BMA Mag 350 17 Jun 2010 by BMA Magazine

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karnivool

Dawn of a new day #3 50 JU NE 16

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Get punky

Fax: 02 6257 4361 Mail: PO Box 713 Civic Square, ACT 2608

Owen Campbell, frontman of legendary local folk slash indie slash country group Voss, has won the ACT final of the triple j Unearthed APRA Song Summit songwriting comp. Owen will be attending the Summit and knocking heads with Julian Hamilton of The Presets, triple j darling Washington and the one and only Kevin Mitchell (not Bob Evans) in an exclusive songwriting workshop. A huge congrats from all the BMA fam Owen; we’re looking forward to hearing your Presets inspired track.

Publisher Scott Layne

Keeping Up with the Jonesez

General Manager & Advertising Manager Allan Sko T: 6257 4360 E: advertising@bmamag.com

Mark Stewart is back on the scene post hardcore heroes Horsell Common, in his latest incarnation Jonesez. Although it certainly sounds like a band, Jonesez is best described as a solo project with a little help from friends, and will playing Bar 32 on Wednesday June 16 with Kempsey.

350 issues. Check us out. That’s a big number. Yay for us!

# 3 5 0 J U N 1 6

Editor Julia Winterflood T: 02 6257 4456 E: editorial@bmamag.com Accounts Manager Ashish Doshi T: 6247 4816 E: accounts@bmamag.com Super Sub Editor Josh Brown Graphic Design Natalie Runko and Cole Bennetts Exhibitionist Editor Naomi Milthorpe E: exhibitionist@bmamag.com Film Editor Mark Russell Principal Photographers (The Flashbulb Posse) Andrew Mayo Nick Brightman NEXT ISSUE 351 OUT JULY 7 EDITORIAL DEADLINE JUNE 28 ADVERTISING DEADLINE JULY 1 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 Importance of Being Ernest In support of his stunning debut album Hunting, Ernest Ellis is set to embark on an East Coast tour throughout July, stopping by Transit on Saturday July 3. Fun fact: most of the vocals on Hunting were recorded lying in a bathtub, “partly out of stubbornness because I was in a mood, and partly because I like the natural reverb of that bathroom”. We like his style. The album crisscrosses various terrains from anthemic and dramatic guitar fuelled tracks to pastoral acoustic moments to lilting and infectious pop. Gorgeous. Free entry.

click click boom After the success of the inaugural Click to Click Producer Sessions at Knightsbridge in April, Amplidyne and uniVibes are proud as punch to present the second instalment on

grass is grÜner Deliciously dreadlocked ARIA nominated roots troubadour Ash Grunwald has just released his fifth LP Hot Mama Vibes (you may have heard him discussing its risqué namesake on the jays), and he’s hitting Transit Bar on Thursday July 1. Ash is renowned for his infectious live shows, where rooms rock and booties shake. Aw yeah. Tix are $18 from thelastagency.com .

june babes The Junes are a country swing supergroup formed in the wake of Git and The Toe Sucking Cowgirls (now there’s a band name), two of the finest female fronted bands in the land. These gals may travel around the country and around the world in other guises, singing other songs, but when The Junes get together, a cone of country power is raised wherever they are, and audiences are drawn to it like moths to a flame, helpless in the spell of the harmonies, the swing, and the sight of these beautiful women. Awesome. They’re playing The Front on Wednesday June 23. 7.30 pm, $10. myspace.com/ thejunestunes .

who got da funk? Their mojo gets bigger by the day as they travel the length and breadth of the country leaving a trail of larger and larger dancefloors behind them. The secret to the success of Tijuana Cartel is how they turn an utterly

unique blend of flamenco, percussion, trumpet, beats, breaks, positivity and pulsing global rhythms into a uniting and exciting musical force. They’ll be hitting soon to be demolished McGregor Hall on Saturday July 10. Check it out while you still can! Tix at the door from 7.30pm.

Express Yourself Respect Your Health This will be the cry of artists from around the country as they descend upon Canberra to inspire our youth to get their highs through artistic expression and performance. Some of Australia’s best Indigenous artists will land in the Capital for a free all ages concert on Thursday June 24, held from 10am to 2pm at the Gugan Gulwan Youth Aboriginal Corporation (GGYAC) in Wanniassa. GGYAC, as part of Drug Action Week, are hosting the event to promote self expression and to provide an incentive and avenue for emerging young artists to further their career. Indigenous hip-hop crew The Last Kinection will be shaking the nash cap’s foundations with deadly beats and soulful songs, along with a swag of other awesome acts including internationally renowned Aborginal dance troupe Koomurri. There’ll be exhibition spots for paintings and photography as well as performance slots available for emerging artists, so if you sing, rap, paint, dance, act, take photos, play in a band or tell jokes enter to share in the $1,000 prize money. Contact Nathan at Gugan Gulwan on 6231 9555 or email nathan@gugan-gulwan.

the last kinection

patrick white would be proud

Sunday June 20, which will showcase Canberra’s very own home grown electronic music producers in the suave surrounds of Knightsbridge. Says Jamie Green, one half of Amplidyne, “People get gun-shy about giving gigs to producers because they play original tunes and people might not know them.” Discover something fresh. Free entry, 4pm.

LapTopping BEER THEN WINE YOU’RE FEELNG FINE? Beer then schnapps you’ll feel like crap. Beer then Sambuca you can’t get damn crooker. Beer then vodka call the squad car. Beer then creme de cocoa you’ll be supremely KOd. Beer then vermouth - forsooth! Beer then tequila - all killer no filler. Beer then sherry street cred be wary. Beer then Bacardi equals end of the party. Beer then Midori who’s the girl, what’s the story? Beer then bourbon you’ll think you’re Tyler Durden. Beer then punch well there goes lunch. Beer then cheese you won’t want tea. Beer then molasses you’re having personal problems. Beer then water you really oughta. JUSTIN HEAZLEWOOD www.bedroomphilosopher.com And that, you faithful little space wrigglets and love pooglets, is it. The delightful Justin Heazlewood has decided to focus on his “Music Career”, or some such nonsense I couldn’t understand, which means he shall be hanging up his ink well and quill at BMA (leaving a ruddy great stain on the carpet). We wish J-Bomb all the best in his already glittering music career, and thank him for his endless nuggets of wisdom and rainbows of comedic yay over the years. The door remains open, so I’m sure this won’t be the last we see of the man. In the meantime, watch this space, as it shall be thrown open to an extended From the Bossman; heaven help us all.

and

another

YOU PISSED ME OFF!

thing…

It’s World Cup time again. Don’t say “which World Cup?”. I am equally passionate about Football, Rugby Union and Cricket, all of which stage their own quadrennial beanfeast… but there is only one ‘real’ World Cup, and by the time you read this it will have started in South Africa – brilliant. Who will win, I hear you screaming… Well, I can confidently inform you it won’t be North Korea. Past that I can’t really be much help. According to SBS Football guru Les Murray, it’ll be Brazil, and ol’ Laszlo didnae get where he is today by making wild-eyed guesstimates, that’s for sure. Diuretic-loving leggy Shane Warne has plumped for Australia, proving that whilst the man is cricket’s leading idiot savant, in just about every other walk of life (save birding and Poker), his opinion is best left unrequested. However, I’m never one to shirk a challenge, so here are a few pointers if you’re looking to invest a few quid here and there in the tournament. In Group A, France, despite a shambolic qualification round which culminated in a dodgy handball-assisted win over Ireland in the playoffs, should start as favourites ahead of Mexico and Uruguay. Uruguay’s lack of adventure will probably doom them to third place in the group in front of hosts South Africa… France and Mexico to progress. Group B is similarly intriguing. Argentina’s class on the pitch should cancel out Diego Maradona’s coaching off of it; whilst Greece, like the Uruguayans, may find a lack of goals hampers their ambitions. Nigeria could be the dark horses in this group, unlike South Korea. Next up are England, the USA, Algeria and Slovenia. As usual England carry the weight of expectation of their fans; they’ll win this group, but they won’t win the whole thing. USA have enough about them to edge out the other two for progression to the knockout stages. Despite the growing tabloid TV/paper mania surrounding them, Australia face a tough task to even get out of their group. Germany must be considered shoe-ins for leadership, but after that… who knows? Serbia qualified well but have since looked shaky in their warm ups, and Ghana are without their talismanic captain Michael Essien but on their day can knock over anyone. If the Aussies can nick a point against Germany, they might just get into the next round, where they’ll probably face England. Group E should be a cake walk for And Another Thing’s bet of the tournament, the Netherlands. They’re 10/1 for the title as I write this, which is top each way value (ask your father…). Denmark or Cameroon will follow them into the knockout stages, with Japan some way distant in fourth. Group F sees Italy battling Paraguay for first place, with the Azzurri’s experience tipped to see them through, despite Paraguay’s strong qualification. Slovakia and New Zealand make up the numbers here, and whilst both are capable of shaking up big sides, don’t expect too much from them this time around. Group G should be exciting. Brazil will win it, but with North Korea only here for the beer, one of the matches of the tournament could be the Ivory Coast playing Portugal for second place… It’s on tonight if you’ve picked this up on Wednesday June 16! Rounding things out in Group H, Spain – with whom a lot, make that a mountain, of smart money is currently resident – should be Kings of the Hill. Chile could spring a surprise by finishing ahead of Switzerland and Honduras for second… scott adams thirtyyearsofrnr@hotmail.com Scott Adams will be tweeting about the World Cup @30yrnr

Has someone yanked yer chain recently? Well send an email to editorial@bmamag.com and have your sweet vengeance. But for the love of God, keep it brief! [All entries contain original spellings] Righto you lot. What’s the story? What happened to your stolen cars and bike lights, your consistently crap coffee and your unadulterated hatred for mature drivers? What happened to gnashing your teeth over nosebleed section bitches, shithead teachers and abusive hoodrats at Belconnen bus stops? What happened to your infernal hatred for the bastard who stole your park, the passive aggressive cyclist junkies, and, my personal fav, “the North Shore, private school educated, ex-boarding school yuppies with millionaire oil mogul parents who come to ANU and present like fucking HOMELESS PEOPLE”? Once again, where’s the hate Canberra? Or should I take this severe lack of YPMOs as a sign you’re finally lightening up, rather than flaring up at every single niggling annoyance that comes part and parcel with our milk-fed suburban Third World malaise? I don’t know, probs not, but either way, send me your words already. But not too many, as it PERTURBES ME SLIGHTLY when you send in essays. But only slightly.

FROM THE BOSSMAN Ahhhhh Canberra, you icy strumpet, you sure do know how to put on a winter, don’t cha? As we speak (or read, as the case may be) ice is welding favourable body parts to less favourable body parts, and with a commanding point of Jack Frost’s finger, an army of snuffling public servants is unleashed into the streets to infect the populous. Yes, if there’s one thing we know how to do down here in tha ‘Berra – besides harbour drug lords and wear scorn for unpopular political decisions that have nothing to do with us – it’s seasons. That’s right Sydney, seasons, like Summer, Autumn, Winter, Spring, not like your Hot, Farkin’ Hot, Even Farkin’ Hotter, Not Quite As Farkin’ Hot But Still Pretty Farkin’ Hot. I love a proper winter; it’s great snuggling weather, the element of fire suddenly takes on wonderful new meaning, carbohydrates taste better, I can finally dust off that thick jacket that embarrasses everyone except me when I wear it (we all have one of those, admit it) and in a juxtaposition worthy of poet John Keats it makes you miss the seemingly ubiquitous Australian heat. Still, bollocks to that, I’m off to Spain for a month to enjoy my honeymoon. Enjoy the cold, suckers! :D But we leave you behind with this, our 350th issue, to enjoy, dear, lovely, startlingly attractive readers. Yes, it seems like only yesterday that Satan threw down a big bag of money and spake: “BMA. Create it.”* Good times. Much love, squiglets. Keep well, and keep warm! ALLAN “RUNNING OF THE BULL” SKO * may not be actual origin of BMA. Consult sane person for accurate information.

with

katy hall

Who: Dream Damage Records What: Fundraiser Where: The Front Cafe & Gallery When: Thursday June 17

Dream Damage Records, Canberra’s very own wonder label of records, blog and promoters are having a good old fashioned fundraiser for, you guessed it, some much needed funds. To keep things going and to expand the website, release more local material, get a zine on the table and bring more acts to Canberra they need your coins. The night kicks off at 7.30pm and there’ll be shows from Readymen, Suica and Danger Beach. Entry is by donation on the door, but give generously and enjoy the show. Head to www. dreamdamage.com for more info on artists and the label itself.

Who: British India What: Tour date for your diary Where: The Maram, Erindale When: Saturday July 3

Well it’s about time. After slogging their indie little hearts out for the last couple of years British India have found themselves in the ARIA charts, pushing the puny Veronica twins off their pedestal. Hitting the Groovin’ the Moo audience with an abundant mass of the masterful new tunes from their album Avalanche, they couldn’t stay away and are making their way all the way back for one night only. With rave reviews from around the world, head to The Maram (formerly The Venue) in Erindale and catch them before they head to a hipper overseas city, start shooting heroin and never return.

Who: Umlaut and El Salvo Tour What: Magic and dance Where: ANU Bar When: Friday June 25

Well I never... magic and disco? Not quite... but pretty darn close. The dark brooding electro DJ Umlaut has decided to join forces for some trickery of the highest calibre and tour the country. After some of the biggest shows around the country independently, the duo will make their way to Canberra along with Yeti and Leisure Suit Larry for some serious uttering of abracadabra and alacazoo. It’s BYO rabbits and top hats, but there’s sure to be plenty of babe assistants in sequins that you can talk to awkwardly after the show. For more info head to www.myspace.com/umlautbarmckinnon and www. myspace.com/DrElSuavo .

Who: You, you big rock star! What: National Campus Band Comp Where: aaca.net.au When: Now!

Just like Uncle Sam needed young men to run into battle, CITSA and UCLIVE need you! That is of course if you and your mates are aspiring musicians and want to get your band some recognition and possibly a trip to Perth at the end of the year, and then possibly Mumbai! Hosted by CITSA and the lovely UCLIVE, they need your entries now! In every band’s life there comes a time when you gotta move from the garage practice sessions and step out into the world of getting gigs and getting noticed. All you need to do is head to aaca.net.au, enter online and get practicing.

Who: You and all your good will What: Fundraiser Where: 10-12 Cohen Street, Belconnen When: Saturday July 3

From the generous thinking of one very bright ANU graduate (of which there are many in this town) comes another brilliant idea that ‘s not only changing things, but doing it the right way. Abundant Water is a not for profit organisation that helps the people of Laos PDR not only get their daily water fresh, but shares the developing system and teaches the people every step of the way. As with all non profit orgs, Abundant Water needs our help. To raise funds they will be having an afternoon of information, food, dance and music. Check out www.abundantwater.evenbrite.com for more info and help one of 2 million people in Laos get fresh water.

Who: Greentheif What: Debut Canberra gig Where: Bar 32 When: Friday July 2

It’s a bit of a sore point when great bands announce a nationwide/ east coast tour but there’s no sign of Canberra on it. Thankfully the three lads of Brisbane’s Greentheif have agreed to leave the warmth of Brisbane and head our way. In celebration of their new song Plea for Sanctuary the guys are making their way to Bar 32 to hit you with a blend of indie and psychedelia that’s pretty familiar to our ears these days. The songs from their recently released EP Anicca will all be making an appearance on the set list, and it’s well worth rugging up and heading out for. Especially as they’ll be supported by locals Helen Margaret King.

