BMA Mag 378 Aug 31 2011

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CANBERRA’S PREMIER ENTERTAINMENT GUIDE # 3 7 8 AU G 3 1

INSIDE: » Dylan Moran » ...And You Will

Know Us By The Trail Of Dead » Architecture in Helsinki

» Sparkadia » Glenn Richards www.bmamag.com

No longer on helium

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Foreshore 2011 Sound Search

We take full responsibility for our fervent love of semicolons. # 3 7 8 A U G 3 1 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 Zoya Patel Graphic Design Cole Bennetts Exhibitionist Editor Julia Winterflood E: editorial@bmamag.com Film Editor Melissa Wellham NEXT ISSUE 379 OUT SEPT 14 EDITORIAL DEADLINE SEPT 05 ADVERTISING DEADLINE SEPT 08 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.

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Want to play on the Foreshore stage alongside Gotye, Boy and Bear and Ladyhawke? Of course you do. And with Sound Search 2011, you and your ragtag bunch of musical misfits can do just that. Last year Fun Machine and Skin and Bones DJs took out the top gongs to share a stage with the likes of Cut Copy and The Temper Trap. The 2011 comp extends to Wagga and Wollongong as well as Canberra to find the best young talent the region has to offer. Bands and DJs have until Friday September 9 to register at outingroup. com.au. The general public will then be able to head to the same site to vote for their favourite act. The four DJs and four bands with the most votes from each region will then play live in their respective region’s final. A panel of judges will then pick a winner from each region to play at Foreshore 2011 based on their performance.

For more information, head to foreshorefestival.com.au .

Mission To Launch Sneaky Sound System With word quickly spreading about Canberra’s inaugural New Year’s Eve festival Mission To Launch, organisers are excited to announce the first act to be raising the roof at this year’s party in Weston Park…

Australian dance powerhouse Sneaky Sound System.

Returning from a world tour to Canberra for the first time in two and a half years, they will have the honour of bringing the party to its pinnacle as they lead the countdown to midnight. With SSS just the first of a stellar list of acts to be announced, Mission To Launch is set to give Canberra a jolly good NYE shake-up. Sign up to their newsletter to receive news on the full line-up, first chance tix, special offers, artist and event details and loads more – missiontolaunch.com.au. Tix on sale Monday September 19.

The ’07 and ’09 RocKwiz Christmas shows are sparkling jewels in the ‘wiz Live crown.

Held at St Kilda’s majestic Palais Theatre, they have featured Australia’s brightest stars singing extra songs and delivering festive surprises along with all your favourite segments. This year Julia Zemiro, Brian Nankervis and the expanded RocKwiz Orkestra are taking their Chrimbo shows on the road. As always, audiences can expect an all-star, mystery guest line-up, combined with some brand new theatrical flourishes and of course, the usual selection of brave audience members, sitting behind the buzzers, answering some curly Christmas quiz questions and bringing the house down with their legendary Contestant Karaoke.

It happens at the Royal Theatre on Thursday December 1. Tix are on sale from Wednesday September 7 from Ticketek, and are likely $69.90 (price TBC).

Summer Rhythm Festival 2011 The beloved festival returns, with a new month and a new line-up. Spanning three days and four stages from December 9 – 11, this year’s event is another wonderful amalgam of international, interstate and local talent, playing host to over 70 acts including Salmonella Dub, Hook n Sling, Evil Eddie, The Bird, Hermitude, Van She Tech, Andy Murphy, Jeff Lang, Kingfisha, Dubmarine, Svelt, Goodwill, Tjupurru, Cassian, Ganga Giri, The Ellis Collective, S.E.T.H, Los Chavos, Keirra Jade, D’Opus & Roshambo, Beth n Ben, Fun Machine and many more.

The event is once again at Goolabri Function Centre and Golf Course (10 mins outside

Canberra off the Federal Highway) and first release tix are on sale now from Oztix for $85, (2nd round $95, $120 on the gate). They are still some limited street team positions left, so if you’re interested contact organiser Dan Luton at dan@strangehours.com.au .

Pura Vida Latin Music Festival Celebrating the diversity, eclecticism and sophistication of contemporary urban Latin culture, the Latin festival line-up includes internationally celebrated acts including ground-breaking techno folk ensemble Terraplén, Grammy Award winning Afro-Colombian hip-hop trio Choc Quib Town, and iconic ska come Latin rock band Desorden Público. The fusion continues with Victor Valdes & The Marin Brothers’ blend of Andean sounds and rock, and Brazilian hip-hop artist Renegado’s mix of reggae, maracatu, Cuban music and Samba with rap. Salsa and samba lovers will appreciate the fiery Chukale accompanied by legendary musicians from Cuba’s Buena Vista Social Club, plus the Brazilian Queen of nu samba, Aline Calixto, and world renowned Venezuelan salsa DJ, Dwight “Chocolate” Escobar.

The festival also presents the dramatically unusual voice of Alda Rezende accompanied by master of percussion Esdra “Nenem” Ferreira with a mix of jazz, bossa nova, samba and pop, as well as Uruguayan boywonder Martin Buscaglia, who plays luscious candombe-funk music that is gentle, percussive and groovy. For all the info head to famaservices.com.au or call (02) 6247 1225.

Martin Buscaglia performing as part of Pura Vida Latin Music Festival

RocKwiz Chrimbo Shows

FROM THE BOSSMAN Forming friendships with the people you work with is one of life’s most rewarding occasions, and so bringing on a new writer for BMA Magazine can be a giddy occasion. Who will they be?

Like a sordid looking website banner, will you click? Will, indeed, you form a lasting friendship that echoes through the years?

O the giddy thrill of it all. As we know, first impressions are all important. With this firmly in mind, something definitely worth avoiding is unwittingly bombarding your new young female writers with hardcore pornography on their first day.

Allow me to explain.

Some years ago, operating out of the shoebox that used to be the BMA office, we were positioned conveniently, although in a somewhat odoriferous fashion, next to the arts centre bins.

Shared by the entirety of Gorman House, it was a veritable hobo treasure trove; a possom’s paradise if you will (they would often congregate there splendidly regaled in monocles and the kind of garb that would see Mem Fox frantically reach for her pen).

One trash day - “Has it been four months already?” - I was taking our heaving bins out to the recycle station. In the same way tabloid journos paw through celeb’s bins to unearth some sordid minutiae, a quick bin scan would often throw up some delight. On this day, about to hoof in the paper, I spotted the most curious thing. Magazine flesh. Not just magazine flesh... Porn. And not just porn... Every type you could think of (and a lot you couldn’t).

Naturally, I grabbed a fistful and eagerly returned to show fellow office-dust-harbinger Cole Bennetts. “Check out what I just found in the recycle bin!” I eagerly crowed. “Looks like there’s loads more too.”

YOU PISSED ME OFF! 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] There’re a lot of things that annoy me, but none more so than wandering into a public toilet to find some bloke taking a crap with the cubicle door open. I try to live a good life. I’m kind to animals. I donate to worthy causes. I don’t bear false witness against my neighbour. Yet, on far too many occasions in my life I have innocently walked into a public toilet, busting for a slash, only to find some overweight, middle-aged man sitting on the crapper acknowledging my existence. I don’t care that he’s friendly and just waved at me. I haven’t come in here to make friends, especially one who is in the process of expelling faecal matter the size of a pygmy’s head from their bowels. And I certainly haven’t come in here with the intention of finding out first hand whether he’s a scruncher or a folder. Even more disconcertingly, in my travels I’ve found that Australians have gained a global reputation for shitting with the door open.

Whatever way you look at it, this is not something to be proud of. If I had my way, all public toilets would be fitted with giant industrial sized fire hoses. This way, if you were to wander into a toilet and find some bloke smiling back at you with a giant turd half hanging out of his arse, you can simply set the hose on him.

Cole dashed out of the office as if a starter’s pistol had been fired, and returned with the largest armfuls of porn I had seen since I was 14. “There’s even more!” he shouted, his voice both quivering with excitement and trailing away as he raced back out. This time, the familiar rumble of recycle bin wheels over brick accompanied Cole’s returning step and lo and behold...

Upon closer inspection the entire bin, from top to bottom was chockers; some 100+ magazines burgeoning with the power to slake any sordid desire, no matter how depraved or indeed weird.

It was like walking into John Waters’* bedroom.

So many were there, of such variety, that in a foolish bout of eagerness we went about spreading them across all available surfaces to get a better look. We were pouring, eyes a-gog, through these meaty tomes when suddenly a movement caught the corner of my eye. I looked up and, to my horror, saw our new writer - a young girl barely scraping her 20s - standing doeeyed at the entrance to the office, veritably trembling with the blushing expectation of first day nerves, whilst I was eagerly pouring scholar-like through a copy of Busty Babes Bare All. Earlier that day I had invited this poor innocent to pop in, say g’day, and paw through our review discs; the unexpected porn explosion had successfully wiped the memory of this rather important meet. The floor was covered in clitoris. The desks were awash with wankbait. We were clutching fistfuls of filth.

If anyone we knew had come waltzing in, we could have easily passed off the incident with a hearty chuckle. These people know only too well this kind of thing is close to a daily occurrence.

But this was a new writer; a new female writer; a new young female writer. This would be like showing your knob to Mother Superior. This was not good, and we had to act fast...

(Part 2 next ish...) ALLAN SKO - allan@bmamag.com *that’s John Waters the shock auteur filmmaker of the ‘70s, not John Waters the beloved iconic Aussie actor. But you never know...

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WHO: Beth Monzo, Alice Cottee, Paryce and Jude Kohn WHAT: BMA Presents Women of Notes 2 WHEN: Thurs Sept 8 WHERE: Transit Bar

The first instalment of Women of Notes was a wonderful success – a warm and supportive crowd braved the cold, inclement climes to witness some of the region’s finest female singer-songwriters.

With Hannah Gillespie, Bec Taylor, Julia and The Deep Sea Sirens and Simone Penkethman sublimely igniting the all-female vehicle, the second Women of Notes is set to further showcase the remarkable talent we have on offer. Circle Thursday September 8 in your calendar, where you’ll get the chance to see Beth Monzo, Alice Cottee, Jude Kohn and Paryce. It all plays out from 8pm at Transit Bar, and once again entry, for you my dears, isfree.

WHO: Doofers, dancers, dreamers WHAT: Dragon Dreaming WHEN: Fri Sept 29 – Mon Oct 3 WHERE: Kowen Homestead Recreation Area, Kowen Forest

Dragon Dreaming Festival celebrates art, music and nature, and the freedom of self-expression in a safe, family friendly environment not far from Canberra. Their philosophy is one of nurturing Australia’s alternative artistic culture and the festival crew strongly encourage participation by all who attend. One of the best ways you can get involved is by dressing up for the Opening Ceremony, held on Saturday October 1 at 5pm. This year’s theme is Dream the Unseen, so dress as anything weird and wacky that doesn’t exist in the ‘real world’. For all the info head to dragondreaming.net. See you there.

WHO: Vinyl hounds WHAT: Canberra Record Fair WHEN: Sat – Sun Sept 10 – 11 WHERE: Dickson Tradies Club

If you’re a vinyl lover don’t miss this as over 50,000 records will be on sale with stacks of gold to be found. Gold we tells ya! It’s a truly unparalleled event in Canberra town that’s the perfect place for music enthusiasts to expand their knowledge and their collections.

This time ‘round there’s the added bonus of The Vinyl Junkie and John from Revolve Records joining forces to deliver smooth tunes while you peruse the countless crates. On top of the wax there will also be piles and piles of paperbacks and CDs. Editor’s hot tip: if you’ve got allergies bring tissues as the dust is pretty full on. Open from 9 to 5 both days.

WHO: Your charitable selves WHAT: A fundraiser for famine afflicted people in East Africa WHEN: Fri Sept 2 WHERE: The Front

Says local gem Drew Walky: “Not dying of hunger is one of my favourite pastimes. It is with this in mind that I invite you to spend some time not dying of hunger with me. We’ll be collecting money to send to a worthy charity so we can allow some people in Eastern African nations to also not die of hunger. We’re asking $10 entry or whatever you can afford and hopefully we can raise $1,000 or so. We have some great performers including Julia and The Deep Sea Sirens, Hadley and/or Jacinta, Rafe, nozl, and new band on the block Yes/No, who are well worth a look. I hope to see you there.”

WHO: Owl Eyes WHAT: Indie pop darling WHEN: Sat Sept 3 WHERE: Transit Bar

In the space of just a few months we’ve seen Owl Eyes blossom from a peripheral presence in Australia’s music landscape to one of its key players. She’s played with big name touring acts from around the world, enjoyed a healthy rotation of single Raiders on airwaves across the country, won over countless hearts on a national headline tour of her own, and even had Devendra Banhart ‘give’ her his song Owl Eyes (from which she took her name) at Splendour. What a lucky gal. Canberra’s pretty lucky too as even though she was only just here in May, she’s back again. Tix $12+BF through Moshtix.

WHO: The Lucky Wonders WHAT: Indie folk pop from Byron WHEN: Sat Sept 3 WHERE: The Front

The Lucky Wonders have made a huge entrance onto the Australian music scene in the short time since they formed, with a trail of rave reviews left in the wake of their debut LP Thirteen O’Clock released in March last year, along with mammoth touring efforts. The band found a warm reception for their beautifully crafted songs and warm, quirky, irreverent banter all over Australia, venturing to the far flung reaches of WA and the Top End. They’ve opened for Pete Murray, Paul Greene, Sal Kimber and The Rollin Wheel and Skipping Girl Vinegar, and played some premier venues around the country. $10 at the door.

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ZOYA PATEL Chris Cheney from THE LIVING END would be forgiven for being cocky. After over a decade in the industry as the frontman of one of Australia’s most loved bands, with several platinum albums under his belt and an ARIA for Best Rock Album to cap it all off, Cheney could probably spit into the phone and I’d still be grateful he’s even bothering to talk to me. Luckily, he’s not the spitting type, and instead seems genuinely chuffed when I mention I’m excited to be chatting to him. “Wow! Really?” he says, sounding surprised. “That’s nice to hear. I love the enthusiasm!”

