BMA Mag 376 Aug 03 2011 by BMA Magazine

www.bmamag.com

CANBERRA’S PREMIER ENTERTAINMENT GUIDE #376 AUG03

THE PANICS in You’ll be humming along no time

MIKELANGELO AND THE TIN STAR Gigging ‘til they’re 90

Damn. No more Skate in the City = no more illicit drug gags.

# 3 7 6 A U G 0 3 Fax: 02 6257 4361 Mail: PO Box 713 Civic Square, ACT 2608 Publisher Scott Layne Allan Sko General Manager Allan Sko T: 6257 4360 E: advertising@bmamag.com Advertising Manager Paul Foley T: 6257 4360 E: sales@bmamag.com

Editor Julia Winterflood T: 02 6257 4456 E: editorial@bmamag.com Accounts Manager Yu Xie T: 02 6247 4816 E: accounts@bmamag.com Super Sub-Editor Josh Brown Graphic Design Cole Bennetts Exhibitionist Editor Julia Winterflood E: editorial@bmamag.com Film Editor Melissa Wellham NEXT ISSUE 377 OUT AUG 17 EDITORIAL DEADLINE AUG 08 ADVERTISING DEADLINE AUG 11 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.

Summer Rhythm Festival has landed a new time slot. The team have moved the festival to Sat-Sun Dec 9-10 this year. The first instalment held in February was an extraordinary weekend of local and interstate funk, folk, roots, rock, dub, reggae, blues and swags more, at the close to Canberra location of Goolabri Resort. The line-up for the second instalment will be announced soon, but in the meantime ‘like’ the SRF Facebook page to be kept up to date, and then go one better and mention BMA on their wall to go in the draw to win tickets. They’re also on the hunt for volunteers and street team members so if you’re keen email dan@strangehours.com.au .

Foreshore Line-up announced The Foreshore 2011 line-up has finally been announced and what a crazy, eclectic one it is. With six distinctly non-dance acts included it’s fair to say the Foreshore folk are continuing their smart shift from an alldance event into a more varied affair. In the current uncertain climate for dance – the failure of We Love Sounds festival, the closure of beloved dance streetpress 3D World – this comes across as a shrewd move. And who could argue with the chance to hear Wally De Backer (Gotye) belt out song of the year Somebody That I Used to Know? Not to mention Salt N Frickin’ Pepa. Other acts include Armin Van Buuren, PNAU, Ladyhawke, Architecture in Helsinki, Boy & Bear, Gypsy & The Cat and more, with more to be announced. Tix are now on sale from foreshorefestival. com.au, Moshtix, Parliament Clothing, Landspeed Records, kicksentertainment.com.au and Ticketek.

Dragon Dreaming 2011 Dragon Dreaming 2011 is fast approaching and this year the

Harvest Festival Harvest has one of the year’s best line-ups in our opinion. They’ve convinced Portishead to return to Australia after a 14 year absence, and then gathered a collection of the planet’s most outstanding and unique artists and performers in The National, The Flaming Lips, Bright Eyes, Hypnotic Brass Ensemble, Holy Fuck, The Family Stone, Mercury Rev, Death In Vegas, The Walkmen, Dappled Cities, PVT, The Holidays and more (with more to be added). It’s a near perfect list we must say. Sydney’s Harvest is happening on Sunday November 13. Tickets

go on sale Thurs Aug 4 through harvestfestival.com.au, Oztix and Ticketek. See you there.

BMA Lovingly Presents Women of Notes The Australian Independent Record Labels Association recently conducted a small study into the percentage of male versus female artists receiving airplay on Australian radio. The results revealed that of the 2,000 most played songs in June this year 81.7% were sung by a frontman, while only 18.3% were sung by a frontwoman. Soon after the results were released a representative of the Australian Performing Rights Association stated that their songwriter membership is approximately 80% male and 20% female. Why are there not more female participants in the music industry? It’s a question with innumerable answers and although we don’t have a definitive one, BMA Magazine has teamed up with Transit Bar to address the imbalance. Women of Notes is a series of female musician nights launching at Transit on Thursday August 11. The first all local line-up features the inimitable Julia Johnson performing with her ethereal female Deep Sea Sirens, the always dazzling Bec Taylor of Fun Machine in rare solo mode, the rich song tapestries of Simone Penkethman and the warm folk country campfire music of Hannah Gillespie. Entry is free and it kicks off at 8.

Julia Johnson of Julia and The Deep Sea Sirens

Summer Rhythm Festival

crew is welcoming back some old favourites as well as looking forward to some new friends. Joining the Dream are some artists from one of Australia’s best known psychedelic labels Zenon Records (Melbourne) including Tetrameth and Pspiralife. They’re also excited to announce that The Crooked Fiddle Band will be performing after a standout show at this year’s National Folk Festival. For more line-up info check dragondreaming.net with announcements happening regularly as they work their way to welcoming over 100 musical acts. It’s all happening from Friday September 30 until Monday October 3. All ages are welcome. Tickets are on sale now from the website and from Loom in Bailey’s Corner. Presales are limited to 2,000 tickets so get in early.

YOU PISSED ME OFF!

FROM THE BOSSMAN Ladies and gentlemen, this issue I am dedicating my column space to the seemingly humble, well used, yet potentially dangerous piece of modern bastardised punctuation... The Smiley Winky Face ;). Or SWF for those short on time. The SWF’s construct is a simple one, bringing together two well used pieces of classic punctuation for potent effect. These pieces on their own are harmless enough. The simple semicolon is a wonderful grammatical tool; allowing you to break up a sentence, build on a point, and simultaneously jackknife away from it. And without a closed parenthesis... ) ...writers would never be able to end their rambling asides. But their illicit, across-the-state-border marriage by some unknown digital gadabout some 15 odd years ago has created a simple emoticon that has likely drummed up more sex, sackings, and divorce than any other form of punctuation in human history. In the various daily personal and professional missives that make up life one likes to inject and project a certain enthusiasm and verve to keep things interesting. Nothing achieves this better than the exclamation mark or the standard smiley face. That said, I judiciously restrict myself to one exclamation mark and/or one smiley face per missive, because let’s face it! Any more than that! And you look a bit mental!!!! :) :) I very rarely use the SWF. And I’ll tell you for why. The Smiley Winky Face is the most suggestive emoticon every put to digital paper. I put forward for your observation and musing the following two sentences; the kind most likely being feverishly tapped out by people the world over as we speak: Be a bit late, just grabbing some milk :) Be a bit late, just grabbing some milk ;) The first sentence suggests a standard everyday occurrence, the kind of rushed text a man may send to his beloved wife on the way home from work to alert her to a late arrival home due to lovingly and thoughtfully restocking the fridge with one of life’s essentials. The second suggests anything from a euphemism for male self pleasure to some sort of code for scoring cocaine or even a sordid suggestion that the milk will play an insidious part in some sort of pseudo German fetish game. The SWF is the duke of double-entendre, the lighter of lawsuits, the summoner of sexual innuendo. By latching itself onto the end of a sentence, the SWF can warp the meaning of just about anything - I’m just going to powder my nose, Would you like to come over?... The list goes on. Hell, pop a ;) on the end of ‘I’m just going to the toilet’ and you might as well just come out and say ‘I’m just going to have a wank.’ Many of us know its potency. I don’t think there’s an adult human alive in 2011 that hasn’t used the ol’ ;) for sly, suggestive purposes. In fact, I would bet dollars to donuts that many of you are in relationships thanks in part to a well executed SWF somewhere along the way. But a lot of people use the SWF in an innocent fashion, often not realising the potent suggestive gunpowder they’re stuffing into their missive. ‘I’ll stay back late and get that work done. ;)’ to your boss is a law suit waiting to happen. If you’re ever tempted to slap in a SWF - and I’m not suggesting you ban them from your repertoire - try this out. Say the sentence out loud, and physically wink afterwards. Creepy? I thought so. So type carefully my well-meaning scribes, and wield your SMF with due care lest you end up in a situation you’d rather not be in. Know what I mean? ;) ALLAN “WINK-WINK” SKO

Has someone yanked yer chain recently? Well send an email to editorial@bmamag.com and have your sweet vengeance. And for the love of God, keep it brief! [All entries contain original spellings] Canberra’s tailgaters, beware: not only are you all pissing me off, you are pushing me toward critical mass, where I may consider some form of biblical-style revenge, such as a plague of pubic lice or weapons-grade halitosis for you all. I have grown weary of the sight in my rear-view mirror of some slack-jawed bogan in a shitbox Commodore or an SES-level public servant in an environment-raping 4WD, attempting nose-to-tail vehicular intimacy on Canberra’s roads. Stop it. Just give up and leave some space between you and I. It doesn’t matter if you think you can drive like Mark Webber or The Stig; the reality is if I have to hit the anchors for some emergency and you’ve got your driving lights up my exhaust pipe, then you’re not going to stop in time. Unless you’re at least two seconds behind me (time, not distance, is the critical factor here, sports fans), then you may be dismayed to learn the hard way that your video game-honed reflexes are not up to the real-world task of avoiding meeting me in less than jolly circumstances. Besides, your demonstration of tailgating is just confirmation of your pea-brained status and simian approach to operating a tonne of potentially lethal transport technology. Get off my arse or get the bus, you space invaders.

ANU Bar Gig guide August ash grunwald [THURS 11 AUGUST] & goodstock (film music festival) [FRI 12 AUGUST] Justin derrico [SAT 13 AUGUST] regurgitator [SUN 14 AUGUST] the Panda band [WED 17 AUGUST] the beards [THURS 18 AUGUST] liam finn [THURS 25 AUGUST] THE REGULARS

Mon–Fri - Jugs of all tap beer only $10.50 (4–6pm). DJ’s in the Beer Garden from 2pm every Thursday.

ANU BAR, ANU Union Building 20, Acton Canberra (02) 6125 3660 | www.anuunion.com.au For more gig listings go to our website. Tickets through Ticketek & at the door on the night. Photo: Helmet at the ANU Bar, Faster Louder.

and

another thing…

This is the end Beautiful friend This is the end My only friend, the end. Amazing really, isn’t it? Many people thought Jim Morrison a charlatan, a leather-trousered fake good only for sixth form poetry and waving his wang in the face of bemused members of the gendarmerie. That may well be the case, I wouldn’t possibly have the cheek to claim to know for sure, but one thing’s for certain. Ol’ Crystal Ship was a seer, and the proof is there, italicised for all to see; This is the end. That said, it’s hard to grasp just how, as Morrison staggered about in a patchouli and fajita-fuelled state of higher consciousness 40-odd years ago, he managed to predict the cessation of this column in one of his most famous works. He certainly got in ahead of Nostradamus, in whose output I can find no mention of my own; and he’s got one up on Old Mother Shipton too – when And Another Thing operatives used the long distance telephone to communicate back to the mother country to see if the old witch had accurately foreseen my writerly demise in some 16th century tea leaves, the voice at the other end claimed never to have heard of us, much less to have read about us in the venerable crone’s babblings. They then hung up. Oh well. It’s been a wild ride of ‘vintage ranting’ and poorly constructed sentences, but it had to end sometime – and sometime is sadly now. This column – or Colin, as he’s come to be affectionately referred to by people around these parts, is ending shortly after you’ve finished reading it. It will cease to be, it will shuffle off its mortal coil, run down the curtain and join the choir invisible. Sela, as the good Doctor HS Thompson might have had it, but there it is. But don’t cry, it’s all I’m sure for the best. I’ll be replaced by someone who knows what dubstep is. This knowledge will surely make them more attuned to your needs as a reader, whilst into the bargain saving you from having to read about spilling kebab juice on priceless works of art or, in an untold story that will now remain largely untold, how Peter Harrod managed to contract conjunctivitis from the roof lining of a Mini Cooper, but there you go – you take the good with the bad in my experience. It all comes out in the wash. Actually I don’t think that last bit worked. I think I meant to say it all evens out over time but, as my trembling hands tap out these closing platitudes, does it really matter? Suffice to say I have had a splendid few years boring Canberra rigid with my music industry reminiscences – and let’s face it, who else would print this rubbish but Canberra’s liveliest read? – and where else would you have been able to sit on a bus full of dole bludging bogans whilst my florid prose took you to a place where men stood proudly, trousers around ankles whilst stood atop festival merchandise tents? Without BMA none of this would be possible, so it’s hats off to the Bossman and his ever-wonderful Edgirl Julia Winterflood for indulging me. I’ll still be giving you my views on albums occasionally, but for the most part I’m off now to continue editing BMA’s sister website www.metalasfuck.net where I promise to dole out more of what made this column great, and if you need me in more concentrated form you can follow me @30yrnr on Twitter. Ladies and gentlemen – (takes onion from pocket, tears appear) thank you, and goodnight.

scott adams thirtyyearsofrnr@hotmail.com

Win a trip to Ireland

Only at King O’Malley’s. Purchase a pint of your favourite Carlton beer or Bulmer’s Cider and go into the draw for your chance to win!

Dogbolter Dark Larger and Fat Yak first on tap at Canberra’s Best Live Entertainment Venue. Enjoy alcohol responsibly. Warm up by our open fire and enjoy a traditional hot mulled wine or hot spiced cider with a dash of Captain Morgan’s rum. Thurs 4 Aug, Chicago Charles Fri 5 Aug, Joel Harrison (5pm), plus Heuristic (10pm) Sat 6 Aug, Oscar Sun 7 Aug, Irish Jam Session Mon 8 Aug, Trivia (every Mon at 6.30pm) Tues 9 Aug, Irish Jam Session Thurs 11 Aug, Special K Fri 12 Aug, Dos Locos (5pm), plus Identical Strangers (10pm) Sat 13 Aug, Plump Sun 14 Aug, Irish Jam Session

King O’Malley’s. We’re your local pub. 2011 out and tag your photo on our Facebook page: Facebook.com/kingomalleys Don’t forget to check

2011

WHO: BMA presents The Bedroom Philosopher WHAT: Head Sex and Bed Socks tour WHEN: Sun Aug 28, 6pm WHERE: Transit Bar

The good ship BMA is proud as goon punch to be bringing you the thinking woman’s folk-ruffian, The Bedroom Philosopher, as he cranks the electric blanket up to ten on his national Head Sex and Bed Socks tour. To combat winter he’ll be layering his thermals and his performance with a radical rumpus of wit, song smarts and madcap banter. The Head Sex and Bed Socks tour will see The BP in solo mode, aiming to connect intimately with his fans whilst previewing tracks from forthcoming album Man – a series of manthems for the modern day retrosexual. Tix are $15+BF through Moshtix and $20 at the door. Seeya there!

WHO: Deep Sea Arcade and Fun Machine WHAT: Purple Sneaker’s new night Fresh Prince WHEN: Sat Aug 13 WHERE: Transit Bar

Arriving in August is Purple Sneakers’ brand new live music night Fresh Prince, which will feature the hottest in Australian and international live indie music, as well as DJs who’ll have you dancing ‘til the wee hours. Fresh Prince is here to mess your head up – to see you mosh then grind, to clap along then grope along. To kick off our new monthly party, they’re bringing you indie darlings Deep Sea Arcade to melt your winter hearts, supported by local heroes Fun Machine. $15 on the door. Stay tuned to this page as we’ll bring you info of another new Purple Sneakers night, Bel Air, in the next ish.

WHO: Ice Cube WHAT: Pass The Mic competition WHEN: Now WHERE: kokyprik.com

Canberra’s premier MC contest is back with a brand new opportunity for the local scene. Last year the Pass The Mic contest gave Canberra MC Nix the opportunity to open a show for Bone Thugs-N-Harmony and the KP Crew in front of a full house here in Canberra. This time around they’re giving one lucky Canberra MC the chance to open for hip-hop legend Ice Cube at the AIS Arena on Friday September 16. Entry is free and simple. Get your best MP3 and head over to kokyprik.com to upload and for all the info.

WHO: Synthetic Breed WHAT: Perpetual Motion Tour WHEN: Sat Aug 13 WHERE: The Basement

Following the release of their annihilating 2008 debut, industrial metal band Synthetic Breed return in 2011 unleashing their second LP Perpetual Motion Machine. It’s an exciting, merciless, mindnumbing and overall thought-provoking experience, leaving the listener with no doubt that this band has achieved a musical zenith hitherto unattained. This perfect mix of nightmarish vocals, mindaltering lyrics, punishing guitars and pounding poly-rhythmic beats makes this one album well worth acquiring for any metal fan. It’s received rave print and online reviews as well as regular radio play on triple j’s Full Metal Racket. Tix on the door.

