BMA Magazine 487 - 9 November 2016

COVER LINE INSIDE: INFO

HOLY HOLY

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THE WHITLAMS

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CIRCUS 1903

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AD SPACE

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AINSLIEAINSLIE + GORMAN + GORMAN ARTS CENTRES

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MUSIC FOR CANBERRA

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THE DICKSON TRADIES

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CANBERRA ROLLER DERBY LEAGUE

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SUMMERNATS

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THE GREEN SHED

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LAUNCHING IN 10, 9, 8, 7...

Yes, we did just print a giant clitoris on our front cover #487Nov/Dec Fax: (02) 6257 4361 Mail: PO Box 713 Civic Square, ACT 2608 Publisher 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 Andrew Nardi Glitoris ‘O’ design by Julia at Yellow Pony

It’s not easy being a young musician with nary a Facebook like to your name. Lift Off Music Comp is an opportunity for young Canberra bands, producers and singersongwriters to showcase their art, perform in a professional and supportive environment, and be in the running for a prize pack full of services that will set you up to take that next step in your career.

The Lift Off winner receives a prize pack that will literally launch the winning band’s career. It includes: graphic design of a logo, gig poster and Facebook cover image, a studio recording session with Duncan Lowe at Infidel Studios, a photoshoot of a live gig, event management services for a live gig from Devil Moon, and $1,000 worth of advertising in the one and only BMA Magazine … yep, we want to help you out too.

Aren’t we a friendly lot?

Registrations for the eighth annual Lift Off Music Comp are now open. To register, download the registration form from wcs.org.au/services/ youth-engagement/lift-off and submit it by email to yet@wcs.org.au or in person to Woden Youth Centre by 5pm on Friday October 28.

The heats are 6pm to 10pm, Friday November 11 and Friday November 18 at Woden Youth Centre. The finals are 4pm to 8pm, Friday November 25 at Woden Town Centre (next to Lovett Tower, Westfield). The West Woden Lift Off finals will

not only showcase great young Canberra musicians, but also street art, food, stalls and a bunch of fun stuff.

Not in a band, but want to get involved with Lift Off? They’re looking for young people to help run the two Heats and Finals night, particularly photographers and MCs. If you’re friendly, organised and love music, email Jeremy Leala at jeremy.leala@wcs.org.au to volunteer.

DULY NOTED Noted Writers Festival in Canberra is heading into its third year and applications to take part as a featured writer or artist are closing soon.

In 2016, the festival featured over 90 writers and artists from Canberra, interstate and overseas and offered events ranging from interactive literary pub crawls and poetry slams through to writing workshops and performances from celebrated Australian writers.

Once again, festival directors are actively seeking locals, interstaters, internationals, fiction and non-fiction writers, poets, editors, publishers, zinesters – just about anyone with a knack for putting words to paper. Non-writing artists (sculptors, dancers, designers, you name it) who are keen to collaborate with those in the literary world are also encouraged to apply.

Applications close at midnight, Monday November 14. To apply, or for more information, please visit notedfestival.com/2017artist-callout/ For further enquiries, please contact Noted at notedfestival@gmail.com.

BELCO NEEDS YOUR ART gallery@bcs is seeking expressions of interest for artists to exhibit their work in 2017. Situated in the Belconnen Community Centre, gallery@ bcs is an affordable alternative to commercial galleries with a focus on providing a balance between amateur and professional exhibitions by a mix of community groups and individual artists.

Whether you wish to do a solo or group exhibition to promote your own art, or your organisation wishes to showcase the work of its participants, gallery@bcs is the perfect gallery for you.

Given the number of annual exhibitions they host to join in national celebrations such as Seniors Week, Reconciliation Week, and Mental Health Week, there are limited places available. They only have three slots available in the first half of the year, and three in the latter half, so get in quick.

Applications close Friday December 2. For more information and to apply, visit bcsact.com.au.

Applications from writers with disability; writers from regional and remote areas; and writers who identify as First Nations, LGBQTIA or culturally and linguistically diverse are strongly encouraged.

Film Editor Emma Robinson Entertainment Guide Nicola Sheville NEXT ISSUE 488 OUT December 14 EDITORIAL DEADLINE December 8 ADVERTISING DEADLINE December 2 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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Launch your band or solo career through the Lift Off Band Comp.

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FROM THE BOSSMAN

YOU PISSED ME OFF!

With souped up vehicles set to roll out at Oz Show Cars this November – and Summernats around the corner - my mind fondly recalls my first.

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.]

Ahhhhhh, we all remember our first. Mine was a sleek, elegant creature. Alpine White she was. Born in 1972. Oh yes … The Renault 12 was a mighty fine beast indeed.

For some this will be a revelation, but when at the theatre where one has come to see and hear live music might I suggest that one “ferme ta bouche”. What’s that you ask? Well let me put this more succinctly, “SHUT UP!”. That’s right, don’t talk non-stop right through the support acts; some people have actually come to listen to these artists as well you ignoramus.

The Renault’s European origin meant everything was on the opposite side to your terror-filled months of learning. Often was the time you found yourself frantically cleaning the windows when you wanted to turn left or, conversely, pointlessly indicating during a violent storm. In the cold months, the heater had the intensity of an old man blowing air through a straw.

Clambering, trembling, into the car of a winter night post University of Canberra lecture, one would desperately try to switch on the heater with hands so numb they could barely clasp the steering wheel. It took 15 minutes to kick in, with the first semblance of warmth finally sputtered through the vent just as you arrived. Who needed a stereo with chattering teeth as a soundtrack (which was lucky, as there wasn’t one anyway).

Whilst we’re on the topic of theatre-going etiquette let me share another piece of wisdom. GET TO THE VENUE ON TIME! Don’t come in late once the show has begun and push your way past everyone else on the way to your seat. And here’s another good idea - wait until interval to get a drink instead of once again pushing past everyone for your refreshments just 5 minutes after you’ve sat down. Such was the distraction, that even the lead singer of one of the bands gave kudos to those patrons who had managed to arrive on time and be seated before the lights dimmed. SHOW SOME RESPECT!!

Proving the ever-seasonal car, come summer, a Swedish sauna couldn’t touch the ‘12 for its condensation generation. Before I could start a journey, I often had to shoo an overweight Scandinavian man, clad in nothing but a towel, from the passenger seat, such was the allure of my tiny metal sweatbox.

The car was also an excellent social lubricant. It predated, quite significantly, the handy noise to indicate headlights were still on after the engine was off. As a result, my ditzy self met many of Canberra’s finer citizens kindly offering a jumpstart.

Yes, everyone remembers fanging around in their first bomb, that spluttery old banger that barely scraped you from A to A-and-a-half, breaking down often enough to ensure your mechanic’s early retirement. It was a ticket to freedom; with a license and a car you could go anywhere, anytime (petrol money permitting, of course, which it frequently wasn’t).

It was also a rites of passage. Sure, you suffered – either through sweating, freezing or occasional electrocution – but it was all about doing your time before finally getting a real job and affording a real car.

But with the march of technology, real cars are cheaper and genuine bombs fewer. Driving along in my father-in-law’s souped up new 2015 Mazda, I realised … By the time my daughters are at car-getting age, this is likely ‘the bomb’ of a first car. In-built GPS and sandwich press will be the base, with self-driving in-built coffee machine and glovebox hot breakfast option the norm.

This is all, of course, a good thing; safety is paramount. But there’s something lingeringly melancholic about it too. My daughters won’t have to suffer such character-builders like the joy of dead battery meet-and-greet, or signalling right with the wipers for the 87th time, and there’s something not quite right about that. The end of an era is always hard.

Ahhhhh, Renault 12. You were a shitty, shitty car. But I loved you, and the memories fondly linger.

ALLAN SKO - allan@bmamag.com

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WHAT: WEIRD FRONTIER WHEN: SAT NOV 12 WHERE: AINSLIE ARTS CENTRE

Weird Frontier is a one-day music festival that celebrates the new wave of alternative and experimental Australian music. With an eclectic line-up of local and interstate acts including Wives, Aphir, Beatrice, Elisabeth Dixon, Kane Ikin, Kangaroo Life Saver, Monica Brooks, No Sister, p a r k s and Playful Sound, Weird Frontier presents artists working on the cutting-edge, defying genres and forging ahead with new technology and new sounds. The music has been curated

by Shoeb Ahmad, the label boss of Canberra-based HellosQuare Recordings. Tickets $40 on the door and $35 online. Runs from 2pm to 11pm. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit agac.com.au.

WHO: TOYO WHAT: TOUR WHEN: SAT NOV 12 WHERE: AVIARY ROOFTOP

Float on the warm currents of Toyo’s sound, created with a positive and experimental energy. Toyo (a.k.a. Jarrod Bartlett) has kicked off his summer tour and will be hitting the Aviary Rooftop when he heads back to Canberra. Refined, chilled out and heavily textured, Toyo blends organic and synthesised instruments in the studio and his live shows. Bartlett is joined on stage by guitarist Steve Zumstein and drummer Sam Dignand – the synergy between these three is what makes every live set memorable. There’ll be support from Wobblebox, Mondecreen, Truples and Nigiri. $10 on the door.

WHO: LEPERS & CROOKS WHAT: EP TOUR WHEN: THU NOV 17 WHERE: TRANSIT BAR

Sydney outfit 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. They’re touring their new EP The Heathen Circus, and coming by Canberra to show it off. Get around them. Tickets are $12 + bf via Moshtix. Doors at 8pm.

WHAT: INNER WEST REGGAE DISCO WHEN: SAT NOV 19 WHERE: OLD CANBERRA INN

The Inner West Reggae Disco Machine are bringing Jamaica to Canberra, with their hand-built sound system ready to turn up the bass. There will be live acts throughout the day as well, courtesy of reggae superstar MC The Mighty Asterix and more. A child-friendly event (with a jumping castle and face paint), this is definitely one that’ll get you dancing into the night whilst paying homage to the Caribbean roots. There’ll also be Jamaican food stalls to give you a taste of the islands. Head on down to Old Canberra Inn at 1pm on Saturday November 19.

WHAT: GINGERFEST WHEN: SAT NOV 19 WHERE: TRANSIT BAR

As well as being a celebration of inclusive punk rock culture, Gingerfest is a festival born to celebrate the life of Nicky SoferSchreiber (a.k.a. ‘The Ginger Ninja’), who was tragically murdered in his own home in Canberra in late 2013. One of punk rock’s most dedicated fans, The Ginger Ninja was much loved throughout the punk scene in Australia and abroad. Gingerfest 2016 coincides with Nicky’s 30th birthday, so like all good 30th bashes – this one is gonna get wild! The line-up includes Clowns, Grenadiers, Lamexcuse, Vee Bees, Sketch Method and more. Doors at 4pm.

Tickets are $30 + bf via Oztix.

WHO: JULIA JACKLIN WHAT: ALBUM TOUR WHEN: THU DEC 1 WHERE: TRANSIT BAR

With the release of her masterful debut LP, Don’t Let The Kids Win, Julia Jacklin’s upcoming show at Transit will see the rising star from the Blue Mountains grace several cities for the first time. Following triple j bestowing the young singer-songwriter with a Feature Album, the national album tour will bring Julia’s intimate songs to life. 2016 has already seen Julia acquire praise from performances at SXSW and The Great Escape, projecting her onto the world stage and leading to international record deals. Tickets are $15 + bf at Moshtix. Starts at 7pm.

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TRANSIT BAR

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Labour of Love.

HAYDEN FRITZLAFF It’s early evening local time and guitarist Killian Gavin is calling from a tour bus somewhere between Minneapolis and Columbus, Ohio. It’s the third jaunt stateside for BOY & BEAR (Gavin’s selfprofessed “little band from Sydney”) on the back of their third album, 2015’s Limit Of Love, but the novelty hasn’t worn off.

“It’s one of those cliché tour buses,” he says. “That’s how you get around over here. You sleep on the bus and drive through the night and you sort of wake up in the next city. They’re actually illegal back home, something to do with seatbelt laws.

“It’s a different experience coming back here you know, playing to much smaller crowds. It varies every night how small those rooms are and it’s a lot of fun to be honest. There’s less lights and production, it’s just a bit rawer,” Gavin says. “It’s about the band playing again. It’s a bit more, I dunno, real, if you know what I mean.”

