BMA Magazine 435 - Feb 18 2014

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She Will Rise Again

Does your first joke define you? #435F E B R UA RY 2 6 Fax: (02) 6257 4361 Mail: PO Box 713 Civic Square, ACT 2608 Publisher Scott Layne Allan Sko General Manager Allan Sko T: (02) 6257 4360 E: advertising@bmamag.com

Editor Tatjana Clancy

The recent explosion and fire in the Sydney Building may have provided photo opportunities as well as causing a little traffic disruption, but for those on the scene it was a chaotic and scary affair. The fire narrowly avoided damaging The Phoenix, despite causing significant damage to neighbouring premises.

Thankfully no one was hurt and at the time of press the building is deemed to be structurally sound for successful restoration. This is why it is socially acceptable to rejoice in co-owner Sean Hannigan’s comment, “the lamps, artwork, jug and whiskey collection appear to be intact”. We’ll keep you posted on reopening news.

Take That, Day Jobs If amusing your friends with esoteric Facebook status updates is no longer the fulfilling pastime it once was, you may be ready to pursue your long-held passion for something a little more long-

form. The ACT Writers Centre has announced funding via the Australian Council for the Arts for a new professional development program in 2014.

It aims to help budding fiction writers connect with industry professionals and will include master classes and seminars.

If you’re sick of rejection (and frankly, who isn’t?) then help your manuscript cut through the drivel. Applications are set to open in March. Register your interest by emailing admin@ actwriters.org.au.

When is a Lake not a Lake?

Lake George is either a place to admire for its ever-changing landscape or indication that you’re nearly home from your debauched weekend in Sydney.

Either way there is plenty of inspiration to be had for the Weereewa Festival. This year’s theme is “AWE”, and aims to showcase the best in arts, culture and environmental issues in and around numerous venues in the region .The 400 million-year-old bedrock has inspired a host of events including opera, literary dinners,

art exhibitions, a photographic prize, live performances and a fundraiser event for the Wallaroo Bushfire Brigade and Canberra Refugee Support service. It will be officially launched at Canberra Museum and Gallery on Friday February 28 and runs throughout March.

More information can be found at weereewafestival.org.

His Reign of Terror Ends I kid, I kid. I thought I’d use this little area to quietly thank one Ashley Thomson for his editorial prowess over the last two years – is that what you wanted me to write, Ash? – and to say hello to all you wild and woolly Canberrans with something to contribute. If you wish to join our writing team and/or a house band that only does Joy Division covers then email Tatjana at editorial@ bmamag.com with an example of your writing. We’re looking for feature writers, album reviewers, book reviewers – taking all comers! It’s good for us because we get to exploit you for free, and it’s good for you because we exploit you for free.

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 Chiara Grassia Graphic Design Chris Halloran

Lindsay ‘The Doctor’ Macdougall gives Ash a proper send-off.

Film Editor Melissa Wellham NEXT ISSUE 436 OUT march 12 EDITORIAL DEADLINE MARCH 3 ADVERTISING DEADLINE MARCH 6 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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FROM THE BOSSMAN I am now soaring majestically into my third decade on this mortal coil, and such a measure allows a man enough time to begin noticing trends and patterns in this crazy thing we call Life.

The first I have noted recently is our collective attitude to smoking. What started as one of the most romantic and sexy things you could do - Bogarts, Gables and other movie stars sucking lugubriously at cancer sticks in sexy black and white celluoid, with doctors extolling the virtues of introducing smoke to the lungs - now through the steady driving out of smokers from public places means lighting up a cigarette in public is, to some, akin to watching someone fire up a crack pipe.

The second is sun safety. As a man sporting the palest skin you have ever seen, I have always felt like a rank outsider in swimming scenarios. Among the sea of tanned and seared flesh crackling away like a piece of bacon in a hot pan, I stand out like a beaming alabaster beacon of awkwardness. In some areas I am banned from removing my t-shirt for fear of snow blindness, to avoid sun rays jackknifing violently from my porcelain frame into the soft vulnerable eyes of unsuspecting beach-goers.

But upon taking the kids to the pool the other week - and no, this isn’t some lavatorial euphemism - I saw more people covering up than ever before, taking notice of one of the key components of the Slip Slop Slap mantra of old and donning long-sleeved shirts on near 40-degree days. These two examples suggest that if we’re bludgeoned over the head with a message long enough - such as cigarettes and the sun will kill you, or at the very least singe you terribly - we eventually get the point.

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 person who stole a pram from Gorman House Arts Centre last week... Seriously, who steals a pram? What kind of low life do you have to be to think that’s a good idea? That’s a protective vehicle for someone’s child, for God’s sake. If you find yourself in a position where you’re stealing someone else’s pram because you can’t afford one yourself perhaps it’s time to stop having kids and go find a job.

To a certain collective of cheap, tacky clothing stores dressing Australian teenagers, you piss me off. You are solely responsible for making undeveloped girls look like they just stepped off the set of a porno. Seeing a 12 year old child sporting a midriff printed with ‘Miss Kick-Arse’ and the American flag makes me want to test out their shirt slogan with a hard slap to the face and, as for the muttons dressed as lambs who are like a weathered, old moth to your offensive pink lights, if I see another overweight arse in ‘jeggings’ I will – mark my words – wedgie them. The creators should dress themselves in the synthetic trash they’re trading and go stand too close to a fire.

But one trend that came home to roost most recently is that I am one of the only people I know who hasn’t got a tattoo.

There has been a shift from tattoos being predominantly that of the domain of gangs to making it into the mainstream. You don’t see many CEOs with neck tattoos but give it another ten or 20 years and this could easily change. Body ink has simply become a more acceptable thing.

With my skin type I am a tattooist’s wet dream, the very definition of a blank canvasse. The reason I don’t sport a tat is not due to a fear of needles but more a fear I would ruin the beloved thing I’m getting inked. The only thing I feel strongly enough about for such a procedure is my wife, but we all know a) getting a partner’s name/face inked, no matter how much you are in love, can jinx any relationship and b) we see enough of each other as is.

As far as the ever-popular band or musician tattoo goes I wouldn’t be unhappy to have Boards of Canada grace my bodice but I know, I just know, as soon as it’s done the group will produce a Cleveland Steamer of an album, with the tattoo now serving as a constant reminder of how I derailed their career.

Maybe I’ll just wait until I’m 40, spot some more trends and get them tattooed list-like on my body to show off just how S-M-R-T I am. After all, sporting a tat stating, ‘Did you know more people are getting tattoos?’ is taking the world of meta directly to the body. Perhaps I could even be the first CEO with a neck tattoo.

Speaking of (cigarette) Ash and Tats, I wish to bid a fond farewell to departing Editor Ashley Thomson, who has been a gem, and a warm welcome to new Editor Tatjana Clancy, who I am confident will bless this magazine with sunshine and lollipops. In fact, I’m off to get a tattoo of Ashley’s face on my buttocks right now.

Lest we forget.

ALLAN SKO - allan@bmamag.com

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WHO: Dan Sultan WHAT: Album Launch WHEN: Thu Feb 27 WHERE: Zierholz @ UC

The wait is over. Dan Sultan’s trademark honey-drenched vocals and flair for old-school rock riffs are back on his latest release, Blackbird. Recorded in Nashville, Sultan’s third album features the smooth earworm single ‘Under Your Skin’, already a triple j staple. Fresh from sharing the stage with Bruce Springsteen, Sultan’s next move is launching the album by embarking on a nationwide tour. Blackbird is available 4 April, but catch Sultan before then as he hits UC’s Zierholz on Thursday February 27.

Support from Cairns four-piece rockers The Medics. Doors at 8pm, tickets $42.85 from Oztix.

WHO: Chris Harland Blues Band WHAT: Blues WHEN: Fri Feb 28, Sat Mar 22 WHERE: Harmonie German Club, Old Canberra Inn

Having nabbed the award for Best Instrumentalist of the Year by the Canberra Blues Society a few years back, Brit-born Chris Harland has a stack of shows lined up with new recruit keyboardist Wayne Kelly in tow. In his acclaimed techinques, Harland channels the classics such as Muddy Waters and B.B King, as well as Jimmy Page and Eric Clapton.

First up, Harland and his Blues Band will be hitting Harmonie German Club. Doors open at 8pm. Catch them at the Old Canberra Inn next month, with doors at 9pm.

WHO: Pete Wild & the Only Ones WHAT: Single Launch WHEN: Fri Feb 28 WHERE: The Front

Pete Wild & the Only Ones are taking their indie folk rock to The Front for a night of well-crafted storytelling and beautiful melodies. Travelling from the South Coast, Pete Wild & the Only Ones draws inspiration from a plethora of genres, balancing theatrics out with a large dose of sincerity. Also on the line up is piano, double bass and guitar trio Hashemoto, whose rousing strains have quickly captured local audiences hearts.

Bec Taylor (Fun Machine, Hashemoto) will be kicking off the night with a stripped-down solo set of pianoand vocals. $15 or $10 concession. Doors at 7:30pm.

WHO: Slow Turismo WHAT: Single Launch WHEN: Fri Feb 28 WHERE: Transit Bar

Already wowing audiences at West Bank festival, new kids on the block Slow Turismo, are all set to launch their new single at Transit Bar. After wanting to put their hard-earned degrees to good use (three are music school graduates, the other a “drifter”), they formed late last year. Boasting members of Rubycon and Elisha Bones, Slow Turismo draw from a wide pool of influences to create a sweet indie pop. Single ‘Breathe’ is a sweet hit of summery indie, with vocals reminiscent of English 80s gloomy indie (Smiths, Felt, Orange Juice – take your pick). Supported by The Steptones and Architect DJs. 8pm. Door price TBA.

WHO: Academy WHAT: Academy tenth Birthday WHEN: Thu–Sun Mar 6–9 WHERE: Academy

After popping up in the cinema complex a mere ten years ago, local dance music hub Academy will be celebrating its longevity with a massive thank you gift to its loyal punters. Kicking things off on Thursday, Australian DJ and producer Will Sparks will be in the house. On Friday, Swedish house master Eric Prydz is hauling his Pryda & Friends road show to Academy for a massive three hour set. Saturday brings the love with a line-up of Academy resident DJs spanning the last decade. And celebrations don’t cool off on Sunday, with DJ Revolution hitting the decks.

WHO:Los Coronas WHAT: Australian tour WHEN: Sat Mar 8 WHERE: Uncle Ben’s Electric Garden

Renowned for their high-energy live sets – and their penchant for cowboy hats and fringing, Spain’s Los Coronas will be bringing their surf-soaked rock and roll to Canberra for the Enlighten festival. Stopping by as part of their national tour – which will see them play Golden Plains and WOMADelaide, Los Coronas are geared up to sweep local’s into a frenzy. Fusing 60s garage and surf rock with Spanish folk, they’ve captured audience’s world over with their raw performances. Do your hips a favour and bring them along to shake them senseless. Los Coronas are on at 10pm, entry is free.

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ALLAN SKO My fondest memory of CHARLIE PICKERING stretches back more years than I care to count, to a mystical time known as “2003” when I was but a wide-eyed University of Canberra student. The scene was the then-traditional O-week comedy night. Big Brad Oakes was the MC, with Pickering and Dave Hughes as the main acts. And the crowd. Were. Feral.

The packed house of students had properly got into the spirit (or spirits) of O-Week and collectively started drinking at 7am that morning. It was now 8pm.

The UC Bar resembled Bob’s Country Bunker from The Blues Brothers.

“I remember [that gig] very clearly,” Pickering says. “I was still really new, I was backstage with Dave and Brad and the crowd were out of control. And we were thinking, ‘I don’t know about this.’

But I didn’t know enough to be scared so I was like, ‘Nah, let’s do this, it will be fine.’ I remember having a really good gig! I really hope we can assemble the same bunch of students for a reunion,” he adds, somewhat dryly.

The reason for the affable Pickering’s return to the pristine piece of planet known as Canberra is for the second ever Canberra Comedy Festival, a miasma of mirth happening in early March featuring 24 shows including the Doug Anthony All Stars, Chris Taylor and Andrew Hansen.

“Comedy festivals are always the most attended events,” Pickering says. “People can see different types of comedy which is really important. If you only ever see the big acts that come to town you miss out on where comedy’s currently at. Festivals comprise great new acts that can’t travel regularly, or couldn’t fill a theatre without a festival. I feel happy to be able to jump on the bandwagon nice and early.”

Pickering is as genial in interview as he is on TV, presenting as a man deserving of all his success, from co-hosting ratings hit The Project to taking to the road.

“It’s still a joy,” he says of stand-up. “I can be completely free with it. I don’t have censors, I don’t have network guidelines or a PG timeslot which are all the things that frustrate me about my day job. It’s made me more reckless and fearless. Now I’ll go on with ideas I’ve had that day. The joke name I have for it is ‘Jazz Talking’ because for me it’s like good jazz – you need to know what all the notes are, you need to know what the shape of a song or joke or story is, but you should feel like you’re creating every time you’re going out there, and improvise.

“The last gig I did was this little room in Melbourne with about 30 people and I told the story of going to a jazz gig but as a piece of jazz and making it up as I went along. Not all of it worked but I got off the stage and went, ‘Alright… That’s something I haven’t done before!’ ” Speaking of something not done before, all this talk on the art of comedy dredged up a forgotten idea.

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“About ten years ago I started writing a show on the premise of being the warm-up act for every great speech,” Pickering remembers, with evident excitement. “I wrote a warm-up act for Jesus’s Sermon on the Mount, Martin Luther King’s I Have A Dream, Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address, ject Pro The of s ing Rat Winston Churchill’s went up at exactly the We Shall Fight Them same time that I changed On The Beaches… my hair… My hair’s going It was two thirds written but I didn’t to need its own agent have time to finish it; it’s sitting on an old computer somewhere. Shit, now that I mention it… I wish I was doing that show in Canberra! That would kill… I’m glad we had this chat! I’ll have to dust that off.”

A comic and his ideas cannot exist without the influence of others and Pickering is forthcoming with his favourites.

“Historically my favourite comedian is Peter Cook,” he says. “I’m still also really into Bill Hicks, he was formative for me. I think Will Ferrell is the funniest person on the planet. Also Steve Coogan.

They’re the best comedic actors in the world.

“Also, the other thing I’m really into at the moment is Key & Peele on the Comedy Channel. I would put them up there with Monty Python’s Flying Circus, That Mitchell & Webb Look or Big Train…

They are making some of the pound-for-pound best comedy out there at the moment. They have a Mr T sketch that is one of the funniest sketches… By three minutes in I stopped feeling like I was watching Peele. I was going, ‘Hang on, fuck, he is so good at this I’ve forgotten it’s not actually Mr T.’ And Kristen Wiig is fantastic too.”

At Wiig’s name, I mention the apparent surge in female comedy, certainly as far as Hollywood is concerned with films like Bridesmaids and The Heat.

“I’ve never thought of ‘male’ and ‘female’ comedians; you’re either funny or you’re not,” Pickering says. “And Kristen Wiig is a cracking example. She’ll be on Saturday Night Live with Will Ferrell and she’s the one saying the funny stuff. She dominates it, holds it.

And I think it’s great that there are now movies that reflect that because, to be honest, then we can all stop talking about it.”

Although Pickering says he celebrates other acts, there is one he keeps an eye on that’s a little closer to home; his hair.

“The ratings of The Project went up at exactly the same time that I changed my hair. I thought maybe there’s something in that but if I did then my hair’s going to need its own agent.”

Charlie Pickering will be performing his self-titled show at 7:30pm and 9pm on Saturday March 8 at the Canberra Theatre Centre. Tix from canberracomedyfestival.com.au/artists/charlie-pickering.

The Canberra Comedy Festival runs Tue–Sun March 4–9. Head to canberracomedyfestival.com.au for full details and tickets.

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cody atkinson Nah, what’d it say? Well, Justin Burford from End of Fashion reckons that triple j and Richard Kingsmill killed their band off because they didn’t play their second or third albums. Because When was the last it was “just another pop release”.

It had nothing to do with their time you heard a One ey Mil second and third albums sounding or ion ect Dir Name? triple j Haterz. like hot garbage and them sucking j? le trip on g Cyrus son as a live band. Let me break out Age? As old as triple j itself. the caps here. END OF FASHION Location? In endless “think pieces”, band practices, cool cafés, SUCK AS A BAND AND THAT’S WHAT KILLED THEIR CAREER. NOT music forums and the audiences of gigs nationwide.

