BMA Magazine 434 - Feb 04 2014

#434FEB12 #434FEB12

Inside: The Hundred Swords Questioning Beats Music Inside: The Hundred Swords Questioning Beats Music The West Bank Festival John Butler Trio Andrew Hansen AND Chris Taylor The West Bank Festival John Butler Trio Andrew Hansen AND Chris Taylor

The canberra MusiC club presents: The canberra MusiC club presents:

WEST BANK FESTIVAL

Incorporating: the polish aust. white eagle club, The Australian Croatian cluB, The alliance Francaise & ruc turner Incorporating: the polish aust. white eagle club, The Australian Croatian cluB, The alliance Francaise & ruc turner

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If Computers give you Pleasure, BMA Magazine wants you!

#434F E B R UA RY 1 2 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

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

Accounts Manager Fahim Shahnoor T: (02) 6247 4816 E: accounts@bmamag.com

Sub-Editor & Social Media Manager Jeremy Stevens & Chiara Grassia Graphic Design Chris Halloran Film Editor Melissa Wellham NEXT ISSUE 435 OUT FEB 26 EDITORIAL DEADLINE FEB 17 ADVERTISING DEADLINE FEB 20 Published by Radar Media Pty Ltd ABN 76 097 301 730 BMA Magazine is independently owned and published.

Opinions expressed in BMA Magazine are not necessarily those of the editor, publisher or staff.

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QL2 Auditioning for Major New Production For the first time in your life, inviting that friend who likes to yell out, “Dance like you mean it!” may be a good idea. The QL2 dance studio at Gorman House Arts Centre is auditioning on Sunday February 16 for a new dance work, Boundless, and creative young’ns aged 14 to 26 are encouraged to try out. Boundless will see a new group of Quantum Leapers joining existing members plus The Golds from Canberra Dance Theatre. Successful applicants will be working with choreographers Dean Cross, James Batchelor and Danielle Micich. The program isn’t free but all places are subsidised.

For more information or to register, visit blog.ql2.org. au/?p=2028.

Goods Auction to Support Local Youth Charity In association with the Tuggeranong Festival and a group of Tuggeranong Hyperdome retailers, a clutch of goods and services will be donated for auction on Saturday February 15 to raise money for The Richmond Foundation. The auction, to be held in Centre Court at the Hyperdome from 11am to 1pm, will provide funding to Foundation’s ACT Fellowship, including Walker House in Kambah. The Foundation is a worldwide community service organisation focusing on mental health issues.

Through the Foundation’s Fellowship in the ACT, it is the first in the world to focus on youth at risk, and on physical, sexual and psychological abuse.

Boil it down and you get cheap white goods in exchange for supporting local youth who may be at risk and vulnerable.

Good cause.

National Multicultural Festival Releases Compilation Album To coincide with the National Multicultural Festival which wrapped up on Sunday February 9, local artist Suzan Dlouhy, musician/event planner Rafael Florez and musician/ producer Sam King have joined forces to curate and release a compilation album.

The National Multicultural Festival 2014 compilation contains music handpicked

by Florez and takes as its central theme a combination of Afro-Latin, funk and Caribbean music. Featured over the 18 tracks are Los Chavos, Madre Monte, Solquemia, The Liberators, Labjacd and more.

The release also features an eight-page full colour booklet

by Dlouhy and mastering

by King. You can purchase the download release at

This image inspired by Scarlet Johansson’s voice acting in the movie Her. And her product endorsement decisions in occupied Palestine.

Here’s to refusing to accept that Australia will never host the Winter Olympics. No matter how much we discriminate against homosexuals.

Now that we’re all thinking about the grand world of internet pornography and the as yet unmapped psychological repercussions it is having on the adults of tomorrow, let’s change the topic. BMA Magazine is on the hunt for a new columnist for its “Quite Exciting, this Computer Magic” section.

This column deals with the non-mainstream elements of the world of electronic music. If names like FaltyDL, Aphex Twin, James Blake, Jamie xx, Four Tet, Flying Lotus and, at a more local level, Blahnket, Gabriel Gilmour, Onetalk, Detal, Deaf Cat, Burner Collective and Sondrel are close to your heart, you may be just the person we’re looking for. If you’re interested in applying for the position of columnist, email editorial@bmamag.com with a résumé and a short testimonial detailing your interest. It’s a great way to get industryrecognised experience in the realms of journalism and music journalism, not to mention the successful applicant will be providing a valuable service to the musicians and music-goers of Canberra.

multiculturalfestivalcanberra. bandcamp.com or visit BMA’s website to win a free limited edition hard copy with booklet via our giveaways.

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FROM THE BOSSMAN The beginning of the year in magazine land is good for two things; spring cleaning and realisations. The desks at BMA Mag HQ are often a shining indicator of how far into a deadline we are (the state of mine suggests I’ve been on a year-long deadline bender) and with the girthy nature of the end-of-year issue, the place can resemble a Moroccan brothel. And by “the place” I of course mean “my desk”.

In the process of the big beginning-of-year clean I came to the realisation that I have increasingly large cupboards of crap. And by crap I mean borrowed items I have never, and likely will never, interact with. This is not because I am in any ways a hoarder - I have a studious wife who makes it her daily mission to avoid such a thing - but that I have a crippling politeness complex.

The scenario is thus… It will be a family lunch or a meet-up with a friend and talk will inevitably turn to something you are not all that interested in. Like Prisoner Cell Block H. For the sake of polite conversation, and because you hold love in your heart for this person, you feign interest. The family member/ friend you feign interest in - unbeknownst of your cowardly wyles and believing you to be a pure and honest person - takes your interest as genuine and before you know it you have all 114 DVDs of Prisoner Cell Block H handed to you with heartbreaking earnestness. Said DVDs will then live alongside the How I Met Your Mother boxset, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo compendium and all the various other things that you know are probably okay but have no time for, with said prized possessions now playing a spirited game of “who can collect the most dust?”

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

To the useless fucksticks who press the pedestrian light button and then walk across the road because there’s no cars coming anyway: you really piss me off!!!! When I’m sitting stopped at the red light you caused because you were too stupid to check if there was any traffic before sticking your finger on the button, I am imagining the satisfaction I’d get by breaking every fucking finger on your hand. You are inconsiderate dickheads.

To the lady with the blue shirt at Woodfords random drumming circle at a random drum shop... Your demeanor pissed me off! So too did the young señorita who thought that African drumming could/should/would be her Taiko drumming platform!

Understand that drumming circles as cliched as they be are social experiments in getting-the-fuck-along, take yourself back to your tribal selves and find a way to share your rhythmic Tourette’s in a collective manner, not shaking a maraca is all a sister can do to not add another layer of confusion! PS. Give the shekere the fuck away if you can’t shake it! Confiscating your polyrhythmic fantasy toy is all a sista can do to keep her groove alive!

Surely, you may reasonably ask, you simply give the item back?

Yes, except that borrowing something under the pretense of pretending to like it and giving it back untouched would ruin everything, and so the Tunnel of Polite Deception bores deeper.

This person has lent you their prized thing that they hope you will watch in order to bond over. Any attempts to give the item back untouched finds you in an awkward conversational dance.

“Watched it yet?” they’ll ask, eyes beaming with an earnestness that can only be fed with well-meaning lies. “Oh yes,” you chime.

“It’s errrr … It’s great.”

“What was your favourite bit?” they’ll ask, as you contemplate punching yourself as hard as you can in the face. “Well, I mean …

I mean there’s so much to choose from, isn’t there? But if I had a gun put against my head, I’d probably say the ending. The ending is my favourite bit.”

“What, the bukake monkey orgy where the protagonist is drowned in chimp spunk then set on fire?!?”

“Ummmm … Yeah … … … … … … Powerful stuff, huh?”

And at that point, you realise saying you have a difference of opinion at the start would have been better.

The simple solution is to nip it in the bud and never show interest towards anything. So if your father eagerly asks, “Have you watched Prisoner Cell Block H?” the correct response would be, “God no, I’d rather carve out my eyes with a rusty spoon,” which seems easy enough to do on paper except that when in the moment - their eyes trembling with the hope of a shared connection - you can’t do it. You might as well tear out their heart and burn their cheek with a hot teaspoon.

So in short, I’m a coward, but I’m a nice coward. I’m coming to peace with that and now view my swelling cupboard of lies as a trophy cabinet of politeness. That is until I put it on eBay. ALLAN SKO - allan@bmamag.com

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WHO: Shananigans 7 WHAT: Birthday Bash WHEN: Fri Feb 14 WHERE: The Basement

Ditch the Valentine’s Day mush and hit up The Basement for Shaggs’ annual birthday bash and give your ears a good pummelling. Shananigans 7 has enticed a stellar line-up of local and interstate acts including home grown favourites Penguin (reforming for the night), Tonk and Super Best Friends, along with nine other bands spanning a handful of genres. Throw in burlesque trio The Velvet Vixens, heating things up with a special performance and you’ve got yourself one hell of a night. Only $20 for the lot. Turn up at 7pm sharp to snatch a free show bag.

WHO: Ben Pearce WHAT: Australian Tour WHEN: Fri Feb 14 WHERE: Trinity Bar

The man responsible for 2012’s deep house dancefloor smash and European chart-topper ‘What I Might Do’, Ben Pearce, is hitting the decks at Trinity Bar as part of his first Australian tour. Having shared bills with the likes of Seth Troxler, Eats Everything and Theo Parrish, Pearce has been making his mark on the club scene, carefully building up a solid reputation and catalogue to match. Along with his solo ventures, he’s lent his remixing talents to acts such as Le Youth, Redlight and Chris Malinchak. Catch the Mancunian DJ and producer this Valentine’s day at Trinity. 9pm. $15 before 11pm.

WHO: Coro Chamber Music WHAT: Toby Cole Is Lovesick WHEN: Fri Feb 14 WHERE: Wesley Music Centre

Sooth the V-day blues away with the smooth tones of Opera Australia countertenor Tobias Cole, as he’s accompanied by pianist Anthony Smith and local chamber choir Coro. Unrequited love gets the special treatment in Toby Cole is Lovesick, digging up gems from over five centuries of music the world over, featuring both solo and group choral performances. Coro has only been around for a year or so, but they’ve been racking up praise for their shows and this collaboration should be no exception. They’ll be playing Wesley Music Centre in Forrest at 7:30pm. Tickets are $25–$40 and are available from corocanberra.com.

WHO: Heath Cullen WHAT: Solo SingerSongwriter WHEN: Sat Feb 15 WHERE: Smith’s Alternative

With his knack for storytelling, clear voice and crisp Kim Salmonesque shirts, troubadour Heath Cullen rolls back into town to play a few tunes off his much lauded semaphore effort The Still and The Steep. Pinching Tom Waits’ backing band – and his goatee – for the recording, the recently AMP-nominated album has been lapping up shining reviews world over ever since it was released last year. The fan-funded album launched in ‘berra last year at The Street Theatre, but he’s back to play the even more intimate Smith’s. Check out what all the fuss is about by heading down at 8pm. Tickets are $26.50 a pop available at trybooking.com.

WHO: Zika WHAT: Local EP Launch WHEN: Fri Feb 21 WHERE: Smith’s Alternative

Local singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Zika Vuletic spent last winter squirreled away in his Canberra home writing material for his debut release, Solaris. While cited influences Brian Eno and Velvet Underground are heard throughout the five-song collection, Zika’s rough vocals and spaced-out riffs are more akin to the seedier side of the Australian ‘80s underground. Zika finds a musical match in co-producer Cub Callaway (The Saints, The Triffids, Ed Kuepper), who coaxes a darkly lush sound from the songs. Accompanied by a full live band, Zika will launch the EP at Smith’s, so no excuses for missing out. 7:30pm. Door price TBA.

WHO: Dog Trumpet WHAT: Medicated Spirits Album Launch WHEN: Fri Feb 21 WHERE: The RUC, Turner

After shaking up the Australian music scene in Mental as Anything, brothers Peter O’Doherty and Reg Mombassa have clocked up over 20 years together in their other kooky outfit, Dog Trumpet. With each bringing a rich musical and artistic legacy to the table, their sixth release, last year’s Medicated Spirits, is littered with their signature sly wit and loopy imagination. Brimming with countrytinged, fuzzy folk jams, the double album has nabbed itself an AMP nomination and plenty of acclaim. Before hitting the States for Austin’s famed SXSW, they’ll be swinging by Turner to play some new tunes. 8pm. Door price TBA.

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albert petersen While waiting for James Johnston to connect, I’m being subjected to quite possibly the worst “hold” muzak that I’ve ever heard; it’s like accordion blues meets ‘70s porn. It hurts, and I’m quite relieved when the BIFFY CLYRO bassist jumps on the line with a cheery “Hello” (I shall resist writing his responses in a faux Scottish accent).

we’ve ever played a cover live as part of a full band/electric set.

We’ve now racked up a lot of covers that we’ve done for radio sets and sessions; a part of us does them reluctantly but then the other part quite enjoys getting to fuck up someone else’s songs! We’ve never actually done it ‘full band’ and I don’t know if it’s something we will do. We’re kind of enjoying being selfish and playing our own songs for now.”

We are men after all; we don’t really want to talk about our feelings

He’s at home in Scotland and he tells me, “It’s fuckin’ freezin’, man!” – he and fellow bandmates Simon Neil and Ben (James’ twin brother) have been rehearsing for their imminent US West Coast tour before they head down to our sunny climes for Soundwave 2014. He mentions the current heatwave that’s sweeping certain parts of Australia and I can almost hear the glee in his voice at the prospect of getting somewhere warm and toasty – the icing on the cake being that Biffy Clyro will get to blast out tunes from their 2013 double album Opposites. James sums it up, “We can’t wait. We really can’t wait to come back.”

He laughs when I point out that certain sections of the media have hyped the band as “overnight sensations” and adds, “We’re quite thankful that we did things slowly and we’ve enjoyed every stage of the way and enjoyed working our way up – and it’s really nice now to have the opportunity to play different types of shows.”

So starting out, there were a few shows where the audience consisted of one man and his dog? “There were lots of those!” and he explains how the lack of pubs and venues in their hometown prompted the band to go to Glasgow. “You’ve got to just go out there and cut your teeth and play to people who just aren’t interested and try and make them interested. We always worked with the philosophy that if one person really loves it then that is a good night for us.”

All three share vocals and I ask about possible fights over who sings what. James laughs, “Simon is the main singer and we’ve never really had any struggle or battle – we’ve never had anybody trying to steal the limelight or ‘I really wanna sing that bit’ – it’s a good arrangement that the three of us have.”

Is it true the band’s name comes from a Cliff Richard biro pen? “It comes down to the fertile imagination of a 14 or 15-year-old sittin’ in a Physics class. I think at points the name might have held us back, in terms of people going ‘what does that mean?!’ or ‘I don’t like it’ – but after all these years, I don’t think we’d ever change it.”

Confirmation! Biffy Clyro is Cliffy Biro … allegedly.

Speaking of their imminent Australian tour, he says, “Hopefully it’ll be new to you guys, as it still feels fresh for us.” What about cover tunes; any chance of slipping one into the set? “I don’t think

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You guys obviously enjoy incorporating different musical elements into songs. Is there an instrument that you’d like to weave in that you haven’t had a chance to yet? “Anything that’s a little surprising. I had an idea the other day about an accordion; it’s something we haven’t done. I don’t think we’d be in a rush to repeat some of the things we’ve used before but it’s all about trying to use something that’s a little bit unexpected.” The word “accordion” immediately brings back the painful muzak that I was subjected to earlier and I shiver involuntarily as James ponders how the band may strip back the next album. “I feel we’re gonna move away from having so many ideas musically or instrumentally – it probably won’t have as much going on. I feel that we’ve done that as best as we could for now and maybe we’ll come back to it.”

Surprisingly, being in a band with his twin brother Ben doesn’t result in ‘Biffy goes the Biffo’ (a tabloid headline that I’d been saving up for this article), though James does acknowledge, “People around the band might see us shoutin’ at each other but if it happens, it’s all over in two minutes and people can be quite baffled that you’re shoutin’ at each other and then you don’t even seem to make up! Then you’re just talkin’ again … You’re living your lives very closely so there’s not really a lot of space to let bad emotions fester – and we are men after all; we don’t really want to talk about our feelings! We just move on and get on with it.”

Simon has said that he sees a lot of pain in existence which is reflected in his lyrics. “Simon, like I do, gets really baffled by life sometimes – but he’s also someone who really enjoys life; he’s a very infectious character who is full of life, and he can be very lively and funny. I think everyone just has their moments, you know? And I think that’s why we’re lucky to have such a strong bond; you learn from each other and you help each other.”

Sadly my time is up with the charming Mr Johnston. He’s off to ponder the potential of the accordion and prepare for Soundwave – don’t forget the sun block, you lovely, pale Scottish fellow…

Soundwave 2014 in Sydney takes place at Olympic Park on Sunday February 23. Tickets are $184.95 + bf through Oztix.

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LOCALITY

This fortnight, we have one of the biggest Hallmark holidays there is – Valentine’s Day – and Locality is here to help. Coupled? What better way to say it than with a copy of a fantastic local CD! Single?

Drown your cynicism in some brilliant local live music at your favourite venue. Polyamorous? Get all your lovers together and make a band! (What could go wrong?) No matter your relationship status, on Facebook or otherwise, Canberra’s music scene will always be there for you when you need it.

By now you’ve probably caught on to the fact that the West Bank Festival is a pretty big deal, taking over the Australian Croatian Club, Alliance Française and RUC Turner from Fri–Sun February 14–16, but there’s one addition that really deserves your time: the Bang! Bang! Bang! stage. Usually held in a cosy little backyard in Downer, this friendly open mic night is a true delight, giving both fresh and experienced musicians a place to try new material and hone their craft. Now it’s coming out into the open, with a number of spots available for local artists trying new material, some potentially even playing their first public set. If you’re of the musical persuasion and you’re looking for a safe space to find your feet, it’s time to start working on the three songs you’ll work into your spot.

