BMA Magazine 428 Oct 22 2013 by BMA Magazine

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Urthboy to Open a Room

Abbott blames earliest bushfire season in recorded history on Gillard, reasoning: both red.

#428OCTOBER23 Fax: (02) 6257 4361 Mail: PO Box 713 Civic Square, ACT 2608 Publisher Scott Layne Allan Sko General Manager Allan Sko T: (02) 6257 4360 E: advertising@bmamag.com

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

Editor Ashley Thomson

Urthboy is beginning to do things one wouldn’t expect of a hip hop artist on the Elefant Traks label. He’s undergoing a rebranding, of sorts. First, he was picked up by Paul Kelly as his latest tour support, and by all reports wasn’t terribly received. Then all his press releases started reading like think-pieces on the state of Australiana. He is very deliberately drifting away from the ‘MC’ moniker and towards poet, storyteller, public figure. It’s not much of a surprise, then, that he will make a special appearance at the National Film and Sound Archive to launch the new Theatrette with a talk, presentation, and small performance around his conceptual approach to music. Afterwards, the refurbished Theatrette, which now seats 114 people for intimate screenings, conferences, live performances, and lectures, will be open. That’s important too. Magnanimous stuff. The launch opens at 7:30pm for an 8pm start and is free, but bookings are essential. Call (02) 6248 2000 to reserve a place.

Revolution in Petrograd which swept the Bolsheviks into power. It will be projected via a rare 16mm print, as it was originally intended. The show involves multiple 16mm projectors, with Ten Days being flanked by other supporting material, ranging from WWI footage through to the glorious days of Soviet ‘grandeur’ in the 1970s and ‘80s. The brilliant film, the score, whatever you come for, this is likely to be a show you won’t forget. (Threat? Endorsement? Let us know!) The event kicks off at 8pm on Thursday October 31 at The White Eagle Polish Club in Turner.

Kingsley Street Community Hub: It’s a Thing The ever-lively area around Barry Drive end of Kingsley Street – where you can find the ANU Food Co-op and Playing Field Studio – is now a community hub, y’heard. In the spirit of community (a spirit this area is now within its means to express), Playing Field Studio is holding a Community Painting Day. With the Food Co-op and ACT Conservation Council on board, Community Painting Day on Saturday October 26 will see food, drink, music, poetry, and painting all on display for

free from 1pm to 4pm. At the event, everyone will be able to paint, collage, or write on large canvases, so indulge your inner megalomaniac: come along and ruin it for everyone by telling them they’re ruining it for everyone else. See playingfieldstudio.org.au for more info.

Take Picture of Dying Cat, Profit Last year, the photo below won the National Photographic Portrait Prize. One might even go so far as to say it deserved to win the National Photographic Portrait Prize. So here’s what you do: find a dying animal, a white woman, a bowl of milk, and a few rays of pale afternoon sunlight, and win the grand prize: $25,000. Start gathering now because it’s likely supplies of all of these items will dry up as soon as word of this gets out. If BMA Magazine’s sleuthing abilities are what they once were, dying cats can be found in and around the RSPCA, white women can be lured with free yoga workshops, and milk and sunshine are freely available in all first world countries. Get your entry in to portrait.gov.au before Monday November 18.

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

Accounts Manager Fahim Shahnoor

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Graphic Design Chris Halloran Film Editor Melissa Wellham NEXT ISSUE 429 OUT NOVEMBER 6 EDITORIAL DEADLINE OCTOBER 28 ADVERTISING DEADLINE OCTOBER 31 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.

Today’s episoze is brought to you by the letter ‘?’ and the colour of meaninglessness.

Sub-Editor & Social Media Manager Jeremy Stevens

Soviet Icon’s Progeny to Play Score for ‘Difficult’ Silent Film What could be more attractive than the notion of a band called Lenin’s Love Child playing a score for Sergei Eisenstein’s 1928 silent film, Ten Days That Shook the World? Many, many things. But it’s musical undertakings like this one that are so riddled with potential simply because they are unusual. Ten Days is an acclaimed silent film that dramatises the 1917 October

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YOU PISSED ME OFF!

FROM THE BOSSMAN In this glittering technological world in which we live the ‘spoiler’ is an increasing threat. Once only a timid rabbit of a thing epitomised by a drunken friend letting slip an ending, it has now morphed into a rampaging Godzilla-like beast where any contact with the internet will instantly shatter every well-pitched plot in mere seconds. In 1960, Alfred Hitchcock and co. were able to successfully keep every bracing plot twist of Psycho a deep secret simply by urging people at the end of the screening not to spoil it. And it worked. People reportedly didn’t. These days, Norman Bates’ penchant for nightgowns and kitchenware would be trending by the time the second screening had commenced. If you happened to be anywhere near Twitter on the day of the Breaking Bad finale you’d know the season ends with Walter White discovering he was dead the whole time. No wait, that was in something else. Never mind, moving on …

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.] Dear Canberra, You pissed me off. I ran away from you three years ago. But, every time I return you get slightly trendier. What’s going on? Now I don’t think my friends will ever leave... Lots of love peppered with hate. To the tradie hater in the oct 9 edition of pissed off. Ring a fucking engineer when your shitter backs up and see how you get on. To people to say ‘Sorry I missed your call’ in their phone message

There’s not a lot a director or writer can do if fans – whether through a fevered love to share or through simply being a dick – rush to spoil their ending. But for years now a disturbing trend has developed in which studios are very much to blame. I’m talking trailers.

and then never answer or call back after I’ve tried 20 times.

Speaking of, hold onto your brightly coloured jockstraps you gaudy lovers of twee because Wes Anderson has a new film coming out. It’s called The Grand Budapest Hotel and stars basically everyone who has ever been on screen ever. Have you seen the trailer for it yet? Well don’t. Not because it makes the film look back or is crappily edited. Quite the opposite. It’s a slick, fast-paced, hilarious two-and-a-half minute rollick that perfectly sums up the film. And therein lies the problem … It perfectly sums up the film. Like, every bit, beginning to end, thankyouforwatching, no need to part with the best part of $20 to see it now.

THOUGHT WE WERE SUPPOSED TO BE FRIENDS, DAMMIT!

You’re obviously not sorry, don’t lie to me message bank. You’re ignoring me. Don’t think I don’t know you’re ignoring me. Just answer your phone and tell me to go away or else I’ll keep trying. I

The ability to distil a two hour film into a two minute promotional vignette is an impressive skill that takes many weeks of brutal editing to execute. It also completely ruins the film for anyone keen to see it. The tell-the-story style of promo needs to be stopped; there have been too many experiences ruined by them. The trailer for the remake of Danish film Brothers – starring Toby Maguire and Jake Gyllenhaal – had more spoilers than a mechanic’s shop, giving away every aspect of the film except the last, minute-long scene. And then there’s Quarantine – the remake of excellent Spanish horror film Rec – that actually had the audacity to show you the final scene. These films are not alone in their crimes. I’m not saying stop trailers altogether. I love a good trailer. The excitement and anticipation of another piece of celluloid always gets the blood pumping, with the prospect of a new Tarantino, Whedon, or indeed Anderson enough to send a shimmer of excitement around the globe. And every film is an immaculate five stars before you see it. Could this particular one be the next the film of our generation? A good trailer makes anything possible. But in a world where spoilers lurk around every kilobyte, the least we can expect is for studios to stop ruining their own films before we’ve even had the chance to drunkenly ruin for other people. ALLAN SKO - allan@bmamag.com

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Image credit: Keith Saunders Image credit: Jez Smith

WHO: The Faumuis WHAT: Album launch WHEN: Thu Oct 24 WHERE: The White Eagle Polish Club

It can be very easy to lose faith in today’s youth, but when a group as young as The Faumuis can launch their fourth original album – well, we challenge you to not be inspired. As Kashia, Salale, and Koebi are all aged 11 to 17, that’s no mean feat. After playing to a packed out (and stunned) audience at TEDxCanberra this year, they’re getting ready to bring their newest set of work to you at the launch for their album, Expectations. Support from The Trial and Error Band, Joe Nikko Jnr, and Australian Symphony Orchestra violinist Rebecca Smith. Doors are at 7pm, and tickets are $10.

WHO: Steve Clisby WHAT: East coast tour WHEN: Fri Oct 25 WHERE: The Abbey

Steve Clisby, the Californian-born neo-soul singer, has played instruments from a young age. After picking up the piano and saxophone at the age of seven, he then studied singing through high school. Having a two decade career with the group American Gypsy – who toured alongside Kool and the Gang, Santana, and Frank Zappa – has honed Clisby’s live show, and after performing on The Voice, he’s now coming to entertain Canberra. With many of the shows already sold out, you’d do well to jump on tickets as soon as possible! They’re from $50 + bf through theabbey.com.au. Doors open at 6:30pm.

WHO: TaikOz WHAT: Japanese taiko drumming WHEN: Sat Oct 26 WHERE: Canberra Theatre Centre

If you are yet to witness a live TaikOz performance, your chance is finally here. TaikOz, Australia’s premier taiko drumming group, are bringing their brand new show, Toward The Crimson Sky, to Canberra for a night of frenetic and thunderous music, dance, and song. After their critically acclaimed and very special 2012 collaboration with KODO (Japan’s premiere taiko drumming ensemble), they’re returning to Canberra – this time, bringing legendary bass koto player Satsuki Odamura with them. Doors open 7:10pm, and tickets are from $39 + bf. For more information and ticketing, see canberratheatrecentre.com.au.

WHO: Baby Animals WHAT: Feed The Birds tour WHEN: Sat Oct 26 WHERE: ANU Bar

Aussie rockers Baby Animals have just released their first studio album in 20 years, This Is Not The End, and now they’ve announced a national Australian tour! Excitingly, it’ll also be filmed for the band’s first ever live DVD, Feed The Birds (Live). The tour, for the curious among you, is named after the infamous Baby Animals tradition of pouring red wine into the mouths of fans in the front row … from frontwoman Suzie DeMarchi’s own! ‘We can’t wait to hit the road and introduce more of our fans around the country to the new album,’ says DeMarchi. Tickets are $41.25 + bf through Ticketek. See thebabyanimals.com for DVD pre-order details.

WHO: Sidney Creswick and Fresh Funk WHAT: Dance and music collaboration WHEN: Fri–Sat Nov 1–2 WHERE: The Street Theatre

I Thought I Was Not Alone is a collaboration between local fivepiece Sidney Creswick, and Canberra’s largest youth urban dance program, Fresh Funk. Blending musical styles from indie and pop through to folk, with a hip hop dance style, the performance will tell let a modern love story unfold right in front of the audience. Fresh Funk’s passionate and entertaining choreography will take viewers through acts of love, pain, entanglement, and redemption – all the while showing just why they’re so highly regarded as a local dance program. Don’t miss out on this very unique collaboration between Canberra artists. Tickets $20 through thestreet.org.au.

WHO: Los Chavos WHAT: Day of the Dead WHEN: Sat Nov 2 WHERE: Australian Croatian Club

Our own Latin/reggae legends, Los Chavos, are presenting Canberra’s yearly Latin American festival – Latino Fiesta! The festival will bring a massive showcase of music, dance, food, history, and culture to the nation’s capital, including interstate bands, dance schools, percussion ensembles, and more. With food and craft stalls, and events like Day of the Dead face-painting, there will be something for everyone. It’s a family friendly event, with the first part of the evening giving the audience a chance to experience these cultures, then to party with live entertainment. 4pm–midnight. See latinofiestacanberra.com for more info.

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zoe pleasants CANBERRA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL (CIFF) returns this Another problem CIFF faces in attracting a younger audience is October, offering cinema audiences much-needed sustenance that many of the films in its program are unclassified, and as and variety in their film diet. CIFF, in its seventeenth year, is likely such, can only be shown to an audience over 18. ‘But there are something with which you are familiar – last year was the festival’s ways of getting special exemptions to be able to provide the most successful, with more people seeing content to 15-yearmore films from more countries than ever olds, and we’re doing In the past, my curatorial briefs before – and if you liked what you saw, that this year,’ Lindsay there is much to look forward to in this says. There is also at had to be limited … But with this year’s program. But if you are not familiar least one film with festival there really aren’t any with CIFF or haven’t been to it in a couple a 13+ classification. to has it n tha er restrictions, oth of years, take another look. There is a new ‘I just like the idea ary por tem con be brilliant and Artistic Director at the helm, Lex Lindsay, that there seem to be who has a track record of curating quality families in Canberra niche film festivals, including Sydney’s Mardi Gras Film Festival, that have extremely well-read, well-spoken, erudite children in and has many ideas for CIFF and much enthusiasm. them and, you know, for people to have the chance to bring their kids along,’ explains Lindsay. Lindsay will use this year’s festival as the first step in, ‘reshaping the way that we look at, talk about, and engage with the festival.’ So what about the films? Lindsay loves the opening night film, In particular, he wants CIFF to respond to, ‘the flavours and All is Lost – a flick about a solo sailor, played by Robert Redford, ideas that we have about Canberra. And [for the festival] to crossing the Indian Ocean. ‘It contains the most thrilling, crazy take advantage of the things Canberra has to offer – which is in 30 minutes of storm film you could possibly imagine,’ enthuses many ways a highly educated, sophisticated audience, who are Lindsay. The festival’s centrepiece film is another one of particularly comfortable with engaging in discussion and debate Lindsay’s favourites: Jim Jarmusch’s vampire film, Only Lovers around wider, large scale ideas.’ Left Alive, staring Tilda Swinton. Lindsay is also pleased with the documentaries in the festival. ‘We’ve got more documentaries To this end, Lindsay is developing CIFF as a festival of cinema than ever before … Blackfish is ridiculously thrilling to watch. It’s and ideas. ‘The festival is now presented under nine thematic about Orcas or killer whales held in captivity in marine parks and categories,’ Lindsay explains. ‘And under each category, there are the reasons why they turn on their trainers sometimes.’ six films that approach that theme in a different way: there will be [at least] one documentary, one comedy, and one drama: a broad When he took over as Artistic Director, Lindsay promised that cross section of different ways of interrogating that central idea.’ he would make the festival more fun – and so it will be. ‘We’re The first three themes are specifically for Canberra, and they are doing the Australian premier of Filth, which is the Irvine Welsh the holy trinity of things we shouldn’t talk about: sex, politics, and [Trainspotting] adaptation, it’s really filthy! And another Australian religion. The next three themes are individual, family, and planet; premiere, The Gilded Cage, a French family comedy which just and the final three are life, love, and liberty. went mental over the spring in France in their box office. And the highest grossing Croatian film of all time, which is also an Each theme also has a conversation attached to it. These Australian premier, called The Priest’s Children, which is about conversations will cover topics such as misogyny, asylum a priest who decides to take God’s will into his own hands in seeker rights, gay parenting and gay marriage, and sex, lies, and this small village and starts puncturing condoms and replacing dating after the age of 60. One conversation involves Father contraception pills with Tic Tacs … a mad-cap comedy.’ Bob Maguire, who will be making an appearance at the festival following the screening of the documentary In Bob we Trust as Lindsay’s enthusiasm for this festival is palpable. ‘It was such a part of the religion theme. ‘I think it’s really fair to say that the gift to get Canberra,’ he tells me, ‘because in the past, my curatorial themes in this festival are, and the kind of subject matter being briefs had to be limited purely because that was what was explored is, a little more hard-hitting,’ Lindsay says. ‘A little more required. Either I was looking at gay and lesbian cinema, or I was controversial, and a little more geopolitically responsive than the looking at independent cinema only, or I was doing short films, or past couple of years has been. But I think that’s a good thing.’ I was doing just Australian films, or brand-spanking new stuff that’s never been seen before. So there were already a lot of Lindsay really wants to get a younger audience engaging with the restrictions on what I could program. But with this festival there festival. ‘The festival has a really strong audience base, but where really aren’t any restrictions, other than it has to be brilliant and it’s lacking in many ways is in the younger crowd,’ he says. Luckily, contemporary cinema!’ there is now a CIFF student membership price: ‘It’s just $20 and The Canberra International Film Festival will run from Wed Oct out of that they get eight free films throughout the year, a free 30–Sun Nov 10. For a full list of films, screening times, and ticketing film before and after the festival, and they get the cheapest ticket details, see canberrafilmfestival.com.au. price possible throughout the festival,’ explains Lindsay.

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ALL AGES Howdy partners! We’ve rounded up a whole mess of All Ages events for you this week, are you ready? First off is the ever beautiful Nara Festival, a celebration of Canberra’s special relationship with our sister city in Japan. Held at the Lennox Gardens, Yarralumla, on Saturday October 26, the Nara Festival features traditional and delicious Japanese food, cultural activities, music, and entertainment, all culminating in the viewing of over 2000 candles lighting up the Canberra Nara Peace Park. Try lantern making, origami, traditional flower arranging, calligraphy, kite flying, martial arts demonstrations, and much more. The event starts at 5pm and finishes at 9pm. Entry is free. Next up – it’s A Good Day to Skate Hard! The Varsity Roller Derby League will be hosting a double bout featuring the Sydney City Smash Bros, Varsity Boys, DisHonour Rollers, and The Force Derby Dolls. Roller Derby is a fast-paced and exciting sport guaranteed to have you hooked with non-stop action and a crazily dynamic atmosphere, so come down to Southern Cross Stadium in Tuggeranong at 5pm on Saturday October 26 to check it out. Tickets are $16.85 + bf. Also on Saturday October 26, if you’re looking to spend a bit of cash and hunt down hidden treasures, the Kingsford Smith School Car Boot Sale will be the perfect place to spend your day. Over 70 stalls will be brimming with all sorts of trinkets and gizmos, all to the tune of a delicious hot BBQ lunch! You never know what you could find yourself there, and proceeds help raise funds for the school as well. The Kingsford Smith School is at 100 Starke Street, Holt, and will be open between 9am and 12pm, with free admission. Wednesday October 30 will bring us the 17th Annual Canberra International Film Festival, a 12-day festival of cinematic wonder from all around the world. As well as a veritable marathon of movie goodness, there will also be Q&A sessions and discussions with directors, actors, producers, and other important creators in the film industry. The festival will be held at Dendy Cinemas in Canberra Centre and the Arc Cinema at the National Film & Sound Archive, Wed Oct 30–Sun Nov 10, between 6:30pm and 9pm. Check out the schedule and more information at canberrafilmfestival.com.au. Tickets are from $14.50 and can be bought at the venue or online to avoid missing out. Thursday October 31 – the spookiest night of the year … and to celebrate, the Woden Youth Centre will be hosting their very own Halloween Party for people 12–25 years old. It’ll have games, food, drinks, and promises of a fun and spooky night for everybody involved, so invite your friends along between 2:30-5:30pm. This is a drug and alcohol free event. Don’t forget to come in costume, as there will be prizes awarded for the best one. And finally, This Is Art Market is back and showcasing unique and original art from local artists, with the motto of ‘steering people away from department store bought prints’. If you’re looking for something beautiful to adorn your walls, don’t go for generic prints, support the crafty people of our very own community. Bring along a gold coin donation for entry to the Yarralumla Woolshed, between 10am–3pm on Sat–Sun November 9–10. Stay funky,

VICKY CONSTABLE allagescolumn@gmail.com

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LOCALITY

YOU MADE MY DAY!

There is a scene in the 2002 film Adaptation where Susan Orlean (played by Meryl Streep), high on a potent hallucinogen whilst speaking on the phone to John Laroche (played by Chris Cooper), insists that Laroche hum a note an octave lower than the one she’s humming. Orlean wants to hear the harmony it creates, and when she does, she’s thrilled. Now there is much to be said on the topics of hallucinogens, Charlie Kaufman films, thrills, and Meryl Streep, but the point here is harmonies. They’re one of the most elegant, simple musical devices we have, and we are lucky in Canberra to have some musicians that handle them effortlessly. Two of them, Hashemoto and Burrows, are appearing at Smith’s Alternative on Wednesday October 23 from 7:30pm, thanks to Canberra Musicians Club.

Email editorial@bmamag.com to send a message of gratitude, warmth and generosity to the world at large. Aw.

In a similar vein, The Resident Program is back in action at Transit Bar on Thursday October 24, presenting local band Freyja’s Rain, with Brother Be and Hung Parliament in support from 8pm, free. Or if you’re more of a jazz person, Smith’s Alternative’s Jazz Jam continues every Thursday from 9pm.

