Bright white cockatoo, baby how I ponder your shadow. How you rip me off my feet, rape me of my time to sleep shallow. And from the sky, she speaks to me and through her melody, lingers. I said “No, I don’t want your love, no, I don’t care anymore, finger.” Though I was equipped with a rain-ship, and a star-ship and a fire-ship, all come to dance. No one told me the end of the line could be only emptiness that would swallow all my love. I fell beneath the company. Now shall I sleep in a bed of blood, down in the deep, the rolling sea. And in my angst for#379 cool hips or softness or morning glow confidence, I took it SEPT14 to the dog, took it to the plants, took it to the beach, I took it to the shark; I found tenderness. But when I took it to the sky, to the bright white Cockatoo on a satellite, she looked down on all my years, but with a click of a finger she goes higher than the call for children, higher than the stand that kills it, should’ve s lipped it off. I should’ve known there and then. But she swallowed all my love. I fell beneath the company, and now I sleep in a bed of blood, down in the deep, the rolling sea. Oh you roll, roll over me. Yeah, you roll over m
INSIDE: » Kimbra » Boy and Bear » The Herd » Example » Belles Will Ring » ANU Arts Revue
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The Jezabels Ring out across the land
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National Folk Festival Tix On Sale Now
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
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Dusker at The Phoenix Sydney are sending their folk rock finest to The Phoenix on Saturday September 24 in the form of three excellent acts: Dusker, Ranger Spacey and Briscoe. Dusker will be celebrating the launch of their new single The Well, the first release from their upcoming debut album 98 Beats of a Rapid Heart. Free promo copies will be available on the night, so come listen live to some brand new tales of ocean sprawls, things in the shadows, and space existentialism. Ooo-er. Canberra is the first stop on the showcasing tour, so you’ll get to hear them before anyone else. Win!
Shake Your ACT Like parties? Like bikes? Support clean energy? Want to take part in a global day of action? Like answering questions? Then circle Saturday September 24 on your calendar. Shake Your ACT! is part of 350. org’s Moving Planet Events. It is a day for people, world over, to show that they believe in the need to move beyond fossil fuels, are willing to do what it takes to achieve this, and are going to have some fun in the process. It kicks off in Garema Place at 12.30pm with inspirational speakers and live music, before the ride out to Parliament House from 2.50pm sharp. For more info check out shakeyouract.com .
Jessamine at Phoenix For the past three years Sydney solo artist Jessamine has been busy playing the local live circuit whilst working
on the material for her debut album. Loaded with irresistibly infectious pop songs, the album treads a path of musical diversity. The softer moments feature acidic melodies laced with pretty harmonies lullaby-like sweetness. Catch her at Phoenix on Thursday September 22.
Beth’n’Ben’s second EP Economy Class Beth’n’Ben’s songwriting spans from blues, roots and reggae to jazz, soul and rock. Their fusion of genres and tongue in cheek writing style consistently turns heads and gets the crowd moving wherever they go. After doing the solo thing and playing in other bands around Canberra for six years the dynamic and ridiculously good looking duo teamed up in mid-2009 and have had a ball with collaboration playing up and down the east coast of Australia. Beth’n’Ben released their debut EP Boarding Pass through Green Media last year after being signed to indie label Manga Republic. Their second EP Economy Class will released on Sunday October 16 at the White Eagle Polish Club in O’Connor with some very special guests. Dress in your finest vintage garb for this one and check ‘em out at myspace.com/bethnben and reverbnation.com/bethnben. Stay tuned for more info.
Homebake Comedy Stage The Homebake Music, Film & Art Festival announces the first instalment of their Comedy Stage presented by The Sydney Comedy Festival. With the first magnificent music artist announcement now well and truly embraced, Homebake Music, Film & Arts Festival’s return in 2011 will mark one of its most diverse array of
Beth’n’Ben
Wonder Woman Winterflood or what!? #379S E P T 1 4
Early-bird tickets for the National Folk Festival are on sale now, with ARIA award winning singer Zulya Kamalova among the first headlining acts announced for the 2012 event. Among the other performers announced are Canberra’s own Fred Smith, The London Klezmer Quartet, Uncle Bill (the band renowned for their work with Paul Kelly), ukulele virtuoso Daniel Ho, vibrant Queensland duo stringmansassy, and Gleny Rae Virus with her Tamworth Playboys for lovers of country music. Yee har! Early-bird tickets will only be available until Sunday October 30 or until sold out. More exciting acts will be announced in the coming months. Tickets can be bought online at folkfestival.org.au or by phoning 1300 235 849.
exceptional antipodean talent in its history. Adding to the list of incredible performers, the brand new Homebake Comedy Stage will feature Tim “Rosso” Ross, Smart Casual, Daniel Townes, Matt Okine, Ronny Chieng, Rhys Nicholson, Dave Eastgate, Anthony Salame and Steve Philp with more comedy performers still to be announced. Tickets on sale now through Ticketek, Oztix and homebake.com .
YOU PISSED ME OFF!
FROM THE BOSSMAN <This is the second part of this frankly ridiculous tale from a Street Press office; to read the first instalment jump onto bmamag.com and head to the From the Bossman section on the home page> With the kind of alacrity reserved for 14-year-old boys hiding clandestine material, myself and Cole leapt into an instinctive, lurching ballet of movement to hide the burgeoning filth. “Hi!” I bellowed in an overenthusiastic fashion, stumbling forward to block the new writer’s view, deftly flick-passing the offending jazz mag I was holding behind with one hand and extending a warm welcoming handshake with the other. “You must be Melanie!* WONDERFUL to meet you, just wonderful, you must be here to look through our CDs, well of course you are, I invited you here after all HAHAHA! O what fun, anyway the CDs are right over here, NO! Not over there, over here,” I babbled, pointing into the far corner away from the mags where, by sheer beautiful, blushing fortuitous chance our review CDs lay. In the meantime, swiftly responding to the situation, Cole set about like a frantic ginger typhoon, grabbing fistfuls of porn and attempting to cram them into the only sheltered space available to us on such short notice; a painfully small gap between the Accounts and Advertising desks. I continued to entertain/distract our new writer with a parade of inane banter (“Nice weather we’re having, eh? What colour skirt is that, blue? Right-right. Soooo... You like stuff?”) while behind me Cole furiously stomped on the mountain of molestation with the ferocity of a man with his leg on fire. Seemingly, the combination of my bizarre banter with the prospect of shiny new review CDs was enough to keep our writer’s head down despite the relentless WHOMP WHOMP of Cole’s boot on porn. I hazarded a quick glance around, and success! The mags lay quivering, largely out of sight, between the desks. My first impression to the writer may have been that of a person recently exposed to lead poisoning, but dammit we’d gotten away with it. Unfortunately, so voluminous was this stockpile, and so hastily was it crammed into the desk alleyway, that it wasn’t long before it started slowly crawling, magma-like, into the middle of the floor. In plain view. Aware that loudly stating, “O Cole, it appears our newly acquired porn stash is making a break for it,” was not an option, I instead resorted to the kind of grotesque facial expressions and violent head motions that wouldn’t look out of place in an Exorcist film. The situation was getting dire; I was back to the vocal equivalent of a distracting jig and having to get our poor unsuspecting virgin writer out the door as quickly as possible without looking like I was rudely trying to get rid of them. Little did we know that we were still some way from resolving this situation. In fact, we were precisely another column’s worth away, so tune in next ish for the third and final part of this sordid saga. ALLAN SKO - allan@bmamag.com *names have been changed to protect the innocent
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] I could think of nothing more satisfying than grabbing that greasy patty out of your bun and slapping you in the face with it, you disgusting, salad-dodging parents. Can you not see that your children are having buckets of water thrown on them by Greenpeace, or is that triple cheeseburger blocking your eyesight? I am by no means preaching the words of a health-food fanatic, just use some fucking common sense. It’s obvious this isn’t the first time you’ve allowed your unknowing offpring to shove a fistful of dirty, salty fries in their faces. Once a week is OK, every mealtime is child abuse. Did you spend your life enjoying being out of breath after you stand up out of your chair? Do you want that for your children? Family time should not include a Family Feast for lunch. There are clearly better options surrounding you in the food court and you have absolutely no excuse to park your truck of an arse in the line to Kingsleys instead of taking two steps to your left to get a sandwich. Look at your children’s chubby faces and weigh up your options; because currently, you are a revolting person who is not educating your children properly. Don’t feed your excuses to your poor kids; morbidly obese is not beautiful, sweating oil is not healthy and diabetes is not a great family heirloom to pass on.
ANU Bar Gig guide September THE Panics [WED 21 Sept] THE HERD [SAT 24 Sept] slEEPmakEswavEs [FRI 30 Sept] THE REGULARS
Mon–Fri - Jugs of all tap beer only $10.50 (4–6pm). DJ’s in the Beer Garden from 2pm every Thursday.
ANU BAR, ANU Union Building 20, Acton Canberra (02) 6125 3660 | www.anuunion.com.au For more gig listings go to our website. Tickets through Ticketek & at the door on the night. Photo: Soulfly at the ANU Bar, Andrew Mayo for BMA Magazine.
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WHO: MikelangelO and tHe tin Star WitH Saint Clare / kOnrad lenz / Fun MaCHine WHat: a nigHt nOt tO be MiSSed! WHen: Fri Sept 16 WHere: pOliSH WHite eagle Club
Mikelangelo and the Tin Star just can’t keep away, and are bringing their surf ‘n’ western sounds back to Canberra as part of The Return of Geronimo tour. The gig will be a welcome home to their lead guitarist Fiete Geier who just arrived back in Australia after an extended European sojourn. Various guest guitarists have been filling the hot seat in his absence, including Martin Cilia from legendary surf band The Atlantics. The group’s debut album The Surf ‘n’ Western Sounds Of Mikelangelo and the Tin Star continues to get great reviews and airplay across Australia and has just sold out of its first pressing. 8.30pm, tickets $15/$20 at the door.
WHO: Carly Fern and tHe HuMiCOrn SuppOrted by yeS/nO WHat: SWeet StiCky FOlk pOp WHen: Wed Sept 28 WHere: tHe FrOnt
A lover, a mystic, an artist and story teller, Carly Fern believes in the magic of imagination and together with her Humicorn bursts through and hugs your soul with her pink fluffy love. In late September Carly Fern and the Humicorn team up with their favourite sweet-hearted twinkle-tot Taylz the Pixie and with the help of their comfy yellow camper Henry, set sail for the shores of the East Coast. Promoting the launch of her debut LP Desire-Lines Carly Fern and the Humicorn will dazzle and delight, bringing a colourful mix of sweet sticky folk pop into all places and spaces in need of some puffy pink pizzazz. 7.30pm, $5.
WHO: tHe paniCS WHat: rain On tHe HuMMing Wire tOur WHen: Wed Sept 21 WHere: anu bar
Following on from their sold out national tour and stand out Splendour performance, The Panics hit the road again in September and October for their official album tour. With Rain On The Humming Wire buzzing amongst the press with five star reviews and Feature Album at triple j, frontman Jae Laffer has proven his place as one of the strongest voices of the next Australian generation of songwriters. Critics and fans often say the same thing about The Panics: listening to their songs is like immersing yourself in the soundtrack to your own life. This show is definitely one not to miss. Tix through Ticketek.
WHO: SleepMakeSWaveS WHat: inSturMental rOCk WHen: Fri Sept 30 WHere: anu bar
Sydney based instrumental rockers sleepmakeswaves have released their debut album …and so we destroyed everything. It’s a dramatic showcase for the band; glittering melodic hooks are embossed by Dax Liniere’s lush production and the band’s heaving musicianship. With an array of memorable and climactic sequences, …and so we destroyed everything signals the band’s continued desire to push into new musical territory. sleepmakeswaves will be performing at ANU with Mornings and Meniscus as part of an extensive Australian tour, before heading to Europe and Asia. Tix $12 presale through Ticketek or $15 on the door.
WHO: MOrtal Sin WHat: auStralia’S FirSt tHraSH Metal band WHen: Sat Sept 17 WHere: tHe MaraM
Australia’s Mortal Sin began in 1985 and could be considered Australia’s first thrash metal band. All those years ago they recorded a demo at 301 Studios in Sydney that ended up as LP Mayhemic Destruction, which fell into the hands of Phonogram Records in London. The rep who got it was blown away. He actually thought it was the follow up to Kill ‘Em All by Metallica, and this thrust Mortal Sin into the limelight. The band have not stopped since and have a new record due in November this year. Catch them with Reign of Terror, Chud, Eyes To The Sky and Rise at The Maram. $15 at the door.
WHO: beni WHat: HOuSe OF beni tOur WHen: Fri Sept 16 WHere: trinity bar
Welcome to the House of Beni, a shape-shifting, solid state wall-of-dance sound and also the title of the imminent debut album from Sydney producer and DJ, Beni. Beni is a musical maestro of many guises. The last five years have witnessed Beni traipse the globe with vagabond disco pirates the Bang Gang Deejays, pop out stonking singles with (the now defunct) Riot In Belgium, craft tunes for Kitsune and remixes for Tiga, Digitalism, Fischerspooner, La Roux, and Alex Gopher to name a few. To celebrate the arrival of House of Beni, the man himself will be bringing his DJ skills to get down with you at Trinity Bar.
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Easy to love
JOSH BROWN
It’s not often the pathways leading to a major stage at Splendour in the Grass festival are forcibly closed due to crowd congestion, least of all at three o’clock in the afternoon. But, lo and behold, that’s what took place earlier this year as frenzied festival-goers flocked to the GW McLennan tent, climbing over one another to get a glimpse of emerging young Sydney band THE JEZABELS.
“It was pretty fun. I couldn’t really tell how many people were there, but apparently it was really packed,” says a charmingly modest Heather Shannon, the quartet’s keyboardist and synth player. “I don’t know how many people the tent holds but apparently the crowd was kind of spilling out the back, so I guess if you include all those people it probably would have been one of the biggest [gigs we’ve ever played].” Starting off her career as a classically trained pianist in Byron Bay, it was at university in Sydney where Shannon’s musical course changed slightly, teaming up with fellow Byron local Hayley Mary (vocals) and new friends Sam Lockwood (guitars) and Nik Kaloper (drums) to form a band. For someone more accustomed to conservatoriums and Chopin, the indie rock scene Shannon now found herself a part of took some getting used to. “I found it a bit of a challenge at first to play and write pop music because it was something that I’d never really done before,” she says. “It was a pretty weird transition really, because I finished uni and I’d been playing in recitals and then straight away we were on tour around the world and playing in a band. That was very strange, actually.”
Whenever we write a new song it always feels like we’re getting better
Another challenge presented itself in the band room; that of melding the eclectic influences of the collective and producing something resembling a cohesive sound. “Naturally I would, through my influences, play some particular harmonies or sounds that have got a classical sound. Hayley’s always liked pop music, Nik was in a metal band and Sam used to play a lot of country stuff, so we’ve all got our differences,” she explains. As for smoothing out any stylistic creases, compromise proved to be the key. “I think everyone ends up with a part they like. We just have to make sure that the parts work together.” The band shot to fame after their music was featured on the triple j Unearthed website and were subsequently selected to play a spot at the Field Day festival in early 2010. But Shannon offers a possible alternative explanation for the group’s sudden far-reaching exposure. “There’s a video online that a guy called Danny MacAskill did on his BMX and he’s quite well
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known in that world of BMXing,” she explains. “He used one of our songs as the backing track and it’s had a million views worldwide, so wherever we go there’s always people at the gigs like ‘oh I heard that song in the Danny MacAskill video’. I think that’s been one of the biggest reasons why we’ve had a crowd overseas, just that video alone.” BMX videos aside, the main drawcard for those clambering to get to a Jezabels show is the vibrancy, originality and sincerity of their music. The band have released three highly acclaimed EPs to date – The Man Is Dead, She’s So Hard and Dark Storm – and have enjoyed high rotation on radio with sprawling singles like Hurt Me, Easy To Love and Mace Spray. Now it’s finally come time for the release of the group’s debut album Prisoner, and interestingly none of the previous hits make an appearance on the track listing.