With such a never-ending string of achievements, bagging a spot on triple j’s Hottest 100 Australian Albums of All Time might not be too exciting for Cheney. When I speak to him it’s a week before the final list is revealed, and The Living End’s self-titled debut from 1998 is pegged for a spot in the Top 20 (at time of publication it has since been revealed that The Living End placed at number four on the esteemed list!).

Cheney seems, if anything, sheepish about the honour. “This is going to sound terrible, but I’m kind of embarrassed by that record. It’s a really popular record with people, and it was a product of its time, really,” Cheney admits, sounding almost guilty.

“It sounds ridiculous to me, when I hear it now. It just sounds like three guys trying to play as fast as they can… like the whole record is on helium!”

There’s definitely a feeling of change in [Our debut record] the air when it comes to The Living End, sounds ridiculous to me, when I hear it so it comes as no surprise that they now. It just sounds might want to move s like three guy on from their past successes in the hope trying to play as of future glory. The fast as they can… band’s latest release, like the whole The Ending Is Just ! record is on helium The Beginning Repeating is rife with themes of cycles and change, not least of all in the title itself. “The title for me just sums up the feeling throughout the record,” Cheney explains. Recording the album coincided with a particularly difficult time for Cheney, as his father was terminally ill, and unfortunately passed away not long after recording was wrapped up.

“I got to play him the record which I was really happy about, because he was always a really big fan of the band,” Cheney says. “So the idea of the album title for me was that I felt like I was entering a new era in my life, a new phase. As much as I don’t like change, and I don’t like things to end, it’s inevitable, and it’s part of life.”

The Ending Is Just The Beginning Repeating is about finding positives in change and acknowledging that things move on despite themselves. “I hope that in a negative thing, you can find something positive,” Cheney says.

“For me, it was that [my Dad] wasn’t

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in the pain he was in anymore – that’s the positive I could find in a negative situation.” Not all of it is optimistic, though, and Cheney is the first to admit that there are definite trends of cynicism that run through the album, in particular through tracks like Resist that deal with the concept of not being able to fight anything, or change a situation. “I think I’m getting to a stage in life where things don’t always turn out for the best like they do when you’re a kid and everything seems to come up roses,” he laughs.

It’s about learning to make the best of everything life throws at you, though, and that’s certainly another key theme throughout the album. With such wisdom to impart, and such an obvious ease when it comes to playing live and dealing with the industry, I can’t help but think of Cheney as a sort of musical Yoda – he was there in the ‘90s, he saw what it was really like! (Yeah, I know, I’m ridiculously young. So sue me).

So, have things changed drastically since The Living End were first starting out? The band have played the ANU Bar about a million times, and are coming back on their upcoming tour to support the new album. Does it feel totally different each time? “University crowds have generally just been really out of control at most of our shows over the years, and that’s the best crowd to play to,” Cheney says. He diplomatically doesn’t mention the often terrible acoustics of the ANU Bar, instead just asking, “Is that the one with the really low ceiling? It’s a bit of a hot box!”

The tour promises to be a particularly good one, which is what we’ve come to expect from The Living End, who are renowned for their excellent live shows. Cheney assures me that they won’t disappoint. “We’ve been rehearsing this last week, and the new songs sound great; they’re just enormous, and they work so well playing them live!” He enthuses. So, if it came down to it and he was forced to only play one Living End song live for the rest of eternity, which would Cheney choose to endlessly rock out to? “Oooh…,” he sighs. “Tough question… tell you what – it’d be West End Riot. It’s a good melting pot of influences. It’s a bit of a signature tune for us. It’s got all the elements of what we do in one song, and it’s a song that I look forward to playing live, because it just goes off every time. So if I had to pick one, I’d probably go with that one!”

Well played, Mr Cheney. Well played.

The Living End will be showing punters how it’s done at ANU Bar on Wednesday September 7. Tickets are $69 through Ticketek, and doors open at 7pm.

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ALL AGES A very good day to you, you young whippersnappers. BMA Bossman Allan Sko here, taking over from the lovely Naomi Frost for two issues while she very wisely focuses on her studies (which I’m sure – judicious, hardworking and aspiring types that you all are – study will very much be your focus too).

But worry not; you’re in good hands. I’m hip. I’m with it. I know what’s ‘happening in the hood’, as I believe you younglins say. So be prepared for one totally tubular column, filled with all the kinds of radness and awesome you kids so truly love. And yes, I promise to cut that out.

As those of you reading the print version of BMA Magazine can see on this page a few cms to the left, the Tuggeranong Youth Centre are on the hunt for acts to fill their ample stage and give the hardworking kids of Canberra like yourselves something to go to. If you’re between 12 and 25 and play in a band that’s just about any genre except hardcore (unfortunately, recent problems by said genre bands have ruled them out of the equation) then contact the alarmingly lovely Bec on rebecca@.james@ commsatwork.org or give ‘em a bell on 6126 9059 and let’s get some gigs happening. The power is in your hands people. If you know of a band that wants a gig, get ‘em to give Bec a bell. Give Bec a bell. Give Bec a bell. It sticks in your head that way.

For those of you with a penchant for theatre, or who like throwing things at young children (NOTICE: BMA does not advocate throwing things at young children) Canberra Youth Theatre will be welcoming New Zealand Children’s Book author Nikki Slade-Robinson for a World Premiere production of her environmental story, That’s Not Junk! It’s about a family with a unique imagination who set off about the neighbourhood, looking for what other people throw out as junk, to make a very special creation for all the kids on the street (so kinda what the Tuggeranong Youth Centre is aiming for then).

Directed by barb barnett, with a cast of 13 young actors aged 7 – 12yrs, it’s sure to be a chuckle. It’s a travelling performance through the grounds of Floriade on Saturday September 17, and Sunday September 18 at 11am and Saturday September 24 and Sunday 25 September at 11am. Who knew Floriade was more than flowerz ‘n’ shit, eh?

For those of a dance bent (stop giggling at the back, it’s a legitimate term) the Tap into Water Youth Dance Festival is in its 27th year, and will play out over three nights, from September 14 – 16 at Canberra Theatre Centre and feature students from Merici College, Gungahlin High School and Radford College as well as other highly commendable colleges and schools exactly like the one you’re in.

This year will see 1,250 students from 30 high schools and colleges across the ACT displaying their interpretation of this year’s theme – Messages. For further information please contact Neil Roach, Director, Ausdance ACT on 6247 9103.

As always, if you have something to tout, tip us off about or just want to say g’day write to allagescolumn@gmail.com.

ALLAN SKO allan@bmamag.com

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LOCALITY

Ahhhhhhhh September! How I love thee. Without doubt my favourite month in the year. The weather’s warming, the footy finals are on, the cricket fires up again… There’s much to be content about.

September in Canberra, in particular, always stirs the cockles of the heart. There is nary a sidestreet left unblessed with blooming blossom trees. Every brilliant hue imaginable puckers from twisted branches that until recently were skeletal, and the whole city seems vibrant and alive. Juxtaposition is a powerful thing, and because Canberra delivers a proper winter (I’m looking at you Sydney, with your “Urrrrr! It’s so cold! It’s only 20 degrees! I think I’m going to die,” nancying… Come back to me when your tongue sticks to your cornflakes) it makes the return to warm weather all the more potent and welcoming. And we’re still a good couple of months away from that fetid, stinking heat that see us fellas awkwardly trying to detach our genitalia from the side of our legs mid conversation, and sees the ladies… Well, I can but unwisely speculate.

Everyone’s in a good mood during a Canberra September. The grimaced faces and clutched-clothing of winter are replaced by rosy smiles and a jaunty gait – cheeks aflame with emotion, loins aglow. As many of us choose to hibernate during the colder months (although the brilliant Skate in the City initiative did its level best to coax people away from their fireplaces) the warmer climes tend to swell the city’s population.

And with the warm weather comes a plethora of activity; between now and the end of the year we have the ability to see no less than 1027 international/interstate artists, 77 exhibitions, 32 performances… And counting. More exciting still, and in keeping with the relevance of this column, we have many opportunities to celebrate the rich local talent on offer. Beth n Beth are set to release a new EP; Super Best Friends will fire up another pop ‘n’ rock slab that would make Regurgitator smile; and a movement is in place to fire up the underground punk/metal/alternative scene so it resembles the glory days and sense of community of the ‘80s/’90s when the pollies and EPA didn’t ride us so hard for wanting to enjoy a drink and a bit o’ music. Details are scant at this stage because, well… Details are scant. But it’s on its way, you can be assured of that.

Exciting times lay ahead my friends; and if you’re passionate about supporting all things local by putting on gigs, exhibitions, or plays, you drop your Bossman Allan here a line at allan@bmamag.com and I may just have the ticket. With warm weather comes good times.

Remember that you can have the most idyllic climes and perfect geography, but at the end of it all it’s the people that truly make the place, and here you are. The power is in your hands.

ALLAN SKO allan@bmamag.com *Locality Columnist and Editor to the Bars Julia Winterflood will return next issue, and with it will come a better standard of writing

Canberra’s best pub & original live music venue.

September Gig Guide Why wait for your bus and taxi in the cold when you could miss them repeatedly within the warmth of the phoenix!

thurs 1 September Roger Bone Band Hence the Test Bed sat 3 September Dali's Angels mon 5 September CMC presents Bootleg Sessions Jason Recliner Jarrah Thompson The Cashews Aleshia Flanagan

thurs 8 September Rumjacks Isaac Graham Band sat 10 September River of Snakes ((Raul from Magic Dirt)) The Fighting League Midnight Woolf ((solo set))

mon 12 September Bootleg Sessions The Magic Rob Universe My Sweet Disposition The Lavers thurs 15 September Super Best Friends Fare Invader Mung sat 17 September Beth King and The Hemingway Collective Beth n Ben mon 19 September CIT presents Bootleg Sessions Rebound Slapdown Vel'vette Morgan Quinn Ruth O'Brien and Friends

MONDAYS: BOOTLEGS SESSIONS 8PM TUESDAYS: TRIVIA NIGHT 7.30PM. OPEN EVERY DAY OF THE WEEK FROM LUNCH TO LATE. GUINNESS & CIDER ON TAP...

COCKTAILS A BIT OF AN ASK. REDOLENT OF THINGS PAST...

MOST GIGS & EVENTS FREE ENTRY 23 East Row, Civic | Bus Interchange | Tel: 6162 1581

www.LoveThePhoenix.com

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DANCE THE DROP

We are fast approaching the festival season, a prodigious time when sunglasses get larger, shorts get smaller and English and American artists migrate south to escape the sleety misery of a northern hemisphere winter. Fuelled by the mouth-watering duo of the Australian sun and unlimited complimentary bottles of Grey Goose, these pasty travellers flock to our main stages like migrating bearded geese for the latter months of the year. In recent times, the necessity for tired punters to brave the horrid three hour drive back from Sydney after a long weekend of festival overindulgence has been made redundant by our local promoters who have delivered some of the most professional and well respected EDM events right here in our own backyard.

One of the newest kids on the block is the All Our Friends At Night festival, being held this year on Friday September 23 at the UC Refectory. Improving on last year was no mean feat, but the promotional wizards at Pang and UC Live! have managed to deliver one of the most excitingly diverse line-ups in recent history.

US indie rockers Mstrkrft headline the event alongside ‘the next Chemical Brothers’ Nero, electro chart-throb Example, Beatport king Wolfgang Gartner and locals Offtapia, Peking Duk and Cheese.

Tickets are available now for a paltry $69.95 (first release) from the usual outlets, so get cracking Canberra!

Trinity Bar motors along like a well oiled machine well into September with an avalanche of amazing parties lined up for the

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facebook.com/ trinitybarcanberra month. Friday September 2 presents dual international headliners Antiserum (USA) + Mark Instinct (CAN), Saturday September 3 welcomes the uber-talented Dj Izm (Bliss N Eso) to the ones and twos and Friday September 9 brings the Strange Talk lads back for an exclusive DJ set. Stay tuned for some exclusive news on the All Our Friends after party in the next edition of The Drop.

The Academy main room fires up on Saturday September 3 with local beat junkie Jacob Levi Howes taking over the headline slot. Trance guru Marlo returns after his epic 3D performance as poster boy for the Ministry of Sound Trance Nation tour on Friday September 9 and local tag team Ashley Feraude & MC Harlequin will get your feet moving on Saturday September 10.

Now for some new tunes; my Beatport crate is bursting with September bangers including the sublimely bouncy garage of HeavyFeet – Get On, the amazing Moby sampling dark house of Marco Lys – Go, the proper ‘hug the person next to you’ uplifting chords of Funkagenda & Adam K – Drift, and the mind bending beauty of Jimpster’s rework of Kollektiv Turmstrasse – Was Bleibt.

Album wise, keep an eye out for some amazing releases from Nero (Welcome Reality) and Example (Playing in The Shadows); both artists are set to turn the commercial world upside down with a couple of game changing crossover records that are essential listening for the upcoming summer season.

TIM GALVIN - tim.galvin@live.com.au

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E X H I B I T I O N I S T watercolour artists, create a floor-to-ceiling chalk mural of his country, and Robert Hannaford appears at the beginning and end of each act, working on a portrait of Jamieson.

It is this use of Namatjira’s kin that first inspired Rankin to produce what would eventually become the play. “Trevor [Jamieson] and I were touring another production, Ngapartji Ngapartji, and we’d introduce an artist on stage who was a kind grandson of Albert,” he says. “The audience would ‘ohh’ and ‘ahhh’ and it was clear there was a strong recognition of the story.

As we looked into it, it became clear there were many contemporary issues contained in the story and it could provide a prism through which we could see our world and relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people today.

“Having the family on stage drawing was the starting point of the piece. It informed everything from first design and music ideas to the pace and meditative feel of the show’s beginning.”

Although already deeply familiar with Namatjira’s story, Jamieson and Rankin prepared for the production by spending time with his family, and coming to grips with the details of the lives and relationship of Namatjira and his mentor Rex Battarbee.

