BMA Magazine 482 - 8 June 2016 by BMA Magazine

COVER LINE INSIDE: INFO

KNIGHTSBRIDGE PENTHOUSE

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TROYE SIVAN

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THE STREET THEATRE PIGMANâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S LAMENT

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HENRY ROLLINS

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THE SIMON & GARFUNKEL STORY

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A LIST

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FEARLESS COMEDY FESTIVAL

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BUDDING THEATRE CANBERRA YOUTH TALENT SHOW

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MUSIC FOR CANBERRA

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AINSLIE + GORMAN

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THE GREEN SHED

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MAKE CANBERRA GREAT AGAIN What are you talking about? Canberra is already good.

“Fucking shit magazine.” – BMA reader # 4 8 2 J u n e 8 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 Andrew Nardi T: (02) 6257 4456 E: editorial@bmamag.com

Accounts Manager Ashish Doshi T: (02) 6247 4816 E: accounts@bmamag.com

Sub-Editor Sarah Naughton Graphic Design Elisa Sko Andrew Nardi

But it could be even better. No? Are you serious? Well, yeah, with some creative ideas, big projects and a stack of funding, Canberra could really reach its potential. It’s for that reason that In The City Canberra are launching the ‘Grants In The City’ program with a view of enlivening our little slice of paradise. Okay, let’s talk numbers here. They’re offering $340,000 to individuals, groups and businesses who can organise events and projects that will enrich the CBD within the next 12 months. The grant encourages anyone to realise a project in the city – young, old, amateur, professional, even interstate. The three funding tiers are public grants up to $2,000, grants for popular ideas up to $10,000 and professional grants up to $50,000. The application details increase with each tier, making it easy for individuals and groups to apply for public and popular idea grants. The program has applied extensive research into cultural development, activation and place-making, thanks to local firm Dionysus and the Cultural Development Network. With these tools, In The City Canberra expects the ‘Grants In The City’ to attract new recreational and arts events,

awareness campaigns and other projects in the city centre, which also includes Braddon and NewActon. And get this – successful applicants will also receive event and marketing support to launch their unique ideas.

Still in school? There’s even a category for under 18s to show off your filmmaking pizzazz. To apply and learn more, visit csff.com.au. Entries close on Thursday July 7. The 2016 CSFF will run over three nights in September.

For more information about the grants program and how to apply, visit inthecitycanberra. com.au/grants-in-the-city/.

LADIES TO THE FRONT (OF THE JAZZ BAND)

LAST CHANCE TO APPLY FOR CANBERRA SHORT FILM FEST Local filmmakers, this is your chance. You’ve been goofing around with cameras for years, filming cats, filming your friends wrestle each other, filming scenery from inside a moving vehicle and adding background music to create a sense of “mood”. And now it’s time to put your talents to the test and submit your entries to the Canberra Short Film Festival. Now at the ripe old age of 21, the CSFF has earned its reputation for churning out quality and respectable moving pictures from local filmmakers. It’s now recognised as one of Australia’s oldest and best film competitions, attracting an audience from all over Australia and selling out every session. In other words: this is the exposure you need to break into the industry. Why not give it a crack? Whether you specialise in international, national or locally made film, documentary, animation, two-minute films or music videos, you’ll have something to offer to the Canberra Short Film Festival.

Is jazz your true calling? Have you always been interested in polyrhythms, syncopation and improvisation, but you’ve never found the right place to explore your passion? The Young Women’s Jazz Workshops might be for you. It’s a course that offers exclusive opportunities for participants, including ongoing performance, touring prospects and the opportunity to create new friendships and networks with likeminded people. You’ll be under the tutorage of soughtafter educators and in-demand musicians, and there are even masterclasses with leading practitioners in the field. In 2016, the workshops will be held in Canberra for the first time. Nervous? Don’t hesitate to apply, as the workshops cater to all skill levels. Entry is by written application and audition on Saturday June 25. Classes run on Saturdays over eight weeks, starting from Saturday July 23, and they culminate in a public concert. For more information, visit sima.org.au. Entries close Friday June 10.

Film Editor Emma Robinson Entertainment Guide Editor Nicola Sheville NEXT ISSUE 483 OUT July 13 EDITORIAL DEADLINE July 1 ADVERTISING DEADLINE July 7 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 Another Day at the EPA [PHONE RINGS] ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (EPA): Hello? ANONYMOUS PERSON: Ah yes, hello. Am I speaking to the right person about parties? EPA: Yes, this is the Environmental Protection Agency. How may I help? ANONYMOUS PERSON: Oh, good. I’m just wanting to ring and say that I went out to a festival yesterday. EPA: I see. They can be problematic. We’ve had a whole two complaints already. Am I to believe this festival was too loud and that you wish to lodge a noise complaint? ANONYMOUS PERSON: What? Nah, mate! It was totally banging! The tunes were on point, everybody was smiling and Flume dropped this sick double drop that blew people’s minds. There was a oneness between the thousands there that was nothing short of magical. I had a blinder, mate. EPA: Oooooooo-kay. So you don’t wish to lodge a complaint? ANONYMOUS PERSON: Oh, shit no. I wanted to register a compliment.

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 man who moved his gravel truck into my lane just in front of me without going to the hard work of flicking his indicators on: obviously you didn’t realise my own car was in your new path, and didn’t mean to push me off the road and tear off my front bumper bar. You may have remained oblivious even of the damage you’d done, as you drove merrily on, if, for instance, you were completely zonked out of drugs. Neither instance of your ignorance excuses, though, the arrogant laziness with which you failed to indicate your intentions. If you had indicated them, I’d have had just that little extra time in which to get out of your way. My car horn might even have awoken you from your stupor, and you might have decided against crashing into my car. Seeing you prosecuted by the Queanbeyan police was no great satisfaction to me; I’d rather not have had anything to lodge a complaint over. You’re in the body of a fully grown man; it’s time your mind caught up. Let me offer a suggestion in the meantime: don’t be tempted to get behind the wheel of your massive truck or any motor vehicle at all until you have full use of your senses and full capacity to act responsibly on the roads.

EPA: A compliment? ANONYMOUS PERSON: Yeah! Don’t people ring up to register compliments about events? EPA: Ummm. No. No, they don’t. We don’t really do that here. ANONYMOUS PERSON: Well, why not? EPA: That’s just not something we do. This is for people who wish to lodge a compaint about noise. We receive complaints in accordance with the Environment Protection Act 1997 for activities that generate levels of noise ranging from being a nuisance to actually damaging people’s health. ANONYMOUS PERSON: Damaging people’s health? When was the last time someone got killed by a fat beat? EPA: I believe you’re missing the point, sir. ANONYMOUS PERSON: So you’re saying you can cause trouble and shut something down if a handful of people complain, but there’s no scope for the thousands who were made happy to register compliments? EPA: That is correct. PERSON: That hardly seems fair, does it? I demand you erect a Compliments Line at once! That’s the only way to get some fairness in this debate. EPA: Waiiiiiiiit a minute … Is this you again, Allan? We’ve warned you about this a hundred— ALLAN: Oh shit! <dial tone> ALLAN SKO - allan@bmamag.com

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WHO: DISCOVERY WHAT: DAFT PUNK TRIBUTE SHOW WHEN: FRI JUN 10 WHERE: TREEHOUSE

It is a truth universally acknowledged that Daft Punk never tour. Like, ever. The last time they toured Australia was in December 2007. So what’s the next best thing for fans looking to get harder, better, faster, et cetera? Discovery! They’re Australia’s very own Daft Punk tribute show, complete with a travelling light show, aerodynamic stage effects, and of course, authentic robot helmets. Oh, and not to mention the music, which this time is all about the Daft Punkcomposed film, TRON: Legacy. Don’t miss this opportunity to get lucky! They’ll start da funk at 11pm.

WHO: MIKELANGELO AND THE DEEP SEA GENTLEMEN WHAT: ALBUM LAUNCH WHEN: FRI JUN 10 WHERE: POLISH WHITE EAGLE CLUB

Oh, Mikelangelo. When are you gonna stop playing with our hearts, uh? He’s about to launch his new album, titled After The Flood. Written between Cooma and the Monaro high plains, this album is inspired by the stories of the 100,000 folks who travelled from across Europe after WWII to work on the Snowy Mountains Scheme, in one of the biggest engineering feats the world has ever seen. Catch the irrepressible Mikelangelo – crooner, troubadour and raconteur – sing songs of shattered dreams, illicit love and bittersweet hopes. Starts at 8pm. Tickets start at $30 at TryBooking.com.

WHO: LOOKING GLASS WHAT: ALBUM LAUNCH WHEN: SUN JUN 12 WHERE: THE BASEMENT

For those who’ve been keeping up with local music and your friendly neighbour BMA, you’d know that local band Looking Glass recently released one of the year’s best offerings in heavy music, Volume 4. Our very own Josh Nixon named it album of the issue back in March, reporting that, “track by track, this record evidences a band that is at the absolute peak of its creative power and distilling it into killer songwriting.” You really have to join them for their album launch to understand what we’re raving on about here. Doors are at 4pm. Support from Local Horror. Admission is $10.

WHAT: BIRTHDAY PARTY WHEN: SAT JUN 18 WHERE: KNIGHTSBRIDGE PENTHOUSE

Friends, Canberrans, countrymen, lend me your ears; I come to deliver news of Knighty, to celebrate its twelfth name day. The parties that knights do host are oft enjoyed; The beats are oft complemented with good hospitality. So let it be with Knighty; For they are an honourable establishment. You all have loved Knighty once, not without cause: What cause withholds you then, to not get down for their birthday celebrations? O the weekend! Thou art fled to brutish Mondays, And men have suffered hangovers. But to party once more, at the 7th hour of the night, would make us all, all honourable knights.

WHO: LEPERS & CROOKS WHAT: TOUR WHEN: SAT JUN 25 WHERE: THE BASEMENT

Lepers & Crooks have got it down. What is it? You know, it’s the good stuff. They smash out raw, melodious and uncompromising garage rock like it’s going out of fashion, except it’s not going out of fashion ‘cos Lepers & Crooks own it so hard and everyone just wants it. Give it to me, give it to me right fucking now. I want to rage. Their new single ‘Let You Go’ is the first to drop from The Heathen Circus, their EP due out later this year. Get around them. Tickets are $13.80 + bf via Oztix. Doors at 8pm.

WHO: KAURNA CRONIN WHAT: TOUR WHEN: SUN JUN 26 WHERE: SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE

The Southern Cross is one of Australian’s most prominent national symbols, but it means something different to everybody. To some people, it’s so frickin’ great that it’s worth tattooing onto themselves. For Kaurna Cronin, it represents the sense of belonging that anyone feels to the country that they’re raised in. That’s why his upcoming album Southern Loss is an homage to the great southern land he calls home. And he’s planning on sharing it with you on his tour to Smith’s Alternative. Entry is $10. Doors at 6:30pm. Support from Lowlands.

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LIFE AS A KARNY

A S A LIFE

Y N R KA

KEREN NICHOLSON Prog rock monoliths KARNIVOOL will kick off an east coast tour at ANU Bar on Wednesday June 15. This tour follows a successful west coast campaign for the band and precedes their highly anticipated (currently untitled) fourth studio LP. The tour will see new material trialled on faithful fans, and is just a small part of an enormous year for the band.

It’s been three years since Asymmetry, and to say the least, fans have missed these guys. Sadly, we probably won’t see the new release until early next year; 2016 is about finishing the writing and recording. “We get asked … where have you been? With some death threats from the US, ‘why haven’t you been here?’,” Hoss laughs, “We know they are stoic – our fans are not fickle.”

We’ve been waiting about four years to hear more from Karnivool – which is becoming something of a pattern, according to Mark ‘Hoss’ Hosking (guitar, vocals and fun; but with his parents owning a music store, this guy can play anything). “Yep, every four years – but it’s not the plan. We try to make albums a little quicker than that, but this seems to happen every time.”

Karnivool sit among an impressive cohort of Australian bands that are responsible for a uniquely smart, national, progressive rock scene – alongside bands like Cog and Dead Letter Circus, among others. When this idea was posed to Hoss, he admitted his recent coming to terms with Karnivool’s place in the Australian movement. “I didn’t realise until we were in India. People said, ‘you sound so Australian’,” he tells us. But of course, they themselves are a product of the music they listen to. “There is definitely a flavour that is Australian, which is grown out of a love for international bands. People are hearing the Australian take on that music.”

These four dudes are incredibly busy; they’re all working on other musical projects in their Karnivool downtime. But they can see the benefits of this downtime in plain sight. Hoss tells us that nobody gets frustrated while working on Karnivool material, and the other projects are actually enhancing what Karnivool is. “We have two years of flat touring around the world and then we’re back to it – everybody doing their own projects,” he says. “But that time away is about getting ideas. Then we spend eighteen months of pulling an album together.”

Since forming in 1997, Karnivool have shared the stage with many international bands that have contributed to their growth. At this point, the demand for Karnivool as a supporting band is high, and not just in Australia. It’s been a long time since they’ve supported anyone in Australia, but there are some things that are just too good to say ‘no’ to. So when do you say yes? To Deftones, on their 2016 Australian tour in November. “They’re a big influence. We are really big fans of this band. They have been an influence from day one, as a band and for me personally.”

Friendship holds us together and our insanity pulls us apart

As well as taking notes from their non-Karnivool projects, it turns out that the band are also looking to their previous albums for inspiration. “There are always pieces left over from the last album. With our songwriting process, we keep adding to the pot, and stirring the pot, until we start getting serious,” Hoss tells us. “There’s always a tangent and a similarity to the last project. So we’re revisiting a few old things – like right now, parts of the Themata days are coming back. At least, that’s where it feels like it’s heading; we’re coming full circle. The material is there, but we will rip it apart and put it back together again. It’s exciting, listening to it. Because it’s now at a critical point – you can hear it for what it will be, and it’s the direction that we were hoping for.” But in an effort to produce a good, solid album, the boys are trying not to do anything too fast. “In saying that, years go by so quickly. For us, it is a very quick process. The songs are personal and convoluted, so in that time, it’s not good to rush,” he says. “We’re waiting ‘til we get it right, which is part of the longevity of the band. We haven’t listened to the people telling us to hurry. We’ve always said that this band is a long-term thing. The music grows with us over time.”

But even with their success and international renown, it’s reassuring to know that, at heart, these boys are still essentially a bunch of clowns. “Usually you settle down as you get older – for us, it’s not the case. Friendship holds us together and our insanity pulls us apart. And our love for music brings us together as individuals. We don’t help the stereotype,” Hoss laughs. So what can old fans of this iconic Australian band expect from their upcoming shows? “Our shows will be like any of our other shows – so much energy and show,” Hoss says. “Playing is the fun bit. We get to celebrate the music with our fans – our audience. We’re playing material that we have never performed, so we hope to get feedback on the new music. Performing is all part of the process,” says Hoss. “It’ll be fun. A big, bright, happy show.” Karnivool will kick off their Pre-Animation tour at ANU Bar on Wednesday June 15. Tickets are $44 + bf via Moshtix. Doors at 7:30pm.

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parts together as well, even when other musicians are involved. “We’ve had the four-piece setup before, but we functioned the same way in that Pep and I wrote the songs together.” Stadium Cake comes out Friday July 1 in Australia. Having been around for six years, they had a “whole heap” of songs for the album, and eventually, decided it was time: “Because like with any project, you could sit around forever waiting for it to be perfect and finished before going to record, but we were like, ah, let’s do it, quick.”

PEP! TALK SHARONA LIN OH PEP! have been busy lately. They’ve been on tour around Europe (Olivia and Pepita are Skyping me from London), they’re about to head on to the US to tour for several months, and they’re releasing their debut album, Stadium Cake, at the end of the month. The two Melbourne musicians started off supporting other acts. But now they’ve noticed that, when they play the same cities again, audiences are coming back for them. While Olivia and Pepita play with other musicians onstage, the duo write all the songs. “The premise of Oh Pep! is a collaboration between Liv and I,” Pepita says, Oh Pep! without the and it works well. k mar n atio exclam They arrange all of rd would be … wei the instrumental

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The same get-things-done approach applied to their touring. While Olivia thinks that the overseas exposure definitely contributed to Oh Pep!’s rise, the international touring was simply a matter of necessity. “We were full-time, but there are only so many cities in Australia,” she says. “It’s hard to be a full-time touring band when there are only so many places to go. So for us, it was just that we wanted to be touring all the time and we were exhausting all our options at home, so we were just like: I think this is the part where we go overseas.” Pepita agrees, adding: “We could have waited around forever, asking, ‘do we have enough money yet, to go overseas?’ instead of like, ‘well it’s already booked, let’s go!’” With the meteoric rise of Australian artists, including Courtney Barnett and Vance Joy, you’d think that international audiences would associate Oh Pep! with them, but Liv says that most people don’t ask or know where the girls are from. “I guess that’s interesting, because being Australian is a big part of our identity, personally.” But when they do know, it’s positive, Pepita says: “It’s great to be Australian right now, there’s so much good stuff happening.” Finally, I had to ask where the exclamation mark came from. Is there some kind of meaning to it, or was there some extensive punctuation mark brainstorming behind it? The two laugh; it’s not symbolic of anything. “The exclamation mark just kind of felt like it needed to be there. I think Oh Pep! without the exclamation mark would be … weird.” Oh Pep! will release their new album Stadium Cake on Friday July 1.

LOCALITY

Canberra’s music scene is a real melting pot of genres, and this month a good number of them are on display in a big way across a bunch of the capital’s best venues.

The lineup at Smith’s Alternative over the last few weeks of June is full of local jazz, starting with Bella Groove on Thursday June 16 from 7pm, for a nifty $10 at the door. Lisa Richards will be playing the tunes that have taken her right across Europe, America and Australia on Friday June 17 from 7pm. Entry for that one is $15. If you still haven’t got your jazz fix, head back on Thursday June 23 at 7pm with $10 in your hand to catch The Rachael Thoms Band performing a tribute to The Original Hipsters, the groovy young ladies and gents of 1940s America. Whip on back on Thursday June 30 and you’ll be able to catch the ARC Quintet playing in the city where it all began from 7pm, with entry sitting at $10. However, if you’re not really into the jazz scene, you can get some cosmic, love-filled folk-rock care of Magic Rob Universe on Friday June 24, with support from cabaret quirks, The Blue Angel & Dr Wiedermann from 9:30pm. Entry is $10. No matter what you intend on seeing at Smith’s, you can always find extra info and book yourself a ticket at smithsalternative.com.au. Hip-hop in Canberra is gaining increased visibility at an incredible rate, with local artists playing a bunch of well-publicised and wellattended gigs over the last year or so. Having hosted a bunch so far in 2016, the Transit Bar stage will again host a bunch of Canberra’s best MCs on Friday June 17 from 8pm when Nix and the Gold Coast’s Pat Psyfa launch their new collaborative EP, Venture Capital. With entry sitting at just $10, you won’t believe the list of names on the bill. We’re talking: Jimmy Pike, Jedbrii, The Ansah Brothers, TakUn-Da, Kirklandd, DJ iLL Gato, Semantix, Context, DJ Danggers, Mighty Morfin, as well as sets from out-of-towners TYCOTIC and Jacquie Lomas. Yes, all that for ten bucks. Get there early to catch all the goodness and make sure there’s room for you! If your musical tastes are a little harder, there’ll be plenty of that going around at Smutfest, a celebration of speed, terror, hatred, blasphemy and obscenity at The Basement on Friday June 10 from 7pm. There’ll be plenty of local representation from Wretch, Mytile Vey Lorth, Claret Ash and Cockbelch, plus sets from Sydney’s Disintegrator and Skinpin, and DrainLife from Melbourne. If you consider yourself faint-hearted, maybe give this one a miss, but if you’re keen to get a little more metal into your musical diet, tickets are $15 via Moshtix. On Sunday June 12, you can head back to The Basement for Looking Glass (the Canberran rock group, not to be confused with the 1970s American pop group) and Local Horror, as the former launch their new album, Volume 4. Doors open at 4pm, with entry sitting at $10 and albums available for purchase. NONI DOLL NONIJDOLL@GMAIL.COM @NONIDOLL

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AD SPACE FROM LITTLE THINGS... ANDREW NARDI & KAROLINA FIRMAN It’s endearing to see freshly-picked, local nu-folk band BURROWS budding into their own and winning the hearts of local muso’s. The Canberra collective are already making a name for themselves by touting members from other local bands, including Cracked Actor, Mr. Fibby, The Ellis Collective and Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. Burrows is fronted by the powerful melodies of Merloc Studios head, Sam King, who contributes guitar and vocals. Lyrical content is shared between Cathy Petocz and Sebastian Field, who are also vocalists, and there’s also Grahame Thompson on cello (and vocals). Before the band continue their journey into the unforgiving music industry, we decided to have a word with Sam about their upcoming performance at the Street Theatre, and their soon-to-be launched self-titled debut album.

We’ve got a whole backlog of halfwritten songs waiting to be finished

Discussing their debut album, Sam revealed that it was recorded entirely at his studio over a period of two years. “There were large breaks between sessions and I made a point of not listening to it during the time in-between. This meant that every time I returned to it, I was hearing it fresh,” he explains. “Near the end of the project, I was having no luck recording my vocals separately to the others. So in the end, we did all the vocals live together, with speakers in the room and no headphones. It was one the most positive recording experiences I’ve ever had.”

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Inspired by artists like Patrick Watson, Joanna Newsom, Grizzly Bear, Fleet Foxes and Radiohead, Sam is already keen to explore more varied sounds on another album. “We’ve got a whole backlog of halfwritten songs waiting to be finished – way more than another albums’ worth,” he says. “I think the next one’s going to be a bit different, which is exciting. I’m keen to have more space and silence next time around.” When I ask Sam to describe what distinguishes Burrows’ music from the rest of the crop, he pinned it down to the honesty behind the music. “If you were to convert all our personalities into sound, I think Burrows is pretty well what you’d end up with. Except maybe there’d be more freestyle rapping from Grahame…” As Sam readies the band for their debut album launch, he describes the act of performing as a gateway into experiences that are out of the ordinary. “When you travel to a small town and play music for people, you become their excuse to do something different and interesting. So you often end up being taken to great swimming holes or staying up late listening to early Magic Dirt records and drinking posh whiskey. It’s the best.” Burrows will play at The Street Theatre on Saturday June 18 at 8pm. They’ll be joined by a choir for a few songs. Supported by Aaron Peacey and Happy Axe. Tickets and more details at thestreet.org.au.

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our Colours KEREN NICHOLSON

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In the last decade, there are few Australian bands that have soared as high as THE TEMPER TRAP. After rising to prominence on the back of their mammoth single ‘Sweet Disposition’ in 2009, the Melbourne indie rock prodigies became renowned for their solemn melodies, heart-wrenching lyrics and powerful hooks. Following the release of their debut album Conditions in the same year, including singles ‘Fader’ and ‘Love Lost’ (all of which hit Platinum in Australia), The Temper Trap have only grown from strength to strength.