“We just felt it was a bit pointless to re-release a song that’s already been released,” explains Shannon. “Mace Spray has already had lots of radio play and so have Hurt Me and Easy To Love, so we didn’t think there was any point because people had already heard it and it was kind of old news. We wanted to challenge ourselves to try and write new stuff and I think whenever we write a new song it always feels like we’re getting better, so I guess we felt we’d be able to write better stuff.” Another talking point about the new album is that despite significant interest from a variety of major record labels, the band decided to stick to their DIY guns and release Prisoner independently. “We went through a period of a whole lot of meetings, meeting labels in Australia, but by the time that had happened we’d already established quite a big fan-base so the interest from those people came sort of late for us,” says Shannon. “We’d already toured a lot in the cities and rurally as well, so people already knew us and we felt like at the time we couldn’t get anything out of signing with anybody.” As for what concert attendees can expect on the upcoming Prisoner tour around the country, Shannon plays her cards close to her chest. “It’s kind of a weird thing to think about because you spend all your time thinking about how you can make it sound good and then you’ve got to think about actually ‘oh my god, this stage is so big and there’s the four of us’ so you’ve got to make it look nice,” she says. “I think people can expect that there’ll be a really good show.” The Jezabels debut album, Prisoner is out now, and available through all good record stores. Catch The Jezabels along with supports Hey Rosetta! and Alpine live at the ANU Bar on Wednesday October 19. Tickets cost $30.65 + bf and can be purchased through Ticketek.
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ALL AGES It’s been a wee quiet on the All Age gig front of late, but considering the whirlwind of exams, essays and assignments currently burdening the slender shoulders of the Future Hope of the Human Race (that’s you), it’s probably for the best. But soon the albatross of education will be freed from your neck, and there’re plenty of gigs waiting for you as a result. Most immediately, at the Tuggeranong Youth Centre on Saturday September 24, we have an impromptu band night headed by Melbourne-based indie/rock quartet Immersion. The centre promises there will be more local acts joining the bill. Doors open at 6pm and tickets will set you back ten of your Earth dollars. Also at the Tuggers Youthie, but a little further down the track on Friday October 28 hardworking Brisbane alt-rock/screamo band For This Cause will be delivering their Journeys album. Forming in 2009, For This Cause have released two EPs, played over 100 shows and played alongside international acts such as Emery and Switchfoot, so they’re no slouches on the live front. This will be the last time Reuben, Luke, Damon and Rhys head out this year so get in while you can. Ticket price is unknown at this stage, but likely around $10. Confirmation to come in a future issue. Rather excitingly, the sizable Liftoff Festival is on its way back, and along with it the Band Comp that gives you and your lovable bunch of musical scallywags the chance to play on a big stage. In the words of co-organiser Ben Trudinger – “Liftoff Festival is back again on Saturday November 5 as part of Woden Alive, this time running into the night as a stand alone event. The Liftoff Festival will feature cutting edge entertainment including rides, performance, as well as the Liftoff band competition finals showcasing youth culture at its best. Also, keep an eye out for a well known interstate band that will be released in the coming weeks. Watch this space for more info!” Before then the heats for the Band Comp will run on the weekend of October 28/29 at the Woden Youth Centre. It’s open for youth bands aged 12-25 years, where you can compete for prize packs including two days recording time at Tru Sound Music studios which includes the services of Ian Pav (of PavMusic) in a Producer/Advisory role to the value of $2020, and a Press and Album Art Photography Package with Cole Bennetts of Cole Bennetts Photography to the value of $2,000. Forms are available now direct from the Woden Youthie and registration closes 5pm Friday September 30. For more info contact Sindy Perason at sindy.pearson@wcs.org.au or 6282 3037. Finally, Tuggeranong Youth Centre’s big BMX/Skate/Scooter comp will be back on Sunday November 27 from 9am-4pm at the Tuggeranong Skate Park. Details are scant at this stage, but there will be plenty more to report in following issues so stay tuned. The good news for now at least is that it’s on its way. You’ll be pleased to hear that regular Naomi Frost will be returning from next issue onwards, so if you have any gig info, tip offs or just want to say g’day, send Naomi an email at allagescolumn@gmail.com . Thanks gang. It’s been a pleasure. ALLAN SKO – allan@bmamag.com
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LOCALITY
First of all, I’d like to kick off this column by once again apologising for not being Julia. Although I do also have a sweet ass, so there’s that at least. Secondly, may I introduce you to a two part series on new venues because there’s not enough space to do it in one.
While the word ‘crisis’ is probably a tad strong, Canberra is undoubtedly experiencing a nadir in the venue cycle. We enjoy a wealth of well mixed venues covering most mainstream and fringe tastes and then, through a combination of saturated market, lack of support, and questionable regulations, a number of them close. This continues for some months, sometimes a year or two and then demand and gap dictates that some brave, admirable, handsome, beautiful souls will front up a terrifying amount of cash to give the populace what we so sorely deserve; somewhere to get a farkin’ drink and listen to some farkin’ music.* Fortunately, we’re at the beginning of the upward swing, with no less than five venues/bars set to open. We’ll look at two now, and three more next issue. To get the bad news out of the way, it was set to be six venues. For months it looked like beloved erstwhile The Greenroom operator Garry Peadon had secured The Woden Tradies for all those interstate groups to play that we so often miss out on. It was all set to go but just before all the big renovations, set to make it one of the most jumpin’ joints in Canberra’s Southside, the plans were stopped. As the kids don’t say... Bummer. You can still catch Garry’s epic soundwork with his various UC and ANU gigs but still, shame. Onto happier news, we’re set to have a new venue to support local music to fill the void left by McGregor Hall. Ben Drysdale tells us: “The brains behind Cardboard Charlie and Culturazi are teaming up to open a new 200+ capacity venue in the Dickson area that will also house an art gallery, independent music shop, and a recording studio some time in 2012.” It’s McGregor but in Dickson... Huzzah! Six months is a very hopeful opening time, but it’s on its way. So often neglected, Garema Place in Civic has seen some attention of late. Skate in the City was a roaring success, and now comes new bar Honkytonks, nestled right behind the giant screen. Publican Laurence Kain, who is running the joint alongside Sasha from Hippo Bar and Tom Hertell tells: “We are bringing life to the square with a large outdoor garden and a lot of bi-fold windows. The front window will be prime location for beers this summer! The tunes will be a major focus; not big acts just great music. Opening early October 2011 the focus is on good quality wine and beer. We have a lot of local Aussie beer and wine, much of which we are sourcing from the local area as well as an extensive list of imported stuff. The place is getting fitted out using a lot of recycled materials and furniture; joiners and timber recycler Thor’s Hammer are playing a large part in the fit out. We have a super high quality sound system designed to create an even sound throughout the room and encourage conversation with some seriously funky tunes in the background.” Lovely. Next ish we’ll look at a sports bar, a purpose built venue/art space and more. Toodles. - ALLAN SKO - allan@bmamag.com
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 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
thurs 22 September Jessamine Raprager
sat 24 September Dusker Ranger Spacey Briscoe mon 26 September THE FUELLERS presents Bootleg Sessions The Beer Cactus The wheel of Fate Rabid Dog
tue 27 September TAMMY PAKS
presents Drag Bingo wed 21 September - following Quiz Night Bad!Slam!No!Biscuit! thurs 29 September Poetry Night Charge Group Savages Danger Beach 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 *Not too much to ask of a capital city, surely?
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DANCE THE DROP
The results of the annual InTheMix Top 50 DJ poll were announced in August with resident ‘slashies’ The Stafford Brothers taking out top spot in the national list. Our local heroes and last year’s winners The Aston Shuffle were unfortunately relegated to third place on the disco podium this time around, although a top three result in the country is still an amazing achievement for the boys. The ACT awards also provided some DJ silverware for club heavyweights Peking Duk, Jaytech, Cheese and Jared De Veer with local venue Trinity Bar taking out most popular local nightspot. Congratulations to all the winners and thanks to all of those who took the time to vote! Now that I have provided myself with an ample segue, Trinity Bar shows no signs of slowing down in September, with a massive line-up of mind-bending events set to cover the walls in sweat for the start of spring. Friday September 16 invites ex-Riot In Belgium banger Beni along to celebrate the release of his solo album House of Beni alongside the Starfuckers DJs (Syd). Saturday September 17 is yet another double international event with Ed Banger muso DJ Funk (USA) sharing the stage with RackNRuin (UK). For those of you attending the stellar All Our Friends at Night Festival, Friday September 23 also provides you with the official after party featuring whichever headline artists they can coax away from the beer fridge. Saturday September 24 welcomes Jump Jump Dance Dance in DJ mode and Friday September 30 brings the one and only Kid Kenobi (Syd) back to the capital for an exclusive showcase! a kinder shade of green
The Summer Rhythm Festival is another new kid on the block for electronic music fans. The event is being held over three amazing days from Friday December 9 to Sunday December 11, just outside the ACT border in Sutton. This year’s line-up is an impressive mix of acts including Salmonella Dub (NZ), Hook N Sling, Van She Tech, Cassian, Shazam, Goodwill, Jono Fernandez and a long list of locals including D’Opus & Roshambo, B-tham, Team Wing and Tim Galvin. Tickets are available now from the usual outlets! Oh Academy, when will you stop putting on such crazy parties, I need some sleep!
Li v ing Green Festival
CANBERRA 2011
• sustainable, fair trade & cruelty-free food, products & services • talks on environmental, animal protection & health issues • live music & dance performances • free yoga & gardening workshops • children's entertainment & more! Have fun g easy discoverin ce our du re to s way otprint fo on rb ca g kind while bein s and an m hu to als im an r he ot
Albert Hall Commonwealth Ave 10am—4pm Sunday 16 October FREE ENTRY
www.liv inggreenfestival.org.au
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Friday September 16 rocks your bones with the One Love Dubstep Invasion featuring my personal favorite Shockone followed by bearded Raw-FM prophet Chris Fraser on Saturday September 17 and “Dance Music’s two hottest ladies” Havana Brown on Friday September 23 and Emily Scott on Friday September 30! New music just keeps flooding in for spring with trance legends Blank & Jones coming out of the woodwork with an epic mix of Medina, Gutter, househeads unite for a bouncy main-room rework of the Joey Negro classic Keep On Jumpin and dare I say it, I’m also a big fan of the new David Guetta & Afrojack monster Lunar… just keep that to yourselves please. TIM GALVIN tim.galvin@live.com.au
facebook.com/ trinitybarcanberra
LEAD BY EXAMPLE
ORIGINAL PRINCI MATERIAL
tim galvin
Ashley Thomson
While Elliot Gleave, aka EXAMPLE, was growing up in London, most of his friends were beguiled by the glossy rebellion rife in ‘90s American hip-hop culture. “I started making rap because that’s all I knew,” says Gleave. “When I went to school in south London everyone was really into black music culture and because I couldn’t play football or basketball I kind of started rapping just to fit in really.”
I know less about the Canberra DJ scene than I know about what my doctor will say before he performs my first rectal exam, but I know considerably more about it (the former) after talking to PRINCI. Princi is a Canberra DJ who has been playing the rounds for a couple of years and has organised, with the help of three other acts – Bricksta, BC Schtang and Nick Clarke – to launch a track at Canberra’s new ‘it’ venue, The Clubhouse.
His first big break came when one of his tongue-in-cheek demos pricked the ears of likeminded geezer Mike Skinner, aka The Streets, who quickly signed Example to his label The Beats. While he was still finding his feet as a contracted performer, a handful of his early releases even managed to make their way onto national radio, an achievement that Gleave still finds unworthy of any kind of posthumous glory. My dad was like, ‘one minute he is in the gym and the song is on the TV and the next minute he leaves and gets in the car and it’s on the radio and he gets home and it’s on the radio again!’
“I used to record demos when I was at university but none of them were very good and then in 2004 I put out a song which wasn’t even that good still then, but it got played on radio and since then it’s just kind of been a natural evolution to where I am now.” After enjoying local success, Gleave became weary of the UK hiphop realm and started phoning up his friends in the electronic scene to help him reinvent himself as a recording artist. “After a while I started feeling a bit awkward in the rap scene, like I was a white guy from west London with long hair and I didn’t really have any gangster stories,” he laughs. “I had only ever written to rap music before whereas now I’ve been experimenting writing dubstep and house and trance, and that’s why singing seems more natural than rapping to me now.” His first Australian hit single Changed The Way You Kissed Me has become one of the most popular crossover records in the country, reaching the upper echelon of both the Australian singles chart and the Australian club chart. “I haven’t been there to see it but my Mum and Dad and sister live in Australia, so they have told me about it!” he says. “My dad was like, ‘one minute he is in the gym and the song is on the TV and the next minute he leaves and gets in the car and it’s on the radio and he gets home and it’s on the radio again!’” His upcoming tour of Australia has a double edged motive, both to promote the release of his upcoming album Playing In The Shadows (featuring beats from Nero, Faithless and Laidback Luke) and to take part in the annual Summer skin-fest, Parklife, where he will also be debuting most of the new tracks live. “[What] we are doing in Australia, it’s going to be relentless man, literally just bouncing, moshing, raving, hands in the air!” Example will be joining MSTRKRFT, Wolfgang Gartner and Nero plus Offtapia, Peking Duck and Cheese at All Our Friends At Night, held at UC Refectory on Friday September 23. Tix through Moshtix.
Billed as a night flowing from deep At the moment there’re so many house to dubstep, the line-up awesome tunes features the launch of an original Princi track, Nostalgia, and signature coming out of Canberra; some remixes of the track from DJ prodigy Bricksta and Clubhouse residentreally talented dudes cum-regulars, BC Schtang. I pressed
Princi for his rationale for the event. Turns out there’s much more to it than just one track. “At the moment there’re so many awesome tunes coming out of Canberra; some really talented dudes, and a lot of it’ll be like – chuck it on SoundCloud and show their Facebook friends. It’ll have 50 plays – that’s it. This awesome track.” It suddenly occurred to me how many good Canberran tunes are floating at 50 or so plays on SoundCloud because of my friends. “While it is billed as my EP,” Princi went on, “ideally we wanted to use it as sort of a trial to create a platform for local producers to put stuff out.”
Before sitting down with Princi, I had never considered the prospect of a DJ community in Canberra. The more he elaborated on his experiences in the scene, the more I was convinced this event is considerably significant. When I pressed Princi further, he lamented the scene’s lack of foundations, of networks and exposure. “The trouble is you have to be DJing and getting gigs... There are awesome producers who only play once or twice a month so they don’t really know the whole community.” “So why The Clubhouse?” I asked. “There’s support for the whole concept of original music,” Princi replied simply. While one launch at one venue in Canberra may not seem groundbreaking, it’s the kind of event of which Canberrans should be deeply proud. My image of Canberra DJs as providers of palatable but forgettable club noise has already been altered by what I’ve witnessed at The Clubhouse, but to know that DJs like Princi, Bricksta and BC Schtang are the force behind the change is a source of pride. However, if you’re not on board with fundamentally reshaping the way Canberra responds to its ever-expanding dance scene, there’s still reason to go. A man who has played the stage at Foreshore is supporting and if you get in early and get lucky, Princi’s giving away 100 free download codes for the EP. To use a line of my cousin’s: “Come home with me. It’s the right thing to do.” Now substitute “home” for The Clubhouse. Win. Princi’s track drops at The Clubhouse on Friday September 30, with Nick Clarke, Bricksta and BC Schtang in support. Tickets are $10 at the door.
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Last year’s director, Meg O’Connell, is not involved this time around, having been busy with her production at this year’s Edinburgh Fringe Festival. As Withnell explains, aside from what the cast and crew learned from last year, the context of the show is still much the same: a faculty that until last year had no revue despite – ironically enough – having an army of students with all the time in the world on their hands. “I think what we learnt the most from last year’s performance is that people definitely loved the songs, so we’ve put a lot more emphasis on music this year,” Withnell says. “Last year we had a running vibe of a cabaret show; this year we have a completely different focus, which I think is a bit brighter.” On the topic of music, this year’s Revue is said to be a 60/40 split between skits and music, with several of the musical numbers being original songs written by Taylor and her crew of musicians. “The new musical numbers are pretty cool and we’re really excited about them,” gushes Withnell. “Bec Taylor is just so good at what she does, so we wanted to use her as much as possible. Everyone is going to be pretty impressed with what she pulls off.”
IT’S A THREE YEAR HOLIDAY! ben hermann 2010’s inaugural ANU ARTS REVUE was, by all accounts, a resounding triumph on all imaginable fronts. Far from what may be expected to result from the lacklustre ‘she’ll be right’ nonchalant attitude ascribed to most Bachelor of Arts students, the production was a professional, tightly-scripted affair to the very last detail. As one reviewer put it, the 2010 crew “…succeeded in creating a show that was brilliantly witty, original and entertaining, and which at the same time struck the perfect balance between Arts-centric comedy and comedy that could be appreciated by your regular, off-thestreet Canberran.” Such a precedent is undeniably altitudinous, but was it at all unfair or burdensome for this year’s cast and crew? On a crisp spring afternoon in Glebe Park, Sal Withnell (this year’s co-director alongside Carl Reinecke) explains how the Arts Revue 2011 is certainly no Room on Fire or Aha Shake Heartbreak. “I wouldn’t say it was like second album pressure, but we were aware that we did something pretty special last year,” she says. “Even though a lot of the people that were involved last year are involved again this year, we don’t see the productions as connected in any particular way. They’re really different shows. But at the end of the day, it’s all the same vibe – we’re just a bunch of students procrastinating from our Arts degrees. We did put a lot more thought into the timetabling of it. But then, we’re all Arts students, so it’s all done the night before. Not matter how much planning we do, it’s always a last-minute rush, but always a lot of fun.” Alongside Withnell and Reinecke are Bec Taylor (of Fun Machine fame) as musical director, Sham Sara as producer, and a cast of 16.