Where many of their peers have strayed from indie-folk roots into rock’s neutral territory, Boy & Bear have more or less stuck to their guns. Limit Of Love gives greater attention to overdriven guitars and dry production than previous records Moonfire and Harlequin Dream, but the band always meets these forays with egg shakers and warm vocal harmonies. They’re traits that are sure to bode well when Boy & Bear head out to tour regional Australian this summer with a limited edition craft beer (appropriately named Boy & Beer) and a deluxe edition of Limit Of Love in tow.

you go each record, to be honest. You’re not sure which songs will be the best and you spend a bit of time with trial and error. That way you find the best batch of songs.”

And it won’t be long before Boy & Bear head back into the studio to do it all again. Gavin seems defiant in wanting to avoid the mid-career crisis that maligns so many established bands – the seemingly inevitable burnout, the dreaded ‘indefinite hiatus’.

“Next year, pretty much the whole year has been put aside for writing. We’ve got lots of ideas already, maybe ten or fifteen ideas, but we’ve got to go and write those songs and finish them and then write a whole bunch more,” he says. “I mean; we’re always writing – you’re never not writing – we just never get anywhere close to finishing songs on the road because you’re sort of not at your best. You’re exhausted and you don’t always have your instruments, as odd as that sounds. They’re always locked up in a truck or with your crew setting up a show.

We’re always writing – you’re never not writing

“We’ve done regional tours since we had the EP,” says Gavin, referencing 2010’s With Emperor Antarctica, which spawned breakthrough singles ‘Rabbit Song’ and ‘Mexican Mavis’. “Whether it be Wollongong or Toowoomba, anything like that, it’s something we’ve always enjoyed doing. We’re getting to the very end of this album cycle so it made sense to find some time to get out to regional Australia again. It’ll be a good way to finish, to be honest.”

It’s a tried and tested formula. Three albums into his career with the band, Gavin talks with the assurance of someone deeply faithful to the mystical ‘process’ of writing and recording. “It can either work or it can fall flat on its face,” he says when I ask about transitioning from a reliance on songwriter Dave Hosking to a more collaborative writing style. “I think that process won’t disappear, we’ll still be doing that for sure. You just figure it out as

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“But we’ll get a big batch of songs, demo them all up. Hopefully we have fifteen or twenty demos. We’ll use those to talk to a few producers and hear their ideas about what the record could be and what kind of production we want. We’ll settle on a producer and after that we’ll come to finding the best space to record. It’ll probably be three quarters of the way through next year before we make those kinds of decisions. Touring blocks out so much of your time, so much of your life. All the writing just gets put on hold.”

With so much still up in the air, Gavin wasn’t ready to say whether album number four would be a departure from their previous sound, but he hinted that it might see them returning to songwriting in its base form. “A lot of the songs we write, we try to make sure the song works as an acoustic and a voice,” he says.

Boy & Bear will no doubt strip back their set for the last show of their Australian tour, a living room set hosted by one lucky fan. It’ll be a fascinating change of environment for a band accustomed to playing theatres and festival slots. “It gives us a chance to break down the songs,” says Gavin. “It’s a chance not to have all the production and amps and all that stuff. I mean hopefully the songs translate backwards in that sense, back to an acoustic or a piano relatively seamlessly. If not, we did something wrong.”

Boy & Bear are playing ANU Bar on Thursday December 8 at 8pm. Supports TBA. Tickets are $40 + bf through Oztix.

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not only his honey, but the whole states! It just seemed like such a great illustration of the effect that we, as humans, have on each other.”

CITY OF OLYMPIA SETH ROBINSON It’s gearing up to be a righteous summer in Canberra, with our first summer music festival since we lost Foreshore (RIP). Now, the guys from Kicks are bringing us Spilt Milk, with a line-up that’s colouring all the big kids in Sydney and Melbourne green with envy. Among an impressive roster of talent, Australian songbird OLYMPIA (a.k.a.

Olivia Bartley) is definitely on the list of must-see artists visiting Canberra this year. BMA caught up with her to reminisce on 2016 – a huge year, with the release of her new album, Self Talk – and to see what she has in store for Spilt Milk.

Having studied in Canberra, Olympia is eager to return to her old stomping ground to soak up some tunes and check out some of the visual artists who will be showcasing their stuff at Spilt Milk.

“Canberra has such a great, and individual art scene; it’s fantastic to see it recognised. Festivals are such a different way for the audience to experience a band than a headline show,” Bartley says. “With gigs, there is the intimacy of four walls, a later gig time, and also you’re more likely to know the artists’ work. Festivals are so much bigger and they bring something different out of you as an artist. We’ve been preparing a festival set and are really looking forward to bringing it to Spilt Milk. I also can’t wait to hang out with the DMA’S and swap recording war stories! We’ve both recorded with Burke Reid now, which was a pretty intense experience for both of us.”

You can catch Olympia along with the rest of Spilt Milk’s extra creamy line-up on Saturday December 3 at Commonwealth Park. Visit spilt-milk.com.au for more info.

Canberra has such a great, and individual art scene “Making the record was an incredible experience. We hit the studio and worked 22-hour-days with Burke Reid (producer extraordinaire), and really pushed ourselves. We had the privilege of working in a Melbourne studio for part of the record, that was set up by a music lover who’d collected instruments from every era.

Vintage drum kits – including a bass drum from the early 1900’s that was wired with light globes to heat the calfskin. He even had the MPC used

by Massive Attack on their album Blue Lines, replete with samples from the recording sessions … possibly a remnant of a messy divorce,” Bartley says.

“The most important part of the creative process for me is the idea.

The idea comes first, whether (over-) hearing a great story, or coming across some strange invention in the New Scientist magazine that you’ve borrowed from your boss’ desk. For instance, when I was writing ‘Honey’, I was first triggered by these pictures coming out of Utah of red honey, from a beekeeper who tried to cut costs by feeding his hive candy canes. It ruined

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LOCALITY

In terms of risqué event names, Genrefuck is right up there. It’s on at Smith’s Alternative on Thursday November 10 from 9pm, featuring Outer West (formerly known as Central West), Happy Axe, and a couple of out of towners: Kota Yamauchi from Japan, and Bity Booker from Melbourne. Four beautiful acts for $15? Pretty sweet deal.

Jack Biilmann has managed to squeeze a Canberra date into his massive Don’t Complain tour, stopping in at The George Harcourt Inn on Saturday November 12 from 4pm. Not only does he promise a sneaky live peek of his forthcoming album, there’ll also be sets from The Ansah Brothers and Liam Wright, and entry is beautifully free.

I’ve written “Tom Woodward has a new album out” in this column a lot, and I’ll be writing it again soon, because he’s recording his first live album at The Polish Club on Saturday November 12. He promises a solo set of predominantly unreleased tunes, with a few reworked older songs, touting it as a farewell to his mostly acoustic style before moving onto new sounds. Tickets are $15, with support from the aforementioned Kota Yamauchi.

The Phoenix will play host to a brilliant evening on Monday November 14, when 2XX’s LocalNLive present the Bootlegs from 8pm. Outer West are headlining, with Petre Out of Waterford playing a solo set, as well as tunes from Melbourne folks Fuzzsucker and The Marquis. As always, entry to the Bootlegs is free, but you’ll out yourself as a complete tosser if you don’t chuck some cash in to the collection when it comes around.

Get your best dancing shoes ready, because PROM are heading to The Phoenix on Friday November 18 to launch their debut EP! Sydneysiders Imperial Broads and Richard Cuthbert will be along for the ride from 8pm, and there will likely be sparkles and neon colours for miles. Entry price is TBC. While headliners Meniscus are from Sydney, there’s a killer local lineup on before them when they play the ANU Bar on Saturday November 19. From 8pm, you can catch Local Horror, Knights of the Spatchcock, and after two years away, Escape Syndrome will return to the stage. Tickets are $20 and are available through Moshtix, just be sure to get there early!

No matter what you were doing at fifteen, chances are you weren’t as good at it as Lucy Sugerman, who will be performing at Smith’s Alternative on Saturday November 26. From 4pm, she’ll be playing a selection of the original acoustic tunes that scored her the title of Australian Busking Champion. Support comes from Cooma’s Vendulka, and entry is $15.

The next instalment of Bang! Beng! Bing! Bong! Bung! will be on at Smith’s Alternative on Tuesday November 22 from 7pm. At the head of the lineup is the wonderful Evan Buckley, with sets from Simily Zap, Socerny, Smoochie and more TBA all coming under the $5 entry charge.

The Lowlands will be launching their first EP at the Polish Club on Friday December 2. The line-up is all Canberran, with support sets from Betty Alto, A Town Called Panic and The New Gods of Thunder. It all starts at 8pm, and entry is $15.

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STILL PEAKING HAYDEN FRITZLAFF Despite having only a handful of singles to their name, hometown heroes PEKING DUK have staked a claim as one of the biggest acts in the country. The electronic duo’s two halves, Reuben Styles and Adam Hyde, took some time out ahead of their appearance at Spilt Milk this December to talk about their latest world-class banger ‘Stranger’, featuring Swedish singer Elliphant.

How did the collaboration with Elliphant come about?

We’ll make the show special AF for Canberrans!

Adam: Elli is family.

We clicked when we partied a while back at one of the pool parties DJ Snake threw during Coachella. We asked Elli if she was down to come out on stage during our set the following year at Splendour In The Grass.

She was down and since then we’ve spent a bunch of time in her hometown – Stockholm. We jumped in the studio with her many times and have made lots of magic.

What was it like working together in the studio?

Reuben: She throws down a vibe from the get-go. Not many artists have what she has. Incredible confidence and voice, which would make anything exciting the second you start working on it. She’s super open musically and collaboratively as well, which is the most important thing when you have more than one person trying to make one song.

Everyone needs to be open to other people’s ideas and we’ve never found it as easy as it was with Elli! Hopefully we get to work with her more. A lot of the time we will write the vocal melody and sing on it and then send it off, but no one wants to hear those original demos.

Do you ever get bored of the release cycle? Or is it still exciting to hear your song played on the radio for the first time?

Reuben: We could hardly get bored by it. It’s possibly the most exciting and nerve-racking thing on the planet. I just walked past a sushi joint in Darlinghurst and it was playing ‘Stranger’, which was genuinely the greatest feeling. People are loving the new song and already tweeting at us loads about it, loads more than any other song yet, so I think that’s a good sign!

Does playing a hometown show like Spilt Milk have special meaning for you these days?

Reuben: Couldn’t be more excited for Spilt Milk. Playing in our hometown that got us into music and gave us the careers we have today, is the best feeling of all time. We’ll make the show special AF for Canberrans!

Any word on a full-length release?

Adam: We’re working on our debut album now! ‘Stranger’ is the first taste from it. We can’t wait to share what we’ve been working on with everyone. We’re very, very excited about our new music.

Peking Duk will play the sold out Spilt Milk Festival at Commonwealth Park on Saturday December 3 alongside Flume, Sticky Fingers and more.

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GROOVE WAREHOUSE

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When something happens in the studio we don’t want to say no

front and centre, but for guitarist Oscar Dawson, pushing their sound in new directions happens almost by accident. “We don’t consciously do it,” said Dawson. “It’s more that I just get bored.

When we all get together, we take time not to settle for the first idea. We try to let it unfold and capture it naturally. When something happens in the studio we don’t want to say no.”

CHARTING OUR EVOLUTION HAYDEN FRITZLAFF ‘Darwinism’, the latest offering from HOLY HOLY, sees them taking their ‘70s-inspired alt-rock sound to a darker, more restless place. The title would suggest the band are ready to put their musical evolution

Holy Holy are a five-piece on stage and in the studio, but Dawson (known also for his production work with Ali Barter) and vocalist Tim Carroll take on the “lion’s share” of the songwriting. The story behind ‘Darwinism’ involves Carroll locking himself in a bathroom to record the opening riff on his phone while his bandmates slept in the next room. Over the following months that riff developed into an everbuilding wash of crunching guitars with lyrics reflecting on a turbulent relationship. Brooding horn arrangements spawn chaotically in the background, giving ‘Darwinism’ a stark, cathartic edge.

“One of the things we wanted to do was to try new textures, new ideas,” said Dawson. “We didn’t want it to be a guitar, bass, drums vibe through the whole song. Bands like Bon Iver and The National use horns and synths to add that texture, to kind of glue everything together. The National especially are more than just a rock band. They’re modern and fresh.” It’s a philosophy that the band has been implementing in sessions for their forthcoming sophomore album, with production duties entrusted to Ball Park Music engineer, Matt Redlich. The record promises to be yet another curveball with Radiohead, Alabama Shakes and American funk quartet Vulfpek, all being referenced as studio playlist staples.

Holy Holy are putting recording on hold to hit the road this November.