To the guy who offered to take a photo of my girlfriend and I

A tall, broad-shouldered man in a cape singing songs about the never-ending wonders of the galaxies is a quintessentially local experience. Catch Magic Rob Universe with The Feldons at Pot Belly in Belconnen from 8pm for $5. And just across the road on Saturday October 26, ten bands will get up onstage to pay tribute to the best heavy bands of the ‘90s: Prodigy, NIN, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Soundgarden, and more all merit a slot. Doors open at 8pm and it’s $20 at the door.

You made my day BMA for free facts, splendid jokes and

I was jogging home from work near ANU last week and unbeknown to me my mobile phone had bounced out of a section of my backpack which wasn’t fully zipped up. When I stopped at a set of traffic lights I turned around to find an exhausted, panting, rather portly Asian gentleman desperately trying to catch me. ‘You fast’ he spluttered as he handed me back my phone. The poor guy had ran at least four blocks! Made my day.

on the last day of Floreade, you’re awesome! It was especially nice to see somebody LGBT friendly after we dealt with some homophobic glares earlier on. You absolutely made our day!

generously giving prizes out at the Phoenix trivia quiz then leading me to karaoke where I sang a ska song that I didn’t request followed by kind applause. Bravo you and your writers!

The departed Alex ‘Escha’ Beddows will be the subject of another tribute night on Thursday October 31 at Transit Bar. Drum and bass heavyweight dBridge will be headlining a night with SP MC, Jilted Hoodz, and locals Buick, Para, Logic and more. The night runs from 7pm to midnight, with the door price TBA. Helloween at The Basement on Saturday November 2 will see the night rung in with burlesque from Seker Pare, and music from Reign of Terror, Bladder Spasms and more. 8pm doors for that. At the Magpies City Club the same night, Knights of the Spatchcock are headlining that latest instalment of City Underground with The Khalasar and The Naddiks in support from 8pm for $10. The Saturday isn’t over, though, with Zierholz @ UC (worst venue name ever) hosting Party Gravy’s debut album launch show from 8pm. Presale tickets are $18.40 + bf thru Oztix, and supports are still TBA. A new series of Sunday concerts is under way here at Gorman House Arts Centre. If you haven’t been to Gorman House in a while, you should. It’s lovely. We have immaculate lawns hemmed in by wisteria vines. On a nice day, it’s easily in the city’s top five nicest places to stretch out. Anyway, Mr Tim is playing here on Sunday November 3 from 3pm, and tickets are $5–15. Finally, if you miss Party Gravy’s album launch, they’re appearing at The Bootleg Sessions on Monday November 4 with The Monotremes, Positive Feedback Loop, and Bubbles and Yeti. 8pm, free, as usual. And that’s everything local I care about. ASHLEY THOMSON - editorial@bmamag.com; @aabthomson

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important there, because I was living with him at the time, and I would play music in the shed out the back – and he said it himself, ashley thomson so please don’t shoot me for speaking for him – but he said he Sebastian Field, frontman and songwriter for Canberra band liked what he heard, in whatever words. And we started to play CRACKED ACTOR, is soft-spoken, withdrawn, self-conscious, and together, in the shed, for a little while,’ Field laughs, ‘and decided to and uses words sparingly. Sitting in his north Ainslie living room on bring some other people in.’ a bright Saturday morning, Field is dwarfed by the small couch on which he sits, and holds his cup of black tea in front of him in both Those other people, who would help record Solar Driftwood, were hands. And sitting small at five feet eight inches, dressed in black Nick Delatovic (bass guitar), and Matt Lustri (lead guitar). Though from head to toe – black flat cap, black t-shirt, black jeans, black Lustri would leave the band, to be replaced temporarily by Jordan riding boots – Field already presents a small target. He seems Rodgers of Sex Noises, he has since rejoined it. ‘Which I’m very almost designed to avoid notice – his pleased about,’ says gently hunched shoulders, round face, and Field. ‘I think he’s earnest blue eyes are almost childish, and really good. I’m fond There’s something very important in ve, naï he laughs only nervously, as if slipping a ing of him. I think he’s a ain rem ut abo me to cover he was told to maintain. e, wonderful guitarist. enc ess the ity, ativ cre to s ard reg And a good friend ut Cracked Actor solidified into a live Abo . that little dot of inspiration otherwise.’ band in 2009 or 2010 – ‘It’s a bit hazy,’

ing it … letting it come

just lett says Field – and are about to release The creative ideas the debut single, Lemon On Your Lover, in Cracked Actor, off their forthcoming debut LP, Iconoclast, due for release in though, having once been the product of greater collaboration, early 2014. Marked more than anything else by Field’s voice – an are now ostensibly Field’s. ‘Well, for this album a lot of things have alternately gentle and raging falsetto – and songs that change come from my head,’ he explains. ‘It was a little bit more the other direction unexpectedly, or burst open from refrains lurking way for [Solar Driftwood]. I mentioned that we were excitable. And with tension, Cracked Actor’s music has invited numerous maybe I was the most excitable. Maybe. I don’t know, I can’t speak comparisons to Radiohead, Efterklang, Grizzly Bear, and Jeff for the others. I recognise that I was very excitable. And so all Buckley. Part of Cracked Actor’s great promise rests on the fact these other things came out, all these other songs, which turned that such comparisons, unlike the majority of instances in which into the new record. And so a lot of the elements were born in that they are made, are somewhat warranted. And with only one EP period. Out of my brain.’ released, 2012’s Solar Driftwood, it has been Cracked Actor’s live As for the nature of the ideas’ genesis, Field is happily clueless. performances as much as this release that validates the praise ‘I was hoping you’d ask something along those lines, because I’m they receive. not really sure where it comes from.’ He laughs. ‘It’s a question On stage, Field and the band seem to disappear, performance after performance, without fail and to great effect, into their music. Despite his self-effacing nature, Field is not oblivious to the acclaim this and their EP has garnered them. ‘We’re very, um, excitable after the first EP,’ he says. ‘And I was a bit tentative, being the way I am, self-conscious, having to go through the motions of doing it. But [Solar Driftwood] was received well, and I appreciated that.’

The conversation we have is a long one. Field’s wariness of arrogance often leads him to second-guess himself mid-answer. He worries on numerous occasions that he will sound like a wanker. He checks the status of our conversation on several occasions: ‘Is this going well?’ Only through the piecing-together of an over hour-long conversation does a picture of Field’s creative process, his vision, the genesis of his work as one of Canberra’s most exciting musicians in one of its most promising bands, begin to emerge. Before their live show became one of the best in Canberra, before Solar Driftwood was even contemplated, Cracked Actor began in a shed. ‘My mother’s always been very supportive, so I must recognise that,’ Field laughs. ‘But to the specific point of Solar Driftwood, Grahame [Thompson, percussion and cello, is]

I would like to know of some artists. It is a funny thing, but it really just comes from nowhere. If I sit down and try to write something, I’m very unhappy. But there might be some moment where I’m trying my best not to think about anything, or I am just not thinking about anything, and I just naturally pick up the guitar, purely natural, and then it will occur.’ And that’s where your best work comes from? ‘Yes,’ replies Field. ‘If I’m allowed to say that I have varying standards of work … Yeah, there’s something very important to me about remaining naïve, in regards to creativity, the essence, that little dot of inspiration. About just letting it … letting it come.’ This passive-receptive attitude to creativity lies at the heart of qualities that make Cracked Actor, and Sebastian Field, worthy of particular attention. During the course of our conversation, Field gradually articulates an ethos for creativity, one for which he advocates with refreshing confidence. Field even, in the most self-effacing manner possible, approaches something you might call pride. Field’s ethos, after all, seems to stem from a gentle satisfaction with the work that will make up Iconoclast.

‘I think the record is very good, and I don’t tend to feel that way,’ he says. ‘I can see Cracked Actor being accepted on a greater scale. Without any desire of my own, I could just see that happen … I don’t want to put my desire down, because initially you just want to be happy with it, and whether or not other people like it—I think

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they would. It’s good … I mean, a lot of music is really bad. And, I dunno, I sound like a wanker, but you recognise when something’s turning out okay. It’s a nice feeling. [Iconoclast is] probably better than a lot of other stuff.’ This anachronistic confidence leads me to push Field for his means of accessing his creativity. ‘Turn off your television, listen to intelligent dance music or classical radio, and become friends with a child,’ he says eventually. ‘For starters I don’t have a television. So I don’t—it might be useful, but I don’t enjoy having things blasted at me. Visual, in that case, or generally … It’s a bit scary when the bloody thing’s just on all the time. It’s really scary. ‘It feels right,’ he clarifies of his self-imposed distance from digest. ‘Whether or not it’s helped I don’t know. I’m probably getting odder as we speak. ‘Having a lot of relationships with children has helped me,’ he continues, bringing to bear on his music his role as a childcare worker. ‘I mean, they’re more open-minded. You can learn a lot, if you listen … Because they’re children, mainly … They’re not dampened by existence yet.’ ‘Use your legs,’ is Field’s last piece of advice. ‘I’m a pedestrian at heart. I like walking and riding. I think that’s useful. There’s another thing about our time: cars. Very strange. And in combination with a job you don’t like. It’s really weird. You get out of bed and you get into the car, you go to the office, and you get back into the car, and come back home, and you haven’t actually noticed anything else. You’ve been enclosed all day long. Even public transport’s better.’ As for music, it all ties in, with Field saying that his duty in every case is to the piece of music. ‘I often feel a bit strange, talking about myself this way, but yes. Because I don’t think that music should be—it should be natural, for so many people. I think it’s a bit bastardised. So yeah … I feel like that’s the way everyone should do it. I’m doing it. “Here, look at this. This is how I do it, maybe you can do it that way too.” ’ It’s unconscious, Field explains. ‘I dislike standard structures of songs … On the new album, there’s more interesting things, structurally. There are some songs that have a place for a chorus but it just really felt like there just shouldn’t be one, so I just leave it that way, even though it might seem slack, or to many other people that it just is incomplete or something, it’s just the way it should be … You don’t want to turn it into something more than it should be. Because it’s come naturally, it’s its own thing. ‘I think people take inspiration in stuff a little bit too seriously, so it’s good to be able to tell someone that it’s just something that’s free … It’s just a function of the body. It happens when it does. ‘There’s an element of songwriting that I think is a bit, “Here’s something that I’m feeling and I’m going to shove it in your face.” And I don’t really get it. It’s like listening to the radio and there’s someone singing about the love they lost or whatever, and I think, “Hm. That’s great. It’s not that special. Get over it.” ’ Field’s natural aversion to overtness extends to his sense of himself as a performer. ‘I can sometimes really enjoy live music and sometimes really dislike it, because there’s a sense of spectacle about the whole thing which I think is a little bit false … Sometimes I really don’t enjoy it. Sometimes it’s stupid …

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It’s just maybe when it’s a bit more spectacle-y. There have just been occasions where you finish it and you think, “That was really unnecessary.” … It can be very uncomfortable. Very nervy and anxious. I can feel a bit distant or detached from the experience … I like it when I feel comfortable enough to dance,’ he laughs. ‘That’s very enjoyable, but it doesn’t happen every time, and I can’t force myself … But sometimes it feels really good.’ Sebastian Field is 30 this year – late, it could be said, to undertake something like Cracked Actor – but he is happy, such that the timing seems fortuitous. In his age, and in the company of fellow artists like Grahame Thompson, Julia Johnson, and Sam King, Field seems readied. This was not always the case for Field, and his personal history continues to inform his music. ‘I’ve felt very lonely at points,’ he says, ‘but I’m an only child. With a single parent. So there is an element of solitude … There are some songs which you might get that impression from. More than any other emotional response. That’s fine, it’s good. ‘I like 30,’ he goes on. ‘When I was young, or when other people are young, you’re subject to—you’re a bit of a target market … And it feels nice to have come to the realisation that I’m not—I’m just a human,’ he laughs. As much as his outwardly abstract sense of self gives him comfort, Field’s company, also, continues to contribute to Cracked Actor’s music. ‘Recognising that there was a nice little nest of people that are willing to support doing the same thing, and willing to support others, I found that very nurturing and rewarding,’ Field says. ‘It’s very rewarding to work with someone who’s approaching songwriting in an abstract fashion, structure-wise,’ he says of Sam King, frontman of Canberra band Burrows, who will help master and produce Iconoclast. ‘I quite dislike standard structures. And yeah, it’s nice to have another one “over there”. And it does come back, because it makes you appreciate what you do, or kind of validates it a little bit. Or normalises it; you don’t feel so weird because there are other people who appreciate it.’ Reasons aside, the difference in tone between Lemon On Your Lover and the work on Solar Driftwood is obvious. In Field’s words, ‘the songs are more direct.’ And with the rest of the recording of Iconoclast finished, all that remains is the music’s production, something Field considers ‘nigh on one of the biggest parts of creating a record.’ In closing, Field remarks, ‘I look forward to people hearing it. It’s better than the last one.’ That Solar Driftwood showed potential is certain, and that Lemon On Your Lover represents a positive evolution is also true. But that Field – a person who shies from boasting like a child behind their mother’s legs – is proud already of the album to come, is a sure enough sign to any serious music listener that the mastermind of one of the best albums of 2014 will likely be found in a living room in north Ainslie, hiding behind a cup of black tea. Cracked Actor will launch Lemon On Your Lover at The White Eagle Polish Club on Friday November 1, with Central West in support. The show starts at 7:30pm. Door price TBA.

RORY McCARTNEY Last year I spoke with an excited Rafe Morris, from Woden Community Service, in advance of the huge WODEN VALLEY FESTIVAL, for which he was the Communications and Festival Coordinator. Chuffed with the success of the event, he’s back running the 2013 extravaganza.

life to it. Also new are the Digital Stories Workshops on Mon–Tue November 4–5, run by the ACT Digital Hub at Woden Library. ‘You tell your story to an iPad camera, then add photos and music to make a story to share with friends and family,’ Morris says. ‘It’s especially aimed at people who are new to technology.’

Running from Sun–Sat November 3–9, the WVF is a collection of events which aim to promote community groups and bring people together to have fun. The festival, which has a number of activities leading up to the grand finale carnival on Saturday November 9, continues to evolve with new features. While many ACT events have been caught up in the Centenary Celebrations, the WVF has charted its own course, highlighting what Woden has to offer. Best of all, almost everything is free.

For anyone whose friends are always calling them a clown, there’s a heavy circus theme this year. ‘There’s a partnership with the Warehouse Circus’s Circus for Life Festival, which is the official Fringe Festival to the WVF,’ Morris says. ‘The Carnival will also have a greater circus theme, including the Circus FunLympics which are open to everybody.’

The WVF culminates in the Carnival on Saturday November 9, from 10am–4pm, in Eddison Park. The BMX competition and skateboarding lessons are on again with Skateboarding Australia ‘We really appreciate the sponsors who help make the festival offering to teach you to skate for free, all gear provided. (This is possible,’ Morris says, ‘with special mention going to the CIT an equal opportunity embarrassment event, open students who do to any daring souls.) Cemetery tours, hosted by the sound work for The festival is about looking Ann Gugler, will introduce you to some of the more our carnival and notable residents beneath the turf (just don’t band competition. at what’s on in Woden and expect them to answer any questions), and new All events are creating ways for groups heritage tour walks will show off architectural and free except the s ion sat ani org and different historical features of interest. The walk includes Woden Seniors’ ed lud inc and arts to be the amazing graffiti in the storm drain near Callam Club fundraising St. Art in the Drain can be viewed online at the concert on Sunday festival website, but it’s better to walk the turf and see it for November 3 which has a $15 entry, because it raises support for yourself as all the artwork has changed since 2012. the club. The concert features local opera stars including soprano Rachael Duncan and baritone Michael Politi.’ The carnival’s circus entertainment line-up includes 60 Acts in 60 Minutes and The Aviators. ‘Apart from these,’ Morris says, There are laughs to be had, with local comedians at the Mixed Bag ‘community groups dominate the carnival entertainment, Comedy Night at the Woden Tradies’ on Monday November 4, and providing opportunities for them to present their music. Acts another favourite is the Home Made Jam solo singer-songwriter include Johnny Huckle, the Canberra Men’s Choir, the Tuggeranong competition, held on Thursday November 7 at Woden CIT. The Ukulele Band, Party Gravy, and the Woden Valley Youth Choir – sixth annual Lift Off band contest is on again for young bands which has performed for Nelson Mandela and assorted royalty.’ from the ACT or surrounding region. Nominations have already closed (no whinging – it was advertised in previous BMAs) and you There’s plenty of hands-on stuff too. ‘You can make your mark on can catch the competitors at the heats on Friday October 25 and a public mural,’ Morris says, ‘and local environmental group SEEFriday November 1, with the finals on Friday November 8 – all held Change will help you make sock puppets whilst teaching you about at Woden Youth Centre. the environment.’ You can bring your own socks or, if they have been confiscated by UN chemical weapons inspectors, you can ‘It’s been hard in the past to get youth-appropriate stall holders,’ get a fresh pair for a small donation. Punters can learn about their Morris says, ‘so by holding Lift Off at the youth centre, we’re region at community stalls, make a juggling ball and be taught how hoping for a wider range of activities this year. There will be to use it, or spill a whole mess of healthy (or otherwise) food down market stalls, food, and a whole heap of stuff to do.’ Lift Off prizes their shirt from the many yummy vendors. include studio recording time, a photo shoot, merch graphic design, marketing services, and even $1,000 advertising with Volunteers willing to help out can get involved by contacting the BMA (our editor was beaten around the head until he agreed). reception desk at Woden Community Service on (02) 6282 2644. Excitingly, another one of the prizes is a wildcard entry into Canberra’s Smells Like Centenary Spirit music comp.’ Rafe sums it all up: ‘The festival is about looking at what’s on in Woden and creating ways for groups and different organisations One of the new additions to WVF is Changing Places, a project and arts to be included. We spread the inclusive love.’ which transforms spaces that affect mental health. ‘Put on by the Mental Health Foundation, it holds an “intervention” in selected The Woden Valley Festival runs from Sun–Sat November places,’ Morris says. ‘We will hold an “intervention” in the Woden 3–9, and everything you need to know is on its website: Bus Interchange, not the happiest place in the world, to bring new wodenvalleyfestival.org.au. Check the site for times and dates.

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Image credit: Greta Parry

HANDS ACROSS AUSTRALIA ian McCARTHY

From Flinders Street Station to Glastonbury, Melbourne’s nine-piece soul outfit SASKWATCH has been turning heads and pleasing ears for just three years. That time has seen the band tour extensively in Australia as well as internationally, and release their acclaimed album, Leave it All Behind. The band’s lead vocalist, Nkechi Anele, was kind enough to have a chat with us. ‘The band started four years ago,’ Anele says of their beginnings. ‘We were at uni and we just started busking outside of Flinders Street Station, and [one of] two DJs who run a night at Cherry Bar walked passed us and really liked our sound and got us onto PBS – which is a local radio station in Melbourne – and from there we started playing Cherry Bar and building a fan base, and yeah. We’ve just moved upwards and onwards from there.’

To see the Rolling Stones and know that you were being billed on the same festival was pretty amazing

we would be playing that festival in the time that we had … To be able to see the Rolling Stones and know that you were being billed on the same festival as them was pretty amazing.’ Saskwatch is getting ready to embark on a tour of the east coast in support of their new single, Hands. Some people may be hesitant to the idea of a road trip with eight other people, but Anele sounds keen. ‘We’re actually really sufficient as a group. I guess because we’ve been around each other for so long, we all know what our strengths and weaknesses are with things.’ She also mentioned the perks of traveling in such a large band. ‘Because there are so many different people, you don’t feel like you’re all stuck together. You can go off with different people in the band and do things that you’d like to do. You don’t necessarily have to stay around the same four people like other bands do.’ Saskwatch will be playing Transit Bar on Friday November 1, with doors opening at 8pm. Tickets are $20 + bf through Moshtix, with support from Brass Knuckle Brass Band.