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Another departure from last year’s production is the content and subject matter of the skits and musical numbers. 2010’s revue threw out a relatively equal balance of skits accessible to both students and non-students (especially in comparison to the revues of other faculties). Yet, with last year’s skits all but exhausting the myriad of stereotypical perceptions of Arts students, this year the writers took a more inclusive approach to their targets. “We tried to avoid doing direct lecture-bashing and things that only Arts students would understand. We tried to go off-campus a lot more this year,” Withnell explains. “A lot of our skits this year are just generally funny things that could happen anywhere. They’re not ANU-specific. I mean, the Arts faculty is so big that we might as well make jokes about anything – we don’t need to have a hot lecturer skit. Besides, it’s hard to get the whole cast to agree on who the hot lecturer is, so we just canned it.” And then, of course, there’s the particular social or political bent that your off-the-street audience member would – not unjustifiably – expect from an Arts Revue. Putting aside Withnell’s comment that all participants must be Bolsheviks (in jest, I assume...), she speaks to the mostly impartial tone of the production. “I think it’s pretty well balanced. We look at stereotypes a lot, and we give as much as we get. We try to be pretty objective about that sort of stuff. It’s all fairly democratic,” she instructs. And as far as risqué or touchy topics go? “Yeah, we’ve been pretty careful not to put in material that is too controversial; we don’t want to isolate members of society. However, I don’t really hold back all that much in the script-writing. I think the more abuse the better. People want to go and be entertained for two hours. It’s not a coffee at Tilley’s, it’s a theatre show.” ANU Arts Revue plays at the Courtyard Studio (Canberra Theatre Centre) from Fri Sept 30 to Sun Oct 2. All evening sessions have sold out. Tickets for 2pm sessions on Sat-Sun October 1-2 are available from Canberra Theatre Centre for $20/$15.
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TMG:The way he structured [the plays] had something in common with the way an electronic musician might structure a DJ set. There are recurring themes, motifs, there is a continued thread and a pulse that runs like a spine through the whole thing, but things segue one to another, overlap, intercut, weave in and out, and build. How much ego do you have to sacrifice to allow someone else to edit and evolve your work?
THESE FRAGMENTS I HAVE SHORED AGAINST MY RUINS Naomi Milthorpe 22 SHORT PLAYS BY DAVID FINNIGAN has had a long life for a series of shorts. Picked up for a play reading in 2010, and drawn out of itself over the last year by MKA Richmond’s head honcho Tobias Manderson-Galvin (last seen here as part of CYT’s Open House in 2010, doing Afternoon of the Faun), the performance comprises 22 bite-sized plays from Finnigan’s breviary of unperformed scripts. “Having drawn a few millilitres of vivid blood from the veins of a whole army of cankered scripts, 22 Short Plays mixes them together in an actual mix,” says Finnigan. “Not a sketch show format where one show follows the next, but in a complete arc, courtesy of Tobias Manderson-Galvin’s brilliant editing and oversight.”
DF: My scripts sit at the intersection of a huge scope of creative collaboration across all disciplines within the performing arts. As a playwright, I’m less a creative auteur who generates something new than I am the owner of a venue which hosts the coming together of an extraordinary collaborative venture. A play script is not a work of art in itself - even 22 play scripts together do not equate to art - it is the starting point for the rad shit. Put another way, a script is not interesting or worthwhile until it’s covered in the director, designer and actors’ scribbled notes. Tobias: What are the challenges involved in performance? What drew you to Finnigan’s work? TMG: The challenges are many and the rewards few but I knew on reading the work of David Finnigan that he was just like himself which is a lot like you and a bit like me too. For example he was enquiring into what makes the tilting upper-lip of a series of rock ’n’ roll singers so violently alluring. He was contemplating why we don’t use Discmans anymore. He was contemplating the mortality of his closest relatives. And at one point he’d read a TV programming guide with sentence long description attachments. Do you have a short attention span? We do. Can you talk through MKA’s raison d’etre for those Canberrans who may not be aware of your stuff?
22 Short Plays reflects a growing interest in stretching the boundaries of collaboration and challenges assumptions about what theatre ‘is’. The following is a necessarily truncated version of an email interview with Finnigan and Manderson-Galvin.
TMG: MKA is about the playwright. Based on the successful model presented by companies like the Royal Court, the SOHO Writers Theatre (London) and Instant Cafe Theatre (KL) […] we stage work that’s bold, urgent and we’re not afraid of time travel.
How much of the plays’ structure was up to you, and how much of it is the work of the other? Is Tobias the Pound to Finig’s Waste Land-era Eliot?
On MKA, David: what do you think of these cats?
TMG: What a luxury it is to collaborate on a play like this. MKA peeked into the Finnigan brain vault and 28 plays surfaced from which to make a selection. Some real talent made the squad whilst others sat on the bench patiently waiting for their shot in the big league. Does 22 Short Plays end in us chanting Shantih shantih shantih? Absolutely. All plays should. And all credit should go to the author who gave us the opportunity to make Shantih Shantih Shantih. DF: …There’s a school of thought behind the well-made short play – I believe the Short and Sweet cats even provide lessons on the topic. None of the plays in 22 Short Plays qualify in that regard. None of them have gags, or if they do have gags they’re accidental. This is not a highbrow collection of well-formed nuggets honed into pearlescence and then lined up in order from start to finish. These are the highlight snapshots from nine years of failure. These are not handsome short plays, they are fragments – and in that sense, they are amenable to being molded and reworked into something greater than their component parts.
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DF: One of my favourite things about the Canberra indie theatre scene is the fear, the fever and the desperation that drives companies. You can work all day and all night and make stunning work after stunning work, but you’re always just a few minutes away from complete failure. Every show could be your last and everyone knows it and everyone can feel it and so people create and create with a furious energy and passion that wants to scorch some kind of mark before your fire goes out. In Melbourne, MKA are scrabbling at the walls of the scene with that same mad hunger that looks like they’ve got nothing left to lose and nowhere to go but out, so they’re risking basically everything and aiming for the top of the heap. A lot of guts, a lot of skill and a lot of ambition, and it’s paying off in a really crazy way. MKA Richmond present 22 Short Plays by David Finnigan at The Street Theatre, Thursday September 15 to Saturday September 17 at 8pm, Sunday September 18 at 6pm. Tickets and bookings are through thestreet.org.au, and for more on the genesis of 22 Short Plays, check out David Finnigan’s blog at blind-dragonfly.com .
Anna is particularly animated when she talks about the opening and closing nights of the festival, which will include screenings of Oscarwinning short film The Lost Thing, and Yorram Gross’ (creator of Blinky Bill) cartoon Professor Filutek. Talking about what makes the CSFF stand out from other film festivals in Canberra, Anna says, “If you look at the Canberra film festivals they’re either very local, like Lights! Canberra! Action!, or they’re international film festivals, like Flickrfest. We are very strictly a national competition.”
SMALL SIZE, BIG HEARTS MELISSA WELLHAM The CANBERRA SHORT FILM FESTIVAL has been a staple in the cinema diet of filmmakers and film enthusiasts in Canberra for the past 16 years. This year, under the direction of Anna Koprowska, the film festival is bigger than ever. Koprowska, a native from Poland, had extensive experience with festivals and film production in Europe. “It’s been a lot of work. With larger film festivals, even when you’re the director, there are many more people involved. With a smaller festivals, you are involved in every single thing.” She clearly has a vision and a lot of affection for the festival, saying, “I really love this little project – and when I mean little, I actually mean short, because it’s not a little event at all. In Canberra it’s really the second largest film festival after the International Film Festival.” The number of films they received this year was “200! Well, it was really 199, but only because one had to be disqualified!”
The CSFF used to have a specific Canberra focus, but looks to be angling itself to become a major national competition. Anna talked about her decision to remove the Canberra region category this year, saying, “I understand that caused a controversy… It was done because in the Canberra region category you had schools, emerging, and practicing filmmakers. Obviously for whoever was judging these things… it was difficult.” However, Anna stresses that, “in every section we have at least one Canberra film.” In the practicing category are Marisa Martin’s Tegan the Vegan, and Alex Chapman and James Lane’s Occupants. In the emerging category is Christian Doran’s Falling, in the grassroots category Jimmy Ennett’s Invasion, and in the Schools category a film from students at Narrabundah College. And what category is not to be missed this year? “I really like the grassroots category, because these people are mostly students. And while they don’t get that much money, they are so full of ideas. Big money, in many cases, can kill imagination and limit a filmmaker. It shows you how innovative young people can be… with their passion and their motivation and their dreams, they can really do a great job.” The Canberra Short Film Festival will be screening at Dendy Cinemas Canberra from Sunday September 16 to Tuesday September 18. Tickets are available from dendy.com.au, for $16/$14 concession.
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file away as part of our collective consciousness. By remodeling recognisable objects, images and even historical and commercial imagery, Armanious converts what we once thought of as immaterial to something tangible. For example what takes the shape of a throwaway Burger King crown is actually a casting of the consumer item embellished with semi-precious stones. It sits on the bottom rung of a leaning tower of bronze desks. The work, Adzeena Persius, 2010, contains gold plated silver, tourmaline, rubelite, blue topaz, garnets and citrine. By choosing materials from all over the world and selecting gems with various values, Armanious gives a critique of high and low art.
UNIVERSAL AND SUBLIMINAL CHLOE MANDRYK HANY ARMONIOUS is the sole artist in the Australian Pavilion for the 54th Venice Biennale, showing until Sunday November 27. Regarded as a playground of the very wealthy, Venice’s public contemporary art exhibition democratically shares shocking ideas, political comment and artistic experimentation. Armanious was born in 1962 in Egypt but has lived and worked in Sydney for his adult life. His work is infused with his diasporic existence, living between two cultures and inhabiting a third, the art world. Perhaps Armanious’s 11 sculptures were chosen for his thoughtful re-formatting of ordinary objects to satirical ancient relics – a unique achievement. Armanious is long established in contemporary Australian art and his work is an essential component of the development of Australian art history proper. Armanious’ message is universal and subliminal. He is interested in things; the things we see, remember, like, dislike and eventually
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His sculptures are ‘process based’ and as a result take on complex metaphorical meaning. They can be thought of as ‘assemblage’ art, putting one object in the context of another. Armanious also applies this to reassembling ideas. Take Effigy of an Effigy with Mirage, 2010. The iconic imagery of Picasso is echoed in the sculpture cast in fibreglass and pewter with pigment. Not only does Armanious displace the function of the original object but by doing so ‘assembles’ a totally foreign object. Previously Armanious has toyed with our perception of solids; his objects look like they have crawled out of primordial ooze. His Biennale contribution, 17 years since the creation of Snake Oil, 1994, NGA, shows that his early ideas have evolved to look deeper into cultural difference and the modes of production of cultural materials, such as art. These works express the transnational and global identity that is the norm in Australia today; an idea that ought to resonate with the 33,000 international guests coming through the Palazzo. Hany Armanious’ work can be found in the NGA, The Art Gallery of NSW, Roslyn Oxley9 gallery and most recently at The Drill Hall Gallery, Canberra.
IN REVIEW
Last Man To Die The Street Theatre Monday August 22 and Tuesday August 23 This non-linear installation performance piece incorporates music, visual arts, acting, mask work and some damn impressive technology in an exploration of human longevity (and potential immortality) and the possibilities and consequences for the future. To begin with, the audience was uncertain, as we were herded onto The Street Theatre’s main stage and corralled there, behind the curtains, in a space demarcated by hanging transparent sheets. The mood was eerie and evocative, thanks to the music of Charles Martin and digital artworks of Benjamin Forster (and writer Peter Butz) and it felt like we’d been plunged into a game without knowing the rules. In fact, the performance was controlled by the audience – we each had a coded ticket, which we could scan to trigger a new performance scenario. Hard-working actor Hanna Cormick appeared from a nook in the corner of the stage for some sequences, while others used projections of video and graphics. In one particularly effective scenario, audience members had our faces ‘scanned’ to see if we were candidates for longevity (I, sadly, was not). Our own ghostly faces were later projected onto one of the four transparent walls. This scenario was repeated several times, but always different and Cormick’s customer service hostess character grew more and more belligerent. I’m not sure how clearly the setting – a derelict museum exhibit of the future – came across to other audience members who didn’t have the benefit of back story that I did. But in the end, I don’t think it mattered. It provided a framework, a fiction, for the performers. And for those looking hard enough, the imagery was there. Martin’s mesmerising music and percussion underscored most of the performance. One composition in particular stood out for me, evoking Vangelis’ iconic score from Blade Runner. It was a reference other film theory nerds would have appreciated; an echo of the film’s own exploration of concepts of longevity and the ethics around humanity’s use of technology. By far the most technologically impressive feat was a scene about jellyfish – in fact, a type of jellyfish that is essentially immortal. Images of these jellyfish were projected onto the walls and Cormick, fitted with something presumably like a Wii remote, entered the performance space and danced with them. Her movements controlled the movements of the projected jellyfish, flinging them from side to side, guiding them to glide from one place to another. The message – that by controlling the jellyfish, we have the potential to control our own lifespans. This was just one subtextual message of many, but you didn’t need to be able to excavate the deeper meaning of the performance to enjoy it. It’s not a show for everyone, but despite the philosophical subject matter, the audience interaction made it accessible and extremely engaging. EMMA GIBSON
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political battle. Examples are uttered, like Dylan, like The Clash, like Orwell and Oliver Stone, examples held up as paragons of an ideal art practice. Thing is, I’m not so sure.