WHO: Lollygag and Effigy present Alex Smoke (Scotland) WHAT: Minimal techno WHEN: Sat Aug 27 WHERE: Transit Bar

Lollygag and Effigy Entertainment are proud to announce the return of Alex Smoke to Canberra. This will be his third show in the capital, and once again he’ll be performing completely live. The young producer with a background in classical is pushing the boundaries of electronic music with his innovative style of fusing deep European minimalism with emotional strings and intelligent electro rhythms. A limited number of presale tickets for the tiny amount of $10 will be available through support DJs and Moshtix, while a special warm-up party will be announced in the coming weeks. Get excited.

WHO: Jumptown Swing WHAT: Canberrang 2011 – Swingin’ Cities USA WHEN: Thurs – Sun Aug 11 – 14 WHERE: Various venues

Jazz, big band sounds and swing dancing take over the capital again with Canberrang, Canberra’s annual festival of swing. Over four nights and three days swing dancers from all over Australia and overseas will take to the streets in celebration of the jazz era. This year’s festival has the theme Swingin’ Cities USA and will take us on a journey though the jazz history of America’s pioneer cities with ten events and 60+ jazz musos performing. Mobsters Ball looks set to be the highlight on Friday Aug 12, as two big bands battle it out. For all the info head to canberrang. org or call 0412 127 168.

The Gurge Re-Emerge Alistair Erskine Last year, REGURGITATOR burst back into our lives. Ben Ely

and Quan Yeomans had settled in Melbourne, and they launched a grand plan – make music and just release it, you know. As soon as there was a song done, slap it on the internet, and just get it out there. They have the technology, they have the studios in their homes... As much as that sounded like a halcyon era of releasing music, they put out an EP, and then... nothing. However, in early July we heard the rumblings of a new single, and an album to follow. I ask Quan about the process that led to them releasing an album instead of just a string of singles and EPs. “The new album got done quickly once we actually started it,” he explains. “We had been playing around with a fair few songs for really quite a while, but I had really underestimated the value of deadlines. Ben is now a family man, and I think I really hadn’t considered how much having strict deadlines actually benefit him in allowing us to record – and it was very intense. This was definitely the first time since we left a major label that we were really writing and recording an album with such urgency, and in the three weeks we had to get it done we wrote, recorded, mastered and we got more done than we had for a long time. Many of the songs on the album were ideas we had kicked around but never completed, so it wasn’t entirely new on the spot, but then again, a lot of the songs are.”

It just goes to show how unoriginal we actually are… But I guess that’s kind of why we are called Regurgitator in the first place

When looking at the CD credits, it seems that drummer Pete Kostic was not listed in the writing credits. “Pete is definitely still with us, but it was a case of him living in Sydney and us in Melbourne, and both Ben and I are fairly competent drummers – obviously not as good as Pete, but few people are. And so it was a geographic thing. Had he been down here we would have included him in the process for sure. We recorded most of the drums over at Ben’s home studio, where he has a beautiful ‘60s drum kit.* We recorded most of the live instrumentation over at his house, and then more of the electronic stuff at my studio, and bounced between the two. I also have a V-drum kit that a few (not many) effects and patterns were played on the record, and so that’s how the beats got in there.” Regurgitator’s new album chugs along quite nicely at the beginning, getting a song or two in until you have Ben rocking out a ‘70s singer-songwriter earnest ballad that flip turns and

smashes into the main part of the song: Quan’s rap of All Fake Everything over the top of a wonderful bassy beat. This is the only real hip-hop moment of the latest Regurgitator album, which is a little surprising given how prone their last records have been to dabbling in the head nodding stakes in equal proportion to the head banging. Quan explains, “That was actually the last song we recorded – I was laying down the vocals for that at midnight the night before we sent the album in. One of the reasons it is the only hip-hop song on this album is probably because I have released my hip-hop solo album (2008’s The Amateur), and I have a group Disaster with my girlfriend, so we focused mostly on other stuff for this album. “We are really nervous about the track order,” he continues. “I think we got the first four of the tracks that run together really nicely, but after that I’m not so sure. It is one of the best records we have done in a while though – all the tracks we are really happy with, and they all sound like Regurgitator, if you know what I mean?” And they do – there are surf-psych instrumentals, ‘80s pop pastiches, ballsy rock dance tracks and electronic spazz outs all in just over half an hour. But it is undeniably a Regurgitator album – the crunchy guitars, multiple styles, and the sense of humour throughout. It’s just bursting with energetic talent that these days is happily tempered by a wonderful familiarity. On the upcoming tour, the band are playing with Disasteradio and Super Best Friends. Quan laughs as he tells me about being supported by one of Canberra’s finest bands. “It just goes to show how unoriginal we actually are [in naming their album Super Happy Funtime Friends]. But I guess that’s kind of why we are called Regurgitator in the first place – we are often stuck in our little bubble, processing whatever input we get or find, but quite often we find that ideas we have have been done a million times before.” As much as it’s a crazy idea that Regurgitator would consider themselves unoriginal, given that the amount of bands that sound like them could probably be counted on one hand, they obviously back their new record. And when they play in Canberra, you can be assured the new songs will sound like they are by the same band that did the old ones. Super. Happy. Fun. Awesome. *Here Quan had mentioned the make of the drum kit, and it sounds like “Har Mar Superstar” in my recording, though a search for drum makers of a name even slightly similar to that has proven fruitless so I can’t give you the exact specs – sorry percussion fans! Catch Regurgitator and supports Disasteradio and Super Best Friends at ANU Bar on Sunday August 14. Tickets cost $30.95 + BF and are available through Ticketek.

ALL AGES Unfortunately I have the misfortune of presenting you with a mere three events for August so far. Yes, we’ve hit another low. Although to my relief what we are lacking in quantity has been made up for in quality. To celebrate Canberra band Atlantis Awaits’ triumphant return home from the US, the boys with their brand new female vocalist are already embarking on their national Rebirth tour. Joining them will be Sydney five-piece Sound of Seasons, pop punk five-piece City Lights Fade, following the successful release of their debut EP Strikes Back, as well as Canberra post-hardcore quad Martha Moxley. You can see this exciting line-up live at the ever faithful

Woden Youth Centre on Saturday August 13. Doors open at 2pm, leaving room for a long eve of entertainment. Tickets cost $12 at the door. Dream on, Dreamer’s fan base since the band’s relatively recent beginnings has grown rapidly across the country, so much so that they have recently been the support act on legendary rock/metal act Avenged Sevenfold’s national tour. But now, in support of their debut studio album, the Melbourne-based alternative/hardcore six-piece are embarking on their very own Homebound tour. Joining Dream on, Dreamer at the Tuggeranong Youth Centre on Wednesday August 24 will be progressive hardcore band The Bride from Sydney and Canberra’s very much adored Hands Like Houses. This is a spectacular line-up that is well worth booking ahead for. Tickets cost $18.40 (pre-sale) from Oztix. There is also a possibility that more local support acts will be announced closer to the date. On Friday August 26, Melbourne alternative/rock four-piece Pyrene will come through Canberra as part of The Diminutive tour. They are doing this in celebration of the release of their self-titled debut EP. Pyrene will be at the Tuggeranong Youth Centre for an “All Ages Extravaganza” sharing the stage with a great line-up of locally based acts including Makeshift, No Longer I from Goulburn, Blacksquire and Perpetual End. Tickets cost a miniscule $10 at the door at 6pm. So come along and pick up a copy of their EP! Now, there is one thing I feel I have to add: whether you are in a band or are just a keen giggoer, if you know of a gig, just let me know! It will save a lot of confusion, and of course, the more I am made aware of the better. My email is always at the bottom of this column, so use it. Whether it be a gig, a family event or just something all ages related that you feel deserves to be mentioned, just shoot through an email. I’m looking forward to hearing from you! NAOMI FROST allagescolumn@gmail.com

LOCALITY As you may have read on the News page of this ish, AIR recently conducted a small study into the percentage of male versus female artists receiving airplay on Australian radio. The results revealed that of the 2,000 most played songs in June this year 81.7% were sung by a frontman, while only 18.3% were sung by a frontwoman. Soon after the results were released an APRA rep stated that their songwriter membership is approximately 80% male and 20% female. This is a huge imbalance that begs the question, why are there not more female musicians in the industry? It’s a question with innumerable answers and though we don’t have a definitive one we’ve teamed up with Transit Bar to address the imbalance. Women of Notes is a series of female musician nights launching at Transit Bar on Thursday August 11. The first all local line-up features the inimitable Julia Johnson performing with her ethereal (female) Deep Sea Sirens, the always dazzling Bec Taylor of Fun Machine in rare solo mode, the rich song tapestries of Simone Penkethman and the warm folk country campfire music of Hannah Gillespie. Entry is free and it kicks off at 8. I imagine some readers may be rolling their eyes right about now. And fair enough too. As a renowned Canberra music man told me ‘round the fire drum at Saturday Night Hop last weekend, holding a girls only muso night sort of means you’re admitting defeat to the boys. I’ve certainly never heard of a guys only muso night. Julia Johnson agrees. “I generally loathe the concept of girls only muso nights. They make me cringe,” she said. “Female performers are no better or worse than male performers, so why single us out? But I can’t remember the last time I went to see a female play in Canberra. We must all be hiding. Many of us have moved away or had families or something I suppose. So I’m interested in Women of Notes not only as a performance opportunity for myself (since Transit has really nice sound these days!), but to see who else is out there and what I’ve been missing.” You said it Jules. Women of Notes isn’t just about acknowledging the imbalance, it’s also about showing Canberra audiences just how many wonderfully talented women we have in our town. Although I named the series and threw most of the names into the ring the concept was originally Jem Natividad’s and he’s the one steering the ship. “Being a music nerd, I’m very much into my Mitchells, Baezs, Ribeiros and Simones,” he said. “I really wanted to give Canberra the opportunity to discover her own.” You said it Jem. If you’re a female muso and you’re interested in being a part of Women of Notes, be sure to fling me an email and keep an eye on the BMA site and Facebook for more info. See you there on August 11. JULIA WINTERFLOOD julia@bmamag.com

DANCE THE DROP

Regardless of the fact we have an ice skating rink on top of a chess board heavily guarded by relentless swarms of clipboard-toting travellers and friendly beggars, our city never really tugs at the reigns of its unique idiosyncrasy while trapped under the cold vicelike grip of winter. It is our subtly inspiring local music scene that makes our lovably oversized country town come alive, and one of the most conspicuous lumps of coal that is thrown in the industry furnace every year is the Foreshore Summer Music Festival. The Kicks Entertainment conglomerate has finally released this year’s hotly anticipated line-up, and in lieu of this momentous occasion I managed to catch Director Ryan Phillips for a chin wag. “Being the fifth year of the event we really wanted to provide something for

facebook.com/ trinitybarcanberra everyone that had come to a Foreshore over the last four years. That meant delivering the best in electronic artists alongside up and coming bands, proven live performers and the super hot ‘now’ artists, as we have done across the last four years,” he says. “Our new event site which we first used last year has been tweaked to allow for a sideshow alley, much more food options and some sneaky little surprises on the day! Foreshore is going to be a carnival in 2011!” The 2011 line-up includes current world number one ranked DJ Armin van Buuren, Aussie electronic balladeer Gotye, big room newcomer Avicii, old school hip-hop queens Salt N Pepa, chart-topping shufflers LMFAO and perennial absurd costume lovers PNAU. Tickets are available right now from your friendly local street team member or through the usual outlets, don’t miss out! Benny Benassi said it best when he wrote You Are a Cinema, obviously referring to Academy, right? Their August line-up includes the return of Ministry of Sound legend Mark Dynamix on Friday August 12 for the Annual 10 Years tour, trance don Tydi swoops in for a long overdue main room set on Friday August 19 while the Young Blood crew build up even more steam with a double headline show on Friday August 26 featuring Oh Snap! (USA) and The Only. Trinity raises the ‘bar’ in August with The Aston Shuffle coming back for another huge show on Friday August 19. The next night DIM trundles his carryon luggage all the way from Deutschland to the DJ booth and Friday August 26 sees the return of Sydney funk junkie Wax Motif. Records! Records! Records! With the pungent aroma of festival season tickling the nostrils of hungry music producers all over the world, the quality releases just keep piling up! Yves, Digital Lab and Henriques have teamed up on Forever, a pounding arena anthem while Arias and Nael meticulously meld French electro with 4am trance on Alive, but my pick of the month is the way too cool classic house release from Oliver $, Doin Ya Thang. TIM GALVIN tim.galvin@live.com.au

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

verse style. In order to capture these responses, audiences will be asked to fill out feedback forms after each performance. Those attending Thursday performances will also be invited to participate in a Q & A forum after the show. This is a unique opportunity for theatregoers, offering a rare insight into the production that MacLeish, as a social commentator, would have appreciated.

PANIC AT THE THEATRE Grace Carroll As stories of financial doom and gloom continue to fill news headlines, a depression-era play is about to hit the Canberra stage. Poet-playwright Archibald MacLeish’s verse drama PANIC may have been written in 1935, but the story of a magnate, played by Tony Turner, and the panic-driven cries of a populace who turn to him for help to stay afloat during the Great Depression certainly still resonates in today’s financial climate. In its Australian premiere, director and researcher Andrew Holmes presents an interpretation of the play that stays true to its origins, whilst bringing the story to contemporary audiences, themselves familiar with the trials and tribulations of capitalist society. Panic is a classic tale of the dichotomy between the ‘haves’ and the ‘have nots’. The former is represented by bank magnate McGafferty, the play’s protagonist, and the latter by a crowd of middle class citizens, fearing for their financial future amidst great economic hardship. The play derives its energy from the human drama between these groups, and their poetic dialogue. Action takes place between two sets; McGafferty’s office and on the streets below, where a group of angry and desperate citizens make panicked cries to the banker, pleading for his help. Those quick to see McGafferty and the capitalist powerhouses he represents as the enemy may be surprised by the production. Rather than dislike McGafferty, Holmes hopes that, by the end of the production, audiences “can identify with the lead character”. Despite being a three-time Pulitzer Prize winner MacLeish is likely to be an unfamiliar name to many in Australia. A one-time Librarian of Congress and Academy Award winner, MacLeish has what Holmes calls “cult-hero status” in America. He comments that MacLeish wrote in a “very American” style, which explains this status. Amidst this public persona, his impressive collection of poetry and prose has been neglected – with this obscurity something that researchers like Holmes love. The director is writing his PhD on MacLeish, and hopes that through his research, including the showing of Panic and another MacLeish play, Fall of the City, later this year, will make people more aware of the writer and Modernist verse drama. Given the production is being staged for research purposes, Holmes has invited audiences to come along for free. Yes, it’s free! His main interest is seeing how audiences respond to Panic, especially its

Panic exemplifies MacLeish’s Modernist style, focussing on the society in which he lived. His works have been described as the voice of reason amid a troubled capitalist society, as his writing attempted to traverse the middle ground between realism and idealism. At the same time, the narratives in these works encourage unity, rather than looking for someone or something to blame. Holmes believes that these universal themes are the ultimate message of the play. The director goes on to explain that the strength of MacLeish’s writing, including Panic, lies in its ability to provide “real insight into what humanity has to deal with”. This insight offers as much to contemporary audiences as to those who lived through the Great Depression. Panic’s verse style works perfectly with the play’s disjuncture between realism and idealism. As Holmes points out, despite the plot being based on real events, the verse style, which he describes as “like music” is something unnatural, being a form of expression that people do not use in everyday life. This blend of human drama with poetic artifice is something that writers have long drawn on to create human engagement with their works. Fans of Shakespeare will be familiar with the verse drama, but may not be aware that this style – which has its origins in Greek tragedy – was also embraced by Modernist writers, including William Butler Yeats and T.S. Eliot. In Panic, MacLeish draws on the tradition of verse drama to emphasise the disparity between McGafferty and the panicked citizens. Throughout the play, McGafferty speaks with longer, rougher prose, while the people on the street are given more elegant, shorter lines. This difference successfully separates the perspectives of McGafferty and ‘the people’. It also helps capture the banker’s isolation and need to explain himself, whereas the people are bolstered by many voices, needing fewer words to express their point of view. The playwright’s unique style of verse drama was developed, as Holmes contends, “to capture the American language”. This verse style, which rarely hits the Canberra stage, offers something different for audiences. While the title of the play may cause pulses to rise, the moral of the story is ultimately: don’t panic! Although written almost 80 years ago, Panic has much to say about the way we live our lives and the social mechanisms through which our world operates. Given that the world is as driven by capitalism and the economic divide between the rich and the poor as it was in the 1930s, the play promises to offer some insight into the way we all live our lives. On that note, the last word goes to Holmes, who promises that Panic will be “unlike anything audiences will have seen before.” Panic is a free production and will be showing on the Main Stage at the ANU Arts Centre from Thursday-Saturday August 18-27. Bookings can be made via email to andrew.holmes@anu.edu.au .

