BMA Magazine 423 Aug 13 2013 by BMA Magazine

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Rudd proclaims Peter Beattie ‘good man’; Australia reaches for dictionary. #423AUGUST14 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

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Editor Ashley Thomson

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Sub-Editor & Social Media Manager Greta Kite-Gilmour & Jeremy Stevens Graphic Design Marley Film Editor Melissa Wellham NEXT ISSUE 424 OUT AUG 28 EDITORIAL DEADLINE AUG 19 ADVERTISING DEADLINE AUG 22 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.

On Saturday September 7, approximately 500,000 young people will miss out on casting their vote. At last count, 1.4 million eligible Australians are not enrolled, including an astounding 43% of 18 and 19-year-olds. Youth coalitions have been quick to point out that issues with higher levels of engagement among young voters will suffer from poor representation as a result of this deficit. National Co-Director of the Australia Youth Climate Coalition, Kirsty Albion, says ‘Young people are extremely powerful in this election. The problem is that our politicians are completely out of touch when it comes to issues that matter to young people … Climate change is one of the key issues young people will vote on in this election … this summer we broke through 123 records for extreme weather. It’s time for our politicians to aim higher on climate and protect our future.’ But look, if you’re enrolled (and if you’re not, by the time you read this it’ll be too late to change that), congratulations. Make it count.

Australia’s Refugees to PNG, Canberra Artists to Brazil A group of local artists is travelling to Brazil to take part in the Brasilia International Theatre Festival’s Innovation Showcase 2013 as part of a Canberra-Brasilia exchange program supported by the Centenary of Canberra. Omar Musa and hip hop duo D’Opus and Roshambo will represent the artistic side of the exchange, with filmmaker Cameron Brown and photographer Cole Bennetts along to document (thereby adding to the ‘legacy’). Now, while it may smack of a wellconnected boys’ club taking advantage of the Centenary to appear at events with names like ‘Champagne Criolina Music Extravaganza’, Brazil’s capital city, Brasilia, is, like Canberra, a planned city, so it all makes

Snap the ACT to Win Amateur photographers from Canberra and the surrounding regions once again have the opportunity to submit their entries to ActewAGL’s Postcards From Your Town photography competition. The 12 winning photographers will have their images featured in the 2014 ActewAGL’s Postcards From Your Town calendar, and will each win a cash prize of $500. To all budding photographers, now is the time to start capturing those moments that best represent your favourite part of the region. Entries close on Monday September 2 and winners will be announced Friday November 1. For more information and to see previous winning photos visit actewagl.com. au/postcards.

Draw on the Blue Mountains! Draw on the Mountain is an art event that will be held for the first time in the Blue Mountains, Fri-Sun September 20-29. It’s the first of its kind in Australia, based on a Brooklyn, NY, Drawing Festival the Director Selena Seifert participated

in some years ago. The idea is to bring artists from all over to the Wild Valley Art Park in Wentworth Falls and have them set up an outdoor art gallery along the ‘Sketchbook Art Trail’, a self-guided/selfdrive art experience, capturing World Heritage backdrops, iconic sights and lesser-known natural locations in the Blue Mountains and surrounds. The event is open to all ages and drawing abilities and there is a $5000 acquisitive art prize for the overall winner of the Sketchbook Art Trail Competition. If you’d like to pitch in, head to drawonthemountain.com.au for details on how to enter, or on the range of talks and workshops that will be run throughout.

Andy Warhol’s Grave to have 24-Hour Webcam Coverage In celebration of Andy Warhol’s 85th birthday – we know, we’re glad he’s gone too – EarthCam and The Warhol Museum are launching the Figment project, honouring the famous American artist with a unique collaboration. As of now, there is a 24-hour webcam pointed at Warhol’s grave in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (and at last look, there’s bunch of moroniclooking teenagers in tights playing with light-twirlers and waving). You can even send a can of Campbell’s Soup or some flowers and watch them delivered live to the grave. If you’d like to marvel at the latest thing created under the moniker ‘art’, head to earthcam.com/warhol.

Scorched but still standing, Mount Stromlo’s massive 74-inch telescope still defies gravity by Ben Davis.

500,000 Young People Not Enrolled to Vote

sense. ‘We hope to facilitate a dialogue between artists, sharing ideas around the challenges and opportunities that arise from making culture in planned capital cities,’ says Frank Madrid, the exchange’s curator and producer – hence taking an act that hasn’t done a live show together in almost a year. Dear Centenary, you continue to surprise and delight.

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FROM THE BOSSMAN There’s nothing like spending six hours in Emergency of a deadline weekend nervously waiting to see if your little eightmonth-old has a fractured skull to make you think (NB: It’s a dramatic start, I know, but at risk of losing the tension of the piece, it all works out for the best. Read on...) Idle thoughts help ground one in times of stress, and so it was that my mind wandered from the grim reality of the hospital ward and landed upon a recent email exchange I had with old friend Justin ‘The Bedroom Philosopher’ Heazlewood concerning our shared love for downtempo electronic group Boards of Canada. This in turn got me to thinking about the relationship we have with music, the time we spend with it and what that means. Justin and I were discussing BoC’s latest long-awaited album Tomorrow’s Harvest and, in the time honoured tradition of fervent fans talking shop, were exchanging favourite tracks. ‘Come to Dust and Nothing Is Real are my absolute favos,’ I wrote, using the terms ‘favos’ for I am a massive wanker. ‘I must have listened to them about...’ And here I paused. I was about to write ‘100 times’ but could that be true? Just how many times have we listened to a favourite piece of music? ‘Hey guys,’ I bellowed to my office chums, welcome to have found another excuse to avoid any meaningful work. ‘How many times do you reckon you’ve listened to your favourite song?’ ‘Well,’ replied Editor Ash, ‘my iTunes says I’ve listened to Purple Haze 150 times, but that’s just on this account and I know I’ve listened to it more times than that. So probably between 150-200, I’d say.’

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.] Alright all you smokers out there, what gives? Do cigarettes have to cost their weight in gold? Do you actually have to contract a terminal illness before you’ll give it away? No, because if you haven’t given up by then, your stubbornness is clearly a force that can’t be torn down by meagre attempts on your life. Now’s a good time to say to yourself that you want to breath normally, wake up every morning feeling fresh, exercise without feeling like you’re having a heart attack. You know why? YOU SMELL BAD. You might not realise this, but every time you have a ciggie and walk past someone that doesn’t smoke, they judge you negatively immediately because you stink like a stale ashtray in a pokie room (circa 1996). Not only are you quickly developing wrinkles around your own mouth as your skin struggles to hold onto its elastic youth, you’re causing frown lines across the foreheads of those that glance past your smoky force field. You’re pissing off people that sit next to you in meetings, you’re pissing off people that line up behind you for a movie ticket, you’re pissing off the person that thought you were cute from a distance then gets up close to find out they’ve eyed off a selfish, stinky creature and, worst of all, you’re pissing off your own body.

An Australian man has an average life expectancy of 79 years. That’s 28,756 days which is 690,144 hours or 41,408,640 minutes. Assuming we’re lucky enough to grab a solid eight hours sleep every night, that leaves 27,605,760 minutes of consciousness in this brief breath of life we are blessed with. If we say an average song lasts four minutes and we listen to it 200 times, that’s 800 of those minutes spent listening to one piece of music. A favourite album listened to would be roughly 12,000 minutes. Or you could be bonkers like a woman reported in England to have watched the Sound of Music some 836 times. That’s a whopping 145,464 minutes spent watching Julie Andrews singing about dears, or 0.005% of your life. 0.005% doesn’t seem like much. You wouldn’t be putting your savings into an account boasting that figure. But to dedicate that much of your life to a singular piece of art is something. You could spend the space of a PhD exploring the reasons why a particular piece of art connects with a person. It can remind you of a lost love, high times at university or myriad other things. But in the end, it serves as an emotional rock to cling to. It’s a warm hug at the end of a long day. At a deeper level it’s an unsullied emotional connection between you and the creator which, in the case of music from musicians long gone, spans the ages. And it was then that my train-of-thought was broken by the coffee-swilling doctor at Calvary Hospital telling me that our little Mimi is fine, no major damage from her epic tumble from the pram onto the wheels. She will hopefully have another 40 million minutes of life to find her favourite things. Right now, I’m off for a much needed stiff drink and a 101st listen to Boards of Canada’s Nothing Is Real. ALLAN SKO - allan@bmamag.com

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Image credit: Alex Hogg Image credit: Mark Turner

WHO: Elisha Bones WHAT: Single Launch & Live Art WHEN: Fri Aug 16 WHERE: The Polish White Eagle Club

Canberra’s enigmatic indie rockers Elisha Bones (pronounced ‘Eelie-sha’) present their debut single Guts. The single is produced and mixed by the magnanimous Magoo, an ARIA-winning producer and engineer renowned for his work with Powderfinger, Regurgitator and Midnight Oil. The Guts video features a stunning performance by Joseph Simons, a celebrated and award-winning contemporary dancer and choreographer. The video, a clear, collaborative statement of Elisha Bones’ artistic intent, can be found on YouTube, and BMA recommends you find it. Supporting them will be Tully on Tully and Borneo, with live art by Houl, Walrus and Micha. 8pm. $8/10/15.

WHO: The Sexytet WHAT: Live Jazz/Funk WHEN: Thu Aug 22 WHERE: The Front Gallery & Café

The Sexytet is a modern seven-piece funk band inspired by groups and artists such as Trombone Shorty & New Orleans Avenue, The Youngblood Brass Band, Dave Weckl, Jaco Pastorius and The Cat Empire. Formed late in 2012, the group has played at many community events and celebrations, as well as a highlight gig in March with Party Gravy at The Abbey in Gold Creek. The band now hopes to make a larger presence in the Canberra jazz scene. Joining them will be The Ilana Davies Trio, a trio of voice, trumpet/flugelhorn, and guitar, who evoke a West-Coast jazz-inspired style, akin to the likes of Bill Evans, Nina Simone and Billie Holiday. 8pm. Free.

WHO: Marlow WHAT: EP Release WHEN: Fri Aug 23 WHERE: The Basement

Marlow’s new EP has already spawned two singles, I Can Breathe and Always There, which were added to rotation across the country on both Austereo and DMG Radio. Their third single Maybe In Time finds them poised for even broader success. Formed in 2008, Marlow has steadily evolved, perfecting their sound and live shows, selling out numerous iconic Sydney venues. The band has toured with the likes of Closure in Moscow, Sleepmakeswaves and Jericco. 2013 saw Marlow take the crowd sourcing route, meeting their target in less than ten days. Supported by The Naddiks, Hence The Testbed and Little Mac and The Monster Men. 8pm. Door price TBA.

WHO: Juke Baritone & the Swamp Dogs WHAT: Pre-Release gig WHEN: Fri Aug 23 WHERE: The Front Gallery & Café

Preacher. Hobo. Genius. Lecherous bastard. Call him what you want, Juke Baritone has been busy tearing around the world with his troupe of manic noisemakers, assaulting audiences with his tall tales of bad love, good liquor and the evils of the world, and he’s bringing it all home to the nation’s capital. With the Swamp Dogs at his back and special support from Melbourne’s surfdance sensation La Bastard, Juke has a cavalcade of new material that he’s working on for a double album to be crowd-funded and recorded later this year. But first he’s coming to test the waters of his new trapeze punk and pirate blues on your ears. 7:30pm. $10.

WHO: Bill Parton Trio WHAT: EP Launch WHEN: Fri Aug 30 WHERE: Pot Belly Bar

South Australian piano pop-rockers Bill Parton Trio will release their self-titled debut EP on Friday August 2. The EP follows the successful release of singles Going Away and Falling For You Again. To sum up Bill Parton Trio’s sound, imagine the simplicity and catchiness of The Beatles, combined with Coldplay-like melodies, the impressionism of Jeff Buckley, along with a dash of the relaxed chilled-out mood and atmosphere for which Zero 7 are notorious. Frontman William Parton says the EP explores ‘common themes, simple chord progressions, catchy lyrics and tasteful melodies’. Supported by Nathan Leigh Jones and Proof. 8pm. Door price TBA.

WHO: The Delta Lions WHAT: Album Tour WHEN: Sat Aug 31 WHERE: The Phoenix Bar

The Delta Lions have come a long way in just a few years. A hard work ethic, writing, rehearsing and constant gigging has helped the band coagulate their sound into something you could liken to the sum of The Replacements, The Plimsouls and Drive By Truckers. But The Delta Lions definitely have a sound all of their own. Kind of rock, kind of country. Touring to support the release of their sophomore LP Post Code (mastered by Simon Struthers – Bob Evans, Paul Dempsey, Something For Kate, Papa vs Pretty), the Lions will pass through Canberra towards the end of the month. Supported by Leadfinger and locals The Skronks. 9:30pm. Free.

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baz ruddick Brisbane based five-piece THE TROUBLE WITH TEMPLETON have had a big two years. Gracing the stages of Harvest Festival and Falls Festival in 2012, the five-piece has been riding high after high. Born from the independent solo project of lead vocalist Thomas Calder, it was only a matter of months before The Trouble with Templeton grew into a fully fledged band. While the band’s first album Bleeder was a solo project, independently recorded and released in late 2011 by Thomas Calder, their second album Rookie marks the start of the band as the band. On the very day Rookie was released, I had a precious few minutes to chat to the man behind the cutting ethereal sounds of The Trouble with Templeton.

It’s about that feeling of being separated from the world. From the outside looking in

In 2011, a 20-year-old Thomas Calder retreated to his Brisbane home. Gathering all the musical equipment he could muster, Thomas set out to record Bleeder. In two and a half weeks the album was complete, by early 2012 had hit airwaves, and the poignant I Wrote a Novel graced the ears and won the hearts of guys and dolls nationwide. Two years later, the band has just returned from SXSW in the US and is on the verge of a UK tour. After great success with Bleeder, it was only a natural progression that Thomas would team up with band mates Hugh, Betty, Ritchie and Sam to create the current incarnation of The Trouble with Templeton. ‘They were all people I knew from before and I have been friends with for ages, so it was a really nice natural process. It was just a case of, whenever we played together we knew it was the right group to be playing with. It just came together really nicely and naturally.’ For Thomas, expanding into a full band gave him a chance to explore and express his love of a wider variety of music. ‘Bleeder wasn’t exactly the entire type of music I like. I had a bunch of songs that would only fit with a band … It happened really organically. It was never a conscious decision.’ This natural progression not only allowed Thomas greater exploration musically, but gave him some breathing space when it came to songwriting. ‘I find myself leaving a lot more space and exploring a lot of different avenues, knowing that there are four other incredible musicians that can fill in the gaps.’ While Bleeder was entirely self-recorded and produced, Rookie was recorded in Brisbane with producer Matt Redlich (the unofficial sixth member, I am told). A positive recording experience was essential in creating an album that the band could be proud of. ‘Every song I write is dear to my heart, which is the

reason I write it in the first place … With this album in particular we are really proud of these songs and really proud to be putting them out. We’re all interested in making something important and putting everything we have into the record, and making the experience of recording it special so there’s a whole lot of support for each other.’ One listen to Rookie will confirm that The Trouble with Templeton are not just a ‘singles band’ with one or two ‘nice songs’, but rather a band that is capable of crafting an album that flows naturally from start to finish, telling a full story. ‘It is really important to us that you can listen to the album as a whole. We are definitely an album band,’ states Thomas. From the intensely affecting and fastpaced Six Months in a Cast and the anthemic drive tune Like a Kid, to the hauntingly beautiful I Recorded You, the band manages to create a story that ebbs and flows with the natural turbulence of the human condition. ‘Conceptually the album is about perspective … It’s about exploring the world from different viewpoints, and that feeling of being separated from the world. From the outside looking in.’ While the ironically titled Rookie may evoke ideas of a band that fumbles in the darkness with a certain greenness, one listen will dispel that idea. The album has a mature sound that illustrates the enormous musical talent in the band. Thomas assures me that the title Rookie is not about being new and inept at something, but rather it is intended to evoke a feeling of ‘youth and confusion’. ‘That feeling of being new to something or someone. It also feels very suburban to me which fits the album and the songs perfectly.’ In order to write an album that encompassed such an enormous variety of human experiences, Thomas stepped into the shoes of different ‘characters’. ‘Every song was written from a different headspace … I was trying to get into the mindset and explore the viewpoints of many different characters from all different walks of life, so writing each one was a very different experience. I try to go into every song with the intention of creating something truthful and meaningful and interesting.’ Tapping into my vast reservoir of cliché questions, I put it to Thomas, is a song a story or a feeling? ‘A feeling. For me a song is about the feeling it evokes and how it feels rather than the direct story it tells. The story is the way to get that feeling and I feel that is ultimately what is important to me. The songs on this record, and the way I write songs, are always about feelings rather than stories or situations’. The Trouble with Templeton is illustrative of Australia’s new generation of musicians. They represent youth, with a story youth can be happy to be part of – the everyman and his battered suitcase. The Trouble with Templeton will play at Transit Bar on Thursday August 22, supported by Battleships. Doors 8pm. Tickets are $10 + bf through Moshtix.

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ALL AGES Sir, yes, sir! Reporting for duty! With your usual All Ages Guru off on a worldly adventure, I’ve been recruited to step in and give you all the info I possibly can. I promise not to let you d—ahh … aaCHOO! Oh no … it’s winter and I’m all snuffly. I’ve been sticking to the triedand-true cure of staying in bed and watching medical dramas to fuel my hypochondria. Luckily, there are plenty of upcoming events to put a spring back in anyone’s step. Have you always wanted to learn to skateboard? You’re never too unskilled to get started – nope, no excuses. Come along to the Tuggeranong Skatepark at 10am-12pm on Saturday August 17 for StreetWise ‘Learn To Skate’. And the best part? It’s free! Do you ever feel like you were born into the wrong generation? Don’t give me that look; I can see your Beatles lunchbox and your vintage paisley shirt. Check out The Feldons and The Naddiks, with newcomers Positive Feedback Loop. Winding back to ‘60s modrock with influences such as The Kinks and The Beatles, The Feldons will have you grooving all night, while The Naddiks grunge it up with a rockier sound. They’re performing at PJ O’Reilly’s in Tuggeranong on Saturday August 24, between 8pm and 12am, with tickets $5 on the door. Are you as blown away by a good drum solo as I am? The Drumscene Live Tour 2013 promises an exhilarating evening of passionate percussion by three drumming virtuosos at the Canberra Southern Cross Club from 7pm on Tuesday August 27. Tickets are $39.95 + bf through Moshtix. The Woden Valley Festival is coming up again in November, and as part of that they will be holding the Lift Off Youth Band Competition. With heats in October leading up to a final performance on Friday November 8, 5pm, you could win a prize pack designed to give you the lift off your aspiring band needs, including recording sessions, photo shoots, and graphic design for a band logo. Details on entry have not yet been released, but keep an eye on the website, wodenvalleyfestival.org.au/program/liftoff, and get practising now! If you’re in danger of low spirits thanks to the cold and lack of sunshine, I prescribe a hearty dose of Arj Barker. His latest show, Go Time, will be at the Canberra Theatre on Saturday August 31 at 7pm and 9pm. It’s said that Mr Barker has spent so much time in Australia that he understands our culture better than we do ourselves, so let’s see whether he lives up to that rather arrogant boast. Tickets are $42.90 (concession) and $46.90 (adult) + bf from canberratheatrecentre.com.au. What’s that I see? Just there, on the horizon, look – it’s the Vans Warped Tour, and easily the biggest thing to look forward to this year if you love live music. Catch names such as Simple Plan, The Offspring, Tonight Alive, The Used, New Found Glory, Parkway Drive, The Summer Set, Crown the Empire, Hatebreed, Man Overboard, and We Came As Romans at Exhibition Park in Mitchell on Friday December 6. Start saving now, because you won’t want to miss this! Tickets are $107.10 + bf, available through Oztix. That’s all for now; I’m off to curl up in bed again and forget the world exists until my nose stops running. Stay funky. VICKY CONSTABLE allagescolumn@gmail.com

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LOCALITY

Smith’s Alternative, under new management, is settling into itself. Or rather, it’s doing the other thing. Wednesday August 14, 21 and 28 see further instalments of Canberra Musicians Club Presents… wherein a selection of local and interstate artists will keep Alinga Street lively from 8pm until close to midnight. On Thursday August 15, The Nugs (whose About Me on Facebook reads ‘DANKNESS’) will headline a night with locals Bacon Cakes and Beach Slut from 9pm. And on Friday August 16, DJ/producer Anonymeye (aka Andrew Tuttle) headlines for local creatives Reuben Ingall, Shisd and Raus from 8pm for $10. This can be nothing if not good.

funk outfit Los Chavos will be recording a new EP in front of a live audience. It’s $5 to be a part of history from 7pm. One of the best unsung Canberran releases of 2012 was Goody Hallett by The Feldons, a beautiful self-released LP. You can catch The Feldons headlining for locals The Naddiks and Positive Feedback Loop at PJ O’Reilly’s in Tuggeranong on Saturday August 24 from 8pm. It’s $5. And last but so, so far from least, The Ellis Collective Winter Residency will continue at The Front Gallery and Café on Sunday August 18 with Burrows (a local band the likes of which … just see them) from 3-5pm, and wrap up in the same place on Sunday August 25 from 2-4pm, with Cracked Actor in support. A measly $10 can buy you into two very pleasing afternoons. And that’s everything local I care about. ASHLEY THOMSON - editorial@bmamag.com; @aabthomson

Also on Thursday August 15, interstater Isaac Graham will headline for locals Revellers (playing an acoustic set) and Pete Akhurst from 9pm. Stiff competition for Friday August 16’s dance ticket comes from Elisha Bones, who are playing at The Polish White Eagle Club. This one’s a multi-sensory experience (like most things, really) with support acts including not only Tully on Tully and Borneo, but also live art by Houl, Walrus and Micha. Doors 8pm, $8-15. The Basement is celebrating in typical, unique fashion Trent and Jaryd’s Birthday Bash Mk. II on Saturday August 17 from 8pm. The line-up includes Miscreation, Transcience, Icarus Complex and heaps more, and it’s $15 at the door. The same night at The Phoenix Melbourne thrash punk group Wolfpack will headline for locals Wretch and No Assumption (who feature somewhere in this issue, if you can be bothered to find it) from 9:30pm. But if we’re being honest, you really ought to be at Transit Bar this Saturday for TV Colours’ launch of Purple Skies, Toxic River, with The Fighting League and Spirit Valley. This is less a gig than an event. 8pm, $10. I don’t really know what to say about A Very Queer Frosty Festival at The Phoenix on Sunday August 18, beyond reiterating its blurb: ‘3 Dykes and a Mic, Speed Acquainting, and Queer Talent’. I really don’t see how this could fail to be fun. It starts at 5pm. Record label Birds Love Fighting is programming The Bootleg Sessions on Monday August 19, and this is a Bootlegs not to be missed. Cracked Actor will close the night on the heels of Waterford, Central West and Cold House. 8pm. Free. Thursday August 22 at the CIT Music Industry Centre, local super

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WHO

pete huet TV COLOURS’ debut LP Purple Skies, Toxic River is the most talked about Canberra album of the year, but few people know much about the man behind it, Bobby Kill. Sure, a quick internet search will reveal the name his folks gave him – but it won’t reveal a whole lot else. In today’s over-documented world of music, Kill has somehow managed to keep a low profile, even while his band has taken off. Purple Skies, Toxic River, recently released on France’s XVIII Records and Canberra’s own Dream Damage, is an amalgam of 1980s punk rock, metal and teen movie soundtracks. BMA Magazine got the rare chance to ask Kill a few questions about the record that took an incredible six years to complete from its conception one fateful evening in 2007. ‘I had had a real heavy night out and had to walk home because I had run out of money,’ Kill says. ‘I ended up finding a stolen bike in the stormwater drains and going for a ride. I tried to go through the stream and slipped on all the slimy stuff and ended up on my arse. I lay there for around half an hour just staring at the bridge as the sun came up and I guess I sort of just decided on the concept and that that would be the album cover. It seemed like a very epic moment at that time, but in retrospect was totally lame.’