Here’s Johnny HERE’S JOHNNY! ben hermann The board room at the Canberra Theatre Centre contains a long, wide table made to seat at least ten people. Usually, it would dominate the room. But today, sitting in one corner, is Tex Perkins – tall, dauntingly solid, and with dark tanned skin, his presence fills the room. Once we’ve begun speaking, it becomes increasingly evident that, unlike those who seem to have been ravaged and exhausted by years of living the rock musician lifestyle and all that goes along with it, Perkins has become hardened and grown; someone whose character has become a juxtaposition of their decadent, wild side – a side forged and lived mostly in their youth, but still burning brightly – and alongside it, their current life as a family man, pragmatist, and, in Perkins’ case, theatre performer.

He was a drug addicted, outlaw country singer that liked to sing about shooting cocaine and shooting his wife

So it’s no surprise that his depiction of Johnny Cash in the musical theatre production THE MAN IN BLACK: THE JOHNNY CASH STORY, soon to make its way to Canberra, has enthralled audiences the country over, gaining continuously extended runs in many cities. The show sees ‘Tex Perkins and the Tennessee Four,’ along with Rachael Tidd (as the infamous June Carter), portray the life of the legendary man in black via a mixture of theatre and legendary Cash songs (usually about 25 of them, Perkins says). Perkins landed the role after what he describes as “one of those beautiful, fortuitous moments”: less than 24 hours after asking his manager to find him a project that would get him to Melbourne for a couple of months, he was offered the role of Cash. Fortuitous it certainly was for Perkins, but even more so for the producers. They, like most, knew Perkins as the domineering frontman of acts like Beasts of Bourbon and The Cruel Sea, but were unaware of how great a role Cash played in Perkins’ musical career. “They weren’t aware that my first band, [Tex Deadly and] the Dum Dums – at one stage, half our set was Johnny Cash. I learned my craft doing Johnny Cash, so it’s like home turf to me.” At this point, it was the late ‘70s and early ‘80s, Perkins was a teenager living in Brisbane and, like most teenagers, was attracted to the more basic elements of Cash’s music. “It was appealing because it had funny, bad-arse lyrics about killing people, drinking whiskey and taking drugs,” Perkins says. “But it was also very simple music – it seemed achievable to us. It wasn’t complicated and that was very attractive to a 17 year old punk kid.” 28 years later, the songs still resonate with Perkins, but on a different level. Perkins admits that nowadays, the one element of Cash’s life and music that he relates to the most is the conflict between the life of a travelling rock musician and the life of a family man. “Which was great, because that’s the basis of the show,” says Perkins. “It’s about the supposed contradiction, or duality of the fact that Cash was a God fearing, flag waving family

man, versus the fact that he was a drug addicted, outlaw country singer that liked to sing about shooting cocaine and shooting his wife.” But like Cash, Perkins is still drawn to the dark humour within otherwise morbid subject matters. “Even though there are some really beautiful, serious moments, there’s a lot of humour in the show,” he says. “And that’s in keeping with the spirit of Cash’s songs. Even the songs that aren’t particularly comedic, you can tell there’s a real wit in the writing.” Although he can now relate to Cash more than ever and play his songs better than ever, Perkins admits that the show certainly hasn’t been without its challenges. “Well, there are some quite specific disciplines you have to learn about doing a theatre show. Even though this show’s fairly simple, there are still rules to the theatre, and I had to learn those.” So as Perkins came to terms with singing someone’s else’s songs repetitively for months on end (he laughingly concedes that an unfortunate by-product of playing Cash is that he no longer listens to him), he slowly mastered the ability to engage crowds in a manner quite different to that which he was used to. “I’d always wondered how actors can do repeated takes and bring something fresh and real each time,” he says. “I’ve learned the many subtleties of how you can say a scripted line; how saying something quickly or slowly, with pauses or different emphases can create such a dramatic effect, especially when 1,000 people are listening to every single thing you’re saying.” Along with the Tennessee Four, Perkins is joined by Rachael Tidd whose recent history is strongly theatre-based, but whose career first began as a saxophonist in a jazz big-band. “Having both the musical and theatrical background means she’s been invaluable to the show on many levels,” says Perkins. “Especially in the early stages, when the script we’d been given was a bit dry and we were spending days rehearsing it and working it into a state where we were happy with it, she was absolutely vital.” So how does Perkins feel now? Still playing Cash songs, with scripted interludes; his life, like the show, seems to be repeating itself, albeit with greater attention to detail and subtlety. “When we went back to Brisbane to play, I thought ‘here I am again, playing Cash. Surely I’ve progressed past this!’” he says, laughing. “But it’s been a beautiful full circle; a beautiful, but scary full circle.” The Man in Black runs at the Canberra Theatre from Wednesday June 30 to Saturday July 3. Friday July 2 has sold out, tickets to the other shows still remeain.

ALL AGES On Saturday September 25 the prodigious Parkway Drive will throw at our city once more their first class and elemental brew of metalcore. Deep Blue: the Australian tour is all in support of their new album Deep Blue, product of esteemed producer Joe Barresi. The album, rumoured to be unlike anything Parkway has ever done before, will be released on Friday June 25. Embarking with Parkway on this mammoth tour is the most dominating metalcore act to ever come from the USA, The Devil Wears Prada. But the lineup still gets better – Californian band The Ghost Inside and 50 Lions will also be accompanying Parkway along Australian highways. Tickets cost $27 (+BF) from Ticketek and are on sale now. All the excitement of this unparalleled lineup can be had at The Royal Theatre when doors fly open at 7pm. On Friday June 18 you can catch thriving Australian rapcore band Deez Nuts on the This One’s For You tour, in support of their new album pf the same name. They’ll be playing their new material at the Weston Creek Community Centre with ‘special guests’ that STILL appear to be anonymous! But rest assured the gig will be outstanding regardless. Tickets cost $21.50 from Oztix or Landspeed Records. The Axis Youth Centre in Queanbeyan will be playing host to Sydney’s Vegas in Ruins, Queensland hardcore band Time Has Come, Melbourne’s Trainwreck and our very own Reigner and Knives to the Throne. Tickets cost $12 at the door at 2pm on Sunday

June 20. Also at Axis a week later on Sunday June 27 you can see Melbourne five-piece Carpathian on the Wanderlust tour. With an absolutely massive lineup of supporting acts, including Melbourne/ Byron Bay boys 50 Lions, BLKOUT, Ghost Town, Persist and Something Must Break, this will be one spectacular night that you cannot afford to miss. This one costs $15 and as usual starts at 2pm. The Axis Youth Centre is on a freaking roll at the moment! Don’t forget that tickets for John Butler Trio at the Royal Theatre are on sale NOW! I’m sure that most of you would have at least a rough idea of how fast these tickets will sell and for those who have not a clue… these tickets will sell out fast. The spine-tingling root reggae sensations Blue King Brown will have you up, dancing and sweating all over each other before The John Butler Trio even step out on stage. The magic won’t commence until Wednesday September 15, but you can and should get your tickets now – they’re $70 from any Ticketek outlet. And finally, on Thursday July 8, if you manage to quickly grab tickets, you can see The Amity Affliction live at the Woden Basketball Stadium on the highly anticipated Youngbloods tour. US band Misery Signals, Melbourne’s Confession and Flood of Red from the UK are all going along for the ride in support of Amity’s brand new album Youngbloods. Tickets cost $33.50 from Moshtix. NAOMI FROST allagescolumn@gmail.com

allowed to continue, see it become a vital part of the contemporary music scene in Canberra.” It already is an extremely vital part, I would argue.

LOCALITY

On the night of Friday June 11, the biting cold failed to deter almost 300 people from McGregor Hall, the largest number in recent memory. The double EP launch of James Fahy and Joe Oppenheimer was a raging success and McGregor was warm and resplendent, buzzing with newcomers in awe of the brilliant ‘new’ venue. To the Canberra Musicians Club and its countless supporters however, McGregor Hall, with its beautiful boards and high gabled ceiling, school canteen style bar, yellowed paperback library and fraying stage décor circa 1972, feels like an old friend; a terminally ill old friend.

The hall is scheduled for demolition in August to allow for the construction of “affordable student accommodation at the ANU”, which is undeniably crucial to alleviating the student housing crisis. The death of McGregor however is the worst possible blow to Canberra’s venue crisis and a nail in the heart of the CMC. I spoke to Nigel McCrae, President of the CMC, about the looming demolition and what it means for the Club and Canberra’s wider music community. Explained Nigel, “Canberra needs this hall. The CMC has spent years searching for suitable venues for contemporary music in the inner north and roughly drawn a blank – except for McGregor Hall which, in accessibility, capacity, facilities, isolation from complaining neighbours, acoustic properties and cost is very near perfect. Add to that its character, the atmosphere of the place, which is instantly welcoming (unlike the vast majority of Canberra’s steel and glass behemoths), and you have a unique combination which would, if

“The CMC has been utilising the hall once a week on average for the last 12 months with great success. All it needed was for someone to see its potential and get the word out. We’ve had crowds of 100-250 each week seeing a great variety of local and regional artists. It’s got the feel of an old-school community hall, the dances that once were the staple of regional Australia’s social scene, with kids running around, people of all ages sharing an enjoyable cultural activity run by the community for the community. “The Department of Housing and Community Services, which until recently owned the hall, has done a land swap with the ANU Exchange project allowing them to demolish it, making no provisions for a replacement. It’s inconceivable that we can face losing this unique treasure with, so far, barely a whimper of protest. It’s time for the local music loving community to stand up and fight the loss of this important asset.” McCrae met with ANU developers to discuss the issue and received confirmation that there are no legal barriers to the demolition. This suggests to Locality that we should not be channelling our energies exclusively into trying to save the hall, but also into actively seeking or planning an alternative venue. Of course we should not go down without a fight for that would suggest the fire’s gone out, but it’s painfully clear this fight is unwinnable and therefore we need to focus on the future post our old friend McGregor. Shoot me an email with your thoughts and suggestions, join the Facebook group Save McGregor Hall and stay tuned for more. JULIA WINTERFLOOD julia@bmamag.com

DANCE THE DROP Just when I think this column’s content will be harder to fill with Pang!’s departure from Lot I am overwhelmed with the talent coming to town over the next few weeks. Joining the likes of Llik Llik Llik, Mingle have also taken their particular brand of clubbing over to Academy and will showcase a main room extravaganza on Friday June 18. There must be something in the water at the club because local talent from all circles will be making an appearance on the evening. The main room features the likes of Hubert, Cheese and Offtapia and is sure to include some massive tracks. Upstairs mingle have asked dubstep guru Faux Real to hold down the fort whilst in the pod room the Party By Jake DJs will be purveying some indie and disco treats. It is great to see the pod room fi-na-lly being used for something other than ‘maxing out.’ Hopefully this will kickstart a trend for clubbing in the pod as Academy make the most of their vast space. Sunday gigs in Canberra can be hit and miss with clubbers unlikely to venture out on their day of rest in winter. The Click to Click producers sessions are set to change this as Knightsbridge opens its oh so ostentatious arms to Canberra’s up and coming electronic musicians. The concept of the day is for producers to showcase their original tunes in a warm intimate environment. The lineup includes Fourthstate, Peking Duck, Daniel Jones, Stuart, Biggie, Bricksta, Amplidyne, Gabriel Gilmour, Remedy, Dave Scully and Derek. With free entry and finger food it would be worthwhile checking out what these guys have to offer. With the aid of Academy’s big screen audiovisual whiz kid Sampology will be back in town on Friday June 25 touring his Super Visual Smackdown show. The man oozes talent and I predict it will be one of those nights that people will still be talking about in years to come. Also don’t miss the Llik Llik Llik DJs upstairs in the Candy Bar on the same night. I have been championing Effigy’s flag for a few weeks now and if you still haven’t cottoned onto why head down to Hippo on Saturday June 26. Their run of quality gigs continues with Jamie Stevens of Infusion fame and Club Junque (Syd) at the helm. If you want to view some extremely smooth and tight mixing get there to watch the residents in action. With the Purple Sneakers DJs’ highly anticipated indie mixtape We Mix You Dance just released on Boundary Sounds and a recent set on triple j’s Friday arvo mix up the Sydney trio are riding a wave of success as they launch their national tour. The gang hit Transit Bar on Friday July 2 and after the previous success of their monthly night this gig is amping up to be just as notorious. mi favorito… Go check out the Party By Jake DJs in the pod room! I am a huge advocate of turning that area of Academy into a separate clubbing area and it won’t take off unless it has your support! STAKY staceymanson@gmail.com

myspace.com/pangnight

FREE SAMPLE STAKY Queensland wonder kid SAMPOLOGY started DJing underage parties in the early noughties. Jump forward seven years and the turntable wizard never imagined the likes of DJ Yoda and Peaches would be singing his praise. Sampology is undoubtedly the country’s premier audiovisual DJ. His unique style mashes a range of tunes with clever pop culture visuals. After taking his show around the world Sampology has launched the Super Visual Smackdown to showcase his gift on home turf. “Well I sort of choose my music half based on the music, but half based on the visuals,” says Sam of the upcoming Smackdown. “I started doing the show a few years ago and mainly used music videos, but the new visuals come from lots of places. I’ll hear a track and think this visual reference would be perfect for that. It sort of develops and grows into its own thing.”

I have made a real effort to make my show different

It certainly has grown into its own thing with his video edit of Parker’s Where’s My Monkey? sitting pretty at 325,362 hits on YouTube. The dubstep anthem is dispersed with screeching monkeys in ‘60s suits and King Louie from Disney’s The Jungle Book miming the chorus. Sampology’s turntablism has been honed over many years of practice, but the visual component is a relatively new phenomenon. One where he feels he is still finding his feet. “I think about what I was like the last time I was there [Canberra],” he says of a memorable night at Lot 33. “I actually look back and cringe because now the show is just so much better. I have much better content and use the mp3 drum machine. It is like DJing in that I thought my early gigs were great at the time, but now I know they are much better.” If you were wondering how his show all pulls together, Sampology explains that the concept is relatively simple – it is the practice and preparation that cement each show. “Well there are obviously two turntables and the videos link to each piece of music,” he says. “So I mix like any other DJ, but have worked out what clips mix well together. The drum machine also triggers different visuals. Each effect will play an effect on the screen. Lots of people are doing this type of show now and I have made a real effort to make my show different.” With a cinema-sized screen conveniently on hand at Academy, Sampology’s June 25 Super Visual Smackdown is gearing up to be a memorable night, with local alumni D’Opus, Jemist and Faux Real in tow. “At the moment I am playing lots of different tempos. I try and mashup lots of different stuff,” he says of his new show. “I don’t want people just standing around watching the screen though. I try and choose stuff that will make people dance. It is, after all, a party!” Catch Sampology, D’Opus, Jemist and Faux Real at Academy on Friday June 25. Tickets on the door.