THROW ME A FRICKIN’ BONO HERE Michael QUINCEY O’Neil “Through this journey we’ve taken together, U2 and I have reached a higher place of unity. I have those guys around for drinks and dinner every night in my head.” It sounds like a fan’s wet dream, hanging out with Bono and The Edge over a candlelit meal but for David Finnigan, idly flicking through a copy of Eamon Dunphy’s hagiography Unforgettable Fire: The Story of U2 one night at a languorous tech rehearsal, it became an obsession that metamorphosed itself into “an 86 minute, 12-part ‘goat that swallowed the world’ style monster” of a radio play called FUNCTIONING AS A MACHINE THAT HATES U2. Yet in fairness he admits he was never a massive fan previous to the experience: “...they were always like a shrill mosquito whine in the back of your ears you learn to deal with. Fuck man, every time I hear about ‘80s revivals or ‘80s-themed parties or whatever I still slightly recoil, because that decade sounded cold-fucking-horrible.” It’s like listening to a drunken rant from Dad about the decay of rock ‘n’ roll, but inflected with a wit that is so bizarre and eloquent you can only pay attention with Schadenfreude-esque glee; not that it’s probable that U2 are listening to Finnigan’s one man crusade, but if they were I can imagine Bono’s painted grin cracking at the edges.

ts rantists G ’ r Upng A t r u Star Yo fo

And as if to exacerbate his frustrations, the five radio playlets were hardly an immaculate conception, but became a constant struggle with his own sanity; creatively, Finnigan’s mind is like a chainsaw spiralling in a hurricane, relentless and destructive. “For every thousand words you write in a playwriting period, only the 100 that are on topic make it into the script. For this script, everything I was writing at the time went in the script, because everything was about U2. If I had a two minute freak out on a Friday night and ended up curled in a doorway at the side of the street writing babble, that made it in. If I quoted some of Unforgettable Fire: The Story of U2 on Facebook and had a conversation with 15 friends from around the everywhere, that made it in. If my friend and Applespiel member Rachel Roberts had to take a Theology course owing to scheduling clashes at her university and I had an opinion about that (of course I had an opinion about that), that made it in.”

The ACT Government is offering ‘Start-Up’ grants of $500 to young ACT-based artists for activities that assist, encourage, develop, or promote the artist and their arts practice. To be eligible you must be aged between 18 and 25 years and have not previously received a grant from the ACT Government For more information contact us on (02) 6207 2384 or visit

www.arts.act.gov.au

Applications close on Monday 29 August 2011

So exactly what is this? Finnigan seems more Zen about it than I am. “This piece is incredibly loose and myopic but fuck it that’s what it is, and there was no point in trying to craft it into something it was not... It’s pulling in ex-Canberran artists from Sydney, Melbourne, London (as well as Sipat Lawin from Manila who are, in every sense of the word, wildcards) and finding a way to be theatre-makers together that doesn’t require us to all be in the room together.” It’s Theatre of Cruelty for the Information Age, a radio play without character and plot, its Finnigan’s sadistic child, and it’s all that and so much more. All 12 parts of Functioning as a Machine That Hates U2 are available for free download from blind-dragonfly.com/?p=663 .

MAGNIFICENT MONSTROSITY vanessa wright MONSTROSITY brings together the work of three Canberra artists who share a unique fascination with the perverse, the deviant, the ugly and the altogether monstrous aspects of life. Bev Bruen, Julie Munro-Allison and Michelle Day all met when they were studying in the Textiles workshop at the ANU School of Art; since then all of their work has strayed from the medium but their shared passions and interests remain. For these three the idea of doing a show together has been a dream for several years, after they first realised they shared a very similar aesthetic in art school. As Munro-Allison comments, “I think we shared a similar aesthetic in terms of the materials we used; we were all using old bones, and the idea for Monstrosity arose really from noticing that aesthetic similarity.” The body features heavily in this exhibition from the mechanical fleshy hybrids of Michelle Day’s delicate silicone, fabric, metal and

glass creations, to Julie Munro-Allison’s magazine cut out collages of fashion models’ body parts and Bev Bruen’s sculptural pieces constructed from animal bones and doll bodies. Each artist seems fascinated by the consequences of scientific experimentation and the splicing together of disparate parts. For Bruen, this involves creating monsters. One series of her small creatures are constructed from animal skulls, bones and doll bodies and as Bruen explains are “directly relating to the interspecies Chimera – they are ambiguous, marginal beings that endanger conventional taxonomies of nature.” She goes on to explain that she is particularly interested “in monsters as the metaphorical embodiment of our fears. In medieval religious iconography the monster was imagined as a hybrid being, a collage of different animal and human bodies. Today, medical science is experimenting with interspecies embryology.” Bruen’s work, like that of Day’s and Munro-Allison’s, plays directly into those ideas of the grotesque and the abject. Those boundaries that lie between fear and disgust, the beautiful and the ugly, the living and the dead are the realm of Monstrosity. Munro-Allison elaborates that “the pieces in Monstrosity suggest how close desire and disgust and fear and comfort can be to each other. It’s that space between them when they are so close which is fascinating and presents so many questions.” Munro-Allison’s work focuses on collage in its most basic, and satisfying, form: the magazine collage. Dissimilar body parts come together to form creatures that no longer look human; ugly and unappealing figures comprised of parts from unrealistically perfect models. If you have a fascination with the grotesque, the ugly and the intriguingly beautiful then Monstrosity is just the exhibition for you. Monstrosity opens 6pm Thursday August 4 at the Canberra Contemporary Art Space in Manuka and continues until Sunday August 14.

ARTISTPROFILE: Raoul Craemer

What do you do? I’m an actor. When did you get into it? In my late 20s when I was living in the UK. I used to be very nervous about speaking in public. Someone suggested I go to an adult drama group for fun, and everything snowballed from there... evening classes in London, then drama school full time. Who or what influences you as an artist? I grew up in Germany (Brecht), India (Gandhi) and England (The Goons) so there is a wide mix of influences, from early childhood experiences meeting artists such as Joseph Beuys, Timothy Leary, Nana Vasconcelos and Otto Muehl, to my later exposure to the Indian ‘way of life’... on the one hand ideas of self-negation, stripping away of the ego to let a character emerge organically as an actor; on the other hand, colour and exuberance, to express yourself fearlessly on stage. Alexander Technique has had quite a big influence on me as an actor too. What’s your biggest achievement/proudest moment so far? Writing, producing and performing the show Vidooshaka – The Indian Clown with David Finnigan at the Multicultural Fringe Festival in 2005. One of my personal highlights was getting people to throw money at us on stage! What are your plans for the future? I don’t plan too far ahead. I’d like to be involved in theatre that questions assumptions whilst offering hope.

What makes you laugh? American politicians, Indian street signs (e.g. “Buy one shoe, get one free” or “Parking for the physically challenged”), my kids Leila (“I’m so pretty – stop it, face!”) and Tara (“What happens if your skin dies but your bones stay alive?”) and my partner Emily’s bawdy jokes. What pisses you off? Guns, selfishness, people who don’t believe in vaccination, religion interfering in public life, lack of punctuality, the drift towards private schooling, small pieces of food put into plastic containers that then gradually go off in the fridge. What’s your opinion of the local scene? There’s plenty of talent and good sporadic work. There is lots of potential, for example for a professional acting ensemble, but a change in ongoing financial support for the arts is required to retain promising young artists or to attract some of those who have left back to Canberra. The city I was born in (Bonn, in Germany) spends around five times the amount on the performing arts than the ACT currently does – despite having a smaller population and a lower overall budget! What are your upcoming performances/exhibitions? Destination Home at The Street Theatre from Tuesday-Sunday August 23-28 (tel. 6247 1223). Camilla Blunden, Liliana Bogatko, Noonee Doronila and I wrote this play over the last 18 months. Based on our personal stories and directed by barb barnett, this play examines migration, memory and belonging. Contact info: raoul.craemer@econtext.com.au

UNINHIBITED Aren’t the loud noises emanating from the former fitters workshop in Kingston interesting? Beautifully contained noises they are, as the once dormant and now very sought after space has, we’re told, some of the finest acoustics in the land. These acoustics will now carry the sounds of action within the Megalo Print Studio and Gallery, hence the argument and the less musical sounds of protest from Canberra musicians. Across town art makers and musicians are in another battle for space, with the suggested merger of the Art and Music School libraries. In short, the suggestion is to close a space fundamental to the DNA of higher learning (closing a university library is akin to ridding a restaraunt of its cold store, discuss) and squeeze two schools into space for one. Hell, all the kids download their readings now anyways, am I right? The issue in both cases is space, and it provokes an interesting discussion. At first glimpse space isn’t something we should be fighting over in this city. We’ve got plenty. Too much in fact; check our eternal sprawl, the continuing drip of residential development sliding over the landscape. On closer inspection however finding good spaces for arts practice is a tough gig. Arts bodies lobby government for allocated spaces. But governments, to offensively simplify, deal with budgets (it’s the

economy, stupid). And budgets are reinforced by development – investment that makes money, like commercial and residential properties. Visual arts and chamber music are not notorious money spinners. Written into this discussion is a subtext of ‘worth’; the ambient notion of cultural worth versus the hard figures of financial worth. And art makers, with their marginal audiences, face the difficulty of ‘proving’ their value in a world of KPIs. It’s a different language. The musicians have a clear point regarding the loss of a suitable venue in the fitters workshop but their argument can’t help but read as an assault on the ‘worthiness’ of Megalo to inhabit the space. That’s a problem. In both cases the two creative factions need to focus their energies on the wider issue of having enough space to practise in their own right. Instead of protesting the loss of Megalo, musicians should indicate how this loss highlights the importance of creating spaces for all elements of the creative community to work and exhibit and perform and prosper. The value judgement on the ‘waste’ of the natural acoustic abilities misses the point and threatens the relationship between art makers of different stripes which needs to be strong in this town. All parties in these two cases need to come together and argue for more spaces, not argue over existing spaces between themselves. A strong creative community is a core element of a great city. And more investment occurs in great cities. If the artistic community can rally and put their argument for investment into Canberra’s creative economy in language the bean counters can understand, we might just stumble upon a positive result for this city in the future. GLEN MARTIN glenpetermartin@gmail.com

bit PARTS WHO: The Australian Ballet’s The Dancers Company WHAT: Don Quixote WHEN: Tues-Wed Aug 17-18 WHERE: Canberra Theatre Centre The Australian Ballet’s regional touring arm The Dancers Company is heading to Canberra to present a dazzling production of Don Quixote, an unequivocal ballet classic. (Just in case you didn’t know, it’s pronounced ‘key-oat-ee’, not ‘kwix-oat-ee’ like I originally thought. Oops. -Ed.). Set against the backdrop of a Spanish fishing village, this colourful and cheeky romp will delight audiences with its comic spirit and technically challenging dancing. In an exciting casting coup, acclaimed Principal Artist Rachel Rawlins will perform the lead role of Kitri alongside 2008 Telstra Ballet Dancer Award nominee, Andrew Wright in the role of Basilio. For more information head to canberratheatrecentre.com.au or call 02 6275 2700.

WHO: artsACT WHAT: Youth Start-Up Grants WHEN: Now WHERE: arts.act.gov.au The second round of Start-Up Grants, the ACT Government’s new grants program for young artists, is now open. The first round, announced earlier this year, supported 15 young ACT-based artists across a variety of projects including a dance film, a debut album and glass exhibition. Start-Up grants are designed to be responsive to the needs of young emerging artists and encourage young people to engage with the ACT Arts Fund. Canberra artists aged 18 to 25 who haven’t previously received funding from artsACT are eligible to apply. For more information visit arts.act.gov.au . WHO: Andrzej Zieliński WHAT: Prototype exhibition WHEN: Now until Sat Aug 20 WHERE: CCAS Nomophobia is the fear of being without your mobile, or being out of mobile or internet reception. The fact that this phobia even exists shows something very important about our relationship with technology. Andrzej Zielinski is from the US and is currently a visiting artist at the Painting Workshop at the ANU School of Art. His exhibition Prototype explores our strong relationship with technology and the constant desire to upgrade to the new model. It’s a collection of bright paintings which walk the line between abstract and representational, in which electronic devices that we depend on everyday are simplified. Represented in glossy paint, and removed from their ability to function, we see them for what they really are: modern day icons. WHO: ACT Writers Centre WHAT: Get your facts right: how science can help you write your book WHEN: Sat Aug 13 WHERE: CSIRO Discovery Centre (Clunes Ross St, Black Mountain)

WHO: tACTile WHAT: Elements exhibition WHEN: Wed Aug 3 – Sun Aug 14 WHERE: ANCA Gallery, Dickson Elements is the new work by tACTile, the Canberra based group of quiltmakers who challenge themselves by working towards exhibiting together every two years. Jenny Bowker, Dianne Firth, Helen Gray, Ruth Hadlow, Beth Miller and Trevor and Beth Reid planned the latest exhibition during a time of extreme weather challenges in Australia, when fires were raging and floods were engulfing huge areas of the country. The group agreed to work with this inspiration individually and look at one or more of the elements, earth, air, fire and water. There will be a meet the artists session at 3pm on Saturday August 6. For more info email anca@canberra. net.au, phone 6247 8736, or head to the ANCA Gallery website.

Are you writing about crime? Does your novel have a futuristic theme? Does your story include forensic investigations, environmental apocalypse, genetic engineering or good oldfashioned space travel? Getting the facts right can make or break a good piece of fiction. The ACT Writers Centre is holding a free event at the CSIRO Discovery Centre to answer all your scientific questions. RSVPs are appreciated, to admin@actwriters.org. au. The ACT Writers Centre is grateful for support from National Science Week and the Discovery Centre for this event. For more information about this and other ACT Writers Centre events, visit actwriters.org.au . WHO: ANU School of Art WHAT: Material Matters exhibition WHEN: Various dates throughout August WHERE: Various locations Material Matters is a major exhibition focusing on works drawn from the ANU Ceramics Workshop Teaching collection. It links a broad range of community based events which will involve all members of Canberra’s ceramic networks. From professional masterclasses and open workshops, from community woodfirings to exhibitions, from guided school tours to the symposium there will be something for every ceramics fanatic. Some of the satellite exhibitions include Netty van den Heuvel’s Tintelingen at the Watson Arts Centre, Elaine Bradley’s Crucible at Craft ACT and Jane Crick and Jacqueline Lewis’ Not To Be Contained at Belconnen Arts Centre. For more info head to soa.anu.edu.au/materialmatters .

EXPECTO SUSPENSO melissa wellham It is almost impossible for this writer to be objective about HARRY POTTER. I mean, it’s Harry freakin’ Potter. Harry and his cohort of school chums were probably more influential on my growth as a pre-teen than my own parents. J. K. Rowling’s magical world instilled in me a firm belief in the difference between good and evil, and an indiscriminate adoration of people with (a) glasses, (b) red hair, and (c) bushy hair. There is little point discussing the plot of Harry Potter as it has become so ubiquitous. Harry Potter by J. K. Rowling follows the adolescent wizard Harry and his friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger through their adventures as they try to defeat the dark wizard Voldemort. When it’s put like that, one does wonder how exactly it became such a phenomenon. Aside from the fact that Harry Potter is a solidly-written and engaging book series, what differentiated J. K. Rowling from every other struggling young adult fantasy writer out there? The Beatles may have been bigger than

Jesus, but Harry Potter is arguably bigger than the both of them. J. K. Rowling’s success in turn inspired an onslaught of imitations as publishers attempted to ride on the wizarding-cloak-tails of Harry’s success. One thing that perhaps sets Harry Potter apart from other fantasy books aimed at young adults is the intelligence of the series. J. K. Rowling never wrote down to her younger audience: she explored morally ambiguous characters, used spells drawn from Latin roots, and asked the hard questions. What is the difference between good and evil? What separates Harry and Voldemort? Aside from, obviously, their looks. Harry Potter also appealed to readers of all ages, and readers of all genres, and even ‘non-readers’ – partly because this is not a genre book. Although you will find it in the young adult fantasy section at most book stores, Harry Potter is more than that. It’s a book for adults, and a moral guide, and a romance, and a comedy, and a horror. Harry Potter is by turns laugh-out-loud funny and frightening. But the real hook in the Harry Potter series? It was, and remains, genuinely suspenseful. How else can I explain my 16-year-old self wearing a Ravenclaw scarf, and lining up outside a bookstore at four o’clock in the morning to pick up my pre-ordered copy of the final book? How else can I explain late nights reading each novel under the covers of my bed? Now, of course, the book series has finished. The movie adaptations have concluded. The suspense, surely, must have run its course? Not so. I have a 20-something friend who recently started reading the series for the first time, and admitted to staying up until 5 o’clock in the morning reading because they couldn’t put the book down. Entertaining the youth of today with good wholesome fun like that… it’s got to be magic. Melissa Wellham is our fabulous film editor.