It’s a jam-packed run of dates that will see their widely praised live show, cultivated over three years on the US and European festival circuits, being rolled out all over Australia. “It’s pretty full. I’m happy like that,” said Dawson. “Touring is great because you get that sense of escapism. You can live it a bit more that way. I enjoy the studio and the road both in equal amounts, it just depends how long we spend on it.

After a couple of days in the studio I think, ‘man I wish we were touring,’ and after a few days on the road I want to be back in the studio again.”

Holy Holy are hitting The Basement on Sunday November 20 at 8pm. Supported

by I Know Leopard and Alex L’Estrange.

Tickets are $23.50 + bf through Oztix.

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REMI E^SY MONEY JESSICA CONWAY Still a teenager, E^ST has accomplished much in her relatively short time on the music scene. Just five years ago, a then 13-year-old Mel Bester signed a publishing deal with Swedish label The Kennel and she hasn’t stopped since. E^ST (pronounced East) now has three EPs to her name, has toured with Japanese Wallpaper and Twenty One Pilots and has filmed multiple highly polished video clips, bringing some of her best future-pop tracks to the flat screen.

Her latest super catchy single, ‘Get Money!’, is currently tearing up radio waves. But the track title is somewhat misleading; If I end up on the streets, oh, at least I’m making beats / If I got no home, got a microphone and got pedals at my feet. “The song’s actually about cutting yourself loose from the world’s expectations and just doing what makes you happy, despite the physical situation that may put you in,” Bester says.

[It’s] about cutting yourself loose from the world’s expectations and just doing what makes you happy

Another single off the Get Money! EP is social commentary track ‘Screentime’.

The thudding, grungy beat ties in delightfully with the light and poppy keys section to create a finessed electro-pop sound. The video sees millennials with eyes exclusively on their phones surrounding E^ST as she tries to get their attention via a snazzy megaphone. Somewhat ironically, the extras in the clip were found after E^ST did a call out to fans over her Facebook page. “I was definitely nervous that no one would show,” she laughed. “But the angels came through for me! They were the loveliest people and total pros even though it was probably the first time some of them had been on a set.”

AD SPACE

Whilst this super switched on up-and-comer doesn’t shy away from highlighting social issues, her writing stems from her own life too. ‘Disappear’, from her second EP The Alley, was a cathartic release during her parents’ divorce. “I definitely draw on personal experiences. But I also draw inspiration from the people in my life, and sometimes from stories or photos. It’s great to use songwriting as a personal outlet, but songwriters can also be storytellers and I try to keep myself open to that.”

Adding to the proof that traditional schooling isn’t for everyone, E^ST bailed on studying year 12 to pursue her musical dreams, and it’s paying dividends. “I definitely feel it was the right call. This is a tough industry, and you have to be able to put your everything into it … I still get moments where I kinda freak out about not having finished school, but whatever,” she adds nonchalantly. E^ST is set to take the stage during Canberra’s freshest festival Spilt Milk and is looking forward to the event. “Honestly, the whole line-up is so amazing! But I would love to meet Violent Soho … [Canberra] feels very peaceful and serene to me, kind of what I picture Alaska to be like.”

E^ST will play the sold out Spilt Milk Festival at Commonwealth Park on Saturday December 3.

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THE REALNESS So I went to this Halloween party on the weekend and, man, I never realised how existentially confusing a few pumpkins and costumes could be. One the one hand I’m a bit put off because it’s all fairly new.

I mean, we didn’t have this in the mid to late ‘90s, right? It’s such a new thing that one side of me thinks that we don’t really need to be caving to this kind of American cultural imperialism. At the same time though, the hip-hop fan in me knows how inherently dumb that notion is; how can I love hip-hop and hate Halloween? Two sides of the same coin really. Anyway, sticking with the Halloween theme then, let’s get in to this month’s bag of treats.

Working chronologically, first up we’ll be seeing Toddla and Scarecrow working some hip-hop combo moves for Hadoken on Thursday November 12. Both these guys have been on their grind working on solo records and they’re bringing them to life at Transit along with the Ansah Brothers and Jedbrii, with Ill Gato on the decks. Tickets are 10 bucks on the door but don’t sleep, this is gonna be a cracker so get there early.

This one’s been news for a while but that doesn’t make it any less exciting – Black Milk is coming to Transit on Thursday November 24!

In my humble opinion, the Detroit producer/MC is one of the most consistently under-recognised guys in the game. While collaborating with the likes of Danny Brown, Royce da 5’9”, Slum Village and Guilty Simpson, he’s still managed to put up a catalogue of solo projects with the kind of musicianship and regularity that makes even the most productive artists look lazy by comparison. Supports are yet to be announced but tickets can be had for $20 pre-sale at Moshtix.

Transit’s going to have another huge month as, on Wednesday November 30, Melbourne MC Remi will once again be making his way to Canberra. Supported by fellow Melbourne MC, Baro, Remi is hitting the road in support of the very well received Divas and Demons. Tickets are available at Landspeed or online at Moshtix.

Finally, on Friday December 2, that giant shadow of a festival cloud that’s been looming over Canberra is going to break. Yup, Spilt Milk is finally going down! It’s fair to say the organisers have well and truly come through with a killer local and international line up, giving spots to CBR legends Coda Conduct, Turquoise Prince LTC, Genesis Owusu, Ventures and Boxcutter, alongside Allday, Hermitude and the ridiculously huge announcement of Vince Staples. Tickets are well and truly done but, you know, where there’s a will there’s a way…

BRADY MCMULLEN realness.bma@gmail.com

BRINGIN’ THE FUNK BRADY MCMULLEN You could be forgiven for thinking that there’d be some kind of shadow hanging over Melbourne MC REMI, one half of the outfit Remi, in the follow-up to 2014’s Australian Music Prize winning Raw X Infinity. You could also be forgiven if you thought the successes of that album would up the level of swagger in whatever came next. Having caught up with him in the middle of sound check for an upcoming tour in support of follow-up effort, Divas and Demons, I can categorically banish both of those thoughts from your head.

Divas and Demons carries none of the swagger you’d expect following the commercial and critical praise heaped on its successor.

Sure, there’s confidence in the delivery but it also deals with some deeply personal themes like anxiety, substance use (and abuse), relationships and race. This comes at you thick and fast with opener ‘D.A.D’ setting the scene, and is something that is found on even the album’s radio song ‘For Good’, feat. Sampa the Great.

The funk, man.

That’s what we come with

Remi concurs, “It’s definitely a personal record” – but that’s not to say it’s depressing.

Far from it. Through all the insecurity, Remi deftly balanced producing something self-indulgent and ponderous against self-deprecation, humour and blink-and-you’ll-miss-it cultural references. “That was just something that came about naturally,” says Remi. “Most people are very deflective about the way they feel and they have their own ways of dealing with that. One of the best ways of dealing with that is through humour.”

Nowhere is the record’s thematic anxiety on public display more than on ‘Hate You’, featuring fellow Melbourne MC and his upcoming tourmate, Baro. Remi has nothing but love for his album co-lab, confirming that “Baro is family, man.” Once again, Remi’s lack of pretension is visible, “It’s a family affair,” he says. “That’s really why I started making music, you know, to make it with my family.”

On the production side of things, Remi’s long-time collaborator, friend, “big bro”, and the production side of Remi – Sensible J, a.k.a.

Justin Smith – holds it down super consistently. When quizzed on the production influences, Remi reaffirms their love for Dilla, something that’s obvious on ‘F.U.B.U.’, which gifts a little love to the Dilla-produced Common joint, ‘Funky for U’. One of the reasons he loves doing what he does is the fact that he’s able to “pay homage to guys we’ve spent our whole music career learning from.” For Remi, it’s almost an obligation. So what can audiences expect for the new tour?

Remi replies somewhat coyly, and with a humility as genuine in person as it is on wax; “The funk, man. That’s what we come with.” Divas and Demons is out now in all classic formats, online and in store.

Remi will drop by Transit Bar on Wednesday November 30 at 7pm, supported

by Baro. Tickets are $25.60 through Moshtix.

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BMA SESSIONS

DANCE THE DROP

As usual, just when you start to think – hmmm, Canberra has been a little quiet lately – the weather changes and it’s all of a sudden completely packed out with way too much music until Christmas. So straight to it, here’s some gigs!

Mr Wolf will be hosting young electronic music prodigy Just a Gent on Friday November 11. Nay Nay, Yen Sid and Ryan Fennis in support. Also that night, Canberra Bike Party are back with another rolling rave up from ANU to Commonwealth Park! If that sounds like your sort of thing (and you have a donked-out push bike), I’ll be spinning tunes with Gate Five from 8pm. If you’re a trance fan, Illusify have their first event at Digress. Free entry all night with Acko, Carlyle, Hagz and Sublime on the decks.

On Saturday, there’s a bit of a music festival on at Gorman House with Weird Frontier, celebrating the new wave of alternative and experimental Australian music. Elisabeth Dixon is one of the headliners who makes some pretty incredible glitchy, brooding techno – definitely one to check out (along with a heap of cool acts)!

There’s more techno on the way that night as well, with UK’s George Fitzgerald heading down to spin some tunes at Mr Wolf, alongside Sondrio, Me Again and Bakgat in support. Also that Saturday, exCanberran Toyo has been making some pretty sweet tunage – check it out at Aviary Rooftop Bar (at the Westside Acton Park shipping containers) from 7pm. Or, another option is some very danceable beats courtesy of Pickle at the Woden Valley Sweathouse. Beats provided by LA producer and DJ, Suzanne Kraft.

DEPARTMENT OF LATE NIGHTS

If you’re up for a warehouse party, Friday November 18 sees Lime in the Coconut back for a shindig in a secret location featuring Norway’s Skatebard, with Kato, Trim Bakin, Champion Ruby and Genie in support! Also that evening, Go Freek returns to Mr Wolf with some high-energy bassline house. On Saturday, Department of Late Nights has an all-women line-up at Digress, featuring Anya (France/Sydney’s WeLove), Champion Ruby, Brittany De Marco, and Perdy.

On Friday November 25, Cube is hosting Hard Envy’s third birthday featuring Italian hardstyle legend Technoboy – will definitely be a large one! Saturday night sees Lo Cutter and Paradise Daily present Ela Stiles who’ll be launching their Molten Steel EP at Lowbrow Gallery.

Of course the biggest party on the Saturday December 3 weekend is none other than Spilt Milk Festival featuring Flume and a heap of other massive acts. Tickets have long sold out, so for those that have them, have a blast. Everyone else, maybe pick up a craft project or something?

Finally, it’s a while away but I might as well give a plug for my own gig, with Department of Late Nights hosting a warehouse techno party on Friday December 16! The dusk-til-dawn gathering features Melbourne’s Jamie Stevens, Steve Ward and Mayah who’ll be touring as part of Chameleon Recordings’ eight-year anniversary ‘Infinity’ tour. Local support includes Doppel, B-tham, Champian Ruby, Fourthstate, Perdy and yours truly (Kazuki). This has been building all year, and I hope to see you there!

PETER ‘KAZUKI’ O’ROURKE contact@kazuki.com.au

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GENTLEMAN OF LEISURE

NON-STOP TECHNO

JESSICA CONWAY

PETER O’ROURKE

After honing his set on US audiences, Australia’s JUST A GENT is landing his airy electro tunes and sparkly production in Canberra this month, as he tours his latest LP Stories to Tell.

It’s midday in Berlin, and Melbourne DJ, producer and label head of Chameleon Recordings, STEVE WARD has just arrived from chilling out in Venice following a week in Amsterdam for ADE (Amsterdam Dance Event) – a seven-day music industry festival with conferences, networking meet-ups and of course, plenty of gigs. But for Steve, it’s the one-off, experimental, random happenings where the action is.

The supremely talented man behind the moustache, Jacob Grant, says it’ll be nice to be in familiar territory. “I’ve been making trips [to Canberra] for years,” he said from a chilly New Jersey. “My favourite time was the first show I played there at Trinity Bar.” This time around, the 19-year-old is promising fresh tracks off his LP when he takes over Mr Wolf as part of his aptly named ‘Just A Tour’ circuit. Standout tracks to keep your ears peeled for include the emotive ‘Heavy As A Heartbreak’, industrial-esque ‘Rolling Dice’ and more relaxed ‘Loaded’.

He’s also masterminded a pretty amazing cover of Kid Cudi’s ‘Day N Nite’ – if you haven’t heard the strings and totally new take on this track, do yourself a favour and google that shit now!

