BMA Magazine 420 June 26 2013

J A C K C H A RL E S THE VS CROWN #420JUN30

Inside #420JUN26 — Steve Vai, You Am I, Swerfk, Andrea Kirwin.

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If you missed the opportunity on April 20, BMA would remind you that marijuana is illegal and the number of this issue in no way encourages drug abuse.

#420J U N E 2 6 Fax: (02) 6257 4361 Mail: PO Box 713 Civic Square, ACT 2608 Publisher Scott Layne Allan Sko General Manager Allan Sko T: (02) 6257 4360 E: advertising@bmamag.com

Advertising Manager Scott Johnston T: (02) 6257 4360 E: sales@bmamag.com

Editor Ashley Thomson

T: (02) 6257 4456 E: editorial@bmamag.com

Accounts Manager Hongyan Ao

T: (02) 6247 4816 E: accounts@bmamag.com

Sub-Editor & Social Media Manager Greta Kite-Gilmour Graphic Design Marley Film Editor Melissa Wellham NEXT ISSUE 421 OUT JULY 17 EDITORIAL DEADLINE JULY 8 ADVERTISING DEADLINE JULY 11 Published by Radar Media Pty Ltd ABN 76 097 301 730 BMA Magazine is independently owned and published. Opinions expressed in BMA Magazine are not necessarily those of the editor, publisher or staff.

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If you find yourself drawn like a moth to the flame of local music venues packed with local artists, BMA Magazine wants you. The Polish White Eagle Club, The Phoenix Bar, The Front Gallery and Café, Transit Bar, The Basement, The Pot Belly, La De Da, Trinity Bar – you name it. If you’re a regular at any of these venues on gig nights, you should already know why this call is going out: Canberra is packed with great up-and-coming artists, from the MCs at La De Da to the CMC crowd at The Polish Club to the punks at The Phoenix to the metalheads at The Basement to the DJs and producers at Trinity. And every night there’s a local show, there’s a hefty crowd in attendance. If you’re a member of any of these crowds, and you know your way around the English language, and you have this indescribable urge to rub in people’s faces what they missed or be a small voice for change in a town with nothing but better things in its future, then here, in the most altruistic of disguises, is your free pass.

No band was ever noticed without the discerning ears of reviewers, nor was a venue ever improved by the polite silence of its patrons, and we can grant you a stage from which to aid and abet the Canberra music scene. Applicants must have some skills, however. We need good, grounded writers – this means grammar, punctuation, an understanding of the English language and an honest eye for your subject, above all.

Monosyllabic bollocks and blind praise are two things this town does not need. If this sounds like you – if you’re happy to jot down words in exchange for any of the following: your name in print, your name on the door list, or, of course, other – then email editorial@bmamag.com and do the unspeakable: enquire.

on Twitter at @AnimalLibACT, and give us your thoughts on Twitter at @bmamag.

Don’t Take It the Wrong Way If They Want To ‘Exhume’ Your Band ‘It’s not for has-beens, it’s not for wannabes, it’s for the neverweres.’ And with those lines , 666 ABC Canberra begins the Exhumed band competition, a project designed for bands with these characteristics: members must be over 30 years old, in a band of two or more, playing music of any music genre, and they must be amateur. Says creator James Valentine, ‘We want to applaud those who make music for the fun of it. We want to find those who play for their friends… This is not The Voice. We are not looking for a great undiscovered singer.

It’s not X-Factor or Idol – we are not about to create a new pop sensation. This is about recognising that there’s a lot of great, passionate, inspired music making going on purely for the love of it.’ Entries opened Monday June 24 and close Monday July 15. Stations will announce their local winner at an event run by each ABC Local Radio station around the country in August. From these winners, six finalists will be chosen. The story will be covered in a five-part TV series, hosted by James Valentine, which will screen in November on ABC1. Visit abc.net.au/ exhumed for more info and entry details. Or just get on there and have a rant about how just because you’re 30+ doesn’t mean you have to be dug out of a grave to be enjoyed. Up to you.

A song in his heart and a gun in his hand: ACT politics has a sense of the theatrical again, thanks to Steven Bailey. [Image credit: Anna Boy Dell.]

Local Gig Reviewers: Come to the Light!

kangaroos in Canberra nature parks. On one side of the issue, you have Animal Liberation ACT and everything they represent – had their way, it is a cruel, unnecessary exercise in imprinting the way of humankind onto a species that neither needs nor deserves this merciless slaughter. On the other, there’s been the sober face of bureaucracy.

The expansion of kangaroo populations within contained areas can only lead to the degradation of the nature parks in which they reside, to the point of an untenable imbalance – so goes the Government line. But this year, another candidate has thrown his hat into the ring. Steven Bailey, ACT Senate Candidate for the Katter Australia Party, brightened BMA Magazine’s day with this joyous press release: ‘Every year we waist [sic] money and time taking these misguided wimps and wowsers seriously.

These environmentalists are anti-science ideological fundamentalists who represent what I like to call the ‘Great Greanie Impoverishment’ [sic].

Threatening to put themselves between the professional shooters and the kangaroos is blatantly immoral.’ Bailey proceeds to invite ‘these protesters to debate him on the issue in a forum of their choosing’. As far as politicising a serious issue to boost a public profile goes, it just doesn’t get any better than this! If you’d like to take sides for the heck of it, you can find out more about Steven Bailey on Twitter at @Stevenbaileyy, Animal Liberation ACT at al-act.org or

KANGAROO CULL, mEET STEVEN BAILEY Every year, the ACT Government sanctions the culling of hundreds of

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FROM THE BOSSMAN A warm and humid greeting from Fiji to you my fellow column dwellers (although by the time you read this I shall be seized in the cold clutches of Canberra once more). The long overdue family holiday is nearly at an end – worry not, I shan’t bother you with the details…

Being away always gets me to thinking about home. Context is a beautiful brain-jogger, after all, with a change of culture allowing one to compare and contrast to one’s own beloved patch of soil.

In this instance, the attention turns to the free-spirited attitude to noise, or ‘music’, as they like to call it here in Fiji. Fijians have a spirited love of music. They sing and play everywhere, from the villages of the remote island of Nacula to the Westerner-centric resorts of the coastline. You can’t go to an eatery without seeing three fat guys, decorated with comically small ukuleles, pop out from behind a nearby coconut tree and proceed to strum an island ditty. It adds calm and charm to the place. Which leads me to wonder… Why do we not have more of this in our fair capital city? Especially in this, the year of our Centenary?

All the elements are there – we have a wealth of talented musicians, plenty of places to play and a cavalcade of cashedup public servants ready to part with their loose $50 notes. I have noticed a greater number of town troubadours recently; curiously bearded rogue and local fun-strummer Ben Drysdale has been spied on the corner of Bunda Street in Civic of a few lunch hours. But these kinds of enjoyable musical spots are few and far between when Canberra could be enlivened citywide with quality barding on a daily basis.

YOU PISSED ME OFF! Care to immortalise your hatred in print? Send an email to editorial@bmamag.com and see your malicious bile circulated to thousands. [All entries contain original spellings.]

To the guy that thinks and is telling his friends that I’m a crazy bitch because I visited him and cried after we had a fight YOU PISSED ME OFF, why? ! - you might ask? WELL - considering we had only being dating for a month this preconception may be absolutely true, it is part of the modern-day crazy bitch arsenal (attempt stage five clinger before month is through - check!) but the reason I cried was because I discovered [censored for identity] the same day and needed a hug, but didn’t end up telling him because of his ‘I’m [censored for identity] but I don’t want you to come and see me or meet anyone I know’ shit. DON’T NEED A HUG NOW, DOUCHEBAG. And by the way? He has the smallest penis of anyone I have ever seen - it honestly looks like a penis pre-puberty, but considering he’s nearly 30, it’s probably not got much more growing to do - AND, HILARIOUSLY - HE HAS A [censored for identity] - NOT JOKING - it is even, more hilariously, in the [censored for identity]. At least his next girlfriend will know he’s an [censored for identity]. After we had a post-fight awkward conversation at [censored for identity], I saw him from afar whispering to a girl whose eyes tracked me down like a majestic eagle’s. By the way, she’s kind of fat. But it works out perfectly, because he has a teeny weeny and a tramp stamp of his own horoscope that not even disgusting girls would dare get. You two deserve each other.

As well as injecting an area with a joie de vivre and adding a splash of Canberra character, busking can be a boon to a local band or artist. First of all, busking in the ACT is free. According to the ACT Government, the only considerations are that you ‘must not restrict the right of way of pedestrians and may require permission from property owners (e.g. shopping centre owners such as Westfield) to busk on private land. Buskers must also adhere to Zone Noise Standards.’ No miserly $500 fee to part with in exchange for 45 frantic minutes of revenue-repairing guitar shredding. Just switch your amp down from 11 to 10-anda-half and as soon as that first 20 cent piece hits the guitar case with the nonchalant flick of a keyboard-stressed office monkey finger, baby… You’re in the black.

Speaking to the increasingly successful Owen Campbell on the subject of busking, he revealed he could make a very tidy $300 performing in Garema Place of a lunchtime. Three. Hundred.

Clams. I’m in the wrong game. Considering many bands complain of never having enough money in the coffers, this could provide the perfect way to stimulate their economy. A simple slot a week could net close to $1000 a month with luck. Very handy extra band funds. Plus you’re doing what you love, getting your music heard by more folk and adding a bit of life to the surrounds.

So throw away any stigma you might have about busking, contact a local proprietor to see if you can perform outside their place, and you’re away. You’ll be doing this town a world of good in the process. Speaking of which, I’m off dust off the ol’ spoons, get down to Garema Place and engage in my famous Backstreet Boys medley.

ALLAN SKO - allan@bmamag.com

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Image credit: Warwick Smith

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WHO: John Flanagan & The Begin Agains WHAT: EP Launch WHEN: Sat Jun 29 WHERE: The Front Gallery and Café

Folk/bluegrass band John Flanagan & The Begin Agains have drawn inspiration from their recent travels through the Appalachian mountains in the USA. Travelling as a duo, they had the opportunity to perform at festivals and iconic venues, including the famous Bluebird Café in Nashville. The Appalachian influence can be heard in their recently released Autumn Song, featuring the clawhammer style of banjo which evolved in the Appalachian Mountains. The song features on the group’s latest EP, Young Minds. Now a four-piece, the band has developed a stirring sound characterised by lush vocal harmonies and delicate acoustic textures. 8pm. $10 door.

WHO: The Jed Rowe Band WHAT: Film Clip Tour WHEN: Thu Jul 4 WHERE: The Front Gallery and Café

Melbourne-based roots act The Jed Rowe Band are touring in July to launch their debut film clip for the track Castlemaine. Lifted from their Jeff Lang-produced, critically acclaimed second album The Ember and The Afterglow, the track showcases Rowe’s strength as a storyteller and lyricist. Set in 1850s gold rush Victoria, the track harnesses the roots/Americana genre to tell a distinctly Australian story over a sparse landscape of harmonica, acoustic guitar, double bass and drums. The film clip – shot in Victoria’s Yarra Ranges and directed by Lachlan Bryan – takes the song and its story to a deeper, intensely beautiful level. 7:30pm. $10 door.

WHO: The Stillsons WHAT: Single Launch WHEN: Fri Jul 5 WHERE: The Front Gallery and Café

Melbourne band The Stillsons has just released its effervescent second single Feel So Young. This highly charged track of lost innocence taps into the energy and grit the likes of ‘70s supergroups such as Fleetwood Mac. On lead vocals, Cat Canteri sings with vulnerability that lingers with you long after the first listen. Never Go Your Way will be The Stillsons’ third LP, and will be released later this year. Feel So Young is released on iTunes and fans can check out more from The Stillsons at thestillsons.bandcamp.com. Joining them will be Canberra’s finest indie and folk acts: Julia Johnson & Kristabelle and the Southern Jubilee Ringers. 7:30pm. $15 door.

WHO: The Reverend Jesse Custer, Postal, + more WHAT: The Fucking Loud Bootleg Sessions WHEN: Mon Jul 8 WHERE: The Phoenix Bar

This winter, Newcastle hardcore band Postal will embark on a national tour in support of their upcoming split 7”. Accompanying them on the tour will be fellow Novocastrians Tired Minds, who released their debut EP in late 2012 on Break Bend Records.

The lads will and in Canberra just in time for The Phoenix’s Fucking Loud Bootleg Sessions special, which promises a titular night of sounds that are hard, fast and, of course, very fucking loud. Postal and Tired Minds will be joined by locals The Reverend Jesse Custer (who have possibly the best band name in the ACT, it is worth nothing), Hygiene and Office Jerk. 8pm. Free entry.

WHO: 13 Local & Interstate Bands WHAT: Gangbusters WHEN: Sat Jul 13 WHERE: The Polish Club

Fresh from a successful debut in Melbourne earlier this year, Gangbusters is returning to Canberra in July. For those new in town, Gangbusters was a long-running band night at the Bar 32 nightclub, which regularly served up a host of interstate and local bands. It wrapped up in 2010, but was this year reborn as a mini-festival.

The latest Gangbusters presents thirteen amazing acts, including The Ocean Party, Parading and Grand Prismatic, all of whom will be road tripping from Melbourne to appear. Sydney will be ably represented by Day Ravies, and local bands include TV Colours, Waterford, Cracked Actor and many more. 2pm-11pm. $15 door.

WHO: Tjintu Desert Band, Radical Sun and Hung Parliament WHAT: Rock for Reconciliation WHEN: Sat Jul 20 WHERE: The Street Theatre

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and cultures are unique to this country. As we mark 100 years of our nation’s capital, Canberrans are encouraged to come together to sing and dance, to recognise the world’s oldest continuing living culture in a modern society, and to celebrate and be part of a better tomorrow. Rock for Reconciliation will feature funk, rock and desert reggae band Tjintu Desert Band from Central Australia, supported by local band Hung Parliament, with Reconciliation Australia ambassador Luke Carroll as the evening’s MC. 7:30-11pm. This is a free Centenary event, however, bookings are essential: thestreet.org.au.

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BAZ RUDDICK Jack Charles is an important voice in Australia. He’s a voice that Bastardy has allowed me to take a far more introspective look at represents downtrodden people from all echelons of society: my life, my age and my potential,’ explained Charles. the incarcerated, the stolen and the Indigenous. He’s a voice that JC vs. the Crown is, in essence, the culmination of Jack’s personal represents the addicted, the criminals and those with nothing journey and his life experience. While Bastardy is used as a left to lose. He’s a voice that represents redemption, change multimedia prop for the production, Jack’s latest production is and the bearded. Jack Charles is the embodiment of modern day a more positive story. Described by Jack himself as a ‘feel good Indigenous Australia. One of the last surviving greats of early story’, JC vs. the Crown is a one-man tirade against the world – a Indigenous theatre, over the last four decades Jack Charles has solo show, set to a poignant soundtrack, that explores the journey graced stages and magistrates’ courts equally Australia wide. In and redemption of a black man addicted to a white man’s drug. and out of prison for the past 30 years, Jack Charles has taken his story of saviour and redemption on the road. After enjoying Jack’s work on stage and in theatre has paralleled his work on the a capital city tour in 2010, JACK CHARLES VS. THE CROWN has frontline of the Collingwood Fitzroy community. ‘I came out of my made a return. Playing in regional centres Australia wide, JC vs. the last jail leg as a feather foot with a mission to be the law man of Crown is an important story – the story of one stolen man’s fight Collingwood. I interact with and work with people at the needle with the system. The story exchange and in the housing of one man giving up and commission units. I engage getting on.

How can we show White Australia with them to try and get them up en giv r eve er up to scratch and to showcase nev e hav we t tha Jack Charles long and varied lia my life and prove to them that tra Aus in ty ign ere sov of career (both in crime and the idea there is a better life beyond in theatre) started in the we are locked up, grogged up, if drug time, crime time, jail time ‘70s. Co-founded with Bob d up? cke mu up, and all the mental disabilities d gge dru Maza in 1972 at Melbourne’s that result.’ ‘pram theatre’, Nindethana Production Company was Australia’s first Indigenous theatre While JC vs. the Crown has been making waves, the real difference company. The first show, Jack Charles is Up and Fighting, was a has been felt among the Aboriginal and prison communities to highly politicised series of ‘reviews’ written and put to music. ‘We whom Jack has exposed the show. ‘Last time I did this show in took it up to the Tent Embassy but I couldn’t do it up there in front Albany, Western Australia, the Governor of the high security of Parliament because I was too frightened about all the police, prison rang the stage manager and asked if they could talk me so we took it to ANU.’ Jack states that this exposure of Aboriginal into bringing the show into the jail. It was one of the highlights of theatre led to a realisation of the power of performing arts as my life, going into the jail there at Albany to talk to people about means of expression. ‘This was the first time people had seen my life and what I believe, and trying them to dissuade them from Aboriginal theatre. People realised that this was the best medium acting like white gangsters on white man’s drugs.’ we could use to talk up Aboriginal issues via the arts and via Jack’s belief in his message is deeply seeded in his Aboriginality. radio. And it has gone on and on from then. It has been great for Having taken the show to an Aboriginal Justice centre in Sale, me to witness the flow-on effect what has happened for Bob and Victoria, Jack states that the message of identity was the most I, especially in Redfern.’ Leaving a lasting legacy in contemporary important to the Aboriginal youth in trouble. ‘It was palpable, Aboriginal performing arts, Nindethana was a countrywide the awe I felt emanating off the fellas who saw the show. I left an catalyst for the modern expression of a stolen people. impression that they too can stabilize their lives and write their Born partly from the acclaimed documentary Bastardy, which own stories and get a sense of their own identity and belonging by followed Jack Charles, fallen icon in all his downtrodden glory, JC researching their own life and where they come from. vs. the Crown is a more optimistic look at redemption, born from ‘When you’re addicted you start mucking around with your the prison system. The depiction of Jack Charles in Bastardy was Aboriginality. You start abusing your Aboriginality and using it in a man that has hit the bottom of the barrel. Addicted to heroin, the wrong way. We need to get, basically, back to being basically institutionalised and destitute, Jack Charles was in Bastardy a black. I told the boys in the west: How can we ever show White stark vision of the stolen generation’s maturation. ‘White Australia Australia that we are serious about the fact that we have never and Black Australia needed to see one stolen man’s journey – the ever given up the idea of sovereignty nationwide here in Australia struggle with addiction and living on the streets.’ Done without if we are locked up, grogged up, drugged up, mucked up?’ profit in mind, Bastardy was not a last ditch attempt to make money from a dying career but ‘an exercise done in the national interest’. ‘There has been no money generated at all for me doing that. And we never discussed the idea of money for doing it.

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Jack Charles vs. the Crown will show at Canberra Theatre from Wed-Fri July 17-19. Tickets are $30-63 + bf through canberratheatrecentre.com.au.