Early in May, The Temper Trap made a quick, limited tour run through Australia, only hitting Sydney and Melbourne to trial new material on a home crowd. After six or seven years of being signed to a label and living and working in the UK, our Australian export still relishes the opportunity to be in front of a home crowd. While their stop in Australia was quick, Jonny Aherne (bass and vocals) says the highlight, after being overseas for quite a while, was realising the novelty has worn off, and his countrymen are awesome. These shows were personal, starting their new campaign where it all began, with an environment and support that is uniquely Australian. It’s midnight in London where Aherne and band member Dougy Mandagi take interviews. They laugh and listen to each other answer questions about their upcoming album, Thick As Thieves, which is due for release on Friday June 10. A lot has happened for the band since their last album, a self-titled, hit number one on the ARIA Album charts and spawned the Platinum single, ‘Trembling Hands’. Four years of experience, loves, desires and struggles have been captured in this reiteration of The Temper Trap. They have been described as a band reborn. “One of the guys with us for a long time, Lorenzo, left the band and that was hard for us. We had to look at how we did music. We started doing things differently, but this bound us as friends,” Aherne tells us.

were sharing something that had been private.” But it doesn’t take Ahearne long to sing praise for his collaborators, particularly Malay. “He was wonderful to work with. He knew the band,” he explains. “How he thinks, and his writing capability are amazing; he took us to a different place. Our indie rock, with a hip-hop guy, was like, counter-cultural. He was also the guy we could have a beer with.”

Ahearne goes on to explain how each of the band members brought something to the new album, lyrically speaking. He describes it as an album filled with hope. “We all write – that’s our passion. That’s what we love. And that shared experience was driven by Dougy.” Ahearne admits that Dougy Mandagi doesn’t often open up about himself; ultimately, Ahearne is left wondering what each of his songs are about. “I thought ‘Fall Together’ was romantic, but now I know it’s a little political. I find out more about him when he’s writing songs – what’s going on in his heart. He’s my best friend, but I’m still slowly figuring out his story. Dougy’s story – that could be a book.” An ongoing creative, collaborative process can be difficult, especially in a music industry where bands must constantly take risks. But after more than ten years, The Temper Trap have managed to produce two successful, imprinting albums. “We do fall short of some of the principles that you try to keep, which is that all ideas need to have a chance. No one can measure your idea. It needs to be respected, heard and tried. It takes great patience and love for one another. The creative process is secondary,” says Aherne. “There’s been a lot of pressure. You want to give it everything, and for as many people to hear it as possible. So the pressure has been real, as real as our desire to write good songs.”

No one can measure your idea. It needs to be respected, heard and tried

This new album is the first time The Temper Trap have shared the songwriting process with outsiders, working with Justin Parker (Lana Del Rey, Sia, Bat For Lashes), Ben Allen (Animal Collective, Deerhunter), Malay (co-writer & producer of Frank Ocean’s Channel Orange) and Pascal Gabriel (Ladyhawke, Goldfrapp). Ahearne admits that it was difficult to welcome outsiders into the band’s songwriting process. “Working with different people, seeing how they view music – seeing how that person thinks about the world,” he says. “I’m not going to say it was easy. We

Does he regret the band taking so long to get here? “I was shortsighted, and I’m so glad we waited. Four years. We’ve given our everything and I’m proud of the record,” he concludes. The Temper Trap’s new album, Thick As Thieves, will be released on Friday June 10.

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new material. Joining the Funkoars will be Melbourne-based MC Birdz. Tix are available for $30 on Moshtix.

THE REALNESS Once upon a time, not too long ago, people wore Adidas and lived life slow, but these days … people are living fast and loose, even here in the CBR. If you need any proof, just check out the quality/quantity of gigs lined up for June… First up, peep game on those dutty-mouthed Funkoars rolling back into Transit on Wednesday June 15, all prepped to bring that nasty flavour back into our politically correct little corner of Aus. With their fifth album on the way, get down to hear the ‘Oars spit some

On Friday June 17, Transit plays host to another huge one, with the launch of Nix & Pat Psyfa’s EP, Venture Capital. They’ll be ably supported by special guests Jacquie Lomas and Tycotic. Adding to the delicious local flavour cooked up on the night, Jimmy Pike, Jedbrii, The Ansah Brothers, Tak-Un-Da and Kirklandd will all come along for a never-before-seen, very rare entourage performance, all tied together by the crafty cuts of DJ iLL Gato. No napping on this one – tickets are gonna go for $10 on the night. How long has it been since you’ve gone to gig that wasn’t at Transit, Basement, Academy or La De Da? Well, here’s your chance. Sydney locals Spit Syndicate are coming to town on the Friday June 24 to go nuts all over the Aviary Bar at Westside. Supported by Hau and D’Opus & Roshambo, this is a wild opportunity to catch some big names in a pretty enclosed environment. Tickets available for $30 on Moshtix. Definitely bring a jacket though because, from memory, this joint is basically outdoors. Known around the traps for the wild-as parties, local promoters BoxCutter are also getting in on the act, chucking on their first festival at La De Da on the Sunday June 12, and the line-up is pretty hip-hop and bass heavy. Junglepussy (US), Genesis Owusu and Nix and Pat Psyfa all feature in and amongst producers from all over the land. Check out the FB event, get familiar on Sound loud and get keen! New kid on the block Juñor is hitting up his first ever national tour. The 23-year-old producer/ DJ/MC is leaving the sheltered confines of Melbourne, venturing out on the road like some kind of modern Mad Max. Bringing his recognisable blend of ambient production and slick rhymes to the CBR for the very first time, get on down to Transit Bar on Thursday July 7 to support Juñor on his dash up and down the continent. Supported by local boys Genesis Owusu and Jedbrii. Tix are going for $15 on Moshtix. BRADY MCMULLEN realness.bma@gmail.com

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G e t Back the Gusto CAT WOODS NGAIIRE (a.k.a. Ngaire Joseph, pronounced “Ny-Ree”) is bringing her future-soul sounds to Canberra. If you haven’t heard her, or heard of her, where have you been hiding? Fear not. Get to know her now and then snap up Blastoma in preparation for her whirlwind tour blowing through any day now. Ngaiire calls Sydney home, but she was born in Papua New Guinea and spent much of her childhood in New Zealand. At age three she was diagnosed with cancer and has previously alluded to how this changed her outlook on life and the purpose of living. It awakened her need to value every moment and to live bravely. Her second album Blastoma references these ideas and will connect with anyone who has recognised that life is a beautiful chaos, both fearsome and fantastic (and isn’t that all of us?). “Blastoma is derived from the full name of the cancer I had when I was a kid,” she explains. “I chose to use it as a memorial or a reminder of the need to revisit your past in order to re-establish gusto.” With production assistance from long-time collaborator Paul Mac, Ngaiire has managed to combine eclectic influences in a coherent, all-killer-no-filler release. Known for his driving dance beats and notable vocal collaborators (remember his work with Daniel Johns?), Paul Mac delivers on synths, beats and polished production. The deft hand of producer Jack Grace assists in introducing reggae, roots, jazz and soul while maintaining integrity and foremost emphasising Ngaiire’s fabulous voice. As well as Paul Mac, Ngaiire

Can you pick three tracks from Blas toma and tell us what they mean to you and what you hope listeners get from them? “‘Fall Into My Arms’ started off as a breakup song Jack Grace (my other producer) and I wrote. We stopped writing it because it felt force d and no one wanted to talk about their resp ective breakups being so fresh. We revisited it months later, after Jack got a call that an old schoolmate had come up HIV positive. It became all the things he couldn’t put into words on that day. ‘I Can’t Hear God Anymore’ was written about a relationship with a collaborator I had a deep spiri tual connection with and it came at a time I was feeling quite spent and over music. ‘Once’, because it was a song I didn’t believe in as a single. It was a lesson in trusting in other people’s creative opinions. People loved it so much more than I expected. Even I did.”

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was a back-up singer for Blue King Brown for four years (on the back of their major local and international success with Water in 2004). With them, she observed the dynamic and memorable performance style of the band. Their ability to weave world music with blues, roots, jazz and dance also echoes in Ngaiire’s solo work. She continued to perform with them occasionally, leading up to her first album release in 2013, Lamentations. “Paul had a lot more to do with the way I perform” she says. “But Blue King Brown, particularly Carlo Santone (bass player and band manager) helped mentor me through the ups and downs of being an independent artist,” she reflects. “Carlo and Paul still mentor me to this day.” Online, critics and listeners have likened Ngaiire to Mary J Blige and Erykah Badu. She takes this with humbleness, but also pride. “Erykah is always doing her. That’s what I love. She’s a sassy kook. She doesn’t apologise,” she says. “Mary has my heart constantly. I love that she sings with her whole body and how she rips out her heart and stabs it continuously in front of you. It’s so exhilarating watching her.” As for her choice of inspirational artist? They’re much closer to home. “My backing vocalist Billie McCarthy excites me. [She’s] relatively unknown, but she has been my favourite vocalist for years now. I recently checked out some of the new stuff she’s been writing and it’s a wild mix between St Vincent and Jill Scott.” Speaking of St Vincent – she of the feline face, wild curls and supermodel girlfriend – Ngaiire raves about the live St Vincent performance experience. “Watching people like St Vincent perform is jaw dropping,” she admits. “I love the theatrics, the lighting, the choreography, the cheeky monologues between songs and obviously the way she wields that bloody axe.” While her livewire performances may be inspired by the axewielding sound-storm that is St Vincent, Ngaiire’s own backstage routine is a personal, meditative practice that she is candid and generous in sharing. It is a time for her to prepare mentally and spiritually for the stage. “I do little quiet chants during sound check. My grandmother used to chant to me and my siblings at the start and finish of bedtime stories. We chanted together one last time before she died. It takes me right back to when we were kids holidaying in her little grass hut, sitting near the fireplace,” she reflects. “Somehow, it reminds me of how lucky I am that I get to do this. I also stare at my set list before each show and manifest how I see the shape of the show going. [This] makes me sound like a real loop, but it usually helps prepare my brain.” On a significantly lighter note, we finish off our interview with a five-word challenge. I ask her to describe the tour for Blastoma. “A dancing raspberry chocolate cake.” Ngaiire performs at Transit Bar on Saturday July 9. Doors at 8pm. Support from LANKS and Jack Grace. Tickets are $20 + bf through Moshtix.

DANCE THE DROP

As a DJ, you always have your favourite set times to play – whether it’s at a club, rave or festival. Undoubtedly, many of us love a peak time set, where you can bang out the heavy tunes to a packed dancefloor of clubbers at various states of intoxication. However, this isn’t the be all of DJing – there’s also late night afterhours in an underground club, sunrise outdoors in the bush as the light changes and the sky warms up (my favourite), or even an opening set. Yep, playing to a few people just arriving in a club has its own rewards, and I reckon it’s also one of the hardest. You need to engage punters’ ears, but also hold back on the big tunes and let them settle into the evening. Next time you’re at a quality night, maybe arrive a little earlier and see what the opening DJ is spinning – you might hear something different! It’s the Queen’s Birthday long weekend, so I’ll be out at a festival, but for those clubbers who prefer their music indoors in the warmth, Yahtzel will be at Mr Wolf on Friday June 10. The 21-year-old has been doing some great things, and Flume is a fan, so check this one out. Also on Friday (and every Friday) is Deep South, at Ojo Café and Bar – yep, Tuggeranong now has a dedicated Friday club night for house and techno! Finally, for this weekend, Hard Envy have taken advantage of a Monday off, and they have a boys vs. girls ‘royal rumble’ at Cube. Line-up includes Splinta, Hard Kitty, Import, Germ, Nasty, Nomad and Capital Punishment. But Triple J fans will be at Mr Wolf where host and DJ Linda Marigliano will spin some techno, house and indie-disco beats. Pickle have been running some of the most interesting parties in Canberra these last few months, so see what all the fuss is about on Friday June 17. No idea where the location is yet, but Sleep D, Cale Sexton, and Dan White are all playing – more details online at Resident Advisor. Also that night, Academy has some heavy bassline music sorted with Drezo on tour from the USA. Young Franco appears at Mr Wolf that night as well, with Sondrio, Skinny and Bakgat in support. Headz Are Rolling have become a solid fixture on the Canberra clubbing scene, with some strong drum and bass parties over the year. Catch them at Digress on Saturday June 18 with an all local line-up including Hax, Twisted System, Synth and Moonstompa – free entry on this one. Also that night, Gay Cliché is at Transit Bar with 50% of profits donated directly to Carers ACT.

On Friday July 1, Hard Envy presents the Canberra leg of the Reverse the Bass Tour at Cube, with DJ Steve Hill, Technikal, Jorgo, Nomad, Fuentes Brothers and Capital Punishment. Alternatively, if you prefer a bit of EDM and Melbourne bounce, Brynny & Bonka will grace the decks in Acadmey’s cavernous mainroom! Saturday night is all about the techno, as Subsonic Music Festival teams with both Lotown and Department of Late nights for their Canberra Launch party at Transit Bar. This will be a huge one with Alexkid (FRA) travelling all the way from Berlin, along with locals Doppel, Logan Zingus, Kazuki (yours truly), B-tham and T:mo. PETER ‘KAZUKI’ O’ROURKE contact@kazuki.com.auw

LET THE PEOPLE DANCE PETER O’ROURKE For many music fans across the country, December is synonymous with a pilgrimage a few hours north of Sydney for the SUBSONIC MUSIC FESTIVAL. Over four days, the sounds of techno, house, dub and pretty much every other form of creative electronic music and non-electronic music fills the lush surrounds of Riverwood Downs. “I suppose it was a hobby that turned into a business,” says Subsonic director and DJ (as MSG) Scott Commens. “We used to put on bush doofs [outdoor dance parties] with psytrance et cetera, and then it slowly evolved over the years.” Scott describes his relationship with music as one of an attention deficit, getting involved in a sound for a few years and then moving on. “It was actually the site that really shaped the festival in some respects. I wouldn’t take no for an answer on that venue, and that’s what has crafted a much more well-rounded festival over the last seven years, with bands alongside the electronic music. Bands weren’t our core business originally, but it’s been a great learning curve to include them as a focus as well.”

Festival culture is about making bonds with people

While the festival is still six months away, its first line-up announcement has just dropped, featuring artists such as acid house pioneer Josh Wink, dub veterans Lee Scratch Perry and Mad Professor, and beatmakers Machine Drum and Ben UFO, amongst other heavyweights in electronic music. To celebrate, the festival is hosting a series of launch parties, including a Canberra edition with local techno crews Lotown and Department of Late Nights*. Headlining the tour is the Subsonic institution and protagonist of Parisian underground dance music culture ALEXKID, who’s a regular of the festival. “He’s become family,” says Scott. “It was coincidence that it happened this way; he actually asked if he could set up a tour, and as he’s played the festival every year; he was the logical choice.” While much of the festival’s audience come from the Sydney surrounds, a large proportion are interstate and international guests, including Canberra. “It makes sense to come back to Canberra, and it’s always good to work with the local crews,” says Scott. “Subsonic and festival culture is about making bonds with people, and hopefully lifelong friends as well – shared over a love of music. Hopefully these launches can bring a little of that in preparation for the main event later in the year.” *Disclosure: the author is involved with Department of Late Nights. The Subsonic Launch Party comes to Transit Bar on Saturday July 2. Kicks off at 9pm.

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METALISE Looking Glass released an early contender for album of the year a couple of months back, now on Goatsound Records, simply entitled IV. It was the subject of a lengthy album of the issue review, which summed up my strong convictions that purchasers of this album were in for (so far) this year’s best sustained piece of creative and musical genius. This view has been articulated time and again across reviews, but the guys have only played one show to give folks a chance to experience the album live. The official album launch is set for Sunday June 12 at the Basement in Belconnen, the day before the Queen’s birthday holiday. Take note that the guys – in their retro loving wisdom – have basically made the show a matinee, by making the whole shindig an early night. The doors open at 4pm and there is one support from another superb Canberra band, Local Horror. The show will set you back a mere 10 bucks and you’ll be home warm in bed by 9pm, having witnessed the country’s absolute best stoner trio weave sonic magic. Don’t forget the Friday June 10 before this show and also at the Basement is the charming dulcet musings of four local and three interstate groups of bards, sharing their tender romantic tales at an event known as Smutfest. Eloquent in their articulation of all things emotional are locals Wretch, ahead of their previously mentioned European tour in July. Joining them are the poetry of Claret Ash, the youthful vigor of Sydney’s Disintegrator, the saucy salacious tales of Mytile Vey Lorth, the sea shanty of Skinpin, the apothecarial materia medica of Drain Life and opening the proceedings is the flowery majesty of Cockbelch, which you would be reticent to miss. With the Conan/Weedeater double header just around the corner, Life is Noise just don’t let up and have thrown another sludgetastic tour on for August in the form of Savannah, Georgia’s Black Tusk. Three-pieces of sludged up swamp metal with all the ingredients you would expect found therein, lashings of punk rock and Slayer by way of Motörhead but with their own southern flavor, it’s a show well worth adding to the fridge calendar at the Bald Faced Stag in Sydney on Saturday August 6. Sydney instrumental act sleepmakeswaves are currently over in the States, on tour with The Contortionist and Monuments. They are planning a return match in Australia, with The Contortionist and Tangled Thoughts of Leaving stopping by the ANU Bar on Thursday August 11. The guys are about to head out with COG on their return jaunt this winter, but if you want to get a sample in earlier, head to YouTube and search their videos for ‘Traced In Constellations’. JOSH NIXON doomtildeath@hotmail.com

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READYING THE VESSELS MATTHEW FOSTER BE’LAKOR remains one of Australia’s most venerated metal exports. The melodic death metal band has managed to stand on the global stage as one of the most respected acts of the genre with albums such as 2009’s Stones Reach and 2012’s Of Breath and Bone. Now they’re back with a new album and an upcoming Australian tour. We spoke to keyboardist Steve Merry to get the thick and skinny. Be’lakor’s softly spoken keyboardist and songwriter is keen to answer my questions, pulling over to the side of the road on his daily commute home when he receives my call. Be’lakor has taken their time with this new album and he is anxious to explain why. “One of the guys in the band actually moved interstate four years ago, roughly when Of Breath and Bone came out,” he explains. “So, the writing of this album was a little bit more about sharing riffs online and rehearsing when he was in Melbourne.”

LOOKING GLASS

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The new album may The new album is be well worth the wait essentially a story however, as Be’lakor inspired by nature and have decided to expand our place in the universe their horizons and write a full concept album. “Lyrically, we decided some time ago that we’d like to try to make a bit more of a unified story across the whole album,” he explains. “The new album is essentially a story inspired by nature and our place in the universe. It acknowledges how we are pretty insignificant in the grand scheme of things.” He goes on to explain how “each song across the album really is a chance to explore the energy of a different life-form or vessel. I think the story is pretty typical of us in terms of the feel it has and the themes it uses, but it was an opportunity to explore them in a more in-depth way.” Recently signing to Napalm Records has been a big step for the band – one of a growing number of Aussie metal acts getting signed to international labels, but it wasn’t a decision that was made lightly. “Up until recently, we’ve always been an independent band, so we’ve had the luxury of taking as long as we want when recording,” he says. “[Signing with Napalm] was a process that took a long time, but I think it was something we wanted to be pretty careful about as we were thinking about how it might impact us as a band.” He adds that Napalm has been quite good to them. “I think where labels come in these days is by putting you in touch with new people who can help with promotion, touring and distribution.” Aside from the upcoming Australian shows and a possible European tour, Merry is adamant about getting back into writing mode. “I think we’re going to get straight back into writing new music. To avoid another four-year wait between albums.” Be’lakor will headline the Metal Fiesta festival at The Basement on Saturday July 9. Tickets are $20 + bf through Moshtix.

DARK INTELLIGENCE

sway along to. They’ve I think we’re also just released their second EP, titled keeping the spirit of Unearthed. We had experimentation alive a chat with vocalist Michael Oechsle about the band’s story so far, and where they hope the band will end up.

DOWN HALCYON DRIVE KAROLINA FIRMAN Breaking into the music industry is no easy feat, but it becomes a little easier with some help from your friends. A shining example of music created through mateship, Melbourne-based alt-pop band HALYCON DRIVE have the kind of upbeat, dynamic music you can’t help but

How did you guys get started? I started Halcyon Drive as a personal project a few years back. I’d come back from overseas, was going through the end of a long-term relationship and just needed to get a bunch of stuff I had written into the world. It was thanks to mates like Max, who urged me to chuck it online and start playing the tunes live. I’d played with Max in other bands, so it was a great fit for the live show and it is now a real collaborative songwriting effort. What makes your music different to other indie-pop bands? When I compare us to other bands kicking around today, I’d like to think we’re breaking the mould a bit. We’re not trying to fit a particular sound, but instead pushing the boundaries creatively … I think we’re keeping the spirit of experimentation alive. Can you tell us about your new EP, Untethered? What’s your favourite song? It’s a much more deliberate, considered effort than our first, I think. It’s also one in which Max and myself fully collaborated on all the songs during the writing and recording process. I’d say ‘Untethered’ would be my favourite song, because it really sums up the vibe well. But also ‘Reset’ – super proud we were able to sneak a rip-roaring rock tune on this record! Who would you say is the biggest influence on your music? For me, personally, I’m a massive fan of Neil Finn as a pop songwriter; he’s the godfather in my eyes. Otherwise, I love listening to more contemporary and experimental pop stuff as well – TV On The Radio are a big one for me too. What are your plans for the future? Trying not to look too far ahead is good, at the minute. We’re keeping our heads down, touring this EP and giving fans a killer live experience. Writing for our next record (which has already started) is the next exciting step. Where would you like to perform if you could perform anywhere? We can’t wait to hit the overseas scene – slightly obscure audiences would be cool if you’ve got people really vibing the tunes – Japan, Eastern Europe, etc. How many is too many? Too many is never enough (guitars). Halcyon Drive are playing at Transit Bar on Saturday June 11. Tickets are $8 + bf via musicglue.com. Kicks off at 8pm. Support by Brother Be and String Elephants.

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most accurate versions as possible,” Pink Floyd Experience founding member Darren Whittaker says. “We grew up with the Floyd and know only too well it was music that audiophiles everywhere have listened to hundreds of times over, so the bar is set very high. We have to try and recreate that, hence our painstaking efforts and the sound equipment we use.”

WA NOT JUST ANOTHER BRICK IN THE DAN BIGNA

Recreating Pink Floyd’s gargantuan 1994 Division Bell tour is not an undertaking for the fainthearted. That tour, which turned out be the group’s last, spared no expense on the lighting and special effects, and became one of the highest grossing in popular music. It was built around a set list drawn from the group’s strangely assorted body of work, including lengthy atmospheric piece ‘Shine on You Crazy Diamond’, the undiluted psychedelia of ‘Astronomy Domine’ from the Syd Barrett era and the band’s album masterpiece Dark Side of the Moon played in full. But distilling the grand spectacle of that tour into an immersive three-hour set is precisely what New Zealand tribute band THE PINK FLOYD EXPERIENCE will attempt for its forthcoming Pulse shows, with an eleven-piece group reconstructing the track list on the 1995 live album of that name. Given that Pink Floyd fans can be a fussy bunch when it comes to the group’s legacy, a commitment to precision will be keenly felt. “There is immense pressure for us to deliver the

The general appeal of tribute bands stems from the desire for an authentic experience. The Pink Floyd Experience has therefore gone to considerable lengths to ensure that music fans will enjoy a show that comes as close as possible to the real thing. “We try to be as faithful as possible to whatever we are doing right down to meticulous details,” Whittaker says. “We don’t jam the music at all. We tend to get a bit pedantic sometimes, but the end result is worth it. There are probably tiny, little things like the sax outros on some songs where they are maybe improvised slightly, but generally we are trying to recreate Pink Floyd’s music exactly as people know it, including the instrument tones and timbres, plus the vocals and sound effects.” This level of There is immense reproductive loyalty is pressure for us to deliver quite impressive, as is the ambitious challenge the most accurate of recreating one of the versions as possible most successful tours of all time. But Whittaker is confident about achieving this, having come a long way from doing the hard yards in the New Zealand pub rock scene. This modest beginning was transformed by a complete devotion to promoting the music from an unusual sounding band that somehow achieved major chart success. “We have been rehearsing for months, and we feel very relaxed now with the material,” Whittaker says. “I believe we have nailed it as close as we can and audiences are in for a very polished show.” The Pink Floyd Experience comes to Canberra Theatre Centre on Wednesday June 15. Starts at 7:30pm. Tickets and details are available via canberratheatrecentre.com.au.