SNEAKER PIMPS

LLIK LLIK BOOM

WILLIAM GLASGOW

staky

“I DJ mainly so I don’t have to dance anymore. I’m not good at it and I don’t like it.” This is what Tim, a PURPLE SNEAKERS DJ, tells me. It’s one of the saddest things I’ve ever heard – a bit like Andre Agassi’s confession that, really, all things considered, he didn’t much like tennis. ‘What am I going to talk about now?’ I think to myself as I scan my two page list of questions exclusively about dancing. Then I remember Jay Gatsby.

There is a universal formula for aspiring DJs that involves getting a bunch of mates together and putting on a night to showcase your wares. Very few of these ventures stand the test of time and fade into obscurity along with their flash in the pan residents. Those that can nut it out capitalise on a hole in the market and evolve with musical tastes. Canberra’s LLIK LLIK LLIK has not only gone the distance, but has established itself as a top club night with a slew of quality international performances. Llik have recently jumped on board with Academy to bring their particular brand of tech to the Bunda Street club. I chatted with the ambitious Llik frontman Dan Eden, aka Biggie, about his popular club night.

But before we get onto that, perhaps I should explain just what a Purple Sneaker is. It’s a few things, actually. It’s the most popular indie club night in Sydney, with a reputation for a fun, house party vibe. And it’s a set of DJs too, of which Tim is one, who have played at Australia’s premier festivals – Big Day Out, Falls – and supported the world’s premier acts, such as Bloc Party and The Rapture. And here’s the bit of particular interest to you, Canberra Indie Youth. These same DJs have a 29 track, double mix CD coming out entitled We Mix You Dance, which includes bits of tracks by Vampire Weekend, Animal Collective and Phoenix. “One half’s booty shaking, the other’s chin stroking,” says Tim. On Friday July 2, they’ll be at Transit Bar, hosting a night to promote the mix’s release.

Out of all the clubs, the Canberra dancers are the best

Back to dancing and trying to get Tim to talk about dancing. “Well I fucking hate dubstep,” says Tim. I haven’t made myself clear. I steer the conversation away from dance music. “Great dance moves?” says Tim. “I haven’t seen any. Sorry.” Earlier, I mentioned Gatsby. If you want to make it in the amateur journalism trade you need a healthy J.G. streak. Until he was shot by that guy in his pool, Gatsby would not be put off his quest – no matter how much of a hooch Daisy was or how many people snooped into his money trail. Like Gatsby, the amateur journalist often has to “beat on, boats against the current.” So it was with Tim from Purple Sneakers. He didn’t much want to talk about dancing. I did. Surely he’s seen something from his perch in the booth that’s impressed him. “I don’t know if anything impresses me.” (Come on!) “I like it when you see people do that rave double step, when it’s totally inappropriate on our dancefloor. The Shuffle, I think it’s called. That always makes me laugh.” I tell him that he’s shot down my whole questioning line (I cry a little as I tell him this). Then he says: “To be honest, out of all the clubs, the Canberra dancers are the best. They dance the most. I think it’s because of Transit Bar, we have a proper stage. I love it, man. Canberra kids get right up there. At some stages late at night there are more people on the stage than on the dancefloor. Yeah, the best dancers are our Canberra crowd.” Success! Catch the Purple Sneakers DJs at their CD launch party at Transit Bar on Friday July 2.

“It started with a few mates playing house and disco and techno,” says Biggie. “We started at Bar 32 and it progressed from there into Transit Bar. The Bar 32 factor was pretty different in that it was just us playing to our friends and any straggler that walked in off the street. Once we got to Transit it turned into a bit of an entity where people were starting to expect different stuff from us every show.”

It turned into a bit of an entity where people were starting to expect different stuff from us every show

Llik established itself on the Northbourne set at the end of 2006. Their initial taste was very much an indie disco vibe that fit well in the notoriously dank club. Soon the night’s popularity exceeded Bar 32’s capacity and they moved around the corner to Transit Bar. It was here Dan and his crew began to showcase more considered artists after a lucrative offer from their Melbourne counterparts MTC. “John Selway from New York tore the club up for two and a half hours straight,” recalls Biggie. “We had Kazu Kimura from Japan who played an amazing techno set that blew everyone away. These people are not only at the top of their game, but they are willing to come down to a place like Canberra and party with us guys.” After a good two years at Transit Biggie decided to shake things up once again and joined forces with the seemingly unlikely Academy. Dan is excited to be on board with Canberra’s top dance music venue. “We get treated really well at the Candy Bar and we’ve got some pretty big nights coming up there,” he says. “Basically we get free reign to play some really nice house, deep house and disco for anyone who isn’t into the music downstairs or is passing through. They are keen to let us have some bigger names down there. They have been quite supportive and the guys really help us out. It has been a great little venture so far.” Catch Biggie at Llik Llik Llik in the Candy Bar at Academy on Friday June 25 for some always quality tuneage.

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

“That often happens when people have a technological backlash.” But, adds Norris, the zine is a different beast to the traditional artist’s book. “Many artist’s books are these pristine, beautifully made objects, but […] sometimes you can’t even touch them. “[Zines] are a more free and easy and relaxed way of approaching art.” The zine occupies an odd, liminal position – both aesthetic object and locus for alternative ideas and fringe culture, the zine is a strange idea in capitalist Western culture.

ZINE AND HEARD naomi milthorpe A couple of years ago I got a curious little thing in my letterbox: a dozen or so photocopied pages of drawings, poems, jokes, photographs, and recipes assembled by a group of teenage girls. It was handmade, stapled together, completely original, and entirely charming. It was a zine. “Zines aren’t new, they’ve been around for decades,” explains Yolande Norris, administrator at Canberra Contemporary Art Space, holding in collaboration with the ACT Writers Centre their annual ZINE FAIR on Saturday July 3. “[But] there are still a lot of people who don’t know what zines are.” To the uninitiated, zines are handmade, self published ‘magazines’ (hence the name), published in extremely small editions. Their heyday was the nineties, when artists and writers moved into selfpublication as a means of protest against hegemonic culture. “They were deeply rooted in DIY and punk culture, and were usually free,” Norris explains, adding also that zine culture has “an uneasy relationship” with money. The culture was anti-establishment and anti-economics, rooted in a desire to make and possess something untrammelled by commercial culture – something totally individual. “A lot of people give them status as art objects. Often they’re unique, there’s no two the same,” says Norris, adding that they can vary from the DIY photocopy-style with a heavy emphasis on content, to elaborately bound and numbered artists books. “It’s the same as people buying records still […] wanting the object to have and to hold.

They’re often left on street corners or in cafes for readers to simply pick up, and that element of anonymity, coupled with the intimacy and immediacy of the handmade, makes the zine something quite special, like a secret shared between friends. Since the advent of the internet, many of the original zines (such as Boing Boing, for instance) moved into the blogosphere, because what they aimed towards was not an object but an idea – a place for alternative opinions to find a voice. Sometimes, like blogs, they are about particular subjects – politics, tattoos, rollerskating. Sometimes they operate as a confessional. And, as Norris points out, the zine still has a power, both tactile and emotional, that can’t be equalled by a blog. “If you set up a blog, it’s sometimes hard for people to find it. [Zines] are in people’s faces, and they pick them up. [People] truly believe something if it’s in print.” Australia has a particularly strong zine culture, typified by the existence of specialist zine stores such as Bird in the Hand. Huge annual zine fairs such as those held at This Is Not Art and at the MCA attract hundreds of stallholders and thousands of punters, testament to the zine’s continuing attraction. “We noticed last year and the year previously that there was a particular Saturday where there were heaps of people around asking where the Zine Fair was. [We thought], Zine Fair? That sounds cool.” The ACT Writers Centre has been holding their Zine Fair for a few years now, and this year have joined forces with CCAS Gorman House to provide a bigger space for distributors and collectors to gather. The ACT Writers Centre have been doing “headhunting” of stallholders, but have also tried to involve artists who are interested in making zines and artists books.

ZINE AND HEARD CONTINUED And, rather than just being a place for people to sell zines, the fair will have a “market atmosphere with zines at the root of it,” says Norris. Stallholders sell zines, but also offer other handmade and craft objects. Sometimes the zines aren’t ‘sold’ as such, but are free – exemplifying the zine’s status as an object which can’t be squared with the normative expectations of capitalist exchange. The Zine Fair is the latest in CCAS’s public or performance program, in which CCAS “made a bit of extra room so we can have an empty gallery […] to do non-exhibition type things,” Norris explains. “The performance program had its first run in 2009 with a collaboration with tableaux artist Min Mae’s I Die and performances from Mr Fibby. This year’s collaboration on the Zine Fair is a natural pairing, given the zine’s status as both aesthetic object and portal for different voices. It’s a form of expression that is “challenging or ephemeral”. But it’s also exciting, unique, and very often beautiful. “That whole aesthetic resonates really well with CCAS because we show and display art that does exist outside the commercial sphere,” says Norris. “It makes sense that we support it.” The Annual ACT Writers Centre Zine Fair will be held at Canberra Contemporary Art Space, Gorman House, on Saturday July 3 between 11am and 4pm. Entry is free.

ANONYMEYE OF THE BEHOLDER peter krbavac Since 2004, Brisbane musician Andrew Tuttle has been working as ANONYMEYE, splicing folk and country with electronica in his inimitable way. After six years of going it alone, however, he is reconsidering the nature of the musical project. “I like the idea of Anonymeye not necessarily being me all the time,” he says. “Sometimes travelling solo is kind of isolating, it can be boring. But in other ways it’s really exciting to travel everywhere and maybe not have the financial problems (that travelling with a band would involve).” Andrew’s travels have taken him all over, from New Zealand’s famous Campus A Low Hum weekender to the ZXZW Festival in the Netherlands, playing alongside the Sun Ra Arkestra and Wire. Closer to home, Anonymeye has supported the likes of Animal Collective and more recently - and somewhat curiously - progressive metallers Isis. “I actually didn’t go down that badly which was good of course, but kind of disappointing in some ways as well,” he chuckles of the Isis support. “I think their crowd is a fairly discerning crowd and the actual band were interested as well, but still it was definitely a fish out of water scenario. I had a think about making my set a bit heavier but then I thought, you know what, I’m going to go off even more country!” Over his six year tenure as Anonymeye, Andrew has released two albums, a handful of EPs and split releases and featured on numerous compilations. His 2006 debut Anonymeye Hotel featured a strong thematic link throughout the music and the intricate packaging: a tribute of sorts to middle Australia and the faded glory of the roadside motels and diners that litter our highways. “I think it’s unfortunate that people look overseas, but also that when we do look overseas... we look too far overseas as well,” he muses. “I think that we, collectively as artists and people interested in the arts, don’t really pay enough credence to what we do as a nation, but also to what our immediate neighbours are doing. There’s great stuff coming out of New Zealand and South East Asia as well. I’m guilty, I’ve toured Europe twice and I went to New Zealand for the first time in January and I’ve still never been to Indonesia and Malaysia. Maybe as creators and people in general we want to explore the world but just take that big leap without maybe looking a bit closer.” Following his upcoming Australian tour, Andrew will begin work on his third LP - the follow up to last year’s well-received The Disambiguation of Anonymeye - in Melbourne with frequent Architecture in Helsinki collaborator and the man behind Qua, Cornel Wilczek. “I’m thinking there’s a few ways it could go,” he considers. “I’m kind of torn. I like the idea of recording two bodies of work: a really long 20, 30 minute drone piece and then maybe something more poppy.” Anonymeye, 3ofmillions (Sydney) and Cat Cat play Street 2 at The Street Theatre on Friday July 9 from 7.30pm. Tickets are $15 or $10 concession.

the costume has to be absolutely perfect. The smallest tear can damage an entire transformation. There have been lots of disasters. Costumes torn, strings snapped, but the show goes on.” Ennio was obsessed with Disney as a child. He loved the twodimensional characters on the screen. But he first came across such stellar origami talent as a child when he made a white dress out of paper and impersonated Marylin Monroe in front of his family.

PAPER HEART DANIKA NAYNA Remember those paper dolls that you used to cut out and dress up in 2D clothing that folded over their shoulders? Ever fantasised about how awesome it would be if yourclothes were like that? Maybe it was just me… and this guy from Italy, ENNIO MARCHETTO. He’s a star-imitating, rubber faced funny man who has found a niche in wearing costumes made of paper. And it is belly-laugh brilliant. Ennio goes through 50 characters in a one hour show, from Lady Gaga to Dolly Parton, the Mona Lisa, Boy George and even the Queen of England. He transforms between them with a flick of a tab on his costume, et voila! He was once Snow White, now Ozzie Osbourne. “Each costume is normally one huge piece of paper. That ensures it’s nice and light for me to work with,” Ennio says. “Before a show,

“To be a kid in Venice is not easy because there are no big spaces to play. But the beauty of the city and the atmosphere of the carnivale significantly developed my creativity,” Ennio recalls of a time before video games overtook inventive vision, like childhood crossdressing. “When I realised that the costume was so unique and my face was just wanting for them, and the costumes were so stylised and so brilliant that everyone at the start of my career loved them, I continued to develop them.” The ‘living cartoon’ really was a sensation for Ennio right from the start. He has taken his paper characters around the world (over 70 countries in fact), causing a sensation that has won him the prestigious Golden Lion Award at the Venetian Entertainment Festival and the Golden Mosquito Award for comedy. But there was a certain country that didn’t find his parodies so funny. “I’ve met lots of the people in my show; Boy George, Elton John, Liza Minnelli, The Osbournes, even The Queen of England. They all loved the show and took it in good humour. [But] I was in France once and the audience didn’t even smile. I shouted at them in French and told them they had not one bone of irony in their bodies. Haha!” Ennio Marchetto plays at the Canberra Theatre on June 17. Tickets through Canberra Ticketing.

ARTISTPROFILE: E.L.K.

What do you do? I am a stencil artist. When did you get into it? Early to mid noughties. Who or what influences you as an artist? There is a whole international community of stencil artists on the internet. Interacting with and seeing the amazing work some of these guys come up with is a definite motivation and influence. I also try to challenge myself with each new piece, raising the bar slightly from the last. What’s your biggest achievement so far? I won most popular piece at the Melbourne Stencil Festival in 2008. Just had a nice write up in Art Monthly Australia too, pretty stoked about that. I recently started showing my work internationally, which kind of makes me feel like the hard work is starting to pay off. What are your plans for the future? Not too distant, I want to setup a warehouse art space in Mitchell/Fyshwick with two or three other likeminded artists, Melbourne style (anyone interested hit me up at elkstencils@hotmail.com). Long term I just want to make my art, show it, and hopefully sell it (for heaps of cash). What makes you laugh? Bill Hicks, the American comedian. He’s been dead for nearly 20 years but every word he said is totally relevant to the mess we’re in today. That and when dogs get stuck together during sex. What pisses you off? John Stanhope spending money on public art. It’s the political equivalent of your mum buying clothes for you when you’re a kid: you just tolerate it because you don’t have a say in it. What’s your opinion of the local scene? It won’t happen overnight, but it will happen. What are your upcoming exhibitions? I have a solo show opening at The Front Gallery in Lyneham on July 9. I also have a group show opening in August at the Crewest gallery in LA, and then a solo show at the Vincent Michael Gallery in Philadelphia pencilled in for later in the year; no time to rest. Contact info: elkstencils@hotmail.com or 0404945714.