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ALL AGES Hey folks, you know what I’ve noticed? Lately, life has been a lot like a box of chocolates, except instead of individually wrapped pieces of cocoa goodness, some jerk has come and replaced all the chocolate with little rocks. This has definitely been a direct result of the lack of themed puns in my columns, and I deeply apologize.

Ancient Egypt, I choose you! And you just can’t de-Nile the greatness of ancient Egyptian puns.

Ten bands, one night? Get yo sweet asp to the Woden Youth Centre on Saturday June 29 or regret it. The Amped Music Festival will never make you say ‘I’ve Pharoh-nuff’ because each band’s set is only 15 minutes, keeping it short, sweet and punkalicious. Tickets are $5 and can be bought at the doors, which open at 5:30pm.

Marsketta Fall are a five-piece pop rock band from Melbourne who describe themselves in their Tumblr bio as being out to ‘please your ears and win your hearts like a somewhat large dog heroically intervening where trouble is askew.’ Aw, they’ve won me over already.

I sphinx that you should go and see them at the Woden Youth Centre on Saturday July 13. Tickets are $15.30 + bf and are available online from Oztix.

Q: Where do mummies go for a swim? A: The Dead Sea… and another question. What do all the talented folk in Canberra do in the bitter winter? They enter the Smells Like Centenary Spirit battle of the bands competition. Some amazing prizes are up for grabs, like the chance to perform at The MAMAs, GTM 2014 and Bastardfest (depending on style fit). Not to mention promotion activities and personal introductions to prominent music industry contacts, including labels, publishers, booking agents and managers. The cut-off date for submissions is midnight Monday July 15. For information on terms, conditions and entry, visit smellslikecentenaryspirit.com.au/index.html. If you’d rather be involved in the logistics of it all, you can volunteer to assist in the event’s preparation and management. You can email your expression of interest to slcs@musicact.com.au.

If you can write songs with the same prowess Cleopatra showed when it came to incestuous relationships, then you’re a great candidate for triple j’s Unearthed High competition. The prizes include a professional song recording at the triple j studio, airplay on triple j and triple j Unearthed and a lunch time concert at your high school, where your band will play alongside San Cisco. Write an original song, record it, register your band on their website and upload the song by midnight Monday July 22. Make sure your friends register on triple j as well so that they can show their support by rating and reviewing your track(s).

If you’re a Taurus who likes the sky god Horus and your name is Doris, then you might like Bernard Fanning (it was all meant to rhyme, but whatever). See him live on Sunday August 4 with supporting acts Vance Joy and Big Scary. They play at the Royal Theatre at 7:30pm. Tickets cost around $70 + bf and can be bought online or by calling Ticketek on 13 28 49.

Anyways folks, I’m out. Peace, love, and walk like an Egyptian.

Cheers, ANDIE EGAN allagescolumn@gmail.com

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LOCALITY

I get one non-local every column and this one goes to The Phoenix Bar on Thursday June 27 from 9pm: Batpiss. Not local, but good – like bananas, but with less potassium and more piss from bats.

Zoopagoo are hitting Transit Bar on Saturday June 29. It’s an alllocal jazz funk night with The Brass Knuckle Brass Band and Degg.

Doors open 8pm and it’ll cost you $10. Also that night at Southern Cross Stadium, the Varsity Derby League will be hosting The Sk80s Roller Disco. Inline and quad skates are both welcome, as are folks of all ages. It starts 6pm and costs $10.

Monday July 1 sees the Canberra Musicians Club hosting The Bootleg Sessions at The Phoenix with The Brass Knuckle Brass Band, The Knows, The Gordons and more appearing from 8pm.

Free as always. The following night, Tuesday July 2, Charlie Black in Manuka are hosting Wired, a new Tuesday night regular event featuring locals. Much like The Bootlegs, it’s free, but this one starts at 7:30pm. The night in question features The Ians, Fossil Rabbit and Amber Nichols. Here’s to Charlie Black! Good fucking on you.

(Chubby, like a water bed.)

Spartak will be showing up at The Phoenix on Thursday July 4 with A Drone Coda and Oxen. Don’t know Oxen. Take a cart and a plough and don’t take no for an answer, I guess. 9pm start. BJ Fest II starts at 8pm on Saturday July 6 at The Basement and costs $10. As with all one-night festivals, the quality is likely to mirror the quality of the headlining act. In this case: The 2nd Cumming. Make of that what you will. Meanwhile, at the Old Canberra Inn – there’s a phrase you don’t hear often – Swamp Dogs will be hosting a ‘70s theme night with prizes for the best dressed. It starts 9pm and entry’s free.

If you, like me, got caught up in something called The Andi & George Band, you will be pleased to hear that Andrea ‘Andi’ Kirwin is returning to play a show at The Front Gallery and Café on Sunday July 7 with The NEO. The show runs from 3pm to 6pm and costs $5/10 at the door. The Reverend Jesse Custer will be headlining the so-called Fucking Loud Bootleg Sessions on Monday July 8, alongside a slew of locals and interstaters. It looks to be a pit-stained mess. 8pm, free, etc. Also that night, at The Front, Fun Machine and ex-local EAVES will be supporting Yeo from 7:30pm. If you’ve not heard EAVES’s stuff, do yourself a favour – try Vegemite on toast with avocado. Or listen to her music.

Last (and as far from least as Justin Bieber is from finished rocking my world – mm, luh dat boy) is Gangbusters. It’s at The Polish White Eagle Club on Saturday July 13, starts at 2pm and ends at 11pm, and features locals TV Colours, Waterford and Cracked Actor, Melbourne bands The Ocean Party, Orbits, Grand Prismatic and more, and Sydneysiders Day Ravies. It’s $15 at the door for the whole day – don’t miss it. Oh, and there’s also one more Bootleg Sessions by 2XX Local n Live on Monday July 15, but there isn’t room to tell you anything so just go in blind. (Seriously – huff ether.)

And that’s everything local I care about.

ASHLEY THOMSON - editorial@bmamag.com, @aabthomson

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IN NO RUSH morgan richards Ballarat band GOLD FIELDS have struck it rich. Faster than you can say ‘Eureka!’ their debut album Black Sun has won over prospective fans around the world. Critics are digging it too, suggesting that these talented lads are much more than a flash in the pan. Okay, fine – no more gold puns.

The band has just returned from touring Black Sun in America and is about to embark on an Australian tour. Guitarist Vin Andanar acknowledges the bizarreness of promoting an album abroad before doing so here, on our old backwater continent. ‘It does feel like a strange thing,’ he ponders.

‘We haven’t actually done our own headline tour for the album, so a lot of the shows we were doing were just supporting other bands.

You can’t really push your show and you can’t really push your music as much as if you’re the headline band. So it was more about pushing the band and getting people to hear about the band and hopefully get them interested enough to buy the album. But the whole time we were there we wanted to come home and play shows here in Australia.

We haven’t done an Australian tour since Groovin’ the Moo last year...

Hopefully people still enjoy [us] and want to come out and see us.’

We didn’t expect any of this…We just wanted to write music because it was fun

The band takes its name from the gold rush days of its native Ballarat, and Vin has nothing but kind words for his hometown. ‘Growing up in Ballarat was awesome and we love going back there. In fact, we all still live [there]. Living in a community where everyone knows each other and having a music scene that’s close and where everyone’s supportive really helps bands. The main venue is the Karova lounge.

The people that work there and everyone that is associated [with it] are really supportive of young bands in Ballarat and give them the opportunity to play and start building a name for themselves.’

Given their already meteoric rise to fame – although there’s something counter-intuitive about that expression, because meteorites tend fall to the Earth more than they rise from it – where does the band see itself in the future? Vin’s response is – meteorically – down to earth. ‘When we started we obviously wanted to play shows and wanted to play festivals and wanted to play as many different places in the world as possible, but when it comes down to it, the five of us were mates and we always went to music festivals and always went to see bands. So we wanted to write music that we would enjoy making, and hopefully our mates and families would enjoy listening to.

That was the whole thing. All of a sudden other people started to take notice of the music, whether they hated it or whether they liked it, and all these opportunities started popping up and it just stems from then. It sort of snowballed and then kept going.... We didn’t expect any of this, actually. We just wanted to write music because it was fun.’

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Gold Fields play Transit Bar on Thursday June 27 at 8pm. Tickets are $17 + bf through Moshtix.

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DOUBLING DOWN pete huet In the mid-‘90s, hundreds of punters regularly turned out to the ANU Refectory to see the windmilling arm of Tim Rogers alongside bassist Andy Kent and drummer Rusty Hopkinson, a rhythm section as stylish and solid as the Motown house band. So word that YOU AM I added Canberra to its Hi Fi Daily Double tour dates, on which they will be playing their two greatest albums in full, came as joyous news to many.

It was like, ‘Who woke me up and why? It was an awesome dream. Fuck you.’

With nods to The Who and Big Star, You Am I was a part of the ‘90s explosion of rock, without being derivative of something that happened five minutes ago in Seattle; which meant the Aussies were peers and friends of the likes of Sonic Youth and Soundgarden. And performed like it. Kent remembers those ANU gigs well, especially one night alongside the infamous Beasts of Bourbon. ‘[Beasts’ drummer] Tony Pola had just got out of jail and someone had OD’d the week before,’ Kent says. ‘Two of them had a fistfight. It was just fucking chaos. It was the stuff that legends are made of … And the fact that some fucking elbow-patched lecturer had unwrapped his lunch there eight hours prior is just hilarious.’

The band are known for concentrating on their next album rather than living in the past, but Kent is comfortable with the fact many fans consider the ‘90s to be You Am I’s golden age. ‘It’s like anything. You look at Ferraris. They might be making fucking great cars these days but everyone would agree that when the Ferraris hit their straps in the late ‘60s they were unbelievable. It’s just the nature of something that’s creative. It’s the nature of something that people buy into and travel with over time.’

Although they were hitting their straps at the time, You Am I were rarely home to enjoy their success, spending more time overseas where they were relatively unknown. ‘We won six ARIAs one year … forget what year it was. I remember Neneh Cherry was trying to pick me up the night before. Every motherfucker is just staring at you like, “Woah, you guys are the dudes”,’ Kent says. ‘Next thing we’re at the airport and there’re camera crews. And then 48 hours later we’re sitting in some disgusting dressing room in Manchester drinking warm beer. It was like, “Who woke me up and why did they wake me up? It was an awesome dream. Fuck you.”’

Kent says that after years of being asked to play Hi Fi Way and Hourly Daily, the band decided to do it themselves and to do it well. But the lads aren’t trying to relive the glory days.

‘I think it’s kind of gone, I don’t think you can relive it. We’re not the same band. We’re not even the same people. But having said that … it’s a bit of a fucking group hug.’

You Am I bring their Hi Fi Daily Double tour to UC Refectory on Saturday 20 July 2013. Tickets are $56.10 from Oztix. Doors 8pm.

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If you’d have told me, ‘You will be touring in a year’, I would’ve been like, ‘Yeah, right’

‘A year ago, if you’d have told me, “You will be touring in a year and doing all this stuff,” I would’ve been like, “Yeah, right,”’ she laughs. ‘I’m very grateful for it every day.’

PLUM LEFT OF CENTRE mel cerato You’re probably thinking, ‘Who is THELMA PLUM?’ Chances are you have already heard some of her music. Her song Father Said was on high rotation on triple j last year, she won a triple J Unearthed competition to play at the National Indigenous Music Awards, and she also won a Deadly award for best emerging talent. And she hasn’t even left her teenage years yet.

When I speak to her, there is a lot of background noise and music.

Is she at a gig? Or rehearsing for her upcoming tour? Nope. She is making use of what little free time she has and is wandering around at a shopping centre.

To celebrate dropping her first EP Rosie, Thelma is about to head across the country on her first national headline tour to showcase her amazing young talent. Recording her first EP was an exciting first experience for Thelma. ‘Rosie was recorded in Sydney, and it was the first time I’d ever been in a proper studio and recorded with a full band and all that sort of stuff. It was pretty amazing,’ she says.

Describing herself as a folky pop singer-songwriter, it is hard to believe that such talent and depth come from such a young artist.

Thelma describes the songwriting process as fairly laid-back.

‘It all depends – every song is different,’ she explains. ‘Sometimes I will sit down with a guitar or at the piano and just write some music, and then sometimes I will purposely go out to the park or something with a pen and paper and write a song that way. Sometimes it will happen automatically, like I could be somewhere and think, “Oh I need to get home to write this song!”

‘Paul Kelly is a massive influence of mine, and Missy Higgins … a lot of Aussie singer/songwriters,’ she says. ‘My family are really avid music lovers. I grew up listening to a lot. My grandad used to play a lot of music, not really write though.’

She talks about her singersongwriter friend Andrew Lowden, and remembers how they first met. ‘We met at a coffee shop a year ago, he liked my eyebrows and wanted to be my friend!’ she laughs.

‘We became friends first and then started playing music together.’

Thelma says Andrew helped her write some songs on the EP, and he’ll be going with her on the tour and together they’ll be playing what she describes as ‘chilled out fun’ sets. ‘Andrew and I always have lots of fun when we play, always a bit of a laugh. Hopefully the crowd will enjoy it,’ she says.

After the tour, Thelma hints that she will begin working on her next EP as soon as she can.

Catch Thelma Plum at Transit Bar on the Thursday July 4, 8pm. Tickets are $12 + bf through Moshtix or $15 at the door.

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ONWARD AND UPWARD zoya patel You would probably know ANDREA KIRWIN better as Andi from The Andi & George Band – Canberra’s old sweethearts, before they broke up in 2009. Now Kirwin is back with her solo work, proving that she still has a lot more to give. With her gorgeous husky vocals and deep, soulful melodies, Kirwin’s solo album From The Ground Up is packed with versatile tracks that demonstrate her musical range.

I had no idea who I was as a person … without a band or apart from music

‘It’s more of a “red wine and cheese on the deck” kind of sound, rather than a “put it on and party” sort of sound,’ Kirwin says when describing her solo music.

It has been a journey to come to the point of launching this album that has taken almost five years in the making. ‘When The Andi & George Band broke up, I had no idea who I was as a person. You know, without a band or apart from music,’ Kirwin says. ‘I went through this really hard time of trying to find myself … It was a really cathartic process.

When the band broke up in 2009, I shaved my head and got a dog and my partner and I moved in together.

‘And then, as time went by, I became more and more myself, and was able to drop all these ideas I had of being a musician and being a successful musician and what that means, and was able to just create something that I really felt reflected who I am.’

Part of that process was deciding to release the album on her own label, Peace Run Records. Currently studying a Music Business Diploma at Sunshine Tafe in Queensland, Kirwin was well equipped to go indie. ‘I’ve always wanted to release my own music so that I own my own music,’ she says. ‘But I also wanted to – rather than sign with another independent label – to create my own, so there would be a focus on family life and a balance between family life and touring and having a music career.’

Coming back to Canberra as part of the From the Ground Up tour will combine notions of music and family though, as for Kirwin it’ll be like coming home again – especially playing at The Front Gallery and Café, which holds a special place in her heart.

‘I’m so looking forward to it. It’s one of my favourite places to play, The Front, and I just really love Canberra. I did my first gig at The Phoenix Bar, reading off my notes. To come back and actually perform in Canberra is a real highlight of this whole experience. It feels like it’s come full circle!’

It’s been a long time since the end of The Andi & George Band, but I think it goes without saying that Canberra audiences will welcome Kirwin back with open arms.

Catch Andrea Kirwin with The NEO at The Front Gallery and Café on Sunday July 7 from 3-6pm. $5/$10 door.

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CHRIS DOWNTON When it comes to specialised musicians, there aren’t many people out there wielding the levels of experience and technique practiced by three-time Grammy award-winning guitarist STEVE VAI. Vai sits firmly amongst that elite group of players known as ‘guitarists’ guitarists’, also inhabited by the likes of Jeff Beck, Eddie Van Halen, Yngwie Malmsteen and frequent collaborator/ tutor Joe Satriani. What sets Vai apart from many of his peers, though, is the sheer diversity of his musical education, ranging from his early days in Frank Zappa’s touring band, through to ‘80s stints with David Lee Roth and Whitesnake. He’s also turned up as a session musician in some unexpected places, the presence of his riffs on Public Image Limited’s Rise testifying to his chameleonic genre-jumping skills. It was with Vai’s 1990 Passion and Warfare album that his audience really started to build in Australia, and since then he’s continued to tour regularly here to an extremely loyal fan base, most recently visiting last year as part of his G3 supergroup, alongside former teachers Steve Lukather and Joe Satriani. For this latest tour, Vai is headlining solo and presenting tracks from his new album The Story of Light, the second of a four-part conceptual cycle titled Real Illusions that he describes as the most ambitious work of his career. His first album since ‘05’s Real Illusions: Reflections, The Story of Light charts the further adventures of fictional protagonist Captain Drake Mason, a ‘truthseeking madman who sees the world through his own distorted perceptions’. Add in the fact that Vai has sequenced the tracks out of order with the story, and you’ve something of a tricky puzzle that his fan base is no doubt going to have fun trying to crack.

Chris Downton caught up with Mr Vai via email to see if he could gather any additional clues:

drawn to The Story of Light when I feel like being washed over by an ocean of blissful melody drenched in harmonic distortion. If I want to cry, I’ll listen to Weeping China Doll or Mullach A’Tsi. Throughout your back catalogue of music, you’ve traversed a huge range of different musical styles. Is there a genre of music you haven’t had a chance to work in yet that you would like to?

Actually, I don’t really see myself as visiting many different styles.

I’ve dabbled in some, but nothing close to the authenticity of a genre such as blues, jazz, classical, etc. My blues is from Venus, my jazz is from Hell, and my classical is from my own view on true inspiration. The closest thing I authentically come to is rock and metal but there’s always a perverse twist to it. And there is no definite style I would like to explore in an authentic sense. Just steal a little here and there from whatever sounds inspiring.

My blues is from Venus, my jazz is from Hell, and my classical is from my own view on true inspiration

It’s been just over a year since you toured as part of G3. Is Australia a place that you particularly enjoy touring/visiting?

I always get excited to tour in Australia. There is a very different atmosphere there than the rest of the world. I’ve said this in the press many times before, but the Australians are the nicest people in the world. They are… charming, really. There is a social gravity that permeates any culture and the Australian one is light and airy.

How does The Story of Light relate to its predecessor Real Illusions: Reflections?

Throughout your career, you’ve worked with an intimidating list of well-known artists, but do you have your own wish list of people you’d love to collaborate with, if you ever got the chance?

Yes: Eckhart Tolle, Tom Shadyac, Chris Cunningham, Woody Allen, Professor Aydogan Ozcan, Amit Goswami, and Byron Katie.

What can Canberra audiences expect from your show? Will you be gearing the set around The Story of Light? Also, who’s coming along with you on tour?