Just rock up and pop your name on the chalkboard! If you’re more of a punter than a player, this is the perfect opportunity to find your new favourite local artist before everyone else catches on.

On Saturday February 15, local purveyors of funk and sheer ridiculousness Zoopagoo will play their last gig at The Phoenix.

After Facebook posts a few months back citing poor health and a need for a new manager, it’s certain that this decision was not an easy one. However, if there’s one thing this group know it’s how to throw a party, so expect the night to be a big one, with The Spindrift Saga along for the ride. The grand farewell kicks off at 9:30pm, with entry $5 at the door.

As for local gigs, there’s plenty to soak up over the coming weeks.

Saturday February 22 sees Magpies City Club play host to a solid rock line-up featuring the likes of Hence the Testbed, The Khalasar, Hearing Voices and Time & Weight, all for just $10. Zika will launch their new album, Solaris, at Smith’s Alternative on Friday February 21, with guests including Cub Calloway, Richard Ploog (The Church), John Hoey (Died Pretty), Phil Hall (Lime Spiders) and Groom Epoch, with the final guest described as a “new mystery band” and you’ll get all that for free! Another corker will be The Fuelers, Liam McKahey & The Bodies and Positive Feedback Loop at PJ O’Reilly’s in Tuggeranong on Saturday February 22 from 8pm. Tickets are $10 at the door, with rollicking rock ‘n’ roll sure to ensue.

Finally, if you’re a local artist with a gig, new recording or just a story to tell, feel free to get in touch! Locality is all about you, so get yourself heard by flicking me a tweet (@NoniDoll) or dropping me an email at nonijdoll@gmail.com.

NONI DOLL nonijdoll@gmail.com @NoniDoll

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zoe pleasants A common criticism levelled at Canberra is that it is a planned city, and this somehow makes it sterile, lacking in local colour and culture. But surely it is not so much Canberra’s geometric symmetry and wide roads that are the issue when it comes to culture; it is more its age. It takes time to grow a culturally vibrant city and Canberra is sprouting new shoots all the time, the greenest of which is the inaugural WEST BANK FESTIVAL.

discrete concerts within the festival,” explained McRae. “You know, so someone who’s really into the blues can come and get a real good blast of three or four blues bands – same with punk – and there will be other genres, but then once they leave [those concerts] they can have a choice of two or three things to investigate such as life drawing upstairs or a comedy show or two other music shows.” And on Sunday, the festival will culminate with a big free concert in the afternoon featuring five or six of the best bands.

The idea was to put it on the map, get it in people’s minds as a place that is really valuable culturally

There are two aspects of the West Bank Festival that are particularly gratifying.

First, it is being held in the newly designated West Bank cultural precinct.

Where’s that? It’s The Polish Australian White Eagle Club, Australian Croatian Club, Alliance Française and the Turner Bowls Club or RUC, which are near the west bank of Sullivan’s Creek. By using these venues, some of which were being left to wither, the festival is breathing new life into them. Second, the festival is all about featuring and celebrating local artists.

The festival is being put together by Nigel McRae, founder of the Canberra Musicians Club. I caught up with McRae in his backyard, another space he has utilised well over the years, hosting many Backyard Backanalias there, and started by asking him where the idea for the West Bank cultural precinct came from.

“We just made it up!” he laughed. “The idea was to put it on the map, get it in people’s minds as a place that is really valuable culturally.”

Canberra Musicians Club has been putting on gigs at The Polish Club for a while now. With its kitsch décor, authentic Polish food, reasonably priced drinks and good sound quality, it works well. “We started off at The Polish Club and we had a really good experience there,” explained McRae. “We’ve built a good crowd that goes there. [The Polish Club] was really in financial difficulty and we’ve come along and given them an income stream. So we see it as a really good model for keeping these clubs alive. Like get in there, put on events, get an audience to come and some of them will stick. Prove to the clubs that they can be viable as long as they are willing to open up to the broader community.”

And the alternatives for these clubs can be bleak: install pokies or sell to developers.

The West Bank Festival will be the first time the clubs in this precinct have worked together to host anything like this. “We’re having music, there’s comedy, Dr Sketchy’s life drawing, this Korean punk knitting artist who wants to display their work,” McRae said. “It will, I hope, become a much broader festival [over time], a festival of the arts – but for now, the main focus is the music and such things as I’ve been able to scramble together.”

The festival is being curated along genre lines with at least 11 different music genres being featured. “There will be sort of

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McRae said he has an overall vision for the festival too. “To showcase all the best art happening in Canberra at a grassroots level. There are all these groups in Canberra getting their act together, the Canberra Musicians Club, the Bad!Slam! poets, Scissors Paper Pen, the Comedy Club. In their own little scene they’ve built up an audience and good quality performers, and they know how to put on a show,” he explained. “I want [this festival] to be the one time of year that all those groups come together and share. Share their audiences, get around and see what the others are doing.”

McRae is also hoping that the West Bank Festival will be a really good way for people who have just arrived in Canberra – for university or a new job – to discover what is going on here.

“If you’re new in town and you’re interested in what culture there is, go to this festival and you’ll see a wide variety of local arts and culture and meet everyone you really should meet!” McRae said.

Contemplating the recent fire at The Polish Club, I wondered aloud if the festival was nearly derailed. It turns out McRae was ready to postpone it, but it was a case of one door closing and another opening. “I lost a venue and it was also the most important venue for me personally, that’s where we started, just sentimental reasons. But the Rugby Union Club [aka Turner Bowls Club] came to our rescue,” he says. “It was fortuitous because there was totally new management there in the last month which is really keen to have live music.” And even though The Polish Club can’t participate fully, they’re still going to be involved: “They’re going to put on a chef [at the festival] and set up a BBQ and do a Kransky roll!”

Towards the end of our conversation, I asked McRae how he wanted this festival to develop over the next couple of years. He said he wants it to develop a life of its own and grow and grow; then he paused and said someone had suggested to him that it was a bit like South by Southwest. We laughed. “That’s where I’m aiming in maybe 20 years!” he said, and after all, who’s to tell this white man he can’t jump?

The West Bank Festival will take place on Fri–Sun February 14–16. If you’re interested in volunteering, contact ourcmc@gmail.com. You can buy tickets through trybooking.com/EEBZ from $40 and up.

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I guess I’ve never grown out of the pleasure of simple, strong and loud music

NECK-NOMINATED DAN BIGNA Improvising group THE NECKS have quietly and consistently forged a distinct musical path, unmoored from current trends and conventions.

Gently atmospheric and harmonically beautiful, the music from this highly regarded piano/bass/drums trio illuminates the infinite potential of the creative imagination. Since the late 1980s The Necks have developed an intuitive feel for balance and pace to magnify shifting textures and melodies within a minimal framework. The group’s recently released 17th album Open interlocks contemplative passages of solo performance and trio interplay with gently repeating melodic phrases and slowly evolving timbres to engender a meditative state in the listener.

resonance and timbral qualities I find interesting or rich. These are elements also shared with The Necks. I’m also quite drawn to energy, strength of sound and forward motion in music, and this often leads me towards music that draws on the power I feel from various ‘rock’ music models. I guess I’ve never grown out of the pleasure of simple, strong and loud music. While sometimes this might seem a big contrast to what people might associate with The Necks, to me it’s all part of the same process of exploration.” That process of exploration is successful because each of the three Necks has committed themselves to genuine collaboration, an observation amenable to Buck’s musical vision and sensibility. “The Necks is probably the only long-term group I have ever played in that I would say is genuinely collaborative, where every aspect of the way the group is run is agreed upon collectively,” he says. “Responsibilities are shared out with regards to the different skill sets we can all bring to the table.”

The Necks will perform at The Street Theatre on Saturday February 22.

Tickets are $35 + bf through thestreet.org.au.

Percussionist Tony Buck is well known to Canberra, having performed with The Necks on the group’s annual pilgrimage to The Street and also in a solo and collaborative guise at the SoundOut festival. I wanted to find out if The Necks’ working methods differed when composing and recording Open. “It didn’t really differ to the methods we’ve used for the last few records, which basically are the same methods we have used, at least musically, since the band’s inception,” Buck says. “I think Open is informed by our previous work, whether that is simply a desire to make something contrasting to the last release, or as the culmination of stuff we’ve learned and devices and methods we’ve developed over the years.

“One thing that interests me a great deal, and is a major tenet of The Necks’ work, is an exploration of time and how elements of sound and music change, develop and evolve,” Buck says. “At times I’ve been interested in playing around with elements that change rapidly or are contrasted with seeming opposites, but in a sense I see that as two sides of the same coin. Approaches that interest me in ensemble improvising situations often revolve around

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ALL AGES For perhaps the last time, “Hey folks!” To pay tribute to my own empire of puns, I’m going to ruthlessly shower you in them. We’ll start with my all-time favourite Q: What did Jay-Z call his girlfriend before they got married? A: Feyoncé.

I used to be in a band, but I hated the high exposure to sax and violins. Speaking of bands, would you like to book a gig for your band at the Woden Youth Centre? The WYC has now opened its gig bookings for the next few months. To book you can either swing by the youth centre and talk with one of the friendly youth workers (it will only take a minuet), give them a call on (02) 6282 3037 or leave a message on their Facebook page: facebook.com/ TuggeranongYouthCentre.

I also used to be a tap dancer, but then I fell in the sink. So I took up roller derby instead! Roller Derby is a magical sport where people strap wheels to their feet and fly around in circles. Come along to watch the DisHonour Rollers take on the Free Sisters on Saturday February 15. They play at the Southern Cross Stadium. Tickets are $11.75 online at Oztix or $10 on the door.

I really understand how batteries feel ‘cos I’m rarely included in things either. But did you know if you pre-purchase tickets for The Royal Canberra Show online, it includes free ACTION bus travel to and from the show? Well, now you do. Expect Exhibition Park to put on a show from Fri–Sun February 21–23. Tickets are $10 for a child (six to under 16 years old) and $15 for full-time students.

As mentioned above, tickets including bus transport can be prepurchased online from Ticketek or from ActewAGL assist stores in Civic/Fyshwick. Tickets are also available on the door.

Q: Why does Snoop Lion (née Dawg) carry an umbrella? A: Fo’ drizzle.

Snoop Lion and myself can’t predict the weather on Saturday March 22 for BOUNCE FESTIVAL, but we can indeed predict that it will be awesome with an extremely high chance of fun. Yes, my jokes are cheesy but I still think they’re pretty Gouda. BOUNCE is a music festival strictly for under-18s which boasts acts such as Ruby Rose, Slice n Dice, Miracle, DJ Ziggy, DJ Rush, Strangeways DJs, KG, Rocamic, The Fighting League, Jon Bling, DJ Karma, J Swiss, Yiannis and Ned Philpot. There will also be water slides, rides, foam pits, a skateboard park, powder paint, a photo booth, soccer tournaments, girls styling sessions, VIP areas and food and drink stalls. BOUNCE will be held at Stage 88 in Commonwealth Park.

First release tickets are $30 + bf and VIP tickets are $100 + bf, which allow privileges such as express festival entry, VIP goody bag, VIP service area which includes complimentary food and drink and a meet-and-greet with performers. All tickets are available online at Moshtix. Please note that this will be a 100% drug and alcoholfree event enforced by hired security. For more information visit bounceu18.com.au.

My pun-laden heart is heavy as I say goodbye to the magnificent people of BMA. I will definitely miss the writing opportunities, parties and of course the always encouraging and supportive email correspondence. Thank you.

Cheers, ANDIE EGAN allagescolumn@gmail.com

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anne widjaja Having been a part of The Chaser team for almost two decades, ANDREW HANSEN tells me he’s starting to feel “quite ancient and dinosaur-like”.

If Hansen is starting to feel tired, it might be because The Chaser has worked hard at not fading into postfive-minutes-of-TV-fame oblivion. Since The Chaser literally blew up with ABC’s television series The Chaser’s War on Everything in 2006, which followed the success of 2002’s CNNNN, the team has remained the (un)official piss-takers of Australian politics. For the last decade, The Chaser’s often controversial popularity has earned them a seemingly permanent slot on the ABC. Yet Hansen, known for his charming delivery of biting song parodies and his booming spruiks, still doesn’t know what all the fuss was about.

“There were a lot of people with mainstream sensibilities watching this quirky dark show [The Chaser’s War on Everything] and they didn’t know what to make of it. I think it was partly why we ended up with a few controversies,” Hansen says of The Chaser’s early success. “I don’t think anything we’ve done is particularly offensive. But there are people out there that think we need to be immediately jailed and executed.”

Hansen’s not exaggerating. War on Everything received the most complaints of any show on the ABC. The Chaser’s various lawsuits were also making regular headlines on the very news shows of which the guys were making fun.

Rather than relishing in the attention like a professional agitator should, Hansen admits that political satire is not his “cup of tea”.

Hansen admits he’d “rather just be singing a silly song about thesauruses, or wanting to be a Scottish comedian … they’re all Chaser songs, but people don’t notice [those sketches] as much as when we’re making fun of Tony Abbott or Kevin Rudd.”

With a few side projects scattered amongst The Chaser team, I can’t help but wonder if they’re one Lennon-esque side project away from permanently breaking up. Hansen assures me no tension is bubbling under the surface.

But there are people out there that think we need to be immediately jailed and executed

“The great thing about the group is that we all have different taste, so no one gets jealous if somebody else does another project. The others would probably be appalled by the material that Chris and I want to do with our show.” Taylor and Hansen have worked together before on projects like the play Dead Caesar and radio series The Blow Parade. “Chris and I are able to make each other laugh more successfully than some of the other guys. Chris has a very dark sense of humour and no sense of where the line should be drawn.

It’s up to me or somebody else [to say], ‘Chris, your moral compass needs calibrating!’ ” When comparing his “simpatico” with Taylor to the dynamic of The Chaser team, Hansen says: “With the others, we spend most of the time trying to kill each other.” He pauses for a moment, and then quickly qualifies his jab at the group. “No, that’s not true, we get along surprisingly well for such a disparate, weird group. I always do feel like a truant, [like I’m] cheating by going off and doing something else.” In spite of receiving constant requests for The Chaser to go back to the “old stuff”, Hansen believes most people’s nostalgia is a “misremembered” memory of their old shows being better than they actually were.

“If you put up an episode of ours from 2006 next to The Hamster Decides, we’re definitely better now,” he says. Hansen has a theory that “with comedy, people [only] remember the best bits … and misremember that the whole thing was good.”

So then what can audiences expect when Hansen tours around Australia with fellow Chaser presenter CHRIS TAYLOR in live comedy act One Man Show later this month?

Even though The Chaser team have won people over with the “new stuff”, Hansen lives in “absolute terror” of “funnier and smarter” young comedians.

“I think people have come along to some absurd stuff [that I’ve done] and have been baffled because they’ve been expecting me to say something sharp and satirical about Christopher Pyne,” Hansen says. “I mean how many of those [jokes] can you really do? We will have a bit of politics in One Man Show, but it will also be a pretty silly show. The theme is for us to be as amusing and entertaining as we can for an hour.”

“I go to live comedy gigs to suss these people out, in case I ever want to take a hit out on one of them because they’re becoming too talented. There’s not room enough for all of us … Australia’s a fairly small pond,” Hansen remarks, laughing nervously.

Hansen adds he’s looking forward to visiting Canberra. “When I used to be a struggling musician I played at The Phoenix,” he says.

“I enjoyed The Phoenix, especially as they were one of the only bars in Australia that would book my band. Canberra people are switched on and very tolerant. If you could tolerate my band then you would be very tolerant.”

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With a new format show on the ABC due to be released in late 2014, The Chaser’s brand of laugh-out-loud satire still appears to be in high demand. And if Hansen’s theory about people’s memory of comedy is right, any comedian that tries to follow in their footsteps will never be considered as good as the original anyway.

Andrew Hansen and Chris Taylor will bring One Man Show to The Playhouse as part of the Canberra Comedy Festival on Thursday March 6. It starts at 7:30pm, with tickets $38 for concessions and $42 for adults from canberratheatrecentre.com.au.

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tedi bills John Butler loves Beyoncé. Having spent the day cooped inside his PR team’s office, he’s become obsessed with his assistant’s Queen B tee, and vowed to master the ‘Single Ladies’ dance. Forget Justin Timberlake, imagine dreadlock-era John Butler rocking a leotard and whipping his hair back and forth.

Fortunately for his fans (and unfortunately for the internet), it’s unlikely that Butler will morph into a pop princess anytime soon. With 15 years in the game under their collective belts, THE JOHN BUTLER TRIO has experienced truly phenomenal success creating and performing their banging brand of organic, high-energy folk-rock. Since their inception, the group has sold over one million albums in Australia alone, released three multiplatinum albums, received a total of nine ARIAs and APRAs and headlined an astounding range of concerts and festivals, from the Byron Bay Blues and Roots to Chicago’s Lollapalooza. On Friday February 7, the band will launch their sixth studio album, Flesh and Blood, with their first full-scale Australian tour in four years to follow.

Butler is adamant that the Trio’s appreciation of their success hasn’t left them resting on their creative laurels. “We’re always experimenting,” he says. “With our last album, April Uprising, I wanted to cut as much fat off our songs as possible, and write material that didn’t need the epic movements people expect from us. But I missed our experiential movements! With Flesh and Blood, I wanted to find a way to combine the best of both worlds. It’s an album that works around the idea of tag-teaming: the lyrics and prose and story hand the baton to the music, which expands upon the song’s themes while reintroducing and solidifying the songwriting.”

Butler’s quest for fresh sounds led to the recruitment of star producer Jan Skubiszewski. Having worked with artists ranging from The Cat Empire to Owl Eyes, Skubiszewski is known for his diversity. Considering Butler’s own influences span De La Soul to Beastie Boys, this collaboration between serial eclectics seemed destined for success. “To be honest, I’m wary of working with others – I tend to have trust issues,” he says. “Especially because I find it’s often hard for people to understand my musical schizophrenia. But Jan’s got a unique musicality and sensitivity.

