caped crusaders in contemporary NY, and as such takes it upon himself to fill the gap. So he dons a cheap green wetsuit and takes to the streets to fight crime; but this is the real world, and people can get hurt.

Hey readers, Allan here. Regulars to my From the Bossman guff will know that I am soon to be wed. As such, I have had nary the time to grace the splendours of the silver screen. But not wanting to leave you, the gentle reader, bereft of a film review, I called upon my brother Torben to give his salient account of Clash of the Titans:

Kick-Ass makes great use of juxtaposing its contradictory elements. There’s the cute, cartoonish characters that regularly unleash brutal violence – and have it returned upon them. There’s the very grounded reality of the world, our world, splashed with liberal dashes of comic-book hyper-fantasy. And there’s the strong vein of moral fortitude, interspersed with very ethically questionable character choices. This makes for a great action film that’s fun, with just the right amount of brain fodder. The ultra-violent combat scenes that result from this mixed philosophy have a stylised class about them that is a pleasure to watch. And the inventiveness is supremely exciting and entertaining.

“Bollocks really... just bollocks. For starters, the 3D looks shithouse. The characters’ pasty faces look like they’re one plane, whilst their outline sure as hell sits on another, giving this annoying trailing effect I just couldn’t ignore. And at times the image is so dim you can’t make it out. I even considered watching it without the glasses. Let it be said, Jimmy John “Ava-wank” Cameron might be an arse, but at least he knows how to do 3D. Is it still worth seeing in 2D instead? By Zeus’ beard NO! It’s just lame. The characters are one dimensional (ironically) and entirely unsympathetic. I honestly couldn’t have given less of a shit when a bunch of them were killed off. In fact, I wish it had happened sooner, so I didn’t have to listen to their clichéd bollocks. What’s worse is that the film isn’t, well… worse. Then at least it might have been funny. Instead, it just sits nicely atop of mediocre hill, waiting for Prince of Persia to turn up. Go play God of War instead. By comparison, this film entirely lacks balls, and you know I do like a good pair of balls. You’re not going to publish this, right?

Steve Carell and Tina Fey are a married New Jersey couple who seem to be finding bigger and bigger shovels with which to extend their rut. Things take a decided shift towards exciting when they take someone else’s reservation at a fancy Manhattan restaurant; and end up in a Peter Sellers-esque farce of mistaken identity. Pretty soon they’re ducking gunfire and running for their lives in a desperate attempt to return a stolen flash-drive to a mob boss.

It’s undeniable that the structure is a little stilted – perhaps due to a wish to stay true to the original graphic novel material. But overall Kick-Ass is superbly slick. Everything kicks into a particularly high gear whenever the young, and mega-violent Hit Girl (Chloe Grace Moretz) arrives on screen. Her character and presence give us many of the film’s best moments. As a genre piece, this is one of the better graphic novel adaptations out there. It’s funny, cool, exciting, and even occasionally poignant; exactly the kind of hero the modern action genre needed. MARK RUSSELL

ALLAN & TORBEN SKO

Date Night’s script is incredibly sharp, even if many of the great lines aren’t given the right amount of gravitas. The two central actors are on good form and they engage us beautifully. Tina Fey in particular is great, giving us way more than the typical female lead in a romantic comedy. Everything progresses nicely: fun, rollicking and funny – right up ‘til the final act. Here it snaps our suspension of disbelief almost completely, throwing in extra characters that are half-drawn at best, and taking the story out of its quirky reality into ridiculousness. This is a shame because with a promising beginning and 88-minute running time, this film could have been a punchy and very entertaining comedy. But it ends up straying too far and there’s just not enough to offer. It would still make a very passable date night in its own right, offering a little something for everyone. But it’s just not the: “send the kids to your mother’s, let’s move the single beds together tonight” homerun it could have been. mark russell