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the opportunity to visit Paisley Park and watch him rehearse with The New Power Generation.

TOTALLY TAKING US BACK JARROD MCGRATH Just as MARTIKA has “fond memories of her childhood” on the TV series Kids Incorporated, many of us have memories invoked by the songs that will be performed on the upcoming TOTALLY 80’S TOUR. Coming to our shores in July, the tour will host seven international 80’s superstars performing all their classic hits on the one night. For Martika, now 47 years old, this will be her first tour since her “one and only live tour back when ‘Toy Soldiers’ had just gone number one” (she has since toured with Oppera, a project she performed in with her husband). She will offer a 30-minute set comprising her hits ‘Toy Soldiers’, ‘I Feel the Earth Move’ and ‘Love… Thy Will Be Done’ (a song she co-wrote with Prince). When asked about her experience working with the late genius, she explained that it was “a long distance collaboration over the phone” due to scheduling conflicts. She had requested his assistance when faced with the daunting task of writing a follow up to a number one song, and felt he was a sound prospect due to him being “well known for sharing his music with other artists.” Despite not directly working in the studio with Prince, she did get

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We went to Disneyland way too much

Admitting that she has “never met any of the other artists on the bill” of the Totally 80’s Tour, Martika expressed fond memories of singing some of the artists’ songs during her time on Kids Incorporated. “When I was 15-years-old, singing Berlin or Katrina and The Waves on Kids Incorporated, I never would have imagined that I would be touring with these artists.” When asked about the best memories of her career (like hoping to get a response about her participation in the Mr T motivational video ‘Be Somebody … or Be Somebody’s Fool!!’), Martika proclaimed that she “couldn’t have thought of a better way to spend my teenage years.” With the show being filmed in her hometown Los Angeles, she laughed as she recalled that she and her co-stars “went to Disneyland way too much.” This visit will be Martika’s first time in Australia since 1992, when she travelled with her family promoting ‘Toy Soldiers’ in Sydney and Melbourne. With the tour heading to other cities such as Canberra, Hobart and Perth, she is excited to see more of our country, explaining that Californians and Australians have many similarities. She is busy “getting fit” for the tour and advised that performing her hits from the 80’s and 90’s is her priority at the moment, and that she has no plans to release any new material despite having commenced work on a follow up album, Mirror Ball in 2015. She did comment that she “can’t really stay out of the studio too long,” so we might have new Martika sometime in the future. Until then, it’s time for us to have fun reminiscing and dancing the night away to some of our favourite tunes of yesteryear. The Totally 80’s Tour hits Canberra on Sunday July 17 at The Royal Theatre at 7:30pm. Feauturing Martika, Berlin, Limahl, Katrina, Paul Lekakis, Men Without Hats, Stacey Q, WaWa Nee and Real Life. Tickets starting at $92.93 + bf through Ticketek.

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

A PIGMANT OF THE IMAGINATION ZOE PLEASANTS

Photo by Shelly Higgs

Much of Raoul Craemer’s inspiration for his play, PIGMAN’S LAMENT, came from his own life. While it is not unusual for a writer to look within themselves for creative inspiration, it does seem that for Craemer, the well is particularly full. With a fascist grandfather, anarchist parents, a childhood spent in a very strange commune and then in India, there are plenty of stories for him to choose from. “A lot of crazy things happened to me when I was a kid,” Craemer tells me in his mild and understated manner. “It was difficult to decide which episodes to use from my life.” In the end, he settled on a confrontation between himself and his grandfather as the premise for his play. “My grandfather, we can only assume was a fascist in Germany. He went back to fight at the Eastern Front [of WWII] three times. He got shot and could have been invalided out [but he wasn’t],” Craemer explains. His grandfather didn’t return home after the third time and was presumed dead. Craemer has often wondered what his grandfather would make of his life today. He juggles being an actor with looking after his kids. “I cook, I look after the kids, I pick them up from school because my partner is very busy. And I was thinking, [my grandfather] – this up-standing German, militaristic guy – would think this was absolutely unacceptable!” Pigman’s Lament then, is about the struggle between the different attitudes and world views of two generations and, in particular, what it is to be a man in these two generations. It explores and confronts the instincts and behaviours of men who were part of our history. To bring this struggle to the stage, Craemer imagined himself as a playwright, “almost obsessed with his grandfather, and wanting to tell the truth about family secrets.” He also imagined that his grandfather survived the war. He then comes to Craemer’s apartment in Canberra and tries to stop him putting on the play, because he “can’t bear the idea of these [family secrets] coming out.” Pigman’s Lament is Craemer’s third play, but the first he has written (and will perform) by himself. He developed the play through The Street Theatre’s Hive program, under the guidance of Peter Matheson, “who was just incredibly helpful through the whole journey, because he really encouraged me to keep writing.” It took Craemer almost three years to write the play and he has discovered through the process “that I’m not a natural writer!” Previously when Craemer

collaborated with others, he found that the writing process just happened – not so when he was writing by himself. But as a result of the more laborious process, the play has many layers. “There are lines in it that are echoes from thirty drafts ago. They’ve been woven into a story that now makes sense, but to me they still refer to something else as well,” Craemer says. Finding someone to direct Pigman’s Lament was also tricky. That is, until Craemer saw a performance of Paulo Castro’s show Massacre at The Street Theatre. “I just loved the way [Castro] layers text, and movement, and imagery and lighting. So sometimes the text didn’t make sense, but you are really engrossed in the action that is going on and that’s when I thought, ‘wow, if he’s got the skills to do that, he could probably make my show make sense!” Before this, Craemer had tried other directors, “but something just didn’t feel quite right. With [Castro], there was this instant kind of trust,” he says. When Craemer approached Castro, he was curious to see what he would make of the play, whether he thought it could be produced. “He didn’t even bat an eyelid. He could just instantly see how I could do it. That was such a relief.” The title, Pigman’s Lament, comes one of Craemer’s memories from the time he spent as a kid in a commune. “They sat us kids on the side; we didn’t know what to expect; they had lined the whole room with plastic and in the middle there were three buckets. And then the doors open up and all the adults … came in on all fours like pigs, naked, crawling around the room! All the kids were sitting there going, ‘what?’ And the adults kept going around in circles, around [the leader of the commune] and then he poured paint on them!” From this memory, ‘Pigman’ was born as a metaphor for the clash between our animal and human sides. Craemer finds memories such as these challenging and he is challenging himself to confront them. However, he understands the value, particularly creatively, in doing things that scare him; he once even tackled stand-up comedy for this reason! Perhaps in the end, this bravery and sense of adventure is part of a complex legacy that has been passed down to him from his grandfather and parents, which he is now channelling into writing weird and mysterious plays. Pigman’s Lament will be showing at The Street Theatre, Fri Jun 24–Sun Jul 3. Go to thestreet.org.au for details and tickets.

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NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AUSTRALIA

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

THE COLOUR IN THEIR SMILES ZOE PLEASANTS

Photo by Eva Schroeder

While most of us have ready access to a camera, a quick scroll through Facebook will disavow you of the idea that many of us are actually photographers. Apart from the occasional nice picture of frost rising off Lake Burley Griffin, we take a lot of uninspired photos of our food, our pets, our kids and ourselves. With this proliferation of ‘photography’, it’s easy to dismiss it as art. However, walking into Eva Schroeder’s exhibition, BENEATH THE BULA SMILE, I was immediately reacquainted with the art of photography. Schroeder is currently studying photography at Canberra Institute of Technology (CIT). But as she describes herself to me, she’s “not a bright, young thing”. Instead, she comes to photography with an array of creative jobs on her CV, including musician, graphic designer and radio presenter. Schroeder started studying photography with the intention of taking photos for a magazine that she herself would like to start up. This plan is now on hold however, as her talent seems to be taking her on a different journey – one that started with a trip to Fiji. Last year, Schroeder won the overall prize for a photography competition jointly held by CIT and the United Nations Office in Canberra. Her prize was a week-long photography internship at the United Nations Women’s Office in Fiji. “I was a bit blown away, I have to admit, that I won,” she says. The UN Women’s Office in Fiji was waiting for Schroeder, “they can’t afford a photographer,” she explains, “so they were waiting for me to come and take all these photos for their annual report and other publicity.” By the time Schroeder arrived, the office had already let her know that she would be responsible for four photo essays. Three of these photos essays were based on the Suva Market. The market is open a few days a week in the centre of Fiji’s capital, Suva, and rural vendors travel from all over Fiji to sell their goods there. For some of these vendors – many of them poor women – it takes a day for them to get home, so they have to stay in Suva while the markets are on. “The United Nations have built these one-room dwellings where these women can shelter, and they just sleep on cardboard on the floor,” Schroeder explains. Before the UN built these dwellings, the women used to sleep under their stalls and they would often get attacked, sexually assaulted or have their money stolen.

The photos that feature in Schroeder’s exhibition were taken late one Friday night at this market. “There’s a security guard who [the women] pay one Fijian dollar a night, so they can sleep in this room. I was taken into one room and there were 20 women in there,” Schroeder says. She was tasked with taking just one photo of each woman, although she managed to get two photos of one particularly lady. “I captured her face as she was, and then her re-adjusted face, her ‘smile’,” said Schroeder. “Some of [the women] look resilient, and some proud, some look really cranky, some look devastated, upset.” All of them, I thought, looked deserving of being hung in a gallery. When Schroeder looked at her photos retrospectively, she found the colour in them distracting. “Because the women were all wearing reds and pinks, oranges and yellows and patterns, I found all I was doing was looking at the colour, so I removed it. When I removed it, what you see is their eyes and their hands.” I wasn’t convinced by this when Schroeder told me. Fiji is such a colourful country and to take the colour out seemed to miss the point. However, when I saw the photos, I found that, incredibly, the colour of Fiji had not been lost – it is there in the women’s faces, just as Schroeder described. The experience has deeply affected Schroeder. “I just think their story needs to be told, you know, we all live this comfortable life. People need to know that there is more happening out there … Before I went to Fiji I just took pretty pictures, and since being there I’ve thought, ‘actually, I want to be a documentary photographer now.’ That’s the genre I really want to work in, because it’s not beautiful – it’s reality, and I want to take pictures that influence other people.” As well as telling their story, Schroeder would also like to help the women in a more practical way. “One of the things that really got to me was the fact that these women didn’t have a toilet. Their toilet is 150 metres away, and they’re too scared to go to it because they’ll get attacked. I thought, ‘what can I do to help?’ So on Saturday June 11 at 1:30pm, I’m going to give an artist’s talk about these pictures. I’ve written a poem about these women and I’ve had a local composer write a piece of music based on the poem, and there’s a brand new coral group who are going to do their debut performance, and they’re going to perform this piece of music … Then I’m going to ask for donations, hoping to buy a toilet!” Beneath the Bula Smile is showing at the Tuggeranong Arts Centre, Fri May 20–Sat Jun 18. For details of the event on Saturday June 11, visit tuggeranongarts.com.

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of the artist, he was never a “mega fan”. It’s better that way, he thinks: “As a fan, you can’t make a show like this … a show where you recreate his beautiful and fascinating music and mix it with fantasy and facts about your own life and his work.” The show is a mix of originals and covers. Ratzke’s original songs connect the show as a whole, and he believes the songs are “very much in the style of Bowie.”

IS THERE LIFE ON MARS? SHARONA LIN

Photo by Hanneke Wetzer

Sven Ratzke, the creator of STARMAN – a show honouring Bowie and his music – found out that David Bowie died at seven in the morning. “The phone started to ring, and it never stopped that whole day,” he tells me. “Press and friends, everyone was calling me. I didn’t even have time to think – the next day I became really sad. It was as if I had lost a good friend.” Ratzke performed that night on a big talk show in Holland – that show, and the first live show after his death two days later, were the hardest. “Suddenly it became clear that every song I was singing would never, ever be sung by him – all the references to death and the endless sky full of stars we can get lost in, every little detail, referred suddenly to him. People in the audience were crying.” The concept for Starman originated several years ago, and Ratzke has researched extensively, meeting and working with people that knew and worked with Bowie. While Ratzke was always an admirer

Starman premiered in Berlin in October last year. The show takes the audience from London to a sleazy drag bar in West Berlin, via New York City and Los Angeles. In West Berlin, Bowie just wants to hang out with his lover, Romy Haag, a friend of Ratzke’s. The show runs the gamut from seventies glam rock, to sound collages, to European cabaret. It’s strange to think that Bowie would have listened to it; Ratzke had sent the Starman CD to Bowie before his death. One of the hardest shows to perform after his death was in New York City, Bowie’s adoptive hometown. “I know he had listened to it, we’d hoped he would come to the show. That made me very sad, being in NYC, his hometown, but people really loved it.” Since working on Starman, Ratzke found that they had a lot of things in common. “I think the biggest influence is that Bowie was an artist that always took risks. The things he was intrigued by, I am also. Art, movies, woman, man, glamour, mystery, questions about life … we could have been related.” Ratzke doesn’t attempt to impersonate Bowie – that’s not what he does, he laughs. “I’m Ratzke. I’m an entertainer, an actor, a singer, a drama queen, a dancer, a storyteller – I’m myself. But Bowie’s soul is in me.” Starman comes to Canberra Theatre on Saturday June 18. Tickets are $55 + bf via canberratheatrecentre.com.au. Starts at 7:30pm.

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IN REVIEW CounterMove Canberra Theatre Centre Friday May 20

Mädchen, and of course the famed splat of the flying cat. Photo by Peter Greig

Alexander Ekman’s Cacti, originally created for the Nederlands Dans Theater, is the first piece in Sydney Dance Company’s CounterMove season at Canberra Theatre Centre, and it works on the basis of the often quoted ‘…if you want to tell people the truth, make them laugh’. Ekman believes that the idea of analysis and criticism directing a ‘correct’ way to view art, particularly dance, is cactus. He counters with Cacti, delivering his truth via an almost didactic, recorded critical monologue overlaid on precision choreography. Sydney Dance Company’s fast paced, physical performance incorporated the dramatic as well as the choreographic, underscoring the narrative with action, rhythm and humour. The piece’s intent was highlighted by combining skill and timing to emphasise, with dance, phrases within the text. Underlining points and generating genuine responses to the sarcasm-tinged humour, was evident in both movement and word. Each performer’s handling of their personal, prickly cactus throughout the performance references an artist’s need for ownership of their work even though it may be dangerous or delicate. The cacti also highlight Ekman’s entreaty to disregard third hand critical analysis, in favour of a more direct connection with the audience. Indeed the audience responded with laughter to the lighthearted elements, including an almost frivolous interlude set to Schubert’s ‘Presto’, from the string quartet Der Tod und das

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Director Rafael Bonacella’s presentation of this internationally renowned work utilised sets of individual platforms, which were lit to millimetre accuracy and manipulated into various configurations by the performers. It featured excellent quality of movement with strong, rhythmic patchen across the dancers’ bodies, precise solos, unison and group work. Set to music improvised and composed for the piece – along with excerpts from classic works performed by an on-stage string quartet – Cacti was intimately engaging, with both visual and audio gags relieving the intensity at the right moment to deliver Ekman’s message. Bonacella’s own work Lux Tenebris was the second piece in CounterMove. Translating to “light in the dark”, it shifted to pure choreographic expression in an introverted world bordered by controlled, overhead lighting. Driven by Nick Wales’ specially commissioned soundscape, which combined moody freesound samples with strings and percussion, the whole company gave a very physical performance, as demanded by the choreography. Stand-out work came from Richard Cilli and 2016 Company newcomer, Nelson Earl. Created from light and dark spaces bounded by vertical lighting, the setting gave depth to the work, establishing planes of movement and isolating performers in solos, duos and groups. Bonacella dexterously used the light and dark of this environment to project his performers in chiaroscuro, conveying his metaphor for personal connection, interaction and disconnection. Lux Tenebris cycles with almost relentless physicality to the point where it becomes obvious that our oscillation between the light and the dark never ends. In this moment of clarity, the curtain falls, music unabated, on the company running treadmill-like into the fading light. ANTHONY PLEVEY

often you get to perform on a stage that is made from 900-year-old shipwreck timber. “That’s part of my rider these days. The stage has to be 900-years-old. Minimum. I’ve been offered 850-year-old stages, but I’m not interested.”

AKMAL AMUCK MARK TURNER Australia’s favourite bald-headed comedian AKMAL joined BMA for a quick chat about his upcoming shows in Canberra. I mentioned I’d done a whip-around the office to get the shit weather out of the road so it would be nice when he got here, and he thanked me and responded that he was surprised we had that sort of pull. Must have contacts in the Department of Weather, apparently. So what can we expect from the new show? “I don’t know. I’m not one of those comedians who does a show to a theme. I mean, I’ve tried, but I tend to wander off on a tangent. People ask me, ‘what’s your show about?’ and I tell them and they say to me after the show, ‘your show was nothing about what you said!’ Which is true.”

Having done a stint on radio, I asked what his favourite performance medium is. “Definitely performing,” he responds. “Radio was exciting and challenging but it stagnated my performance. You don’t have time to write as much. You couldn’t tour. It was great, but I love doing shows.” Does being good at comedy make people assume that he’s good at other aspects of performance? “Yeah, sometimes. Also, there are different sorts of comedy. I’m no good with scripted stuff. If I can chat and have room to move and interact, I’m good. One of my comic idols who I’ve had the good fortune to work with is Steven Wright. He is one of the funniest comedy minds ever, but he struggles to improvise.” Beforehand, I asked some of my co-workers what they would ask Akmal. One friend replied that he always wanted to know what one would call a camel-toe in Egypt. Taking the good-natured question in his stride, he replied, “women in Egypt wear a hijab so there’s no camel toes around. But when you eat a camel, the toes are a delicacy. If you’re into camels that is. Not everyone is.” This is a genuinely funny man and I can’t wait for the show. Akmal will perform at The Abbey on Friday July 22 and at The Vikings Club in Erindale on Saturday July 23. Tickets are available via Oztix and Ticketek, respectively.

I also asked him why he is showing at two different venues over two nights. “I don’t spend a lot of time choosing the venues, unless there’s one I remember I haven’t played at for ages and I suggest that.” I told him he would love performing at The Abbey, as it’s not

ALAN CARR

PUNCHLINE

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How To Be A Man I have two sons and one daughter (the oldest). I see my wife teaching my daughter how to be a woman – you know, makeup, fashion and how to roll your eyes in contempt of a male. My daughter has a great teacher. I have thought about how to teach my boys (aged eight and five, I think) on how to be a man. What defines “A Man” these days? Not eating quiche is simply not enough. When I was young (my wife and daughter now roll their eyes), you used to be able to spot a man – he normally just had a big, thick beard. Sometimes it was a year eight science teacher, but you could count them out as they wore brown. This “man” could change a tyre, fix a leaking tap, lift heavy stuff and open a door for a lady. Modern society has made this difficult. Guys with beards now all wear brown and can’t do anything but make coffee. If you are a new father, here is what you need to teach your boy(s): Whenever the TV remote requires multiple presses to turn on or change channels, don’t change the batteries. Open the back and spin the batteries, you will get another week out of them. Lesson: Do it later (anything, that is). Need to fix a dripping tap? Broken power point? Batteries for the remote? All household handyman chores should consist of at least two trips to Bunnings – more if you can manage it. Women think that men are all morons (in my personal experience), so don’t worry about how you look. It is all about the sausage sizzle. Lesson: You need at least two Bunnings sausage sandwiches per weekend. Kids with rat’s tails don’t mess with them. Let little Cruz or Brodie or Tyson climb the wrong way up the wrong way on the slide. If you tell him not to, it will escalate. Just occasionally yell out (so he cannot identify you), “teacher is coming,” and in the panic he might fall and hit his head, and they might have to shave off his rat’s tail to do brain surgery. Lesson: Bogans might have a brain. Grown up men tend to get a dressing gown and slippers/ugg boots when they’re between 18 and 21; we don’t know where they come from. It doesn’t matter how much milk is wiped up by the sleeve of the dressing gown or how worn those ugg boots get, this is your one set until the Hospice. Woman will suggest you upgrade. Lesson: This is the last bastion of your masculinity. Don’t let woman take it from you by suggesting you have a clean dressing gown or ugg boots with grip. DAVE GRAHAM – Dad, comedian and a man (depends on who you ask). Dave will appear at the Uni Pub Comedy Club on Friday June 17. Tickets are $22 via unipub.com.au, or $25 on the door. Starts at 8pm.

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

ALEXANDER BOYNES What do you do? I’m an artist making work that moves between painting, photography, print media and video installation. I also make performance works with multi-disciplinary art collective PRAXIS, which I established in 2013 with dancer/choreographer Laura Boynes (my sister) and cellist/composer Tristen Parr. When, how and why did you get into it? Both of my parents are painters, and encouraged me to be a lawyer, a stockbroker, a doctor or anything but another poor artist. So I really broke the mould, and studied gold and silver smithing at ANU. Oh genetics. Who/what influences you as an artist? I’ve always been fascinated by light, movement and the human body. More recently, my work has explored human adaptation, the boundaries set by our environment, and the ephemeral nature of existence. My work often investigates the intersecting lines between technology and the body and our approach to the landscapes we inhabit in the digital age. It aims to address contemporary culture and its fears, challenges and the hope for a positive future for Australia. Of what are you proudest so far? Working with Aboriginal communities to help make their stories valued and known, and projects I’ve been involved in that address a desperate need to preserve our landscape in the face of climate change.

What are your plans for the future? To keep making art that is both critical and reflective of the world around me. I really want to tour Dark Matter around the rest of Australia, but it’s not easy with half a dozen dancers and more than a tonne of rice! What makes you laugh? Kids telling imaginary stories, interpretive dance, soft drink explosions and the flat earth theory. What pisses you off? The government’s decision to take $104m out of the Australia Council for the Arts’ funding to make a political slush fund to buy votes. The fact that the government has allocated a budget to decide which artists and art forms are worthy of funding is terrifying, reflects only their political agenda and IT PISSES ME OFF! What about the local scene would you change? Stop funding vacuous shipping container villages devoid of culture, and useless one-day events that do nothing to advance artists’ careers. There are so many great artists in this city that are nationally and internationally renowned – the Canberra arts scene is seriously underrated, let’s support it! What are your upcoming performances/exhibitions? My upcoming exhibition, Body / Time / Light opens on Thursday June 16 at Beaver Galleries, Canberra and runs until Sunday July 3. The exhibition focuses on my wall pieces and is my first solo show at Beaver Galleries. Later this year I will also be participating in Contour 556, a new public art festival in Canberra. Contact info: Alexander Boynes is represented by Beaver Galleries, Canberra. For all enquiries, please contact the gallery on 02 62825294 or via email at mail@beavergalleries.com.au.