This is the first time I’ve done a full Vai show in Australia in quite some time. When I put a show together I try to bring in elements that I would like to see. First and foremost, I want to be the best entertainer I can be, because people are taking time, spending their money to come and see the band. I like to offer a great deal of musicianship, almost exaggerated dynamics from fiercely dense, complex music to exquisitely subtle and intimate moments, some comic relief, etc. I want the audience to leave feeling great, uplifted somehow, perhaps feeling that they really engaged in something fulfilling. I have Dave Weiner on guitar, Phillip Bynoe on bass, Jeremy Colson on drums, and Michael Arrom on keyboards.

On a completely different subject, I understand that you’re an avid beekeeper in your spare time. How did you first get interested in that?

Is there a track on the new album that you can single out as a particular favourite? If so, why?

It started when my wife, our two children and I moved into a two-acre property in Los Angeles that was virtually vacant for ten years. She wanted to plant gardens and I wanted to plant fruit trees and I did some research and discovered that honey bees are the best pollinators and keeping them is very easy. It’s a wonderful hobby and is becoming more and more popular in the USA. In California, you can buy beekeeping supplies at one of our local grocery shops. It’s a great way to contribute to the environment, as you can propagate the hives and help the bees to grow. And heck, they make honey!

Eh, it changes. Sometimes I find myself craving No More Amsterdam because of Aimee Mann’s wonderful lyrics and voice.

Sometimes I want the dirty perversion of Gravity Storm, and I’m

Steve Vai will bring his 2013 tour to Canberra Theatre Centre on Sunday July 14, 7:30pm. Tickets are $102.30 + bf through canberratheatrecentre.com.au.

In many respects, the approach to the songwriting, the flow of the music’s intentions and the recording procedure are similar for both records. The songs are built around conceptual ideas from within the story, so this can offer a different slant to the creative process. But yes, The Story of Light is more or less an additional instalment of songs that will eventually be amalgamated into the final presentation of the full story of Real Illusions.

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Eradicated, ROME, Sensory Amusia, Nails of Imposition, Chainsaw Charlie & the Chocolate Cha Cha Factory, Bloodklot, Obscenium and Facegrinder.

METALISE Plenty of local shows coming up on the halfway point of 2013 with La Dispute and Pianos Become The Teeth from the USA at the ANU Bar on Thursday July 4 (fittingly). Also from the USA, Enabler is at The Basement on Wednesday July 10 with Urns. Dawn Heist is also at The Basement on Saturday July 13 with local gods Looking Glass, House of Thumbs and Immorium. Plenty of stuff to keep you busy on the local front, and there’s a tonne of shows on this winter and spring up the Hume.

One of Sydney’s longer running annual mini-fests has been announced by the good folks at Grindhead Records. Slaughterfest is back once again – I think we’re up to about number six now – and head honcho Bubsy and co are expanding their horizons to take on an east and west coast show this year. Saturday July 27 is the date, and I have to say I did a double-take when I looked and saw the venue was at the Spectrum in Darlinghurst.

Anyway, French doom monsters Monarch headline this year’s event.

Along for the ride are Clagg, Throwdown, Broozer, Ether Rag, At Dark, Arrowhead, Roadside Burial, Mish, Yanomamo, Frank Rizzo, Islands, Nursing Home Stalkers and 100 Years of Solitude round out the diverse bill of heavy styles. If you need an excuse to head west in September, Sunday September 7 is the more grind focused and appropriately named event Grind My Bitch Up at the Civic Hotel with Disentomb, Rezume from Indonesia, Entrails

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Of course, Monarch are also doing the doom tour of the year to date in July, celebrating the first-ever visit of utter cult legends St Vitus to Australia. Our own doom masters Looking Glass are playing the Hi Fi Bar in Sydney on Friday July 19 and I think I might even head down to the Melbourne show with Clagg at the Hi Fi on Saturday July 20 too for good measure.

Lamb of God certainly has had a pretty wild run in the last 18 months. It’s good to see that’s not soured their taste for touring and they’re bringing out their mates, Swedish technicians Meshuggah for a five-date run in September. The licensed all ages show at the UNSW Roundhouse on Saturday September 21 should be a ripper.

I’m not sure if Scott Kelly is building us up for Neurosis to finally bite the bullet and come to Australia for a proper tour, but he has announced a run of November shows with the Manning Bar in Sydney being the closest one to catch his act Scott Kelly and the Road Home which features members of Neurosis and Jarobe from Swans.

Devin Townsend Project is back for another run of shows in October with a licensed all ages show landing at The Metro in Sydney on Friday October 11.

Parkway Drive is doing a pretty big run of shows in September to celebrate the Byron boys’ tenth anniversary. There’s a Sydney show at the UNSW Roundhouse on Tuesday September 24 with current chart-toppers Northlane if that’s your cuppa chai.

JOSH NIXON doomtildeath@hotmail.com

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THE REALNESS Hopefully some of you followed the advice in this column a few weeks back and downloaded the brilliant Bizarre Tribe: A Quest to the Pharcyde project released via the Gummy Soul website. If you were slow on the uptake then I’m afraid to say you have missed the boat. Unfortunately, Gummy Soul was issued a cease and desist order from Sony Music who are the owners of A Tribe Called Quest’s catalogue.

With only less than three minutes of the 55-minute project actually Sony-owned material, it seems to be the big boys stomping out any creativity in the industry from the smaller independent labels.

Gummy Soul had the following to say: ‘The label [Sony] feels that our project is non-transformative, and is in direct competition with the original material, though we are confident that our work falls under “fair use” as defined by the Copyright Act of 1976.’ Visit bizarretribe. com to find out how you ‘the consumer’ can support creative and independent music.

Seems cease and desist orders are the current fad in hip hop.

Stones Throw Records must have envisaged the possibility of receiving a cease and desist order when artwork arrived for Jonwayne’s Cassette project. Only released via cassette, the artwork resembled the packaging of a major player in the cigarette game. Needless to say the lawyers from parent company Philip Morris weren’t too pleased and issued the order forcing Stones Throw to cease production.

Not one to be deterred by the major corporations, Jonwayne has returned with Cassette 2. Much like his debut cassette, Jonwayne seeks inspiration for his sophomore project from a huge player in the carbonated drinks world. Don’t get it twisted – this is not a gimmick project from Stones Throw. Jonwayne more than holds his own, handling all production duties and conveying your attention when dropping science on the mic. Limited to a cassette-only release, it would be worthwhile dusting off your old boombox, or finding those AA batteries for auto-reverse Walkman and copping Cassette 2 before it meets the same fate as Cassette.

Broadcaster and music hub Adult Swim have returned with their annual Adult Swim Singles Program. Featuring a diverse line up of artist across various genres, the singles program sees a new track released via their website over a 15-week period. The hip hop side of the fence is well represented, with tracks from the likes of Madlib + Freddie Gibbs ft. Karreim Riggins, and Captain Murphy (aka Flying Lotus) ft. Viktor Vaughn (aka MF DOOM). However, the proceedings have been kicked off with El-P and Killer Mike combining once again to form their new group Run The Jewels with the sonic blaster 36” Chain. All tracks are available for free download as they are released.

Run The Jewels featuring on Adult Swim ties in nicely with their self-titled forthcoming debut scheduled for release Wednesday June 26. The ten-track LP, which also contains the aforementioned 36” Chain, will initially be available as a free download, but will also be pressed on CD and double vinyl. Punters who cop the double vinyl will be treated to all the instrumentals from the project.

[Ed: Catch Mr Pole spinning tunes and eating tacos at Honkytonks on Tuesday July 2.]

BERT POLE - bertpole@hotmail.com

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DANCE THE DROP

Continuing on with my Ibiza theme from last edition, Raw FM superstar and Ibiza virgin Chris Fraser chatted with post-holiday ardour as he provided me with a first-hand account of his recent trip to the hedonistic Spanish isle as a representative of the Ministry of Sound record label. ‘I was attending the IMS conference. I did get a little time to check out a couple of events. Solomun at Sankeys was a definite highlight, as was seeing Pacha for the first time and catching Sven Vath up at the Dalt Vila in the old town,’ he said.

‘Having one of my meetings hijacked by Idris Elba (i.e. Stringer Bell from The Wire) was definitely a bit of a thrill.’

I believe that trap was created the day that Elaine danced on Seinfeld. Somewhere in the world a producer was so mesmerised by her jerky manoeuvres that he transmogrified her movement into music and thus a new genre was born. Trinity Bar celebrates the awkwardness on Friday June 28 with another instalment of Our Sound featuring US maestro Mad Decent.

Last year’s Underground Music Festival was a huge success and continuing on the same theme of ‘more is more’, the team have announced a special warm up party at Tongue & Groove on Saturday June 29. With more DJs than you can poke a tax free cash payment at, this two-room event is sure to be absolutely inebriating.

Diehard breakbeat fans will remember fondly the influence that UK producer Tipper had on the scene in the early ‘00s. Unfortunately, he has recently experienced some major health issues and will be releasing exclusive tunes on addictech.com to raise money towards his medical bills. Get in and support a great man and a great artist.

I’ve seen this lad on so many posters around town that I thought he was wanted for train robbery. Trinity Bar regular Skinny took some time out from avoiding the authorities to give us a taste of why he is a prime example of a future house music star.

Disclosure Ft. London Grammar – Help Me Lose My Mind [Cherrytree/Interscope] – My favourite track of their debut album Settle. The vocals are really what did it for me on this one, and being 109 bpm it’s a real slow-burner.

Rachel Row – Follow The Step (KINK Beat Remix) [Pets Recordings] – I had never heard of Kink before this and straight afterwards I bought his whole back catalogue. The percussion on this remix is absolutely mind-blowing.

Justin Jay – Static [Dirtybird] – Jacking house with a distorted synth line that sounds like a bloodthirsty transformer. I love how this track perfectly bridges the gap between house and electro.

SAFIA – Stretched & Faded (Unless Remix) [Leisure Machine] – This is one of the best house remixes I have heard come out of Canberra... Ever. Unless nails the ‘jackin’ house feel on this one.

Great reactions when I play it out.

Hot Natured Ft. Anabel Englund – Reverse Skydiving (Deetron Remix) [FFRR] – This remix is so eerie, like a club tune for a horror film. Anabel Englund is amazing on the vocals.

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

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E X H I B I T I O N I S T ARTS IN THE ACT

ONE TOO MANY DISCO BISCUITS chloe mandryk Reg Mombassa’s satirical rise to infamy in Australian surf, music and design culture is unparalleled. Soon Canberra artist-cum-designer SWERFK is opening a new show of works at Soju Girl – a venue where local favourites are getting a name. You won’t find steaming dog shit or a hills hoist in these works. Swerfk is giving us a new set of anthropomorphic icons: reptiles in cut-offs, Garfield, and unruly teddy bears.

Swerfk’s studio for printing and production doubles as his home.

Leaving art school has been a happy reintroduction to juggling ingenuity with materials, time, creative ways to make a buck, and a successful work of art. As the artist explained, ‘The show is a celebration of graffiti and street art inspired characters … This year I have been mindful of what I had learnt in prior years about the fine arts world through art school. I have made an easy transition into being a productive artist outside of the institution. I have returned to doing just what feels natural and making art that simply interests and pleases myself, such as comic book-styled artworks on paper and walls.’

Without the generous workspace of the ANU School of Art (SofA), Swerfk has adapted his process to work from smaller A4-sized drawings from his sketch book, reproducing his favourites as large posters. He says, ‘I take the small image, trace the key details onto a piece of clear acetate, and then, with the help of my ancient overhead projector, I increase the image. I have used this technique for each of the ten A1 posters in the exhibition, but each poster has been worked on individually and has a different aesthetic; colours, mediums and application has varied from piece to piece.’

It’s an interesting process, as his new ‘default’ approach means that Swerfk is adding to the ephemeral nature (and meaning) of the work, taking it further and further from its original state. However, unlike a sticker, wall piece or mural, the artist has been inspired by the ancient technique of Japanese woodblock printing. This comes across in his studied layers of foreground, middle ground and background – all buzzing with activity, but still holding onto block colour and line. His mind is not only at work on what is comic or cool, but he seems to reinterpret a seriously slick form of communication.

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Traditionally, woodblock prints would communicate the inherent poetry in a landscape or moment in time. Swerfk captures rhythm, rhyme and perhaps lack of reason in his pop culture-infused compositions. ‘I am enjoying a lot of retro-styled characters and letters lately and have been looking back to past fads for information to excite my artworks. I have been referencing simplistic patterns and bright colours popular in ‘80s and ‘90s fashion trends and incorporating it into my backgrounds and fills in my prints and pieces.’.

This is his first major solo show and Swerfk has taken it as an opportunity to refine the way he worked in the past, explaining that he is ‘pushing my character works and concentrating on complex compositions and shapes, detailing and maintaining a crisp finished look. I have just relaxed for this exhibition and let the context for the show be informed by my ongoing love for cartoons, comics, toys, and admiration for clean graphic works consisting of flat colours and crisp line work … I like the bubblegum, sort of slimy qualities that you get from gouache paints. I like adding bold black lines to my work as well to give it that comic book feel. I also think black and white can just be really successful and stand alone as well. The way that I use colour in my paintings, I believe, has been influenced a lot by my screen printing experience in relation to thinking of colours in layers.’

He has recently launched a handmade company called Sweet With It, which is a screen-print t-shirt initiative, but he also started using it as a business name to sell prints and advertise himself as a commissionbased and mural artist. He said, ‘As an artist, it is hard to be productive and survive paying rent week to week, so working for myself seemed like a no-brainer. It has allowed me to be creative and stay making all week round, plus sustains my living.’

The new works are a celebration of creation and contradiction in a few ways. Foremost is the artist’s new connection to his practice and diversifying business – both new events represent an evolution away from an institution and subscribing to another – but there is nothing wrong with that. Observing artists, street artists and brands evolving in a young city is always curious and a cause for celebration.

Swerfk’s solo exhibition Disco Paper is on show at Soju Girl from Wed-Wed July 3-31. Opening Wednesday July 3, 7pm. Free entry.

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A R T | C O M E DY | D A N C E | L I T E R AT U R E | T H E AT R E

We can all agree that today’s youth are nothing more than unkempt, morally suspect parasites.

Such is my displeasure, I am minded to submit a thorough treatise of some 100,000 words on just why they must be actively fought, not only with all the vigour civilisation can muster, but with the military.

However, a certain Mr Ashley Thomson insists upon the relative brevity of a mere 500 words.

You may consider the above paragraph a wasted entry in the condemnation of any noxious existence under 30 years of age, but the publication of Mr Thomson’s innumerable shortcomings remains firmly in the public interest.

Still, that the young continue to flout fundamental social propriety in favour of wilful impertinence is not only abhorrent, but readily demonstrable.

The reasons why we must combat youth on all fronts gained further clarity one evening last week. Finding myself in a particularly bustling tavern, I struggled across the viscous morass of King O’Malley’s public house amid scenes of frivolity and abundant promiscuity, striving to surrender myself to the bonhomie so clearly relished by the commonly illiterate.

Having made my way to the bar to enter into contract with bar staff, I dutifully waited in turn while witnessing the consumption of beverages as luminous in colour and plastic in nature as the money with which they were purchased.

I manfully suppressed the urge to take issue with several nearby haircuts and redoubled efforts at integration. Finally, after a dozen or so vexing minutes, my turn at the front of the queue was at hand.

That the bar wench’s retention of the rightful order of patrons was askew is understandable, confronted as she was by all manner of overly-groomed, distastefully shaped eyebrows. Nevertheless, she cast about her gaze for the next order. I drew breath, ready to proffer my request, when a newly arrived young man thrust forth his arm and, quite on purpose, took my place in line. Well, I was incredulous! I shot fire at this insolent ruffian with a gaze so fierce as to solicit a speedy retraction and heartfelt apology. Or so was my intention.

The youth merely smiled in response, his impudent wink a cherry on the foul-tasting cake of effrontery and sass – a cake baked within a kiln of such disobedience, forged among the blast furnace of such libertine impurity, that even a Frenchman would not deign to raise it to his herpes-encrusted lips. A Frenchman!

Most troublingly, this young man obviously considered his barefaced interjection nothing more than good sport, a blow struck for a generation of plucky go-getters seeking to stake their rightful place at the brow of cultural progress by subverting common decency.

Naturally, this misplaced sense of entitlement left me little recourse but to batter the foolish lad into unconsciousness, careful to properly enunciate with every spirited blow just why he could not rightly expect to leave the premises with that attitude and full use of his hands.

No, dear reader – you’re quite welcome. gideon foxington-smythe

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vanessa wright With the current state of Australian politics leaving many of us in a state of despair, it is exciting to see work which intelligently, eloquently and honestly engages with a range of relevant political issues. In a city obsessed with politics, THE TRIANGLE is an exhibition that looks at the history of politically engaged art in Canberra, as well as investigating how contemporary Canberra artists tackle politics in their work.

In The Triangle, curator Alexander Boynes has created a small snapshot of the history and evolution of political art in Australia.

Included in it are the works of Alison Alder, Alex Asch, Robert Boynes, Ham Darroach, Julian Laffan, Raquel Ormella, Toni Robertson and Bernie Slater. Early activist and protest art from the ‘70s is represented by Toni Robertson’s 1977 poster series Taking Market Town by Strategy. Robertson was a founding member of the Earthworks Poster Collective, a collective that used printmaking and posters as a cheap and accessible form of political action.

The influence of the ‘70s poster movement is also evident in Alison Alder’s Toxic Soup (2012). Impossible to miss, these are large scale pop art-style screen-prints of toxic nuclear waste barrels in hyper-surreal colours, such as neon yellows and pinks, lurid greens and oranges. They reflect concerns over long-term nuclear testing and the waste products associated with nuclear power. How will this affect us in the future? A concern particularly relevant as we grapple with alternative and sustainable fuel sources for the future.

There are also more contemporary forms of political art which look at the personalities that shape our country, rather than looking at the issues or causes specifically. Ham Darroach’s Rally (Great White Blokes) 2013 series rings true in the current state of political point-scoring in Australia. Ping-pong bats have been worked back and painted to create humorous portraits of leading Australian politicians and personalities, including Julia Gillard and Tony Abbott, engaged in endless battles of ‘he-said, she-said’.

Religion is tackled head-on in the work of Alex Asch and, in particular, his work 76 JCs Continue the Big Charade (2012). Asch describes this work as ‘a traffic jam heading to Armageddon at two miles an hour.’ Jesus statues attached to toy cars and trucks painted all black and engaged in a bizarre convoy, a witty take on the idea of the ‘holy roller’ and the ever-increasing commodification of religion.

The Triangle includes a diverse range of exciting and sometimes demanding work that simulates conversation and encourages the viewer to question their views, to challenge authority and stand up for what they believe in.

The Triangle – Political Art in Canberra is currently showing at the Canberra Contemporary Art Space, Gorman House until Saturday June 29. Free entry.

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A R T | C O M E DY | D A N C E | L I T E R AT U R E | T H E AT R E fallout of a boating accident where all of the crew go missing, except for a teenager named Aaron. Back on dry land, it’s an intense journey following Aaron as he comes to grips with life as the lone survivor in a mourning community. Themes of Scottish seafaring folklore are mixed with tragedy and grief to maximum effect.