the word on dvds

Adventures of Power [Madman] Power is a skinny, orangehaired, Rush-obsessed geek working a dead end mining job. Miners are hard working folk, as you’d well know. They wear overalls, belong to unions, look tough and talk in grunts. They’re real. And mining folk certainly won’t stand for a co-worker who air drums on the job. Yes – air drums. The hollowness of Adventures of Power is set up in the opening montage where Power dances his way home, air drumming to the general befuddlement of all who cross his path, all set to the requisite ‘80s soft rock power anthem. I’m sure you’ve seen it all before – the overcoming adversity, true life-type story of a nerd who dreams of becoming the best [insert obscure leisure activity] in the world. When Power (Ari Gold, who also wrote and directed) attempts the impossible at an underground Mexican drum-off – a Neal Peart/Rush air drum solo without a stool – he ends up on the floor in agony and defeat. It’s a rookie error, but his raw talent is recognised and so begins the transformation from no-hoper to possible champion at the Air Drum Battle in big ol’ New York City. Along the way he steals the heart of a deaf girl. Good on him. He certainly didn’t steal my heart or attention.

ZZ Top – Double Down Live 1980-2008 [Eagle Vision] I’ve enthused about ZZ Top on this page in issues past and the release of this ‘Then and Now’ type live DVD affords me the ability to roll in the mud once again. By 1980 ZZ Top had well over a decade to hone their live show – and it’s obvious. With only two members (Billy Gibbons and Dusty Hill) front of drums at all times, the band realised early on that standing motionless in front of a stationary mic stand would hardly make an enticing live proposition. So we get Dusty leaning in deep, dropping the bass to almost floor level; Dusty and Billy swaying side to side, crab walking around the stage in unison – Cliff Richard and Shadows-style; and both of them wearing singularly awesome beards. It sounds almost quaint. But this small concession to showmanship pushes the music into sharper focus.

Adventures of Power is a puerile, underwritten, laugh-free drag that ploughs through every underdog cliché available. Small town kid whose dreams are too big and incomprehensible for the yokels. Check. A rag tag bunch of misfits. Loose cannon son doing it for his injured father. Check. A face off against the spoilt brat rich kid (Entourage’s Adam Greiner not exactly stretching himself). Check. ‘80s soundtrack. Check. A sabotaged drum stool. Check. This film wants cult status so desperately it’s painful. Even if it didn’t, it’d still be painful.

Fortunately, ZZ Top have practically written the rules for dry, bluesy hard rock – except for that well-deserved if unsatisfactory period of commercial success in the mid-‘80s when they discovered synths and the power of MTV – and Billy Gibbons’ guitar tone has been envied and copied for decades so it’s easy to forget he was the one who invented it. The 1980 concert drawn from the Rockpalast vaults is a treat for the true fan as it focuses wholly, out of necessity, on the early stuff. Fast-forward 28 years and pretty much nothing has changed – Billy’s voice may have dropped an octave or four and the suits are a bit nattier but the segue from Waitin’ For The Bus into Jesus Just Left Chicago still delivers chills in its fourth decade. Fashions and genres evolve, rise, fall and get forgotten but through it all ZZ Top have remained a constant. In the absence of a tour this Double Down more than satiates, but it’s not the real deal. I live in hope.