UNINHIBITED The past couple of weeks have given us Canberra folk an intimate reminder of our city’s central role in the political theatre. The recent ‘convoy of frustrated change dismissing Alan Jones acolytes’ (otherwise known as the ‘tiny truckload of the toothless’) best demonstrated the role of the place in the wider national mind. Not a city full of people living as others across the country might, but a place that houses those rascals on the hill, a place that could cope with a little disruption (and it was a very minor disruption after all) so that ‘the real people’ could have ‘their say’. This, and a bunch of articles in the wake of the London riots got me thinking about the place of politics, both physical and imagined, in both life and the arts. Post London, a Guardian headline asked ‘where are the protest songs?’ It’s a good question for a swift think-piece – London has a long history of civil disturbance and some fairly high-quality music to memorialise it. But now? The protest singers aren’t exactly flooding forth. And maybe that’s a good thing. There remains a thought, as evidenced by that Guardian headline and a bunch of other articles that bemoaned the lack of a contemporary Dylan (thus pointing toward an unparalleled generational narcissism) that the arts should be in the frontline of
The problem with the political entering the art space is that there’s something didactic about a diatribe set to music, or thrown into a piece of visual art. Even within a longform narrative, if the primary aim of a piece of art is to effect some kind of change, it runs counter to the greatest claim the arts have on our minds and hearts - the space to inhabit the tune, the vision or the story. It can veer toward a kind of fundamentalism, which is the opposite of argumentative discourse, and of freedom. Not freedom in the W. Bush bastardisation of the term, but in the sense of the word best exhibited by the arts at the strongest. A trigger for the loosening of the mind. The thing that grabs your correspondent about music, about visual art and fiction and film, is that glorious space where a skilled maker hints at something both specific and universal, and allows the audience in, to then test their own thinking and make their own way. What’s interesting about the Dylan example that many columnists use as the crutch of their thesis is that Dylan allows space for interpretation. It’s why a bundle of books on Dylanology are written every year. Mystery is the spice of the arts, and the opposite of didacticism. These are most certainly interesting times. But we needn’t look to art to enable protest. Instead, we can look to art to assist us in making sense of our world. It’s what it does best. GLEN MARTIN glenpetermartin@gmail.com
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ARTISTPROFILE: Soren Jensen
What do you do? I act for free and learn lines for money. Professional actor, presenter and voiceover artist. When did you get into it? Around ten years ago, forming 19th Hole Productions with friends from college after we finished school. Who or what influences you as an artist? The pursuit of giving an engaging, truthful and entertaining performance. Probably the most influential in this was Bobby Farquhar and the National Acting School which I first trained with in Canberra and helped set me on the path to getting into drama school and being a professional actor. I also look up to actors like Edward Norton, Sean Penn, De Niro, and Pacino. What’s your biggest achievement/proudest moment so far? The production of Angels In America Pts 1 & 2 was a special undertaking as we put together six hours of theatre with such epic and challenging issues around homosexuality and AIDS during the ‘80s that really got a great response from those who saw it. The other would be my directorial debut with The Shape of Things, which won Best Play, Best Actor, and Best Actress 2008 in the CAT awards. Also recently becoming a dad to my daughter Lily Joy. What are your plans for the future? To be the best dad I can be for my little girl, and just keep on trucking doing what I do. I have been down in Melbourne for two years and am slowly making inroads into networks down there. In this industry it’s hard to plan too far ahead, but half the fun is the surprise of what opportunity may
the street theatre
present itself next. I hope I continue to grow, learn, entertain and keep working with such fantastic people. Maybe I will put together a theatre company with all the fantastic Canberra artists that have moved to Melbourne. Half the people I meet down there seem to be ex-Canberra. What makes you laugh? When my wife is making our baby girl giggle… It has been made clear to me that Mummy is much funnier than Dad, despite my best and professionally trained comedic efforts. What pisses you off? Very little; I’m fairly Zen about the whole thing. But rude, inconsiderate people, or those who take advantage of others piss me off. What’s your opinion of the local scene? Strong performers and companies; I have seen some great shows in Canberra, but the region struggles from having a lack of professional opportunities. It is unfortunate that to grow, and attempt to make a living off performing there is a need to leave Canberra. As always, there is more funding needed to attract professional performers to Canberra, and help grow the professional industry here, as there are many talented people that become an untapped resource for the industry. What are your upcoming performances/exhibitions? I have come back from Melbourne for a couple of months to perform in MP by Alana Valentine at The Street Theatre. A strong play about politics, gender, and disability services. They have put together a great cast and I am really excited about being able to perform in such a strong new professional work about Canberra in Canberra. It runs Saturday October 1 to Saturday October 15. Contact info: jensen_soren@yahoo.com.au
Lawrie & Shirley
A Poem, a Movie, a Play By Geoff PAGe
really unpleasant people down & out loSerS It'll be wIcked
14 – 23 OCTOBER Love never comes too late
22 Short playS BOOK NOW By DaviD Finnigan thestreet.org.au 15 – 17 SEPT 8PM 6247 1223 & 18 SEPT 6PM 29
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bit PARTS WHO: Canberra creatives WHAT: Pecha Kucha Vol 10 WHEN: Thurs Sept 29 WHERE: Craft ACT Craft and Design Centre Volume 10 of the global gabfest Pecha Kucha will return to the capital on Thursday September 29. Pecha Kucha is a night for people to get together and witness presentations from local creatives aimed at inspiring, starting conversations and making connections. The previous volumes have featured artists, architects, musicians, performers, designers, publishers, ratbags and raconteurs, and Volume 10 promises more of the same. Pecha Kucha is an event that takes place in over 300 cities around the world and remains an excellent way for creative people to showcase their work and share their ideas. For more info head to pechakuchacanberra.com .
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WHO: Arc Cinema WHAT: Australian Cinema’s Middle East WHEN: Various dates in September and October WHERE: Arc Cinema, National Film and Sound Archives For the next month Arc Cinema looks at the 90 years of Australian cinema connections between our nation and the societies and cultures of the Middle East, beginning with the films of Frank Hurley and ending in the era of 9/11. Whether looking at the presence of Australian troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, the arrival of refugees from the region, the increasingly visible presence of Islamic belief and social custom, or episodes of communal tension and resentment in our big cities, these issues and themes have generated some of the best work of veteran documentarians. They’ve also drawn out new talent, often filmmakers themselves from an Arab-immigrant background. For all the info head to nfsa. gov.au/arc . WHO: Kate Barker WHAT: A Matter of Time exhibition WHEN: Opening 6pm Thurs Sept 15, continuing ‘til September 25 WHERE: Canberra Contemporary Art Space, Manuka Photographs are a way of capturing and pinning down memories. We take photographs as aids for memory, but they in turn affect the way we remember. Kate Barker uses photographs as a basis for her paintings. By reinventing photographs through paint, Barker returns photographs’ coherent and informative remembrances into the disjointed, sometimes incoherent state of real human memory. Barker is a Canberra-based artist from Wagga Wagga, which was the focus of much of her previous work. With her new exhibition A Matter of Time, Barker will now be turning her sights on Canberra, looking at the way in which places and people interact and imprint on each other. WHO: The Sound of Music Tragics WHAT: Sing-A-Long-A Sound of Music WHEN: Sat Sept 17 WHERE: Canberra Theatre Centre
WHO: Craft ACT WHAT: Centenary of Canberra - a legacy of good design competition WHEN: Now WHERE: craftact.org.au/projects/centenary Centenary of Canberra - a legacy of good design is a competition to design and produce a limited range of quality objects that will be sold as memorabilia for the centenary in 2013. The competition will shortlist ten finalists who will each receive $1,000 to develop their design concept into a prototype. From these finalists four winners will be selected. Each of the winners will receive $10,000 for the production costs of the initial run of the memorabilia object. The competition is open to all Canberra and local region residents and closes on December 2. Competition guidelines and more info is available on the Craft ACT site.
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Round up your favourite friends, frock up and get ready to sing your heart out when Sing-A-Long-A Sound of Music returns to the Canberra Theatre Centre. Have you ever been to a musical and had an uncontrollable urge to burst into song? Well now’s your chance. Sing-A-Long-A Sound of Music is more than just a movie; it’s your chance to sing along shamelessly and loudly to a film that we all know and love, and the song subtitles make it easy to join in. To start the evening celebrity host Katrina Retallick (The Chaser, Comedy Inc) will lead a vocal warm up, judge the costume parade and guide the audience through the use of the fabulous interactive fun pack. For all the info head to the CTC website, canberratheatrecentre. com.au . WHO: Canberra fashionistas WHAT: Fashioned Here WHEN: Now until January 21 WHERE: Canberra Museum and Gallery Fashioned Here unpacks the wardrobe of Canberra Museum and Gallery (CMAG). The exhibition shows the work of fashion designers and related private businesses that are represented in CMAG’s permanent collection, as well as selected current designers. In 1997 a generous donation spurred CMAG’s interest in collecting objects and stories of private commerce in Canberra. A study of decorative art, including what we wear, provides social historians with clues to the social values of a particular time and place; in the same way clothing can provoke memories of important events in our lives, so fashion can come to symbolise an era. C-Town’s got style alright.
HEART AND OLD SOUL
BOYS, BANJOS, BEARS
Tim Galvin
sinead o’connell
KIMBRA Johnson would be just as comfortable bathed in the smoky ambience of an old school Chicago jazz lounge as she is bouncing around the main stage at a modern day music festival. The effervescent 21-year-old pop/soul performer is a nonpareil example of an ‘old soul’. Her unique style draws parallels with “a lot of funk and soul and probably even rock elements” which she has honed since she was a young girl growing up in Hamilton. “Even watching little home videos I can see that I’m already singing songs,” she says. “I’m sure artists were the same where they had little paint brushes in their hands when they were toddlers you know, just because it was the natural way to express yourself.”
I interviewed Dave Hosking from BOY AND BEAR on my birthday and his advice for entering my 20s was both hilariously honest and a reflection of what an awesome, down to earth guy he really is –“Be irresponsible. Make a lot of bad choices, because you’re so young and that’s what you’re supposed to do. Before you get to 24 and become paranoid of getting old like me!” Working with producer Joe Chiccarelli (My Morning Jacket, The Shins, The Strokes) was a huge eye opener for the band. “It’s important to be constantly learning and Joe is an amazing engineer. At times even when they’ll pitch for something that you’re not keen on, ultimately you know what you’re getting yourself into and it’s always worth it.”
I wanted to make something that had layers, something that you could live with and hopefully was a bit timeless
There is something lucidly antiquarian about Kimbra’s style, a quality which Australian label manager Mark Richardson discovered while he was perusing Myspace back in 2007.
“[He] saw some of my stuff and ended up flying over and offering me this opportunity to record an album, so it was kind of just too good to pass up and even though I was young, my parents were really supportive of it because they knew I was pretty pumped to do it!” she says. Her collaboration with Richardson has simmered in the studio for almost four years, culminating in the imminent release of her debut album Vows, a surprisingly diverse and mature collection of pop, soul and jazz. “I don’t think it was really a conscious thing; it’s not like I set out like ‘I’m going to tackle every genre on this album’. I just listen to a really varied amount of music and different styles of production so that’s just naturally what happened,” says Kimbra. “Where there is a certain emotion like the ballad, Withdraw, which I did completely at home by myself, it’s not going to suit the same kind of production as Cameo Lover. It was more of a process of keeping it truthful to the lyrics and the emotion of the song.” Her hit single Cameo Lover was recently awarded first place in the coveted Vanda & Young Award for International songwriting, beating an extremely strong field of contenders, including her own collaboration with Gotye. “That one was hard work though so it’s really nice to be acknowledged at that level. It’s just so cool that people connect with it and have such a strong reaction to it, it’s just really nice!”
Obviously no matter what, a bunch of guys singing harmonies with a banjo puts you in a box. The imagery is
The boys got to writing Moonfire all last year, at home and abroad, finally winding up recording in far away Nashville. After a non-stop schedule the band are looking forward to winding down at the end of the year.
Frontman Hosking is the primary songwriter of the band, constructing the bones of the songs, to which the rest come together and rearrange, change or keep. “It is this type of writing process that brings the songs to life,” says Hosking. Drawn with influences from Neil Young and Bob Dylan, a lot of the craft that came out of the ‘60s and ‘70s are their inspiration as well as contemporaries Mumford & Sons and Fleet Foxes. “I’ve always had one foot in music like Arcade Fire, Dear Hunter and The National and the other in a different place.” Ultimately it’s the artists who offer them common inspiration. “From a lyrical perspective I really just like colloquial expressions, and not music that shows off.” Boy and Bear struggled with labels this time around, hoping to avoid the ‘nu folk’ tag as well as trying to balance an inevitable seat in similar genres. Dave gets concerned that bios and the press restrict taste and don’t allow them to just be. “Obviously no matter what, a bunch of guys singing harmonies with a banjo puts you in a box. The imagery is there,” he laughs. However Moonfire comes from a place where Hosking is sure they can’t be type casted. Willing himself not to listen to his favourite music while writing, it paid off. “I feel more content with this album, it’s born more out of the depths of myself.”
Vows is a welcome counterbalance to the perishable radio pop currently attacking our ears on morning music TV, a fact which may surprise Kimbra’s fans who may be expecting a raft of niche records. “I wanted to make something that had layers, something that you could live with and hopefully was a bit timeless. I hope that people will enjoy dissecting the layers of the album because it’s definitely not just a pop record.”
The banjo that graciously features throughout Moonfire renders it a majestic accompaniment to an otherwise already flawless album, as well as the dreamy vocals of Hosking that charm and lull all listeners into a blissful state of harmony alongside Killian Gavin (vocals/ guitars), Tim Hart (drums/vocals/guitars), Jake Tarasenko (vocals/ bass) and Jon Hart (vocals/keys/mandolin) who complete the vibe. Growing quickly from an unearthed gem to a handsome harvest of sound, what is left to say? They are a band of beautiful boys with a tremendous ‘tude and exceptional talent.
Kimbra will be showing off her poptastic sounds at Parklife Festival. To find out more info on tickets and dates for Parklife, including details on the Sydney festival, check out parklife.com.au. Vows is out now on Warner.
Boy and Bear are playing Foreshore Festival on Saturday November 26. Third release tickets are $119.95 + bf, and are available through foreshorefestival.com.au .
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CRYSTAL BELLES matt petherbridge If you have ever travelled across New South Wale’s Central West as night falls, the sky engulfed by pink and orange hues, that sinking in your stomach, that silent wish for the car not to break down on this hell-for-leather highway – be prepared to experience that again as you listen to Crystal Theatre, the latest masterpiece from BELLES WILL RING. “We wanted it to be like an ‘audio road movie’,” laughs frontman and production aficionado Liam Judson. “It had to build to a crescendo and be dynamic. It’s a spooky kind of record and without dynamics you can’t emphasise that... I like the way it sounds organic, it’s got a much more smouldering, smoky sound.”
We wanted it to Recorded across two small country be like an ‘audio towns, Portland and Oberon in the road movie’ heartland of NSW, the recording
process for Crystal Theatre was “secluded and isolated, which really suited the mood of the album”.
“We recorded in Portland towards the end of the record, after that big burst of inspiration in Oberon. It was mid-winter and it was so cold that my car windscreen got a metre long crack in it! Recording in remote places was spooky sometimes, but it really suited the mood of the album,” Judson remarks. Despite the seamless segues between songs, Judson laughs off the idea of a ‘concept album’. “We’re not trying to tell a very distinct story, but the album has an ongoing dramatic thread, which we purposely obscured and didn’t jam down people’s throats. It all ties Crystal Theatre together, but more importantly, we wanted the album to give you a sense of place, when you listen to it. It’s definitely got a rural feel to it,” he says, citing the smoky, sensual Trouble in Deepwater as the song that “set the tone” for the writing and recording of the album. Judson credits his production work on Cloud Control’s Bliss Release as the turning point for production as a hobby into production as a worthwhile pursuit. Judson drew inspiration from tragic ‘60s home-recording pioneer Joe Meek, who produced demos for a preDeep Purple Ritchie Blackmore in his London flat, before tragically committing suicide in 1967. Which is ironic, that Meek’s minimalistic, spacious approach was in polar opposite to his contemporary, Phil Spector, whose ‘wall of sound’ approach was Judson’s main production inspiration at the beginning of Belles Will Ring. “(Meek) was a pretty tortured character but he was like the first ever home producer. He made a studio in his London flat, which is crazy for that time. There was no such thing as independent producers in little home-based studios. You couldn’t just go on eBay and say, ‘Oh I’m going to buy a mixing console today’. EMI and all of those studios would have their own staff build their equipment; they had a technology division to the company who would build all of the gear. That culture didn’t exist in the ‘60s.”
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Belles Will Ring will be playing Transit Bar on Thursday September 22, supporting Leader Cheetah. Doors open 8pm, and tickets are through Moshtix for $18.40.
Has the glorious epic-ness of their early work remained despite this focus? “I think so – we still really like a song to run its course, and we probably have an even more intent and structured wall of sound these days.”
MIND OVER MATTER ALISTAIR ERSKINE It’s been a long, cold winter. The mornings seem to be getting less brisk, and those awesome bits of early spring are coming to the fore. The joy one gets, watching morning frost in its exact state of thaw, as a bright blue Canberra sky allows the sun to turn that frozen condensation into droplets that slide down the leaves is completely in step with experiencing the summery, wistful psychedelia of Sydney’s RICHARD IN YOUR MIND. And Richard Cartwright is very happy to be on his way down the Hume.
This was all part of our project to cover every song The Beatles wrote
Touring with Fishing and The Laurels, Richard is excited. “It has been nice to play with lots of different bands in the past, but this tour seems like going on holidays with your friends; we are really looking forward to it”. And he isn’t too concerned – “We might even be lucky enough to have Alex from kyu with us on this tour, so there will be seven trying to squeeze onto the Transit Bar stage, and we are looking forward to working the logistics of that out,” he laughs. “It’s a great room and always gives us a gig we remember.” Richard In Your Mind play Transit Bar on Thursday September 29. Tickets are through Moshtix for a mean $13.10. Get on it!
One of their projects that came to light just before the new album was announced was a slew of covers of Beatles songs – Love Me Do and Please Please Me creeping onto radio, with more to come. “This was all part of our project to cover every song The Beatles wrote. And I thought initially we were going to put everything out, but luckily we have a bit of quality control amongst us, so we have only put out the ones that actually sound good. We have actually had them kicking around for ages, but it’s good to get them out there, clean out the old external hard drive.” Richard quickly goes on to talk of the album. “So we had quite a lot of songs kicking around, but happily Conrad [Richters, bass player] is actually a really good guide of knowing whether a song is finished or not, if it’s good enough to get released, and he came to us at the beginning of the year and declared we had enough. So we had most of the album done by March, which was lucky because that was when two of the band were heading overseas. This time we just wanted a nice consistent vibe with the album – the last album was a bit of a mixed bag, and this time we got to choose what we liked and focus on that.”
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GROOVES AND ROOTS
BEATING THE BINS
Stevie Easton
Lauren Bicknell
Among the tempting line-up of South American musicians coming out for the Pura Vida Latin Music Festival is a Uruguayan mastermind by the name of MARTIN BUSCAGLIA. The friendly and cheerful Buscaglia is a multi-instrumental one-man orchestra who goes his own way, blending Uruguayan and Latin styles with funk, hip-hop, reggae and pop to make something altogether unique. And, he explains from his home in Montevideo, not only does he sing and play an array of familiar instruments along with some very cool retro electronic gear, he also creates his own instruments, through the obscure art of ‘circuit bending’. “You know what it is?” he asks. “It’s like, interference in an electronic device or electronic toy. I make music with this too.”