SURFIN’ IN THE AUS

THE ETERNAL HUM

Alice Worley-Russell

SINEAD O’CONNELL

Melbourne-based band MIKELANGELO AND THE TIN STAR are returning to Canberra on their Surf n’ Western Sounds tour. The band has produced a highly praised album entitled The Surf n’ Western Sounds of Mikelangelo and The Tin Star which has so far claimed Album of the Week from FBi Sydney, PBS Melbourne and Edge Radio Hobart. Mikelangelo’s sudden return to the ACT was explained by stating “Canberra is the centre of the universe, and all things must return there eventually.”

Rain on the Humming Wire is the latest, most resplendent album from Western Australian band THE PANICS. Their fourth album, which came out Friday July 29, is a soulful composition of the band’s time away from home and how their lonely hunter hearts dealt with oceans of separation. Underneath the elegant pop-rock tracks are modern hymns for a generation, anthems of rash joy and quiet heartbreak. The title of the album comes from the track Creatures which was written one of those times when frontman and songwriter Jae Laffer found himself thinking of his childhood, of love stories and of his hometown. Ultimately all tracks link up with a retrospective angle that harp back to their youth, says Laffer. “The It’s a mad ride title was always with us from – the fun bit is the beginning.” trying to put it

With their frontman often seen in elaborate suits with a ‘50s style quiff, the band have been described as sounding like Ennio Morricone and Dick Dale in a back alley music duel, Tin The t I hope tha and also as a blend of Star will be like the Elvis Presley and Nick Buena Vista Social Cave. It’s only surprising Club of Australia, Johnny Cash was never thrown into the mix. doing gigs in our

‘80s and ‘90s. I’d love that

His rising popularity can be partly attributed to his occasional collaborations with American singer-songwriter Amanda Palmer of The Dresden Dolls, which included an Australia Day spectacular earlier this year at the Sydney Opera House. When asked if the two have planned any shows for the future, Mikelangelo reveals that there had in fact been such talk, but it’s much too early to say when Australia will see them together again. In case you’re wondering where Mikelangelo’s other band, The Black Sea Gentlemen, are hiding, he promises they are still going strong, celebrating their tenth year together and making plans for a little further down the track. He assures fans he is simply focusing on The Tin Star because of this new album and its increasing popularity. “You can’t do everything at once,” he says. Joining the band on stage at the reopening of April’s Cara are The Toot Toot Toots, another Melbourne band that Mikelangelo himself could only categorise as “garage-country”. The Tin Star have temporarily replaced their lead guitarist Fiete Geronimo Geier for Mark Cilia of The Atlantics for these shows. And unfortunately bad news for all of you Saint Clare fans; she’ll be unavailable for the Canberra gigs this time around. For anyone who misses out on this particular tour, it’ll be a shame, but never fear. Mikelangelo plans to keep appearing on Australia’s stages for the rest of his days. “That’s the great thing about being an artist, you never really have to retire… I have the hope that both The Tin Star and The Black Sea Gentlemen will be like the Buena Vista Social Club of Australia, doing gigs in our ‘80s and ‘90s. I’d love that.” The band has two Canberra performances, both on Sunday August 7; at the reopening of April’s Caravan at The Front (noon-5pm, free), and a second at The Phoenix at 7.30pm, featuring Konrad Lenz. Tickets are $15 or $20 at the door.

into words and And certainly there is no more make something a poetic title that resonates all beautiful

too poignantly throughout the entirety of an album. Each song depicts a new chapter in the story of their lives creating a recurring nostalgic theme in their work. Written in Salford, England and recorded in Woodstock, New York, all five members of the band – Jae (vocals, piano, guitar), Drew Wootton (guitar), Myles Wootton (drums), Paul Otway (bass, vocals) and Jules Douglas (keyboards, guitar, vocals) tell heart-warming stories of their travels, particularly of when they spent a month isolated in the woods in upstate New York. “You take this simple life you have, then you uproot and go overseas, and you go through all these amazing experiences. You have your relationships tested, people fall in and out of love… It’s a mad kind of ride, but the fun bit is trying to put it into words and make something beautiful out of wherever you are at the time.” Since their last album Cruel Guards Laffer indulges in the idiosyncrasies of minor experiences in his songwriting. For him, sometimes the best lyricism is merely odes to “a feeling, an overheard conversation or whatever is tugging at the heartstrings.” Laffer started playing piano at the age of five, a talent and passion of his that has transcended time. The band tells of a fond memory in New York when everyone was gathered around Jae as he played a vintage piano in a handsome, sun-drenched timber room. Such memories are the life force of The Panics’ sweeping lyrical anthems. The first track Majesty with its rolling thunder timpani and jangling, jingoistic guitars is a testament to that which Jae decrees. The band is journeying to Splendour in the Grass to awe their fans once more following with some later year tour dates around the country (though sadly we miss out this time - Ed.). If there were a line to describe the sweetness, the fortitude for dedication to poetic composure and musical harmonising of The Panics it would surely be Rain on the Humming Wire. Laffer says “it’s not hard in this band to learn” and in the same vein it is not hard in this album to love. Rain on the Humming Wire was released on Friday July 29. It’s available now through all good record stores.

“It’s not like I am trying to do it but I end up back there all the time.” Whilst many perceive the blues genre to be one of ‘antiquity’ and ‘classic timelessness’, Ash’s own personal connection with the genre does not come from an aesthetic desire but rather from the soul. “I like the soulfulness of blues,” he explains. “I’m not an antique person or a guy rocking a suit or a blues haircut. I’m not into the aesthetic or the fashion or the taste.”

THE ELECTRONIC BLUES WIZARD Baz Ruddick In sub-Antarctic Canberra, sheltered by my shitty car from the minus two degree winds, I spoke to ASH GRUNWALD, who strolled the beautiful streets of Byron Bay. We spoke about his evolution as an artist, learning to produce and I tested him with the ultimate F.K.M. (fuck, kill, marry). After a brief tour of Europe, Ash is taking his fifth album Hot Mama Vibes on the road. I ask him about his evolution from stripped back, bare bones acoustic records to electronic accented roots albums. “I always wanted to mix electronic elements with blues,” he says. “I thought it was a new interesting thing back then in the mid-’90s and it still kind of is.” The change was not a clear, conscious decision but rather a natural progression, as his attempt to hark back to his acoustic blues roots ended in futility when he plugged in his iPad and jumped on a Moog synth.

I would have sex with Jimi Hendrix

Ash’s career as a musician has been a process of learning and evolution. “I like the fact that if you follow my albums they are sort of baby steps towards coming out of my shell musically. It’s a higgledy piggledy combination of all these elements but it’s something that people can check out and follow... I dunno, maybe that’s a wank!” On Hot Mama Vibes Ash sought the assistance of many other artists, including Mr Charles from The Funkoars, DJ Debris from Hilltop Hoods and Count Bounce from TZU. Whilst Ash considers himself a producer, he has preferred to seek the assistance of other ‘beats guys’ when laying down percussive tracks. “I have been mucking around with beats for about four years,” he says. “But I’ve never done my own beats on an album yet. I have never really trusted myself. My hand hasn’t been on the mouse but I have been directing people for ten years. I definitely regard myself as a producer.” Whilst other interviewers asked Ash who he would invite to dinner, I put it to him: fuck, kill or marry the same three. “Tom Waits would be really dirty and Howlin’ Wolf would just kill you so I guess I would have sex with Jimi Hendrix, I’d have to try and kill the Wolf because I wouldn’t want to be married to him... so I have to marry Tom Waits! Oh no, none of that is appetising!” Catch Ash Grunwald and support Beau Young at ANU Bar on Thursday August 11. Tickets are $25 + bf and are available through Ticketek.

PANDARING TO YOUR INDIE POP NEEDS

HIRSUTE PURSUIT

Clare Butterfield

Mel Cerato

Perth four-piece THE PANDA BAND are back. This self-described art-tech-indie-pop group have finally released their new album and are about to launch a national tour to go with it. The new album Charisma Weapon contains “worldly ideas about love and existential things,” says lead singer and guitarist Damien Crosby. “It tries to find some sort of peace and reconcile all the stresses and changes in life – and make sense of them all.” He hopes people will listen to the album and be reminded not to give up, to “remember the fun stuff in life when things get you down.”

Since speaking to Nathanial Beard from Adelaide folk-rock band THE BEARDS, I have come to appreciate the complexity and diversity of facial hair. The different styles, colours and lengths, not to mention the overall maintenance and grooming required to keep a beard, is simply a marvel. Bassist Nathanial, of said Adelaide fourpiece, describes his band’s affinity with beards akin to religion. “It’s a holy experience,” he says. ‘I think that most people have a void in their life, but people with beards don’t have that. Growing a beard is the correct thing to do. [It’s a man’s] duty to grow a beard.”

Remember the fun stuff in life when things get you down

Charisma Weapon was a collaborative effort between Crosby, David Namour (bass), Chris Callan (guitar, backing vocals) and Scott Howard (drums, backing vocals). This collaboration occasionally led to differences of opinion. “There are always going to be disagreements working in this sort of way,” Crosby explains. “But we made sure we didn’t let our egos into the mix and remembered that we were trying to make the best songs we could.” Mixed by award-winning producer Magoo (of Regurgitator, Midnight Oil and Operator Please fame), the album was recorded in the band’s home studio. Producing the album themselves was both a good and a bad thing. “You can have grand ideas, but if you’re on your own label you don’t have a huge pool of funds,” says Crosby. “Being on a major label allows you to be a bit more creative, but being independent keeps you in touch with reality and keeps you grounded to all the hard work that gets done.” Charisma Weapon takes a slightly different direction from previous albums released by the band. Their biggest hit as a group, Sleepy Little Deathtoll Town, released in 2004, had a “messed up circusy vaudeville sound,” says Crosby, and there aren’t any songs that compare to it this time around. Having said that, Crosby describes the track Alligator as “an upbeat song with some kinky lyrics,” which is bound to entice Deathtoll fans. The band used more strings and acoustic guitar on this album, which has been described by various online music sites as ambitious, adorable and brimming with a sense of experimentation. The Panda Band have several influences – some of which can be heard on Charisma Weapon, and some of which are a little more obscure. Crosby lists Kanye West, Kasabian, The Shins, The Killers (only the new album) and Lou Reed as artists members of the band are into at the moment. Of the band’s name, Crosby says details are sparse and he is unable to recall the real reason why the band called themselves The Panda Band. One version of the story “which may be true,” says Crosby, is that a friend called Amanda suggested they call themselves The Amanda Band, and he misheard – thinking she said The Panda Band. Whatever the reason behind the name, The Panda Band’s Charisma Weapon is receiving rave reviews and excitement is building about their upcoming tour. The Panda Band will play at the ANU Bar on Wednesday August 17. Tickets are $10 pre-sale through Ticketek or $15 on the door.

Most people have a void in their life, but people with beards don’t

In August, The Beards will start their month long 100 Beards tour of the country, visiting all the states to spread the word of the beard. “We haven’t been on tour since last year,” Nathanial says. “This time we are trying to recruit 100 people to embrace the beard life and start growing their beards instead of shaving.” Formed in 2005, The Beards make music to help promote the return of facial hair into general society after the rise of the metrosexual. “We have noticed that in the last five years or so, there has been an increase of men with beards, and I’d like to think that we have something to do with that,” Nathanial says proudly. However, Nathanial does point out that persuading some men in the nation’s capital to grow beards will be a challenge. “We have a lot of Canberra fans who are in the military, who unfortunately aren’t allowed to grow beards. They should defy their country and grow facial hair.” The 100 Beards tour is not only a recruitment drive, but it is also about promoting their third album and new single You Should Consider Having Sex With a Bearded Man. Sounding like Duran Duran having sex with Tenacious D in Europe’s dressing room, the first single from the upcoming album is just a taste of the vast musical range of The Beards. And with lyrics like “And you grab him by his facial hair / He’s got some food stuck in his beard but you don’t care / You say, rub that beard on me everywhere”, it is a fun listen. Beard promotion is, however, a very serious thing to The Beards, as Nathanial points out. “If any member [of the band] wanted to shave their beard off, they would be kicked out the band, never to rejoin. Also, our friendship would end,” he states in a stern tone. “Beards are something natural and invigorating. You don’t have a beard so it’s hard to describe the feeling to someone without a beard.” I’m still not sure whether that was a snide jibe or just a musing, but regardless, The Beards do make growing a beard seem like so much fun. The Beards will roll into town alongside buddies Gay Paris and Super Best Friends on Thursday August 18 at ANU Bar. Tickets are $18.90 + BF and are available through Ticketek.

THE REALNESS The Tape Death crew have been working hard on the beat scene for the last little while, making some interesting and innovative hip-hop. The crew includes Mdusu, Meg, Hyphae and Illz. They’ve also just released a new project entitled Jackie Onassis which features an emcee by the name of Kai. Check them out at facebook.com/ tapedeath and facebook.com/jackieonassis187. As they say, they have an embarrassingly meagre amount of ‘likes’ but the music is still fresh, so head on over and check them out while adding to their ‘like’ tally. Do it! Former Hilltop Hoods Initiative winner from 2007, Jimblah has just unveiled his debut album Face The Fire. I caught Jimblah live a few years ago and he was very impressive. Produced entirely by the man himself in his home studio, the album features collaborations with LD, Zaleek, Georgia Humphreys and Alex Treuhl. The album will be available from Friday August 5 and is distributed by Obese. Support the man and check it out when it drops. Also out in August is the new album from Brisbane’s Tommy Illfigga. Entitled Walk A Mile, the album comes courtesy of Born Fresh Records with Obese distro. A jack of all trades (emcee, producer, b-boy, beat boxer and graffiti artist) Tommy’s latest album features beats from Trials, One Above and K21. Able to switch styles with ease and versatility, Tommy is one of Australia’s true talents and Walk A Mile should further cement his name as one of the best to do it. It’s out Friday August 12. On the verge of their Australian tour, Wu-Tang Clan are to release yet another clan album. I’m unsure if this is an ‘official’ Wu-Tang release (ala Iron Flag) or just another in the recent line-up of clan collaborative records they’ve been releasing of late. Legendary Weapons is the name and it’s due out through Entertainment One. Apart from Wu-Tang members of course, the album features Jimi Kendrix, Sean Price, Trife, Roc Marciano, M.O.P., AZ, Action Bronson and Termanology. Wonder if we’ll be able to tell Ghostface and Bronson apart! Dope guest line-up! Been waiting on this one for a while, so it’s great news that Ninja Tune have announced Emika’s debut album is to be released in early October. Following on from a few excellent singles (Drop The Other, Double Edge) the record will continue her explorations of bass, techno and downtempo electronics. Can’t wait! Planet Mu are set to release the debut album from Tropics in September. Entitled Parodic Flare the record will continue to showcase the sweeping psychedelia explored by Tropics on his excellent EP from earlier this year. Finally, this month, something a little different. I am absolutely loving the new EP on Hippos In Tanks from Autre Ne Veut. Entitled Body, I am not even sure what to make of the music (or the artwork!) but it’s got me hooked. This is strangely melodic pop music, complete with dubbed out drums, reverb a plenty and a sense of the otherworldly about it. Regardless of genre classification, this is essential stuff. Get on it and jam. To hear music from all these artists, releases and much more, tune to The Antidote on 2XX 98.3FM every Tuesday night from 9.30pm or stream at 2xxfm.org.au . ROSHAMBO roshambizzle@yahoo.com.au

SUPERSTAR TREK VOYAGER Alisha Evans It seems JOELISTICS can’t get enough of Canberra and its hip-hop fans. He was here only a few months ago in May with Adelaide hip-hop quartet Lowrider, though this time he’s going solo on his Voyager tour. “The last gig at Transit Bar with Lowrider was banging and I’m looking forward to coming to Canberra and warming the cold nights,” he says. The Melbourne-based artist has been practising hard for his first solo performances and is fired up about touring. “I’m super excited about going out and smashing stages around the country.” Joel Ma, of TZU fame, has been working on material since the group decided to take a break two and half years back. Joel took time to travel parts of Asia and Europe and this has inspired his work. “I saw it as an opportunity to explore personal territory lyrically,” he explains. “I wrote these songs using themes of travel and identity.”