NAMATJIRA COMES TO LIFE Ben Hermann Like that of many artists, the story of ALBERT NAMATJIRA is one of hope and inspiration, but also tragedy and despair. One of Australia’s most acclaimed artists of all time – as well as being one of the founders of contemporary Indigenous Australian art – Namatjira’s renowned watercolour landscapes taught non-Indigenous Australians of the true beauty of their own country, at a time when many still yearned for the lush, European countryside.

Namatjira was one of the first Indigenous people to become an Australian citizen, and at the height of his wealth was helping to support over 600 members of his community. Yet he was also forbidden to own land, lost two of his children to malnutrition, was incarcerated for the crime of supplying alcohol to an Aboriginal person, and eventually died of pneumonia, broke, at the age of 57.

It is this grand, immersive story that writer and co-director Scott Rankin tells in BIG hART’s extraordinary production Namatjira, showing at The Playhouse this September.

The production follows Namatjira, played by Trevor Jamieson, from cradle to grave, with Derik Lynch playing a host of supporting roles, from Namatjira’s wife Rubina, to a snooty Melbourne art love, to the young Queen Elizabeth.

But perhaps most impressive is the physical backdrop to Lynch and Jamieson’s narration – as they act out Namatjira’s story, his descendants from Western Aranda country, and third general

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“There were many, many details of his life that were both eye opening and shocking to discover,” says Rankin. “This was the same with Rex Battarbee, the other main character that Trevor plays and the man who taught watercolour to Albert. The preparation came in the form of meeting the family and sitting and painting with them.

Trying to come to an understanding of the feel of art making and the pace of Albert’s life.”

While Jamieson is undeniably the centre of the production, Lynch’s performance in his myriad roles has received acclaim throughout the show’s existence.

Rankin explains that not only was Lynch undeniably able to deliver the passion, drama and humour required for a diverse array of characters, but the very concept of having one actor play a number of roles was inimical to the storytelling experience.

“One of the reasons theatre can be so dull is that it insults the intelligence of the audience by not leaving enough work for them to do,” explains Rankin. “Both Trevor and Derik play many different characters, darting very swiftly in and out of narrative moments that invite the audience on a big, fast-moving journey.”

Having had two sell-out seasons in Sydney and Melbourne, Namatjira is clearly being well-received, whether this is in fact by people who are already familiar with the man and the story, or by those of the most recent generations who are experiencing it for the first time.

“There is an intense new interest in his work from a new generation and a reawakening of an old familiar affection,” Rankin notes. “The exhibition that runs alongside the performance piece is selling well, so people seem to be identifying with the art as if reacquainting themselves with a long lost treasure.”

Namatjira will show at The Playhouse, Canberra Theatre Centre, from September 14-17. Tickets range from $25-53 from Canberra Ticketing and www.canberratheatrecentre.com.au .

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SEX, SINGLEDOM AND THE STAGE BEN HERMANN Every person in their twenties or thirties has a friend like Jezebel: a smart, gorgeous, young professional woman who spends her time shopping, drinking cocktails and Sauv Blanc and generally succeeding in every aspect of her life except for love. The story may sound familiar both personally and fictionally, but the distinguishing aspect of Fiona Sprott’s OFTEN I FIND THAT I’M NAKED is its bleak and brutal, yet tragically comedic honesty. The production follows Jezebel – played by Jo Thomas – through her often misdirected and ill-fated search for love. “Yes, I did really relate to the character and understand her plight and the situation she’s in,” says Thomas, of her initial attraction to the role. “Mostly though, I really like the idea of putting women’s stories on stage. We tend to see a lot more male stories in both theatre and film. This is a female lead in a female story, and I thought that was really important.”

Thomas’ male on-stage counterpart Sam Clark performs under the directorship of Shane Anthony, and the entire production is accompanied by a live music soundtrack performed by James Dobinson. Comparisons between Often I Find… and Sex and the City are inevitable, yet Thomas explains that Jezebel’s character is perhaps a little more realistic than Carrie and her sisterhood. “I think that if you took the 70 dirtiest minutes of SATC and crammed it into one piece, this is what it would be,” says Thomas. “There’s a lot of concern for Jezebel’s sexual exploits, but there’s a greater examination of her genuine search for love and the recklessness with which she does it and the loneliness and true sadness that a lot of people experience from this. On top of that – although we don’t beat people over the head with it – the show looks at Australians’ use of alcohol as a crutch in these sorts of situations. Jezebel tends to deal with her problems with a shot of gin or a cocktail.”

Stories such as Jezebel’s beggar the question of the nature of intimate male-female relationships in the modern Western world.

When technology offers people so many greater opportunities to meet and contact new people, why do so many – both male and female – have trouble finding ‘the one’?

“It’s a really interesting question,” says Thomas. “I was looking at the ABS, and almost 40% of Australian adults are single. It’s a combination of things, I think. Financially, women don’t have to marry if they don’t want to, because we are financially independent.

But also, I think both men and women are confused because, with women’s greater equality, both sexes don’t seem to know how relationships work anymore.”

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Often I Find That I’m Naked plays at The Street Theatre on Friday September 9 and Saturday September 10. Tickets are $30/$28 concession, and are available through thestreet.org.au .

KING OF CONVERSATION JUSTIN HOOK You think we have it bad here in Australia. And we do. Farmers need wives, blocks of houses need to be renovated, talent needs to be discovered and mediocre amateur chefs need to cook cheese believing they belong at El Bulli, but at least we don’t have a standup comedy reality TV show.

They do in the UK and by all accounts it’s an abject failure. This commoditisation of comedy does not sit well with Scotland-based Irish comic DYLAN MORAN. “It’s ridiculous – there’s way too many people. You’re getting into giant sized lifts and they’re crammed with these odd people who have been manufactured by TV executives and they’re all marching down the road trying to get a gig.”

Don’t mistake that crumpled just-out-of-bed rancour for envy however. “Look I’m not saying there are too many comics. They’re a lot younger than me and I’m not competing with them. But they do stand-up on TV more, [and] then do arenas straight away without going through the tried-and-true process of playing theatres for years. I’m not complaining about it because it’s not my tradition and not what I know.”

And just like the reality shows for comedians it’s all part of the slow creep from art to careerism. “It’s not for everybody. But it’s a big business. Some stand-ups are playing to 6,000, 7,000 people a night so somebody has to be making a lot of dough.”

Moran is halfway through a sell-out tour of the country and if for nothing else alone will be treated as comic royalty for his stint on the cult-favourite Black Books as the irascible, permanently sozzled literary fiend Bernard Black. It’s a role that shot him to international fame, but Moran had already spent well over a decade on the comedy circuit winning awards like the prestigious Perrier Award at Edinburgh (the youngest recipient ever) along the way. The man himself has been reported as saying the awards and attention don’t sit well, a sentiment that looks like it hasn’t changed. “What people write about me or how they rate me is not my concern or job. I’m completely baffled by it… positive or negative. But that’s entirely fitting, because everyone has an opinion and everybody is a critic but not everybody is maker.”

At this juncture it’s worth noting that Moran has a refreshingly different take on his show than what you may have going in as a punter. “I’m not that interested in stand-up comedy. I don’t think of it as a career. In all my shows all I’m trying to do is create a conversation. It should feel like a conversation even though the audience aren’t responding to everything I’m saying and I’m not responding to what they’re saying obviously.” Dylan Moran is one of the best conversationalists around. Join in.

Dylan Moran will be chatting up crowds at The Royal Theatre on Saturday September 3. Tickets are sold out. Sorry about that.

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17 plays will be performed over a tight two week run, with all the action kicking off in early September. With no overarching theme or other constrictions, “the only condition for a Short + Sweet play is that it has to be less that than ten minutes. Unfortunately there’s no interlinking theme between any of the shows because they’re all coming from such different places around the world,” Jarrad expains.

“I guess I just tried to pick a nice balance between those that are quite serious and a little bit disturbing, and the hilariously funny.”

Although a handful of the plays are penned by ACT locals, West says that the “plays are all slightly universal, in terms that they can be performed anywhere and still be understood. You’re not going to find anything set in Hackett. Maybe you could assume it’s set in Hackett, I don’t know, it depends on what the directors are doing with it.”

TEN MINUTES IN HEAVEN CHIARA GRASSIA What can you get done in ten minutes? SHORT + SWEET puts your ten minute conquests to shame, boasting self-contained ten minute plays to delight, provoke, and entertain. The massive theatre festival dedicated to short plays is hitting Canberra once again. Squeezing a handful of short plays into one night is no mean feat, and at the helm of the Canberra run is Jarrad West. “This is my first time putting the whole shebang together,” chirps the festival director, less than a week before opening night. “We’ve had something like 500 plays submitted worldwide for the entrance of this year’s festival, and I’ve got 17 of them to play with this time. It’s been really good, finding out about those writers in the ACT, and we’ve got some from the USA – it’s quite a big thing, just a small context here in Canberra.”

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The experience of those involved in this year’s Short + Sweet varies. “There’s this collaborative kind of thing that goes on. I’ve got some old-hands that are directing and doing a couple of plays.

I’ve also got some new people who have never directed before but have always thought that they might want to give it a go, so they’re sort of getting up and having a go for the first time. They may have been an actor or they have been a writer in previous years but now they’re kind of stepping behind the notepad and pen and taking notes… We’re getting a spread from all sections of the acting and dramatic community.” With such a diverse array of subjects and styles showcased over the course of the two weeks, the best thing for curious audiences is to expect the unexpected. “We range from kidnapping in Somalia to genital decoration,” laughs West. “We cover the whole gamut.”

Short + Sweet is running at The Canberra Theatre from Wednesday August 31 to Saturday September 10. Tickets are $25/$20 concession, and are available through canberratheatrecentre.com.au .

a rebirth for Johnson – after years of personal struggle he is confronting his past experiences through his artwork and looking forward to the future.

RESURRECTION, ENTRAPMENT AND ECTOPIA VANESSA WRIGHT

I think it is fair to say that within the Canberra contemporary art scene, Aboriginal art does not play a huge role. Exhibitions for local and interstate, established and emerging artists are sadly few and far between. This makes the Canberra Contemporary Art Space’s upcoming exhibition of three contemporary Indigenous artists, JOHN JOHNSON, JENNI KEMARRE MARTINELLO and YHONNIE SCARCE, even more exciting. CCAS hopes that by exhibiting works

by Indigenous artists it can boost the local scene and encourage artists and patrons.

The work of Johnson, Martinello and Scarce is remarkably different, yet each is fundamentally concerned with drawing attention to issues which affect the Indigenous community. As a result, this is an exhibition of highly political art which challenges the viewer to confront not only their notions of Aboriginality, but their preconceptions of what Aboriginal art is. John Johnson’s work in Resurrection signifies both the ending and the beginning of an intensely personal journey for the artist. These works represent

Primarily a painter, Johnson has been living and working in Canberra for the past 25 years. His work combines traditional imagery and techniques with his own unique symbolism to address issues such as the treatment of Indigenous Australians since colonial settlement, displacement of peoples, the Stolen Generation, deaths in custody and the environment. Similarly, Jenni Kemarre Martinello’s work addresses ties between country, tradition, family and history with an emphasis on the environment, and is strongly informed by her cultural heritage.

For Entrapment, Martinello has reworked traditionally woven eel and fish traps in glass, encouraging the viewer to refocus on the subject of these works. Striking objects in their own right, woven traps are often sidelined as simply women’s craft, yet they are highly intricate and sophisticated works of art in addition to their practical application. These traps in glass are purely for display and reflection, which highlights not only the beauty of the object but also questions the removal of Aboriginal people from their traditional lands and the increasing rarity of previously essential traditions such as weaving.

Also working with glass is young emerging artist Yhonnie Scarce, whose work embodies the conflicting elements of glass; a powerfully strong yet unmistakably fragile material. Scarce uses the materiality of glass as a metaphor for the Aboriginal experience of colonisation and persecution in her highly political and personal works. This exhibition promises to be as challenging as it is unexpected and well worth the effort.

John Johnson’s Resurrection, Jenni Kemarre Martinello’s Entrapement, and Yhonnie Scarce’s Ectopia continue until Saturday October 1.

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ARTISTPROFILE: Annika Romeyn

What do you do? I am a visual artist, illustrator and printmaker.

When did you get into it? I have loved drawing for as long as I can remember, but it became my primary focus while studying art at university. Drawing forms the basis for all my work no matter the final medium or application.

Who or what influences you as an artist? I’m interested in combining the experiences of observation and imagination and am inspired by the potential of small natural forms and structures to suggest vast or otherworldly realms. I’m influenced by a myriad of artists, including James Gleeson, Jörg Schmeisser and Shaun Tan. What’s your biggest achievement/proudest moment so far? In 2011 I have been very fortunate to be granted the opportunity to undertake a study tour of Spain through the Embassy of Spain’s Torres Travelling Scholarship as well as winning the Port Jackson Press Australia Graduate Printmaking Award.

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What’s your opinion of the local scene? I returned to Canberra in late 2009, after four years studying in the United States, and have really enjoyed getting involved in the local scene. Canberra is home to lots of amazing artists and is a welcoming and supportive community. We also have access to some fantastic facilities and organisations, such as Megalo Printmaking Studio.

What are your upcoming performances/exhibitions? My first solo exhibition of printmaking and drawing, Drift, opens at Belconnen Gallery (Belconnen Community Centre, Swanson Court) on Thursday September 15 at 6pm. I am also very excited to exhibit a picture book, Autumn Leaves, which I have written and illustrated, supported by the National Mentoring Program for Young and Emerging Artists (JUMP), opening at Canberra Contemporary Art Space Manuka on Thursday October 13 at 6pm.

Contact info: Email: annika_ romeyn@hotmail. com

What makes you laugh? Good friends, dancing to the Mortal Kombat theme song and recently moonlighting as a shadowpuppeteer for Julia and The Deep Sea Sirens’ upcoming music video.