With a title inspired by a childhood TV staple, ‘Stories to Tell’ is sure to have toes tapping and heads bobbing. “I actually snatched the name from Play School!” he laughed. “A few years back I heard the theme randomly and thought it would be a cool idea for an album … I also tried to make the LP feel like it told its own story from start to finish, starting soft and ending on a bang,” Grant said. Widely acclaimed track ‘Heavy As A Heartbreak’ was created in collaboration with Melbourne songwriter Lanks, but interestingly the pair have only met in person a couple of times. “I heard his stuff on Triple J Unearthed and had my manager reach out to his manager about potentially singing on a track and they were keen as a bean,” Grant recalled fondly. “The internet is a wonderful thing and honestly it’s just as easy collaborating with someone on the other side of It’s just as easy the world as it is collaborating with if you are in the someone on the other side same room.” of the world as it is if you

room

are in the same Inspired by artists such as Rustie, Arty, Seven Lions as well as Canberra’s own prodigies Peking Duk and The Aston Shuffle, Just A Gent said he simply rolls with beats that appeal to him. “My sound is now a mix of all my favourite electronic elements. It’s the result of a lot of experimentation and pushing my boundaries on what I have previously done.” Just A Gent certainly lives up to his moniker, rarely seen without a top hat, suit and bow tie, he presents as a gentleman, indeed. “I have kind of always been like that, generally overdressing for parties, etc. I really loved the look and feel of the early 1900’s but I also love technology, science-fiction and electronic music – and they all mix together pretty well!” Agreed, good sir, agreed! Ladies and gentleman, prepare to be wooed by this dapper young gun.

Just A Gent will play at Mr Wolf on Friday November 11 from 10pm.

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“I didn’t actually tell any of my friends I was coming, but word got out. From then, it’s just been non-stop – this one night, we went to five separate parties!” Steve describes the coolest one at The Rijksmuseum, where they transformed a beautiful old building for the event. “It’s kind of similar to what I’ve been trying to do with Chameleon Recordings for a long time – finding these random, unexpected locations and holding a show. Not many parties go out on a limb and do something different, and that’s what I’ve been trying to do.”

Steve has been involved in the electronic music scene since 1998, when he first started to play what he describes as “super-hard, superfast” techno in Melbourne. However, midway into the new millennium, techno’s popular sound changed, with a minimal style favoured over the more melodic and spacey Detroit sound that Steve preferred.

“I found that around the end of the 2000s, I just wasn’t getting gigs anymore,” he says.

With few opportunities to represent the purer techno sound, Steve began a label in 2008, which pushed parties in Melbourne, alongside releasing music. “It was rough for a bit, but looking back now, we can see how influential the label has been on the current sound, which is really cool to see.”

Steve says that mentoring younger artists has become a major focus for the label. “We’ve got this reach-out program called Freezer which works with disadvantaged kids. With kids who have nothing, you can see that change in them.”

Celebrating eight years, Chameleon’s upcoming warehouse party in Canberra will include Steve Ward and fellow artists Jamie Stevens and Mayah. “I’ll have 40 brand new tracks I’ve never played before,” Steve says. “Canberra will be the testing ground, including one with Coxy [UK DJ Carl Cox]!”

What about today’s techno? Steve says that even though there is a lot of hype around house and techno right now, it’s a good thing, as it introduces more people to new sounds and helps to grow the scene. He also agrees that there is a limit to how much the sound can become commercialised – he says it always goes back to its roots.

“The more hype and more socially acceptable it becomes, the better, in my opinion,” Steve says. “It’s really exciting to see the stuff I’ve spent my life on being more palpable to people.”

Steve Ward plays at the Department of Late Nights Infinity Warehouse Party on Friday December 16. Tickets are available online at Resident Advisor.

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METALISE I Exist hit the Transit Bar on Friday November 11 with a bill of mixed delights in the form of NSW’s Lord Sword bringing their own heady mix of stoner doomcore. Wretch shall supply some well travelled grindcore madness after a great year that included their performance at Obscene Extreme in the Czech Republic. Disavow is a d-beat hardcore band that have come out of a long hibernation to play some shows and record their album by the year’s end. Speaking of recording, half of I Exist have joined with guitarist Rohan Todd to form a four-piece band called Mental Cavity who have just recorded an EP with High Tension guitarist Mike Deslandes to keep an eye and ear out for.

Caligula’s Horse are a wonderful Brisbane heavy progressive rock band that have a laundry list of great international supports under their belts and who released their third album Bloom last year. The guys are deep in the writing process but have a pretty solid national tour in train that hits The Basement on Friday November 18. Joined with locals Despite Eviction and Tundrel. Despite Eviction are looking for a full time vocalist by the way, guy or girl. Get in touch with them though Facebook if you’re interested.

A really interesting gig at The Basement in November is The Monkeywrench on Thursday the 24th. Featuring Mark Arm and Steve Turner from Sub Pop royalty Mudhoney, Tom Price from Gas Huffer and Australian Martin Bland from legendary Sydney siders Lubricated Goat, the moniker of ‘90s super group would be as appropriate as it is lazy journalism to describe them. I think I saw Mudhoney at the ANU Bar in 1991 for the first time, so these guys have been giving us tour love for the better part of 30 years. Check out the show.

Ne Obliviscarus bring their six-piece progressive heaviness to The Basement on Wednesday November 30. After smashing records for crowdfunding their Citadel album in 2014, the band have been constantly touring the world and have applied their inter-nous to become successful Patreon artists, earning around $11,000 a month from the artist funding website. Musically, the guys are as innovative as their funding support and they’re making a welcome return to tow for their Canberra fans. They’re bringing German act The Ocean Collective with them with this Australian tour along with Melbourne’s Jack The Stripper. Should be a killer show.

King Parrot have announced a new touring festival based off of their love of doing killer package tours in the USA and Europe. The Thrash Blast & Grind tour was announced covering seven Aussie cities in February next year with King Parrot and USA’s Revocation being the early announced headliners. There will be a second announcement in the next few weeks to cover a bunch more Australian and international acts. The Canberra leg will be at The Basement on Wednesday February 15.

JOSH NIXON doomtildeath@hotmail.com

PRETTY VACANT GABBY MARSHALL New York City rockers BAYSIDE are coming back to Australia for their first ever headline tour. I spoke with bassist Nick Ghanbairan about their latest record Vacancy, their upcoming trip to Australia and their plans for next year.

What are you most excited about coming to Australia? Usually it’s just meeting the people there. Going to Australia is something that I don’t ever take for granted and I love the trip and the people are always super appreciative and polite.

What song are you most excited to play off the new album? My favourite song is actually the first song off the record, ‘Two Letters’.

We had about half of the song written when we got into the studio.

I think it really came together once all four of us got together and wrote all the parts; people who have been fans of our band for a while really took to that song.

With your first headlining tour in Australia what’s the set list going to be like? We really try our hardest to make it a mix of things that everyone would like, and try to play at least one song off each record. A lot of our classic stuff for sure, ‘cause we want everyone who’s liked us for years to be happy. The set list will be a couple of new songs off Vacancy and then a good mix of our previous albums.

What’s your favourite Bayside record? For years I’ve said it was Killing Time, which is our fifth record. But I’m at least going to say it’s tied with Vacancy now, as I’m most proud of these albums. It shows how hard we work and really try to expand our horizons, but also stay within our sound, which I think, is very difficult to do.

Have you got anything planned around the ten-year anniversary of Walking Wounded next year? Nothing planned yet, but we’re open to the idea; that’s definitely a pivotal album for us. We’ve never really done an album tour but if there ever was a time to do one, I’d say Walking Wounded would be the opportunity, but we haven’t really discussed anything like that yet.

We want everyone who’s liked us for years to be happy

What will make this tour different from the other times you’ve been to Australia? I’m excited for this Australian tour because there are three or four cities we’ve never been to before and this is our first time headlining over there. We’ve always had a great time at Soundwave and the fans that came to see us really showed us a good time. Although we could only come over there for festivals, they would still come and support us and now it’s time to finally get into some clubs and play a way longer set and have a good time.

See Bayside on Wednesday November 9 at The Basement, supported by Young Lions, Far Away Stables and local bands Autumn and Capes. Tickets via Oztix.

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Coming IntoBloom

CARRIE GIBSON The last twelve months for Brisbane’s CALIGULA’S HORSE have been remarkable to say the least, and even more electrifying for the band as vocalist Jim Grey explains. “It has been really exciting for us since the release of Bloom, just because of all the opportunities that have presented themselves from the back of the album.”

Since the release of the band’s third album, 2015’s Bloom, Caligula’s Horse have toured Europe for the first time, supported some of metal’s most esteemed acts – TesseracT, Opeth and Mastodon – and undergone a line-up change: “Geoff [Irish] had left the band and was of course replaced by our latest drummer, Josh [Griffin]”. How has the transition of your latest drummer been going? “Really good actually, Josh is already a genuine friend of ours and has fit in so well. I had some fears obviously, as Geoff had been in the band since inception – and not just musically,” he says. “When touring – when you’re on the road in each other’s faces for a month or more and missing home, Josh is just such a great addition. We’re ready to get back out and play some shows.”

It was yourself and Sam who initiated the band a mere five years ago, so what was your primary objective for the material? What did you envision Caligula’s Horse to be? “To be honest, nothing more than a studio project. Legit. Just prior to Caligula’s Horse forming, I had just quit two other bands I was in as I was not coping with the workload at all, I was super stressed. My now wife Amy said, ‘make sure it is just a studio project’ and I agreed, ‘I promise, I promise’,” he recalls. “But it went so well! There was no pressure and I think that’s what helped plant the seed between myself and Sam’s writing relationship, which comes so naturally now. It had to happen, though it made a liar out of me,” he laughs.

I understand that during the upcoming ‘Hands Shape Stone’ tour, you guys are hoping to reveal some new material? “That’s right, we’ve been working on some of the new material for a little while and there are a number of completed tunes.

We wanted to have something special for the fans on this tour specifically. And what better way than to debut the new material.

I am super proud of the track we will be playing; it’s probably my favourite Caligula’s Horse song hands down.” Is it safe to assume that this track is the beginnings of the new album? “Well, it’s in the works, though we’re certainly not ready to put a release date out yet. It’s fairly embryonic and at this stage – we’re still demoing tracks and ideas; there is a lot of conceptual stuff going into it,” he says. “Right now it’s taking a darker form than Bloom, but still has the same colourful quality and of course has the same amount of energy.”

Going over everything with a fine tooth comb sets us apart, I think

The ‘Hands Shape Stone’ national tour is an extensive one at that, a tour that the band are frothing at the mouth to get out and play. “Yeah, it’s boring doing anything else really,” Jim explains. “I don’t feel like a complete human being unless I’m the centre of attention,” he laughs.

The amount of hard work all members have pumped into Caligula’s Horse in only a few short years is nothing to scoff at, so when we asked Jim what other factors attributed to the band’s success, he was very up front. “Well, that’s a good question – I think it’s just certain things we do differently and it might sound lame, but we do take it very seriously,” he explains. “We don’t take ourselves seriously at all [laughs], but the actual process of writing and working together. Of course Sam, who is the driving force behind it, has this ridiculous work ethic, an inhuman ability to manage his time, so we’ve all learnt from working with him that you can be more critical with your own material. If I’m writing some lyrics, obviously my first idea won’t be my best. You acknowledge that there is room to move. So going over everything with a fine tooth comb sets us apart, I think.”

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Caligula’s Horse are set for another busy year in 2017 starting with the national support with Opeth but before that, be sure to catch them in Canberra.

Caligula’s Horse will be playing with Despite Eviction and Tundrel at The Basement on Friday November 18. Tickets available through wildthingspresents.com, Oztix and The Basement.

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Another show that’s sure to be killer is from Society of Beggars, embarking on their first ever tour – A Tour Called Night. Playing The Phoenix on Friday November 11, this Melbourne alt rock band is here to pump the heart and soul back into rock n’ roll. They’ve been likened to New Order and Joy Division, and if that isn’t enough to convince you, I don’t know what is.

This year will mark the third annual Gingerfest; the punk rock mini festival hosted by Transit Bar. For those of you who don’t know, Gingerfest is held in honour of the “Ginger Ninja” – Nicholas Sofer-Schreiber – one of punk rock’s most dedicated fans who was murdered in his own home in Canberra three years ago. This years’ Gingerfest will be particularly special, as it coincides with what would have been Nicholas’ 30th birthday. The line-up includes Melbourne’s Clowns (fast, dirty, loud and super fucking catchy) and Adelaide’s Grenadiers (think The Bronx and Hot Snakes). It starts on Saturday November 19 at 4pm. Show some bloody respect and get down there.