IN REVIEW The Laramie Project Everyman Theatre Courtyard Studio May 20-29 Directed by Jarrad West, The Laramie Project tells the true story of Laramie, Wyoming, a town rocked by the violent murder of gay university student, Matthew Shepard - a hate crime that captured the world’s attention. In 1998, writer Moises Kaufman and The Tectonic Theatre Project visited Laramie to interview its residents and investigate how they, and the wider community, had been affected. The play was groundbreaking, and ten years after its premiere remains confronting and moving. Everyman Theatre’s production is brought to life by eight of Canberra’s finest actors (Fiona Atkin, Micki Beckett, Jessica Brent, Duncan Driver, Dave Evans, Duncan Ley, Steph Roberts, and Tony Turner). The Laramie Project belongs to the genre of ‘Verbatim’ theatre – a type of theatre that transcribes interviews word for word. Not only did the actors have to contend with playing some 60 characters between them, all with different regional American accents, but they also had a challenging script, complete with the hesitations, restarted sentences and ums and ahs of speech. Making this sound natural, of course, is a whole other challenge and one they tackled well. Some might think verbatim theatre is restrictive as the dialogue precludes choice actors might otherwise make, but I’d argue it’s incredibly difficult to pull it off and sound natural and perform truthfully. Dave Evans and Duncan Driver particularly excelled at this, but it’s hard to pick a standout performer from the talented ensemble. With intelligent, respectful direction from Jarrad West, and a simple set and performance style, the performance was unpretentious and genuinely moving. It was an ambitious production but ultimately, a success. EMMA GIBSON

UN I N H I B I T E D A couple of my friends and I have a joke that we occasionally share, that buying flowers makes us feel like Mrs Dalloway. It’s been a few years since I last read that novel but the power of that image still holds. Buying flowers equals Mrs Dalloway. A friend of mine once told me, as we were waiting for a train in Sydney, that trains always made her think of Anna Karenina (a revelation slightly alarming at the time. I suggested, only half-joking, that we move back from the edge). Similarly, I can’t think about peaches without remembering Eliot’s Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock. It’s a phenomenon maybe shared only by a particular class of suggestible English students, but one that leads to a charming sort of intimacy with an author. It’s a bit like the memories triggered by a particular song or scent, but in this case the object causes a series of literary recollections that lead to strange places. I recently reread Katherine Mansfield’s Bliss, a story incredibly powerful in its evocation of emotion through objects (in this case, fruit – and most particularly, the pear tree). In it, in preparation for a dinner party, the protagonist Bertha buys certain types of fruit to arrange in a bowl on the dinner table in order to bring out the colours of her carpet. It’s a strange act, one that she herself recognises as half-ridiculous – but it’s also one that brings her a peculiar feeling of happiness. The synthesis of certain objects in a room seems, for some reason, to create contentment. Why is that? And why do certain objects – peaches, flowers, trains – hold a significance that is at once both personal and collective? On looking over at my sideboard, I see the pile of fruit in the fruit bowl, a pile that is topped by several pale green and speckled pears, whose colours chime with the framed mock-Picasso portrait drawn by my niece when she was in kindergarten. Neither the pears nor the picture are what one would traditionally group as art, but – like Bertha with her purple grapes and her silvery pear tree – the arrangement of them is both pleasing and strangely evocative. Memory is a powerful and a dangerous thing. My own memory, particularly for the mundane, is pretty lousy. I forget to buy milk, what day it is, friend’s birthday parties, dates, people’s names… and yet there are certain things that stay fixed in the brain. The first time I saw a painting by Goya, or the rich brilliance of Yves Klein blue – both of which were so captivating in their different ways I must have sat and stared for at least an hour. Sitting in my kitchen in Lyons when I was 21, reading a poem by Gerard Manley Hopkins and crying – yes, crying – because it was so intensely beautiful I couldn’t help but cry. Reading Evelyn Waugh’s Decline and Fall for the first time and not being able to go to sleep from laughing, the book was so originally and devastatingly funny. They’re experiences that can’t be replicated – and maybe that’s why they stay, and the ordinary diurnal business of milk-buying and dinner and parties and what particular day it is gets pushed out so easily. All that stuff is so easy to recreate. Of course, what writers like Mansfield and Woolf and Eliot show is that that stuff – buying flowers or putting fruit in a bowl, eating a peach – can be immense and illuminating and powerful, that these are the moments in which the world seems to chime together with a breathtaking clarity. I guess I should probably pay more attention.

NAOMI MILTHORPE exhibitionist@bmamag.com

bit PARTS WHO: Erica Hurrell WHAT: Portraits/Photos WHEN: June 17 – 27 WHERE: CCAS Manuka, Furneaux Street At Blaze #4 at CCAS earlier in the year there was exhibited a series of fantastic documentary photographs by delightful Canberra artiste, Erica Hurrell. Hurrell documents moments and moods from parties and social gatherings, with the camera lens providing glimpses – sometimes partial, sometimes grotesque, sometimes charming – of people and what they do. Hurrell manages to capture, without any sense of judgment or melodrama, the humour and hubris and bravado and swagger of partygoers as well as the delicate beauty that hides behind (or follows) a night out. Now, Hurrell has a solo exhibition, Portraits/Photos, opening at CCAS Manuka on Thursday June 17. See it.

WHO: Yirra Yaakin Corporation and Tammy Anderson WHAT: I Don’t Wanna Play House WHEN: June 29 - July 3 WHERE: Courtyard Studio, CTC To quote: “Produced by the Yirra Yaakin Aboriginal Corporation, I Don’t Wanna Play House is a gripping and celebratory one-woman show peopled with boisterous characters each played with consummate skill by Tammy Anderson. Based on her own nomadic childhood growing up in Tasmania and Victoria, Anderson conjures up a kinetic swirl of monologue, movement and song. A whirlwind of family yarns, harrowing recollections and hilarious energetic impersonations of family members - often heartbreaking, as Anderson relives the abuse she and her family endured. This is also a story of love, told with a singular lack of sentiment and wry humour.” Tix through Canberra Ticketing. WHO: Dramatic tykes WHAT: CYT’s Holiday Workshops WHEN: School hols, July 5 - 16 WHERE: Canberra Youth Theatre, Gorman House, Braddon CYT is offering three week-long workshops for tykes and teens aged 7 – 15, so if you have a little person who is bored during the long, blissful days of idleness, perhaps try enrolling them in one? MUSICAL! MUSICAL!, from July 5 to 9, is a teen class where participants adapt an intriguing and devilish short story into an original musical. In the same week, 7 to 9 year olds can roll up to HOOPLA! a workshop focusing on theatrical circus and clowning. Meanwhile, in week 2, 10 – 12 year olds will be GROSSED OUT! devising a disgusting tale of adventure and mystery. Call 6248 5057 for details and enrolments. WHO: John Santucci, Ross Tamlin andJames Willebrant WHAT: [Contained], a group exhibition WHEN: June 5 - 27 WHERE: Paintbox Fine Art Gallery At Paintbox this month is [Contained], a group exhibition with an industrial edge featuring the works of three established artists - John Santucci, Ross Tamlin and James Willebrant. John Santucci grew up in Newcastle, Wollongong and Whyalla, and his painting repeat motifs of lighthouses, circus tents and mazes amongst the smokestacks. Ross Tamlin has a fascination with all things maritime, while James Willebrant’s paintings focus on memories from his youth, the style of architecture that he grew up with and never really appreciated at the time. The exhibition will be showing ‘til June 27 and entry is free.

WHO: Artist Brook Andrew and portraitee Marcia Langton WHAT: Andrew’s new commissioned portrait of Langton WHEN: On show now WHERE: National Portrait Gallery

WHO: Canberra Repertory WHAT: Jazz Garters WHEN: June 18 – July 10 WHERE: Theatre 3, Ellery Crescent Acton

The NPG’s commissioning program last week unveiled a new portrait of Indigenous rights advocate and all-round superlady Marcia Langton, cast as a “powerful Goddess in command of the earth’s elemental forces” by cutting edge Australian artist Brook Andrew. Dr Christopher Chapman coordinated the commission and said of the portrait: “Marcia Langton has made highly significant contributions to Australian society and culture, particularly through her advocacy of the rights of Indigenous Australians. Professor Langton’s representation in the National Portrait Gallery by a major commissioned portrait recognises her leadership as an outstanding Australian.”

To quote: “In a production too darn hot …to handle, Canberra Repertory presents Jazz Garters - a grand and exciting entertainment experience. Following sell-out shows in 2009, Jazz Garters returns to the stage at Theatre 3, 3 Repertory Lane Acton, from June 18 until July 10. Devised by the talented cast and artistic team of Jim McMullen, Peter J Casey, Lisa Buckley and Nick Griffin, this production is truly a celebration of all things theatrical. In the Rep tradition of a winter variety production this talented creative team will present comedy, cabaret, jazz, broadway, vaudeville and spectacular production numbers with some special magic thrown in just for you!” Huzzah! For deets head to www.canberrarep.org.au or call 6257 1950.

of stuff together to make a new style. It sometimes works and sometimes doesn’t but we always try The punkest to do it.

thing we could

BEARDED LADIES SHAILLA VAN RAAD Mat McHugh from roots-rock band THE BEAUTIFUL GIRLS heaves a wistful sigh over the phone. “This is my last day of peace before the album comes out.” There is some truth in this statement – judging from the airplay that their latest catchy single 10:10 has received, it can only be anticipated that their new album Spooks, out now, (as this interview is now about two weeks old), will have some more indie hits in store for audiences around Australia and perhaps the world. Since their formation in 2000, The Beautiful Girls group have toured extensively in Australia, Japan, North America and Europe. The group have also lived with a revolving door of band members, which began with drummer Mitch Connolly leaving in 2006 for the Angus and Julia Stone band. Eventually, McHugh, the only original member, left, ‘reformed’ The Beautiful Girls after recruiting Paulie B on bass and Bruce Braybrooke on drums to create a perfectly ‘new’ sound. “We’re all huge reggae fans”, says McHugh, “listening to dancehall, hip-hop and all these genres. The whole idea for us with music is to try to combine genres and make something new – throwing a bunch

“I’m always looking for something do was play the different. All the bands that I love, mellowest music from the ‘60s, ‘70s, ‘80s – whatever, at the time, they were doing something different. Most bands just try to replicate what’s already been done. They fall into the trap. I don’t think that’s in the spirit of where those bands came from. And it’s pretty boring.” Which brings us to the next itching question about The Beautiful Girls – the story behind the unusual name for an all male trio? “The truthful story is,” chuckles McHugh, “when we started out, we were really mellow music. We grew up on the beaches; our rehearsal spots were full of dudes playing hard music. We wanted to do the opposite of that, to show them that there were other ways to make music, piss them off a little bit, just so they would shake their heads and say ‘those guys are so high end, they’re so soft.’ The punkest thing we could do was play the mellowest music and call ourselves ‘The Beautiful Girls.’” The new record, Spooks, was inspired by “music that connects people.” McHugh again proves his use of a wide-ranging palette, such as Brazilian music, whose “upbeat tempos and universal themes of social injustice” are more effective than “upper white middle class dudes dressed up, adopting this fake swagger and fake angst.” The new single, 10:10, is no different in ideology, as McHugh explains. “A couple of years ago, a friend of a friend in America got shot in a club because he was the wrong skin colour, at the wrong time, in the wrong place. Unfortunately that shit still exists, and heavily in some places.” Catch The Beautiful Girls, along with Washington, Vida Sunshyne and Chasm, at the Hellenic Club on Thursday July 15. Tix from the venue.

LET’S GET PHYSICAL

JUSTIN HOOK

WARWICK SMITH

Press junkets are gruesome affairs; phone conversations with people in a distant time zone who clearly would rather be watering the garden than regurgitating the story behind their latest (and best, of course) album for the 78th time, discussing the motivation behind a lyric that probably means nothing or vainly selling the charade that rock and roll is a joyous explosion of creativity, youth, chemicals and spare time. Which explains why HOT HOT HEAT’s guitarist Luke Paquin is watching a Matthew McConaughy documentary between press interviews. To be fair, the doco is about the press junket process and sounded like a defiantly ‘shirts on affair’ but Paquin is getting pointers nonetheless. “Well I have found out I’m not nearly as charismatic as he is – and I don’t quite have the pectorals.” I’ll be leaving that one alone.

In 2010 BIRDS LOVE FIGHTING RECORDS rewards the patient music scene of Canberra with several releases. We now explore the ins and outs of the musical road ahead. Spilling into the gaps halfway through the year, the label will start releasing physical and online singles, EPs and albums from local artists and bands JW Sparrow, Killing Birds, Waterford, Cat Cat and From The South.

I’m not nearly as charismatic as Matthew McConaughy is and I don’t quite have the pectorals

Notwithstanding his lacklustre gym routine, Paquin and his band mates have taken the somewhat energetic step of playing residencies in LA and New York to promote the self produced fifth album Future Breeds, as he drawls from Brooklyn. “We thought the best way to warm up for the release would be to do a show a week for a month. And I couldn’t think of a better city to be stuck in.” In between the band play a one off show in Berlin for a large beverage distiller, but Paquin won’t be drawn into an art vs. commerce argument by some Antipodean yokel. Wait, yes he will... “It was an offer we couldn’t refuse. Obviously, there are a few products we probably wouldn’t associate ourselves with and there’s a bit of a moral dilemma with something like alcohol but we’re all adults – we all drink, right? I don’t feel like I’m compromising my artistic integrity too much. Plus we’ll probably get a free bottle of [popular ‘yoof’ spirit] before the show.” It’s been a rocky ride for the Canadian band over their ten plus years. Members have left, Paquin himself is a mid-oughts recruit and the band left the Warner stable after 2007’s poorly received Happiness Ltd. “Well, I quite liked our last album – but I guess we were getting a little too comfortable.” In response Hot Hot Heat have recorded an album in Future Breeds that feels like they’ve thrown everything up in the air with mixed results. “Well it’s definitely a hell of a lot harder to play these songs live – just in terms of pure technical ability.” As to whether the band have reclaimed their momentum of their early career – you get the feeling it’s a moot point, as Paquin contemplates, “we just wanted to challenge ourselves for our own mental health – just to feel like we had a right to exist in the world.” Not sure such self-doubt conforms to the Matthew McConaughy School of Media Relations– but it’s a refreshing change for these ears. Hot Hot Heat’s latest effort, Future Breeds, was released in Australia on Friday June 11 and is available at all good record stores.