He’s done everything from hip hop to orchestral, everything we’re interested in. He became the fourth member of the band.”

Flesh and Blood also introduces the newest member of the JBT, Grant Gerathy, who is replacing the legendary Nicky Bomba on drums. “Nicky needed to go to Melbourne and do the Ska Orchestra – I saw that, and supported him,” Butler explains. “He’s a huge part of our history, but we’re always changing. The shape of the band has really developed with this new album. It’s the most collaborative album so far – two of the major songs we wrote as a group. As much as I’m a song-keeper, it’s not just my choice. I am the skipper, and I’ve got a huge amount to do with steering this ship, but I don’t pretend to have all the answers.”

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This kind of self-deprecating self-awareness has a significant impact on Butler’s creative process. “One of the biggest challenges I deal with as an artist – as a pretty successful artist – is balancing ego, in all its forms,” he says. “It’s easy to feel like there’s not enough in my life, that I want more awards, more success. Or there’s the self-loathing side of ego, the side that says everybody hates me.

It’s universal, this quest for self-definition. I use music to create the space to explore this issue – am I John Butler the musician, the artist, father, activist, guitarist, husband? Life’s a balancing act. It’s not black and white.

There’s a song called ‘You’re Free’. It’s about my relationship with music – music is my world. It lets me expand, traverse, expel. It lets me be free.”

These days, I’m saying more with less – I want my audience to smell and feel what I’m singing about

Speaking of freedom, Butler refuses to be chained to past perceptions of himself or his songwriting.

“I constantly get referred to as a political singer-songwriter,” he says. “With politics and music, there’s a way to do it really well, and a way to do it that’s trite and patronising. Bands like Public Enemy or Rage Against the Machine had an amazing recipe – they didn’t make you feel little, they made you feel connected. I’m becoming more critically subjective – looking back, there are definitely times when I’ve been too preachy or literal. I want to be multidimensional. I’ve learnt that the energy in music is more important than its lyrics – you don’t have to be overtly political or singing about politics. You can just create this positive communal energy that’s valuable in and of itself. These days, I’m saying more with less – I want my audience to smell and feel what I’m singing about.

“Music’s always been a massive entity to itself. There’s nothing like watching a good band play – a painting, even a politician can’t unite people in the same way. Music means you don’t feel alone – when it hits you, you feel it as a mystic, chemical thing. I love the power of it, and love the way technology is being used to heighten that power. It’s easier to record albums, easier to find new bands online – there’s a huge fertility to social media. It gets criticised a lot, but I think it’s is an affirming thing.”

That said, Butler won’t be harnessing himself to a computer anytime soon. “I’m hugely excited about touring,” he says. “It’s a chance to connect with an amazing family. Our supporters aren’t just fans – it’s a collaborative family experience.

“When I’m on stage, that’s home to me. When we have our audience there, we feel safe in their arms.”

Flesh and Blood is released on Friday February 7 through Jarrah Records, and is available for pre-order now at johnbutlertrio. com. The John Butler Trio, supported by Emma Louise, will also be performing at Royal Theatre on Saturday April 12. Doors open at 7:30pm, and tickets are from $68.70 + bf through Ticketek.

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DANCE THE DROP Premier O’Farrell puts the “jerk” in “knee jerk reaction”. His lampooning of the Sydney clubbing industry is little more than a political point-scoring device intended not to save lives but to save face. The recently imposed embargo is a draconian measure; ironically, it may even serve to supercharge the underlying issue.

Barring souped-up punters from venues will do little more than force a herd of uncouth inebriates out onto the street. A herd that will put The Walking Dead zombies to shame. Unless Rick and Carl Grimes are standing by with a duffel bag full of automatic rifles and a Hyundai SUV brimming with ammunition, the city will be overrun.

King Street will become ‘King Hit’ Street, Punchbowl will transform into ‘Coward Punch’ Bowl.

I’m sure Mr O’Farrell isn’t too fazed by the imminent zombie epidemic that his new legislation will undoubtedly spawn. It is common knowledge that the undead hunger only for brains and it is becoming crystal clear that every skerrick of grey matter was sucked clean from his skull many moons ago.

The second death knell is the cessation of alcohol service at 3am.

The flood of half-cut tweakers storming the bar at 2:45am will be unparalleled. Rather than pacing themselves, the unruly bunch will instead acquire armfuls of booze, “nek-nominating” can after can of Smirnoff Black before the tired-eyed club manager decides to go home to his PS4.

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This will create an army of super strength warriors, fists clenched around imaginary cans, ready for war. A controllable issue has now escalated into a ferocious battle between fire and fury. Zombies and warriors. This is the Armageddon that you will unleash, Mr O’Farrell.

And as you barricade your front door with an upturned desk and crawl into a dark corner watching your city overrun by rage, you will have to ask yourself – who is the coward now?

Luckily for us, Canberra’s club industry has escaped this idiotic touch of death. Trinity Bar plan to celebrate the influx of disgruntled interstate punters with MK (USA) headlining on Saturday February 15. His Defected in the House compilation was in my top five releases for 2013; if you love sexy house music, keep your calendar clear for this one.

DJ Peekz is a man with many unique talents. I heard that he once defeated a Rubik’s Cube with only two hands, has completed an entire novel and allegedly owns a turtle. Today though, he is here to share his knowledge on “Marathon Sets”.

“Playing from the time the doors open until close is a very difficult skill to master. You have to take into account the dynamic of the room at all times, as the responsibility of ebbing and flowing is all down to one person. You have to show restraint in holding back your bigger tracks until the time is right, while also showing your knowledge in deeper, early night tracks,” he says.

“You have to know how much is too much when it comes to consecutive, similar tracks. Everyone loves a sing-along, but how many can you get away with before the audience is bored and wants a change? This all comes down to reading a crowd and the neverending quest for that connection with your audience.”

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

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a five-year hiatus, there will be much anticipation to see if Pyramid Schemes is as consistent as his previous releases. The perfect gift for a loved one this Valentine’s Day!

THE REALNESS Either the promoters have taken notice of my incessant whinging about the lack of gigs for Canberra punters or it’s just pure coincidence – but the gigs have arrived!

Sydney crew Reverse Polarities of Big Village co-operative will be stopping by Transit Bar on Saturday February 22. Known for their politically charged lyrics and high-energy live performances, the crew will be supporting their debut LP On The Contrary. Support from Omar Musa, Semantix, Context and Farronheit.

Former House of Pain frontman Everlast – aka Whitey Ford – will be returning to our shores and adding an ANU Bar stop to his The Life Acoustic Tour on Friday February 28. Most famously know for the House of Pain smash hit ‘Jump Around’, Everlast forged his own path as a solo artist after the demise of House of Pain. Don’t miss this opportunity to catch the former Rhyme Syndicate Cartel member live on stage.

Probably a very good time to start thinking about securing your tickets for Groovin’ The Moo. The hip hop side of things will be represented by the Bronsolini Master Chef himself, Action Bronson.

Plus, you can also catch Illy and Thundamentals from the Australian side of the fence. Obese Records are shaping up for a big 2014 and are kicking things off the right way with the release of Delta’s latest studio album, Pyramid Schemes. Returning with his third album after

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There were a shitload of brilliant groups that emerged on the scene during the golden period of the early to mid ‘90s. Some survived and flourished, remaining relevant as the landscape evolved. Others became victims of the game, merciless to unscrupulous labels and poor marketing. Many of these groups released a classic single or album but disappeared into the hip hop abyss. One such group was The Nonce. The LA duo released their classic album World Ultimate, which featured the track ‘Mixtapes’, back in 1995. Unfortunately, due to a combination of Industry Rule #4080 (ATCQ quote, check) and the tragic death of member Yusef Afloat, The Nonce drifted off into obscurity. Until now, that is, with surviving member Nouka, now going under the alias Grand Daddy Sach, releasing three albums in a week via his Bandcamp page. It may not have that classic Nonce sound, but regardless, it’s great to hear the legacy continue.

It wouldn’t be right to give props to the west coast without mentioning an east coast equivalent. InI were another group that was destined for great things during the golden period. Members of the group studied their craft under the tutelage of heavyweights Pete Rock and CL Smooth, featuring on classic albums like The Main Ingredient. They also released the classic track ‘Fakin Jax’.

Group members Grap Luva and Rob-O have teamed up with Ed OG to pen a tribute to their mentor and Grap Luva’s brother Pete Rock.

Check out the ‘Living Legend (Pete Rock Tribute)’ video. You might also want to check Grap Luva’s latest project Neva Done, which was recently released on Redefinition Records – and definitely YouTube his “7 Minutes of Sound” video.

BERT POLE - bertpole@hotmail.com

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cody atkinson Dr. Dre must have it all. First his own rap career, then a cadre of followers dominating a genre. This wasn’t enough, with headphones, laptops and other assorted goods since becoming dominated by Dre’s omnipresence.

And now the final frontier: online music streaming. Does the bold new effort by the Beats team succeed, and will it significantly threaten the market dominance of established services such as Spotify and Pandora? Cody Atkinson looks at these questions, and a few more.

OMG it’s not like Spotify at all

Name? Beats Music.

Age? Two weeks old.

Location? In the ethereal space that is the internet.

What is it? Music, wait for it … on the internet. Streaming from the internet, more precisely. Revolutionary.

So it’s like Spotify or Pandora? OMG it’s not like Spotify at all. Didn’t you read the bit above where it said it was “revolutionary”? If you keep that up that nonsense you’ll be hearing from Dre’s lawyers.

Wait, Dre as in Dr. Dre? He’s involved with this? Yep, Dre’s all over this like white on rice.

So in the last 15 years Dre has started a music streaming service, a headphone range, cross-branded laptops, promoted cars, beer and soft drink and released zero albums? Yeah, so?

Just checking. So what’s different about Beats Music, as opposed to the other services that shan’t be named? Well, Beats Music is curated. It’s a curated music experience. Instead of automated suggestions based on what music you’ve heard, you can call up lists of music created by different music icons.

Like who? Well, Trent Reznor is also heavily involved in Beats Music, and he has his own curations. Pitchfork Music also have a hand in it, as do Rolling Stone, The Grand Ole Opry, The American. And of course Dre, who launched the service with an in-real-life event.

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Yeah, I heard about that. It was a ‘90s hip hop thing, right?

It wasn’t a ‘90s hip hop thing. It was the ‘90s hip hop thing. It was the most ‘90s hip hop thing to ever thing. AND IT WASN’T EVEN IN THE ‘90S! Why? The line-up was huge. It went Ice Cube/Cypress Hill/Gheto Boys/Souls of Mischief/Pharcyde/Method Man and Red Man/ Bone Thugs/Nas/Dre/Black Street/Puff ‘Diddy’ Daddy and Ma$e/ Busta Rhymes/Eminem.

Wow, that’s actually pretty big. But it’d be bigger if there was a time machine available. And Paul McCartney, Drake and Queen Latifiah, amongst others, were sitting in the crowd. Meanwhile I was watching another meaningless T20 cricket match on my couch in Canberra. Thanks for my invite, Dre. Enough about you, more about Beats. What are the reactions so far? In a word: mixed. The Android app has been beset by glitches, which include songs freezing and the app itself stalling.

Elsewhere, the web access to the service is limited to say the least, and the ability to program your own playlists is well hidden.

But there have been positives as well.

There had better be, with downsides like that. The curated playlists have been warmly received by most, and they seem to cover most genres. The app is also very clean-looking, and seems visually slick. But the biggest surprise has been the sentence mode.

What the hell is sentence mode? You complete a sentence from the options given and it completes a playlist to fit. They’re limited to a number of discreet examples, so you can’t enter, “I’m murdering a prominent national radio figure with a third cousin and I want to listen to reggae”. But within constraints it will come up with a playlist to suit your actual and/or fake activities.

What’s the likelihood of it gaining dominance? There’s a decent chance. The Beats crew have experience in dragging marginal products (such as the Beats by Dre headphones) to phenomenal heights. I mean, I’m typing this column on a “Beats by HP” laptop (which ironically has average sound). And people love celebrities, and Beats Music has them by the bucketload. But I have the sneaking suspicion that people want to actually choose their own playlists, rather than having them curated by curators to enhance the experience. So I think Spotify will be around for a while yet.

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Image credit: Stephen Dann

SWORD ENVY BAZ RUDDICK

The live action role playing (LARP) world seems a bizarre place to us outsiders. Often seen as a game for your archetypal mild-mannered computer geek, we have a chuckle at those training in full armour in the park. Neil Stork-Brett, co-founder of Canberra based LARP group THE HUNDRED SWORDS chats about LARP, how they got the ball rolling and why there is nothing like hunting orcs in the morning.

The Hundred Swords was initially born in November 2012 as a “bit of piss take.” Stork-Brett and Tom Wolfe founded the group after their event Game of Foams, and now have 80 regular players. Founded on the principles of respect, honesty and fair play, what makes The Hundred Swords differ from many LARP groups is that it is not a medieval recreation group but a “melee battle sports group” in which all characters from the fantasy world are on display. “We have a small orc unit. They all have orc masks and their gear is all bashed up and blood splattered. We have mages, healers and Vikings. We have elves, or forest rangers and heavy infantry who wear proper helmets and chain mail. There is even a lone samurai kicking about!”

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There is a whole bunch of people out there who don’t know it yet but this is the sport for them

Battles are organised between units and the entire game is carried out on a health point (HP) based system. Hits to certain pieces of armour will take away HP and eventually you will “die”. Games are played in narrative style with certain quests and objectives.

“In the last game we built a very large and intricate spider’s web around these trees. The war bands had to crawl and get through it in order to find a piece of stone tablet. The web was toxic – instant death if you touched it. Because we have various war bands that are opposed to each other there is a lot of trash talk and a lot of sworn enemies!”

Who’s your average Hundred Sword’s player? That sweaty guy who works in IT and avoids eye contact? Not exactly. Stork-Brett assures that people from all walks of life are LARPing in The Hundred Swords.

“I couldn’t put my finger on a typical player! There is a whole bunch of people out there who don’t know it yet but this is the sport for them.

They’re closet Game of Thrones and Lord of the Rings fans and this is what they lie in bed thinking about at night. We want them to know that we are there for them. We are always recruiting.” Games are spectator friendly and how-to-play crash courses run on the day.

How can we judge a bunch of adults brandishing swords when most people are too self conscious to wear a hat? Stork-Brett says there is nothing like getting donned up in armour, defending your colour and slaying some filthy orcs. That’s why I’m leaving home to be a full time Viking.

Stay tuned to The Hundred Swords facebook.com/TheHundredSwords page for gameplay and training schedules.

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Australian punk legends Frenzal Rhomb will be in town this Saturday February 15. They will be at Zierholz @ UC to play a set which is said to include all 35 secret tracks from the acclaimed Not So Tough Now. They will be supported on the night by local hardcore punk favourites No Assumption and I Exist. It’s not too late to get in on the action with tickets still available through the UCLive! ticket shop and Oztix, set at $28.60 + bf.

It’s great that in this here, the 21st century punks are able to coexist and even interact peacefully with hippies, yuppies and all other walks of life. However with this year’s Fringe Festival currently in full swing (an event which I personally highly recommend attending regardless of subcultural background; that’s kinda the point), many people are still asking where the punk is.

To those people I say, “Seriously, if nothing else, the Fringe food is amazing … Somebody’s gotta be willing to get smashed and mosh to Timomatic.” If that doesn’t convince them, I tell them about this stuff.

On Sunday February 23, the beloved Wil Wagner (of The Smith Street Band fame) will be playing a set of his own acoustic folk-punk tunes at The Phoenix. He will be joined by Cleveland, Ohio’s Maxwell Stern and Sydney’s Pinch Hitter (who killed at Magpies last week).

Tasmania’s recent buzz band Luca Brasi will take stage at The Magpies Club in the city on Friday March 14, with support from Post Blue and Veara.

Melbourne’s hard partiers The Bennies are coming to Canberra with friends Apart From This for a set of their self-described “Psychedelic Reggae Ska Doom Metal Punk Rock From Hell.” It’s all going down on Thursday March 13 at The Phoenix with local-ish support from Goulburn’s Rather Be Dead.

If you haven’t already made plans to get yourself up to Sydney Olympic Park on Sunday February 23 for 2014’s Soundwave Festival, it’s probably time to start sorting your shit. This year’s festival boasts a massive line-up including some great punk music. Green Day, The Living End, HIM, AFI, Pennywise, Jimmy Eat World and Eagles of Death Metal will all be there, just to scratch the surface. It’s not too late to snatch some tickets for the big day. They’re available through Oztix for $184.65+bf.

Once again, make sure to tune into 2XX FM every Monday from 9:30pm for the weekly instalment of Haircuts & T-shirts. The show boasts some great playlists as the hosts discuss all things punk, hardcore and Americana.

Well, that’s the column for this issue. There are even more great shows to come in the next few months so make sure to keep reading me. I get lonely. In the meantime, I was 100% serious about moshing to Timomatic. He won’t know what’s happening.

IAN McCARTHY

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As a comedian and a student, I’m essentially two different kinds of unemployed. I don’t work during the day because that’s when I’m working towards maybe working in two to three years time, and during the night I’m working on never needing to work again. I’m no hero, I’m just doing my part as a middle class, straight, white male in modern Australia: being supported by my parents and trying to complete an arts degree, all the while playing Pokémon and listing to Beastie Boys.

Occasionally I find myself talking to people who have real jobs (because sometimes you have to) and boy, do they have very wellformed opinions about the days of the week. On a Sunday evening, the cries of thousands of public servants can be heard echoing throughout the urban landscape, pleading with a deaf and merciless god: “I HATE MONDAYS, WHY CANNOT THERE BE ONE MORE DAY FOR THE WEEKEND? !”

Finding no compassion from their deity, they turn to social media for empathy. Posting pictures of sad cats with captions about how upset people are that the sun must rise. “WHY MUST YOU BETRAY ME, SUN? !” A virtual chorus of sympathetic co-workers chime in with how they feel, just like the internet claiming what a cat feels.