Also hitting up Transit are Sydney-based eclectic rock outfit Castlecomer, as part of their All of the Noise EP tour. They describe their new EP as an “electric odyssey through modern alternative pop”. Their single ‘Judy’ is a dark pop/rock jam about an unhealthy relationship. If you’re into that sort of thing, catch them on Thursday December 1 at 8pm.

A show I’m particularly excited about is Dallas Frasca; the Melbourne-based trio is hitting up the nation’s capital on their Dirt Buzz world tour. Two guitars, one drum kit, and some fucking voxxxxx. You can find their sound somewhere between The Black Keys and Janis Joplin. Friday December 16, Transit Bar, 8pm. Be there or be.

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Ugh, so many bands, so little words – let me try and squeeze a few more in. Lepers & Crooks – influenced by classic rock and psychedelic, these dudes from Sydney deliver distorted guitar riffs, heavy drums and slurring vocals. Definitely something my dad would’ve gotten high to at Woodstock. Check out their Heathen Circus EP tour, at Transit, Thursday November 17, 8pm.

On Sunday November 20 at 8pm, The Basement are welcoming Holy Holy on their Darwinism national tour. As a ‘long distance’ band, their music is sent back and forth, creating a unique sound with layers of melodies, themes and rhythms. You’d think it’d be a clusterfuck, but it sounds bloody swell.

Okay, this last one is pretty far-removed from punk, but you’ll just have to trust me. Sex on Toast are up from Melbourne to play The Basement on Thursday November 10 at 8pm, as part of their Never Mind the Moog tour. And they are the purveyors of some sweet, sweet funk. I know what you’re thinking – don’t think that. Watch their music video for ‘Oh Loretta!’, and try and tell me you’re not into it. I fucking dare you.

ELEANOR HORN e.trs.horn@gmail.com

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Glitorariefsuackingsgrace. d– i _

ELEANOR HORN GLITORIS began as a one-off gig performed by angry, naked women covered in glitter. But when the band was swamped with questions about when their album was coming out, when they were playing next and how great it was to finally have a band like them – they rose to the challenge.

With influences from Led Zeppelin to Vivienne Westwood, Glitoris are exactly what the Canberra music scene needs – they’re unique, they’re exciting, they’ve got something to say and their music is fucking phenomenal. Glitoris are releasing The Disgrace EP, a fourtrack conglomeration of “commanding loud punk mayhem … Think love child of B52s and Rage Against the Machine.” “‘Disgrace’ is a song about the language targeting women and how women are generally held to a higher bar than men … Our song is confronting the listener with the temptation to call us ‘disgraceful’, because we are commanding and aggressive women, yelling and swearing in non-ladylike ways.”

Photo by Martin Ollman

who can bust out an amazing drum solo, shred a guitar riff or go from yelling and power chords into a perfect four-part harmony in the space of a bar. It’s confrontational because it so instantly and mercilessly destroys preconceptions.”

But Glitoris aren’t just punk in their sound – they embody the very heart and soul of what it means to be punk. “You can’t try punk on for size, or fake it or pretend at it or learn it from a course or a textbook. You’ve either got it or you haven’t, you either live it or you don’t. It’s a way of life, an art form, an attitude and an aesthetic. Most people hate it because it stands for working class people (who should know their place at the bottom of society), standing up and not accepting the status quo. In our case, that is magnified, because we’re women. We’re feminist ‘cos we stand for equality. We’re feminist and we love men. We’re feminist and we’re punk, because our work is not finished and there is still a lot to yell about.”

A lot to yell about there certainly is, and the arrival of Glitoris The positively unbecoming women behind the music are Andrew, could not be more timely. While women have earned their rights, Malcolm, Tony and Keven 007. “Andrew played guitar since we are still woefully behind when it comes to gender equality. she was six. She loves guitarists who push the guitar beyond “Australia is fucked. It’s like everyone just assumed that feminism its recognisable timbres: Dave Navarro, Jon Klein, The Edge, happened and now we have Tom Morello, Crispin Grey from Queen gender equality. This is simply not Adreena. Malcolm started on guitar, then Fuck what people true. Women are still very much moved on to bass. Many nights playing marginalised everywhere from expect you to do. Do around campfires as an activist fired up the home, to the workplace, to you want to do at wh her passion for yelling and justice. Tony leadership roles. We need female y’s iet and don’t let soc plays both piano and drums, and enjoys role models in every industry to in expectations get facilitating rude gestures with her sticks. show little girls that they can really Keven is a bit of a mystery, but we think the way. Just do it with do anything. Glitoris is one part she was raised by a glam/death metal of the current push against this conviction band in the ‘80s.” infuriating status quo.”

Glitoris is undoubtedly a band with a strong aesthetic and message – but if you think this is a gimmick, you’re dead wrong. You’d be hard-pressed to find many bands as musically accomplished as Glitoris. “We’ve all played in a multitude of bands, from folk to pop to punk to rock. Three quarters of us either teach or have taught music … People’s expectations are a sad indictment on wider perceptions of female musicians. Comments such as, ‘Wow – you’re all so good! Wow – you can really play!

Wow – you’re such amazing musicians!’ are great, but also suggest that some people come to the show with low expectations ‘cos we’re female. Some people don’t know how to handle a woman

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If this band has you feeling fired up – and why wouldn’t they – you can look forward to the recording of their first album next year. In the meantime, you don’t want to miss their EP launch which will deliver, “blistering, no holds barred punk.”

Catch Glitoris’ The Disgrace EP Launch at ANU Bar on Saturday December 10 at 8pm, with Faux Faux Amis and Moaning Lisa. Tickets are $25 + bf from Moshtix.

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PLANET OF SOUND Planet of Sound is our column celebrating the wide history of music, our favourite musicians, genres, movements, bands and artists, and how they have impacted our lives. In this month’s entry, resident BMA writer Dan Bigna extols the virtues of Bob Dylan’s Nobel Prize in Literature.

Bob Dylan was recently announced as the winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature. This fantastic achievement caused gasps of incomprehension in sections of the mainstream media, which struck me as sadly predictable. The main issue was that the highest accolade for creative writing had been awarded to a lowly rock musician for the first time in the history of the Nobel Prize and this simply should not have happened.

signifies literary progression but also happened while his music was undergoing a major transformation. Dylan has been awarded the Nobel Prize for his words, but his advancements in popular music were also extraordinary.

Later this month Columbia Records will issue a box set of the complete live recordings from his 1966 world tour, known for the hostile response he received from folk purists who were incensed The critical thrust, mostly shaped by typically tedious and that Dylan had traded his the acoustic guitar and politically pedantic analysis, was that Dylan may have achieved something charged lyrics for high octane rock music and free flowing imagery. of significance in popular music, but popular music should never The protest at that time was as absurd as the current scornful cross paths with the lofty heights of great literature – Dylan might mutterings about the Nobel Prize. Dylan would begin each show be something, but he’s no Keats. In particular, Luke Slattery’s on that ’66 tour with a solo acoustic set that featured wonderfully article in The Australian got straight to the nasty point when intimate versions of major compositions such as ‘Visions of he said that Bob Dylan “didn’t need the Nobel. And he didn’t Johanna’ and ‘Mr Tambourine Man’, but it was the electric sets deserve it.” I noted there is nothing in comprising the second half of each Slattery’s commentary to suggest a show that caused all the fuss.

Once again, the selfproper understanding of Dylan’s place in of s iter arb d One of the major performances proclaime literature. Anyone can name drop a few ed from that tour was released in 1998 eal rev e hav te tas h hig writers on undergraduate reading lists, but as The ‘Royal Albert Hall’ Concert. a dull and predictable how about making some effort to grasp The electric set starts out with a what Dylan was trying to do with his words elitism burst of feedback as Dylan and and music? backing musicians The Band rip into For the benefit of all those head scratching critics who consider an incendiary version of ‘Tell Me, Momma’, with the rock ‘n’ roll it unthinkable that a ‘popular’ musician would dare to enter the template that had been well established the previous decade now revered literary canon, it is worth remembering that Dylan’s expanded beyond everyone’s wildest dreams to accommodate the stream-of-consciousness poetics find their place in Beat poetry intense flow of words and music. This was a new experience for and prose with the foundations traced to the two giants of audiences, as Dylan set about forging an entirely new music that twentieth century modernism, James Joyce and Marcel Proust. wedded multi-layered narratives with a hard edged, bluesy rock ‘n’ Both had experimented with forms of writing that captured the roll. That 1966 Manchester concert famously captures an audience complex interaction between the inner self and the physical world. member spitting out the accusation ‘Judas’ as the group are about The free flow of images and thought in Ulysses and Remembrance to launch into ‘Like a Rolling Stone’, to which the poet responds, “I of Things Past proved highly inspirational to the three principal don’t believe you, you’re a liar,” then tells his backing band to play Beat writers: Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg and William Burroughs. the song, “fucking loud.”

Kerouac’s rapid, spontaneous prose captured the fast pace and Dylan played some of the greatest music ever invented on that insistent stimulus of city life. His writing has a beautiful rhythmic ’66 tour and steadfastly faced down puritanical small-mindedness flow that stimulates the senses – what he described as ‘Proust wherever he went. In the previous decade, the Beats had come on the run’. Kerouac wrote poetic prose that was innovative and under fire for setting poetry to the rhythms of bebop jazz and compelling. But not everyone thought so. His contemporary, transforming Marcel Proust’s high art into a hip philosophy about Truman Capote, described Kerouac as a ‘typer’ rather than a writer individual freedom written in the language of the street. That and he was dogged by similarly inane criticism for the remainder criticism has been updated as Dylan is now unfairly attacked for of his life. being awarded the Nobel Prize on the grounds that the highest So too was Dylan attacked for selling out the folk purists by accolade for the highest art has been tainted with the grubby embracing electric instrumentation and writing lyrics that were stain of neanderthal rock music. Once again, the self-proclaimed more personal than political. But from day one Dylan’s words have arbiters of high taste have revealed a dull and predictable elitism captured an individual artistic sensibility that belongs within and their criticism of Dylan should be relegated to the dustbin of a highly significant literary movement. It is no surprise that a history where it belongs. sample of Dylan’s poetry is included in the Penguin Anthology DAN BIGNA of the Beats. His move away from linear narrative to the more impressionistic free association of his mid-60s writing not only

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––– CLASS BOY –––

WORKING

JARROD MCGRATH

Photo by Stephanie Barnes

When reading Working Class Boy, the memoir of JIMMY BARNES, you often get so engrossed in his childhood memories you forget that it’s the Aussie rock icon telling them. It’s superbly written with dashes of humour amongst stories of poverty, neglect, violence, alcoholism and other hardships. “At the same time that it was confronting, it was really cathartic.” Barnes explains how he first started writing about his life back in 1994 and had over 30,000 words of “rock stories.” “It wasn’t really the thing I needed to write about.” It was upon watching the opening scenes of the film Snowtown in a motel room on tour two years ago that Barnes’ memoir evolved. “The opening scenes looked like where I grew up in Adelaide and it triggered a lot of memories. I could feel the tension that we felt as kids. I felt the urge and had to start writing it down; I didn’t lift my head until I had 100,000 words.”

The tour is also contributing funds to the Luke Batty Foundation.

Barnes hopes that his memoir and spoken word shows will open up conversations about domestic violence and the hardships that families and young people may be experiencing. “There were a lot of things I’d spoken about in the book that I had more time to think about, and other things occurred to me … There were other conversations to be had.” One conversation we had in this interview was about the need to address men’s issues like the alarming increase in suicide statistics. Citing the cathartic feeling he experienced through writing his memoir, he added, “Blokes don’t talk about being afraid, or being ashamed or about being in a corner, thinking there is no way out. We gotta talk more, even if it’s just to each other.”

“When I finished it all and sat and read it, I had to think twice about whether I wanted to open this up to the world.” But with the realisation that, “there are a lot of kids suffering the same life I had,” Barnes decided, “maybe it’s a good thing to put out this book and start a conversation about those things.”

myself and creating in different ways,” he says.

Barnes even has an idea for an education for boys that starts early and teaches them how to deal with “life and real matters, Barnes has translated this tension brilliantly through his writing, communication, love and interactions with women.” Involving but the reader also gets a feeling of release or healing. “It’s a lot workshopping with the public, Barnes explains how he drew of therapy. The more I wrote, the more weight was lifted off my inspiration from Billy Connolly for this aspect of the show. Given shoulders.” Barnes explains that, “there was a bunch of stuff that the intensity of his memoir and his powerful voice, it sure sounds I didn’t really remember until I was in the process of writing this like one hell of a show. Ticket sales for the initial show on Sunday book and that I hadn’t spoken about to anybody since it happened.”