Folks dancing, floorboards shaking, and a haze of sweat and beer surrounded a writhing frenzied mess in a small English pub. This is how drummer, Joe Gould, describes a good night with THE CROOKED FIDDLE BAND. “One of my main measures of how much I’ve enjoyed a gig is if I wake up the next morning and my voice is a few tones lower from having yelled the whole way through the show,” he said. And with the release of their first long player, Overgrown Tales, there’ll be more where that came from. Recently home from touring overseas, the national launch starts just outside of Canberra at the upcoming Dragon Dreaming Festival.
I like reggae, and But playing things with names like the I know a lot of Omnichord and the Stylophone, and reggae songs but I making electronic toys squawk by will never do it like doing things that voids their warranties a Jamaican. So I want to do reggae, doesn’t make his songs sound at all like the background of an eight-bit video yes, but like a Uruguayan game, in case you’re wondering. These
synthesised textures are just a subtle garnish among many ingredients he uses to whip up a tasty menu of rich musical dishes. And while recording them is nice, Buscgalia says, serving them up hot and fresh to a live audience is what really gets his blood pumping. “It’s a show with a lot of energy – the fact that I am alone on the stage doesn’t mean that it’s a songwriter, quiet, just playing the guitar and singing love songs. So I go on stage with some loop stations, and I construct the song live. I don’t go with a laptop and just play, like karaoke. I really like the adrenaline, I really like to play live and I think that today, the stage is a place where you see if a musician has something to say and has something to play. It’s not in their records.” Having never been to Australia, Buscaglia is excited about the opportunity to introduce himself to new audiences. Even if they don’t understand all the words, he is confident the infectious grooves of his Candombe funk (a Uruguayan institution) can speak a universal language, especially when added to his take on more familiar genres like hip-hop and reggae, with a “natural Uruguayan touch”. “I don’t want to lose these roots that I have,” he says. “I’m not interested in making a super pure genre. [For example] I like reggae, and I know a lot of reggae songs but I will never do it like a Jamaican. So I want to do reggae, yes, but like a Uruguayan. I’m like this in everything. Musically, I think the inspiration comes from everywhere. Not only from music; just being alive is inspiration.” Martin Buscaglia will be grooving at the Pura Vida In The City festival, taking over Civic every weekend from Saturday September 17 to Saturday October 1. Buscaglia’s performance will be on Friday September 23. For ticket information and set times, head to puravidafestival.com.au .
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It’s not all frenzied energy, though. The band uses a unique combination of traditional Celtic and Gypsy music with other influences including metal and punk. Tracks on their new album like Beneath Ash and Ocean or Over Hill and Under Hill display the group’s softer side. Delicate overlapping melodies and dreamy expression is just as much a feature as the out of control, screaming your lungs out and jumping out of your skin episodes.
One of my main measures of how much I’ve enjoyed a gig is if I wake up the next morning and my voice is a few tones lower
As well as a fascinating mix of influences, the band also has an impressive mix of instruments at their disposal. Violin, guitar, banjo, bouzouki, Appalachian dulcimer, charango and a garbage bin to name a mere few. Yes, a garbage bin. Realising metal bins might become harder and harder to find, the instrument has even become a bit of a hobby for Joe. “This is gonna sound drum nerd-core but I actually have three different garbage bins which I collected because my first one started getting very dented and a little bit rusty from playing at festivals,” he admits. But what defines a good, nay, a great garbage bin? “The good thing about playing something like that as a drummer is that you actually want it to sound as bad as possible… you have to try hit it and if it has a sort of satisfying industrial twang to it then that does the job.” While mostly instrumental, each track has a different story to tell, hence the name of the album. For instance, The Ruination of Junkyard Joe pays tribute to an ear-biting incident while on tour in Ireland. But to allow the listener a chance to develop their own interpretations, the band doesn’t always explain the stories “…for some of the stranger tracks, [explaining] it certainly makes sense, like with All These Pitch Forks Make Me Nervous… that’s a story about when the tables get turned and hillbillies start abducting aliens.” Joe says sometimes showing where the band was coming from can help the listener get more from a song. The Crooked Fiddle Band will be causing a riot at the Dragon Dreaming Festival on Saturday October 1. Tickets are $105, through dragondreaming. net .
My full name is in Melbourne. At the end of the day though, Liam Creswick winning isn’t what matters to these musos. Sidney Pepper Budge, which “The main thing with Sidney Creswick is not is disgustingly to get massive, necessarily; it’s to play to as embarrassing many people as possible,” Budge explains, and it’s clear that it really is all about the music for these kids. Not only are they all incredibly talented musicians, but they cross genres like nobody’s business, and seamlessly to boot.
CAMPUS CROONERS ZOYA PATEL SIDNEY CRESWICK are about as charming and quirky as their name suggests. The (mostly) Canberran six-piece are making a name for themselves with their eclectic mix of pop, soul and blues music, and are about to head interstate to take on the rest of Australia in the finals of the National Campus Band Competition. Frontman and creative leader of the band, Liam Budge, still seems to be reeling from winning the Canberra round of the competition, especially considering the six band members had never played all together until that day. With the bass player and trumpet player living interstate, rehearsals are generally a pipe-dream for the band. “The bass player [Arlene Fletcher] had never played with us before, so she didn’t know the songs or anything. She flew in from Melbourne at four o’clock, and the gig was at seven o’clock, so we had a jam at my house for 30 minutes, and she learnt all of the songs then and smashed it!” As the only band to pass on to the finals from Canberra, Sidney Creswick will compete against the winning bands from other states
“Everybody in the band is into heaps of music, and they’re all really good musicians, so they’re pretty good at crossing genres,” Budge agrees. “I think what threads us all together is the kind of singersongwriter acoustic style. We do like playing kind of funky stuff, but I think the way the band is heading is more towards that sort of acoustic, blues style.” With plans to record over the summer, Sidney Creswick’s music will soon be available to the masses. Budge hopes to record two EPs, rather than an album. “We have enough original stuff to do an album. I’m hesitant to do an album straight up though,” he admits. Modest to the core, Budge is keen on getting the band out there more, before trying to release anything too big. It’s all about building momentum – something that these guys are bound to have a lot of! One thing has been bemusing me though, throughout our chat, and I take the opportunity to settle the score before we wind up. Why the name Sidney Creswick? Budge laughs sheepishly. “Sidney Creswick is two of my middle names,” he explains. “My full name is Liam Creswick Sidney Pepper Budge, which is disgustingly embarrassing.” Embarrassing? It’s fucking cool, that’s what it is! Budge doesn’t quite agree with me. “I don’t tell many people. My driver’s licence? People just laugh at it.” Sidney Creswick will be playing for the win at the National Campus Band Comp Finals at The Corner Hotel in Melbourne on Wednesday October 19. Doors open 7.30pm, and entry is $8 at the door.
A Thousand Mistakes DVD out October 7
Friday October 7 ANU BAR Tickets:
www.thedrones.com.au or www.theatlasagency.com
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gig in Melbourne on Thursday December 1 at Etihad Stadium. Hilltop Hoods are in support as well as two internationals yet to be announced. Should be suitably epic and over-the-top in all the right ways. Tickets are on sale from Tuesday September 13.
THE REALNESS First up this month is the brand new free album from Detroit’s Danny Brown. I’ve been digging his style since hearing his collaborations with Black Milk and the like over the past few years, and his new release XXX was released for free through the ever-dope Fool’s Gold imprint. Hard-hitting, smoked-out, profane and psychedelic, Danny is infinitely entertaining and the beats are heavy and neck-cracking. Do yourself a favour and grab your copy at foolsgoldrecs.com/xxx and immerse yourself in his crazy world. Big news is that Eminem and Lil Wayne have teamed up for a unique gig in Australia. They are performing at a one-time-only
I’ve been digging this Smoke DZA cat from Harlem lately and he’s just released his new album Rolling Stoned through IHipHop. He’s previously collaborated with dudes like Currensy, Big KRIT, Devin The Dude, Yelawolf, Kendrick Lamar and such. Head over to the Planet Mu site to preview sounds from the brand new Kuedo (aka Jamie Vex’d) album Severant and have your ears absolutely blessed. Following on from a couple of stellar EPs, this is his first solo album and the results are sounding astounding. Much like the recent incredible Machinedrum album, Kuedo is exploring new juke riddims, as well as continuing the trend of producers like Lex Luger, AraabMuzik and Shawty Redd. Can’t wait for this one. You’ll all have heard the beautiful collaboration between James Blake and Bon Iver by now I’m sure. The tune is set to be part of a new six-track EP released by Blake on Monday October 10 entitled Enough Thunder. Apart from the aforementioned tune, the EP will also reportedly feature a Joni Mitchell cover. More Blake is always welcome. Also more than welcome is more material from Andy Stott who is set to follow up his last amazing EP with another new one on Modern Love entitled Stay Together. It looks set to continue his swampy slo mo house, bubblin’ in dub and static. Sounds like my perfect soundtrack. It should be out next month. Manchester’s Damu has been killing it lately, and he’s set to unveil his debut album on Blackdown’s Keysound label in November. It’s called Unity and will continue his work melding house and dubstep on colourful canvases. Alongside Distal, Damu is one of my fav new talents and I am rather excited about this one. The legendary Scuba has (rightfully) been handpicked to mix the next edition of DJ-Kicks on K7! for October. I don’t even really need to say much about this except it’s essential. Peep the list of artists in his exclusive mix: Sigha, Surgeon, dBridge, Badawi, Peverelist, Addison Groove, Roska, Trevino aka Marcus Intalex, Beaumont, Braille, George Fitzgerald, Jon Convex, Marcel Dettman, Mr Beatnik, Boddika, Recloose.... DAAAAAAAMN. Bring it. ROSHAMBO AKA CED NADA roshambizzle@yahoo.com.au
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There are things
THE FUTURE IS NOW MORGAN RICHARDS It’s been three years since THE HERD’s last album, the sultry, sweltering Summerland. Now they’re back. I talked to beatsmith/ accordionist Kenny Sabir, aka Traksewt, about the brand new Future Shade. The album is surprising. It’s good, unsurprisingly good; but also surprising. It’s apparent in the first few tracks that this is the band’s most musically diverse LP. Salary Cap begins with a hypnotic Middle-Eastern beat, and MC Ozi Batla’s almost pop chorus in A Thousand Lives is another surprise. “He was at the top of his register,” laughs Kenny. “We were looking for shock value.” One thing that won’t shock is the band are just as politically hot-headed on Future Shade as on Summerland. But the tone is different: there’s more frustration, more tension. It’s evident in Red Queen Theory, a harsh invective against J-Gill and her government. Set to gritty, 808-style kicks and snares, the song conjures up a frantic mood of Machiavellian machinations and political paranoia. It’s a stark contrast to The King Is Dead, Summerland’s euphoric, post-Howard anthem.
The haunting My Sister’s Palace, a song that we feel strongly about. about domestic violence, is another That’s why we feel highlight. But the standout track here is we can get them Shihaba, a catchy piece with strings – and out in a song whistling! –and a strong message. It’s the story of Kenny’s stepsister, who finished school and saved up to go travelling – “You know how young people do,” says Kenny. Her round-the-world trip had barely begun, however, when she was stopped in Glasgow by overzealous customs officials and sent back to Australia. Urthboy’s tight rhymes tell the story with pathos, and halfway through when Ozi Batla takes the mic, the scope of song suddenly zooms out: “The injustice – it’ll never quite be enough/ To kill human kindness, sever the ties that bind us/Colour, creed or nation, yo –They’re not enough to define us.” It’s something The Herd have always done well – take something controversial or taboo, put it in context to make you care, and build a damn fine song that leaves you feeling like there’s still some good in the world. Kenny agrees. “There are lots of topics that seem offlimits in music. I guess people are worried about having downers on their album. But for us, there are things... things that have affected us in some way. There are things that we feel strongly about. That’s why we feel we can get them out in a song.” He’s right on the money. What holds the disparate Future Shade together is the band’s ability to convey a simple thing: that they give a shit. And even after ten years and five albums railing against the injustice of the world, The Herd retain their original outlook – one of optimism again the odds. The clumsy-yet-beautiful chorus of Shihaba sums it up perfectly – “Even if I swear life isn’t fair in a song / There’s more than part of me hoping that I’ll be proved wrong.” The Herd will be playing ANU Bar as part of their Future Shades tour on Saturday September 24. Tickets are through Ticketek for $29.20.
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complete madness; we take our notes to the studio and write stupid songs about stuff, completely ambiguous stuff with bizarre and different interpretations.”
FUNKING OARSOME sinead o’connell Adelaide’s born and raised THE FUNKOARS are not only enthusiastic about sci-fi, sneaking into gigs when you’re young and experimenting with frank lyricism; they are an undeniably sincere group of talented artists whose critique of life around them has rightfully entitled them to the label of Australian hip-hop veterans. Despite headlining a string of sold out shows and blowing away the festival circuit, the ‘Oars (MCs Trials, Sesta and Hons with DJ Reflux) are taken with Canberra’s very own Transit Bar. The intimate venue has proven one of their favourite gigs yet; that and the bellowing Canberra crowd which boasts a cult of Australian hip-hop support. When it comes to negative criticism regarding their lyrics the group shrug and comment, “The biggest problem that people have with the lyrics is that if they have a problem, it’s their problem.” Mostly The ‘Oars are just glad people are tuning into their tunes. And amen to that! On the same note of their satirical lyrical brilliance, Trials admits their writing process is sometimes a bit of a hot mess. “It’s
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The biggest problem that people have with the lyrics is that if they have a problem, it’s their problem
When the group hangs out, other than watching random YouTube videos, they let the producers at the Golden Era label teach them some life lessons. “They know us and nurture us, they’ve taught us how to put tunes down as well as teaching us to be responsible human beings.” They could not speak more highly of those talented three. “Working with Hilltop Hoods and the crowd was even more fun this time round.” Whether or not they all agree on common thoughts, they can all agree on the absurdity of say, the word ‘quickening’– and yes that was how the title of their latest album The Quickening, which comes out Friday September 16, was conceived.
Trials admits in his youth the hip-hop scene was not at all his niche; it wasn’t until the early ‘90s that the connection was tied. Since then he and the group have come a long way, cultivating a truly unique sound that is an awesome combination of the talents of all four ‘Oars. The first single from The Quickening, Where I Am features filthy guitars, rowdy drums and a bass line that has been described as illegitimate by the boys themselves, but still is as crucial to the track as DJ Reflux’s turntable is to their history. This fourth album brings the signature ‘Oars sound to new heights and allows them to continue to boast their veteran passion for the Australian hip-hop genre. Some advice – lock up your daughters and hide anything breakable, but keep your eyes and ears open because The Funkoars are fierce and they want to be heard! The Funkoars will be hitting up Canberra on Saturday September 24, to play Zierholz at the UC. Tickets are through uclive.com.au, for $29.65.