I’m definitely not a purist when it comes to hip-hop

All of the music and lyrics on the album Voyager, released on Friday July 29, are written by Joel so he’s very attached to the work. “I feel really close to the beats, I’m a bit of a control freak that way,” he reveals. Joel describes the record as “post-20s, futuristic, personal, anecdotal, folk, electronic hip-hop.” The MC is not only vocally talented but plays drums, guitar and piano and started out as the drummer in a punk band in year eight. The two genres may seem quite far apart but Joel disagrees. “I was attracted to political punk like The Dead Kennedys and heard an echo of that in artists like Public Enemy and De La Soul, in that they’d take a pop song and turn it on its head,” he says. “I related to the rhythm of rappers.” Other musical influences came from his parents who he says have impeccable musical tastes. “They were really influential in my music taste.” Joel says his music is rooted in hip-hop but he tries to reach into other territories as well. “I try and bring other music into what I make. I like a diverse sound and try and weave it into what I do. I’m definitely not a purist when it comes to hip-hop.” Joel also wants people to not only have a good time at his gigs but to think as well. “I write lyrics which are meaningful and give people something to latch on to. I want the crowd to get down but be challenged as well. You have to keep it original and innovative.” He says the innovation is happening across the Australian hip-hop scene and it’s stronger than ever before. “It’s no longer the industry joke,” he explains. “Ten years ago we were banging down people’s doors to take us seriously.” Joelistics hits Canberra on Thursday August 18, playing at Transit Bar with two of his favourite Melbourne acts Ishu and Polo Club. Tickets are $12 + BF and are available through Moshtix.

can get lost in the song, which is a really cool feeling when you close your eyes and imagine being where that person is.”

NOT JUST A PHAZE Ashley Thomson A better beat-builder and producer than M-PHAZES is nigh on impossible to find in the Australian hip-hop scene. The man himself would probably take issue with that but his record is pretty damning of any other opinion. Would you gather that from speaking to him? No, not really. “What’s next for you?” I ask. “I’m actually trying to get some tracks with De La Soul,” M-Phazes replies, his tone more in keeping with going to the bank than collaborating with living legends. “Like, I’ve worked with Talib Kweli and Pharoahe Monch and I guess they’re sort of on the same peer group level… so to get a track with them would, y’know, I guess be one of my dreams.” You have to have your feet firmly on some really awesome ground to say something like that so casually.

The more depth you add, the more a person can get lost in the song

When asked for specifics, he summarises modestly. “I’m just playing some good music. With DJ sets, it’s more just having a rocking party. Playing stuff that I’d love to hear in a club, but also adding my own twist. I try and surprise the crowd, play things they might not usually hear but also play things they might want from an M-Phazes show.”

By the way, if you’re not sold yet, DJ Quik, Frank Ocean (of OFWGKTA), The Weeknd and Beastie Boys are currently heading Phazes’ personal playlist, and his current and future projects include DJing for Illy and collaborating with Kimbra, Josh from Miami Horror and Daniel Merriweather. It’s no surprise Phaze claims to have no time to kill and if the man insists on working, you may as well enjoy the fruits of his labour. M-Phazes takes the Transit stage with Buick, Jemist and more on Saturday August 20. Free before 9pm, $10 on the door after.

And he does. Not only did M-Phazes earn an ARIA last year for his debut solo effort, Good Gracious, but his skill as a producer has been sought out by some of the best artists in American hip-hop. Now he’s released a new collaborative effort with Emilio Rojas under the name Phaze One and is supporting one of the biggest hip-hop groups of all time (WuTang Clan) on their Australian tour. Luckily for us, Phaze has decided to swing by Canberra on the way and spin a DJ set, professing a desire to “get my DJ reputation up a bit, y’know?” For more than one reason, this promises to be worth the price of admission. As a creator of thematic experience, Phaze is phenomenal. “I grew up on American stuff,” he explains when I question his ethos. “I grew up on albums with a lot of skits, more produced albums like De La Soul, A Tribe Called Quest... things like that inspired me. It’s catching the imagination. I feel like the more depth you add, the more a person

The adrenaline

“It was definitely one of the kicked in and it most exciting moments in my felt so natural life,” says Nix. “When the time to be up there finally came, the adrenaline doing my thing kicked in and it felt so natural to be up there doing my thing. I had no problems at all remembering lines and everything just flowed. It was so amazing to look out and see all the people in the crowd. I think that I was still riding the adrenaline high a week later.”

IXNAY ON THE HOMEBOY Tim Galvin Palms sweaty, you watch the lights flicker on the ground. You can’t hear the crowd yet, only the beats in your head, over and over. You take a deep breath, your grip on the mic tightens, everything is in slow motion. You clamp your eyelids and see the words scroll down an imaginary page in your mind’s eye, your lips start to move but no sound comes out – not yet. One by one, things start to materialise outside the invisible bubble around you, voices behind you, footsteps on stairs. Gradually the bubble expands, you hear the bass from the stage, the performer’s voice and finally, the crowd. NIX knows what it feels like to step up onto the big stage for the first time, beating a host of young MCs to be crowned as KP Records’ cardinal Pass The Mic champion. First prize wasn’t a crispy wad of cash or a goofy novelty cheque, the winner received what all young hip-hop artists would pull out their strap and kill for: a chance to perform alongside one of their idols, who in this case were US moguls Bone Thugs-N-Harmony.

The young MC schooled himself on East Coast hip-hop while growing up in Sydney, finding his calling wrapped up in the silky smooth delivery of artists such as Ghostface Killah, who inspired him to start penning his own rhymes and developing his own spin on lyrical technique. “I didn’t get into emceeing until around the age of 15 or 16. Initially I was just scribbling lines here and there. It wasn’t until I met my friend Grimey, who happened to be a grade above me, that I really started to dabble in the art of rhyme,” he explains. “Our mutual appreciation for hip-hop gave me a great platform to work with as an emcee just starting out. Since then, I guess I’ve quietly been working on my craft over the years.” In 2011, the KP crew are back with an even bigger headliner – legendary superstar Ice Cube – and the local hip-hop crew are offering the chance for another up and comer to compete for a support slot, something Nix is well placed to offer advice about. “Just do you. Be yourself in your music and do not subscribe yourself to anyone else’s expectations or style but your own… oh, and have fun with it!” For the chance to follow in Nix’s footsteps, enter the Pass The Mic competition by uploading your best MP3 to kokyprik.com. The winner will open for Ice Cube at the AIS Arena on Friday September 16.

Hip Hop TV, KP Records & MTV Classic Present

METALISE By the time this column hits the press there will be an announcement of a surprise second headliner for the touring mega-fest that is Soundwave. Monday August 1 the announcement will have been made and adds to an already ludicrous pile of international bands from Watain to Steel Panther. One of those Soundwave acts is doing a special reissue of my album of the year for 2010 to celebrate their first Australian tour. Kvelertak are bringing a strictly limited release of their self-titled masterpiece out Tuesday September 27 including six extra tracks, a DVD with eight videos, live clips and studio doco with a brand new booklet and poster also designed by John Baizley, who did the

original release’s artwork. On the local reissue front it was great to hear that South Aussie funeral doom black belts Mournful Congregation were putting out a multi format five track release featuring stuff formerly available on splits. The tracks include Left Unspoken, The Epitome of Gods and Men Alike, A Slow March To the Burial, Descent of the Flames and Thergothon cover Elemental. The release comes ahead of their December run of US dates culminating in the headliner position at the Rites of Darkness festival in San Antonio. Check20buckspin.com for more details. Dr Duncan Beard does great work in helping raise money for Motor Neuron Disease in this country and to follow on from last year’s sold out event at The Basement in Belconnen, there’s another show on there on Saturday September 3 to raise money for the fundraising activities that Motor Neuron Disease Australia undertakes (mndaust.asn.au). This year Live Evil, Venom Eyes and Futility hit the stage with all proceeds on the night going to the MND Australia organisation. A worthy cause and a great night of metal – Saturday September 3 in Belconnen. Thursday August 18 at The Annandale in Sydney is this year’s leg of the Progfest that has been steadily building since 2008. The line-up has been released now and you can catch Laurenz Pike, Avarin, Pirate, Meniscuc, Arcane, Branch Arterial, dumsaint, Solkyri, Grun, We Lost The Sea, Serious Beak, Sicaria and Mish. Doors open 1.30pm and presale tix are available from The Annandale’s website. There’s been some conjecture over the future of The Annandale of late. I spoke to their manager recently and there’s life in the old dog yet, including potentially a month of shows to support the venue’s continued existence. Watch this space for more. Forbidden have their thrashtastic show at The Bald Faced Stag on Parramatta Road on Friday August 5 with Hobbs Angel of Death, Hellbringer, Desecrator and Maniaxe. Hobbs is only doing the Sydney leg of the tour. Church of Misery have tragically cancelled their Australian tour due to their new guitarist not gelling with the current line-up. 666 Entertainment are scrambling to fill the gap and we shall hopefully get some good news on a replacement for The Basement show next ish. Unkle K’s Band of the Week: Dead Language ironlungrecords.bigcartel.com/ product/dead-language-s-t-lp Embers of Iron Lung, Pig Heart Transplant, No Comment JOSH NIXON doomtildeath@hotmail.com

the word

on albums

album of the issue com truise galactic melt [BMI]

My wife once knew a man who lived with his mum and had an obsession with keyboards (of the musical variety). He filled every available and unavailable nook ‘n’ cranny of his longsuffering mother’s house with keyboards from across the ages until the word ‘home’ could have been more accurately replaced with ‘museum’. A synth museum, if you will. If I was to discover that my troubled wife’s friend was, in fact, New Jersey electronic chameleon Com Truise I would not be surprised. The man loves synths. I mean loves synths. And his fabulously titled Galactic Melt could indeed be described as a synth museum. The world is a much richer place for it. Self touted as producing “mid-fi synth-wave, slow motion funk”, Seth “Truise” Haley has at the very least created something truly mesmerising, music that paradoxically uses all the hallmarks of the ‘80s – synths, 808 drums, more synths – to create something futuristic. This is mind music, akin to spinning through 2001’s psychedelic ‘through the infinite’. Haley’s sound smacks of Boards of Canada – with its cloudy synths, scrapes, blips and bleeps; VHS Sex sounds like a forgotten BoC B-side – and praise doesn’t come higher than that. But he has crafted his own synthy beast that’s both an affectionate nod to the past and a bold step into the future. Take one listen to Flightwave and be converted. ALLAN SKO

AraabMUZIK Electronic Dream [Duke]

Cut Off Your Hands Hollow [Speak N Spell/Inertia]

Discharge Disensitise [Candlelight]

Araab is known in music circles as a hardcore rap producer, and a sharp-edged one at that. Producing for artists such as Cam’ron and Busta Rhymes, Araab made a name crafting balls-out gems such as Cam’ron’s 2010 single Get it in Ohio, and before that showcasing his skills with a drum machine on the internet. As a precursor to this record, all that stuff is kind of a red herring. The only thing that carries into this record is his talent for making a mean beat. Electronic Dream feels like a 36 minute remix of something very menacing, but its trancelike swish and slap beats and rapidly spooky synth hooks turn this album into something so entrancing that the menace gradually becomes a blade behind a curtain.

Try the following personal checklist: nausea, feeling hollow, fooling no one and down and out? Either you’re on the fast track to depression or you’re reading down the track list of the second album from Cut Off Your Hands. The lads from The Shaky Isles, who had three drummers and three guitarists in just 12 months but have now returned to their original line-up, demonstrate that bad news can come in bright and attractive wrapping.

It is difficult to summarise in the space of a small album review – especially whilst having to talk about said album too – just how important Discharge is as a band. They invented a genre for a start – d-Beat – but besides that there were few bands plying their trade in the world of extreme music from the mid ‘80s onwards who did not owe some sort of sonic debt to this Stoke-on-Trent, UK-based outfit.

Occasionally Araab plays rough, like in Underground Stream, but it is always with a view to helping you feel the coolness of the water when he chooses to throw you back into distinctly subaquatic trance tracks. He knows to step off the gas and let you find your feet in his deceptive and beautiful creation. I’m not a fan of trance, which is essentially what this album boils down to, but it’s so masterfully put together that it’s hard not to get caught up in it. Electronic Dream is a perfect title. With the consistent surrealism of a dreamscape and just a smattering of nightmare, Araab has stepped out of his comfort zone with excellent results. ASHLEY THOMSON

While the themes from the indie poppers may be grave, the pace has picked up from their debut CD You & I. The opener You Should Do Better shows the way with crisp drums and ringing guitars, and it just gets better from there. Hollow is fast and cheerful, with chiming guitars that radiate feel-good tunes. There’s more than a hint of the ‘80s with soft focus vocals and a ring to the melodies that brings back sweet memories of bands such as The Go Betweens. While the messages may be as despairing as those of The Smiths, there’s a vibe to the sound that is sure to make you smile and sway. Highlights include Nausea with its shoe-gazing effects of echoing vocals and guitar licks that follow a mesmerising repetitive spiral, while there’s a distinct R.E.M. flavour to the opening bars of By Your Side, a sleepy tune punctuated by a deep bass line wrapped up with cosy harmonies. RORY McCARTNEY

Disensitise, originally released in 2006 and now reactivated for your listening pleasure by Candlelight Records, sees the band at their primitive, primal best. Fed up with flirting with heavy metal, Disensitise sees the band returning to its roots for a set that more than makes up in fury what it loses in finesse. As ever guitarist Bones is central to what goes on here, his filthy riffage propelling every song with a sort of simplistic fury you just don’t hear that often any more. He’s no slouch as a soloist (go and listen to his work with crossover icons Broken Bones for proof if you don’t believe me), but for Disensitise he’s stripped his technique back to a thrashing strum that is, for want of a better phrase, punk as fuck. Original vocalist Cal is sadly long gone, however his broken howl of a voice is replaced (and never aped) by vocalist Rat (who also fulfils the same role with fellow UK punk travellers The Varukers), with the result being an exceptionally fine slab of brutal, simplistic punk rock. SCOTT ADAMS

singled out

with Dave Ruby Howe

JEFF BRIDGES JEFF BRIDGES [ramp records]

the horrors Skying [xl]

Starring on the silver screen has its perks; money, fame and a guaranteed audience for that seemingly inevitable music project. 60-something year old Academy Award winner Jeff Bridges, best known for his roles in films such as The Big Lebowski and True Grit, continues the Hollywood tradition of artistic colonisation with self-titled release Jeff Bridges. For every She and Him volume that gets released there seems to be at least a dozen mediocre ‘movie star’ albums that appear. I wanted so much for this album to be an exception. But Jeff Bridges is no She and Him. There is not much that is interesting or endearing about it either.

One of my favourite things about being a kid was the lucky dip. Every year I would roll up to my school fete, hand over 20 cents and take sheer delight in tearing off the newspapercum-packaging to see what was inside. One year I got a half-broken helicopter. I played with it for weeks and had never been happier. The next year I got a bottle of hair conditioner. The lady running the stand laughed at me and I learnt an important life lesson. Years on I still love the lucky dip, and that’s why I called in to my friendly neighbourhood record store and picked up a copy of Skying.

What is good about this album is that Bridges can sing. His voice is even somewhat enjoyable to listen to and there is a welcome lack of auto-tune. The music accompanying Mr Bridges is well played too. But why is Jeff Bridges so underwhelming? A partial answer can be found in the lyrics of track Everything But Love. Mr Bridges pours his heart out, finishing with the poignant words “you can have everything but it just won’t be enough if you have everything but love”. The album is cliché beyond belief. Cheesy lyrics, imitation Petty-esque guitars and mournful pedal-steel are used to the point where it becomes a chore to listen. After enduring all ten tracks, it is painfully obvious that Bridges’ talent lies elsewhere. Liam Demamiel

The Horrors are perhaps the freshest, most unpredictable band recording music today. Second effort Primary Colours represented a quantum leap from the goth-tinged garage rock homage of debut Strange House. That The Horrors could drop such an album was a justifiable shock to those who had written them off as one trick ponies, and they established themselves as a must watch creative team capable of genre-shifting and reinvention. The Horrors have once again come out of nowhere with something completely unexpected. Latest release Skying is near flawless. As a collection of songs it is amazingly coherent and fresh; perfectly structured to overwhelm and awe. No part is extraneous or unnecessary. Single Still Life is the song of the year so far. Skying is new and beautiful and… graceful. Liam Demamiel

Timothy Nelson & The Infidels I Know This Now [Independent]

Azari & III Manic [Modular/UMA]

My first thoughts on loading the TN&TI debut album and pressing play were ‘I’ve put The Whitlams on by mistake! But a quick label check shows it’s not those lovable whelps, but an outfit that’s been wowing them in droves to the west of the rabbit proof fence.

After a pretty much flawless run of singles with Reckless With Your Love, Hungry For The Power and Indigo, Canadian house divas Azari & III show they’re human with Manic, a sadly soft opening salvo for their debut album. It’s not bad, it’s just a bit ordinary and far below the par set by their previous hedonistic club gems.