‘Everywhen’, pigment & enamel on acrylic and aluminium, 120cm x 120cm, 2016

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IN REVIEW

“Elvis” Presented by Miss Kitkas House of Burlesque Teatro Vivaldi, ANU Canberra Fri–Sat May 27–28

Sparkle Muffin as Lady Elvis. Photo by D-Eye Photography

Whilst Miss Kitkas House of Burlesque is well known for twice yearly production shows that heavily feature the classical style of Burlesque, the crowd got something very different and unexpected at the two sold out “Elvis” tribute burlesque shows at Teatro Vivaldi. I attended both nights, wondering how classical burlesque, the typical rock ‘n’ roll style and slow ballads of Elvis’ music would meld and be presented without becoming repetitive or boring. What the performers presented included routines that were a combination of romantic, saucy, cute, funny and even neo-alternative in nature. Friday night had a 45-minute pre-show introduction feature by Dr Sketchy’s Canberra, including two burlesque performances and life

CANBERRA REP - WITNESS FOR THE PROSECUTION

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modelling by the performers for the audience to sketch. Saturday night had a pop-up Burlesque Bazaar with stalls selling vintage records, corsets, nipple tassels and vintage-style books. There were several first-time performers, with shows by both beginner graduates as well as long-term Kitka performers. The crowd were delighted, enthralled and even shocked with the variety of performances presented. Entertained by a very nearly naked male emcee with a spectacular physique, the crowd was cheering loudly and enthusiastically, clapping along to the music all night and staying well past the end of the show to mingle with performers and friends. My only criticism of the show was the recurring five-second flash and dash of nipple tassels by a lot of the female performers. They would twirl for just a few seconds, then dash off stage. Please be more confident with being on stage and twirling ladies! One of the significant highlights of both evenings was the incredibly romantic, contemporary striptease by 2015 Kitten of the Year Audience Choice Winner Harley Quinn, and 2015 Kat of the Year, Regal Shivers. The performance highlighted the emotion of lovers separated in wartime. Another highlight was the truly special performance featuring Sparkle Muffin as a female Elvis impersonator, with an amazing costuming paying tribute to the King’s famous jumpsuits. Check out Miss Kitka’s other upcoming House of Burlesque events and burlesque courses by liking her Facebook page: facebook.com/Miss.Kitkas.HOB/. SAM INGHAM

WIG & PEN

“Norway and Sweden have more open policies when it comes to immigration and this theme has come through in films such as our Opening Night selection. The refugee comedy Welcome to Norway and the funny and poignant documentary Nice People both tackle the topical issues of racism and integration in very different ways. Finland and Iceland have rugged terrain and the people seem to have a very strong connection to nature. Multi-award-winning Icelandic drama Sparrows features breathtaking locations and is not to be missed.”

A SMORGASBORD OF FILM DELIGHTS RORY MCCARTNEY Once associated with very intense Ingmar Bergman human relationship studies or dodgy, blue tinted ‘art’ films, Scandinavian movies have evolved to offer so much more. Your opportunity to view the latest and greatest is coming up fast, with the SCANDINAVIAN FILM FESTIVAL hitting the screens at Palace Cinemas in July. BMA caught up with festival director Elyssia Zeccola to find out more. Film festivals usually revolve around one language; but in a cultural rather than a geographical sense, Scandinavia wraps up Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Iceland and Finland. Zeccola explained how that provides great opportunities for a festival curator, with scope to screen films from nations that all have such a strong and highly respected cinematic tradition. “It is a region that produces such outstanding films, so in a way it is easy to curate, the countries are diverse, but there are also similarities.” There are also subtle national characteristics that set films from varying nations apart from each other.

CANBERRA SHORT FILM FESTIVAL

Zeccola spoke enthusiastically about the advantages of the festival’s films over Hollywood productions, which can be predictable in content and which rely heavily on special effects. “Generally speaking, European films possess a stronger dose of realism, with story and performance as key features and endings that are abrupt or unpredictable. Nordic films deliver strong characters, sophisticated production values and brilliantly told stories.” There are a big range of plotlines in the festival preview list, with something for everyone. “Scandinavia is known for gritty crime dramas and tense thrillers, with Absolution being a terrific example. There are also several comedies such as the star-studded, huge Swedish box office hit, A Holy Mess. Plus, former bond girl Izabella Scorupco stars in the loveable rom-com Love is the Drug.” Asked about her favourite, Zeccola nominates the moving Land of Mine, a film about German boy soldiers being used to remove mines on Danish beaches post-WWII. Apart from the movies themselves, punters interested in trying out a little more Scandinavian culture can check out either the Opening Night gala, with Scandinavian Smørrebrød (open sandwiches), Cake Wines and cool Nordic tunes, or sample Scandi vodka cocktails at the Closing Night celebration. The 2016 Scandinavian Film Festival is showing at Palace Electric Cinema from Tue Jul 12–Sun Jul 24. For full details, times and prices see palacecinemas.com.au.

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IN REVIEW

Bianca Del Rio: Not Today Satan Canberra Theatre Centre Tuesday May 24

Bianca Del Rio entered the sold-out Playhouse Theatre to a raucous reception and wasted no time in setting the tone for the evening. Dressed in a sequined gown, sporting enormous heels and an even more enormous flame-orange wig, Del Rio managed to take down most social groups whilst targeting select minorities before even taking the first sip of her drink. “Was that wine, or somebody’s urine sample?” It’s fair to say that no-one is safe in an audience with Bianca. Nothing is off limits or unfit for discussion in Not Today Satan; incest, stroke victims and celebrities all copped a pounding. This particular brand of politically incorrect humour, coupled with an acid-tongue so fast it’ll give you whiplash, is what set Del Rio apart in season six of Rupaul’s Drag Race. The show (now in its eighth season) and its creator were frequently caught in the Del Rio crosshairs. “She (Rupaul) is always in the same dress and she’s always cleaning shrimp from her fingernails.” A favourite moment saw Del Rio feigning gratitude for the success she has received since winning the competition. “I am so grateful for the opportunities that have come my way.” Del Rio’s monotonous and deliberately scripted sarcasm unravelled the crowd, inducing fits of hysteria, “thank you, Mama Ru.” This was quickly contrasted with Del Rio referring to the cast of season six as “drunk, useless, lazy cunts! I’m talking about Courtney Act!” Other highlights included the verbal bitch-slapping of Caitlyn Jenner. “Look at me, Kim! I’m pretty too!” And a riotous story involving a debauched night on the town and the long walk of shame the following morning. The drag queen recalls finding herself along with another ‘queen’ near a schoolyard while children took their recess. “Don’t worry, you’re not going to fuck the children, because you’re not a priest!”

ANCA GALLERY

Audience participation featured heavily in the show, and it is here that the true comedic genius of Bianca Del Rio blooms. This hateful bitch can think on her feet. One audience member berated Del Rio for discussing up-to-date plot developments in a favourite TV show and Del Rio’s reaction was knee-jerk to say the least. “If I’m discussing something that’s already happened, it’s not a spoiler … it’s history!” The crowd roared spurring the diva further. “A spoiler is a date on the side of a milk carton, bitch!” Del Rio left us with an anecdote related to the upcoming feature film, Hurricane Bianca. She spoke of the challenges faced by drag queens when filming in hot weather. “When you put Botox in your armpits, the sweat comes in other places! So I was making soup in my pantyhose the whole time we were filming. Some days it was gumbo.” SAMUEL TOWNSEND

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ARTISTPROFILE: TOM BUCKLAND

What do you do? I’m mainly a sculptor but dabble in a bit of everything from digital art to stand-up comedy and theatre. When, how and why did you get into it? I spent my early years crafting hangar loads of Millennium Falcons and X-Wings from cardboard cylinders and cornflakes boxes. Shortly after, I went on to study visual arts at TAFE and then moved to Canberra to study sculpture at the ANU School of Art, graduating with honours in 2015. Who/what influences you as an artist? I’m inspired by hardworking friends, mentors and creatives. Also – science fiction, surrealism and the absurd play a big part in my work.

What pisses you off? Mindless overconsumption. I wish more people were keen to recycle and reuse what they have instead of just buying more. It pisses me off seeing otherwise useful stuff thrown out because of general ignorance or laziness. What about the local scene would you change? More affordable artist studio spaces for Canberra artists. There aren’t enough of them around! We need more great organisations like MakeHackVoid that support and encourage arts, culture, science and technology by providing a physical space for people to interact and create. Let’s get more people interested in making!

What are your plans for the future? Keep working, find a new studio and slowly spread out and exhibit nationally and internationally.

What are your upcoming performances/exhibitions? I’m exhibiting in ‘Habitual Creatures’ with fellow sculptors Sian Watson and Rebbecca Selleck at Belconnen Arts Centre. My work deals with the relationships us humans have with insects and invasive species. The show opens Friday June 24 and runs ‘til Sunday July 17. After that, I’m working on a theatre/comedy/sculpture show for the Melbourne fringe festival later this year.

What makes you laugh? Clumsy magpies, good stand-up comedy and Shaun Micallef.

Contact details: tombuckart@gmail.com, facebook.com/Tom-Buckland-Artist.

Of what are you proudest so far? Surviving four years of university and finishing in mostly one piece. Apart from that, making a wide body of work that often makes people smile, laugh or stop and think.

‘Gutterbirds’, cardboard, 2016

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LITERATURE IN REVIEW Everywhere I Look Helen Garner [The Text Publishing Company; 2016]

Everywhere I Look is a collection of articles by Helen Garner that begins a bit like a phone call from your mum. The pieces are loosely grouped, with parts 1–3 wandering through hobbies, how the house is doing, how friends are, and cute things the grandkids have gotten up to. Some of them are diary entries, others anecdotes. The tone is conversational, sometimes veering into the serious and sad, but underpinned by a reassuring thread of pragmatism. Much like a conversation with your actual mum, you may not think you’re giving it your unreserved attention as it describes in detail a new table she bought for the house, but you will find yourself unexpectedly mulling over parts of it later as you go about your business. Garner has published fiction and non-fiction, and while the fiction is highly lauded, the non-fiction has often been controversial. Garner has a probing curiosity about the ubiquitous violence and conflicts that, as a society, we tend to ignore. Having read Joe Cinque’s Consolation and The First Stone – books about a killing and an accusation of sexual assault, respectively – this is the Garner I was expecting. After lulling you with the first half of the book, she suddenly appears and drops you in it with dizzying abruptness, ending one chapter with a quiet morning taxi ride and starting the next with a neonaticide. Garner explores human darkness in a way that never forgets both perpetrators and victims are human, reducing our distance from both. It’s not comfortable, but it’s not wrong. Garner’s journalism is the journalism of empathy, not just looking at a terrible thing but at how it affects people and how we rationalise it. In the essay On Darkness, about a man who murdered his children post-divorce, Garner writes: “I still think, that there are thousands of men like Farquharson out there … dull men whose hearts are broken by rejection and by the loss of their children, and who can’t even begin to articulate their pain and rage. Men like this can be dangerous. Isn’t that worth thinking about?” Everywhere I Look ends with a collection of reviews, accounts of regrets and missed connections. Start to finish, the book is an uneven read; dramatic emotional gear changes are needed as you lurch from Farquharson through a brilliant and hysterically unnecessary review of what Garner thinks of Russell Crowe in every movie he’s ever been in, to some stuff about ballet. The consistently high quality of the writing offsets this, but to get the most out of this book, it’s worth learning the layout and dipping into it at intervals, leaving yourself plenty of time for digestion between encounters. CARA LENNON

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upon seeing the words printed on a book in her mother’s house. “I instantly pictured a group of men, stuck underground; one of my great fears,” she says. “I imagined these men trying to get messages through an intercom, getting increasingly desperate. And I imagined them finally getting those messages through, once the need for rescue had passed and they were ghosts.”

FACE YOUR DEMONS ANDREW NARDI When we think about curling up in front of the fire, travelling far or just lazing around outside with a good book, it’s rare that horror fiction is the first preference to come to mind. Given it’s inherently confronting and unsettling nature, it might be one of the most avoided literary genres. And yet, there are professional authors who are committed to writing only horror fiction – especially in Canberra, a city sometimes recognised for its ghostly history and haunted locales. “Writing horror can help keep the dark out. You don’t have to hold back, so you can really get into human motivations and actions; you can draw on emotions; you can hold a mirror up to things.” That’s Canberran author of horror and speculative fiction, KAARON WARREN. To date, she has sold about one hundred short stories, four short story collections and three novels. Recently, she won Best Short Story at the Australian Shadows Awards for her novella, Mine Intercom. As it happened, Warren conjured the premise for Mine Intercom

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Perhaps more so than any other creative process, Warren believes that writing horror can help us come face-to-face with our fears. “People think writing about the awful things I write about will plunge me into a place I can’t get out of,” she says. “But in horror, you can really get your fingernails into the cracks and explore. I’m not sure this presents solutions, but talking about it helps.” This also holds true for Mine Intercom. “One of my ongoing themes is loneliness. It’s another one of the things I’m most terrified of. Not ‘aloneness’ or solitude, but having the desire for companionship and not finding it,” she explains. “So it’s a lonely woman, desperate for a life she doesn’t have, who hears the miners and heeds their call for help. Of course, I write horror, so these stories don’t have happy endings.” Speaking for aspiring authors, Warren and I agree that Canberra possesses a strong support network for writers of all interests and styles, including horror. “It’s really important to engage with the events that are happening. Go to launches, even if you don’t buy the book. Bums on seats is important! Talk to people, ask questions, or just sit and absorb,” she says. “There’s also the ACT Writers Centre, which provides practical support in things like workshops and meeting rooms. Their HardCopy program is brilliant for newer writers and also gives established writers a chance to share what they’ve learned.” Kaaron Warren’s novels and short stories are available via Kindle and her website, kaaronwarren.wordpress.com. Mine Intercom was published in Review of Australian Fiction, Volume 13: Issue 6.

bit PARTS MATERIAL OBJECTS WHAT: Furniture Exhibition WHEN: Sat–Sun Jun 4–26 WHERE: Nishi Gallery We don’t think about furniture very often. We sit on it, walk on it, throw tantrums on it, but we never thank it or acknowledge its existence. That’s all about to change with Material Objects, an exhibition of new furniture from Canberra-based designers Elliot Bastianon and Andrew Carvolth. The exhibition presents two distinctly individual collections of work from each designer, co-exhibiting for the first time. Where Bastianon’s work uses folded structures to speculate the possibilities of materials, Carvolth’s work is a series of thoughtful objects that celebrate Australian materials and processes. Together, they’re the furniture-crafting duo Canberra needs, and deserves. Entry is free. CANBERRA YOUTH TALENT SHOW WHAT: Youth Talent Show WHEN: Mon Jun 27–Sat Jul 2 WHERE: Canberra Theatre Centre Talent shows are a big deal, especially when $1,000 is at stake. One of these kids might need that money to make their way in the world, or pay the medical bills for someone who is sick, or buy a ticket onto an unsinkable ship … movie plots aside, the Canberra Youth Talent Show will bring together young performers aged 6 to 21. In each heat and in the final, the audience and judges will vote for their favourite acts. The heats range from dance, singing, music, bands and other entertainment. Tickets are $44.50 for adults and $26 for kids + bf. For more info, visit canberratheatrecentre.com.au.

MICHAEL TAYLOR: A SURVEY 1963–2016 WHAT: Art Exhibition WHEN: Sat Jul 9–Sun Oct 2 WHERE: Canberra Museum + Gallery What’s cool about the expressionists is that they capture their own thoughts and feelings and stuff and “express” them through art. You can get a feel for their feels just by viewing their work. Ain’t that something? It is something, and if it interests you, you should check out Michael Taylor. He’s one of Australia’s leading expressionist painters and one of our region’s most significant contemporary artists, with a practice spanning 60 years, since 1963. This exhibition is the first major survey of Michael Taylor’s practice and includes paintings from six decades, sourced from major public and private collections throughout Australia. Entry is free. SCOOBY DOO LIVE! LEVEL UP WHAT: Stage Production WHEN: Wed Jul 13 WHERE: Canberra Theatre Centre

Scooby Dooby Doo, where are you? We got some work to do now. The Mystery Inc. Gang have taken up summer jobs in Crystal Cove – The Most Hauntedest Place on Earth. But the Gang’s plans for summer fall apart when they get trapped inside a virtual world of creepy gaming ghosts! Can Shaggy, Fred, Daphne, Velma and Scooby Doo unravel this digital mystery in time? To find out, you’ll have to join the fun at Canberra Theatre! It features big musical numbers, stunning multimedia content and kooky characters that pay homage to classic video games. Tickets start at $29.90 via canberratheatrecentre.com.au. Show times are at 10:30am and 1:30pm.

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CANBERRA ROLLER DERBY LEAGUE ADVERT 2

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the word

on albums

album of the issue METALLICA KILL ‘EM ALL & RIDE THE LIGHTNING (REMASTERED) [BLACKENED RECORDINGS/ UNIVERSAL]

It has been a long time coming, but Metallica’s first two albums have now been properly remastered. This allows for a newly minted appraisal. When I first heard the wild thrash of ‘Hit the Lights’, the opening track on Metallica’s fully formed 1983 debut album Kill ‘Em All, it seemed as if no other piece of music would ever get me going like that. Firstly, the raw power electrifying that song knocked Mötley Crüe and all the other crap hair metal poseurs for dead. I also figured that the staccato rhythms, punk attitude and warp speed lead guitar signalled a step beyond all those great New Wave of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM) bands like Iron Maiden and Saxon, which had until that moment rocked my world. Metallica came across a lot heavier than those other groups because all the right elements were in place. These included James Hetfield’s killer riffs and pissed off vocals, Cliff Burton’s molten bass, pot smoking hippie Kirk Hammett’s searing guitar leads and propulsive, tough as nails percussion from Lars Ulrich that prevailed as the music became increasingly complex. An added bonus was the manic double kick drumming lifted from Motörhead’s proto-metallic track ‘Overkill’, which no proper mosh could do without. I was initially excited when I first heard about these reissues, as the first four albums contain the band’s best work, and I was hoping for some mouth-watering bonus material in what has become

the norm for newly mastered editions. Instead the band went all out with a superdeluxe vinyl and CD set, with an exorbitant price tag attached that targeted only the most dedicated fans. The budget price remastered versions reviewed here (with no extra material and minimal packaging) were designed for everyone else, and are not definitive editions from a band that has always claimed to be ‘doing it for the fans’. But we’ll leave that as something to consider and return to the music. The remastering job is a good one as the sound is now satisfyingly fleshed out, particularly Cliff Burton’s frenetic bass work. The original mastering on CD suffered the fate of many first generation digital recordings with the sound overly compressed and trebly, particularly on Kill ‘Em All. This has been rectified to some extent and lightning fast tracks like ‘Whiplash’ no longer rush past in a sonic blur. The remastering also illuminates how well constructed the songs on the earlier albums are, such as the display of virtuosity in the lengthy ‘Ride The Lightning’ instrumental. ‘The Call of Ktulu’, with its coda achieving total heaviosity, sounds right at home next to unlikely companions like heavy King Crimson album, Red. Suggested prog-rock leanings aside, this earlier material tosses up references to original inspirations Motörhead and the NWOBHM bands, but played harder and faster. ‘Trapped Under Ice’ from Ride the Lightning roars into life with an intensity that assaults the senses and makes for an exhilarating experience. The same could be said for ‘Creeping Death’, also from that album. Old Testament themes aside, this song rocks hard, and close listening reveals the instruments tightly interlocking to make the arrangements airtight and more powerful as a result. In the end, it boils down to those assertive lyrics from ‘Whiplash’, “we will never quit / ‘cause we are Metallica” – enough said. DAN BIGNA

URTHBOY THE PAST BEATS INSIDE ME LIKE A SECOND HEARTBEAT [ELEFANT TRAKS] The next big thing for rapper Tim Levinson (a.k.a. Urthboy) was to have been the extended release of five interconnected EPs, focusing on the decades 1950 to 2000. Instead, the project morphed into his fifth solo LP, with themes uniting history with his own extended and immediate family. Straight hip-hop can be stark, especially where an unvaried delivery and unremitting projection of lyrics is as bleak and bleached as faces under klieg lights. In this album, Levinson has artfully stayed far away from any such danger, through an even greater involvement of featured vocalists. ‘Long Loud Hours’ lances the air with slivers of striated bass and compressed female vocalisation, before the smooth Urthboy/ Bertie Blackman combo kicks in. He takes a trip through his family’s history in the title track, a bouncy tune with tinkling keys and strong R&B undertones courtesy of both Sampa the Great and Okenyo. Rounded out with horns and one of just two songs Levinson reserves for himself, ‘Hey Juanita’ relates the true story of the unsolved murder of heiress and Kings Cross Green Bans heroine, Juanita Nielsen. The detail woven into the songs impresses, with the research behind ‘Hey Juanita’ very evident. It segues seamlessly into album highlight ‘Rubble of the Past’, with Montaigne dominating the song with her spectacular voice. In ‘Running Into These Flames’, the pace slows to an electronic stick man strut, while the rapping accelerates with words rumbling out, helter skelter. There’s an irresistible undertow to the atmospheric ‘Wolves at Bay’, while singer Timberwolf adds his soulful touch to ‘The Arrow’. Urthboy keeps it real, with his skillful mix of alluring musical textures and classy guest vocalists elevating his art from street level to a higher plain. RORY MCCARTNEY

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OLYMPIA SELF TALK [UNIVERSAL]

VARIOUS ARTISTS DAY OF THE DEAD [4AD]

DAVID BOWIE CHANGESONEBOWIE [PARLAPHONE RECORDS]

Olivia Bartley is Olympia, Melbourne synth pop artist who has been gigging around for a few years now. Self Talk is a stellar debut – polished with the help of producer Burke Reid (ex-Gerling).

Who do you ask to cover the psychedelia kings of Palo Alto, Grateful Dead? Who is strange, curious, playful enough, and yet also respectful of the musical and cultural heritage of Jerry Garcia and co.? Designed to raise funds for HIV and AIDS support organisation Red Hot, the choice of artists is as eclectic as the genres Grateful Dead mixed and mashed into their own career.

A compilation of his greatest hits. What more could you want? ChangesOneBowie was originally released in 1976 as David Bowie’s first greatest hits album, but has been re-released this year following his unfortunate passing. Bowie’s early sound can be heard on this album, incorporating mesmerising guitar riffs, haunting melodies and songs that would influence and shape the music scene of the future.