Saskwatch has always had a distinctively modern soul sound. ‘Most of our sound has originated from soul music, that’s kind of how we’ve found our fan base originally, but we’re moving away from that slightly and experimenting with new genres.’ Speaking of the band’s influences, Anele says, ‘Originally a lot of our influences were from 1950s and ‘60s soul. So like, James Brown, Aretha Franklin, people like that. We’re also influenced by people like The Dap Kings, who we met earlier this year … Now we’re moving onto new sounds … I think like Arctic Monkeys and stuff like that have really been influential, like British pop-rock kind of thing.’ The band’s new single, Hands, is certainly reflective of such influences. The song maintains their soulful nature, but also highlights the band’s pop and rock sensibilities. The band has been gaining attention internationally as well as in Australia, having played on bills such as Glastonbury and Spain’s Black is Back Festival. ‘Playing Glastonbury this year was a pretty big highlight,’ Anele says. ‘I don’t think anyone, especially us, imagined

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DANCE THE DROP

I’ve been fighting for the insurgency against the EDM invaders for months, but it is a battle that was always destined to be onesided; like the Australian men’s soccer team versus, well … any other soccer team. EDM is everywhere, from department store elevators to commercial radio, movie theatres, and ringtones. It is so completely embedded in our culture that at any point in your day, there is a 25% chance that you will be within earshot of an EDM banger. I decided to lay down arms and try EDM on for size. What better place to see how the other half live than the undisputed Mecca for Australian EDM – Pacha Saturdays at Ivy in Sydney. It was within the walls of the spiritual Jerusalem of EDM that I finally experienced an epiphany. Amongst the exploding confetti cannons, gigantic flashing LCD panels, burlesque dancing girls, and hungry packs of stick thin runway models, it all made sense. EDM is the NASCAR of dance music. It is loud and simple. The reason that it works is because it is not just about what is coming out of the speakers; it’s about the whole circus. It’s just plain and simple fun. Forget the music, because it pretty much all sounds the same; grab a drink, head for the front of the stage, and punch the air until it feels like Rebel Wilson is sitting on your shoulder. Then swap arms and start all over again. That’s the recipe for EDM.

SP MC. The event celebrates ten years of seminal UK label Exit Records, so if you are a fan of hyped-up bass music, your attendance is essential. Hard dance fans can shuffle their little hearts out at Hard NV at NV Nightclub on Saturday November 2. The event features some of the DJs from the DEFQON festival along with a bunch of local talent. Sydney hustler Biggy Paulz took a five minute break away from ‘slappin hoes’ to pimp out his top five favourite club tunes of the moment. Enjoy! Ninetoes – Finder [Kling Klong] – One of the biggest tunes in Ibiza this season and such an addictive record. You will be hearing this everywhere over the next four months. Sonny Wharton – Raindance [Skint] – Total old school House vibes, big piano stabs, huge tune. What’s not to like?! Pleasurekraft – Sinister Strings [Kraftek] – Pleasurekraft is one of my favourite artists and an absolute champion guy. This is his latest tune, which samples the classic Brainbug record Nightmare. This is a dance floor destroyer. DJ Assault – Raccoon – [Jefferson Ave] – This is a wicked Ghettotech record with one of the funniest vocals I have ever heard. Flashmob – Need in Me – [Defected] – This one has been out for over a year but I never get tired of this record, the hook gets me every time. TIM GALVIN - tim.galvin@live.com.au

Make sure to grab your gurn permit because Trance Answer is back at The Clubhouse on Friday October 25. This edition features dual headliners, Ben Penfold and Dan Sieg, alongside Canberra’s trance and progressive collective. TJS are presenting 4Esch on Thursday October 31 at Transit Bar, featuring UK rudeboys dBridge and

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GREAT SCOUT rory McCARTNEY Indie poppers LITTLE SCOUT have been on a roll, recently launching their second LP, Are You Life, which showcases a new sound for the Brisbane-based band. Vocalist Melissa Tickle drew the short straw for the interview, feeling weary and a bit like she’d been dancing non-stop for 12 hours during the making of their latest video. Little Scout has been busy, delivering two EPs and two albums in the five years since they formed. This productivity comes from their sheer love of music. ‘It’s such an important outlet for all of us,’ Tickle explains. ‘We don’t want to become drones, and find it really important to express ourselves through music. Plus, we find a lot of joy in the discovery process. Without it, we’d be different and very unhappy people.’

It’s better to be busy and tired than bored and disenchanted with the world

‘From recording in a tiny studio with the modest aim of making our mums proud, we decided to put the results on triple j Unearthed and enter a few competitions,’ Tickle says. ‘We even got a manager.’ Tickle finds the encouragement to be an amazing boost for young bands, without which they can find it hard to continue wanting to play music. ‘In terms of wanting to get played on the radio and play in front of people, it’s a really great step,’ she says. While both Tickle and Elliott lead in presenting ideas for key features such as guitar lines, keyboard, or bass parts or lyrics, it becomes more a group activity from there on. ‘We spend so much time pouring effort into the aesthetics of the music, that it’s always half written in the studio, with the four of us working together. That little twinkle of an idea gets fleshed out by every band member.’ Fans who enjoyed their earlier material, such as Shakes and Rattles and Dead Loss, may be surprised by the new sound. ‘After our first couple of EPs, we found it was more interesting and more fun to play music that was louder, with more layering and depth,’ Tickle says. The song themes also shifted, from experiential to observational. ‘We read news stories and analysed the world around us, though not in a preachy way,’ Tickle says. ‘This included political and behavioural observations, of patterns that people take on as a natural part of being human. Plus it comes from being a few years older than we were when we wrote Take Your Light.’ The band members have lots of side projects with other bands and other interests, but it is not hard to find time for Little Scout. ‘It’s a big part of our lives. While we all have full-time jobs, we’re very productive people, and find that it’s better to be busy and tired than being bored and disenchanted with the world.’ Little Scout, with local support to be announced, will be playing Transit Bar on Saturday November 2. It’s a free show.

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I liked what it meant for me personally – my sound and what I am about as an artist coming together and ‘crystallising’

Q&A: ELIZABETH ROSE tedi bills You’ve been making your mark on the Australian music scene since 2010. How would you describe your climb to popular success? I think the word ‘gradual’ would be the best way to describe it – it feels like I’ve been plodding along at a steady pace which has been good for me. It has definitely kept me grounded. You recently won a Spirit of Youth Award. How important is that critical recognition to you? Yeah! It’s very important – to be awarded for something that I really love doing is just a bonus on top. Winning that award has helped with getting my name out there too. Your stage presence has a big emphasis on beautiful, dramatic clothes and makeup. Do you view your stage outfits as costumes, or as extensions of yourself? Aw, thank you! I just love fashion and colour – I studied it after high school and that was going to be my career, funnily enough! The costumes I wear are definitely an extension of me and my personality. I love to have fun with outfits and dress up … also maybe because I’m still a little kid inside!

Who and what influences you artistically? I’m a big movie buff – especially Disney … the fantasy/theatrical side of those movies definitely influence the music and the costumes too. I also get influenced by the people around me, I like to observe people as weird as that sounds, ha! And then I’m also influenced by other music – Joni Mitchell plays a big part in inspiring lyrics, her album Blue just blew me away when I first heard it at the age of 16. How are you feeling about the release of Crystallise? I was happy with Crystallise – it was my first EP, and I learnt a lot from doing it all myself. Since then, I’ve progressed a lot in my style of writing, and also what I’m writing about as I begin to experience more. The title Crystallise was the name of a demo I put up online a few years ago, and I liked what it meant for me personally – my sound and what I am about as an artist coming together and ‘crystallising’.

You’ve done remixes for Flight Facilities, Jinja Safari, and Chairlift. What is it about these artists’ work that draws you in? I love a good vocal – and it’s what drew me in to remixing the tracks for these artists. I really try not to stick to what the original sounds like because I really enjoy making it sound unique and surprise the listener! You’ve played a lot of festivals, including Harvest, Peats Ridge, and Field Day. What’s the difference between a festival gig and a venue gig? Obviously the size of the production is a big difference – I much prefer festivals, it’s just so thrilling to be apart of something that size … plus you get to meet your idols backstage! Elizabeth Rose will be playing Trinity Bar on Saturday November 9. Doors open at 8:30pm, and entry is free before 10pm (and $15 after that). Support from Charles Murdoch.

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First up, ANU Bar will be hosting Owl Eyes’ Nightbeats tour on Friday October 25, and whether or not you’re a fan of the indie-pop phenom, of greater interest are her support acts. They’re both up and coming electronic acts who make some pretty friendly yet interesting downbeat electronic: Willow Beats from Melbourne and Kite String Tangle from Brisbane. Tickets are $24 + bf and it starts at 8pm. The biggest day on the University of Canberra’s calendar – and of course I’m talking about Stone Day on Saturday October 26 – will feature Yahtzel, who is one of the more talented Australian producers doing the rounds on blogs and social media right now. He sounds kinda like a more alternative version of Flume, with the same chopped up vocal sampling and dreamy production. It’s $5 for UC students (but you probably already knew that if you’re eligible) and for non-students it’s $15. After the recent flurry of big new releases, including Psychic and Vapor City, there’s even more top notch releases on their way. Tim Hecker’s Virgins is fantastic experimental electronic, featuring lots of weird samples and sounds – everything from harps and atmospheric piano to cheesy ‘80s style synth whooshes all cascade over each other, cut out at seemingly random intervals, and just collide. It’s busy and chaotic, and with seemingly incongruous elements all bought together with purposeful abandon by Hecker, it’s not exactly coherent – but it is fascinating. Kieran Hebden, better known as Four Tet, has just released his latest album, Beautiful Rewind. If you’ve listened to his previous albums you might have noticed a certain shift, with his music becoming more club friendly, but certainly not in a bad way – and Beautiful Rewind is a continuation of this trend. It still bears Four Tet’s penchant for genre and style hopping, and on this album there’s a certain nostalgia factor (there are MCs shouting ‘You want to get fucked/ You want to smoke drugs’ and vinyl crackles) over a jazzy core of glimmering beats. But the music on the album is tighter, shorter, and more focused. It feels like there’s a definite purpose and vision, and Four Tet just keeps chugging along, consistently releasing great music while evolving his style. Other releases worth checking out are Gesaffelstein’s debut Alpeh – if lead track Hate or Glory is anything to go by, expect more of the same dark, pulsating car-chase music that made Gesaffelstein famous – and DJ Rashad’s Tuesday October 22 release of Double Cup. And finally, a recurring discussion I seem to have every time I talk about electronic. Maybe some of you have experienced this, but the term IDM (Intelligent Dance Music) rubs people the wrong way. It comes off as snobbish, and the implication is that other forms of ‘Dance Music’ are unintelligent. But truth is, it’s a convenient term because you know exactly the type of artist and style the term has come to refer to, and it’s human nature to label, group, and categorise things. It’s no different to ‘dubstep’ or ‘glitch-hop’, even if it does sound wanky. So until someone comes up with something better (or at least more popular) to supersede it, I’m going to keep saying it – and so will others. DONG HYUN SUH

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the nation. Main production credits are handled by the man himself, while including beats from UK’s Beat Butcher and Holland’s Ciph Barker. Don’t skip past the Hired Goons posse track towards the close of the album.

THE REALNESS Normally I like to kick proceedings off with a bit of a preamble before getting to the meat and veg of the column. But instead of listening to my first world problems, how about we get right into the thick of the action and see what is going on in the world of hip hop! A quick scan of the gig guide has one thinking the capital may have experienced what many term a ‘quickie’ last month, with punters lusting for more action. Luckily Zierholz @ UC has booked in Sydney lads Spit Syndicate to visit our borders on Thursday October 31. The duo are returning to Canberra to headline UC’s 2013 Halloween Party. By the time you read this, Melbourne heavyweight Tornts’ sixth studio album, Street Visions, should have hit record stores around

East Oakland collective Hieroglyphics have resurfaced after nearly a decade in the wilderness, with their third studio album, The Kitchen. Unlike previous ventures, where production has mainly been handled in-house, the Hiero crew have linked up with Sacramento DJs/producers, Sleeprockers. Whilst various Hiero members have been releasing projects over this break, it appears the time between official Hiero releases has rejuvenated the crew. It seems the back end of 2013 is turning into the year of Hiero. First the Hiero crew album, then their recent Hiero Day in the Bay event, news of a Souls of Mischief project in the pipeline, and a new Deltron 3030 album. Yep, you read that correctly – Del the Funky Homosapien, Dan the Automator, and Kid Koala have joined forces once again to release Deltron’s sophomore album, Event II. Fans looking for a replica of their classic debut album from 13 years ago may be a little disappointed. Event II sees a cocktail of interesting guest artists joining the trio. Names such as former Bad Boy recording artist Black Rob, Hiero crew member Casual, Rage’s Zach De La Rocha, and Damon Albarn are just some featured. After years of sharpening his blade on the underground circuit and numerous guest features, Orlando MC MidaZ The Beast has dropped his debut album, AU. Heads who appreciate the grimy side of life will enjoy this release. It features guest spots from Planet Asia, Blueprint, Sabac Red, and production from the likes of OH NO and Marco Polo. Washington DC’s Oddisee has blessed fans with two albums that will be sure to make many a Best of 2013 list. The Beauty in All is the official release, which is a full instrumental project. TBIA once again highlights Oddisee’s talents as a producer. Where previous instrumental albums could have been considered more beat tapes, TBIA sees Oddisee crafting musical landscapes that take the listener on a journey throughout the album. Tangible Dream is the mixtape accompanying TBIA, and sees Oddisee back on the mic. ‘Tangible Dream is a mixtape dedicated to the deconstruction of our traditional ideas of success and shedding light on the possibility of a sustainable rap life.’ I couldn’t have said it better myself. BERT POLE bertpole@hotmail.com

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METALISE The ARIAs finally started acknowledging hard rock and metal releases a few years back, and this year’s awards on Sunday December 1 will be contested by Airbourne (Black Dog Barking), Karnivool (Asymmetry), Northlane (Singularity), The Amity Affliction (Chasing Ghosts), and Thy Art is Murder (Hate). Thy Art is Murder have had a absolutely wonderful 2013, with their album achieving very respectable numbers on the sales front, tours of Europe and the USA, and both headlining Australian tours and supporting Parkway Drive on their tenth anniversary tour. The band are in career peak form, so there’s no better time to catch them at The Basement in Belconnen on Thursday October 31 for a musical Halloween massacre. The three great supports include Elegist, Grams, and profiled in our local BMA Band Profile last issue, Wretch. King Parrot have also had a stand out 2013, including touring with Thy Art Is Murder and winning a recent Album of the Year gong from The Age newspaper in Melbourne for their excellent Bite Your Head Off record. They’ve just announced a Christmas time show for us at ANU Bar on Thursday December 19 with Gay Paris, Wretch, and Zawmbeez. Should be a great chance to catch up for a few 666mas bevies with your mates! The USA’s Kylesa have announced their first ever Australian headlining tour, and the great news is that the fine folks at Heathen Skulls have us on the list for the good times. ANU Bar will host the third show of their five show tour on Wednesday December 11, and tickets can be pre-purchased at trybooking.com for a mere $35. The supports are Rise of Avernus and our own Looking Glass. Looking Glass have also had a line-up change, welcoming back original drummer Clinton Payne. Great news, as that opens up the back catalogue, and while drummer Frank Attard was no slouch, for me, this is the best line-up of the band. Welcome home, Clint! Fricken GRVM news this week with the announcement of a joint tour of Australia in early January with the legends of trVe second wave Norwegian black metal masters Mayhem, teaming up with Sweden’s best – and arguably the best contemporary black metal band – Watain! There are three shows, with your closest option being the Sydney show on Saturday January 11 at The Factory Theatre, down the bottom of Newtown. If you’re summer holidaying in Melbourne on Friday January 10, they’re at The HiFi. The producers of the Metal Down Under doco have secured an initial crowd-funded target within a couple of days to help release their documentary that covers the history of Australian heavy metal. It includes interviews with locals Adam Agius and Rod Holder of Alchemist, and organisers of Metal for the Brain, as well as bands and folks from across Australia’s metal community. I kicked in $150 to see this get up, and if you would like to contribute, you can visit pozible.com/project/35668. Great preview video at that URL too. There’s a fun night Saturday October 26 at The Basement with a ‘90s Music Festival, featuring a slew of local and interstate bands covering the music of Korn, Prodigy, Soundgarden, Nine Inch Nails, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Stone Temple Pilots, Pearl Jam, and Radiohead for a mere $20. JOSH NIXON doomtildeath@hotmail.com

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THE MUSIC MADE ME DO IT carrie gibson Entertaining myself with DARKC3LL’s latest album, Dark Verses, it wasn’t long before I could understand that the Darkc3ll tour would be bubbling with intensity. ‘We have raised the bar creatively for ourselves with this album, so the live show will be on par with the intensity of the album,’ says vocalist Jesse Dracman. ‘We don’t make any bold promises: we just let the music speak for itself.’ Darkc3ll are rabid fans of horror films, monsters, and all things ghoulish, with a strong position also on free thinking, taking back control of society’s impressions, and finding common ground that people can connect with. Darkc3ll is their way to encourage people to be their own person. Fuck the world! But recently there have been publications accusing the band of being antireligious Satan worshippers, an issue that perplexes Dracman. ‘It’s crazy! We aren’t that at all,’ he says. ‘Look at Cannibal Corpse, Dimmu Borgir, Behemoth, and even Slayer – they are straight to the point with their anti-religious views. I know they have also had their fair share of ridicule, but there is no confusion as to where they stand. For us, we didn’t go out of our way to be the most brutal band lyrically. We basically just want to interpret how we feel at any time: it’s all really about being yourself. Fortunately for us, the people who enjoy our music write to us and tell us how our music has had such a positive effect on them.’

We don’t make any bold promises: we just let the music speak for itself

Darkc3ll was aware, however, that upon release of the album, some would take offence. At the end of the day, Dracman believes that artists always manage to piss someone off. ‘The religious groups of late make us laugh more than anything, just the things they say – we love it, it’s just fuel for the fire.’ The freedom of the creative process with a Darkc3ll album, which Dracman describes as feeling like a kid in a candy store, allows the band to create music that motivates them – and they feel they have hit their stride with Dark Verses. ‘It’s an exciting process, looking ahead,’ exclaims Jesse. ‘We just blow ourselves away in the studio, we sometimes get a camera in there to record our reactions to some of the things we create.’ The band knew straight away that they had to push themselves too. ‘We thought, okay, we have people’s attention, now we need every track to blow people away. We need to give them a high energy album.’ That album is currently making its way down the east coast this spring, for what I am confident will be one of the best tours this year. Darkc3ll will be playing The Basement on Friday October 25 at 8:30pm, alongside Horrorwood Mannequins, Domino, and Perpetual End – with burlesque from The Velvet Vixens. Tickets are $20 on the door.

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local support from REVELLERS, ThrownUp, and Little Mac and The Monster Men.

It’s about time! The punk scene in Canberra has been picking up lately, and thus, the gods of punk (or the ghost of Sid Vicious … same thing) have sent signage to BMA Magazine to restart up a well-rested column – a punk column, duh. Let’s get started! Kicking off with some exciting news, Melbourne pop-punkers Bodyjar are out of hiatus. The band’s first release in eight years is titled Role Model, and available at any decent record store. If you want to go out for some good punk music this month, there’s no excuse not to. Saturday October 26 will see Sydney’s Ebolagoldfish and Melbourne’s The Kujo Kings take the stage at the Magpies City Club. They’ll be playing with locals No Assumption and Space Party for an awesome night of punk, ska, and surf music from 7:30pm.

Also don’t forget that The Vans Warped Tour will be making its first ever stop in Canberra on Friday December 6 at Exhibition Park. Punk/punk-ish acts on the festival’s bill include The Offspring, The Used, Simple Plan, New Found Glory, Tonight Alive, The Summer Set, Man Overboard, and The Dangerous Summer. Tickets are $107.10 + bf through Oztix. For a weekly dose of local punk you can tune in to 2XX FM’s Haircuts & T-Shirts show, which is on every Monday night from 9:30-11pm. The show plays a range of music from local to touring punk and hardcore artists, and covers things like labels, zines, designers, photographers, and anything else you can imagine. Well … there’s all the shit you need to know for now. You can keep your eyes peeled for this column in every new issue from now until punk dies (which we all know will never happen). IAN McCARTHY

Clowns, from Melbourne, will be stopping by The Phoenix as part of their national tour promoting their new LP, I’m Not Right. They’ll be playing from 9pm with Blight Worms, The Rickety Rainbow Band, and locals Yoko Oh No, on none other than the night of Halloween, Thursday October 31. On Saturday November 2, the Brain Foundation will be raising funds with a Zombie Invasion, which will see a plague of zombies take over The Phoenix for a night of great punk music. Playing on the night from 9pm will be Littlefoot and Overdoze all the way from Victoria, along with local favourites REVELLERS and No Assumption. Tickets are $10 and will get you entry to The Phoenix as well as The Hellenic Club, where a number of local DJ’s will be spinning your favourite indie, alternative, and heavy rock tracks. Thursday November 7 will see Melbourne punk/ska band The Bennies stop by The Phoenix as part of their Rainbows In Space tour. They’ll be accompanied by

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Disclosure

by Dale Wowk UC Refectory 2013

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

Image credit: Hopscotch Films

ARTS | ACT

ZERO DEGREES OF SEPARATION justin hook There’s a scene in A Separation – the 2011 Iranian film that won the Oscar for Best Foreign Film, the first Iranian film ever to do so – when Simin (Leila Hatami) gets in her car after leaving her husband and daughter and drives across town to stay with her family. A judge has recently denied her request for a divorce, and her husband, Nadir (Peyman Moaadi), has refused to relocate overseas on account of his elderly Alzheimer’s-stricken father who needs constant supervision.

thing is we aren’t from a different planet,’ Moaadi explains. ‘We wear outfits like you, eat the same things, travel in the same places as you, and drive the same cars. Let’s see what are the real differences. These films portray the real lives, which is why they became popular. They show you that not all Iranians are making bombs when they go home at night. These are the normal people. Not the people you see in the media, the ones that are portraying us one way in the media.’