It seemed like a very epic moment at that time, but in retrospect was totally lame

The suburban landscape features heavily on the record, the result of Kill growing up in ultra-suburban Woden. ‘I’ve always had this highly romanticized view of suburbia and music, the whole boredom of the place seems to tie in pretty well with a lot of punk and metal,’ Kill says. ‘I grew up in Curtin, [which] always had a real Americana/suburbia vibe going on … South Curtin oval is a baseball field and North Curtin oval was an NFL field.’ When asked if the depressing Woden Plaza had an influence on his music, Kill takes offence. ‘I don’t know if we’re talking about the same Woden Plaza, because the Woden Plaza I walk into is full of wonderment,’ he replies. ‘So many memories, so many hours spent wasting time at the food court. I highly recommend the hallway next to Footlocker at the moment. There is a photo exhibition of the evolution of that glorious shopping mall, dating way back to the 1970s. And while you’re there, why don’t you head to the best food court in Australia? Maybe the world? Snag Stang and Kingsley’s right next to each other, holy shit, no way? Yes way, it’s true, go there. FANTASY DONUTS R.I.P.’ Kill says the album took so long to record because he was learning how to write songs while also learning how to record. The finished product was his third go at it.

BOBBY 20 6

The most distinctive aspect of Kill’s production is the way the vocals are treated and mixed, giving the atmospheric impression that Kill is singing from a mile away. ‘I was horribly self-conscious about the lyrics, I can hear every lyric clear as day,’ Kill explains. ‘I didn’t even realise I was making them so “from afar” until now, really. I became pretty neurotic about the whole thing. By the end I honestly couldn’t even tell what I was doing, I just kept turning [the vocals] further down or drowning them in reverb. ‘Sometimes, though, like the chorus to Beverly, they sounded a lot worse the clearer I made them. There were so many weird factors like that, like if I turned off the distortion on the vocals it would just suck the energy out of the song, but then they would be unclear. It was brutal.’ The album is punctuated by synthy interludes that could have easily come from a John Hughes film. But Kill says his main filmic influence lies elsewhere. And it’s in keeping with the album’s themes. ‘Yeah, it was definitely this Penelope Spheeris movie called Suburbia,’ he says. ‘There is this whole early ‘80s punk vibe going on and the soundtrack really blended a lot of old analogue synths with punk. It sort of put me onto bands like TSOL and Rikk Agnew, which are pretty straightforward early ‘80s punk that use a lot of synths. But yeah, I’m stoked it’s giving off a John Hughes vibe, I was sort of going for a nostalgic ‘80s teen movie thing.’ TV Colours began life as a solo project before becoming a hybrid band with legendary local duo Assassins 88. Assassins broke up last year but its members have remained with Kill, and with the addition of Carey Paterson of The Fighting League, TV Colours is now a full band in its own right. ‘From the beginning it was always the plan to make it into a band,’ Kills says. ‘I sort of decided that I wanted to do an album by myself and then never anticipated it would take so long. But yeah, it’s pretty amazing having a band and it’s given everything a lot more momentum. I felt so much pressure playing by myself that I would just hardly do it. And if a show sucked I would basically just give up and not feel like playing for six months. I think since it started I’ve averaged about two to three shows a year.’ The new momentum Kill speaks of is taking TV Colours to Europe in October; the project coming a long way from the slimy stormwater drain where it all began. ‘And when we get back I think we will start working on the next album, which I think should be out by sometime mid-2021,’ Kill says, hopefully joking. TV Colours launch Purple Skies, Toxic River at Transit Bar on Saturday August 17. Supported by The Fighting League and Spirit Valley. Doors 8pm. $5 before 10pm, $10 after 10pm.

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SPREADING THE FIRE mel cerato Brisbane five-piece band DEAD LETTER CIRCUS is about to drop their second album, The Catalyst Fire, later this month. To support the release, DLC has scheduled 12 dates on The Catalyst Fire Tour that will take them across the country with Melbourne support bands Closure in Moscow and Sleep Parade. Debut album This is the Warning peaked at number two on the ARIA Charts and bagged them an ARIA Award nomination and a place on triple j’s Hottest 100 Albums of All Time.

A perfect example comes from the kids’ movie A Bug’s Life

Singer Kim Benzie says that the band wasn’t worried about second album syndrome when making this latest LP, and that a line-up change made them feel rejuvenated. He says that the only pressure they felt when making the album was from themselves, mostly because of their own pedantic quality control. ‘On the last album, we had some very clear radio single songs, where as with this one, we didn’t set out to write a radio song,’ he says. ‘We recorded 14 songs and thinned it down to 11, and we wanted 11 songs where any one of those songs could be someone’s favourite. All killer, no filler.’ Tackling some major themes with this latest release, Kim explains how the past three years travelling and touring with the band all over the world has influenced the album and the band. ‘[After travelling so much, it’s about] having an awake and aware gaze of the world, casting your gaze upon it, all the things that you feel, the guilt and the responsibility to actually try to make a difference,’ he says. ‘Really, you actually are indirectly responsible for a lot of the shit stuff going on. ‘The last album for us was about getting everyone to wake up, “Open your eyes and have a look at what’s going on”,’ he explains. ‘Fast forward to 2013, no one trusts the government, everyone knows they are full of shit and that corporations make the decisions. People ask “What can I do?” Well fuck, what can’t you do? It’s about taking an idea, giving it to someone else, and spreading it like a catalyst fire. 20 years ago you used to know your neighbours, and now we live in times of cellular blocks where we don’t talk,’ he says. ‘We’re trying reach out and break down these cellular walls, and become a community again. A perfect example comes from the kids’ movie A Bug’s Life. The ants have the numbers and the power, but they are brainwashed into thinking they can’t do anything by the grasshoppers because they are just ants. Then that ant realises he is a little bit different and has the conversation with someone else and they go “Oh, I feel the same way”, and between them they confirm that it is real and then they spread it like fire. That is the concept of The Catalyst Fire.’ [Ed: This is hands down the deepest, most profound interview BMA Magazine has ever had the pleasure of publishing.] Dead Letter Circus will be dropping by Zierholz @ UC on Wednesday September 4 at 8pm. Supported by Closure in Moscow and Sleep Parade. Tickets $34.70 + bf through Oztix.

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RORY McCARTNEY Tom Iansek and Joe Syme, the two halves of BIG SCARY, are touring the nation to show off the band’s radical new sound from their sophomore release, Not Art. BMA Magazine caught up with Tom after he fortified himself with a few beers on his night off in beautiful downtown Wollongong. Having started from humble living room sessions with Joe in 2006, Tom never expected that their jams would turn into the ever-evolving musical partnership that is Big Scary. ‘We each had more serious bands going at the same time. We started out playing together with no expectations, then things started happening for us.’ The band name sounds like it was horror movie-inspired, but the truth is more prosaic. ‘I collect band names, with a list on my phone, and “Scary” was from one of the first lists I created. I wanted something neutral, something that would not suggest anything in particular or have an image attached to it.’ Big Scary showed an early prominent interest in the natural world, as proclaimed in their mini-EPs which were gathered together as The Big Scary Four Seasons album. ‘A lot of artists look within themselves for turmoil, but I was pretty happy with life and had to look beyond myself. The first place I came to was nature.’ Tom is quite a thinker, the sort of bloke who has an idea, then ponders why he came up with it. He knew that when they came up with the title Not Art, they could expect some tough questions about its genesis. ‘I know there was meaning behind the title but could not put my finger on it at the time. I had to sit down and boil it down until I could find a meaning. Us going from being people who jammed in their families’ homes to being called artists is a strange experience. We wondered if our music had to mean anything more because of that.’ In the end Tom worked out that this sort of thinking actually got in the way of what they wanted to do – just play without thinking about whether it’s art or not. Tom is quick to state that their music ‘recycles’ elements from others. In fact, he sees that many bands are doing it subconsciously, whether

they like it or not. ‘Especially these days, there’s a constant reflection on what people are listening to, who they sound like and who they want to sound like. Those who make good music are clever as to how they nod their hat towards their influences.’ Not Art was different from their debut Vacation in more ways than just the style of music, as Tom had a vision for it from the start, for the themes he wanted to tap into, and the sound. ‘I have had this in the past for individual songs, but never for a whole album. It was cool having the overall design and intent and we were really proud of the album as it was true to what we envisioned.’ Big Scary was being tricky, as they wanted the listener to be unsure if they were listening to something that was sampled or recorded live. The band even had sub-currents of things that people might want to sample in hip hop popping up here and there. However, it was not cut and dried, as songs became something different by the time they were finished. ‘A lot of songs needed time to brew as individual ideas and develop in their own time. That was important to how the album turned out right in the end.’ Tom admits the band is more aurally than visually inclined, the artwork and videos often an afterthought. For Not Art they were lucky enough to stumble into a gallery near their Fitzroy studio. ‘In the gallery, Adam Stone’s work struck me as an interesting image which questions who the artist is in the picture, nature or the photographer, with a natural object removed from its natural environment. It’s what we try to do in our music, pulling things with different influences and ideas from other places and arranging them into something that is our own.’

The album raises questions as to how well the LP will translate to live gigs. Tom admits that for this album ‘we have to enlist the help of others. We are no longer a live two-piece for these Not Art songs which rely on multiple layers and production. For the tour we have a multi-instrumentalist and a percussionist-com-loops guy Going from being people who to es hom with us.’ s’ ilie fam ir the in d me

jam being called artists is strange. We wondered if our music had to mean anything more because of that

Big Scary headline Zierholz @ UC with Courtney Barnett on Saturday August 31. Tickets are $19.90 + bf thru Oztix.

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It’s like any relationship; it’s not perfect, but when we come together magic happens

instrument. ‘Singers have a disadvantage because their instrument is in their body; they can’t take it to the shop for tuning. Vocal chords do wear out but my thought is to treat my body as an athlete would.’

CURIOSITY IN MANHATTAN

alisha evans

Some musicians struggle to stay together as a group for a decade, but THE MANHATTAN TRANSFER has outlasted most and is still making music after four. Janis Siegel, one of the four-part vocal harmony experts, says the group has stayed together for so long because they stay curious and keep trying new things.

Despite concerns for their vocal chords, Siegel and the band have no thoughts of slowing down. ‘As long as we can keep going, we will. I’m a harmony fanatic and have been since I was two. It gives me a thrill I don’t get anywhere else.’ Janis has nine solo records and produces for other artists, but her part in The Manhattan Transfer is still her favourite. Having a career that spans four decades means the band has seen a lot of changes since they started touring. ‘Melbourne and Sydney have always been gorgeous cities, they’re just a lot more developed now.’ The Manhattan Transfer are performing at the Canberra Theatre Centre on Wednesday August 28 at 8pm. Tickets $105.00 + bf through canberratheatrecentre.com.au.

‘We’re very much a democracy. When we come together for a new project we all try to bring something that will be fun and that the audience will find fun,’ she says. ‘The years have flown by. It’s like any relationship; it’s not perfect, but when we come together magic happens, and we’re willing to work on problems in order to stay together.’ The group won’t even let illness get in the way of their music; with bass singer Tim Hauser unable to fly due to surgery, they have found a replacement for their Australian tour in Trist Curless. Trist will be joining the usual line up of soprano Cheryl Bentyne, tenor Alan Paul, and alto Siegel. Calling from New York on a 30-degree evening, where the sound of sirens can be heard in the background, Siegel finds inspiration just by leaving her apartment. ‘I can see 15 different bands just by walking out the door.’ She uses this inspiration in both her solo and Manhattan Transfer careers. The Manhattan Transfer is at its core a four-part vocal harmony group, that according to Janis explores different facets of American music. Stylistic influences include rhythm and blues, swing, jazz, bebop, pop, and the band even dallied in Brazilian pop for a time. ‘We have endless influences to draw from but if I had to name one specialty, it would be vocalese.’ Aged 61, Siegel has no plans to stop singing, but says it’s harder for a singer to take care of their

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DANCE THE DROP When the music stops and the bouncers herd you out onto the cold concrete at 5 o’clock in the a.m., you have two clear options: go home, jump into bed, and hope to god that your garlic kebab doesn’t attempt to reanimate itself, or you can kick on at ‘some guy’s house’ with a bunch of people you met outside while you were scabbing a Winfield Gold. The chance to mumble armchair politics at a bunch of lovably sloppy strangers, while peering at the sunrise through your Ran Bay Aviators and sipping on an evil concoction of ‘whatever was in the cabinet plus soft drink’, is way too enticing an opportunity to pass up for many. This one goes out to all the kick-ons waking up the neighbourhood this weekend. Fight the daylight! Many of my most cherished sleepless nights began with a visit to Canberra’s infamous late night dungeon, Lot 33. The rectangular room was more than just a club, it was an institution (for the mentally unstable), so with great pleasure I can announce that Trinity Bar has planned a reunion party on Friday September 13. The evening will feature some of Lot 33’s most popular residents including Pred, Dave Norgate, Offtapia and Cheese. BYO nostalgia.

I will always have a tingly soft spot for Aussie band Midnight Juggernauts. The three-piece may have been sucked into the Bermuda Triangle for the past few years but they have recently resurfaced with a couple of hot singles that look set to put them back on the map. You can catch them in person at Zierholz @ UC on Saturday August 17. The Game Changer tour hits Trinity Bar on Friday August 16 featuring Sydney bass brothers A-Tonez and Ocean. The latter took time away from assuring people that his first name isn’t Frank to drop a bottom heavy top five for us this week. Wave Racer - Rock u Tonite [Unreleased] – So much energy in this track. This guy sounds like Rustie; love how he’s from Sydney too. RL Grime – Amphibian [Wedidit] – This is one of RL Grime’s earlier tracks, a bit old but a personal favourite. Shows a different side to RL Grime’s current tracks which are just as good. Motez – Ride Roof Back [Food Music] – Although this one isn’t out yet, I’ve heard it played a lot and I think it’s one of the best tracks to come out of Australia this year. That drop is incredible. Janet Jackson – If (Kaytranada Remix) [Unreleased] – Well produced and easy to listen to, plus that bassline is so catchy. Gorgon City – Real ft. Yasmin [Black Butter Records] – Everything in this track catches my attention, 10/10. TIM GALVIN - tim.galvin@live.com.au

Melbournians are getting a lot of press lately due to their homogenised new rave sound championed by the likes of Will Sparks. If the high energy fad is your bag, Academy has just the ticket for you: Ministry of Sound’s latest recruit Chardy will be headlining the main room on Friday August 30.My vinyl copy of Shadows is still one of the prize pieces in my collection, so

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thinking than the title would have you expect, with a lot of ‘90s rave throwbacks and unnecessary handclaps. She could go far worse, though. Seriously. Every time I hear an 808 snare or handclap in a track now, I just want to hurl. Trap has taken over. It’s well past a joke. Those COMME DES FUCKDOWN snapback caps or leopard-skin loafers don’t seem to be going away, and it’s getting a little worrying. Yay! Moderat’s new album, II, is out. Who couldn’t like the German techno-pop supergroup? The adorably indie Sascha Ring (aka Apparat) and Berlin party-starter duo Modeselektor have come out with something at once grimier and yet more polished than their 2009 debut LP. The group mentioned in a recent interview that they did set about making something ‘dirtier’ this time. First single Bad Kingdom is a cracker, echoing the balance between moody beats and ravey synths that made Rusty Nails such a hit. The collective is just kicking off a four-month tour around Europe and the States, so let’s hope they make it down to our shores at some point soon. Matthew Herbert, without a doubt one of the weirdest people in electronic music, has just dropped a bomb with his new album The End of Silence. Sorry, poor taste. You see, everything in the album is drawn from a five-second sample of a bomb blast in Libya, recorded by war photographer Sebastian Meyer in 2011. There’s a whistling sound and someone yelling just before the bomb hits, and then the sounds of falling debris. Herbert played the album live on his Australian tour earlier this year. It’s a rather dense, dark album, as you might expect – almost underwater-sounding, full of moody whale-like noises and sonic depth charges. But, like previous efforts, it’s startling just how much he’s been able to extract from a mere five seconds of recording. It’s that computer magic, I tell you. Hyperdub artist Ikonika is back with a new album, the futuristicsounding Aerotropolis. It’s a great record, but perhaps less forward-

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When it comes to the music itself, the actual sounds that make up the productions – the air horns, the samples, the over-thetop orchestral strings that sound like they’re ripped out of a Garageband preset – I just don’t get it. What is especially strange to me is how much it’s taken off here in Australia amongst hipsters and cool-chasers. You can go to a warehouse party and witness hundreds of Australian 20-somethings gyrating confusedly to the harsh, broken beats and toneless bass rumbles. But you have to wonder: Does anyone here actually enjoy this music? One of the most disturbing developments to come out of this whole mess is that trap is now, bewilderingly, having an effect on quality bass music over in the UK. The sound that Girl Unit and Rustie, among others, have been pushing has finally tipped into absurdity. On the more mainstream side of things, James Blake played a DJ set in Melbourne last week that even triple j referred to as ‘surprisingly trap-heavy’ the next day. And still, most of us are unaware of the insidious trap menace. We’re distracted by silly events of little consequence, like Paris Hilton’s new DJ residency at the Amnesia superclub on Ibiza – a place where rich people in white shirts will pay upwards of 20 euro for a drink. The announcement sparked a web furor, with one of the more memorable comments being, ‘A sad day for Ibiza, dance music and humanity.’ Classic. One for the history books. MORGAN RICHARDS - morg.richards@gmail.com

greta kite-gilmour Whether through his eloquently ill-mannered restaurant resignation, or his infamously articulate rant about hover boards, SETH SENTRY is one Aussie hip hop artist with whom most of us should now be acquainted. Having just returned from a successful US tour of his 2012 debut album This Was Tomorrow, it seems it’s not just Australia in which Seth’s excelling. Barely having touched down on Texan soil in March, Seth won himself an opening slot for LL Cool J, Public Enemy, Ice Cube and Doug E. Fresh through an audience-voted freestyling competition at the world’s biggest music conference, SXSW. Moments later, Seth was confirmed as the support slot on LL Cool J’s June/July Authentic tour, as well as gifted an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live – making Seth the first ever Australian MC to perform on the show.