A LACK OF SUPPORT FROM TRIPLE J. There, I feel better now.

Hated by some and really hated by others, triple j has become an exceedingly easy target for criticism. From personalities to playlists, hating on the national broadcaster is now more stylish than actually listening to the station. Cody Atkinson looks at the reasons why.

What is it? People hating a radio station for not playing the exact type of music that they like and instead playing something that is different. SHOCK HORROR. AUSTRALIANS DON’T LIKE SOMETHING THAT ISN’T WHAT THEY ARE OR LIKE. Srsly? Well, that might be a bit overblown, but triple j criticism can be broken down four ways:

1. triple j is way too mainstream

2. triple j is not nearly mainstream enough

3. triple j won’t play my band

4. triple j are taxpayer funded so they should play exactly what I want all the time. ALL THE TIME. So how is Australia’s national youth broadcaster too mainstream?

Haven’t you heard? They just play “skip hop”, commercial “indie” rock bands and shitty sensitive folk music. Why, I was listening the other day and I didn’t hear a single Norwegian Black Metal song nor any minimal glitch. Mainstream posers.

Yeah, triple j is pretty mainstream. Or is it? When was the last time you heard a One Direction or Miley Cyrus song on triple j?

Ummmm, never? Exactly. If triple j was legit about representing the youth of Australia, they’d play what the youth really want.

Which can be worked out by the iTunes chart. Just loop the top 100 on the chart triple j and none of your indie crap please. Unless it’s popular indie crap. Or my band.

That’s right, triple j never plays your band. I guess that’s really why you hate them? It’s not just me and my band, it’s everyone’s band. I mean, you read that End of Fashion article on news.com.au and on fasterlouder.com.au?

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End of Fashion being a terrible band (which they are) aside, isn’t triple j an expensive burden on the taxpayer? Well, yes and no. The cost of all ABC Radio services nationwide is somewhere around $358 million, including transmission costs. Across the entire Australian population, the rough cost is about $15 per person per year. Considering that there are five terrestrial radio networks run by the ABC plus digital stations, triple j would cost each Aussie in the vicinity of $1–3 per year to run. Or 0.2 cents a day. Which would get you 0.0016 of an iTunes song. If you’re so disappointed with triple j for this reason, I’ll happily send you a dollar for you to stop talking about it (requests valid only for two weeks, must be sent with self-addressed reply-paid envelope and a $5 processing fee to BMA, CO “I’M A FREAKING CHEAPSKATE, GIVE ME A DOLLAR”).

Okay, I think I get what you’re saying? Yeah?

Well, triple j tries to find a balance between alternative and popular, won’t play your shitty band (unless they’re not shitty) and is pretty cheap to run considering the alternatives. And that’s the crux. There’s only so much airtime available and you’ll never hear exactly what you want. triple j gets to play around 350 four-minute songs a day, which isn’t much in the grand scheme of things. I don’t listen to triple j anymore and I haven’t regularly done so for a fair whack of time. But I’m pretty happy with how my dollar a year is being spent. I’d be ecstatic if they pushed the boundaries a bit more and played some edgier Australian and international music.

But I also understand they have an underlying mission, namely to be the national youth broadcaster and to foster Australian music to that audience where possible. Everything else is secondary.

Final question. Will the Haterz ever stop? Nah, haterz gonna hate.

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LOCALITY

While Locality usually focuses on live gigs, sometimes it’s nice to sit back and relax with a Canberran record or two, and there’s plenty of new releases to get excited about. This issue, I’ll walk through a few with you, and offer some advice as to how you can best enjoy them.

From The South’s second album, Cool, Cool Memories is the perfect way to wave goodbye to summer, with a delightfully chilled out vibe (oh god, no pun intended). It comes either digitally via the Birds Love Fighting label bandcamp page, or as a limited edition 12” vinyl LP, which comes in a fetching shade of purple. Serving suggestion: listening to this jangly, understated album with a beer or lemon squash in hand while hanging out with friends or reading a much loved book.

After months of anticipation, Fun Machine has finally dropped their first full-length album and it’s exactly the bundle of joy and madness that one would expect from Canberra’s Most Colourful Band. Bodies On features all the tracks that have become crowd favourites over the last year or more, fleshing out tracks with even more layers without becoming too gaudy, and alternating between the charming tongue-in-cheek ridiculousness they’re renowned for with some more delicate moments. From start to finish, it’s absolutely killer, and definitely one for your collection. Serving suggestion: the ideal soundtrack to your next food fight or whenever you feel the need to crash a wedding.

Julia and the Deep Sea Sirens have spent a good chunk of the last few weeks holed up in the Linear Recording studio complex in Sydney, and are almost ready to unleash their third album. Word is that it’s a little bit racier than their previous releases, especially in terms of the new single, “Lake George”, which is due for release in the coming weeks, with a national tour announcement to follow.

Since there’s yet to be a taste test, I can’t really make a solid recommendation, but I would say that it will probably pair well with lemonade, sipped on the porch in a floral sundress.

If you want both a new album and a launch gig to attend, Kid of Harith has got your back. After two years of making and mastering with a range of local collaborators, he’s releasing his first album, Tatemae, into the wild. To celebrate the launch of this debut, there’ll be a bash at Smith’s Alternative on Friday February 28, with Shisd, Reuben Ingall and Houl also playing. Entry is $7, or $15 if you also want a USB copy of the album, complete with digital artwork and other goodies.Of course, the biggest local music story of the last few weeks has been the fire in the Sydney Building, which put The Phoenix out of action, and a lot of bands out of a gig. There’s been some shuffling of events between alternate venues, but if you’re looking for the latest updates, you can find all the answers on their Facebook page. Flick them a friend request and remember that no, you will not be the first to make the “joke” about “rising from the ashes”. So just don’t, okay?

NONI DOLL nonijdoll@gmail.com @NoniDoll

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Image credit: Darren Bastecky

Born in the blues Baz ruddick

“Mister Bradley, are you there? Can you hear me?” I repeated again and again. “I can hear you man, but it’s like you somewhere in a forest real, real far away”, he responded with a calming drawl.

For twenty odd minutes CHARLES BRADLEY and myself back and forthed in our virtual VoIP forest, patiently trying to understand each other and have a proper conversation.

Even with the substandard buffer of internet telephony between us, I managed to get a sense of who Bradley is. In a monotonous musical landscape, Bradley is a shining beacon of soul and beauty. A funky crooner with genuine heart, soul and motivation for his art, wailing to the sky with everything he has. With a voice that surpasses that of James Brown in soul and depth, it’s hard to believe that Bradley spent the majority of his life as an unknown. Having not gained musical success until his sixties, Bradley experienced a real life.

A hard life in and out of poverty. “Born in the blues,” he says. And sadly, with his mother passing days earlier, it was another blue time

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If you were born in it, then you will go in and out of it your whole life

for Bradley. “I am just trying to hold my head together and be strong... The tour is my motivation to keep me going. The only thing I have ever known is the blues. If you were born in it, then you will go in and out of it your whole life.”

In 2010, moonlighting as a James Brown impersonator, former cook and handyman, Bradley was discovered by Gabriel Roth of Daptone Records. After a lifetime in the working-class, things quickly took off for a 62 year old Bradley as he started recording with Thomas Brenneck.

“My success came to me at a late age and I feel bittersweet because I have been searching for this opportunity ever since I was sixteen years old. I wanted to do music 24/7 but life didn’t give me that opportunity. So I had to do handyman work and do my music on the side. That is what I have been doing most of my life – trying to find a way to keep my music alive. There is still a lot of work ahead of me.”

A real musician to the heart, Bradley’s motives for his music are simple – give the crowd everything he has, sing the song of every man and let his spirit free. With his super tight band The Extraordinaires, Bradley aims to give his best performance every time.

“I need the band not to just be an instrument but to be soulful.

Otherwise I will just come out like a robot. And I don’t want that. I want to come out and let my spirit free and give you all my best show.

I come out to be real and I need the band to break it down so I can let my spirit free.”

Charles Bradley and his Extraordinaires will be playing a free gig at Enlighten festival at the National Portrait Gallery, Saturday March 1 at 8pm.

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From Little Things mel cerato Non-for-profit organisation RE-GEN’s REGROWTH FESTIVAL is an environmentally sustainable event bringing together music and nature-friendly activities for a twist on the traditional festival. Held in Berlang Forest, about an hour and a half drive from Canberra, the festival is in its ninth year and according to organiser and co-director David LeBreton, it’ll be the biggest one yet.

The Regrowth Festival started off as a two-day event with one stage attended by a few hundred people and this year it has expanded to a four-day extravaganza with about 12,000 people expected to attend.“Now we are up to three dedicated music stages, plus we’ve got a dedicated workshop spaces, healing space, markets, kids space and a cinema,” LeBreton says happily.

“All these things have been slowly added over the years so we could grow sustainably.”The popularity of the festival means that this year the three music stages will be home to 133 music acts, ranging from electronic acts to folk bands to DJ’s. “We’re really excited about the line-up this year, probably the biggest line-up we’ve had so far in our nine years of doing the festival,” LeBreton says happily. “We’ve got a really good range of artists.”

It’s a really nice feeling for all the pieces of the jigsaw to come together on that weekend

In amongst the huge music line-up is a bunch of other stuff to do, including 25 different environmentally-themed workshops, markets to stroll through and the all important key event, the tree-planting days. “Tree-planting has always been a core part of [the festival], ever since the first one, the tree-planting element has always been a big part of it,” LeBreton explains. “This year we’ve tried something different, we’ve done a crowd-funding campaign to raise money for the trees and that has been very successful. It worked really well and it’s definitely something we will try again in the future.”

Another of Regrowth festival’s key differences from your average music fest is the family-friendly aspect of the whole experience. “We try to encourage people to bring along their families and create a nice relaxed vibe throughout the weekend and the music represents that, especially during the day time, we’ve got a lot of live solo and duos and folk acts with a laid-back vibe to them.”Putting together a festival is hard work, as LeBreton freely admits, but planning an environmentally-aware camping festival has its own rewards. “You spend a lot of time planning and all the coordinators volunteer their time so it’s a really nice feeling for all the pieces of the jigsaw to come together on that weekend. I’m looking forward to the tree-planting, it is always a highlight for me. The big act of people coming together to raise a new little forest from a few thousand trees and helping people plant who have never planted a tree before in their life.”

The Regrowth Festival will be held from Friday February 28 to Monday March 3 in the Berlang Forest, Major’s Creek. Tickets are $170 online, available from re-gen.org.au, or $200 at the gate.

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Ian McCarthy Most people know DAYNE RATHBONE as a dark, inventive and hilariously awkward comedian and that was certainly the Rathbone I expected to meet. Instead, I met an intriguingly thoughtful, intensely warm and passionate man. Rathbone turned out to be one of the most fascinating and extraordinary people I have ever encountered.

As I arrived at the door of the humble suburban townhouse in which Rathbone resides, I was greeted

by Mike, an exceptionally friendly cinematographer who is working on a documentary about Rathbone and his upcoming show, It’s Me Mandela. I was mic’d up and then escorted to a tidy bedroom which consisted of a well-made single bed, a large wooden wardrobe and a desk that supported two computer monitors: one of which was displaying the poster for Rathbone’s upcoming show and the other displaying a game of Dota which my presence had clearly interrupted.

Nevertheless, Rathbone was polite, friendly and spoke with very few reservations about his beginnings in comedy, his upcoming show or the troubled history of his home-country, South Africa.

Rathbone gained national attention as the winner of the Raw Comedy Competition in 2011, but his first ever stand-up performance was at The Front Café & Gallery, right here in Canberra. Speaking of the performance, Rathbone says, “I first went to watch everyone perform and I was really scared even to watch everyone…I tried to be really cool about it. I wore a jacket and everything.”

The jacket, according to Rathbone, was a mistake. “It went quite good but I thought part of the reason it didn’t go that good is because I was just trying to be too cool about it. So if you just try to tell everyone ‘Hey, this is what I’m gonna talk about,’ and don’t try to wear a jacket, then people will like it more.”

Jacket or no jacket, Rathbone turned out to be a comedic genius and now performs at shows and festivals all around Australia and the world. His unique personality, awkward timing and inventive antics are all part of what sets Rathbone apart from other comedians. One example of his distinctive ingenuity is the inclusion of pre-written poems, stories and letters to his audiences. He explains, “If an audience comes in and starts watching the show and you come on stage and you just start telling a joke…people are like, ‘I don’t even know who this person is.’ But if you write a letter saying ‘Hello, I’m Dayne, this is why I did show and thanks to everyone for coming,’ like, that’s a way better way to start it.”

Rathbone has built himself a platform as a performer and now he’s ready to use it. His next show, which he says is, “more of a play, not actually like comedy,” and will premiere at the Canberra Comedy Festival on Wednesday March 5, is titled It’s Me Mandela.

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The show is built around Rathbone’s childhood growing up in the midst of apartheid and anti-apartheid movements in South Africa and the presidency of Nelson Mandela. “I was thinking about doing a show all about Obama. That is funny. But then when Mandela died it reminded me of all the things that happened in South Africa…so I thought ‘Let me do a more serious kind of show about Mandela and South Africa…’”

I tried to be really cool about it. I wore a jacket and everything

Rathbone speaks very avidly and lovingly of Mandela and his role in South Africa’s history. He says, “After Mandela came in he just said ‘Let’s just begin. Everyone start from fresh,’ and that just changed my whole life…” He also spoke about the recent passing of Mandela, saying, “At first I was sad about it…my mum always says that every time something finishes something else starts. So don’t be sad about it. There could be another Mandela.”

He is obviously extremely passionate about the show and in fact, plans to spend his proceeds selflessly.

“One of the main whole reasons to do the show is to donate the money to a charity which helps kids in South Africa.”

His reason for such generosity? “When I was small, one of my best friends got kidnapped and they turned his penis into medicine for a witch-doctor and he got helped a lot by the charity.”

Rathbone admits that opening up about certain aspects of his life in South Africa is not something he loves to do, but he is still determined to spread his message.

“It’s not difficult. It’s more like I don’t like to do it, but I do think that if everyone watches the show and thinks about it afterward then it’s still worth doing that.”

Rathbone hopes his show will not only entertain, but also educate.

He said, “If you don’t know anything about South Africa and you come to the show, afterwards, even if you didn’t like the show you will still say ‘now I know what happened.’”

About the show, Rathbone warns, “If you like all my other stuff, I don’t think it’s gonna be the same as that.”

Whether or not it turns out to be traditionally funny, It’s Me Mandela, has clearly had passion, thought, knowledge and emotion poured into it on top of the usual time and effort.

It will still be a product of Rathbone’s unique wistfulness and inventiveness and for that reason alone, will definitely be worth watching.

Dayne Rathbone will be performing It’s Me Mandela at the Canberra Theatre, Wednesday March 5 and Thursday March 6.

Tickets $22.50 + bf through Canberra Theatre.

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THE REALNESS Late last year the first round of the KP Records Main Event was taken out by local MC Toad. Main Event Round 2 returns to ANU Bar on Friday March 21, and will see Toad defend his title. If you think you have the skills to knock Toad of his perch and claim the Main Event title and $1000 prize money then head to kokyprik.com and register today. Greeley will be joined on the judging panel with Manaz Ill and Rates, who will also be throwing down a set each in between rounds.

English MC Yungun has switched his name up and is now going under the pseudonym ESSA. It can’t be an easy decision to basically re-brand yourself once your name is certified in the game. So, ESSA has teamed up with Perth-based producer TA-KU to deliver his latest track ‘Call Me Essa’. This is a very tasty snack for fans to digest until his new album Misadventures of a Middle Man drops in the coming months.

So I wouldn’t be doing my job if I didn’t at least mention one J Dilla tribute during Dilla Month (February). There are numerous tributes, mixes, and events thrown down every February to honour the late great J Dilla. While they are all worthy of a mention, I’m sure they are easy enough to find via the various search engines out there.