About two thirds of the album rejoices in a timeless Beatles inspired pop formula of catchy upbeat melodies and great lead vocals, rounded out by swelling harmonies. The remainder balances the songbook with a country flavour imparted by the harmonica in Overcast Day and the slide guitar effect in Inside Out. Clever lyrics stick in your mind, with lines such as “Your eyes are as grey as an overcast day, but sunshine is overrated anyway”. Tim’s abilities have seen him take out the WAMI song of the year award in both 2007 and 2009. His clean cut voice peels out clearly and he’s well supported by a softer backing sound from Ellen Oosterbaan. The songs are uniformly about tangled affairs and the rocky road to love, well summed up by the CD title that implies knowledge gained the hard way through stormy relationships. Speak the Truth in Love stands out with is stirring strings and a trumpet flourish at the finish. But the reals highlights are Nothing’s In Tune, You Don’t Know What You’re Waiting For (both out as singles) and Run For Cover.

Bruno Mars Marry You [Warner] To call Bruno Mars ‘vanilla’ would be a slight to a very fine, if ordinary flavour. He is not vanilla. He makes vanilla taste like a magical rainbow made from God’s private Skittle collection. Remember when ‘classic’ M&Ms were called ‘plain’ and then the marketing people realised that was kinda unappealing? Bruno Mars is that. He’s plain. He’s pedestrian, he’s inoffensive, he’s spectacularly average. And yet here we are some four/ five singles later and he’s still tilting his head and staring at us with those empty eyes and that fucking Jason Mraz fedora hat and spinning some other bullshit high school rhyme that’s so soft and saccharine that it’ll be on Glee next week.

New Navy Zimbabwe [Future Classic] Yeah, there’s more than a little Two Door Cinema Club shining through on this jam from the fresh faced Sydney kids but there’s still plenty to like on Zimbabwe. If only it was summer already.

rory mccartney

the word

on films

WITH MELISSA WELLHAM

I hope you, dear readers, don’t think I’m joking when I tell you that there seems to be little point in reviewing any other film upon the release of Harry Potter. Seriously, couldn’t we have just reviewed Harry Potter three times over? But review other films we must, if only because I’ve heard that (gasp!) not everyone likes films about boy wizards, and (shock! horror!) there are even those among you who gave up reading after the fourth book. For shame. At least there’s Bad Teacher, featuring a sexually provocative school ma’am. And who wouldn’t like that?

quote of the issue

Russell (Jason Segel): “Hey Elizabeth, do you wanna, like, grab a bite sometime?” Elizabeth (Cameron Diaz): “You still a gym teacher?” Russell: “I am. Yeah.” Elizabeth: “Then no.” Russell: “Okay, cool. Well, awesome. This went great. All right.” - Bad Teacher

Bad Teacher Bad Teacher isn’t bad in terms of quality, but nor is it good. And unfortunately, it’s not quite a bad as it wants to be. If you know what I mean. Elizabeth (Cameron Diaz) is a bad role model turned teacher: she smokes, shows up hungover to class, and gets high in-between lessons. When her rich fiancé dumps her, she turns her attentions to the moneyed substitute teacher Scott (Justin Timberlake), but she has competition from the preternaturally perky teacher Amy Squirrel (Lucy Punch). Plus, she must ward off the affections of the dry, deadpan gym teacher Russell (Jason Segel). Jason Segel is great as Jason Segel, as usual. Cameron Diaz has made a name for herself playing bright, sunny, sexy leads – but here she does bitter, cynical and sexy well. Justin Timberlake was surprisingly good in drama The Social Network, and here he shows he can also do comedy. He is by turns so dumb, so superficial, and so weirdly sexually repulsive that you can barely believe you are watching a former member of tween heartthrob group ‘N Sync on screen. Where the film fails is the script. The dialogue falls flat, and the jokes aren’t as outrageously bad as they want to be. Look, I’m not suggesting film school detention for director Jake Kasdan. But a little tutoring might not have gone astray. Melissa Wellham

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2

Captain America: The First Avenger

The wizarding world has arrived at its epic boss battle – and there will be kisses, deaths, surprises and mysteries. Don’t bother if you haven’t read the books, or if you haven’t seen Part 1. Here’s a summary of…

Captain America is all cheese. But it’s the best, guilty-pleasure kind. Watching Captain America is like sitting down to devour an entire wheel of camembert, and not even feeling bad about it.

What they did right: Cutting down Ginny’s role was the best damn thing to happen to the franchise since Emma Watson got hot. Ginny is dull as dirt and her and Harry have as much sexual chemistry as two barramundi. Neville finally gets his (as well as the screen time he deserves), and Ron and Hermione share the kiss that makes Potter fans squeal the world over. The Snape storyline is handled surprisingly well, and who can’t enjoy McGonagall and Molly kicking butt. What they did wrong: The 3D is pointless – all it does is make an already murky film look even darker. James Potter comes off as an insignificant wang; the epilogue scene is, as expected, completely laughable; and plot points are randomly changed for no good reason, or left frustratingly dangling. Overall, David Yates seems to be ticking boxes, without trying to achieve any true emotional depth or excitement. After a decade, the Harry Potter franchise is over – and it wasn’t a fizzle and yet it wasn’t a bang. I enjoyed and appreciated the final film, though it wasn’t as epic as I had always hoped. MEGAN McKEOUGH

The last stand-alone film before the release of The Avengers (which will feature characters Iron Man, The Hulk, Thor and Captain America), follows Steve Rogers (Chris Evans). After being deemed unfit for military duty during WWII due to his general weakling-status, Steve volunteers for a dangerous experimental research project that turns him into a super soldier: Captain America. As well as being pitted against the Nazis, the mad Red Skull (Hugo Weaving) and his evil army Hydra, the Captain must also find time to get the girl: Agent Carter (Hayley Atwell). Despite being cheesy, Captain America is also clever. The things that could’ve very easily made this film unbearable (overt patriotism, an unbeatable hero) are dealt with in a vaguely tongue-in-cheek manner, and used for laughs. There are great supporting performances throughout (from Tommy Lee Jones, Dominic Cooper, and Staley Tucci in particular), and fans will enjoy the frequent references to other Avengers characters (Thor’s extended family of gods gets a mention, as does Iron Man/Tony Stark’s father, Howard Stark). There’s much more to enjoy besides: Captain America is fun, fastpaced and flashy. Everything an Avengers film should be. MELISSA WELLHAM

the word on dvds

The Adjustment Bureau [Universal]

Hereafter [Warner Home Video]

The Lincoln Lawyer [Roadshow]

Philip K Dick is one of the most celebrated science fiction writers of all time. Not only have his novels, essays and short stories won their own share of awards but small portions of his work have been spun off into screenplays for extraordinary and middling returns (Blade Runner and Minority Report respectively). The difficulty anyone faces when confronted with converting the limitless vistas of science fiction to the big screen is that some ideas are far beyond the technical grasp of the camera. And so we have The Adjustment Bureau, based on Dick’s short story Adjustment Team. Having not read the original text it’s hard to know how well it translates, but if Dick was aiming for a story where his protagonist runs through doors and shifts dimensions and geography with a magic hat – then mission accomplished. Somehow I doubt that was what he was hoping for.

Plucky 12-year-old Marcus (Frankie McLaren) is sitting in a room with child protection services. It’s a day after Marcus sat near alone in a church farewelling his twin brother – Jason – run over whilst fleeing a gang of teenage thieves. In the same room sits his mother. A heroin addict, she is about to lose custody of her remaining son. What a dire situation. Unbelievably neither Mike Leigh nor Ken Loach is behind the camera. Hereafter is Clint Eastwood’s meandering excursion into the vagueness of the afterlife. Meanwhile in France, Marie Lelay (Cecile de France) is struggling to cope with surviving a tsunami. After being clocked in the head with debris, Lelay drifts towards that light we have been taught is the signifier to the ‘other world’. After recovery, she takes a circuitous path to new age book author thereby befuddling her Gallic peers.

If your only exposure to Matthew McConaughey is his over-exposed torso on the many beaches of North America and his plentiful squalid rom-coms you’d have no reason to expect much from “McConaughey – The Dramatist”. In fact it’s the clever bait-and-switch stunt casting of the slow drawling Texan in the role of Mickey Haller, a morallyambiguous defence attorney who practises his ‘craft’ in Los Angeles court rooms, that makes The Lincoln Lawyer such an enjoyable surprise. On the surface Haller is simple to figure out. By representing the scumbags and career crims he is doing his bit to keep those scales of justice in balance. Not out of a sense of altruism, mind you. Money appears to be the primary driver and a small dose of sticking it to the man; usually the police.

David Norris (Matt Damon) is a young politician on the make. Despite selling his knockabout Brooklyn attitude, he’s just like any other media managed public official – he can’t even tie his own tie. The humanity! After losing a Senate election and practicing his concession speech in the bathroom, a mysterious woman in a dress (Emily Blunt) advises him to go for broke and tell the truth. But the truth has consequences and as we learn, the balance is inexorably tipped. Men in suits freeze time and ‘adjust’ circumstances and people’s minds to suit the natural and predetermined path of… things. Norris refuses to play nice. Flights of fantasy are in the mind and so are notoriously tricky to capture and the nature of fate, freewill and an omnipotent God are suggested but never fully realised. It’s a film that almost gets there, but it feels like someone chickened out somewhere in the process. Something that Dick never did. JUSTIN HOOK

And finally, in San Francisco George Lonegan (Matt Damon) takes Italian cooking classes and works in a factory after giving up a lucrative, but naturally draining, life in psychic readings. Somehow these lives have to intersect. PT Anderson and Alejandro González Iñárritu have made a career out of this sort of thing by playfully bending narratives and smashing together disparate character arcs. Eastwood on the other hand prefers to take a step back. He is a filmmaker of the less is more variety. But this means that Hereafter poses big questions but offers little framework for the viewer to contextualise them. Eastwood has crafted an odd, decidedly non-mainstream film about loss and grief. The screenplay by Peter Morgan (The Queen, Frost/Nixon) is elliptical and intriguing but after a mid-section lag the film never regains its composure. JUSTIN HOOK

Haller accepts a job defending Louis Roulet, a smarmy LA playboy played with an acute sense of understanding by the smarmy and joyless Ryan Phillipe. Roulet is accused of beating and raping a prostitute – but it was all a set up to cash in on his enormous wealth and so for an exorbitant fee Haller starts demolishing the alleged victim. Matters soon get all twisty and turny and soon enough the lawyer (who works out of his vintage Lincoln) is trapped in a carefully constructed Hobson’s choice. To say any more would be to spoil. The Lincoln Lawyer harks back to a time when you couldn’t wander into a multiplex without falling over a courtroom drama. And despite being set in LA this film isn’t always flashy; it inhabits the grimy and shifty… think The Shield vs James Ellroy. McConaughey deserves most of the credit for this film’s success, effortlessly outshining a formidably talented cast. When they’re done this well, it’s good to have the courtroom drama back. JUSTIN HOOK

the word

BLACKBOX

on games

Child of Eden Developer: Q Entertainment Platform: 360, PS3 Length: 5 - 50 hours (depending on your drug of choice) Rating: Great, not brilliant Ten long years ago, Japanese developer Tetsuya Mizuguchi unleashed Rez on an unsuspecting gaming world, an artsy romp that took the dull concept of a rail-based shooter and spiced the hell out of it by making it an interactive music ping fest that kept gamers, and their neighbours, up past 2am for many a month. Objects fly at you, you shoot them before they wear down your power bar, and every time you hit them a cymbal/hand clap/synth/snare is introduced to the backing track. By the end of the level, you’re bathed in a fist-pumping club cacophony. It was wonderful. It still is wonderful. And ten years on we finally have the follow up… Child of Eden. Rather hilariously Wikipedia describes Child of Eden as “a rhythm action game”, a perfect description for a lonely fanboy Friday night. By this they mean the game utilises the Kinect’s, throwing you into the psychedelic environment that is part internet part outer space where you use your left hand for rapid-fire gun play and right hand for lock on missile action*, zapping nasties in order to save Lumi, who apparently holds all knowledge about the Earth… Or some crap. The ‘storyline’ is unimportant. It’s the same game, but vastly jazzed up. Now I’m going to put my head on the chopping block of public opinion and boldly claim – as a game, I prefer Rez, despite the brilliant movement interaction and vastly improved visuals. Needless to say, Child of Eden is spectacular in the visuals department; there’s a section towards Level 1’s end where you shoot orange squares out of a transparent tower, with each one introducing a vocal snippet over a pumping trance soundtrack… Euphoric, emotional, awesome. But it’s all pumping trance. Every level. Brilliant for those 2am fleet-of-foot and wide-of-pupil trance soldiers, but not so much for everyone else. Rez switched it up, ending fabulously with Adam Freeland’s Fear (check out the Rez 10 minute mix on YouTube). And the game is paradoxically short in overall length but long per level, taking between 10-15 minutes per ‘world’. Fail right at the end, it’s all the way back to the start for you, which is a drain. So it’s crap? Absolutely not. Provided you live in the same dwelling as ten years ago, this will still annoy the same neighbours all over again, with added “Ow! You smacked me in the face!” interjections that the Kinect provides. But with a varied soundtrack and a bit more longevity injected into the overall game structure, this would have been perfect. But don’t listen to me; try it out for yourself. ALLAN SKO *yes, it’s as hot as it sounds, ladies.

The latest Chez Blackbox obsession Sons of Anarchy (One, Wed Aug 10, 9.30pm) gets even better this fortnight as it swings into the season two storyline and the great Henry Rollins joins the cast. Hank does a star turn as (ironically) a white supremacist. Playing against type is status quo for Hank – fans should seek out The Chase, an early ‘90s B-grade action flick which also features cameos by Flea and porn legend Ron Jeremy. Friday Night Lights (ABC1, Fri, 8.30pm) does for middle America what The Wire did for Baltimore – showing a true portrayal of the characters that inhabit what bureaucrats call the flyover states. Other shows new to screens in coming weeks include Valemont (ABC2, Tue Aug 16, 8.30pm) – another supernatural series that went straight to the web in the US, Renovators (SCTEN, Sun Aug 7, 7.30pm) – the network’s replacement for Masterchef (SCTEN, Sun Aug 7, 6.30pm), Big Trouble in Thailand (Go!, Thu, 8.30pm) following British cops working alongside Thai police, The Hotel (SBS1, Wed Aug 10, 8.30pm) – an ob doco about a hotel in the UK and new seasons of Talkin’ ‘bout Your Generation (SCTEN, Wed Aug 10, 8.30pm), Law & Order UK (SCTEN, Fri Aug 12, 8.30pm) and Law & Order (SCTEN, Fri Aug 12, 9.30pm). Just when you thought the networks had run out of premises for talent shows, along comes The Voice (Go!, Tue Aug 9, 7.30pm), hosted by Carson Daly, which apparently takes looks out of the equation. Judges on the US show have their backs to the contestants and only get to see them after they make a decision. Not sure what happens in the casting audition though. Finally Buffy the Vampire Slayer (11, Sat, 11.30pm) makes it onto the late night roster. Unfortunately it’s at the expense of Roseanne but only on the weekend. For a bit of Australian cultural history night owls can also catch Skippy (WIN, Sun, 5.30am). It was bound to happen sooner or later – WIN has announced production of a Beaconsfield telemovie. No air date yet but it will star Shane Jacobson and Lachy Hume. Come to think of it, the WIN folks are yet to reveal an air date for Underbelly Razor despite relentless promotion for at least the past year. Docos to check out include Erasing David (ABC1, Wed Aug 3, 9.30pm) where UK filmmaker David Bond sees whether he can actually disappear without a trace, Artscape: Carnival Queen (ABC2, Tue Aug 23, 10pm) which follows Finucane and Smith’s Carnival of Mysteries as it is prepared for the stage, Ingrid Betancourt: 6 years in the Jungle (ABC1, Wed Aug 17, 10.20pm) which recounts what happened to Colombia’s most famous hostage, and The Invention of Dr Nakamats (ABC2, Wed Aug 10, 9.20pm) – the world’s most prolific patent holder and inventor of the CD. Movie picks this fortnight include In the Heat of the Night (ABC2, Sat Aug 20, 8.30pm), Tropic Thunder (SCTEN, Sun Aug 7, 9.35pm), Thank You For Smoking (SCTEN, Sat Aug 6, 10pm), Chocolat (GEM, Fri Aug 12, 8.30pm), Rio Bravo (GEM, Sat Aug 13, 3.05pm), The Omega Man (WIN, Sat Aug 13, 2am) and the premiere of Australian horror flick The Tunnel (iView from Sun Aug 14). Also don’t miss the new series of British political satire The Thick of It (ABC1, Thu, 10pm). TRACY HEFFERNAN tracyheffernan@bigpond.com

the word

Doomriders / I Exist / 4Dead ANU Bar Monday July 25

on gigs

A Monday night in Canberra. A Monday night in Canberra in deep midwinter. A Monday night in Canberra in deep midwinter when the city’s beloved Raiders are at home to the mighty Dragons. Three things, which, when added to the fact that Canberrans really don’t like leaving their suburbs for the seething fleshpot that is Civic on a school night surely spelt disaster for the svengali-like promoters hoping to perform some sort of financial alchemy with tonight’s three pronged feast of heaviness… Well, that shows what I know, eh? When BMA arrives at the ANU just as local openers 4Dead are starting to go about their destructive business, one thing becomes apparent – there’s a crowd here. By the time headliners Doomriders take the stage there is a bloody healthy turnout indeed, but that’s getting ahead of ourselves – back to 4Dead. This band has been a staple on Canberran extreme bills for years now; their violent take on punk-informed metal always providing an RSJ-styled prop for those with seemingly bigger ambition to rest against. But the last two times that BMA has seen this band – coincidentally perhaps both times have been here at the ANU – 4Dead seem to be heading upwards and onwards with a fire in their bellies that promises good things. There’s a nasty crunch to their sound tonight, and they lay the ground for their more illustrious bill sharers well. Fellow Canberrans I Exist have yet to disappoint in the live arena, and tonight is no different. Riding high on the back of an album, II: The Broken Passage, which has seen them vault from well meaning local heroes to serious international class contenders in the blink of an eye, their second hometown show in as many weeks is, simply, a riot of violent entertainment that delights the partisan audience. Their chosen milieu is nothing new, but the way they weave the seemingly disparate strands of doom metal and old school hardcore punk into an eminently palatable maelstrom is a joy to behold. They’ll be headlining (and selling out) bigger venues than this before very long. So, two down, and two very satisfactory results to boot. At this point, BMA is starting to feel its age and looking for a gap in the conversation to make its excuses and head off into the arctic night in search of a kebab and a bus. Sensing what was about to happen, BMA Metalise correspondent Josh Nixon (who also happens to sling an axe for I Exist) leans across and bellows “JUST STAY FOR ONE SONG!” before nodding sagely at me and returning to a Buddha-like repose. Needless to say – he’s a metal correspondent after all – he was right. For the next hour and a bit the Massachusetts quartet proceed to bludgeon the nation’s capital into submission with a set that combines pure heavy metal thunder with despondently doomy passages in a manner that’s hard not to enjoy if you’re a fan of extreme music.