Of course, this doesn’t mean Seth is free of his own demons, which, on the odd track or two, leak through his verses – apparently unwittingly. ‘It’s not really a conscious thing. I guess [songwriting] is just an extension of your personality. Like, I’m generally not the most forthcoming, open kind of person when it comes to my personal life, even with the people around me, so I guess that’s going to happen with the music. So yeah, every now and then little bits come through. ‘But I certainly don’t think I could ever imagine myself sitting down and wanting to write and dedicate a whole song to my struggle or whatever. Everybody’s got their problems and things they’ve been through, and when I listen to music I sometimes don’t really want to hear a guy crying about his shitty upbringing or that his dad didn’t love him or whatever, y’know? I think there’s a way to release that information that isn’t so obvious … that isn’t so “Dear Diary”.’

I actually ended up ripping my shirt off mid-shift in the middle of the restaurant and just pissing onto the floor and walking out

‘It’s pretty phenomenal. It was my first time even overseas, let alone playing a set over there, so there was just so much going on. We’re stoked, we just couldn’t have possibly predicted an outcome like that.’

For many Aussie artists, the call of international success and support from a growing US fan base would be enough to send them packing. Not for this notoriously fun-fuelled MC. ‘I really wanted to do this regional tour first in Australia, ‘cos that’s something I love doing, and I felt kinda bummed out last time we just got to do the big capital cities. I’m excited. Regionals are just my favourite shit – they always go so crazy.’ Sentry’s upcoming tour will promote his latest release, Vacation, taken from This Was Tomorrow. Though its lyrical content comprises a bemusing mix of drug references and video game quips, beneath this satirical surface, Seth said, ‘Man, that song’s a funny one. That was the last I wrote for the album and I’d just spent three years working on it. It was all kinda finished and the end was in sight, so really it’s just about me wrapping it up and saying, “I’m going to take a break after this”. Not even so much as in stop writing music, but...’ Struggling for words, Seth paused, before continuing with a hint of atypical angst. ‘When you’re writing an album, or when I am, I’m just constantly thinking about it; constantly stressing and constantly got all these dates and times and schedules to keep to. And then it’s all gone. ‘That album took way longer than I thought and I was really starting to get hassled by people who’d been listening to my music for a while and stuff … it was cool to just kind of let it go and just focus on the fun stuff, the performance side of it. That’s the vacation for me.’ As for the rest of the album, listeners can expect the same kind of relatable, light-hearted lyrical content of 2009’s widely circulated The Waitress Song and last year’s My Scene, covering everything from intolerable housemates to the zombie apocalypse. In an industry saturated with ‘daddy issues’ and hard times in the neighbourhood, it’s no wonder Seth’s approach to hip hop has gleaned far-reaching appeal.

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Clearly, the accumulation of multiple recent successes have done nothing to chip away at the dogged humility of Sentry, who confesses to never once having predicted this future for himself. ‘I don’t think I would ever have been able to convince “past Seth” exactly of all the awesome stuff that’s happened in the last few years. I wouldn’t have believed it. It just wasn’t viable. Not only could I not see myself doing this, but just where Aussie hip hop is at now. Growing up, you couldn’t be doing it to get famous or to get money because there was no money there and no one really liked rap. When I told people I was a rapper I’d have to kind of mumble it under my breath. So that, coupled with how ridiculous it’s all been, I couldn’t have imagined I’ve been able to do what I do.’ But surely, most stunned of all must be a certain restaurant owner; Seth’s previous employer and subject of the scathingly witty Thanks for Your Hospitality? Seth’s response was laced with a contented blend of utter indifference and cheeky retribution. ‘I’ve had lots of different hospitality jobs and I’ve quit in many, many, many ways, so I’ve been able to tell my dickhead bosses at every turn exactly what I think about them. I mean, I’ve had some good quits.’ Without skipping a beat, Seth recounted one particularly momentous occasion: ‘Once, I was working at a place that had these really nice shirts with the name of the restaurant embroidered onto it. I was like, “I quit” and the sous was like, “Yeh?” and I went to walk out and he goes, “That’s our shirt!”, so I was like, “Yeh? Well, fuck this shirt!” and – this sounds psychopathic by the way – I actually ended up ripping my shirt off mid-shift in the middle of the restaurant and just pissing onto the floor and walking out.’ Well, I guess the moral of the story is that success is indeed the best revenge … except, perhaps, if you’re Seth Sentry. Seth Sentry brings his Vacation tour to Zierholz @ UC on Thursday August 29 at 8pm, supported by Mantra and Grey Ghost. Tickets are $28.60 + bf through Oztix.

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METALISE So USUALLY I write the column along the lines of shows coming up, but it’s getting a bit ridiculous for the upcoming months. Locally at The Basement in the next little while we have Northlane and Saviour on Friday September 6 and a Vee Bees spectacular on Saturday September 28. You have the promise of the awesome gig at the Hellenic Club in the city by The Levitation Hex on Sunday August 25. Then there are the tours coming up in the next few months. Kvelertak are welcome visitors in September, as are Finns Korpiklaani, making their first ever appearance in Australia in October, as well as their countrymen Stratovarius. Japanese doom legends Church of Misery headline Doomsday fest this year happening in Sydney on Monday October 4. Firewind, featuring Ozzy’s current axeman Gus G, are kicking off an Aussie tour on Thursday October 31 in Sydney. October tours include The Amity Affliction, Behemoth, Bring Me the Horizon, Of Mice and Men, Soilwork, Rolo Tomassi, Twelve Foot Ninja, Every Time I Die, Devin Townsend Project, Amorphis, Hour of Penance, Crossfaith, Sleep, Albatross, and Enslaved through to November. Between the Buried and Me return with The Contortionist tour in November, as do Nile and The Faceless over the same period. Vans Warped Tour comes to Exhibition Park in November too. Then there’s the Big Day Out announcing Ghost and Northlane for heavy music fans on the first announcement, and we haven’t even scratched the surface of the Soundwave line-up for next year. It’s nuts! Being a bit over halfway into the year, I was taking stock of the albums I’ve been listening to released this year. I was cross-checking with my mates at the Cacophemisms blog and former Metallise columnist Geoff Chaplin, host of 2XX’s Let’s Mosh radio show, on new music on the way to see St Vitus a couple weeks back. I kinda forgot that there have been a TONNE of awesome metal albums come out already this year. Toping my mid-year list for ‘album of the year’ has to be Vexovoid from Queensland’s greatest ever metal band Portal. It’s the most structured and cleanly produced of their works to date, but take that as a concession; this is as extreme as metal gets. Creatively deep, subliminally melodic, bleak palette psychedelia and, for me, the contemporary evolution of the kind of extremities metal can attain, hinted at by Morbid Angel on Altars of Madness 20 years ago, with lashings of Immolation to boot. Speaking of Immolation, their Kingdom of Conspiracy album is also one to be reckoned with. The Headless Ritual from long-time death metal favourites Autopsy is a whole bunch of good unclean fun too. Cathedral said goodbye to their 22-year career with the excellent summation of their recorded material, The Last Spire, which was great. I haven’t had a lot of time to digest the new Carcass record Surgical Steel, but early listens are pretty surprising. As for some newer music from bands formed post millennium – Kvelertak, with their second full-length, Meir (translation: more), has kept me coming back for more. A recent discovery has been the sublime female vocals of vocalist/guitarist Darcy Nutt combined with some real nasty down-tuned doom riffage from Darcy’s band Uzala and their self-titled record that I missed in 2012. JOSH NIXON - doomtildeath@hotmail.com

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MAKE NO ASSUMPTIONS: PUNK IS ALIVE ian McCARTHY If you’ve been around the Canberra punk scene and haven’t heard of NO ASSUMPTION, you’re probably lying about having been around the Canberra punk scene. The Queanbeyan four-piece has been a vehement presence around these parts for the better part of five years, and over those years, Zane, Ashton, Jack, and Jono have blossomed from little rats plaguing youth centres into slightly larger rats, plaguing more grown-up venues with their harsh, heavy, pure punk sound.

You could go for progressive hardcore punk … But we just prefer punk

I recently had a chance to sit down with three quarters of No Assumption (Ashton claimed to be too busy moving, which one can’t help noticing is a pretty un-punk excuse). Between heated rants about Kanye West’s choice of baby names and stories of Jono hurting himself, I managed to extract a small amount of relevant information.

When asked about the band’s origins, bass player Jack begins, ‘The story of No Assumption comes from a long line of—’ at which point Jono joins in to create a combination of muddled words, which Zane acutely observed ‘wasn’t anything.’ Jack continues, ‘We all went to Karabar High School and met through women … We decided to play in a band. Jono played drums, [Zane] played lead guitar, I didn’t play anything … Ashton played rhythm guitar. I learnt bass in a day … We left our women in the dust and formed No Assumption!’ ‘If you wanted to describe our current sound,’ Jack says, ‘you could go for progressive hardcore punk.’ ‘But we just prefer punk,’ adds Zane. Jono agrees. ‘It sounds better on paper, and it’s easier to read and say.’ One might also argue that the descriptor better encompasses the band’s ‘fuck everything’ attitude. No Assumption’s new EP, First Edition, will be out in the coming days and they claim it to be a large improvement on their old Blank Expressions demo, which they refuse to discuss. The EP was recorded at Phat Track Entertainment in what the band call ‘the middle of bat shit nowhere’, which translates roughly to about 20 kilometres from Thredbo. For a week the band spent their days recording, and their nights cooking sausages, drinking beer, and sleeping in the great outdoors. (They cuddled each other for warmth.) The EP has already been successful in securing them a contract at the very studio where it was recorded. If you want a taste of First Edition, track Babysitting is making the rounds as part of a collective of bands called Garbagefaced Music. If the track is anything to judge by, First Edition will be a fast-paced collection of quick, hard, and heavy punk rock. As I left No Assumption, they were arguing over who would be the designated driver of the band’s ute, so the others can drink at their EP release. Looks like they might have to get a cab… No Assumption will launch their new EP on Saturday August 17 at The Phoenix Bar, with Wolfpack and Wretch. 9:30pm. Free.

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E X H I B I T I O N I S T ARTS | ACT

THE LOST ART OF TELLING A STORY lauren strickland Changing the world starts with beer, pizza, and story time. MIKAELA GRIFFITHS and RUTH MIRAMS, if you want a very narrow definition of their job, are consultants. They are also scientists, public servants, community members, philanthropists, and educators. Later this year they’ll add another title to their already prestigious CVs: speakers at TEDXCANBERRA 2013. ‘In all cultures, stories are the way we pass on lessons from the past; through generations and generations of narration, it’s the way we teach children,’ says Ruth. ‘It seems to be that we’ve lost the way to relate to each other through our stories and we’ve started to relate to each other through our jobs, or the amount of money we have, or whatever. We believe that stories are a different way to work with people.’ Together, Mikaela and Ruth have collected a lot of stories. Participating in this year’s World Indigenous Network conference in Darwin, the pair ran an event called Magic Canoe. ‘We worked to bring together a team from Canada, Brazil, and Australia, which included first nations people from all those different countries, to make a place for narrative and stories,’ says Ruth. Mikaela continues: ‘We were asked to do something completely different to what we ended up delivering, and that’s because we went out and spoke to [the] Indigenous communities and said “Guys, we’ve got an opportunity to do something, what would you like to do?”’ This narrative emphasis might come as a surprise. The duo are scientists – Mikaela is an environmental biologist, Ruth is a chemist – and they met while working at the Department of Innovation. Six months ago they left to start Paramodic. ‘We really believe in government and in the role of government in society,’ says Ruth. Though both saw something broken in the bureaucracy, their work is now focused on bringing government and community together, helping translate red tape into plain English, and making sure that the public is really getting what it needs out of the public service. The pair structured their business model so that they could divide their time between paid jobs and volunteer ones, donating their skills to help remote communities around Australia. For Ruth and Mikaela, it’s about ‘what we can do using our knowledge of government, our knowledge of human-centred design, and just generally being human beings, to help work with communities to bridge the gap between them and the government’. They work on a variety of issues, including things like access to education and health care. ‘What we’d like to do is go in there, get in with the community, with the education system, with policing, with the land council, with the national parks, with the health providers, and co-design a new future with the people.’ Listening to stories is an important step for Mikaela and Ruth to find out what people really need help with. ‘Sometimes it may be as simple

as having beer and pizza; other times it’s putting on costumes and silly hats, and … letting people have fun with the work they do.’ Last year, Mikaela and Ruth created GovJam, a programme they took to a global level this year. GovJams are like policy boot camps: they’re 48-hour brainstorming sessions geared at producing public sector gold. ‘We realised the power of working … in a fun way, that’s very intense,’ says Ruth. ‘You’re working towards impossible deadlines; it’s very outcomefocused. It’s not enough to just have an idea. You have to build something. We created GovJam so that that something would be a government policy or a government funding strategy or a government service – everything around GovJam is public sector-focused.’ ‘The really key thing about GovJam,’ says Mikaela, ‘is that we engineer it so it’s not dominated by public servants. We try and make sure that we have, yes, public servants, people who have a voice to the government, but also community members, businesses, people from the social sector. We try to get a collision of all these different people.’ GovJams and their siblings, SustainabilityJam and ServiceJam, are held around the world, with participating groups from across Europe, the Americas, and Iran all ‘jamming’ on the same theme at the same time – and then sharing the results on the organisation’s website under a Creative Commons licence. Mikaela and Ruth have a science-meets-art approach to problem solving. They apply it to everything from their consultancy work with the University of Canberra (‘a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reimagine what a university education might look like’) to the structure of GovJam events. ‘Our scientific training … means we frame questions in a certain way. It’s all about asking why? And it’s the same way designers work,’ says Ruth. The creative element of the process, as Mikaela puts it, ‘allows you to go back to being seven years old’. There’s a lot of drawing, and there’s Lego; participants are invited to build something up and break it down, to ‘fail quickly and cheaply’. Ruth says that ‘this sort of way of working with prototyping is quite different to how a lot of government things are done and it’s really a bit of a revelation; you really have to work the problems out early’. Mikaela concludes: ‘We ask people to revisit the creative side of who they are. [Try] to forget all your training and go back to when you were a child: when you were free to be creative, and draw, and make art, and build things, and break them. Everybody has an ability to be inquisitive and be creative.’ More information about Mikaela and Ruth’s work can be found at paramodic.com.au or GovJam.org. TEDxCanberra is at The Playhouse on Saturday September 7. Registrations are sold out, but a waiting list exists at tedxcanberra.org.

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Nathan Haines by Dale Wowk Capital Jazz Project 2013

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UNINHIBITED Old age is a killer. Often literally. It begins to plague some sensitive types once the odometer clicks over 30. The body starts to rebel. Hair appears in places where no hair should travel. Joints stiffen and younger members of your preferred gender start to address you like a schoolteacher, or a parent, or a creep, or all three. It is all downhill. Or so some might say. Others, including your correspondent, roundly disagree. The guff regarding age is an invention which we foolishly propagate. What of the relationship to age and cultural works, though? I write for this and other publications, where I’m asked to review things.

It keeps me vaguely up-to-date (though in reality, it’s trawling through surprisingly detailed oceans of shit to locate a song worth writing home about). Several acts that are brand new already feel like lifelong pals. In short, I thought I was doing a good job at not romanticising any period of recorded music. Then my phone broke. My computer wouldn’t talk to the new phone, so I had to update and reintegrate the tunes. And I thought I’d attempt to limit the library somewhat. After walking about with 5000–6000 songs in my pocket, meaning that I was spending a lot of time flicking through the collection to find ‘that one song’, I figured that a more modest amount might be an interesting way to roll. Rediscover some underplayed LPs. Pretty dull stuff. Except that within this most modern, first world tech bore process, I unlocked some interesting things. I found that my response to certain songs in the catalogue, ignored for some time, re-emerged with a force that other tunes did not have. It seems that there was a personal golden period of music, starting at about 2003, and fading a little around 2009. These are songs with lyrics I can recite without effort, as well as basslines, counter-melodic guitar things, so on. I can play perfect air drums to these. I know them inside and out, and I’m not bored of them. And I wonder why. Those years were the thickest of my twenties, the most involved. All the clichés you need not read about, but probably know already. And therein lies something about music that does not apply so much to the other forms I’m obsessed with. I’ve never had a golden period of art appreciation, or a decade where fiction grabbed me more than another. And herein there’s something about the notion of music, and rock music in particular, as a young(er) person’s game. This year I’ve loved records by The National, My Bloody Valentine, Eleanor Friedberger, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, and Monnone Alone more than most. Acts in their 30s–50s. But that personal golden period, charting the wonderful mess of my twenties, still has a forceful hold that trumps all comers. It’s all relative. Sometimes we move with the times, but mostly time just happens. Good thing that’s there’s always something to soundtrack these years. 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 and Café in Lyneham. He went along, gave it a go, and a couple of weeks later went to The Phoenix’s BAD! SLAM! NO! BISCUIT!

THE ALTERNATIVE CANDIDATE zoe pleasants I think it is fitting that on Saturday September 7, when the rest of Australia may associate Canberra with the cynicism and obfuscation that is the federal election, this city will be hosting an event designed to be thought-provoking, inspiring, and engaging: TEDXCANBERRA 2013. This local, licensed, independently organised version of TED is now in its fourth year, and has just announced the line-up of speakers for this year’s event. I spoke to one of them, performance poet CJ BOWERBIRD, aka Chris Huet, who was soaking up the sun at The Byron Bay Writer’s Festival. Chris intends to use his presentation to ‘encourage people to think and discover their creativity’. While Chris has always engaged in creative writing, he discovered performance poetry about four and a half years ago when he saw a slam advertised at The Front Gallery

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‘[Since then] I’ve been writing almost exclusively poetry for performance. I find that extremely rewarding and I’m discovering things I didn’t know about myself and about other people,’ says Chris. And he must be pretty good at it, because last year he won the Australian National Poetry Slam competition. ‘I really enjoy performing [my poetry]; I’ve got a theatrical side to me. When you write [poetry] on a page you never get to see the people read it. Occasionally you get a bit of feedback saying I loved it, or I got a lot out of it. But it’s much better for me to actually perform it on stage and actually look in people’s eyes live and see them laugh or cry or react immediately to what you’re doing. There is definitely an ego part, but it’s also very human and satisfying as well, to make that connection with other people.’ I ask Chris what effect living in Canberra has had on his poetry. ‘Being in one place has helped a lot because I’ve been able to become part of the community and Canberra has a very strong creative community, and because it’s a small place it’s not just poets; [you’re mixing with] dancers and artists and musicians. It’s a really good community actually, a really good, strong and rewarding community. So being in Canberra, being in one place, has allowed me to explore further this side of my creativity and grow it as well.’ This community will be in attendance at TEDxCanberra: ‘There will five other performance poets there as well, and at the end of the day we’re going to present a poetic response to the day,’ Chris told me. Now if only Kevin and Tony could learn a thing or two about performance poetry; that would be a debate worth watching! CJ Bowerbird will perform at TEDxCanberra 2013 at The Playhouse on Saturday September 7. Registrations are sold out. Join the waiting list at tedxcanberra.org.

Tackling ‘massively universal themes like guilt, grief, and loss’, West observes ‘it should really resonate with everyone’. For West himself, the idea of sanctuary became one of enormous resonant power, with the poignancy of the play’s title evoking ‘that feeling of sanctuary, of where you go at the end, either at the end of the day or at the end of your life’.

BRINGING IT ALL HOME alice McSHANE Jarrad West, co-founder of multiple award-winning company Everyman Theatre, says he risks sounding like ‘a bit of a douchebag’ before declaring that their latest piece is going to be something ‘completely different’. Commissioned by the Canberra Theatre Centre’s 2013 subscription season in conjunction with the Centenary celebrations, director Jarrad West takes a ‘throw the kitchen sink at this’ approach for his company’s latest work, HOME AT THE END. Describing the Canberra-centric component of the theatre’s 2013 season as ‘a real boost’, West is seizing the opportunity for Everyman Theatre to ‘say “here we are, we’ve been doing this for six years now; why don’t you come and see one of our shows?”’ Home at the End situates itself in a decrepit fisherman’s shack, wherein a reclusive tramp embarks on a journey through memory.

Describing the play as a ‘pastiche of ideas and different styles’, West credits writer Duncan Fey’s interweaving script for enabling bold storytelling: ‘It really lent itself in the script to … a story-teller using imagination or whatever resource they have at hand to tell the story’. Calling it a ‘happy accident’ that ‘the right bunch of people who all have … the same style of putting together’ are on board, West has assembled a dream team of local talent, including an original score by Tim Hansen, animation by Stephen Duke and Paul Summerfield, and craftsmanship by National Institute of Dramatic Art students who built a wooden puppet to portray the character of six-yearold Molly. While this piece is clearly anchored by West’s creative vision, he is graciously effusive when it comes to his team and the collaborative process, describing it as a ‘general love-fest’. When discussing the work of composer Tim Hansen, West proclaims ‘even if you’ve never heard of Duncan Fey or Everyman Theatre, come along just to listen to his music’. Clearly inspired by his creative team, the existential themes uncovered in the script have paved the way for a wondrous celebration of theatrical forms. There is much to be discovered in Home at the End: ‘so many different things happening, so many avenues of performance’, but for West what is most exciting is ‘bringing all of that together into a cohesive and really moving story’. Home at the End will be showing at The Courtyard Studio, Canberra Theatre Centre, Wed-Sat September 4-14. Tickets are $42 adult/$35 concession + bf through canberratheatrecentre.com.au.