JUSTIN HOOK

The Killers Live From The Albert Hall [Island] Say what you want about The Killers – they’re soulless chancers who write choruses rather than songs, for example – but you cannot deny there’s a massive audience for safe, anaemic modern radio rock songs. You’re just as likely to hear a Killers song advertising hybrid cars as you are a delicious new chocolate bar or an enticing new financial product from a friendly bank. They write music that is universal, or more unkindly – bland, and as a result they can pull a crowd. On the plus side their live shows are usually celebratory where the records sound calculated, and honestly sometimes all you want at a gig is 90 minutes of fat choruses to spill your overpriced warm beer to. Right? Maybe, but be under no illusion – Brandon Flowers really does think he is Bono and when Dave Keuning fires off some Edge-inspired hanging arpeggios on For Reasons Unknown on a Gibson Firebird it is for all intents and purposes a U2 tribute night. And is it just me or does Flowers slowly adopt an Irish brogue over the course of the evening? No, he does. It’s okay though – some semblance of order is restored over the next few songs – ‘80s saxophone! And then if that’s not enough – sax-funk. Oh the humanity. Nearly a decade on, The Killers are a well-oiled live band so don’t expect much in the way of intimacy or nuance from this DVD, unless you count the alleged ‘acoustic’ rendering of Sam’s Town, which, with electric guitar and drums, quite patently isn’t. Instead expect 120 minutes of well-recorded, well-produced, bright and boisterous rock songs with faint new-waveish tinges. No endearing false starts, no fumbled notes or embarrassing humanesque missteps; just The Killers in all their fashion-shoot crisp glory. justin hook

GIG GUIDE April 14 - April 17 wednesday april 14 Arts Leaving Traces

An exhibition by Beth Jennings, running ‘til April 27. THE FRONT CAFE AND GALLERY

When He Was Famous

The hilarious story of a Hollywood bad boy presented by Canberra Dramatics. ‘Til April 17. TUGGERANONG ARTS CENTRE

Day Visitor

Collection of photographs of the extraordinary beauty of ordinary men. ‘Til May 15.

Bluejuice

On the Ain’t Tellin’ the Truth tour. ANU BAR AND REFECTORY

Exhibition by Rachel Freeman. ‘Til April 18.

CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ARTS SPACE - MANUKA

Live Wednesday Lunchtime Live A Plethora of Pianists.

WESLEY MUSIC CENTRE

Mick Turner

THE FRONT CAFE AND GALLERY

HIPPO LOUNGE

Something Different

Youth Week Event

TUGGERANONG YOUTH CENTRE

Indigenous graffiti. 3-6pm.

Leigh Miller.

Youth Week Event

WESTON CREEK YOUTH CENTRE

Graffiti workshop. 3-6pm.

Karaoke

CUBE NIGHTCLUB

Arts Day Visitor

Exhibition by Gary Lee.

CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ART SPACE - GORMAN HOUSE

Grand Canon (Ken and the Beach Idols Series) Exhibition by Erik Krebs-Schade. Opening 6pm.

Exhibition by Eric Bridgeman

Triple X Bitter

Arts Arc: Long Weekend (1978, M) John Hargreaves stars in the original thriller. 2pm.

ARC CINEMA, NATIONAL FILM & SOUND ARCHIVE

Arc: Rashomon (1950, M) 7pm.

ARC CINEMA, NATIONAL FILM & SOUND ARCHIVE

Dance One Love

With Brujo Gordon.

THE FRONT CAFE AND GALLERY

[NULL]

CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ART SPACE - GORMAN HOUSE

A night of hard dance, harsh electro and alternative dance. $5, 9pm.

Make, Believe

Nathan Frost

TRANSIT BAR

The Lethals.

Mixed media and fashion parade. Opening and parade 6pm. ‘Til April 25.

HIPPO LOUNGE

ANCA GALLERY, ROSEVEAR PLACE

Something Different

Dance

Youth Week Event

Strangeways DJs

TUGGERANONG YOUTH CENTRE

TRANSIT BAR

Of Dave Graney & the Coral Snakes and The Wreckery fame. $5.

Foreplay Fridays

The Cool

Hippo Live

Sculpture art. 3-5pm.

Trivia / $5 Night TRANSIT BAR

thursday april 15 Arts Other Side of Art

Major survey of 3 decades of works by important urban Indigenous artist Trevor Nickolls. ‘Til May 23 DRILL HALL GALLERY, ANU

Arc: Long Weekend (2008, 18+) Jamie Blanks’ remake. Canberra premiere. 7pm.

ARC CINEMA, NATIONAL FILM & SOUND ARCHIVE

Dance Faux Real

Keepin’ it fresssh.