METALISE There‘s a big show at The Maram in Wanniassa this Saturday September 17 presented by Mudd Promotions with Sydney thrash giants Mortal Sin coming to town ahead of their Thrashfest tour in Europe in November/December this year with Sepultura, Destruction, Heathen and Exodus all playing the songs off their landmark albums. While we may not have the same set or other bands playing with them, we do get to hear the band pushing their new album The Psychology of Death and some great local acts with Reign of Terror, Chud, Eyes to the Sky and Rise joining the fray. Should be a huge night out there, get along! In a, ‘you win some, you lose some’ situation, Monster Magnet pulled out of their Australian tour for September with the reason being cited as a “perfect storm” of problems that saw the shows canned. But they weren’t playing in Canberra anyway. The good news is that 666 Entertainment have confirmed the USA’s ultra amazing Cough for this October’s Doomsday festivals that mark the fourth annual event for the promotional team. So this year the Sydney event is at The Sandringham in Sydney and features Cough, Clagg, Pod People, Summonus, Looking Glass, Daredevil, Mother Mars, The Devil Rides Out and Rituals of the Oak. Then Canberra on Thursday October 20 at The Basement gets Cough, Pod People, I Exist and Looking Glass. The pick of the line-ups for all shows in my opinion, though, is happening Saturday October 22 at Northcote Social Club in Melbourne and features Cough, d.USK, Clagg, Looking Glass, Summonus, Hydromedusa, Sons of the Ionian Sea, Mother Mars and Wurms. That is an amazingly awesome bill from top to bottom. Hydromedusa are an Adelaide band that knocked the socks off the I Exist boys on the recent Doomriders tour, and their free EP is available for all into classic rock influenced doom. The website address for the EP is hydromedusa.bandcamp.com .
caught you sinking
triple j & Cross Section present
justified in everything airtrails pure love passive aggressive until you feel less hurt until you're faceless just through me like you were god lonely
Recently I wrote about the Aussies United concerts that were coming up in the ACT for up and coming bands of all genres and Saturday September 24 and Sunday September 25 sees the two-day free concert at the Black Mountain Peninsula feature bands from across the musical spectrum. The line-up is SAMI, Side Show Annie, Emma Joleenk, The Rebound Slapdown, John Lollback, Two Thirds Rule, MushMellow, James Montgomery-Willcox, Blind Eyed Gods, Emma Dryden, Sp3cer, Take 3, Adrenalin, Black Squire, Chris Harland Blues Band, Indistrict, Russell Vincent, The Ginger Train, Venom Inside, Chud, What We?ve Made and guests from the Country Music Association. This issue’s Unkle Kronoz’ band of the week is extra special in that it is the new project of former Alchemist frontman Adam Agius – The Levitation Hex. Heavier and more aggressive than the mighty Schmutz, but with that psychedelic prog twist that made the boys so special also apparent. myspace.com/573080527 and levitationhex.net .
and coming apart again
breaking to breathe national tour from here
the sky's a cruel illusion to subdue to fall through my failure to see it just like you oh save me save yourself I've no blood for your promises a shame hell to pay open your eyes
WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 12TH ANU BAR CANBERRA, ACT w/ Special Guests www.premierticketek.com.au
mirror mirror shatters inwards rains down another ill will to power rains down the actors for your widescreen drama a whirlpool at the gates sucked through and breaking to breathe from here the sky's a cruel illusion
SELF TITLED DEBUT ALBUM IN STORES NOW
to subdue to fall through my failure
JOSH NIXON doomtildeath@hotmail.com
to see it just like you oh god
39
the word
on albums
album of the issue GOTYE MAKING MIRRORS [ELEVEN]
If you weren’t aware, then the number of sold out shows for his upcoming tour should be a fair indication to you of the hype surrounding the release of Gotye’s third album Making Mirrors. So does it deliver? Absolutely – Making Mirrors is a musically rich and varied album that reveals something different at every turn. From hauntingly beautiful, melancholic songs like Giving Me A Chance, Bronte and Smoke And Mirrors, with its hypnotic tribal drumming, to big, brassy songs like Eyes Wide Open, I Feel Better and In Your Light (the opening bars of which feel very familiar), Making Mirrors is a complete musical experience that leaves you both well-satiated after the first listen and draws you further in the more you listen. And that’s without even mentioning the song of the moment – Somebody That I Used To Know – which seems to have already become part of the national psyche. During the song State of the Art, Gotye croons “that there’s an orchestra in the loungeroom”. And so it is with this album: Gotye’s hypnotic rhythms, mesmerising harmonies and candid lyrics combine to make a sound far bigger than its components. ZOE PLEASANTS
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Dead Letter Chorus Yearlings [Universal]
FRIENDLY YEN The Colour [Independent]
Mariachi El Bronx Mariachi El Bronx [Shock]
Their name may be easily confused with a certain Brisbane based rock outfit, but the Sydney-side five-piece Dead Letter Chorus are a very different proposition. Yearlings, their second album, is an indie-pop/folk triumph. Its outstanding feature is the beauty of the vocals, both in their quality and in the polyphonic vocal arrangements that sees voices blended to engage at a personal level. Cameron Potts dominates the opening track, which is very Josh Pyke-like in both style and sound. However, the album belongs to the soaring voice of Gabrielle Huber. Terrific when harmonising with Cameron in Yellow House, she excels in solos such as All Mine.
If you cruised Canberra’s nightspots a few years back, you may remember Friendly Yen; once upon a time when they called the ACT stage their hood. These days the quartet of lovely man talent are topping bills at Melbourne’s live venues and have evidently created an impressive little debut album from their new home. Yes, little, as in the band have chosen just seven of the best written by Jeff and made a collection that showcases their indecisiveness. Why should they pick between reggae, rock, pop, folk or ballads? No complaints – they’re bloody good at all of them. A kind of maturity has perhaps crept in with the years of love, work, friendships and travels. A maturity which is quickly cancelled out by the film clip to the first single released off the album, The Colour. Go to their MySpace to see exactly what I mean. Brace yourself.
When the aggressive LA punk band The Bronx took a sidestep in 2009 and released an album of mariachi inspired acoustic music the initial shock soon gave way to a consensus that – actually, it wasn’t that bad.
With lyrics such as “You entered the room, my heart started beating”, this carries all the passion of a Mills and Boon ‘bodice ripper’ in keeping with the album’s theme of an examination of romance in all its beauty and catastrophe. Her powerful voice sends shivers down the spine. The music carries the emotional theme well too, with the beating drum like a pounding heart in Covered by Snow. Other highlights are Run Wild and the multilayered vocals in The Poet and the Thief. The album had a Canadian producer and the band have cunningly gained a following in the land of the maple leaf by gigging both there and in Australia, teamed with Canadian pop bands. This saw them visit Canberra in 2010 touring with Two Hours Traffic. More power to them! RORY McCARTNEY
Friendly Yen are known for having a charisma and wellproduced stage presence, which has translated so well onto… uh… whatever CDs are made of. The musicianship is faultless. Jeff’s voice is ranged and experienced. Julian Abraham’s guitar can be plainly powerful, complex with riffs, or taken back for an easy reggae strum. The odd keyboard or violin creeps in amongst the otherwise tried and tested formula of drums, bass, guitar and vocals. And an ARIA awardwinning producer polished the release. What more could you ask for? This first release is refined and just plain enjoyable. Onya, FY. DANIKA NAYNA
Mariachi El Bronx, the follow-up and exact same name as its predecessor, is better in every possible way. Whilst the debut didn’t exactly feel like a foolish throwaway it certainly had the slight tinge of gimmick, despite its inherent charms. Maybe it was the shock of the new. Whatever the case, this ups the ante markedly. The band have settled into a rhythm, relaxed into a style of song writing and expanded their sonic palate in such a way that it’s hard to imagine the gruff vocals of Matt Caughthran sitting behind electrified guitars anymore. You’ll hear everything but electrified here – spiralling joyous trumpets, sonorous deep guitarron Mexicanos, thrashing vihuelas and scattershot violas. Apparently the band made a studied and serious effort to get a better understanding of mariachi music before recording this album, and it shows. This isn’t a bunch of gringos slumming it. The opening triad of 48 Roses, Great Provider and Revolution Girls rescues our collective vision of mariachi music from Gypsy Kings forever. The Pogues and Les Negresses Vertes were doing similar things with gypsy, folk and Celtic music but this is something else altogether. It is one of the year’s best. JUSTIN HOOK
singled out
with Dave Ruby Howe
Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks Mirror Traffic [Matador] What a ‘Jick’ is I am not exactly sure, but Stephen Malkmus, indie king and member of lauded ‘90s alt-rock band Pavement, has yet again teamed up with a group of them to produce Mirror Traffic. The fifth effort from Mr Malkmus and his Jicks features what can be described as an album’s worth of casual and relaxed tunes that generally mosey without breaking a sweat. What largely enables the album is its restrained production. Having already worked with Sonic Youth guitarist Thurston Moore to bestow upon listeners the brilliant Demolished Thoughts earlier in the year, Beck delivers yet again on Mirror Traffic. Whilst Demolished Thoughts was criticised (unjustifiably in this reviewer’s opinion) for what were perceived as intrusive attempts to recast Moore’s sound in a Beckian light, the same cannot be said here. Malkmus et al seem to have been left to their own devices and allowed to follow some of the delightful whims that define the album. Mirror Traffic sees Malkmus shine as a songwriter and performer to the point where it is unnecessary to dwell on the contributions of the Jicks. Senator is the highlight of the album, blasting away the more subdued songs prefacing it. Here Malkmus cranks the energy and brings his talent for droll lyricism to the fore, exclaiming “I know what the senator wants / What the senator wants is a blow job!” Truer words have never been sung. liam demamiel
Tinariwen Tassili [Anti-]
Slave Ambient The War on Drugs [Secretly Canadian]
In an age of ‘talent’ shows, where talent-poor contestants complain of the rigours and injustices of fighting for an inevitably surplus recording contract, it is easy to forget that music is art, and that the creation of that art can sometimes require severe obstacles and the real vicissitudes of life to be overcome. The oft-reported story of Tinariwen is one of refugee camps, rebellion and war. The loose collective of Tuareg musicians from the Saharan Desert of Mali formed in 1979, not gaining ‘international’ recognition until early in the last decade. Tassili, the group’s fifth album, once again sees them astound with their dynamic combination of traditional music and selfstyled ‘African blues’.
After only three tracks a pattern emerges in this album that becomes difficult to ignore. Each track opens with 30 seconds to a minute of uniquely opaque sound then settles into a set rhythm and melody, often a very simple one, which it sticks with until the end of the song. There are no choruses, no breaks, no changes of tempo, just that one progression over and over. It’s a style of songwriting their ex-guitarist Kurt Vile perfected in his latest solo effort, Smoke Ring for my Halo, but TWOD just don’t seem to pull it off quite as well. Frontman Adam Granduciel (who sounds so much like Vile it’s scary) delivers his meandering, drawled lyrics over the lazy, post-rock wash-melodies in a fashion that is always fitting but only sometimes compelling. In album standout Come to the City the marriage is perfect, the driving drumbeats crashing elegantly against echoing guitar and Granduciel’s howls, but too often the result is frustratingly monotonous. However, it’s never unpleasant. The wandering American sprawl of Slave Ambient is distinctly enjoyable. I can see this album being excellent driving music but it lacks that special ingredient. It sounds as if it was too easy for these musicians to make this album, like they were satisfied with what they had produced without really challenging themselves. This band is certainly going somewhere; they just haven’t quite got there yet. My money’s on their third album for the goods.
Tassili sees Tinariwen shy away from electric guitars and return to acoustic instrumentation, and was recorded in a tent in the Algerian desert. The album features guest appearances from a number of musicians, including Wilco’s Nels Cline, members of TV On the Radio and the Dirty Dozen Brass Band. Whilst the collaborative songs are enjoyable (notably Tenere Taqqim Tossam, featuring Tunde Adebimpe and Kyp Malone of the aforementioned TVOTR), the album is at its best when the band are by themselves. Tameyawt features almost strained vocals and a droning acoustic guitar. Imidiwan Win Sahara is more buoyant, driven by traditional percussion and simple arrangements. All in all, it is hard to fault Tassili. liam demamiel
ASHLEY THOMSON
Calvin Harris Feel So Close [Sony BMG] As thin as Calvin Harris’ singing voice may be live his croaky croon kind of suits his latest production. This time the beat is still a thumper but thankfully it’s not as energetically annoying as Bounce was.
Nero Promises [UMA] If you like your bass music leaning towards the bro end of the spectrum and sounding big enough to fill a stadium then Nero are for you. But you probably already know that and have the T-shirt too. The vocal to Promises is probably a bit too sincere for the accompanying wobble chunks but we could all do a lot worse than this.
Sneaky Sound System Big [Modular/UMA] Who ever would’ve thought we’d miss MC Double D? The seemingly spare dick to Miss Connie and Black Angus in Sneaky Sound System clearly added something to the mix as post-Double D Sneaky is kind of sucky. This isn’t that bad, it’s just a flimsy synth pop tune with none of the hook that made SSS likable.
The Potbelleez Midnight Midnight [Vicious/UMA] Somewhere Sporty Spice and Abz from 5ive are cursing themselves for not doing this first.
41
the word
on films
WITH MELISSA WELLHAM
The appeal of Jason Bateman is a mysterious thing. Not that I am confused as to why someone who is attractive, hilarious, and gives off an air of being quite intelligent should be so appealing. But I am confused by how untouchable he is. In Juno he plays a character that, I maintain, had a creepy crush on a highschooler (Ellen Page). Further, for every excellent role he picks (Arrested Development), he picks something like the upcoming film The Change-Up. Still, as Horrible Bosses proves, there is that whole ‘hilarious’ thing.
quote of the issue “I don’t want to just be theoretically gay. I want to do something about it.” Hal (Christopher Plummer), Beginners
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Beginners
Horrible Bosses
The Help
Beginners is a charming, touching, and very human film. It flashes forwards and backwards in time, following two narrative strands: one where Oliver (Ewan McGregor) finds out his 80-year-old father, Hal (Christopher Plummer), is gay; the second is set after his father’s death, as Oliver attempts to rebuild his life, with the help of a lovely French paramour, Anna (Melanie Laurent). The direction leaves an immediate impression: the cuts between scenes, the focus on artist Oliver’s cartoonish illustrations, the narration. But beneath these stylistic distractions lies genuine heart, which keeps the whole film together. The performances from McGregor, Laurent, and Plummer are accomplished, and there is real chemistry between the fraught father/son and tentative boyfriend/girlfriend. Plummer turns in an especially notable performance. His character experiences both discrimination and jubilation, finds out he has cancer, and feels love for the first time – and the audience feels along with him. Beginners could be called ‘quirky’, and some might find it overly stylistic, and some of the costume-party-orcommunicating-with-pictogram set ups too contrived. But director Mike Mills (of Thumbsucker fame) knows what he’s doing, and makes sure the film never becomes inaccessible or unbelievable. Beginners is not quirky, with the unfortunate connotations the word can imply – rather, unique. Watch it – and then, go back to the beginning and watch it again.
Horrible Bosses has a ridiculous premise that it somehow manages to pull off. Jason Sudeikis, Charlie Day and Jason Bateman play three rag-tag friends fed up with their bosses – sex-crazed Jennifer Aniston; psychotically ball-busting Kevin Spacey; and drug-addicted sleaze Colin Farrell. The solution? Kill them of course.
It’s the 1960s, and Eugenia (Emma Stone) ‘Skeeter’ dares to do such things as get a job when she should be getting herself a husband.
Melissa Wellham
Add in a dash of Jamie Foxx, generous helpings of sexual innuendo and some pleasing word play and you have a pretty entertaining couple of hours. It’s hardly original – three bumbling friends try to hatch and execute a crazy plan, to hilarious results. However, there are actually a few surprises along the way, and the film maintains a level of cleverness that makes up for the cruder elements. The main drawcard (and the film is unashamed about this) is the star-studded cast of comedic staples – but the chemistry is pretty good and everyone puts in a fun performance. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed Horrible Bosses – yes, some of the laughs are cheap, and yes, some of the jokes are a bit of a stretch – but overall, it’s all a bit of fun. It’s a little bit insane, more than a little bit politically incorrect, and generally laughable… but hey, it’s a movie. Chill out and eat some popcorn. MEGAN McKEOUGH
Uncomfortable with the discrimination she sees around her, Skeeter decides to write a book from the point of view of the African American maids that populate her town. But young women stirring the pot – and that’s not the pot in the kitchen – is not looked favorably upon in Jackson, Mississippi. The Help could have very easily veered into a preachy melodrama, but it avoids this by focusing so singularly on the individual characters. It’s a film about a revolution in America, and an evolution of American politics – but aside from the occasional throwaway reference to the King or to a Kennedy, this is not a film about politics. It’s about individual people. (Though some criticism could be leveled at the film for glossing over its racial themes). Emma Stone is predictably likeable and sassy as Skeeter, but it is her interview subjects that steal the show. Viola Davis alone could carry the film as Aibileen, a maid struggling with what it feels like to raise and love white children, while being outcast by that child’s parents. The Help is at its worst a sentimental tearjerker, and at its best very moving. It really doesn’t need any help, at all. MELISSA WELLHAM
the word on dvds
Bored to Death – S2 [Warner Home Video] Calling Bored to Death a delightful romp sounds like I’m damming it with faint praise. It’s one of those quaint little shows that bubbles away in the background; discrete, well mannered, tightly scripted and extremely funny. Jonathan Ames created, co-produces and co-writes the show in which the lead character – also called Jonathan Ames but played with nebbish delight by Jason Schwartzman – is a failing Brooklyn writer who branches out and becomes an amateur and unlicensed private investigator. Along with his best friend, comic book writer Ray (Zach Galifianakis) and magazine proprietor mentor George (the ever brilliant Ted Danson) the trio spend most of their time stumbling around New York in a pot haze obsessing over the minutiae of their lives: ex-partners and elf girls in the main part. This season sees the focus shift towards George and Ray and slightly away from Jonathan who spends most of the series fretting about getting a story published in The New Yorker. George is losing control of his own magazine (which has a slight whiff of New York Magazine about it) after a hostile purchase whilst Ray is achieving a minor cult status from the success of his Super Ray graphic novel – which Kevin Bacon wants to turn into a film. The inclusion of Bacon gives you a clue of what sort of show this is, the actor himself pitched for the role and he finishes his time on-screen leaving a dive bar in Brooklyn after being punched by Ray lamenting that the borough across the East River is not as hip as he thought it would be. It’s very insidery – jokes about strollers in Park Slope abound but it stays just on the right side of obscure literary and pop culture references. JUSTIN HOOK
It’s Garry Shandling’s Show – S1 [Shock] Back in its day the awkwardly named It’s Garry Shandling’s Show was groundbreaking. The titular and equally awkward main character – a struggling stand-up comic called Garry played by not-so-struggling stand-up comic Garry Shandling – frequently broke the ‘fourth wall’ and spoke directly to viewers at home and in the studio audience with a knowing, hanging smirk. Each episode started with a Tonight Showesque monologue, ended with a “Well, what did we learn?” wrap up a la The Brady Bunch and was filled out with standard sitcom tropes – zany neighbours, wacky goings-on, an unlucky in love and clueless protagonist. Every character was played by actors who were acting as if they knew they were in a sitcom. If that makes sense. It was a strange mix that gleefully played around with expectations and confounded viewers, blurring the line between reality, script and ad-lib. It was one of the earliest meta-shows, before meta was even a thing. Looking at it now you see the genesis of almost every recent sitcom of note… 30 Rock, Community, Seinfeld, Louie all owe a debt to Shandling’s loose-limbed deconstructionist mugging. And it was the stepping-stone to Shandling’s – and some would argue television’s – greatest creation (Larry Sanders) that carried a similar concept into the world of tonight shows for greater results.