2. Prince Avalanche: Paul Rudd and Emile Hirsch play two road workers who are tasked with fixing the damage done by a forest fire in the ‘80s. Writer/director David Gordon Green has crafted one of the funniest films I’ve seen this year. Rudd and Hirsch have phenomenal chemistry and the humour is very subtle but effective.

THE BEST OF SYDNEY FILM FESTIVAL 2013 Cameron williams Greta Gerwig dancing to David Bowie, two elderly Japanese artists and a moustachioed Paul Rudd doing road work – these were just a few highlights of the SYDNEY FILM FESTIVAL 2013 (SFF). SFF had an incredible line-up of films this year, but I haven’t yet figured out how to clone myself and give both versions of me a shared consciousness so, sadly, a few films in the program were missed.

Here are five of the best to look out for in 2013:

1. The Act of Killing : A phenomenal documentary about a group of Indonesian death squad leaders who are tasked with making a film, and you’re a fly on the wall for the production. It’s shocking and powerful while revealing a great injustice done to a whole generation of Indonesian people.

(Notable mentions:Upstream Colour, Only God Forgives, Blancanieves, Blackfish and Stories We Tell.)

Check out our film critic Cameron Williams’ blog for more on Sydney Film Festival and the latest in film generally: thepopcornjunkie.com.

5. Cutie and the Boxer: A moving documentary set in New York City about the ‘boxing painter’ Ushio Shinohara and his wife, Noriko. The film covers their strained 40-year marriage and the struggles of life as an artist. Through the art of Ushio and Noriko you see an expression of their experiences and the joys and pains of their great love for each other. Ushio has all the fame and attention, but it’s amazing to see Noriko forge her own identity from under her husband’s shadow.

4. Frances Ha : Filmmaker Noah Baumbach teams up with Greta Gerwig to deliver an absolutely charming film. Shot in black and white and set in New York (yes, it’s very Woody Allen), Gerwig plays a kooky 20-something dancer who is in a rut while all her friends progress in life. It may sound like the creation of Lena Dunham, but Frances Ha has a refreshing amount of optimism for the Gen-Y pre-midlife crisis genre and it’s hilarious. Gerwig is fantastic.

3. For Those In Peril: The debut film from Scottish writer/director Paul Wright is an incredible first foray into cinema. The plot follows the

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LITERATURE IN REVIEW The Other Typist Suzanne Rindell [Penguin Books; 2013] The only excitement in Rose Baker’s life is her work as a police typist. The decadence of the Jazz Age is in full swing and she spends her days transcribing the confessions of murderers, thugs and bootleggers. But Rose lives a quiet life. Until the arrival of a new typist at the precinct turns her life upside-down. Glamorous,

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wealthy Odalie sweeps the naïve Rose into a world of high-class hotels, shopping sprees and underground speakeasies, and Rose’s initial distrust turns to fascination and obsession (with a hilarious thread of the prudish ‘20s version of ‘no homo’).

Of course, Odalie is far more than she seems and it all implodes in a spectacular way.

Given the timing, there’s no way not to compare this book to The Great Gatsby, and there are certainly parallels – the nature of obsession, the futility of decadence and wealth, excellent costumes, bootlegged liquor. But it would be a disservice to reduce it to a mere homage, when The Other Typist is such an excellent, layered, richlytextured book in its own right. It shares some themes, but goes in another direction entirely, and ends in a place somehow both heavily foreshadowed yet entirely unexpected.

The prose is a little overwrought in places, but it seems to be a deliberate stylistic choice, reflective of the time period and the narrator. As the books progresses, Rose’s over-the-top dramatic internal narrative heightens the tense, foreboding feeling that grows as she gets deeper into Odalie’s world.

I won’t spoil the ending for you, but I do love an unreliable narrator, never mind an entire novel about them.

Odalie and Rose tell stories about themselves, about each other, about the world they inhabit. Odalie lies consistently, to everybody she meets, but does it so charmingly that neither Rose nor the reader can help but be convinced. In Odalie’s company, Rose learns to manipulate the truth, and we see the prissily pious story she tells about herself flake away and reveal the nastiness underneath. It’s no accident Rose and Odalie are police typists; in the days before reliable recording devices, the statements these young women took were regarded as above reproach, truer than the truth, and both Rose and Odalie use and abuse that trust in literal and metaphorical ways.

And then there’s the third-act twist – again, I won’t spoil it, but this one will stand up to a re-read. The best thing about a narrator who’s lying to you is that the second read is a whole different book; when the narrator might be lying to you about some things, it’s even better. Definitely worth a second look.

EMMA GRIST

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ARTISTPROFILE: Kelly Hayes

What do you do? I’m quite obsessive about art; I spend all my time either making art or thinking about what I’m going to create next.

I’m currently in the process of making large abstract landscape paintings covered in detailed patterns and cubist still life etchings.

When, how and why did you get into it? You could say art has been a part of my life for a very long time now. I started painting and drawing as a child and I’ve never stopped. Art is something that can bring so much joy and curiosity to people’s lives. I enjoy making artwork that confuses people. I know in that moment I’ve succeeded in producing something people haven’t seen before.

made to our higher education system. I know a lot of university students who are worried about ANU’s dramatic School of Art budget cut.

What about the local scene would you change? More places that help and support local art and artists. Apart from that, nothing.

Canberra is a beautiful place.

Upcoming exhibitions? I have a solo exhibition coming up at Honkytonks on Wednesday July 3 called Passing Moments.

Contact Info: kelly.h.hayes@hotmail.com; kellyhhayes.tumblr.com.

Who or what influences you as an artist? Lots of things do. I think as artists we take inspiration from all areas of our lives, yet there are a few things that will always inspire me; Terry Winters, literature, art history and nature.

Of what are you proudest so far?

My Honkytonks exhibition. I’m excited for people to see more of my artwork.

What are your plans for the future? Graduate university, plan more solo exhibitions and to travel to Japan.

What makes you laugh? When people ask me what I’ve been doing and I say painting.

That’s all I ever say because it’s all I ever do with my time.

And the fact that I’m collecting used tuna cans and bottles for art. My house is full of empty wine bottles and tuna cans.

What pisses you off?

The budget cuts being

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UNINHIBITED In my rock life I’ve been lucky to meet some good people. I’ve met some twats as well, but the good ones outnumber the twats roughly five to one.

Mark Monnone is one of the best amongst the good. He was the bass player in The Lucksmiths and now plays solo as Monnone Alone, plus in a few other acts, including Last Leaves.

He’s an unaffected enthusiast who has been doing this for 20 years.

I don’t think he’s rolling in cash, but he manages to juggle projects so that bills get paid and European tours or American recording sessions can happen. He wears his luck well, and seems skilled at making more luck out of it.

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He got me thinking about the creative life, and how to juggle without a shred of bitterness. So many makers are bitter. They want a fair day’s pay for their toil. And that’s not how things work. You have to be creative with the accounts as well as the material.

Making a dollar playing music was always tough, and now it’s close to impossible. In America, and to a lesser extent Europe, it is possible for a small-to-medium sized independent act to cover the bills through touring. Simple geography is the key. There’s a bunch of towns within a couple of hours’ drive where an act can find an audience of a couple of hundred payers. This is not an option for Australians.

The collapse of the music industry (where people used to, like, pay money for records and shit) and the spatial challenges facing Australian acts make our industry one of and for hobbyists. And I think we need to embrace this. The likelihood of making a living off music, or writing fiction, or sculpture, or whatever your poison, is low. But that shouldn’t be a problem.

Universities offering creative studies courses aid an unfortunate expectation. Such is the nature of how we understand higher education in the modern, economically rationalised world, where we go to study not to learn, but to get a job afterwards. In this world the course is a paying of dues and upon graduation your reward should surely come. Sorry writers, painters and singers, it’s not gonna happen. And yet, this should in no way be a disincentive.

When Napster and file-sharing broke the music industry, I cheered it on. Without the possibility of cash money, musicians will really have to want to do this. And so it goes.

Making music is an incredible thing to do, but the grind is ugly. 72% of the time is spent carrying heavy boxes to cars parked in smelly laneways, haggling for your free drink, dealing with hecklers and playing the same song so many times it loses all meaning and you lose the feeling in your fingertips. So what. If we wanna do it and we can do it with the good grace and enthusiasm of a jobbing hobbyist like Mark Monnone, we’ll do okay.

[Next time: Getting paid, where the writer suggests that while artists shouldn’t expect to make a living, promoters, venues and audiences should most certainly cough up.]

GLEN MARTIN glenpetermartin@ gmail.com

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A R T | C O M E DY | D A N C E | L I T E R AT U R E | T H E AT R E

Appalling Bheaviour The Street Theatre Wed-Sat June 19-22 & Tue-Sat June 25-29 Soon to be celebrating his 100th performance, acclaimed playwright/actor Stephen House proves why his Appalling Behaviour has such staying power in this energetic, humble and complex piece. Taking the theatrical staple of the vagrant, so oftportrayed by Chaplin or written by Beckett, House revives him with all the complexities and emotions available to us and uses it to craft a harrowingly honest portrayal of what it is to be truly lost in life.

Appalling Behaviour, directed by Justin McGuiness, takes us on a journey through Paris via the wanderings of a nameless Australian tramp. Unable to speak French, his complete isolation heightens the devastation we feel with each failed attempt he makes to reconnect with a world he is so detached from, and which has so divorced itself from him that bridging the gap seems all but impossible.

As an experienced playwright, House is all too familiar with the theatrical adage ‘show, not tell’, and it is through this principle that his piece truly shines. This evocative piece draws powerful responses from its audience, ensuring hopefully many more years and incarnations of Appalling Behaviour. alice McSHANE

Image credit: Nic Mollison

IN REVIEW

masterfully choreographed, including the haunting light design by Canberra local Owen Horton, who joined the show in Canberra. This constant motion gives the play its complex texture as it highlights the intangible barriers we have come to rely upon, separating opulence and poverty even as they exist in the same space.

In the intimate confines of The Street Theatre, this vagrant makes an unconventional entrance through the exit door to the rear of the stage. His almost unwelcome appearance immediately begets an overwhelming sense of familiarly.

We have seen this figure before.

We have rushed passed him on the street as he mumbled to himself on the brink of explosion, dangerous, isolated, incoherent.

The brutal honesty with which House realises this character is overwhelming and surely must do justice to the time he spent in Paris, sharing the experiences of the homeless there. It allows us then to truly connect and empathise, without feeling preached to. We immediately empathise with House, rather than reflect on what it must be to not sleep for days, or lose track of time altogether.

House’s fluid script seamlessly transitions from gentle lilting reflections to abrasive present aggression. On stage, he complements these states with childlike gesticulations and a manic unrest, creating a total poeticism of body and speech. As he strides across the stage, we are swept up in his dissociative perception; inner thoughts become violent rants and moments of profound lucidity are lost to drug-fuelled oblivions.

Remarkable is the transporting effect House’s physicality brings about; this figure is placed at once inside of Paris and outside of it. Everything about the play is

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extremism around every corner. Many Sydneysiders will never step foot in any of these suburbs – Bankstown, Greenacre, Lakemba, Liverpool – but that doesn’t stop them from assuming everyone living there is an immigrant thug or on benefits, or both.

Turkish-born, Bankstown-raised TAHIR BILIGIC is turning his personal history in southwest Sydney to his professional advantage.

Tahir played Habib Halal in Fat Pizza. The name Habib has become an unofficial placeholder term for ‘mate’ and his character’s catchphrase ‘fully sick’ is very much part of our new vernacular, the way ‘cobber’ used to be. Then take into account the Hollywoodensconced Rebel Wilson played his girlfriend on Fat Pizza and, arguably, Tahir is one of Australia’s most influential comedians of the last 20 years.

TAHIR, FROM THERE justin hook Sydney’s southwest is one of the most ethnically diverse areas of Australia. If you believe the headlines, it’s also one of the most dangerous, with regular drive-by shootings and hotbeds of religious

Like it is for many comedians, the bug bit early. ‘I always loved comedy, and collected funny things, remembered funny movies and didn’t know why until one day I found out there was this place called the Sydney Comedy Store and anybody could get up. It took me six weeks to get up but finally I did it. In primary school I used to get up and do the sports reports and do it in comedy style – “The crowd were on their feet because there were no chairs” – and the teachers and students loved it. So that was really the beginning.’

Rather than shying away from their background, Tahir and his colleagues embraced stereotypes, making it acceptable in a way that wog humour of a generation ago (Kingswood Country) never could.

‘We didn’t embrace it, we invented it! Look, it is what it is. Basically we make TV about what we know; we lived it and saw it growing up.

It’s a different type of humour, it’s deliberately out there. Whilst the issues are real – the gangs and drugs – we really overextend the truth. And the people who live in those areas love it. They love being represented. But we also do lots of research before a show, speaking to people who live in the areas we’re filming and often their stories find their way into our scripts. So on Housos [follow-up to Fat Pizza and Swift and Shift Couriers], when you see a bunch of people injuring themselves to get on benefits – these stories came from people who live in real housing commission houses themselves.’

Tahir is a regular Canberra visitor, like many residents finding much to love about its many quirks. ‘As you’re driving into Canberra there’s a million signs pointing left to Bungendore and I kept thinking, “What’s there?” … so I took the turn-off one day and there’s nothing there. Canberra is always a mixed crowd, which for a comedian is the best you can hope for.’

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Tahir is part of the Sydney Comedy Festival Showcase at Zierholz @ UC on Wednesday July 10. $28.60 + bf through Oztix.

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A R T | C O M E DY | D A N C E | L I T E R AT U R E | T H E AT R E

IN REVIEW

The Reluctant Shopper The Courtyard Studio, Canberra Theatre Centre Wed-Sat June 19-29 Now ‘reluctant’ and ‘shopper’ are two words that rarely go together these days, as the welter of mid-year sales sweeps the ACT again.

(Try getting between my daughter and a ‘bargain’ Fossil handbag and you could be endangering your safety.) Prolific Canberran playwright Bruce Hoogendoorn’s works have examined societal issues ranging from climate change to internet dating, usually with a bizarre twist. His latest offering follows this pattern, taking a well-known phenomenon and examining it through the prism of his imagination.

The Reluctant Shopper took its inspiration from the stimulus packages the Federal Government adopted during the GFC. However, in the plot, consumer confidence is inflated not by government action but by unscrupulous business people.

A local business council blackmails Sam (Brendan Kelly), a wealthy but immoral tax avoider, to get him to spend madly in small businesses which are doing it tough. When the victim proves reluctant to part with his cash, wheeler-dealer Barry (Rob de Fries) from the council recruits shopaholic Lisa (Kimberley Balaga) to pair up with Sam to encourage him to overcome his tight-fisted approach and get the economy moving again. Sam loses his inhibitions about spending when he sees Lisa in ‘the dress’. However, in a surprising twist, Lisa’s encouragement is so successful that Barry feels guilty that a gold digger is taking too much advantage of his man.

Kelly fills the part of Sam capably, expressing well the varying faces of an outraged scrooge and smitten lover as the plot unfolds.

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Elanie Noon displays her versatility in switching between the parts of bubbly gift shop owner and the ruthless, opportunistic businesswoman who dreamed up the blackmail scheme. Kimberley shines as the girl who possesses champagne tastes on a beer budget and shows that shopping really can be an aphrodisiac.

However, Rob de Fries steels the show as the blackmailer with a conscience; his lines earned a lot of the laughs in what is a very witty play. The audience also appreciated Barry and Sam’s wrestling over a book stand and Sam and Lisa’s ‘wrestling’ in the fitting room.

Set designer Wayne Shepherd’s ‘Sale Sale Sale’ banners provided a simple but effective backdrop for the action, aided by Kelley McGannon’s striking red lighting effects.

There’s human folly aplenty on show in the play, which Hoogendoorn directed as well as wrote. The plot displays greed in its various forms: the businessman out to boost sales through threats, the shopper’s addiction to material goods and Sam’s dual qualities of miserliness and willingness to avoid tax. He’s also a weak character, whose tight-fisted behaviour falls flat when he’s confronted by a pretty face. Most of the characters undergo striking changes in outlook during the play, at least temporarily.

As for the ending, you’ll still have a couple of days to catch the play after this edition hits the streets.

Rory McCARTNEY

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bit PARTS M16 ARTISTS EXHIBITION SERIES: PART 2 WHAT: Architecture Exhibition WHEN: Thu Jun 20-Sun Jul 7 WHERE: M16 Artspace, Gallery 03

Art by Bettina Hill

This year, the annual M16 Artists Exhibition Series is presented in two parts and curated by Emily Casey. Part 2 includes painting, prints, drawings and mixed media pieces. Each artist takes a fresh approach to the idea of architecture, creating an engaging and diverse exhibition. Some pieces in the exhibition directly represent buildings and structure, such as Jeffree Skewes’ reimagining of Marion Mahony’s iconic watercolour of Canberra from Mount Ainslie. Other artists, such as Di Broomhall, work in geometric abstraction, creating structure and form through the use of colour and light. Wed-Sun, 12pm-5pm.

LIVING BETWEEN THE LINES WHAT: Visual Arts Exhibition WHEN: Fri Jun 21-Sun Jul 7 WHERE: Belconnen Arts Centre Susanne Ilschner assumes different viewpoints on the issue of living in a place or culture which appears different from the one in which a person has first learned to live. Susanne believes there are positive and negative emotions, memories, new encounters and vacancies in the cultural interweaving explored in her work. Ilschner’s work is a delicate reflection on life lived across two cultures. Some of her imagery has unmistakable Australian themes, while others address the feeling of absence and longing experienced living in a new culture. Official opening Fri Jun 21 at 5:30pm by Dr. Barry York. Tue-Sun, 10am-5pm.

COLD BLOODED BY EX DE MEDICI WHAT: Painting Exhibition WHEN: Thu Jun 27-Sun Aug 11 WHERE: Drill Hall Gallery, ANU Painter and tattooist eX de Medici has been described as one of the most brilliant enigmas of the Australian art world. Her practice has for many years centred on the politics of power. Her work is shocking, confronting and often uncomfortable, catching viewers in a disquieting loop of attraction and repulsion. Her explorations of violence at a personal, corporate and national level are offset against life at its most fragile. This show brings together many of her major works as an ongoing examination of contemporary society. This is eX de Medici at her most analytical and cold blooded best. Wed-Sun, 12pm-5pm.

BLAK WHAT: Contemporary Dance Production WHEN: Thu-Sat July 11-13 WHERE: Canberra Theatre Centre

Image credit: Greg Barrett

Bangarra Dance Theatre’s Blak tells the story of a contemporary clan and the collision of two worlds. The work is presented in three parts and brings together Bangarra’s youngest choreographer, dancer Daniel Riley McKinley, with their most experienced, Stephen Page. The story is about an ascent to manhood, a search for self-identity within a shared urban world view. Page says, ‘Paul Mac’s collaboration with my brother David to create the soundtrack provides a driving, rhythmic energy that matches the power of our dancers’ performance.’ 7:30pm (matinee Sat Jul 13, 1:30pm). $30-$63 + bf through canberratheatrecentre.com.au.