In the previous edition of BMA you may have read online about grunge act Killing Birds. Well, the duo have teamed up with psych soloist JW Sparrow and The Miner Birds to split a limited edition 30 minute tape. Containing two or three songs of each act between sides A and B, it will make an interesting addition to your fuzzed out tape collection. Three-piece band Waterford, who impressed everyone at the music picnic Electric Lake, are steaming ahead with their debut album’s mixing and mastering. Very soon they will be releasing the online teaser single London, England. Bruce Callaway, previously of The Saints, who is also famed for mixing In The Pines (and the re-issue) by ‘80s post-punk band The Triffids, has worked his classic fingers over the mixing desk for Waterford. Although the final product isn’t so final yet, we can tell you that this album is going to be full of sensible pop with clever lyric writing, sharp drumming and some fancy footwork. Moving from one saint to another, Cat Cat and From The South share something special – not just frontman Conor Hutchinson, or that both releases were recorded in ‘The Lodge,’ south of Canberra - both recordings have also been mastered by famed music engineer to the stars Casey Rice; the gentleman responsible for mastering many a fine record from Dirty Three to Alex & the Ramps to Ground Components. From The South released an EP demo in 2009, however they have since spent long hours and days rehearsing, recording, and re-recording for the new album which in turn is bound to sound spectacular and tight – with the hallmarks of their influences such as Jefferson Airplane to The Church (this writer’s opinion anyway). And for some time now Cat Cat have been sitting on their own tracks. After recording late in 2009, there has since been a departure of two members. Conor and Warwick have kept the band playing shows as a duo with a rotating lineup at live shows of guest musicians such as Shoeb Ahmad and any other ragamuffins they can lure into their grasps. This has given their live performances a fresh eclectic departure from the previous Cat Cat sound. The new EP is called Waking Space and contains their single Heard Her Play, which you can find online. So now you know what’s being launched, the question is when? Well I guess keep on reading BMA to look out for launch dates and events at the various venues around Canberra. And where do you get these golden tones in the meantime and more like them? You can pop into Smiths Alternative Bookshop or check online at www.birdslovefighting.com for free downloads.

photo: matt dunstall

BACK TO THE FUTURE BREEDS

THE BIG DAPPLE katherine quinn For me, the name DAPPLED CITIES evokes Monet’s Rouen Cathedral; a shroud of mist hanging over the rigid lines of architecture rendering them shimmering, uncertain. “We wanted it to be a pretty image,” Tim from the band explains, over the phone from London on an appropriately rain-soaked Wednesday, “and we also wanted that idea of a cosmopolitan city, of a lot of different things going on and a bit of a patchwork. I guess when we started that’s how we saw ourselves, as a bit of a patchwork of ideas.” The five Aussie lads who make up Dappled Cities met at the tender age of 14, and conveniently they “all played the exact instruments we needed for a band,” Tim says. Since then, they have released an impressive array of EPs and three full length albums, with the boys living an existence of prolonged adolescence in musical meccas like London and New York. Their most recent album, Zounds, is a layered, opulent specimen of indie rock, which displays both their musical maturity and an ever-present sense of fun.

I have never seen bigger lips; they were like half the size of her face!

As evidence of this sense of fun, Tim tells me a bizarre tour story about a party the band attended after closing the South by Southwest festival in Texas. “It was in this mansion with this botoxed woman – I have never seen bigger lips; they were like half the size of her face! She was some kind of oil, radio inheritance woman and we were in this jacuzzi, and there were little kittens there… It wasn’t wild, it was weird,” Tim continues, sounding somewhat bewildered. “It was awkwardly amazing! And I think those are the best bits on tour, when you go and do something that you would never do in your own life.” This strange story is hardly surprising, coming from the lads who wore suits made from light bulbs for their music video for The Price, and who donned skin-tight gold jumpsuits at St Jerome’s Laneway Festival earlier this year. But while he agrees that “you’ve gotta make it a bit theatrical,” Tim insists the group isn’t as over the top as some of their influences, such as Pink Floyd and David Bowie. “We’re definitely really inspired by the way that they don’t limit themselves to a certain sound. If they want to put on a synthesised trumpet solo on a song, then that’s what they do. You’ve just gotta do whatever you feel is right at the time and whatever is fun.” Dappled Cities will return to their home country this winter as part of their world tour, accompanied by Brisbane’s John Steel Singers. Unfortunately the light bulb suits got ruined on their travels, but Tim assures me there will be lasers and all kinds of entertaining shenanigans. When I ask him what audiences can expect he replies, deadpan, “absolute beauty and the best night of your life.” Be sure to catch Dappled Cities at the ANU Bar, with the John Steel Singers in tow, on Thursday June 24. Tickets through Ticketek.

METALISE Testament head the list of tour announcements this week with a three show run supported by Melbourne band Dreadnaught. Having thrashed their way out of the legendary bay area over their 25 year storied career with five studio albums, the band come back for shows in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane in early August. Tickets for the Sydney show at The Manning Bar can be purchased through Oztix, Moshtix or The Manning Bar box office for the show on Saturday August 7. Also appearing at Billboard in Melbourne on Friday August 6 and tickets through Moshtix. Keen to see Mr Bostaph on the kit again for the first time since he toured with Slayer on the Divine Intervention tour. Don’t forget Paul Dianno doing his 30th anniversary of the first Iron Maiden album in full this Sunday June 20 at the ANU Bar! I was super chuffed to find out about the imminent arrival of one of my all time favourite bands in Australia in late July for their first ever Australian tour. Genre defining ‘murder metal’ legends Macabre bring their brand of sinister slaughter to Australia in late July for a pretty decent sized tour. The closest show is Sydney at The Bald Faced Stag on Friday July 30 (not ‘Stags’ as the poster says that has been on the internet). The Melbourne show the following night is part of the reinstituted High Voltage Fest and features a huge bill of bands aside from Macabre. Earth, Pod People, Depression, Dreadnaught, Cemetery Urn, Contrive, Internal Nightmare, Identity Theft and Embodied. All that for just 30 bucks! Two-piece musical missionaries Om are touring Australia for the first time in their celebrated career. Supporting the God Is Good tour are the fine folks at Heathen Skulls. They’re playing with Lichens and Blarke Beyer/Black Widow in Sydney on Saturday July 17 at The Factory with Naked On The Vague. There is a RUMOUR at this stage of a possible show on Thursday July 22 in Canberra with the RUMOUR being that reformed Wollongong stoners Tumbleweed may be also playing. Be sure to check BMA next issue for confirmation. From the ashes of Damage Plan with a sprinkling of Nothingface and a seasoning of Mudvayne, the combined result was party band with a “let’s tear the world a new ass” attitude in the form of Hell Yeah. Vinnie and pals bring the party to Sydney on Thursday July 29 at the Metro Theatre for a licensed all ages show. Tickets through Ticketek. Alestorm’s show at The Gaelic is near sold out for the Friday June 18 show with Bane of Isuldur. Don’t delay if pirate metal is your thing! cKy are touring in August too, at The Manning Bar in Sydney on Saturday August 14. Tickets from Moshtix. Utopia Records celebrates its 30th anniversary this year with a few big shows up in the big smoke to celebrate. There’s a thrash night at The Manning Bar on Saturday July 10 with a big Sydney metal bill including Mortal Sin, The Amenta, Daysend, Switchblade, Killrazer, Darker Half, Anno Domini, Norse and Hellbringer. There’s also a doom/stoner night on Friday June 25 at The Bald Faced Stag with Pod People, Daredevil, Summonus and Bob Sledge. Josh Nixon np: Three Water – Paul Chain – Alkahest JOSH NIXON doomtildeath@hotmail.com

KARNIVOOL COMES TO TOWN STEVIE EASTON Perth progressive rock outfit KARNIVOOL are out on their New Day tour at the moment, and they’ll be on the road until July, so fans can catch them performing tracks from last year’s epic release Sound Awake one last time. The band have a lot of experience playing live, having toured solidly for years, especially since the release of their stunning debut, Themata, in 2005. Mark Hosking joined the group seven years ago, followed by drummer Steve Judd in 2004, and since then the band has rapidly achieved massive success across the country. “It’s definitely evolved a lot since I joined the band. I think it’s normal for people to change and evolve over time, and bands are no different. It all came together when we made Themata; we worked really hard until we were all really happy with it,” Hosking says over the phone from Perth.

We don’t think about popularity much, we just do what we do

Themata proved a masterpiece of the genre, and touring nationally with Cog was the perfect way to get their sound in the ears of just the right group of fans. Its US release came in 2007, backed up by shows on the Great American Rampage tour – the same year they walked away with five WAMI awards. Sound Awake came out mid last year, and on the national tour that followed, shows sold out around the country. Overseas touring helped Karnivool’s popularity spread to New Zealand, England and the USA. Hosking says the songwriting process has become more natural over the two albums, and the band is looking forward to getting back to their new studio after this tour, and starting work on the next. “It’s a fairly dysfunctional process,” Hosking says. “We just get together and jam, try different things. Dysfunctional is probably not the right word, but it can take us a long time to work things out. We explore different ideas and just jam until we find a sound we all like.” Karnivool’s profile is huge, and they are gaining momentum daily through a strong combination of touring, industry knowledge, social networking and an amazing sound that’s not based on trying to please anyone in particular. “We don’t think about popularity much, we just do what we do. I guess we’re not really into a lot of radio-friendly music, so that probably shapes the sound we have.” The Perth music scene is close-knit, and Hosking says being a part of it is “really nice.” Karnivool are certainly one of its leading lights, having worked with other big names like Gotye and Pendulum. Lead singer Ian Kenny also fronts Birds of Tokyo, but Hosking says Kenny and their hometown is the only common factor between the two bands. “Personally, I’d say we’re very close. Musically, we’re completely different. We’re all ‘Perthites,’ so we go way back. They’ve got a really great pop sound, and what we do is totally different, but we’re all good friends.” Karnivool’s New Day tour comes to the ANU Bar on Saturday July 3. Tickets through Ticketek. Snap yours up soon as they’re selling fast.

AFFLICTION ADDICTION

RUSSIAN ROULETTE

NAOMI FROST

If you’ve seen this band before, you are obviously no stranger to blood, sweat, claustrophobia and, most of all, ringing ears to accompany the aching muscles beneath your bruised flesh. Stereotypically, these are all unpleasant things, right? Brisbane post-hardcore six-piece THE AMITY AFFLICTION have an extraordinary ability to release so much adrenalin in an individual that each of these things seem an absolute privilege to encounter. Amity’s highly acclaimed second studio album, Youngbloods, according to frontman Joel Birch, “shits on all the other albums.” The album will hit shelves on Friday June 18, and will send the band on the extensive and highly anticipated Youngbloods tour.

Having only just sunken his feet back into Australian soil for the first time in a month and a half, JJ Peters, frontman and founder of Melbourne’s rapcore pride DEEZ NUTS, was enduring day one of jet lag recovery when I had the pleasure of speaking with him.

The band jetted to New York to work with Grammy nominated producer Machine, who became known for his production work with bands like Four Years Strong, Lamb of God and Every Time I Die. Birch claims that Youngbloods is a big step up from their previous album Severed Ties. “It’s just what we should have always been doing.”

We were as cold in Canberra as we were in England

Joel explains that the infamous Machine, whose actual name is Eugene, and his hands on techniques and recording methods are what made the album so outstanding compared to the last. “He’d sit there and go through the lyrics with me and ask me what I was talking about,” he says in a more reflective manner, “and I’ve never had that before. It really worked out for the best because it threw out so much more emotion when I was screaming. With Severed Ties I just wrote the lyrics and they just became words on paper that I had to translate into the microphone.” The monstrous Youngbloods tour will begin in Adelaide and after jolting all the way up the east coast in just 11 days Amity will share the tour’s final performance with the city of Brisbane. Joining Amity on tour will be Melbourne’s own Confession, Misery Signals of the US and Flood of Red all the way from the UK. “Our mates Flood of Red are Scottish and they’re hilarious; they play this crazy beautiful post-rock music and they’re all just like wasted arseholes, it’s amazing.” He enviously spits, “the singer went on stage a couple of times in the UK and he could barely talk, then he’d just belt out this amazing shit. I was like ‘fuck you, man!’” After I coughed and spluttered into the phone for half a minute, we obviously found ourselves on the issue of Canberra’s brutally cold winters, particularly from Birch’s point of view as a resident of the Sunshine Coast. “We were as cold in Canberra as we were in England,” he bursts. “We were getting around in sleeping bags! And it can’t even fucking snow there, that’s the biggest gyp.” But regardless, Birch expresses the band’s excitement in returning to see their “crazy” and loyal fan base in Canberra, even if in the dead of winter. Catch The Amity Affliction with Misery Signals, Confession and Flood of Red live at the Woden Basketball Stadium on Thursday July 8. Tickets available from Landspeed Records, The Music Shop and Moshtix.

The band have just wrapped up a long and overwhelmingly successful tour of Europe and the UK and upon their arrival home are already preparing for the This One’s For You tour, celebrating the release of their new immensely successful studio album This One’s For You. The album was written and composed entirely by JJ Peters. “It was a lot of fun but it was very stressful,” he says. “I wrote the whole album in about two weeks prior to recording. I locked myself in the house pretty much and didn’t leave other than to buy groceries and booze. I just tracked day in day out and a lot of that time I wasn’t actually writing anything good.”

It was shiny, it was metal, it was reachable so I grabbed it and hit a Russian with it

Rather than formally sifting through only the regular nitty gritty details of preparation and production, Peters tells a few of the somewhat more absurd tales in his archive. “It was the first time we went to Europe. Us and the members of Bring Me the Horizon and other guys that were on the tour managed to somehow land in the middle of a fight with a bunch of Russian gang members outside of a show in Germany,” he laughs, “and there was a bunch of them trying to get on the bus and it resulted in dudes from our bus hitting them with bottles, skateboards and I hit a guy with a kettle. It was shiny, it was metal, it was reachable so I grabbed it and hit a Russian with it.” Then back onto the general issue of touring Europe, Peters expresses his strong desire to see Europe properly in his own time. “It’s one of those catch 22 things where you kind of get pissed off ‘cause you feel like shows are getting in the way of you being able to see shit, but at the same time you wouldn’t get to see any of it at all if it wasn’t for the shows.” He also shared his lesser discussed lingering urges to take his music over to Japan and again to the US sometime in the future. Just to lift the mood even more so than his rich and absorbing tale already did, Peters reveals the truth of the circulating rumours concerning his previous band, the kings of Australian metalcore, I Killed The Prom Queen. There is hope of a reunion! “Me and Jona and the other boys have talked about it to some length and we’d like to get together again at some stage and maybe do a tour, maybe do a studio album.” He cheerfully says, “but it’s just a matter of if and when.” Catch Deez Nuts live at the Weston Creek Community Centre from 7.30pm on Friday June 18. Tickets through Oztix.

B, Bigfoot, Ciecmate, Kings Konekted, Maundz, Jake Biz, Fatty Few, Fluent Form and Raven. Check out more details on the release and the crew as a whole at www.cratecartel.com .