December 11 have been so successful that he has added a second This made him realise his wounds and the poor choices he’d made date for Canberra. in his life trying to deal with this pain. “For 50 years I tried to drink myself to death, and that wasn’t just Barnes certainly demonstrates the the good time party rock ‘n’ roll, that was I’d opened up a wound solid work ethic that his classic hit really running away from reality and the ‘Working Class Man’ salutes. On top and I was healing by stuff I’ve written about in this book.” When of the recent memoir release and n dow it g tin wri describing his wounds, he stated, “I’d been this tour, he has written ten children’s picking in the dark and they just festered books, started the second volume away. This book has given me the opportunity to open them up, of his memoir and also “started thinking about writing a couple get a bit of light into them, get a bit of air into them and start of fictions.” His children’s books are about a gnu that lives in a revealing them. I’d opened up a wound and I was healing by writing zoo in Glasgow and will be released in various forms, including an it down. audio collaboration with The Wiggles. “I’m just enjoying spreading

Opening up these conversations also helped develop his current tour. Working Class Boy: An Evening of Stories and Songs will see Barnes elaborate on some of his childhood stories with songs that he connects to these events. “The songs will add something to the stories I’m gonna tell.” There will be some traditional Glaswegian songs, pop songs his father would sing and songs he heard on the radio when he would run away from home.

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As someone who has predominantly viewed Jimmy Barnes simply as that Aussie pub rock icon, I find this latest incarnation quite astounding. His evolution as an author goes far beyond his musical prowess and truly cements his place as one of the greatest creative artists in Australian history. “A lot of people that have come through hard times and poverty, they tend to overachieve a bit.” Well Barnsey, you certainly are proving that!

Jimmy Barnes brings Working Class Boy: An Evening of Stories and Songs to The Playhouse on Tuesday December 6 and Sunday December 11. Tickets are available through Canberra Theatre starting at $99.00 + bf.

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ALWAYS HAVING A

Red Hot Go

RORY MCCARTNEY Musical powerhouse THE BLACK SORROWS, under the leadership of veteran muso Joe Camilleri, who first came to fame with Jo Jo Zep & the Falcons, has released its twentieth LP Faithful Satellite.

BMA spoke with Camilleri ahead of the band’s monster tour in support of its release. The album stands out with the incredible variety of its 12 tracks, each belonging to a different genre. It is natural to assume that it was deliberately arranged that way; however, Camilleri says that was not his intention. “It’s about songwriting really, where you end up with the songs that you like.

I didn’t have a plan for the continuation of a particular sound. I just wanted to record the best songs I had.”

have a bunch of guys or gals getting together and just having a red hot go, but constructing music for a recording is a different animal.” As a producer, he is always looking critically at a given song to see if it adds value and succeeds in getting through to the listener. Weaknesses in songs are readily apparent, and the interaction between band members colours the material in some way. “I try to make everything that is on the record worthwhile being there. It’s difficult as sometimes you have a good piece which doesn’t fit, but you don’t want to let it go.” It was difficult cutting down the list of 30 recorded songs to form the record, as some strong songs were let go as they did not have the best fit.

A prolific writer, most of the songs were created in the two years since 2014 LP, Certified Blue. Very little material had been biding its time in Camilleri’s back pocket, although there was one song that did not make it onto that record, which is captured in the double album vinyl version of the latest LP (which carries eight more tracks than the CD). The album PR speaks of themes drawn from the dark side of human nature. Asked if that grimmer aspect makes for better songwriting, Camilleri says, “It gives you more to work with, looking at the struggle of life. It’s more interesting to a listener than just ‘get happy’. I wrap it up with the music side to be more joyful, so it’s not all pain and misery.” Drawing on his own wisdom, he states, “Sometimes you have to reach the bottom to go forward in a different way. Everybody is a walking piece of art. We are evolving into the person we will end up being.”

“You are always making judgements on the fly as a producer, deciding which bits do not work and should go, and which are really good and should be used more.” Sometimes there are big favourites before going into the studio, which do not end up as envisaged. Recording individual songs was relatively quick, with most songs captured within three takes, but finishing the album took longer, as studio time was juggled with live commitments. As a now independent artist, Camilleri is always striving to make a product with the same high quality as when he was with Sony. “I could make a record on a computer, with one person playing at a time, but I don’t want to do that. I want everyone playing together. I want to deal with the good mistakes and keep those, so the listener doesn’t feel they are listening to something that’s been manufactured to within an inch of its life.”

Songs, with the music crafted by Camilleri and the words by his long time songwriting partner Nick Smith, are a mixture of observation and fiction. As to whether the words or music come first, it is a bit of both. Sometimes it’s a cold start with just lyrics, or a piece of poetry, and it may even be just a feeling. “That’s the great thing about music, words and music live together very well.

You can have a plain lyric but a really strong melody that will get you through, and make the lyric content sound even better.”

At other times the words take precedence. Faithful Satellite is a forceful record, as Camilleri states, “Everything has a certain intent; even the ballads have a lot of energy.”

As to the best song? “From a producer’s view I don’t like any of it, because it could all be better.” However, Camilleri confesses a fondness for ‘Cold Grey Moon’ (which gave the record its name), and ‘Raise Your Hands’, “which is just a hoot”. He loves the image provided by the title and the accompanying CD art, which is amongst the best he’s ever had. (The CD is complexly taken up by the lunar disk.) The huge album tour is not the band’s biggest, but will see them return to some far-flung places they have not visited for a long time. Camilleri expounded on the sheer effort of touring and the time it consumes, “I can get from Melbourne to London quicker than I can get from Melbourne to Shark Bay.”

The record was self-produced and Camilleri spoke of the different roles of musician vs producer. “Playing music is fun to do as you

The Black Sorrows, with supports to be advised, will play at The Basement on Thursday December 8. Tickets are $35.20 + bf through Oztix. Full details at facebook.com/basementbelco.

Everybody is a walking piece of art

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BOOT & FLOGGER

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JAZZ AT THE GODS

GOING SOLO TOGETHER JARROD MCGRATH It’s been 10 years since JOSH PYKE and BOB EVANS first toured together. They’ve decided to celebrate this anniversary by heading out on the road together again. This time around though, it’s just going to be the two of them performing each other’s songs together.

“For me it’s a real joy, ‘cos I pretty much never ever get to do the role of not being the front guy. It’s a real breath of fresh air to just be playing and singing backup vocals.” Unlike Bob, who has had his other musical career as Kevin Mitchell with Jebediah, Josh has mostly been a solo artist and appears to be enjoying the comradery of the relationship, and there were plenty of laughs between the pair during our conversation. When asked about learning each other’s songs, Josh proclaimed, It’s not called ‘The “I love all of Bob’s Josh and Bob and records. I know that Some Other Fucking Kev doesn’t like all of Idiot Show’ my music so it’s harder for him.”

Bob explained how their rehearsals so far have been separate; they’ve been “keeping in touch, asking what that minor chord is at the end of the third chorus or whatever.” Josh adds, “we will just get together at the last minute and rehearse about five minutes before the first show.” The humorous banter continued as Bob explained that, “For a couple of professional artists like Josh and I, it’s crucial, absolutely crucial, that you don’t over rehearse because that is the mistake that so many seasoned professionals make – they rehearse to within an inch of their fucking life.” Josh adds, “You gotta keep a bit of mongrel in it.” It is this banter and interaction that will form part of their live show. “It’s less about having all the augmentation that you hear on the records and it’s more about a separate experience in the context of just the two of us up there, making music together. People want to see the interaction,” says Josh.

It was great to hear the passion for performing that the pair still share. “The lifestyle of being out on the road and what we do for a living has never been better,” Josh comments. “So many nights – so many fucking nights of my life, where half an hour before stage time I’m still hungover, maybe I’m feelin’ like I’m on the toilet, I’ve got the shits, I’ve got a cold, or all I want to do is just curl up in a ball and die, and fucking without a doubt every single time when I get on stage, all of that goes away – that’s the fucking power of the drug of live performance,” Bob admits. Those smart enough to have purchased tickets early will get to share this joy of live performing.

Josh Pyke and Bob Evans will be playing at The Street Theatre on Saturday December 10. Tickets are available via thestreet.org.au.

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Since I was a kid,

kid, so I still write whenever I tried to a lot of songs write a song, it always about home and distance and came out country all the shifting in between. And since I was a kid, whenever I tried to write a song, it always came out country.”

SPIRIT ANIMALS ANDREW NARDI Since 2014, the ACT and wider region have been celebrating the return of the annual MAJOR’S CREEK FESTIVAL. The humble folk event is hosted by a small village in the Southern Tablelands, Major’s Creek, which is just a short 20-minute drive from Braidwood, east of Canberra.

Among the festival’s headliners this year are Neil Murray, Lucie Thorne, Andrea Kirwin and Melbourne-based alt-country band RAISED BY EAGLES. I recently sat down with Eagles’ frontman Luke Sinclair to discuss the band’s history, his influences and country music in general.

Sinclair’s lyrics tend to reflect on his past in a way similar to storytelling. What feelings does he want listeners to take away from their upcoming live show at Major’s Creek? “Songs are the best way to tell stories. The music does a lot of the work for you, it gives a story power and provides a very direct conduit to the heart,” he explains.

“I would hope that people hear something of themselves, or their own experiences in our music. All you can hope for as an artist is that you’re reaching people in some way; that there’s an exchange between you and the audience that ultimately leads to some kind of cathartic and positive experience.”

Major’s Creek Festival takes place in Major’s Creek from Fri–Sat November 11–13. Tickets are on sale at majorscreekfestival.org.

It turns out Sinclair’s close friends have been calling him by his nickname ‘Eagles’ for years, as a result of sporting a very eagle-like, brooding frown. But the final band name came about years ago when Sinclair was playing with a band called The Idle Hoes. “We were signing CDs for fans after a show, and my mate suggested I sign them as ‘Luke ‘Raised By Eagles’ Sinclair’,” he recalls.

“I thought perhaps if I were a Native American, I would’ve been very proud of that name, but alas, as fate would have it, I’m a skinny white boy from the northeast Victorian foothills.” From then on, the name stuck.

As for his allurement to country music, Sinclair accredits that to his father.

“Dad used to organise these backyard sing-a-longs with his mates and all their kids. They’d stand around playing guitar kinda badly, but trading all these great old country standards,” he recalls. “He listened to a lot of ‘70s commercial country records. Kenny Rogers, Don Williams, Tom T Hall … but he also had compilation records with more outlaw country stuff on them like Willie, Waylon, Cash and Kristofferson; that’s the stuff that got me into country music.”

It makes sense that for Sinclair, his influences range from those artists, to growing up in his small hometown.

“I couldn’t wait to get out of there as a

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

COME ONE, COME ALL SHARONA LIN “100 years ago,” Simon Painter says, “massive circus shows were touring in America. Over 1,000 people and 700 animals toured every single day to a different city, set up a tent and performed to ten to fifteen thousand people. In a different city, every single day. It was the most incredible thing ever.”

The creative director of CIRCUS 1903: THE GOLDEN AGE OF CIRCUS and one of the executive producers of The Works Entertainment (most famous for magic production franchise The Illusionists), loves circus.

“Can you imagine that?” he continues, on the topic of circuses in the early 1900s. “It was like a whole town got set up in your town, full of things you’d never seen before.”

Painter has been producing theatre since his early twenties, and has been producing circus for fifteen years. “Circus is my real passion,” he says. This passion has resulted in Circus 1903, one of the largest scale, most ambitious circus productions Australia has ever seen.

Canberra is lucky to host Circus 1903’s world premiere, before the show embarks on an Australian tour and then an American tour. It’s ideal for the show to play in the Australian summer before moving onto America, Painter says, not least because he gets two summers out of it. The timing means the show can take advantage of school holidays before going to America for their summer break.

As the name indicates, Circus 1903 draws its inspiration from the year 1903, which Painter has a deep fascination with. “It’s just a really pivotal moment in theatre,” he explains. “It was when electricity was really first introduced into theatre, it’s when the big touring circuses returned from Europe to America.” And it’s not just theatre, he continues: “There were a lot of things that happened around that time.

Things were decadent and optimistic, the World Fair was happening, it was the end of the Romantic period, it was before the two great wars … there was just a lot of hope at that moment in time.”