Blog: annikaromeyn.blogspot. com

Website: annikaromeyn.com

JEFF LANG LAUNCHES NEW ALBUM

really unpleasant people down & out loSerS It'll be wIcked

2 OCTOBER 6PM

22 Short playS BOOK NOW

By DaviD Finnigan thestreet.org.au 15 – 17 SEPT 8PM 6247 1223 & 18 SEPT 6PM 26

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What pisses you off? When all people are not treated with the kindness and respect they deserve… and that there are not enough hours in the day!

What are your plans for the future? I plan to continue building skills and concepts while enjoying creating new work. In 2012 I will be working towards an exhibition based on my recent journey to Spain as well as promoting my picture book to publishers, setting up a studio, travelling and exhibiting further afield.

the street theatre

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bit PARTS WHO: Emma Beer WHAT: Exhibition Rubia! Rubia!

WHEN: Weds Sept 7 – Fri Sept 16 WHERE: ANU School of Art PhotoSpace Gallery The latest body of work by local emerging artist Emma Beer has become a means of transformation and abstract interpretation, of looking closely at the process of shifting the three dimensional and unfolding it onto the two dimensional picture plane as well as pushing the two dimensional into the third dimension. Beer flirts with the variables of different materials and forms of construction, but is best described primarily as a painter. Rubia!

Rubia! reflects on Beer’s time spent in Spain, where she was truly enriched by immersing herself in the culture; the experience will continue to inform her art practice for years to come. “Nothing could have prepared me for the wealth of knowledge and exposure to such a fruitful cultural exchange,” Beer says. Rubia! Rubia! is held in collaboration with the Spanish Embassy and the Torres Scholarship for Young Australian Artists. Opening 6pm, Weds Sept 7.

WHO: National Film and Sound Archives WHAT: Collective Passions: the Art of Festival Posters WHEN: Now until Dec 2011 WHERE: National Film and Sound Archives Graphic designers and festival fans will revel in the National Film and Sound Archive’s newly opened exhibition, Collective Passions: the Art of Festival Posters. From the earliest Australian film festival held in 1952 to the most recent online Portable Film Festival, from the Tamworth Country Music Festival to WOMADelaide, festivals and festival posters have become an integral part of Australia’s cultural scene. Many of the most engaging festival poster graphics featured in this exhibition were inspired by imagery and techniques drawn from art or film. The NFSA’s poster collection captures the variety and vitality of film and music festivals and is definitely worth a squiz for any film or music fan.

WHO: You! WHAT: 2012 JUMP National Mentoring Program WHEN: Now! WHERE: jumpmentoring.com.au Young and emerging artists from across Australia are encouraged to make their artistic match and apply for JUMP 2012. As the Australia Council’s national mentoring program for young and emerging artists, JUMP identifies and promotes excellence in artistic practice for artists aged 18 – 30 who are in the first five years of their professional practice. You can accelerate your career through a one-on-one mentoring relationship with a leading arts professional of your choice, and join a diverse national network of program participants and alumni making their mark on the industry. To find out more, visit jumpmentoring.com.au. Applications October 28.

WHO: Canberra Repertory Society WHAT: The Pig Iron People, written by John Doyle WHEN: Season runs Sept 16 – October 1 WHERE: Theatre 3 Australia, 1996. The winds of change begin to blow like a gale through the nation as a new government has taken the reins. Nick’s out of step. He’s a writer; no writer has ever lived on Liberal Street before. And the residents are making sure he knows it. From now on people will have to make their own way in the world. People will no longer be rewarded for being weak. The madness is over... The people have spoken. This is what they want, this is what they voted for, and if you don’t see it like them, then you are out of step. So get used to it. In this suburban satire, John Doyle’s infectious humour takes an affable yet sublimely sharp look at an Australia we all recognise. Book online at canberrarep.org.au or call 6257 1950.

WHO: Filmmakers WHAT: 2011 Canberra Short Film Festival WHEN: Sept 16-18 WHERE: Dendy Cinemas

WHO: Steve Roper WHAT: Exhibition Too Much Fun WHEN: Thurs Sept 1 WHERE: Watson Arts Centre

The 2011 Canberra Short Film Festival is the place where the creativity, originality and diversity of Australian short filmmaking is up for show. Each year it attracts filmmaking enthusiasts from around the country who want to experience for themselves the artistry of one of the nation’s premier film competitions. This year the festival will run over the opening weekend of Floriade.

The Official Selection Sessions will begin from 6pm on Friday September 16 at Dendy and will then continue on Saturday before the Finals Night takes place on Sunday September 18. As well as an array of awards to be presented, this final night will also be an opportunity to see Yoram Gross’ – the creator of Blinky Bill – latest masterpiece Professor Filutek. Extraordinary! Head to csff.com.au for all the info.

Steve Roper has painted landscapes, interiors and abstract work for many years and had expected to keep doing so for some time. As Too Much Fun shows however, his work has recently gone in a new direction. In his younger days Roper was a cartoonist for various small papers, and since then has continued to draw silly figures and scenes. The realisation that he actually liked these figures, and that other people were intrigued by them, led him to work them into bigger, finished drawings, paintings and sculptures. What was originally envisaged as a small project quickly expanded as Roper opened up the work, and his mind, to his unconscious imagination.

The images in Too Much Fun draw on four main subject areas: music, street scenes, people and pets, and demons. Intriguing indeed.

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DOING THE DANCE THING

SIX JOBS, HALF AN INCOME

Liam Demamiel

Ashley Thomson

Half an hour before I am due to interview Cameron Bird, frontman of indie-pop darlings ARCHITECTURE IN HELSINKI, I receive a rather bemusing call. “Cameron is unable to give interviews today, he lost his phone in a park last night and can’t find it.” However, the deep and mysterious voice on the other end informs me, “I have just spoken to Kellie Sutherland and she is more than happy to fill in.”

After the success of her critically acclaimed 2009 album, Black Across the Field, singer-songwriter LUCIE THORNE has only improved. Enlisting legendary percussionist Hamish Stuart, Thorne has recorded what she (among many others) considers to be her best work yet. By the time you read this article she will have begun touring it: her sixth album, Bonfires in Silver City.

One lost phone excepted, things are looking good for Architecture in Helsinki at the moment. New release Moment Bends, their first in four years, has been well received and the band have been travelling across the world in support. Life is pretty good for Sutherland too.

“Cameron was kicking the footy and forgot about his phone,” she We have played a couple of dance music giggles, “I’ll set him straight. He festivals before can buy me lunch.” be

“I feel like I’m starting to get the hang of this record-making business,” Thorne laughs. “The last couple of years I’ve been almost constantly on the road, so home is in the car.” Which makes it seem odd that she should voice such a sense of assuredness – but it somehow seems to fit. Forged over this two-year period, the marriage of Thorne’s electric guitar and mesmerising voice with Stuart’s expertly tailored percussion (“I feel like such a lucky little kid to have him on the team”) has resulted in a record that sounds almost effortless.

In contrast, Thorne describes the sensation of coming out of her last album thus: “Ah, fuck, alright – I’m ready. Can we do that again?”

but it is going to interesting… we will just have to make sure the kick drum is really high in the mix!

Soon to embark on a number of Australian dates, Sutherland is reflective when it comes to the tour so far. “We have been at it for the last four months. It’s tiring but really satisfying. It is a really strange world to be in,” she tells me.

“Going through Europe this time was amazing because we played in Russia. In Russia the reception was amazing. We played a club in Moscow that was packed and people were singing every single song.

That was kind of the next level for us and we had no idea it was going to happen. Everybody knew us. It was weird and awesome.”

Having just played Splendour in the Grass, Sutherland says the band are excited to have the opportunity to play to more Australian audiences. “When we played Splendour we had one of the best shows we have ever played.” With Architecture in Helsinki being announced on the line-up for Canberra’s own Foreshore Festival in November, Sutherland and the band are also looking forward to paying a visit to the nation’s capital and playing alongside the danceheavy line-up. “We have played a couple of dance music festivals before but it is going to be interesting. Most people dance at our shows anyway so we will just have to make sure the kick drum is really high in the mix!”

Topping off the band’s already stellar year is the nomination of Moment Bends for the 2011 triple j Australian Album of the Year.

“All of us are really happy with how the album panned out,” says Sutherland. “We made our own studio. We figured if we spent time making our own space then it would be the right space to make the music in, and that’s what happened. The nomination makes you think about what you have achieved so far and it is really good to take stock and think about that every once in a while. It is great that something we have spent a lot of time and energy making has been really well received.”

Architecture in Helsinki hit Canberra for Foreshore Festival on Friday November 26. Third release tickets are available for $119.00 + BF, through Moshtix.

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Maybe it’s going to turn into the never ending tour again

When viewed as part of her musical legacy, this becomes unique.

Bonfires, like every other album Thorne has released, was made independent of the interference of a major label. This isn’t without its drawbacks (“I have my moments of feeling like I’ve got six fulltime jobs and half an income, which is not ideal”) but you get the feeling she wouldn’t have it any other way—not least because she and Stuart have the opportunity, as Thorne put it, “to treat every song as its own little creature, really tend to that.”

Bonfires was also created in transit. “Most of [the songs] were written on the road, here or in Europe, whether it was in a hotel room or in my head, while I was driving the car or on public transport or at the bar with my notebook.” This unpretentious approach to song writing rings true in Thorne’s work, but this is not to say she does not strive for perfection. “I’m listening really intently to everything that’s on the record,” she explains of the production process, “and I really relish the salve of listening… One thing that really interests me is making an album that feels cohesive.”

For someone who has spent so much time on the road in recent history, Thorne’s schedule doesn’t have any relent in sight. “Maybe it’s going to turn into the never ending tour again,” she groans, but the sweetness of solitude seems enhanced by deprivation. “When I get these precious little moments where I can be at home and ignore the outside world, I do really love it.” It’s no picnic but the results are an album that speaks of a truly polished partnership, and that partnership witnessed is sure to be something.

Lucie Thorne and Hamish Stuart play the Ainslie Hall on Sunday September 4 with support from locals The Ellis Collective. Tickets are $20/$15 at the door, and doors open 7.30pm. BYO, supper available.

Mitchell, Radiohead and Split Enz, but was mostly inspired by the beautiful poetry of Queenslander Thomas Shapcott.

ANOTHER DROP OF ELIXIR Lauren Bicknell Much like the first few days of spring, some artists just make you stop, sit still and breathe it all in. Katie Noonan says such quiet, contemplative moments are the ones which her trio, ELIXIR, wanted to capture with their new album. Elixir started 14 years ago but have only released one other self-titled album in 2003. The trio features erudite guitarist Stephen Magnusson and the eternally soulful saxophonist Zac Hurren – both of them winners of the National Jazz Award. Zac Hurren also happens to be Katie’s husband (the lucky devil).

It’s about those few minutes of quiet that a woman has to herself

“I discovered Tom’s writing and just was really impressed and touched and moved... I felt he had a way of expressing things that I had felt and lived myself,” Katie muses. Elixir has always used the poetry of others as inspiration for their music, with their other album drawing on the words of Martin Challis. Wanting to keep an organic sound and capture the intimate musical moment, Katie said they kept post-production fairly minimal. Their music remains with its dignity intact and untouched by “imperfectly perfect” editing tools. Although Katie is focussing on her work with Elixir for the next while, she also has a few other ideas bubbling away. “I’m fascinated with Australian colonial history from a female point of view; I’m looking at researching love letters from female convicts and maybe turning that into a song suite,” she mentions.

Elixir will be sweeping Canberra away at The Street Theatre on Wednesday September 14 with the Sydney Symphony Fellowship Quartet. Ticket prices range from $29 - $40 available from thestreet.org.au .

While some might find it difficult to work so closely with their partner, Katie says the experience was a great one. “We were friends before we were lovers but it was music that brought us together… So it’s beautiful to come back to that special place in our relationship again.” Katie says the album centres on intimate relationships, such as those between lovers, or between a parent and child, “… those quiet connections that we all thankfully have in our lives. It’s about those few minutes of quiet that a woman has to herself.”

First Seed Ripening truly is a delight to sit back and relax to.

Much of the album was written and worked on at painter Arthur Boyd’s property in Bundanon NSW where Elixir were able to embrace their creativity whilst surrounded by other artists, as well as the iconic landscapes captured by Boyd’s brush all those years ago. The final product is backed by jazz musicians – Jonathon Zwartz on the bass, Simon Barker on drums, as well as string players from the Australian Chamber Orchestra.

Each track sweeps you away with gentle melodies and takes you further through a splendid and peaceful place. The album covers artists as diverse as Joni

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SPARKS ARE FLYING Liam Demamiel It becomes evident fairly quickly that Alexander Burnett both loves what he does and takes it very seriously. As he is speaking to me on the phone from London, it is easy to detect the resolve in the SPARKADIA frontman’s voice. Despite the success of their debut album Postcards, Burnett found himself as a one-man band when Sparkadia’s other members decided to go their separate ways. “The others were frustrated about the endless touring and the lack of sleep and things like that, but eventually you get to a level where you have to step beyond those things and just go for it.”

Still riding the success of sophomore album The Great Impression and with a new band in tow, Burnett is taking Sparkadia on the road yet again this year for the 13 date Mary tour. “I love touring,” Burnett says with much enthusiasm. “The show keeps getting better as we go on. When you are playing overseas you just don’t get an understanding of what a record has become. I am excited to be coming back with the songs to see how people react to them now.”

Things will be wild and bombastic!

Despite having visited Canberra twice in the past year, Burnett promises to keep things interesting. “The first time we came to Canberra we only played China and Talking Like I’m Falling Down Stairs. It was definitely one of the best shows of the tour, we really got our shit together that night. The second time we came the album had only just come out. This time people have had much more time with the album and will hopefully have picked out the songs they like and will be able to sing along. We are also going to play a couple of older songs,” he says. “Things will be wild and bombastic!”