THE REALNESS Back for another month and the local releases just keep on coming... First up is B wiv Deece with their new full-length entitled Rise In Peace. It’s a follow up to their acclaimed Ritual Law EP that I gave plenty of spins on The Antidote last year. It’s good to hear them still paving a path of originality and individualism as they definitely don’t sound like anyone else. I’ve always thought their music had a lot of guts, intensity and brutal honesty and these descriptions can all still be applied to their new full length. History-wise, they’ve been around since 2004 and dropped a 7” on the acclaimed Doublebeef Records run by the legendary Mass MC. Six years on the fellas have decided to bypass the distro deal options and innovate by selling their own product with a number of ‘value packs’ through their website where you can get pre-order deals, hoodies, tees etc. Gotta give their business game props too. Check out their sound, style and hustle and show them support at www.myspace.com/bwivdeece . Obese Records continue to back local artists with distribution and the next in line is Geko with his Crate Cartel Radio LP. I’ve been a fan of Geko’s beats for a minute now so I’m very keen to hear the album which drops Friday June 18. For those in the dark, Crate Cartel is a likeminded collective of artists coming outta Melbourne whose efforts won them the best group/crew and best label at the OzHipHop Awards for 2009. Crate Cartel Radio is entirely produced by Geko and features a stellar lineup of guest emcees such as Bias

Jumping down to Adelaide and the much anticipated new release from the Adroit Effusive crew simply called The Album. The selfconfessed ‘quintessential dysfunctional hip-hop family,’ the AE crew have been toiling in the depths of Adelaide for many years preparing this new release. As a unique eight man band (Blockade, Consepts, Patti, Bornski, Motion, Devious Dev, Beats and DJ Ad-Fu) they’ve created a smorgasbord of production sounds and lyrical content to get the head nodding, with a definite tip of the cap to the boom-bap sound. They’ve also proven a strong work ethic with the LP clocking at over an hour at a staggering 19 tunes! Looking forward to hearing the album in full. A major US release that’s caught my ear recently is the highly anticipated second LP from Talib Kweli and Hi-Tek under their Reflection Eternal title. Their first LP Train Of Thought was released during the Rawkus underground dominance of the late ‘90s/early ‘00s and was a personal classic for me. The new LP Revolutions Per Minute picks up where the last LP left off, and despite a few missteps it’s a worthwhile follow up but lacks some of the initial punch they had back in 2000. There’s no doubting Kweli’s flow though and Hi-Tek goes deep, minimal and soulful with his beats which fit Kweli’s delivery like a glove. Well worth a listen, as if you didn’t already know. To hear music from all these releases and much more, tune to The Antidote on 2XX 98.3FM every Tuesday night from 9.30pm or stream at www.2xxfm.org.au . ROSHAMBO roshambizzle@yahoo.com.au

the word

BLACKBOX

on games Metro 2033 / UFC Undisputed 2010 Developer: 4A Games / Yuke’s Publisher: THQ / THQ Platform: 360, PC / PS3, PSP, 360 Style: FPS / Fighting Length: 2+ hrs / 2+ hrs Rating: Don’t bother / Don’t bother Metro 2033 is mediocre at best. Featuring a poorly paced story and some shoddy production values, there’s not a redeeming feature in sight. The game is set in a post-apocalyptic Moscow where everyone has fled to the underground metro stations to avoid the radiation. To its credit it’s a good premise, but it quickly loses its allure once the dinosaur-esque mutants show up, along with a bunch of spirits and even some freaking Nazis. What next, zombies? Actually, they may turn up, but to be honest I wouldn’t know. The game is so boring I didn’t make it to the end for fear of becoming clinically depressed. But hey, given that’s the atmosphere the story is trying to portray, maybe the developers should be commended? The game falls short technically too. The visuals, whilst not terrible, don’t shine. While some areas are nicely populated, the models themselves look creepy, care of some terrible textures and offputting facial animations. The audio is also disappointing, with dialogue often being muddled among the other NPC, or hard to locate. Throw in some controls so clunky that they make it feel like your character wears an overbearing protective suit and you have yourself a frustrating gaming experience. Given all this, you won’t regret giving this title a miss. *** Given that a year has passed since UFC 2009 was released, this apparently warranted the release of a new game. Is it a major overhaul of the previous title, redefining the fighting genre its very self? Of course not. As with Skate, Need For Speed and almost all other sporting and EA titles out there, this game can be described as an incremental improvement at best. Now don’t get me wrong, the game does definitely improve on its predecessor. Its interface is slicker and it offers some new modes such as the pickup and play Title mode. However, for the most part it’s just the same game as before, faults and all. The fighting is still unco, the animations still repetitive and it provides about as much variety as Seth Rogan’s acting resume. Even the career mode still just consists of repetitively resource managing your non-Australian fighter, making it as enjoyable as before (because nothing’s more interesting than resource management). As such, had the game been a purchasable update, I would have given it more grace, but as it is you would be better off fishing UFC 2009 out of the bargain bin. TORBEN SKO

As the whole country once again catches World Cup Fever – the PM will be watching in The Lodge rather than at UC – most of the networks are keeping a low profile, pulling new run episodes, and generally biding their time until the whole shebang is over (or at least until Australia makes an exit). Except for Auntie of course. Our friends at the ABC have cleverly worked out that most of the action will take place at 4am (or at least not before 9pm), leaving the primetime schedule up for grabs. Sure Santo, Sam and Ed’s Cup Fever (SBS1, daily, 8.30pm) is entertaining and while it will probably take a while to hit its stride, at this point it’s no Roy and HG. Auntie is using the gap in new scheduling to air the new season of United States of Tara (ABC1, Wed Jun 23, 9.30pm) and the second season of supernatural share house drama Being Human (ABC2, Fri Jun 18, 8.30pm) and introduce new shows such as US comedy 10 Items or Less (ABC2, Mon Jun 21, 8pm) and the BBC’s Lunch Monkeys (ABC2, Mon Jun 28, 9pm) – a sitcom about a bunch of surly school leavers in their first job at a law firm. Hung (Prime, Mon Jun 21, 9.30pm), the latest effort from Sideways creator Alexander Payne, is about a high school basketball coach who decides to become a gigolo when he falls on hard times. The plot sounds a bit preposterous and despite the obvious entendres, the show is well-acted and charming. The HBO series are coming thick and fast with The Black Donnellys (7TWO, Wed Jun 23, 11.30pm) also making it to our screens. The NYC Irish mobster drama is thoroughly watchable – a different slant on the Italian crime bosses vs Irish cops story – and deserves a better timeslot. The only question left is will an Australian network ever air either Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip (which was replaced by The Black Donnellys) or Brotherhood, the superior Irish mob show set in Providence, Rhode Island? Not content to end the crime doco wars with WIN’s ridiculous Australian Families of Crime (WIN, Tue, 9.30pm), Prime has upped the anti with Police Under Fire (Prime, Wed Jun 23, 8.30pm) which allows them to once again roll out the Brendon Abbott story. At least WIN has the excuse of cross promotion for Underbelly (WIN, Sun, 8.30pm). There is, thankfully, a raft of other docos to choose from including Blood Sweat and Gears (SBS1, Thu Jul 1, 10pm) to get you ready for the start of Le Tour de France on Sunday July 4, The End of the Rainbow (ABC2, Sun Jun 27, 7.30pm) which follows the closure of a music-friendly pub in Fitzroy, Bikini Revolution (SBS1, Sat Jun 26, 8.30pm) about its history, and if you really want a crime doco, The Artful Codgers (ABC2, Sun Jun 20, 7.30pm) is about a pair of geriatric art forgers. Gluttons should check out Dinner in a Box with Curtis Stone (7TWO, Fri, 5.30pm), My Family Feast (SBS1, Thu Jun 24, 7.30pm), Oz and James Drink to Britain (SBS1, Thu Jun 24, 8pm), Delish (SBS1, Fri, 7pm) and Supersizers Eat… (SBS1, Thu Jun 24, 8.30pm), which looks at dining culture of the recent past. Those who committed will want to know about the series final of Flashforward (Prime, Thu Jun 24, 11.30pm). If Blackbox had a guarantee it would be that if one season and the storyline would actually get tied up, it may have been worth the investment… TRACY HEFFERNAN tracyheffernan@bigpond.com

the word

on albums

Diabulus In Musica Beyond Infinity [Metal Blade/Riot]

album of the week Holy Fuck Latin [Young Turks/XL]

Holy Fuck are the band of my dreams - a quartet that plays a full measure of dance music with guitars, drums, bass and analogue synths that they repatch on the fly. Known for their relentless melding of prog rock-styled techno, electronica- laiden heavy psyche rock and fresh as anything party rock stylings, they had won me over completely with the ostentatiously loud previous record LP; when Latin landed in my lap a week ago, I squealed with delight. Initially sounding very restrained - ambient opening offer 1MD sounds like atmosphere outside just before a storm hits - Latin has a distinct flow and agenda, building from funky house tracks at the begining before culminating in the second half with the kind of manic headsmashing intenseathons like P.I.G.S and Stilettos. A measured and mature progression, this forethought doesn’t detract too much from the spontanious joy that you feel as a listener, as whilst it’s an obvious build up, it’s an experience made the better from less potholes and bumps than their previous releases. From the outstanding die-cut typographical solution to their cover-art down to the stunning production keeping the glow of fun warm throughout, this is essential. ALISTAIR ERSKINE

It seems odd to think now that there was a time, not so very long ago, when the idea of a girl singing with a full-on heavy metal band would have caused snorts of derision of the ‘it’ll never happen’ kind down at your local rock pub; of course we now live in more enlightened times and such bands have become so popular that some record labels have been formed to only sign femalefronted HM outfits... which must be a good thing, surely? All of which brings us to Spain’s DIM. Beyond Infinity is massive in scope, faultless in execution but slightly soulless as a result. There’s an air of by-numbers about this, despite vocalist Maite Itoiz’ efforts to add something out of the ordinary; despite their grandiose pretensions, the likes of Come to Paradise and Ishtar come and go with little to catch the ear or hold the attention. That’s not to say there’s nothing to like here. Album closer, the superbly Gothic St Michael’s Nightmare succeeds where all before have failed, and there are moments – a riff here, a keyboard flourish there, some impressively orchestrated baroque floridity everywhere, which give you a sniff that something special may well eventuate from this project. Will our patience be rewarded on future releases? I hope so, but for now there just isn’t enough going on here to recommend DIM to anyone but the most fervent fan of female vocalism. Scott Adams

Dusker We Flew Into the Updraft [Independent] Recorded in a harbour side studio, this indie pop EP from Sydney five-piece Dusker is a ripper. The leading track is the highlight, immediately shouting for attention that this band is something special. Ellipsis has great vocals, backed by sparkling harmonies, and an incredibly catchy guitar line topped off with a tip-toeing piano. You’ll soon be singing along, vainly trying to match the magic timbre of Dee Hamilton’s versatile voice in the chorus, “They trick us into thinking / there’s no way / there’s always a way”. Switching from the brightness of the opener to a darker tone and from pop to rock, Dee comes on strong, punching out the passionate Disappoint Me. In Averting Tragedies, with its minimal instrumentation, she mixes the sweetness of Clare Bowditch with the harder edge of Alanis Morissette, resulting in an appealing bittersweet tone. Modern Wizardry, with its furiously chiming guitars, pays witness to our fascination with gadgets (yes, this is for all you iPad fiends). But we are brought crashing back to earth in the gentle Lake Cargelligo with a reminder that there are some things only people can do, in that “we triumph where machines fail”. An impressive debut with songs different in approach but uniform in genius, it will be playing in your mind long after the disk has stopped. (By the way, the offer of beers scrawled on the bottom of the press release has nothing to do with the enthusiasm of this review.) RORY MCCARTNEY

prime cuts vol 3 shades of gray [beef records] Tech Label Beef Records has just released the third installment of their compilation series Prime Cuts. Deep House duo Shades of Gray were granted the task of piecing together the release and considering the team are the founders of the label the choice was not unexpected. Dj Schwa, or Michal Ruzicka, and Nick West are the names behind Shades and their usual blend off deep house, tech house and house is not lost on this album. Surprisingly the compilation is unmixed, which is rare for a dance music release that is not an artist album. There is a bonus mix by DJ UONE, but the individual tracks are the CD’s core focus. The album starts on a lighter note with a Pezzner remix of Shades of Gray’s Tango and actually follows this funkier, housier vibe for the first few tracks. The Kreon remix of Manjas’ Hann at track four moves into deeper territory, as does Shades of Gray’s House of Cards. The album ends on a deep note too, although Shur-I-Kan’s String Killer is an interesting combination of minimal sounds and clapping tech rhythm. The album is a definitely not as deep as anticipated for a Shades of Gray release, however it is the housier tracks that give the album weight. Prime Cuts moves effortlessly from funkier tracks to the deeper tunes and it is this intentional combination that ensures the album is an easy listen. STAKY

singled out

with Dave Ruby Howe

SHAPESHIFTER The System is a Vampire [True Tone Recordings/ Mushroom] Drum ‘n’ bass tends to inspire militant devotion from its followers, but Shapeshifter have succeeded in breaking all the rules – while still keeping the infatuated DnB fraternity onside. They perfected their soulful, anthemic sound so perfectly with their third album Soulstice in 2006, they were effectively transformed into national heroes at home in New Zealand. So where to take it from there? The answer in this case was ‘deep’.

The Black Keys Brothers [Nonesuch] After a year of offshoot affairs, American blues-rock duo The Black Keys are back with their latest thumping album Brothers. Filled with catchy, visceral and heartfelt tracks The Keys revisit the raw and distorted production style that typifies earlier albums The Big Come Up and Thickfreakness, but at the same time delve into some new and refreshing territory. In Ten Cent Pistol the duo churn out a wall of guitars, organs and keyboards enough racket for a death march. Motown-esque melodies can be found on Never Going to Give Up, and the track Unknown Brother sounds as if it is straight off John Lennon’s Imagine. References to classic 20th century R&B, rock and soul feature heavily throughout.

From the moment P Digsss’ glorious vocals ring out, The System is a Vampire is a beautiful and emotional journey, where the soul comes through stronger than ever before. Interestingly, the big drum ‘n’ bass theatrics have for the most part been shelved. The rapid BPMs remain, but it’ll never be music for the clubs in its raw form. The band have beefed up its jazzy side, and there’s a huge focus on soulful instrumentation, balanced out somewhat by its spacey, psychedelic soundscapes, but at the centre of it all is P Digsss, who’s been given more space to shine than ever before. He takes us to some exhilarating places here, as well as some deeply melancholic ones, and he truly is a soulful force to be reckoned with. The System Is a Vampire is a much more challenging affair, and Shapeshifter take us deep. It’s questionable whether as many people will go along for the ride, but those who do will be richly rewarded.

Dan Auerbach’s switch from deep delta utterances to a falsetto (that might be likened to Prince howling through a megaphone e.g. Everlasting Love, and his soothing but controlled vocals on ballads such as These Days), demonstrate his talent and versatility as a singer. We’ve heard his speakerblowing wail for so long now it is genuinely surprising to hear him try another vocal style. Although Brothers lacks the cohesion and overall album concept of their first two classic records, they are heading back in the right direction and there are some catchy, stand alone and reassuringly authentic tracks most notably Everlasting Light and Unknown Brother, both of which seem to grow on you the more you listen.