However, there was one video that is worthy of singling out for attention. Phife Dawg has created a beautiful ode to the man on ‘Dear Dilla’. The track is backed up with an excellent video that has numerous cameos from the Detroit and Hip Hop community.

The video also touches on Phife’s own medical tribulations living with diabetes.

Okay, one last Dilla post, seeing it would have been his 40th birthday and all. House Shoes has followed up his critically acclaimed ‘The King James Version’ mix from last year, with The New Testament, The King James Version Volume Two. Same formula as Volume One, all vinyl mix digging deep into the sample sources used by Dilla.

Valentine’s Day has passed for another year, but don’t let that stop you grabbing a copy of Willie Evens Jr’s instrumental project The Love Circle EP. The bio with the EP states the beats where created in the midst of a bad break up. Willie was forced to hide out in his studio for 24 hrs while a crazed ex stalked him outside with a machete. Whilst held up in his bunker, he knocked out this instrumental joint. The story might be fictional, but the beats definitely aren’t.

LA funkateer DãM FunK has uploaded a couple of unreleased cassette tape recordings to his Soundcloud page. He has dug into the cassette racks of his personal bedroom recording archive, dating back to 1989 and 1994. Take a journey back in time and get ready to get ya groove on.

The beat tape scene is showing no signs of slowing down any time soon. New labels are popping up each week, and amongst them is the California based Goldie Records. They have just released their first project called Words With The Son by beatmaker Lifted Aquatic, which is available now via their Bandcamp page or on limited cassette. Keep an eye on this label.

BERT POLE - bertpole@hotmail.com

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DANCE THE DROP

Let’s look at Andy. Andy was raised in a middle class household; his mother was an educator and his father an office worker. Andy’s first music teacher was morning music television, which did little more than highlight how beige his father’s record collection was. He liked music because it was popular. Music made him feel included, but it didn’t make him ‘feel’.

Years later, Andy would walk past a record store. The sound blaring out of the old cobwebbed speakers perched above the door was exciting, new. It beckoned him to go inside and pick up the dusty CD cover perched on the ‘Now Playing’ stand. The cover said Global Underground 09 – Sasha in San Francisco in big letters. It was the year 2000, Andy was me and this was the moment I fell in love with progressive house music.

Dance music wasn’t commercially popular back then; it didn’t attract the same big money as pop or RnB so it wasn’t puked out by every plastic halfwit with a hunger for greenbacks. Dance music wasn’t being forced down your throat back then, it ‘found’ you. Once it found you, you did your own research into what you liked best and you sought it out. Because it wasn’t as easy to find, there was this warm feeling of accomplishment when you located a fresh album or amazing track – you felt like you really owned it.

I think that modern day popular club music has its merits, but only because it can be a gateway to individual musical exploration. Don’t wait for the industry to deliver you its next throwaway club hit – go out and find something unique to yourself that you may very well love forever.

Sometimes an event comes along and smacks you in the face like you just talked back to Chris Brown. The world’s most infamous aerophobic, Eric Prydz was allegedly taken down with an elephant tranquiliser, strapped into a padded box and stuffed deep inside the cargo hold of a Qantas jet, which managed to make it all the way across the Pacific Ocean and into Australian airspace. Academy has put their hand up to host the inaugural Pryda Friends tour on Friday March 8.

Paul Azzopardi has been around the block a few times and it’s not because he forgot where he lives. Since leaving Canberra in his wake, he has gone on to become one of Sydney’s top event managers. Here is some essential advice on how to achieve success as a club promoter from the man himself: “You need to establish who your market is, whether it’s based on music style, age or demographic. Spread your marketing far and wide – word of mouth is usually the best form of marketing so be social and put together content which is interactive for people to engage with for your online content and work hard.”

After-event marketing is just as important as pre-event marketing, so make sure you capture photos from the night and video content and keep an eye out for any videos your crowd have made and posted on sites like YouTube. Put these up the week following your event to show the people that didn’t go what they missed on so they make sure they are at the next one.”

TIM GALVIN tim.galvin@live.com.au

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Sydney’s KANG, Steel City Rugrats, and The Acid Monkeys along with Canberra’s own beloved No Assumption.

On Friday March 28, the Magpies Club will play host to the kings of badass band names. Ted Danson With Wolves (formerly known as Crouching 80s Hidden Acronym) will be stopping by Canberra on tour for their debut album WWTDWWD? Oh, hey. I didn’t notice you there. I was a bit too busy thinking about all of the kick-ass punk shows that are happening.

Seriously, the month of March is going to be awesome, and here’s why: Party-hard ska-punks The Bennies will be busting out a set at The Phoenix on Thursday March 13. They will be joined by friends Apart From This and also by local support from Rather Be Dead.

On Friday March 14, as part of the annual You Are Here Festival, Cinnamon Records will be taking over their own stage at The Phoenix to showcase their favourite bands, local and interstate, punk and otherwise.

Performing on the night will be Primary Colours, Orlando Furious, Territory, Yard Duty, Sex Noises, Spartak and TV Colours frontman Bobby Kill performing his own solo set. I hear you asking “How much will this fantastic experience be sucking out of my wallet?” Zilch, my friends. Zero dollars. It will be F-R-E-E.

(I worked it out: What Would Ted Danson With Wolves Do? – aren’t I clever?) and will be supported by yet-to-be-confirmed acts who an inside sources insists “will be juicy.”

Last and the exact opposite of least (most?), Melbourne folk-punk phenomenon, The Smith Street Band, will be taking over Transit Bar on Sunday March 30.

They will be joined by The Menzingers, all the way from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania for what is sure to be one of the biggest nights on this year’s Canberra punk calendar!

As always, remember to tune into Haircuts & T-shirts on 2XX FM. The show is on from 9:30 –11pm every Monday night and includes a range of the best local, interstate and international punk, hardcore, and Americana.

So yeah, March is going to be fucking massive! Go out to as many shows as you can and drink, mosh and hurl abuses at your favourite/ least favourite bands.

On the very same night, Tasmania’s Luca Brasi will be stopping by the Magpies Club as part of their By a Thread album launch tour.

They will be supported by Post Blue, Veara, and Silver Lining.

Also keep your eyes on this space for more great local punk shows to come. Reading this column will save you like at least 30 minutes on the internet.

On Saturday March 15, Garbage Face Music will present a night of killer punk bands at The Basement. The show will include sets from

Think of all the excellent cat videos you won’t miss out on. Love me.

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IAN McCARTHY

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METALISE So how was Soundwave? I guess the review in this ish or next will tell you our BMA folks on the ground thoughts on the mega-fest, but there sure seemed to be a lot of drama leading up to the event following the publication of time tables on Twitter. Whitechapel tragically had to pull out due the death of someone in Phil Bozeman’s immediate family, but there seemed to be some touchy reactions to AJ Maddah’s Twitter policy of communicating issues.

Following Megadeth pulling out, Newstead also pulled out along with four other acts, bringing the total to seven bands removing themselves from the festival. Well, it’s all over and done with for another year so onwards and upwards we go.

8 Foot Sativa and Frankenbok are touring Australia together in April for eight shows, including headlining the Metal Fiesta Five event here at The Basement on Friday April 11. Touring under the Anzac Assault banner, the New Zealand band is promoting their new album The Shadow Masters which they’ve self released.

The Basement’s got a ridiculously packed line up of shows for the next couple of weeks with Wretch drummer Duncan having his 40th birthday bash featuring Psynonemous, New Blood, Dead Life, Inhuman Remnants and of course a set from his own band too.

My gig of the fortnight is the Obscene Extreme Festival sideshow featuring Italians Cripple Bastards, Jig-Ai from the Czech Republic, Dark Horse and Hygine for a mere $20 bucks on Thursday 6 March and that should be a bag tearing ripper of a grind show.

Locals Tortured have been a formidable force in the Canberra metal scene since 2008 playing a ton of shows and putting out that killer record A Lesson In Holocaust a couple of years back. They’re on the cusp of releasing a new EP and have an Aussie tour coming up later in the year with US band Abolishment of Flesh.

What they don’t have is a guitar player to round their line up out due to a recent departure. If you have chops and are interested in committing to a serious touring band with existing commitments, get in touch with Brendan and the lads at info@torturedband.com – being brutal is a pre-requisite.

Russian Circles have been semi regular visitors to Australia in recent years and this time the fine folks at Life Is Noise are bringing the three piece out to promote their new album Memorial.

They’ll be at the Manning Bar in Sydney Saturday May 3 – Oztix and lifeisnoise.com have tickets if you wanna get in ahead of the crowd.

Also just announced is the return of Killswitch Engage to the country in April for five dates. Along for the ride is the “supergroup” Kill Devil Hill who feature ex-members of Pantera, Down, Dio and Black Sabbath and that’s just Rex Brown and Vinny Appice’s resume. The bands will play the UNSW Roundhouse in Sydney at a licenced all ages show on Saturday April 12.

JOSH NIXON doomtildeath@hotmail.com

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

ZINE ZEALOTRY baz ruddick Zine. zi:n / noun informal. 1. A magazine, especially a fanzine.

The CANBERRA ZINE EMPORIUM is a collective group of Canberra based writers, artists, scrappers, scribblers, sketchers and anything else you can think of who express themselves through the lesser understood medium of the zine. Usually handmade, offline, photocopied and distributed in physical format, the zine is a DIY method of expression. This year at the You Are Here festival, the Canberra Zine Emporium are launching their brand spanking new zine vending machine, bringing the underground world of zines to the mainstream community and showcasing the very best talent of Canberra writers and artists. I spoke to Canberra Zine Emporium founders Nat Clark and Chiara Grassia about the world of zines, establishing the collective and their vending machine.

So what exactly is a zine? Grassia shares with me her definition.

“It’s a handmade magazine – very DIY, photocopied, self-published and can be about anything and everything. More often than not they come from voices out of the mainstream and people who don’t have a clear voice. The process is self-directed. You make the content, you design it and you put it together. You could make one in an hour or you could make one in months.”

Formed in late 2012, the Canberra Zine Emporium was the first effort at uniting the underground scene of zines in Canberra.

“We started the collective to find other people in Canberra who were making zines” says Grassia. “The scene used to fluctuate.

Sometimes there were a bunch of Zine fairs and other times there was nothing at all”. The unification of the ziners has led to an established crew of enthusiasts with regular fairs and events.

With the challenge of distribution in mind, why not stock Canberra Zines in a purpose-built vending machine? “We wondered what we could do to promote it to people who may not be aware that this medium is still around,” Clark shares with me. “You see all sorts of stuff for sale in vending machines in Japan and the U.S”. And so it was born.

Purchased from eBay, a non-electric, mechanical machine to distribute Canberra Zines for the low low price of two dollars. With a fresh spray job, the zine vending machine will be debuting at the You Are Here festival on Thursday March 13, taking place in the festival hub for the duration of the event before going on a six month tour around the ACT.

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“It’s a cool physical way of distributing zines,” states Grassia. “It’s a nice tactile way of getting them out there and an interesting way to engage people.”

Having received an arts grant from the ACT government, the financial burden of the zine-machine was eased a little and the full potential of the machine was realised. “It is going to have a six month tour around art centres in the ACT. It’s going north, south, east and west in the territory and we are still talking to different groups about hosting it,” Clark tells me. “We have also had interest from Sydney, Melbourne and Perth. I guess it’s a case of ‘watch this space’ for next year. We might have quite a few vending machines! I think it’s a very novel approach to promoting Canberra practitioners and getting their work out to the public. So the aim for the next six months is to say ‘this is the work of a bunch of awesome Canberra writers and comic folk- check out what they have to say.’”

So what sort of zines can we expect to see in the vending machines?

With 12 different zines on show, the offering is going to be very diverse. “You will have your personal zines, art zines, fanzines, political zines. You will have some comics. There is going to be a great diversity into what will be in the machine!” states Nat. However, the crème of Canberra zines on offer is just the start of it. The Zine Emporium is optimistic that the Zine Machine will spark further zine creation among the community. “We are going to be interacting with the Tuggeranong Arts Centre and putting the machine down there. They have a program called Messengers where they will be getting young people to produce zines, so who knows what they have got to say.”

Aside from the Zine vending machine launch, the Zine Emporium will also be hosting a Pecha Kucha-style event on Saturday March 22 and an all-day zine fair at Gorman Arts Centre on Sunday March 23, including a panel discussion that centres on DIY culture in Canberra (Canberra- we make our own fun). The Zine fair will also play host to a slew of interstate and international enthusiasts and publishers including the Sydney’s Refugee Art project, Melbourne’s Sticky Institute, Canberra’s Rip Publishing and Sydney’s Rizzeria collective.

It’s zines galore with the zine vending machine launch at You Are Here hub (old ANZ bank in Civic) on Thursday March 13, zine slide show Saturday March 22 at The Cupping Room and zine fair on Sunday March 23 at Gorman House Arts Centre. For more details, keep your eyes on Canberra Zine Emporium Facebook page.

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IN SAFE HANDS zoe pleasants Australian National Capital Artists (ANCA) is an initiative that supports artists to produce and showcase their work. Their first exhibition for this year is SAFE PASSAGE, a series of new works by four Canberra-based artists – Jacqueline Bradley, Karen Cromwell, Hanna Hoyne and Amelia Zaraftis.

Bradley makes art from objects she finds in op-shops, antique shops and the tip. For Safe Passage she made a series of works using shoes, suitcase handles, spirit levels and piano keys. Although the tip is full of stuff, when you’re looking for a particular size or style resources are limited. “I go with my list [of objects] everyday for many weeks but because I am quite particular, it means I often go and find nothing even though there are hundreds of pairs of shoes!” she says.

Bradley was looking for shoes that implied her own figure, to give her art an autobiographical element. “That’s where I feel most comfortable,” she says. “So the shoes are in the size of my foot and I only choose shoes I would wear myself.” She describes her works as being about staying calm, stable and maintaining equilibrium, while taking a journey. “I think shoes are like a metaphor for that because they are connected to the ground and the way you move forward is with your feet,” she said.

In contrast, the collaborative works of Hoyne and Zarafitis depict a person’s internal journey or crisis taking place within the confines of an ordinary suburban backyard. When Hoyne and Zarafitis started collaborating, Hoyne had just had her first baby so her kitchen, dining room and backyard became their studio. “At that time, the Hills Hoist, fence and the parched lawn started to resonate with us,” explains Zarafitis. “We thought there is something here we can play with together, particularly because, well for Hanna, she’d just had a baby and it’s that time when your world shrinks.”

They came together when Hoyne was feeling burnt out from making art and Zarafitis was emerging from having a family and wanting to make more art again. Their partnership is mutually supportive, helping reinvigorate Hoyne and relaunch Zarafitis. Their work has a performance element to it which they photographed for the exhibition, inspired by their backyard setting.

There are three stages to their performance. As Hoyne explains, “first, the tea towels reveal the words DO NOT CRUSH. Second, a woman is burdened down by this over-abundance of pegs and finally she sort of pegs herself up in a sort of crisis and the apron becomes a cape... with echidna spikes, so we’re referencing the native animal and protection. But it’s about herself being in crisis and a real transformation of that apron into another state.”

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There is a message in their work about being crushed by domesticity. Lifted from a cardboard box, “the DO NOT CRUSH text refers directly to that idea that you can find the everyday tasks of suburban parenthood or whatever crushing but at the same time they can also be quite heroic and we were looking at that contradiction or reality,” explains Zarafitis.

Cromwell has responded to the Safe Passage theme with a series of headpieces. While her work is probably the most obscure in terms of linking it to the theme, it was her headpieces that instigated it.

“The headpieces I was making, I kind of felt like they almost had a protective element to them, so I guess the idea of protection and safety and safety in travel or movement [came from that],” explains Cromwell.

Cromwell’s work is often inspired by animals and her headpieces include representations of Gang-Gang cockatoos, wallabies and fish. She is interested in, “this tradition we have as humans, through different cultures and different times, of trying to adopt animal characteristics as a way of accessing some other realm...where bird and person come together in some kind of attempt to gain something we don’t have or gain some understanding from that animals or the world around us,” she says. The Gang-Gang cockatoo headpieces were the first ones Cromwell made for the exhibition and upon reflection she can see that they represent her safe passage from Melbourne to her new home in Canberra. “When I moved here, [Gang-Gang cockatoos] were the first connection I had with animals, I was like wow there are these amazing birds at the end of my street. So I guess [they encompass] that idea of moving from one place to another,” she says.