The tour sees the band heading out into regional Australia in addition to the usual big city stops. “People in regional places often have more of a sense of occasion and are more willing to let go,” Burnett tells me. “People are much more appreciative when you go to their town and make an effort and it’s different to the cities or overseas. Going to gigs and playing gigs in Australia is amazing; there is a real appreciation for live music. People overseas are spoiled for choice; I sometimes find that crowds don’t know what to do and don’t really react.”

Accompanying Sparkadia on the Mary tour is Canadian indie pop duo, Imaginary Cities. A seemingly odd choice as special guests for a regional Australian tour, Burnett “saw a show of theirs and thought they were stunning. I thought it would be great to do a tour with them. But often you say that and it never really happens. I am really excited about playing with them.”

Sparkadia, with special guests Imaginary Cities play Zierholz at the University of Canberra on Friday September 9. Tickets are available through Ticketek for a mean $39.35. Doors open 8pm.

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A tour can

in Victorian England was a young boy who be really destructive if would light the way through dark streets for you’re on a good coaches at night, often leading them astray writing stream and into the hands of robbers. “I was thinking of the nature of some songs that seem like they’re heading somewhere rewarding in some way, but it turns out the intent is somewhere else entirely,” he explains.

LIGHTING THE WAY ZOYA PATEL GLENN RICHARDS is not the most cheerful of men. As far as broody musicians go, Richards has the world-weary attitude and wry humour to join the ranks of many a disillusioned artist. He’s been the frontman of Augie March for over a decade now, and has lost some of the optimism he may have started out with. But what he lacks in breezy buoyancy he makes up for in lyrical genius, the kind that doesn’t come around too often.

After a somewhat rocky period during the recording of the last Augie March album Watch Me Disappear, Richards has taken a break from the band, and is working away at his own music.

Of the process of recording Watch Me Disappear, Richards described himself as “having been corralled into making a very produced record, which left me feeling kind of dirty”.

Now touring with Luscombe, Richards is a little hesitant about hitting the road again. Having recently moves to sunny Hobart, he’s found the new environment to be quite inspiring. “I’ve been working really well out here, so I’m a bit reluctant to leave at the moment,” he admits. “A tour can be really destructive if you’re on a good writing stream.” Well, hesitations aside, the tour promises to be a good one, with stops in most major cities and then some. “I kind of haven’t seen a lot of friends for a while, so I’m looking forward to that side of it!”

Richards says, looking on the bright-side.

Glenn Richards and Dan Luscombe hit Canberra on Sunday September 18, to play Transit. Tickets are available through Moshtix for $20 + BF, and doors open at 6pm!

Glimjack, his solo debut, saw him enlist the help of several friends, including his older brother, Chris Richards, Mike Noga (The Drones) and Dan Luscombe (also The Drones). “I talked to Dan and a couple of the other guys about just doing stuff for fun for a change, because it starts to get a bit weary doing the same routine,” Richards says of how Glimjack first came about. “We all thought that it would be a nice way to kill the winter, and somewhat fortuitously, it worked out that everyone was taking their break at the same time as well.”

Written primarily by Richards, Glimjack is not dissimilar to an Augie March record, but is a little more rough and less produced.

“Obviously the players are vastly different. I think maybe we approached it without too many concerns about making something perfect or hugely sonically impressive. We just wanted to make an honest record.” The title of the record is quite interesting too – a Glimjack

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THE REALNESS Tape Death and Mdusu have just dropped the next volume in their producer series, an instrumental release entitled Des Chansons Sur Les Filles. 12 tunes deep, the album celebrates all things “ladies and love”, and is comprised of a mix of ‘60s and ‘70s vinyl sampling, oversaturated live instruments and analogue-treated synths. It sounds fresh and killer and is another notch in an already esteemed belt for these fellas. Check it out at tapedeath.com .

Melbourne based MC/producer Dazed has treated the hip-hop scene to a brand new 7” vinyl piece Rest In Syn through DFTC Records and Head In The Cloud Productions. A real collectors’ item, the limited run features two collaborations with Sydney’s Rise and Grand Arkiteks. All copies include the digital versions and preorders receive a DFTC Records compilation CD featuring new tunes from G Force, Sparts, Sinks, Mol1 and Dazed himself.

Everyone’s favourite spitter and quotable-king Apathy (the Alien Tongue!) is back with a brand new LP Honkey Kong. The production line-up is mega, featuring the likes of Premier, Evidence, Muggs, Statik Selektah and Beatminerz. Vinnie Paz, Ill Bill, Celph-Titled, Xzibit, Action Bronown, Reef The Lost Cauze, Esoteric, Eternia and more show up on guest duties.

Also heavy on the production line-up is the latest opus from The Game whose R.E.D album is out now. This time he’s enlisted Dr. Dre,

32

Cool & Dre, Khalil, No. I.D., 1500, Streetrunner, Hit-Boy, Maestro, Boi-1da, Premier and The Neptunes. His records are always guest heavy too and R.E.D. is no exception – Dr. Dre, Kendrick Lamar, Snoop, Tyler The Creator, Lil Wayne, Drake, Rick Ross, Beanie Sigel, Young Jeezy, E-40, Big Boi, Lloyd, Mario, Wale, Chris Brown and Nelly Furtado all make appearances.

On to some other upcoming release news and Daniel Lopatin aka Oneohtrix Point Never will follow up last year’s Returnal with his new LP Replica. Continuing his soundscape and experimental excursions, Replica is reportedly a “song cycle cased around lo-fi audio procured from television advertisement compilations”.

Sounds suitably nuts and awesome. The album is out Saturday November 5 through Software.

Also on the more experimental tip is the forthcoming album from Ekoplekz on Bristol’s Punch Drunk. Entitled Intrusive Incidentalz Vol. 1, it’s dropping on vinyl with access to digital download as well on Monday September 19.

Finally this month San Fran based Frite New collective are releasing a brand new compilation of the work of North American bass music artists entitled Surreal Estate. Compiled by Ana Sia, the compilation traverses a variety of sounds and styles and features a dream line-up of artists such as Sepalcure, XI, DJG, NastyNasty, Salva, Wheez-ie, Distal, Starkey, B. Brava, Eprom and more. It’s out Tuesday October 4.

To hear music from all these artists, releases and much more, tune to The Antidote on 2XX 98.3FM every Tuesday night from 2130 or stream at www.2xxfm.org.au .

ROSHAMBO roshambizzle@yahoo.com.au

METALISE So Soundwave Revolution is out, but Counter Revolution is on.

Cynically, it looks like bands that booked plane tickets with no way to cancel or put off ‘til next February have a mini fest happening in the major state capitals with the date for Sydney being Sunday September 25, venue TBC. Panic! At The Disco, All Time Low, Yellowcard, Story Of The Year, Face To Face, The Damned Things, Set Your Goals, Funeral For A Friend, Hellogoodbye, D.R.U.G.S., The Pretty Reckless, Young Guns, This Providence, Go Radio, Make Do And Mend, Alesana, The Swellers, We Are The In Crowd, and Terrible Things is the line-up for this mini event, but personally, I’m really only interested in a Watain sideshow…

Which is happening in club shows – Watain and Whitechapel also must have purchased non-refundable tickets, as their club dates while yet to be confirmed, are happening according to the much maligned folks at Soundwave HQ. Devin Townsend is going to make it over for the next Soundwave in February 2012 and Van Halen will more than likely do a headline tour here instead. Sydney date for Soundwave has been leaked by Trivium on their website as being Sunday February 26, 2012.

Doomsday rumours are flying around and at this stage it’s looking like US doom lords Cough are the hot rumour. This would still include a Canberra sideshow; stay tuned for further details.

Russian Circles are in town Friday September 9 with 4Dead and Adelaide band Bronze Chariot. If you can’t make that show, the American three-piece are playing two Sydney shows on Sunday September 11 at Hermann’s Bar in Sydney with an early show at 4pm-7pm and the evening show at 8pm-11pm.

Bastardfest is on at The Sandringham on Saturday September 10 with Psycroptic, Blood Duster, Extortion, Dreamkillers, Ruins, Claim The Throne, Pod People, I Exist, Bane of Isildur, Ouroboros, Daemon Foetal Harvest, Anno Domini, Chaos Divine, Enforce, Dawn Heist and Ignite The Ibex.

Suicidal Tendancies, here last in May, will be back again in November as the Mad Mad Muir Musical tour continues. Supposedly here Monday November 14, though where and with who in tow is not clear yet. They’re also slated for a show at the Manning Bar in Sydney on Saturday November 5.

Frankenbok have a new record out on Monday October 10 entitled The End of All You Know which you can pre-order on their website.

You can also get the song Dine In Hell through the iTunes store right now. If you pre-order the album, for 30 bucks you get the CD, a shirt and a stubby holder with your purchase and the band will be touring extensively to celebrate its release later in the year.

Unkle K’s band of the week - myspace.com/nightfukker Nightfucker - Dark Sludge featuring members of Moss/Goatsblood.

JOSH NIXON doomtildeath@hotmail.com

ERS,

FEWER KEYBOARDS, FEWER MEMB MORE ROCK! MORGAN RICHARDS

When I call Jason Reece, drummer/guitarist/vocalist for ...AND YOU WILL KNOW US BY THE TRAIL OF DEAD, he’s in Darmstadt, Germany, the current stop on their Euro tour. The line is crackly and has a slight echo and Reece sounds bored and possibly a bit stoned.

But he’s willing to answer a few questions about the band and their latest album, Tao of the Dead. Released in February, the album feels tighter and more stripped-down than their past few albums, which have leaned towards rich, orchestral instrumentation. While recording, the band cut itself back down to four members, ditching long-time guitarist Kevin Allen in the process. I ask Reece about this and he pauses.

“Kevin... wanted to get close to

We’re not God. He wanted to find himself.

Depêche Mode, He went on a kind of religious man, we’re sabbatical.” I am skeptical; this fucking Slayer! is, after all, the same Kevin Allen

who in 2009 caused several thousand dollars’ worth of damage in a Guitar Hero-induced meltdown at a bar in their hometown of Austin, Texas. Is Reece talking shit, I ask? “No, no, not at all,” he says, but doesn’t elaborate.

His tone is deadpan and I decide not to press the point. Instead, I ask how Reece and the band feel about the new album.

“This time around it’s a little more... The Who Live at Leeds than Quadrophenia. It’s more Black Flag’s My War than Hüsker Dü’s Zen Arcade. It’s more Odd Future than Lady Gaga… Is that better? We don’t over-analyse.” Clearly. “But on this new album, we wanted to avoid getting so orchestral, in a sense. More guitars, definitely.” And seemingly less keyboards, unlike their previous effort, Century of Self. Do the band still have a keyboard player in their live line-up, as they did whilst touring in 2009?

“Keyboards!? Keyboards are for pussies! We’re gonna come to Australia and we’re gonna rock you with guitars, not keyboards... what are you insinuating? We’re not Depêche Mode, man, we’re fucking Slayer!” Slayer indeed. The band has built a reputation for explosive live shows; smashing amps and drum kits, throwing guitars at each others’ heads and generally leaving chaos in their wake. Yet it’s almost a decade since the crazy days of Source Tags and Codes.

How long can ...Trail of Dead continue living up to their incendiary name? How many more days of being wild do they have left in them?

“Well… Getting worn down is not an option. We don’t necessarily think about these things, y’know? We just… go.” You can’t argue with that. Glancing at the clock, I realise our interview is almost over. I finish with the token question: what do the band love most about Australia? <Cue terrible ocker accent> “Shrimp on the barbie, of course! And, uh… wallabies. Yeah, wallabies.” Evidently kangaroos are too mainstream for someone as cool as Reece. “Oh, and The Birthday Party!” Cool… any, um, slightly more modern Australian bands that do it for you? “Uh... (laughs) Cut Copy?”

Tao of the Dead is out now through Superball Music.

33

the word

on albums

CSS La Liberación [Cooperative Music]

album of the issue Beirut The Rip Tide [pompeii records]

After a beautiful dabble with the melodictronic in the March of the Zapotec / Holland EP, Beirut have returned with a third album that ties together every theme and sound they’ve ever touched on. The darkly Balkan folk of Gulag Orkestar has been tempered, as has the beautifully ragged soaring of The Flying Club Cup, and yet the sounds have been honed rather than forgotten. Without dismissing the accordion, the horns or any of the instruments that make Beirut what they are, the band has focused.

There’s a sense of purpose – in Zach Condon’s heavenly voice, in the open melodies, in the measured percussion. In many ways it would be fair to say that Beirut have trimmed the fat but the richness of what remains invalidates that metaphor entirely.

Condon’s potential to be powerfully melancholic isn’t wasted either, as the title track proves with a paced, absorbing brilliance, and the under-produced Goshen too (listen for chairs creaking in the background as the band waits to awe you).

And the opener! Reserve it a place in the upper decibels. Hell, I don’t know how else to rave. I thought I loved this band before.

ASHLEY THOMSON

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Few bands get the party started like CSS. Their blend of cheeky high-energy guitar-infused synth-pop has been filling dance floors everywhere since the release of debut Cansei De Ser Sexy in 2006. New release La Liberación sees the band return with new material for the first time in three years.

CSS is largely the vision of two people; ball of energy lead singer Lovefoxxx and multiinstrumentalist/songwriter/ producer Adriano Cintra.

Second release Donkey was met with a lukewarm reception, criticised for lacking the energy and hooks that oozed out so effortlessly on their debut.

Whilst most in this situation would have caved under pressure and sought an external producer, CSS took a risk and kept things self-produced. That risk has payed off.

La Liberación is a welcome return to form. Opening track I Love You is classic naughty CSS; dramatic and dirty synths, an epic hook and a chorus that is both dangerously catchy and effortlessly simple. Whereas Donkey fell away quickly, La Liberación keeps the energy up.

Hits Me Like a Rock (featuring Primal Scream’s Bobby Gillespie) is more upbeat reggae than all out dance-pop, but just works. Title track La Liberación draws on Argentinean punk and provides a brief pause between more dance-oriented tracks.

What is displayed on La Liberación is a truly masterful understanding of pop music, and a seemingly effortless ability to walk the fine line between tackiness and sarcastic homage.