It’s so great that you get to globally share your opinion on the name given to an arbitrary rotation of the earth around its axis.

I only know what day it is when people who do know what day it is tell me what day it is, and even then it still takes four reminders for me to fully grasp the concept. I know there are days when I go to school (weekdays) and there are days when I go to church (Sundays), but there are people in this world that make up nicknames for days of the week. These people live a sad life.

Here is how a conversation between me and one of these people would go.

Sad Person: Happy Humpday, it’s all downhill from here. Only three more sleeps ‘til the weekend.

Me: You have a sad life.

I don’t mean to be heartless, but you have a sad life. I can tell because you are trying to make days of the week cuter by giving them diminutive names, like it’s your fat nephew. Your greatest enemy is a 24-hour-long period of time, fighting a battle you know you can never win because Mondays and Fridays will always have Tuesday to Thursday in between them. You know you can’t win so you soften the blow by saying things like “Sunday is Funday” and masking your fear of Monday.

I’m living the dream.

There are infinitely more days in my life that I have never lifted a finger than days I have put in a full day’s work. Although a day has never gone by where I didn’t think about the practicality of SpongeBob SquarePants’ canon and continuity. You do earn money, though.

JOSH GLASS - Josh Glass is a local stand-up comedian who uses jokes to make people laugh. He is performing as part of the Canberra Comedy Festival in the show Josh and Riley: Bicycle Thieves, Thursday March 6, 9:30pm at Civic Pub. You can follow him at @JoshuaTheGlass.

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METALISE In the next couple of weeks at The Basement in Belconnen, we’ll have Tillian from the USA in town with Who Invited the Wolf?, When Giants Sleep and The London Town Fire on Wednesday February 12.

On Friday February 14 there’s a huge night of local talent under the banner of Shenanigans 7. The full line-up includes Our Last Enemy, Penguin, Tonk, Voltera, Na Maza, Variodrivers, Super Best Friends, Renegade Peacock, Knights of the Spatchcock, Ghetto Pimp, I Am Duckeye, Hence the Test Bed and The Velvet Vixens. The doors are at 7pm, and all that entertainment is just $20. Then there’s Teal and guests on Friday February 21 and Thrashed and guests on Saturday February 22.

A bunch of international shows and Sidewaves have been announced in the last couple of weeks, and they may have overshadowed other news that some of the old school fans would be pleased to hear.

Firstly though, later this month The Dillinger Escape Plan, Glassjaw and Dir En Grey are Sidewaving at The Metro Theatre in Sydney, which should pose an interesting challenge for the Dillinger maniacs to crowd surf across. That’s on Monday February 24 and tickets are through Ticketek.

Though my pick of the Sidewaves that have been announced is also on Monday February 24 in Sydney at The Roundhouse with Mastodon, Baroness and Gojira. Interestingly, the Tuesday February

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25 UNSW Roundhouse Sidewave with Megadeth will not feature former Metallica bassist Jason’s eponymousish named Newsted.

For some reason, Megadeth asked Soundwave Touring to remove them from the bill and now Whitechapel will join Volbeat on both Sydney and Melbourne Sidewaves.

That’s all in addition to a slew of Sidewaves on Tuesday February 25 for Alice In Chains, Down and Walking Papers at The Enmore Theatre; Black Veil Brides at The Bald Faced Stag; Avenged Sevenfold, Five Finger Death Punch and Asking Alexandria at Luna Park’s Big Top; HIM, Nostalgia, Alter Bridge and Living Colour at The Hi-Fi; and The Defiled at The Metro. None of those float my boat, so hopefully there’s an Uncle Acid & the Deadbeats announcement yet to be made!

Late autumn/winter shows are being announced currently, with proper old school hardcore bands DRI and Poison Idea coming to Sydney on Friday May 2 and Friday May 16 respectively. Locally, we’re getting tours from D.O.A. at The Basement on Friday April 25, and really surprising was the announcement Coroner will be at The Basement on Monday June 9. Also while on the old school, don’t forget that Kreator and Death Angel are touring together in Sydney on Friday April 18.

Added to the March Obscene Extreme festival’s Melbourne leg – the festival also takes place in Czech Republic, the USA and Japan this year – is Canberra grind/powerviolence band Blight Worms, who feature members of Reverend Jesse Custer, Throat of Dirt and Mammon. They’re joining Italy’s Cripple Bastards, England’s Doom and Canberra’s other representatives, Wretch, in Melbourne on the March 7 weekend. Of course, the other 26 extreme grind and punk acts will be pretty brutal too!

JOSH NIXON - doomtildeath@hotmail.com

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NA NA NA NA NA mel cerato Beer, camping and selling your soul to the devil are just a few of the things to expect when local metal band NA MAZA gets together with some friends for huge metal gig The Hell Ranch on Saturday April 5. Already onto its second outing, The Hell Ranch will be bringing together some local metal bands for a massive show to raise money for a cause dear to their heart – boobs. Well, Breast Cancer research, to be more precise.

Na Maza, meaning “and metal” in the North American language Lakota, is a local five-piece metal band that plays consistently around the capital and are big supporters of the local music scene. Bassist Lance Fox believes that We want to avoid having Canberra has w a bunch of fanatics sho always been up trying to perform a great place exorcisms and stuff. It for the metal music scene. really spoils the vibe “There are so many totally awesome bands here,” Fox says. “We get awesome support from venues like The Basement, Pot Belly, City Underground, Transit, The Phoenix, UC and ANU. Not to mention all the guys putting on gigs.” Joining Na Maza at The Hell Ranch is local band Hence the Testbed, as well as The Defiant Few, Bleeding Gasoline and The Dead Men. Interestingly, the location is under a cloud of secrecy, being made public closer to the actual event in April. “We want to avoid having a bunch of fanatics show up trying to perform exorcisms and stuff. It really spoils the vibe,” Fox explains, half-jokingly. “We are still negotiating with exactly how much on fire it will be!” Fox laughs. “It’s hard, you know, finding a balance between having a good time and being charred to a cinder. It’s safe to say though that it won’t be for the faint hearted. We are going to set the place on fire so it’s probably best to wear shoes or something and maybe leave your mum at home.”

Having forgone the traditional way of releasing music on a CD or vinyl, Na Maza instead released their last record on a dagger-shaped USB. Fox says that the newest bunch of songs will probably be released on that same USB, giving the owner over 20 songs of pure unadulterated heavy metal. Reflecting on the recording process, Fox believes that the boys have now mastered the art of the recording and had a great time laying down their tracks. “We got it right. It was brutal! We just got in there and went for it,” he says. If they were to make another album, Fox says that the boys will probably just go for the same vibe.

“We’ll probably just turn up and rock out. It’s the best feeling ever.”

This year is shaping up to be a big one for Na Maza, with a few charity gigs already booked, a headlining tour and a bunch of other things happening. “We have so many gigs booked this year we are not going to have time to polish the cars, you know,” Fox laughs. “Just got to get there still breathing. That’s the plan.”

Na Maza are playing The Hell Ranch on Saturday April 5, with The Defiant Few, Hence the Testbed, Bleeding Gasoline and The Dead Men. Tickets are $25 presale and $30 on the night. The Hell Ranch’s exact location is still a secret, so keep your eyes peeled on their Facebook for details.

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

Amanda Herzman; 2013.

ARTS | ACT

CREAM OF THE CRAFT chiara grassia “I had a dinner party with all of my friends – kind of a usual thing for us to do, but this time I made them wear wax rings during the whole night. With all the eating and drinking and having a good time, the rings got quite dented and scratched and some of them were even broken, and so I casted those wax rings into silver, a memento of our dinner party,” says Nellie Peoples, one of the 14 recent graduates who have been handpicked for Craft ACT’s EMERGING CONTEMPORARIES exhibition. Showcasing the cream of the crop of local designers, the pieces featured highlight the ingenuity, smarts and wit of Canberra’s next generation of artists – such as Peoples and her modern relics.

Made out of sterling silver, the 18 rings not only reflect the personalities of the wearers – “you could tell whose was whose” – but also Peoples’ own philosophy towards jewellery making. “Why do people wear jewellery? The way I thought about it was that it can act like a souvenir. So when someone gives you a ring or pair of earrings, when you’re wearing it you’re thinking of them. I thought I’d take this next step and see if you could have a souvenir of an event, which may not be a huge event, but it’s a lovely way to try and capture this point in time when we’re all together,” Peoples says. “As the night got on, we were a bit more relaxed about the rings, so a couple of people broke theirs because they completely forgot about it and tried to fix theirs with candle wax. It makes it more interesting and adds to the story.”

Industrial designer Blake Winterbottom’s piece Artillery Speakers grew out of craving the right balance of function and aesthetics. As he explains: “If something looks pretty but doesn’t work it’s sort of pointless, and vice versa. Something can work fine but if you don’t relate to it, it’s not nice to touch and feel and see – why are you going to use it?” Looking for a set of speakers and growing tired of a market saturated by clean lines and smooth surfaces encouraged Winterbottom to create his own, swapping plastic for something sturdier. “It’s all made out of industrial strength cast concrete, using a different material to come up with something different from what’s out there,” says Winterbottom. “Why do I have to conform with what’s out there, why can’t I build my own?

“I really wanted that rough look. The beautiful thing about the concrete is that there are bits of rock and stuff through it that are one of a kind; you’re not just having a run of the mill thing. It took me

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close to five months to be able to build the sets,” he says, noting that duplication would be difficult having used “sacrificial moulds”. The speakers are large, supported by a steel frame and echo an older aesthetic that Winterbottom credits to countless trips to the War Memorial as a kid. “Seeing war relics and old ammunitions and things like that, it’s kind of a throwback to World War Two era and how things were built back them – really strong, built to last.”

“I like art that is playful and makes you question, but in a more approachable manner,” says textiles major Amanda Herzman, whose subtly subversive clothing taps into theoretically laden topics such as “feminism and body positivity”.

She injects a good dose of humour into fashion and theory by creating wearable art that “plays with the concept of desired and undesired hair on the female body. In this work I use screen printed and embroidered representations of hair on textile garments.” Not afraid to take on bigger concepts, Herzman views her garments as an “entry point to address these issues but not in a way that was confrontational.” These include “socks that are kind of hairy and funny to wear” and “square scarfs that imitate facial hair or chest hair when you put them on.

“They’re quite fun and amusing,” she says. “I also created the other side – desired hair. Long scarves that looks like beautifully braided hair that you can wear for that braided look that’s quite popular right now.”

The details are delicate – thin drawn lines create thick plaited locks, while embroidery adds a slight textural element to the work.

“I did a photo shoot last year where I invited the public to wear my work – mainly women – and asked how it made them feel,” she says.

She encouraged the wearers to “interact with hair in a more playful manner rather than a judging or shameful way.” Conscious to keep her clothing wearable and accessible, Herzman sticks with fabric rather than incorporating denser materials, such as wool. “It’s all fabric,” she says. “I wanted to keep the representation of hair as drawn hair, so it’s got that other barrier between actual hair.”

Emerging Contemporaries will be opened Thursday February 13 by Emeritus Professor David Williams, at 6pm at Craft ACT: Craft and Design Centre. The exhibition will run until Saturday March 29.

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UNINHIBITED The centre of our Under 16 basketball team was six feet tall with shoulder-length hair on his head and further hair on his chest.

Not only did this guy look like a 25-year-old man, he acted like one.

In fact, he seemed impossibly mature for a 15-year-old. His name was Marty.

Apart from being tall, hirsute and otherwise manlike, Marty was something else I was not. He was cool. Seriously cool. Not “Aviators and a flat top” cool or “Frank at the Sands” cool. But “Jesus and Mary Chain” cool. I wasn’t any kind of cool, least of all Marty’s kind of cool.

I remember running into Marty one day in Civic, where he was sitting on a bench in a Stone Roses t-shirt. The year was 1991 and Fools Gold was on high rotation on Rage, so we talked about the Mancunians and then about The J&MC. In contrast to Marty, my enthusiastic taste in music was unfocused and my aesthetic sense non-existent. At the time, I was emerging from a highly regrettable bomber phase, which was regrettable for the clothing and the white-guy-wishing-he-was-a-black-guy behaviour rather than the music.

Fast forward a few years to the 1996 Big Day Out and I’m standing at the back of the main stage crowd with a shaved head, a Smashing

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Pumpkins Siamese Dream t-shirt, baggy shorts and skate shoes a size or two too big for me. I was recovering from the Rage Against the Machine mosh and soggy with the sweat of the 48 people I bounced off during ‘Killing in the Name’.

Along came a man in a collared shirt, fitted trousers and side burns.

I remember thinking that few men could achieve the poise this guy maintained while walking through a dust bowl on a 37°C afternoon.

I caught Marty’s eye and he gave me a look of partial recognition – my “number one” hair and mosh dirt outer layer throwing him off.

Marty’s band had played earlier that day and he was transiting from back-of-stage to somewhere no doubt cooler than the rear of the Rage Against the Machine mosh.

The Marty I knew had become Martin Craft, bass player of Sidewinder – a group that made a name for itself in Canberra while playing packed shows at Civic’s Terrace Bar (RIP) before moving on to a bigger scene in Sydney – where they went on to support The Jesus & Mary Chain at The Metro.

The year after I saw Marty at the Big Day Out, The Edge handpicked Sidewinder to open for U2 on their Popmart tour, which must have been a surreal experience for the former Canberrans.

After the band broke up, Martin Craft headed to the UK where he became better known as M. Craft – well-regarded solo artist and rhythm guitarist for Pulp’s Jarvis Cocker. I bring him up because Marty is one of Canberra’s quiet success stories – a guy who worked his way into rock liferdom without his home town taking as much notice as maybe it should have.

Pete Huet - petehuet@yahoo.com

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

ARTISTPROFILE:

What are your plans for the future? I recently got married and moved to Toowoomba, QLD, to accommodate my husband’s work.

There aren’t really any hot glass facilities up here, so I plan on travelling to Canberra for a week or two at a time to make my work.

Logistically it’s a bit tricky, but I’m excited to make it work.

What do you do? I am an emerging glass artist working primarily with blown and hot sculpted glass.

What makes you laugh? Playing the board game Catan with good friends. The competition is always so fierce we all end up furiously yelling at each other. It’s ridiculous!

Sara Hellsing

When, how and why did you get into it? I first started working with glass in 2009 when I decided to enrol in a Bachelor of Visual Arts at the ANU. I quickly fell in love with the medium, particularly in its molten state, and I decided that I always wanted to be working with hot glass in some way.

Who or what influences you as an artist? I am intrigued by personal memory and the act of recollection. I seek to assign form to these phenomena through my work. I also take a lot of inspiration from the medium of glass. I love its optical qualities, as well as the sense of fluidity I am able to capture as a result of working with glass in its molten state. Two of my favourite artists are Diem Chau and Melanie Bilenker.

What about the local scene would you change? I love the Canberra art scene and really miss it. It’s an amazing place in terms of the glass community, which is small but really strong. I hope that the wider population will continue to recognise the value of the Canberra art scene and continue to support it and help it grow.

Upcoming exhibitions? Emerging Contemporaries at Craft ACT which runs from Thu Feb 13–Sat Mar 29, and the National Student Art Glass Prize 2014 at the Wagga Wagga National Art Glass Gallery, running Sat Apr 5–Sun June 29. I also have a six-week residency at the Canberra Glassworks where you’ll be able to come and say hello – keep checking their website or my Facebook page.

Contact: sara.hellsing@gmail.com; facebook.com/sara.hellsing.

Moments Passed (detail), 2013, blown and hot sculpted glass, decals, glass enamel, magnet, approx 14cm wide, photo Stuart Hay.

Of what are you proudest so far? My work has recently been exhibited in two international exhibitions, one in Taiwan and the other in Germany. It’s been a really exciting experience and I’ve also learnt a lot along the way.

What pisses you off? When people are repeatedly late to things.

Walking on dirty floors with bare feet.

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LITERATURE IN REVIEW The Girl with All the Gifts M.R. Carey [Orbit; 2014]

Every morning, ten-year-old Melanie is strapped immobile into her wheelchair and taken from her cell to her classroom by soldiers with guns. Melanie is a gifted and eager student, unfailingly polite and desperate for affection, but the adults in her tiny world are violently terrified of her and her classmates. Melanie dreams of the day she and her friends can go with her beloved teacher Miss Justineau to the haven of Beacon, the only place in England still safe from the ravenous hordes of undead Hungries.

A genuinely engaging zombie novel that doesn’t feel tired is quite a feat in today’s crowded horror market, but The Girl with All the Gifts feels fresh and intriguing, demonstrating that common tropes can still put together a fantastic story. It’s obvious within the first few pages that Melanie and her cohort are Hungries and it becomes very rapidly evident that there is something quite different about them, something that may save the human race. The reveal spans the entirety of the novel, culminating in a scene at once bleakly horrifying and completely inevitable.

Although Melanie is the main character, the point of view jumps between the characters – the researcher who wants to dissect the little girl for her secrets, the teacher who believes in her humanity, the soldier responsible for their protection after an attack leaves them fleeing cross-country. They’re not original character archetypes, but Carey writes well enough to make them threedimensional and unpredictable, with genuine character growth.

It’s Melanie’s chapters which make the book really shine and her

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innocent optimism and determination which sets The Girl with All the Gifts apart from the zombie genre. It’s not easy for an author to get the audience to root for the creepy kid who likes to eat people if she’s not tied down.

M.R. Carey’s background in comics comes through strongly in the prose, as well as the structure of the novel. It’s an intensely visual read, gripping and fast-paced, with enough gore to satisfy the most hardened horror reader and a meticulously researched and original take on the undead. While the second act drags as the characters slog across the barren countryside, the final chapters ramp up the tension with every page to a conclusion that’s been forecast from the very first chapter but still comes as a gut-punch.