Initially Cromwell approached Hoyne and Zarafitis about putting on this exhibition and it turned out they were already working to a similar theme. Bradley joined later, also drawn to the theme. There were other synchronicities – “the fact that [Hoyne and Zarafitis’s] starting point was a wearable piece, an apron and Bradley’s work is wearable and we all use textile processes and things like that. It was quite nebulous but [putting on the exhibition] happened really easily,” says Cromwell.

While talking to the artists it became clear how important it is to them that people respond to their work; all of them mentioned it.

For them, displaying their art in a gallery is an important part of its evolution. Cromwell says, “it takes a while for [new works] to speak to you or tell you what they’re about, you need to see them in a space and people responding to them.”

Safe Passages exhibition is on at ANCA Gallery and opens on Wednesday February 26. The exhibition will run until Sunday March 16.

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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 before commencing an Australia wide tour. “The show we always wanted to do was way bigger than the venue we were doing,” says Beattie. “Last May I destroyed all the costumes and props and said that if we were going to do it again we wanted to do it how we originally intended. If that was our high school production, this is our Vegas production. This time we went crazy. Some of our props are bigger than the stage we originally started on!”

STRIP TO BE SQUARE BAZ RUDDICK For three years now, Russell Beattie’s Star Wars burlesque production, THE EMPIRE STRIPS BACK, has been captivating and arousing audiences nationwide. Using the popular Lucas film franchise as a base for his show, Beattie has delved into the science fiction world of Star Wars and recreated it into something a little more risqué. Beattie fuses the “best parts of being a kid and the best parts of being and adult.”

After several sold-out shows and ‘three thousand tickets later’, The Empire Strips Back has been reborn into the show it was always meant to be. Bigger, better and larger than life – Empire has evolved from an intimate burlesque show into a grand rock show.Once again, Beattie will be bringing his production to the Canberra Theatre

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Workings with leaders in prop and costume design, Beattie has recreated the show on a grand scale taking over six months with props and costume design. “We have 38 characters. Our props are life –land speeders, snow TomsToms running around on stage, a remote control R2D2, a Wookie, a 4.2 m Jabba the hut. We have light sabers coming out our caboose!”As it is pretty challenging to create a linear narrative for a Star Wars themed burlesque show, Beattie has made the show more character-based than narrative driven. “People know what the story is and who these characters are so we just focus on that and put a fun twist on it,” he says. “We do some gender swaps – DarthVader, Boba Fett and the storm troopers are all women now. Boba Fett is still the cool one, Vader is the intimidating powerful one, Luke is the kid and Hans Solo is the Cowboy. The emperor is the man – we make fun of him and bring him down a peg. We literally strip him bare and have [him] dancing naked to Miley Cyrus.” Rather than recreate that burlesque feeling on a larger scale, Beattie has chosen to create an entirely different vibe.

“The subtle art of dropping a glove or a wisp of a fan is not going to work on a two thousand capacity theatre stage. So this time it is like a rock show. It is over the top and we replace the old feeling with something else that you can’t get on a small stage.”

The Empire Strips Back – A Star Wars Burlesque Parody is on at the Canberra Theatre Centre on Friday March 14 at 8pm. Tickets $61.50 + bf through canberratheatrecentre.com.au.

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It can do a lot more on top of that – provide humour, solace, thrills, titillation. It doesn’t have to be all intensity and insight.

UNINHIBITED Celebrity deaths mean very little to me. In the main I struggle to feel anything when I hear of the latest passing. So many of these breaking news events are simply insights into the lives of people not like you and I. It’s tough to feel too much when the privileged fall.

But I feel compelled to write this piece you now read on the back of Philip Seymour Hoffman’s parting (which has nothing to do with art in Canberra, so forgive me), or more accurately some thoughts that came from it. I was a huge Hoffman fan, mainly from his work with Paul Thomas Anderson.

But it’s the best tool for doing so and it helps us understand the very matter of being alive.

The author David Foster Wallace had a knack of providing a view onto the extremities of modern life and in showing such a profound understanding thereof made his audience feel like there was some kind of path, if not an answer, that his talents could illuminate.

His was the celebrity death that has affected me most. In losing him we lost a torchbearer (and at the same age as Hoffman, 46. An age that suggests at least 20 years of work was still ahead of him).

Hoffman, like Foster Wallace, was the best of his generation. In the artifice of cinema, Hoffman was the very best at locating and transmitting truth.

Anderson is amongst my favourite directors and Hoffman was his favourite actor. And his most interesting Anderson role, to me, was in Magnolia, as the centre of an emotional and very un/real storm.

His CV reflects a peerless ability to embody human characteristics most of his contemporaries are far too vain to contemplate.

Hoffman may not have been like us, but he played roles that were.

I study questions of ‘worth’ and ‘value’ in art. It’s a messy, imprecise term in this context, but when searching for some kind of explanation as to why art is so crucial I reach for performances like Hoffman’s in that film.

Your federal government is showing early signs of asking the ‘why is art important’ question. It has had a crack at the ABC and the weight placed on indigenous history in the school curriculum.

While the madness that rages around his character is all beautifully handled, it’s Hoffman’s calm and humane performance that grounds it. Thus, making the madness all the more affecting.

That’s what great art does – it can make sense of both the calm centre and the mad boundaries of human experience.

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The scent of the culture wars is very much on the wind. And when the political conversation is focussed on debt and deficit, that ‘worth’ question becomes a weapon. Hoffman and Foster Wallace indicated exactly how much art is worth.

It’s priceless.

GLEN MARTIN - glenpetermartin@gmail.com

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

ARTISTPROFILE:

Of what are you proudest so far? I’m not really sure. But I like the way things have worked out.

Ray McJannett

What are your plans for the future? To find a new project to work on and to learn welding.

What do you do? I‘m a photographer.

What makes you laugh? Dad’s Army and Father Ted and horses when they eat carrots dipped in molasses. They really enjoy them and pull the most amazing faces.

When, how and why did you get into it? I began as a printmaker in the mid 1970s but quickly got into photography through the encouragement of friends. I soon discovered that this was the medium I had been looking for.

Who or what influences you as an artist? My earliest influence was American photography from the 1930s through to the late ‘60s.

I loved the intensity and rawness of this experimental period in photography. The work of the British photographer Bill Brandt was also a major factor in my early years as a student.

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What pisses you off? Cruelty to animals, dirty fingernails and the occasional driver on the Barton Highway.

What about the local scene would you change? Nothing really.

Things are really good.

Upcoming exhibitions? A small mixed exhibition entitled The Rural Series opening at Belconnen Arts Centre in early March.

Contact Info: raymcjannett.com.

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Would it be OK were I to slap you square in the face? To sully your satin pantaloons with the unprovoked application of a broiling torrent of tea? To wage a smear campaign among your friends and family, insinuating that you have a ghoulish interest in the unholy manipulation of cruciferous vegetables?

No, it would not. You know it and I know it, but only having been steadily escorted through the labyrinthine miasma of social convention.

Quite distinct from many of our intuitive faculties – advancing our hands before a fall, closing our eyes before the full glare of the sun, waging the aforementioned smear campaign among the kin of Karl Stefanovic – the intricate dance of social interaction among polite society unfurls itself in a triptych of muddled intimations, themselves to be learned rather than instinctively engaged.

Panel One demands a sensitivity towards what is to be expected of oneself; Panel Two, an awareness of the range of appropriate responses to one’s own considered behaviour; Panel Three, the astute comprehension of that which is wholly unacceptable and its consequent avoidance.

The road to attainment of these three pillars of propriety is littered with error, strewn with naivety and reeks of public humiliation. I have little doubt that you yourself have often stumbled, fallen and careened from this path many times, a fact unambiguously proven by your marked lack of friends and the contempt in which those limited members of that negligible club hold you.

However, you can take some small counsel in the knowledge that even one as refined as I has inevitably been forced to amend behaviour, having fallen fowl of the standards of which none of us can be intuitively competent.

With us now having surpassed our first anniversary in union, I selflessly investing my time in your betterment, you – doing whatever it is you do, I feel slightly less repulsed at the prospect of exposing myself.

A longstanding Court order prevents me from my standard physical prosecution of this habit. However, what I propose is an altogether more revealing glimpse of your social benefactor – baring myself, so that I may be considered not in the legitimate glare of heavenly adoration, but in the transparent fragility of a fellow traveller along life’s weary path.

While I find the prospect of descending to the subterranean standards of the general populace as appetising a prospect as a ‘kransky’, the opportunity to raise you from your trough is something I would willingly embrace were it to make my own life that much more bearable and so shall I endeavour over forthcoming columns to relay to you prior blunders of my own.

While I steel myself for what may prove a chastening admission, I only ask that you employ one of the few who can tolerate you long enough to read you this missive to do so, so that we all may benefit.

Until such time as I reveal myself fully, I remain your ever-faithful, fragrant superior… gideon foxington-smythe

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bit PARTS GREY MATTERS WHAT: Art Exhibition WHEN: Fri Feb 21–Sun Mar 9 WHERE: Belconnen Arts Centre

By Karen Green.

“I refuse to submit to the idea that one has to keep erasing experience from one’s body to seem relevant”, says artist Karen Green, who addresses popular culture’s obsession with the female body, youth and aging through her latest collection of paintings. Playfully dubbed Grey Matters – a sly wink at the signs of visual aging, the exhibition is on at the Belconnen Art Centre, open from 10am–4pm Tuesday to Sunday.

To hear from Green herself, she will be appearing at the exhibition as part of Meet The Artist, a free event at 1pm, Sunday March 2.

POP ROCKS WHAT: Art Exhibition WHEN: Mon Feb 24–Fri 7 March WHERE: Gallery@BCS Like the sweet confection, Melbournian (and ex-Canberran) artist Lauren Branch’s latest exhibition Pop Rocks, takes popular images to a whole new place. Branch rips out images from the proverbial magazine of popular culture – including album covers, film clips and posters – and redraws, reworks and rearranges them to create works that subvert.

As Branch explains, “It is a form of appropriation and kind of fan art.

However, once the image is reframed and redrawn it loses its weird airbrushed perfection and becomes something more personal.” Pop Rocks opens officially Wednesday Februrary 26, at 6pm.

DEVIATOR WHAT: Interactive game WHEN: Fri Feb 28, Sat Mar 1, Fri Mar 7 + Sat Mar 8 WHERE: Museum of Australian Democracy As part of the Enlighten festivities, The Museum of Australian Democracy is allowing you to run amuck through the historical grounds with Deviator, an interactive game run by the PVI collective that will totally alternate the way you view public spaces. Playing in pairs or groups, participants are equipped with a device that will help them navigate through a series of tasks and games – smarts, wit and deviation are encouraged. Jump into the action on Fri Feb 28, Sat Mar 1, Fri Mar 7 and Sat Mar 8, at 8pm and 9:30pm.

Tickets are $30 or $25 concession.

BURLESQUE BAZAAR WHAT: Burlesque markets WHEN: Sunday March 16 WHERE: Ainslie Football Club Misplaced your favourite pair of nipple tassels? Yearning for a new retro ’do? Fancy a go at pin-up posing? Miss Kitka’s House of Burlesque’s Burlesque Bazaar is on again, taking over the Ainslie Football Club with all kinds of burlesque and vintage-themed goodies.

With local and interstate stall holders, hair and make-up services, pin-up photo booth, hourly raffles and burlesque performances, it’s an easy way to add a little raunch to your day. Doors fly wide open from 11am–4pm, with show bags shelled out to the first fifty to walk on through. $5 entry fee, ages 15+ (accompanied by an adult).

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the word

on albums

album of the issue sun kil moon benji [caldo-verde] The reasons why we’ll gravitate toward one artist while avoiding another similar artist are voluminous, personal, complicated and the subject of several long monographs by French theorists.

Maybe it’s an algorithm comprising elements such as available time + liking the cut of someone’s jib x a nice review somewhere / recommendation of a friend – a nice photo. Either way, while the work of Mark Kozelek, as leader of the Red House Painters and then solo as Sun Kil Moon has always been on my periphery, he’s never come close to my turntable. I worship artists close to his style (Will Oldham, Bill Callahan) but for whatever reason I’ve never spent any time with his music. Until now. What a fool I have been and how happy I am to right a wrong. Let’s get this done early – Benji will feature in many top ten best of lists come December 2014. And in this climate, that’s probably the best recommendation a writer can give. Benji is an extraordinary record. Let me tell you why. Kozelek has a voice, a style, a suite of idiosyncrasies and a crystal clear understanding of how to deploy them so that moments in otherwise lilting acoustic numbers smack you harder than a distortion pedal and a double kick drum roll. Benji is, essentially, a record about death and love. It begins with ‘Clarissa’, a story about his cousin who died in a fire. It’s absolutely breathtaking.

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Heartbreaking. And yet so subtle and understated that any hint of mawkishness or exploitation is entirely avoided. Instead, ‘Clarissa’ is Kozelek’s attempt to “give [her] life some poetry”. Two songs later, ‘Truck Driver’ deals with the death of his uncle (Clarissa’s grandfather), who died in pretty much the same grisly circumstances. The song makes its narrative links but stands as a vastly different piece in terms of tone. By the time you hit ‘Jim Wise’ and listen to the story of Kozelek spending an afternoon with his father’s friend on house arrest, awaiting sentencing for the mercy killing of his wife, I defy the coldest of you to not feel like crumbling. It’s not straight up sad though – every song here is infused with the bittersweet melancholy of sadness and awareness of the light that has to balance the dark.

For a record so occupied with death, the jokes pour throughout. In doing so, Kozelek gets closer to the very matter of life itself, more than any record I can recall. We veer between the worst and the best, making the largest narrative smaller through personal detail and the absolute avoidance of anything mawkish. The melodies are minimal but carry each shift in story effectively.

MOTHER’S CAKE cREATION’S FINEST [INAWAY RECORDS] This cake is not a sponge or a fruit loaf, it’s a strudel! These three lads from Austria first gained public prominence after they won the 2010 ‘Local Heroes Austria’ band competition and Creation’s Finest is their debut LP. Their style is serious hard rocking, with a strong tendency to go for a 70s retro vibe and a liking for funky grooves. Led Zeppelin tragics can get a healthy dose of Robert Plant-style singing from the shrill vocals of Mother’s Cake frontman Yves Krismer.

The only misstep is ‘Pray for Newtown’, but only the second half. It’s in the folk tradition of Guthrie and Seeger, but it lacks a little of the poetry.

It’s too obvious and perhaps too current, lacking the insight that other songs herein carry. A couple of lines in ‘Micheline’ also seem a little too obvious, but only as reflected in the incredible insights presented elsewhere; this being a song which references the health of the singers prostate. You don’t get that in One Direction tunes, do you? The ten minutes of ‘I Watched the Film the Song Remains the Same’ are monolithic. So high are the high points that the low points are easily forgiven.

The opening title track snarls with shape shifting guitars, full of unsettling changes in rhythm in a stop-start pattern. ‘The Road’ is a labyrinth of ever-changing melodies and tempos, including wonderful riffage that pitches and rolls. The very funky Runaway combines many moods, from hard driving rhythms to slow and cruisy stretches. The track luxuriates in prolonged psychedelic passages, steeped in retro organ sounds.

The injection of ‘70s keyboard tones, including a contribution from Ikey Owens of The Mars Volta, is a major selling point for the album. There’s an Australian link in the instrumental ‘A Path Down Under’, with the surprising inclusion of a didgeridoo which, combined so well with the guitars, turns the track into a pretty special piece of rock.

A violin provides a classy start to ‘Pan’s Requiem’, before goose stepping riffs blow that orchestral sound into the weeds.

The final and best song, ‘Ben’s My Friend’, is a perfect palate cleanse.

Light, funny and magnificent. Like everything herein, it’s personal but universal. This is Kozelek’s great gift, taking tiny detail and magnifying the uniting emotions within. An essential, magnificent record.