KNIGHTSBRIDGE PENTHOUSE

The Touch (Adelaide)

Presented by Pyramid and Party by Jake. Free.

Indie/dance/mash-ups. 9 ‘til 5 with DJs Pete & Matt. Free entry before 10pm. CUBE NIGHTCLUB

REV

Your weekly Big Night Out with DJs playing rock, indie, alternative, punk and dance 9-way late. BAR 32

Dusty Grooves

Live Robin Casinder

TAKE THYME OUT CAFE

10.30pm-2.30am.

KING O’MALLEY’S, CIVIC

Pop the Pot

John Lollback, Dan Ihasz, Tim Maloney, Robert The Bruce, Adam Hole & Marji Curran Band and more. 5pm POT BELLY BAR

House of Thumbs

Live

Heartbreak Club

Short Stack

THE PHOENIX PUB

UCU REFECTORY

Bon Jovi Tribute Show

One course dinner and show $40 6pm, show only $22 8.30pm. SOUTHERN CROSS CLUB

Something Like This 10pm-2am.

KING O’MALLEY’S, CIVIC

Pop the Pot Pre Show

Live

Lucie Thorne

POT BELLY BAR

9pm-midnight.

Australia’s PJ Harvey, possessing the punch of Cat Power, and the wise words of Joni. 8pm $20/$15.

Rhythm and Jazz

System Addict

BBAR, KINGSTON

THE BASEMENT

Enjoy your evening drinks with live jazz from 8.30pm.

KNIGHTSBRIDGE PENTHOUSE

With Heaven the Axe, Blind eyed Gods, Datura Curse and more. $10, 8pm.

The Radical Dude, The Fighting League and Astrochem. 9pm, free entry.

KING O’MALLEY’S, CIVIC

Groovy house and funked up breakage.

HIPPO LOUNGE

With Jemist.

TRANSIT BAR

Joel Harrison

friday april 16

The Vasco Era

ANU BAR AND REFECTORY

saturday april 17

WESTON CREEK YOUTH CENTRE

Of The Dirty Three. 7.30pm, $10. New album Lucille out now. Tix through Ticketek.

Hip-hop workshop. 2.30-4.30pm.

Drumming workshop. 2-5pm.

CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ART SPACE - GORMAN HOUSE

THE FRONT CAFE AND GALLERY

Rock drenched in feedback and douced with violin.

Hippo Live

CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ART SPACE - GORMAN HOUSE

Elevate

The Scrapes

THE FRONT CAFE AND GALLERY

With Loud So Clear, Barbarian and Imperial.

THE BASEMENT

With Rubix Cuba.

Something Different National Capital Craft Beer Festival

Two days, over 70 craft beers, gourmet food, live entertainment, craft chef comp and more. OLIM’S HOTEL

sunday april 18 Arts Arc: No Regrets For Our Youth (1946, 18+) Based on real stories of those who opposed Japanese militarism in the ‘30s. 4.30pm.

ARC CINEMA, NATIONAL FILM & SOUND ARCHIVE

GIG GUIDE April 18 - April 27 Live

The Wedded Bliss

Zulya and The Children of the Underground

Something Different

Your weekly Big Night Out with DJs playing rock, indie, alternative, punk and dance 9-way late.

Trivia / $5 Night

Ashley Feraude

Her songs ooze beauty, drama, sadness and bonhomie. Great word that one. 8pm. thestreet.org.au .

THE PHOENIX PUB

TRANSIT BAR

THE STREET THEATRE

thursday april 22

The Lucky Wonders

Intimate folk indie pop. Gold coin, 7.30pm. THE FRONT CAFE AND GALLERY

Arts

Assasins 88

Stationery

With Kitchens Floor and Summer Vacation. THE PHOENIX PUB

monday april 19

An exhibition by Adam Veikkanen. ‘Til May 2.

CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ARTS SPACE - MANUKA

Arc: Coffin Rock (2009, MA15+)

dance Hospitality Night with UniVibes DJs

Dance

tuesday april 20

ARC CINEMA, NATIONAL FILM & SOUND ARCHIVE

Nice Shoes With Bucky.