Simin drives a well-appointed recent model Peugeot, and sports fashionable Ray Bans and a headscarf. It’s a small moment, but an obvious clue to foreign audiences that Iran isn’t some backward, preindustrial backwater. That Iranians aren’t bloodthirsty nuke-obsessed militants. That they are normal people with complicated lives who are just trying to make life better or easier for their families.

Still, there are differences. Iranian films are produced under the notoriously watchful eye of the Iranian Government, who play an active role in most facets of production. There are restrictions, but they are well known by those who make films, and failing to plan ahead is wasted energy. ‘No, you cannot do that. [We] don’t like to write whatever then see what happens,’ Moaadi says. ‘I write within the framework of the rules then get the permission from the government, who officially put it in the theatres. Everything I do, I just like to do it legally. You know the good part of doing this, you know the red lines. I was a screenwriter for ten years and I know the red lines.’

It’s a pivotal scene in a pivotal film, in terms of international recognition and awareness of Iran, and it’s one all about perceptions and misconceptions. The closest most of us get to Iran is a stopover in Dubai. For actor, screenwriter, and director PEYMAN MOAADI, it’s a Pandora’s box: ‘The most frequent questions I get asked at film festivals around the world are all the same: Are the women allowed to come out of their houses? Can they drive? Are they allowed to vote? Do you have fancy cars in your country? Can your people wear jeans? ‘These things that make you disappointed. You just think, “Oh my god, you’re living on a totally different planet!” Films don’t have a duty to tell everyone we wear jeans, but they do say that were not that different from you,’ Moaadi says. ‘So let’s try to focus on the things that are the same. If a father in Iran suffers from Alzheimer’s, it’s the same thing as you guys here. We do the same things as you. If we move to another country for the sake of our children, we think the exact same way as you do. But some people don’t want to know about us. They prefer to stay in the own world, have their own angle.’

Despite his best efforts, The Snow on the Pines was withheld distribution whilst debates about the subject matter of the film raged, and Moaadi got caught up in the shifting sands of morality. ‘Sometimes you write something that becomes controversial due to the situation of the day,’ Moaadi says. ‘But it’s always changing, so it’s not always certain about the rules and regulations. When you do everything totally legally and within the framework, and you make all the changes they suggest and you get ready for the release and get their agreement to go shooting. When you do those things and you still get problems – it gets very tiring.’ The problems Moaadi refers to come not from the government, but vocal religious groups. ‘It wasn’t banned by the government, but some groups were totally against the film and believed the film was anti-family, anti-morality, against the tradition of Iran.’

Iranian film has a long and celebrated history – but mainly in Iran. International audiences are slowly catching up through films like A Separation, About Elly (an earlier Moaadi film), and The Snow on the Pines – Moaadi’s award-wining directorial debut and flagship feature of the third Iranian Film Festival, which is based in Brisbane but touring nationally in October and November.

Proving that similarities can overcome differences, Moaadi defended his film directly to the groups protesting it. ‘I called them and spoke to them. When you can talk to people, everything can be settled. The real problem is when they don’t even want to talk to you. But we chatted and eventually they became convinced, and we put the film out and it became a very big hit.’

All the current slate of Iranian films remind us we share much in common, but we still have plenty to learn about the intricacies and nuances of Iran. ‘Maybe the problems are a little different. But the

The Iranian Film Festival Australia brought the work of Peyman Moaadi and other directors to the National Film and Sound Archive between Thu–Sun October 17–20.

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UNINHIBITED ‘Look straight ahead and you’ll see the borough of Brooklyn, population two million, home of Barbara Streisand,’ said our New York City hop-on hop-off bus tour guide. Other highlights of his commentary include, ‘You might remember a movie called Desperately Seeking Susan, about two women who were looking for a friend, named Susan,’ and, ‘Williamsburg, known for its Hasidic community and alternative independent musicians, and those who listen to that music.’ The rest of the time he read us signs on restaurants as our open-topped bus glided by (‘We’re now passing the Won Ton Restaurant, the restaurant that only serves wontons’). The guy was unintentionally hilarious and almost completely uninformative.

Tom Collins, our Boston hop-on hop-off guide, however, was just plain hilarious. During the first half of the tour he told us the history of Boston in one-liners (‘You don’t have to worry about crime in the North End, it’s all organised’) while throwing in a few other zingers (‘On the right you’ll see a woman taking a photo of being hit by a bus’). During the second half he told us the history of Tom Collins, tour guide. We learned that Collins was married twice for ‘an average of seven years’ (‘The first marriage lasted 13 and a half years, you do the math’), that he had three kids with a fourth on the way (cue the photo of future wife number three), and that he did the tour guide thing on the side. He was actually a second generation iron worker, a prop maker, and a stagehand. Encountering the tour guides of North East USA, where I’m in the middle of a month-long holiday (I’m writing this on the Martha’s Vineyard ferry), has made me wonder what kind of Canberra our tour guides present to the world. Few people have taken a tour of their home town, and I’m certainly not one of them. The only Canberra guides I have experienced are those of the War Memorial, the institution I wrote about in my last column. I know these guides are excellent because, at least in my time working for the Memorial’s visitor services, it was much, much harder to become a voluntary guide than to get a paid gig behind the front desk; the senior guides put those with guiding aspirations through a qualifying process more rigorous than the Rebels Motorcycle Club. I clearly remember nervous trainee recruits being followed not only by a tour group but by a trio of clipboard-grasping ladies watching closely and making copious notes. So I’m thinking of taking a tour of Canberra on my return just to see what our visitors hear. Will I find that our city’s guides are all as good as the Memorial’s, or at least as entertaining as Tom Collins, the iron working, prop making, stagehand sometime tour guide? I’m also thinking I’m likely to forget about the idea as soon as I’m back at my beloved ‘work station’, which I hadn’t thought about until now. But at the moment I hope I go through with it, and I’ll report back when and if I do. Pete Huet petehuet@yahoo.com

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the repulsive visuals of the crack-head, the vagrant, and the skagged-up tart.

‘To be truly elegant, one should not be noticed.’ The words of Beau Brummell – an arbiter of men’s fashion and bon viveur of Regency London. It appears his sage advice has gone unheeded, however, and that today’s youth actively pursue the most undesirable aesthetics – those of the skank. It is true that Brummell’s fortunes turned dramatically and that he could not always be relied upon to occupy the frontier of style. He died penniless and insane, riddled with syphilis, and – worst of all – in France. However, as he lay there wracked in pain, open sores on open display and speaking in tongues, one can be sure he was not sporting a pair of shorts hanging halfway down his arse. Once upon a time, the prudent course was to hide one’s drug habit from public gaze, yet today’s youth appear hell-bent on harnessing

Whether or not they partake of the crack pipe appears immaterial – they desire only to be thought of as utterly drug-dependent, thanks to their over-sized singlets, shorts short enough to constitute a belt, and schizophrenic haircuts (a short-back-and-sides or a feminine sweep, young man? Choose, damn you!). One could proffer a case that the youth have been hoodwinked, assaulted as they are on all sides by images of depravity, drug-use, and prostitution, all dressed up as ‘entertainment’. My time in this era of degeneracy, however short, has been long enough to become well-accustomed to a cabal of prominent and influential tramps: Rihanna, Miley Cyrus, Lady Gaga – crotchgrabbing, ill-mannered, amphetamine-sustained skanks one and all. The susceptibility of the young can, therefore, shoulder some of the responsibility for this pox of inappropriateness. But there is a greater menace: by glorifying skanks and the inference of drug addiction, not only will impressionable adolescents acquire drugs, but they will take those drugs, until all of those drugs are gone and there are no drugs left for the rest of us. Do you not want to get your well-manicured hands on some drugs? Must they all be quaffed by the track-marked, track-suited teenagers of the Belconnen Bus Interchange? There is an opportunity here for two-fold achievement. Genuine drug addicts are an eyesore, let alone those who dress so, but lack the gumption to bathe in barbiturates. Were addicts to wear three-piece tweed suits, pocket watches, buffed brogues, and an angled fedora to hide their ashen pallor, we wouldn’t mind the smell so much. And so, to stem this tide of indecency and to secure our own supply, we must ourselves set an alternate and superior example to that of the skank. Let us then fight this war on drugs! Let us commandeer all the capsules, powders, plants, and lozenges for well-dressed folk, so that the aspiring skanks of Canberra and their false idols are exposed to proper influence and proper fashions! It is only by taking all the drugs ourselves while faultlessly attired that we may steer society from this course of sinking ideals. Aid me in my endeavour! Take drugs! gideon foxington-smythe

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ARTISTPROFILE:

normal eye also remind me to share the incredible and fantastic.

Saara March

Of what are you proudest so far? Earlier this year I was in a show called Momentum which featured a number of female Canberra artists. I was surrounded by amazing people and art, I loved it.

What do you do? I’m a sculptor, an object maker, and general tinkerer – always working on something! I collect these odds and ends to create small hybrid creatures or little whimsical objects. I make because I’m fascinated with imagination and how ideas and thoughts can imbue objects with energy and life.

What are your plans for the future? To keep creating and exhibiting.

When, how and why did you get into it? I’ve always been drawing, making, or collecting things to ‘use later’. Sculptures or finished pieces for me are almost a by-product of making and trying to express how I experience and see the world through my hands. Who or what influences you as an artist? Imagination and a sense of wonder. I remember seeing Dali’s Space Elephant when I was very young, this big body on tall, spindly little legs carrying a golden pyramid – it was absurd and beautiful and something I could never have imagined. Shaun Tan’s illustrations, and moments unseen by the

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What makes you laugh? Luckily for me, most things do. What pisses you off? Boredom. There’s no such thing! What about the local scene would you change? We’re really lucky in Canberra to be given such a freedom and ease to create and show our work. There’s always room for more connections between people, groups, and scenes, but that happens all the time anyway. Upcoming exhibitions? Taxonomic Infestations, a two person show with myself and Michelle Day. At the CCAS Manuka gallery from Thu Oct 24–Sun Nov 3. Open Wed–Sun, 11am–5pm. The opening night is Thursday October 24 at 6pm, and everyone is welcome! Contact Info: saaramarch@gmail.com; saaramarch.wordpress.com.

IN REVIEW The Female of the Species ANU Arts Centre Wed–Sat October 9–12

The Female of the Species concerns the fate of feminist author Margot Mason upon finding herself captive to her recent student, Molly. Molly was given away as a baby by her Mason-indoctrinated mother; has had herself sterilised in keeping with one of Mason’s texts, all of which she has read; and has had her earnest essays on feminism thoughtlessly shredded by Mason. For Mason pays no attention to the effects of her divisive words upon others’ lives; she merely moves on to her next ‘clever’ thesis, an amoral parasite who manufactures authority through a subterfuge of contradictory moralisations that – as does any religious text useful for social control – grants each and every evil its rationale. And her student, a former devotee of every specious line Mason has ever written, has discovered a need for a blunt word with the woman who has so carelessly ruined her life. The Female of the Species’ director, Emily Clark, correctly notes that the play invites us ‘to laugh at some of the political correctness which has beset feminist rhetoric’ (though perhaps not to laugh completely uncritically). The National University Theatre Society production takes fairly good advantage of its script’s cleverness, in particular with casting Margot Mason and her long-neglected daughter, Tess – two actresses who could hardly have been more suitable to their roles. Two consistent annoyances marred the production: the rapidity of the characters’ lines, leading to occasional incomprehensibility, and the almost universal overacting. Aside from these, and the slow pacing of the entire first act (including some repetition that could have been removed to advantage), stage direction was very good. The acting was almost consistently competent; much of it verged on convincing. Elizabeth Lamb, as Molly, carried a difficult role, facing challenging monologues without missing a beat; and Molly Jones, as Mason’s mildly deranged daughter, Tess, was outstanding. The set was rich and natural, and lighting and sound contributed to the developing atmosphere. Stage management was practically faultless. Anybody who has suffered the results of radical feminist sexist rhetoric will appreciate this play for its rare honesty, and for the even rarer relief of joining with others in laughing aloud at the cruel hypocrisy of the tolls that radical feminism has exacted upon our joint humanity. Nothing puts the lie to the ideologies of the pompously powerful quite as well as ridicule does, and the roasting that this play gives feminist cruelties offers that relief. If the company’s confidence in its production had led to a longer season, I’d be recommending it as an education in lightening up. john p. harvey

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

IN REVIEW

EMPIRE Canberra Theatre Forecourt Thu Oct 10–Sun Nov 3 Spiegelworld’s initial fame arose from the creation of its first show, Absinthe, with a largely Australian cast, in 2006. Absinthe, honed in New York, moved to Las Vegas in 2012 to continue there at least until 2015. A new location in New York City provided a fresh opportunity, and from mid-2012, a magnificent timber structure, the Spiegeltent, housed their new show, EMPIRE. Straight from New York City, the Spiegeltent is now touring Australia ‘til the end of March. To sum up EMPIRE in a phrase would be to do it a grave injustice. Circus, cabaret, theatre, athletics, dance, magic: all of these and more erupt in this grotto of spicy wonders. EMPIRE’s shape, its programme, is one of circus; but the decidedly invitational mood of most of its acts render its face opaque, if not entirely unsuitable, to children. The acrobatics are equally dance and athletics, and the clowning is provocative, personal, and at times indistinguishable from striptease. EMPIRE defies ready categorisation; it belongs in some rare new genre that challenges expectations by constantly blending two or three kinds of entertainment and moving seamlessly into two or three others. Whilst many of the individual acts are of familiar types, some rely on props that are evidently unique, and do new things with them. Despite being straightforward in what they set out to do, these were most intriguing; you won’t have seen them outside this production. Simple in their way, they’re nonetheless captivating. Moreover, you can hardly help but be involved. Uncomfortable at times, even shocking, the show is also liberating and surprising, leaving you no choice but to laugh, hold your breath, or jump back, as the occasion demands.

This could easily become one of those shows that – like The Beatles, and Star Wars, The Phantom of the Opera, and The Mousetrap – you will regret not having seen even once in your life if you knew you’d been able to. So perhaps, if you can, you should. john p. harvey

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Image credit: David Burke

When several young women flip another high into the air, there’s no doubting the hazards: a small, hard round stage surface, a hard floor below it, and nothing to cushion her but her companions. The variety of athletics involved makes each succeeding flip more interesting. A couple of acts build, step by intriguing step, to balancing feats of marvellous precision; one, collapsing with the simplest but most charming artistry, evoking sighs all round. An audience member’s reluctant assent to participating presages his unwitting descent into outrageousness that might cost him his marriage – if it weren’t so obvious that he’s laughingly trapped. What do you call this benign lunatic asylum? Blowed if I know. But it’s a great laugh, it inspires you with the inclination to build up skills with ready props, and it leaves a feeling of allround satisfaction.

LITERATURE IN REVIEW Happy Hour in Hell Tad Williams [DAW Hardcover, 2013]

Bobby Dollar, aka the Angel Doloriel, is having a bad week. His girlfriend (a demon) has been kidnapped by her ruthless ex (also a demon), he’s being stalked by a serial killer from the ‘70s (probably not a demon), and he’s accidentally gotten caught up in a clandestine deal between Heaven and Hell that could topple them both. Bobby, loyal but not overly bright, does what any good boyfriend would do: steals a demon’s body and breaks into Hell to rescue his lady love. He is not remotely prepared for what he finds there. Bobby isn’t a particularly likeable protagonist, and he gets less so through the course of his adventure in Hell – but he is a relatable one. His narration has a gritty noir-ish feel to it, and like the best noir heroes, what he wants is mostly a stiff drink and to get his boss off

his back; what he’s going to get is exactly the opposite of that. Happy Hour in Hell is the sequel to Williams’ urban fantasy debut The Dirty Streets of Heaven, but you don’t need to have read the first one to get the second, since Bobby spends the greater part of the novel in the titular pit of torment. The author is best known for his epic fantasy work, and writing the Inferno gives him a chance to flex his worldbuilding muscles in a horrific way. Hell is no amorphous concept here; it’s an impossibly huge kingdom of torment and punishment, with cities and politics and an economy, built – sometimes literally – on the backs of the countless damned souls captive there. It’s Bobby’s first encounter with the reality of eternal damnation, and it leads the already cynical angel to question everything he’s ever assumed about the system he serves. These quiet moments of theological contemplation are the high point of a story that gets quickly bogged down in endless, exhausting descriptions of the trials Bobby must go through to get to his girl. After a while it becomes dull, repetitive, and monotonous, because it’s hard to keep upping the stakes of horror and violence when you’re literally describing Hell. Along the way, Bobby does at least get some answers to some of his burning plotrelated questions, like why is that demon trying to kill him and which of the heavenly echelon is in cahoots with the Lords of Hell, but the mysteries that are set up for the third instalment outweigh those by far. In summary: too much tortureporn Hell-description, but solidly written and with an intriguing set of mysteries. I’ll tune in for the conclusion. emma grist

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bit PARTS THE DAHLIA SUITE WHAT: Art Exhibition WHEN: Thu Oct 17–Tue Nov 5 WHERE: Beaver Galleries Chris Denton’s series, The Dahlia Suite, is intricate, highly detailed, and finely executed. Denton, inspired by the musings of Einstein, Aristotle, and Descartes – particularly on the concept of empty space and its relationship with material objects – has explored these ideas through meticulously crafted drawings of objects like fruit, shells, and cups. This exhibition sees Denton focus on the dahlia, with Denton explaining, ‘my works are intended to achieve a mood or atmosphere that conveys some qualities of a tangible reality (though not necessarily “realism”)’. Free entry. Open Tue–Fri, 10am to 5pm. Sat/Sun, 9am to 5pm.

Image credit: Gallery Titanik, Sumu

CHANCE WHAT: Performance Art WHEN: Tue Oct 29 WHERE: Canberra Contemporary Art Space, Gorman House Performances like Chance don’t come along often. Having taken place all over the world, this unique performance from Robert Ladislas Derr will be coming to Canberra at the end of the month. It will see Derr turn his life into a performance, and the city of Canberra into a canvas. He will dress in a mirrored suit and wear four video cameras to capture his walk from the front, back, and sides. He will then ask viewers to roll a die 30 times – the results of which will determine his route through the city. Derr’s walk starts at 11am, and will take approximately 45 minutes. Visit home1.arts.ohio-state.edu/derr34//chance.html to play. NIGHT FALLING WHAT: Art Exhibition WHEN: Wed Oct 30–Mon Nov 18 WHERE: The Front Gallery and Café Paul Summerfield is a Canberra digital artist, and will be showcasing a brand new set of prints in his fourth solo exhibition, Night Falling. The exhibition will explore light and shadow, and themes of change and the passing of time. With vivid colours and visions of dreamlike, otherworldly scenes, the exhibition brings Summerfield’s imagination into reality. ‘I feel these new works really capture the essence of places that we have all been to, either asleep or awake,’ Summerfield says. The official opening is on Thu Oct 31 from 6pm, featuring performances from wordsmith Andrew Galan and Alice Cottee’s duo Dollface. TRIPTYCH WHAT: Three Local Plays WHEN: Fri–Sat Nov 1–9 WHERE: C-Block Theatre, Gorman House Arts Centre The Canberra Youth Theatre Company has teamed up with three very dynamic, contemporary playwrights, to put together a trilogy of work for CYT’s latest production, Triptych. Lachlan Philpott, Jessica Bellamy, and Olivia Hewson have all worked together with the Company’s talented ensemble of actors, designers, and technicians, to put together a production that tackles mental health. The three plays feature actors aged between seven and 24, and explore the ways in which expectations, pressures, and success impact on the lives of young people. Tickets $15–21, through cytc.net/buy-tickets.