Themes, like the music, are deep and expansive, pondering the purpose of a life in which we make only a brief appearance, individually insignificant in the great gulf of the universe. Mother’s Cake’s debut LP is an amazingly variegated album, daring in its complexity and full of storming guitars and audio surprises.

glen martin

RORY mCCARTNEY

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Sietta the Invisible River [Elefant Tracks]

Eadt India Youth total strife Forever [Stolen/remote control]

rosie lowe right thing [37 adventures]

On their second full-length record The Invisible River, Darwin duo Sietta – James Mangohig and Caitlin Baker – show that with just a voice and instrumentation, they can stay unified all whilst not compensating on power. Sietta immediately display their skill at balancing delicate and dense on opening track, ‘Let It Go’ with a shy introduction of softly woven guitar. The track then caves under the heavy bass and thundering beats resplendent on the record. It’s a dance with dynamics, signifying the ease at which it is done further in. The electronic washes of ‘Disturbingly Beautiful’ feel slightly disjointed, letting vocals fall short, but the pulsating energy of surrounding tracks soulful ‘I Need You Now’ and the hypnotic tribal ‘Such Desire’ drags attention away from weakness.

While Bournemouth, UK-based songwriter/ electronic producer William Doyle is only 22 years old, he’s already something of an industry veteran, having cut his teeth as part of a moderately successful indie rock band while still in his teens. Having since eschewed band collaborations in favour of solo explorations, this debut album from Doyle under his East India Youth alias sees him balancing stark minimalist electronics drawn equally from Detroit techno and IDM with ambitious vocally based pop arrangements. Opener ‘Glitter Recession’ suggests cold synthetics ahead as glittering arpeggios slowly unfurl against a backdrop of brooding piano chords and shimmering wide-eyed ambience that recalls shades of M83. ‘Dripping Down’ brings Doyle’s vocals to the forefront as skittering processed percussion arcs against swooning backing vocals in a manner that suggests a more tech-y take on Elbow more than anything else. From there, Hinterland sends things straight back to some darkened rave warehouse as rattling snare rolls build against rumbling bass kicks and vaguely acid 303 lines in what’s easily this record’s most ferocious club-oriented moments.

The stripped-back and sheeny ‘Heaven, How Long’ meanwhile sees slow icy synth murmurs sliding into place against Doyle’s wavering, vaguely New Romantic-tinged vocals in a manner that calls to mind Hot Chip’s swooning electro-prop more than anything else, albeit given a retro Ultravoxesque twist as motorik drums power to the finish. When taken on the basis of individual tracks, there’s certainly lots of strong material on show here. It’s the balance between minimalist instrumental electronics and vocal pop arrangements that often feel uneasy here though, making Total Strife Forever unfortunately feel slightly less than the sum of its parts.

UK artist Rosie Lowe chose well when selecting collaborators to bring out the best in her debut EP. Dave Okumu, frontman of the band The Invisible, was picked to add the male vocal to contrast with Lowe’s own enticing voice. Producer and fellow Londoner Kwes brought his considerable technical skills and imagination to bear to add the labyrinthine electronic twists which have been applied to this heavily produced debut. So much obvious thought has been applied to every track; the cadence of the rhythm, the inflection in the vocals and when to add effects and overdubs to maximum effect.

The contributions of guest artists successfully enhance the record, with Hailey Cramer adding to the sass on ‘Greener’ and Fifths and Dubs enriching the uplifting – if clichéd, electro duet ‘Carry’. Mangohig’s arrangement can be admired as its own overflowing force; see the cinematic jazz strings of ‘The Hunted’s intro and its rapid change. The symbiosis between production and vocals ensures a consistent flow of strength for the record. The compelling funk of ‘Agree to Disagree’ – brought about with stomp of distorted horns and compelling bass line – combined with Baker’s fierce delivery is an example of when they both speak for themselves while working together seamlessly. It’s magnetic.

The Invisible River feels effortless yet expertly managed, blending funk, hip-hop, soul and electro components into a cohesive collection of tracks. It tremors with a charismatic, fluid personality that once uncovered, is hard to forget.

ANGELA CHRISTIAN-WILKES

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CHRIS DOWNTON

The title track, an atmospheric, passionate song about a relationship breakup, is a highlight. Lonely piano thoughts herald Lowe’s soft tones, later joined by a harsh solo drum beat. Instrumentation is minimised to maintain a focus on the singer and the artifices used to change her voice to set the mood. Towards song’s end, Kwes’ talents cause her voice to morph into Okumu’s deeper tones. The seamless manner in which the voices are stitched together is impressive. The floating ‘10k Balloons’ employs a plucked acoustic guitar accompanied by an occasional subterranean rumbling sound. A burp-like bass introduces the soulful ‘Games’, which rolls out at a slow-march pace. Inflections in Lowe’s voice create a constantly changing aural canvas, before the song wraps up with a playful, plopping puddle effect. The closer sees a repetition of the haunting “now it’s me and your ghost” underpinned by a weird electromechanical echo, together with tentative piano and a broad spectrum of effects in this, the most heavily produced track in the EP. Right Thing is a delicate, clever and imaginative collection of sounds for serious chilling-out. rory mCCARTNEY

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BO NINGEN LINE THE WALL [STOLEN/BLACK NIGHT CRASH]

aPPLEONIA OH [INDEPENDENT]

STATE FAULTS RESONATE/DESPERATE [NO SLEEP RECORDS]

While the four members of psychedelic noise-rock band Bo Ningen all hail from separate Japanese cities, they coalesced as a unit in London in 2007, going on to book studios in Hackney for mammoth 12 hour jam sessions that lead to their first tracks.

Since subsequently releasing their debut self-titled album in 2011 they’ve received considerable critical acclaim, performing at that year’s Venice Biennale and the Yoko Ono-curated Meltdown festival. It’s no real surprise to learn that the quartet have also provided tour support to both Damo Suzuki and Faust, as both Krautrock icons are certainly obvious progenitors of Bo Ningen’s thunderous and relentlessly free-flowing rock grooves and rapid-fire Japanese lyrics. Behind the thunderous power on this second album Line The Wall there’s also an almost frightening level of instrumental precision on display here, with tracks such as ‘Nichijyou’ calling to mind an out of control train suddenly stopping on a ten cent coin. ‘Soko’ emerges from a wall of clattering tribal drums and fuzzed-up bass growls before taking things off on a ride through layered guitar distortion and ringing distortion that suggests a more ferocious Swervedriver meeting The Boredoms head-on, as Taigen Kawabe’s vocals escalate into strangled androgynous yelps. If the aforementioned track packs an underlying disco feel thanks to the fluid hi-hats, ‘Shin Ichi’ sees things venturing closer towards metallic hardcore as squalls of tortured guitar noise burst against thick muscular drum-breaks and furious soloing, with the soft vocal harmonies and cello strokes of ‘Natsu No Nioi’ offering the closest thing to a gentle respite. Searing, brilliant stuff that transcends genres like shoegaze, psychedelic and Krautrock...now I wish I’d attended Big Day Out

Jessica Chapnik Kahn has, after many years of contributing to the work of other artists, finally released an album of her own under the creation of Appleonia. The first listen of OH sits it comfortably as a collection of optimistic indie-pop songs, edged out with a little quirk and mysticism.

You know the drill! Scream angsty lyrics about everything and everyone being against you to an impenetrable wall of frenzied noise, all delivered at light speed.

Except that post-hardcore band State Faults from California is so much more than this in their second LP. Yes, songs often come into existence so quickly that there’s barely a pause for breath between tracks.

Sure, the themes are shadowed by dark thoughts of nihilism and unforgivable sins.

Yes, Jonny Andrew screams out words which would remain largely a mystery if not for the Rosetta Stone-equivalent provided by the CD lyrics booklet. Besides this vocal hailstorm of despair, there are irresistible rhythmic and melodic waves which plough a deep furrow through the track list.

CHRIS DOWNTON

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Yet, by scraping beneath the surface, Kahn reveals herself to be an expert storyteller, exploring a variety of thoughtful topics through the plotlines of her songs. Opener ‘Precious’ and sweet ‘God’ speak openly and fondly of spirituality. The loss of oneself is encapsulated within the deliciously catchy ‘Lost at Sea’ and the normality enforced within society is then regarded with wry cynicism on ‘Machines’. Stories and melodies blend to form energizing results with the hopeful nostalgia of ‘Z Train’.

Although not spectacularly ground breaking material, Kahn has made a durable album that offers a reflection of her person through her music.

While the vibe stays true to their Head In the Clouds EP and debut album Desolate Peaks, there’s a bolder use of melody that softens the sound and may broaden their appeal (or, conversely, cheese off existing fans – you can’t please everyone).

In ‘Stalagmites’, a track bookended by unearthly electronica, it’s the guitar melodies which are more expressive than the fractured singing. There‘s a hint of At the Drive In in the vocal delivery of ‘Luminaria’.

Album highlights include ‘Ultima’, in which a retarded rhythm serves as a funeral bier for a message of the ephemeral nature of youth and ‘Disintegration’ with its ticking clock percussion and riffage that flows towards you in a measured tide. The best surprises come in the form of the gentle, contemplative guitars in ‘Amalgamation’.

Not all the songs are 100% negativity either. There’s even an admission of feelings approaching actual happiness in ‘Diamond Dust’ with “I feel just fine, ‘cause I’m just a mote in a sunbeam”.

aNGELA CHRISTIAN-WILKES

RORY MCCARTNEY

Lead by Kahn’s breathy natural vocals, the record flows with manipulated upfront rhythms, deft piano melodies and washes of synths, produced with an attentive ear to detail. At some moments it feels as if Kahn is attempting to cram as many ideas into her sound as possible, which can be restricting such as on the aforementioned ‘Machines’.

This exploration of different techniques, however, does work on final track ‘Heavy, Lord It Gets’ – it’s ‘Precious’, backwards!

The format in which listeners can access OH is indicative of her open attitude; supported

by Vittoria Coffee, each download is free and three Australian will be fed for a day.

Thoughtfulness and buoyancy make OH an uplifting listen.

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singles in focus by cody atkinson THEE OH SEES ‘PENETRATING EYE’

SNOWBIRD MOON [BELLA UNION]

aCTRESS GHETTOVILLE [WERKDISCS/NINJA TUNE]

Snowbird’s Moon is a namedropper of an album. You know exactly the type I’m talking about; a ream of successful musicians’ names attached to the footnotes, with Radiohead’s Ed O’Brien and Phil Selway and folk-rock band Midlake joining head composer and former Cocteau Twin Simon Raymonde for their debut. But do these credentials do the album justice?‘I Heard the Owl Call My Name’ is promising, with layers of Stephanie Dosen’s breathy vocals and slick arrangement harbouring psych-rock undertones. ‘All Wishes Are Ghosts’ provides an enchanting lightness, but following this is a quick descent into unengaging territory.

Wildlife is a strong theme for the record; see not only the artist and album name, but song titles mentioning white mice, woods, owls and bears. Unfortunately, the overall effect is more kitsch than inviting woodland wonderland. It’s light, delicate and soft…

But there is a lack of substance to the fluff.

Alongside the likes of the similarly enigmatic Zomby, UK-based electronic musician Actress (real name Darren Cunningham) has seen his profile rise at a stratospheric rate over the last six years, casting an unpredictable presence whilst also carving out a niche that’s distinctly his own. While 2012’s preceding R.I.P. album saw him unleashing some of his most intricate and glittery productions yet though, this fourth album Ghettoville (his first for Ninja Tune) is likely to offer something of a confusing comedown for many of his listeners. Cunningham himself has hinted that this may be the final Actress album, even going so far as to describe Ghettoville as “where the demands of writing found the artist slumped and reclined, devoid of any soul, acutely aware of the simulated prism that required breakout.”

Dosen’s undoubtedly pleasing voice is the centrepiece. It would be wonderful to hear it singularly without being marinated in harmonies. ‘Porcelain’ shows definite strength in embracing the more sinister until yet again entering gentle territory. Even as we’re told a potentially gruesome story of a manhunt on ‘Bears On My Trail’, it feels like a softened fairy tale narration. And I’m not talking the gory Brothers Grimm kind either.

The refreshing energy of final track ‘Heart of the Woods’ is a late-blooming highlight, syncopated electronic rhythms meshing flawlessly with brass instrumentation.Do not mistake my words; Moon is a gorgeous and well-formed album. But, as polished as it may be, it feels lack-lustre, delicately side stepping grasping true character by disappearing into its lovely cascades. aNGELA CHRISTIAN-WILKES

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Whatever the case, there’s a decayed, faded and lurching feel to much of the 18 tracks collected here. ‘Forgiven’ might as well be titled ‘forbidding’, opening things with a doomy lurching crawl of slowed down deathly rhythms and ominous swells that calls to mind Throbbing Gristle more than anything else. ‘Street Corp’ meanwhile devolves things down to a crackling repetitive pulse, as murmuring bass tones float against eerie hisses that could easily be breathing or radio static. Occasionally though, there’s a rare moment of fleeting beauty to be found amidst the darkness, with ‘Our’ sending delicately crystalline notes floating against clicking rhythms and stuttered soul vocals to hypnotic effect. The more fluid ‘Skyline’ suggests the sound of a distant club bleeding in through the walls, only to be gradually overtaken by shearing layers of industrial noise. While impressive, Ghettoville often feels more like some impenetrable puzzle than anything else.

There are two types of people in the world: people who like Thee Oh Sees and people who are wrong.

This Oh Sees song is like others in so much that it has Dwyer’s piercing vocals cutting through killer guitar riffs and different in that it has a 45 second synth intro and decidedly heavier guitars throughout.

SLOW VIOLENCE ‘KIDZ’ A nice blend of dissonance and dream pop. Somehow Slow Violence make every sound seem frail and fragile and ever so breakable.

When the song starts to settle in, it changes completely. Then it’s over.

Short but beautiful – definitely worth a listen.

ORLANDO FURIOUS ‘NU BODY’ Lo-fi off beat white boy R&B is definitely a thing that is happening now. Seriously.

Footscray’s answer to Serge Gainbourg, Orlando Furious, does it better than most. ‘Nu Body’ is his bizarre transsexual love song, with its tongue planted firmly in cheek.

SHAKIRA FEAT. RihANNA ‘CAN’T REMEMBER TO FORGET YOU’ This is a hot mess.

In fact, I reckon if you look up the phrase “hot mess” on Wikipedia, a still from this video would come up.

There are no redeemable features to this song. None. Ultimately it is three minutes and 30-odd seconds of your life that you won’t get back and another 20-odd seconds reading this review about it.

CHRIS DOWNTON

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the word

on films

WITH MELISSA WELLHAM

Ahhhh, February. The time of the year when our cinemas are flooded with sub-par romantic comedies. The studios want to get them out in time for Valentine’s Day; and know that it doesn’t even matter if they’re any good, because people will feel obligated to see them anyway. Are We Officially Dating? won’t be the worst two hours of your life, but I wouldn’t recommend Endless Love or Winter’s Tale to anyone with a soul. Then again, there’s always Mandela.

Watch whatever your heart tells you is the right thing to do.

quote of the issue “It is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.”

– Nelson Mandela (Idris Elba), Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom

BLUE IS THE WARMEST COLOUR

ARE WE OFFICIALLY DATING?

More obsessed with sexual drive than sexuality, Blue is the Warmest Colour is a laborious (it’s three hours long) and sometimes lacklustre look at a lesbian relationship despite two engaging lead performances.

Adèle (Adèle Exarchopoulos) is a high school student who develops a relationship with a university student, Emma (Léa Seydoux), which grows as Adèle transitions into adulthood.

Exarchopoulos carries an air of innocence with the right amount of confusion, trepidation and emotional recklessness associated with those formative years. Seydoux is the mature one who wears her rough edges well but shows a phenomenal amount of sensitivity. Both actors convey the lust of the relationship highlighted by excessive sex scenes crafted indulgently by director Abdellatif Kechiche, but these scenes never properly progress the story. All the extreme moaning and panting projects like a bizarre male fantasy about same-sex relationships through the lens of Kechiche and it gets to the point of being silly. It’s a shame the romance between Adèle and Emma can’t stand on its own without a lengthy sex scene to remind you of the anchor of their relationship. As a result you begin to question what emotional depth these characters have beyond the bedroom and it starts to get bland. Adèle’s baptism of fire into the adult world has some bite, if you’re still awake. Again, go for the performances but be wary of Kechiche’s male gaze on this story.