Insidious [Icon] Local filmmakers James Wan and Leigh Whannell are possibly the most successful film partnership in recent Australian cinema history. Their 2004 film Saw was a monstrosity in more ways than one. It launched six sequels, raked in well over three quarters of a billion dollars in receipts, helped popularise the torture-porn genre and reminded us that Cary Elwes was still kicking around. In the films they helmed, the pair display a tacit understanding that the biggest fear in horror films comes from what you don’t show; the implied. The Saw franchise waded through its fair share of gore and blood but the first film is taut psychological torture rather than slashy meat grinder material. They bring the former in spades to Insidious – a haunted house film with a twist. The Lambert family have just moved into an austere imposing early 20th century house. Being of that age it looks sinister even before doors start closing of their own accord and floors creak. After a mishap in the attic, young Dalton Lambert falls into an unexplained coma. More noises, more sightings and the family move house but nothing changes. It’s not the house that’s haunted. For the most part the Wan/Whannell partnership delivers the requisite chills by making the things that go bump in the night real and restraining from pulling fake thrills. The first two thirds are nerve jangling.
Unsurprisingly it wasn’t a popular show even by late ‘80s cable standards and 20 plus years on it looks terribly dated. I think that was point. Shandling was paying homage to the classic Norman Lear genre of TV ‘one-two punch line’ comedy whilst lovingly tearing it down at the same time. Not everything works but it’s well ahead of its time thus easy to let the ropey bits slide by.
However to give the devilish haunting a physical embodiment is the film’s only, very large, misstep. The visceral intensity is lost and momentum quickly dissolves. What’s left is the pantomime shenanigans of a Darth Maul knock-off with goat hooves confusing all and sundry. Which is a shame because the core of the haunting – astral projection gone wrong – is an unmined genre of the horror genre.
JUSTIN HOOK
JUSTIN HOOK
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the word
BLACKBOX
on games
Bastion Developer: Supergiant Games Platform: XBLA (Xbox 360), Steam (PC) Length: 10+ hrs Rating: Definitely worth grabbing “Proper stories are supposed to start at the beginning. Ain’t so simple with this one.” With this mysterious and alluring start to Bastion, you take control of a boy trying to regain some semblance of normality in a world torn apart by a cataclysmic event known as the ‘Calamity’.
agreed to go in case of trouble.”
“He gets up. Sets off for the Bastion. Where everyone
Bastion is a third person isometric brawler with some RPG elements thrown in for good measure, but what really sets it apart is the narration, given by a gruff old man sounding like a cross between Clint Eastwood and Morgan Freeman (aka The Perfect Narrator Voice). Apart from sounding great, the narration also tells a well-written story of war, betrayal, and love and it perfectly contextualises the fact that you are standing on a set of islands floating in the air, fighting to regain what is left of civilisation. Having a narrator talk through an entire game sounds like a punishment, but you’ll be sad at the end of the game to hear ‘Freewood’ give his last gruff sermon. The gameplay itself is brilliantly executed. The controls are simple; you get two buttons to attack, one to block and a special attack, but the fighting styles are broad due to the range of weaponry that you acquire and the fact that you can map weapons to buttons as you wish. Only want to do long range fighting? Get the mortar and pistol. Short range? The machete and hammer. Similar to the weapons, the enemies are a varied lot keeping you on your toes throughout the game and encouraging the use of different weapon combinations in order to fight most effectively. The fighting mechanics are well balanced, creating an experience similar to that of an old SNES brawler but without the crushing difficulty. “The Bastion ain’t going to build itself. Well, not entirely.” Popular enough to be moved from XBLA to the Steam distribution platform and a good ten hours of playtime (not including replays), for the $15 price tag this is a definite winner. PETER DAVIS
44
One of the biggest guitar heroes of all time died 31 years ago but the legacy of Jimi Hendrix lives on in all self styled guitar heroes (even those proficient only at the air model). The brilliant autobiography, Jimi Hendrix: Voodoo Child (ABC2, Sun Sep 18, 8.30pm) brings the legend to life. Big news of the week is that The Chaser crew are returning with a new show – The Hamster Wheel – on ABC later this year. Sunday Best (ABC2, Sun Sep 25, 8.30pm) brings a series of feature length documentaries to Auntie’s second digi channel including Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room, the story of the infamous oil spill, Lesson Plan, Teenage Paparazzo directed by Entourage’s Adrian Greiner, Hoop Dreams, Born into Brothels, The Most Dangerous Man in America, Jesus Camp and Out of the Ashes, the story of the Afghan cricket team. Other docos to check out include Kill it, Cook it, Eat it (ABC2, Wed Sep 14, 9.30pm), which follows meat production from farm to table, The Truth Behind: Crop Circles (7Mate, Thu Sep 15, 10.30pm), and Stealing Shakespeare (ABC1, Tue Sep 27, 8.30pm) which follows the story of con man Raymond Scott who tried to sell a folio of Shakespeare’s original plays. A special episode of Collectors (ABC1, Fir Sep 16, 8pm) takes a guided tour of the Tasmanian private art gallery that’s putting the southern state on the map. The seasonal changeover continues and it’s not just the pink cherry blossoms and the squawk of magpies. New and returning faves are filling TV screens including the third season of Breaking Bad (ABC2, Thu Sep 29, 9pm), the second half of the new series of Dr Who (ABC1, Sat Sep 17, 7.30pm), Father & Son (ABC2, Mon Sep 19, 8.30pm), a new BBC series about a British gangster trying to leave his former life behind, a new season of United States of Tara and The No.1 Ladies Detective Agency (ABC1, Sun Sep 25, 8.30pm) based on the novels of Alexander McCall-Smith. Adam Hills takes his stand-up routine to the small screen with Adam Hills Live: Joymonger and Characterful (ABC1, Sat Sep 17, 9.25pm). Those with a criminal underworld obsession will love new ob doco Lockdown (7Mate, Thu, 9.40pm) which takes viewers inside the US justice system’s most notorious prisons. The Bazura Project (ABC2, Mon Sep 19, 9.30pm) is a six-part comedy about the movies. Well, a look at how they are made and the six essential ingredients – sex, violence, money, profanity, drugs and fame. At the Movies is running a comp to celebrate their 25th anniversary (albeit on a couple of different networks). All you need do is create a trailer for a fake movie for David and Margaret to review. It closes Monday September 19. Visit bit.ly/atmcomp for details. Movies to check out include classic Western The Magnificent Seven (ABC2, Sat Sep 17, 8.30pm) starring Yul Bryner and Charles Bronson. Don’t miss This is England (SBS1, Sat Sep 24, 10.05pm). Set in a working class council estate in Britain in the ‘80s, the film looks at the relationship between those drawn to skinhead culture as a way to fit in and the National Front in what was then referred to as Thatcher’s Britain. TRACY HEFFERNAN tracyheffernan@bigpond.com
45
the word
Final Lies / Johnny Roadkill / Point Of View / Mandala / Pornstar Pretty The Maram Saturday August 27
on gigs
Kudos to local gig promoter Mudd Promotions for giving the crowd an incentive to get there early by providing the first 20 people to pay entry with a free bar voucher. Despite the above incentives, the crowd was somewhat lacking for replacement opening act and newcomers to the scene, Pornstar Pretty, who started their set right on the advertised time of 8pm (a rarity for a Canberra venue!). The small crowd in the band room stood in front of the stage as a token of their attendance, whilst others remained in the main bar area (watching the Wallabies on the big screen). The femalefronted band belted out some straight up rock songs, but the crowd remained generally uninterested. Next up were Mandala, who are also relatively new to the scene. The band delivered a sound reminiscent of the likes of Tool and Karnivool with the voice of frontman Robert cutting through over the mix of big riffs, and intricate drum beats. Despite a few technical glitches, the five-piece played a tight set that warmed up the more receptive crowd that was beginning to gather in the band room. Point Of View have been around for some time now and it showed in their performance which was flawless. Having had the number one song on the triple j Unearthed charts at the end of 2009, the band have gone from strength to strength, delivering their own blend of grunge rock. Final song One More Chance to Live seemed to be the standout song of the set with a few audience members singing along. With everyone in attendance at the gig receiving a copy of the band’s 2010 release Pistols at Dawn, Shotguns at Brunch, there will no doubt be a few more people singing at the next gig. There was no doubt that the crowd was at The Maram to see Final Lies make their triumphant return to the Canberra music scene. The band room had over 200 people inside, eager to see new vocalist Sally take the stage for the first time and hear the band’s new sound which has drawn away from the previous hardcore and metal edge and is now a lot more melodic and rockier. Following the guitar intro to the first song, Sally took the stage and was met with a huge cheer from the crowd. She then launched into the song and was commanding the crowd from the first note. Giving the audience a preview of what was to come by playing a host of songs off their forthcoming EP, the band punched through a high energy and relatively tight set (despite the bassist’s straps failing on both his guitars – including once whilst attempting a guitar swing). Sally got to show off her immense vocal talent on a sweet little acoustic number titled Don’t Make Me Hate You. The night also marked the end of an era for stalwarts Johnny Roadkill with guitarists Sean and Garth scheduled to leave the band after the show. The room had cleared out substantially, but as always, JR put on a tight set of ballsy rock songs, fronted by dynamic singer Davey and backed by some legendary guitar solos.
PHOTOS: Nigel Hawkins
The small crowd left were genuinely appreciative of the songs and sent off Sean and Garth on a high. Although no new guitarists have been announced yet, the Roadkill camp assures us that this isn’t the end of them – something this reporter hopes is true... Dylan Rushmore
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the word
The Living End / Hunting Grounds / King Cannons ANU Bar Wednesday September 7
on gigs
The Living End are an amazing band. Whether you like their music or not you have to appreciate their technical abilities. Between Chris Cheney’s fingers dancing up and down his guitar, Scott Owen swinging the double bass around as if it were as light as a bass guitar and Andy Strachan providing rhythmic and at times frenetic drum beats, the music produced is nothing short of impressive. But people don’t go to see The Living End to appreciate their technical abilities. They go to rock out to the fast-paced punk rock they know and love. The band started with some material from their new album The Ending is Just the Beginning Repeating and the audience almost half-heartedly joined in. It wasn’t until Cheney uttered the words “We’re going to play a bit of an older one now,” that the audience really got moving. It was an odd demographic at the ANU Bar. There were the obligatory drunk uni students near the bar and at the front, however a lot of the audience was made up of much older people. Indeed the average age appeared to be nearer to 40 in some parts of the room. As a 27-year-old who’s been a fan of the band since their Second Solution/Prisoner of Society double A side, this seemed weird. However, on reflection, it made sense. Cheney is 36 now, so when he was a 22-year-old singing about being a brat, doing things on his own and not listening to anything people say – he spoke to a generation of 22- year-olds. Those 22-year-olds are now near 40-year-olds, and were eager to see the band that wrote the soundtrack to their younger days. Cans of Jim Beam or Bundy in hand, the audience enjoyed an hour and a half of The Living End’s music from all of their albums. Despite seeming a little bit too old to be singing some of the lyrics of their older songs, you have to respect a band who knows what the audience wants, and gives it to them. Having seen Oasis not play Wonderwall and Eskimo Joe not play Sweater, it was refreshing to see the band play their older songs with as much passion as their newer ones. Far and away the most popular songs of the night were those from The Living End album, with the audience raising their fists and loudly singing along to Prisoner of Society, Second Solution, and All Torn Down. There was also huge excitement when the band started a cover of Run to Paradise and merged it seamlessly into Roll On. There were a few issues with the sound equipment – at times Cheney’s lyrics could barely be heard over the rest of the band and roadies were constantly on the fringes of the stage, occasionally jumping on to adjust something or fix something else. This in no way detracted from the enjoyment of the night though. The audience interaction consisted of a few comments about Canberra’s weather, staying in Kings Cross in Sydney (“Cause we’re still punk” according to Cheney), and a terrible dad joke when introducing the band. It was limited but enough to make the audience feel like they were part of the gig and not just there to see a CD played live.
PHOTOS: andrew mayo
Closing with West End Riot, the atmosphere was excited and a little bit punchy. It seemed that almost everyone in the room knew the words, the breakdown and even the key change (and what a key change it is! It was defiinitely the highlight of the gig for me - Ed.), as they sang along in unison. The Living End have matured without straying too far from their original ideals and last night’s gig made it obvious why they’re one of Australia’s most loved bands. Clare Butterfield
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GIG GUIDE Sept 14 - Sept 17 wednesday September 14 arts Messages
Youth Dance Festival 2011
CANBERRA THEATRE CENTRE
Exhibition - Rubia! Rubia! The latest body of work by local emerging artist Emma Beer. ANU SCHOOL OF ART
Namatjira
A Big Hart production by Scott Rankin, with the Namatjira family. CANBERRA THEATRE CENTRE
Live Elixir Featuring Katie Noonan
With the Sydney Symphony Fellowship Quartet. Tix from The Street Theatre 6247 1223. THE FRONT CAFE AND GALLERY
Something Different Fame Trivia
Exercise your grey matter every Wednesday night. Register your team at the bar by 6pm. TRANSIT BAR
Fame Trivia
Free entry fantastic prizes, bookings are essential. 6pm. P J O’REILLY’S, CIVIC
thursday September 15 arts Annika Romeyn – Drift
An exhibition of drawing and printmaking. Opening 6pm. BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE
Messages
Youth Dance Festival 2011
CANBERRA THEATRE CENTRE
Anime Box
Free lecture and screening on The Marvel of Manga. 6pm.
ARC CINEMA, NATIONAL FILM & SOUND ARCHIVE
Exhibition - Rubia! Rubia! The latest body of work by local emerging artist Emma Beer. ANU SCHOOL OF ART
Entrapment
An exhibition by Jenni Kemarre Martiniello. Continuing until October 1.
CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ART SPACE GORMAN HOUSE
22 Short Plays by David Finnigan
This will be totally worth it. The man’s a bit of a crazy genius. Bookings through the venue.
W/ Surprise Wasp and Mung. 9pm. THE PHOENIX PUB
Something Different Karaoke
8.30pm till 11pm followed by DJ Kiz till 5am. CUBE NIGHTCLUB
THE STREET THEATRE
friday September 16
Ectopia
An exhibition by Yhonnie Scarce. Continuing until October 1.
CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ART SPACE GORMAN HOUSE
Resurrection
An exhibition by John Johnson.
CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ART SPACE GORMAN HOUSE
A Matter of Time
An exhibition by Kate Barker. Opening 6pm, continuing until 25 September.
arts Namatjira
A Big Hart production by Scott Rankin, with the Namatjira family. CANBERRA THEATRE CENTRE
22 Short Plays by David Finnigan
CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ARTS SPACE - MANUKA
This will be totally worth it. The man’s a bit of a crazy genius. Bookings through the venue.
Namatjira
Messages
A Big Hart production by Scott Rankin, with the Namatjira family. CANBERRA THEATRE CENTRE
Comedy Green Faces 11 - Best of Green Faces Six acts from the last 14 seasons. Tickets from Canberra Ticketing 6275 2700, or greenfaces.com . CANBERRA IRISH CLUB
Dance Ashley Feraude
KNIGHTSBRIDGE PENTHOUSE
Full/Frequency presents Rob Swift (USA)
The legendary wax executioner returns to rock the two turntables.