ANGUS PATERSON

JOHNNY MILNER

The Triffids Wide Open Road: The Best of the Triffids [Liberation] What could be better than reclining with a beautiful girl by candlelight with the emotive yet soothing baritone of David McComb imploring the object of his affection to bury him deep in love? On The Triffids’ luscious 1988 single Bury Me Deep in Love, McComb expresses an all-embracing passion that can make all the difference. And given that a defining quality in the best Australian music is a commitment to free creative expression, these feelings are genuine but with a pinch of vulnerability. This thorough survey of the band’s finest moments across six albums and various EPs also reveals that McComb was coming up with the good stuff early on. Formed in Perth in the late 1970s, The Triffids’ remarkably consistent sound was characterised by strong melodies attached to arrangements and vocals with dramatic overtones. This combination couldn’t fail when the band travelled to the UK in the mid-1980s and was briefly lauded by the indie press. The overseas experience also inspired the flawless album Born Sandy Devotional in 1985, and its striking mini-epic Wide Open Road opens this collection which is a smart placement. The only sour note comes from John O’Donnell who concludes his liner notes by stating that the band played its final show in 1989 in “soulless Canberra”. This suggests O’Donnell might not know what he is talking about, as I’m sure those in attendance treated the band with the respect they deserved. Dan Bigna

Akon ft. Keri Hilson Oh Africa [Universal] Can you say World Cup special edition? Hells yes! As is the case every four years, the music biz does its best to cash in on the swelling nationalism and pump out some official ‘anthems.’ What Akon has to do with the world game is beyond me, but I’ll give credit to anybody brave/dumb enough to mix tribal drum circles with bland auto-tune. *slow clap*

Dizzee Rascal & James Corden - Shout For England [Sony BMG] Is this the epitome of a headpummellingly dubious World Cup single? Well, let’s refer to our checklist. Likeable star: check. Multiple soccer references: check. Uber-basic chorus: duh-bel check. Will we remember this in, oh, let’s say four weeks time? Definitely not.

Rogue Traders - Heart Beats As One [Sony BMG] Oh dear, they may as well have booked Con the Fruiterer to do the Australian ‘Cup ‘anthem’ as Rogue Traders are about as relevant as some dork still continuing to say “so hot right now.”

Shakira ft. Freshlyground - Waka Waka (This Time For Africa) [Live Nation] The good thing about this round of the World Cup is that there’s room for some, gasp, creativity in the songwriting, and so perhaps best of the bunch, Shakira’s official track of the World Cup pinches little bites of instrumentation and style from Afro music, blending it with the pop standard of ringtone synths and big beats. It’s weird but it actually kind of works.

the word

on films

WITH MARK RUSSELL

Sex and the City 2: Operation Desert Porn sucked, huh? Could any of us be less surprised? Seriously, I don’t remember any other largerelease film garnering such low expectations. Critics seem to have had the ‘shit’ page in their thesaurus dog-eared since the sequel was announced, and even the fans emit a pre-programmed response of “I know it’s going to be crap, I’ll still see it anyway”. All the motivation the studios needed to make sure they turned in a quality product. Ah well, maybe Sex and the City 3: Kim Jong’s Killer Couture will aim a little higher.

quote of the issue Clay (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) “What do you have on her?” Jensen (Chris Evans) “Besides a pant-busting crush?” The Losers

the losers

sex and the city 2

mother and child

The latest cab off the graphic novel adaptation rank is the story of a group of wise-cracking CIA black-ops soldiers, who’ve gone rogue after a mysterious bad guy spook, Max (Jason Patric), tries to kill them. The Losers get their chance to get madly even when mysterious badass chick Aisha (Zoe Saldana) shows up with the intelligence needed to track Max.

I loved Sex and the City – but this is not the show that I enjoyed back in the day. This is like National Lampoon’s Sexy Middle Eastern Vacation – way too much farce, totally ridiculous scenarios, and everything in it feels vaguely offensive and far too obvious. Everyone knows these four by now - Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker), Miranda (Cynthia Nixon), Samantha (Kim Cattrall) and Charlotte (Kristin Davis). They swan around New York and talk sex, cosmos, life and love. Or at least, they used to.

Mother and Child will cut you raw and scrape your soul. Writer/director Rodrigo Garcia may have a shortish resume, but he’s attracted heavyweight staffers to this dissection of motherhood. It focuses on three women and the relationships they have with children. Karen (Annette Benning) is an emotional wreck after giving up her daughter for adoption 37 years earlier. Said daughter Elizabeth (Naomi Watts) is similarly reeling. In another part of town, Lucy (Kerry Washington) and husband Joseph are going through adoption proceedings. It’s easy to see why much of the marketing of this film has focused on Babel director Alejandro González Iñárritu’s involvement as producer. It has the same intense emotional tapestry. There are great performances in the gruelling two hours. Watts and Benning are revelations, giving us characters almost previously unseen in Hollywood. Washington can’t quite match but gives an admirable attempt. The men also keep up their end – Jimmy Smits is gentle stoicism and Samuel L Jackson is surprisingly downplayed.

The Losers is a slick, fun and action-packed ride down a buttered-popcorn slide. The action set-pieces are inventive and extreme, and have a brilliant tongue-in-cheek tone that’s furthered in the dialogue. It’s got all you could ask for. Saldana is hot. Lead loser Clay (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) is wry where he needs to be, tough where he doesn’t. The other losers are various shades of funny or cool. The whole thing’s shot like MTV on coke. And even the baddie has a few scenestealing moments. As would be expected, it occasionally relies a little too heavily on cliché. The slowmotion struts with fireball backgrounds start to come a little too regularly and everyone’s just that little bit too good. Later scenes also lose their bit a little due to some awkward pacing choices and unnecessarily obvious plotholes. But this is Jesse James, not Henry James. The Losers is an action film with just that little bit extra. Come in, sit down, switch off and bring snacks. MARK RUSSELL

There is so much blinding showiness in Sex and the City 2 it’s hard to look past it to the issues that we’re supposed to be deeply pondering – marriage and commitment and such. Everything is so over the top and gimmicky (Liza singing Beyonce anyone?) that any real and touching moments are buried under a giant dumping of fake diamonds and Abu Dhabi sand. Pretty much the whole film feels forced – the laughter feels fake, the fashion isn’t so much fabulous as crack-induced and obvious, and to be frank I just wanted to bitch slap Carrie (who at one point sports a truly Maleficent headdress). In addition, someone should really tell director/writer/ producer Michael Patrick King that ‘humour’ does not mean ‘turn every single word into a thoroughly lame pun.’ Also, slow-motion breast and crotch close-ups quite blatantly scream ‘desperate gratuity’ and are very tiresome. Overall, the sexiness was lacking, and so was the enjoyment. And hell, that’s coming from someone that liked He’s Just Not That Into You. MEGAN McKEOUGH

A female director may have added a little more subtlety to key scenes, and it takes a while to get used to the theatrical style of dialogue; but it’s a very strong emotional experience. The slow, depressive mood sinks and swirls us lower; offering rare, though poignant, moments of gentle brevity. This is an intense and powerful piece of cinema, though avoid the spoiler-heavy preview at all costs. mark russell

the word on dvds

Black Sabbath Paranoid – Classic Album Series [Shock] I always have a laugh when preconceptions about a band are proven incorrect, particularly when personal traits are involved. With this in mind, it becomes clear in this typically detailed Classic Album installment that Black Sabbath riff master Toni Iommi projects a gentle manner that one might otherwise find behind the counter of a sedate bookshop. The same could be said for the other three band members who combine to form one of our most satisfyingly heavy bands. In terms of confounding expectations, it is also heartening to see Ozzy Osbourne providing insights into the making of 1970 album Paranoid – undoubtedly one of Sabbath’s finest moments – rather than struggling to comprehend a remote control in reality TV land. The documentary treats Sabbath as four talented artists worthy of respectful assessment, unlike those critical appraisals in the early days that saw the band as Led Zeppelin’s poor cousin. The focus is on interlocking musical characteristics that defined the Sabbath sound, and this is what really matters. Interviews are interspersed with live footage revealing what a fierce live band Sabbath could be, and segments at the mixing desk emphasise those many monolithic riffs. Disturbing footage of nuclear explosions and US soldiers blowing Vietnam to pieces provide context for socially aware downer tracks like War Pigs and Electric Funeral. For me, the super intense Vol 4 is the crowning achievement, but when the visceral dynamic on Hand of Doom is considered, this album choice makes sense. Anyone can put three chords together and crank the distortion pedal, but bassist Terry ‘Geezer’ Butler talks about a perfectly balanced chemistry as the secret ingredient. The Classic Album series once again fills out the story. DAN BIGNA

Dorian Gray [Roadshow] You might, if you’re of the literary persuasion, be pleased that Dorian Gray made it onto DVD. After all, this film had such a limited Australian release that it’s unlikely anyone – save for a few tween girls with raging crushes on Ben Barnes – saw it. But do not be pleased, gentle reader of the literary persuasion, for this film is terrible. Dorian Gray is ostensibly based on Oscar Wilde’s classic novel, though that such a great piece of English literature could be turned into such a farcical attempt at filmmaking is a travesty. Set in Victorian England, Dorian (Barnes) is an unassuming, naïve young chap who travels to London, only to be led down the path of vice and corruption by Lord Henry Wotton (Colin Firth). But while Dorian remains youthful and good looking – and his liver fully functioning – a portrait painted upon his arrival in the city reflects the excesses of his lifestyle. The ne’er-dowell will remain young and beautiful forever, so long as no one discovers his secret. It’s essentially the same premise as the novel, except the film includes an ill-advised love story towards the end of the tale, a chase sequence through the subway and really bad special effects. There are an unreasonable number of special features, considering how awful this film is. On-set cast interviews, behind the scenes clips, featurettes about wardrobe and make up; the list goes on. But you’re not going to be young forever, unlike Dorian, so don’t waste your time. Much like it was the work of the devil that Dorian’s soul was captured in a painting, so too is it an abomination that this failure in filmmaking has been committed to DVD and is now forever available to the viewing public. May our souls be saved. melissa wellham

Parks and Recreation – Season One [universal] Sometime back in 2008 when it was still regularly funny, talk swirled around The Office about a spin-off. It made sense; over four seasons the writers and creative team behind the show successfully shrugged off the expectations and limitations of its UK parent version and grew to be a pithy sitcom overflowing with characters, wit, heart and plain stupidity. But then after what seemed an eternity, Parks and Recreation was announced and it was clear the only thing the two shows would have in common was a group of writers and producers (Greg Daniels, Michael Schur) and the loose mocumentary feel that, after Modern Family, should really take a long holiday. At a mere six episodes, Parks and Recreation wasn’t given that much time to settle; and to be fair this first batch of episodes is more exciting for what it promises than what it delivers. Amy Poehler as the over-eager, always ‘on’ municipal public servant is frankly a bit all over place; it’s all well signposted mugging and bland ‘aw shucks – you go girl’ positivism. Knope’s best friend Ann (Rashida Jones) and her hapless boyfriend Andy (Chris Pratt) are given scope to shine, but largely their shared scenes are flat. Nick Offerman as Knope’s taciturn boss Ron is the most fascinating aspect of the show, possibly because he’s the one thing that sits still – immovable – amongst the chaos and wacky sitcom situations and hi-jinks that surround him and engulf council chambers. Likewise the surly and snide April (Aubrey Plaza) stakes a claim as one of the better characters by virtue of her nonchalance – the Power of Blah, if you will. Make no mistake, Parks and Recreation is a seriously funny show, one of the best around – but I doubt these six episodes would convince you. justin hook

the word

Max Power The Maram, Erindale Saturday May 29

on gigs

It’s been a filthy day in the nation’s capital, so when BMA arrives at this far-flung outpost of rock ‘n’ roll we’re heartened by the not too shabby late afternoon turnout. The bar, despite not serving pints, is doing great business and every man jack of us, if slightly damp, appears to be in good spirits. There are many reasons why BMA is keen to see tonight go off like the proverbial Scoutmaster at a Gang Show, not the least one being that, since the untimely and tragic demise of The Green Room there simply hasn’t been a credible over 18s southside rock venue. We’re all rooting for MP guru Gary Peardon to make a go of things here in Erindale – and so should you be. Super Best Friends do nothing to spoil the happy atmosphere. They play a raging, heavier than usual set which really demands attention from those who have ventured into the venue’s inner sanctum to see what’s going on. Like that bottle of vintage port that’s been sitting under my sink for the last couple of years which I’m too scared to drink, Super Best Friends are getting better and better with age. I Exist have been making waves in hardcore circles for a little while now, with an album, I: A Turn For The Worse, that is quite possibly the finest recorded product to have emanated from Canberra in recorded history. The Maram’s small stage doesn’t afford the band the full opportunity to do it justice tonight, but there’s enough venom and bile in evidence to suggest that they could be the real deal given a following wind and a few breaks. Exciting. The Escape Syndrome, like Super Best Friends, never let you down. Tonight they deliver a tight half hour of classy hard rock, but they need to start putting themselves about a bit further afield if they are to realise their full potential. They definitely have it in them. There’s no draught beer on sale in the performance area at The Maram, which means Spoil are missed in the queue for Stella, which your reviewer is now purchasing two at a time to decrease the wait time, before we return to the fray for tonight’s main event – The Variodivers launching their EP. They are the first band of the evening to entertain in the truest sense of the word, with the show as important as the music, and the ever-swelling crowd likes what it sees... ...As they do as well for the uber-slick Switch 3. It’s a taut, professional performance they deliver, and they are good at what they do, but tonight they wash over our heads a little. Which the ever-excellent Tonk, of course, don’t do. They rarely have an off night, tonight being no different. Every song hits the spot, they’re tight as ever, and the crowd lap them up.

PHOTOS: JUSTIN HUEHN

A good day/night then, but with fatigue setting in your reviewer feels the need to head off into the soggy night for some kebabular relief – of which, incidentally, could be found none. Organiser Peardon is to be commended for putting on something like this FOR FREE in Canberra’s deep south. Let’s hope the projected Wolf & Cub show here on Saturday June 19 is just the first of a long line of ‘Green Room’-style nights at The Maram – as long as the management invest in some pint pots... Scott Adams

GIG GUIDE June 16 - June 18 wednesday june 16 Arts Just a little bit precious

Exhibition by Emma Beer, Jessica Herrington and Natalie Mather. ‘Til July 4. M16 ARTSPACE

Exposure

Exhibition by Mikhaela Keenan-Davis. ‘Til July 4. M16 ARTSPACE

Aperçus de France

Chicago Charlie 9pm-midnight.

KING O’MALLEY’S, CIVIC

The Last Ever Pedestrian Orchestra

Well, for the moment anyway. If you’ve not had the sublime pleasure of this come one come all open mic night, then I strongly suggest you get along to see a giant swag of sensational musos sing and play the night away. It’s warm, so bring a friend and a bottle of wine and have yourself a grand old time. It’ll be magical, I assure you. 18 peddar street, o’connor

Photographic exhibition by Michael Lawrence-Slater. Opening 7pm. ‘Til June 12.

Something Different

Otherworlds

TRANSIT BAR

ALLIANCE FRANÇAISE

Trivia / $5 Night

Exhibition by Timo Nest and Zoya Tavakoli. ‘Til June 13.

CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ARTS SPACE - MANUKA

Standing in line in order of height

How universal is the desire for individuality? Tickets: QL2.org.au. ‘Til June 12. QL2 THEATRE, GORMAN HOUSE

Live The Barons of Tang

These guys are wild! Free live music at Canberra’s warmest watering hole.

thursday june 17 Arts Portraits / Photos

Exhibition by Erica Hurrell. ‘Til June 27.

CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ARTS SPACE - MANUKA

Ennio

International sensation Ennio Marchetta blends clowning, mime and origami in his impersonations. THE PLAYHOUSE

Arc: The Birds (1962, PG)

Ashley Feraude

KNIGHTSBRIDGE PENTHOUSE

Camo Party

Live

9pm ‘til 5am with DJ Pete and dragshow by Liza Manangi. Dress in camo for free entry.