Are We Officially Dating? is a movie that I imagine was created when a bunch of studio execs got together and asked themselves, “How can we help ladies trick their blokes into watching a rom-com on Valentine’s Day?” By trying to meld the chick-flick and dickflick genres, of course.

Jason (Zac Efron), Mikey (Michael B Jordan) and Daniel (Miles Teller) have made a pact to remain single and play the field – enjoying their mid-20s, before they hit their thirties and suddenly find themselves married and with mortgages.

But soon enough, each of the guys finds themselves in a kinda-sorta-relationship with the women in their lives wanting more commitment. Cue hijinks!

Pranks involving fake penises!

Declarations of love!

If the summary of the film sounds quite naff, it’s worth noting that Are We Officially Dating? appears to be trying to subvert the formula – but it never quite gets there. What saves the film is Miles Teller, Michael B Jordan, and even Zac Efron. Teller (The Spectacular Now) and Jordan (The Wire, Friday Night Lights) steal every scene they’re in, and Efron has a more charismatic screen presence than his early days in High School Musical would suggest.

Are We Officially Dating? is not breaking any new ground – but the cast have enough charisma to make the familiar terrain a little less dull.

LABOR DAY Labor Day has no idea of its own ridiculousness as a film – which is a sad state of affairs from the usually pleasing director Jason Reitman (Juno, Thank You For Smoking, Up In The Air).

Adele (Kate Winslet) is a lonely but generally aroused woman who rarely leaves her home, where she lives with her young son Hank (who is on the cusp of adolescence, as the film likes to remind us frequently). Their quiet lives are shaken up one Labor Day weekend when a dark stranger (Josh Brolin) invites himself (somewhat menacingly) back to their house to seek refuge from the authorities.

Obviously, a loving “playing family” scenario ensues.

Sadly, Labor Day elicited more eye rolls than genuine feelings, and any interesting moments were overridden by tedious romantic plot developments.

And yes, while I would like a sweat-sheened Brolin to fix my car and bake me a pie, I don’t think that was meant to be the emotional takeaway from this film. Winslet is a little flat as Adele, and Gattlin Griffith, who plays the young Hank, looks like a stunned mullet for the first half of the film and a sour fish for the rest.

It’s called acting, son, try it sometime.

I could write a sappy and earnest mopfest of this quality too, after a couple of wines and a session of The Notebook.

View this film with disdain and/ or a healthy dose of alcohol.

MEGAN MCKEOUGH

MELISSA WELlHAM

CAMERON WILLIAMS

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NEBRASKA Nebraska is like discovering a crumpled old black and white photograph. Memories come flooding back and regret sinks in as young faces – now old, muse on their mistakes.

Director Alexander Payne crafts a striking portrait of a dysfunctional family and a refined piece of Americana that contains a wonderfully dry sense of humour and packs an emotional punch. The elderly Woody Grant (Bruce Dern) receives a letter informing him that he has won a milliondollar mega sweepstakes marketing prize. Woody is intent on claiming the money so he begins walking from Montana to Nebraska, but keeps getting picked up by the police. Woody’s son (Will Forte) takes responsibility and decides to entertain his father’s fantasy by driving him across the country to claim the prize. Payne and screenwriter Bob Nelson pack a lot into this quaint film and it’s incredibly effective with how it balances the father and son relationship, family drama and exploration of small-town America that is, like Woody, a little worse for wear.

It’s not all gloom and doom, with flourishes of wit from the ideals of the elderly characters that inhabit the landscape with their blunt honesty. Dern’s performance is incredible and his frailty is heartbreaking.

Forte is wonderfully sensitive and forgiving of his father’s eccentricities. Also, look out for the stupendously energetic June Squibb who shines as Mrs Grant.Nebraska is a sublime piece of cinema that proves the modest stories can be the most powerful.

CAMERON WILLIAMS

MANDELA: LONG WALK TO FREEDOM Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom is the latest in a string of films released this year which prove that humans have the capacity to be completely horrible to one another (see also: The Book Thief, 12 Years A Slave).

While Mandela doesn’t pack as powerful a punch as those other films – due to a few pacing errors, its subject is more than interesting enough to make up for it.

Based on South African President Nelson Mandela’s autobiography, the film follows Mandela’s beginnings, all the way through to his 27 years in prison and beyond. Idris Elba turns in a strong performance as Mandela himself, and Naomie Harris gives a moving performance as his wife – and activist in her own right – Winnie Mandela.

Obviously none of the plot twists in Mandela come as any surprise – but even those who are familiar with the history will be impressed by how they are depicted. However, where the film fails is that seems to preference education over emotion. This film is a neat summary of Mandela’s life and South Africa’s struggles – but it doesn’t always dig any deeper than the surface events.

It’s worth saying that in my screening, the audience applauded as the credits rolled.

This may have had less to do with the film – and more to do with Mandela himself.

The way his story was told may not be inspired, but he was inspiring.

MELISSA WELLHAM

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43

the word

on games

Outlast Platform: PS4, PC4 Developer: Red Barrels Length: 3-4 hrs Verdict: Worth grabbing As a longtime Resident Evil player and horror fan, I’d been getting excited about Outlast since seeing the first trailer. The storyline has all the hallmarks of a classic horror, which is a generous way of saying it’s cliché.

You play a reporter who’s heard a strange rumor or two about the local mental institute. You venture within its walls, a decision you almost immediately regret. Without any kind of weapon or self-defense skills, the game leaves you to run, hide or die. The game is scary, with the most heart-raising moments coming in the form of jump scares. The more intriguing, psychological aspects – the kinds that made the Resident Evil series so creepy – take somewhat of a backseat to an action focus. For example, during one of the game’s more confronting sections you’ll be tormented by a deranged Doctor. Whilst you’re surrounded by the results of his human experiments, you’ll be running again before having a chance to get really freaked out.

From a technical perspective, the game’s execution is great. The infrared camera effect looks great, with it only being possible to see roughly three or four meters in front of you. A solid proportion of game is entirely in the dark, leaving you feeling fantastically vulnerable most of the time. The game’s length is also pretty spot-on, with it taking roughly four hours to overcome. My greatest criticism would be with the use of repetitious and tired mechanics.

On several occasions the game plays the Doom card; where they expect you to collect several keys and return to the door, all whilst the same heavy patrols around. It was feeling a bit labored, particularly given how unforgiving some of the auto-saves points are. I also was also hoping for a slightly more satisfying ending.

Overall, if you like a good scare, Outlast is worth picking up TORBEN SKO

Device 6 Platform: iOS Developer: Simogo Length: 1-3hrs Verdict: Worth grabbing Device 6 is an intriguing little iPhone game, best described as interactive storytelling experience. You find yourself waking up on a strange mysterious island. As you read through the game, the text varies position, changes orientation and occasionally moves, causing you to continually spin your phone around to keep up. At the end of each chapter you’ll be presented with an interactive puzzle that requires re-reading and analysing the various included images in order to determine how to proceed. The combination of a genuinely interesting story and some decent puzzles makes this title worth playing. The game is a little on the short side, although. As a result, I didn’t find my interest wavering throughout.

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TORBEN SKO

@bmamag

the word on dvds

Game of Thrones - The Complete Third Season [Warner Home Video] With the statute of limitations on spoilers well and truly passed, it’s only reasonable to begin this with the infamous Red Wedding. It’s not often writers kill off beloved characters, and even less often that TV producers adapting successful books allow it to happen. But George R.R. Martin takes unseemly glee in distressing his fans and HBO has backed him all the way. So in the penultimate episode (The Rains of Castamere) a dinner time massacre wipes out a handful of key players and plenty of extras. Like the execution of Ned Stark towards the end of the first season it’s more then just shock value. It serves the plot that preceded it and drives the forward momentum of an already fast moving show. It was tense, precisely paced, brilliantly acted and shot; and as a neophyte in this fantasy world made sense.

And I like this show precisely because of that. I haven’t picked up the books, the genre holds little interest for me and I’ll never be that person sitting on the bus starting the whole thing from the beginning to get a better understanding or to prove that I can. Game of Thrones the show should be able to stand on its own outside the source text and viewers shouldn’t be penalised for not knowing the well-documented obsessive detail of the books.

Admittedly, I will unlikely know the bigger picture but there’s no sense of missing out, even though I surely am. And that’s the key. There is so much going on in this lavish HBO production that viewer rewards are easy loot. It’s a fine line and it’s had to find any examples of such a successful balancing act on TV in event memory. And this season - the best so far - has heaps more dragons.

Not only a major bonus, but truth in advertising.

JUSTIN HOOK

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utopia [roadshow]

The Moaning of Life [Roadshow]

When Utopia was released last year in the UK it created a minor shitstorm and understandably so. It’s a very violent show and one that occasionally looks like its revelling in sadism.

Before your coffee can get cold, a confronting torture scene involving sand, bleach, chilli, a spoon and someone having to decide which not use on their own eyes is playing out before your very, erm, eyes. Things don’t get much better as this grim paranoia, sci-fi-ish show progresses and there are long stretches where it’s a challenge to keep going and even if the violence serves the plot well enough, whether it’s absolutely necessary or not is open to debate. Hence the controversy; a cynic would suggest Utopia was written with this in mind.

Five seemingly random people find themselves drawn together when a manuscript/graphic novel surfaces, to which they all want access. Problem is, a shadowy group represented by a pair of contract killers (Neil Maskell and Paul Reedy) wants to prevent anyone getting access to it. They are the ones inflicting the eyeball torture mentioned above. Maskell as the chubby-faced Arby is one of the more terrifying TV villains of recent years with the monotone refrain ‘Where is Jessica Hyde?’ becoming a sinister catch phrase haunting the entire series. He looks like he’s about to step on a cheap flight to Ibiza – but he’s vicious thuggery. It’s a grand masterstroke of casting and the biggest possible reason why Utopia works so well. Built on the basics on classic 70’s conspiracy drama (corporations with ulterior motives and connections in high places, misfits on the run) Utopia pushes some nasty buttons.

It looks incredible, washed out monochrome and jarring flashes of light – unsettling and hopeless. A unique and modern show deserving far more local attention than it got.

Karl Pilkingotn, alleged idiot and play thing of Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, sure has managed to make a decent career out of being called a bald headed twat by Gervais and Merchant. There have been multiple books, TV shows running to three series, podcasts, charity appearances and god knows what else. Not bad for a guy who defiantly makes the claim he doesn’t want any of it. But here he is in another TV show expounding nuggets of bewildered wisdom through the mouth of a rubbery git. The format remains much the same; throw Karl into a bunch of situations where he is clearly uncomfortable and chortle at his reactions. It’s not highly sophisticated stuff. But this time, for the first time, Pilkington displays a degree of empathy and understanding with his interlocutors that his ‘simple man’ aphorisms as occasionally transformed to something meaningful. When Karl learns to krump with a team of LA ‘hip hop clowns’ he does it free of sarcasm or apathy finally realising it doesn’t matter whether he likes it or not - they are making a difference in a very rough area so good on them. Elsewhere he saves a turtle form being eaten in Japan. To be fair, Pilkington has always seemed more attached to animals than humans. The Moaning of Life is Pilkington’s most enjoyable series to date relying less on him being a prick and more on testing his opinions. He still moans so fans shouldn’t be disappointed but for the first time Gervais and Merchant aren’t on the sidelines egging him on. His series was produced without their input and is better for it. Somehow, Karl Pilkington has made a decent career out of being a dim-witted whinger and though his progress is to be applauded we are clapping a guy being a decent person for once. And that’s all.

JUSTIN HOOK

JUSTIN HOOK

45

the word

on gigs

The Kite String Tangle, Kilter, Nicole Millar Transit Bar Thursday February 13 Transit was humming early in the night when Nicole Millar kicked off, with DJ Nick Matenaar maintaining the beats. Her set was smooth but low key, with singing more atmospheric than dance floor material. She can push out vocals either soft and floating or high and piercing, sounding hot in the slow burning closer ‘Fall’.

Ned East (AKA Kilter) continued the laidback theme, with music more ambient than hip-grinding. A man keen to cover new ground, his set delivered plenty of new stuff including ‘When You Walked In’, a remix of ‘I Got You’, his single ‘Hold Me’ and a remix of Snakadaktal’s ‘Fall Underneath’. He had the punters fully engaged, but only moving to the music in isolated pockets as he wrapped up with a remix of ‘Shadow Boxer’.

Having a number 19 spot in the Hottest 100 obviously pays dividends, as the show had sold out in anticipation of first ever headline visit by The Kite String Tangle (Danny Harley).

Accompanied by a bigger array of electronics than Kilter, Harley took to a stage decorated simply with incandescent globes and fluorescent tubes. TKST continued the night’s laid back vibe, starting with a soft, swelling thrum, trailed by rain drop percussion from his electro drum kit and pursued up by deep echoes, before launching into the opening vocals. There’s an obvious cachet to a producer who can sing in his own right, without the need for the usual ‘featuring’ tag. Harley’s voice has the texture and emotional quality to stand in its own right. His set included a cover of Lorde’s ‘Tennis Court’ and a song shared with Nicole Millar, before he closed with the enormously popular ‘Given The Chance’.

the word

on gigs

RORY McCARTNEY

In Canberra Tonight Multicultural Fringe Festival Thursday February 6 In Canberra Tonight is a strange beast in so much that it is a true-ish rendition of a standard late-night variety show. There are bits of music, scripted comedy, monologue, stage magic and a group of activities best described as “other”.The key to In Canberra Tonight is host Chris Endrey’s ability to hold the segments together, both good and bad, serious and funny. Endrey opened up the show with the head honcho of the ACT, Katy Gallagher and went down a more serious path. The two discussed the ACT’s commitment to the environment and recent efforts made to legalise same sex marriage in the ACT. Where things got off-base was in her defence of the brilliant Sky Whale, but you’re allowed a slip every now and again if you’re in charge. New 666 ABC breakfast host Philip Clark came on shortly after and the segment seemed a little lost in translation.

With the segment failing, Pedro came on with some toast/sight gags because Clark is a breakfast host. It doesn’t translate well to paper but it worked on the night. But it felt like the whole show only kicked into gear with the final guests, Sparrow Folk, who were determined to make the rest of the show as uncomfortable as possible.

While their music isn’t remotely my thing, Sparrow Folk had an innate sense of physical comedic timing and ability to make Endrey shrink within himself.But it’s the little bits of In Canberra Tonight that make it work. Pablo’s failed magic tricks and never changing Facebook-based introductions. Bec Taylor filling in the gaps with piano. The odd interludes that change the pace completely.

PHOTOS BY MARTIN OLLMAN

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CODY ATKINSON

@bmamag

the word

Birds of Tokyo, Glass Towers UC Refectory Thursday February 13

on gigs

It wasn’t until seeing Birds of Tokyo live that I understood the comparison to UK rockers Muse but with their opening song ‘Silhouettic’ the resemblance was clear. Not knowing much of their earlier work I thought the band leant toward the more chilled out style of rock, but their stage presence was very much hard rock.

Their sound filled the UC Refectory on Thursday evening, where they were supported by Sydney indie rockers Glass Towers.

Glass Towers lead singer Benjamin Hannam has a voice reminiscent of The Killers lead singer Brandon Flowers. Their fast paced style failed to ignite the crowd but I think this was mainly due to them being relatively unknown to their Canberra audience, although there was one lone guy in the crowd jumping about, enjoying himself and the music. I thought the lack of crowd response was disappointing because Glass Towers show real promise; their music is polished and well refined.

I enjoyed their 30 minute set which included the songs ‘Jumanji’, ‘Gloom’ and the title track ‘Halcyon’ off their debut album Halcyon Days. Glass Towers are definitely one to watch I think their music will only get better which considering how good they are after five years together means sheer brilliance is possible.

During the break we went outside for air and were asked by security not to lean on the wall I found this highly amusing considering others were also wall leaning but willingly complied because it doesn’t pay to mess with security.

As Birds of Tokyo started up I was asked by a girl if Birds of Tokyo were playing now, I shook my head and wondered why she bothered coming if she couldn’t recognise the band she’d come to see.

We stood to one side of the stage to watch their set which, at the Refectory is a mistake because of the huge columns that block your view. After finding a spot where we could see the whole stage I stood my ground to keep my view.