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the word on albums Ghostpoet will never be as popular as Plan B, Dizzee Rascal or The Streets because, in place of storytellers, carriers of messages, braggadocios, he is a poet. Cut from the same cloth as Gil Scott-Heron, Ghostpoet’s rhymes, half sung in slurred London tones, are stacked with place before purpose. His images of food, passing time, loneliness, insomnia, mortality and fleeting joy will last longer and resonate deeper for their maturity, ambiguity and subtlety. He shies in interviews from the words ‘rap’ and ‘grime’, and in his music does just the same.

Some Say I So I Say Light is Ghostpoet’s sophomore release, following on from the Mercury Prize-nominated Peanut Butter Blues & Melancholy Jam in 2011. In style and pacing, little has changed, but the renewed clarity of vision and degree of suited perfection in the production (courtesy of Richard Formby) with which Ghostpoet’s sophomore release is stitched together compels it higher than its predecessor.

Ghostpoet himself has acknowledged that Peanut Butter Blues was characterised by ‘shitty home production’, simultaneously thanking his stars for the coming together of Some Say I.

album of the issue GHOSTPOET some say i so i say light [PIAS Australia] A smart person’s Plan B meets a sad person’s The Streets is a passable one-line blurb for Ghostpoet. Chuck a little Massive Attack into the production, Roots Manuva into the vocals and Sade into the hooks and there you have it. But not quite. Ghostpoet (aka Obaro Ejimiwe), for all the obvious hallmarks of his music, manages to make a unique and lasting impression of his own; for the stolid Englishness of his dreary, melodic London hip hop, Ghostpoet conveys such an affecting sense of iniquity, jazz, and grey depth as to be truly resonant.

Music that creates a sense of place is destined to stay with its listeners. Few people are without song-associated memories – a place, person or time always set alight by familiar chords – but music that can evoke one place among all listeners is greater again. Words like ‘encapsulate’ get thrown around for artists who achieve this – Dylan in ‘60s America, Michael Jackson in the ‘80s or Cobain in the ‘90s, for instance.

In this, Ghostpoet finds his niche. The time and place he captures is one many would be and have been voices for. It is the grim wasteland of England’s working classes, its unspoken imported and homegrown millions, always a breeding ground for great music: The Rolling Stones, Billy Bragg, The Clash, just to name a few. But with every new generation, the nature and constitution of Britain’s working class changes, and so does the music. 21st Century England is as diverse a place as it has ever been, and this extends to its working class a multicultural malaise. Artists like Dizzee Rascal are just as much a part of this world as Plan B, though their parents’ origins couldn’t be any less disparate. And as far as modern voices go, Plan B has had the greatest recent success, with last year’s militantly outspoken Ill Manors sliding seamlessly into the gaping absence left by the years-ago decline of The Streets.

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Opening track Cold Win serves as a good indicator of what Ghostpoet is thankful for. How else could you bring home lines like ‘Savin’ up the pennies ‘cos the city’s too gritty/ And cooking French fries ain’t pretty’ but with Burial-esque atmosphere? A gentle horn refrain pipes melancholically over the chorus: ‘I need to go back, before the sun goes down on my heart’. And it’s welcome to Ghostpoet’s world.

The pervasive sense of cold persists on album highlight Dial Tones, the first track bearing a collaborator, Lucy Rose, one of a handful picked for specific purposes by Ghostpoet. The sound of footsteps echoing in a huge empty space brings with it a sense of isolation, a sense Ghostpoet goes on to prove was deliberate in a tune relating his blunt, disconnected existence, stubborn character flaws and monotonously failed grabs at companionship.

Dorsal Morsel also uses its guest vocalist, Gwilym Gold, masterfully. One of the few uplifting, hopeful tracks, Dorsal Morsel is carried by gently rising tones and seems as much a love song to the mundane as the majority of the album is a lamentation of it. As the song rises to its soft crescendo, dabbling keys tickling it upwards, Gold’s bedtime voice perfectly matches its wispy comfort.

Then there are tracks about which it is harder to wax lyrical.

The lyrical hook of MSI Musmid, for instance, is a doozy: ‘Dim sum and noodles make me feel alright/But not tonight, ‘cos they fried, and I’m like/Woah, woah, woah’. Ghostpoet told an interviewer recently, ‘I mumble over quirky sounds. That’s me in a nutshell’, so maybe in this instance the artist should be taken for his word. Better, after all, to know an artist’s quirks than gloss over them for the sake of a positive review. And oddly, that is what keeps MSI Musmid on rotation.

Any artist who is truly unique will inevitably have disagreements with their critics. This album sounds excellent, bears thinking about, and is ultimately masterful. Some Say I So I Say Light is not perfect, but it is splendidly unique, and when it is good, it is very, very good.

ASHLEY THOMSON

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queens of the stone age …Like Clockwork [MATADOR]

standish/carlyon deleted scenes [Chapter Music]

black sabbath 13 [vertigo]

At their best, QOTSA are supple, sardonic, sexy and dangerous – at their worst, aimless, torpid and monolithic. You take the good with the bad because Josh Homme’s force of personality and obsession with melody is enough to charm over the inconsistencies. But in the 15 years since the self-titled debut set a near-faultless template (melodic robotic riffs, lazy snarls, setting sun, power) the path is less clear.

Australian duo Standish/Carlyon’s debut album Deleted Scenes is an entity born at the intersection of electronic pop, dub and industrial, a space created by the duo that allows them to draw expertly and freely from the balance of ‘80s pop and new wave whilst simultaneously imparting a unique, powerful sense of futuristic unease.

Black Sabbath paved the way for heavy metal, spawned an aesthetic of grunge, gave many a bedroom-bound teenager hope, and compromised nothing. 13 might also be Sabbath’s last ever offering of musical sabotage. Guitarist and riff conjuring godhead Tony Iommi is in poor health and it took so long for the original line-up – unfortunately without drummer Bill Ward – to appear in a recording studio at the same time that a recurrence seems unlikely.

Nowadays, Homme is recycling ideas and motifs, doing exactly what we expect. The sense of danger and chaos has gone. QOTSA sound like a band struggling for a purpose beyond being utterly dependable. The album peaks with If I Had a Tail – an oblique mid-pace stomp dripping with characteristic snide swagger. But it merely proves Homme hasn’t misplaced his songwriting notes, because surrounding it are cookie cutter songs: My God Is The Sun is the jerky fast one, I Appear Missing the smoky crooner one, Kalopsia is the needlessly promoted B-side, I Sat By The Ocean the obvious radioready one. On the upside, the title track has some glorious, albeit brief, fuzz slide guitar straddling genuinely tender piano twinkling and Fairweather Friends is a mini-prog racket par excellence.

Josh Homme is a compelling artist and cannot be written off lightly. He plays the media like a fiddle, over-brimming with the confidence and bravado borne of not giving a single solitary fuck. On any given day he’ll just as likely play hours of stunning riffs and rhythms that’ll never get released by his main band. The real trick is finding suitable vehicles to capture all his disparate thoughts, quips and riffs and, though it’s accomplished,…Like Clockwork is an average album by an increasingly predictable band.

JUSTIN HOOK

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Standish and Carlyon have constructed Deleted Scenes to a blueprint of structured build-up and release. Huge, echoed drumbeats punctuate the flow of deep, uncomplicated, dominant bass lines, and from this powerful structural foundation, tracks are progressively stepped up with methodical intent. On opener Critics Multiply, the prevailing equation is simple addition. Driven by a thick, crawling bass line and marked by the stuttered heartbeat of an echoed drum beat, Standish and Carlyon take their time adding layers of subtle yet pervasive synth, alongside the subdued intonations of Standish’s vocals.

The end result is a counterbalancing of power with quiet growth that provides an ideal introduction to the ethos and standard of the album as a whole. Nono/ Yoyo follows fluidly, hanging on Standish’s characteristically languid, powerful bass line, shrouded in fine layers of foggy synth and flecked with fragments of electronic noise that push the momentum and propel the track forward and upward.

Standish and Carlyon are too musically astute, however, to succumb to too-rigid affixation to formula. The instrumental Industrial Resort varies the depth of flow, softening the album’s mid-point with thick, slow-burning ambience before transitioning into the catchy verse-to-chorus payoff of New People. Ultimately, there is little that detracts from this deftly crafted unification of old and new, and Deleted Scenes stands as a driven, weighty and cohesive debut.

DAVID SMITH

13 isn’t Sabbath’s finest moment by a long stretch. But loose and low riffage in the band’s much developed blues boogie style remains in place from one of the most influential bands in rock. Due credit must go to producer Rick Rubin, who kept the dream alive by encouraging Sabbath to seek glorious heights one more time, and listeners can rest assured they are absorbing something that approaches the uncompromising heaviness on all those great albums from the ‘70s.

Opening track End of the Beginning comes roaring out of the speakers with an analogue-like warmth that provided depth and character on earlier Sabbath recordings. When the band does a sharp tempo turn partway through, full tilt footto-the-floor rock ‘n’ roll takes over. This opening song sets a theme and tone which remains consistent across eight tracks of expansive heaviness, no-frills melodic workouts and no fucking about.

Ozzy Osbourne sounds disarmingly younger than his 60-whatever years, Geezer Butler’s lyrics focus a lot on mortality and Iommi’s fretwork is as expressive as it ever was. The essence of Sabbath was a bar-room blues band made good, just like Led Zeppelin and The Rolling Stones, and 13 is another worthy addition to a fantastic body of work. dan bigna

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album in focus

kanye West yeezus [universal music australia] In the first two minutes of self-declared pariah Kanye West’s sixth album, he has already drawled, ‘I put ma dick in her maaaaaaaouth’. It’s little wonder people mock Kanye, unapologetic, misogynistic, incapable of lyrical or emotional evolution as he is. His one foray into baring his soul (2008’s 808s & Heartbreak) exposed his capacity for emotional reflexivity for what it was: self-inflated, stunted, stupid. Who knows if that was preferable.

But the reason anyone ever enjoyed Kanye was the persona he embodies with less pretence on Yeezus than on any album before it: the invincible (and yet wildly unstable) messiah. It’s a grand delusion, perhaps the grandest in its execution hip hop’s ever seen, and its products have been so full of swagger that their appeal is boisterous to the point of delirium. And where his lyricism stagnated on Jay-Z collaboration Watch the Throne and meandered self-indulgently on My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, Yeezus finds Kanye playing to his own strengths. For the first time since College Dropout, Kanye sounds totally within his limited means.

The tracks are shorter, the beats are magnificent (Kanye’s found out about trap music!), the 808 is back – and ‘Ye is jacked up and ready to go.

So, what does that mean? Here are a few choice lyrics, to give you an idea: ‘Eating Asian pussy/ All I need is sweet and sour sauce’, ‘Put my fist in her like a civil rights sign’, ‘It’s leaders and it’s followers/ But I’d rather be a dick than a swallower’, and, naturally, ‘I am a god’.

The messianic declarations alone indicate the scale on which subtlety and integrity have been abandoned. You get the feeling that if anyone pointed out to Kanye that his lyrics lack any cohesion and sometimes border retarded, Kanye would counter with the fact that, simply because he is Kanye, they cannot be anything but brilliant. Truthfully, he believes in himself.

On the one hand, this leads to powerhouse rap anthems like Black Skinheads (which has already been employed to great effect in the first trailer for Martin Scorsese’s new film, The Wolf of Wall Street, which is about people dangerously detached from reality, incidentally). On the other, it breeds painful missteps, like Blood on the Leaves, which sees Kanye murder a timeless blues ballad about lynching, Nina Simone’s Strange Fruit, by wailing through an 808, bemoaning his puerile misfortunes.

The best all-rounder track – in that vocals from Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon lend gravitas to a lyrically twodimensional glimpse into Kanye’s origins in the ghettoised suburbs of Chicago – is Hold My Liquor. It is a lesson in triumphant production obscuring reductive, incomplete songwriting, a trick Kanye has pulled and will continue to pull to the detriment of better MCs everywhere. The best case study track, however, is I’m In It. The production is huge, exploding with syrupy, anthemic, reggae-rap swagger at the chorus.

Another falsetto feature vocal from Justin Vernon wraps up some of the best production you’re ever likely to hear – there can be no denying Kanye this talent – but production is only half of hip hop. What does Kanye contribute lyrically? Fucking women in cars and bragging about being a trendsetter. And that’s Kanye West for you.

Yealots (© Ashley Thomson, 2013) will laud this album as another powerful balancing act – a heroic fireworks display balanced on the knife’s edge of greatness and mental collapse. In fact, it is just big beats matched with a pre-teen’s attempts at profundity. Your ability to enjoy Yeezus (the greatest achievement of which is its value as a talking point, because the tunes – outside of a glorious single and a handful of excellent beats for superior MCs to practice on – are average) will depend on your ability to let go. ‘Don’t think too hard’ is good advice for those who wish to like Yeezus: ‘He didn’t.’

ASHLEY THOMSON

mustered courage powerlines [independent] There’s a strong ACT connection to Mustered Courage: banjo maestro Nick Keeling and guitarist Julian Abrahams met while the pair were studying jazz in Canberra. It’s been a strange musical journey for them, from jazz to hip hop outfit Casual Projects and now the nu-bluegrass style of Mustered Courage. Bassist Josh Bridges (ex-Woohoo Review) and mandolin player Paddy Montgomery complete the Melbourne quartet, which takes traditional bluegrass, turns it sideways and injects it with jazz and rock influences as part of the broader nu-bluegrass genre. Song themes will strike a chord with country fans, with tales of making moonshine, hometown memories, prison blues and lost loves. But there’s a touch of the city there too, with nostalgic feelings brought on by abandoned cassettes and CDs in an urban lounge room.

Cruel Alibis gives a glimpse into the breadth of nu-bluegrass, starting gently with soulful vocals which would be equally at home in a pop ballad. Behind the Bullet takes on a blues style with a sound reminiscent of The Jed Rowe Band. Fingers turn into blurs in the gobsmackingly fast instrumental Allegheny, which also provides some outstanding fiddle playing. You’d have to employ some very fancy footwork to keep up with it. Towin the Chain carries the best vocal arrangements, with solid harmonies, and the title track is the highlight of the album, with a melody that demands respect. Go to Hell could be the Australian banjo-powered equivalent of the Charlie Daniels Band fiddle classic The Devil Went Down to Georgia. Powerlines showcases impressive musicianship and a lead vocalist whose flexibility stretches well beyond the traditional bluegrass genre.

A record for those who know that too much banjo is barely enough! rory McCARTNEY

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iron & wine ghost on ghost [Sub Pop]

mount kimbie cold spring fault less youth [warp/inertia]

gay paris the last good party [mgm]

Iron & Wine’s Sam Beam rode the wave of the OC-endorsed indie in the early 2Ks, hiding in the slipstream of Seth Cohen’s larger, louder preferences. And his beautiful, hushed records from this period (Our Endless Numbered Days being your correspondent’s favourite) served as a most affecting comedown from the guitartastic pop and rock of The Shins and Modest Mouse. Beam ostensibly traded in folk, but there was an edge of Will Oldham weird, something eerie beneath the floorboards of those early, winning tunes.

Dominic Maker and Kai Campos’ 2010 debut album as Mount Kimbie, Crooks & Lovers, saw the London-based duo hailed as standard bearers of the ‘postdubstep’ scene alongside the likes of former bandmate James Blake, their tracks stretching out into more abstracted and delicate soundscapes, resembling a stream of consciousness take on woozy folk and soul. In the three years since, the number of other artists exploring this sound seems to have exploded, and it’s no surprise that this second album Cold Spring Fault Less Youth sees Mount Kimbie wanting to do something different from their sea of imitators. The 11 tracks here come across as considerably bigger, bolder and more free-flowing, with the beats in particular sounding more fluid and ‘live’ than ever before.

Ignore the band name, as there’s definitely nothing rainbow-coloured about this lot.

They come more with the hues of plaid shirts, the honey brown of bourbon and dark beards (lots of beards). The Sydney fourpiece makes its mark on the nation’s heavy rock agenda with this new blitzer, adorned with its stained glass design, which depicts more sinners than saints.

As the decade rolled on, Beam’s work expanded. Problem being, it expanded in terms of numbers and sound – since 2007’s The Shepherd’s Dog (a fine but non-essential record) Iron & Wine records have been full band affairs. Creatively, more players has equaled less quality. And it pains me to say that Ghost... is the least rewarding LP of his career. The greatest crime of Ghost is that it’s boring. The songs stick too close to the formula. There are no cracks (as Leonard Cohen said, and early Iron & Wine records confirmed, the cracks let the light in). Tunes like The Desert Babbler and Grass Widows are jazzy, perfectly played, and utterly inconsequential. Even though these are slick elevator numbers, the weight of their dullness is heavy. They feel thick, with no room for the listener to crawl in. And with an artist whose back-story is as rich as Beam’s, with scuffed and weary songs capable of providing great comfort and warm joy, the effect is deeply depressing.

Diminishing returns are to be expected with any artists ticking past the decade, but this record is deeply problematic. Sam Beam is a magnificent storyteller, a brilliant singer, a wonderful melodist. This record is beneath him. Let’s hope for something less polished and more essential next time around. glen martin

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Opening track Home Recording picks up where Crooks & Lovers left off, whilst highlighting the duo’s increased depth of sound as Campos’ own lazy soul vocal drifts against a gauzy backdrop of dreamy synth pads, rattling found sounds and hissing, pressurised beats that add a slightly dark undertone. Blood and Form meanwhile veers further out into strippeddown and minimalist synth-R&B as sparse tribal snares rumble and bright analogue electronics glitter beneath Campos’ treated near-falsetto harmonies, before first single Made To Stray injects a skittering broken-house pulse beneath a shimmering wall of icily delicate synths, in what’s easily one of this album’s most dancefloor-centred moments. The two collaborations with rising UK artist King Krule also represent highlights, with Meter, Pale, Tone seeing his urban-oriented vocals colliding with tumbling percussion and indie guitars to breathtaking effect.

One hell of a second act from a duo that remain difficult to pigeonhole. chris downton

There’s much on offer from the huge, gravelly voice of Luke Monks and the runaway guitar of Lachlan Marks, presenting (very) hard rock with a strangely spiritual bent and a blues leer. The opener Ash Wednesday Boudoir Party comes with a foot-tapping beat and good-ol’-boy licks aplenty. Take a bite of the swampy hues of The Gospel According to Blood and Bone, coming with a hefty side serving of slashed guitar notes. Or bang your head to the supersized licks in Ghost Off in Umbra.

There’s a delightful style change to a choral finish for Son of a Butcher Parliament.

These guys can really sing and show a great command of harmony.

The lyrics carry common themes of sex and beer, but there are darker metal favourites such as gore and death too. This concept album carries a bizarre religious thread running through it and some lyrics will not appeal to those with religious sensitivities.