HIPPO LOUNGE

Arts

Faux Real

La Boheme

KNIGHTSBRIDGE PENTHOUSE

A story that has touched the hearts of music lovers and romantics for over 100 years. ‘Til April 21.

BAR 32

Soulful, deep, necessary.

KNIGHTSBRIDGE PENTHOUSE

MasQUEERade

9 ‘til 5 with DJ Pete. Dress in theme for free entry. CUBE NIGHTCLUB

The brand new, barely seen thriller. 7pm.

TRANSIT BAR

REV

Still keeping it fresssh.

Live

Capital Dub Styles

Dub Dub Goose VS Los Chavos. Live reggae/jazz/funk/ska/Latin from 8pm. TRANSIT BAR

The Shake Up

On their Everybody Loves It single tour. With Girl Sized Hands. Free entry. THE PHOENIX PUB

Johnny Roadkill

With Jetpack and more TBA. Free, 9pm. POT BELLY BAR

Oscar

Belco Beats

Feat. Wax Lyrical, DJ Buick, The Truth Benders, The Smith Brothers and more. $12. 8pm.

10.30pm-2.30am.

KING O’MALLEY’S, CIVIC

sunday april 25

THE BASEMENT

All Guns Blazing

Arts

Heuristic

Arc: Rashomon (1950, M)

KING O’MALLEY’S, CIVIC

ARC CINEMA, NATIONAL FILM & SOUND ARCHIVE

ANU BAR AND REFECTORY

10pm-2am.

Tobias Hengeveld

Spell-binding narratives of isolation, drunken-delusion, yearning and illintent. 8pm. THE FRONT CAFE AND GALLERY

saturday april 24

Live

4.30pm.

Dance Cube Sunday

Party on after the weekend’s over with DJ TJ from 10 ‘til late. Free pool. CUBE NIGHTCLUB

THE STREET THEATRE

Charles Chatain

Arts

Live

Something Different

KING O’MALLEY’S, CIVIC

Arc: The Grateful Dead

Rocksteady!

TNT Karaoke Dynamite

Something Different

ARC CINEMA, NATIONAL FILM & SOUND ARCHIVE

TRANSIT BAR

wednesday april 21 dance Hippo Live Special K.

HIPPO LOUNGE

Youth Week Event

All ages band nightm with Fireworks (US) and Heroes for Hire. TUGGERANONG YOUTH CENTRE

Wednesday Lunchtime Live

Andrey Lebedev, ANU second year guitar student. WESLEY MUSIC CENTRE

Imogen Dean

ANU BAR AND REFECTORY

The Wishing Well

Gorgeous gypsy folk and sumptuous get ups from 8pm. THE FRONT CAFE AND GALLERY

9pm-midnight.

Karaoke

Cash prizes, 2 for 1 basic spirits and tap beer, and free pool. DJ Peter Doree from 11pm. CUBE NIGHTCLUB

friday april 23 dance Waxploitation

Jemist & Tony Oates play 45s. HIPPO LOUNGE

Soundtrap

With Craig Pringle w/ CRAIG PRINGLE (Melb) and Muska (Melb). TRANSIT BAR

Foreplay Fridays

9 ‘til 5 with DJs Pete & Matt. Free entry before 10pm. CUBE NIGHTCLUB

The original Dead-Head doco. 7pm.

Arc: Fair Game (1985, M) The Ozploitation classic. 2pm.

ARC CINEMA, NATIONAL FILM & SOUND ARCHIVE

Faces in the Street: A Salute to Henry Lawson An original work by Max Cullen. Running ‘til April 24. THE STREET THEATRE

Dance Villainy

HIPPO LOUNGE

Candy Cube

10 ‘til 5 with DJs Peter Dorree and Matt Chavasse. CUBE NIGHTCLUB

Sunday reggae roots and culture plus Jamaica BBQ from 4pm. TRANSIT BAR

monday april 26 dance Hospitality Night with UniVibes DJs

TRANSIT BAR

tuesday april 27 dance Sound Out

A night of sonic delights with some of the finest musicians in the field of improvisation. 8pm, $10.