Liam Demamiel

Lucie Thorne Bonfires in Silver City [Little Secret/Vitamin Records]

Mercury Rev Deserter’s Songs (Deluxe Edition) [Balance/EMI]

Bonfires in Silver City is a little beauty in the same vein as Lucie Thorne’s last release, Black Across the Field. Rhythms evoke the colour and texture of the NSW far south coast, which is the singer-songwriter’s abode. The opener Falling is classic Lucie, showcasing the elfin voice that is more a whisper than a song. While famous for her low, soothing tone, the faster songs such as Big News excite as her voice rises to match the electric accompaniment. This is a very crisp production, with a true sound producing a ‘right next to you’ feel. There’s a special bonus in Sweet Turnaround in which Lucie teams up with the deep vocals of soul singer Jo Jo Smith. Another highlight is Can’t Sleep for Dreaming which seduces the listener with the growling bass of Dave Symes and the shrill organ of Chris Abrahams. Great Wave, resonating with hidden meanings, rolls seamlessly into the gentle instrumental Correspondent.

What strikes the listener on this beautifully remastered album originally released in 1998, is the stunning sound quality with vocal and instrumental parts in sparkling clarity. Mercury Rev were in the habit of recording onto magnetic film tape, and a standout bit on the 1992 debut Yerself is Steam is the expansive sound. When that album hit the shelves raw production values and dirty guitars excited the public imagination, and although great washes of noise took hold whenever the music peaked, there was nevertheless an obsessive attention to detail accentuated by a meticulously crafted spaciousness. Although the band managed to hang in with a major label despite the affecting strangeness of the music it looked as if Rev was finished when Deserter’s Songs dropped in the lap of record label executives in 1998. This album became one of the finest of that decade with a heightened creativity birthing a cosmic Americana song cycle of epic proportions, and Jonathan Donahue pitching his vocals to just the right level of melancholy without overstatement. A dreamy pensiveness and longing for unnameable lost things seeps into music that is simply beautiful in its intent and execution, much like Brian Wilson attempted on his magnum opus Smile.

Although the bonus material on this essential reissue offers worthwhile glimpses of songs in their untreated state, the final versions are what matter.

I listened hopefully for a song to match Alice, the pivotal highlight from her last record.

There was nothing to quite match it, but a treat came in the form of Noir, a ballad laden with conflicting emotions and easily the most beautiful gem on the CD. The album ends with the luminescence of When I Get There, which repeatedly shimmers with the shushing sound of a struck gong. Lucie will sooth the punters’ troubled minds when she plays in our fair city on Sunday September 4.

RORY McCARTNEY

DAN BIGNA

singled out

with Dave Ruby Howe

The Panda Band Charisma Weapon [Bam Boo/MGM] Pandas are famous for two things: being undeniably cute and not being good at reproduction. This bunch of pandas could certainly be accused of the latter. After big successes at the WAMIs in ‘04 and their debut album release This Vital Chapter in ‘06, the lads disappeared off the scope until delivering Charisma Weapon this July.

The music is inventive and bold with a deliberate intention to challenge and confront. The album makes a statement that pop does not have to conform to the usual pattern of a single, smooth flowing, repetitive melody and rhythm. Cacophony rather than harmony is often king and a few calculated off key sounds are thrown in for fun. The opener We’re Almost Not Even Here throws together a zany mix of melodies and vocals in a semi-random manner. There are elements of prog rock evident as the song morphs as it advances.

51 Swimsuits, a sarcastic take on beauty competitions, has a carnival atmosphere to it, with the injection of intentionally jarring sounds. In Alligators, jumbled tempos spear off at tangents to each other, giving the track a clunky feel. Don’t expect to fall for this CD first pop, but it does grow on you the more you press play. Apart from the opener, the highlights come late in the track-list with the perky multi-mix of rhythms in Where The River Rises, and Cliff Dweller with its intriguing melodic mix surrounding the axis of a driving dance beat.

RORY MCCARTNEY

Steve Cropper Dedicated: A Salute to The 5 Royales [429 Records] Tribute albums are fiendish. The pull between being faithful to the source material to the point of miserable reverence and the urge to express individuality through ill-advised discursions into frippery is so strong that most tribute albums gather dust barely after one listen.

But Steve Cropper has done the impossible – made an album that dutifully honours its subject and stands alone as a collection of songs, not merely rough-hewn covers. The 5 Royales were a little-known but influential gospel, soul and nascent rock ‘n’ roll band from North Carolina from the mid part of the last century. Cropper is the legendary guitarist for Stax label’s in-house band Booker T and MG’s and cowrote some of the greatest songs of the modern era – Soul Man, (Sittin’ on) The Dock of the Bay, In The Midnight Hour.

His terse, expressive hi-treble twang defined the soul-rockfunk crossover but as Cropper admits he was merely copying The 5 Royales’ Lowman Pauling.

You’d assume most modern listeners are hearing much of this music for the first time – so the thrill of discovery is part of the appeal. And when you have Steve Winwood, Lucinda Williams, Sharon Jones and B.B King (amongst others) on board there’s the risk of muddying the waters. Yet the multiple vocalists fit perfectly from Cropper’s funky but not overlyrespectful arrangements.

Dedicated is neo soul, doo-wop and funk done by the best in the business and a tribute album that actually works.

JUSTIN HOOK

William Elliott Whitmore Field Songs [Epitaph] This album is best characterised by a man sitting in a barn in the mid-West strumming out songs on a collection of very well worn instruments. You can hear his mate thumping on a bass drum in the background occasionally, giving a couple of songs that bluesy deliberateness, but really this is just a sun-beaten country man croaking out his stories. You can even hear birds twittering between tracks and towards the end of the album the crickets chirp as night falls – it’s a lovely touch. For those of you with reservations about country music, I am one of you, but this isn’t country music. It comes from the country – just as Johnny Cash did – but like Cash it’s bigger than that, enhanced rather than restricted by paced, pained, I-don’t-fuck-around simplicity.

This is Iowa-born Whitmore’s seventh album and damn it if he isn’t a charismatic dude. He taps into some sort of gospel for the hardships and beauties of rural living with the soul and voice of a much older man. In the same way C.W. Stoneking defies his external appearance, Whitmore is similarly enigmatic.

Unfortunately the melodic simplicity of more than one of Whitmore’s songs becomes monotonous when his lyrics occasionally lose their potency – there is alluring simplicity and then there is just plain simple – but most of the time Whitmore hits the mark. Few songwriters handle a guitar and banjo with enough confidence to carry an album, but Whitmore can.

ASHLEY THOMSON

L-Vis 1990 Lost In Love [Night Slugs] Having been deep in UK bass territory since day one Lost In Love is a pretty surprising change of pace for L-Vis 1990.

But it’s one that works really, really well. L-Vis’ sparse bass inclinations come across in the thin 808 work but otherwise this is a straight pop dream complete with neon synth washes and a strangled sax.

Lady Gaga You & I [UMA] THIS JUST IN! Serial provocateur Lady Gaga has shocked the world with her latest stylistic reinvention, this time morphing into an impossibly more shrill hybrid of what Sheryl Crow and Shania Twain used to offer up in the mid ‘90s. Wow, so edgy, so avant garde!

Mark Ronson & The Business Intl - Record Collection 2012 [Kitsune] Giving Mark Ronson’s Record Collection album from last year a little reboot with a new version of the title track stacked out with a few new celebs is a clever ploy, especially since the Simon Le Bon fronted album take went underrated against all those singles. There’s some new bounce to the production, Pharrell shows up, and MNDR makes for a worthy hook belter.

But what’s best about this 2.0 release of sorts is the pack of remixes from Moonlight Matters, Plastic Plates, CSS and more that take it to the next level.

35

the word

on films

WITH MELISSA WELLHAM

If Friends with Benefits feels somewhat familiar, it’s because a film with pretty much exactly the same premise has already been released this year. No Strings Attached, starring Natalie Portman and Ashton Kutcher, was another rom com about two wacky twenty-somethings who decide to start a physical relationship and end up falling in love. Still, not as bad as that time in 2004 when two films about the President’s daughter falling in love with her bodyguard – First Daughter and Chasing Liberty – were released. Oh, rom coms, will you ever learn…

quote of the issue Dylan (Justin Timberlake): “Why do women think the only way to get a man to do what they want is to manipulate him?”

Jamie (Mila Kunis): “History, personal experience, romantic comedies.”

- Friends with Benefits

Friends with Benefits

Jane Eyre

Cowboys & Aliens

Friends with Benefits is a raunchy rom com about two friends who decide to conduct a casual sexual relationship – no strings attached. Dylan (Justin Timberlake) and Jamie (Mila Kunis) are iPad-owning, loftliving, creative-career-having twenty-somethings in New York who decide that sex should be like tennis: purely physical. But, par for the course (please note sporting idiom there), things get emotional. Dylan and Jamie develop feelings for each other, are scared of their feelings for each other, and deal with other emotional baggage along the way. Pretty standard really.

I had my doubts about this literary adaptat—oh hell, who am I kidding? Michael Fassbender? Mia Wasikowska?

A bittersweet romance between an unlikely pair?

PERIOD COSTUME? Even if it was a heap of shit, I was probably still going to enjoy Jane Eyre.

It stars genre-film-greats Daniel Craig and Harrison Ford.

It features gun-holsters and lasers. It’s a film about cowboys and aliens fighting each other, for goodness sakes. Never has such a ridiculously fun concept been conceived for celluloid.

Cowboys & Aliens should have been awesome. Or at least, awesomely bad. But it’s not.

Curse you, Jon Favreau, you and the horse you rode in on.

And yet Friends with Benefits is still much more enjoyable than your standard romantic comedy.

The script isn’t simpering or sickly sweet; instead it’s sassy, with liberal cussing.

The supporting performances (Woody Harrelson in an amusing riff on the ‘gay best friend’ role, Patricia Clarkson as Jamie’s mother) are solid. Most importantly, the chemistry between Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis is palpable – they bring out the best in each other.

Friends with Benefits makes fun of romantic comedy conventions – the convenient plot twists, the bad ‘90s soundtracks – before ultimately succumbing to them itself.

Although this could be infuriating, you forgive the film because it’s so gosh darn fun.

High-spirited and occasionally hilarious, it’s better than watching the tennis. The real tennis.

Melissa Wellham

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Jane (Wasikowska) is a strong young woman who survives a fairly depressing upbringing.

While working as a governess at the mysterious Thornfield Hall, she finds herself drawn to the master of the house, Mr. Rochester – despite the fact that he is a moody son of a bitch (with a heart of gold!).

For me, Jane Eyre is far from a stuffy, dull affair. I found it moody, poignant and moving, with great performances from the two leads (who crackle with the kind of electricity that even Tesla would envy).

Fassbender (yum) is suitably brooding, with just the right amount of jerk injected into his portrayal of Rochester; Wasikowska is both delicate and headstrong as Jane. The cinematography is beautiful – lots of still, thoughtful shots perfectly capture the tone, and the darker elements of the story add a certain edge.

Some may find it too slowpaced, but for me it was a total delight – a touching story that has just the right amounts of gothic romance and hopeful sentiment.

MEGAN McKEOUGH

So that I don’t start shooting the bad guys preemptively, it’s not really the fault of director Favreau that Cowboys & Aliens doesn’t quite work. He made Iron Man into a great adaptation, but that’s exactly the point – it was an adaptation.

This film doesn’t lack spirit or style – it lacks a good script.

Cowboys & Aliens has tried to create a postmodern pastiche, but instead it just feels clichéd.

It’s tired, trite and overly familiar where it should feel fresh.

The plot is pretty much given away in the title. Jake Lonergan (Daniel Craig) wakes up in the middle of the desert with amnesia: he’s lost his memories, but he’s gained a shiny sci-fi weaponised cuff on his wrist.

Aaaand then his small mid-west town is besieged by ‘demons’.

Cue explosions.

It’s not all clumsy and incoherent. The action sequences are, there’s no other word for it, cool. But this film could have been much more fun – and cool – overall.

MELISSA WELLHAM

the word on dvds

An Idiot Abroad [Roadshow] About 15 years back Karl Pilkington was an anonymous producer at London’s XFM. After meeting Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant soon after, he became the strangest of media stars – a disagreeable, slow-witted whinger constantly perplexed and threatened by ‘the other’ – people, culture …anything. Speaking in rhymes, his dispassionate cadence comes off as the brain droppings of a pre-modern mystical sage.

The premise here is simple: travel broadens the mind, so Gervais and Merchant send their old sparring partner around the world ensuring every part of the trip is as difficult as possible. So no air-conditioned cabs, no fancy hotels and no upright western toilets. It’s all about putting a man far outside his comfort zone. And obviously Karl hates it and doesn’t shirk from letting us know how he feels about other cultures: he hates them.

I’m in two minds about this.

Pilkington engages in the most myopic Johnny Foreigner-type bigotry imaginable. It seemingly celebrates the meek minded, mean spirited, insular and xenophobic by putting the archetypal Englishman in a foreign situation and revels in, “Your toilets are funny - ha ha.

You’re so backwards”.

Previously, Gervais and Merchant have attacked those in power, the bullies and shone a light on the vulgarity of celebrity. But what are they saying here exactly? People who hold the ugliest opinions have usually travelled the shortest distance from their home? We know that.

Pilkington is a comic creation – exaggerated for impact and this is a clear extension of the squirm humour that Gervais and Merchant excel at. An Idiot Abroad is either brilliantly clever or repugnantly simple.

My internal debate continues. justin hook

Carlos The Jackal – Deluxe Supreme Edition [Madman]

Community – Second Season [Sony]

The world is a demonstrably safer place than it was 40 years ago. Maybe not a better place, but there are certainly less exploding rubbish bins and high profile hi-jackings. Not to minimise the horror of current warfare in any way but there was a time when terrorism weaved its way into the fabric of the world – first and third.

Community will be one of those shows that dies a slow death of falling audience figures and wavering network interest only to turn up 20 years later as a course in post-modern media and undoubtedly hailed as a misjudged classic.