PHOTOS: cole bennetts

In an age where heavy metal has splintered into seemingly innumerable genres and sub-genres, what Doomriders present is in essence heavy metal in its purest (that’s to say least diluted) form – adamantine, stentorian, with traditional values of musicianship and dynamic songwriting fused to just enough punk fury to keep things from getting too stolid. After the band finishes an exhilarating set the audience doesn’t want them to go, and, quite frankly, neither do I. Why can’t every Monday night be like this? SCOTT ADAMS

GIG GUIDE Aug 03 - Aug 05 wednesday august 03 Arts CCAS - One Place, Three Exhibitions

Comedy Comedy Club 7.30pm, $10 CIVIC PUB

Live

Jacqueline Bradley’s The Outdoors Type, Andrzej Zielinski’s Prototype & Ash Keating’s Activate 2750.

Kaiser Chiefs

Exhibition - EarthWeave

UCU REFECTORY

CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ART SPACE GORMAN HOUSE

With special guests Papa vs Pretty and Stonefield. Tix on sale through Ticketek now.

Weave traces the history of Indigenous art, craft and design.

Hippo Live

Yurauna Centre Artists NAIDOC Week Exhibition

Fran Swinn Quartet With Corde Lisse

CANBERRA GLASSWORKS

Open 9am-4.30pm.

BELCONNEN GALLERY

Wayne Kelly.

HIPPO LOUNGE

Plus Inform Meets the Sirens Big Band. 7.30pm, tix from The Street Theatre.

Yurauna Centre Artists NAIDOC Week Exhibition

Adalita

BELCONNEN GALLERY

TRANSIT BAR

Open 9am-4.30pm.

With the lovely Laura Imbruglia in support. Tix $15 + bf from Moshtix.

Harvest – Annabelle Davidson

The Carl Morgan Band

This exhibition highlights the work of glass artist Annabelle Davidson. CRAFT ACT

Exhibition - Geoffrey de Groen An exploration of the very essence of the language of painting. Free entry. Wed to Sun 12noon- 5pm.

9.30pm. To book tickets, call The Street Theatre on 6247 1223 or visit www. thestreet.org.au THE STREET THEATRE

Something Different

ANU DRILL HALL GALLERY

Open Mic Night

Quantum Leap - Identify

POT BELLY BAR

Contemporary dance exploring who we are and where we’re going. Bookings 6285 6290. THE QUEANBEYAN PERFORMING ARTS CENTRE

9pm, free.

Karaoke

8.30pm ‘til 11pm followed by DJ Kiz ‘til 5am. CUBE NIGHTCLUB

Harvest – Annabelle Davidson

THE STREET THEATRE

As part of the Capital Jazz Project. 9:30pm. To book tickets, call The Street Theatre on 6247 1223.

Green Faces 11 - Bev Killick

CRAFT ACT

Tickets from Canberra Ticketing 6275 2700, or greenfaces.com .

Arts

Something Different

Dance

Fame Trivia

Hazan

Spectacular prints produced by artist Eleanor Gates-Stuart. ‘Til Aug 24.

This exhibition highlights the work of glass artist Annabelle Davidson.

Out of the West: Art of Western Australia A unique look at the art from Western Australia from pre-settlement until today. NATIONAL GALLERY OF AUSTRALIA

Tour de Force

‘In case of emergency break glass’ highlights the work of eight progressive Australian artists. CRAFT ACT

Exhibition - Ten Good Stories

Tells the magical qualities of glass and the mastery of those who attempt to tame it. ‘Til Aug 9. CANBERRA GLASSWORKS

Exhibition - Geoffrey de Groen An exploration of the very essence of the language of painting. Free entry. Wed to Sun 12noon- 5pm. ANU DRILL HALL GALLERY

Step Into the Limelight Seasons

A smorgasbord of dance, theatre and visual arts. $32/$21.75 from Ticketek, 7pm. ROYAL THEATRE

Quantum Leap - Identify

Contemporary dance exploring who we are and where we’re going. Bookings 6285 6290. THE QUEANBEYAN PERFORMING ARTS CENTRE

Misinterprotato

THE STREET THEATRE

Make sure you register your team by 6pm every Wednesday at the bar to test your knowledge. TRANSIT BAR

thursday august 04

Comedy

CANBERRA IRISH CLUB

HIPPO LOUNGE

Ced Nada

Playing the best in bass music. Free entry. No haters.

Every Thursday, from 2pm onwards.

Spectacular prints produced by artist Eleanor Gates-Stuart. ‘Til Aug 24.

Live

CCAS - One Place, Three Exhibitions

Crash the Curb, Pelvic. 9pm.

By Michelle Day, Beverly Bruen and Julie Monro-Allison. From Aug 4-14.

CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ARTS SPACE - MANUKA

Tells the magical qualities of glass and the mastery of those who attempt to tame it. ‘Til Aug 9. ‘In case of emergency break glass’ highlights the work of eight progressive Australian artists.

ANU BAR AND REFECTORY

Exhibition - Monstrosity

Exhibition - Ten Good Stories

Day Play DJs in the Beer Garden

CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ART SPACE GORMAN HOUSE

CSIRO DISCOVERY CENTRE

CANBERRA GLASSWORKS

Exhibition - Cracking The Finger Codes

Jacqueline Bradley’s The Outdoors Type, Andrzej Zielinski’s Prototype & Ash Keating’s Activate 2750.

Exhibition - Cracking The Finger Codes

KNIGHTSBRIDGE PENTHOUSE

Arts

CSIRO DISCOVERY CENTRE

friday august 05

The Streetlight Parade THE PHOENIX PUB

MIC Night

Feat. Fiona Boyes. 7.30pm. $5 at the door. CIT MUSIC INDUSTRY CENTRE

Wanderlust

As part of the Capital Jazz Project. 7.30pm, for tix call The Street Theatre on 6247 1223. THE STREET THEATRE

Chicago Charles

KING O’MALLEY’S, CIVIC

Tour de Force

CRAFT ACT

CCAS - One Place, Three Exhibitions

Jacqueline Bradley’s The Outdoors Type, Andrzej Zielinski’s Prototype & Ash Keating’s Activate 2750.

CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ART SPACE GORMAN HOUSE

Exhibition - Monstrosity

By Michelle Day, Beverly Bruen and Julie Monro-Allison. From Aug 4-14.

CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ARTS SPACE - MANUKA

Theatre - Life x 3 By Yasmina Reza A witty and acerbic play, directed by Garry Fry. From Aug 5-20, Wed-Sat, 8pm. CANBERRA REPERTORY

GIG GUIDE Aug 05 - Aug 08 friday august 05 Arts Exhibition - Monstrosity

By Michelle Day, Beverly Bruen and Julie Monro-Allison. From Aug 4-14.

CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ARTS SPACE - MANUKA

Theatre - Life x 3 By Yasmina Reza A witty and acerbic play, directed by Garry Fry. From Aug 5-20, Wed-Sat, 8pm. CANBERRA REPERTORY

Yurauna Centre Artists NAIDOC Week Exhibition Open 9am-4.30pm.

BELCONNEN GALLERY

Harvest – Annabelle Davidson

Zoe & The Buttercups

Plus The Reuben Lewis Quintet. 9.30pm, tix from The Street Theatre on 6247 1223. THE STREET THEATRE

saturday august 06 Arts Exhibition - Cracking The Finger Codes

Spectacular prints produced by artist Eleanor Gates-Stuart. ‘Til Aug 24.

Contemporary dance exploring who we are and where we’re going. Bookings 6285 6290.

Jacqueline Bradley’s The Outdoors Type, Andrzej Zielinski’s Prototype & Ash Keating’s Activate 2750.

Exhibition - Monstrosity

CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ARTS SPACE - MANUKA

Theatre - Life x 3 By Yasmina Reza A witty and acerbic play, directed by Garry Fry. From Aug 5-20, Wed-Sat, 8pm.

THE QUEANBEYAN PERFORMING ARTS CENTRE

Dance

Open 9am-4.30pm.

9pm ‘til 5am with DJs Matt and Pete. Two for one drinks and free entry until 11pm. CUBE NIGHTCLUB

Jemist

Playing funk, soul ‘n’ hip-hop. KNIGHTSBRIDGE PENTHOUSE

Soul Be In It

DJ Buick and crew work out their vinyl collections with a showcase of beats ‘n’ breaks. Free entry. TRANSIT BAR

Alliance @ Academy Pres. In The Mix Awards With Andy Murphy.

ACADEMY NIGHTCLUB

U-TERN (Canada) TRINITY BAR

Yurauna Centre Artists NAIDOC Week Exhibition BELCONNEN GALLERY

Harvest – Annabelle Davidson This exhibition highlights the work of glass artist Annabelle Davidson. CRAFT ACT

Exhibition - Geoffrey de Groen An exploration of the very essence of the language of painting. Free entry. Wed to Sun 12noon- 5pm. ANU DRILL HALL GALLERY

Contemporary dance exploring who we are and where we’re going. Bookings 6285 6290. THE QUEANBEYAN PERFORMING ARTS CENTRE

ARC - Bill Hunter - Newsfront (1978, PG) A series of films honouring the late, great Bill Hunter.

Live Captain Reginald Murdoch DC

Dance

THE FRONT CAFE AND GALLERY

Cube Saturdays

Friday Night Acoustic Series Jeremy Edwards. 8pm, free. HARMONIE GERMAN CLUB

A Touch Of Soul HIPPO LOUNGE

Lucy Jamieson and Rachel Thorne CASINO CANBERRA

Joel Harrison & Heuristic

From 5pm and 10pm respectively. Free entry. KING O’MALLEY’S, CIVIC

ANU Big Band & ANU Commercial Ensemble

From Nilesology to West Side Story. 7pm, tix from The Street Theatre 6247 1223. THE STREET THEATRE

HOLY GRAIL, KINGSTON

PJ Rocks

PJ Rocks house band. Acoustic from 7-9 and then dance until late. P J O’REILLY’S, TUGGERANONG

Perpetual Mayhem 2 8pm, $5.

THE MARAM, ERINDALE CENTRE

Celtic Big Band. 11am-2pm.

Bill Cunliffe Trio (USA)

With Horns & John Riley (USA), plus the ANU Jazz Faculty Staff. 7.30pm. Tix from The Street Theatre. THE STREET THEATRE

Oscar

From 8pm.

KING O’MALLEY’S, CIVIC

10pm ‘til 5am with DJs Matt and Pete. Two for one drinks and free entry until 11pm. CUBE NIGHTCLUB

Splendour in the Bar: Special Kanye Edition Couldn’t make Splendour this year? Don’t fret pets coz Strangeways are back. TRANSIT BAR

Jemist

HIPPO LOUNGE

D’Opus

Spinning funk, soul, hip-hop and mind music. KNIGHTSBRIDGE PENTHOUSE

Academy Saturdays with Matt Nukewood ACADEMY NIGHTCLUB

THE FRONT CAFE AND GALLERY

Richard Steele Band. 2pm, free.

Sunday Best 5-7pm, free.

A BITE TO EAT CAFE

The Idea of North

Playing a matinee (3pm) and an evening performance (7pm). Tix from The Street Theatre 6247 1223. THE STREET THEATRE

Liam Budge & The Jocelyn Jensen Quartet

As part of the Capital Jazz Project. 4.30pm, for tix call The Street Theatre on 6247 1223. THE STREET THEATRE

Irish Jam Sessions

Playing every Tuesday and Sunday night, from 5pm. KING O’MALLEY’S, CIVIC

Daemon Foetal Harvest

Launching Where It Dwells, with Tortured, Empirical, Punishment and Lower Back Problems. $10, 8pm.

monday august 08

THE BASEMENT

Arts

The Subterraneans & The Andy Butler Trio

CCAS - One Place, Three Exhibitions

As part of the Capital Jazz Project. 9.30pm, tix from The Street Theatre on 6247 1223. THE STREET THEATRE

Something Different Carry On Karaoke P J O’REILLY’S, CIVIC

Rollerderby - Fire & Vice

Interstate battle, with our Vice City Rollers against Sunstate Rollergirls. 5pm, tix from Ticketek. AIS ARENA

Quantum Leap - Identify

ARC CINEMA, NATIONAL FILM & SOUND ARCHIVE

Fine jazz. 8pm, $10.

THE PHOENIX PUB

GORMAN HOUSE ARTS CENTRE

CANBERRA REPERTORY

Foreplay Fridays

Pro Blues and Roots Jam

CCAS - One Place, Three Exhibitions

Exhibition - Geoffrey de Groen

Quantum Leap - Identify

The Vee Bees

CASINO CANBERRA

Humbug

By Michelle Day, Beverly Bruen and Julie Monro-Allison. From Aug 4-14.

ANU DRILL HALL GALLERY

Touring his new album Molecular Teleportation. 7.30pm $10.

CSIRO DISCOVERY CENTRE

CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ART SPACE GORMAN HOUSE

An exploration of the very essence of the language of painting. Free entry. Wed to Sun 12noon- 5pm.

Kooky Fandango The Dunhill Blues. 9.30pm.

This exhibition highlights the work of glass artist Annabelle Davidson. CRAFT ACT

Josh Rawiri

Live

sunday august 07 Arts Exhibition - Cracking The Finger Codes

Spectacular prints produced by artist Eleanor Gates-Stuart. ‘Til Aug 24. CSIRO DISCOVERY CENTRE

Exhibition - Monstrosity

By Michelle Day, Beverly Bruen and Julie Monro-Allison. From Aug 4-14.

CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ARTS SPACE - MANUKA

Dance

Jacqueline Bradley’s The Outdoors Type, Andrzej Zielinski’s Prototype & Ash Keating’s Activate 2750.

CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ART SPACE GORMAN HOUSE

Exhibition - Monstrosity

By Michelle Day, Beverly Bruen and Julie Monro-Allison. From Aug 4-14.

CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ARTS SPACE - MANUKA

Yurauna Centre Artists NAIDOC Week Exhibition Open 9am-4:30pm.

BELCONNEN GALLERY

Dance Hospitality Mondays

For all the weekend workers out there, with plenty of good tunes, good vibes and good company. TRANSIT BAR

Live BMA Presents The Bootleg Sessions

The Mourners, Cuddlefish, Lavers and Elisha Bones. 8pm. THE PHOENIX PUB

Mooseheads Presents Jack Daniel’s Plugged In

10pm ‘til late with DJ TJ. Free entry, free pool and discounted drinks.

Local bands playing indie/alt, rock, pop, pop punk, acoustic, chilled, every 2nd Monday. From 6pm.