Jemist

THE FRONT CAFE AND GALLERY

KNIGHTSBRIDGE PENTHOUSE

Something Different

Party vibes and happy times.

TNT Karaoke Dynamite TRANSIT BAR

FIRST CONTACT SIDE A: BMA band profile

Fearless Movement Where did your band name come from? We’d been trying to think of a name for AGES! We were at Dragon Dreaming and found our way into the crystal tent. After looking over the crystals for a while, we were drawn to a greeny blue stone that looked like the ocean. We asked the crystal man what it meant and initially he didn’t know – we didn’t want to bother him but he insisted on looking it up. The next words out of his mouth were “fearless movement.” We immediately knew what our band name was to be… Group Members: Simon Scarlett (rhythm guitar, vocals), Will Honey (percussion, back up vocals) and Matt Runko (lead guitar, back up vocals). Describe your sound: A drive up the coast in a VDub with your best mates; a van-load of guitars, drums, surfboards and beers; no time limit but a shitload of good times! Who are your influences, musical or otherwise? Mexico, Xavier Rudd, The Beautiful Girls, Paul Greene, State Radio (unbelievable reggae/rock band from the US), every bakery, RSL, hidden camp spot and conveniently placed toilet on the south coast of NSW, wetsuits, $8 chicken schnitties, westerly winds. Other than that our family and friends provide a lot of inspiration! What’s the weirdest experience you’ve had whilst performing? Not a lot of weird experiences so far. Getting over the nerves of playing our first gig together was cool – it was such an amazing experience, full of adrenalin! What’s your biggest achievement/proudest moment so far? Getting our shit together in the last six months to actually be able to play music in front of strangers without them leaving. What are your plans for the future? Travel the world, play music and generally do good for the earth. Would love to do a tour up the east coast. What makes you laugh? Each other – never more than a few sentences away from pissing ourselves! Also slip ‘n’ slides, crazy things they are! What pisses you off? People forcing their religious views on the world without a willingness to listen to others, and crowded surf. What’s your opinion of the local scene? Definitely needs one more band… What are your upcoming gigs? Phoenix Pub on Thursday May 27. I think there might be a few tickets still available??? Contact info: Bookings contact Matt on 0421 256 461, and find us on Facebook.

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 Groovalicious Corporate/Weddings/ Private functions 0448 995 158 groovalicious@y7mail.com Guy The Sound Guy live & studio sound engineer, 0400 585 369, guy@ guythesoundguy.com HalfPast Chris 0412 115 594 Hancock Basement Tom 6257 5375, hancockbasement@hotmail.com Happy Hour Wendy 0406 375 096 Haunted Attics band@hauntedatticsmusic.com Hitherto Paul 0408 425 636

In The Flesh Scott 0410 475 703 Inside the Exterior Nathan 0401 072 650 Itchy Triggers Andrew 0401 588 884 Jacqui Seczawa 0428 428 722 JDY Clothing 0405 648 288/ www.jdyclothing.com Jenn Pacor singer/songwriter avail. for originals & covers, 0405 618 630 Jim Boots 0417 211 580 Johnny Roadkill Paulie 0408 287 672, paulie_mcmillan@live.com.au Karismakatz DJ Gosper 0411 065 189/ dj@karismakatz.com Kayo Marbilus myspace.com/kayomarbilus Kurt’s Metalworx (PA) 0417 025 792 Little Smoke Sam 0411 112 075 Los Chavos 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 Rafe Morris 0416 322 763 Redletter Ben 0421 414 472 Redsun Rehearsal Studio Ralph 0404 178 996/6162 1527 Rhythm Party, The Ross 0416 010 680 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 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