Self Talk is understated and mesmerising. After a few start-to-finish listens, I had a different song linger and roll about in my head each day. It was so subtle, I didn’t realise that’s what had been happening for a good week now. I’ve got no complaints about that, though. If I had to sum up the album in a few words, it would be “90s Futuristic”. Singles ‘Honey’, ‘Smoke Signals’ and ‘This Is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things’ are solid electronica with bloody good guitars. In particular, ‘Smoke Signals’ has this mildly frenetic pace that makes me want to gesticulate majestically like a contestant in RuPaul’s Drag Race, singing for their life. Which is fine when I’m listening at home, but not so much when I’ve got my headphones in, walking to and from work. Singles aside, there are a few slow burners that are straight up quality. The album’s namesake ‘Self Talk’ is a highlight, and ‘Biscuits’ is a quieter moment that showcases Olympia’s voice beautifully. After all that praise, ‘Fishing Knots/Blood Vessels’ is one track I haven’t been able to really enjoy. There’s an uneasiness to it that’s just not sitting as well as the rest of the album does. Self Talk has been noticed by the right people too. Olympia is touring soon with Paul Dempsey (sadly missing Canberra) both as support and as a member of his band. Pretty good endorsement, don’t you think? LISA SAMPSON

Disclosure: I am not a Grateful Dead fan, but only because I don’t know their music, so I have not reviewed this album with a deep desire to see the original music honoured. Of 59 tracks, every ear will be drawn to a different selection of favourites, but I recommend the following. Our own Melbourne girl Courtney Barnett makes a country-bluegrass infused offering in ‘New Speedway Boogie’. It’s a bit of a yawn honestly, but inoffensive. Skip straight to Anohni doing ‘Black Peter’ for the voice, the lament and the skillful adoption of strings. See if you don’t feel like you’re having a commune with angels. The War On Drugs do a slightly Gary Numan meets Bruce Springsteen take on ‘Touch Of Grey’. It’s fun, it wouldn’t go astray on an ‘80s dancefloor, and it’s less lamenting and bluesy than the sounds on this album. Fear not though, there’s a harmonica at the 2:35 mark to tie it to the era of the Deadheads. Jenny Lewis, The National, Sharon Van Etten, Mumford and Sons, Stephen Malkmus, Bill Callahan and Unknown Mortal Orchestra will be names with enough clout to attract curious listeners, and this is an excellent thing. Do you need to be a fan of the Grateful Dead? I can only leave that up to fans to decide, but the quality of acts on this album warrants your hard-earned time and dollars. And hey, it’s for a good cause.

Filled with David’s early hits from the late ‘60s to early ‘70s, this album is certainly a hidden treasure. The only way to describe his incomparable sound is rock and roll meets RnB. This combination captures his sound, giving it a unique feel. The album starts out with tracks similar to early rock and roll of the ‘60s, then progresses into glam rock with funk undertones, showing how Bowie could easily transform and evolve into new sounds and ideas. The progression of different sounds throughout the album also show the evolution of his music over the years. When it comes to stand-out tracks on this album, it is hard to choose just one or two. Notable tracks include the infamous ‘Ziggy Stardust’, ‘Suffragette City’ and ‘Rebel Rebel’. The unforgettable track ‘Space Oddity’ also features, and it was this song that shot Bowie to mainstream success in the late ‘60s. Following the story of an astronaut travelling through space, the song gradually builds as strums from an acoustic guitar ring out to create the famous sound. This album holds the first bundle of his legendary hits. If you’ve never heard any of David Bowie’s songs before, this is definitely the album to start with. MORGAN HAIN

CAT WOODS

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THE FIELD THE FOLLOWER [KOMPAKT RECORDS]

THE DRONES FEELIN’ KINDA FREE [TROPICAL FUCK STORM RECORDS]

MIA DYSON RIGHT THERE [MGM]

Is techno still techno if there’s no drop? If there’s no cathartic release causing shit to be lost on the dancefloor? The Field’s Axel Willner would like to think so, and he’s built a career around it. There are no explosions of emotion on The Follower, and thank fuck for that.

What’s the old saying? There are only three sure things in life: death, taxes and aging white male music critics fawning over a new Drones album. But like the two former things, there is nothing necessarily wrong with the latter; nor is it anything to be ashamed about (or so I tell myself).

Minimal techno is a bit of an anachronism, but it’s an occasionally beautiful one; nonravey rave music, dance music for those who can’t be stuffed dancing. Willner has previously dabbled in the poppier end of the spectrum, with his earlier work occasionally dealing in the language of the half recognisable sample (hello Lionel Richie).

The Drones are arguably the most critically acclaimed band of their generation, and their frontman Gareth Liddiard perhaps its most venerated lyricist (Tim Rogers may want a word). Feelin’ Kinda Free is a definite shift for a band with such a sure and solid identity.

Australian singer-songwriter Mia Dyson made her mark as a heavy hitter in the blues and roots scene with an ARIA gong for her second album in 2005. Her new EP Right There comes two years after the launch of her fifth long player, Idyllwild. Well known for vibrant guitar work and a unique voice that portrays deep emotion so well, Dyson takes the rock infused exuberance of Idyllwild tracks such as ‘When We’re Older’ and overlays them with a more polished sound and melodies with extra magnetism.

The Follower isn’t that; it’s much darker and contemplative in nature. What remains is the driving nature of the backbeat and sporadic, ornate melodies sitting above it. It’s the most repetitive that The Field has been to date, with drum beats and microloops that seemingly continue forever, waiting and building tension all the time. On ‘Pink Sun’, this tension becomes nearly hypnotic as the song slowly progresses through it’s various cycles. It takes a deft touch to convey emotion without words, but Willner manages it across the album’s six tracks. Closer ‘Reflecting Lights’ is a fitting climax for the album, serving as an expansive recap of everything before it on the album, slowly progressing from placid to frantic across its 14-minute length. What The Field has done with The Follower is create an immaculate piece of headphone music – music to get lost in while you get on with your life and the world around it. The Follower is a patient listen, but an extremely rewarding one – an album worth the time it takes to absorb it.

Liddiard’s ‘straylian drawl is perhaps the biggest tie to their previous work, with so much changing around it. Electronic drums and synth pads play as much a part as guitars and drums in part, and Liddiard sheds a fair amount of the vocal load onto others. Avant-garde plays with straight up dance in parts, and the old dogs look like they’ve learnt a trick or two. The end result is that The Drones sound fresher than they have in the last decade. The shifting staccato guitars of ‘Taman Shud’ are a highlight, with Liddiard’s lyrics no less biting than ever. It’s also a track that would be totally out of place on any other Drones release. The unashamed beauty of ‘To Think That I Once Loved You’ sits at the other end of the same spectrum, a piece of majesty with a soaring chorus that they’ve never sniffed before (thanks to Harmony). Feelin’ Kinda Free is just that; a band at their loosest, their most relaxed. It’s a band expressing ideas that they’ve hinted at but maybe never explored fully. One can only hope that they continue feeling free. CODY ATKINSON

‘Tearing Up the Lawn’ makes a declaration that this is a new Dyson sound – her signature throaty vocal rowed along by harsh guitar slashes and a prominent drum beat, with firecracker bursts of intersecting licks in the bridge. Contrastingly, the more leisurely pace of ‘Talk With Me’ leaves space for the lyrics, with a voice that is more expressive than ever. Showers of thick, blurry plucks resonate until they strike fold upon fold of Dyson’s singing, before the song escapes in a fiery tail of space filling guitar. There’s real swing to the title track, with Dyson’s vocal feinting and lunging as she shadow boxes with the flat slap percussion and steady chug-chug rhythm. The new material was co-written with her husband, with at least one based on his poetry. It’s in ‘The Sad Part of Feeling Good’ that the power of the songwriters comes through best. Every line counts in a track that is one for real song lovers. This is vintage Dyson, harking back to her Cold Water album days, with that slow, powerful vocal projection. The disk ends gently with ‘I Want Honey’ – its dreamy delivery eased along by wisps of pedal steel and bright guitar blips. RORY MCCARTNEY

CODY ATKINSON

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MEREDITH NOSTALGIA [INDEPENDENT RELEASE]

THE JELLY JAM PROFIT [MASCOT MUSIC/PUBLISHING BV]

ANOHNI HOPELESSNESS [ROUGH TRADE RECORDS]

Having moved on far from the style of her cute, acoustic-backed 2014 song ‘Darkness’, Brisbane singer songwriter Meredith has embraced the smooth fluidity of keyboards in her debut EP.

After 5 years, progressive rock super group Jelly Jam is back with album number four, Profit. Jelly Jam’s previous offering Shall We Descend was a more traditional prog album with a wide range of musical styles, a distinctly angry metal feel and loads of intricate solos. Profit is a significantly more laidback affair, with a more consistent melodic feel and groove across all 12 tracks. Guitarist and vocalist Ty Tabor says that they recorded an excess of music for the album, giving them the freedom to choose a set of 12 tracks that knit together seamlessly.

From the melancholy echoes of keyboard and the familiar restrains of Anohni’s delicate-but-powerful voice on the first track ‘Drone Me’, this album announces itself as big and epic in both its scope and sound.

Opener ‘Levels’ comes swaddled in slow synths with faux-temple bell tones. Meredith’s vocals bring an instant comparison with the fragile airs of Gosling, in a track coiled around a funky melody running to sharp beats. There’s a blurred edge to the lyrical delivery, adding a covert component to the song, which invites a closer listen. ‘Jumpin Beds’ advances drowsily to subdued keys, while ‘Running Asleep’ sounds suitably sleepy, with an invitation to climb onto your most convenient cloud and float away. There’s more life in the flickering keys that light the way in ‘How Could You Believe That’, a tale of dismay at the situation of a friend who is being taken advantage of in a relationship. The vocals flow easily, expressing emotion through minor but beguiling turns in inflection or the drawing out of a lyric. Overdubs of her voice provide body to the song, increasing its intensity as it draws to a close. However, the standout EP track has to be ‘Cleanse My Soul’, sailing in at the finish with more momentum behind it, courtesy of some chunky slabs of sound that nicely combine staccato bursts of synth with finger-snapping beats and growling undercurrents. Strictly low impact, Meredith’s indie-pop debut delights by luxuriating in a bath of atmospheric electronica, with strong chill out sensibilities. However, at times her understated approach does not hold the listener’s attention well, and ‘chill’ can border on ‘numb’. RORY MCCARTNEY

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Profit will appeal to lovers of classic ‘70s metal; the album is full of big, crunchy power riffs provided by King’s ex-guitarist Ty Tabor, phat bass lines by Dream Theater’s John Myung and simple but powerful drum grooves by Rod Morgenstein of Winger and the Dixie Dregs. The whole album rocks along at a fairly relaxed pace – the perfect soundtrack to a chilled summer afternoon. Stand-out tracks include ‘Perfect Lines (Flyin’)’ with syncopated, almost Tool-like riffs. Then there’s ‘Mr Man’, which is sure to get you moshing in your loungeroom. On the flip side is ‘Permanent Hold’, which just slowly grooves along to what sounds like a largely improvised guitar solo for 3 minutes and 20 seconds. But it’s definitely a slow burner of an album – it might take a couple of listens to get into it, but it’s worth it. 4 out of 5 progressive jam sandwiches. TIM BUTLER

A thoughtful, impassioned and hauntingly beautiful response to the macabre cabaret that is politics in 2016, Anohni expresses fear over climate change and the very real impact on animals, mountains, icecaps, islands and plants in ‘4 degrees’. The masterful use of strings and percussion to build drama and depth makes this one of the stand-out tracks amongst an album of consistently complex and memorable music. ‘I Don’t Love You Anymore’ is a heartwrenching admission to a careless lover. The drums beat slowly, crashing like heartbeats or body-shaking sobs (add it to the list of best ever breakup songs). Hopelessness will, doubtless, earn its place in the top ten albums of this year. Anohni is an English-born singer, composer and artist best known as the lead singer of Antony and the Johnsons. Having previously referenced Kate Bush, Boy George, Diamanda Galas and Nina Simone as influences, each of these voices and personalities are reflected like fragments of diamond in every song. The drama, the haunting voices, the intense pleas, the political undertones and, above all, the genuine need to make music that matters; music that speaks of time, place and the political, made personal. Sometimes talk of Anohni’s transgender status can overwhelm any real focus on her talent and music. It would be a shame for any of this talk to overshadow the epic, dream-like and quietly devastating ode to our planet and people that is Hopelessness. Ironically, as long as there are artists such as Anohni creating work like this, it is not hopeless at all. CAT WOODS

album in focus

MILES DAVIS MILES AHEAD (ORIGINAL MOTION PICTURE SOUNDTRACK) [SONY] Movie soundtracks these days don’t get the attention they once did, usually for good reason. But some continue to be smartly assembled as this one was by actor Don Cheadle, who poured time and effort into crafting Miles Ahead, a bio-pic on trumpeter Miles Davis. This complex musician stands out as a giant in the world of jazz, at the forefront of just about every major innovation that occurred from 1940s bebop onwards. The movie focuses on the lost years of the late 1970s, when Davis had retired from music and was lost in a haze of drugs and sex as a way of avoiding having to plot his next move. As such, the soundtrack includes a brief but engaging survey of those great electric-funk workouts that preoccupied the trumpeter following the release of the free-form masterpiece Bitches Brew in 1969, an album that brought open-ended improvisation to rock music audiences. Listeners are treated to exotic electronic pieces like ‘Black Satin’ from the 1972 album On The Corner, which turned out to be too rock-music for purists but too weird sounding for mainstream rock fans. Regardless, Davis was forging a singular path in the later part of his musical career, as revealed by the dark fusion of ‘Prelude #II’ from the 1975 Japanese concert album Agharta, where an imagined electrified future shone a beacon through dense thickets of sound. This music sounded like nothing else at the time and the inclusion of such a song

on the soundtrack bodes well for each selection, establishing the right kind of atmosphere in the movie. Non-Davis tracks arranged by keyboardist Robert Glasper touch on the sinewy opaqueness of the best electric stuff, but with lighter brush strokes than the great trumpeter achieved when he fed his instrument through a wah-wah pedal. However, the selected Davis pieces are not all from the electric period and the soundtrack touches on the key phases that preceded it. It opens with the title piece ‘Davis Ahead’ from 1953, when Davis was in full cool jazz mode and exploring a less frenetic melodicism than bop genius Charlie Parker (in whose group Davis first received attention in the mid 1940s). The relaxed, elastic melodies of the modal period are represented by the inclusion of ‘So What’ from the 1959 album, A Kind of Blue, which outsold all others in jazz, from a group that included saxophonist John Coltrane. The latter’s boundary pushing explorations in the mid to late 1960s were different to those of Miles Davis, who professed a suspicion of free improvisation. Yet both artists achieved radical outcomes from the restless experimentation and innovation that served as a common touchstone. In the mid 1970s Davis was exploring dark, viscous funk after taking a passionately creative detour into hard bop with the famous 1960s quintet – (making an appearance here on selected tracks from the albums Nefertiti and Filles de Kilimanjaro) – the trumpeter had taken his ongoing musical reinvention to its limit. The final tracks on the album, pieced together by Robert Glasper, make good use of Davis’ electric language and provide a pleasant postscript of sorts, by offering a glimpse of what could have been but also throwing the sheer brilliance of the trumpeter’s creative endeavours into sharp relief. “Don’t call my music jazz. It’s social music,” is a vocal snippet on the soundtrack that resonates through Davis’ many achievements. DAN BIGNA

HEIN COOPER THE ART OF ESCAPE [INDICA/MGM] Hot on the heels of his debut EP in 2015 comes the virgin long player of Milton’s own Hein Cooper. Cooper’s talents have seen him tour internationally, gain plum radio air time and score deals with record labels on three continents. His album retains the moniker of both the EP and its most captivating number, ‘The Art of Escape’, as its title. The songs were captured in Montreal under the oversight of producer Marcus Paquin, who has also worked with Arcade Fire and The National. The title track combines alt-folk vibes with atmospheric electronica. Initially unfolding to a gentle acoustic guitar, Cooper’s Buckley-esque voice soars, creating delicate patterns in the air, before an electronic cloud creeps in over the latter half of the song. The LP is a balanced mix of plush synth-driven tracks and de-tuned acoustic centred songs. Richly produced, ‘The Real’ fills in all the sonic gaps with its swooning synths, deep-seated, goblin bass rumble and beats that stutter randomly through the song. At the acoustic end of the scale comes ‘Curse My Life’, while the bouncy ‘Polar Bears’ successfully blends both acoustic and electronic approaches, beautifully complementing the sky-high vocals. In a similar manner, synths create shifting aurora colours in ‘Dopamine’, without ever submerging the acoustic core. Track themes express Cooper’s unhappiness with popular obsessions, with the album single ‘Rusty’ targeting the unrealistic notion that everyone has to be happy all the time, and ‘All My Desires’ kicking back at the equally shallow craving associated with insatiable materialism. All songs make it over from the EP including ‘The Luna’, which sneaks in as an unlisted bonus item; a brief, gliding afterthought to this exciting album. RORY MCCARTNEY

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singles in focus BY CODY ATKINSON WIVES ‘SET SAIL’

LAVERS THOUGHT I WAS KING [INDEPENDENT RELEASE] Thought I Was King is the plucky debut album from local Canberra quartet, Lavers. The album launched in October 2015 to an excited crowd of faithful followers and curious music lovers. When I purchased the album I fell into the second category, going into it blind and not knowing what I was going to get. As time goes on however, it seems I am becoming more and more a faithful follower. Thought I Was King is a blend of rock and folk music, taking inspiration from acts like The Cure and The Smiths. Eerie acoustics weave from one song to the next, sewing together a sad and joyful story of love and life. The album begins with the 5-and-a-halfminute epic, ‘Phoenix Rising’. This is a song that encapsulates the album’s entire feel and its themes. The song starts off soft, building up to a loud, electric finish. The calm introduction lends a feel of a medieval kingdom in which a lonesome vocalist sings about the dreams of a small village boy. The real stand-outs are the acoustic lead melodies ‘Stolen Flowers’ and ‘Our Little Empire’, both of which resonate troubled love and misfortune. Thought I was King reminds me of Coldplay’s 2008 album Viva La Vida, with its themes of struggle for power and a monarch on the brink of destruction. It is the sort of album I never thought I would enjoy, deserving repeated listening in order to fully understand the meaning behind each song. It is a beautifully, acoustic led album that I recommend to anyone looking for something unique and meaningful. ANNA FRANCESCHINI

TIM CROSSEY AND HIS ADULT CONTEMPORARIES SUPER AGONISTES [INDEPENDENT RELEASE] Tim Crossey and his Adult Contemporaries are out to send a message before you can even crank up their CD, eschewing Facebook and similar social networking business enterprises for exploiting their users and promoting ‘divestment’ as a means of protecting the planet. Novocastrian Crossey assembled his backing band from likeminded musos with a mixed parcel of blues, punk and rockabilly backgrounds, to produce a debut disk of smartly turned out alt-country rock. Opener ‘Just Desserts’ is a fast rural pub ankle flexer, adorned with steel guitar licks from the fingers of Roy Payne. But it’s on track three – with its recording realism of studio chatter and a false start – where the band begins to show real character. More narrative storytelling (country rap?) than singing, this bar room conversation reeks of agro and bravado. Adopting a menacing stance with its fuzzy musical backdrop, it reels off winning lyrics such as “laughed like a worn out two stroke”. ‘Best Years of Your Life’ and ‘All Highways’ shine as slower contemplative tracks. However, good things come in slick packages. So it’s the fast moving pair of ‘You Should’ve Bought Yourself Insurance’ (with its swinging rhythm and dry humour) and ‘Irene’ (with its melancholy, raucous tones of romance gone wrong and the best guitar mix-up in the bridge) that stand erect as album highlights. Full of surprise, ‘We Don’t Make Love, We Just Take it in Turns’ fools you into settling down with its cozy, earworm riff, when a creeping distortion stages a coup, taking over halfway through the eight-minute track and laying it to waste. With a mixture of smooth rolling tunes and rough ‘n’ ready character pieces, Crossey’s outfit sounds best when it plays loose and wild. RORY MCCARTNEY

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Come on Canberra, get around this. After this year’s fantastic album Devoted To You, Wives follow it up with this ripsnorter. Cutting guitars balance against droney synths, with Anja’s vocals placed delicately on top. This is a step forward for an already very good band. You shouldn’t be still reading this; you should be listening to the song.

FOUR TET ‘A LOST TRACK THAT I VE BEEN PLAYING ON THE RADIO AND STUFF. SEEMED LIKE A NICE THING TO PUT OUT THERE BECAUSE OF SMASHING IT ON THE INTERNET ETC. SHOUT OUT TO BEN UFO AND ANTHONY NAPLES. MAY 2016.MP3’ Tops title. Nice song.

MERE WOMEN ‘NUMB’ Sydney’s Mere Women have flown under the radar a little to date, which is stupid. When you make music as good as ‘Numb’, how can people ignore it? Aggressive without being over the top, ‘Numb’ hits hard in all the right places, with a nice hook to burn. Moody and foreboding, there’s depth here, worth at least a couple of listens.

JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE ‘CAN’T STOP THE FEELING’ When I was watching Eurovision last month, JT played the intermission. Who knew he was still, you know, alive and making music? Anyway, he dropped this one and it fit perfectly – a bit cheesy with ‘80s throwbacks. There are far worse songs than this, but you will hear this a million times in the next year. You will learn to hate this song.

the word

on films

WITH EMMA ROBINSON

Trilogies, what to say? Several things actually, like “There’s only one Return and it ain’t of the King, it’s of the Jedi.” Warring geeky factions aside (that would take a thesis to properly explore), the third chapter in any trilogy can often be problematic. The first are often groundbreaking (The Matrix), the second sometimes gets even better (The Godfather 2) and the third … can be weird (Army of Darkness – I take that back, that movie is fantastic). Whatever you do, don’t turn a 180-page book into a ninehour saga.

quote of the issue

“At least we can all agree the third one is always the worst.” Sophie Turner (Jean Gray), X-Men Apocolypse

X-MEN APOCALYPSE No doubt all film-goers will have been privy to some scathing reviews of the latest X-Men movie. When I walked out of the theatre I wasn’t sure what this film had done to deserve them. It wasn’t mind blowing, but it didn’t suck. The audience is treated to a pretty neat Fifth Element style opening – old-timey Egypt, an awakening of an ancient evil, prophesies and stuff … fun. Fast-forward to the present and its shiny suits, Eurythmics and shoulder pads – all the things we associate with the 1980s, minus the end of the Cold War. We see the burgeoning romance between Jean Gray (Sophie Turner) and Scott Summers (Tye Sheridan), and Mystique (Jennifer Lawrence) in a rogue and sometimes blue state. Apocalypse doesn’t break new ground for the X-Men franchise. Instead, it rehashes old concepts. However, these concepts centre on inclusion – the nature of bigotry and how human and mutant alike interact with power, which are solid ideas to base a film on. What’s missing is meaningful interaction with the politics of the day – the decade in which the film is set is treated as a source for comedy, rather than fodder for exploration. In keeping with the theme of what has gone before, the film also revisits Auschwitz, but with a different and tragic outcome for Magneto – now he HAS to be a mass murderer. Tonally? Very different from the other prequels. Honestly? Better than Captain America. EMMA ROBINSON

ALICE THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS

HUNT FOR THE WILDERPEOPLE

For all of its uninspired platitudes about the nature of time, change and aging, Alice Through the Looking Glass does share one pertinent truth over its testing two-hour runtime: simply rehashing past ideas with the hope of capturing a long-gone wonder does not work. Especially when you throw a 170-million-dollar budget into the mix.

Talented director Taika Waititi already has an impressive repertoire. In Hunt for the Wilderpeople, he brings together the skills he’s previously displayed– the sharpness and emotion of Boy (2010) and the biting comedic aptitude of What We Do In The Shadows (2014). The reward is – to steal a “word” from one of the film’s main characters – majestical.