Even so, there’s a Christian message in Black Louie Forgives the Cardinal’s Sins, about the need to beware of the lies and guile of the devil. What really impresses is the gusto and forcefulness of the vocal/ guitar delivery.

Airborne fans take note – this band’s for you with loads of turbocharged rock, with the boost turned right up. rory McCARTNEY

43

wire change becomes us [popfrenzy]

luke winslow-king the coming tide [bloodshot records]

we are loud whispers suchness [hardly art/inertia]

This 13th studio album from UK post-punk figureheads Wire certainly has a bit of a convoluted history to it. At the end of the ‘70s, musical differences started pulling the four members in separate directions, leading to the group’s first dissolution in 1981 to explore solo projects, such as Dome and Duet Emmo. A comparatively scant two years on from Wire’s preceding Red Barked Tree album, the aptly titled Change Becomes Us sees the band reaching back to songs dating from just prior to the aforementioned split, many of them until now only documented in early sketch form on various live bootlegs.

Traditional blues exponent and slide guitar genius Luke Winslow-King has a long pedigree in this genre. Originally from Cadillac in Michigan, he’s been peddling his music since the tender age of 14. His third long-player, recorded in New Orleans, combines jazz, blues, folk and gospel styles in an album that conjures images of straw hats and laid back summers in the deep south (won’t somebody pour me a mint julep?).

As is increasingly the case these days, American/Japanese duo We Are Loud Whispers operate primarily as an internetbased partnership, with Seattle-based Sonya Westcott having met Ayumu Haitani only once when her band Arthur & Yu toured Japan during 2007. While the two haven’t shared studio space since, the gorgeous collision of acoustic instrumentation, glitchy electronics and gentle melodic vocals on this debut album Suchness shows that this geographic separation certainly hasn’t represented any obstacle to their creativity.

With the aim being to use these guide tracks as an ignition point for new compositions, the 13 songs here see Wire fleshing out and, in some cases, completely deconstructing things, with fairly consistent strong results. If anything, tracks like the jagged and stripped-back opening salvo Doubles & Trebles and the drilling beats of Keep Exhaling reveal just how consistent the band’s aesthetic core has remained throughout their 30-plus year span; it’s just been a case of them continually refining things to a finely distilled point.

That said, while there’s plenty of barbed attack on show here, the inclusion of gentler offerings such as Re-Invent Your Second Wheel’s sidestep into gliding, airy pop make this a collection that’s balanced out with some of the more light mid-tempo outings that the always-contrarian outfit have turned their hands to in some times.

The fans should be satiated, but to this particular devotee Change Becomes Us is a very good Wire album that just falls short of being a great one. chris downton

Luke has added a feminine touch to this release, with the soft tones of Esther Rose in many tracks. Apart from the male-female harmonies, she’s a mean hand at the washboard, raking the deck with steel-tipped fingers to give the songs that signature sound of old time music percussion. There’s some cool horn music, too, from Ben Polcer’s trumpet and Rick Trolsen on trombone.

You’ll want to start your own revival meeting after the gospel number Keep Your Lamp Trimmed and Burning (inspired by Matthew 25, if I’m not mistaken). There are autobiographical elements in such songs as I’ve Got the blues for Rampart Street, which sounds like the story of his own musical journey. It’s all cheery stuff, apart from the unfortunate demise of Eleanor due to high velocity lead poisoning in Ella Speed. Apart from original songs, the disk includes a couple of covers of traditional numbers and a great, swampy interpretation of George Harrison’s I’ve Got My Mind Set on You with lashings of deep, bluesy guitar.

There’s enough variety in the style to make it appealing to those who aren’t overly keen on jazz (including the reviewer). These sepiatoned melodies from another era carry a catchy dance rhythm, more suitable for sashaying than serious bopping. rory McCARTNEY

44

There are echoes of the sorts of indie/ folktronic directions being explored by the likes of Four Tet and Postal Service on intricately textured tracks such as Western Town, sending brittle electronics pulsing beneath Westcott’s wistful vocals, as warm organ tones and cold bleeps build into a surprisingly dense web of sound, the subtle deployment of guitar adding a slight pop edge as majestic horns build to a crescendo.

This Time meanwhile calls to mind closer associations with Stereolab, as wordless vocal harmonies dance and bob against a backdrop of sampled handclaps, twinkling bells and feather-light acoustic guitar strokes. Glossolalia sees Haitimi’s vocals taking more of a central role as Westcott duets around him, and toy-like noises provide rattling rhythmic accompaniment to a swirling wall of ambient murmurs.

While there’s a surreal, otherworldly feel to the precise fusion of feathery ‘live’ instrumentation and intricate yet subtly deployed electronics exhibited on the ten tracks collected here, Suchness never loses its warm organic feel, with the collaborative dynamic between Westcott and Saitama suggesting a creative partnership of great depth. One of the most gorgeously understated albums I’ve heard this year. chris downton

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josh pyke the beginning and the end of everything [ivy league] Two years after the release of Only Sparrows, Sydney folk pop crooner Josh Pyke is back with his fourth LP. Recorded with John Castle (Washington, The Drones), song themes dip below the surface, expounding upon Josh’s reflections on topics including ‘our end’ and what we leave behind. The genetic link to previous albums is obvious, with a couple of song melodies sounding a lot like some of his older work.

Album highlights appear midstream in the track list. Warm in Winter is the standout song of the disk, starting with a trickling banjo, filling out with muted brass mid-song and swelling with backing vocals. It carries a surprisingly emotive quality.

Josh teams up with Holly Throsby in the fabulous duet All the Very Best of Us, a song they co-wrote, and this trio of winners also includes the sprightly Feet of Clay. The artist has a fondness for tacking faint bits of music or voices, unrelated to the main melody, at the end of songs such as Order Has Abandoned Us. Besides having a voice to die for, Josh’s songwriting can be poetic and beautifully perceptive. The most thought-provoking messages come at the tail-end of the album. Lyrics such as, ‘There will always be more time/ But one day there won’t be’ in White Lines Dancing, or the closing track’s ‘Someday we’ll all be/ Stories that get told’ can strike a chord deep within the listener.

He is touring the album nationally and Bunbury gets a look-in, but not Canberra (go figure). Those who enjoyed his Chimneys Afire LP will find that this release is good enough to warm the cockles of your heart this winter. rory McCARTNEY

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place of indigo illuminate [Independent]

the living eyes the living eyes [z-man records]

Perth-based post-punk/indie four-piece Place of Indigo already has one selfreleased EP under their collective belts and Illuminate offers up its follow-up, collecting together six new tracks recorded with the production assistance of Andy Lawson (Eskimo Joe).

From Geelong, the city of Magic Dirt and (for a little while longer) Ford, comes The Living Eyes. The four-piece has released its debut, three years after sprouting as Unearthed High finalists.

While I wasn’t previously familiar with Place of Indigo, upon listening to this EP I found myself wishing that their recent national tour had included Canberra. The tracks here see them tackling the sort of moody and epic post-Cure/Joy Division influences explored by the likes of Interpol and Editors with a level of confidence and polish often missing from many of their peers.

Kaleidoscope opens the gates with an Unknown Pleasures-esque propulsive bass and drum groove, tightly interlocking with vaguely shoegazer guitars as Sam Joyce’s deep, reverb-treated vocals call to mind comparisons with Morrissey and Ian Curtis.

By comparison, first single Shapes Shiver opts for a tribal dancefloor shuffle that feels far more Bauhaus-indebted, as jagged guitar riffs shimmer in the foreground against elastic bass runs. Waiting for Someone meanwhile changes the gears down a few notches, ushering in a midtempo wander through reverb-treated guitar textures and sparse, militaristic snares, as Joyce’s baritone croon assumes centre stage for what’s the closest thing to a ballad to be found here.

It’s certainly not difficult to pick Place of Indigo’s stylistic influences, and in this case they certainly occupy territory that’s been well-mined by others. That said, there’s a level of confidence and craft to the tracks here, topped off with nice production that marks the band out as a considerably more interesting proposition than many of their other post-punk-indebted peers. chris downton

The self-titled LP, produced by Eddy Current Suppression Ring guitarist Mikey Young, follows the pattern of the band’s first notable song, Livin’.

Listening to the record is to be transported back to the ‘60s as these garage rockers have a real thing for the sound of that era. My wife described them as ‘squeaky Beatles’ and their style owes a lot to influences such as The Rolling Stones and The Kinks. It’s easy to see similarities in songs such as The Stones’ Get Off of My Cloud and elements of The Troggs’ Wild Thing. The band splits from their idols in the vocal department as Billy Gardner’s Jagger-esque snarl is delivered in a very fuzzy style. The band favours a technique which provides an echoing, deep well effect, as seen in Down and Out. The Living Eyes’ emphasis is definitely on the music and their formula requires few lyrics. Take a strong driving beat as the core, coil around it with catchy chords and spike it with some cool licks, and the occasional psychedelic solo, and you are there.

Themes are simple and unpretentious, such as Sittin’ Sick, about watching TV at home, or Outta Doubt’s take on how work sucks.

Highlights include Up and at Them and Ways to Make a Living, and, while the songs are all foot-tappers, the one-track vocal style can make them rather samey.

Lastly, hiding under the CD, in this otherwise unassuming cover art, is a drawing which is sure to surprise. rory McCARTNEY

45

the word

on films

WITH MELISSA WELLHAM

Okay, I know it’s not just me getting supremely excited for all the comic book and/or vaguely nerdy action movies due to be release soon. Kick Ass 2! Man of Steel! World War Z! (Yes, The Wolverine is notably absent…) But I have one question: how on Krypton are the makers of Man of Steel going to fit so much into one movie? It’s an origin story that also includes Superman’s own race invading earth! That’s some fairly substantial ground to fly over right there.

quote of the issue ‘We’re looking at some sort of mental Hunger Games against a bunch of genius kids for just a handful of jobs.’

Nick (Owen Wilson), The Internship

the internship

mud

carmina or blow up

The Internship isn’t really about an internship, or Vince Vaughn being twice the size of Owen Wilson, or two bros ‘making it’ against the odds. It’s actually about Google. The great, everexpanding glory of Google.

The optimism of youth gets muddled with the affairs of adults in Mud, the latest film from writer/director Jeff Nichols (Take Shelter).

Whether or not you like Carmina or Blow Up (original title: Carmina o revienta) will have a lot to do with whether you like the over-the-top, frustrating yet endearing title character Carmina – or find her story compelling.

Billy (Vaughn) and Nick (Wilson), after finding themselves increasingly redundant in their sales field, snag themselves coveted internships at Google – and must compete in a ‘mental Hunger Games’ to outwit the other Nooglers to prove their Googliness and snag full-time jobs (sound ridiculous? It is. But so is a search engine becoming a verb). That would all be well and good, except Bill and Nick aren’t tech-savvy, and come from a generation who traditionally used encyclopaedias to look up answers. Cue comedy.

Indeed, while Google is certainly much more than a search engine these days, this drooling ode to Google and the Eden that supposedly lies within the Google campus is all a bit much at times, and not quite tonguein-cheek enough to redeem itself. Even though some gags drag a bit (Vaughn tends to run his mouth), there are laughs to be had here.

I enjoyed The Internship, largely thanks to my innate desire to root for the underdog. And it’s a good old-fashioned underdog film – perhaps the slightly weird and not quite as talented second cousin of The Social Network.

The Internship is certainly an interesting snippet of life in this decade – and hell, they play Quidditch! megan McKEOUGH

46

Two 14-year-old boys (Tye Sheridan and Jacob Lofland) who are living in the swampland of Arkansas, USA, help a stranger named Mud (Matthew McConaughey) who is hiding on an island on the Mississippi River. The path of the young characters is authentic, thanks to fantastic performances from Sheridan and Lofland.

Mud has more depth than the usual coming-of-age flick.

There is genuine pain in the growth of the teenage leads as they involve themselves in the complicated relationships of the adult characters. The ‘McConaissance’ continues (see: The Lincoln Lawyer, Magic Mike, Killer Joe, Bernie and The Paperboy) with McConaughey in superb form as the charming but untrustworthy drifter.

Also in support, Reese Witherspoon and Michael Shannon add dramatic weight to miniscule roles.

The cinematography from Adam Stone adds romance to the swampy decor and perfectly captures the transient nature of the river and the life that runs through it. Nichols takes his time telling the story, and Mud has a reflective mood which does make the plot a little tedious at times. Towards the finale, in pursuit of a Hollywood ending, Nichols almost completely washes away all his hard work and betrays the honesty of the film. Despite the blotches, it’s worth heading upstream and learning a few life lessons with Mud. CAMERON WILLIAMS

Paco Leon, a Spanish actorturned-director, has created a film that is partly fact and partly fiction – a little documentary and a little mockumentary at the same time. The star of the film is Carmina Barrios, Leon’s real-life mother. Carmina is 58 years old, a chain smoker and owns a bar. Her daughter in the film is played by her real-life daughter (Maria Leon, who is actually an actress) and her alcoholic, troublesome husband Antonio is played by a family friend (Paco Casaus).

This is more a character study than anything else, and the plotline is slim to none (or non-existent). The story follows Carmina as she attempts to make up for money that has been lost, after her bar is repeatedly broken into and hams are stolen.

But the real meat of the film comes when Carmina gives rambling monologues to the camera – about life, love, failure, disappointment – while sitting in her kitchen chain-smoking. It is these monologues that are likely to divide viewers.

You will either be strangely interested in Carmina’s observations on life (‘I’m not fat … I’m the very opposite of anorexic’), or depressed by the monotony of her life. melissa wellham

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fast & furious 6

CLANDESTINE CHILDHOOD

Men who purchase high performance vehicles are said to be overcompensating for being ill equipped in their pants. Fast & Furious 6 suffers from the same ineptitude, but overcompensates with crazy action. The magical power of a child’s belief in Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny and Vin Diesel’s acting ability combined could not make anything in this film feasible. Director Justin Lin creates a hyperactive fantasy world of sanitised action where none of the violence has any grit. Nobody ever bleeds and when characters die they simply fade into the shadows as if phasing out of a video game.

Lin does deliver an excellent chase sequence using modified Formula-1 race cars blitzing through the streets of London, and full credit must go to the team of five editors who worked on piecing together the fast-pace set piece. Much like The Rock’s neck, the cast’s talent is missing. Screenwriter Chris Morgan litters his script with lots of expositional dialogue and characters who punch first and ask questions later. And by ‘questions’ I mean more punching and the occasional flying headbutt. [Ed: Worth the price of admission alone, that headbutt. Nearly shit myself laughing.]

Clandestine Childhood interweaves the personal and the political in a coming-ofage story about growing up in Argentina in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s.

To further show the lack of faith Lin and Universal Studios have in the audience’s conception of the difference between film and reality, a disclaimer appears in the credits warning people not to try the stunts at home.

Not every action film needs a disclaimer, but Furious 6 is dimwitted enough to merit one. cameron williams

The story follows 12-year-old Juan (Teo Gutierrez Romero) as he returns with his family to Argentina after years of exile – with fake identities, of course.

Juan’s parents are members of the Montoneros Organisation, who are devoted to fighting against the military who lead the country. Their home life is tense, and the threat of capture and death hangs over their heads. The contrast to Juan’s life at school could not be starker. There, he is known as Ernesto, and he quickly makes friends. He even falls in love (okay, he’s 12. Let’s call it ‘love’) with a girl named Maria. Juan accepts his double identity, until one day his parents tell him that they need to move again immediately – and leave his friends and Maria behind.

Director Benjamin Avila seems to be more interested in concentrating on the personal story within the context of political upheaval. Despite the excellent film fodder (young love! Revolution! Urban guerilla warfare!) the film feels slight, perhaps because it is told predominantly from Juan’s point of view. And, you know, as a 12-year-old he doesn’t really understand love or politics.

The most visceral scenes in the film are the graphic novel-style animated sequences used to tell the grimmer action sequences – which are effective and eye-catching.

MELISSA WELLHAM

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47

the word

on games

Reus Platform: PC Developer: Abbey Games Length: 10 hrs Verdict: Buy it Populus has always held a special place in my heart; the kind that only comes from something I associate with childhood and potentially has very little to do with the actual game in question. However, the idea of being an omnipotent deity and improving the lives of some tiny little humans is obviously one that has stood the test of time, starting with Populus, then Civilization, Black & White, and now Abbey Games has put forth their own contender to the genre, Reus.

Reus is a stylish, two-dimensional god game where you play as the entire planet but only interact with the surface via four giants: Ocean, Forest, Swamp and Mountain. Each giant can both create and destroy, with the primary aim of the game being to gently coax humanity into creating large settlements and developing.

Each giant has the ability to create biomes, essentially large swaths of land that correspond to the giant’s form; for example, the Mountain giant can create desert and mountains, whilst the Ocean giant will create ocean, but also provide fertile land that the Forest giant can turn into forest (and ditto for the Swamp giant). After creating a set of biomes, the giants can populate the biomes with plants, animals and minerals, all of which will attract roaming human settlers to create a village next to the resources.

You upgrade your giant’s abilities by gaining ‘ambassadors’ from your human settlements as they grow, allowing your giant to create more advanced resources and in turn further grow your human settlements. The game’s core mechanic is a balancing act that you play with your human settlements: in order to grow a settlement you must provide it with resources. However, provide it with too many resources and your settlement will become greedy. A greedy settlement will start to wage war on nearby settlements, interrupting their growth or destroying them altogether. If the settlement continues gaining in ‘greediness’, it will eventually start attacking the giants themselves. Once this happens you can either try to kill the attackers and beat them into submission, or you may be forced to destroy the settlement altogether.

Once you feel capable of keeping a settlement’s greed under control, the next task is to try and grow the settlements as much as possible.

In order to achieve this you need to exploit a set of symbioses between the various animals, plants and minerals that populate the earth. This task quickly turns into a complicated matching system, where good matches between resources will allow your villages to grow beyond their current constraints (each settlement has discrete borders within which it can gather resources).

What starts off as a very simple god game quickly shows its depth in both the greed balancing act and resource symbiosis. An integrated achievements system provides incentives to keep improving your score, and simple controls make the game easy to pick up and enjoy. peter davis

48

BLACKBOX Finally, a talent search that might be worth watching – Exhumed (ABC, TBC) is a nationwide competition for unsigned, unrecorded, unheard and, until now, unwanted bands. The only real rule is that you can’t actually make a living out of music. The emphasis is on those who play for fun (like the weekly jam session in the shed next door to Chez Blackbox) and those who never quite made it. Blackbox is waiting with baited breath for the return of The Killer Dolphins.

The big new drama this fortnight is The Dome (SCTEN, Tue, 8:30pm).

Based on a Stephen King novel, it explores what happens when an impenetrable dome inexplicably traps the inhabitants of a small town. An interesting concept that has started well, but, like so many similar concepts that explore the way characters deal with the situation, only time will tell whether there’s a series in it. At least this has a novel – rather than a short story – backing it up.