Ilich Ramírez Sánchez – Carlos the Jackal – was the embodiment of terrorism in the ‘70s. A charismatic Marxist revolutionary from Venezuela he forged his way into the tentacles of European guerrilla warfare through sheer force of will and good connections. In 1975 he murderously raided the OPEC headquarters in Zurich – but was outflanked and failed to execute his targets, Iranian and Saudi ministers. This extensive docu-drama charts Carlos’ time on full rampage, usually with a string of waif-like German anarchists in tow. At nearly 500 minutes long there is barely a wasted moment.

This is dramatisation done properly and with finesse and attention to detail. Edgar Ramirez captures Carlos in all his manic and captivating glory – through fat and thin; clarity and madness. Deservedly he won awards for this performance of a lifetime. And deservedly this miniseries (skip the film version, this is the real deal) was heaped with praise; production design tackles the difficult ‘70s with aplomb – washed out, tacky but not vaudeville chintz.

Carlos is a timely reminder that history has a strange pattern of interconnectedness and is never that far from the present – one of Carlos’ earlier financial supporters Muammar Qaddafi is on the run from a country at his heel whilst the real life Carlos sits in a Parisian jail cell.

For life. justin hook

There’s nothing groundbreaking about the premise – misfit slackers goofing off at an inconsequential regional community college. Even the characters are easy to recognise from Sitcom 101; the sassy black single mother, the self-obsessed heartthrob, the rebel. What sets this show apart is a gleeful desire to provide a running commentary of the experience of watching a sitcom – whilst you are watching a sitcom; the ultimate meta-comedy littered with call-backs and pop culture gags fired so quickly, you’ll need the DVD to figure them out.

Since it started, the show has twisted every TV sitcom trope so out of shape you often wonder if you are watching a comedy or a documentary on how to mess with audience’s minds. The apex is reached in the 21st episode of this second season when it rips the ‘clip-show’ conceit to shreds in a bravura display of elliptical TV screenwriting. The majority of the clips never happened – they’re non-sequiters, inside jokes from previous episodes, or extensions of actual scenes that did.

Yes, Community runs the danger of being too clever for its own good. Meta and irony is now very much the domain of the lazy and talentless.

But this show is creating an alternate universe where the escapism is so deep, the layers so thrilling to fathom and the heart so close to the surface it’s impossible to dislike. Except for Chevy Chase as Pierce, everyone seems to hate him.

Even in the commentaries. justin hook

37

the word

BLACKBOX

on games

Infamous 2 Developer: Sucker Punch Productions Platform: PS3 Length: 10+hrs Rating: Take or leave As the name would suggest, Infamous 2 follows on from its well-received 2009 predecessor. As with all good sequels, it borrows the majority of its gameplay from the original. While this means that a few of us will already own the t-shirt, at least it’s working with good material.

One of the positives that carries over is the nice balance between openworldedness and linear storyline. As before not only are there a tonne of side missions and distractions, they actually do well to reward you for indulging in them. Albeit with the occasional framerate drop, the visuals are also once again very solid, with special credit awarded for the lively character they infuse the city with. That said there was one visual exception that bugged me, namely the females. From their movements to their general appearance, the female characters just don’t seem as realistic as their male counterparts. Put simply, they seem like they’ve been created by men.

One area where the game nicely distinguishes itself is with regards to the protagonist Cole and his powers. Unlike the somewhat frustrating God of War format where you lose your powers at the start of each game, for the most part you actually continue Infamous from where you left off before. Thanks to this, from the very start you’ll be whizzing around the city, kicking arse and taking names. When time comes to upgrade, you’ll be rewarded with some juicy stuff, including the ability to toss cars around and cast giant electric tornados at people. While these abilities make this second instalment all the more enjoyable than the first, they fall short of out and out awesomeness. It’s not because the moves aren’t fun ; you don’t really get the chance to unleash them enough.

It’s a shame really. For a game that has you controlling a guy who practically pisses lightning bolts in a city full of creatures deserving of an arse kicking, the majority of the gameplay is pretty mundane.

This is thanks in part to the fact that the combat, whilst fun, isn’t going to win you over on its own, not like God of War’s did at least.

Unfortunately the supporting gameplay is pretty lacklustre too, made worse by how repetitive it is. Several of the missions alone are carbon copies of each other, while others will have you doing the same task multiple times just for shits and giggles.

Overall Infamous 2 is a solid game. However, had Sucker Punch decided to focus on making it a high impact experience rather than drawing the whole thing out, and had they hired some female staff to boot, it could have been awesome.

TORBEN SKO

38

There’s new Australian comedy on auntie this week with Twentysomethings (ABC2, Tue Sep 6, 9pm) and At Home With Julia (ABC1, Wed Sep 7, 9.30pm). Twentysomethings is witty, well-written and most of all, about having fun. At Home With Julia is just what its name suggests, a parody of life at the lodge with the PM and her partner Tim. There really is no end to the ridiculous premises for low cost reality, talent and ob doco programs – this fortnight’s gems include: Same Name (WIN, Wed, 7.30pm), where celebrities swap places with regular people who have the same name, and Are You Fitter Than A Pensioner (Go!, Thu, 7.30pm) which, yes, is just as the name suggests.

Other new and returning shows include Rush (SCTEN, Thu Sep 1, 8.30pm), Good News World (SCTEN, Mon Sep 5, 9.30pm), Louis Theroux Specials (ABC2, Wed Sep 7, 8.30pm), Swift & Shift Couriers (SBS1, Mon, 8.30pm), Top Gear Australia (WIN, Tue, 8.30pm) and triple j Presents (ABC2, Tue Sep 13, 10.20pm).

Despite its tenuous link to a Canberra institution, the first eps of Underbelly Razor were underwhelming. With the plot already written for them, is it too much to ask for some creative dialogue?

Many of this fortnight’s docos focus on the 10th anniversary of the September 11 attacks, which were broadcast live during prime time in Australia. The occupants of Chez Blackbox, like many Canberrans, were watching The West Wing when the pictures started rolling in.

Docos include: 9/11: The Day That Shook The World (SBS1, Tue Sep 6, 8.30pm), which shows minute by minute how the disaster was managed, Engineering Ground Zero (SBS1, Sun Sep 11, 7.30pm), Love Hate Love (SBS1, Sun Sep 11, 9.30pm) a Sean Penn film which tells the story of three families affected by terrorism, Children of 9/11 (SCTEN, Tue Sep 6, 9.30pm), which looks at the families affected, Dateline: 9/11: Ten Years On (SBS1, Sun Sep 11, 8.30pm), Rebirth (ABC1, Sun Sep 11, 8.30pm) which follows those affected by 9/11, and Compass: 9/11 Ten Years On (ABC1, Sun Sep 11, 10pm).

Other docos include Artscape: 3 Days in Venice: Biennale 2011 (ABC2, Tue Sep 20, 10.05pm), Joanna Lumley Jewel of the Nile (GEM, Thu Sep 1, 7.30pm) which follows the British actress on a journey along the Nile River, and The Passionate Apprentices (SBS1, Sat, 6pm) following artisan apprentices such as knifemakers and beekeepers, The September Issue (ABC1, Sun Sep 4, 8.30pm) a fly on the wall view of Vogue magazine, and Julien Temple’s Glastonbury (ABC2, Sun Sep 4, 8.30pm).

Movie picks include Age of Consent (ABC2, Sat Sep 3, 8.30pm) from 1969 with a young Helen Mirren, Donnie Brasco (GEM, Fri Sep 2, 9.30pm), Henry V111 And His Six Wives (GEM, Sat Sep 3, 2.25am) a historically inaccurate ‘70s flick starring Charlotte Rampling as Anne Boleyn, Almost Famous (Go!, Sun Sep 4, 8.30pm), Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (Go!, Wed Sep 7, 9.30pm), ‘80s adventure flick The Jewel of the Nile (SCTEN, Sat Sep 3, 8.40pm) and Tarantino classic Pulp Fiction (Go!, Fri Sep 2, 9.30pm).

Don’t miss Rosso’s house on Better Homes and Gardens (WIN, Fri Sep 2, 7.30pm).

TRACY HEFFERNAN tracyheffernan@bigpond.com

the word

Opiuo, Gabe Gilmour, Roshambo, Dred The Clubhouse Thursday August 18

on gigs

That wooden floor at The Clubhouse springs into action when the crowd is pumping. Thanks to night-starters Roshambo and Dred, that crowd had already gathered like kindling by the time Gabe Gilmour hit the decks. His technicolour beats set the spark, and they were quickly ablaze. Gilmour has a huge variety of styles under his belt, and he had been working his way through an adventure of glitch, tech-house and dark, melodic techno when his accompanists joined the fray. The excitement had been cruising the darker corners of the dance floor, waiting for its moment; then violinist Michael Liu and a jazz-keyboardist Josh struck like two samurai in a Kurasawa classic. The revelers responded, feet thumping with the beats and voices shouting out like a pack of cockatoos. With the aid of a wireless transmitter glowing on the dark wood of his violin, Liu cruised out, bodypainted and grinning, into the centre of the dance floor for some rock-star moments: he fell to his knees during a solo, egged on the dancers with his bow, and jigged madly through a loving mass of Thursday-night revelers.

But back to Gilmour. He’s only recently entered the mixing scene, a Canberra local who hit the ground running. Beginning by raiding bargain LPs at Landspeed Records (long may they run!), in no time at all he was laying the foundations of a long career, with support slots for Alex Smoke, Mike Monday, Format:B and Moshic, often bringing those artists to Canberra and developing that scene. He was on top of his game this evening, and his boundary-pushing set the scene perfectly for the headlining act.

The line between the dance floor and the desks had blurred considerably; a tsunami of excited Clubhousers seemed poised and ready to crash onto the music-makers fueling the madness. Without missing a beat, Opiuo strode onto the stage, laptop in hand. He took the treacherous tide of those assembled and channeled them with a steady hand. Though he has mastered his art in the expansive setting of doofs and outdoor festivals, the crowded Clubhouse seemed tuned to his wavelength. The pulsing of the floor moved from pounding to feverish to relaxed and back again, as Opiuo wove together his mix of influences. He was bringing together sounds from all over his back catalogue, and the crowd was no different – an eclectic mix of doofers, glitch-heads, technophiles and starry-eyed young punters who had wandered in unawares. Promoter Dave Caffery had enthused about Opiuo’s ability to cross, seemingly without effort, the many cloudy canyons of genre and style in the electronic music world, and he did not disappoint. His glitch-hop stylings tied together the disparate beats of prog, techno, house, funk, and the half-time squelch of crowd favourite Robo Booty, and the creativity of his sampling never ceased to surprise and delight the punters.

PHOTOS: ALEX MOFFATT

Not to be outdone on the live performance element of the evening, whenever he wasn’t busy with head down over laptops, Opiuo rocked out on a midi drum kit, laying beats over the chest-pushing bass firing out of the upgraded Clubhouse system. He drew psychedelia into the mix for the closing moments of his set, and left a crowd begging for more of one of Australia’s most talented electronic musicians. Disclaimer: Okay, he was born in New Zealand, but we claim him. He’s been here for more than a decade. The crowd remaining loved the musical output of Faux Real and D. Wils, who drew to a close another spectacular night at a venue that regularly host Canberra’s most progressive electronic line-ups.

JAMES FAHY

39

GIG GUIDE Aug 31 - Sept 04 wednesday august 31 Arts Exhibition - Abstraction

Bringing together and juxtaposing the work of ten abstractionists. ‘Til Sept 25.

ANU DRILL HALL GALLERY

Live 100 Wayz Australian Tour

W/ Big Dave, Grantwho, Kitty-B and Bishop.

THE MARAM, ERINDALE CENTRE

Something Different Fame Trivia

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

P J O’REILLY’S, CIVIC

Fame Trivia @ Transit

Every Wednesday, from 7:30pm TRANSIT BAR

thursday September 01

Calling All Cars

Melbourne’s hard working rockers with new album Dancing With A Dead Man. $20 + bf Moshtix. 8pm.

TRANSIT BAR

friday September 02 Arts Belong

Bangarra Dance Theatre’s new production. Bookings through the venue.

Live

Dance

East Africa Charity Gig: Not Dying of Hunger

Timber

W/ Julia and the Deep Sea Sirens, Hadley, Nozl, Rafe, Yes/No and Big Score. 8pm, donations to charity.

THE FRONT CAFE AND GALLERY

DanSweeto and Psychic Asylum 5pm, $5.

TUGGERANONG YOUTH CENTRE

Dead Letter Circus

On that Rocksteady trip now.

KNIGHTSBRIDGE PENTHOUSE

Academy Saturdays with Jacob Levi-Howes ACADEMY NIGHTCLUB

saturday September 03

W/ Jericco & I Am Giant. Doors 8pm.

live

CANBERRA THEATRE CENTRE

Friday Night Acoustic Series

Dali’s Angels

An Idea of Things

HARMONIE GERMAN CLUB

The Lucky Wonders with Leroy Lee

An exhibition by Poppy Malik. Opening 6pm, continuing until 11 September.

CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ARTS SPACE - MANUKA

Wayne Viney – Southern Light Wayne Viney’s beautifully executed prints are an abstract exploration of landscape and light.

BEAVER GALLERIES

Exhibition - Abstraction

Bringing together and juxtaposing the work of ten abstractionists. ‘Til Sept 25.

Comedy

ANU DRILL HALL GALLERY

Green Faces 11 - Peter Helliar

Artwork by Steve Roper. 10am – 4pm.

Too Much Fun

UC REFECTORY

Katie Brianna. 8pm, free.

Free Live Music

THE PHOENIX PUB

$10 or $25 with CD, 8pm.

Mitch Canas, 5pm, plus Special K, 10pm.

THE FRONT CAFE AND GALLERY

The Sodapops

Tickets $12 + BF through Moshtix.

Doors open 8pm.