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ARTISTPROFILE: Juliette Dudley

What do you do? I’m an illustrator, artist and graphic designer. At the moment I’m mainly working with pencil, pen and watercolours on paper, but I like to experiment with lots of different media and techniques. I also draw on plates with porcelain pens and occasionally dabble in screen-printing. When, how and why did you get into it? I’ve been creating art ever since I was able to hold a crayon (and probably used it to draw on the walls of my room). When I was about 13 I went to an exhibition of work by Leonardo Da Vinci, which inspired me to improve my life-drawing skills and inspired me to someday be as famous as him. I may have aimed a little high there. Recently, I’ve decided that what I’d most love to do with my life is be an illustrator, so I’m now working towards that goal.

What makes you laugh? Toilet humor is pretty high up there. I watch a lot of TV shows and anime, which probably explains my level of maturity – Adventure Time, Polar Bear Cafe, The Simpsons, Futurama, SKET Dance, Space Brothers, Moyashimon, Poyo Poyo. I’m also a fan of the Angry Video Game Nerd series of online videos, which review games from old consoles. What pisses you off? Computers misbehaving, really slow drivers. What about the local scene would you change? I’m not sure if there’s anything I’d specifically change, but maybe more opportunities for teenagers looking to have their work exhibited. Upcoming exhibitions? I’ve got a solo exhibition called Pastel Galaxy Dream launching on Thursday August 15 at This Studio in Gungahlin. I’m also going to be having a stall at the next Canberra Creatives Mega Craft Day at Dickson College on Saturday August 31. Contact Info: email@juliettedudley.com; facebook.com/ juliettedudleydesign; juliettedudley.com.

Who or what influences you as an artist? A lot of things influence me, but generally speaking it’s the things I see and experience in life that make me happy. Sometimes these are things that look beautiful or funny, taste good or remind me of happy memories from my childhood. Things that have influenced me a lot lately include street fashion, Japanese pop culture, Kyary Pamyu Pamyu, sweet pastries, pot plants, Australian animals, beards, pets, retro science fiction. Nowadays I’m more focused on creating artwork that makes people smile (as lame as that sounds). Having said that, some of my artwork is a bit weird. Of what are you proudest so far? Participating in the first Commit No Nuisance live art battle at La De Da is an experience that I’ll always remember. It was the first time I created art in front of a live audience. It really tested my ability to think on my feet. I was pretty nervous at the beginning but after a while I sort of forgot the crowd was there. What are your plans for the future? I’m currently promoting myself as an illustrator, so I’m hoping to one day be able to do that full-time. I’ve got a number of projects in the works – setting up a new blog, an Etsy store, designing a range of stationery and scarves. I’m also toying with the idea of studying fashion design. I think I’d like to collaborate with other local artists too.

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IN REVIEW Hit the Floor Together The Playhouse Wed July 31-Sat Aug 3

Hit the Floor Together brought together 45 indigenous and nonindigenous dancers, aged between 13-25, with choreographers to break down stereotypes, experiment with form, and ultimately collaborate and learn from each other. The idea for this project came from dancer and choreographer Daniel Riley McKinley, who has always wanted to give back to the organisation where he learnt to love dance. Together, he and QL2 Artistic Director Ruth Osborne brought Dean Cross, also an ex-QL2 dancer, and Deon Hastie, the Artistic Director of Kurruru Youth Performing Arts, on board as choreographers. Hit the Floor Together represented a step forward for QL2â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s youth ensemble Quantum Leap, as it is has also brought dancers from two Indigenous performing arts organisations, NAISDA and Kurruru, to work with them in Canberra, as well as young Indigenous dancers from all over Australia. One of the most valuable features of this project was the way in which the young dancers were heavily involved in the creative process, with the choreographers presenting them with task-based activities which encouraged them to think about the themes and ideas of the work and how they can use movement to express that. This resulted in a true engagement with the ideas of the project for the dancers, and the opportunity to share their experiences of culture, place, and identity. This deep investment in the work was evident on stage, as the dancers were focused and completely committed to the production.

Hit the Floor Together was divided into three sections, with the first piece choreographed by Daniel Riley McKinley, a work which explored themes of landscape, place, and identity. The influence of his experience at Bangarra was evident and there was a wonderfully grounded and earthy quality to the piece, which subtly drew on traditions of indigenous dance, but also played to the different strengths of the dancers. It was a beautifully realised work that was captivating and emotional. The middle section, choreographed by Dean Cross, took a different approach and explored ideas of the personal, how we relate to one another, and how we are perceived in a colourful, entertaining work. Deon Hastieâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s piece rounded out the production with a high-energy work which referenced the build-up, climax, and after effects of a forceful storm. This piece provided an opportunity to showcase the strength and skill of the dancers in a fast-paced work, but with slower, thoughtful moments as well. Hit the Floor Together was a powerful, engaging work of contemporary dance, and reflected the incredible young dance talent fostered in Canberra through the work of the team at QL2 Dance. It also demonstrated the power of collaboration in artistic practice and its ability to bring people together, no matter their age, cultural background, or level of experience. vanessa wright

Image credit: Lorna Sim

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LITERATURE IN REVIEW The Petrov Poems Lesley Lebkowicz [Pitt Street Poetry; 2013]

In the ‘50s, Canberra was a sleepy town, as opposed to the vast pumping metropolis we encounter today. In the middle of the Cold War, two Russian spies stationed here defected. They were Edvokia and Vladimir Petrov, and Lesley Lebkowicz’s new book, The Petrov Poems, tells their stories. I should note at the outset that I know Lesley a little, and I am delighted that her book has been published. I remember her reading extracts from the manuscript as far back as 2009. What a handsome book The Petrov Poems is: black and white illustrations of le Carrélike spies at beginning and end, and lovely fat paper. Pitt Street Poetry is making beautiful books. The move to describing the inner lives of spies puts the human story at the centre of the narrative; and this book of poems definitely has a narrative. Escaping poverty, the Petrovs find themselves in Canberra, where they have ‘a whole house and plenty of food’. Indeed, food and sex and alcohol are Vladimir’s (Volodya’s) main motivators. His dream is to own a chicken farm. His fixation with food revolted me a little. That level of greed is only understandable to someone who has tasted their country reduced to ‘a landscape of bones’ by government fiat. So his guts may be forgiven; his endangerment of his wife, by defecting and leaving her in the Soviet Embassy, is less so. He seems to miss his dog more. Edvokia (Dusya) is by far the more interesting character of the two. Her delay in defecting is based on a welljustified fear for her sister’s life. ASIO is a character in its own right, and the spies’ distrust of the defectors is quite amusing. I found myself adopting a similar stance towards the defectors; treating Volodya with suspicion for doing exactly what he wanted. After all, a man who defects on the promise of a chicken farm is no shining star of idealism. ASIO use the Petrovs to support their own agenda, raising questions of what constitutes a democracy. Canberra, in which we find a Kingston and Manuka with stores ‘but no cafés’, is a character here, too. Even if you don’t read much poetry, buy the book to see a well-realised description of a time where, briefly, Canberra moved to the centre of world affairs. Mrs Petrov losing a shoe at the airport as she was dragged towards home and probable execution is a vivid image. Lesley Lebkowicz’s impeccably researched collection should be entered in history prizes as well as poetry ones; she turns history from dry events into ones as well-fleshed out as Volodya himself. For, history is both a narrative and a series of poems. P. S. Cottier

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LITERATURE IN REVIEW

question a suspect because they’re a NSW resident! (Okay, that one was pretty funny.) It’s an odd juxtaposition, effective in its way, but jarring. I kept getting tripped up on ‘Hey, I have lunch there’.

In the final days leading up to the federal election, a popular frontbencher turns up dead on the shores of Lake Burley Griffin, throwing the election campaign into disarray and sparking a media frenzy. Never fear, Detective Darren Glass of the AFP is on the case, and he’ll do anything to get the job done – including gravely insulting the Prime Minister and stalking an attractive female reporter. When more people in the PM’s office start going missing, it looks like the deaths may be related to an old political scandal.

The author, Peter Cotton, draws on years of experience working at the big house on the hill to give the political side of things a veneer of credibility, capturing the weird incestuous vibe of the public service where everyone knows everyone and everyone has secrets. The players are all fictionalised, of course, and the political parties deliberately, delicately obscured. I’m pretty sure he even invents an entire department to fill a plot hole at one point, but it is all recognisably the Australian Parliament doing their dysfunctional preelection thing.

Dead Cat Bounce Peter Cotton [Scribe Publications; 2013]

The problem is, in Canberra it seems like everyone has a motive for murder, and it would be really great if they could get this solved before election day. I vacillated between being totally thrilled and utterly baffled by Dead Cat Bounce. The mystery is solid, with enough red herrings and plot twists to stay interesting, and the narration is textured and gritty, like watching an old noir film. But the pacing feels off. Too slow in the middle and heavy on the exposition, it loses momentum when it needs to be ratcheting up the tension. Also the romantic subplot is about eight different kinds of creepy, and I don’t think it’s supposed to be. My bafflement was largely reserved for the setting. I love a good political thriller as much as the next girl, but seriously. You’re setting your high-octane murder mystery in Canberra? Breathtaking police chases through Red Hill! Secret government conspiracies and coverups over coffee in Manuka! Having to take the Queanbeyan police to

Ultimately Dead Cat Bounce is a fun little murder mystery, its release extremely timely. I’m not saying it would be fun to have a high-profile murder or two to spice up the next few weeks of political mudslinging, but it would make the election more interesting. emma grist

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Having been subjected to more foul-mouthed tirades in one afternoon than ever before, I had begun to question whether the employment of my horse-drawn carriage along the Tuggeranong Parkway was reasonable. On sober reflection, however, it struck me that condemnation of my own preferred mode of transport was irrational, and that those who took umbrage were themselves morons. Sadly, it seems that the obsession with rushing hither and thither, with a voracity wholly out of step with the rotten fruits of your misguided labour, has tainted your ability to appreciate the visual splendour of man and beast working in chaste tandem. Hostility towards my preferred mode of conveyance was not total, however: scores of mechanised transportation units queued behind me, eager to catch a glimpse of the understated mastery that was my horsemanship, beeping their horns in merry wonderment; some enlightened soul had even erected a basic scoring system at roadside, grading in per cent my flawless equestrian technique – 80, 100 – an effort both accurate and endearing. It was only those passing on the left who appeared intent on spouting their venom, the left-hand lane presumably being a fast track to the local magistrates. I confess to being unfamiliar with the operating principles of your preferred mechanised transportation units, but it is clear to me that their operation is not conducted to a uniform standard. While some are happy to marvel at the effortless control of a master horseman, others have not the time to consider anything but their own inflated sense of self-importance. Among these less informed individuals, jostling for position appears a fierce source of pride as they weave in and out of their fellow travellers with all the social consideration of a war-mongering German. Were they to channel this effort into a more noble pursuit, they would no doubt achieve more than the scorn of civilised people. Other practitioners take an inordinate amount of pride in the presentation of their metallic beasts; bulky addendums daubed with neon colourings attracting much sought-after attention, but only to their abundant inadequacy. Enthusiasts of this type appear to be a few servants short of a properly staffed country retreat. I saw more than one missive affixed to their windows proclaiming ‘Fuck off, we’re full’ when the vehicle patently had room to accommodate two or three additional patrons. Those who bellowed obscenities at me as they surged past in ungainly contraptions would do well to abandon any notion that it is I who am somehow antiquated in approach, for I have servants and magnificent tweed trousers, whereas they employ only vulgarity and an incomprehensible attitude towards personal grooming. An awful lot of people appeared intent on decrying my more refined transit, but ask yourself – who is more deserving of public denouncement? They rush from one inconsequential appointment to another, whereas I sit here in sweet serenity, sucking on my fullbodied calabash. I don’t know why these people took such offence, and I staunchly refuse to find out.

gideon foxington-smythe

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Dance Music is not Music Dance music is not music; it is a lot closer to a controlled psychoactive substance than any form of music. It is mostly taken in dark late-night places, dealt out by a shifty guy, and causes people to dance or inappropriately touch their way to 3am. Dance music is to music what snowshoes are to footwear. Hugely useful in certain specific circumstances, but you wouldn’t want it walking down the aisle. Dance music is highly simplistic: just a beat, some siren noises, and the sound of someone blending a toaster. But hold on, before you get all angry in your tattoos and snap backs, I will concede that some dance tracks have singing or even instruments in them. This, however, is a lot like putting a monkey in a suit; it looks vaguely right but is still likely to throw shit down your ear holes. But don’t get me wrong, I don’t hate dance music. It’s very exciting, and great fun. I mean yes, as music or art I do hate it, but as a substance I like it. Music and food are very comparable in this way. Opera is like an expensive meal at a five-star restaurant, folk is a vegan salad, and rock is a beer and burger. If we continue this slightly tenuous analogy, dance music is a bottle of vodka with a straw in it. Dance music is the alcohol of the food world; perfect for having a good time, but I wouldn’t want to wake up to it. No more than I would want to replace my morning coffee with a vodka Redbull.

YOU MADE MY DAY!

Email editorial@bmamag.com to send a message of gratitude, warmth and generosity to the world at large. AWWW. Sometimes, but very rarely, I have a shit day. Sometimes, but only on the odd occasion, I come home grizzly. Sometimes, even after smashing it out at the gym, I still stomp around the kitchen banging cupboards, a prickly ball of steel wool in my chest and a swarm of angry wasps in my head. Today was one of those days. But the steel wool melted into warm honey and the wasps buzzed into a happy melody after receiving this text message from a dear old friend: “Hello lovely! Salmon or mussels tomorrow? I can’t decide. I could only narrow it down to those two :)” HOW FREAKING AMAZING IS THAT!? That I have a friend who asks me to choose between SALMON or MUSSELS for dinner!? And, in just 83 characters, my mood was completely transformed. Thank you, you beautiful, wonderful woman. YOU MADE MY DAY! So I’ve been on the road with work, travelling the length and breadth of Old Blighty installing electric car charging points. Solely entertained by ecsentric customers, BBC radio and limited iPhone library of drum and base, I rocked up by the sea in Sunderland. The previous days work wold have been hard to beat having walked in on some pretty lesbians but my work on Wearside was rewarded with a fine bottle of Bordeaux Suppier! Absolutely delighted.

Dance music follows the same set of social rules for consumption as alcohol. Take a wedding: you are not really supposed to be hammered during the service, at the dinner it’s okay to have something a little heavier, and by 1am you have burnt through the bar tab and are hooking up with someone you hope isn’t a cousin. That’s all fine, completely socially acceptable. It’s also why we don’t like it when we see a young man in a done-up car playing enough bass to shake your midday double mochachino. Having a massive subwoofer in your car is like being served at a chemist by someone drinking a six-pack. Which is why I think we should treat dance music like we treat alcohol. There will always be puritanical people who hate drinking and blame it for every problem in society. ‘Lips that touch liquor shall not touch ours!’ was the famous cry, and many people echo that by saying ‘I hate dance music!’ The problem with this is that you have no fun and miss making out with your second cousin at a wedding. But at the same time, it’s not acceptable all the time, like kids who listen to dance music loudly on the bus so everyone can hear – that’s the same as being the drunk collapsed in the bus’s stairwell. The answer, as always, is moderation. For some it’s okay to relax and have a few fun dance tracks, others might need some help from UNCE-UNCE-UNCE Anonymous. DANNY PHILIPPA - Danny Philippa is the president of Satyros Comedy Society, ANU’s sketch comedy group, and a local standup comic. He will be performing next at Ainslie Football Club on Saturday August 17 as Harold Remington-Smythe III.

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bit PARTS ‘Dancers a go-go’ by G. Baldessin

CREATIVE POWER: THE ART OF GEORGE BALDESSIN WHAT: Art Exhibition WHEN: Thu Aug 15-Sun Sep 22 WHERE: Drill Hall Gallery, ANU Some artists become known for one or more iconic works. In George Baldessin’s case, it would be his monumental sculptures of pears: a bronze version is situated at the entrance to the National Gallery of Australia. This iconic sculpture is much better known even than Baldessin’s name, though a precinct of the ANU is named after him, commemorating his close relation to the School of Art. Baldessin died in a car accident at the age of 39 in 1978. This exhibition is curated by Tess Edwards Baldessin, the artist’s widow, and surveys his superb achievements. Opens Thu Aug 15, 6pm. 12-5pm, Wed-Sun. ARE YOU WHO I THINK I AM? WHAT: Visual Art Exhibition: WHEN: Thu-Sun Aug 15-25 WHERE: Canberra Contemporary Art Space, Manuka

By Merryn Sommerville

People often confess that they don’t know what to feel when faced with the work of Eadie Newman and Merryn Sommerville. Newman’s work is introspective, with strange human bodies and animal characters that are surreal, poignant and fiercely witty. She draws intuitively, with delicate line, a fleshy colour palate and intimate scale. Sommerville’s innocent pastel drawings employ the figure of the child to communicate complex feelings about adult awareness of life and death. The dark background, application of colour and sensitive markmaking give her portraits a dark beauty. Opens Thu Aug 15, 6-8pm. Free. POSSIBLE WORLDS FILM FESTIVAL WHAT: US/Canada Film Festival WHEN: Wed-Fri Aug 21-23 WHERE: Arc Cinema, NFSA The eighth annual Possible Worlds Film Festival has revealed its 2013 program showcasing the best new independent cinema from Canada and the United States. The festival brings with it four new feature films: Sarah Polley’s award-winning documentary Stories We Tell; Northern Light, which charts the daily lives of families in recessionravaged Michigan; Lunarcy!, a portrait of eccentrics and visionaries obsessed with the moon; and Zach Clark’s raunchy Christmas film, White Reindeer, which is preceded by short film, Asian Gangs. More at possibleworlds.net.au. $11/$9 on (02) 6248 2000.

Image credit: Malcolm Mackinnon Family Collection

ONE RIVER WHAT: Interactive Art Exhibition WHEN: Sat Aug 24 WHERE: Belconnen Arts Centre Belconnen Arts Centre will host the culmination events of One River, a year-long Centenary of Canberra project that has enabled communities throughout the Murray-Darling Basin to interact with the waterways and landscapes that connect us all. This project has highlighted Canberra’s position as the largest city in the Murray-Darling Basin and continues the dialogue of a re-imagined Capital. For one afternoon, Belconnen Arts Centre will be transformed into an interactive arts space that celebrates the mighty waterway that supports us all. More info at: oneriver.com.au. 4-8pm. Free.

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the word on albums Opener Aum is an imaginative teaser, with two minutes of shadowy sounds glimpsed through a thick mist, before the album comes awake on Nachash. Then cacophony begins. Beginning with bleak vocals, like those produced by an electrolarynx, Nachash soon regains clarity. The music pulses, fading in and out like scenes viewed through a glass, darkly. Churning beats thrash about like a living animal in this flagship song of the album. Songs like this are miles away from the exciting but relatively conventional patterns of past glories, such as Themata and New Day. A.M. War maintains the jagged edge, seesawing across the senses. It creates a presence through the crazy hurling together of nonmelodies. Audacious in its rejection of any semblance of normal rock concepts, it satisfies intensely. Nowhere else on the record is the theme of asymmetry more apparent, as a primal beat emerges, struggling for dominance through the chaos.

album of the issue karnivool asymmetry [Cymatic/Sony Music] In 2005, Karnivool’s debut album Themata, most memorable for the towering track of the same name, launched an amazing new prog-rock band onto the scene. Fans have been waiting for the band’s third offering for quite a while. After 2009’s Sound Awake, Karnivool took a back seat to lead singer Ian Kenny’s other love interest, Birds of Tokyo. When Karnivool got together in 2011, a two year process of writing and recording Asymmetry began. Laid down in Byron Bay, Melbourne, and Perth, the long player was produced by Nick Didia, a worthy choice in a man who has worked with Rage Against the Machine. Temporarily freed from the shackles of Birds of Tokyo, Ian was able to cast aside his more conventional Dr Jekyll persona, becoming a darker character as Karnivool’s Mr Hyde. If you listen to Dead Letter Circus’s latest radio track, it sounds like it was plucked straight out of their last album. No one can make the same accusation towards Karnivool. The band’s music has always ridden a challenging, ragged edge. But that was not good enough for them. Unsatisfied with the prospect of delivering more of the same, which fans probably would have loved anyway, the band purposefully journeyed into uncharted territory to reconstruct themselves. This can be a risky enterprise as fans are notoriously fickle. Fortunately, the results are awesome, although their deliberately random nature and arty construction, especially in the first half of the album, will not be to everyone’s taste.