The band followed up ‘Silhouettic’ with ‘White Witch’ another of their older rockier songs from their 2008 album Universes. Birds had such a strong stage presence which I wasn’t expecting due to the laid back nature of their more recent work.

March Fires single ‘When the Night Falls Quiet’ was up next followed by ‘The Saddest Thing I Know’ and ‘The Gap’. By this stage the crowd were singing along to the songs they knew and small group in front of the stage were jumping around. The guys then belted out ‘Wild Eyed Boy’, ‘Bones’ and ‘Circles” and had the whole crowd singing with the single ‘Plans’.

I was impressed that after going hard for close to an hour their sound remained better than album quality as it had the energy that only a live performance can bring. ‘Wayside’ from the debut album Day One was another crowd pleaser and the Birds rounded out the show and extended version of hit single ‘This Fire’.

Birds of Tokyo promptly left the stage to which the crowd responded, “One more song, one more song.” After a few minutes the guys came back to play ‘Wild at Heart’ and finished the show with ‘Lanterns’, to the crowd’s delight who sang along and swayed in time to the music.

PHOTOS BY MARK TURNER

Birds of Tokyo played a well-rounded set with a great mix of old and new songs and I wish they weren’t heading to the USA for six months so I could see them again live sooner.

ALISHA EVANS

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47

the word

The West Bank Festival The West Bank Cultural Precinct Fri–Sun February 14–16

on gigs

The core behind the West Bank Festival is great; a Canberra music festival showcasing a number of local acts across a series of local venues that support live music in Canberra. A good idea supported by a solid vision for music in the Inner North. Friday night kicked off at the Croatian Club to the disparate sounds of Central West. Driven

by Leon Twardy’ Lou Reed-like vocals and work behind the kit, the band effortless flipped between genres like nobodies business.

Slow Turismo were perhaps the revelation of the festival for mine, playing a tight blend of afro-beat, angular indie and pastoral folk harmonies. Perhaps I’m underselling it with that description, but probably the best new Canberra band I’ve seen this year. Waterford know what they do and they do it well. They play straight up rock songs, with all the fixings, such as choruses and verses. Perhaps they’re not the flashiest band around, but they’re tight and there’s a lot of substance in what they play.

After a brief stint at For The Love Of Doof, which was electric upstairs at the Croatian, it was back downstairs at The Burley Griffin, who put on a solid set to close night one. Day two saw Kid of Harith open Le Gig at Alliance. Playing a multitude of instruments through loopers and pedals, KOH floated between alt-pop, electronic music and twee. Shortly after, Shisd hit the stage with glitchy, introverted pop, which seemed to resonate with the crowd.

Over at the Bowlo stage, The King Hits were running through a ballsn-all set of surf rock/rockabilly. Putting it all on the line is always a good move for a band, and it paid dividends for them on the night. At Le Gig, Calico Cat played a killer set, with machine drones going left and right, off kilter drums coming and going everywhere. Calico Cat doesn’t make clean, pretty noise, but that’s overrated anyway. Soon after Fossil Rabbit swamped Alliance with beautiful, reverby guitar, and for just a minute there, everything seemed right with the world.

Back at the Bowlo, The Fuelers were thrashing their instruments around, as they typically want to do. The crowd responded in kind, with the dance-floor filling out. The Fuelers live is an experience completely different to The Fuelers recorded, and one worth experiencing. Back over at The Croatian, Perch Creek Family Jug Band were a family playing, well, fun-yet-juggy jug music. Closing the night out were The Woohoo Revue from Melbourne, who play with an energy that is infectious.

The most successful event of the festival audience-wise was Sunday’s finale concert, featuring bands across all of the genres of the bill. The Croatian Club was full, the atmosphere pleasant and the music top notch. From what I saw the stand-outs were Los Chavos and Julia and the Deep Sea Sirens, but a mate swore by the Burrows performance.

At the end of the day, the music behind the festival was of a high standard all weekend, which is what counts most. While the crowds weren’t big for all the shows, it must be said that the weather was average or worse all weekend.

PHOTOS BY MEGAN LEAHY

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The people responsible for organising the festival must also be congratulated for the tremendous amount of work required to put such a large event on. One can only hope that the West Bank Festival can build on both the success and pitfalls from this year to build a bigger and better show for next year..

CODY ATKINSON

@bmamag

ENTERTAINMENT GUIDE Wed Feb 26 - Fri Feb 28

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

Art Exhibitions The Neighbourhood Project

Art by Jacklyn Peters. 10am–4pm.

BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

Body and Soul Exhibiton 10am-2pm.

NISHI GALLERY

Abstraction

Region of Being, Wind, winter and other Loners. 12-5pm Wed-Sun. Free M16 ARTSPACE

ceraMIX by Claybodies

12 diverse ceramic artists 9:30 am to 2:30 pm Monday to Friday10 am to 4 pm Saturday and Sunday. Fre FORM STUDIO & GALLERY

ceraMIX

Exhibition by 12 artists of Claybodies.

9:30am–2:30pm(10am–4pm, Sat/Sun).

FORM STUDIO & GALLERY

InDoors

Theatre

Live Music

Agatha Christie’s A Murder is Announced

Dan Sultan

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

CANBERRA THEATRE CENTRE

Steel Magnolias

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

CANBERRA REPERTORY SOCIETY

Art Exhibitions The Neighbourhood Project

Art by Jacklyn Peters. 10am–4pm.

BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

Body and Soul Exhibiton

M16 ARTSPACE

Wind Winder and Other Loners

ceraMIX

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

OJO CAFE AND BAR

Paul Greene

FORM STUDIO & GALLERY

Exhibition by 12 artists of Claybodies.

9:30am–2:30pm(10am–4pm, Sat/Sun).

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

SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE

Triple Threat

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

TRANSIT BAR

Region of Being, Wind, winter and other Loners. 12-5pm Wed-Sun. Free M16 ARTSPACE

ceraMIX by Claybodies

12 diverse ceramic artists 9:30 am to 2:30 pm Monday to Friday10 am to 4 pm Saturday and Sunday. Fre FORM STUDIO & GALLERY

ceraMIX

9pm–12am. Free.

THE LOFT AT DUXTON

Something Different Shaken & Stirred

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

POLIT BAR & LOUNGE

Poetry Slam

FORM STUDIO & GALLERY

Art by Craig Cameron & Eva Louise.

10am–4pm.

BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

Pop Rocks

A pop culture exhibition of drawings by Melbourne Artist (and Canberra ex-Pat) Lauren Branch. 10-4pm BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

Wind Winder and Other Loners

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

Open daily 12–5pm.

Comedy

BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

Theatre

Barry Morgan’s World of Organs

Art by Craig Cameron & Eva Louise.

10am–4pm.

Pop Rocks

A pop culture exhibition of drawings by Melbourne Artist (and Canberra ex-Pat) Lauren Branch. 10-4pm

M16 ARTSPACE

Wednesday Lunchtime Live Concert

Jazz at Smith’s featuring: Antipodes 5tet 8.30pm $10

Abstraction

THE FRONT GALLERY AND CAFÉ

CMC Presents

SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE

Jazz at Smith’s

NISHI GALLERY

InDoors

FORM STUDIO & GALLERY

BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

Hayley Shone, Teddy Conrick + other acoustic locals 7.30pm $5

10am-2pm.

original jazz quintet - national tour.

5 - 7pm.Free

This is the first Canberra Poetry Slam of the year! Come along to hear new and established poets and

Compared to Neil Finn, Jack Johnson and Paul Simon, Greene was ARIA nominated for best Blues and Roo THE FRONT GALLERY AND CAFÉ

Antipodes

InDoors

A pop culture exhibition of drawings by Melbourne Artist (and Canberra ex-Pat) Lauren Branch. 10-4pm

Ojo Open Mic

Body and Soul Exhibiton

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

Nick Rigby

12 diverse ceramic artists 9:30 am to 2:30 pm Monday to Friday10 am to 4 pm Saturday and Sunday. Fre

Live Music

THE PHOENIX BAR

The Neighbourhood Project

BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

Abstraction

ceraMIX by Claybodies

M16 ARTSPACE

Art by Jacklyn Peters. 10am–4pm.

Exhibition by 12 artists of Claybodies.

9:30am–2:30pm(10am–4pm, Sat/Sun).

Pop Rocks

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

Open daily 12–5pm.

Sheriff

ZIERHOLZ @ UC

On The Town

NISHI GALLERY

Art by Craig Cameron & Eva Louise.

10am–4pm.

BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

Art Exhibitions

10am-2pm.

Region of Being, Wind, winter and other Loners. 12-5pm Wed-Sun. Free

BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

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

HOTEL HOTEL

thursday february 27

friday february 28

Wind Winder and Other Loners

Agatha Christie’s A Murder is Announced

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

Steel Magnolias

Karaoke

CANBERRA REPERTORY SOCIETY

Karaoke

Workshops

OLD CANBERRA INN

Introduction to Ableton Live

WESLEY MUSIC CENTRE

Enlighten event. An organ demonstration on the ‘1981 Aurora Classic’. 7:30–8:30pm.

QUESTACON

CANBERRA THEATRE CENTRE

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

Open daily 12–5pm.

8pm–12am. Free entry.

M16 ARTSPACE

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

Free course in music production. Call (02) 6140 4990 for more info.

6:30-7:30pm.

GUNGAHLIN LIBRARY

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49

ENTERTAINMENT GUIDE Fri Feb 28 - Sat Mar 1 friday february 28 (cont.)

Live Music Mai & Sam

A gorgeous and gifted duo grace the stage. 6pm. Free.

OJO CAFE AND BAR

Pete Wild & The Only Ones

Workshops Life Drawing Workshop

All levels welcome. Bring paper, easels and drawing materials. 1–3pm. $12/ day.

HOLY CROSS LUTHERAN CHURCH

saturday march 1

With Hashemoto. 7:30pm. $15/10 door.

Art Exhibitions

The Aston Shuffle

Pop Rocks

ACADEMY NIGHTCLUB

BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

THE FRONT GALLERY AND CAFÉ

The Aston Shuffle perform their new single “Tear it Down” Live.$10 before Midnight / $20 after

A pop culture exhibition of drawings by Melbourne Artist (and Canberra ex-Pat) Lauren Branch. 10-4pm

Dirty Byrd

Wind Winder and Other Loners

9pm/12.50am. Free.

WALSH’S HOTEL

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

Open daily 12–5pm.

Stevin

M16 ARTSPACE

JERRABOMBERRA HOTEL

Art by Jacklyn Peters. 10am–4pm.

8.30pm/12am. Free

The Neighbourhood Project

Smooth Ops

BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

HELLENIC CLUB (WODEN)

10am-2pm.

9pm. Free.

Body and Soul Exhibiton

Chad Croker/ Oscar

NISHI GALLERY

5pm afternoon session/10:00pm band.

Free

Abstraction

Kirrah Amosa’s Funk Trio

M16 ARTSPACE

A. BAKER

12 diverse ceramic artists 9:30 am to 2:30 pm Monday to Friday10 am to 4 pm Saturday and Sunday. Fre

KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

5-8pm.

Tatemae

Album Launch with Shisd, Reuben Ingall, Hou. 8pm. $7 entry/$15 entry with Tatemae ‘Complete’ USB.

Region of Being, Wind, winter and other Loners. 12-5pm Wed-Sun. Free

ceraMIX by Claybodies

FORM STUDIO & GALLERY

ceraMIX

Fun on the Run

Exhibition by 12 artists of Claybodies.

9:30am–2:30pm(10am–4pm, Sat/Sun).

OLD CANBERRA INN

InDoors

SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE

9pm–12am. Free entry.

FORM STUDIO & GALLERY

Fall

With guests. Doors 8pm. $10.

Art by Craig Cameron & Eva Louise.

10am–4pm.

THE BASEMENT

BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

Back to the Eighties

Comedy

ROSE COTTAGE

RAW Comedy

8pm. Door price TBA.

On The Town

Open Mic comp heat. MC Nick Cody.

8pm. $22.

DJ Norm

TILLEY’S DEVINE CAFE

THE LOFT AT DUXTON

Enlighten event. An organ demonstration on the ‘1981 Aurora Classic’. 7:30–8:30pm.

9pm–12am. Free.

Something Different Questacon Family Fun Night

Enlighten event. Excite the mind after the sun goes down. 6:30–10pm.

QUESTACON

Architectural Projections at Questacon

An interactive canvas for you to fingerpaint during Enlighten. 8pm– midnight.

QUESTACON

Barry Morgan’s World of Organs

QUESTACON

Live Music LOVE Saturdays with Ashley Feraude

Canberra’s premium club night.$10 all night.

ACADEMY NIGHTCLUB

Wayne Ryder Duo 8.30pm/12am. Free

Tarot Card Reading

JERRABOMBERRA HOTEL

POLIT BAR & LOUNGE

9pm/1250am. Free

Theatre

The Vee Bees

Agatha Christie’s A Murder is Announced

THE PHOENIX BAR

6–8pm. Free entry.

Dirty Byrd

WALSH’S HOTEL

With Cape Tribulation, Bacon Cakes.

9:30pm. $5 door.

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

Live Jazz Piano

Steel Magnolias

4th Degree

CANBERRA THEATRE CENTRE

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

CANBERRA REPERTORY SOCIETY

9–10pm. Free entry.

POLIT BAR & LOUNGE

10:30pm. Free.

KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

Jake Lang 12 - 2pm

MOCAN & GREEN GROUT

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@bmamag

ENTERTAINMENT GUIDE Sat Mar 1 - Mon Mar 3 The Crossbones

sunday march 2

with The Feldons. 8pm. $5 SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE

Azlan

Art Exhibitions

THE DUXTON

Wind Winder and Other Loners

8pm-11pm

Dunc’s 40th

Psynonemous, New Blood, Dead Life, Wretch, Inhuman remnants. Doors 8pm. $10.

THE BASEMENT

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

Open daily 12–5pm.

M16 ARTSPACE

The Neighbourhood Project

Art by Jacklyn Peters. 10am–4pm.

Back to the Eighties

BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

HELLENIC CLUB (WODEN)

10am-2pm.

Something Different

Abstraction

9pm. Door price TBA.

Record Fair

Record, CD and book sale. 9-5 pm.

Free entry.

THE TRADIES (DICKSON)

Architectural Projections at Questacon

An interactive canvas for you to fingerpaint during Enlighten. 8pm– midnight.

QUESTACON

Talks In the Lounge Room with ...

Steve Wright & Louisa DeSmet talk about their fashion label Corr Blimey.

2pm. Free.

HOTEL HOTEL

Theatre Steel Magnolias

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

Body and Soul Exhibiton NISHI GALLERY

Region of Being, Wind, winter and other Loners. 12-5pm Wed-Sun. Free M16 ARTSPACE

ceraMIX by Claybodies

12 diverse ceramic artists 9:30 am to 2:30 pm Monday to Friday10 am to 4 pm Saturday and Sunday. Fre FORM STUDIO & GALLERY

ceraMIX

Exhibition by 12 artists of Claybodies.

9:30am–2:30pm(10am–4pm, Sat/Sun).

FORM STUDIO & GALLERY

InDoors

Art by Craig Cameron & Eva Louise.

10am–4pm.

BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

Live Music Microwave Jenny

Pop/folk/love music. 7.30pm. $20 THE FRONT GALLERY AND CAFÉ

Ashley Feraude 5-10pm.

Guyy

Solo acoustic guitar with some surprises. 5–7pm. Free.

A BITE TO EAT CAFE

Mal Barlow

3pm/6.30pm. Free.

JERRABOMBERRA HOTEL

Irish Jam Session

Free traditional Irish musicians in the pub from late afternoon on into the night, FREE KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

DJs Degg and Brenton K 3-8pm.

A. BAKER

Smith’s Summer Sounds and Sangria

NOVIA SCOTIA + Buttercup Daisies + Suburban + Harry Tinney Support Relay for Life Cancer Council. 3p SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE

Nick Rigby 3pm-6pm

THE DUXTON

Shananigans Acoustic

With Renegade Peacock, Barry Feeney (Psynonemous), Sam and Rosie, John Wick. 2pm. Door price TBA. THE BASEMENT

Something Different Record Fair

Record, CD and book sale. 9-5 pm.

Free entry.