KING O’MALLEY’S, CIVIC

ANU BAR AND REFECTORY

Owl Eyes: ‘Raiders’ Tour

Charles Chatain

TRANSIT BAR

P J O’REILLY’S, CIVIC

Featuring work from Riley Post, Danny Wild, Travis H Heinrich, Luke Penders and more.

Free live music from one of Canberra’s favourites. 8.30pm.

Dead Letter Circus

With Jericco and I Am Giant. Tix $30.60 + bf from Ticketek.

UC

Art School Ball – Futures Past

ANU SCHOOL OF ART

A State of Bass

ACT vs VIC Bass Music Battle, ft.

Diistortiion (melb), the manualbots (melb), and more. $10.

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

WATSON ARTS CENTRE

CANBERRA IRISH CLUB

Dance

Dance

Special K

Arts

Ced Nada

MOOSEHEADS PUB

Exhibition - Abstraction

Day Play

Academy Live presents Israel Cruz

Bringing together and juxtaposing the work of ten abstractionists. ‘Til Sept 25.

Raising funds for MND, with Live Evil, Futility & Venom Eyes. $10, 8pm.

ACADEMY NIGHTCLUB

ANU DRILL HALL GALLERY

Something Different

Foreplay Fridays

Too Much Fun

KNIGHTSBRIDGE PENTHOUSE

DJs in the Beer Garden

Every Thursday, from 2pm onwards.

ANU BAR AND REFECTORY

Live Roger Bone Band

W/ Hence The Test Bed THE PHOENIX PUB

Free Live Music Dos Locos

KING O’MALLEY’S, CIVIC

Experimental Tones

The Dead Herrings, West of the Sun, The Rebound Slapdown, Skin and Bones. $5 before midnight.

THE CLUBHOUSE

40

6-9pm, Free Entry.

saturday September 03

9pm till 5am with DJ’s Matt & Pete. Two for one drinks & free entry until 11pm.

Artwork by Steve Roper. 10am – 4pm.

Soul. Be In It - ‘70/’80s edition

Bangarra Dance Theatre’s new production. Bookings through the venue.

CUBE NIGHTCLUB

Five of Canberra and Sydney’s most pedantic crate diggers go all out. Free Entry.

TRANSIT BAR

Jemist

He of the silky smooth skin.

KNIGHTSBRIDGE PENTHOUSE

WATSON ARTS CENTRE

Belong

CANBERRA THEATRE CENTRE

Comedy Dylan Moran

On the Yeah Yeah tour. Tickets on sale through Ticketek.

ROYAL THEATRE

THE CLUBHOUSE

Motor Neurone Disease Metal Charity Night THE BASEMENT

Carry on Karaoke

All your sing along favourites and current chart hits available for you.

10pm.

P J O’REILLY’S, CIVIC

sunday September 04 live Too Much Fun

Artwork by Steve Roper. 10am – 4pm.

WATSON ARTS CENTRE

41

GIG GUIDE Sept 04 - Sept 10 sunday September 04 live The Shed Sessions 2pm, donation.

THE ARTISTS SHED

Lucienne Rickard

‘All The Bright Company of Heaven’ – drawings.

BEAVER GALLERIES

Collective Passions

The Art of Festival Posters. Continueing until December 2011.

NATIONAL FILM AND SOUND ARCHIVES

Wayne Viney – Southern Light Wayne Viney’s beautifully executed prints are an abstract exploration of landscape and light.

BEAVER GALLERIES

Dance Hospitality Sundays

10pm till late with DJ TJ. Free entry, free pool & discounted drinks.

CUBE NIGHTCLUB

Live Sunday Best 5-7pm, free.

A BITE TO EAT CAFE

Irish Jam Session

KING O’MALLEY’S, CIVIC

monday September 05 dance Happy Happy Mondays

Every Monday is a Happy one at Transit Bar.

Trivia @ King O’s

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

KING O’MALLEY’S, CIVIC

tuesday September 06 Live Irish Jam Session

KING O’MALLEY’S, CIVIC

Something Different Karaoke Love

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

THE PHOENIX PUB

wednesday September 07 Live The Living End

With supports Hunting Grounds and King Cannons. Tix $69 + bf from Ticketek. Doors 8pm.

ANU BAR AND REFECTORY

Something Different Fame Trivia

Exercise your grey matter every Wednesday night. Register your team at the bar by 6pm.

TRANSIT BAR

Fame Trivia

The CMC presents The Bootleg Sessions

CIVIC PUB

MOOSEHEADS PUB

Something Different Fame Trivia

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

P J O’REILLY’S, CIVIC

42

b l a h n k e t - presents SAMIYAM

CANBERRA THEATRE CENTRE

Warped out and offbeat, these beats are a piece of art. $15 before midnight.

THE CLUBHOUSE

Day Play DJs in the Beer Garden

Every Thursday, from 2pm onwards.

ANU BAR AND REFECTORY

W/ Isaac Graham Band.

Comedy Club

Panda Pilot, Tara Favell, Hence The Test Bed. 8pm, free.

Dylan Moran

KNIGHTSBRIDGE PENTHOUSE

Trivia @ The Phoenix

TRANSIT BAR

Live

Plugged In

Jayo

Live

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

THE PHOENIX PUB

Comedy

Warm up those vocal chords and get personal with the classics. From 9pm.

TRANSIT BAR

8pm, free.

Dance

P J O’REILLY’S, CIVIC

8pm, $10.

wednesday September 08 Comedy Green Faces 11 - The Grand Final

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

CANBERRA IRISH CLUB

On his Yeah, Yeah tour. Tickets from Canberra Theatre Centre 6275 2700.

Dance Touchasoul

6-9pm, Free Entry.

MOOSEHEADS PUB

Ministry Of Sound Trance Nation with Marlo ACADEMY NIGHTCLUB

Nathan Frost

KNIGHTSBRIDGE PENTHOUSE

Rumjacks

Live

THE PHOENIX PUB

Houl and Kid of Harith

Open Mic Night 9pm, free.

POT BELLY BAR

Special K

KING O’MALLEY’S, CIVIC

BMA Presents Women Of Notes After the stirling success of the first evening, BMA’s Women of Notes returns, feat. Jude Kohn, Paryce, Alice Cottee and Beth Monzo.

TRANSIT BAR

friday September 09 arts Wayne Viney – Southern Light

$8 entry, 8pm.

THE FRONT CAFE AND GALLERY

Sparkadia – The ‘Mary’ Tour

W/ Imaginary Cities & The Trouble with Templeton. Doors 8pm.

UC REFECTORY

Russian Circles

ANU BAR AND REFECTORY

Friday Night Acoustic Series Mark Lucas. 8pm, free.

HARMONIE GERMAN CLUB

Free Live Music From 8.30pm.

P J O’REILLY’S, CIVIC

Chicago Charles

5pm, followed by Oscar, 10pm.

KING O’MALLEY’S, CIVIC

Wayne Viney’s beautifully executed prints are an abstract exploration of landscape and light.

Sparkadia

Too Much Fun

Diesel

BEAVER GALLERIES

Artwork by Steve Roper. 10am – 4pm.

WATSON ARTS CENTRE

Exhibition - Rubia! Rubia!

The latest body of work by local emerging artist Emma Beer.

ANU SCHOOL OF ART

Lucienne Rickard

‘All The Bright Company of Heaven’ – drawings.

BEAVER GALLERIES

Theatre - Often I Find That I Am Naked It’s “Sex and The City meets Bridget Jones’ Diary!” Tix $30 + bf from The Street Theatre 6247 1223.

THE STREET THEATRE

With Imaginary Cities in support. Tickets $39.35 + bf from Ticketek.

UC

Celebrating his 25th anniversary with new album Under The Influence. Tix $35 from 6283 7200, 8:30pm.

SOUTHERN CROSS CLUB

saturday September 10 arts Theatre - Often I Find That I Am Naked It’s “Sex and The City meets Bridget Jones’ Diary!” Tix $30 + bf from The Street Theatre 6247 1223.

THE STREET THEATRE

43

GIG GUIDE Sept 10 - Sept 14 saturday September 10 dance Low Society

An incredible night of dub-beats played and inspired by Low Society. $15 before midnight.

THE CLUBHOUSE

D’Opus

KNIGHTSBRIDGE PENTHOUSE

Academy Saturdays

With Ashley Feraude & MC Harlequain.

Sunday Matinee Performance

Exhibition - Rubia! Rubia!

HARMONIE GERMAN CLUB

ANU SCHOOL OF ART

Featuring ‘The Flood’ band (Sydney/ Central Coast). 2pm, $10 entry.

Irish Jam Session

Lucienne Rickard

Something Different

BEAVER GALLERIES

KING O’MALLEY’S, CIVIC

Canberra Record Fair

If you’re a vinyl lover don’t miss this as over 50,000 records will be on sale!

Open 9am-5pm.

DICKSON TRADIES CLUB

ACADEMY NIGHTCLUB

Purple Sneakers presents Fresh Prince Feat. North East House Party (Melb) + Kempsey. $10 on the door or discount entry.

TRANSIT BAR

monday September 12 dance Happy Happy Mondays

Something Different

Karaoke Love

Fame Trivia

Warm up those vocal chords and get personal with the classics. From 9pm.

THE PHOENIX PUB

MOOSEHEADS PUB

Tomas Ford

Live

THE PHOENIX PUB

High octane dance troupe and winners of Australia’s Got Talent 2010. $40 from 6283 7200, 8:30pm.

SOUTHERN CROSS CLUB

Something Different Canberra Record Fair

If you’re a vinyl lover don’t miss this as over 50,000 records will be on sale!

Open 9am-5pm.

DICKSON TRADIES CLUB

sunday September 11 arts Collective Passions

The Art of Festival Posters. Continueing until December 2011.

NATIONAL FILM AND SOUND ARCHIVES

Dance Sunday Best 5-7pm, free.

A BITE TO EAT CAFE

Exercise your grey matter every Wednesday night. Register your team at the bar by 6pm.

Fame Trivia

7.30pm, free.

Trivia @ The Phoenix

THE FRONT CAFE AND GALLERY

TRANSIT BAR

Trivia Night

With The Rebound Slapdown and Mush Mellow. 8pm-1am, Free Entry.

Justice Crew

Elixir Featuring Katie Noonan

Something Different

W/ The Fighting League and Midnight Woolf (solo set).

8pm, free.

Live

MIC VENUE, CIT SOUTHSIDE

THE PHOENIX PUB

The Bootleg Sessions

ANU SCHOOL OF ART

With the Sydney Symphony Fellowship Quartet. Tix from The Street Theatre 6247 1223.

The Poisonous 3

KING O’MALLEY’S, CIVIC

The latest body of work by local emerging artist Emma Beer.

Local music professionals share tips on starting a career in music. 6pm, free.

River of Snakes

Identical Strangers

Exhibition - Rubia! Rubia!

CIT Music Industry Forum

TRANSIT BAR

THE FRONT CAFE AND GALLERY

CANBERRA THEATRE CENTRE

Live

Every Monday is a Happy one at Transit Bar.

$5 entry, 8pm.

Youth Dance Festival 2011

‘All The Bright Company of Heaven’ – drawings.

Live

TRANSIT BAR

Messages

The latest body of work by local emerging artist Emma Beer.

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

P J O’REILLY’S, CIVIC

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

Fame Trivia @ Transit

Every Wednesday, from 7:30pm TRANSIT BAR

wednesday September 14

THE PHOENIX PUB

Mooseheads Presents Jack Daniel’s Plugged In

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

MOOSEHEADS PUB

arts Namatjira

A Big Hart production by Scott Rankin, with the Namatjira family.

CANBERRA THEATRE CENTRE

Something Different Fame Trivia

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

tuesday September 13 dance Wayne Viney – Southern Light

Wayne Viney’s beautifully executed prints are an abstract exploration of landscape and light.

BEAVER GALLERIES

OUT SEPT14

THE JEZABELS KIMBRA FUNKOARS BELLES WILL RING DAN LUSCOMBE ...AND MORE!

44

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 1 Sep, Dos Locos Fri 2 Sep, Mitch Canas (5pm), plus Special K (10pm) Sat 3 Sep, Oscar Sun 4 Sep, Irish Jam Session Mon 5 Sep, Trivia (every Mon at 6.30pm) Tues 6 Sep, Irish Jam Session Thurs 8 Sep, Special K Fri 9 Sep, Chicago Charles (5pm), plus Oscar (10pm) Sat 10 Sep, Identical Strangers Sun 11 Sep, Irish Jam Session Mon 12 Sep, Trivia (every Mon at 6.30pm)

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

45

FIRST CONTACT

SIDE A: BMA BAND profile

Jude Kohn Describe your sound: I’d describe my sound as jazz vocals with a bluesy guitar, deceptively simple lyrics, and a smattering of rock ‘n’ roll beats.

Who are your influences, musical or otherwise?

Definitely the jazz masters ¬– I learnt to sing by listening to Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holliday, and Mahalia Jackson incessantly as a kid. Too many others to count, I could go on and on. Led Zeppelin, The Beatles, Janis Joplin…

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

I still find it weird when I’m playing a gig in a noisy pub and after a few songs I look up and realise the pub has gone really quiet and people are actually paying attention. I still haven’t quite gotten used to that feeling!

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

Playing at Corinbank last year. I hadn’t been performing for very long and it was the biggest crowd I’d played for. I opened with an acoustic gospel number, and it was just so cool to sing in such a wide, open space.

What are your plans for the future?

I wish I knew. Get a real job, maybe.

What makes you laugh?

My friends are bloody hysterical.

What pisses you off?

Ignorance and prejudice in otherwise intelligent people.

What’s your opinion of the local scene?

Awesome! What a wealth of talent for a small town. Also, it’s incredibly encouraging for emerging performers – particularly the work done by The CMC. I certainly wouldn’t have had half the opportunities I’ve had if the local scene wasn’t so friendly.

What are your upcoming gigs?

I’m playing at Women of Notes 2 at Transit on Thursday September 8, with Beth Monzo, Alice Cottee, and Paryce.

Contact info: Judith.a.kohn@gmail.com, wix.com/ judithakohn/music

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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

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