We Are, the first single from the album, lurches closer to more conventional Karnivool territory, temporarily casting off Asymmetry’s cowl of mystique. It’s non-dance music you just have to move to. The Refusal starts with a headlong fall into hardcore territory, surging with a gorgeous heaviness to the guitars, jarring and disconnected. Asymmetry is not all chaos and noise though, as the album settles for a while in its latter half. Catching its breath, it’s more a roller coaster ride between the wild and the smooth, rather than a straight out impetuous rush. There’s more of a Birds of Tokyo feel to some tracks, with a greater emphasis on melody and Kenny sounding smooth rather than frantic. The soothing Sky Machine, the music box lullaby that is the aptly name Float, and Aeons, with the melody swaying like kelp in a gentle current, all fall into this category. The short title track is deliberately disturbing, emitting a rasping, repetitious mechanical sound, looped endlessly over scratchy vocals and distressed guitars which fight to escape and fail miserably. Amusia is a short filler of frenetic electronic beeping and random drumming from Steve Judd. Penultimate track Alpha Omega starts like a slow ballad, but builds over time towards a cloudburst of sound. That just leaves closer Om, scarcely qualifying as a track at all, with a recording of the ramblings of philosopher Gerald Heard on the visions experienced by those under the influence of LSD (’That’s what death is going to be like, and oh what fun it will be!’) accompanied by tentative piano keys. Looking inside the CD booklet to see the lyrics? Don’t bother as there aren’t any, just stylised portraits of the band members drawn against a fractured landscape. The band won’t visit Canberra on their very limited set of current Australian tour dates. So the best we can do is enjoy the 67-minute disk. Buckle up and hang on listeners, this has been worth the wait. RORY McCARTNEY

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kirin j callinan embracism [terrible records]

ngaiire lamentations [Wantok Musik/Planet Company]

gogol bordello pura vida conspiracy [ATO records]

I’d read a whole lot about Kirin J Callinan before I’d heard his work. I’d read about the strobe/epilepsy performance art imbroglio at the Sugar Mountain festival. I’d seen the unsettling videos featuring the singer’s naked and contorted body. I’d seen how hard the guy was trying, and felt no great need to pursue the work. For Callinan seemed like a character hell bent on generating blog traffic. Modern variations on attention grabbing, or the sort of stuff an artist who isn’t quite confident enough in the material might pull. These were my assumptions before hearing a note. Now I’ve listened to Embracism, and I can report that the initial assessment was spot on.

Born and raised in Papua New Guinea and now based in Sydney, R&B/soul vocalist Ngaiire Joseph first cut her live teeth performing with Monsieur Camembert and Blue King Brown before approaching this debut solo album, Lamentations. The nine tracks collected here offer an impressive introduction to Joseph’s powerful and beguiling vocals, which smoothly shift throughout retro chanteuse and more contemporary R&B, but as the title suggests, there’s an undercurrent of melancholy lurking beneath much of this album. Indeed, the day before Joseph was set to commence recording, she was in a car accident that left her with spinal fractures (though she’s subsequently recovered).

What punk music really needs today is more piano accordion in the mix. Impossible, you say? Then you haven’t heard the work of New York City’s gypsy punk rockers, Gogol Bordello. It’s no surprise that their sound positively reeks of world music influences, considering that their current members include citizens from Ukraine, Russia, Ethiopia and Ecuador, among other nations.

What really makes an impression here, though, is the counterbalancing of Joseph’s warm vocals with cold electronic backings that draw from hip hop, bass music, and electro. Uranus fuses her teasing multitracked urban-pop vocals with juddering sub-bass drops and chunky MPC-punched beats in a fusion that suggests Alicia Keys fronting Slugabed. The hypnotic Around strips the beats down to Casiotone rhythms while Joseph’s circular harmonies ebb and flow against subtle electronics. Count to Ten meanwhile goes for a more vintage soul vibe, as glitchy crackles that sound like they’ve been lifted from vinyl and majestic organ keys take things off on what’s easily the most future-gospel flavoured moment here, shimmering analogue synth crescendos and all. Elsewhere, Rabbit Hole emerges from the sort of icy synth backdrop you’d expect from Giorgio Moroder, until the cold downbeat electronics begin to thaw into more liquidsounding keys amidst jittery snares and yawning sub-bass murmurs. Expect to hear a lot about Ngaiire in the future, if this debut is any indication.

It’s easy to imagine these songs as some of the more bizarre Eurovision Song Contest entries, with their eastern European flavour and the thick accent of singer Eugene Hütz.

This might be considered a strong reaction, but a reaction is what Callinan seeks, and I’m sure he won’t be surprised to receive it. The calculation is only equalled by the predictability. And what a shame that is, considering that his subject matter – a re-evaluation of the alpha male in the Australian context – is a rich vein to tap. That Callinan chooses to present himself the way he does (mostly in his underwear), and slice up any semblance of song in favour of the kind of ‘sound piece’ John Cale might’ve rejected as being too pretentious, is a shame. There’s talent here, but it’s buried very thoroughly behind some teen poetics. There’s a lot of grit and effort in these loping, scarping guitar-scapes, but the baritone sounds a little like a joke voice, like a six-year-old impersonating his father. If it was meant to be an Andy Kaufman-esque joke, it’d be brilliant and win 20 stars. But it’s not. From the industrial crackle that opens Halo all the way through, the message is ‘this is serious’. Which is part of what makes it funny. The title track is hilarious. Overhyped and undercooked, Embracism is the year’s most ridiculous record. glen martin

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chris downton

Opener We Rise Again creates an immediate impression of free-flowing madness with lyrics like a tribal chant. Incorporating some great fiddle playing, you’d have to dance very quickly to keep up with the wild tempo. Dig Deep Enough’s rich, mandolin-lead vibe is cruelly pierced with metal-like percussion.

There’s a theatrical quality to every song, unusual themes (this is no compendium of love songs), and a cryptic nature to some of the lyrics. Perhaps there’s a cultural divide here as Hütz bellows into the mic ‘If that’s the way you name your ship/ That’s the way it’s going to row’. Some of the meaning is lost in translation. The band rock it up a bit more in My Gypsy Auto Pilot and Hieroglyph, and if you wait a long time after the last listed track, there’s a secret song with some rapid fire singing reminiscent of System of a Down’s Chop Suey. The record has the raw, rascally delivery of The Graveyard Sons (without the bluesy rock), the exotic essence of Mikelangelo & the Black Sea Gentlemen, and the wild gypsy spirit of The Woohoo Revue. It’s kooky and infectious, like rabies! rory McCARTNEY

album in focus

Coolio Desgracias/Coolio Desgracias & Housemouse Potted Beef/6 Joints EP [We Large Productions] Coolio Desgracias is the larger than life alter ego of Simon Milman, also known through his work as bassist with local Canberra acts Los Chavos and The Ellis Collective (among others). Potted Beef is a beat CD and Coolio’s third LP, and is presented as a companion piece to his collaboration with Housemouse on the 6 Joints EP. Potted Beef is an eclectic amalgamation of styles: Coolio cites Andre 3000, MF Doom, and Ghostface Killah, among others, and his old school hip hop, R&B and funk influences are apparent from the outset. The album flows along with a warm, analogue feel – one that leans toward (in tone, if not in ethos or intention) the grainy, off-step patchwork of dug-up sounds found on DJ Shadow’s Entroducing…. The spread of tracks exhibit Coolio’s ability to work well in a surprising array of tones and styles, from the languid, choppy drumbeat and smoky horns of Dusted Giallo to the tense car-chase feel of Rufus’ Taxi. While Potted Beef is a collection of tracks intended primarily to be rapped over and used by DJs in mixes, it’s a testament to the quality of Coolio’s songwriting that, in addition to providing fertile fodder for other artists to play with, the tracks do generally stand up on their own as genuinely interesting, well-constructed instrumental hip hop – albeit perhaps better tasted in pieces, rather than as a 12-part whole.

Like Potted Beef, 6 Joints displays eclectic influences. In addition, it, in tandem with Housemouse, brings Coolio’s mack-dad-a-tized, pimpin’ image to the fore (for greater context, search for Coolio’s promo for previous album My Private Jet on YouTube). The duo set the terms and tone on Club Joint: ‘My testes/ You can never touch these …‘Cause we MAMA nominees’, and following track Party Joint is solid and well-constructed, driven by a compelling and upbeat bass melody and flavoured with a nicely fitting horn section breakdown. Here, the exaggerated egos are a bit more subdued than usual, and at the end the party is abruptly broken up by Housemouse’s mum kicking Coolio out. This, along with Coolio’s quiet reply of ‘Yes, Mrs Mouse’ is hilariously undermining, and a great example (if it wasn’t clear enough already) of the duo’s ability to successfully blend mature song construction with ridiculous, self-aware parody. Ballad Joint is an excellent track, tied together by a typically strong melody along with glitchy, haunting keys. Less typically, the backing here is paired with lyrics that lend a surprising tone of sombre heartbreak. Coolio raps, ‘It’s hard to believe you was once undressing me/ ‘Cause these days all you seem to do is be stressin’ me’, and the duo back-and-forth a nicely paced verse flow of ‘I’m not concerned/ I don’t burn/ I been through the wars/ Sooner or later you’re gonna learn’. This is definitely the closest the duo comes to straight-faced songwriting, and it’s telling of the genuine talent behind the work that it is the EP’s unquestionable highlight. Both Potted Beef and 6 Joints stand on their own as great examples of the smooth, tasteful conjunction of complementary influences and styles by artists who clearly love both the music they listen to, and the music they create. However, the collaboration and storytelling on the 6 Joints EP allows it to go one step further. It is, first and foremost, a strong embodiment of the artists’ abilities to embed a deliberately caricaturised image and theme into thoroughly credible hip hop tracks, produced with real talent: conclusive evidence that satire and credible songwriting need not be a binary notion – regardless of whether you think that point needed to be made. DAVID SMITH

fascinator birth/earth [capgun kids] The electronic-based side project of now NYC-based Children Collide frontman Johnny Mackay, Fascinator, recently honed their live set opening for Tame Impala on their last US tour, before going on to appear at Hobart’s Dark MOFO festival. This debut album, Birth/Earth, represents a very different beast to Mackay’s rockist output with Children Collide, eschewing guitars almost completely in favour of layers of psychedelic electronics and blunted hip hop rhythms. While there’s a whirling chaos to the squealing Theremins and clattering percussion that colour several of the tracks here, calling to mind Beck and Animal Collective, it’s Mackay’s love of retro pop influences that most shines through. Mr Caterpillar opens with what almost sound like Warner Bros cartoon sound effects, before clattering hip hop breaks lock into place beneath reversed guitar samples, shimmering synth pads, and Mackay’s soul falsetto; the resulting gritty soul-pop crawl calls to mind more than a hint of Odelay. Sexuality Mystery meanwhile goes for a weathered, soul feel, with scratchy vocals that sound like they’ve been lifted from vintage vinyl floating over ominously swirling orchestral samples and a chunky DJ Premier-esque drum break. Lounge Livin’ then offers up an eerie slice of snaking nocturnal electronics and smooth soul vocals, that recall King Krule as much as Ultra-era Depeche Mode. Elsewhere, Fire Sermon fuses Morricone-esque guitar twangs to snapping MPC beats and tweaked-out synthesised voices in one of the most psyched-out moments here, before Rise And Fall throws a curveball with its sudden side-step out into sheeny electro-disco grooves. While Birth/Earth sometimes sees Mackay getting lost in all the layers he’s exploring, this is pretty strong stuff. chris downton

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snakadaktal sleep in the water [I Oh You/Liberation Music]

bernard fanning departures [dew process]

cloud control dream cave [Ivy League Records/Mushroom]

Snakadaktal, the 2011 triple j Unearthed High winner, has followed up a popular selftitled EP with their debut long player.

There are albums that suck because they’re inept. There are others that are bad because the artist lacks the kind of awareness that saves an album from embarrassment. Then there are albums that are bad because, even though they utilise a million instruments and production techniques and big choral moments and on-point sounds, they are empty. They lack a reason to exist beyond contractual obligation, or worse – some kind of misplaced duty, to communicate to their fans. Bernard Fanning has just become the patron saint of this category.

Blue Mountains-based indie rock four-piece Cloud Control pretty much had Australia and the UK at their feet upon the release of their 2010 debut album Bliss Release, enjoying subsequent ARIA Award nominations, a single in triple j’s Hottest 100, and being listed as single of the week on BBC Radio.

The sound retains the softness and floating electronica of their single Chimera, but is even more ephemeral. The tracks contain some elegant songwriting, which keeps off themes well-trodden by most artists with their concentration on feelings and emotion. Instead, Snakadaktal emphasises physical sensations, action, and movement in what is a very sensual LP. In keeping with the album title, the ‘land of nod’ and aquatic themes feature strongly in the lyrics in songs such as Feel the Ocean Hold Me Under. Early tracks emphasise the bouncy side of the band, and they are at their best in the more uptempo, springy songs. Fall Underneath is the disc highlight, opening with its rapid electronic heartbeat and featuring a dynamic elasticity in the melody. Sean Heathcliff and Phoebe Cockburn share the lead vocals, either with solo passages, or together, as in Isolate, a track with a peculiarly liquid, viscous quality. Its notes ripple and trickle through the vocals. Phoebe’s voice is particularly effective with its cozy, cotton wool tone, fading into the misty distance in Ghost. Deep, with its medium-paced dance beat, captures the sensation of water droplets, contrasting with bright icicle-like tones. Beat 0033 sounds promising with its catchy tune, but turns out to be a half-song filler. While Snakadaktal has made its mark with success in the synthpop genre, this constantly wispy, floating stuff has its limits. Some of the tail end tracks are plodders, and would serve nicely as therapy for insomniacs. The song Sleep is well titled! rory McCARTNEY

I never held a torch for Fanning’s old band – it sounded like Howard’s Australia to me (even though Fanning’s politics were the opposite). They sounded satisfied, simple, mediocre, not too tall a set of poppies, too broad, lacking subtlety or real intelligence. But one thing those big Powderfinger hits had was a hook. A mammoth sing-along hook that united people. I never liked them, but I couldn’t begrudge them. Same goes for Fanning’s first solo album, the cafe-folk lite Tea & Sympathy. I didn’t need it in my life, but I could understand why others (the majority of Australian record buyers, really) could. Fanning’s second solo LP is something I cannot understand, and can happily begrudge. It’s astounding in its pointlessness. If American Psycho was set in 2013, Patrick Bateman would enthuse over its sharp production, the clarity of sounds, the digital precision, the vacuum created by its extraordinary rewriting of physics in taking matter and creating nothingness. Single Battleships tells you all you need to know about the record, containing a rare ability for a chorus to float by and completely leave the memory as soon as the song has finished. This song and album leave no trace. And not a hook to be found in its 40 long minutes. Music for people who don’t like music. The worst thing I’ve heard all year. glen martin

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Given those heady accolades, it’s no surprise that Cloud Control took their time writing and recording the follow-up, Dream Cave, and indeed the 11 tracks collected here manage to highlight a considerable increase in both the depth and confidence of their arrangements. While there perhaps isn’t an immediately obvious standout single here like There’s Nothing in the Water We Can’t Fight, this is an album that reveals itself more in slow layers, with the interplay of Alister Wright and Heidi Lenffer’s vocals in particular sounding more cohesive than before. It’s also a dustier sounding record than its predecessor, with Promises revealing hints of a more American sound that calls to mind Neil Young meeting The Doors halfway, as weathered guitar bends arc off a retro-psychedelic organ groove, before Moonrabbit injects a more bouncy skiffle rhythm that calls to mind hints of The Kinks. Elsewhere, The Smoke, The Feeling sees an almost hip hop programmed beat locking into place against the live cymbals, as pensive synth pads and Wright’s reverbed falsetto vocals expand to fill the space, resulting in a fusion that almost sounds like a more AM radio New Order or The Cars at points. In this case, the time and care spent by Cloud Control has definitely paid off, resulting in an impressive second album that’s also a considerable step forward for the band. chris downton

the word

on films

WITH MELISSA WELLHAM

Biopics of beloved musicians are always a gamble. Because, you know, they’re beloved – and there are bound to be a few fans who are going to get pissed off. But when it’s done right, it can be truly remarkable. Think: La Vie en Rose about Édith Piaf, Walk the Line about Johnny Cash, Control about Ian Curtis, and Ray about Ray Charles. Unfortunately, Greetings from Tim Buckley doesn’t quite live up to these lofty heights.

quote of the issue ‘What they did to me, what I am, can’t be undone.’ Logan/Wolverine (Hugh Jackman), The Wolverine

the wolverine

the world’s end

Hugh Jackman returns as Wolverine in The Wolverine, the sequel to X-Men Origins: Wolverine. Clearly the job of coming up with new, interesting titles to differentiate between films in a franchise is just too difficult these days (please see: 2001’s The Fast and the Furious and 2009’s Fast & Furious for another example).

The World’s End proudly wears its science fiction influences on its sleeve, and has a ball doing so, but the characters’ personal, inward journey expertly trumps any service to a specific genre.

In The Wolverine, based on the Chris Claremont/Frank Miller Marvel miniseries from the 1980s, our old pal Logan has gone bush, living in the wild as he attempts to come to terms with the loss of his love, Jean Grey (spoiler: he killed her in the third X-Men movie). But when duty demands he visit Japan to pay his respects to an old friend, he cannot refuse. Then the action takes over. There’s plenty to like about The Wolverine. It has a great set-up, and taking place in Japan distinguishes it from the other films in the franchise. It’s also interesting to see a mutant movie without too many mutants. The action sequences are impressive (though become less interestingly shot as the film progresses). Also, Hugh Jackman fights a horde of ninjas, obviously. But these elements – and Hugh Jackman himself – aren’t enough to save the film. There are too many bad guys, too much inconsistent character development, and an increasingly messy script that falls apart by the final act. Still. Worth seeing for the fight sequence on top of a bullet train. melissa wellham

20 years after attempting a pub crawl as teenagers, five estranged childhood friends reunite in their hometown of Newton Haven to work their way through 12 pubs, but between drinks they find something is amiss in the village. The film opens with a nostalgic Gary King (Simon Pegg) reflecting on the best time of his life – from rehab. Director Edgar Wright establishes the concept of the past as an anchor that can define and entrap a person. It becomes clear when meeting the adult versions of King’s friends that despite their professional and personal successes, a small part of each character lingers in Newton Haven. High school bullies, lost loves, and unpaid personal debts all haunt the members of the drinking crew. Wright cleverly uses the sci-fi/ alien invasion genre to let the drama bubble to the surface and examine the nature of friendship, accepting people for their flaws, and the dangers of living in the past. There is action aplenty, and it’s easily one of the most quotable films of 2013, with lots of one-liners and quips. Pegg, Nick Frost, Paddy Considine, Martin Freeman and Eddie Marsan are excellent as the drinking crew and it’s a joy to be in their company. The World’s End wildly smashes through a genre to reveal an outstanding tale of mateship. cameron williams

ain’t them bodies saints For fans of atmospheric, slow-burning yet beautiful storytelling, Ain’t Them Bodies Saints is a heartbreaking delight. The first major feature for director David Lowery, and there are hints of Terrance Malick here, Ain’t Them Bodies Saints rings with a sadness and introspection that will peck at your soul. The simple story of Bob (Casey Affleck) and Ruth (Rooney Mara), two outlaws in Texas during the 1970s, is told through what are almost a series of well-planned montages. After a shootout that brings an end to their criminal days, Bob is incarcerated and Ruth left alone and pregnant. To be honest, there’s probably nothing in the film that isn’t already portrayed or hinted at in the trailer, and throughout I wasn’t sure who I liked or disliked, or what I was rooting for. But that’s the beauty of the film – it absorbs you despite all of that, and the style and depth is key. The long, quiet shots of the landscape; the carefully selected dialogue (no prolonged, dialogue-heavy Sorkin-esque nuggets here, it’s all about pained looks); and the perfectly-composed soundtrack. A doomed love story that has all the makings of a classic, Ain’t Them Bodies Saints is really a film about a time and a place, and two people who just want to be together. What’s simpler, sadder, and more beautiful than that? [US release date is August 16 – look out for Ain’t Them Bodies Saints around September.] MEGAN McKEOUGH

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greetings from tim buckley Greetings from Tim Buckley has nice and sentimental aspirations – to connect Tim and Jeff Buckley on celluloid, as they never were in life – but is ultimately too ethereal, too weightless, and too winding to really work. Jeff Buckley (Penn Badgley, aka Dan from Gossip Girl) allows himself to be convinced to play at a tribute concert for his deceased father, Tim Buckley, in Brooklyn in 1991 – despite having only met his father twice. He struggles with not having known his father – while being surrounded by fans who felt that they knew him through his music. In a parallel plotline, the audience is shown 1960s Tim Buckley, making it big and traveling around America – wooing women as his son is born back home. The film does an admirable job of including the memorable songs of both Jeff and Tim – and Badgley does a credible falsetto. There is something quite lingering about Greetings from Tim Buckley – but also deeply unsatisfying. Because, well, nothing actually happens. And the not-happenings do not have enough gravitas to stand alone. Some actors may have the ability to act an entire movie with their eyes – lack of script or action be damned – but Penn Badgley is not that actor. It’s a respectable drama – but it’s not transcendent. And these two musical greats deserve better. melissa wellham

pacific rim The essence of sugar-powered cereal and Saturday morning cartoons is bottled up and attached to fireworks, and the resulting explosion of joy is Pacific Rim. Monsters known as the Kaiju start appearing on Earth via a portal in the ocean. Giant robots called Jaegers, which require two human pilots, are built to fight back. Watching a Jaeger launch for the first time is similar to the buzz associated with a NASA rocket launch, and Pacific Rim continually astounds throughout, with spectacular battles that display incredible special effects with wonderful clarity. The film has a global flavour, and the Jaegers aren’t just protecting the hallowed soil of the USA, which is a refreshing change. The human side of the story is where Pacific Rim earns its gallant badge of honour. Mental fortitude is required for Jaeger pilots to work effectively together and share a consciousness. Each Kaiju fight sees them not only beating the pulp out of monstrosities, but slaying a few personal demons too. Unfortunately, the actors do overcompensate to fit the bombastic world, working with plot heavy dialogue. The final finesse is the score by Ramin Djawadi, which thrashes with metal-inspired orchestral movements and heavy guitars that are a blacksmith’s delight. There aren’t enough fist-pumps in the world to properly convey the awesomeness of Pacific Rim. I tried while watching the film, but my arm hurt before it hit the halfway mark. CAMERON WILLIAMS