THE STREET THEATRE
Youth Dance Festival 2011
CANBERRA THEATRE CENTRE
Exhibition - Rubia! Rubia! The latest body of work by local emerging artist Emma Beer. ANU SCHOOL OF ART
The Pig Iron People
Cheese
Everyone’s favourite night of cheesy 80s, glam, and retro. Free Entry. TRANSIT BAR
Live Funkoars
The Quickening tour. ZIERHOLZ @ UC
Charles Chatain
Free live music from one of Canberra’s favourites. 8.30pm. P J O’REILLY’S, CIVIC
Mikelangelo and the Tin Star
With special guests Saint Clare, Konrad Lenz, Fun Machine. POLISH WHITE EAGLE CLUB
saturday September 17 arts Namatjira
A Big Hart production by Scott Rankin, with the Namatjira family. CANBERRA THEATRE CENTRE
22 Short Plays by David Finnigan
This will be totally worth it. The man’s a bit of a crazy genius. Bookings through the venue. THE STREET THEATRE
Written by John Doyle. Seasons runs from September 16 - October 1st.
Anime Box
Resurrection
An exhibition by John Johnson.
ARC CINEMA, NATIONAL FILM & SOUND ARCHIVE
Dance
Sing-A-Long-A Sound of Music is more than just a movie; it’s your chance to sing along!
Beni
Resurrection
CANBERRA REPERTORY
CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ART SPACE GORMAN HOUSE
House of Beni tour. TRINITY BAR
Free lecture and screening of Colourful. 4.30pm. Manga. 6pm.
Sing-A-Long-A Sound of Music
CANBERRA THEATRE CENTRE
An exhibition by John Johnson.
TRANSIT BAR
Jayo
CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ART SPACE GORMAN HOUSE
Day Play
DubStep Invasion
Dance
DJs in the Beer Garden
Every Thursday, from 2pm onwards. ANU BAR AND REFECTORY
Live The Bridge Between (solo)
W/ Pete Akhurst. 6.30 – 9.30 pm. BELGIAN BEER CAFE
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Super Best Friends
KNIGHTSBRIDGE PENTHOUSE
One Love Dubstep Invasion tour with Shockone and Glovecats.
Faux Real
Foreplay Fridays
Cube Saturdays
ACADEMY NIGHTCLUB
9pm till 5am with DJ’s Matt & Pete. Two for one drinks & free entry until 11pm. CUBE NIGHTCLUB
KNIGHTSBRIDGE PENTHOUSE
10pm till 5am with DJ’s Matt & Pete. Two for one drinks & free entry until 11pm. CUBE NIGHTCLUB
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GIG GUIDE Sept 17 - Sept 23 saturday September 17 dance Glasshouse presents: Juicebox Featuring Pelvic, Princi & Glasshouse DJs. Free Entry. TRANSIT BAR
Live
Live Pura Vida Latin Music Festival Feat. Terraplen from Argentina. Threepiece electro folk band.
arts
The CMC presents Chloe & Silas
An exhibition by John Johnson.
new acton
7pm.
WHITE EAGLE POLISH CLUB
The Bridge Between Band 1pm – 4pm.
Beth King and The Hemmingway Collective
ROSE COTTAGE
THE PHOENIX PUB
W/ Mike Noga. Tickets $20 + BF through Moshtix. Doors open 6pm.
And Beth n Ben!
Glenn Richards & Dan Luscombe
Juice Box
TRANSIT BAR
Feat. Crash the Curb, Pelvic, Hancock Basement DJ set, Princi and more. Free.
Cherie Kotek 3-6pm, Free.
TRANSIT BAR
CANBERRA IRISH CLUB
Terravita [UK]
Something Different
Peanut butter jelly time presents yet again another world class act, Expect High energy & High dB. THE CLUBHOUSE
Friday Night Acoustic Series Kooky Fandango. 8pm, free. HARMONIE GERMAN CLUB
Beth n Ben
tuesday September 20
Sunday Best 5-7pm, free.
A BITE TO EAT CAFE
monday September 19
Dance Faux Real
KNIGHTSBRIDGE PENTHOUSE
Resurrection
Day Play
CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ART SPACE GORMAN HOUSE
DJs in the Beer Garden
Something Different Trivia Night 7.30pm.
THE PHOENIX PUB
Karaoke Love
Warm up those vocal chords and get personal with the classics. 9pm. TRANSIT BAR
Trivia @ The Phoenix
Enjoy a vague sense of accomplishment. From 7:30pm, with $10 cocktails from 9pm. THE PHOENIX PUB
wednesday September 21 arts
Every Thursday, from 2pm onwards. ANU BAR AND REFECTORY
Live Pura Vida Latin Music Festival Alda Rezende The Girl from Minas Gerais. Ft. Esdra ‘Nenem’ Ferreira. CANBERRA THEATRE CENTRE
Jessamine
W/ Raprager. 9pm. THE PHOENIX PUB
Open Mic Night 9pm, free.
POT BELLY BAR
The Bridge Between (solo) 6.30 – 9.30 pm.
BELGIAN BEER CAFE
Sarah Carroll 8pm, $10.
Resurrection
THE FRONT CAFE AND GALLERY
11-2pm, Free.
arts
Beth n Ben
Resurrection
CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ART SPACE GORMAN HOUSE
W/ Belles Will Ring. Tickets $15 + BF. Doors open 8pm.
Greenthief
GORMAN HOUSE ARTS CENTRE
An exhibition by John Johnson.
Supporting Beth King and the Hemingway Collective. 9pm, free.
An exhibition by John Johnson.
CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ART SPACE GORMAN HOUSE
Live
Mortal Sin
Robert Baines
The Panics
THE MARAM, ERINDALE CENTRE
CRAFT ACT
Something Different
Contemporary Portraiture from Asia. Continuing until November 6.
THE PHOENIX PUB
Australia’s first thrash metal band. $15 at the door.
Urban Soul Food 7.30pm, $10.
URBANFOOD STORE + CAFE
Carry on Karaoke
All your sing along favourites and current chart hits available for you. 9.30pm. P J O’REILLY’S, CIVIC
sunday September 18 arts 22 Short Plays by David Finnigan
This will be totally worth it. The man’s a bit of a crazy genius. Bookings through the venue. THE STREET THEATRE
Fashioned Here
Fashioned Here unpacks the wardrobe of Canberra Museum and Gallery (CMAG). CANBERRA MUSEUM AND GALLERY
Resurrection
An exhibition by John Johnson.
CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ART SPACE GORMAN HOUSE
Dance Hospitality Sundays
10pm till late with DJ TJ. Free entry, free pool & discounted drinks. CUBE NIGHTCLUB
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Living Treasures – Masters of Australian Craft series.
Beyond the Self
NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY
Harvest – Elaine Bradley
Bradley is a graduate from the Australian National University School of Art Ceramics Workshop. CRAFT ACT
Dance Happy Happy Mondays
Every Monday is a Happy one at Transit Bar. TRANSIT BAR
Live CIT Presents The Bootleg Sessions
W/ Rebound Slapdown, Vel’vette, Morgan Quinn, Ruth O’Brien and friends. THE PHOENIX PUB
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
Rain on the Humming Wire tour. Tix through Ticketek. ANU BAR AND REFECTORY
Harii Bandhu 7.30pm, $10.
THE FRONT CAFE AND GALLERY
Something Different Bad Slam No Biscuit 8pm.
THE PHOENIX PUB
Fame Trivia
Free entry fantastic prizes, bookings are essential. 6pm. P J O’REILLY’S, CIVIC
Fame Trivia
Exercise your grey matter every Wednesday night. Register your team at the bar by 6pm. TRANSIT BAR
thursday September 22
Leader Cheetah TRANSIT BAR
Vultures Tour.
THE BASEMENT
Something Different Karaoke
8.30pm till 11pm followed by DJ Kiz till 5am. CUBE NIGHTCLUB
friday September 23 arts Creativity and Happiness
Why building creative-mindedness in young people is important. 12.30-1.30, free. NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY
Resurrection
An exhibition by John Johnson.
CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ART SPACE GORMAN HOUSE
Dance
arts
All Our Friends
Resurrection
UCU REFECTORY
An exhibition by John Johnson.
CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ART SPACE GORMAN HOUSE
Entrapment
MSTRKRFT, Example, Wolfgang Gartner, Nero and more. Tix through Moshtix.
Ashley Feraude
KNIGHTSBRIDGE PENTHOUSE
Havana Brown
An exhibition by Jenni Kemarre Martiniello. Continuing until October 1.
ACADEMY NIGHTCLUB
Ectopia
TRANSIT BAR
CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ART SPACE GORMAN HOUSE
An exhibition by Yhonnie Scarce. Continuing until October 1.
CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ART SPACE GORMAN HOUSE
Mercury Switch Presents...
Those fellas D’Opus & Roshambo! Expect nothing but dope things.
Foreplay Fridays
9pm till 5am with DJ’s Matt & Pete. Two for one drinks & free entry until 11pm. CUBE NIGHTCLUB
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. Watch the Rugby World Cup right here on our big screen TV. Beer and Sport. What more could you want, right? Thurs 15 Sep, Chicago Charles Fri 16 Sep, Leanne Melmoth (10pm) Sat 17 Sep, Oscar Sun 18 Sep, Irish Jam Session Mon 19 Sep, Trivia (every Mon at 6.30pm) Tues 20 Sep, Irish Jam Session Thurs 22 Sep, Leanne Melmoth Duo Fri 23 Sep, PhuZionPhuZion (5pm), plus Special K(10pm) Sat 24 Sep, Heuristic Sun 25 Sep, Irish Jam Session Mon 26 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
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GIG GUIDE Sept 23 - Sept 28 friday September 23 live Free live music
With Elska, from 8.30pm. P J O’REILLY’S, CIVIC
Heath Cullen
With Chris Parkinson. 7.30pm, $15. THE FRONT CAFE AND GALLERY
Friday Night Acoustic Series 8pm, free.
HARMONIE GERMAN CLUB
All Our Friends Night
W/ MSTRKRFT, Example, Wolfgang, Garnter, Nero + Local DJs. UC
saturday September 24 arts
Truth [NZ]
Clubhouse’s 1st birthday! Celebrate a year of clubhouse with Aquatic Lab’s ‘Truth’. THE CLUBHOUSE
hellosQuare presents Soft Focus
Ft. Minamo (Japan), Moskitoo (Japan), Spartak and Cold House. 7.30PM, $18/$12. THE STREET THEATRE
Epithets
8pm, $10.
THE FRONT CAFE AND GALLERY
The Funkoars
ANU BAR AND REFECTORY
Carry on Karaoke
CRAFT ACT
Harvest – Elaine Bradley
Bradley is a graduate from the Australian National University School of Art Ceramics Workshop.
All your sing along favourites and current chart hits available for you. 9.30pm. P J O’REILLY’S, CIVIC
Spring Equinox Festival 11.30am-3.30pm, free.
WESTERN CREEK COMMUNITY HALL
sunday September 25
CRAFT ACT
Karaoke Love
Brazil’s queen of contemporary samba.
Warm up those vocal chords and get personal with the classics. 9pm.
The Bridge Between Duo
Trivia @ The Phoenix
new acton
TRANSIT BAR
Enjoy a vague sense of accomplishment. From 7:30pm, with $10 cocktails from 9pm.
5pm- 7pm.
A BITE TO EAT CAFE
THE PHOENIX PUB
Something Different
THE FRONT CAFE AND GALLERY
Australia’s finest purveyors of conscientious hip-hop, with Sietta in support. $29 + bf Ticketek.
CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ART SPACE GORMAN HOUSE
Living Treasures – Masters of Australian Craft series.
Pura Vida Latin Music Festival Aline Calixto
The Herd
ZIERHOLZ @ UC
tuesday September 27 Something Different
new acton
Variety Fundraiser
Something Different
Robert Baines
Uruguayan boy wonder playing quirky Latin dance / lounge music.
With Vents, Ciecmate, Mase & Mattic. 8pm, $29.65/$24.55.
Resurrection
An exhibition by John Johnson.
Pura Vida Latin Music Festival Martin Buscaglia
wednesday September 28
For The Working Group for Aboriginal Rights.
arts Resurrection
monday September 26
An exhibition by John Johnson.
CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ART SPACE GORMAN HOUSE
arts
Klaus Moje – A Continuum
An exhibition by John Johnson.
Featuring the work of renowned artist, Klaus Moje. Running until October 20.
Beyond the Self
Live
Resurrection
CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ART SPACE GORMAN HOUSE
CANBERRA GLASSWORKS
Contemporary Portraiture from Asia. Continuing until November 6.
Carly Fern and the Humicorn
Dance
THE FRONT CAFE AND GALLERY
Happy Happy Mondays
Something Different
Supported by Yes/No. 7.30pm, $5 at door.
NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY
Comedy
arts
Every Monday is a Happy one at Transit Bar. TRANSIT BAR
7:30pm.
Arj Barker - Eleven
Resurrection
Live
Fame Trivia
Because sometimes ten just isn’t enough. Tickets through Canberra Ticketing. CANBERRA THEATRE CENTRE
Dance Fat Cat Social Club
With Stoney Road, Sammy Soundslike, Eddie Shaggz, Less Than Three and Party By Jake. Free. TRANSIT BAR
Cube Saturdays
10pm till 5am with DJ’s Matt & Pete. Two for one drinks & free entry until 11pm.
An exhibition by John Johnson.
CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ART SPACE GORMAN HOUSE
Fashioned Here
THE PHOENIX PUB
The Fuelers present The Bootleg Sessions
Exercise your grey matter every Wednesday night. Register your team at the bar by 6pm.
The Beer Cactus, The Wheel of Fate, Rabid Dog. 8pm, free.
TRANSIT BAR
CANBERRA MUSEUM AND GALLERY
Something Different
P J O’REILLY’S, CIVIC
Dance
Fame Trivia
Fashioned Here unpacks the wardrobe of Canberra Museum and Gallery (CMAG).
Hospitality Sundays
10pm till late with DJ TJ. Free entry, free pool & discounted drinks. CUBE NIGHTCLUB
CUBE NIGHTCLUB
Live
Live
Metal/Industrial Night
Dusker
THE PHOENIX PUB
W/ Ranger Spacey and Briscoe. 9.30pm.
Trivia Night
Fame Trivia
THE PHOENIX PUB
Free entry fantastic prizes, bookings are essential. 6pm.
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
7pm.
THE PHOENIX PUB
MISSION TO LAUNCH OUT SEPT28 THE BRONX ICEHOUSE ROCKWIZ THE DRONES ...AND MORE!
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P H O T O G R A P H : DA N N I N I X
FIRST CONTACT
SIDE A: BMA BAND profile
The Monotremes Where did your band name come from? The Monotremes worked because zoologically, monotremes are a mindfuck. I want this band to strike a similar chord. Plus they’re Australian and it’s an anagram for metronome, which is nice because we’re fond of metric modulations. Group members: Adam Cook – keys/vox, Matt Rankin – keys/vox/samples, Reuben Lewis – trumpet, Justin Bullock – bass, Adam Dickson - drums. Describe your sound: We use a jazz harmonic language and shift through many older styles, but with electronics, there’s a kind of edge to it. Who are your influences, musical or otherwise? I’m a huge Zappa fan, but I’m also a classical muso, so I get into composers like Poulenc, Ravel, Weill, etc. I also love stride. What’s the weirdest experience you’ve had whilst performing? It was my birthday and we were playing Phoenix. There were balloons everywhere. We finished the set and my band surprised me with happy birthday in 7/4 and my beautiful girlfriend gave birthday cake to every person left in the pub. What’s your biggest achievement/proudest moment so far? Whenever we gig, there are people asking us ‘what the hell do you call that?’, and most of the time they don’t even mean to be rude. As of yet, no one I’ve met has managed to assign any label to the sound, and that’s a source of pride for us. I’d rather see the room full of confused faces than half-full of bored ones. We’d like to inspire curiosity among the musos and non-musos alike. What are your plans for the future? Following a mad writing period, we’re doing a few gigs followed by a recording session for a three-track album. What’s your opinion of the local scene? I love it. In one day I could play a couple of recitals at the ANU School of Music; see a pub gig; go to a CMC bash and listen to beautiful Canberran anthems sung by beautiful Canberran people; and finish the night at Clubhouse having a boogie to some home-made dubstep. What are your upcoming gigs? September 24 at the Polish Club, October 2 at Dragon Dreaming. Contact info: themonotremes@hotmail.com; facebook. com/TheMonotremes
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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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“brilliantly personal and so very sharply observed”
Daily Telegraph 2011
ONE NIGHT ONLY
Saturday 29th October Canberra Theatre Centre BOOK NOW
canberratheatrecentre.com.au or 6275 2700
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