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the word

on albums

with structure and space. In the opening track The Sing, Callahan sings, ‘the only words I said today were “beer” and “thank you”,’ repeating those two words a few times for effect. Rolling the vowels off the tongue. There are less words in this song and through this album than previously, but the phrasing of them is as dramatic as clicking on a distortion pedal or pummelling a sweet drumroll. There’s power in the pauses. Callahan is entirely in control of his gifts, and this song is a masterclass thereof.

album of the issue bill callahan dream river [drag city] Before Bill Callahan went by Bill Callahan there was (Smog), and before the brackets, just plain old Smog. Same chap, similar suite of themes. It began in the early ‘90s. Will Oldham was just starting out too, counterbalancing the grunge mess and the Pavement/Built to Spill/Sonic Youth twist on American rock with something weird, scratchy, and folk-based. 20 years on and both artists have formed a songbook that feels like the extension of the thing Dylan did post-accident with The Band, a new kind of American storytelling. That Callahan continues, and operates at such a lowkey level, means that the culture doesn’t get much of a chance to step back and appreciate the canon he’s built. Another magnificent addition to it should be reason to salute him. He’s one of the finest songwriters alive, and this record sits very close to the top of his tree. It’s the voice that drags you in – his extraordinary baritone which is both soothing and guttural, always sounding like it’s revealing a secret whilst the lyrics push and pull the listener in a way that reveal a little, but not a lot. Callahan’s career has had its minor missteps, but the run of form he’s been on since he dropped the Smog moniker is his strongest. 2011’s Apocalypse felt like an unstoppable highlight, but Dream River might just surpass it. What is different about Dream River has to do

It sounds like a Van Morrison record, Astral Weeks. With that LP, Morrison pushed a collection of songs recorded on acoustic guitar toward the Modern Jazz Quartet, who freeballed over the recordings. The genius of that set is in the nailing of improvisations that feel essential, non-superfluous. So much of this record feels similar, in that we’re not travelling down a verse/ chorus path, but following Callahan’s narrative and melodic thoughts. Like a conversation, an actual stream of consciousness. It’s just so good. There is a lightness across Dream River that is new – a reckoning of good luck that permeates songs like Small Plane. The Sing revels in the pleasures of time alone, amongst so much more. He sings, ‘Mountains don’t need my accolades’, over plucked Stratocaster and flourishes of flute in Spring, before he matter-of-factly states, ‘All I wanna do is make love to you with a careless mind’, and the delivery is shocking. Ride My Arrow lolls about like a piece of quiet funk, while the first line of Summer Painter establishes a premise you delight in hearing unfold: ‘I painted names on boats for a summer/ for luck you keep the same first letter/ you don’t want bad luck at sea’. The man who has offered lines like, ‘How can I stand and laugh with the man who redefined your body’, and titles like Dress Sexy at My Funeral has lost none of his ability with wordplay, which is at once amusing, piercing, and a little mysterious. The closing track, Winter Road, is the latest in a long line of intimate yet epic endings. In it, Callahan sings, ‘Time itself means nothing, but time spent with you…’ leaving the sentence unfinished. Time spent with Callahan is time well spent. Another classic. GLEN MARTIN

balance and composure the things we think we’re missing [no sleep records] The good news (or bad news, depending on your lookout) is that emo is not dead. These guys may not look the part – lacking the de rigueur hairdos – and may play a lot harder, but their messages are immersed in the genre. On the surface, the quintet from Pennsylvania is a multi-focused outfit, crossing a few stylistic boundaries. Parachutes punches through with a heavy start, which the band maintains until Back of Your Head twists the frequency to pop-rock. Notice Me is more straight rock with a little hardcore on the side. Belter tracks include the more melodic I’m Swimming and the punk-ish Cut Me Open. A bit like a multicoloured cone, every lick is different, but the overall flavour is vanilla, with a bitter under taste. The band’s second album is firmly mired in emo themes, aimed at the sub-18 demographic of insecurity, tears, and the need to be noticed (not forgetting mentions of the all-important cutting of the flesh). Rarely is ‘shame’ mentioned so often in one LP. The quality of the simply expressed lyrics descends to boy band standard at times, as seen in When I Come Undone. Overall, the album maintains a self-centred desperation, proudly declared with an express train force, combined with the odd catchy licks and laid upon a foundation of solid driving guitars. However Dirty Head, with its simple treatment of repeated acoustic notes, shows that misery can be delivered slowly and quietly too. The only thing that saves the LP is that the sheer energy of the music has an ephemeral appeal: good to sink into while its playing, but you’ll soon be trying to recall what you were listening to ten minutes ago. rory McCARTNEY

@bmamag

mazzy star seasons of your day [fontana] Sometimes a bit of plaintive quiet works wonders. Mazzy Star’s first new album in 17 years has arrived to remind us that quiet can be just as powerful as loud when sculpted by the right hands. Although it has been a long while between drinks, guitarist David Roback and vocalist Hope Sandoval seem to have effortlessly delivered the goods in a changed music environment, where the label ‘alternative’ is almost meaningless. The late 1960s psychedelic Laurel Canyon vibe has remained in place on Seasons of Your Day – languid acoustic tunes such as California are embroidered with Sandoval’s ghostly whisper of a voice drifting in and out of unhurried tempos and simple arrangements. Sandoval’s voice has a comforting presence, like happy/sad whisperings that exude an aura of psychedelic introspection. Songs like Lay Myself Down amble along in a laid back country vein, with some pleasant slide guitar from Roback. But for the most part, we are talking about dreamy atmospherics, with a textured wispiness that was first explored when Roback arrived in the Californian Paisley Underground music scene of the early to mid-1980s – this came to fruition in the bands Opal and Rain Parade. At that time, the distinctive retro vibe was a devotional blending of Syd Barrett with The Velvet Underground, and traces of those influences seep into the music of Mazzy Star. But on this occasion, Sandoval/Roback have revisited the ethereal psych folk of Linda Perhacs and Judee Sill along with distinct traces of California country – the right ingredients for that early morning comedown. dan bigna

fink Fink Meets The Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra [ninja tune] At this point in history it’s almost difficult to recall Fin ‘Fink’ Greenall’s electronicoriented beginnings as one of Ninja Tune’s early signings, such is the completeness of his metamorphosis into an acoustic singer-songwriter (though he’s kept a hand in the dance game with his Sideshow alias). Five albums into his ‘second’ career, this lavishly recorded and produced live album documents his collaborative concert with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra in Amsterdam last year, which featured new arrangements of six songs from Fink’s back catalogue, alongside classical pieces chosen by the orchestra. It’s a collaboration that proves to gel, with impressive results, the addition of orchestral arrangements adding a vast undertone to Fink’s intimate songs that for the most part avoid becoming overblown. If anything, it also magnifies the already present elements of darkness and drama lurking beneath Fink’s deceptively straightforward acoustic guitar-driven songs. Indeed, Berlin Sunrise appears virtually transformed here into a surging rush of massed strings that amplify the urgency of Fink’s melancholic choruses, whilst building up into one of the most spectacular moments here. Yesterday Was Hard on All of Us meanwhile gets a majestic treatment of full brass and string orchestration that borders on film score opulence at points. What’s also particularly nice is the way in which this album incorporates the various different ‘movements’ within the show, with the acoustic midsection seeing Fink performing This Is The Thing completely solo, before departing to let the orchestra take centre stage with the terrifying, horror film score-esque The Infernal Machine. An impressive addition to Fink’s catalogue that should delight his sizeable fanbase. chris downton

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world’s end press world’s end press [liberation] John, Rhys, Sashi, and Tom combined are Melbourne electronic wizards World’s End Press, and the synth-poppers have lined up their keyboards in marching order to launch their debut LP. The self-titled disc was produced by Tim Goldsworthy, who has massaged the tunes of such notables as Cut Copy and The Rapture. There’s a strong nostalgic overtone in the opening pair of tracks. Disco beats dominate in the opener To Send Our Love, while That Was a Loving House brings some R&B cool to the scene, with an overlapping mix of frolicking keys and a lounge lizard tone to John Parkinson’s voice. The album gives equal prominence to the vocals and the seductive rhythms. Parkinson’s casual yet distinctive delivery is a major factor in the success of the LP, as his vocals boost the smooth, rhythmic vibe. CD highlight Someone’s Daddy is so well put-together with its fab dance tempo, intertwined with slurred vocals and an alluring lucky dip of electronic hums and whirs. Carrying some of the heaviest sonic effects in the CD, the vocals disintegrate into a fractured puzzle. Highlights include Drag Me Home, Your Time Will Come (Part 2), and Deadbeat Sweetheart, which impresses with its inventive mix of pixelated soundscapes, a richer vocal line, and effects with an early era PC games flavour. My Salvation beckons with its echoing guitar line, expanding across stellar distances. Tracks have definitely been crafted to be club scenefriendly, stretching out the beats to keep the dance floor moving for up to seven minutes. While you are unlikely to find any killer melodies to imprint themselves in your neural pathways, there are enough synapsetickling moments here to get your various component parts moving in time. rory McCARTNEY

audego beneath the static and the low [independent]

speedy ortiz major arcana [Carpark Records]

jimblah phoenix [elefant traks]

Melbourne-based producer Pasobionic is likely to be no stranger to Australian hip hop fans, having handled turntables and production for both Curse Ov Dialect and TZU, as well as somehow also finding time to release his own impressive solo album. Last year’s debut as Audego, Abominable Galaxy, saw him joining forces with vocalist and keyboardist Big Fella (real name Carolyn Tariq) – who’s also no slouch, having previously toured the US behind her own solo album – to craft a collection distinctly oriented towards eerie post-hip hop soul. A mere year on and this rapid follow-up, Beneath the Static and the Low, sees Audego getting considerably deeper and darker – and indeed, the friction suggested in the title proves to be apt here.

Fun fact: Sadie Dupuis from Speedy Ortiz used to play in an all-girl Pavement covers band called Babement. For some people (probably 74% men, aged between 28 and 41), that sentence is well attractive. The ‘90s revival is well underway, not just via flannel and reunion tours, but also via bands like this, Dupuis’s ‘serious’ outfit.

Jimblah is easily one of the most talented people in Aussie hip hop. Quiet, yet prolific, he’s managed to constantly surprise us.

There’s a feeling of constant restlessness lurking just beneath the surface of many of the ten tracks here, whether in the form of vinyl noise, clashing tonal elements, or the sheer spikiness of some of the rhythms. Even the comparatively warmer and more melodic moments here manage to pack an unpredictable edge. From My Blu sees jagged MPC snares playing off Tariq’s multi-tracked chanteuse vocals and dreamy vibraphone textures, while Bolt Head sees a juddering off-centre electro groove and spooky Middle Eastern instrumentation injecting a dark, cinematic atmosphere, which beautifully counterpoints the more soul-pop vocals that float above. Elsewhere, there’s a sense of Audego considerably widening their stylistic palette the second time around, with Hush offering up a spooky synth-heavy wander that carries more than a hint of witch-house, while elsewhere, Fight calls to mind Massive Attack’s Blue Lines filtered through a contemporary bass music aesthetic. A significant leap forward for an already impressive duo. chris downton

The problem being Ortiz is less Pavement and more Archers of Loaf. The B-sides thereof. It’s a ‘90s style record for sure, and one that certainly owes a debt to Pavement’s Stephen Malkmus when it comes to taking pleasure in the sound of words over their meaning (Dupuis is a poetry major at Amherst, and one suspects a thesis on Malkmus, Foster Wallace, Seinfeld, and postmodern ennui isn’t far off). The problem is the tunes are a little too rote. Twisty Polvo-esque guitars arpeggiate through verses and distortion pedals are clicked on choruses. Tick. It’s not bad by any stretch, and some tunes (the opener Pioneer Spine, melodic highlight Hitch) have a chance of standing out from the class of 2013-via-1994. But the listener can be forgiven for wanting more – more drama, more intrigue, better jokes, less mannered adherence to style. With Pavement and Polvo and Sebadoh and the other keys acts that inform the sound and structure of this record, one feels that the songs sound the way they sound because they’re an attempt at as pure a communication as the makers could muster. Whereas this feels like an attempt to use that template, without a clear reason. They’re gifted, and they could make something great, if they find a way to channel their own voice. Malkmus is better at doing Malkmus.

From his early releases and the tracks he’s featured on, to his stunning rendition of Matt Corby’s Resolution, he’s constantly proved that his voice and musical style are unlike anything else in Australia. He’s recently joined label Elefant Traks (alongside massive names like Hermitude, Horrorshow, and Urthboy), and has released his first album with them: Phoenix. The album’s name understates the fire that stems from the themes in the tracks. Lyrics and on-point production are nothing without passion, and Jimblah clearly has so much for the words he speaks. Celebrating his Indigenous roots by telling a beautiful story, this album highlights his devotion and love for his culture and is a beautiful example of the issues that Jimblah stands for. His voice is as lovely as ever, melting like butter over the sometimes heavy, sometimes smooth beats that have been picked so perfectly. The standout for me is Cannot Buy My Soul, featuring the gorgeous vocals of his incredibly talented sister, Jada Alberts. The song is powerful and deep, forcing you to listen, think, and reflect. It’s a perfect example of the harrowing, yet incredible power of the entire album. Phoenix takes Aussie hip hop and Australian music in general to another level. It’s soulful, brave, and encapsulates all of the things raising Jimblah to a class of his own. jade fosberry

glen martin

@bmamag

singles in focus by cody atkinson james blunt bonfire heart

tim hecker virgins [Kranky/Paper Bag]

lanterns on the lake until the colours run [bella union/pias]

If you’re as new to Tim Hecker as I was, you may think it’s not really genius to engineer a bunch of sounds together and call it art. We were wrong.

Prism is shards of glass falling at varying speeds and landing in a sonic mess, with Virginal I and Radiance hinting at a beautifully brutal danger.

After forming back in 2007, Newcastleupon-Tyne, UK-based five-piece Lanterns on the Lake initially released a couple of EPs independently. Their subsequent signing to Bella Union and the release of their debut album, Gracious Tide, Take Me Home, in 2011, saw their fanbase expand substantially. While they’ve spent the last two years touring with the likes of Low and performing at big festivals like Glastonbury and SXSW, it hasn’t exactly been the easiest of times for LOTL, something that’s definitely reflected in the darker undertones that colour their second album, Until The Colours Run.

It’s the childish clangings on a piano, interspersed with an unsettling fuzz, that gives Live Room standout brilliance. It’s an art deco hall full of neglected instruments that do appear to come to life in the fading darkness. Live electrical wires of sound thrash around your consciousness and threaten to give way to something truly terrifying. Black Refraction is a soft melody caught in a trance, while Amps, Drugs, Harmonium isn’t as cool as the name suggests, slightly irritating in a fractured pan flute ‘Jethro Tull record stuck on a groove’ kinda way. But Stigmata I (and thereafter) gets back to exciting and paralysing the senses. The radio frequency is caught in that unnerving white noise again, but you hang on desperately to hear what station Hecker has in store for you.

Indeed, the nine songs here carry a sense of triumphing against the odds, with the band losing two members during the album’s recording, as well as an increasing political edge, spurred on by singer and lyricist Hazel Wilde’s impressions of England’s economic downturn. It’s also a much bigger sounding album, something that’s no mean feat considering LOTL’s already lush, occasionally almost symphonic palette of guitar, electronics, piano, violin, and live drums. Opening track You Soon Learn highlights this harder sound, with a swirl of orchestration suddenly bursting forth into crashing rock drums and furious ascending guitar riffs – the comparatively subdued piano-driven verse sections add a quieter dynamic that nicely offsets the fretboard pyrokinetics.

For a supposedly glass-half-full kinda guy in real life, Tim Hecker offers a powerful soundtrack to your inner turmoil. From genuine grief to the banalities of a Sunday afternoon at the supermarket, like the closing track, Stab Variation, Virgins leaves you hanging in that dusty twilight, ready to be cut free from the beams overhead.

The overall effect generated here is not altogether dissimilar at points to a more melancholic (and English) Arcade Fire, with tracks such as Until The Colours Run and Our Cool Decay fusing surging orchestral elements with huge stadium-friendly chorus hooks. A strong second album that sees LOTL meeting adversity head-on and coming back with renewed vigour.

The eerie cover image of brand new full length release Virgins says it best – an unknown entity shrouded in white, suspended in mid air. You are never sure of what darkness is cloaked underneath, nor do you desire to know.

tatjana clancy

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chris downton

This song sounds like James Blunt. Popular culture is at the point that ‘James Blunt’ has become a distinct genre. I feel like ‘James Blunt’ as a genre of music is one of those things I’d sign a petition against. (Quick Google search) So there are at least ten petitions about stopping James Blunt, but none against the ‘James Blunt’ genre of popular music. Fair enough I guess. BTW, this song isn’t good at all.

cracked actor lemon on your lover It’s always a good feeling when your first thought of a song is, “man, this better than I expected”. Canberra band Cracked Actor come through with a killer little dream pop/ post-rock single reminiscent of The Antlers, with a little Radiohead thrown in there for good measure. This is the type of song that just gets stuck in your head unexpectedly.

bitch prefect better next time Bitch Prefect are two things: catchy as hell and pretty out of tune. The latter is often a barrier for the former. You can listen to it and dismiss it, but later you’ll realise the song is stuck in your head, and for some reason the melodies just work. It’s slacker pop, and the whole thing feels like it’s going to collapse at any second. But it doesn’t – and it’s kind of beautiful that way.

camera obscura troublemaker This may not be Perfect Pop, but it’s at least Damn Good Pop. Yeah, Troublemaker leans towards twee, but that’s not a blasphemous thing. Little guitar runs pervade this track, with cute vocal harmonies occasionally stealing the attention.

the word

on films

WITH MELISSA WELLHAM

For a while there, films based on British political and/or pseudo-political figures were getting so good. The Queen. The Special Relationship. The Iron Lady (except for all of those overwrought visual metaphors and the fact that it made you far more sympathetic to Thatcher than you ever wanted to be). And then Diana had to come along and ruin everything. Thanks for making the worst movie of the year, Oliver Hirschbiegel.

quote of the issue ‘But I’m a princess!’ – Diana (Naomi Watts), Diana [THAT IS A REAL LINE OF DIALOGUE FROM A REAL FILM]

diana

2 guns

gravity

It’s almost impossible to put into words exactly how bad Diana really is. But for you, dear reader, I will try. Even before Diana was released, it was being slammed for daring to imagine the private life of Princess Di. But the entirely justified vitriol being directed at this shambolic and sappy Women’s Weekly puff piece of a film now is due to the Mills & Boon-worthy script – which serves only to highlight how seriously the film is treating its repetitive, romanticised melodrama.

The power of a courtesy phone call is highlighted in 2 Guns. Despite excellent chemistry between Denzel Washington and Mark Wahlberg, it’s a film in which the plot is driven by the notion that no law enforcement agency could be bothered to answer an important phone call. Robert ‘Bobby’ Trench (Washington) and Michael ‘Stig’ Stigman (Wahlberg) are two bank robbers planning to rip off a mob boss. While they appear to be thugs, both men are hiding a secret from each other: Bobby is a DEA Agent and Stig is a Naval Intelligence Officer.

Gravity is a unique and beautiful cinematic experience, and certainly a tense one. Mission specialist Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock) and seasoned astronaut Matt Kowalski (George Clooney) are stranded in space after some debris destroys their space shuttle while they are out on a space walk – leaving them alone, and with limited resources.