It’s been a long time since Chopper Read has entered the public consciousness but Heath Franklin, whose parody of Chopper reached saturation point in the years following the Eric Bana flick and the real Chopper’s stage show, is back with Heath Franklin’s Chopper: Harden the F#@k up Australia (Go, Wed Jul 3, 9:30pm).

Flogging a dead horse?

Other new shows include: satirical talk show Morgan Spurlock’s New Britannia (SBS2, Sat, 8:30pm), which takes a humourous look at the differences between British and American culture; failed sitcom Man Up! (Prime, Sat, 12pm) – don’t get too attached, it only ran for eight eps; Would you rather? With Graham Norton (One, Thu Jun 27, 11:30pm), which is just what it sounds like; and new seasons of twentysomething (ABC2, Thu Jun 27, 8:30pm); Kitchen Cabinet (ABC1, Tues Jul 2, 8pm); True Blood (Showcase, Mon, 8:30pm); and The Newsroom (Showcase, Mon Jul 15, TBC).

Docos to keep an eye out for include: Sunday Best: Catfish (ABC2, Sun Jun 30, 8:30pm), which explores human nature in the digital age; the latest cultural confrontation from Joe Hildebrand, Shitsville Express (ABC2, Tue Jul 2, 9:30pm); Chris Masters takes a look at Australia in the ‘20s and ‘30s in The Years That Made Us (ABC1, Sun Jun 30, 9:25pm); Ellen Fanning’s The Observer Effect (SBS1, Sun, 8:30pm), which looks at what Australia’s mavericks, power-brokers and celebrities are really like; The Fall of Versailles (SBS1, Fri Jul 5, 8:30pm), which looks at the reigns of Louis XIV, Louis XV and Louis XVI; Sunday Best: Camp 14 Total Control Zone (ABC2, Sun Jul 7, 8:30pm) about a North Korean man who grew up in an internment camp; and Compass: Archie Roach (ABC1, Sun Jul 7, 6:30pm).

Members of the Academy will be finalising their Emmy ballots in coming days with Game of Thrones, The Americans (SCTEN, Mon, 9:30pm), Homeland, Girls, Louie, Breaking Bad, Mad Men and Breaking Amish among those being talked about for the gongs.

Old B-grade movies can be such fun on a cold winter’s night and there are a few to choose from this fortnight: 1956 sci-fi thriller The Brain Machine (GEM, Sun Jun 30, 10am); 1984’s sci-fi parody The Ice Pirates (GEM, Sun Jun 30, 11:30am) with Anjelica Huston and Ron Perlman; and Shalako (GEM, Sun Jun 30, 2pm), a Western starring Sean Connery (as Shalako) and Brigitte Bardot – Blackbox is tuning in just to hear Mr. Connery utter his character’s name.

Don’t miss an intriguing series of Dr Who’s Greatest Moments (ABC2, Mon-Thu Jul 1-4, 7:40pm) to celebrate 50 years.

TRACY HEFFERNAN tracyherrernan@bigpond.com @ChezBlackbox

@bmamag

the word on dvds

CHECK IT OUT! WITH DR STEVE BRULE [MADMAN]

DEXTER - THE SEVENTH SEASON [PARAMOUNT]

WHITLAM: THE POWER AND THE PASSION [ROADSHOW]

For most of his career, John C. Reilly has been known as a dramatic character actor.

In films like Boogie Nights, Magnolia and The Thin Red Line the crumple-faced Reilly is a dependable signifier of quality, versatile of range and willing to take risks. In the last decade though, Reilly has also stretched his comedy chops to equally compelling effect – teaming up with Will Ferrell twice (Step Brothers, Talladega Nights) and helming the biopic satire Walk Hard. It’s rare an actor can move between the multiple genres, succeed in all and not let any eat into the other; yet Reilly is the rarity.

He also sings and plays guitar in an alt-country band. So, on the face of it, there’s little he cannot do.

Dexter has never been about nuance. It’s a show that prefers smashing walnuts with a mallet over slowly peeling back layers of skin. Premiering in 2006, it had a veneer of respectability and multiple awards. Over the years, though, Dexter has struggled with quality control issues. Where the debut season was taut and tightly plotted, subsequent seasons have become directionless and weary. As protagonists – the killer who mentally and physically challenges Dexter – come and go, so too does our commitment to the show. Like the chronically underwritten secondary characters, Dexter simply floated by in the background.

This season was a pleasant surprise for those who’d given up on Dexter – the show and the character. Thankfully, Michael C. Hall no longer sleepwalks through scenes and, whilst it stumbles toward the end, these episodes are the most consistent in a long time.

For those of you who – like me – didn’t live through the Whitlam era, it’s hard to appreciate just how disruptive those years were. After nearly three decades of Liberal rule the yearning for change was overwhelming. The post-war boom years had been good but the country was restless for change, eager to snap out of the mid-afternoon brandy stupor that dominated. An unpopular war in Indochina created waves of protest throughout the world, feminism, drugs, long hair….arrrgghh! It was every conservative’s worst nightmare and it had a face: a lanky, articulate, well-read enigma named Gough Whitlam.

After time spent in the forces during the war and kicking about unaligned in the ALP, Whitlam relocated to Cronulla in the late ‘50s, which, at the time, was a wasteland. Figuring he could make life even harder than it already was, he headed west to Cabramatta long before the influx of Vietnamese made it Sydney’s tastiest suburb.

It would become Whitlam’s heartland and his infamous ‘It’s Time’ pitch to middle Australia gained its potency from this move. Whitlam turned electioneering on its head and made every subsequent poll a battle for Western Sydney.

Whitlam: The Power and Passion is the story of one of our most controversial PMs as told by true believers and trenchant knockers; on the latter point, John Howard sounds outrageously churlish when referring to Whitlam’s 1972 election victory and the change it swept in as a ‘myth’ on the grounds it wasn’t a landslide.

To this day, Whitlam remains a lightning rod for anger on both sides of politics because of his personality and policies (Part 1) and dismissal (Part 2). It proves we need politicians like Gough to shake up the establishment.

This is the briefest snapshot of a complicated man and time.

JUSTIN HOOK

JUSTIN HOOK

Dr Steve Brule (Reilly) hosts a late night/early morning public access lifestyle program – Check it Out! Looking like found footage from the mid-‘80s, the show is haphazard, incoherent, poorly edited, atrociously filmed – an assault on the eyes and good taste. It is also one of the funniest shows I have ever seen. Reilly goes in deep for Brule, unafraid to look and sound like a total dingus.

Each of the ten-minute episodes has a theme, serving as the launching pad for Dr Brule to interview people who are apparently not in on the act. But this isn’t Borat-styled baiting and his guests look more bewildered and concerned for his sanity than shocked or offended. Check it Out! is a Tim and Eric production (Brule was born in segments of Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!) so don’t expect anything to make sense. In fact, Reilly has been hesitant to discuss the character, preferring it to remain a mystery. It’s unlikely any explanation could make sense of this show or Dr Steve Brule, but one thing’s for sure: only someone as talented as Reilly could pull it off this well.

JUSTIN HOOK

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The finale of the sixth season was something of a turning point for Dexter, as his halfsister and fellow cop Deb (Jennifer Carpenter) confronted him just as he plunged a knife into the chest cavity of another victim. Finally, the stakes – and tension – were raised. It gave every indication of a creative reinvention as Dexter admitted to someone other than the voices in his head that he is indeed a serial killer. Deb makes no sense of this, which is understandable because up until 20 minutes prior to the knifing she was busy falling in love with her half-brother – so obviously she’s mental anyway.

Instead of dobbing her brother in, Deb embarks on course of radical de-serial-killerisation, amounting to not much more than keeping Dexter in her line of sight and sleeping between him and the door. Foolproof plan if ever there was.

49

ENTERTAINMENT GUIDE Wed Jun 26 - Mon Jul 1

Listings are a free community service. Email editorial@bmamag.com to have your events appear each issue. wednesday June 26

thursday June 27

Art Exhibitions

Karaoke

Paris to Monaro

Karaoke at The Inn

Pleasures from the studio of Hilda Rix Nicholas. 10am-5pm.

8pm-midnight. Free entry.

The Signal is the Message

Go in the running for the $1000 prize at the final on July 25. 7pm.

NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY

Art by Oscar Capezio. Opens Thursday June 20, 6pm. 11am-5pm.

CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ARTS SPACE (MANUKA)

Living Between the Lines

Art by Susanne Ilschner. Opens Fri Jul 21, 5:30pm. 10am-5pm.

BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

Paul Kelly & The Portraits

Aspects of singer-songwriter Paul Kelly’s performance persona.

10am-5pm.

NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY

Conjugal Relations

OLD CANBERRA INN

Karaoke @ PJs

P J O’REILLY’S (CIVIC)

Rock Karaoke

9pm-2am. Free entry.

CHARLIE BLACK

Live Music Caitlyn Can Wait

Doors 8pm. Door price TBA. THE BASEMENT

Goldfields

The Black Sun tour. 8pm. Presale thru Moshtix.

Nite Society x Landspeed: Instagram Jam

Holler @nitesociety on Instgram, dance, and win Landspeed vouchers. 8pm. $ donation door.

TRANSIT BAR

Icon

9pm. Free.

OLD CANBERRA INN

Clubfeet

With Panama and Safia. 9pm. $14.30 + bf through Oztix.

ZIERHOLZ @ UC

Blame it on the Boogie Weekends

Disco, motown, ‘80s and ‘90s. 10pm onwards. Free.

DIGRESS COCKTAIL BAR

Imagine Canberra

NATIONAL PRESS CLUB

Appalling Behaviour

Inhabit – Living in Design

9:30pm. Free.

BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

Part of the Designing a Capital: Crafting a Nation program. 10am-5pm (12-4pm Sat).

CRAFT ACT CRAFT & DESIGN CENTRE

With Spermaids. 9pm.

THE PHOENIX BAR

THE STREET THEATRE

KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

Long Run Theatre presents a new play

by Bruce Hoogendoorn. $15-$25 via (02) 6275 2700.

The Triangle

FAT Awards 2013

CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ART SPACE (GORMAN HOUSE)

CIT MUSIC INDUSTRY CENTRE

Curated by Alexander Boynes, featuring works by various artists. 11am-5pm.

The Nature of Memory

Jewellery, objects and photography by Jess Dare. 11am-5pm (4pm, Sat).

14th Annual CIT Film & Television Awards. See fb.com/citcm. 7pm. Free.

Theatre Appalling Behaviour

Film

A journey into the seedy Paris underworld, by Stephen House.

7:30pm. $25+ thru thestreet.org.au.

2013 Spanish Film Festival

The Reluctant Shopper

BILK GALLERY

See spanishfilmfestival.com.au for full film details. Runs until June 26.

PALACE ELECTRIC CINEMA

Karaoke Karaoke

From 10pm. All welcome.

THE DURHAM

Live Music The Streetlight Parade

With Kid of Harith, Waking Wolves, Pocket Fox. 8pm. $5, all proceeds to Beyond Blue.

THE STREET THEATRE

Long Run Theatre presents a new play

by Bruce Hoogendoorn. $15-$25 via (02) 6275 2700.

Long Run Theatre presents a new play

by Bruce Hoogendoorn. $15-$25 via (02) 6275 2700.

CANBERRA THEATRE CENTRE

On The Town

The Reluctant Shopper

CANBERRA THEATRE CENTRE

saturday June 29 Art Exhibitions For the Love of Soup

Pop up exhibition: Five local artists will create vessels that will bring your winter soup to life! 12-2pm.

CRAFT ACT CRAFT & DESIGN CENTRE

eX de Medici: Cold Blooded

Lays bare the artist’s forensic examination of contemporary society.

12-5pm. Free.

DRILL HALL GALLERY

Disco, motown, ‘80s and ‘90s. 10pm onwards. Free.

The SK80s Roller Disco

Varsity Derby League hosts a roller disco! Skaters (inline or quad) of all ages welcome. 6pm. $10 th SOUTHERN CROSS STADIUM

Theatre Appalling Behaviour

A journey into the seedy Paris underworld, by Stephen House.

7:30pm. $25+ thru thestreet.org.au.

THE STREET THEATRE

The Reluctant Shopper

Long Run Theatre presents a new play

by Bruce Hoogendoorn. $15-$25 via (02) 6275 2700.

CANBERRA THEATRE CENTRE

sunday June 30 Live Music Thor Phillips

4pm-7pm. Free entry.

OLD CANBERRA INN

The Night Café

Latin gypsy swing jazz and blues. Tapas + happy hour 5-7pm. Free.

A BITE TO EAT CAFE

Irish Jam Session

Free traditional Irish music in the pub from late afternoon on into the night. Free.

On The Town

Live Music

Does exactly what it says on the packet.

From 2pm.

Canberra Music Workshop

For amateur musos to jam or perform in a non-judgemental environment. 6:3010:30pm. Free.

HARMONIE GERMAN CLUB

friday June 28

Lays bare the artist’s forensic examination of contemporary society.

12-5pm. Free.

DRILL HALL GALLERY

Opens 11am-5pm.

Sweaty Palms

9pm-midnight. Free entry.

KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

Free Pool Tables TRANSIT BAR

OLD CANBERRA INN

monday July 1

Bruce Mathiske

8pm. Tickets through thestreet.org.au.

THE STREET THEATRE

Thrillhammer Tour

Decadence Of Cain, Renegade Peacock, The Blackcats, Red Bee. Doors 8pm. $15.

THE BASEMENT

Chris Webbe and the Sweaty Palms

Live Music CMC Presents The Bootleg Sessions

Brass Knuckle Brass Band, The Knows, The Gordons, Alex Richens and Joel Davey. 8pm. Free.

THE PHOENIX BAR

Live Music

9pm. Free.

Trivia

CRNKN

Zoopagoo

Rainman’s Trivial Excuse

With Signs And Symbols, Venom Inside.

Doors 8pm. $10.

TRANSIT BAR

TRANSIT BAR

Isaiah B. Brunt

Celebrating the release of an album from a while ago! 8pm. $45. See cscc. com.au for more.

With local supports. Free before 10pm.

TRINITY BAR

Mattersphere

HARMONIE GERMAN CLUB

8pm. Free.

HARMONIE GERMAN CLUB

50

THE FRONT GALLERY AND CAFÉ

Workshops

eX de Medici: Cold Blooded

The Reluctant Shopper

8pm. $10.

CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ARTS SPACE (MANUKA)

Theatre

THE STREET THEATRE

John Flanagan & The Begin Agains

The Signal is the Message

THE FRONT GALLERY AND CAFÉ

A journey into the seedy Paris underworld, by Stephen House.

7:30pm. $25+ thru thestreet.org.au.

THE PHOENIX BAR

CANBERRA THEATRE CENTRE

Art Exhibitions

Appalling Behaviour

A journey into the seedy Paris underworld, by Stephen House.

7:30pm. $25+ thru thestreet.org.au.

Chicago Charles & Dave

Something Different

Hank Haint (UK), Bacon Cakes. 9:30pm.

DIGRESS COCKTAIL BAR

Theatre

Batpiss

Los Tones

On The Town

KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

Finn

Works by University of Canberra Faculty of Arts and Design. Opens Fri Jul 21, 5:30pm. 10am-5pm.

KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

Blame it on the Boogie Weekends

Art by Cate & Rob Riley. Opens Fri Jul 21, 5:30pm. 10am-5pm.

Roots/blues. 6:30-9:30 pm. Free.

10:30pm. Free.

10pm. Free.

Heuristic

TRANSIT BAR

BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

Killing the Sound

OLD CANBERRA INN

Canberra’s many-headed funk monster, with Brass Knuckle Brass Band and Degg. 8pm. $10.

Jon English & The Foster Brothers

Transit trivia returms with your host Rainman. Book your table now on (02) 6162 0899. 7:30pm.

CANBERRA SOUTHERN CROSS CLUB (WODEN)

@bmamag

ENTERTAINMENT GUIDE Tue Jul 2 - Fri Jul 5 tuesday July 2

wednesday July 3

Art Exhibitions

Art Exhibitions

The Nature of Memory

The Nature of Memory

Jewellery, objects and photography by Jess Dare. 11am-5pm (4pm, Sat).

Jewellery, objects and photography by Jess Dare. 11am-5pm (4pm, Sat).

Paris to Monaro

Conjugal Relations

NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY

BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

BILK GALLERY

Pleasures from the studio of Hilda Rix Nicholas. 10am-5pm.

Conjugal Relations

Art by Cate & Rob Riley. Opens Fri Jul 21, 5:30pm. 10am-5pm.

BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

Living Between the Lines

BILK GALLERY

Art by Cate & Rob Riley. Opens Fri Jul 21, 5:30pm. 10am-5pm.

eX de Medici: Cold Blooded

Lays bare the artist’s forensic examination of contemporary society.

12-5pm. Free.

DRILL HALL GALLERY

Art by Susanne Ilschner. Opens Fri Jul 21, 5:30pm. 10am-5pm.

Karaoke

Imagine Canberra

Karaoke

BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

Works by University of Canberra Faculty of Arts and Design. Opens Fri Jul 21, 5:30pm. 10am-5pm.

From 10pm. All welcome.

BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

Theatre

Karaoke

Hipbone Sticking Out

Karaoke Love

Croon and wail your heart out on the Transit stage. 9pm. Free.

TRANSIT BAR

THE DURHAM

From the makers of Namatjira and Ngapartji Ngapartji. 8pm. $30+.

CANBERRA THEATRE CENTRE

thursday July 4

Live Music

Art Exhibitions

Irish Jam Session

eX de Medici: Cold Blooded

Free traditional Irish music in the pub from late afternoon on into the night. Free.

KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

Wired @ Charlie Black

With The Ians, Fossil Rabbit, Amber Nichols. 7:30pm. Free.

CHARLIE BLACK

Trivia Trivia Tuesdays

First prize $75 cocktail party.

7:30pm. Free.

DIGRESS COCKTAIL BAR

Andrew and Shannon’s Pub Trivia 7:30pm. Free.

THE PHOENIX BAR

Trivia

7:30pm. All welcome.

THE DURHAM

Lays bare the artist’s forensic examination of contemporary society.

12-5pm. Free.

DRILL HALL GALLERY

Sporting Pleasures

An exhibition by Adam Veikkanen.

Opens Thu Jul 4, 6pm. 11am-5pm.

CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ARTS SPACE (MANUKA)

Live Music Enemy Of Mine

With Emberville. Doors 8pm. Door price TBA. THE BASEMENT

Thelma Plum

The songstress headlines her first Canberra show. With The Starry Field.

8pm. Presale $12 + bf from TRANSIT BAR

Spartak

With A Drone Coda, Oxen. 9pm.

THE PHOENIX BAR

La Dispute

With Pianos Become the Teeth. 8pm.

Presale through Ticketek.

ANU BAR AND REFECTORY

Chad and Della 9:30pm. Free.

KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

The Jed Rowe Band 7:30pm. $10 door.

THE FRONT GALLERY AND CAFÉ

Theatre Hipbone Sticking Out

From the makers of Namatjira and Ngapartji Ngapartji. 8pm. $30+.

CANBERRA THEATRE CENTRE

friday July 5 Art Exhibitions Inhabit – Living in Design

Part of the Designing a Capital: Crafting a Nation program. 10am-5pm (12-4pm Sat).

CRAFT ACT CRAFT & DESIGN CENTRE

Conjugal Relations

Art by Cate & Rob Riley. Opens Fri Jul 21, 5:30pm. 10am-5pm.

BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

Living Between the Lines

Art by Susanne Ilschner. Opens Fri Jul 21, 5:30pm. 10am-5pm.

BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

Paul Kelly & The Portraits

Aspects of singer-songwriter Paul Kelly’s performance persona.

10am-5pm.

NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY

Comedy Hannah Gadsby

The Happiness is a Bedside Table tour. 7pm/8:30pm. $30 thru canberratheatrecentre.com.au.

THE COURTYARD STUDIO

Live Music Interim

Doors 8pm. Door price TBA. THE BASEMENT

Peking Duk

With Floppy Disk and more. $10 before 10pm.

TRINITY BAR

Funkin’ Gonutz

Buick and his merry men get wyle on some funk, soul, hip hop and party jams. 8pm. Free.

TRANSIT BAR

Dave Bishop and the Sinners 9pm. Free.

OLD CANBERRA INN

Special K

10pm. Free.

KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

The Stillsons

With Julia Johnson & Kristabelle and the Southern Jubilee Ringers.

7:30pm. $15 door.

THE FRONT GALLERY AND CAFÉ

On The Town Blame it on the Boogie Weekends

Living Between the Lines

The Nature of Memory

BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

BILK GALLERY

Karaoke

Theatre

Karaoke at The Inn

Lays bare the artist’s forensic examination of contemporary society.

12-5pm. Free.

OLD CANBERRA INN

Sporting Pleasures

From the makers of Namatjira and Ngapartji Ngapartji. 8pm. $30+.

Art by Susanne Ilschner. Opens Fri Jul 21, 5:30pm. 10am-5pm.

Jewellery, objects and photography by Jess Dare. 11am-5pm (4pm, Sat).

eX de Medici: Cold Blooded

8pm-midnight. Free entry.

DRILL HALL GALLERY

Karaoke @ PJs

An exhibition by Adam Veikkanen.

Opens Thu Jul 4, 6pm. 11am-5pm.

Go in the running for the $1000 prize at the final on July 25. 7pm.

P J O’REILLY’S (CIVIC)

Rock Karaoke

9pm-2am. Free entry.

CHARLIE BLACK

DIGRESS COCKTAIL BAR

Hipbone Sticking Out

CANBERRA THEATRE CENTRE

CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ARTS SPACE (MANUKA)

Workshops

First Light

Rhythms of the Stage Workshop

Curated by Liz McNiven, featuring works by various artists. Opens Fri Jul 5, 6pm. 11am-5pm.

CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ART SPACE (GORMAN HOUSE)

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Disco, motown, ‘80s and ‘90s. 10pm onwards. Free.

With Derek Scott of Slava’s Snowshow.

1-4pm. $50 thru trybooking.com/DAZG. THE STREET THEATRE

51

ENTERTAINMENT GUIDE Sat Jul 6 - Fri Jul 12 saturday July 6 Comedy Hannah Gadsby

sunday July 7 Art Exhibitions First Light

The Happiness is a Bedside Table tour. 7pm/8:30pm. $30 thru canberratheatrecentre.com.au.

Curated by Liz McNiven, featuring works by various artists. Opens Fri Jul 5, 6pm. 11am-5pm.

Live Music

eX de Medici: Cold Blooded

THE COURTYARD STUDIO

BJ Fest II

The 2nd Cumming. Knights Of The Spatchcock, Foundry Road, Vintage Vulva, Miscreation. Doors 8pm. $10 THE BASEMENT

Closure In Moscow

...brings down the Transit Bar roof with the power of rock. 8pm. Presale $18.40 + bf from Oztix.

TRANSIT BAR

The Water Board

With The Spitfires, Marky Moon. 9:30pm.

THE PHOENIX BAR

Swamp Dogs ‘70s Theme Night Fancy dress! Prizes, free bar snacks and drink specials! 9pm. Free.

OLD CANBERRA INN

Oscar

10:30pm. Free.

KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

Richard Clapton

A brilliant songwriter and musician and we would know. 8pm. $39.

See cscc.com.au.

CANBERRA SOUTHERN CROSS CLUB (WODEN)

CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ART SPACE (GORMAN HOUSE)

Lays bare the artist’s forensic examination of contemporary society.

12-5pm. Free.

DRILL HALL GALLERY

Theatre Hipbone Sticking Out

From the makers of Namatjira and Ngapartji Ngapartji. 8pm. $30+.

CANBERRA THEATRE CENTRE

Conjugal Relations

Karaoke

NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY

CANBERRA THEATRE CENTRE

Art by Cate & Rob Riley. Opens Fri Jul 21, 5:30pm. 10am-5pm.

Karaoke at The Inn

Paris to Monaro

OLD CANBERRA INN

BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

Pleasures from the studio of Hilda Rix Nicholas. 10am-5pm.

8pm-midnight. Free entry.

Karaoke @ PJs

Rock Karaoke

THE FRONT GALLERY AND CAFÉ

Karaoke Love

CHARLIE BLACK

3-6pm. $5/$10 door.

Fun on the Run 4pm. Free.

OLD CANBERRA INN

Veronica’s Boyfriend

Croon and wail your heart out on the Transit stage. 9pm. Free.

TRANSIT BAR

Laid back blues and grooves. Tapas + happy hour 5-7pm. Free.

Live Music

Irish Jam Session

Free traditional Irish music in the pub from late afternoon on into the night. Free.

A BITE TO EAT CAFE

Free traditional Irish music in the pub from late afternoon on into the night. Free.

KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

On The Town Free Pool Tables

Does exactly what it says on the packet.

From 2pm.

TRANSIT BAR

monday July 8

The Reverend Jesse Custer, Tired Minds, Postal, Hygiene, Office Jerk.

8pm. Free.

EXHIBITION PARK IN CANBERRA (EPIC)

The new work from Bangarra. 7:30pm. $30+ thru Canberra Theatre Centre.

Karaoke

Something Different For all your new and retro clothing wants. 10am-3pm. $3 entry.

Blak

Aspects of singer-songwriter Paul Kelly’s performance persona.

10am-5pm.

The NEO & Andrea Kirwin

Live Music

Fash ‘n’ Treasure

Paul Kelly & The Portraits

Dance

Go in the running for the $1000 prize at the final on July 25. 7pm.

Disco, motown, ‘80s and ‘90s. 10pm onwards. Free.

DIGRESS COCKTAIL BAR

Art Exhibitions

thursday July 11

NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY

Live Music

On The Town Blame it on the Boogie Weekends

tuesday July 9

The Fucking Loud Bootleg Sessions

THE PHOENIX BAR

Yeo

Irish Jam Session

KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

Wired @ Charlie Black

With Freyja’s Rain, Cherie Kotek Lane, Nathan Miller. 7:30pm. Free.

CHARLIE BLACK

Trivia Trivia Tuesdays

7:30pm. Door price TBA.

THE FRONT GALLERY AND CAFÉ

Scaramouche

Melbournians rock out Transit Bar, supported by Renegade Peacock and more. 8pm. $10 door.

TRANSIT BAR

Hence the Test Bed

With Tundrel, The Flat Earth Confederacy. 9pm.

THE PHOENIX BAR

The Chess Club 9:30pm. Free.

KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

friday July 12 Dance

THE PHOENIX BAR

The new work from Bangarra. 7:30pm. $30+ thru Canberra Theatre Centre.

7:30pm. Free.

Trivia

7:30pm. All welcome.

THE DURHAM

wednesday July 10

Trivia

TRANSIT BAR

Dancing Heals

Trivia and Gears with Bondy and Kiers

Sydney Comedy Festival Showcase

Transit trivia returms with your host Rainman. Book your table now on (02) 6162 0899. 7:30pm.

Live Music

DIGRESS COCKTAIL BAR

Comedy

Rainman’s Trivial Excuse

9pm-2am. Free entry.

First prize $75 cocktail party.

7:30pm. Free.

With Fun Machine, EAVES. 7:30pm. $10.

THE FRONT GALLERY AND CAFÉ

P J O’REILLY’S (CIVIC)

Doors 7:30pm. $28.60 + bf through Oztix.

ZIERHOLZ @ UC

Karaoke Karaoke

From 10pm. All welcome.

THE DURHAM

Live Music Dancing Heals

Blak

CANBERRA THEATRE CENTRE

Live Music Blazing Boots 9pm. Free.

OLD CANBERRA INN

Far East Movement

The Movementality tour. 9pm. Door price TBA. ACADEMY NIGHTCLUB

Awesome Source 10pm. Free.

KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

On The Town Blame it on the Boogie Weekends

Disco, motown, ‘80s and ‘90s. 10pm onwards. Free.

DIGRESS COCKTAIL BAR

With Rabid Zulu. Doors 8pm.

Door price TBA.

Something Different

Melody Pool

Mt Stromlo Observatory Star Gazing Night

THE BASEMENT

8pm. $10.

THE FRONT GALLERY AND CAFÉ

Be taken on a ‘tour of the universe’. 7-9pm.

MT STROMLO OBSERVATORY

Theatre One Man Lord of the Rings

One nerd to perform the whole trilogy.

7pm. $55-62 thru Canberra Ticketing.

THE PLAYHOUSE

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saturday July 13

sunday July 14

tuesday July 15

Art Exhibitions

Live Music

Art Exhibitions

Marcus Foley

Steve Vai

Paul Kelly & The Portraits

Objects and more. 11am-5pm (-4pm Sat) or by appointment.

wednesday July 17 Art Exhibitions Paris to Monaro

BILK GALLERY

7:30pm. Tickets $102.30 ($119.29 with album download) + bf through canberratheatrecentre.com.au.

Aspects of singer-songwriter Paul Kelly’s performance persona. 10am5pm.

Pleasures from the studio of Hilda Rix Nicholas. 10am-5pm.

Dance

Blue Yvie

Marcus Foley

Curated by Liz McNiven, featuring works by various artists. Opens Fri Jul 5, 6pm. 11am-5pm.

Blak

The new work from Bangarra. 7:30pm. $30+ thru Canberra Theatre Centre.

CANBERRA THEATRE CENTRE

CANBERRA THEATRE CENTRE

4pm. Free.

OLD CANBERRA INN

Los Pajeros

Irish Jam Session

NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY

Gangbusters

Free traditional Irish music in the pub from late afternoon on into the night. Free.

TV Colours, Waterford, Cracked Actor, The Ocean Party, Day Ravies, and many more! 2pm-11pm. $15 door THE POLISH WHITE EAGLE CLUB

Nite Society

Architect DJs, Glasshouse DJs, and more indie/trap/whatevs goodness.

8pm. $5 before 11pm, $10 after.

TRANSIT BAR

Garage Syndicate Vol. 2

With Designer Mutts, All My Alien Sex Friends, Jugular Cuts. 9:30pm.

THE PHOENIX BAR

KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

On The Town Free Pool Tables

Does exactly what it says on the packet. From 2pm.

TRANSIT BAR

monday July 15

3rd Party

Live Music

OLD CANBERRA INN

2XX LocalnLive Presents The Bootleg Sessions

9pm. Free.

Heuristic

10:30pm. Free.

KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

Chrome

DJs Salem, and datacipher playing Goth/Industrial/Dark Electronic. 9pm3am. $10.

HELLENIC CLUB (CIVIC)

Immorium

With Dawn Heist, Looking Glass, House Of Thumbs. Doors 8pm. $15.

THE BASEMENT

On The Town Blame it on the Boogie Weekends

Disco, motown, ‘80s and ‘90s. 10pm onwards. Free.

DIGRESS COCKTAIL BAR

BILK GALLERY

Paris to Monaro

A BITE TO EAT CAFE

Scaramouche, Little Mac and the Monster Men, Little Saturn, John Wickham. 8pm. Free.

THE PHOENIX BAR

First Light

Objects and more. 11am-5pm (-4pm Sat) or by appointment.

Blues, soul and a ‘Whole Lotta Love’.

Tapas + happy hour 5-7pm. Free.

Live Music

NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY

NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY

CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ART SPACE (GORMAN HOUSE)

Pleasures from the studio of Hilda Rix Nicholas. 10am-5pm.

Paul Kelly & The Portraits

Karaoke

NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY

Marcus Foley

Karaoke Love

Objects and more. 11am-5pm (-4pm Sat) or by appointment.

Croon and wail your heart out on the Transit stage. 9pm. Free.

BILK GALLERY

TRANSIT BAR

eX de Medici: Cold Blooded Lays bare the artist’s forensic examination of contemporary society. 12-5pm. Free.

Live Music Wired @ Charlie Black

DRILL HALL GALLERY

With Second Hand Salmon, Grant Rutups, Adam Cook. 7:30pm. Free.

Karaoke

CHARLIE BLACK

Liam and Hobo’s Trash and Trivia

Karaoke

From 10pm. All welcome.

Arc Cinema Presents. 7:30pm. Free.

THE DURHAM

THE PHOENIX BAR

Irish Jam Session

Aspects of singer-songwriter Paul Kelly’s performance persona.

10am-5pm.

Free traditional Irish music in the pub from late afternoon on into the night. Free.

Something Different BAD!SLAM!NO!BISCUIT! 8pm. Free.

KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

THE PHOENIX BAR

Talks

Trivia

Theatre

The Launch of Dirt Files

Trivia Tuesdays

Jack Charles vs. The Crown

ANU/Canberra Times meet the author series 2013: Russ Radcliffe. 5:15-7pm.

ANU SCHOOL OF ART

Trivia Rainman’s Trivial Excuse

First prize $75 cocktail party.

7:30pm. Free.

DIGRESS COCKTAIL BAR

Trivia

A celebration of black Australia’s refusal to give up on getting on. 8pm. See canberratheatrecentre.

CANBERRA THEATRE CENTRE

7:30pm. All welcome.

THE DURHAM

Transit trivia returms with your host Rainman. Book your table now on (02) 6162 0899. 7:30pm.

TRANSIT BAR

OUT

JUL17

BERNARD FANNING EX DE MEDICI CRACKED ACTOR DAVE CAFFERY’S VENUE VENDETTA ...and more!

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FIRST CONTACT Aaron Peacey 0410381306

SIDE A: BMA band profile

Adam Hole 0421023226 Afternoon Shift 0402055314 Amphibian Sound PA Clare 0410308288 Annie & The Armadillos Annie (02) 61611078/ 0422076313 Aria Stone sax/flute/lute/ harmonica, singer-songwriter Aria 0411803343 Australian Songwriters Association Keiran (02) 62310433

Cold House Where did your band name come from?

Luke: This cold house I lived in.

Morgan: A house that was cold.

Group members? Luke, Morgo.

Describe your sound: Luke: Animals dying slowly.

Morgan: Mostly junk with a little bit of music thrown in.

Who are your influences, musical or otherwise?

Luke: Clyde.

Morgan: Daryl Somers, Tenterfield Terriers and Chomps.

Backbeat Drivers Steve 0422733974 backbeatdrivers.com Bat Country Communion, The Mel 0400405537 Birds Love Fighting Gangbusters/DIY shows-bookings@ birdslovefighting.com Black Label Photography Kingsley 0438351007 blacklabelphotography.net Bridge Between, The Cam 0431550005

What’s the most memorable experience you’ve had whilst performing?

Luke: A guy held a gun to my head and told me to stop.

Morgan: That time all our equipment worked. That was pretty good.

Capital Dub Style Reggae/dub events Rafa 0406647296

Of what are you proudest so far?

Luke: My backpack collection.

Morgan: We make a great casserole… quite proud of that.

Danny V Danny 0413502428

What are your plans for the future?

Luke: Smoking bongs.

Morgan: Might make a casserole.

What makes you laugh? Morgan: Our plans for the future.

What pisses you off? Morgan: Wasps, mostly.

What about the local scene would you change?

Luke: More females making fucked up noise music.

Morgan: More conveyor belts, like the Jetsons. Apart from that, all’s good.

What are your upcoming gigs? Luke: Gangbusters.

Contact info: Cold House on Facebook, Soundcloud, Bandcamp, WordPress.

Cole Bennetts Photography 0415982662 Dawn Theory Nathan 0402845132 Danny 0413502428 Dorothy Jane Band, The Dorothy Jane 0411065189 dorothy-jane@dorothyjane.com Drumassault Kate 0414236323 Feldons, The 0407 213 701 FeralBlu Danny 0413502428

Johnny Roadkill Paulie 0408287672 paulie_mcmillan@live.com.au Kayo Marbilus myspace.com/kayomarbilus Kurt’s Metalworx (PA) 0417025792 Los Chavos Latin/ska/reggae Rafa 0406647296 Andy 0401572150 Missing Zero Hadrian 0424721907 Hadrian.brand@live.com.au Moots Huck 0419630721 aspwinch@grapevine.com.au Morning After, The Covers band Anthony 0402500843 Mornings Jordan 0439907853 MuShu Jack 0414292567 mushu_band@hotmail.com Obsessions 0450 960 750 obsessions@grapevine.com.au Painted Hearts, The Peter (02) 62486027 Polka Pigs Ian (02) 62315974 Rafe Morris 0416322763 Redletter Ben 0421414472 Redsun Rehearsal Studio Ralph 0404178996/ (02) 61621527 Rug, The Jol 0417273041 Sewer Sideshow Huck 0419630721 Simone & The Soothsayers Singing teacher Simone 62304828 Sorgonian Twins, The Mark 0428650549

Fighting Mongooses, The Adam 0402055314

Soundcity Rehearsal Studio Andrew 0401588884

Fire on the Hill Aaron 0410381306 Lachlan 0400038388

STonKA Jamie 0422764482 stonka2615@gmail.com

Fourth Degree Vic 0408477020

Strange Hour Events Dan 0411112075

Gareth Dailey DJ/Electronica Gareth 0414215885

Super Best Friends Sam White sam@imcmusic.net

Groovalicious Corporate/ weddings/private functions 0448995158

System Addict Jamie 0418398556

Guy The Sound Guy Live & Studio Sound Engineer 0400585369 guy@guythesoundguy.com Haunted Attics band@hauntedatticsmusic.com

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Jenn Pacor Singer-songwriter avail. for originals/covers 0405618630

Tegan Northwood (Singing Teacher) 0410 769 144 ThrownUp Scott 0415849619 Top Shelf Colin 0408631514

In The Flesh Scott 0410475703

Undersided, The Baz 0408468041

Itchy Triggers Alex 0414838480

Zoopagoo zoopagoo@gmail.com

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