CUBE NIGHTCLUB

MOOSEHEADS PUB

Live

Something Different

Mikelangelo and The Tin Star

Fame Trivia

Hospitality Sundays

$15/$20. 7.30pm. THE PHOENIX PUB

April’s Caravan Reopening

Frock up! Featuring Mikelangelo & The Tin Star, The Toot Toot Toots and much, much more. 12pm - 5pm. THE FRONT CAFE AND GALLERY

Free entry, fantastic prizes, bookings are essential. 6pm. P J O’REILLY’S, CIVIC

Trivia @ King O’s

Every Monday night. 7pm, free entry, $100 bar tab first prize. KING O’MALLEY’S, CIVIC

GIG GUIDE Aug 09 - Aug 13 tuesday august 09 Arts CCAS - One Place, Three Exhibitions

Jacqueline Bradley’s The Outdoors Type, Andrzej Zielinski’s Prototype & Ash Keating’s Activate 2750.

CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ART SPACE GORMAN HOUSE

Exhibition - Monstrosity

By Michelle Day, Beverly Bruen and Julie Monro-Allison. From Aug 4-14.

CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ARTS SPACE - MANUKA

Live Irish Jam Sessions

Playing every Tuesday and Sunday night, from 5pm. KING O’MALLEY’S, CIVIC

Something Different Karaoke Love

Sing big, sing proud, win stuff. TRANSIT BAR

Trivia @ The Phoenix

Enjoy a vague sense of accomplishment. From 7.30pm, with $10 cocktails from 9pm. THE PHOENIX PUB

Karaoke Love

Every Tuesday, from 9pm. Free entry. TRANSIT BAR

wednesday august 10 Arts Exhibition - Cracking The Finger Codes

Spectacular prints produced by artist Eleanor Gates-Stuart. ‘Til Aug 24.

Something Different

Live

Fame Trivia

Karaoke

Pugsley Buzzard

P J O’REILLY’S, CIVIC

CUBE NIGHTCLUB

HARMONIE GERMAN CLUB

Free entry, fantastic prizes, bookings are essential. 6pm.

8.30pm ‘til 11pm followed by DJ Kiz ‘til 5am.

Fame Trivia @ Transit

Open Mic Night

TRANSIT BAR

POT BELLY BAR

Every Wednesday, from 7:30pm

9pm, free.

thursday august 11

friday august 12

Arts

Exhibition - Cracking The Finger Codes

Spectacular prints produced by artist Eleanor Gates-Stuart. ‘Til Aug 24.

Exhibition – Transience

CCAS - One Place, Three Exhibitions

CSIRO DISCOVERY CENTRE

Beautiful works in handmade paper and fibres. ‘Til Aug 28. CANBERRA GLASSWORKS

CCAS - One Place, Three Exhibitions

Jacqueline Bradley’s The Outdoors Type, Andrzej Zielinski’s Prototype & Ash Keating’s Activate 2750.

CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ART SPACE GORMAN HOUSE

Theatre - Life x 3 By Yasmina Reza A witty and acerbic play, directed by Garry Fry. From Aug 5-20, Wed-Sat, 8pm. CANBERRA REPERTORY

Exhibition - Monstrosity

By Michelle Day, Beverly Bruen and Julie Monro-Allison. From Aug 4-14.

CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ARTS SPACE - MANUKA

Comedy Green Faces 11 - Tahir CANBERRA IRISH CLUB

CSIRO DISCOVERY CENTRE

Jacqueline Bradley’s The Outdoors Type, Andrzej Zielinski’s Prototype & Ash Keating’s Activate 2750.

CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ART SPACE GORMAN HOUSE

Theatre - Life x 3 By Yasmina Reza A witty and acerbic play, directed by Garry Fry. From Aug 5-20, Wed-Sat, 8pm. CANBERRA REPERTORY

Exhibition - Monstrosity

By Michelle Day, Beverly Bruen and Julie Monro-Allison. From Aug 4-14.

CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ARTS SPACE - MANUKA

Yurauna Centre Artists NAIDOC Week Exhibition

The big man with the big voice is a jazz keys master too.

Jenny M Thomas and The System

Launch of new album Bush Gothic. Gothic tales of Australia’s dark history re-told. 8pm, $10. THE FRONT CAFE AND GALLERY

Rennee and I 8.30pm.

P J O’REILLY’S, CIVIC

Dos Locos & Identical Strangers Playing from 5pm and 10pm respectively. Free entry. KING O’MALLEY’S, CIVIC

Harmony

Supported by Hoodlum Shouts, Life and Limb and Savages. $8, doors 7pm. NATIONAL THEATRE, BRAIDWOOD

Something Different The Great Canberra Science Scramble

A science scavenger hunt with awesome prizes. Runs from Aug 12-21. More info: sciencescramble.com.au CSIRO DISCOVERY CENTRE

saturday august 13 Arts CCAS - One Place, Three Exhibitions

Exhibition - Geoffrey de Groen

Jacqueline Bradley’s The Outdoors Type, Andrzej Zielinski’s Prototype & Ash Keating’s Activate 2750.

ANU DRILL HALL GALLERY

Theatre - Life x 3 By Yasmina Reza

Open 9am-4:30pm.

BELCONNEN GALLERY

An exploration of the very essence of the language of painting. Free entry. Wed to Sun 12noon- 5pm.

CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ART SPACE GORMAN HOUSE

Goodstock - Charity Film & Music Festival

Jemist

ANU BAR AND REFECTORY

A witty and acerbic play, directed by Garry Fry. From Aug 5-20, Wed-Sat, 8pm.

KNIGHTSBRIDGE PENTHOUSE

Dance

Exhibition - Monstrosity

CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ART SPACE GORMAN HOUSE

Day Play

One Love

Theatre - Life x 3 By Yasmina Reza

DJs in the Beer Garden

HIPPO LOUNGE

Every Thursday, from 2pm onwards. ANU BAR AND REFECTORY

Live

9pm ‘til 5am with DJs Matt and Pete. Two for one drinks and free entry until 11pm.

Vel’vette

Mr Thing (Scratch Perverts, UK)

CSIRO DISCOVERY CENTRE

CCAS - One Place, Three Exhibitions

Jacqueline Bradley’s The Outdoors Type, Andrzej Zielinski’s Prototype & Ash Keating’s Activate 2750.

A witty and acerbic play, directed by Garry Fry. From Aug 5-20, Wed-Sat, 8pm. CANBERRA REPERTORY

Exhibition - Monstrosity

By Michelle Day, Beverly Bruen and Julie Monro-Allison. From Aug 4-14.

CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ARTS SPACE - MANUKA

Dance Spinning funk, soul and hip-hop.

HIPPO LOUNGE

The Kujo Kings

Open Pinata, Vermillion. 9pm. THE PHOENIX PUB

Yurauna Centre Artists NAIDOC Week Exhibition

Pugsley Buzzard

BELCONNEN GALLERY

NATIONAL PRESS CLUB, BARTON

Open 9am-4:30pm.

The big man with the big voice is a jazz keys master too.

Exhibition - Geoffrey de Groen

Ash Grunwald

An exploration of the very essence of the language of painting. Free entry. Wed to Sun 12noon- 5pm. ANU DRILL HALL GALLERY

Live Hippo Live

As Famous As The Moon. HIPPO LOUNGE

With Beau Young. Tix $20 + bf & Students $18 +bf from www.ticketek. com.au. 8pm. ANU BAR AND REFECTORY

Special K

KING O’MALLEY’S, CIVIC

BMA Presents Women of Notes: Female Singer-Songwriter Eve

Julia Johnson (Julia and The Deep Sea Sirens), Simone Penkethman, Bec Taylor (Fun Machine) & Hannah Gillespie. Free entry, 8pm. TRANSIT BAR

CANBERRA REPERTORY

By Michelle Day, Beverly Bruen and Julie Monro-Allison. From Aug 4-14.

Mario Gordon.

CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ARTS SPACE - MANUKA

Foreplay Fridays

Man Hatin’ Matron Poetry Open Mic

CUBE NIGHTCLUB

With Buick, DFP, Tone Def, Scully and Faux Real. 8pm. Free. TRANSIT BAR

Ministry of Sound Annual 10 Years Tour With Mark Dynamix.

GORMAN HOUSE ARTS CENTRE

ARC - Bill Hunter - Fever (1988, M) A series of films honouring the late, great Bill Hunter.

ARC CINEMA, NATIONAL FILM & SOUND ARCHIVE

Dance

ACADEMY NIGHTCLUB

Alex Carder

Multicultural Night

Academy Saturdays

The hottest world music mixed with live drums and dance performances. 9pm. MONKEY BAR

Nathan Frost

KNIGHTSBRIDGE PENTHOUSE

HIPPO LOUNGE

With Pred.

ACADEMY NIGHTCLUB

Timber

KNIGHTSBRIDGE PENTHOUSE

The Ministry of Sound Annual Tour

Live

ACADEMY NIGHTCLUB

Feat. Deep Sea Arcade and Fun Machine. $15 on the door and $5 after midnight.

Celebrating 10 years of club bangers, with Mark Dynamix in charge.

Purple Sneakers Presents Fresh Prince

TRANSIT BAR

Dee Jay Gosper Trio CASINO CANBERRA

GIG GUIDE Aug 13 - Aug 17 The Quarry Mountain Dead Rats

Runaway Skyline

Wendy Rule

Powerhouse rock show. 8pm ‘til late.

THE FRONT CAFE AND GALLERY

Holland

The Wedded Bliss. 9.30pm.

Obsessions

Local acts inspired by John Frusciante, City & Colour, Mastodon and The Cure. 7.30pm. Free.

OLD CANBERRA INN

Regurgitator

wednesday august 17

Celebrated for her truly unique live shows that blur the line between ritual, myth and music. 7.30pm

Arts

Something Different

Exhibition – Not To Be Contained

Hitting the road in support of their debut single No Control. 8pm, $10.

On their Annual Sail tour, with special guests Disasteradio. Tix $30.95 + bf through Oztix.

Atlantis Awaits

Irish Jam Sessions

A science scavenger hunt with awesome prizes. Runs from Aug 12-21. More info: sciencescramble.com.au

THE PHOENIX PUB

THE FRONT CAFE AND GALLERY

ANU BAR AND REFECTORY

With supports Sound of Seasons (Syd), City Lights Fade & Martha Moxley. $12, 2pm.

Playing every Tuesday and Sunday night, from 5pm. KING O’MALLEY’S, CIVIC

CSIRO DISCOVERY CENTRE

Aeon of Horus & Synthetic Breed

Something Different

Every Monday night. 7pm, free entry, $100 bar tab first prize.

WODEN YOUTH CENTRE

A double EP and LP launch, with supports Elysian, Hell Itself & Ameliah Brown. $15, 8pm. THE BASEMENT

Justin Derrico

Pink’s long time guitarist doing his own thang. Tix $40.95 + bf from Ticketek. 8pm.

The Great Canberra Science Scramble

A science scavenger hunt with awesome prizes. Runs from Aug 12-21. More info: sciencescramble.com.au CSIRO DISCOVERY CENTRE

monday august 15

ANU BAR AND REFECTORY

Plump

Arts

Something Different

Exhibition – Not To Be Contained

KING O’MALLEY’S, CIVIC

The Great Canberra Science Scramble

A science scavenger hunt with awesome prizes. Runs from Aug 12-21. More info: sciencescramble.com.au CSIRO DISCOVERY CENTRE

Carry On Karaoke P J O’REILLY’S, CIVIC

sunday august 14

Ceramics by Jane Crick and Jacqueline Lewis. ‘Til Aug 28. CANBERRA GLASSWORKS

Exhibition – Transience

Beautiful works in handmade paper and fibres. ‘Til Aug 28. CANBERRA GLASSWORKS

CCAS - One Place, Three Exhibitions

Jacqueline Bradley’s The Outdoors Type, Andrzej Zielinski’s Prototype & Ash Keating’s Activate 2750.

Arts

CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ART SPACE GORMAN HOUSE

Exhibition - Monstrosity

Dance

By Michelle Day, Beverly Bruen and Julie Monro-Allison. From Aug 4-14.

CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ARTS SPACE - MANUKA

Dance

Hospitality Mondays

For all the weekend workers out there, with plenty of good tunes, good vibes and good company. TRANSIT BAR

Hospitality Sundays

Live

CUBE NIGHTCLUB

The Phoenix Presents The Bootleg Sessions

10pm ‘til late with DJ TJ. Free entry, free pool and discounted drinks.

Live Sunday Best - Matt and Bernie 5-7pm, free.

A BITE TO EAT CAFE

Killing Birds, Crash The Curb, Waterford, Hayley Shone. 8pm. THE PHOENIX PUB

Ceramics by Jane Crick and Jacqueline Lewis. ‘Til Aug 28.

The Great Canberra Science Scramble

CANBERRA GLASSWORKS

BAD!SLAM!NO!BISCUIT! Shit gon get crazy. 8pm. THE PHOENIX PUB

Exhibition – Transience

Trivia @ King O’s

Beautiful works in handmade paper and fibres. ‘Til Aug 28. CANBERRA GLASSWORKS

KING O’MALLEY’S, CIVIC

Theatre - Life x 3 By Yasmina Reza

tuesday august 16

A witty and acerbic play, directed by Garry Fry. From Aug 5-20, Wed-Sat, 8pm.

Arts

CANBERRA REPERTORY

CCAS - One Place, Three Exhibitions

Jacqueline Bradley’s The Outdoors Type, Andrzej Zielinski’s Prototype & Ash Keating’s Activate 2750.

CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ART SPACE GORMAN HOUSE

Live

Irish Jam Sessions

Hippo Live

Greg Stott Quartet.

Playing every Tuesday and Sunday night, from 5pm.

HIPPO LOUNGE

The Panda Band

KING O’MALLEY’S, CIVIC

It’s been a long time between drinks, but the Aussie quirk-poppers are back. 8pm.

Something Different Trivia @ The Phoenix

ANU BAR AND REFECTORY

Enjoy a vague sense of accomplishment. From 7:30pm, with $10 cocktails from 9pm.

Something Different The Great Canberra Science Scramble

THE PHOENIX PUB

Karaoke Love

A science scavenger hunt with awesome prizes. Runs from Aug 12-21. More info: sciencescramble.com.au

Sing big, sing proud, win stuff. TRANSIT BAR

The Great Canberra Science Scramble

CSIRO DISCOVERY CENTRE

A science scavenger hunt with awesome prizes. Runs from Aug 12-21. More info: sciencescramble.com.au

Fame Trivia @ Transit

Every Wednesday, from 7:30pm TRANSIT BAR

CSIRO DISCOVERY CENTRE

Cloning the Tasmanian Tiger

A discussion forum brought to you by Feline Entertainment with the support of National Science Week. THE FRONT CAFE AND GALLERY

Karaoke Love

Every Tuesday, from 9pm. Free entry. TRANSIT BAR

OUT AUG17

the bedroom philosopher gotye short + sweet brothers grimm ...AND MORE!

FIRST CONTACT

SIDE A: BMA artist profile

The Streetlight Parade Where did your band name come from? It’s from the future. An apparition appeared to me (it was my future self) and said that I was to start a band. He said it would be moderately successful. Group members? Navid Sabet (rhythm guitar, lead vocals), Frank Pavey (lead guitar, backing vocals), Mark Burke (bass guitar) and Aidan Johnson (drums). Describe your sound: Sounds like five guitars. Except only two of the guitars are actual guitars – the other ones are drums, vocals and bass. And when they’re together they sound like five guitars. What’s the weirdest experience you’ve had whilst performing? By the end of a particularly evocative song, we were all naked. You put together the rest. We had sex. Who are your influences, musical or otherwise? Tea, Doritos, Harry Potter, pictures of things, friends/family, the films of Carol Reed, Audrey Hepburn, super-villainy, history! James Cameron’s Avatar, sitcoms, fast music, slow music, inspiring music, Spanish numbers, the casual morning debriefing with a friend after a night out, Donald Glover, each other (awww!). What’s your biggest achievement/proudest moment so far? When two of us passed Spanish 1A. Or when Kim Beazley gave us the thumbs up. Or when Frank helped the girl puking in the boys toilets at Bar 32. We accomplish a lot. We’re so proud of us. What are your plans for the future? Tonight I think we’re going for beers. Then clubbing, maybe? Will definitely do it at some point in the future. What makes you laugh? El Tigre Chino! What pisses you off? Nothing, none of us get angry. Ever. What’s your opinion of the local scene? It’s wicked wet! What are your upcoming gigs? 9pm Thursday August 4 @ The Phoenix with Crash The Curb and Pelvic. Free entry! Contact info: Listen: Facebook.com/TheStreetlightParade Email: thestreetlightparade@gmail.com

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.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 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