All in all, The Girl with All the Gifts is a welcome addition to the genre; gripping, original and beautifully written. But more importantly, it’s a book with heart, a book about complicated relationships and human nature and evolution, a book that comes with no easy answers and a very strange kind of hope. I selfishly hope Hollywood never adapts this; they’d undoubtedly ignore its complexity in favour of beheading zombies. emma grist

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The wilful hatred of society will only get you so far.

History is full of examples of unsavoury protagonists who, by riding a crest of unqualified contempt for general civilisation, have risen all the way to the top of their respective fields, the latest specimen being your own Prime Minister. But they invariably fall, their fine robes of ill-gotten authority tumbling to reveal a paunchy, illnurtured miscreant.

When I set out upon my own mission some dozen months ago, I was so moneyed with examples of your debauchery that I nary had to stir from the latest back alley stimulant in order to pen 500 terse words, focusing a cleansing, puritan light upon your deceitful wickedness.

You will agree, I was an unqualified success.

However, recently I have found the lot of the writer a troublesome one, as I strive to provide fresh insight without running the risk of repeating myself repeating myself. Have you corrected your sinful ways to assuage my disciplinary cravings? Have I myself suffered a slide in moral standards? These questions have kept me awake at night, too anxious to yield to the enveloping caress of Benadryl by the litre. As I staggered, disillusioned, through the Spartan shopping precincts of Charnwood, salvation revealed itself in an unlikely form: two innocent children, doe-eyed, blonde-haired and positively wholesome – but for one glaring misdemeanour, and one not of their own making.

Through the haze of crack smoke befuddlement, the children’s parents had seen fit to name their daughter ‘Tiara’, and their son ‘Hunter’ (please, give me a moment to suppress the renewed fury and compose myself).

Tiara and Hunter.

Now, I’m not childrens’ greatest fan. I believe the customary slap given to newborns upon birthing to clear their lungs should rightly continue unabated for six to 12 months. But an adversity such as this, wilfully enforced by parents and in such a state of permanence, is cruel indeed. Having righted my equipoise, I suddenly became all too aware of the shameful profligacy of this rife abuse – children regularly conferred names better suited to occupations, fruit, instruments, brand names, pastimes, concepts, even verbs. Verbs!

Cretinous titles abound: Taylor, Storm, Axel, Pixie, River, Boston, Spatula, Clarity, Eagle, Ireland, Irreverence, Mercedes, Wednesday, Colander, Spirit, Ocean, Sapphire, Dustpan, Tiger, Verve, Zephyr, Truth, Harrison, Brave, Spirit Level, Pebble, Apple, Crankshaft, Magenta, Masonry, Blue, Rotisserie, Spittoon, Pulley System, Hope, Corn-fed, Winter, Indifference, Conference Call, Preemptive Strike, Rage, T-Junction, Apathy, Climate Change Denier and Timothy.

Surely we can all agree that action must be taken? Unless you yourself are a parent and I have cited above a name bestowed upon your own child, in which case I steadfastly refuse to apologise and want nothing more to do with your beslubbering, pox-marked, earthvexing existence.

In other, wholly inconsequential news barely worth mentioning, I am overjoyed that the unsavoury moniker of Mr Ashley Thomson need never pass my lips again, not ‘til I inevitably lie under oath to secure his conviction. gideon foxington-smythe

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bit PARTS UNDERSTANDING MUSIC SEMINAR WHAT: Music How To WHEN: Fri–Sun Feb 14–16 WHERE: Griffin Centre If you’ve ever wanted to pick up the piano or guitar, but just haven’t had the right foundation of skill and knowledge, this may be the course for you. Recording artist, composer and educator Duncan R. Lorien will be delivering his Understanding Music Seminar in Canberra later this month. Lorien has been delivering the seminar for over two decades all around the world, and has done research into why people stop learning or give up. The attendance fee for the three day seminar, which includes a free instructional DVD with 100 free lessons, is $895. See understandingmusicseminar.com.au for more information.

BLAZE EIGHT WHAT: ACT Emerging Artist Showcase WHEN: Fri Feb 14–Sat Mar 22 WHERE: Canberra Contemporary Art Space, Gorman House

By S.A. Adair.

Curated by Alexander Boynes and Annika Harding, Blaze Eight is set to ignite Canberra’s year in art. Including artists S.A. Adair, Katherine Griffiths, Martin James, Alex Lewis, Hardy Lohse, Katy Mutton, Jemima Parker and Tim Phillips, it’s a showcase with something to offer everyone, with huge, bold and adventurous works – like a “gigantic labyrinthine staircase”, huge political prints and ink drawings of flying WWII aircraft. The exhibition will hold its opening on Friday February 14 at 6pm. During the exhibition, the art space will be open from Tuesday to Saturday, 11am to 5pm. Admission is free.

Image credit: Martin Ollman.

IN THE LOUNGE ROOM WITH …

WHAT: Pop-up Space Conversations WHEN: Sat Feb 15 WHERE: New Acton’s Hotel Hotel Marketplace Brought together by April’s Caravan, SZN, Perpetually Five and G. Ginchy, Three Little Birds & Little Boy Blue is a pop-up retail/studio space – and they’re aiming to make the most of it while they can.

They’re hosting a weekly series of 40-minute chats with successful and talented designers and artists, all of which promise to inspire and provide insight into their craft. Saturday February 15 will see renowned Canberra photographer Martin Ollman talk to everyone, so make sure you get down to the lounge room on Saturday at 2pm to hear him speak.

Guests are encouraged to ask questions.

THE NEIGHBOURHOOD PROJECT WHAT: Art Exhibition WHEN: Fri Feb 21–Sun Mar 9 WHERE: Belconnen Arts Centre The Neighbourhood Project is the result of Jacklyn Peters’ yearlong community project, where she focused on the people who live in one street in the suburb of Kaleen and their stories. Peters explored whether the characteristics of homes and their residents are particular to place, and she found many unique and engrossing stories. Coupled with portraits of homes and people, these stories were recorded in zines. The exhibition will open on Friday February 21 at 5:30pm. You’ll be able to meet Peters on Sunday March 2 from 3pm – and she’ll be offering free portraits! For more info: belconnenartscentre.com.au.

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the word

on albums

wanted nothing more for this to be the end” and closes the song repeating the line “I am the only one now.” Tone = set. The second is called ‘Forgiven/Forgotten’ and if you haven’t had a relationship like the one charted herein I both pity and admire you. This is a tune about a classic push/ pull scenario, an “I hate you but want you/I love you but can’t stand the sight of you” number. It’s over in two minutes. It would have been right at home in a soundtrack to a mid-‘90s film starring Matt Dillon and Jennifer Jason Leigh, or a Nashville epic from 1974, or even now. It’s great.

album of the issue angel olsen Burn Your Fire for No Witness [jagjaguwar] Every month I wanna throw in the towel.

Write an email to the editor saying that every good record has already been made and there’s no point continuing this ridiculous charade, spruiking new bands with overwritten press releases and embarrassingly posed photographs plying their post-folk intelligent polka dubstep fusion. Every month. And then something will arrive, often without any pre-release hype and all is well again.

This month it’s Angel Olsen. Damn.

This is Olsen’s second record. I can’t give you any word on her first, although on the strength of this set I’ll be seeking it out. Once I’m done obsessively spinning this fraught, yodelling fuzz-country masterwork that is. Olsen appears young, but in channelling Loretta Lynn, Patsy Cline and Emmylou Harris through a Breeders/Throwing Muses prism she is wise way beyond her years. This album is 12 songs that chart relationships and finding a place in the world with the intensity of early PJ Harvey. One moment Olsen is heartbroken. The next she’s resolute. The next she’s angry and scary.

And the next she’s so seductive that you’d do anything she asks. Her voice is one hell of an instrument.

Such an instrument is useless without songs though. The first is called ‘Unfucktheworld’, where she sings, “I started dancing just to be around you” before reaching the realisation that “I

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From here on we skate across a bunch of styles, sometimes faithfully rendered (the classic swaggering smoky heartbreak of ‘Hi-Five’), sometimes updated and twisted (the lo-fi American indie of ‘Stars’, which starts with the line, “I think you like to see me lose my mind” and, if this world was fair, would be a Taylor Swift-sized hit). A song like ‘White Fire’ summons the ghost of early Cat Power, Will Oldham and Nick Drake and is genuinely eerie, while ‘Dance Slow Decades’ recalls the best of Liz Phair. And if you’re not just a little in love by the end of the first sentence in ‘Iota’, I diagnose you dead. Each of these tunes is a variation on some of the very best songwriters in modern times, yet nothing is reverential. Olsen understands the canon, but is charting her own course. Meanwhile, I have an idea in my head of what Austin, Texas is like at its very best and ‘High & Wild’ is the song that would be playing in the bar where I can order perfect Tex Mex and shoot pool all afternoon in that imagined scenario.

‘Lights Out’ is the kind of ballad Ryan Adams has been trying to write on his last few records. ‘Windows’ floats off into a blissful and bittersweet ether. In it Olsen sings, “why can’t you see, are you blind?” and then, “won’t you open a window sometime – what’s so wrong with the light?” Nothing at all is the only decent response.

If you’re a fan of the artists name checked above, the top tier of indie folk song craft, you need this album.

Angel Olsen has quietly emerged as a leading light of 2014 and another brand new reason to get excited about listening to records.

GLEN MARTIN

fossil rabbit cloudache ep [independent] The latest project of Canberran musician Chris Finnigan, Fossil Rabbit, sees subtle electronics and treated guitar loops being shaped into blurred out and stripped back landscapes. This self-released downloadonly EP, Cloudache, offers up a first taste that teases almost as much as it delights.

More than anything, it’s the near constant feeling of languid dreaminess that most makes an impression when listening to the six tracks collected here.

Title track ‘Cloudache’ opens proceedings with a dry pulse of metronomic beats gradually being encircled by fluttering layers of looped guitar flecks, before chiming melodic bends build up and swirl around a rhythmic backbone that’s part post-rock, part minimal techno. ‘Defecit’ drops the pace down a few notches as echoing guitar tones ripple against a sparse backdrop of hip hop-tinged beats, the entire mix focusing on a single delicate steel guitar lead as shimmering layers of treated harmonic ambience trail past like a fog.

Elsewhere, ‘Raver’ offers up what’s easily this EP’s most upbeat and dancefloorcentred moment, sending rippling fretboard scrapes and bendy stretched-out guitar chords sliding against a pattering backdrop of near-house rhythms that calls to mind traces of Caribou, before ‘Sentimental’ drops things down into dubby swaggering bass runs and skipping off-beat hi hats.

A sweet introduction to Fossil Rabbit that manages to appeal to the leftfield electronic-head in me that loves the likes of Four Tet’s stuff just as much as the Pink Floyd-head who just wants to bliss out to some gorgeously warm guitar bends.

Cloudache is well worth seeking out. chris downton

@bmamag

beck morning phase [capitol records]

the jezabels the brink [mgm]

sharon jones and the dap kings give the people what they want [Daptone/Shock Records]

Here’s what I think happened with Beck.

After ten years of critical and commercial adulation, the Scientology thing came out.

Pop culture started thinking of him less as a marauding genre-smashing genius and more of a slightly untrustworthy pastiche artist who was so much more likeable when we didn’t know that he invested energy and effort in a religion that suggests the chosen few will end up orbiting a star on a spaceship helmed by Tom Cruise and John Travolta.

For a band as prolific and ever-evolving as The Jezabels, delivering the mysterious “maturity” that fans seem to endlessly crave on sophomore albums was bound to be easy.

On The Brink, they have honed in on a sound first heard on debut Prisoner, trimmed away complexities and further cemented their own brand of disco-semi-goth-indie-poprock. But does it stick?

New York-based Daptone Records specialises in promoting funk and soul, and singer Sharon Jones has teamed up with studio band The Dap Kings for their sixth collaboration on the label. The album’s genuine retro feel is aided by Daptone’s practice of recording on obsolete analogue equipment.

Either that or that his star began to wane, as all on-pointe zeitgeist merchants do.

Like Bowie before him, Beck had a great run of making the right record for the right moment, up until 2002’s Sea Change (his last and possibly greatest classic). But that can’t last. So the five years he took off were a good idea and making a companion piece to Sea Change was a good idea too.

However, there are companions and then there’s uncomfortably close twins. The chords, arrangement and tempo of ‘Morning’ could be ‘Golden Age’. Note for note. ‘Heart Is a Drum’ and ‘Say Goodbye’ float by without consequence. ‘Blue Moon’ is more successful, as is ‘Don’t Let It Go’. There are plenty of pleasant, beautiful sounding songs here but they lack the urgency of Sea Change’s heartbreak and hence Morning Phase feels lightweight. In referencing a prior outing so faithfully but lacking its reason to exist, this new record lacks a reason to be.

When Beck sings “can’t you show the way things used to be” in ‘Morning’, it sounds like a man very aware of what he has lost. Sadly, the tools he uses to recapture that spark only remind you of the spark he once had and on this form seems to have misplaced glen martin

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The opening title track wastes no time in establishing the ongoing aesthetic of the album, uplifting crescendos moulded by the intertwining of emotive guitar and soaring synths. Mary’s gliding falsetto shines on tracks such as ‘Look of Love’, yet throughout the album the power of her malleable voice often feels trapped underneath the layers.

Experimentation with heavier electronics is heard on bolder tracks ‘Angles of Fire’ and ‘Beat to Beat’, yet it is brief, soon slipping back into the ebb and flow.

Lyrics have lost their previous strange yet beautiful ambiguity and have been replaced with direct narration. Interwoven throughout the stories and characters is an honest approach to those oh-so-universal themes of love, loss, regret and being a pretty young thing. Set alongside effortless manipulation of dynamics, emotional delivery is its strength. This is highlighted on the initially gentle ‘No Country’, marking the start of the stronger half of the album and shaking the sensation of treading water.

Simplicity is the overall goal for The Brink, one easily achieved for a group as tight as The Jezabels. In streamlining their writing and culling the curveballs, perhaps The Jezabels have also restrained their appeal.

Although The Brink doesn’t have shock impact, it does have a beauty found in The Jezabels’ natural and unforced sentiment.

Jones and the band are true to their revivalist cause with the backing vocals, in the style of girl groups of the ‘60s and ‘70s, being a major feature of most tracks.

Supporting vocalists are an essential part of the material, not a minor addition. In ‘People Don’t Get What They Deserve’, they weave in and out of the lead vocalist throughout the verses and then come in powerfully in the chorus. Whether it’s the Dapettes or the Bushwick Stompers providing support, you can sense the backing singers swaying in time to the rhythm. There’s no lack of sass and passion in Jones’ voice. Her deep, hardedged tones come on strong in the opening soul number ‘Retreat’. She sounds half beseeching, half threatening in this song with its Motown sparkle.

Album highlight ‘Stranger to My Happiness’ is a funky, fast hip swinger, propelled by a gutsy saxophone. Apart from the vocal arrangements, it’s the horn section of trombone, trumpet, tenor sax and baritone sax that gives the album its special feel.

They feature in all tracks, from the cruisy ‘We Get Along’ to the sharp opening fanfare in ‘Now I See’.

Through it all, Jones impresses, putting her voice through its paces in ‘Long Time, Wrong Time’ and sounding really hot in ‘Slow Down, Love’, a song driven by its staccato brass treatment. rory McCARTNEY

ANGELA CHRISTIAN-WILKES

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ghostsoul celestial artefacts [Uncomfortable Beats]

neil finn dizzy heights [kobalt]

the pretty littles mash [independent]

Melbourne-based electronic producer Ghostsoul has featured on a couple of Uncomfortable Beats’ preceding label compilations, but this debut download-only album Celestial Artefacts offers up the first opportunity to see him stretch his bass music genre-bending talents over a broader canvas. Fortunately, he’s well up to the challenge. Indeed, the nine tracks collected here see him offering a selection that deftly shifts from post-dubstep sounds through to more hip hop-centred structures, all the while impressing with its sheer sense of vastness and heavy, grinding grooves.

The time is right for a really good Neil Finn record. His solo career has wavered in confidence and intent. The first two solo records of the early 2000s were interesting and frequently good, but the two tepid records he made with an understrength Crowded House were not. After a Meredith performance that has gone down amongst the most boot-worthy of all time and the huge tour with Paul Kelly in 2013, it seems that listeners have remembered just how critical this man’s output has been to the national songbook.

These guys are so shy that they are named only as Bang, Slap, Strum and Yell. However, these indie rockers have nothing to be ashamed of as their album is a hoot. The Pretty Littles is an outfit swimming against the usual tide of band development (where most bands go from wild and loose to tight but more subdued with successive releases). Instead, the boys have morphed, with a transformation that has seen them go from their solid but restrained EP Fairweather, to the more expansive but still controlled I Am Not From a Small Town, to the raucous, untethered thrashing about represented by Mash. The frontman hurls out pearls of wisdom like he’s coming off a bad tequila hangover, supported by ragged yells from his henchmen, all surrounded by fuzzy, free-ranging guitars. It’s beautiful!

Opening track ‘Luna To Sol’ teases at first with a ripple of almost classically arranged piano before muscular hip hop drums and grinding, distorted bass synth riffs lock into place, the wall of sound calling to mind El-P’s aggressive edge at points. ‘Dark Rooms’ gets deeper and darker, sending eerie percussion and ping-pong samples gliding against a moody backdrop of arpeggiated synths and bass ambience, before things drop down into tense steel-plated dubstep grooves. Elsewhere, ‘The Building Storm’ leaps off into gleaming electro landscapes as robotic bass swells arc against shimmering ambient synths before ‘Stepping In Dark Night’ sees Wyldcard’s MC flow locking into place against thick swaggering dubstep rhythms and Bella’s teasing backing vocals. There’s not just darkness on show here though, with ‘The Close of the World’ offering up a gorgeously warm wander through chunky MPC snare breaks and bass runs that places the focus on Melody Myla’s lush multi-tracked vocal harmonies, in what’s easily one of the sweetest local hip hop/soul moments I’ve heard for a while. An impressive debut that sees Ghostsoul using dubstep and hip hop without getting locked into either genre. chris downton

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Sonically, it’s amazing. A muted, ornate nu-pop soul vibe flows throughout. Strings, almost imperceptible guitar lines, keys and electronic found sounds all throb in what proves to be an immersive headphone experience. ‘Impressions’ is some kind of wonderful ‘60s soul number as filtered through a mid-‘90s trip-hop filter, a surprisingly sensual introduction to an album by the king of the geek dads. The title track is more Bacharach than McCartney, but without schmaltz, with Finn singing, “help me make up a new sound.” It’s a good line, as is “if you don’t like the groove, well call the cops.” That’s the key to this record.