Very loosely based on Lewis Carroll’s Through the Looking Glass, and What Alice Found There, Alice boasts sumptuous CGI spectacles that appear crisp on screen, but are largely forgotten by the audience. The quirk and charm of Carroll’s original characters (and to a lesser extent, Tim Burton’s interpretations) are commodified, each an obvious Disney product waiting to be sold to a global market. Director James Bobin is an unqualified choice for a sequel in such low demand, especially directing such a large budget and experienced cast. Johnny Depp phones in yet another flamboyant performance as the Mad Hatter, Sacha Baron Cohen is ridiculous as Time; it seems Mia Wasikowska is the only one trying, and her Alice falls flat thanks to a dry script from Linda Woolverton. But dear cinema-going reader, what did you possibly expect? Massive media conglomerates have shareholders to keep happy, even if that means mining every square inch of the Western Canon ‘til the books and characters we’ve grown up with and loved are turned into nonbiodegradable junk to occupy landfills for millennia to come. PAT JOHNSON

A movie about a difficult kid and his foster uncle toughing it out in the bush was always going to feel distinctly Antipodean, but Hunt for the Wilderpeople is a Kiwi film through and through. There are the familiar sweeping shots that feel brand new, as though the camera’s eye has burnished the scenery along with a diverse, wildly funny and talented cast. And, of course, there’s a Lord of the Rings joke. The standout moment comes from the hysterical Rhys Darby as Psycho Sam. The colanderwearing conspiracy theorist who dresses up like a bush to avoid the government and lives in what might once have been a hut, makes his few minutes of screen time some of 2016’s funniest. But beyond the jokes – and there are many, and they come in all shapes and sizes, including a dog-christened Tupac – what makes Hunt for the Wilderpeople so great is its heart. It’s big, full, generous heart, pumping enough joy and tears to make you believe adventures hold all life’s answers, and all without leaving your seat. INDIGO TRAIL

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THE NICE GUYS The Nice Guys is – quite simply – an absolute blast. Directed by Shane Black (Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, Iron Man 3), the film showcases some exquisitely sharp dialogue, as well as superb casting, a script brimming with outrageous antics, and a dizzyingly satisfying disco-era soundtrack. Ridiculousness abounds in this variation on the buddy-cop genre set in 1977 Los Angeles. Jackson Healy (Russell Crowe), a burly, rough, tough enforcer, teams up with the “world’s worst detective” Holland March (Ryan Gosling) and his teenage daughter to piece together the clues surrounding the mysterious death of an LA porn star. The Nice Guys is not only vintage Shane Black, it’s also reminiscent of 1940s and 1950s Abbott & Costello films, while throwing in old-school action sequences and some hilariously questionable parenting choices. We’ve seen hints of Ryan Gosling’s top-notch comedic chops in The Big Short – but in The Nice Guys, he transforms his usually broody Drive-type persona into a bumbling private investigator, providing some of the most unexpectedly entertaining physical comedy sequences in years. Russell Crowe is equally as impressive as the straight man and a great match for Gosling. Australian newcomer Angourie Rice doesn’t miss a beat and more than holds her own among her Hollywood heavyweight co-stars. The trio have excellent chemistry – so much so, I’m gunning for a sequel. Get your boogie shoes on and head to the cinema for an entertaining retro romp.

THE FIRST MONDAY IN MAY From the director behind the insightful documentary Page One: Inside the New York Times, comes The First Monday in May, a fascinating insight into the orchestration of one of the biggest events on the 2015 international fashion calendar: the Met Gala and the ‘China: Through the Looking Glass’ exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. The First Monday in May examines whether fashion can be considered ‘art’, as well as presenting the attempts to very carefully and considerately balance political and cultural sensitivities in creating the 2015 exhibition. The ‘old’ and the ‘new’ must be complementary. Andrew Bolton, the curator of the Costume Institute within the Met, is mightily impressive in his understated presence: he has a quiet and genuine passion for fashion’s ability to express individuality and context. Even as Anna Wintour remains the cold, ruthless perfectionist we’ve seen through fashion media and film, Bolton and Wintour make for a surprisingly efficient, complementary duo and, boy, do they get the job done. The juxtaposition between the Met Gala, where celebrities rock up in glorious frocks, and the quiet moments where Bolton delicately fixes the costumes within the exhibit, are something to behold. The First Monday in May is in equal parts intellectually stimulating and aesthetically pleasing – don’t miss it. MAJELLA CARMODY

MAJELLA CARMODY

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the word on dvds

SPOTLIGHT [FOX]

DEADPOOL [FOX]

Spotlight is set in 2001, prior to the major international catastrophe for the Catholic Church, the revelation that priests worldwide had been molesting children and the church had not only been fully aware, but complicit in disguising the abuse, and in some cases, paying victims to keep quiet.

In a saturated market for comic book/superhero film adaptations, Deadpool stands out. But why? The plot is pretty standard, origin story, boiler plate stuff; medical experiment goes wrong, man gets superpowers, man seeks revenge. It hits all the beats you’d expect and doesn’t rearrange or further them in any dramatic fashion. Action sequences are well choreographed and there are plenty of quips. Indeed, almost every line of dialogue is structured around a wisecrack. So far, so standard.

The Boston Globe has just employed a new editor, Marty (Liev Schreiber), who achieves instant outsider status. Nonetheless, he can’t understand why the Spotlight editorial team are not investigating recent allegations against priests that seemingly have evidence worth following. To his great credit, and the publishers, he is allowed to take the Catholic Church to court to have vital documents released to the media. This is a compelling story, and even more powerful for coming out when we are so aware, in Australia as well as the US and UK especially, that church authorities were complicit in hiding the abuse of children and in moving priests interstate and overseas to avoid prosecution and public shaming. In this light, observing the interviews of adults who were molested as children makes for seatsquirming discomfort and gut-churning fury. Tom McCarthy quite rightly deserved his Academy Award for Direction in 2015. Michael Keaton, Liev Schreiber, Mark Ruffalo and John Slattery (who will always be Mad Men alum for me) give their all, and are gold standard both as individuals and playing off each other. Having said that, the trajectory and the pace get a little lost towards the final quarter and it doesn’t have the same momentum or impact as the initial discovery of how big and how devastating this case is. Still, when the material is so strong, it is absolutely worthy of being seen and discussed. CAT WOODS

What this film has in spades – something so lacking in these adaptations – is heart and commitment. Something no impressive looking, citydestroying set piece can ever really achieve. Ryan Reynolds fought hard for many years to get this film made and it shows. He believed in Deadpool, spearheading the campaign to get studio support and leading an incredible viral marketing campaign; he sold the film the way the film was made – irreverent and fully in character. He appeared in the Honest Movie Trailer clip as Deadpool, mocking Deadpool. He consistently breaks the ‘fourth wall’ – faithful to its origin but a cheap gag that fails in less assured hands. Commitment is the only way to pull this sort of meta off. And it’s also why a major studio film agreed to fund a film so loaded with violent imagery and explicit language, thereby severely limiting its potential audience. If anything, Deadpool started a few hundred metres behind the starting line. The character didn’t exactly have broad recognition and this film takes place well outside the existing Marvel Cinematic Universe over at Disney. But despite this, Deadpool succeeds because you feel everyone involved really wanted this film to exist and backed it to the hilt. A rarity, as it turns out. JUSTIN HOOK

THE BRIDGE – SERIES 3 [MADMAN] The Bridge is a tried-and-tested series that has been reproduced (not-so-authentically) by the US and France. Introducing the troubled but deeply relatable Sara Noren in the first series, she is back for series three with a new partner. From episode one, the grisly and seemingly politically-motivated murder of a prominent LGBT advocate drives the narrative and plot. Gradually, personal stories intertwine: the new detective’s membership at a horny singles club (which he gleefully tells his wife about each night), and the reappearance of Sara’s mother after 20 years. The scenes where Sara and her mother face each other and a lifetime of hurt are devastatingly real. It takes some time for the audience to engage with the pill-popping, singlesclub hopping new detective, but his obvious desire to add Sara to his bedpost notches creates an interesting drama in itself. Who IS this creepy guy and what is behind his bizarre behaviour? The Bridge has the slightly washed out, blue-and-grey based hues of most Nordic crime series, but is no less dramatic, brutal and beautiful for it. In fact, it probably established much of the look and standard of intelligent crime drama that has followed. Sara is a heroine without being at all heroic – as all flawed and lovable detectives are. She inspired the character played by Diane Kruger in the US series, which did an admirable job of recreating the series but couldn’t meet the genuine class of the original. As a crime drama, beyond any of the personal conflict and character back-stories, it is top notch. The red herrings are many and yet, strategic and interesting. The police, witnesses and victims are all fascinating – no character is merely a cliché or an afterthought. This is smart, engaging crime drama for those who are allergic to grisly, in-your-face grit and misery like churned-out sewerage CSI and SVU. CAT WOODS

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SINCE I QUESTIONED YOU CODY ATKINSON Has it happened? Can it finally be the time that it finally is released? Man, how long did it take? The answers are yes, yes and a long time. It is happening. This is probably not a drill. The Avalanches have a new album, and Cody Atkinson looks at the painstaking process. Ah, so you’re still doing this thing? So what’s this issue’s thing about? It’s about Wildflower, the very long-awaited second full length album from Melbourne band, The Avalanches. Man, a new album? How long-awaited for? Oh, about sixteen years worth of awaiting. Sixteen years! Did they break up or something in between? Yes, and no. A lot of stuff happened in 16 years. Like? Care to lay out a brief timeline? Thought you’d never ask. In 2000 they released Since I Left You, about the most acclaimed Australian album of the decade. Containing around 3,500 samples, SILY is a work of art, a collage of sound dutifully arranged in a way that just works. At the time of its release they were a six-piece, but with two driving forces – Robbie Chater and Darren Seltmann. OK. Two guys at the middle, I can understand that. In 2002, after extensive touring, Chater and Seltmann gave an in-depth interview to Sound on Sound Magazine saying that they had totally overhauled their recording setup and had started planning for their follow-up album. In the interview, Seltmann acknowledged how hard their new album will be to make. Hence the decade and a half gap… Let’s go to 2004. The Avalanches changed directions to start a soca-themed club night called Brains, which eventually toured the country. Soca as a genre isn’t worlds away from calypso music, but with heavy African and dance influences – which is a fair stretch from their earlier work. They showed a combination of their SILY sound and the soca influences on a 2004 remix of Belle and Sebastian’s ‘I’m A Cuckoo’, which IMHO shades the original. By the end of 2004, three of the members that were around for SILY had departed. Officially, The Avalanches were now a three-piece.

It didn’t get released in 2012. FIVE HUNDRED POINTS YOUR WAY, SIR/MADAM. They did play a big DJ set in 2011, and announced they completed a new song with Jennifer Herrema from Royal Trux. Herrema later said that the album would definitely be out by the start of 2013. WHICH DIDN’T HAPPEN. You’re getting the hang of this. They did release a mixtape of lullabies in 2012, and a demo with David Berman from Silver Jews, but it wasn’t the elusive album that everyone was waiting for. It’s not like The Avalanches have been silent in the last 15 years? Indeed, for a band who hasn’t released any music in the last 15 years, they’ve sure released a lot of music in that time. Reddit currently has 24 and counting Avalanches mixes in the wild, which must be the truth because it’s Reddit. Obviously. Let’s bring it home… In 2013 they released two more tracks – one for a soundtrack and the other a gonzo Hunters and Collectors remix, but still no album. By 2014, one of the two core members, Darren Seltmann, had quit the band. Twice more in 2014 was the album proclaimed “finished”, which may or may not have been true for all we know. Huh? Well, for all anyone knows they could have bashed it out in an afternoon back in 2002, and they’re now putting this all on as an elaborate practical joke. Or … they’ve just gotten one more track ready, then announced the album, never intending to release it. Surely not… At least ten times the album was rumoured to be ready, and nothing happened. I will believe the album is real and coming out when I am holding it in my hands and listening to it. Is the hype worth it? On the basis of the first released track (‘Frankie Sinatra’), the answer is a definite maybe. ‘Frankie Sinatra’ sounds like a toned-down version of their pre-SILY work, such as the El Producto EP, but with higher profile guest vocals in place of their own. It doesn’t really sound like SILY, which you wouldn’t want it to after this much time.

At least ten times the album was rumoured to be ready, and nothing happened

So The Avalanches had gone calypso by mid-2005… And that’s when they announced that they were working on a new album. The local music scene goes apeshit as a result. In 2006, their label, Modular Recordings, put out a presser saying, “it’s sounding like everything we dared not hope for, and so much more. They’ve made the record of their lives basically.” So it was all happening… But their only releases that year were Wolfmother and Franz Ferdinand remixes. Going into 2008, the band claimed that they had 40 songs that they were finishing up. At the end of that year, Modular said that they expected to get the finished album in their hands by Christmas. I’m starting to see a pattern here… Indeed. In 2009 it was reported that they were clearing samples before the release. In 2010, there were rumours that they were one vocal away from completion. In 2011, Modular said the album was done except for mixing, and it would be released in 2012.

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Let me guess what happened next. OK, I can do the role reversal thing. What happened next?

What are people on the internet saying about it? Oh, the internet is an insane place. We all know this. But the reception hasn’t been kind so far. Quotes like “Oh cool Danny Brown and MF Doom rapped over ‘We No Speak Americano’,” and “The Avalanches spent 16 years to make a song that sounds like an outtake off a bloodhound gang album” were thrown around on Twitter. Which are the hottest of #hottakes. Jeez … maybe people need to calm down? Time and expectations do crazy things to people. Because The Avalanches are such a different band to what they were 16 years ago, both in membership and outlook, it would have been naïve to expect the same sound. But after 16 years, you gotta at least give it a shot with an open mind, right? Sure, why not.

the word

Philadelphia Grand Jury, Paint On Paint Transit Bar Friday June 3

on gigs

A little bit fun and a bit soulful, locals Paint On Paint opened the night with a set of skewed pop. Led by the dual vocal roles of Hannah Beasley and Chris Endrey, Paint On Paint managed to mix natural sounds and synthesized ones to good effect. There’s a certain charm to their live set, but you can’t help but feel that Paint On Paint’s best work is still to come. When they broke up in 2011, Philadelphia Grand Jury were doing the business. Decent sized venues, adoring crowds, really good shows. The next five years might have been an interesting journey, but one thing’s for sure: they’re still a really bloody good live band. The best of their last years’ album Summer of Doom blended in well with their earlier work, and their naïve poppy garage rock grabbed the attention of everyone there. The three-piece have a couple of killer songs up their sleeve, and when in full flight, little could stop them. However, the show had two sets from PGJ – one originals and one “karaoke”. Sometimes gimmicks work great, like the old “classic album”, start-to-finish trick. Others end up like Yo La Tengo performing an episode of Seinfeld on stage in front of a confused audience. This fell somewhere in between. Whilst it was fun for a little bit, PGJ are much better as an originals band as they’ll ever be as a backing band. But maybe that was just me – guy who backed out of singing to the Ramones.

PHOTO BY MEGAN LEAHY

By halfway through the set, you couldn’t help but think you’d rather hear them play their own songs again, not another cover. CODY ATKINSON

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Heart Beach, Low Talk, No Stars, Tom Woodward Polish White Eagle Club Friday May 27

on gigs

Tom Woodward is one of the more prolific musicians around town, and someone who I always seem to miss live. In fact, I think I went about a decade between seeing him play a solo show. But he still certainly knows his way around a guitar, and his bluesy folk certainly did a good job entertaining the early crowd. As the room started to slowly fill, No Stars hit the stage. Mixing guitar, keys and a drum machine into some blend of dream pop, the locals sounded good. Atmospheric, low key, woozy, dream inducing in areas; a perfect set for just sitting there, and absorbing it. A newish band on the Australian scene, Low Talk have found a rich, dark and very Australian sound. With ex-members from SleaterKinney and Ivy St, Low Talk have managed to tap into a vein of Australian gothic, the sort of stoic lyricism that runs through the works of Cave and Liddiard. The trio played through a set of beautifully sad songs, with scorching violin taking the edge off the caustic guitar and the occasional drum machine.

PHOTO BY MEGAN LEAHY

Heart Beach don’t stop. Mostly because they can’t. When your drummer is a reel-to-reel tape, you kinda have to keep going no matter what. But, and I hope I haven’t said this before, it really works. The two piece from Hobart presented a display of perpetual pop perfection, of seemingly endless hooks. As punters started getting to their feet, the band seemed to find another gear. Heart Beach delivered via contrasts – warm bass against jagged guitars and the interplay of the male and female vocals. A very enjoyable set from a quickly rising band. CODY ATKINSON

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The Cat Empire, The Pierce Brothers Canberra Theatre Centre Sunday May 22

on gigs

It wasn’t hard to see that the night was owned by The Pierce Brothers. Having known nothing about the act, I arrived with an open mind and was blown away. The two Melbourne brothers had the audience immediately in awe, opening with a guitar and didgeridoo solo, followed by an explosive percussion display that included hitting the guitar body aggressively with their drum sticks. This energy was built upon over the whole set, in a genre that could be described as ‘frantic folk’. The Pierce Brothers engaged the audience in sing-alongs, told stories, swapped between various instruments, had impressive harmonies and bounced around on stage with abandon. The performance climaxed when Jack bounced off the stage and ran the entire distance of the theatre through the crowd mid-song. The energy was infectious and the crowd gave the brothers such a rampant reaction that the duo was overwhelmed, concluding their set with a tearful speech of appreciation.

PHOTO BY MARK TURNER

The Cat Empire initially seemed a little flat in comparison to the raw energy of The Pierce Brothers, opening with their latest single ‘Wolves’. However, as seasoned veterans they had the songs to engage the audience, proven by the crowd rushing the stage and filling the aisles by the end of the second track ‘Bulls’ (also proving this was a strange venue for such an energetic and danceable act). The band kept the audience on their feet with a set including older songs such as ‘Two Shoes’, and newer tunes from their latest album Rising With The Sun. Various instrumental solos and breakdowns demonstrated their exceptional musicality, (a brass battle in ‘How to Explain’ being a definite highlight). By their closing track ‘Chariot’, The Cat Empire had certainly added to an outstanding Sunday evening of music. JARROD MCGRATH

the word

90’s Tribute Night The Basement Saturday May 14

on gigs

Presales sold out very quickly for this cover night, with the line to get in at 7:30pm stretching well around the block when doors opened. With 11 bands covering 11 90’s bands, the massive crowd of well over 400 attendees got exactly what they came for. The line-up for the night was huge! It started with Stone Temple Pilots performed by Grunge Monkee, Smashing Pumpkins performed by Butternut Squash, Alice In Chains performed by Jar Of Dirt, Bloodhound Gang performed by One Fierce Boobie, Faith No More performed by The Jizzlobbers, Foo Fighters performed by Sausage Grohl, Korn performed by Life Is Korny, Nirvana performed by The Buzzlovers, Slipknot performed by The Sick Cunts, Queens Of The Stone Age performed by Gamma Ray, and closing the night was The Prodigy performed by Fat Jilted Experience. Some of the songs that got the huge crowd really dancing hard included ‘Trippin On A Hole In A Paper Heart’ (Stone Temple Pilots), ‘Man In The Box’ (Alice In Chains), ‘Freak On A Leash’ (Korn), ‘Breathe’ (Prodigy), and it was really something special to hear a packed venue singing along to ‘Easy’ (Faith No More).

PHOTO BY SAM INGHAM

I must commend the shenanigans crew on the smooth running of yet another successful 90’s night, and especially thank the bar staff at the basement who worked tirelessly and efficiently with smiles on their faces the entire evening. Shenanigans’ next event will be their Aussie Rock Tribute Night on Saturday June 17. Tickets are on sale at Moshtix. Also make sure you mark the date for Metal Fiesta on Saturday July 9. SAM INGHAM

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the word

on gigs

PHOTO BY SVNTH TOURING (Photographed elsewhere.)

I Set My Friends On Fire, Awaken I Am, Autumn, Panic Burst The Basement Friday May 13 It was rough for opening band Panic Burst, who suffered from an unfortunate combination of going on stage weirdly early, playing to a small, unenthusiastic crowd, and taking themselves way too seriously, with not a smile in the house. Fortunately for punters, the night only got better from there. Autumn were surprisingly good, especially considering how absolutely trashed the singer was (I was impressed he was upright, let alone singing). Although Bayharbour’s vocals were a little sloppy, they made up for it by being full of energy and actually looking and sounding like they were having fun. Awaken I Am are another level, however – they were really tight, very emotive, and the frontman jumped into the fray a few times, trying to get it moving. Finally, I Set My Friends on Fire. The post-hardcore experimental band formed almost a decade ago and have only gotten better with age. It’s odd seeing them perform in such a small, grungy venue considering how well regarded they are now, and it’s hard not to wonder if the guys are reminded of their early days, with enthusiastic kids in small band rooms, cheap beer and faulty guitar cords. (In a mark of their professionalism, they kept playing as techs frantically ran on and off stage during an extended period of technical difficulties.) Live, their music is really tight and extremely well put together. The band members are completely in sync, both while playing and also while tossing banter around. It’s easy to see why there are some crowd members who have followed the band around Australia – they’re not just great musicians, they’re genuinely likeable too. And as some of the earlier bands hopefully noted for next time, audiences generally enjoy dick jokes far more than they enjoy perpetually grimacing, pouty musicians on stage. SHARONA LIN

the word

on gigs

PHOTO BY 1053 2CA FOREVER RADIO

Eric Burdon & The Animals, The Chris Harland Blues Duo Canberra Theatre Centre Friday May 13 Local blues talent The Chris Harland Blues Duo provided the support. Harland and Paulo Leeder on acoustic bass plonked themselves down on two chairs and banged out foot tapping songs about ciggie smoke, cheap perfume and even cheaper wine. Harland’s spider fingers wove intricate webs with a ute-load of fancy licks. The pace varied from a comfy can-kicking tempo to short sprints, with Leeder’s plucking staying true to the vibe, either bubbling along or bursting into a bouncy jog. A set highlight was ‘Green Onions’ with its instantly recognisable riff. Eric Burdon appeared in sunnies and a shirt that could have escaped from the Mambo stable, strolling out to the haunting keys of ‘Spill the Wine’, one of the funkiest songs every put to paper. There followed an incredible string of unforgettable songs from some of the most pivotal artists of the ’60s and ’70s rock-blues-funk scene. Burdon’s voice had (not unexpectedly for a man who had turned 75 two days before) thinned out and grown a little rougher, but the fire was still there, jumping into the bluesy ‘See See Rider’, and then ‘Monterey’ peppered with its psychedelic licks. He carried the songs well, making only sparse use of backing vocals from the band. As promised, there were surprises – Burdon melding his ‘Sky Pilot’ with Bowie’s ‘Space Oddity’, plus a cover of Ian Dury’s ‘Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick’, which matched Burdon’s delivery style well. Newer songs from Burdon’s latest release included a tribute to a blues great in ‘Bo Diddley Special’, but it was the classic numbers ‘House of the Rising Sun’ and a reworked ‘Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood’ that gained him a standing ovation at the finish. RORY MCCARTNEY

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the word

Little May, E^ST, Australia ANU Bar Thursday May 12

on gigs

Four Sydney indie-rockers, patriotically tagged as Australia, kicked off the three band line-up. Technical dithering left a few holes in the set and there was a stop-start end to one song, with confusion amongst members about when to wind it up. However, they were playing at a disadvantage, without their usual bassist. Australia’s fast, more upbeat material had a big-lunged, full bodied ‘80s sound and songs like ‘Wake in Fright’ had a palpable personality all of their own. There were no blips in the tight indie-pop/electronica set put together by E^ST and her two man backing band. The singer with the awesome, grainy voice lured the punters forward, out of the shadows where they had previously hidden, remote from the stage. There were samples with vocal hooks aplenty, enriching the sound as the lead danced around to ‘Here Comes Karma’. A cover of The Neigbourhood’s ‘Sweater Weather’ had her voice soaring to new heights.