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the word

on games

Oculus Rift Platform: Windows, Linux, OS X, iOS, Android Developer: Oculus VR, Inc. Verdict: Hold off Virtual reality has been ‘just around the corner’ for ages now. 3D vision alone has been flirting with the mainstream for decades; even Alfred Hitchcock dabbled with it back in the 1950s. In that time, several VR headsets, Johnny Mnemonic style, have come and gone. Despite their promise of putting you inside the game, their technical limitations (small field of vision, bulky/fiddly hardware, lack of support) saw them gain little traction. However, that’s potentially about to change with the Oculus Rift. Funded by a $2 million Kickstarter campaign, the Oculus Rift is a VR headset that improves upon the prior designs by using a remarkably simple approach. The headset thrusts a phone-size screen pointblank in front of your eyes, with barely a millimetre to spare. As with 3D glasses, the discomfort is outweighed by the impact of the device. True to its goal, it does the best job to date of putting you in the game. Your vision is completely consumed by the virtual world. While the 3D effect probably needs a bit more tuning, the device does a remarkable job of tracking the orientation of your head. This allows you to literally look around the virtual world. Those who tried the headset were clearly taken aback by the effect, with non-gamers being particularly awestruck. Unfortunately, the device isn’t without its issues, the most prominent of which is the resolution. Each eye only sees a 640×800 image, only half of which you’re probably actually staring at. Consequently, it looks like you’re viewing the world through an obtrusive flyscreen. Possibly as a result of this low quality vision, the device managed to make me feel nauseous after longer durations of play, an achievement that no other peripheral obtained throughout the time I conducted my game-interaction PhD. Even without the motion sickness, the low-resolution screen sees the overall benefits eventually outweighed by the poor visuals, ruling the Oculus Rift, in its current form, out as a long-term device. On the plus side, the immediate out-of-the-box experience is good. The device doesn’t require drivers and ships with an easy to use demo. Beyond this, though, you’ll be downloading mods, setting launchflags, and generally reading through many a rift-inspired blog post. Chuck in a Razar Hydra and suddenly you’re spending a good chunk of time on the set up alone. That said, this is a pre-release device. This situation will hopefully improve, given that many of the big guns are already backing the device, including Valve, EPIC and John Carmack, of Doom fame, who also happens to be the Oculus CTO. With the commercial release planned to have a higher resolution, among other things, this device has good chance of being a game changer. Just one session with it will help prove that, and affirm that virtual reality finally is just around the corner. torben sko

BLACKBOX If, like Chez Blackbox, your eyeballs are bleeding watching the wall-to-wall Tony and Kevin roadshow, there are some true gems to ensure your TV set doesn’t explode in protest, including the thoroughly charming intrigue of turn-of-the-century department store trading in Mr Selfridge (Prime, Mon, 8:30pm), and the not-socharming but still mesmerising Norse antics in Vikings (SBS1, Thu, 9:30pm). And for early evening respite Parks and Recreation (SBS1, Mon-Fri from Mon Aug 26, 7:05pm). If you must watch election coverage, Gruen Nation (ABC1, Wed, 8:30pm) and The Hamster Decides (ABC1, Wed, 8:30pm) are the only sensible way. The only reality comp Chez Blackbox has truly been (read: admitted to) enjoying was Design for Life where Philippe Starck weeded out the best design student to win a job for a year. Work of Art: The Next Great Artists (SBS2, Wed Aug 28, 8:35pm) is in the same vein but because it’s American slightly flashier – artists win a solo show at Brooklyn Museum and $100,000. On the other end of the trash scale is RuPaul’s Drag Race (SBS2, Sat Aug 31, 8:45pm). Other new shows include relationship drama Wonderland (SCTEN, Wed Aug 21, 8:30pm). Docos to look out for this fortnight include the six-part Charley Boorman’s Extreme Frontiers South Africa (SBS1, Wed Aug 14, 8:35pm), and The Secret History of Our Streets (SBS1, Fri Aug 30, 7:30pm) which looks at 125 years of history of six of London’s streets. Most loyal Dr Who fans (or pretty much anybody else) would know who will be the next Doctor – such is the torment of a fortnightly column – but for those that don’t, it’s Peter Capaldi, better known as foul-mouthed political fixer Malcolm Tucker from The Thick of It. Make of that what you will … As promised, news on the new shows to look out for from the critics summer press tour in the US – Penny Dreadful, a psychological horror story, Years of Living Dangerously, a climate change doco, Fargo, a ten-part series based on the film but without the same characters, starring Billy Bob Thornton and with support from the Coen Brothers, Trending Down, a comedy starring Phillip Seymour Hoffman, described as ‘a blistering attack on our youth-obsessed culture’, The Wrong Mans, a thriller about two office workers who get caught up in a criminal conspiracy, from the producers of The Thick of It, Quick Draw, a comedy western that’s funnier than it sounds, Trophy Wife, also much funnier than the premise would suggest, The Awesomes, an animated anti-superhero comedy from Seth Meyer, Sleepy Hollow, another psychological horror (with time travel and the four horseman of the apocalypse), Brooklyn Nine Nine, a well made and written cop comedy, The March, a documentary to mark the 50th anniversary of the civil rights march on Washington, Side by Side, a Keanu Reeves documentary about digital cinema, War of the Worlds, new Sherlock, The Black List, a Silence of the Lambs-style affair starring James Spader, a remake of Ironside, and Joss Whedon’s highly anticipated superhero drama Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. The bad news is that in the long tradition of ruining British and Australian TV shows with remakes, Fox is going to murder the brilliant Broadchurch (ABC1, Fri, 8:30pm). Don’t miss the Rockwiz season finale (SBS1, Sat Aug 31, 8:30pm) with Tex Perkins, Mia Dyson and Don Walker. TRACY HEFFERNAN tracyherrernan@bigpond.com @ChezBlackbox

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the word on dvds

Don’t Forget to Write! – The Complete Collection (BBC Worldwide) [madman] There are few shows as baffling as Don’t Forget to Write! An author of some repute (George Cole, aka Minder’s Arthur Daley) is going through a severe case of writer’s block. George Maple dreams of finishing a script but can only muster the brain power to read gardening books and ignore his barren typewriter. For fun, George hurls vicious abuse at his wife Mabel (Gwen Watford) and children, scowling around the house while blaming his family for his failures. He simultaneously resents and adores his more successful friend and writing combatant, Tom (Francis Matthews). George is a hopeless despicable wreck and Mabel’s the glue holding it all together under extreme duress. The late ‘70s were full of low-concept English comedies like Robin’s Nest, George and Mildred, and The Good Life – each one a laugh-trackenhanced rib tickler. In stark contrast, this one has no laugh track and very few laughs. So the truly perplexing part of this is – what exactly is going on? It’s not a literary drama, a broad comedy, a comedy of manners, or a dig at the English class system. Slowly but surely, it becomes apparent Don’t Forget to Write! is a despairing glimpse into a failing creative mind. Paced and scripted remarkably like 50-minute one-act plays, the show (created by playwright Charles Wood and based on his own experiences) is dripping in bleak, depressing, and hostile realism utterly out of kilter with the prevailing TV culture at the time; Fawlty Towers was on air around this point. Madman deserve high praise for getting the debut release of Don’t Forget to Write! on any format in any territory. It’s a peculiar, complex, and wordy antidote to the garish comedy we normally associate with the late ‘70s, and a very bitter pill to swallow. justin hook

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The Elegant Gentleman’s Guide to Knife Fighting [Roadshow Entertainment] In Australia it seems there are few genres as difficult to conquer as the sketch comedy show. The Micallef Program (under whatever naming protocol it chose) was the last consistently credible entry, but you’d probably have to go back to The D-Generation and Fast Forward 20 years ago to find shows with more reliable gags than groans. The sketch comedy show in Australia is noteworthy for failure rather than victory. Never been that good at sitcoms either. Instead of rising through the traditional ranks of comedy writing (standup, radio, etc.) the team behind this show – Jungleboys – are a diverse, creative incubation house making their name in TV commercials, production, and shows (Review with Myles Barlow). Theoretically, that makes them a much better judge of how best to exploit the format, and it’s a slick looking show. But not everything works. The brief intercuts of famous paintings brought to life with witticisms and animation come off like a less successful Terry Gilliam on a bad day. A good sketch comedy is one that knows its limits and doesn’t outstay its welcome, so lengthy skits with an aggressive Prius owner might seem like a clever juxtaposition, but are simply wearying. It seems unnecessary to say – but short, sharp skits are better than overwritten, overlong diatribes in search of a catchphrase. It also helps if it’s funny. That’s why the Amish IT Guy created a moderate internet buzz when the show launched. It hit the right notes, quickly. And that is why The Elegant… stands out, because it knows how to play to, and with, modern audiences. The sketch show is tailor-made for our smartphone, short attention span era. The timing is right and the talent is obvious, so if it fails, well, let’s just blame the audience. Like we always do. justin hook

jersey shore – Season Six [Paramount Pictures] When Jersey Shore debuted in 2009, Italian American lobby groups called on MTV to cancel the show, claiming it trafficked in the vilest of stereotypes, using ethnic slurs and violence to marginalise Italian Americans. Take it easy and have a pizza, Papa Giuseppe. Yes, there were over-sexed, over-amped, over-tanned guidos running riot on the boardwalks of New Jersey but at least … no, there is no counterpoint. That is all every single episode of Jersey Shore has been about: liquored-up fools making fools of themselves in every foolish way possible. MTV called it young people searching for their self-identity. Like many shows of this ilk, Jersey Shore makes little effort to be reasonable or reflective of reality. Its sheer audacity and hyper lack of awareness are the driver of viewing figures and giver of renewals. And so it is in the show’s sixth and final season. Unofficial figurehead of the show – Snooki – is pregnant, and realises soon enough that screaming, fighting, and vomiting might not be the most conducive environment for the passage of a newborn. Fair play, she was smarter than we all gave her credit for, even if screaming and vomiting are all newborns are capable of doing. Truth be told, everyone on this show is a newborn. It’s all pretty much wall-to-wall squabbling and name calling, making and breaking relationships, and accents thicker than a jar of Dolmio. As the housemates meditate on their time on the shore, it is obvious self-identity has been forged. Many of the cast have launched semisuccessful careers (DJ, author, criminal defendant) off the back of this show. So even though Jersey Shore isn’t a good show, its cultural impact (good or bad) is undeniable, and when studios launch shows like this, that’s the key measurement. justin hook

the word

Dick Diver, TV Colours, Teaser Pony Transit Bar, Saturday July 27

on gigs

What might a cultural anthropologist have made of the scene in Transit Bar? The small clumps of chums, wrapped in the heavy coats and tights last seen on the poster for the 1991 film Singles, studying each other over frosty pints of sweet cider. The invisible barrier that emerged 20 feet from the stage, where about 40 punters stood cheek to cheek. The obligatory blow-ins crowding the pool tables. What an odd bunch. Teaser Pony was up first. Melbourne lad turned local Chrissy Higgins (doesn’t that sound familiar?) handled lead vocals and Malkmus-ian guitar, while an unnamed bass player contributed some of the most hilarious moves since Mark Knopfler goose-stepped across stages during Walk of Life. It was artfully dishevelled, good-natured, and tuneful. Higgins has a way with a phrase and should be encouraged onto Canberra stages. TV Colours then assembled, this crack squadron of players backing main man Bobby Kill, and burnt through a few numbers from Purple Skies, Toxic River. Good god, they’re a live force. The invisible barrier in front of the stage was broken, as was the sound barrier. The confines didn’t assist, and although the mix in the house was good, that kind of sonic assault had a short shelf life in the acoustically challenged space. But the songs were so solid that it was worth staying and risking tinnitus. I’ve described Dick Diver as the nation’s best band, and their second album Calendar Days as a modern classic. Both remain statements of utter fact. But the Dick Diver live experience was too unassuming by half. Opening with Interstate Forever, the dynamic on show was one of non-show. Bassist Al Montford played the goof between the bookends of co-vocalists Rupert Edwards and Alistair McKay, backed by drummer/singer/occasional guitarist/wearer of overalls, Steph Hughes. When the most charismatic member of your act is behind the kit, though, and the sightlines of a venue aren’t great, that’s a problem. As was the flagging energy of the headliners. They started well, with Alice and Calendar Days soaring. Montford pulled some drunk dad moves on Head Back, and Lime Green Shirt ripped along like the most perfect combination of Flying Nun highlights. When Hughes stepped beyond the kit and took the lead, it was very welcome, and when she invited her sister onstage to handle backing vocals on Gap Life, it was a nice touch. But the combination of dwindling energy and inaudible banter struck, and even though they’re a considerably gentler band than TV Colours, the wash of sound began to grate. Another compadre wondered about the vibe in the room, which remained positive throughout – suggesting there was an element in the celebratory reaction to each tune that was akin to keening to be in the gang. Meaning that the buzz surrounding this band was the primary reason this particular performance was being so well received. That angle was unkind, but I understood it. I was hearing progressively lazier versions of truly great songs as the night went on, but the crowd still went nuts for them, and the reactions seemed a little forced. The tiredness, shyness, and post-slacker-trying-hardto-not-care vibe essentially boiled down to a show that flagged.

PHOTOS BY ANNA BOYDELL

Make no mistake – Dick Diver is a great band and they must be treasured. But as a live band in an out-of-town setting where the nuances can’t be heard, they’ve got a ways to go. Flying Teatowel Blues closed the set, and while this was a tune that felt it might take off at any moment, it didn’t. It ended with a wobbly whimper, and there was no encore. GLEN MARTIN

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the word

on gigs

Bernard Fanning, Vance Joy, Big Scary Royal Theatre Sunday August 4 There is something odd about going to a gig on a Sunday night in the middle of winter in Canberra. The weekend mindset demands pajamas, hot chocolate and enough marshmallows to kill a diabetic horse. From the moment Bernard Fanning hit the stage at the Royal Theatre it was clear that he was stuck in the throes of a lazy Sunday, and so was the audience. Seeing Fanning going solo since Powderfinger split up is a little odd, and there is no doubt about the singer-songwriter’s talent, but the Royal Theatre show was one of the most lethargic concerts I’ve ever attended. The crowd dictated their terms early on to Big Scary and Vance Joy by filling up the seated areas, with the floor looking deserted. Both bands tried their hardest but suffered the fate of so many opening acts, playing to an almost empty venue, but I hoped it would swell for Fanning. After the supports had left the stage and Fanning’s arrival loomed, I looked around the audience and something dawned on me … this was it. People were glued to their seats and the standing area looked more barren than a vegetable expo at a fat camp. Fanning arrived on stage with an acoustic guitar in hand to open the show with the tender Wash Me Clean off his first solo album, Tea & Sympathy. As Fanning fumbled over a few chords, but held it together like a professional, it began to become clear that there was an elephant in the room. Actually, we were inside the elephant. Fanning’s sound was lost in the half-empty Royal Theatre, a venue way too big and undersold. As soon as Fanning finished the song he apologised for the near ‘train-wreck performance’ (his words) and then invited everyone sitting down to move closer to the stage. Few people took his offer and Fanning continued to prod the seated ‘bludgers’ throughout the rest of the gig. Fanning rolled into a few songs off his new album Departures but it was clear that he was disheartened in some way. I felt sorry for Fanning, because a performer can only feed off the energy an audience is giving, and the Canberra crowd was only offering light applause and cheering; but our numbers were meek. There was awkward silence as the band slowly changed guitars in between each song. At one point, one of Fanning’s band members quipped that he ‘didn’t realise there were so many librarians in Canberra’ and sarcastically mentioned the best times for the crowd to be quiet during slow songs. Fanning became sluggish, but there was no doubting the power of his soulful voice, and at the backend of the show he hit a little better form with the tracks Departures (Blue Toowong Skies), Not Finished Just Yet, Which Way Home, Tell Me How It Ends and Here Comes the Sadist. Lots of these songs had heavier electric guitar riffs that filled the empty space around the Royal Theatre, and suddenly, I wasn’t yearning for my flannelette PJs. As Fanning said his goodbyes I was seriously freaking out that we wouldn’t get an encore. I’d never been to a show where there wasn’t an encore. Luckily, the crowd demanded Fanning return and he appeared behind a piano with a melancholic rendition of Watch Over Me, followed by the popular Wish You Well and a cover of George Harrison’s What is Life.

PHOTOS BY ERICA HURRELL

Fanning is one of Australia’s best singer-songwriters with or without Powderfinger, but he was sonically slain by the emptiness of the Royal Theatre one chilly night in Canberra. CAMERON WILLIAMS

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the word

Space Party, The Magic Rob Universe, Little Mac and The Monster Men The Polish White Eagle Club Friday July 26

on gigs

The beautiful marriage between The Polish Club and Canberra Musicians Club continues to deliver, this time with a triple-header album launch for local bands Little Mac and the Monster Men, Magic Rob Universe, and Space Party. Little Mac and The Monster Men kicked things off with a playful rockabilly set. Rockabilly is increasingly trendy, but there was the impression these guys and gal were true believers. Lead singer Susan ‘Little Mac’ Mackell had great stage presence and the crowd were well and truly warmed up by the end of the set. Little Mac was followed by the space boogie of Magic Rob Universe. Clad in capes, there was a lot to like about Magic Rob (vocals, guitar) and his universe. Rob’s vocals were reminiscent of Syd Barrett or a less serious Robert Forster. The songs’ subject matter and psychedelic sensibilities were also similar to Barrett-era Pink Floyd – a very good thing in this reviewer’s book. Add to that a consistent driving rhythm and many punters were unable to keep to their seats. The dancing continued when Space Party took the stage to close the night with a solid set of old-fashioned instrumental surf rock. Space Party delivered the highlight of the night when Mackell joined them to do Where’s Captain Kirk?, originally by British punks Spizzenergi.

PHOTOS BY ADAM THOMAS

It is a happy coincidence that these three genre bands are releasing albums around the same time. The triple bill made a lot of sense given the bands’ distinct but sympathetic styles. It also served to demonstrate the vitality of the Canberra music scene, populated by bands making interesting – and fun – music. AMY DOWLER

the word

on gigs

Capital Jazz Project: Tight Corners The Street Theatre Thursday August 8 The last time I was in Theatre Two at The Street, the room was basically a stage with a few chairs and some rudimentary lighting. Much needed renovations have completely transformed this space, making it inviting and engaging – and therefore a suitable environment for Sydney-New York-Melbourne group Tight Corners, comprising saxophone, piano, bass and drums, to tackle the challenging work of bop pianist Herbie Nicholls, beyond categorisation pianist Thelonious Monk, and avant-garde soprano saxophonist Steve Lacy. The interaction between the four musicians was good – pianist Jex Saarelaht deserving mention for bravely replicating difficult, asymmetrical rhythms and themes on Monk’s astonishing 1956 composition Brilliant Corners, and also due credit must go to soprano saxophonist Phillip Johnston for tackling Steve Lacy’s extended weaving lines on The Bath.

Lacy was a devotee of Thelonious Monk, and Herbie Nicholls pushed the boundaries of bop, so you could say that by interpreting these three artists Tight Corners were attempting to express the idea that innovation is the engine that drives progression in jazz, and the fluidity of the performance suggested that Tight Corners met the challenge. My one criticism is that the group worked from scores, and although this is completely understandable given the complexity of the music, some effort from Tight Corners to move beyond the score and interpret Lacy, Monk and Nicholls in their own way would have been appreciated. Nevertheless this performance was highly entertaining, another feather in the cap of the Capital Jazz Project. DAN BIGNA

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ENTERTAINMENT GUIDE Wed Aug 14 - Fri Aug 16

Listings are a free community service. Email editorial@bmamag.com to have your events appear each issue. wednesday august 14

Art Exhibitions Embracing Innovations Vol. 3

Innovations in the arts, with a focus on digital technologies. Opens Thu Jul 18, 6pm. 10am-5pm (12-4pm, Sat). CRAFT ACT CRAFT & DESIGN CENTRE

Perception

Exhibitions by Nicola Dickson, Ian Robertson and Dominic Aldis. 12pm-4pm. M16 ARTSPACE

tACTile

Art by Jenny Bowker, Dianne Firth, Helen Gray, Beth Miller, with Beth and Trevor Reid. 10am-5pm. BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

The Side Project

Art by Cesar Cueca and Karl Firla celebrating molecular gastronomy. Opens Thu Jul 18, 6pm. 10am-5pm CRAFT ACT CRAFT & DESIGN CENTRE

Sacha Jeffery

New art exhibition. Open daily 8am6pm. Free. THE FRONT GALLERY AND CAFÉ

City of Trees

An exhibition by Jyll Bradley. 10am-5pm. Free.