The story follows Princess Di (Naomi Watts) in the final two years of her life, and tries to imagine the details of her relationship with the famously private Dr Hasnat Khan (Naveen Andrews). The fact that the scriptwriters have completely fabricated every line of dialogue, and every tedious spat between the couple, makes the monotony of the dialogue all the more difficult to understand. Surely if you’re making this shit up, you’d at least make it interesting? Instead, the audience is treated to endless simpering from Watts – that tries its best to undermine anything intelligent Diana ever said, and make every charitable act she ever performed seem motivated by self-interest – and moody smoking from Andrews. Diana is worse than a Nicholas Sparks novel. Watts’ character is more annoying than any Katherine Heigl ever played. And it’s about as historically accurate as Inglourious Basterds. This film is the strongest argument ever made for Australia becoming a republic. melissa wellham

Washington and Wahlberg have a repartee worthy of mashing their names together – say hello to WashingBerg. The pairing is so good that you feel like you’re watching a sequel in a well-established franchise. Screenwriter Blake Masters seems to be inspired by the essence of a 1980s buddy-cop action flick. Hopelessly, 2 Guns creaks when WashingBerg are apart. When each character goes solo, the flaws of the story are laid bare and it’s a nightmare of almost every American law enforcement agency, fighting on the same side, tearing each other to pieces. The characters do more double-crossing than a set of knitting needles, and there is an absurd level of disjointed intergovernmental communication; nobody got the memo about the mission, which may be an accurate reflection of American bureaucracy. Two reasons why 2 Guns excels: WashingBerg. Unfortunately, their collaboration is tarnished by mediocrity. cameron williams

Bullock and Clooney have a wonderful rapport, and though seemingly unorthodox choices, they are perfect in this. Director Alfonso Cuarón does toe the line of including a bit too much backstory and sentimentality in parts, but these indiscretions are easily forgiven because the rest of the film is so exceptional: from the perfect soundtrack, to the intercut moments of pressing silence, to the continuous shots of floating manmade structures being torn apart piece by piece. The 3D creates incredible depth, and is used with calculated restraint. Indeed, the effects overall are unbelievably good – in Gravity, space is terrifying. Gravity dispenses with the romantic notion of space travel – here, space is an unforgiving, though breathtaking, environment. As such, the film should really be experienced in 3D, on as large a screen as possible, and at the very least at the cinema. Watching it any other way is to deny yourself the joy of rediscovering just why it is we still see films on the big screen. MEGAN McKEOUGH

@bmamag

rush

thanks for sharing

I know nothing about car racing. I don’t really ‘get’ cars. I routinely walk up to vehicles in shopping centre parking lots that are not mine, and expect the doors to unlock – because I think that all cars of a similar shade look the same. But Rush managed to overcome all this – it made me interested in tiny little metal boxes speeding around tracks over and over again. That’s no mean feat.

Despite what the saccharine poster would have us believe, Thanks for Sharing is not a romcom about Mark Ruffalo and Gwyneth Paltrow finding love against the odds.

This is perhaps the best Ron Howard film since Frost/ Nixon – and similarly, is about a conflict between two men that would define their careers. The film follows the legendary rivalry between two Formula 1 drivers through the 1970s. Hotheaded English playboy James Hunt (Chris Hemsworth) and the meticulous and diligent Austrian Niki Lauda (Daniel Brühl – go watch his entire back catalogue) are driving at a time when cars are getting faster and faster, but safety measures are almost non-existent. Every time they race, they have to live with the fact that they have a 20 percent chance of dying. Rush runs like a well-oiled machine. The race sequences are exhilarating and actually interesting to watch, unlike so many car chases in actionthrillers – and these sequences don’t even feature machine gun fire! Chris Hemsworth and Daniel Brühl both turn in strong performances, managing to turn two characters that could have very easily been caricatures into human beings. Sleek and slick, Rush makes going around in circles entertaining.

It’s about addiction (sex addiction, first and foremost) and the support groups that strive to help people break the destructive cycles of addiction. Adam (Ruffalo), Mike (Tim Robbins) and Neil (Josh Gad) are all sex addicts, at varying levels of sobriety. Thanks for Sharing follows along as they try to get a handle on their addictions (Neil), start dating again (Adam), and come to terms with fraying family relationships (Mike). Support group newcomer Dede (Alecia Moore, aka Pink) is also in the mix, as well as Mike’s former addict son Danny (Patrick Fugit, probably the best actor in the whole damn film). The film teeters on the brink, never quite going deep and dark enough to truly address addiction – but going far enough to show that it knows exactly what it isn’t showing. Besides, the film is supposed to be about recovery and hope. While the emotional trajectories of the characters are all too obvious from the start, the story is solid (though predictable) and treats the subject matter with genuine respect – making Thanks for Sharing a decent enough watch overall. MEGAN McKEOUGH

melissa wellham

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the word

BLACKBOX

on games

Grand Theft Auto V Platform: PS3, Xbox 360, PC (2014) Developer: Rockstar North Length: 50 hrs+ Verdict: Buy it It seems official: GTA V is the dog’s bollocks. It grossed over 800 million in the first 24 hours of sales, and reached the one billion mark by day three. It currently has a 97% Metacritic score, and has been highly discussed across all forms of media. So what can I say in this review that hasn’t already been said? I offer you this: despite being an avid GTA fan, I found the previous game in the series, GTA IV, boring as bat shit. In that title, the technical accomplishments appeared to take precedence over the playful and comically cynical undertones that have characterised the series. I’ve since found that many others appear to share my thoughts, so to all of you who found GTA IV disappointing, I say this: give GTA V a go. GTA V is a stunning game. While occasionally quite crude and confronting (the torture mission comes to mind), the game continued to amaze me, hours in. There being too much to talk about in one review, let me focus on some of the lesser-spoken-of elements that stood out for me. One of the first things to mention is just how seamless the game is. The dialog sequences often start before your character gets there, with it elegantly transitioning into a choreographed scene upon your entry. Be it having to push past two guys having punch-up or walk into a family dispute, this subtle element makes it feel like the other characters inhabit the virtual world. This world, known as Los Santos, is packed with a stunning amount of detail, from scattered alien references to the Playboy mansion. Notably, I spent half-an-hour alone watching the TV, with its racially insensitive cartoons and close-to-the-bone reality shows. There was a moment when, stepping away from the TV, I had to remind myself what I was meant to be doing. Another notable element to speak of is the large focus on groupbased missions. While any poster will let you know of the game’s multi-protagonist shtick, a subtler impact comes with regards to the grandeur it imparts on each mission. When pulling off a mission with others, even a bunch of no-name goons, it makes it feel foreboding and momentous. When joined by your fellow protagonists, it open the missions up to a varied set of activities, with the first multi-character mission alone featuring abseiling, sniping, and dog-fighting. The protagonists also tend to show up in the others’ missions, making for some compelling action. It again reaffirms the idea that the inhabitants exist outside your own existence. While the sales figures would suggest that everyone and their dog already owns a copy of this game, if you don’t – look into it. Even if you didn’t enjoy previous instalments. torben sko

Given regular television broadcasting only began at the BBC in 1936, (1948 in the US and 1956 in Australia), the idea that any show, with the exception of news broadcasting, could survive half a century, is unfathomable. Even Sesame Street (ABC2, Mon–Sun, 8:30am), which has adapted well to the changing needs of three tofive-year-olds, has only been on air for 44 years. Sure Dr Who had a 15-year hiatus that took in the entire ‘90s, but the idea of a concept brought to screens in black and white in 1963 surviving until 2013 is extraordinary. Sure the sets aren’t made of foil and every planet in the universe doesn’t look like the same quarry on Britain’s south coast, but the basic storyline is the same. And many of the characters, although somewhat modernised, have survived – just like Robocop, the daleks have evolved enough to negotiate stairs. Australian audiences will join Dr Who fans in 75 countries around the world for a simulcast of Dr Who 50th Anniversary Special (ABC1, Sun Nov 24, TBC). The show will be repeated at 7:30pm and then made available on iView for those not quite as excited about the global simulcast. The special includes David Tennant, Billie Piper, and John Hurt as a previously unknown incarnation of the Doctor. To get you there, iView is hosting 47 classic episodes from Auntie’s archives. The first three tranches have already gone on the site, with a fourth to go up on Saturday October 26. There is also a series of Doctor Who Specials (ABC2, Sun, 7:30pm) including a look at the Science, Women, and Destinations, and a repeat of last season’s final ep, The Day of the Doctor (ABC2, Mon Nov 25, 7:30pm). New stuff on screens includes the second series of the brilliant Redfern Now (ABC1, Thu Oct 31, 8:30pm), The Sarah Silverman Program (SBS2, Wed Nov 6, 9:30pm), part sit com, part musical comedy, Rebel Wilson’s much touted comedy Super Fun Night (WIN, Tue, 8pm), the return of Nikita (WIN, Wed, 1am) and NCIS (SC10, Tue, 8:30pm), and so-so new US thriller Cult (Go, Sat Nov 2, 11:30pm). No doubt everyone is awaiting the return of Chris Lilley’s most successful character in Ja’mie: Private School Girl (ABC1, Wed Oct 23, 9:05pm). Everyone except this column’s author. While you can’t fault Lilley’s brilliance, there are plenty of more innovative, original characters he has created over the years that far outshine the two dimensional Ja’mie. Minority view? Definitely, but Chez Blackbox will be hoping for a very big dose of Mr G to keep it on the viewing roster. What will be on the viewing roster is A Different Breed (ABC2, Fri Oct 25, 8:30pm). The new ob doco from the makers of Pineapple Dance Studios makes Christopher Guest’s brilliant mockumentary Best in Show look like a serious study of dog shows. And it’s not just dog shows – there’s grooming salons, professional dog walkers, dog crèches, and even a doggie dancing competition. Other docos worth a look include The Sunnyboy (ABC2, Sun Nov 3, 9:25pm), exploring Jeremy Oxley’s battle with schizopherenia, and Paul Kelly: Stories of Me (ABC2, Sun Oct 27, 9:25pm). Movie picks include the very B-grade Trick’r Treat (WIN, Sun Nov 3, 12:20am), and iconic ‘80s hits Poltergeist (Go, Mon Oct 28, 12am), Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure (Go, Wed Oct 30, 9:30pm), and Gremlins (Go, Fri Nov 1, 10pm). JFK: The Smoking Gun (SBS1, Sun Nov 3, 8:30pm) and four-parter JFK (SBS1, Tue Nov 5, 7:30pm) kick off a JFK season on SBS to mark the 50th anniversary of his death. New conspiracy theory – Dr Who did it… TRACY HEFFERNAN tracyherrernan@bigpond.com @ChezBlackbox

@bmamag

the word on dvds

black mirror – The Collection [madman] Charlie Brooker has an unimpeachable resumé. Across TV, film, radio, and print, Brooker plays it like a vein-popping, bitter polemicist, railing against the power structure, idiots in the streets, his peers, and technology. He has written/produced/ directed some of the sharpest shows of the last ten years: How TV Ruined Your Life, Dead Set, A Touch of Cloth, the … Wipe series. Brooker’s Web 1.0 website, TV Go Home, was as good as The Onion, and his now-defunct Guardian column was mandatory reading. But Brooker’s satire is more than skin deep. It’s easy to take a swipe at current affairs or celebrity culture, but quite another to say something meaningful or new about it. Black Mirror is Brooker’s attempt to understand our relationship with technology. In each of the six stand-alone, hour-long episodes, we see a bleak vision of a world where technology subverts society in very simple and believable ways: implanted video cameras that capture every moment we live, viral videos that make people do repulsive things, and the afterlife of our social media personas. On the surface, Black Mirror looks like an alternate reality until you stop for pause and realise there’s nothing preposterous about it at all – horrifically, it could very well happen. A point made crystal clear in the final episode (The Waldo Moment) where a loud-mouthed animated blue bear becomes a viable political figure. Obviously a fictional cartoon bear who appears on a weekly news satire show has no policies, is a buffoon voiced and operated by an actor in a studio, but the public love his ‘take no prisoners’ attitude and vote for him anyway – joke candidate or not. Now look at the recent federal election results and tell me Brooker isn’t dead on the money. justin hook

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enlightened – The Complete Second Season [warner home video] Enlightened will likely go down as one of the most infuriating TV shows of all time. Not in terms of squandered opportunity – show co-creators Laura Dern and Mike White delivered 18 episodes of complex, droll, and at times skin-crawling entertainment. Every performance – Dern as lead character Amy Jellicoe, White as Tyler, her put-upon, unwilling co-conspirator colleague, Dianne Ladd as Amy’s perplexed and annoyed mother – was spot on. Every actor delivered every line of dialogue in total unambiguous service to the plot. The arc of Amy Jellicoe from unemployed do-gooder to flailing corporate anarchist was expertly plotted and oddly believable. The infuriating part was the lead character: Amy Jellicoe. She refused to be easily pegged or labelled. Mostly, she was utterly unlikable, living in an alternate reality world where her ill-conceived words and actions harmed others. Nothing about her endeavours was large or heroic, despite her best efforts to make them so. Amy motored through a series of consequence-free zones, letting others pick up the pieces. It’s hard to know what exactly Enlightened is saying about corporate culture and individual responsibility. There are no obvious winners and shades of grey infect every situation. Good intentions are often misplaced and the ends don’t necessarily justify the means – or action in the first place. So maybe Enlightened is simply a satire on self-involvement; that movement promoting the notion that we are all important and deserve to have our voices heard at all times. In Amy Jellicoe, we see the natural conclusion of following your heart. Results may vary, but as the final episode of this nowcancelled show proves, they can occasionally elevate us. justin hook

it’s a date [roadshow] It’s a Date is a small but highly ambitious show. The topic of love, dating, and relationships is as old as dinosaurs, and surely there are cave paintings somewhere in France that could be commissioned into rom-sitcoms. So when there isn’t much new to say, process becomes the critical factor; how it’s told, the level of detail, and the ability to connect. With little fanfare, this eight-part series – with 16 dating scenarios, short films, basically – stands out as one of the most evenly balanced and consistently high quality treats of the year. The danger in a show about dating is presenting stories that are so obvious, so lived-in, that every laugh is a sugar hit. Recognising the awkward first steps of a relationship is pretty universal, but unless there’s something deeper going on, their shelf life and reach is severely limited. Producer, writer, and sometime director, Peter Helliar, along with a range of comedian co-writers (Ryan Shelton, Lawrence Mooney, Kate Langbroek, Shaun Micallef), has created situations that run from the absurd to the genuinely affecting with perverse ease. Mooney’s turn as the archetypal FM radio zoo crew jerk DJ ‘The Pig’, who finds out about a daughter he never knew he had during a presumed hook-up with her, has a familiar conclusion, but very rarely has the faded hope and potential redemption of a manchild been captured with such crystalline precision and economy. The Peter Rowsthorn/ Heidi Valkenburg episode uses a humble and – again – familiar conceit (one that deserves to be discovered on viewing), but nails the tragic emotion that outside forces place on relationships. For an A-list cast to disappear so completely into their characters says plenty about their chops, but far more about the quality of the script. justin hook

the word

Disclosure, Duke Dumont, AlunaGeorge, SAFIA UC Refectory Friday October 4

on gigs

Friday night before the Labour Day long weekend at the UC Refectory was like rocking up to a festival at the good end. Like the sun had gone down, leaving only the bands and DJs that everyone had paid hundreds of dollars to actually see … only everyone still had their shoes. Our adventure through the big British line-up began with pocket rocket and percussion whizz, AlunaGeorge. I couldn’t hear Aluna over the bra she was wearing, but she did demand our full attention when the bombshell hit us with a cover of Montell Jordan’s This Is How We Do It – the most appropriate Friday night song EVER. Everyone should have a rendition just for these moments. The sold-out crowd trickled in through Duke Dumont’s set, and it became a fantasy to get a drink with any kind of speed. Where floor space once was, dancing space became – or sticky ‘no-go zones’ were established due to the seasonal high tide of Red Bull washing through the Refectory. My boots did their best not to get left behind as we danced with cheesy joy to everyone’s fave, Need U (100%), before Dumont dropped the beat into the most unexpected, dirtiest 3am-style cave set ever played by a support act. Wowzers. It was like we’d been hypnotised, and when he closed and we snapped out of our grinding daze to a pop-princess Haim track, he left us wondering what the hell had just happened. Loved it. Now, I’ve seen Disclosure once before at a festival and was completely blown away by their DJ set. This time, we were promised ‘Disclosure (Live)’. To me, that speaks instruments, vocals, musicians on stage assisting the young duo to layer strings/percussion/keys in order to create music that meshes together to form a ‘song’. Rather, we saw a lot of largely unused drums on stage with one brother DJing and the other giving the cowbell some serious attention. The microphone got a workout once or twice, but not by Aluna, who was conveniently in the same building. Did she reappear expectedly on stage to sing White Noise? Uh-uh. Maybe she went home to find a shirt. Luckily, Disclosure had a set full of bangers that are impossible to be sad about, and nothing fazed the sold out crowd as the boys moved through one of the best house albums of the year. When a Fire Starts to Burn dropped second on the setlist, as it does on the album, and anything after that is always a joyful bonus. Please Don’t Let Go called for a seriously fun breakbeat on the electronic drum kit, and their remix of Jessie Ware’s Running finished off our weekend workout session before they disappeared, leaving the somewhat creepy signature line face up on the three screens that highlighted the stage. It stared at the crowd while they screamed for Latch and Help me Lose My Mind. Of course, the brothers returned to close the evening with two of the tunes old and new fans, respectively, had come to see.

PHOTOS BY DALE WOWK

Foreshore organisers Kicks teamed up with Party by Jake, UC Live!, and triple j to put on the show – the same team to sell out Rudimental just a few weeks earlier, which became one of the most talked about gigs of the year. With two sold-out events in a month, it’s clear that Canberra still loves its live music – maybe because we lost our biggest music fest. But hey, all’s forgiven if Kicks and friends keep ushering in massive acts like these guys, Rudimental, and Salt-n-Pepa! DANIKA NAYNA

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the word

The Cannanes, Day Ravies, Waterford, Bacon Cakes The White Eagle Polish Club Sunday October 6

on gigs

The long weekend is literally designed to have a gig placed smack bang in the middle of it, and a sneaky guilt-free beer on a Sunday arvo never goes astray. Up first was Bacon Cakes, who has made the transition from helmeted one-man band to frontman of a three piece. Nearly everything that could go wrong for Bacon Cakes up on stage did, from strings and pedals breaking to spilling a beer. This didn’t stop them from kicking out some killer garage pop, with energy to burn. Down a member on the day, Waterford got through the set on their strongest feature: Glen Martin’s ability to turn a phrase. You kind of know what you’re getting with Waterford – a solid set from a very good live band. Day Ravies are a band to watch out for. The Sydney four-piece played their hypnotic blend of shoegaze and late 20th century indie rock and played it par excellence. Sometimes you get the feeling watching a band that they are merely on the stepping stone to something bigger, and this was one of those times. One to definitely watch out for.

PHOTO BY ‘PLING

The Cannanes have spent a little bit of time between gigs in Canberra. 2013 marks the first time they’ve played in Canberra since 1996. Touring off the back of their first album in a decade (Howling at All Hours), the band didn’t take long to kick into some classic jangle pop goodness. Working about 30 years of back catalogue into an hour is a tough feat, but The Cannanes seemed to do it easily. Hints of Yo La Tengo and The Lucksmiths filled the set, but it was their masterful use of varied instrumentation that really stood out. CODY ATKINSON

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the word

Kevin Johansen + The NADA, Sistema Criolina The Street Theatre Friday October 11

on gigs

There are many good things about The Street Theatre, chief among them its wonderful acoustics. As a result, Kevin Johansen + The NADA sounded fantastic as they trundled through their laid-back soft rock set. American-Argentinean Johansen is a pretty big deal in Argentina, and a few other countries. As a result, this gig was a source of great excitement for a large segment of the crowd, who were hanging on (and many singing along to) every word. For the uninitiated, however, Johansen + The NADA were clearly upstaged by support act Sistema Criolina. Hailing from Brasilia, Sistema Criolina was probably not so well suited to The Street given the dance party vibe they aim for, but they achieved it nonetheless. By a few songs in, at least half the crowd was dancing in the aisles to their eclectic and mostly instrumental mix, delivered by guitar, bass, drums, saxophone, trumpet, and two guys twiddling knobs. Their guitarist was particularly engaging, playing like a virtuoso, all the while dancing like a man possessed.

PHOTO BY CAMERON BROWN

While they put on a good show, Johansen + The NADA just didn’t seem to be having as much fun as their support act. Perhaps because the majority of his songs are in Spanish, Johansen felt the need to explain almost every song, which created too many breaks. Some good-natured but self-indulgent attempts to bridge the gap between performer and audience also misfired. All but the most ardent fan could do without the not one, but two, ukulele cover songs (Hotel California and Take On Me). However there were highlights, including spaghetti western homage My Name is Peligro and Hindu Blues. AMY DOWLER

the word

Party Gravy, Beth n Ben, Brother Be The White Eagle Polish Club Friday October 11

on gigs

Brother Be were the opening act for the night. I have to admit, their brand of roots isn’t necessarily down my alley. So maybe this is my fault, but Brother Be struggled to keep my focus throughout their set. While some in the crowd were engaged, at times the conversation level rose to rival the music in parts of the room. To me, they sounded like a cross between Jason Mraz, Matt Corby, and Parks and Recreation favourite Mouse Rat (albeit a technically proficient one). A CD launch is always meant to be a little different, and for this launch, Beth n Ben decided to run with a bigger band, including a horn section. I can easily say that this was the best set I’ve seen from them. It is hard to write about music that doesn’t connect with you, and this represents one of those times. Beth n Ben seem to find the middle ground between a number of styles without actually finding their own voice. Their music is easy and loose, but lacks chutzpah. It’s probably me, and not them: on the night, the dance floor was packed and the Polo was full, which is a good sign for any band.