THE TRADIES (DICKSON)

monday march 3 Art Exhibitions Body and Soul Exhibiton

10am-2pm.

NISHI GALLERY

ceraMIX

Exhibition by 12 artists of Claybodies.

9:30am–2:30pm(10am–4pm, Sat/Sun).

FORM STUDIO & GALLERY

Comedy Schnitz & Giggles

Fortnightly improvised comedy.

7:30pm. $5.

SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE

Live Music CMC Presents The Bootleg Sessions

With Alex Richens & Joel Davey, Medicina, Drew Walky, Dylan Hekimian.

8pm. Free.

THE PHOENIX BAR

Premier Fusion Duo

Alex Voorhoeve (electric cello) and Jake Lang (guitar & beats).5 - 7.30pm HOTEL HOTEL

Trivia Rainman’s Trivial Excuse

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

TRANSIT BAR

THE LOFT AT DUXTON

CANBERRA REPERTORY SOCIETY

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ENTERTAINMENT GUIDE Tue Mar 4 - Sat Mar 8 tuesday march 4 Art Exhibitions The Neighbourhood Project

Art by Jacklyn Peters. 10am–4pm.

thursday march 6 Art Exhibitions InDoors

friday march 7 Art Exhibitions

live music

InDoors

Troy Brady

BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

NATIONAL ARCHIVES OF AUSTRALIA

Art by Craig Cameron & Eva Louise.

10am–4pm.

Art by Craig Cameron & Eva Louise.

10am–4pm.

10am-2pm.

The Neighbourhood Project

The Neighbourhood Project

InDoors

BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

Body and Soul Exhibiton NISHI GALLERY

Art by Craig Cameron & Eva Louise.

10am–4pm.

BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

Comedy Canberra Comedy Festival Opening Night Gala

A two-hour showcase of the best local and national comedy. 7:30pm. $56.50 + bf.

CANBERRA THEATRE CENTRE

Karaoke Karaoke Love

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

TRANSIT BAR

Live Music Tuesday Blues at Smith’s

P.R. Davis featuring Pete Davis & Matt Nightingale laid back groove – guitar and double bass 8.00pm.

SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE

BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

Art Exhibitions

Body and Soul Exhibiton

Body and Soul Exhibiton

InDoors

NISHI GALLERY

NISHI GALLERY

10am-2pm.

Trace

M16 ARTSPACE

M16 ARTSPACE

Remindlessness, Essence of Place, Still Moving.12-5pm Wed-Sun. Free

Comedy

Canberra Comedy Festival

Canberra Comedy Festival

With Charlie Pickering, DAAS, Jimeoin and leads more. See canberracomedyfestival.com.au for all info

InDoors

Art by Craig Cameron & Eva Louise.

10am–4pm.

BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

The Neighbourhood Project

Art by Jacklyn Peters. 10am–4pm.

BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

VARIOUS LOCATIONS

Jimeoin

Back as part of Canberra Comedy Festival 2014. 7pm. $42.90/46.90 + bf.

CANBERRA THEATRE CENTRE

Live Music Wednesday Lunchtime Live Concert

With Barbara Jane Gilby (violin), Meriel Owen (piano). 12:40–1:20pm. $2–5.

WESLEY MUSIC CENTRE

BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

Body and Soul Exhibiton 10am-2pm.

NISHI GALLERY

Trace

Remindlessness, Essence of Place, Still Moving.12-5pm Wed-Sun. Free M16 ARTSPACE

Charlie Pickering

Alliance French Film Festival

Alliance French Film Festival

PALACE ELECTRIC CINEMA

PALACE ELECTRIC CINEMA

French film festival. Tickets palacecinemas.com.au

French film festival. Tickets palacecinemas.com.au

Live Music

Live Music

Obscene Extreme sideshow

Academy’s 10th Birthday

THE BASEMENT

ACADEMY NIGHTCLUB

Ft. Will Sparks. Free entry.

ACADEMY NIGHTCLUB

Nick Rigby 9pm-12am.

THE LOFT AT DUXTON

Chicago Charles & Dave 930pm. Free.

KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

Bella Groove 5-730pm.

HOTEL HOTEL

Jazz at Smith’s 7.30pm, $5

SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE

Introduction to Ableton Live

With Charlie Pickering, DAAS, Jimeoin and leads more. See canberracomedyfestival.com.au for all info

Art by Jacklyn Peters. 10am–4pm.

Film

NISHI GALLERY

Canberra Comedy Festival

The Neighbourhood Project

Film

Workshops

Comedy

BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

Comedy

Body and Soul Exhibiton 10am-2pm.

With Charlie Pickering, DAAS, Jimeoin and leads more. See canberracomedyfestival.com.au for all info

Art by Craig Cameron & Eva Louise.

10am–4pm.

VARIOUS LOCATIONS

VARIOUS LOCATIONS

Academy’s 10th Birthday

Art Exhibitions

Remindlessness, Essence of Place, Still Moving.12-5pm Wed-Sun. Free

Comedy

Music Craft for 5-8 Years

wednesday march 5

10am-2pm.

Trace

Cripple bastards, Jig-Ai, dark horse, hygiene. Doors 8pm. $20.

AINSLIE ARTS CENTRE

Award winning Indigenous musician.

8pm. $25-$30.

Art by Jacklyn Peters. 10am–4pm.

Art by Jacklyn Peters. 10am–4pm.

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

saturday march 8

Free course in music production. Call (02) 6140 4990 for more info.

6:30-7:30pm.

GUNGAHLIN LIBRARY

Life Drawing Workshop

All levels welcome. Bring paper, easels and drawing materials. 1–3pm. $12/day.

HOLY CROSS LUTHERAN CHURCH

Ft. Eric Prydz (Pryda 3hr Set) Tickets from Moshtix

Third Exit

9pm/1250am. Free.

WALSH’S HOTEL

Trevor Rix

8.30pm/12am. Free

JERRABOMBERRA HOTEL

Luc Baker 9pm-12am.

THE LOFT AT DUXTON

Special K

5pm afternoon session/10pm band. Free.

KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

Performing as part of the Canberra Comedy Festival 2014. 7:30/9pm. $37.90/39.90 + bf.

THE PLAYHOUSE

Canberra Comedy Festival With Charlie Pickering, DAAS, Jimeoin and leads more. See canberracomedyfestival.com.au for all info VARIOUS LOCATIONS

Bugger the Polar Bears, This is Serious Comedian Rod Quantock believes it’s time to take climate sides!

7:30–8:30pm.

QUESTACON

Dance Soft Landing: Contemporary Dance In Progress

Ten emerging Dance artists.Saturday 8 March 2:00 & 3:30pm. Free BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

Cold Possum Sandwich

Film

A. BAKER

Alliance French Film Festival

5-8pm.

I Know Leopard

+ Sons et al Sydney’s dream pop.

8.30pm. $10

French film festival. Tickets palacecinemas.com.au PALACE ELECTRIC CINEMA

SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE

Live Music

Something Different

Marta Pacek

Tarot Card Reading 6–8pm. Free entry.

POLIT BAR & LOUNGE

SciNight Latin Fiesta

Enlighten event. Geeky night for grownups. 6:30–10pm.

QUESTACON

Architectural Projections at Questacon

An interactive canvas for you to fingerpaint during Enlighten.

8pm–midnight.

QUESTACON

with BlueVenus. 7.30pm, $10 SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE

Old School of Rock

With Reign of Terror, Inebriator (returning to the stage after 20 years), Bladder Spasms. Doors 8pm.

THE BASEMENT

Kimosabi 8pm-11pm

THE DUXTON

Love Saturdays 10 Year Reunion Ft. Chris Fraser, Milkbar Nick, Pred, Ashley Feraude, Jared de Veer & Runamark $10 all night.

ACADEMY NIGHTCLUB

Live Jazz Piano

9–10pm. Free entry.

POLIT BAR & LOUNGE

CMC Presents

CMC Presents local and live musicians every Wednesday.7.30pm, $5.

SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE

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ENTERTAINMENT GUIDE Sat Mar 8 - Thu Mar 13 Katereoke

Film

Trivia

JERRABOMBERRA HOTEL

Alliance French Film Festival

Rainman’s Trivial Excuse

8pm/12am. Free

Jester

9pm/12.50am. Free.

WALSH’S HOTEL

Heuristic

French film festival. Tickets palacecinemas.com.au PALACE ELECTRIC CINEMA

10:30pm. Free.

Live Music

DJ Norm

Smith’s Summer Sounds and Sangria

KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

9pm-12am.

THE LOFT AT DUXTON

Kirrah Amosa Solo 12 - 2pm

MOCAN & GREEN GROUT

Something Different Architectural Projections at Questacon

An interactive canvas for you to fingerpaint during Enlighten.

8pm–midnight.

QUESTACON

Chris O’Connor Blues Guitarist 3pm – 5pm, $5. The Bison Embassy featuring Marianne Scholem + Medicina 7.30pm. $5 SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE

wednesday march 12 Art Exhibitions

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

Trace

TRANSIT BAR

Remindlessness, Essence of Place, Still Moving.12-5pm Wed-Sun. Free M16 ARTSPACE

tuesday march 11

Hues of Grey

A mixed media exhibition celebrating Seniors Week. 10am-4pm. Free

Art Exhibitions

BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

Hues of Grey

A mixed media exhibition celebrating Seniors Week. 10am-4pm. Free

Ashley Feraude

BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

THE LOFT AT DUXTON

Heat Celebrates 10 Years

Remindlessness, Essence of Place, Still Moving.12-5pm Wed-Sun. Free

5-10pm.

Alliance French Film Festival

Trace

Ft. DJ Revolution Presented by Fambiz.

9pm. Tickets TBA.

M16 ARTSPACE

ACADEMY NIGHTCLUB

Comedy

Irish Jam Session

Irresponsible Comedy

Feel the Beat at Questacon

DJ Goldfinger and DJ Dopple

Film

A. BAKER

Alliance French Film Festival

QUESTACON

sunday march 09

3-8pm.

Nick Rigby 3pm-6pm

THE DUXTON

monday march 10

Art Exhibitions InDoors

Art by Craig Cameron & Eva Louise.

10am–4pm.

BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

The Neighbourhood Project

Art by Jacklyn Peters. 10am–4pm.

BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

Body and Soul Exhibiton 10am-2pm.

NISHI GALLERY

Trace

Art Exhibitions Body and Soul Exhibiton

10am-2pm.

NISHI GALLERY

Trace

Remindlessness, Essence of Place, Still Moving.12-5pm Wed-Sun. Free M16 ARTSPACE

Film

7.00pm, $10

Karaoke Love TRANSIT BAR

Live Music

Art Exhibitions Trace

Remindlessness, Essence of Place, Still Moving.12-5pm Wed-Sun. Free M16 ARTSPACE

Hues of Grey

A mixed media exhibition celebrating Seniors Week. 10am-4pm. Free

THE STREET THEATRE

Film

8pm. Free.

Kenna & Cox

Music Craft for 5-8 Years

HOTEL HOTEL

thursday march 13

DJ Mario Galeano & DJ Frank Madrid

Live Music 5-730pm.

THE FRONT GALLERY AND CAFÉ

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

Workshops

Ashley Feraude and friends

With Liam McKahey and the Bodies.

7:30pm. Door price TBA.

Karaoke

PALACE ELECTRIC CINEMA

With Charlie Pickering, DAAS, Jimeoin and leads more. See canberracomedyfestival.com.au for all info

Zika

PALACE ELECTRIC CINEMA

Comedy Canberra Comedy Festival

WESLEY MUSIC CENTRE

French film festival. Tickets palacecinemas.com.au

Alliance French Film Festival

M16 ARTSPACE

With Robert Schmidli (piano).

12:40–1:20pm. $2–5.

SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE

Remindlessness, Essence of Place, Still Moving.12-5pm Wed-Sun. Free

French film festival. Tickets palacecinemas.com.au

PALACE ELECTRIC CINEMA

Wednesday Lunchtime Live Concert

Workshops Enlighten event. Drumming workshop.

7:30–8:30pm and 9– 10pm.

French film festival. Tickets palacecinemas.com.au

Live Music

Free traditional Irish musicians in the pub from late afternoon FREE KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

Film

Australiana folk music with guitar.

5pm–6:30pm.

SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE

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

AINSLIE ARTS CENTRE

VARIOUS LOCATIONS

BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

Alliance French Film Festival French film festival. Tickets palacecinemas.com.au PALACE ELECTRIC CINEMA

Live Music Nick Rigby 9pm-12am.

THE LOFT AT DUXTON

Something Different You Are Festival 2014

Eleven days of beautiful madness. See youareherecanberra.com.au for all events and venues.

VARIOUS LOCATIONS

OUT

MAR12

you are here flickerfest grnfest lior ...and more!

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FIRST CONTACT SIDE A: BMA band profile

Aaron Peacey 0410381306 band.afternoon.shift@ gmail.com.au Adam Hole 0421023226

Afternoon Shift 0402055314 Amphibian Sound PA Clare 0410308288 Annie & The Armadillos Annie (02) 61611078/ 0422076313 Aria Stone sax/flute/lute/ harmonica, singer-songwriter Aria 0411803343

Imperilment Where did your band name come from?Our depiction of the current earth and its inhabitants.

Group members? Heath (vocals), Adrian (guitar), Turk (bass), Tony (drums).

Describe your sound: Progressive/melodic death metal Who are your influences, musical or otherwise? It might sound pretentious, but our influences are that varied, it would make for a long list. They seem to compliment our original sound, so have a listen.

What’s the most memorable experience you’ve had whilst performing? The positive reaction from the crowd at our first show as Imperilment.

Of what are you proudest so far? How quickly we’ve managed to get this project rolling.

What are your plans for the future? Write the best material we can, record the best album we can, tour the fuck out of it!

What makes you laugh? The opposing imperilment member.

Australian Songwriters Association Keiran (02) 62310433 Back to the Eighties Ty Emerson 0418 544 014 Backbeat Drivers Steve 0422733974 backbeatdrivers.com Bat Country Communion, The Mel 0400405537 Birds Love Fighting Gangbusters/DIY shows-bookings@ birdslovefighting.com Black Label Photography Kingsley 0438351007 blacklabelphotography.net Bridge Between, The Cam 0431550005 Capital Dub Style Reggae/dub events Rafa 0406647296 Chris Harland Blues Band, The Chris 0418 490 649 chrisharlandbluesband @gmail.com

What pisses you off? The lack of government support for local live music.

Cole Bennetts Photography 0415982662

What about the local scene would you change? More venues to play at in Canberra and an international standards venue to attract bigger bands to the nation’s capital.

Danny V Danny 0413502428

What are your upcoming gigs? Birthday Massacre Friday March 28 at The Basement, Belconnen, with Tensions arise, Icarus Complex, Na Maza and Johnny Roadkill.

Contact info: Details imperilment.band@gmail.com, facebook.com/imperilment

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

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In The Flesh Scott 0410475703 Itchy Triggers Alex 0414838480 Jenn Pacor Singer-songwriter avail. for originals/covers 0405618630 Johnny Roadkill Paulie 0408287672 paulie_mcmillan@live.com.au Kayo Marbilus facebook.com/kayomarbilus1 Kurt’s Metalworx (PA) 0417025792 Los Chavos Latin/ska/reggae Rafa 0406647296 Andy 0401572150 Missing Zero Hadrian 0424721907 hadrian.brand@live.com.au Moots Huck 0419630721 Morning After, The Covers band Anthony 0402500843 Mornings Jordan 0439907853 MuShu Jack 0414292567 mushu_band@hotmail.com Obsessions 0450 960 750 obsessions@grapevine.com.au Painted Hearts, The Peter (02) 62486027 Polka Pigs Ian (02) 62315974 Rafe Morris 0416322763 Redletter Ben 0421414472 Redsun Rehearsal Studio Ralph 0404178996/ (02) 61621527 Rug, The Jol 0417273041 Sewer Sideshow Huck 0419630721 Simone & The Soothsayers Singing teacher Simone 62304828 Sorgonian Twins, The Mark 0428650549 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

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

Top Shelf Colin 0408631514

Haunted Attics band@hauntedatticsmusic.com

Zoopagoo zoopagoo@gmail.com

Undersided, The Baz 0408468041

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