NATIONAL LIBRARY OF AUSTRALIA

Gathered Together

Presents CMAG’s important and growing collection of Indigenous art. 10am-5pm (12-4pm weekends). CANBERRA MUSEUM AND GALLERY

Enclosures

Art by Beverley Thomas in response to South Korean textile art. Opens Fri Aug 9, 5:30pm. 10am-5pm. BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

Mariana Del Castillo

Intriguing jewellery related to the artist’s Ecuadorian heritage. Opens Thu Jul 18, 6pm. 10am-5pm (12-4pm, Sat). CRAFT ACT CRAFT & DESIGN CENTRE

Theatre

Karaoke

Short + Sweet 10 Minute Theatre Festival

Karaoke at The Inn

$28-$35. See canberratheatrecentre. com.au for full details and tickets. THE COURTYARD STUDIO

The Phantom of the Opera

$42.50-81.75. See canberratheatrecentre.com.au for full details and tickets. CANBERRA THEATRE CENTRE

Don Parties On

By David Williamson, directed by Aarne Neeme. 2pm/8pm. $20-40. THEATRE 3

thursday august 15 Art Exhibitions Jamie Boyd & Clara Hali

Brief Encounters & Yogis and Yoginis. 10am-5pm (9am-5pm weekends). BEAVER GALLERIES

Embracing Innovations Vol. 3

Innovations in the arts, with a focus on digital technologies. Opens Thu Jul 18, 6pm. 10am-5pm (12-4pm, Sat). CRAFT ACT CRAFT & DESIGN CENTRE

Perception

Exhibitions by Nicola Dickson, Ian Robertson and Dominic Aldis. 12pm-4pm. M16 ARTSPACE

tACTile

Art by Jenny Bowker, Dianne Firth, Helen Gray, Beth Miller, with Beth and Trevor Reid. 10am-5pm. BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

The Side Project

Art by Cesar Cueca and Karl Firla celebrating molecular gastronomy. Opens Thu Jul 18, 6pm. 10am-5pm CRAFT ACT CRAFT & DESIGN CENTRE

Sacha Jeffery

New art exhibition. Open daily 8am6pm. Free.

Dance

THE FRONT GALLERY AND CAFÉ

DANscienCE Festival

An exhibition by Jyll Bradley. 10am-5pm. Free.

In association w. Nat’l Science Week, a symposium on all things dance + science. See csiro.au/dance. VARIOUS LOCATIONS

City of Trees

NATIONAL LIBRARY OF AUSTRALIA

Gathered Together

Karaoke

Presents CMAG’s important and growing collection of Indigenous art. 10am-5pm (12-4pm weekends).

Karaoke

Enclosures

From 10pm. All welcome. THE DURHAM

Live Music Resident Act Betty

CANBERRA MUSEUM AND GALLERY

Art by Beverley Thomas in response to South Korean textile art. Opens Fri Aug 9, 5:30pm. 10am-5pm. BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

Mariana Del Castillo

P J O’REILLY’S (TUGGERANONG)

Intriguing jewellery related to the artist’s Ecuadorian heritage. Opens Thu Jul 18, 6pm. 10am-5pm (12-4pm, Sat).

Canberra Musicians Club Presents...

Comedy

Followed by Open Mic Night. 7:30pm. Gold coin donation.

Live local and interstate musicians every Wednesday night. 8pm. Free. SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE

Something Different National Science Week

Art, dance, music, film, experiments! Happening everywhere: see scienceweek.net.au for full program. VARIOUS LOCATIONS

CRAFT ACT CRAFT & DESIGN CENTRE

Cold August Night

With Jay Sullivan. 8pm.

8pm-midnight. Free entry. OLD CANBERRA INN

Rock Karaoke

9pm-2am. Free entry. CHARLIE BLACK

Karaoke

With Ka-tere-oke. Win $50 cash and vouchers. 8:30pm.

friday august 16 Art Exhibitions Mariana Del Castillo

Intriguing jewellery related to the artist’s Ecuadorian heritage. Opens Thu Jul 18, 6pm. 10am-5pm (12-4pm, Sat). CRAFT ACT CRAFT & DESIGN CENTRE

Embracing Innovations Vol. 3

Live Music

Innovations in the arts, with a focus on digital technologies. Opens Thu Jul 18, 6pm. 10am-5pm (12-4pm, Sat).

Moondog J & Edo Ekic

Perception

P J O’REILLY’S (TUGGERANONG)

Moondog J and his blue band, along with Edo Ekic, blast out three sets. 8pm. $10 door. TRANSIT BAR

Chad and Della 9:30pm. Free.

KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

Vices

With Reasons To Care (Germany), Hold Your Own, Not Unto Us, Punchdagger. 8pm. $10. THE BASEMENT

Chloe & The Vienna Secession A new Canberran band providing a fresh, sophisticated take on indie pop. 8pm. $5. THE FRONT GALLERY AND CAFÉ

Isaac Graham

With Revellers (Acoustic), Pete Akhurst. 9pm. THE PHOENIX BAR

The Nugs

CRAFT ACT CRAFT & DESIGN CENTRE

Exhibitions by Nicola Dickson, Ian Robertson and Dominic Aldis. 12pm-4pm. M16 ARTSPACE

Gathered Together

Presents CMAG’s important and growing collection of Indigenous art. 10am-5pm (12-4pm weekends). CANBERRA MUSEUM AND GALLERY

tACTile

Art by Jenny Bowker, Dianne Firth, Helen Gray, Beth Miller, with Beth and Trevor Reid. 10am-5pm. BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

The Side Project

Art by Cesar Cueca and Karl Firla celebrating molecular gastronomy. Opens Thu Jul 18, 6pm. 10am-5pm CRAFT ACT CRAFT & DESIGN CENTRE

Sacha Jeffery

New art exhibition. Open daily 8am-6pm. Free.

With Bachelor Pad, Bacon Cakes, Beach Slut. 9pm.

THE FRONT GALLERY AND CAFÉ

Something Different

NATIONAL LIBRARY OF AUSTRALIA

SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE

National Science Week

Art, dance, music, film, experiments! Happening everywhere: see scienceweek.net.au for full program. VARIOUS LOCATIONS

Talks EATology

A public forum exploring how to eat well, ecologically. 6-8pm. Free (RSVP to info@manningclark.org.a MANNING CLARK HOUSE

City of Trees

An exhibition by Jyll Bradley. 10am-5pm. Free.

Science Fiction

Art by Erica Secombe and Benjamin Forster, curated by David Broker. 11am5pm (10am-4pm Sat). CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ART SPACE (GORMAN HOUSE)

Enclosures

Art by Beverley Thomas in response to South Korean textile art. Opens Fri Aug 9, 5:30pm. 10am-5pm. BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

Creative Power: The Art of George Baldessin

Theatre

From his widow’s collection. 12-5pm. Free entry.

Short + Sweet 10 Minute Theatre Festival

Dance

$28-$35. See canberratheatrecentre. com.au for full details and tickets. THE COURTYARD STUDIO

The Phantom of the Opera

$42.50-81.75. See canberratheatrecentre.com.au for full details and tickets.

DRILL HALL GALLERY

DANscienCE Festival

In association w. Nat’l Science Week, a symposium on all things dance + science. See csiro.au/dance. VARIOUS LOCATIONS

CANBERRA THEATRE CENTRE

Don Parties On

By David Williamson, directed by Aarne Neeme. 2pm/8pm. $20-40. THEATRE 3

SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE

Dance DANscienCE Festival

In association w. Nat’l Science Week, a symposium on all things dance + science. See csiro.au/dance. VARIOUS LOCATIONS

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ENTERTAINMENT GUIDE Fri Aug 16 - Sun Aug 18 friday august 16 (cont.) Live Music Melissa Main Duo

7:30pm. Door price TBA. THE MERRY MUSE

Casual Sets 10pm. Free.

KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

Mattersphere

8pm. Door price TBA. THE BASEMENT

Leah Flanagan

“Equal parts Lucinda Williams and Shirley Bassey.” 8:30pm. $15. THE FRONT GALLERY AND CAFÉ

Elisha Bones

saturday august 17 Art Exhibitions Gathered Together

Presents CMAG’s important and growing collection of Indigenous art. 10am-5pm (12-4pm weekends). CANBERRA MUSEUM AND GALLERY

Perception

Exhibitions by Nicola Dickson, Ian Robertson and Dominic Aldis. Artist talks 12pm-4pm. M16 ARTSPACE

tACTile

Art by Jenny Bowker, Dianne Firth, Helen Gray, Beth Miller, with Beth and Trevor Reid. 10am-5pm. BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

Wolfpack

With Wretch, No Assumption. 9:30pm. THE PHOENIX BAR

Playful Sound Experimental Music Night 8pm.

SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE

Enclosures

Art by Beverley Thomas in response to South Korean textile art. Opens Fri Aug 9, 5:30pm. 10am-5pm. BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

Creative Power: The Art of George Baldessin

With The Projektz. $10 all night.

From his widow’s collection. 12-5pm. Free entry.

ACADEMY NIGHTCLUB

DRILL HALL GALLERY

On The Town

Dance

DJ Craig

DANscienCE Festival

LOVE Saturdays

Playing all your favourite tunes. 9pm to late. P J O’REILLY’S (TUGGERANONG)

Blame it on the Boogie Weekends

In association w. Nat’l Science Week, a symposium on all things dance + science. See csiro.au/dance. VARIOUS LOCATIONS

Live Music

With Tully on Tully, Borneo, and live art by Houl, Walrus and Micha. 8pm. $8/10/15.

Sacha Jeffery

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

City of Trees

Something Different

SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE

Anonymeye (QLD)

THE FRONT GALLERY AND CAFÉ

National Science Week

Jasmin Barry. Tapas + happy hour 5-7pm. Free.

THE POLISH WHITE EAGLE CLUB

With Reuben Ingall, Shisd, Raus. 8pm. $10. SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE

Pete Murray

6:30pm doors. See theabbey.com.au for more. THE ABBEY

ALIVE Fridays

With tyDi. $10 entry all night. ACADEMY NIGHTCLUB

New art exhibition. Open daily 8am-6pm. Free. An exhibition by Jyll Bradley. 10am-5pm. Free.

NATIONAL LIBRARY OF AUSTRALIA

Science Fiction

Art by Erica Secombe and Benjamin Forster, curated by David Broker. 11am5pm (10am-4pm Sat). CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ART SPACE (GORMAN HOUSE)

Enclosures

PANG! Presents. 10pm-4am. $10 after 10pm.

Art by Beverley Thomas in response to South Korean textile art. Opens Fri Aug 9, 5:30pm. 10am-5pm.

On The Town

Creative Power: The Art of George Baldessin

A-Tonez (Syd) & Ocean (Syd) TRINITY BAR

Cheese / Retro

With Dutch Courage. ‘60s, ‘70s, ‘80s, and, uh, ‘90s. 9pm. Free entry. TRANSIT BAR

DJ Craig

BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

From his widow’s collection. 12-5pm. Free entry. DRILL HALL GALLERY

Comedy

10pm to late.

Dave Thornton

Blame it on the Boogie Weekends

AINSLIE FOOTBALL CLUB

P J O’REILLY’S (TUGGERANONG)

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

Something Different National Science Week

Art, dance, music, film, experiments! Happening everywhere: see scienceweek.net.au for full program. VARIOUS LOCATIONS

Public Star Gazing Night

A ‘tour of the universe’. 7-9pm. MT STROMLO OBSERVATORY

Standing up! 8pm. $25 thru frenziedproductions.com.

Dance DANscienCE Festival

In association w. Nat’l Science Week, a symposium on all things dance + science. See csiro.au/dance. VARIOUS LOCATIONS

Live Music Oisima (Adel)

DIGRESS COCKTAIL BAR

Art, dance, music, film, experiments! Happening everywhere: see scienceweek.net.au for full program.

The Shadow League 7:30pm.

Sunday Best at A Bite to Eat A BITE TO EAT CAFE

Canberra Blues Society Jam

Theatre

The best Canberra blues musicians gettin’ loose. 2-5:30pm. $3 members/$5 non-members.

Don Parties On

Irish Jam Session

VARIOUS LOCATIONS

By David Williamson, directed by Aarne Neeme. 2pm/8pm. $20-40. THEATRE 3

The Phantom of the Opera

$42.50-81.75. See canberratheatrecentre.com.au for full details and tickets. CANBERRA THEATRE CENTRE

Short + Sweet 10 Minute Theatre Festival

$28-$35. See canberratheatrecentre. com.au for full details and tickets. THE COURTYARD STUDIO

sunday august 18 Art Exhibitions Gathered Together

Presents CMAG’s important and growing collection of Indigenous art. 10am-5pm (12-4pm weekends). CANBERRA MUSEUM AND GALLERY

Perception

Exhibitions by Nicola Dickson, Ian Robertson and Dominic Aldis. 12pm-4pm. M16 ARTSPACE

Blahnket Presents. Ticketed event: see facebook.com/ events/553922244654145/.

tACTile

TV Colours Album Launch

BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

Art by Jenny Bowker, Dianne Firth, Helen Gray, Beth Miller, with Beth and Trevor Reid. 10am-5pm.

HARMONIE GERMAN CLUB

Free traditional Irish music in the pub from late afternoon on into the night. Free. KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

The Ellis Collective Winter Residency With Burrows. 3-5pm. $10 door. THE FRONT GALLERY AND CAFÉ

On The Town Free Pool Tables

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

Sunday Session @ PJs

Free pool and jukebox all day.

P J O’REILLY’S (TUGGERANONG)

Something Different AIE Open Day

The education experts in games, 3D and VFX open their doors. 10am-3pm. Free. ACADEMY OF INTERACTIVE ENTERTAINMENT

National Science Week

Art, dance, music, film, experiments! Happening everywhere: see scienceweek.net.au for full program. VARIOUS LOCATIONS

Theatre

TRINITY BAR

Short + Sweet 10 Minute Theatre Festival

Purple Skies, Toxic River launch. With The Fighting League, Spirit Valley. 8pm. $10 door.

Sacha Jeffery

With 3 Dykes and a Mic, Speed Acquainting, and Queer Talent. 5pm.

Trent and Jaryd’s Birthday Bash Mk. II

THE FRONT GALLERY AND CAFÉ

City of Trees

Theatre

$28-$35. See canberratheatrecentre. com.au for full details and tickets. THE COURTYARD STUDIO

The Phantom of the Opera

TRANSIT BAR

$42.50-81.75. See canberratheatrecentre.com.au for full details and tickets.

With Miscreation, Transcience, The Fishermen, Icarus Complex and more. 8pm. $15.

Don Parties On

Midnight Juggernauts

THEATRE 3

ZIERHOLZ @ UC

CANBERRA THEATRE CENTRE

By David Williamson, directed by Aarne Neeme. 2pm/8pm. $20-40.

THE BASEMENT

Uncanny Valley Album Tour. 8pm. $28.60 + bf through Oztix.

New art exhibition. Open daily 8am-6pm. Free.

An exhibition by Jyll Bradley. 10am5pm. Free. NATIONAL LIBRARY OF AUSTRALIA

Science Fiction

Art by Erica Secombe and Benjamin Forster, curated by David Broker. 11am5pm (10am-4pm Sat).

A Very Queer Frosty Festival THE PHOENIX BAR

The Phantom of the Opera

$42.50-81.75. See canberratheatrecentre.com.au for full details and tickets. CANBERRA THEATRE CENTRE

CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ART SPACE (GORMAN HOUSE)

@bmamag

ENTERTAINMENT GUIDE Mon Aug 19 - Thu Aug 22 monday august 19 Art Exhibitions Gathered Together

Presents CMAG’s important and growing collection of Indigenous art. 10am-5pm (12-4pm weekends). CANBERRA MUSEUM AND GALLERY

Sacha Jeffery

New art exhibition. Open daily 8am-6pm. Free.

THE FRONT GALLERY AND CAFÉ

City of Trees

An exhibition by Jyll Bradley. 10am-5pm. Free.

NATIONAL LIBRARY OF AUSTRALIA

Live Music Birds Love Fighting Pres. The Bootleg Sessions

With Cracked Actor, Waterford, Central West, Cold House. 8pm. Free. THE PHOENIX BAR

Trivia Rainman’s Trivial Excuse

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

tuesday august 20 Art Exhibitions Mariana Del Castillo

Intriguing jewellery related to the artist’s Ecuadorian heritage. Opens Thu Jul 18, 6pm. 10am-5pm (12-4pm, Sat). CRAFT ACT CRAFT & DESIGN CENTRE

Gathered Together

Presents CMAG’s important and growing collection of Indigenous art. 10am-5pm (12-4pm weekends). CANBERRA MUSEUM AND GALLERY

Embracing Innovations Vol. 3

Innovations in the arts, with a focus on digital technologies. Opens Thu Jul 18, 6pm. 10am-5pm (12-4pm, Sat). CRAFT ACT CRAFT & DESIGN CENTRE

The Side Project

Art by Cesar Cueca and Karl Firla celebrating molecular gastronomy. Opens Thu Jul 18, 6pm. 10am-5pm CRAFT ACT CRAFT & DESIGN CENTRE

tACTile

Art by Jenny Bowker, Dianne Firth, Helen Gray, Beth Miller, with Beth and Trevor Reid. 10am-5pm. BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

Sacha Jeffery

New art exhibition. Open daily 8am-6pm. Free.

THE FRONT GALLERY AND CAFÉ

City of Trees

Karaoke Karaoke Love

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

Live Music National WIRED Band Comp

Heat three. 7pm til late. Free entry. CHARLIE BLACK

Irish Jam Session

Free traditional Irish music in the pub from late afternoon on into the night. Free. KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

Fanny Lumsden and The Thrillseekers

A kick-arse country hoedown. 8pm. Door price TBA. THE FRONT GALLERY AND CAFÉ

Theatre

Art by Beverley Thomas in response to South Korean textile art. Opens Fri Aug 9, 5:30pm. 10am-5pm. BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

New art exhibition. Open daily 8am-6pm. Free.

THE FRONT GALLERY AND CAFÉ

City of Trees

CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ART SPACE (GORMAN HOUSE)

Film Possible Worlds Film Festival

THE DURHAM

ARC CINEMA

From 10pm. All welcome.

7:30pm. Free.

Live Music

Tuesday Pub Trivia

Resident Act Betty

O’NEILL’S IRISH PUB

P J O’REILLY’S (TUGGERANONG)

First prize $70 bar tab. 7:30pm. Free entry.

Followed by Open Mic Night. 7:30pm. Gold coin donation.

Trivia

Canberra Musicians Club Presents...

Trivia Tuesdays

First prize $75 cocktail party. 7:30pm. Free. DIGRESS COCKTAIL BAR

wednesday august 21

BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

THE FRONT GALLERY AND CAFÉ

Art by Erica Secombe and Benjamin Forster, curated by David Broker. 11am5pm (10am-4pm Sat).

Karaoke

THE DURHAM

Art by Jenny Bowker, Dianne Firth, Helen Gray, Beth Miller, with Beth and Trevor Reid. 10am-5pm.

Science Fiction

NATIONAL LIBRARY OF AUSTRALIA

Liam and Andrew’s Holy Testicle Trivia

7:30pm. All welcome.

tACTile

Sacha Jeffery

Trivia

THE PHOENIX BAR

Art by Cesar Cueca and Karl Firla celebrating molecular gastronomy. Opens Thu Jul 18, 6pm. 10am-5pm

An exhibition by Jyll Bradley. 10am-5pm. Free.

Karaoke

Live local and interstate musicians every Wednesday night. 8pm. Free. SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE

Soda Eves

Supported by The Finks. 7pm. $5. THE FRONT GALLERY AND CAFÉ

Something Different

New art exhibition. Open daily 8am-6pm. Free.

City of Trees

An exhibition by Jyll Bradley. 10am-5pm. Free.

NATIONAL LIBRARY OF AUSTRALIA

Science Fiction

Art by Erica Secombe and Benjamin Forster, curated by David Broker. 11am5pm (10am-4pm Sat). CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ART SPACE (GORMAN HOUSE)

Film Possible Worlds Film Festival

The 8th festival of American and Canadian cinema. See nfsa.gov.au/arc for full details. ARC CINEMA

Karaoke Karaoke at The Inn

8pm-midnight. Free entry. OLD CANBERRA INN

Rock Karaoke

9pm-2am. Free entry. CHARLIE BLACK

Karaoke

With Ka-tere-oke. Win $50 cash and vouchers. 8:30pm. P J O’REILLY’S (TUGGERANONG)

Live Music The Trouble with Templeton

Art Exhibitions

BAD!SLAM!NO!BISCUIT!

The Rookie album tour. With Battleships and Achoo! Bless You. 8pm. $10-32.50 + bf thru Moshtix.

Enclosures

THE PHOENIX BAR

Rather Be Dead

Art by Beverley Thomas in response to South Korean textile art. Opens Fri Aug 9, 5:30pm. 10am-5pm. BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

Creative Power: The Art of George Baldessin From his widow’s collection. 12-5pm. Free entry. DRILL HALL GALLERY

Gathered Together

Presents CMAG’s important and growing collection of Indigenous art. 10am-5pm (12-4pm weekends). CANBERRA MUSEUM AND GALLERY

Mariana Del Castillo

Embracing Innovations Vol. 3

Enclosures

CRAFT ACT CRAFT & DESIGN CENTRE

Sacha Jeffery

SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE

A new night of dark cabaret by ShadowHouse PITS. 8:30pm.

Science Fiction

CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ART SPACE (GORMAN HOUSE)

BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

Without a Voice

Intriguing jewellery related to the artist’s Ecuadorian heritage. Opens Thu Jul 18, 6pm. 10am-5pm (12-4pm, Sat).