PHOTO BY ADAM THOMAS

The highlight of the night was local brass band Party Gravy, playing their take on New Orleans big band music. Party Gravy has a way of infectiously energising a room with a mix of originals and re-worked covers, and their gravy was full of party. They are a genre-based proposition, and if you like brass bands, you’ll probably like them. What they had that the other bands didn’t was a clear sense of musical identity, which seemed to set them apart. CODY ATKINSON

@bmamag

ENTERTAINMENT GUIDE Wed Oct 23 - Fri Oct 25

Listings are a free community service. Email editorial@bmamag.com to have your events appear each issue. wednesday october 23

Art Exhibitions Anger Management & the Importance of Personal Hygiene

New art by George Rose. Opens Fri Oct 11, 6pm. 10am-6pm. NISHI GALLERY

Austral-Japanese Harmony

Art by acclaimed Japanese ceramicist Hiroe Swen. 10am-4pm. BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

Backburning

Curated by Annika Harding, with work by Julia Boyd, Trish Roan and more. 11am-5pm (10am-4pm, Sat).

CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ART SPACE (GORMAN HOUSE)

Roy Jackson: Retrospective 1963–2013

Growing Strong Children

ANU DRILL HALL GALLERY

GALLERY@BCS

Spanning 50 years of painting and drawing by Jackson. 12–5pm.

Artwork from Playgroup in the Park, Dunlop. Opens Thu Oct 24, 10am. 9am–4:30pm.

Austral-Japanese Harmony

Something in the Way

Art by acclaimed Japanese ceramicist Hiroe Swen. 10am-4pm. BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

Backburning

Curated by Annika Harding, with work by Julia Boyd, Trish Roan and more. 11am-5pm (10am-4pm, Sat).

CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ART SPACE (GORMAN HOUSE)

Growing Strong Children

Art by Stewart McDonald. Opens Wed Oct 23, 7-8pm. Open daily. SOJU GIRL

Judy Witherdin

Art exhibition. Opens Thu Oct 17, 6pm. 8am-6pm. Free.

Dance

Comedy. 7:30pm.

THE FRONT GALLERY AND CAFÉ

Right Behind You

Judy Witherdin

QL2 THEATRE

Karaoke

M16 ARTSPACE

Connected Diversity/ From Land to Sea

Art by Helen Aitken Kuhnen. Opens Fri Oct 25, 6pm. 11am-5pm (-4pm, Sat). BILK GALLERY

Taxonomic Infestation

Art by Michelle Day & Saara March. Opens Thu Oct 24, 6pm. 11am-5pm. CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ARTS SPACE (MANUKA)

Roy Jackson: Retrospective 1963–2013

Austral-Japanese Harmony

Art by Stewart McDonald. Opens Wed Oct 23, 7-8pm. Open daily.

THE FRONT GALLERY AND CAFÉ

Art by Tracey Sarsfield and S.A. Adair. 12-5pm.

Comedy

Something in the Way

Art exhibition. Opens Thu Oct 17, 6pm. 8am-6pm. Free.

Something Familiar

THE FRONT GALLERY AND CAFÉ

Artwork from Playgroup in the Park, Dunlop. Opens Thu Oct 24, 10am. 9am–4:30pm.

SOJU GIRL

Art Exhibitions

Spanning 50 years of painting and drawing by Jackson. 12–5pm.

Kirst Arific is Present

GALLERY@BCS

friday october 25

A physically charged take on modern love, by Lingua Franca. 8pm. $15.

Karaoke

ANU DRILL HALL GALLERY

Art by acclaimed Japanese ceramicist Hiroe Swen. 10am-4pm. BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

Backburning

Curated by Annika Harding, with work by Julia Boyd, Trish Roan and more. 11am-5pm (10am-4pm, Sat).

CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ART SPACE (GORMAN HOUSE)

Growing Strong Children

Artwork from Playgroup in the Park, Dunlop. Opens Thu Oct 24, 10am. 9am–4:30pm.

Karaoke at The Inn

GALLERY@BCS

OLD CANBERRA INN

8pm-midnight. Free entry.

Something in the Way

Rock Karaoke

Art by Stewart McDonald. Opens Wed Oct 23, 7-8pm. Open daily.

THE DURHAM

9pm-2am. Free entry.

SOJU GIRL

CHARLIE BLACK

Judy Witherdin

Live Music

Karaoke

Art exhibition. Opens Thu Oct 17, 6pm. 8am-6pm. Free.

Karaoke

From 10pm. All welcome.

Paul Dempsey

With Olympia. 8pm. Tickets from pauldempseymusic.com. ZIERHOLZ @ UC

Resident Betty

Followed by Maxi. B and Friends, with Ben. 7:30pm. Gold coin donation. P J O’REILLY’S (TUGGERANONG)

The CMC Presents

With Oh Pep, Burrows, Hashemoto. 7:30pm. Free.

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

Live Music CIT School Stars Band Comp 6:30pm. Free.

Burlesque, cabaret, comedy. 8pm. $15.

CIT MUSIC INDUSTRY CENTRE

SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE

The Steptones

Dance

THE PHOENIX BAR

Right Behind You

With Azim Zain and guests. 9pm.

Smith’s Jazz Jam

Something Different

SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE

Book launch. 9pm. THE PHOENIX BAR

thursday october 24 Art Exhibitions Something Familiar

Live jazz every Thursday. 9:30pm. Free.

KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

Steve Clisby Band

Doors 6:30pm. Tickets $55/$100 dinner and show + bf thru theabbey.com.au. THE ABBEY

The Perch Creek Family Jug Band

With Moochers Inc. 8pm. $20/15/12. THE POLISH WHITE EAGLE CLUB

The Feldons & Magic Rob Universe 8pm. $5 door.

POT BELLY BAR

Joel Fletcher & SCNDL

ALIVE Fridays double header presents. $15 before midnight. ACADEMY NIGHTCLUB

Paper Arms (Melb)

With Apart From This (Melb), Sundial (W/gong), and a local support. 8pm. $10. MAGPIES CITY CLUB

Trick or Tease

Tease and Tearaways present a Halloween special. With Darkc3ll. 8:30pm. $20. THE BASEMENT

Nite Society

A disco dance for the nocturnal. 8pm. Free entry. TRANSIT BAR

Urthboy

Opening the NFSA Theatrette with Count Bounce. 8pm. Bookings essential: (02) 6248 2000. NATIONAL FILM AND SOUND ARCHIVES

On The Town Havana Nights

Canberra’s hottest Latino night, with DJ Trent Richardson, DJ Spink. 9pm. MONKEYBAR

Blame it on the Boogie Weekends

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

Something Different Relaunching a theremin. Huzzah! 6pm. Free. ANU SCHOOL OF ART

The Chess Club

Irish Club Karaoke Competition

Poetry Slam

THE DURHAM

9:30pm. Free.

KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

The Resident Program: Freyja’s Rain

Supported by Hung Parliament and Brother Be. 8pm. Free.

Taxonomic Infestation

The Comedy of Errors

ANU DRILL HALL GALLERY

5pm afternoon session/10pm band. Free.

Karaoke

M16 ARTSPACE

Spanning 50 years of painting and drawing by Jackson. 12–5pm.

David Christopher/ Something Like This

8pm. Free entry.

Theatre

Roy Jackson: Retrospective 1963–2013

THE DURHAM

Revenant Media

Art by Tracey Sarsfield and S.A. Adair. 12-5pm.

CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ARTS SPACE (MANUKA)

A physically charged take on modern love, by Lingua Franca. 8pm. $15.

10pm. Free.

QL2 THEATRE

Dave Christopher

TRANSIT BAR

Art by Michelle Day & Saara March. Opens Thu Oct 24, 6pm. 11am-5pm.

Comedy Alev: A Night at the Drunken Pumpkin

SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE

The Place of Infested Roads

THE FRONT GALLERY AND CAFÉ

3rd Exit

Bell Shakespeare return for the second time in 2013. 2pm/7:30pm. $45–68. THE PLAYHOUSE

A Month of Sundays

The story of a daughter and son-in-law monthly Sunday visits. 2pm/8pm. $30-$35.

Canberra’s best karaoke singers can compete for $1000. 8pm til late. CANBERRA IRISH CLUB

Live Music Nina Las Vegas

Open mic, slam, and feature sets from Tasnim Hossein, Zoe Erskine and more. 8pm. $5. THE FRONT GALLERY AND CAFÉ

Theatre

TRINITY BAR

Game of Thrones Burlesque Show

National WIRED Band Comp Grand Final

THE PLAYHOUSE

10pm. Door price TBA.

7pm til late. $20 + bf through Moshtix.

Russall S. Beattie Presents. 8pm. $53.50 + bf.

CHARLIE BLACK

Lift Off Band Comp

Live heat. 6pm. Free entry. WODEN YOUTH CENTRE

THE COURTYARD STUDIO

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ENTERTAINMENT GUIDE Sat Oct 26 - Tue Oct 29 saturday october 26 Art Exhibitions Something Familiar

Art by Tracey Sarsfield and S.A. Adair. 12-5pm. M16 ARTSPACE

Connected Diversity/ From Land to Sea

Art by Helen Aitken Kuhnen. Opens Fri Oct 25, 6pm. 11am-5pm (-4pm, Sat). BILK GALLERY

Taxonomic Infestation

Art by Michelle Day & Saara March. Opens Thu Oct 24, 6pm. 11am-5pm. CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ARTS SPACE (MANUKA)

Roy Jackson: Retrospective 1963–2013

Spanning 50 years of painting and drawing by Jackson. 12–5pm. ANU DRILL HALL GALLERY

Austral-Japanese Harmony

Art by acclaimed Japanese ceramicist Hiroe Swen. 10am-4pm. BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

Backburning

Dan Sultan

Doors 6:30pm. Tickets $33/$80 dinner and show + bf thru theabbey.com.au. THE ABBEY

LOVE Saturdays

With Jared De Veer and Runamark. $10 entry all night. ACADEMY NIGHTCLUB

Mattersphere

9pm to late. $10 entry fee.

CIT presents The Bootleg Sessions

With David Christopher: emotive covers and originals. 5-7pm. Free entry. A BITE TO EAT CAFE

Irish Jam Session

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

On The Town

Stunning local talent in an intimate outdoor setting, w/ Clive and Company. 3pm. $5-15.

Blame it on the Boogie Weekends

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

Community Painting Day

Spring, food, painting, conversation, and drinks. 1-4pm. PLAYING FIELD STUDIO

Stone Day 2013

3pm. $5 for students, $15 for everyone else.

Sundays in the Park

SOJU GIRL

Judy Witherdin

The story of a daughter and son-inlaw monthly Sunday visits. 2pm/8pm. $30-$35.

A Month of Sundays

Contemporary jazz. 7:30pm. Door price TBA. THE FRONT GALLERY AND CAFÉ

Trivia Rainman’s Trivial Excuse

TRANSIT BAR

The Acoustic Sessions

Workshops

IRON BAR

Canberra Songwriters Workshop

Free live music from 2pm every Sunday.

Sunday Afternoon Sessions

Bridge Between. 4-7pm. Free entry. CANBERRA IRISH CLUB

Free Pool Tables

THE PLAYHOUSE

Ben Carr Trio

THE FRONT GALLERY AND CAFÉ

Theatre

Something in the Way

THE PHOENIX BAR

7:30pm. Door price TBA.

Super Raelene Bros

On The Town

Russall S. Beattie Presents. 8pm. $53.50 + bf.

With Magic Rob Universe, Lung, Conversation, Finding Eve. 8pm.

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

GORMAN HOUSE ARTS CENTRE

UNIVERSITY OF CANBERRA

Game of Thrones Burlesque Show

Art by Stewart McDonald. Opens Wed Oct 23, 7-8pm. Open daily.

Live Music

Sunday Best at A Bite to Eat

P J O’REILLY’S (TUGGERANONG)

Curated by Annika Harding, with work by Julia Boyd, Trish Roan and more. 11am-5pm (10am-4pm, Sat).

CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ART SPACE (GORMAN HOUSE)

Live Music

Free for first-timers and under-18s are welcome with an adult. 6:30pm. STATESMAN HOTEL

tuesday october 29

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

Art Exhibitions

Theatre

Connected Diversity/ From Land to Sea

TRANSIT BAR

A Month of Sundays

The story of a daughter and son-inlaw monthly Sunday visits. 2pm/8pm. $30-$35.

Art by Helen Aitken Kuhnen. Opens Fri Oct 25, 6pm. 11am-5pm (-4pm, Sat). BILK GALLERY

Austral-Japanese Harmony

Art by acclaimed Japanese ceramicist Hiroe Swen. 10am-4pm.

Art exhibition. Opens Thu Oct 17, 6pm. 8am-6pm. Free.

THE COURTYARD STUDIO

THE FRONT GALLERY AND CAFÉ

Workshops

BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

Dance

Lounge to Legend

Curated by Annika Harding, with work by Julia Boyd, Trish Roan and more. 11am-5pm (10am-4pm, Sat).

AINSLIE ARTS CENTRE

Right Behind You

A physically charged take on modern love, by Lingua Franca. 8pm. $15. QL2 THEATRE

Live Music #GRLPWR

Music for Everyone presents a rock school for adults. See mfe.org.au for full details.

sunday october 27 Art Exhibitions

Run by girls, for, like, everyone. Glitter for all. 8pm. $10.

Something Familiar

Sheriff

M16 ARTSPACE

TRANSIT BAR

With The King Hits. 9:30pm. THE PHOENIX BAR

TaikOz

Crimson Sky tour, featuring Satsuki Odamura (Bass Koto). 7:30pm. $49-70 + bf. CANBERRA THEATRE CENTRE

4th Degree

10pm. Free entry. THE DURHAM

‘90s Tribute Show #3

With Korn, NIN, Prodigy, Soundgarden, RHCP and more. 8pm. $20. THE BASEMENT

DJ Peter Gunz (Syd)

With DJ Esi (Syd). Urban Playground presents. 10pm. MONKEYBAR

Special K

10:30pm. Free.

KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

Art by Tracey Sarsfield and S.A. Adair. 12-5pm.

Taxonomic Infestation

Art by Michelle Day & Saara March. Opens Thu Oct 24, 6pm. 11am-5pm. CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ARTS SPACE (MANUKA)

Roy Jackson: Retrospective 1963–2013 Spanning 50 years of painting and drawing by Jackson. 12–5pm. ANU DRILL HALL GALLERY

Austral-Japanese Harmony

Art by acclaimed Japanese ceramicist Hiroe Swen. 10am-4pm. BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

Judy Witherdin

Art exhibition. Opens Thu Oct 17, 6pm. 8am-6pm. Free. THE FRONT GALLERY AND CAFÉ

Music for Everyone presents a rock school for adults. See mfe.org.au for full details.

monday october 28 Art Exhibitions Growing Strong Children

Artwork from Playgroup in the Park, Dunlop. Opens Thu Oct 24, 10am. 9am–4:30pm. GALLERY@BCS

Something in the Way

Backburning

CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ART SPACE (GORMAN HOUSE)

Growing Strong Children

Artwork from Playgroup in the Park, Dunlop. Opens Thu Oct 24, 10am. 9am–4:30pm. GALLERY@BCS

Something in the Way

Art by Stewart McDonald. Opens Wed Oct 23, 7-8pm. Open daily. SOJU GIRL

Karaoke

Art by Stewart McDonald. Opens Wed Oct 23, 7-8pm. Open daily.

Karaoke Love

Judy Witherdin

TRANSIT BAR

SOJU GIRL

Art exhibition. Opens Thu Oct 17, 6pm. 8am-6pm. Free. THE FRONT GALLERY AND CAFÉ

Comedy

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

Live Music Charlie Parr

Acclaimed new blues folk. 9pm. $25 + bf presale, $28 door.

Schnitz & Giggles

THE FRONT GALLERY AND CAFÉ

SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE

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

6:30pm. Free.

Irish Jam Session

KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

Klaus Filip

Electro-acoustic-improvisation. 7:30pm. $15/12. SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE

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ENTERTAINMENT GUIDE Tue Oct 29 - Fri Nov 1 Theatre

Karaoke

Workshops

The Comedy of Errors

Karaoke

Karaoke at The Inn

Canberra Music Workshop

THE DURHAM

OLD CANBERRA INN

Bell Shakespeare return for the second time in 2013. 2pm/7:30pm. $45–68. THE PLAYHOUSE

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

Tuesday Pub Trivia

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

From 10pm. All welcome.

Live Music Charlie Parr

Acclaimed new blues folk. 9pm. $25 + bf presale, $28 door. THE FRONT GALLERY AND CAFÉ

The CMC Presents

The Black Hat Band, Liam McKahey and The Bodies. 7:30pm. Free. SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE

Trivia

Theatre

THE DURHAM

The Comedy of Errors

7:30pm. All welcome.

Trivia Tuesdays

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

wednesday october 30 Art Exhibitions Something Familiar

Art by Tracey Sarsfield and S.A. Adair. 12-5pm. M16 ARTSPACE

Connected Diversity/ From Land to Sea

Art by Helen Aitken Kuhnen. Opens Fri Oct 25, 6pm. 11am-5pm (-4pm, Sat). BILK GALLERY

Taxonomic Infestation

Art by Michelle Day & Saara March. Opens Thu Oct 24, 6pm. 11am-5pm. CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ARTS SPACE (MANUKA)

Ellipsis

Photography by four Canberra-based emerging artists. Opens Wed Oct 30, 6pm. 12-5pm. ANCA GALLERY

Roy Jackson: Retrospective 1963–2013

Spanning 50 years of painting and drawing by Jackson. 12–5pm. ANU DRILL HALL GALLERY

Austral-Japanese Harmony

Art by acclaimed Japanese ceramicist Hiroe Swen. 10am-4pm. BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

Backburning

Curated by Annika Harding, with work by Julia Boyd, Trish Roan and more. 11am-5pm (10am-4pm, Sat).

CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ART SPACE (GORMAN HOUSE)

Growing Strong Children

Artwork from Playgroup in the Park, Dunlop. Opens Thu Oct 24, 10am. 9am–4:30pm. GALLERY@BCS

Something in the Way

Art by Stewart McDonald. Opens Wed Oct 23, 7-8pm. Open daily. SOJU GIRL

Bell Shakespeare return for the second time in 2013. 2pm/7:30pm. $45–68. THE PLAYHOUSE

Workshops The Kids Are All Right

Writing children’s and young adult fiction with Tony Eaton. 6–7:30pm. $15/10. BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

thursday october 31 Art Exhibitions Night Falling

Digital paintings by Paul Summerfield. Opens Thu Oct 31, 6pm. Open daily.

8pm-midnight. Free entry.

Rock Karaoke

9pm-2am. Free entry.

Karaoke

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

Live Music Finn

6:30–9:30pm. Free entry. NATIONAL PRESS CLUB

Spit Syndicate

With Joyride, and more. Doors 7pm. $18.40 + bf thru Oztix. ZIERHOLZ @ UC

Clowns

With Blight Worms, Yoko Oh No, The Rickety Rainbow Band. 9pm. THE PHOENIX BAR

Smith’s Jazz Jam

Live jazz every Thursday. 9:30pm. Free. SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE

4Esch

DBridge, SP MC, Jilted Hoodz, and more play in memory of Escha. 7pm-12am. Door price TBA. TRANSIT BAR

Levee Breaks Duo 8pm. Free.

THE DURHAM

Chicago Charles & Dave 9:30pm. Free.

Something Familiar

Lenin’s Love Child

M16 ARTSPACE

Connected Diversity/ From Land to Sea

Art by Helen Aitken Kuhnen. Opens Fri Oct 25, 6pm. 11am-5pm (-4pm, Sat). BILK GALLERY

Taxonomic Infestation

Art by Michelle Day & Saara March. Opens Thu Oct 24, 6pm. 11am-5pm. CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ARTS SPACE (MANUKA)

Ellipsis

Photography by four Canberra-based emerging artists. Opens Wed Oct 30, 6pm. 12-5pm.

HARMONIE GERMAN CLUB

CHARLIE BLACK

THE FRONT GALLERY AND CAFÉ

Art by Tracey Sarsfield and S.A. Adair. 12-5pm.