PHOTO BY SHARONA LIN

The Little May trio, with three musos in support, began with the haunting strains of ‘Cicadas’, a song that exemplifies their ability to meld indie-pop and folk into something magical. Lead singer Hannah Field poured out her shiraz-bodied voice, dancing at the mic to ‘Home’, with the audience joining in the chorus. There was a sense of restrained power behind the graceful melodic threads. Glimpses of this force break through occasionally when the band let loose with songs like ‘Oh My My’. Beneath the elegant surface lay a storm of emotion, rising to the top in ‘Hide’ with its neon lit sexual tension. A cover of ‘Great Southern Land’ seemed out of place, but the trio pleased everyone with an encore of ‘Boardwalks’, with its joyful, plucked pattern. RORY MCCARTNEY

the word

Kristin Hersh, Broads Polish White Eagle Club Friday May 6

on gigs

Melbourne two-piece Broads opened the night, playing a set of contemplative vintage country-folk for the early comers. With harmonies by the dozen, Broads played on nostalgic themes but with a fair swig of dark overtones on the lyrical front. Their set built in stature as it went, with the air seemingly cooling around them. The term “influential” gets thrown around a bit with reckless abandon, but it fits Kristin Hersh down to a T. For the last three odd decades, Hersh has been in bands that have driven your favourite bands, even if you don’t know her (or Throwing Muses) by name. Hersh’s tour was in support of her new-ish book (Don’t Suck, Don’t Die) about the late US songwriter Vic Chesnutt, who was a one-of-akind musician, and a friend of Hersh’s. The sentimentality emanated when she talked of him, or played one of his tunes. Few can deliver a song live like Hersh, at least on this night. Going from quiet to loud and impassioned to cool, Hersh bended her guitar and voice to meet the room, and to slowly drag it into submission. Her delivery was still extremely distinctive after three decades, and her lyrics still intense.

PHOTO BY MEGAN LEAHY

Hersh punctuated songs with readings from both Don’t Suck, Don’t Die and her first book Rat Girl. The entire show was raw with emotion (punctuated by dark humour), with Hersh exposing her (and Chesnutt’s) life on stage through both song and verse. It must be extremely hard to lay yourself emotionally bare on stage night after night, but seeing someone do it so successfully is one of the most engaging live experiences possible. CODY ATKINSON

@bmamag

ENTERTAINMENT GUIDE June 8 – June 11

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

Under Lok & Key

ART EXHIBITIONS

Focus on the Short Story with Theresa Layton

THE PHOENIX BAR

Permeate

ACT WRITERS CENTRE

WEDNESDAY JUNE 8

Until 19 Jun. Free entry.

7.30pm.

BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

THURSDAY JUNE 9

Reverb

The CAPO Emerging Artists’ Prize Exhibition for 2016. Open 12-5pm.

ART EXHIBITIONS

Consequences exhibition

Reverb

M16 ARTSPACE

3 local female artists explore the notion of consequences through their visual arts practices. 6pm. TUGGERANONG ARTS CENTRE

Cihuateotl’s Myth & An Endless Horizon Running until 19 Jun.

PHOTOACCESS MANUKA

Mysterious Eyes

Arthur Boyd portraits from 1945. 10am. Free. 4 May - 14 Aug. NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY

Mountain of Flowers & Forests Paintings by indigenous Ecuadorian artists Luis Millingini, depicting his country’s people and landscapes. TUGGERANONG ARTS CENTRE

Exploring the Circle

By Rachel Bilal. 26 May-12 Jun. 6pm. M16 ARTSPACE

Australian Treasures Art Exhibition

Visitors Centre Gallery. Australian animals, plants, and landscapes through art. Free entry. AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL BOTANIC GARDENS

3 Exhibitions.

REVERB: CAPO Emerging Artists Prize, Exploring the Circle & It’s For Your Own Good. Ends 12 Jun. M16 ARTSPACE

NISHI GALLERY

It’s For Your Own Good

Confluence feat. Sophie Hutchings

Light Translations

By Holly Grace and Lisa Cahill. 1 Jun 17 Jul. Opening 6pm 3 Jun. CANBERRA GLASSWORKS

Jake Martin

ADKOB

REVERB: CAPO Emerging Artists Prize, Exploring the Circle & It’s For Your Own Good. Ends 12 Jun. M16 ARTSPACE

It’s For Your Own Good

Natalie Prevedello Duo

Monde Monde. 26 May-12 Jun. 6pm.

SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE

M16 ARTSPACE

9pm. Free.

Derryth Nash & Dene Burton

COMEDY

Leisa Keen Trio

IRON BAR

Daniel Townes

KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

$10. 7pm.

SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE

7pm.

Southside Shenanigans

Dylan Joel

Live music with different artists each time. 7pm. Free.

TRANSIT BAR

ON THE TOWN

Fridays From Five

Drops by Canberra on his Still Sippin’ tour 8pm, presale via Moshtix.

The Thursday Games

Crazy Ass Games including tournaments and prizes, and all things Sangria & FUN. 5pm. Free. AVIARY ROOFTOP BAR

FRIDAY JUNE 10 ART EXHIBITIONS The CAPO Emerging Artists’ Prize Exhibition for 2016. Open 12-5pm.

LIVE MUSIC Capes

CANBERRA IRISH CLUB

DJs spinning Old Skool, Hip Hop, R&B. Free from 5pm. AVIARY ROOFTOP BAR

SOMETHING DIFFERENT Formidable Vegetable Sound System $10. 7pm.

SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE

Art Underground Wide Open Mic Night

Share music, stories, comedy, circus tricks or antics. 7pm. Free. With special guests. BEYOND Q

SATURDAY JUNE 11

Rumblr & Jack Livingston. 9pm. $10.

ART EXHIBITIONS

Rock Or Be Rocked

Beneath the Bula Smile

THE PHOENIX BAR

Classic rock and blues. 8pm. Free. More information at bandmix.com.au/ mac11943/ ROSE COTTAGE

7pm – House DJ plays your favourites. No cover charge.

With local supports. 7.30pm. Tickets $16.50 at the door. GINNINDERRA LABOR CLUB

FILM Number 96: When TV lost its virginity!

An afternoon of saucy nostalgia, steamy conversation and a rare screening of Number 96: The Movie. 4pm-9pm. NATIONAL FILM AND SOUND ARCHIVES

LIVE MUSIC Halcyon Drive

Launch their new EP ‘Untethered’, supported by Brother Be and String Elephants. 8pm, presale via MusicGlue. TRANSIT BAR

Light Translations

By Holly Grace and Lisa Cahill. 1 Jun 17 Jul. Opening 6pm 3 Jun. CANBERRA GLASSWORKS

Stu Hunter: The Migration 8pm. $40/$35.

THE STREET THEATRE

The Vee Bees

With White Knuckle Fever & Minor Surgery. 9.30pm. $10.

Blurb: Eva Schroeder’s photo documentary exhibition of female rural market vendor in Suva. Free.

THE PHOENIX BAR

Permeate

Southside Shenanigans

TUGGERANONG ARTS CENTRE

Until 19 Jun. Free entry.

BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

Reverb

4th Degree

10.30pm. Free.

KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

Live music with different artists each time. 7pm. Free. CANBERRA IRISH CLUB

Stormcellar

The CAPO Emerging Artists’ Prize Exhibition for 2016. Open 12-5pm.

SOMETHING DIFFERENT

HARMONIE GERMAN CLUB

Consequences exhibition

Beneath the Bula Smile: Artist Talk

SOMETHING DIFFERENT

FinnLand

M16 ARTSPACE

The timeless music of the Finn Brothers reimagined. $45/$40/$35. 7.30pm.

3 local female artists explore the notion of consequences through their visual arts practices. 6pm.

Paoloa Angeli and Mirko Guerrin

Cihuateotl’s Myth & An Endless Horizon

THE STREET THEATRE

PHOTOACCESS MANUKA

$10. 7pm.

THE STREET THEATRE

TRIVIA

Voyage to Sardinia. $29/$25. 8pm.

POLIT BAR & LOUNGE

THE POLISH WHITE EAGLE CLUB

3 Exhibitions.

7pm.

THE PHOENIX BAR

8pm. Free.

Glamour & Song questions. 8pm. Book Online.

8pm.

AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL BOTANIC GARDENS

NISHI GALLERY

THE STREET THEATRE

Tranny Trivia

TRANSIT BAR

Bad Slam Presents: Good Ghost Bill

POLIT BAR & LOUNGE

SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE

Visitors Centre Gallery. Australian animals, plants, and landscapes through art. Free entry.

Australian Treasures Art Exhibition

With Wives & Zone Out. 9pm. $5.

Ciggie Witch

Barb Jungr

Feminartsy Story Share

The Northern Folk

THE BASEMENT

Furniture exhibition. Launch party Jun 3 at 6pm. Ends 26 Jun.

BD/SM The Lowlands & Jim Dusty. $10. 8pm. Hard Rain: The Songs of Bob Dylan & Leonard Cohen. 7.30pm. $55.

M16 ARTSPACE

THE BASEMENT

AINSLIE ARTS CENTRE

Club 30-50 presents “DJ, dance & drinks”

THE PHOENIX BAR

By Rachel Bilal. 26 May-12 Jun. 6pm.

7pm. Info at facebook.com/ events/177343932658777/

Material Objects

M16 ARTSPACE

LIVE MUSIC

Smutfest

Tickets at oztix. Special guests TBA. 8pm.

7.30pm. Tickets $15/$10. Info at agac.com.au.

Beneath the Bula Smile

TUGGERANONG ARTS CENTRE

Exploring the Circle

TUGGERANONG ARTS CENTRE

Mikelangelo & the Black Sea Gentleman

Monde Monde. 26 May-12 Jun. 6pm. Blurb: Eva Schroeder’s photo documentary exhibition of female rural market vendor in Suva. Free.

KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

10pm. Free.

LIVE MUSIC

Reverb

M16 ARTSPACE

The Cool

The CAPO Emerging Artists’ Prize Exhibition for 2016. Open 12-5pm. M16 ARTSPACE

Mountain of Flowers & Forests Paintings by indigenous Ecuadorian artists Luis Millingini, depicting his country’s people and landscapes.

Albury’s 10-headed folk monster drives down the Hume to kick off the long weekend, supported by Tessa Devine.

Material Objects

Furniture exhibition. Launch party Jun 3 at 6pm. Ends 26 Jun.

9pm. $10/5.

Christine Kirkwood

7.30pm. Christine Jane brings her unique ‘cinematic blues’ to the nation’s capital this June long weekend.

TUGGERANONG ARTS CENTRE

1.30pm. Free. Concert by choral group I Progetti and the premier performance of Lamentation. TUGGERANONG ARTS CENTRE

Running until 19 Jun.

Fix and Make: Make a Utility Apron

Mysterious Eyes

NISHI GALLERY

Arthur Boyd portraits from 1945. 10am. Free. 4 May - 14 Aug.

$95/$60. 3 sessions. Info at hotelhotel.com.au.

NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY

THE FRONT GALLERY AND CAFÉ

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ENTERTAINMENT GUIDE June 12 – June 18 SUNDAY JUNE 12 ART EXHIBITIONS Reverb

The CAPO Emerging Artists’ Prize Exhibition for 2016. Open 12-5pm. M16 ARTSPACE

FILM Why…Matters: A new series for cinephiles

Takes a closer look at cinematic greats: Jean Renior, Gillo Pontecorvo, Grigori Kozintsev and Tracey Moffatt. ARC CINEMA

LIVE MUSIC Rick Dangerous & The Silkie Bantams

#KaraokeLove Grand Final

TRIVIA

ON THE TOWN

TRANSIT BAR

Tranny Trivia

Fridays From Five

POLIT BAR & LOUNGE

AVIARY ROOFTOP BAR

See transit bar website for more details.

LIVE MUSIC An evening with Molly Ringwald

8pm. $55/$45 plus transaction fee. THE PLAYHOUSE

TRIVIA Nick and Morgan’s Unstoppable Trivia Machine

COMEDY Competitive Erotic Fan Fiction

7.30pm.

THE PHOENIX BAR

POLIT BAR & LOUNGE

Knightsbridge Penthouse Trivia Tuesdays

LIVE MUSIC

Hosted by Nigella Lawsuit. Win cash prizes & bar tabs. 7.20pm. KNIGHTSBRIDGE PENTHOUSE

WEDNESDAY JUNE 15

TRANSIT BAR

3pm. Free. Our weekly live music day with vibes for days from Canberra’s best undiscovered talents.

THURSDAY JUNE 16

Stand up comedy. 8pm – Canberra’s finest & funniest present a new concept for laughs. Tix $7/$10.

8pm, presale via Moshtix.

Aviary Sundays Live

Glamour & Song questions. 8pm. Book Online.

ART EXHIBITIONS Beneath the Bula Smile

Cape Tribulation

Time & Weight & Propeller. $10. 9pm. THE PHOENIX BAR

Bella Groove $10. 7pm.

SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE

ON THE TOWN

DJs spinning Old Skool, Hip Hop, R&B. Free from 5pm.

Night at the Museum: Play School

6pm. Pre-sale $15 or $18 on the door. Tickets at nma.gov.au. NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AUSTRALIA

SOMETHING DIFFERENT Australian Burlesque Festival

Doors Open 6:30pm. GA $60. Dinner & Show $110. THE ABBEY

THEATRE North Vs South: The Battle of Canberra Theatresports. $20/$15. Tickets at thestreet.org.au. THE STREET THEATRE

SATURDAY JUNE 18

Apres Ski

Album launch. 4pm. $10.

Blurb: Eva Schroeder’s photo documentary exhibition of female rural market vendor in Suva. Free.

Killwater

Permeate

PARLOUR WINE ROOM

BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

Crazy Ass Games including tournaments and prizes, and all things Sangria & FUN. 5pm. Free.

Beneath the Bula Smile

Chicago Charles & Danger Dave

TUGGERANONG ARTS CENTRE

AVIARY ROOFTOP BAR

Looking Glass THE BASEMENT

TUGGERANONG ARTS CENTRE

Originals with a couple of blues laid back covers. 5pm-7pm. Free entry.

Until 19 Jun. Free entry.

Trappist Afterland

3 local female artists explore the notion of consequences through their visual arts practices. 6pm.

A BITE TO EAT CAFE

With Matt Malone and Hearth and Home. 2pm. THE FRONT GALLERY AND CAFÉ

Irish Jam Session

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

Consequences exhibition

TUGGERANONG ARTS CENTRE

Cihuateotl’s Myth & An Endless Horizon

MUSE: FOOD, WINE, BOOKS

NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY

SOMETHING DIFFERENT

Paintings by indigenous Ecuadorian artists Luis Millingini, depicting his country’s people and landscapes.

Draw while listening to Bella Groove Jazz duo. 1pm. Free. NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY

THEATRE Ambon by Lloyd Swanton

Spoken word, music and projections bring this personal POW story to life. $35. 7.30pm. THE STREET THEATRE

MONDAY JUNE 13 LIVE MUSIC

Arthur Boyd portraits from 1945. 10am. Free. 4 May - 14 Aug.

Mountain of Flowers & Forests

TUGGERANONG ARTS CENTRE

Material Objects

Furniture exhibition. Launch party Jun 3 at 6pm. Ends 26 Jun.

Permeate

Until 19 Jun. Free entry.

BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

FRIDAY JUNE 17 COMEDY Nick Cody

After touring his sold out show “Come Get Some” Nick is dropping by Uni Pub to headline. 8pm.

Consequences exhibition

3 local female artists explore the notion of consequences through their visual arts practices. 6pm. TUGGERANONG ARTS CENTRE

Cihuateotl’s Myth & An Endless Horizon Running until 19 Jun.

UNI PUB

PHOTOACCESS MANUKA

LIVE MUSIC

Arthur Boyd portraits from 1945. 10am. Free. 4 May - 14 Aug.

The Cool

10pm. Free.

Mysterious Eyes

NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY

Mountain of Flowers & Forests

$15. 7pm.

Southside Shenanigans

Re:Place

CANBERRA IRISH CLUB

M16 ARTSPACE

The Pink Floyd Experience

7.30pm. $102.50 to $123.50 + $4.50 Transaction Fee. CANBERRA THEATRE CENTRE

The Funkoars

On the cusp of unleashing their new album Trials, Hons and Sesta return to Transit Bar, 8pm, presale via Moshtix.

Light Translations

By Holly Grace and Lisa Cahill. 1 Jun 17 Jul. Opening 6pm 3 Jun.

Collected Resonances 8pm. $5.

AINSLIE ARTS CENTRE

KARAOKE

SOMETHING DIFFERENT

#KaraokeLove

BAD!SLAM!NO!BISCUIT!

TRANSIT BAR

THE PHOENIX BAR

8pm.

Karaoke Salon

Naked Girls Reading

POLIT BAR & LOUNGE

SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE

Blurb: Eva Schroeder’s photo documentary exhibition of female rural market vendor in Suva. Free.

LIVE MUSIC

CANBERRA GLASSWORKS

8PM. Book online at politbar.co.

M16 ARTSPACE

Paintings by indigenous Ecuadorian artists Luis Millingini, depicting his country’s people and landscapes.

THE STREET THEATRE

9pm. Free entry.

KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

Scores

Manuel Pfieffer. 16 Jun - 3 Jul.

KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

TRANSIT BAR

TUESDAY JUNE 14

9pm. Free.

ART EXHIBITIONS

NISHI GALLERY

Mulatu Astatke with Black Jesus Experience

The father of Ethio-jazz meets global funk live. $49. 6pm.

AVIARY ROOFTOP BAR

PHOTOACCESS MANUKA

Mysterious Eyes

Drawn In

The Thursday Games

Running until 19 Jun.

Basically Beethoven

BYO instrument or dabble on our walnut baby grand. 3pm. Free.

Feat. Not Quite Disco, Architect DJ’s, A Town Called Panic & Magnifik. Free. 8pm.

7pm.

Lisa Richards SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE

Live music with different artists each time. 7pm. Free.

Aussie Rock Tribute Night

$20 at Moshtix or $25 at the door. With Johnny Roadkill, DCM, Critical Monkee, Cockbelch and more. THE BASEMENT

Brass Knuckle Brass Band Bambini. 9pm. $10/$5. THE PHOENIX BAR

Little Buster 8pm. Free.

HARMONIE GERMAN CLUB

The Pretty Bones

7.30pm. The Bones are an alt-rock band from Canberra. Raised on a diet of punk, grunge and pub-rock. THE FRONT GALLERY AND CAFÉ

The Next Movement

Canberra and interstate talent, featuring the launch of Nix & Pat Psyfa’s ‘Capital Venture’ EP. 8pm. TRANSIT BAR

TUGGERANONG ARTS CENTRE

Elisa Crossing, Sue Chancellor, Phil Page. 16 June to 3 July.

Material Objects

Furniture exhibition. Launch party Jun 3 at 6pm. Ends 26 Jun. NISHI GALLERY

A Potted History

Caroline Walker-Grime. 16 June to 3 July. M16 ARTSPACE

LIVE MUSIC Live Band

Live music. 10.30pm. Free. KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

Direct From Ireland - One Show Only John McSherry, Donal O’Connor & Rob Hillman Trio. 7.30pm. $30. CANBERRA IRISH CLUB

Starman

German entertainer Sven Ratzke presents a dazzling new rock show inspired by the music of David Bowie. THE PLAYHOUSE

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ENTERTAINMENT GUIDE June 18 – June 24 SATURDAY JUNE 18 LIVE MUSIC Light Translations

By Holly Grace and Lisa Cahill. 1 Jun 17 Jul. Opening 6pm 3 Jun.

SOMETHING DIFFERENT

Elisa Crossing, Sue Chancellor, Phil Page. 16 June to 3 July.

SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE

Material Objects

7pm.

ArtSound FM Book and Music Fair

Starving Millions

Books, CDs, DVDs and vinyls. Authors Dorothy Johnston and Diana Thomspon will be in attendance for signings.

THE PHOENIX BAR

TALKS

CANBERRA GLASSWORKS

With Revellers, Office Jerk & Kid Presentable. 9pm. $10.

Michael Fix

MANUKA ARTS CENTRE

8pm. Over 25 years, Michael Fix has released Fourteen albums, several DVD’s, songbooks, and EPs.

Beyond Belief: Hugh Mackay

Dark Intelligence

MUSE: FOOD, WINE, BOOKS

THE FRONT GALLERY AND CAFÉ

Re:Place

Reilly Fitzalan

Social researcher Hugh Mackay discusses modern Australia’s relationship with gods and spirituality.

M16 ARTSPACE

Furniture exhibition. Launch party Jun 3 at 6pm. Ends 26 Jun. NISHI GALLERY

A Potted History

ON THE TOWN The Thursday Games

Crazy Ass Games including tournaments and prizes, and all things Sangria & FUN. 5pm. Free. AVIARY ROOFTOP BAR

Dark Fest 2016

Ten Dark Beers: Opening 21 Jun 4pm.

Caroline Walker-Grime. 16 June to 3 July.

WIG & PEN

M16 ARTSPACE

TALKS

LIVE MUSIC

Dr Bidda Jones: Chief Scientist RSPCA

Light Translations

By Holly Grace and Lisa Cahill. 1 Jun 17 Jul. Opening 6pm 3 Jun.

6pm. Free entry, bookings essential. MANNING CLARK HOUSE

CANBERRA GLASSWORKS

THEATRE

7.15pm. Full details coming soon at facebook.com/ events/1264461916901735/.

WORKSHOPS

ON THE TOWN

Disgraced

Dark Fest 2016

8pm. $50 - $75 + $4.50 Transaction Fee.

Gay Cliche

Diving In (Memoir) with Biff Ward 1pm.

WIG & PEN

The Verbatim Project

SOMETHING DIFFERENT

GORMAN HOUSE ARTS CENTRE

THE BASEMENT

50% of door proceeds going to CarersACT 8pm, $10 on the door. TRANSIT BAR

Evensong

Choral music. 4pm. Free.

ACT WRITERS CENTRE

MONDAY JUNE 20

NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY

LIVE MUSIC

ON THE TOWN

2XX Presents The Bootleg Sessions

Knightsbridge Penthouse 12th Birthday 7pm. Free entry.

KNIGHTSBRIDGE PENTHOUSE

SOMETHING DIFFERENT Beautifully Mad $20. 7pm.

SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE

With Pocket Fox, The Barren Spinsters, Willowy & Matt Wilson. 8pm. THE PHOENIX BAR

TUESDAY JUNE 21 KARAOKE #KaraokeLove

Jon Brooks

9pm. Free entry.

SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE

Karaoke Salon

$20. 7pm.