But perhaps the biggest takeaway from circus in 1903 is the animals.

“There were a lot of circuses and they had to compete. So they kept on bringing in more exotic animals and more death-defying acts.”

Elephants were particularly extravagant animals, especially baby elephants. And this is what makes Circus 1903 so special – they’re bringing elephants back to the circus ring.

Many people will no doubt be shocked to hear that, and that’s what Painter wants. “For me, that’s really important, because when they do find out they’re not real, it makes that joy much greater.” The elephants are a result of clever puppetry, utilising the skills of one of the team who worked on the acclaimed War Horse, and the results far exceeded what Painter thought possible with puppets: “It was a wonder; it feels like we had real elephants in the show.”

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Photo by Jose Leon

The show’s inanimate stars may be the elephants, but there will also be a dazzling array of human talent on display. “We really tried to emulate what they did,” Painter explains, and of course, they picked the best of the best, including a contortionist from Ethiopia, a knifethrower from Latin America, and a “very original bicycle wall of death” from Germany. “It’s an incredibly traditional circus act from 100 years ago, people just have not seen it since then.”

The century-old glamour in the vein of circus traditionalism extends to the role of the ringmaster, played by David Williamson, whom Painter praises as “truly one of the world’s funniest human beings.”

Williamson will play a character reminiscent of circus ringmasters 100 years ago, acting as comic relief and connecting with the crowd.

On the other end of the spectrum in regards to words, a particularly elegant, awe-inspiring act is Ukrainian-born Elena Gatilova’s aerial hoops. “It fills me with awe,” Painter says of her act. “And we see so many circuses travelling around, not many things amaze me.”

Gatilova is thrilled to be returning to Australia, especially as part of a show with such incredible talent. “Oh my, there are so many talented artists coming and I’m very excited to meet them all and create some magic on stage!” she says.

While Gatilova’s parents were engineers – “a conventional family,” she puts it – her career took her from rhythm gymnastics (she competed in Ukraine and internationally until the age of 19) to dance – “a natural mover, I quickly figured out how to transform everything I learned on the gymnastics floor to the stage,” she says. During her dance career, she started circus classes with her friends. “Little by little, I created my first aerial routine. I fell in love with aerial performance and ran away with the circus.”

The allure of Circus 1903, for Gatilova, is the allure of the traditional circus life. “Many of my friends were born and raised in the circus, some with circus families stretching back five generations. I always wondered, what kind of life and traditions did these families have? In a way, to be part of Circus 1903 brings me to their world.”

Circus has changed a great deal since 1903, from the phasing out of live animal performances to the increased interest in acrobatics, a la Cirque du Soleil. What does Gatilova consider the most important, core element of circus that has prevailed, I ask? “Over the past century, the use of animals in circus performance has become less and less common, leaving audiences to focus on human talent, perhaps the most enduring element of the circus today.”

The world premiere of Circus 1903 takes place at Canberra Theatre Centre from Thu–Sat December 1–10. Book your tickets at canberratheatrecentre.com.au.

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IN REVIEW

Wicked: The Untold Story of the Witches of Oz Canberra Theatre Centre Thu–Fri Oct 13–28

Photo by Family Fotographics

Under the talented Shaun Rennie’s direction (Rent; You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown), Free-Rain has undertaken a challenging production in Wicked, a prequel and a backgrounder to The Wizard of Oz. It’s not essential to have read or watched The Wizard of Oz before seeing Wicked; but, really, if you haven’t at least watched this groundbreaking movie, why not?

I had to wonder how consistent Wicked would be with the world of the original Oz; more so as the play’s events got increasingly out of hand. But I’m getting ahead of myself.

L. Frank Baum’s best-known book today, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, was the first of a beloved series of fourteen novels set in Oz. Wicked derives from none of them. Rather, but from Gregory Maguire’s 1995 novel “re-imagining” the Oz world, Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West. From this, Winnie Holzman fairly freely adapted Wicked the musical. Once in the theatre, the eye couldn’t help but be drawn to the stage, where fabulous panels and a central front curtain with an antique map of Oz dominated the theatre (though they didn’t dominate the Time Dragon hanging over the audience).

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And “antique” ran beautifully through the production’s many evocative sets. Though some could well pass as sets for Dr Suess adaptations, every set evoked a nostalgia for elegant latenineteenth- and early-twentieth-century public architecture; and the costumes, ranging from conservative to somewhat avant-garde, well matched the setting.

Such imaginative production values contributed, of course, to an atmosphere of possibility and potential magic. Amplifying that electricity even before the lights went down was the sound of a solid live orchestra of 17 instrumentalists, conducted by Ian McLean.

Playing a packed score by Stephen Schwartz (Disney’s Pocahontas; Dreamworks’ The Prince of Egypt), the orchestra feelingly and faultlessly supported a well-trained munchkin ensemble and three lead singers. It’s amazing how electrifying an ensemble of instruments largely designed in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries can make a stage production. But the cast itself, doubtless due in part to its meticulous rehearsing by musical director Nick Griffin, stood out for its singing, live on stage, of the most complex harmonies – up to eight parts together – complete with tricky key changes and tricky syncopation without at all interrupting the action occurring on en masse.

That action included a lot of dance. Sometimes blending old-time dance moves and abstract but rhythmic gyrations, at other times employing highly energetic, intricately coordinated big-dance moves, Michelle Heine’s choreography suited the play’s general ambience surprisingly well and added a lot of fun.

A special mention must go to the ingenious lighting, the work of Phil Goodwin. The music carried everything forward beautifully and perfectly; the lighting imbued every scene with memorable magic.

This nearly three-hour spectacular, a stellar production, was over all too quickly.

JOHN P. HARVEY

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prince dances with two leading ladies in the evening; one is the Snow Queen and one is the Sugar Plum Fairy.”

This is one of the most iconic dances in the performance. “The Snow Queen and the prince dance with a whole group of snowflakes, which is a really beautiful, magical scene that happens at the end of act one,” Morehen says. She also plays the other leading role as the Sugar Plum Fairy, at the end of act two.

TO THE LAND OF THE DOLLS KAROLINA FIRMAN

Photo by David Kelly

“Ballet is extremely important as it describes the human race through pure movement.”

THE NUTCRACKER is a timeless classic of Christmas themed ballet.

If you’re not familiar with the story – though I guarantee you know at least some of the musical pieces – it’s about a small girl, Clara, who on Christmas Eve travels into the land of sweets and meets many famous characters such as the Rat King and the Sugar Plum Fairy.

The principal ballerina of the show is Clare Morehen, who is also the principal dancer at Queensland Ballet, the dance company performing this ballet for the first time in Canberra. Morehen has been with the company for several years and has performed in many ballets, from Swan Lake to Romeo and Juliet.

As to her role in The Nutcracker, “I’m actually performing a number of different roles – one of them is the Snow Queen,” she explains. “The

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Clare was glowing in her description of both the ballet as well as its other contributors, such as the choreographer Ben Stevenson. I asked her what it was like to be a part of such a famous ballet. “The Nutcracker is such a tradition in Europe and since Li [Cunxin] has taken over the company, he really wanted to make it a tradition in Australia too.”

As Clare has been performing ballet for several years, a physically and demanding art form, I inquired about her favourite thing about ballet. “I think creating this rapport and relationship with other artists in the company; together we’re expressing human emotion purely through physical movement. I just love it, when you learn to execute the steps just right, it creates this great bond with the other dancers,” she explains. “You have this sense of being able to breathe and move together as one person.”

According to Morehen, The Nutcracker is the perfect ballet for those new to ballet. “It’s got a lot of acting, lots of different characters, lots of different dance styles. For Clara, after playing with her friends and falling asleep, she gets chased by rats and taken to this beautiful land of sweets, who all dance in different ways … There is so much in it that every time you see it, there’s always something new to see.”

The Nutcracker is playing at Canberra Theatre Centre from Thu–Sun November 23–27. Tickets and more information are available at canberratheatrecentre.com.au.

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IN REVIEW

The Vicar of Dibley Belconnen Community Theatre Fri Oct 28 – Sat Nov 5

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Tempo Theatre’s previous two plays, Arsenic and Old Lace and Deathtrap, were heavily based on mystery and suspense. Therefore, it makes sense, that for their second play of 2016, they chose one of love, laughter and Mars Bars. The Vicar of Dibley, written by Richard Curtis and Paul Mayhew-Archer, originally aired on the BBC in 1994, and has since been adapted into a play by Ian Gower and Paul Carpenter.

The Vicar of Dibley arrived, for the first time in Canberra, at the Belconnen Community Centre. The curtains opened with the arrival of female vicar, Geraldine Granger (Karyn Tisdell), much to the disdain of Chairman of the Dibley Parish Council, David Horton (Kim Wilson). Finally, the play closed with the marriage of ditsy, Alice Tinker (Tessa Franceschini) and long time admirer, Hugo Horton (Sam Kentish).

The play, directed by Jon Elphick, who also played the dithering Jim Trott, was dotted with memorable moments, straight from the series. Firstly, when David calls to attention the need for a new vicar, after the previous one died at the tender age of 102, what follows is a confused lot of council members diverging, hilariously, off topic.

From Mrs Cropley (Marian FitzGerald) potentially poisoning all with her strange taste in cooking; to Hugo slumped childlike over a paper aeroplane; while Frank Pickle (Tony Cheshire) was being pedantic as always with the minutes. Everyone played their part fittingly in tune with the characters, while at the same time adding a new feel to their roles.

ANCA GALLERY

It was Owen Newitt (Jason Morton) and Jim who really stole every scene they were in. Every time they were on stage, I was in hysterics.

A favourite scene was Jim practising his best man speech for the wedding of Alice and Hugo, in which he struggles to quote ABBA’s 1976 hit ‘Knowing Me, Knowing You’. Or more accurately, “knowknow-know-knowing me, know-know-knowing you. Uh-huh.”

Above all, it was a fun night of audience participation. We sang along as Mrs Cropley played ‘The Wombles’ theme song and ‘For He’s a Jolly Good Fellow’ on the organ, as the next scene was being put together. At one point, the notorious cook climbed into the audience asking if anyone would like to try some of her pancakes. Finally, as newlywed Alice threw her bouquet into the crowd, the vicar ran through the aisle. Saying to the man who caught it, “nothing comes between me and a bouquet, alright”. All was achieved on a small stage, cleverly split into two sets: vicarage and town hall. A crafty production team and smart actors, Tempo Theatre gave a unique and fun take on a timeless show. Judgement: So good, I saw it twice.

No-no-no-no doubt about it.

ANNA FRANCESCHINI

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

THE LITTLE BOOK OF BILL CARRIE GIBSON As that soothing classical tune ‘Please Hold’ played out over the phone, I geared up to chat to world-renowned comedian and writer, BILL BAILEY. With coffee ready and tissues for the occasional chortled snot bubble, the music stopped and I was greeted with that unmistakable British accent … “Hello”. Bill and I immediately got into the most important aspect of life that is Java. “It has been a busy old morning, I’m glad I have my mug of coffee with me,” he says. “I have to say it’s something I seek out; I have to get a good coffee – it’s one of the missions of the day. You can’t go without it and I’ve become a little obsessed by it, to the point where I have sourced the best filters I can find, the best percolator I can find – one that is made with some laboratory glass which claims to make the smoothest cup of coffee and I am tending to agree.”

As Bill Bailey has been touring the world with his inimitable and witty comedy routines for decades now, the mission of finding a decent cup of that magic black liquid would be difficult. Though bad cups are a dime a dozen, as Bill continues, “I could drop several places where I live who make appalling coffee,” he flusters, “I mean it’s everywhere – trying to get a decent coffee on the road touring in Britain is pretty hard, I have to say. Motorway service stations and their undrinkable tarlike filth. The best coffee I’ve had was in Columbia, that was unbelievable, that was rocket fuel.” Would you say a decent coffee adds to a stellar performance by yourself, gifting you superhuman caffeinated powers? “I’m a little weary now of any kind of liquids before a gig – only because, you know, coffee is fine in the morning, in the evening though it makes you a little jittery,” he confesses. “I tend to just have a cup of herbal tea,” he laughs, “That’s really rock ‘n’ roll, isn’t it … But I throw the teabag out the window … No, I don’t even do that either.”