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

KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

Screening 10 Days That Shook the World with a live soundtrack. 8pm.$15/10/8. THE POLISH WHITE EAGLE CLUB

Vika and Linda Bull

Doors 6:30pm. Tickets $50/$95 dinner and show + bf thru theabbey.com.au. THE ABBEY

Thy Art is Murder

With Elegist, Grams, Wretch. Doors 8pm. $25. THE BASEMENT

Something Different

friday november 1 Art Exhibitions Something in the Way

Art by Stewart McDonald. Opens Wed Oct 23, 7-8pm. Open daily. SOJU GIRL

Night Falling

Digital paintings by Paul Summerfield. Opens Thu Oct 31, 6pm. Open daily. THE FRONT GALLERY AND CAFÉ

Something Familiar

Art by Tracey Sarsfield and S.A. Adair. 12-5pm. M16 ARTSPACE

Connected Diversity/ From Land to Sea

Art by Helen Aitken Kuhnen. Opens Fri Oct 25, 6pm. 11am-5pm (-4pm, Sat). BILK GALLERY

Taxonomic Infestation

Art by Michelle Day & Saara March. Opens Thu Oct 24, 6pm. 11am-5pm. CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ARTS SPACE (MANUKA)

Ellipsis

Photography by four Canberra-based emerging artists. Opens Wed Oct 30, 6pm. 12-5pm. ANCA GALLERY

Roy Jackson: Retrospective 1963–2013

Spanning 50 years of painting and drawing by Jackson. 12–5pm. ANU DRILL HALL GALLERY

Austral-Japanese Harmony

Art by acclaimed Japanese ceramicist Hiroe Swen. 10am-4pm. BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

Backburning

Curated by Annika Harding, with work by Julia Boyd, Trish Roan and more. 11am-5pm (10am-4pm, Sat).

CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ART SPACE (GORMAN HOUSE)

Growing Strong Children

By Circus for Life. Dress up! 7:30pm. $15/10.

Artwork from Playgroup in the Park, Dunlop. Opens Thu Oct 24, 10am. 9am–4:30pm.

BELCONNEN COMMUNITY CENTRE

GALLERY@BCS

Spanning 50 years of painting and drawing by Jackson. 12–5pm.

Theatre

Karaoke

The Comedy of Errors

Irish Club Karaoke Competition

Austral-Japanese Harmony

Bell Shakespeare return for the second time in 2013. 2pm/7:30pm. $45–68. THE PLAYHOUSE

CANBERRA IRISH CLUB

ANCA GALLERY

Roy Jackson: Retrospective 1963–2013 ANU DRILL HALL GALLERY

Art by acclaimed Japanese ceramicist Hiroe Swen. 10am-4pm. BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

Backburning

Curated by Annika Harding, with work by Julia Boyd, Trish Roan and more. 11am-5pm (10am-4pm, Sat).

CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ART SPACE (GORMAN HOUSE)

Growing Strong Children

Artwork from Playgroup in the Park, Dunlop. Opens Thu Oct 24, 10am. 9am–4:30pm. GALLERY@BCS

Something in the Way

Little Shop of Horrors

Canberra’s best karaoke singers can compete for $1000. 8pm til late.

Triptych

Plays by Olivia Hueson, Jessica Bellamy, Lachlan Philpott. Tickets $15-21 thru cytc.net. CANBERRA YOUTH THEATRE

A Month of Sundays

The story of a daughter and sonin-law monthly Sunday visits. 2pm/8pm. $30-$35. THE COURTYARD STUDIO

Peer Gynt

Deviant Theatre Presents. 8pm $15. SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE

Art by Stewart McDonald. Opens Wed Oct 23, 7-8pm. Open daily. SOJU GIRL

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ENTERTAINMENT GUIDE Fri Nov 1 - Sun Nov 3 Friday November 1 (cont.)

Theatre

Live Music

The Comedy of Errors

LOVE Saturdays

THE PLAYHOUSE

ACADEMY NIGHTCLUB

Live Music

Bell Shakespeare return for the second time in 2013. 2pm/7:30pm. $45–68.

Double Lined Minority

Triptych

With Two Lead Fish, Fires in July, Forerunner. Doors 8pm. $10. THE BASEMENT

Saskwatch

Plays by Olivia Hueson, Jessica Bellamy, Lachlan Philpott. Tickets $15-21 thru cytc.net. CANBERRA YOUTH THEATRE

The Melbourne funk and soul ambassadors return to Canberra. 8pm. Presale via Moshtix.

A Month of Sundays

hearts.beat.mind

THE COURTYARD STUDIO

TRANSIT BAR

The story of a daughter and son-in-law monthly Sunday visits. 2pm/8pm. $30-$35.

Acoustic pop duo. 7:30pm. $10.

Peer Gynt

Diesel

SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE

THE FRONT GALLERY AND CAFÉ

Deviant Theatre Presents. 8pm $15.

6:30pm doors. $50 show only. $95 dinner and show. See theabbey.com. au for more.

Workshops

Motez (Adel)

Tips on how to do a great abstract painting, with Gael Menzies. $8.

THE ABBEY

10pm. Door price TBA. TRINITY BAR

Lift Off Band Comp

Live heat. 6pm. Free entry.

Abstract Painting

PLAYING FIELD STUDIO

saturday november 2

10pm. Free.

THE DURHAM

Obsessions

Classic rock done right. 8:30pm to 12am. CHISHOLM TAVERN

Harii Bandhu/ Identical Strangers

5pm afternoon session/10pm band. Free. KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

Questacon presents a night for adults to get geeky. 6-10pm. $10. QUESTACON

Turn the Page

5 troupes, 1 theatre, 1000 books. 2pm/7pm. $14/6. BELCONNEN COMMUNITY CENTRE

THE BASEMENT

My Sauce Good

Art by Tracey Sarsfield and S.A. Adair. 12-5pm. M16 ARTSPACE

Taxonomic Infestation

Art by Michelle Day & Saara March. Opens Thu Oct 24, 6pm. 11am-5pm.

Top notch classic indie. 7:30pm. $15.

CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ARTS SPACE (MANUKA)

Shigeto

Ellipsis

THE FRONT GALLERY AND CAFÉ

Blahnket Pres. 10pm. Door price TBA. TRINITY BAR

DJ Tikelz (Syd)

Urban Playground presents. 10pm. MONKEYBAR

Hardcover 10pm. Free.

THE DURHAM

Zombie Invasion

Photography by four Canberra-based emerging artists. Opens Wed Oct 30, 6pm. 12-5pm. ANCA GALLERY

Roy Jackson: Retrospective 1963–2013

Spanning 50 years of painting and drawing by Jackson. 12–5pm. ANU DRILL HALL GALLERY

Night Falling

Knights of the Spatchcock

Sunday Best at A Bite to Eat

Digital paintings by Paul Summerfield. Opens Thu Oct 31, 6pm. Open daily. THE FRONT GALLERY AND CAFÉ

Something Familiar M16 ARTSPACE

Taxonomic Infestation

SciNight

Burlesque by Seker Pare, music by Reign of Terror, Bladder Spasms, and more. 8pm.

Something Familiar

Live Music

Havana Nights

Something Different

Helloween at The Basement

THE FRONT GALLERY AND CAFÉ

KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

SOJU GIRL

On The Town

DIGRESS COCKTAIL BAR

ZIERHOLZ @ UC

BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

Art by Helen Aitken Kuhnen. Opens Fri Oct 25, 6pm. 11am-5pm (-4pm, Sat).

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

Debut album launch. Guests TBA. 8pm. $18.40 + bf thru Oztix.

Night Falling

Special K

ACADEMY NIGHTCLUB

Blame it on the Boogie Weekends

Digital paintings by Paul Summerfield. Opens Thu Oct 31, 6pm. Open daily.

VARIOUS LOCATIONS

Something in the Way

Connected Diversity/ From Land to Sea

MONKEYBAR

Party Gravy

Art by Stewart McDonald. Opens Wed Oct 23, 7-8pm. Open daily.

M4SONIC

Canberra’s hottest Latino night, with DJ Trent Richardson, DJ Spink. 9pm.

Art Exhibitions

Austral-Japanese Harmony

Art Exhibitions

Art by Tracey Sarsfield and S.A. Adair. 12-5pm.

ALIVE Fridays presents. $10 before midnight.

With Ashley Feraude. $10 entry all night.

Zombies, live music, and DJs. Tickets get you access to multiple venues (The Phoenix, + more). 8pm.

WODEN YOUTH CENTRE

Special K/ Back to the ‘80s

sunday november 3

BILK GALLERY

Art by Michelle Day & Saara March. Opens Thu Oct 24, 6pm. 11am-5pm. CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ARTS SPACE (MANUKA)

Ellipsis

Photography by four Canberra-based emerging artists. Opens Wed Oct 30, 6pm. 12-5pm. ANCA GALLERY

Roy Jackson: Retrospective 1963–2013

Spanning 50 years of painting and drawing by Jackson. 12–5pm. ANU DRILL HALL GALLERY

Austral-Japanese Harmony

Art by acclaimed Japanese ceramicist Hiroe Swen. 10am-4pm. BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

Backburning

Curated by Annika Harding, with work by Julia Boyd, Trish Roan and more. 11am-5pm (10am-4pm, Sat).

CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ART SPACE (GORMAN HOUSE)

Comedy Matt Okine

With Alex Waisel, Michele Betts, Dave Graham and Riley Bell. 8pm. $25 thru Frenzied Productions. AINSLIE FOOTBALL CLUB

10:30pm. Free.

City Underground Presents. With The Khalasar, The Naddiks. 8pm. $10 door. MAGPIES CITY CLUB

On The Town Blame it on the Boogie Weekends

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

Art by acclaimed Japanese ceramicist Hiroe Swen. 10am-4pm.

With Brett Galt-Smith. 5-7pm. Free entry. A BITE TO EAT CAFE

Irish Jam Session

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

Sundays in the Park

Stunning local talent in an intimate outdoor setting, w/ Mr Tim. 3pm. $5-15.

Something Different

GORMAN HOUSE ARTS CENTRE

Turn the Page

Free live music from 2pm every Sunday.

The Acoustic Sessions

5 troupes, 1 theatre, 1000 books. 2pm/7pm. $14/6.

IRON BAR

Canberra Zombie Walk

CANBERRA IRISH CLUB

BELCONNEN COMMUNITY CENTRE

Limp, shuffle, and walk your way through the city for the Brain Foundation. 3pm. Free, and family friendly. CITY WALK

Theatre The Comedy of Errors

Bell Shakespeare return for the second time in 2013. 2pm/7:30pm. $45–68. THE PLAYHOUSE

Triptych

Plays by Olivia Hueson, Jessica Bellamy, Lachlan Philpott. Tickets $1521 thru cytc.net. CANBERRA YOUTH THEATRE

Mozart’s Cosi Fan Tutte 7:30pm. $25–89.

CANBERRA THEATRE CENTRE

A Month of Sundays

The story of a daughter and son-inlaw monthly Sunday visits. 2pm/8pm. $30-$35. THE COURTYARD STUDIO

Peer Gynt

Deviant Theatre Presents. 8pm $15. SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE

Sunday Afternoon Sessions Mitch Canas. 4-7pm. Free entry.

On The Town Free Pool Tables

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

Something Different Turn the Page

5 troupes, 1 theatre, 1000 books. 2pm/7pm. $14/6. BELCONNEN COMMUNITY CENTRE

Theatre A Month of Sundays

The story of a daughter and son-in -law monthly Sunday visits. 2pm/8pm. $30-$35. THE COURTYARD STUDIO

The Comedy of Errors

Bell Shakespeare return for the second time in 2013. 2pm/7:30pm. $45–68. THE PLAYHOUSE

Triptych

Plays by Olivia Hueson, Jessica Bellamy, Lachlan Philpott. Tickets $1521 thru cytc.net. CANBERRA YOUTH THEATRE

@bmamag

ENTERTAINMENT GUIDE Mon Nov 4 - Thu Nov 7 monday november 4 Art Exhibitions Something in the Way

Art by Stewart McDonald. Opens Wed Oct 23, 7-8pm. Open daily.

Karaoke Karaoke Love

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

Something Different

wednesday november 6

Night at the Circus

Art Exhibitions

Circus, music, poetry, comedy by Circus For Life - free! 7pm.

Something in the Way

CHIFLEY HEALTH & WELL-BEING HUB

Live Music

Art by Stewart McDonald. Opens Wed Oct 23, 7-8pm. Open daily.

Night Falling

Saviour

Something Familiar

The Comedy of Errors

THE FRONT GALLERY AND CAFÉ

THE BASEMENT

M16 ARTSPACE

THE PLAYHOUSE

Live Music

Classic American stringband. 7:30pm. $15.

SOJU GIRL

Digital paintings by Paul Summerfield. Opens Thu Oct 31, 6pm. Open daily.

CMC presents The Bootleg Sessions

With Party Gravy, The Monotremes, Positive Feedback Loop, Bubbles and Yeti. 8pm. 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 november 5 Art Exhibitions Something in the Way

Art by Stewart McDonald. Opens Wed Oct 23, 7-8pm. Open daily. SOJU GIRL

Night Falling

Digital paintings by Paul Summerfield. Opens Thu Oct 31, 6pm. Open daily. THE FRONT GALLERY AND CAFÉ

Connected Diversity/ From Land to Sea

Art by Helen Aitken Kuhnen. Opens Fri Oct 25, 6pm. 11am-5pm (-4pm, Sat).

With For all Eternity, Anchored, local supports. 8pm. $10 + bf thru Oztix.

The Foghorn Stringband THE FRONT GALLERY AND CAFÉ

Melbourne Cup

With Mikah Freeman, Offtapia + many more. 2pm onwards. TRINITY BAR

Irish Jam Session

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

Theatre The Comedy of Errors

Bell Shakespeare return for the second time in 2013. 2pm/7:30pm. $45–68. THE PLAYHOUSE

Trivia 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. DIGRESS COCKTAIL BAR

BILK GALLERY

Austral-Japanese Harmony

Theatre

SOJU GIRL

Bell Shakespeare return for the second time in 2013. 2pm/7:30pm. $45–68.

Art by Tracey Sarsfield and S.A. Adair. 12-5pm.

Night Falling

thursday november 7

Digital paintings by Paul Summerfield. Opens Thu Oct 31, 6pm. Open daily. THE FRONT GALLERY AND CAFÉ

Karaoke

Connected Diversity/ From Land to Sea

Karaoke at The Inn

Art by Helen Aitken Kuhnen. Opens Fri Oct 25, 6pm. 11am-5pm (-4pm, Sat).

8pm-midnight. Free entry. OLD CANBERRA INN

BILK GALLERY

Rock Karaoke

Ellipsis

9pm-2am. Free entry.

Photography by four Canberra-based emerging artists. Opens Wed Oct 30, 6pm. 12-5pm.

CHARLIE BLACK

Karaoke

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

ANCA GALLERY

Roy Jackson: Retrospective 1963–2013

P J O’REILLY’S (TUGGERANONG)

Spanning 50 years of painting and drawing by Jackson. 12–5pm.

Live Music

Austral-Japanese Harmony

8pm. $23.50 + bf through Oztix.

Busby Marou

ANU DRILL HALL GALLERY

ZIERHOLZ @ UC

Art by acclaimed Japanese ceramicist Hiroe Swen. 10am-4pm.

Levee Breaks Duo

BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

8pm. Free.

THE DURHAM

Backburning

The Bennies

Curated by Annika Harding, with work by Julia Boyd, Trish Roan and more. 11am-5pm (10am-4pm, Sat).

With Revellers, Little Mac and the Monster Men, ThrownUp. 9pm.

CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ART SPACE (GORMAN HOUSE)

THE PHOENIX BAR

Theatre

Karaoke

The Comedy of Errors

Karaoke

Bell Shakespeare return for the second time in 2013. 2pm/7:30pm. $45–68.

From 10pm. All welcome. THE DURHAM

THE PLAYHOUSE

Triptych

Art by acclaimed Japanese ceramicist Hiroe Swen. 10am-4pm.

Live Music

Backburning

Alex Richens, Joel Davey, The Gordons, Guy Lillyman. 7:30pm. Free.

BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

Curated by Annika Harding, with work by Julia Boyd, Trish Roan and more. 11am-5pm (10am-4pm, Sat).

CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ART SPACE (GORMAN HOUSE)

The CMC Presents

Plays by Olivia Hueson, Jessica Bellamy, Lachlan Philpott. Tickets $1521 thru cytc.net. CANBERRA YOUTH THEATRE

SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE

Dream on Dreamer

With A Skylit Drive, No Bragging Rights, Hellions. Doors 8pm. $23.50 + bf thru Oztix. THE BASEMENT

OUT

NOV6

the offspring new found glory the used this is art market between the buried and me ...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? A science textbook that explained it as: ‘A process in which a change from the normal range of function elicits a response that amplifies or enhances that change.’ It’s all about cyclical explosive momentum feeding on itself in an ever-increasing surge.

Backbeat Drivers Steve 0422733974 backbeatdrivers.com

Moots Huck 0419630721

Group members? Fergus ‘Ferg’ Ferguson – lead vocals/ guitar, Hoody – guitar/vocals, Zebra Nowhere – bass/vocals, Crazy Adam – drums/vocals.

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

Positive Feedback Loop

Describe your sound: Pop-rocking, shape-shifting, punchpacking, jump-starting, meaning-making, guitar band with four-part harmonies (at no extra cost). Who are your influences, musical or otherwise? Hunter S. Thompson, Nick Cave, Fred Smith, Laurence Maxwell Krauss, The B-52s, Soul Coughing, Robert Fripp, Alice in Chains, George Orwell, Zaphod Beeblebrox, Australian Crawl … Of what are you proudest so far? Rocking the Mumu Festival earlier this year and being asked to perform at Dragon Dreaming Festival in October 2013. Being number three on the local ReverbNation Canberra Indie charts … thanks for listening! Both of you.

Bat Country Communion, The Mel 0400405537

Black Label Photography Kingsley 0438351007 blacklabelphotography.net Bridge Between, The Cam 0431550005

Morning After, The Covers band Anthony 0402500843 Mornings Jordan 0439907853 MuShu Jack 0414292567 mushu_band@hotmail.com Obsessions 0450 960 750 obsessions@grapevine.com.au Painted Hearts, The Peter (02) 62486027 Polka Pigs Ian (02) 62315974

Capital Dub Style Reggae/dub events Rafa 0406647296

Rafe Morris 0416322763

Cole Bennetts Photography 0415982662

Redsun Rehearsal Studio Ralph 0404178996/ (02) 61621527

Danny V Danny 0413502428

Redletter Ben 0421414472

Rug, The Jol 0417273041

What are your plans for the future? Explosive momentum! Playing cataclysmic shows, recording our songs and getting them out to more and more people at guerrilla gigs.

Dawn Theory Nathan 0402845132 Danny 0413502428

What makes you laugh? The bit in our song Higgs Boson Buzz where we express heartfelt gratitude to a subatomic particle. Being number three on the local ReverbNation Canberra Indie charts. Fatbergs – seriously, Google it.

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

Simone & The Soothsayers Singing teacher Simone 62304828

Drumassault Dan 0406 375 997

Sorgonian Twins, The Mark 0428650549

Feldons, The 0407 213 701

Soundcity Rehearsal Studio Andrew 0401588884

What pisses you off? That in Canberra two tickets to a big show are cheaper than the cab ride home. Fatbergs. What about the local scene would you change? More original live music and performance. In particular, in larger venues, and more gigs on the Southside. More all ages, more over 18s, more guerrilla gigs, more, more, MORE! Generally, more scientific evidence of life please. What are your upcoming gigs? Dragon Dreaming Festival at Wee Jasper, from Fri–Mon October 25–28. The Bootleg Sessions at The Phoenix with Bubbles, Yeti, Party Gravy, and The Monotremes, Monday November 4, free entry, 8pm. Contact info: facebook.com/positivefeedbackloopband; reverbnation.com/positivefeedbackloop; positivefeedbackloopband@gmail.com; 0423 025 690.

FeralBlu Danny 0413502428 Fire on the Hill Aaron 0410381306 Lachlan 0400038388

Sewer Sideshow Huck 0419630721

STonKA Jamie 0422764482 stonka2615@gmail.com

Fourth Degree Vic 0408477020

Strange Hour Events Dan 0411112075

Gareth Dailey DJ/Electronica Gareth 0414215885

Super Best Friends Sam White sam@imcmusic.net

Groovalicious Corporate/ weddings/private functions 0448995158

System Addict Jamie 0418398556

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

Kayo Marbilus facebook.com/kayomarbilus1

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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