Confident but searching. Elsewhere, ‘Pony Ride’ and ‘Better Than TV’ are undeniably affecting and ‘Recluse’ is wryly magnificent.

‘White Lies & Alibis’ overreaches and ‘Strangest Friends’ might’ve been best omitted, but the album closes well with ‘Lights of New York’, a strange open-ended lullaby that feels weirdly appropriate.

The one problem with Dizzy Heights is the maker’s reputation. Finn is a world expert at the kind of indelible melody that implants itself in the psyche and as interesting and successful as this album is, it lacks that big sing-along moment. Possibly because Finn is driving at something richer.

Opener ‘Never Felt Worse’ kicks off with a swell of scrubby surf rock riffs before breaking onto the rocks of grunge garage land. ‘Rubba Arm’ and ‘Om Beach’ are scratchy, energetic frenzies from the same stable as The Vasco Era. Song styles vary from the slow, percussion-boosted hand clapper ‘Cowboy Song’ to album highlight ‘Your Maker’ with its trilling guitars. Themes are refreshingly engaging with the band covering deep issues about the purpose of life, captured in simply expressed lyrics. ‘The University Blues’ should strike a chord with students in our three uni town, at least those struggling with both their assignments and the bigger question, why am I doing this? On the other end of the spectrum, there’s the punk powered, shouted lyric funster ‘Dingo the Ladies Man’, about a Casanova who is out of practice. A band that is devolving rather than evolving, but all the better for it.

Rory McCARTNEY

glen martin

@bmamag

v

singles in focus by cody atkinson dz deathrays ‘northern lights’

bEEdEEgEE sum/one [4ad]

dum dum girls too true [sub pop]

NYC-based musician and visual artist Brian DeGraw is best known as the primary sonic architect behind Gang Gang Dance, and given his prolific work rate in some senses it seems strange that he’s only just now getting around to releasing this debut solo album Sum/One under his bEEdEEgEE alias. Following the release of Gang Gang Dance’s 2011 album Eye Contact, DeGraw left NYC, his home for the past 15 years and moved to the rural surrounds of Woodstock, something that’s had a discernible influence on the nine tracks collected here, which were recorded over the course of a year in his new home studio. There’s nothing here that really feels like a massive departure from the activities of his ‘main’ band, with much of Sum/One feeling like a continuation of GGD’s increasing movement towards bright, synth-heavy arrangements.

For album number three, head Dum Dum Girl Dee Dee Penny has dipped into a goodie bag of influences, polishing up the previous tried and tested sound to delicious results. It could be the breath of fresh air – or cloud of “lavender haze” – that is needed for the New York rockers’ discography.

Opening track ‘Helium Anchor’ calls to mind early DJ Shadow as vintage spoken samples and contemplative piano keys build up amidst stabbing bass synths and off-centre hip hop breaks, the entire track blossoming out against swirling synth-string arrangements. Like Rain Man meanwhile sees Lizzi Bougatsos’ vocals being pitchshifted down into an eerie witch-house swirl against the sort of bright, pitch-bent synth solos and glittering landscapes you’d associate with late eighties Tangerine Dream. Elsewhere, ‘Time Of Waste’ unleashes the obvious single here as Hot Chip’s Alexis Taylor traverses an eerie backdrop of squelching bass synths and pressurised electro-house rhythms, his chorus of “all I want to do is fuck up the day” offering up this album’s most catchy hook.

An excellent debut solo album from DeGraw that’s, if anything, slightly more immediately accessible than his parent band. chris downton

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‘Cult of Love’ and ‘Rimbaud Eyes’ immediately introduce Too True’s sultry self-assuredness. The attraction to the album can be found in this confidence, giving it a smooth and dark edge: self-doubt is a common theme with lyrical content, but does not loiter in the sound. Penny fluently shifts through various genres; tastefully echoing Siuoxsee & The Banshees’ soaring post-punk on ‘In The Wake of You’ to fluently spinning surf-pop rhythm and harmonies on ‘Too True To Be Good’.

Toning down the clatters and crashes of Dum Dum Girls’ earlier releases adds a whole new layer to Penny’s songwriting ability. Too True is streamlined shimmer and shine. The band’s old friend reverb is still tagging along. However, here it’s applied to gauzy guitar riffs, accompanying magnetic bass lines and synth undertones.

Penny’s casual vocal delivery aids on tracks such as the sweet pop of ‘Are You Okay?’, tapping into simplicity for accessible lyricism. It is when vocals verge on vague, such as on ‘Little Minx’, that Penny loosens the grip she could otherwise have with more intensity. ‘Trouble is my Name’ is a final reminder of the progress made on Too True, sending the album out in a touching and eerie fashion. Though not particularly original in terms of its field, Too True is a solid pop listen that highlights new strengths for Penny’s songwriting ability. angela christian-Wilkes

This feels like DZ’s shot at anthemic rock, reverb-laden choruses and all. The hook is nice, but it lacks guts. For a band that is usually so devoted to kicking arse, this kicks none. It’ll get played on JJJ a ton, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s DZ at their best. (3.5 stars)

beck ‘blue moon’ Beck embarks on a return to classic Beck, not of the Midnite Vultures ilk but instead nearer Sea Change. The electronics are stripped back, the tempo lazy. Beck goes back to storytelling at the expense of endless throwaway pop culture references and it’s nice for a change.

Lush and welcoming and improves with each listen. (3.5 stars)

holly herndon ‘chorus’ Glitch music can be terrible – just ask my neighbours. But when it all comes together you get something like this. Beautifully jarring, like a true work of art.

Poppy and alienating, it draws in at the same time as it pushes away.

(4.333333333 stars)

A Great Big World feat.

Christina Aguilera ‘say something’ I really wanted to like this song.

To listen, enjoy and recommend it to others. But I can’t. It’s the musical equivalent of white bread.

It’s bland and inoffensive, the next best thing to silence. I guess it could be worse. (2 stars)

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the word

on films

WITH MELISSA WELLHAM

There are a lot of things that make a good film – but it’s hard not to feel particularly appreciative when a film tries to say something serious about the human condition, or tries to say something important about the world we live in. 12 Years a Slave is such a film. It is, I think, the best film about slavery I have ever seen – and finally provides a serious look at a seriously blemished aspect of America’s history. The fact that it is one of the only films I can think of that has done this, reflects poorly on the industry.

quote of the issue “I don’t want to survive. I want to live.”

– Solomon Northrup (Chiwetel Ejiofor), 12 Years a Slave

12 years a slave

47 ronin

dallas buyers club

12 Years a Slave is harrowing viewing and a brilliant and brutal depiction of American slavery.

Where to begin? 47 Ronin takes a beloved Japanese legend set in feudal Japan – a story of loyalty, revenge and samurai – and inserts Keanu Reeves. That should be enough said, really.

Dallas, 1985. Ron Woodroof (Matthew McConaughey) is a loud-mouthed redneck who likes to party. While being treated at hospital for a work injury, Woodroof is told that he’s HIV positive and will die in 30 days. Not content with a prescription of a trial medication called “AZT”, he goes in search of new ways to treat the disease. Director Jean-Marc Vallée and screenwriters Craig Borten and Melisa Wallack present Woodroof as the one man unafraid to speak the truth about AIDS and you see the small seeds of change sown.

Vallée isn’t begging you to be enlightened, the handling of the material ensures the impact of Woodroof’s experience will leave an impression in a sea of stories about AIDS. The narrative does bloat toward the end with excessive subplots.

Solomon Northrup (Chiwetel Ejiofor) is a free black man in the 1800s who is tricked, kidnapped and forced into slavery. Taken away from his family and with no way of freeing himself or writing to his loved ones back home, he is forced to work on plantations in the South for a series of increasingly ruthless “masters”.

12 Years a Slave manages to make slavery real for the viewer: its cruelty, its brutality. While the on-screen depictions of physical violence are used sparingly throughout the film, they stay with the watcher. The film also features long, slow takes in which the action occurs through Ejiofor’s face. His expressions are nuanced and capable of conveying the intention of an entire scene, in place of dialogue.

This is Steve McQueen’s third feature film and it cements the director as one who is capable of making unflinching and honest stories about the human condition.

I heard many comment after the film, “I can’t believe humanity used to be capable of that.” But I think such a response does the film a disservice. Humanity is still capable of such atrocities – discrimination, abuse, forced labour conditions – and a film like 12 Years a Slave calls for that to be acknowledged. Not ignored. Not imagined to be a thing of the past. melissa wellham

A ronin is a samurai without a master – and in this story, 47 of them band together to avenge the death of their former lord and balance the scales of justice. Keanu, we’re expected to believe, is a “half-breed” man with demon powers, who is an outcast among the samurai despite his awesome fighting skills and surly demeanour (so really, I don’t blame them).

To be fair, the film is clearly providing a fantastical version of the legend – with the inclusion of demons, magic, witches and wild beasts. A Japanese supporting cast makes the film slightly more palatable and I was thankful that at least they didn’t slap on a Hollywood ending.

However, it is hard to take 47 Ronin seriously when it contains Keanu wandering about the scenery looking like he’s halfway through an enema.

The limp-fish love story is painful to watch and, given the rating, don’t expect any gory battle sequences or realisticlooking seppuku (which, depending on who you are, may be either good or bad).

There were perhaps one or two strikingly beautiful shots and a few decent battle sequences, but overall 47 Ronin was a waste of time. megan McKEOUGH

It’s becoming hard to pick McConaughey’s best performance because he outdoes himself with each new film, and Dallas Buyers Club cements him as one of the greatest actors of his generation. In support, Jared Leto superbly embodies the hopelessness of a generation of homosexuals left to die because their cries for help went unheard.

The difficulty of presenting a story set during the ravage of AIDS in the 1980s is steep, because there are a vast number of stories to tell and each voice matters. Dallas Buyers Club manages to contain the scope of a larger issue and refine it through the steps of one man who made a difference.

CAMERON WILLIAMS

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paranormal activity: the marked ones The fifth film in the Paranormal Activity franchise is more of a spin-off than a sequel – but that doesn’t mean the series’ scares feel any less familiar.

In Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones, Jesse, a young Californian Latino, begins experiencing unexplainable and increasingly freaky phenomena after the death of his neighbour. He soon discovers that he has been “marked” – that is, destined for demonic possession by the same malevolent demonic entity that claimed Kristi and Katie. Bummerrr.

There are some things in this instalment that aim for “fresh” and even reach “not being totally tired”. The change of setting gives new life to the story, as does the protagonist.

During the last Paranormal film, I was getting confused keeping track of which family member had been possessed and which hadn’t. It was a bit of a mess.

Like the previous films, Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones relies on the idea that the film has been pieced together using “found footage”, and retains the super low-cost vibe while still being able to deliver some pretty serious shocks. However, while (if you’re anything like me) you’re still likely to jump out of your skin whenever a door slams, the scares are beginning to feel increasingly repetitive. The latest film also relies less on the strict pacing of paranormal activities and instead uses stock-standard scares. Still. It’s a good date movie, obviously. melissa wellham

the great beauty The Great Beauty is ripe for arty Euro film bingo. Cryptic religious imagery. Tick. More bare flesh than the nude Olympics. Tick. A dwarf.

Tick. Before yelling “bingo” on co-writer/director Paolo Sorrentino’s film, it’s worth digging a little deeper into the ethereal grace of his exploration of life in the shadow of Rome and the clash between the ancient ghosts of tradition and the modern flamboyance of the elite. Jep Gambardella (Toni Servillio) is a famous writer and socialite fresh off celebrating turning 65 when he learns that a former lover has passed away. The news puts him in a contemplative mood and he begins to reflect on life.

Sorrentino’s camera swoops around breathtaking vantage points of Rome, illuminating hidden treasures and exploding technicolour over extravagant parties. The wonderful cinematography by Luca Bigazzi makes every frame look like an individual piece of art. There is cause for reflection because a 65-year-old has every damn right to get a little nostalgic. It’s refreshing to see a character with the nobility of age musing on life. A welcome contrast to the recent assault of films featuring people in their mid20s hung up on a quarter life crisis. Servillio’s performance is terrific and the actor gives off the vibe of James Bond in his mid-60s. There’s a lot of flimflam in The Great Beauty.

At times it’s enthralling riding on Sorrentino’s wavelength but there are moments of abandonment and a little headscratching follows.

CAMERON WILLIAMS

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53

the word

on games

Octodad: Deadliest Catch Platform: OSX, PC, PS4 Developer: Young Horses Length: 3–4hrs Verdict: Worth a peek Octodad is combination of bizarre bemusement, slapstick comedy and a solid helping of heart rate-raising frustration. Octodad has you playing an octopus passing himself off as a human, with the game getting no more sensible from there. The mere act of moving around involves throwing your various limbs around, causing you to wreak havoc everywhere you go. At most times, your set task is pretty easy but for the fact that the character is unwieldy. Suddenly trivial tasks, such as fetching chocolate milk off the shelf, become an ordeal. Initially this makes for some pretty amusing gameplay. Unfortunately, once the charm wears off, probably somewhere around the one-hour mark, the result is possibly more tiresome than enjoyable. The frustration is in part because the game lacks polish. For example, while I appreciate the controls are intentionally difficult, having the trackpad randomly switch which foot is active is just annoying. Controlling the character with a mouse is a little easier, although its still suffers from it own issues, such as your feet getting stuck. In addition to these frustrations, the game also runs pretty poorly. While I would otherwise normally love all the elements brought together here, on this occasion it just feels too rough, even for an indie game. torben sko

The Walking Dead: Season Two Platform: PC, OSX, iOS, PS3, Xbox Developer: Telltale Games Length: 1–2hrs Verdict: Worth grabbing [SUBTLE SEASON ONE SPOILER ALERT] The first Walking Dead game was considered by many to be one of the best titles of 2013. The title weaved an interesting tale of desperation and survival. At times it presented you with some truly challenging moral choices, several of them having pretty substantial repercussions. This became apparent when watching some of the alternatives on a YouTube walkthrough. During the walkthrough the player even teared up by the end. How many games can you say had that effect on players? Following the structure of its predecessor, Walking Dead Two is presented in five parts. The story directly follows on from the first title, with you taking control of Clementine, the child from the first title. The game doesn’t deviate much from what made the first such a hit. Most noticeably, the cinematics have been raised up a notch, albeit at the cost of some freedom. The game feels more guided than before, with most of the decisions pretty incidental and clearer-cut – all of the player-choice statistics at the end showed a clear preference each time. Overall, while the game doesn’t hit the same high mark reached at the end of the first series, it’s probably a stronger series start. The length will no doubt disappoint, but this title is worth trying.

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torben sko

@bmamag

the word on dvds

the act of killing [madman]

the gatekeepers [madman]

When crazed lunatic and film maker Werner Herzog was shown ten minutes of this doco, he signed on to produce it immediately. In it, Herzog saw surrealism that bettered the work of famed Spanish avantgarde filmmaker Louis Buñuel.

Big words from someone who knows a thing or two about weirdness. But you’d be hard pressed to find fault in Herzog’s words because, pure and simple, The Act of Killing is one of the strangest experiences you might ever witness on the screen. First and foremost – it is not a factual account of the atrocities carried out in Indonesia in the 1960s when the Sukarno government was overthrown by Suharto, after which followed decades of retributions for enemies of the state – namely communists, alleged communists, ethnic minorities and basically anyone else, depending on the mood of the death squads. Joshua Oppenheimer managed to convince two of the perpetrators – Anwar Congo and Adi Zulkardy – to initially talk about their role in the deaths of their compatriots then recreate the killings in film form. Which they do gladly, almost joyously. Obviously this is repulsive, but Oppenheimer tapped into something much stranger and The Act of Killing becomes a snapshot of the dream state of nightmares and splintering of the human psyche. As each “general” matter-of-factly talks through the weapons of death, imitating, dressing up as their victims, you aren’t seeing a recreation of fact – you are seeing an interpretation of reality. In hyper-real gaudy stylized format, mind you. The subjects know exactly what they did but they genuinely don’t seem to mind, taunting the Hague to come get them at one stage.

Quite what The Act of Killing achieves is beyond me – but it’s haunting to the very last, very surreal closing musical number.

In this week’s other how-thehell-did-they-manage-to-pullthat-off doco, someone has managed to get six former heads of one of the most feared intelligence agencies in the world (Shin Bet) to speak openly, on camera about their time at the Israeli spook agency. Like all good civil servants they relish the opportunity to tell their version of events – sometimes absolving themselves, other times seeking a hypothetical forgiveness, other times defying the world to try and comprehend the peril their host state lives under, all the while giving off the whiff of unrestrained power you’d expect from anyone who could rise to the top of Israel’s internal security agency. The power of decisions that result in drone strikes blowing up a van of alleged terrorists in Palestine, a van that might also contain innocent civilians.

But there it is, on the screen in night vision – the van being pummelled with artillery whilst Yuval Diskin (the most recent head of Shin Bet) explains his reasoning with an air of resignation. Throats clenched, The Gatekeepers barely lets up from this point.

justin hook

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As both a primer on one side of the Arab-Israeli conflict and character study on the sort of people needed to run intelligence organisations, The Gatekeepers is a resounding success. With each participant, the mood vacillates. Diskin acknowledges to “the other” he is a terrorist, but the mood hits rock bottom when Avraham Shalom wonders aloud about the morality of ordering the shooting of a bus hijacker, only to conclude that there is no place for moral adjudications when it comes to terrorists.