Illy (Mel)

4Sound Sessions

Supported by B.B.S. (Mel) and Raw City Rukus (ACT). TRANSIT BAR

Domus Adultus

Lady Grey, Cuddlefish and The James Fahy Trio. THE PHOENIX PUB

Dream Damage Records Fundraiser

Danger Beach, Readymen, and Suica. 7.30pm. Free. THE FRONT CAFE AND GALLERY

Something Different Rock Paper Scissors Australian Championship Third heat. 8pm.

CANBERRA IRISH CLUB

Karaoke

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

friday june 18

CUBE NIGHTCLUB

Tech/prog/trance feat. Peekz Vs Enerv8 and more. $5, 10pm. LOT 33

Foreplay Fridays

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

Nathan Frost

KNIGHTSBRIDGE PENTHOUSE

REV

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

Live Top Shelf

10pm-2am.

KING O’MALLEY’S, CIVIC

ZZG

With Tom Stone Soldiers of Fortune, Chuffs, and Kevin Windross. Tix $10 at the door. ANU BAR AND REFECTORY

The Jukes

Support southside music.

Arts

THE MARAM, ERINDALE CENTRE

Jazz Garters

Corrina Steel

Jonesez

ARC CINEMA, NATIONAL FILM & SOUND ARCHIVE

Too darn hot to handle! ‘Til July 10. THEATRE 3

A femme fatale with a penchant for 7 inch stilettos and country cut glamour. 7.30pm, $8.

Dead Letter Chorus

Dance

Deez Nuts

Open Decks

Cheese

LOT 33

TRANSIT BAR

THE PHOENIX PUB BAR 32

Australia’s answer to Arcade Fire. With Two Hours Traffic from Canada. 8pm, $10. THE FRONT CAFE AND GALLERY

Hitchcock’s classic in a new print. 7pm.

Free entry, 6.30pm.

‘80s/retro.

THE FRONT CAFE AND GALLERY

Tix at the door.

TUGGERANONG YOUTH CENTRE

GIG GUIDE June 18 - June 26 Fête de la Musique

Jazz, classical, rock and folk groups will be performing to celebrate this special occasion. Free. ALLIANCE FRANÇAISE

saturday june 19 Arts Arc: Proof (1991, M)

2pm.

ARC CINEMA, NATIONAL FILM & SOUND ARCHIVE

Arc: Accattone (1961, 18+)

Old masters, new waves. 4.30pm.

ARC CINEMA, NATIONAL FILM & SOUND ARCHIVE

Dance NULL

DJ Opiate and DJ Noveaux (cyberpunk/ darkwave). TRANSIT BAR

Therapy

B-tham, Mikey G, Burnie Mac. $10, 11pm. LOT 33

Jemist

Dance live

KNIGHTSBRIDGE PENTHOUSE

7:30pm.

Live

I’d Rather Be Giggin’

Canberra’s electronic music producers showcase. 4pm, free.

John Spillane 8pm.

CANBERRA IRISH CLUB

Winter in the Alps

A heart-warming concert of winter music performed by Stopera, the ACT’s award-winning opera company. TUGGERANONG ARTS CENTRE

With Frozen Doberman and Darker Half. Limited VIP meet and greet pass available. Tix through Ticketek. THE BASEMENT

Lisa Richards

Award winning Texas based singer/ songwriter. 7.30pm, $10. THE FRONT CAFE AND GALLERY

Fête de la Musique

Maus and Secret Maker, DJs from Montreal and Paris. 4pm. Free. ALL BAR NUN

Live Special K

With Time Has Come (Qld), Trainwreck (Vic), Reigner and Knives to the Throne. Doors 2pm, AA, $12.

KING O’MALLEY’S, CIVIC

Owen Campbell

Vegas In Ruins (Syd)

10.30pm-2.30am.

AXIS YOUTH CENTRE, QUEANBEYAN

The Sunpilots

1pm.

With Aaron Peacey.

CANBERRA IRISH CLUB

Gyroscope

1-4pm.

The Bridge Between and Band

THE FRONT CAFE AND GALLERY

BAR 32

Something Different

THE MARAM, ERINDALE CENTRE

TUGGERANONG YOUTH CENTRE

TNT: Karaoke Dynamite TRANSIT BAR

wednesday june 23

Jane Williams

With Hannah Gillespie and Adelaide Jones. THE PHOENIX PUB

The Junes

A country swing supergroup formed in the wake of Git and The Toe Sucking Cowgirls. 7.30pm. $10. THE FRONT CAFE AND GALLERY

thursday june 24 dance

Faux Real

sunday june 20 Arts Arc: Chinese Cinema

The Legend of Tianyun Mountain (1980, 18+). 4.30pm. ARC CINEMA, NATIONAL FILM & SOUND ARCHIVE

Arc: The Birds (1962, PG)

Hitchcock’s classic in a new print. 2pm. ARC CINEMA, NATIONAL FILM & SOUND ARCHIVE

Lin Hatfield Dodds, ACT Green Senate candidate, is keen to meet as many Canberrans as possible. 2pm. THE FRONT CAFE AND GALLERY

monday june 21 dance Hospitality Night w/ Univibes DJs

TRANSIT BAR

LOT 33

Frank Madrid

KNIGHTSBRIDGE PENTHOUSE

3rd Exit

10pm-2am.

KING O’MALLEY’S, CIVIC

Wayne Ryder Trio

Support southside music.

THE MARAM, ERINDALE CENTRE

Dr El Suavo & Umlaut

Aprocessof (Melb)

TRANSIT BAR

Irish Jam Session

Coffee with the Candidate

Deep/tech/house/techno feat. Fourthstate, Mikey G, B-tham and more. $10, 10pm.

Trivia / $5 Night

Wolf & Cub

THE MARAM, ERINDALE CENTRE

4Sound Sessions

On the Prize Fight tour. Music and magic (and madness).

Free entry, 6.30pm.

KING O’MALLEY’S, CIVIC

Feat. DJ mick and DJ Skittles. 10pm2am, 18+.

Something Different

Something Different Come and have a fiddle from 5pm.

Boogie Nights

Live

live

SOUTHERN CROSS CLUB

The League of Extraordinary Gentle Men with more TBA. 8pm, 18+, $15. Tix through Moshtix.

REV

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

Feat. Miles Away, Break Even, Hopeless and The Broderick.

On the Cohesion tour with The Vasco Era and After the Fall. What a rockin’ bill! Tix from Ticketek. ANU BAR AND REFECTORY

friday june 25 dance

Comedy Night

Paul Dianno

KNIGHTSBRIDGE PENTHOUSE

THE PHOENIX PUB

tuesday june 22

Click To Click: Producers Sessions

Open Decks

LOT 33

KNIGHTSBRIDGE PENTHOUSE

Live Dos Locos

9pm-midnight.

KING O’MALLEY’S, CIVIC

Dappled Cities

With John Steel Singers and Fire! Santa Rosa, Fire! Tickets from Ticketek. ANU BAR AND REFECTORY

The Little Stevies

With special guest Ashleigh Mannix. $12. TRANSIT BAR

Domus Adultus

Soheyla, Matthew Simpson Morgan, Readable Graffiti. THE PHOENIX PUB

ANU BAR AND REFECTORY

With Never Trust A Bunny, Na Maza, Inside The Exterior, The Devyles (Melb). THE BASEMENT

Something Different Poetry Night 7.30pm, $3.

THE FRONT CAFE AND GALLERY

saturday june 26 Arts Arc: Peeping Tom (1960, M)

Old masters, new waves. 4.30pm.

ARC CINEMA, NATIONAL FILM & SOUND ARCHIVE

Arc: The Gits (2005, 18+) One screening only. 7pm.

ARC CINEMA, NATIONAL FILM & SOUND ARCHIVE

Dance Jamie Stevens

Of Infusion fame. With Club Junque, Fourthstate, Beat It, Gabe Gilmour and more. HIPPO LOUNGE

GIG GUIDE June 26 - July 05 Therapy

Something Different

Live

Dance

LOT 33

Irish Jam Session

Ash Grunwald

Therapy

Team Wing, B-tham, Sa’ad. $10, 11pm.

Knightsbridge’s 60th Birthday Come and celebrate the venerable Knightsbridge’s birthday with Ye Old’Opus, Jiminy Jemist and more.

Come and have a fiddle from 5pm. KING O’MALLEY’S, CIVIC

monday june 28

KNIGHTSBRIDGE PENTHOUSE

Dexter DJs TRANSIT BAR

dance Hospitality Night w/ Univibes DJs

Live The Dennis Boys

Free live music at Canberra’s warmest watering hole. THE PHOENIX PUB

Oscar

10.30pm-2.30am.

KING O’MALLEY’S, CIVIC

The Truth Benders

TRANSIT BAR

Live Bootleg Sessions

Joe Oppenheimer, Drew Walky, Second Sun, Matt Dent. THE PHOENIX PUB

ANU BAR AND REFECTORY

tuesday june 29

Full Moon Fever

With Gravy Tram, One Foot in the Gravy, Standing Waves, Jason Recliner. 4pm. $10. MCGREGOR HALL

Spencer P Jones (Beasts Of Bourbon) With Bitter Sweet Kicks. THE BASEMENT

sunday june 27

On a River Without Navigation Marks (1983, 18+). 4.30pm.

ARC CINEMA, NATIONAL FILM & SOUND ARCHIVE

Arc: Proof (1991, M) 2pm.

ARC CINEMA, NATIONAL FILM & SOUND ARCHIVE

Live

With Retraspec and Atlantis Awaits. THE PHOENIX PUB

50 Lions

With Carpathian Blkout, Ghost Town, Persist and Something Must Break. Doors 2pm. AA, $15. AXIS YOUTH CENTRE, QUEANBEYAN

Sunday Arvo Tunes

Great live music from tango to water spirit songs to while away a crisp Canberra Sunday afternoon. THE FRONT CAFE AND GALLERY

live

Chicago Charlie 9pm-midnight.

Ernest Ellis

Green Faces

TRANSIT BAR

CANBERRA IRISH CLUB

With Activate Jetpack, Tonight Alright and No Longer I.

Free.

KING O’MALLEY’S, CIVIC

Escapade (NSW)

8pm.

The Man in Black

The Johnny Cash Story starring Tex Perkins & The Tennessee Four. Bookings 6275 2700. ‘Til July 2.

THE BASEMENT

Domus Adultus

THE MARAM, ERINDALE CENTRE

British India

Support music on the southside! Tix through Moshtix.

CANBERRA THEATRE CENTRE

Deborah Conway & Willy Zygier

Matt Dent, Jason Recliner, Standing Waves.

TILLEY’S DIVINE CAFE

Karnivool

THE PHOENIX PUB

Motion

dance

THE FRONT CAFE AND GALLERY

Purple Sneakers DJs

Experimental jazz band from Melbourne.

Something Different TNT: Karaoke Dynamite TRANSIT BAR

wednesday june 30

On the New Day tour. With special guests. Tix through Ticketek. ANU BAR AND REFECTORY

Fire on the Hill

Free live music at Canbeera’s warmest watering hole. THE PHOENIX PUB

With Princi, Celebrity Sex Tape and Chairman Wow, launching the We Mix You Dance Compilation.

Doctor Johnson THE BASEMENT

TRANSIT BAR

The Bridge Between

Nathan Frost

CANBERRA IRISH CLUB

1pm.

KNIGHTSBRIDGE PENTHOUSE

Brothers Grim

Boogie Nights

live

Feat. DJ mick and DJ Skittles. 10pm2am, 18+.

Winchester

MizBhave

Free live music at Canberra’s warmest watering hole. THE PHOENIX PUB

THE MARAM, ERINDALE CENTRE

With One Foot in the Gravy. THE PHOENIX PUB

Something Different Trivia / $5 Night TRANSIT BAR

thursday july 01

1pm.

Majoring in Minors

LOT 33

friday july 02

Fire on the Hill CANBERRA IRISH CLUB

B-tham, DJ LYLT and more. $10, 11.

TRANSIT BAR

live

Arts Arc: Chinese Cinema

On the Hot Mama Vibes tour. Presale $18 from thelastagency.com. Doors from 8pm.

Arts

LOT 33

Arts

Live

CYT Holiday and Semester 2 Workshops

Simone Penkethman

Music and drama workshops for 11-15s and 13+. Phone 6248 5057, cyt.net .

THE FRONT CAFE AND GALLERY

Heuristic

10pm-2am.

CANBERRA YOUTH THEATRE

KING O’MALLEY’S, CIVIC

Live

saturday july 03

More Errol/Skid

Exhibition by James Langer. ‘Til July 11.

monday july 05

B-tham, Team Wing and more. $5, 11pm.

Bootleg Sessions

Adrian Edwards, Nothing Rhymes With David, Mista Mystery, Escapade.

CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ARTS SPACE - MANUKA

Arts

Dance

Zines! Treasures! Inspiration! Free entry. 11am-4pm.

Ashley Feraude

KNIGHTSBRIDGE PENTHOUSE

THE PHOENIX PUB

Zine Fair

CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ART SPACE GORMAN HOUSE

Open Decks

Free entry, 6.30pm. LOT 33

OUT JUL 07

tijuana cartel omar musa and a whole stack more I haven’t quite got around to scheduling yet... cut me some slack, will ya!?

FIRST CONTACT SIDE A: BMA band profile

LADY GREY

Where did your band name come from? We were thinking about possible names whilst having afternoon tea… this is something that happens more than music making at our jam sessions. We also considered Russian Caravan but none of us like that tea as much… Group members: We seem to play with a different set of people every time, but here is a sample: Emma Mcmanus (songweaving, singing, shaking), Eloise Menzies (keys, glock, singing), Luciana Harrison (strings, songspinning, vocals), Nicola Menser Hearn (clarinets, driving), Sarah Greet (flute, linguistics), Robin Dalton (blowing his own trumpet), Liz (bass, double bass), Claire Leske (trumpets) and Alice Roberts or Chris Endrey (drums). Describe your sound: Some have called it gypsy-pop. Others say it is ambient and bohemian music and centres listeners. Think lots of eclectic instruments and instrumentalists having lots of fun and singing complex harmonies. Who are your influences, musical or otherwise? Everything from Bulgarian women’s choirs and American spirituals to Sublime and Lauryn Hill. Throw in some Stravinsky, Van Morrison, Emma Dean, One Night Jam, Andi and George Band, Fat Freddie’s Drop, The Kinks, The Beatles, James Fahy, Joe Oppenheimer, Glee and a whole lotta tea. What’s your biggest achievement/proudest moment so far? Probably performing at Dragon Dreaming last year where we ended up playing to a tent full of dancing people. It felt awesome. Festivals are where we want to be. What makes you laugh? Pirate jokes. And the idea of a t-rexican wave. What pisses you off? When you make a cup of tea and forget about it and then it’s both cold and too strong. What’s your opinion of the local scene? Really supportive and generally good quality. We feel so lucky to be a part of it and to be friends with so many amazing musicians doing amazing things. Mentioned a few names above that have inspired us and many others in this little town of ours. What are your upcoming gigs? Phoenix, Thursday June 17, come and dance! We’ll play there again soon, check Cardboard Charlie or our events page for details (below). Contact info: Facebook page: We’re Lady Grey, Come See Us Play! :) Luchi’s email: u4413821@anu.edu.au

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 982 662 /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