Art by Erica Secombe and Benjamin Forster, curated by David Broker. 11am5pm (10am-4pm Sat).

The Side Project

Art by Jenny Bowker, Dianne Firth, Helen Gray, Beth Miller, with Beth and Trevor Reid. 10am-5pm.

The 8th festival of American and Canadian cinema. See nfsa.gov.au/arc for full details.

An exhibition by Jyll Bradley. 10am5pm. Free. NATIONAL LIBRARY OF AUSTRALIA

tACTile

CRAFT ACT CRAFT & DESIGN CENTRE

Innovations in the arts, with a focus on digital technologies. Opens Thu Jul 18, 6pm. 10am-5pm (12-4pm, Sat). CRAFT ACT CRAFT & DESIGN CENTRE

The Side Project

Art by Cesar Cueca and Karl Firla celebrating molecular gastronomy. Opens Thu Jul 18, 6pm. 10am-5pm CRAFT ACT CRAFT & DESIGN CENTRE

facebook.com/bmamagazine

8pm. Free.

thursday august 22 Art Exhibitions Gathered Together

TRANSIT BAR

With Foxtrot, No Assumption, Lil Bram. 9pm. THE PHOENIX BAR

Los Chavos

Live EP recording, supported by Afro Cuban Funk. 7pm. $5.

Presents CMAG’s important and growing collection of Indigenous art. 10am-5pm (12-4pm weekends).

CIT MUSIC INDUSTRY CENTRE

Creative Power: The Art of George Baldessin

Guttermouth

CANBERRA MUSEUM AND GALLERY

From his widow’s collection. 12-5pm. Free entry. DRILL HALL GALLERY

Stock Still & Between a Rock… Works from Helen Maxwell’s collection, and sculpture by Dan Stewart-Moore. 12-5pm. M16 ARTSPACE

Mariana Del Castillo

Intriguing jewellery related to the artist’s Ecuadorian heritage. Opens Thu Jul 18, 6pm. 10am-5pm (12-4pm, Sat). CRAFT ACT CRAFT & DESIGN CENTRE

Embracing Innovations Vol. 3

Innovations in the arts, with a focus on digital technologies. Opens Thu Jul 18, 6pm. 10am-5pm (12-4pm, Sat).

Chicago Charles and Dave 9:30pm. Free.

KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

Guests TBA. 7:30pm. $39.80 + bf through Oztix. ZIERHOLZ @ UC

The Sexytet

Local seven-piece funk band. With The Ilana Davies Trio. Doors 7:30pm. Free entry.

THE FRONT GALLERY AND CAFÉ

Theatre The Importance of Being Earnest

See canberratheatrecentre.com. au for full details and tickets. 8pm. $12.50-$15. THE COURTYARD STUDIO

CRAFT ACT CRAFT & DESIGN CENTRE

ENTERTAINMENT GUIDE Fri Aug 23 - Mon Aug 26 friday august 23 Art Exhibitions Creative Power: The Art of George Baldessin

From his widow’s collection. 12-5pm. Free entry. DRILL HALL GALLERY

Stock Still & Between a Rock… Works from Helen Maxwell’s collection, and sculpture by Dan Stewart-Moore. 12-5pm. M16 ARTSPACE

Mariana Del Castillo

Intriguing jewellery related to the artist’s Ecuadorian heritage. Opens Thu Jul 18, 6pm. 10am-5pm (12-4pm, Sat). CRAFT ACT CRAFT & DESIGN CENTRE

Embracing Innovations Vol. 3

Mark Wilkinson

6:30pm doors. $20 show only. See theabbey.com.au for more. THE ABBEY

Juke Baritone & the Swamp Dogs

Preacher. Hobo. Genius. Lecherous bastard. $10. 7:30pm.

Live Music

Dance

Rainbow Chan

Dance Kaleidoscope

An eclectic mix of electronic and acoustic textures. 8pm. Door price TBA. THE FRONT GALLERY AND CAFÉ

LOVE Saturdays

Dance celebration by the providers of dance at the Arts Centre. 3pm. Gold coin donation. BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

THE FRONT GALLERY AND CAFÉ

With Ashley Feraude. $10 entry all night.

Live Music

On The Town

Spirit Valley

Carl Sampson

ACADEMY NIGHTCLUB

Solo guitarist. 4pm. Door price TBA.

DJ Craig

With The Grease Arrestor, Mikey Shanahan. 9:30pm.

P J O’REILLY’S (TUGGERANONG)

The Surrogates 10:30pm. Free.

Etching their way into the Australian folk/roots scene. $10. 7pm.

Joan Baez

Sunday Best at A Bite to Eat

ROYAL THEATRE

A BITE TO EAT CAFE

10pm to late.

Blame it on the Boogie Weekends

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

THE PHOENIX BAR

KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

THE FRONT GALLERY AND CAFÉ

The Blue Ruins

THE FRONT GALLERY AND CAFÉ

With guest Kate Fagan. 8pm. $89-150 + bf thru Ticketek.

Kooky Fandango. Tapas + happy hour 5-7pm. Free.

Tekno Prisoners

Irish Jam Session

Innovations in the arts, with a focus on digital technologies. Opens Thu Jul 18, 6pm. 10am-5pm (12-4pm, Sat).

Theatre

The Side Project

See canberratheatrecentre.com. au for full details and tickets. 8pm. $12.50-$15.

The Feldons

THE COURTYARD STUDIO

P J O’REILLY’S (TUGGERANONG)

The Ellis Collective Winter Residency

Opera & Me

On The Town

THE FRONT GALLERY AND CAFÉ

SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE

#GRLPWR

On The Town

TRANSIT BAR

Free Pool Tables

Blame it on the Boogie Weekends

TRANSIT BAR

CRAFT ACT CRAFT & DESIGN CENTRE

Art by Cesar Cueca and Karl Firla celebrating molecular gastronomy. Opens Thu Jul 18, 6pm. 10am-5pm CRAFT ACT CRAFT & DESIGN CENTRE

tACTile

Art by Jenny Bowker, Dianne Firth, Helen Gray, Beth Miller, with Beth and Trevor Reid. 10am-5pm. BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

Sacha Jeffery

New art exhibition. Open daily 8am-6pm. Free.

THE FRONT GALLERY AND CAFÉ

City of Trees

An exhibition by Jyll Bradley. 10am-5pm. Free.

NATIONAL LIBRARY OF AUSTRALIA

Science Fiction

Art by Erica Secombe and Benjamin Forster, curated by David Broker. 11am5pm (10am-4pm Sat). CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ART SPACE (GORMAN HOUSE)

Gathered Together

Presents CMAG’s important and growing collection of Indigenous art. 10am-5pm (12-4pm weekends). CANBERRA MUSEUM AND GALLERY

The Importance of Being Earnest

A cabaret story. 8pm.

saturday august 24 Art Exhibitions One River

10pm-4am. $5 door. TRINITY BAR

With The Naddiks, Positive Feedback Loop. 8pm. $5.

8pm.

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

A Centenary of Canberra event celebrating the Murray-Darling Basin. 4-8pm. Free.

DIGRESS COCKTAIL BAR

Creative Power: The Art of George Baldessin

The Importance of Being Earnest

BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

From his widow’s collection. 12-5pm. Free entry. DRILL HALL GALLERY

Stock Still & Between a Rock… Works from Helen Maxwell’s collection, and sculpture by Dan Stewart-Moore. 12-5pm. M16 ARTSPACE

tACTile

Theatre

See canberratheatrecentre.com. au for full details and tickets. 8pm. $12.50-$15. THE COURTYARD STUDIO

Opera & Me

A cabaret story. 8pm. SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE

sunday august 25

Art by Jenny Bowker, Dianne Firth, Helen Gray, Beth Miller, with Beth and Trevor Reid. 10am-5pm.

Art Exhibitions

Sacha Jeffery

Creative Power: The Art of George Baldessin

ARC CINEMA

THE FRONT GALLERY AND CAFÉ

DRILL HALL GALLERY

Live Music

An exhibition by Jyll Bradley. 10am-5pm. Free.

Film Possible Worlds Film Festival

The 8th festival of American and Canadian cinema. See nfsa.gov.au/arc for full details.

ALIVE Fridays

With DJ Kronic & DJ Trim. $10 entry all night. ACADEMY NIGHTCLUB

SAY WAT! Records Party

With Benson (Melb) + Offtapia’s B’day Bash. 8pm-4am. Free before 10pm, $10 after. TRINITY BAR

4th Degree 10pm. Free.

KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

Marlow

With The Naddiks, Hence the Testbed, Little Mac and The Monster Men. Doors 8pm. Door price TBA. THE BASEMENT

BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

New art exhibition. Open daily 8am-6pm. Free.

City of Trees

NATIONAL LIBRARY OF AUSTRALIA

Science Fiction

Art by Erica Secombe and Benjamin Forster, curated by David Broker. 11am5pm (10am-4pm Sat). CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ART SPACE (GORMAN HOUSE)

Gathered Together

Presents CMAG’s important and growing collection of Indigenous art. 10am-5pm (12-4pm weekends). CANBERRA MUSEUM AND GALLERY

From his widow’s collection. 12-5pm. Free entry.

Stock Still & Between a Rock… Works from Helen Maxwell’s collection, and sculpture by Dan Stewart-Moore. 12-5pm. M16 ARTSPACE

tACTile

Art by Jenny Bowker, Dianne Firth, Helen Gray, Beth Miller, with Beth and Trevor Reid. 10am-5pm. BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

Sacha Jeffery

Free traditional Irish music in the pub from late afternoon on into the night. Free. KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

With Cracked Actor. 2-4pm. $10 door.

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

Sunday Session @ PJs

Free pool and jukebox all day.

P J O’REILLY’S (TUGGERANONG)

Theatre Opera & Me

A cabaret story. 8pm. SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE

monday august 26 Art Exhibitions Sacha Jeffery

New art exhibition. Open daily 8am-6pm. Free.

THE FRONT GALLERY AND CAFÉ

City of Trees

An exhibition by Jyll Bradley. 10am-5pm. Free.

NATIONAL LIBRARY OF AUSTRALIA

Gathered Together

Presents CMAG’s important and growing collection of Indigenous art. 10am-5pm (12-4pm weekends). CANBERRA MUSEUM AND GALLERY

Live Music CIT presents The Bootleg Sessions

With Zoopagoo, The Spindrift Saga, Calum Reid. 8pm. Free. THE PHOENIX BAR

New art exhibition. Open daily 8am-6pm. Free.

Trivia

City of Trees

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

THE FRONT GALLERY AND CAFÉ

An exhibition by Jyll Bradley. 10am-5pm. Free.

NATIONAL LIBRARY OF AUSTRALIA

Gathered Together

Presents CMAG’s important and growing collection of Indigenous art. 10am-5pm (12-4pm weekends). CANBERRA MUSEUM AND GALLERY

Rainman’s Trivial Excuse

TRANSIT BAR

Workshops Canberra Songwriters Workshop

Free for first-timers and under-18s are welcome with an adult. 6:30pm. THE GEORGE HARCOURT INN

@bmamag

ENTERTAINMENT GUIDE Tue Aug 27 - Fri Aug 30 tuesday august 27 Art Exhibitions Gathered Together

Presents CMAG’s important and growing collection of Indigenous art. 10am-5pm (12-4pm weekends). CANBERRA MUSEUM AND GALLERY

Science Fiction

Art by Erica Secombe and Benjamin Forster, curated by David Broker. 11am5pm (10am-4pm Sat). CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ART SPACE (GORMAN HOUSE)

City of Trees

An exhibition by Jyll Bradley. 10am-5pm. Free.

NATIONAL LIBRARY OF AUSTRALIA

Comedy Comedy Night

Hahahahahahahahahahaha ha ha he he huh oh... 7:30pm. Free entry. THE FRONT GALLERY AND CAFÉ

Karaoke Karaoke Love

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

wednesday august 28 Art Exhibitions ACCEPA Art Exhibition 2013

Presenting selected works by Chinese artists who live or have lived in Canberra. 10am-5pm. BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

Creative Power: The Art of George Baldessin From his widow’s collection. 12-5pm. Free entry. DRILL HALL GALLERY

Stock Still & Between a Rock… Works from Helen Maxwell’s collection, and sculpture by Dan Stewart-Moore. 12-5pm. M16 ARTSPACE

Gathered Together

Presents CMAG’s important and growing collection of Indigenous art. 10am-5pm (12-4pm weekends). CANBERRA MUSEUM AND GALLERY

Science Fiction

Art by Erica Secombe and Benjamin Forster, curated by David Broker. 11am5pm (10am-4pm Sat). CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ART SPACE (GORMAN HOUSE)

City of Trees

An exhibition by Jyll Bradley. 10am-5pm. Free.

Live Music

NATIONAL LIBRARY OF AUSTRALIA

Music at Midday

Karaoke

Talks

Theatre

Time Travel

Bijou

Its implications for physics and philosophy. 6-7pm. RSVP at timetravelimplications.eventbrite. com.au

A cabaret of secrets and madness. 4:30/7pm. Tickets through thestreet.org.au. THE STREET THEATRE

THEATRE 3

Workshops

thursday august 29

Canberra Music Workshop

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

Art Exhibitions ACCEPA Art Exhibition 2013

HARMONIE GERMAN CLUB

Presenting selected works by Chinese artists who live or have lived in Canberra. 10am-5pm.

friday august 30

BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

Live Music

Creative Power: The Art of George Baldessin

Chardy (Melb)

From his widow’s collection. 12-5pm. Free entry.

PANG! Presents. 8pm-4am. $10 before 10pm.

DRILL HALL GALLERY

TRINITY BAR

Stock Still & Between a Rock… Works from Helen Maxwell’s collection, and sculpture by Dan Stewart-Moore. 12-5pm.

Jackson

Gathered Together

8pm.

With Jennifer Compton. 7:30pm. THE FRONT GALLERY AND CAFÉ

Nite Society

M16 ARTSPACE

TRANSIT BAR

Presents CMAG’s important and growing collection of Indigenous art. 10am-5pm (12-4pm weekends).

Bill Parton Trio

With Sydney soloist Nathan Leigh Jones and Melbourne artist Proof. 8pm. Door price TBA.

CANBERRA MUSEUM AND GALLERY

Science Fiction

Art by Erica Secombe and Benjamin Forster, curated by David Broker. 11am5pm (10am-4pm Sat).

POT BELLY BAR

On The Town

Royal Military College Band. 11am & 12:30pm. Gold coin donation.

Karaoke

From 10pm. All welcome.

CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ART SPACE (GORMAN HOUSE)

National WIRED Band Comp

THE DURHAM

City of Trees

Blame it on the Boogie Weekends

Heat four. 7pm til late. Free entry. CHARLIE BLACK

Live Music

An exhibition by Jyll Bradley. 10am-5pm. Free.

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

Irish Jam Session

NATIONAL LIBRARY OF AUSTRALIA

DIGRESS COCKTAIL BAR

The Manhattan Transfer

Grammy Award-winning vocal group. 8pm. $105 + bf. See canberratheatrecentre.com.au.

Karaoke

Theatre

Karaoke at The Inn

Bijou

Resident Act Betty

OLD CANBERRA INN

CANBERRA THEATRE CENTRE

Free traditional Irish music in the pub from late afternoon on into the night. Free. KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

Trivia Nerd Trivia with Joel and Ali Dee’s Books & Comics and Impact Comics Present. 7:30pm. Free. THE PHOENIX BAR

Tuesday Pub Trivia

First prize $70 bar tab. 7:30pm. Free entry. O’NEILL’S IRISH PUB

Trivia

7:30pm. All welcome. THE DURHAM

Trivia Tuesdays

First prize $75 cocktail party. 7:30pm. Free.

CANBERRA THEATRE CENTRE

Followed by Open Mic Night. 7:30pm. Gold coin donation.

Rock Karaoke

Canberra Musicians Club Presents...

Karaoke

P J O’REILLY’S (TUGGERANONG)

Live local and interstate musicians every Wednesday night. 8pm. Free. SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE

Something Different Forever and Always

Poetry readings. 6:30pm. SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE

DIGRESS COCKTAIL BAR

A cabaret of secrets and madness. 4:30/7pm. Tickets through thestreet. org.au.

8pm-midnight. Free entry.

THE STREET THEATRE

9pm-2am. Free entry. CHARLIE BLACK

With Ka-tere-oke. Win $50 cash and vouchers. 8:30pm. P J O’REILLY’S (TUGGERANONG)

Live Music Jeremy Neale & Feelings

8pm. Presales $12 + bf via Moshtix. TRANSIT BAR

The Hello Morning With Lavers. 9pm. THE PHOENIX BAR

OUT

AUG28

disclosure regurgitator THE REAL McKENZIES horrorshow ...and more!

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FIRST CONTACT SIDE A: BMA band profile

Aaron Peacey 0410381306 band.afternoon.shift@ gmail.com.au

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

Adam Hole 0421023226

Johnny Roadkill Paulie 0408287672 paulie_mcmillan@live.com.au

Afternoon Shift 0402055314 Amphibian Sound PA Clare 0410308288 Annie & The Armadillos Annie (02) 61611078/ 0422076313

Kurt’s Metalworx (PA) 0417025792

Aria Stone sax/flute/lute/ harmonica, singer-songwriter Aria 0411803343

Los Chavos Latin/ska/reggae Rafa 0406647296 Andy 0401572150

Australian Songwriters Association Keiran (02) 62310433

Missing Zero Hadrian 0424721907 hadrian.brand@live.com.au

Where did your band name come from? It’s Matty’s last name, but weirdly enough, our guitarist’s mum researched his name only to discover Sam and Matty are third cousins.

Backbeat Drivers Steve 0422733974 backbeatdrivers.com

Moots Huck 0419630721 aspwinch@grapevine.com.au

Group members? Matty (vocals), Emma (violin, saw, and vocals), Sam (guitar and vocals), Grahame (cello), Simon (bass), Dan (drums).

Bat Country Communion, The Mel 0400405537

The Ellis Collective

Describe your sound: Nu-folk! Maybe? It has also been described as bloke folk, a cross between The Waifs and The Drones, and music for crying into your beer. Who are your influences, musical or otherwise? That amazing Tex Perkins album, Dark Horses, has influenced our upcoming second album quite a bit. A couple of artists that have influenced us in our approach to arrangement are Joanna Newsom and Patrick Watson. What’s the most memorable experience you’ve had whilst performing? 1) Matty, last day of Corinbank, wildly tearing off his shirt and running into the crowd and starting a song acoustically, unbeknownst to the rest of the band. 2) The Ballina Council Christmas party. Where no one listened, but one lady stopped for two seconds to say ‘Too sad’ and then continued on her merry way. Of what are you proudest so far? Our second album, due for release early next year. We recorded it at Studios 301 in Sydney, with the wonderful Andrew ‘Hot-hands’ Edgson. What are your plans for the future? To do some touring overseas, and send the Australian accent and some black words across the ocean. What makes you laugh? Substituting very rude words for the serious heartfelt words in our saddest songs during rehearsal. And ‘crushing’, a thing Matty started doing on tour, where a tinny is consumed in one gulp by crushing the can, in his hand, and aiming the contents into his mouth. What pisses you off? Are Morris Dancers too easy a target? What about the local scene would you change? We would love to see all the awesome bands in Canberra getting heard all over the country and the world. We would like to see the local scene exported and appreciated globally. What are your upcoming gigs? We’re in the middle of a winter residency: Sunday August 18, 3-5pm at The Front (with Burrows), and Sunday August 25, 2-4pm at The Front (with Cracked Actor). And we’re releasing a single from our second album on Friday November 15 at The Polish Club. Contact info: theelliscollective.com; facebook.com/ theelliscollective.

Mornings Jordan 0439907853

Black Label Photography Kingsley 0438351007 blacklabelphotography.net

Obsessions 0450 960 750 obsessions@grapevine.com.au

Bridge Between, The Cam 0431550005 Capital Dub Style Reggae/dub events Rafa 0406647296 Cole Bennetts Photography 0415982662

MuShu Jack 0414292567 mushu_band@hotmail.com

Painted Hearts, The Peter (02) 62486027 Polka Pigs Ian (02) 62315974 Rafe Morris 0416322763 Redletter Ben 0421414472

Danny V Danny 0413502428

Redsun Rehearsal Studio Ralph 0404178996/ (02) 61621527

Dawn Theory Nathan 0402845132 Danny 0413502428

Rug, The Jol 0417273041 Sewer Sideshow Huck 0419630721

Dorothy Jane Band, The Dorothy Jane 0411065189 dorothy-jane@dorothyjane.com

Simone & The Soothsayers Singing teacher Simone 62304828

Drumassault Dan 0406 375 997 Feldons, The 0407 213 701 FeralBlu Danny 0413502428 Fire on the Hill Aaron 0410381306 Lachlan 0400038388

Sorgonian Twins, The Mark 0428650549 Soundcity Rehearsal Studio Andrew 0401588884 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

Haunted Attics band@hauntedatticsmusic.com Image credit: Lushpup Images

Morning After, The Covers band Anthony 0402500843

Birds Love Fighting Gangbusters/DIY shows-bookings@ birdslovefighting.com

Guy The Sound Guy Live & Studio Sound Engineer 0400585369 guy@guythesoundguy.com

Kayo Marbilus myspace.com/kayomarbilus

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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