THEATRE Witness for the Prosecution

16 Jun-2 Jul. Bookings at 6257 1950. THEATRE 3

SUNDAY JUNE 19 FILM Why…Matters: A new series for cinephiles

Takes a closer look at cinematic greats: Jean Renior, Gillo Pontecorvo, Grigori Kozintsev and Tracey Moffatt. ARC CINEMA

LIVE MUSIC

TRANSIT BAR

8PM. Book online at politbar.co. POLIT BAR & LOUNGE

ON THE TOWN Dark Fest 2016

Ten Dark Beers: Opening 21 Jun 4pm. WIG & PEN

SOMETHING DIFFERENT Bang! Bing! Beng! Bong! Bung! $5. 7pm.

Book at cytc.net.

GORMAN HOUSE ARTS CENTRE

Knightsbridge Penthouse Trivia Tuesdays

AVIARY ROOFTOP BAR

Tundrel

Alternate acoustic duo > tundrel.com. 5pm-7pm. Free entry. A BITE TO EAT CAFE

Irish Jam Session

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

Canberra Blues Society Jam 2pm. $5/$3.

HARMONIE GERMAN CLUB

Hosted by Nigella Lawsuit. Win cash prizes & bar tabs. 7.20pm. KNIGHTSBRIDGE PENTHOUSE

Book at cytc.net.

FRIDAY JUNE 24 COMEDY

TALKS

Melbourne International Comedy Festival

Strange Attractor

7.30pm. Free. Artist talk with David Pledger.

It’s silly, it’s satirical, it’s side-splitting. It’s Australia’s ultimate comedy roadtrip! 7.30pm.

THEATRE

LIVE MUSIC

Disgraced

Live Evil

THE PLAYHOUSE

TRANSIT BAR

GORMAN HOUSE ARTS CENTRE

8pm. $50 - $75 + $4.50 Transaction Fee.

The Verbatim Project Book at cytc.net.

CANBERRA THEATRE CENTRE

A tribute to Whitesnake and Deep Purple 8pm, presale via Moshtix.

Spit Syndicate

Witness for the Prosecution

Support from Hau, D’Opus and Roshambo. 8:30pm. Tickets $29 + bf via Moshtix.

THEATRE 3

Southside Shenanigans

GORMAN HOUSE ARTS CENTRE

16 Jun-2 Jul. Bookings at 6257 1950.

AVIARY ROOFTOP BAR

TRIVIA

Live music with different artists each time. 7pm. Free.

Tranny Trivia

Heuristic

Glamour & Song questions. 8pm. Book Online. POLIT BAR & LOUNGE

Focus on the Short Story with Theresa Layton

The Verbatim Project

THE PLAYHOUSE

THE PHOENIX BAR

THEATRE

NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY

3pm. Free. Our weekly live music day with vibes for days from Canberra’s best undiscovered talents.

Election Special. 8pm.

WORKSHOPS

TRIVIA

Aviary Sundays Live

Politics In The Pub with Chris Endrey

SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE

Evensong

Choral music. 4pm. Free.

Ten Dark Beers: Opening 21 Jun 4pm.

7.30pm.

ACT WRITERS CENTRE

THURSDAY JUNE 23 LIVE MUSIC Duck Duck Ghost

Sunset Dreams. 9pm. $5. THE PHOENIX BAR

CANBERRA IRISH CLUB

10.30pm. Free.

KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

A Little Further - EP Launch & Fundraiser

Doors Open at 6:30pm. GA $60. Dinner & Show $120. THE ABBEY

Killwater 8pm. Free.

HARMONIE GERMAN CLUB

Friday Night Fiesta

With Funkytrop & Friends. $10. 9pm. THE PHOENIX BAR

ON THE TOWN Glamour and Moist With Tammy Paks

7pm. $15.

8pm. Bookings recommended. www.politbar.co.

ART EXHIBITIONS

The Ians

Dark Fest 2016

Scores

THE PHOENIX BAR

WIG & PEN

WEDNESDAY JUNE 22

Manuel Pfieffer. 16 Jun - 3 Jul. M16 ARTSPACE

Mountain of Flowers & Forests Paintings by indigenous Ecuadorian artists Luis Millingini, depicting his country’s people and landscapes.

Rachel Thoms SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE

POLIT BAR & LOUNGE

With Gus & Jim. $10. 9pm.

Ten Dark Beers: Opening 21 Jun 4pm.

Orbis Tertius

Fridays From Five

TRANSIT BAR

AVIARY ROOFTOP BAR

With Bent Hen and Local Horror 8pm, $10 on the door.

DJs spinning Old Skool, Hip Hop, R&B. Free from 5pm.

TUGGERANONG ARTS CENTRE

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ENTERTAINMENT GUIDE June 24 – July 1 FRIDAY JUNE 24 SOMETHING DIFFERENT Magic Rob Universe

9.30pm.

SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE

THEATRE Disgraced

8pm. $50 - $75 + $4.50 Transaction Fee. THE PLAYHOUSE

Pigman’s Lament

Written by and starring Raoul Craemer. 24 Jun-3 Jul. Bookings at thestreet.org.au. THE STREET THEATRE

The Verbatim Project Book at cytc.net.

GORMAN HOUSE ARTS CENTRE

SATURDAY JUNE 25 ART EXHIBITIONS

Light Translations

By Holly Grace and Lisa Cahill. 1 Jun 17 Jul. Opening 6pm 3 Jun. CANBERRA GLASSWORKS

The Undermines

With Aberration. 9.30pm. $10

THEATRE

COMEDY

Best of Crash Test

Comedy In The Pub

7pm. Tickets available at canberratheatrecentre.com.au. THE COURTYARD STUDIO

THE PHOENIX BAR

MONDAY JUNE 27

Giovanni Sollima in Sequenza Italiana

Comedy Gong Night. 7.30pm. Free. THE PHOENIX BAR

LIVE MUSIC Light Translations

8pm. Booking at www.aco.com.au/ sequenza.

LIVE MUSIC

By Holly Grace and Lisa Cahill. 1 Jun 17 Jul. Opening 6pm 3 Jun.

ON THE TOWN

CIT Presents The Bootleg Sessions

The Beards

LLEWELLYN HALL

8pm. Free entry.

Oscar

THE PHOENIX BAR

10pm. Free.

KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

THEATRE

La Petit Mort

Canberra Youth Talent Show

$35. 8pm.

SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE

SOMETHING DIFFERENT Canberra Roller Derby League Save the dates. Info at crdl.com.au.

Ages 6-21. Dance heat 27 Jun. Singers heat 28 Jun. Musicians heat 29 Jun. Final 1-2 Jul. THE COURTYARD STUDIO

TUESDAY JUNE 28

VARIOUS LOCATIONS

CANBERRA GLASSWORKS

Farewell tour. Tickets at Moshtix. ANU BAR AND REFECTORY

The Weeping Willows

With Tom Dockray and Mitch Power. 7pm. $10. SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE

THEATRE Canberra Youth Talent Show

Ages 6-21. Dance heat 27 Jun. Singers heat 28 Jun. Musicians heat 29 Jun. Final 1-2 Jul. THE COURTYARD STUDIO

KARAOKE

Witness for the Prosecution

#KaraokeLove

THEATRE 3

TRANSIT BAR

8PM. Book online at politbar.co.

Written by and starring Raoul Craemer. 24 Jun-3 Jul. Bookings at thestreet.org.au.

POLIT BAR & LOUNGE

THE STREET THEATRE

The Bends & QWE3NZ

7pm. Tickets available at canberratheatrecentre.com.au.

SOMETHING DIFFERENT

TRIVIA

PHOTOACCESS MANUKA

Disgraced

Canberra Roller Derby Info Night

Tranny Trivia

Scores

Manuel Pfieffer. 16 Jun - 3 Jul. M16 ARTSPACE

Habitual Creatures, Pigs & Dogs, Dis-Place

3 new exhibitions. From 24 Jun until 17 Jul. BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

From 23 Jun-17 Jul.

Mountain of Flowers & Forests Paintings by indigenous Ecuadorian artists Luis Millingini, depicting his country’s people and landscapes. TUGGERANONG ARTS CENTRE

Re:Place

Elisa Crossing, Sue Chancellor, Phil Page. 16 June to 3 July. M16 ARTSPACE

Material Objects

Furniture exhibition. Launch party Jun 3 at 6pm. Ends 26 Jun.

Fix and Make: Object Therapy Submit your damaged and broken things to have them transformatively repaired. Info at hotel-hotel.com.au. NISHI GALLERY

THEATRE Best of Crash Test

THE COURTYARD STUDIO

8pm. $50 - $75 + $4.50 Transaction Fee. THE PLAYHOUSE

Canberra Youth Talent Show

North Vs South: The Battle of Canberra Theatresports. $20/$15. Tickets at thestreet.org.au. THE STREET THEATRE

SUNDAY JUNE 26 FILM

COMEDY

Why…Matters: A new series for cinephiles

CANBERRA THEATRE CENTRE

FILM Arthur Boyd: Testament of a Painter 3pm. Free.

NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY

LIVE MUSIC Modem Music: Rockabilly vs. Psychobilly

The Fire Katz, The King Hits, Bad Luck Kitty and Raygun Rampage 8pm, tickets on the door. TRANSIT BAR

Southside Shenanigans

Live music with different artists each time. 7pm. Free. CANBERRA IRISH CLUB

SKATE NATION

THEATRE 3

Caroline Walker-Grime. 16 June to 3 July.

It’s silly, it’s satirical, it’s side-splitting. It’s Australia’s ultimate comedy roadtrip! 7.30pm.

6.30pm.

THEATRE

16 Jun-2 Jul. Bookings at 6257 1950.

A Potted History

Melbourne International Comedy Festival

Karaoke Salon

Witness for the Prosecution

NISHI GALLERY

M16 ARTSPACE

9pm. Free entry.

Takes a closer look at cinematic greats: Jean Renior, Gillo Pontecorvo, Grigori Kozintsev and Tracey Moffatt. ARC CINEMA

LIVE MUSIC Aviary Sundays Live

Ages 6-21. Dance heat 27 Jun. Singers heat 28 Jun. Musicians heat 29 Jun. Final 1-2 Jul. THE COURTYARD STUDIO

16 Jun-2 Jul. Bookings at 6257 1950.

Pigman’s Lament

Glamour & Song questions. 8pm. Book Online. POLIT BAR & LOUNGE

THURSDAY JUNE 30 FILM The Wait

Directed by Piero Messina. Starring Juliette Binoche.

TRIVIA

PALACE ELECTRIC CINEMA

Knightsbridge Penthouse Trivia Tuesdays

LIVE MUSIC

Hosted by Nigella Lawsuit. Win cash prizes & bar tabs. 7.20pm.

Slumberhaze

KNIGHTSBRIDGE PENTHOUSE

Slow Turismo and Capes 8pm, $10 on the door.

Impact Records Presents

Copy & Paste

Nerd Trivia with Joel and Ali THE PHOENIX BAR

WEDNESDAY JUNE 29

TRANSIT BAR

9pm. Free.

KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

Horsehunter

With Hobo Magic & Looking Glass. 9pm. $10.

ART EXHIBITIONS

THE PHOENIX BAR

A Potted History

ON THE TOWN

3pm. Free. Our weekly live music day with vibes for days from Canberra’s best undiscovered talents,

Caroline Walker-Grime. 16 June to 3 July.

Kaurna Cronin w/ The Lowlands

Scores

SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE

M16 ARTSPACE

AVIARY ROOFTOP BAR

Habitual Creatures, Pigs & Dogs, Dis-Place

SOMETHING DIFFERENT

AVIARY ROOFTOP BAR

$10. 7pm.

Lloyd Spiegel

Lloyd Spiegel returns to the CBS Keller Sessions. $15/$22. 5pm. HARMONIE GERMAN CLUB

Crush (a Band Java comb.)

M16 ARTSPACE

Manuel Pfieffer. 16 Jun - 3 Jul.

3 new exhibitions. From 24 Jun until 17 Jul. BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

Therapy-Music to drink and socialise with. 5pm-7pm. Free entry.

The Bends & QWE3NZ

Irish Jam Session

Mysterious Eyes

KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY

A BITE TO EAT CAFE

Traditional Irish musicians in the pub from late afternoon. Free.

From 23 Jun-17 Jul.

PHOTOACCESS MANUKA

The Thursday Games

Crazy Ass Games including tournaments and prizes, and all things Sangria & FUN. 5pm. Free.

Poetry Readings 7.30pm.

MANNING CLARK HOUSE

FRIDAY JULY 1

Arthur Boyd portraits from 1945. 10am. Free. 4 May - 14 Aug.

LIVE MUSIC

Re:Place

Live music. 10.30pm. Free.

Elisa Crossing, Sue Chancellor, Phil Page. 16 June to 3 July.

Live Band

KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

M16 ARTSPACE

@bmamag

ENTERTAINMENT GUIDE July 1 – July 6 FRIDAY JULY 1 LIVE MUSIC Southside Shenanigans

Live music with different artists each time. 7pm. Free. CANBERRA IRISH CLUB

Marisol Pacheco

Re:Place

Elisa Crossing, Sue Chancellor, Phil Page. 16 June to 3 July. M16 ARTSPACE

Pin Six

Written by and starring Raoul Craemer. 24 Jun-3 Jul. Bookings at thestreet.org.au. THE STREET THEATRE

Miniature wearable artworks from Australian artists. Opens 6pm, June 30-Jul 10. ANCA GALLERY

7pm.

LIVE MUSIC

Fossil Rabbit w/ Happy Axe

Southside Shenanigans

SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE

Pigman’s Lament

Gavin Ahearn Quintet

Meals from 6pm. Music from 7.30pm. Bookings at thegodscafe@gmail.com. THE GODS CAFE

TRIVIA

SUNDAY JULY 3

Knightsbridge Penthouse Trivia Tuesdays

LIVE MUSIC

Hosted by Nigella Lawsuit. Win cash prizes & bar tabs. 7.20pm.

Aviary Sundays Live

KNIGHTSBRIDGE PENTHOUSE

Live music with different artists each time. 7pm. Free.

3pm. Free. Our weekly live music day with vibes for days from Canberra’s best undiscovered talents.

Free. 8pm.

Rock Or Be Rocked

Minh

ART EXHIBITIONS

Lakeside at 5

THE BURNS CLUB

Live music. $10. 5pm.

Special K

A BITE TO EAT CAFE

TUGGERANONG ARTS CENTRE

The Lokimotions

9pm on the 19th. 10.30pm on the 28th. Free.

Wasted Wanders and The Barren Spinsters

Habitual Creatures, Pigs & Dogs, Dis-Place

3 new exhibitions. From 24 Jun until 17 Jul.

KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

7pm.

BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

Light Translations

SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE

The Bends & QWE3NZ

Irish Jam Session

From 23 Jun-17 Jul.

ON THE TOWN

By Holly Grace and Lisa Cahill. 1 Jun 17 Jul. Opening 6pm 3 Jun.

Fridays From Five

Waterford

KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

4pm.

SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE

THEATRE

Don’t Die Alone

Pigman’s Lament

9.30pm.

SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE

Wards Xpress

CANBERRA IRISH CLUB

HARMONIE GERMAN CLUB

8pm. Free.

With Clark Bent. $10. 9pm. THE PHOENIX BAR

DJs spinning Old Skool, Hip Hop, R&B. Free from 5pm. AVIARY ROOFTOP BAR

THEATRE Canberra Youth Talent Show

Ages 6-21. Dance heat 27 Jun. Singers heat 28 Jun. Musicians heat 29 Jun. Final 1-2 Jul. THE COURTYARD STUDIO

Pigman’s Lament

Written by and starring Raoul Craemer. 24 Jun-3 Jul. Bookings at thestreet.org.au. THE STREET THEATRE

SATURDAY JULY 2 ART EXHIBITIONS A Potted History

Caroline Walker-Grime. 16 June to 3 July.

CANBERRA GLASSWORKS

$10. 9.30pm.

SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE

ON THE TOWN CHROME - Winter Steampunk Ball

AVIARY ROOFTOP BAR

Funky folk guitar and didgeridoo fusion. 5pm-7pm. Free entry.

THE PHOENIX BAR

Federal Election Night

“Let’s rock ‘n’ roll with K. Rudd &... um...others” 7.30pm. Help us celebrate Polit Bar’s 3rd Anniversary.

COMEDY Michael Workman With supports. Book at comedyact.com.au. CIVIC PUB

MONDAY JULY 4

Election Night Piss Up

SOMETHING DIFFERENT

Miniature wearable artworks from Australian artists. Opens 6pm June 30-Jul 10. ANCA GALLERY

THE STREET THEATRE

CMC Presents The Bootleg Sessions

3pm. $10.

Pin Six

Written by and starring Raoul Craemer. 24 Jun-3 Jul. Bookings at thestreet.org.au.

LIVE MUSIC

THE BASEMENT

PHOTOACCESS MANUKA

Traditional Irish musicians in the pub from late afternoon. Free.

DJs playing dark electronic, alternative, industrial music. 9pm, $10. $5 with student ID.

WEDNESDAY JULY 6

LIVE MUSIC Light Translations

By Holly Grace and Lisa Cahill. 1 Jun 17 Jul. Opening 6pm 3 Jun. CANBERRA GLASSWORKS

8pm. Free.

SOMETHING DIFFERENT

TUESDAY JULY 5

July School Holiday Program

July 4–15. 3 hr class or 1.5 hour class available during the Winter school holidays. canberrapotters.com.au.

KARAOKE #KaraokeLove

WATSON ARTS CENTRE

POLIT BAR & LOUNGE

9pm. Free entry.

Feminartsy Story Share

Scores

THEATRE

Karaoke Salon

SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE

M16 ARTSPACE

Canberra Youth Talent Show

M16 ARTSPACE

Manuel Pfieffer. 16 Jun - 3 Jul.

Habitual Creatures, Pigs & Dogs, Dis-Place

3 new exhibitions. From 24 Jun until 17 Jul. BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

The Bends & QWE3NZ From 23 Jun-17 Jul.

Ages 6-21. Dance heat 27 Jun. Singers heat 28 Jun. Musicians heat 29 Jun. Final 1-2 Jul. THE COURTYARD STUDIO

Witness for the Prosecution

16 Jun-2 Jul. Bookings at 6257 1950. THEATRE 3

TRANSIT BAR

$10. 7pm.

8PM. Book online at politbar.co. POLIT BAR & LOUNGE

TRIVIA

LIVE MUSIC

Tranny Trivia

Jazz at the Gods

Meals from 6pm. Music at 7:30pm. Bookings essential. $22/$15. THE GODS CAFE

Glamour & Song questions. 8pm. Book Online. POLIT BAR & LOUNGE

The Phoenix Quiz 7.30pm.

THE PHOENIX BAR

PHOTOACCESS MANUKA

OUT

JUL 13

GATHER ROUND, YE CHILDREN, AND LISTEN TO THESE GHOST STORIES OF OLD BEN FOLDS ROCKIN’ THE CANBERRAN SUBURBS MAYDAY PARADE CELEBRATE WITH A PARADE

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SIDE A: BMA BAND PROFILE

FIRST CONTACT Aaron Peacey 0410381306 band.afternoon.shift@ gmail.com.au Adam Hole 0421023226 Afternoon Shift 0402055314

Kayo Marbilus facebook.com/kayomarbilus1

Amphibian Sound PA Clare 0410308288

Kurt’s Metalworx (PA) 0417025792

Annie & The Armadillos Annie (02) 61611078/ 0422076313

STRING ELEPHANTS Group members: Dave (vocals), Monster (drums), Jordi (vocals, rhythm guitar), Jed (bass, backup vocals), Jacob (drums), Kenrick (lead guitar). Where did your band name come from? A friend recommended some names and I guess we mutually agreed with String Elephants. Describe your sound. I’d say our genre is indie pop/rock and alternative. We like to have a lot of fun with our music and make fast, catchy songs with lots of sweet melodies, funky basslines and lively drum beats. Who are your influences, musical or otherwise? Two Door Cinema Club and Last Dinosaurs are our two main influences. What’s the most memorable experience you’ve had whilst performing? Personally, I (Jordi) enjoy every performance. It’s great to get up on stage with the boys and to play our own music. It’s always a bonus when people get up and dance too! I think the most memorable would be performing in front of over 100 people at the Openair Cinema on the Foreshore. Of what are you proudest so far? Developing and recording an EP at Merloc Records in Canberra. It was an incredible experience and I was just really proud of how far we’ve come. I’ve known these guys since year six and to be here now, seven years later, in a band with them, with an EP ready to be released, is just insane. We also got played on a Sports Girl ad just after releasing our ‘Fluorescent’ single on Triple J Unearthed!

Australian Songwriters Association Keiran (02) 62310433 Back to the Eighties Ty Emerson 0418 544 014 Backbeat Drivers Steve 0422733974 backbeatdrivers.com Birds Love Fighting Gangbusters/DIY shows-bookings@ birdslovefighting.com Black Label Photography Kingsley 0438351007 blacklabelphotography.net Bridge Between, The Cam 0431550005 Chris Harland Blues Band, The Chris 0418 490 649 chrisharlandbluesband @gmail.com Cole Bennetts Photography 0415982662 Danny V Danny 0413502428 Dawn Theory Nathan 0402845132 Danny 0413502428 Dorothy Jane Band, The Dorothy Jane 0411065189 dorothy-jane@dorothyjane.com Drumassault Dan 0406 375 997 Feldons, The 0407 213 701

What makes you laugh? The questionable dancing by people at some of our gigs, probably due to a substantial amount of alcohol. Who wants to dance sober though, right?

Fourth Degree Vic 0408477020

What pisses you off? Breaking a string on stage in the middle of a set and being told you can only play two more songs instead of finishing your set.

Groovalicious Corporate/ weddings/private functions 0448995158

What are your upcoming gigs? Transit Bar, Saturday June 11. RAW Canberra presents Trend at Belconnen Arts Centre, Friday June 17. Contact info: stringelephants@gmail.com, triplejunearthed. com/artist/string-elephants, facebook.com/ stringelephants, soundcloud.com/string-elephants, instagram.com/stringelephants/

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

What are your plans for the future? Our plan is to finally release the EP and promote it as much as possible. We want to really work towards getting more people to notice our music and maybe go on tour!

What about the local scene would you change? Develop more of a music scene in Canberra. There aren’t enough music-friendly places for local bands to play.

Johnny Roadkill Paulie 0408287672 paulie_mcmillan@live.com.au

Fire on the Hill Aaron 0410381306 Lachlan 0400038388 Gareth Dailey DJ/Electronica Gareth 0414215885

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

Los Chavos Latin/ska/reggae Rafa 0406647296 Andy 0401572150 Merloc - Recording Studio, Watson. Sam King: 0430484363. sam@ merlocrecords.com Missing Zero Hadrian 0424721907 hadrian.brand@live.com.au Morning After, The Covers band Anthony 0402500843 Mornings Jordan 0439907853 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 Greg greg@gunfever.com.au System Addict Jamie 0418398556

Haunted Attics band@hauntedatticsmusic.com

Tegan Northwood (Singing Teacher) 0410 769 144

In The Flesh Scott 0410475703

Top Shelf Colin 0408631514

Itchy Triggers Alex 0414838480

Undersided, The Baz 0408468041

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

Zoopagoo zoopagoo@gmail.com

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