Ignore the criticism that the doco gives a free pass to some seriously lethal men and accept it as a glimpse into the psyche of people who deal in death as part of their day job. justin hook

Elementary – The First Season [paramount] It’d be tempting to view the difference between this US version of Sherlock Holmes and the UK version (BBC’s Sherlock) as illustrative of the differences between the two approaches adopted on each side of the Atlantic. Tempting and very useful. By no means a bad adaptation, Elementary resolutely conforms to the straightjacket imposed upon it: a 22-episode, episodic crime drama on a major network.

It hits all the right notes as needed, the chemistry between the leads (Johnny Lee Miller as Sherlock and Lucy Liu as Joan Watson) is sprightly and parked heavily on the side of believable. But at the end of the day, the machine gets what the machine wants, and for Elementary it’s a smoothed out, improbably easy answers, no-challenge Sherlock. At least in the UK version Martin Freeman’s Watson suffers Benedict Cumberbatch’s eponymous detective with a degree of world weary despair. Here, Liu seems to be setting up Miller for the killer punch then moving on. And speaking of moving on, the customary Sherlock solutions seem a little less rich here, a little too easy and readymade to escape to the ad break.

Maybe it’s the sub-CSI graphics that are throwing it off kilter.

Miller’s Sherlock is nowhere near as grandiose as the Cumberbatch version. He’s scruffier, harder, more edgy – at least that’s what the pitch probably said. In reality he looks like a straight guy trying to play it difficult and rough; this can be an obstacle. As is the “marbles in the mouth” diction.

Yet despite this and despite Elementary being pretty much a New York crime procedural it’s by no means diabolical. It is by far the easier version of the two currently playing, but it’s playing to vastly different rules. justin hook

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the word

on gigs

Cat Power, Mick Turner The Street Theatre Thursday January 30 Mick Turner from instrumentalists The Dirty Three kicked off proceedings. Armed with a guitar, percussion machine and a whole mess of foot pedals, he presented a line-up of songs from his latest Don’t Tell the Driver LP. The man is a master at throwing seemingly unconnected guitar sounds and drum and cymbal effects into a sequence of loops, such that they all come together.

Cat Power (aka Chan Marshall) took the stage to cheers and started really well, playing guitar while doing her little shuffling dance in front of the mic as she sang. She sounded magical, especially during the more intense songs where her voice swelled to engulf the room.

Passionate and strong, Marshall included a few covers, including The Stones’ ‘Satisfaction’. Then things started going awry when she moved to the upright piano. The piano angle, presenting her back to the crowd, was not ideal. A few punters had the benefit of her reflection in the highly polished keyboard lid. The lady became increasingly unsettled, continually adjusting her clothing and the mic and sometimes losing her way with song beginnings. Songs tended to run together, leaving the audience confused as to when to applaud. Then there was trouble with her nose, which resulted in several incidences of nasal cavity exploration, complete with running commentary on the problem. It was altogether TMI! The nasal discussion was just part of the amusing banter exchanged with the patient and well-disposed punters throughout the night. Marshall’s distracted state continued to an extent when she returned to the guitar. The advantage of this was that she performed for over two hours, having lost track of the time.

RORY McCARTNEY

the word

on gigs

The Vanns, The Familiars, Midnight Owls The Basement Thursday January 30 These two up-and-coming bands, The Vanns and The Familiars, with help from Red Bull’s youth sponsorship program, have had a very successful tour. On a balmy Thursday evening it was Canberra’s turn to witness them in action, along with support from Wagga band Midnight Owls. The stage was set, the boys were pumped and supplies of the sponsor’s drinks assisted in their readiness. The time to start arrived and about six punters had shown up to investigate.

Midnight Owls let rip with a show of youthful enthusiasm. This solid rock band will do very well for themselves, and only the maturity that comes from playing together over and over will see them excel in the coming months and years. Another dozen or so people arrived and that was the crowd for the evening. All three bands deserved better.

The Familiars lit up the stage with energy and gusto, with a huge sound that was a mix of Chili Peppers, Arctic Monkeys and Tool.

It’s a pity the sound tech couldn’t control the bits of distortion that plagued the night. Undeterred, the hard edge from The Familiars was brilliant to watch.

PHOTO BY STEVE NEBAUER \ A BEAR IMAGE

The Vanns, finishing up the show, were another great surprise – full of energy with exciting originals and energy to burn. They are a good, solid, loud rock band that you can listen to, rather than the thrashed out screaming loudness that some bands today project. I am sure we will hear much more about all three bands in the future.

If you get the opportunity to see any of them, check them out. You won’t be sorry.

STEVE NEBAUER

56

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“Australia Celebrates Live� by Steve Nebauer \ a Bear Image; Parliament House, Saturday January 25, 2014. facebook.com/bmamagazine

57

ENTERTAINMENT GUIDE Wed Feb 12 - Sat Feb 15

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

WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 12

THURSDAY FEBRUARY 13

Art Exhibitions

Art Exhibitions

Stills I Fragments I Landscapes

Stills I Fragments I Landscapes

Art by Louise Curham & Jo Law. 10am–4pm. Free.

BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

MASH UP – GLUE UP

An exhibition by Alex Asch, Mariana del Castillo, Ham Darroch and Tara Shield. 11am–5pm.

CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ARTS SPACE (MANUKA)

Art by Louise Curham & Jo Law. 10am–4pm. Free.

BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

MASH UP – GLUE UP

An exhibition by Alex Asch, Mariana del Castillo, Ham Darroch and Tara Shield. 11am–5pm.

CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ARTS SPACE (MANUKA)

Farming Without Fences

Farming Without Fences

BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

How Aborigines made Australia, by Helen S. Tiernan. 10am–4pm. Free.

ceraMIX

Exhibition by 12 artists of Claybodies.

9:30am–2:30pm(10am–4pm, Sat/Sun).

FORM STUDIO & GALLERY

THE COURTYARD STUDIO

Live Music Semantix

Hip hop night with Meddskii, Fallonheit, Jedbrii and more. 9pm. Free entry.

P J O’REILLY’S (TUGGERANONG)

Paul Greene

Top-rung emerging songwriter. 7:30pm.

Door price TBA. THE FRONT GALLERY AND CAFÉ

The CMC Presents

Exhibition by 12 artists of Claybodies.

9:30am–2:30pm(10am–4pm, Sat/Sun).

FORM STUDIO & GALLERY

Exhibition by local artist Heather Brenchley. 11am–5pm.

CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ARTS SPACE (MANUKA)

Comedy Akmal – Trial & Error

See Akmal try out new content for an upcoming tour. $25 + bf thru canberraticketing.com.au.

THE COURTYARD STUDIO

Karaoke Karaoke

8pm–12am. Free entry.

OLD CANBERRA INN

Live Music With Babyfreeze. 9pm. $5 door

Lisa Richards Lunchtime Special

On The Town

Enjoy your lunch accompanied by folk vocals and guitar. 12:30–1:30pm. Free.

O-Week Foam Party

The Kite String Tangle

SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE

ACADEMY NIGHTCLUB

Rising producer Danny Harley. 8pm. $16.50 + bf via Moshtix.

Something Different

Fats Homicide

Ojo Open Mic

Musicians, poets, comedians welcomed.

Registration from 6pm. Free.

OJO CAFE AND BAR

Naked Girls Reading

Beautiful women who love to read (out loud) … naked. 7–10:30pm. $15.

POLIT BAR & LOUNGE

Workshops Learn to Sing in Two Days

Discover the voice within you.

Email info@singingseminar.com for an info pack.

TBA

Stills I Fragments I Landscapes

BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

MASH UP – GLUE UP

Farming Without Fences

THE PHOENIX BAR

9pm. Door price TBA.

FRIDAY FEBRUARY 14

May Contain Nuts

Tillian (USA) THE BASEMENT

GUNGAHLIN LIBRARY

Art by PicPoc. Opens Thu Feb 13, 6pm.

Open daily 12–5pm.

The Infants

8pm. Door price TBA.

Free course in music production.

Call (02) 6140 4990 for more info.

6:30-7:30pm.

An exhibition by Alex Asch, Mariana del Castillo, Ham Darroch and Tara Shield. 11am–5pm.

With Cuddlefish, Jude Kohn, Chris & Hannah, Sanji DeSilva. 7:30pm. $5.

SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE

Introduction to Ableton Live

Art by Louise Curham & Jo Law. 10am–4pm. Free.

M16 ARTSPACE

See Akmal try out new content for an upcoming tour. $25 + bf thru canberraticketing.com.au.

HOLY CROSS LUTHERAN CHURCH

ceraMIX

CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ARTS SPACE (MANUKA)

Akmal – Trial & Error

All levels welcome. Bring paper, easels and drawing materials.

1–3pm. $12/day.

Art Exhibitions

Wind Winder and Other Loners

Comedy

Life Drawing Workshop

How Aborigines made Australia, by Helen S. Tiernan. 10am–4pm. Free.

May Contain Nuts

Exhibition by local artist Heather Brenchley. 11am–5pm.

Workshops

TRANSIT BAR

Featuring Simon Milman (bass), Matt Lustri (guitar) & Kay Chinery (drums). 8:30pm. $10.

CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ARTS SPACE (MANUKA)

How Aborigines made Australia, by Helen S. Tiernan. 10am–4pm. Free.

BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

ceraMIX

Exhibition by 12 artists of Claybodies.

9:30am–2:30pm(10am–4pm, Sat/Sun).

FORM STUDIO & GALLERY

Wind Winder and Other Loners

Art by PicPoc. Opens Thu Feb 13, 6pm.

Open daily 12–5pm.

M16 ARTSPACE

May Contain Nuts

Exhibition by local artist Heather Brenchley. 11am–5pm.

CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ARTS SPACE (MANUKA)

Comedy Akmal – Trial & Error

See Akmal try out new content for an upcoming tour. $25 + bf thru canberraticketing.com.au.

THE COURTYARD STUDIO

Film Canberra and Brasilia: Music by Design

Doco following Omar Musa, D’Opus and Roshambo’s trip to Brasilia.

7:30pm. $10/8.

ARC CINEMA

Live Music

SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE

Sass and Tease Burlesque Night

Smith’s Thursday Night Jazz

THE LOFT AT DUXTON

Line-up TBA. 9:30pm. Free.

SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE

Dos Locos

9:30pm. Free.

KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

On The Town Nick Rigby

9pm–12am. Free.

THE LOFT AT DUXTON

Doors 7:30pm. Presale $20/25/39.

The West Bank Festival

Inaugural celebration of West Bank Cultural Precinct, music and more. Tix at trybooking.com/EEBZ. VARIOUS LOCATIONS

Toby Cole is Lovesick

Toby Cole and Coro performing.

7:30pm. $25–40 thru TryBooking.

WESLEY MUSIC CENTRE

Joel Sulman and Friends

Theatre

FYI Friday. 6:30pm. Royce (DJ) from 9pm. Free.

Steel Magnolias

Tuchasoul

Directed by Jordan Best. 2pm/8pm. $30 + bf. See canberrarep.org.au for times/tickets.

OJO CAFE AND BAR

9pm. Free.

HELLENIC CLUB (WODEN)

La Rumba

Melbourne’s hottest flamenco guitar trio! 7:30–9pm. $10.

SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE

V-Day Partay

With Tyler Touche and more TBA. 8pm.

UC REFECTORY

Special K/Heuristic 5pm afternoon session/ 10pm band. Free.

KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

Alice Plum and the Mad Hatters 9pm–12am. Free entry.

OLD CANBERRA INN

Shananigans 7

With Penguin, Tonk, Super Best Friends, Variodivers and heaps more. 7pm. $20.

THE BASEMENT

On The Town Full Moon Rave

As part of ANU O-Week. $10 before midnight.

ACADEMY NIGHTCLUB

Luc Baker

9pm–12am. Free.

THE LOFT AT DUXTON

Something Different Tarot Card Reading 6–8pm. Free entry.

POLIT BAR & LOUNGE

Night at the Museum: Love

An over-18s event delving into the meaning of love, with music, markets and more. 6-10pm. $10.

NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AUSTRALIA

In Canberra Tonight

Valentine’s Day Special. 9:30– 10:30pm. Door price TBA. SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE

Theatre Steel Magnolias

Directed by Jordan Best. 2pm/8pm. $30 + bf. See canberrarep.org.au for times/tickets.

CANBERRA REPERTORY SOCIETY

SATURDAY FEBRUARY 15 Art Exhibitions Stills I Fragments I Landscapes Art by Louise Curham & Jo Law. 10am–4pm. Free.

BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

MASH UP – GLUE UP

An exhibition by Alex Asch, Mariana del Castillo, Ham Darroch and Tara Shield. 11am–5pm.

CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ARTS SPACE (MANUKA)

Farming Without Fences

How Aborigines made Australia, by Helen S. Tiernan. 10am–4pm. Free.

BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

ceraMIX

Exhibition by 12 artists of Claybodies.

9:30am–2:30pm(10am–4pm, Sat/Sun).

FORM STUDIO & GALLERY

Wind Winder and Other Loners

Art by PicPoc. Opens Thu Feb 13, 6pm.

Open daily 12–5pm.

M16 ARTSPACE

May Contain Nuts

Exhibition by local artist Heather Brenchley. 11am–5pm.

CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ARTS SPACE (MANUKA)

CANBERRA REPERTORY SOCIETY

58

@bmamag

ENTERTAINMENT GUIDE Sat Feb 15 - Tue Feb 18 Comedy

On The Town

Karaoke

Akmal – Trial & Error

DJ Norm

Karaoke

THE LOFT AT DUXTON

OLD CANBERRA INN

See Akmal try out new content for an upcoming tour. $25 + bf thru canberraticketing.com.au.

THE COURTYARD STUDIO

Joel Ozborn

One Night Stand Up. 9:30pm. $25.

9pm–12am. Free.

Love Saturdays

With Ashley Feraude. 9pm.

ACADEMY NIGHTCLUB

THE COURTYARD STUDIO

Talks

Film

In the Lounge Room with ...

Airport 1975 (PG)

Doors open 7pm for a sunset start. See nfsa.gov.au/arc for tickets.

ARC CINEMA

Live Music The Jukes

9pm–12am. Free entry.

OLD CANBERRA INN

Matt Dent

8–11pm. Free.

THE DUXTON

The West Bank Festival

Inaugural celebration of West Bank Cultural Precinct, music and more. Tix at trybooking.com/EEBZ. VARIOUS LOCATIONS

The Gaps

With acoustic support TBA. 8:30pm. Free entry.

P J O’REILLY’S (TUGGERANONG)

Frenzal Rhomb

With I Exist and No Assumption. 8pm. $28.60 + bf thru Oztix.

ZIERHOLZ @ UC

Mudd Music

With Escape Syndrome, Tundrel, Swere Sideshow. 8pm. $10.

TRANSIT BAR

Zoopagoo’s Last Gig

With The Spindrift Saga and Brother Be. 9:30pm. $5.

THE PHOENIX BAR

Silky Six

9pm. Free.

HELLENIC CLUB (WODEN)

Heath Cullen

With Matt Nightingale and Matt Dixon.

8pm. $27.50 thru TryBooking.

SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE

Renowned photographer Martin Ollman talks about his craft. 2pm. Free.

HOTEL HOTEL

Theatre Steel Magnolias

Directed by Jordan Best. 2pm/8pm. $30 + bf. See canberrarep.org.au for times/tickets.

CANBERRA REPERTORY SOCIETY

SUNDAY FEBRUARY 16 Art Exhibitions Stills I Fragments I Landscapes Art by Louise Curham & Jo Law. 10am–4pm. Free.

BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

MASH UP – GLUE UP

How Aborigines made Australia, by Helen S. Tiernan. 10am–4pm. Free.

BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

ceraMIX

Exhibition by 12 artists of Claybodies.

9:30am–2:30pm(10am–4pm, Sat/Sun).

FORM STUDIO & GALLERY

Wind Winder and Other Loners

Art by PicPoc. Opens Thu Feb 13, 6pm.

Open daily 12–5pm.

M16 ARTSPACE

May Contain Nuts

Exhibition by local artist Heather Brenchley. 11am–5pm.

Comedy

POLIT BAR & LOUNGE

9:30am–2:30pm(10am–4pm, Sat/Sun).

The West Bank Festival

Inaugural celebration of West Bank Cultural Precinct, music and more. Tix at trybooking.com/EEBZ. VARIOUS LOCATIONS

Waiting for Meg

Akmal – Trial & Error

See Akmal try out new content for an upcoming tour. $25 + bf thru canberraticketing.com.au.

THE COURTYARD STUDIO

ceraMIX

FORM STUDIO & GALLERY

Comedy Schnitz & Giggles

Fortnightly improvised comedy.

7:30pm. $5.

3–6pm. Free.

SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE

Matt Dent

Live Music

THE DUXTON

Bringing you gently back down to earth. 1:30pm. Free.

The Bootleg Sessions

Canberra Blues Society Jam

THE PHOENIX BAR

OJO CAFE AND BAR

With Shane Pacey Trio. 2–5:30pm. $3 members/$5 non-members.

HARMONIE GERMAN CLUB

Alice Plumb

The Summerside Cider Sunday Sesh, with live music. 2–6pm. Free entry.

GUNDAROO COLONIAL INN

The Dorothy Jane Duo and Friends

Award winning Jazz and Blues.

5–7pm. Free.

A BITE TO EAT CAFE

3–5pm. $5.

KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

9–10pm. Free entry.

Live Music

Farming Without Fences

The Surrogates Live Jazz Piano

Art Exhibitions

The Acoustic Sessions

CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ARTS SPACE (MANUKA)

10:30pm. Free.

8pm–12am. Free entry.

An exhibition by Alex Asch, Mariana del Castillo, Ham Darroch and Tara Shield. 11am–5pm.

CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ARTS SPACE (MANUKA)

MONDAY FEBRUARY 17

With Lavers, Rumshack, Renny Field, Hayley Shone. 8pm. Free.

Trivia Rainman’s Trivial Excuse

Book now (02) 6162 0899. 7pm. Free.

TRANSIT BAR

TUESDAY FEBRUARY 18 Art Exhibitions ceraMIX

With Marji Curran. 2-4pm. Free.

9:30am–2:30pm(10am–4pm, Sat/Sun).

IRON BAR

FORM STUDIO & GALLERY

Smith’s Summer Sounds and Sangria

Karaoke

SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE

Irish Jam Session

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

KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

On The Town Ashley Feraude 5–10pm. Free.

THE LOFT AT DUXTON

Karaoke Love 9pm. Free.

TRANSIT BAR

Live Music The Hollies

7:30pm. $89.90–119.

CANBERRA THEATRE CENTRE

Tuesday Blues at Smith’s 8pm. $10.

SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE

Something Different

Trivia

The Sunday Assembly

Trivia Night

A non-denominational community meeting, and so much more. 11:30am to 12:30pm. Free.

ALLIANCE FRANÇAISE

7pm. $5 entry.

P J O’REILLY’S (TUGGERANONG)

Lippo & Paddy’s Magical Mixed Bag Trivia 7:30pm. Free.

THE PHOENIX BAR

Workshops

Joel Ozborn

Music Craft for 5-8 Years

THE COURTYARD STUDIO

AINSLIE ARTS CENTRE

One Night Stand Up. 9:30pm. $25.

facebook.com/bmamagazine

See mfe.org.au for booking. 5pm.

59

ENTERTAINMENT GUIDE Wed Feb 19 - Sat Feb 22 WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 19 Art Exhibitions ceraMIX

Exhibition by 12 artists of Claybodies.

9:30am–2:30pm(10am–4pm, Sat/Sun).

FORM STUDIO & GALLERY

Wind Winder and Other Loners

Art by PicPoc. Opens Thu Feb 13, 6pm.

Open daily 12–5pm.

M16 ARTSPACE

Live Music The CMC Presents

Live Music

Hit Parade

Live Music

Chicago Charles & Dave

HELLENIC CLUB (WODEN)

Special K

9:30pm. Free.

KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

Lisa Richards

Female vocal and guitar lunchtime gig folk music. 12:30–1:30pm. Free.

SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE

9pm. Free.

Zika

Solaris album launch, with Cub Callaway Band, Groom Epoch.

7:30pm. $5.

SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE

Alex Raupach Quintet

On The Town

SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE

Luc Baker

8pm. $15.

Thugranongs brightest. Hosted by Davesway. Registration from 6pm. Free.

OJO CAFE AND BAR

Paul Greene

Top-rung emerging songwriter. 7:30pm.

Door price TBA. THE FRONT GALLERY AND CAFÉ

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

POLIT BAR & LOUNGE

Thrashed

THE BASEMENT

THE PHOENIX BAR

9pm–12am. Free.

THE LOFT AT DUXTON

Theatre Steel Magnolias

Directed by Jordan Best. 2pm/8pm. $30 + bf. See canberrarep.org.au for times/tickets.

CANBERRA REPERTORY SOCIETY

Workshops Introduction to Ableton Live Free course in music production.

Call (02) 6140 4990 for more info.

6:30-7:30pm.

GUNGAHLIN LIBRARY

THE PHOENIX BAR

FRIDAY FEBRUARY 21

Theatre Steel Magnolias

Art Exhibitions

CANBERRA REPERTORY SOCIETY

Art by Craig Cameron & Eva Louise. 10am–4pm.

Directed by Jordan Best. 2pm/8pm. $30 + bf. See canberrarep.org.au for times/tickets.

THURSDAY FEBRUARY 20 Art Exhibitions ceraMIX

Exhibition by 12 artists of Claybodies.

9:30am–2:30pm(10am–4pm, Sat/Sun).

FORM STUDIO & GALLERY

InDoors

6–8pm. Free entry.

Directed by Jordan Best. 2pm/8pm. $30 + bf. See canberrarep.org.au for times/tickets.

CANBERRA REPERTORY SOCIETY

Workshops Life Drawing Workshop

All levels welcome. Bring paper, easels and drawing materials.

1–3pm. $12/day.

HOLY CROSS LUTHERAN CHURCH

SATURDAY FEBRUARY 22 Art Exhibitions Wind Winder and Other Loners Art by PicPoc. Opens Thu Feb 13, 6pm. Open daily 12–5pm.

M16 ARTSPACE

InDoors

Art by Craig Cameron & Eva Louise. 10am–4pm.

BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

GUNDAROO COLONIAL INN

With guests TBA. 8pm. Door price TBA.

The Fuelers

With Liam McKahey and the Bodies, Positive Feedback Loop. 8pm. $10.

P J O’REILLY’S (TUGGERANONG)

Mucho Sonar

With Time & Weight, Lung.

9:30pm. $5 door.

THE PHOENIX BAR

Hence the Test Bed

With The Khalasar, Signs & Symbols, Hearing Voices. 8pm. $10.

MAGPIES CITY CLUB

Identical Strangers 9pm. Free.

HELLENIC CLUB (WODEN)

Live Jazz Piano

9–10pm. Free entry.

POLIT BAR & LOUNGE

On The Town Kimosabi

9pm–12am. Free.

THE LOFT AT DUXTON

Love Saturdays

With Rawson. 9pm.

ACADEMY NIGHTCLUB

Art by Jacklyn Peters. 10am–4pm.

Theatre

Art by Jacklyn Peters. 10am–4pm.

BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

ceraMIX

ceraMIX

Exhibition by 12 artists of Claybodies.

9:30am–2:30pm(10am–4pm, Sat/Sun).

Agatha Christie’s A Murder is Announced

Exhibition by 12 artists of Claybodies.

9:30am–2:30pm(10am–4pm, Sat/Sun).

FORM STUDIO & GALLERY

Wind Winder and Other Loners

FORM STUDIO & GALLERY

A Miss Marple mystery. 1pm, 2pm, 5:30pm & 7:30pm, $85–120.

Film

Steel Magnolias

M16 ARTSPACE

Live Music

Karaoke

Sweet Vixen

Karaoke

KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

OLD CANBERRA INN

Kartel

The Neighbourhood Project

ARC CINEMA

8pm–12am. Free entry.

With Brother Be. 7:30pm. $10.

The Neighbourhood Project

My Fair Lady (G)

Art by PicPoc. Opens Thu Feb 13, 6pm.

Open daily 12–5pm.

MOZO (Seattle)

BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

Art by PicPoc. Opens Thu Feb 13, 6pm.

Open daily 12–5pm.

Wind Winder and Other Loners

TRANSIT BAR

Live covers. 7:30pm. Free entry.

Steel Magnolias

Ojo Open Mic

With Omar Musa, Semantix, Context, Farronheit. 8pm. $15.

Tarot Card Reading

Nick Rigby

P J O’REILLY’S (TUGGERANONG)

Reverse Polarities

SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE

GrandMasterMonk

Theatre

With Midnight Cinderella. 9pm.

Free entry.

OLD CANBERRA INN

Something Different

On The Town

The Alternative

9pm–12am. Free entry.

SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE

Line-up TBA. 9:30pm. Free.

THE LOFT AT DUXTON

Wednesday Lunchtime Live Concert WESLEY MUSIC CENTRE

Night Potion

9pm–12am. Free.

SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE

With Peter Tregear and Aaron Chew.

12:40–1:20pm. $2–5.

KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

Smith’s Thursday Night Jazz

With The Baltic Barmitzvah, No Hausfrau. 9pm. $5 door.

With The Beez. 7:30pm. $15/12/10.

10:30pm. Free.

M16 ARTSPACE

Doors open 7pm for a sunset start. See nfsa.gov.au/arc for tickets.

CANBERRA THEATRE CENTRE

Directed by Jordan Best. 2pm/8pm. $30 + bf. See canberrarep.org.au for times/tickets.

CANBERRA REPERTORY SOCIETY

10pm band. Free.

Monster Guitars

9pm–12am. Free entry.

OLD CANBERRA INN

Teal

With guests TBA. 8pm. Door price TBA. THE BASEMENT

Minh Ha!

FYI Friday. 6pm. Royce (DJ) from 9pm. Free.

OJO CAFE AND BAR

SCNDL & Tigerlily 9pm. Door price TBA. ACADEMY NIGHTCLUB

60

@bmamag

ENTERTAINMENT GUIDE Sun Feb 23 - Thu Feb 27 SUNDAY FEBRUARY 23 Art Exhibitions Wind Winder and Other Loners

Art by PicPoc. Opens Thu Feb 13, 6pm.

Open daily 12–5pm.

M16 ARTSPACE

InDoors

Theatre

Theatre

Theatre

Agatha Christie’s A Murder is Announced

Agatha Christie’s A Murder is Announced

Agatha Christie’s A Murder is Announced

CANBERRA THEATRE CENTRE

CANBERRA THEATRE CENTRE

CANBERRA THEATRE CENTRE

A Miss Marple mystery. 1pm, 2pm, 5:30pm & 7:30pm, $85–120.

MONDAY FEBRUARY 24

Art by Craig Cameron & Eva Louise. 10am–4pm.

Art Exhibitions

The Neighbourhood Project

ceraMIX

BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

Art by Jacklyn Peters. 10am–4pm.

BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

ceraMIX

Exhibition by 12 artists of Claybodies.

9:30am–2:30pm(10am–4pm, Sat/Sun).

FORM STUDIO & GALLERY

Live Music Doggin It Blues

4pm–7pm. Free entry.

OLD CANBERRA INN

Lionel Riley 3–6pm. Free.

THE DUXTON

Con Amore

The Sydney Consort performing Baroque highlights. 7pm. $25–35 (under 12s free).

WESLEY MUSIC CENTRE

Derryth Nath 1pm. Free.

OJO CAFE AND BAR

Wil Wagner (The Smith Street Band)

With Maxwell Stern (USA), Pinch Hitter. 8pm.

THE PHOENIX BAR

Los Pajeros

In the spirit of the godfathers of funk soul and blues. 5–7pm. Free.

A BITE TO EAT CAFE

The Nights Café

Latin/gypsy jazz meets French café.

5–7pm. Free.

A BITE TO EAT CAFE

Smith’s Summer Sounds and Sangria 3–5pm. $5.

SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE

Exhibition by 12 artists of Claybodies.

9:30am–2:30pm(10am–4pm, Sat/Sun).

FORM STUDIO & GALLERY

Rainman’s Trivial Excuse

Transit trivia returns with your host Rainman. Book now on (02) 6162 0899. 7pm. Free.

TRANSIT BAR

TUESDAY FEBRUARY 25

ceraMIX

Exhibition by 12 artists of Claybodies.

9:30am–2:30pm(10am–4pm, Sat/Sun).

FORM STUDIO & GALLERY

See mfe.org.au for booking and information. 5pm.

Wind Winder and Other Loners

AINSLIE ARTS CENTRE

Art by PicPoc. Opens Thu Feb 13, 6pm.

Open daily 12–5pm.

M16 ARTSPACE

WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 26

InDoors

Art by Craig Cameron & Eva Louise. 10am–4pm.

Art Exhibitions

BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

ceraMIX

Exhibition by 12 artists of Claybodies.

9:30am–2:30pm(10am–4pm, Sat/Sun).

The Neighbourhood Project

FORM STUDIO & GALLERY

BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

Wind Winder and Other Loners

Karaoke

Art by PicPoc. Opens Thu Feb 13, 6pm.

Open daily 12–5pm.

Art by Craig Cameron & Eva Louise. 10am–4pm.

8pm–12am. Free entry.

OLD CANBERRA INN

Live Music

BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

The Neighbourhood Project

Art by Jacklyn Peters. 10am–4pm.

BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

Art by Jacklyn Peters. 10am–4pm.

Karaoke

InDoors

InDoors

Triple Threat

Art by Craig Cameron & Eva Louise. 10am–4pm.

BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

With Eves, Jesse Davidson and Jordan Lesser. $10 + bf thru Moshtix.

Live Music

Dan Sultan

The Neighbourhood Project BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

Wednesday Lunchtime Live Concert

Karaoke

WESLEY MUSIC CENTRE

Art by Jacklyn Peters. 10am–4pm.

Ojo Open Mic

TRANSIT BAR

OJO CAFE AND BAR

Live Music

On The Town

Junior (Adelaide)

TRANSIT BAR

With The Medics. 8pm. $42.85 thru Oztix.

ZIERHOLZ @ UC

With Arnan Wiesel (piano). 12:40– 1:20pm. $2–5.

Karaoke Love

KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

5–10pm. Free.

Art Exhibitions

THE PHOENIX BAR

ceraMIX

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

Ashley Feraude

Impact Comics Present. 7:30pm. Free.

M16 ARTSPACE

FORM STUDIO & GALLERY

THURSDAY FEBRUARY 27

Nerd Trivia with Joel and Ali

Art Exhibitions Exhibition by 12 artists of Claybodies.

9:30am–2:30pm(10am–4pm, Sat/Sun).

CANBERRA REPERTORY SOCIETY

P J O’REILLY’S (TUGGERANONG)

Music Craft for 5-8 Years

Trivia

Directed by Jordan Best. 2pm/8pm. $30 + bf. See canberrarep.org.au for times/tickets.

1st prize $100 + jug vouchers and drink vouchers. 7pm. $5 entry.

Workshops

THE PHOENIX BAR

Steel Magnolias

Trivia Night

CIT Presents The Bootleg Sessions

With Sugarcane feat. Miss Monica Moore, PJ Junior, The Steptones, Hearing Voices. 8pm. Free.

A Miss Marple mystery. 1pm, 2pm, 5:30pm & 7:30pm, $85–120.

Trivia

Live Music

Irish Jam Session

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

A Miss Marple mystery. 1pm, 2pm, 5:30pm & 7:30pm, $85–120.

Sheriff

With The King Hits. 9pm. $5 door.

THE PHOENIX BAR

Showcasing local talents. Hosted by Davesway. Registration from 6pm. Free.

On The Town Nick Rigby

9pm–12am. Free.

THE LOFT AT DUXTON

Something Different

Fusion of folk, alternative rock and country! 7:30pm. $10.

Shaken & Stirred

A night of glamour and burlesque by Sass and Tease. 7–10:30pm. $20.

SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE

THE LOFT AT DUXTON

POLIT BAR & LOUNGE

OUT

FEB26

CHARLES BRADLEY CHARLIE PICKERING CANBERRA ZINE EMPORIUM ...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 Aria Stone sax/flute/lute/ harmonica, singer-songwriter Aria 0411803343

Owls Hunt Bats

Australian Songwriters Association Keiran (02) 62310433

Kurt’s Metalworx (PA) 0417025792 Los Chavos Latin/ska/reggae Rafa 0406647296 Andy 0401572150 Missing Zero Hadrian 0424721907 hadrian.brand@live.com.au

Where did your band name come from? Drunkenly talking about comics on a Melbourne rooftop.

Backbeat Drivers Steve 0422733974 backbeatdrivers.com

Group members? Thomas (vocals), Reece (guitar), Adam (Bass) and Marc (drums).

Bat Country Communion, The Mel 0400405537

Describe your sound: Led Zeppelin if they had grown up in Seattle.

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

Mornings Jordan 0439907853

Black Label Photography Kingsley 0438351007 blacklabelphotography.net

Obsessions 0450 960 750 obsessions@grapevine.com.au

Who are your influences, musical or otherwise?

Kenny Loggins.

What’s the most memorable experience you’ve had whilst performing? Anytime someone starts dancing while we play.

Of what are you proudest so far? Hearing the music we work on in a garage come together in the studio.

What are your plans for the future? Record. Tour.

Rave. Repeat.

What makes you laugh? The names we give to songs before we put lyrics to them. Like ‘Crab Shack’ or ‘Purple Eel’.

What pisses you off? People who don’t understand why refugees need to travel to this country. Stubbed toes.

What about the local scene would you change? More venues. Bands not getting jealous of one another.

What are your upcoming gigs? UBERfest in late February and some Canberra gigs in April TBA. Contact info: facebook.com/OwlsHuntBats; soundcloud.com/owlshuntbats.

Bridge Between, The Cam 0431550005 Capital Dub Style Reggae/dub events Rafa 0406647296 Cole Bennetts Photography 0415982662 Danny V Danny 0413502428 Dawn Theory Nathan 0402845132 Danny 0413502428 Dorothy Jane Band, The Dorothy Jane 0411065189 dorothy-jane@dorothyjane.com Drumassault Dan 0406 375 997 Feldons, The 0407 213 701 FeralBlu Danny 0413502428 Fire on the Hill Aaron 0410381306 Lachlan 0400038388 Fourth Degree Vic 0408477020 Gareth Dailey DJ/Electronica Gareth 0414215885 Groovalicious Corporate/ weddings/private functions 0448995158 Guy The Sound Guy Live & Studio Sound Engineer 0400585369 guy@guythesoundguy.com Haunted Attics band@hauntedatticsmusic.com

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Kayo Marbilus facebook.com/kayomarbilus1

Moots Huck 0419630721 Morning After, The Covers band Anthony 0402500843 MuShu Jack 0414292567 mushu_band@hotmail.com

Painted Hearts, The Peter (02) 62486027 Polka Pigs Ian (02) 62315974 Rafe Morris 0416322763 Redletter Ben 0421414472 Redsun Rehearsal Studio Ralph 0404178996/ (02) 61621527 Rug, The Jol 0417273041 Sewer Sideshow Huck 0419630721 Simone & The Soothsayers Singing teacher Simone 62304828 Sorgonian Twins, The Mark 0428650549 Soundcity Rehearsal Studio Andrew 0401588884 STonKA Jamie 0422764482 stonka2615@gmail.com Strange Hour Events Dan 0411112075 Super Best Friends Sam White sam@imcmusic.net System Addict Jamie 0418398556 Tegan Northwood (Singing Teacher) 0410 769 144 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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