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We take it back a little and start discussing the beginnings of Bill’s career and when he came to the realisation he had an ability to make people laugh. “I vaguely remember incidences from my childhood where I would say something or do something and I was aware adults were laughing quite a lot and I remember it being quite intoxicating,” he begins. “As a child I would re-enact routines by a very famous British TV comedian from the ‘70s, Les Dawson. He played the piano and he intentionally played it badly – he was actually an accomplished pianist, but would deliberately put in the wrong notes which is quite a skill. So I would copy this in a social situation and people would fall apart laughing, and then the light bulb went off.

“I think generally at school, I was always in the comedy reviews at the end of term,” Bill continues. “I’d always listen to comedy records, which were quite popular in the day, Monty Python and such. I guess I could make up some cod psychological reason why I got into comedy, ‘I was an only child; I was looking for validation in other forms’,” he laughs. “I don’t know, it could be that, it could just be that I like jokes.”

And as for the first time Bailey was on stage … “Where I grew up in Western England, there was a club in Bath and it was a music club; bands played occasionally, and me and a mate from school persuaded the owner to put on a comedy night. He was amazed firstly that there were so many people that showed up on a Monday, but also because there was an anarchy to it, a chaotic sense of ‘anything could happen’.

This caught us by surprise too.” Bill goes on to describe these feelings in detail, “When you start with comedy you are very unselfconscious.

You really don’t know what you’re doing. There are moments where everything is in complete shambles, then moments where everything just clicks and I suppose those are the moments you remember.”

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It has proven to be quite a lucrative career for Bill Bailey, as he visits our shores again this December with his latest show ‘Larks In Transit’, a verbal illustration covering the last 20 years of the travelling comedian’s career. Touring relentlessly takes its toll and Bill most certainly agrees. “Touring life is hard – there is a lot of travel involved, you see a lot of airports and train stations. Now, home is the place I really want to be. Staying in hotels is not really the novelty it used to be,” he laughs. “There are only so many trouser presses and mini bars you can mess up. You have to be more disciplined as you get older – as a young man in my twenties, out on the road and single, it was like ‘woohoo, party time’, but now it’s all about finding more meaningful things to do, otherwise you can go a little stir crazy and that’s the real challenge,” he admits. And why are hotel rooms always so white Bill?

White. They are so white. Bill chuckles, “I think they’re only white in Australia. Australian thinking is, ‘Well it’s not bright enough outside; we’re going to make it even brighter for you inside. Well no, I would like something perhaps a little more muted please’.” He teases.

With the 15-date tour of Australia still a month away, Bill gives us a little preview. “There are elements of the show which are common to all my shows,” he begins. “So there is a mixture of styles of comedy – there is straight stand-up, storytelling, anecdotes and more surreal kinds of tangents. There are also some personal stories included that I’ve never told before,” he reveals. “Years ago, I was experimenting with recording the audience and of course back then the technology was very crude – I literally had a floppy disc on stage trying to record three seconds of audio. Now I have an amazing bit of digital tech. Every time I have done it so far it is extraordinary as to what you can achieve with just an audience, these are a bunch of people unique to that night.”

The fact that each audience is distinctive raised some curiosity on my end, so I got to asking Bill; as he travels around the world, does he often find some humour is lost in translation? “Honestly, I don’t see so much of regional change. Though one thing that has changed over the last twenty years is that audiences now have seen so much more comedy. Comedy has become more international and universal, and part of touring means your comedy tends naturally to veer towards what is universally funny,” he explains. “The only time I’ve seen a variation was within the Eastern Block. I was performing in Tartu, Estonia and it’s only recently that the Russians left. I say recently – it was the early ‘90s, but that is still quite recent. There would have been people in the audience who had experienced Soviet rule, and the legacy of that was nervousness from the crowd, as divulging in any kind of opinions during the Soviet era or admitting to your neighbour that you liked listening to the Rolling Stones may have resulted in being dobbed in to the secret police, and I’m asking them, ‘What music do you like?’ and I’m faced with crossed arms and nervous looks,” he laughs.

In your opinion Bill, what has been exhausted in comedy, and what has become mundane in stand-up comedy today? “I think there has been a lot of attempts to be shocking, that comedy has to be shocking, outrageous and something that challenges, and of course, yes, it needs to be challenging and that is part of comedy’s role, to be able to talk about difficult subjects; but the idea of it being gratuitously shocking just to get a reaction – that has become quite tiresome,” he proclaims. “It is easy to shock people but it’s harder to get under the skin of a subject.” Funniest heckles? Bill starts to chortle, “The best ones are always the most unexpected. I had a great one just the other week, I was down in Cornwell and a woman shouted; completely out of nowhere, ‘I have a couple of Chaffinch’s in my garden’, which completely threw me. Maybe she knew I liked birds, but it came out of nowhere. I was floored.”

Bill Bailey brings ‘Larks In Transit’ to the Royal Theatre on Thursday December 8. Tickets are available via Ticketmaster.

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it was about a female comedian, in her sixties, and the series was called ‘Denise’, it was difficult not to take it personally.

Judith: In my early twenties, my father, on hearing that I was a bit depressed, suggested to me that I have a breast reduction because I was ‘completely out of proportion’. That was disappointing. More recently I was disappointed to realise that I should probably stop ingesting marijuana; I’m nearly fifty, I went away with some friends, got stoned and lost my orthotic. That’s kind of like losing a shoe – I think that I possibly ate it.

NOT MAD, JUST DISAPPOINTED LISA SAMPSON We’ve all had them. The relationship, job, and general life disappointments that deflate you. For one night only, Canberra Theatre will host a pity party about how shitty disappointments are and how you can learn to love them, with JUDITH LUCY and DENISE SCOTT’s new comedy show, ‘Disappointments’. I caught up with Jude and Scotty to hear what prompted the show, which came about via “very brief workshops and long lunches”.

Tell us about an early and a more recent disappointment?

Denise: I went to a party when I was fourteen and met Phil Rudd (who went on to become the drummer in AC/DC). We kissed.

I was smitten. He promised he’d ring the next day. He never called. I was heartbroken, but given Phil’s recent ‘threatening murder’ charge, I reckon I may have dodged a bullet – literally. A recent disappointment was having a sitcom, that I’d spent a year developing and writing for a commercial network, rejected. Given

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What’s with the getup in the promo photos? You both look resplendent with fit young men catering to your every whim – what could possibly be disappointing about that?

Denise: The fact that my life could not be less like the photo. As opposed to fit young men and green juice, my life is all about IBS and menopause, which means that it’s all about laxatives and lube.

Judith: Those beautiful men with their whole lives before them had no idea, or interest in, who we were or what the photoshoot was for.

They seemed to think we were just a couple of old moles in white kimonos talking shit, which come to think of it …

What advice do you have for us on disappointment?

Denise: Honestly, you gen Y people; it’s always me, me, me. I can’t be bothered giving you advice. I’m too tired. Work it out for yourself.

Judith: Learn to love it! Scotty and I might be closer to death than you are but you have so very many disappointments ahead of you!

Just start to think of shattered dreams and crushing disillusionment as your friends!

Judith Lucy and Denise Scott’s world premiere of Disappointments takes place at Canberra Theatre Centre for two shows on Sunday December 4.

Tickets are available from canberratheatrecentre.com.au.

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IN REVIEW

Rosie Waterland: My Life on the Couch (With Vodka) The Street Theatre Saturday October 29 THE UNEMPLOYED CHRONICLES The simultaneously best and worst thing about working in retail is the customers. Due to the positioning and nature of my ex-store, we used to attract the legitimately batshit insane individuals.

Rosie Waterland’s life has not been a particularly easy one – from the time that her mother was pregnant with her while on the run from drug dealers chasing Rosie’s father, to the time she had a breakdown that landed her in hospital on the night of The Bachelor finale this year (for the record, the breakdown was not Bachelor related).

Those stories, and the stories in between, make up Rosie Waterland’s My Life on the Couch (With Vodka), which continued its sold out Melbourne run with two sold out Canberra shows at The Street Theatre. It’s described as a one-woman show, but is more of a stand-up comedy, without the standing up part – the title is impressively literal.

The audience – whether they followed her enormously popular Rosie Recaps of The Bachelor and The Bachelorette for Mamamia, or whether they read her book, the well-received The Anti-Cool Girl – were smitten with Waterland, and for good reason. She looks completely comfortable on stage (sitting on a couch while drinking vodka may have contributed to that), and has a way of talking that feels conspiratorial, inclusive; like she’s a friend telling you about that time she was so drunk, she shat the bed. Yes, that is a true story that she tells, to choruses of groans and giggles.

Audience members who have read her biography, The Anti-Cool Girl, will no doubt find many of the stories and sentiments shared during the show familiar, but nevertheless amusing. My Life on the Couch (With Vodka) hits on topics including her father, who suffered from schizophrenia and was addicted to drugs and alcohol, and her sister, who she loves but who was always cooler, dating on Tinder, and why she doesn’t give blowjobs anymore.

Basically, there’s something in her show for everyone – although devotees of Rosie Recaps may have been disappointed with the lack of The Bachelor and The Bachelorette discussion. Get over it, people. Nikki and Matty lost, let’s move on.

Waterland expertly navigates between stories of hardship and stories of hilarity, taking the audience from gasps of horror to stitches of laughter while avoiding any mood whiplash. She’s a wonderful storyteller, and infuses all of her stories with a pathos and humour that resonates with the audience. It’s almost a shame she’s a writer rather than a stand-up comedian – but then again, it’s her writing skills that make her such a good comedian. Here’s hoping she extends her tour for those who missed it.

SHARONA LIN

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During my first few weeks of working there, I became acquainted with one of the regulars who I would soon affectionately refer to as ‘palm reading guy’. It was a ludicrously creative nickname because he did just that: volunteer to divinate the lines on my supple mittens.

Ambiguously aged, he was somewhere in his 50s with a facial piercing and often wore a hat in the style of Crocodile Dundee. The first time I encountered him, he said that I would be a terminally single spinster with a maximum life sentence. I’ve been Han Soloing it quite happily for over a year now and longevity is interwoven into my genes, if my grandpappy is anything to judge by. But I’m still waiting patiently to transmogrify into Renee Zellweger.

He was lovely, aside from the time he took a second viewing at my hands and revealed that if I attempted suicide I would be successful. I immediately quit my age old hobby of skylarking. Then he disappeared for the remainder of my time there. I often joked with the other clerks that he had died, but why didn’t the clairvoyant predict and in turn prevent his own death? A lot of my shit-talking is pure speculation though. Excuse me while I buff up my aluminium foil hat to make it as reflective as possible.

Another memorable character was Andy the philosopher. On a day that I wasn’t working he allegedly sauntered into the store and befriended my co-worker. Andy fancied himself a performance artist of the jazz variety and so he instructed my colleague to attend his next gig, otherwise he would burn down the store. It seemed like a pretty reasonable request. Whilst delivering this spiel, he stood there whittling the end of a giant wooden cane to a sharpened point with a manic glint in his eye.

When I was introduced to Andy he spoke of his many female lovers and fondly referred to them as his ‘pixies’. He said that I could be one of them and that he would carve me a pendent as a gesture of our special friendship. I politely declined to join his harem. Andy referred to himself as an ‘abyss babe’. I responded by saying I was a big fan of the void and this overjoyed him. He then explained that he had actually been to the plane it occupied as I stood there in stunned silence. It gave him sacred knowledge as he gazed into its depths and it gazed back into him. It was at that precise moment that I realised this guy was a living, breathing meme. No real person bellows “I HAVE FUCKING AUTISM” in the middle of a discussion.

I wasn’t sure if he was garden variety crazy, or just supremely enlightened. He wanted me to meet his ‘tigress canine companion’.

The doggo took so long to enter the store that I thought it was a figment of his imagination and I was about to start patting the air and make some crooning comments before it actually appeared.

Andy also handed me a giant wooden skull that he had carved himself. It had sunken cheeks and frankly it possessed the mug that a mother would attempt to drown immediately upon ejection from the womb. He explained that it was possessed by spirits and at that point I awarded him full custody. I’ve also been verbally assaulted by a legion of drug addicts, but these were probably my two most cherished customer service experiences.

LEANNE DUCK (A.K.A. LOUANNE DANK) – Leanne is a stand-up comic who rarely stands up, in fact she is almost always on the ground and inebriated.

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ARTISTPROFILE:

ARTISTPROFILE:

What do you do? Ceramic art.

What do you do? Make pots, weird smashed up figurines and other ceramic objects.

SARIT COHEN

When, how and why did you get into it? I feel very much rooted in ceramic history. I am very devoted to and dependent on my material, and love the physical part of the whole process with clay and firing.

My work has been constantly inspired by architectural forms and continual concerns for the human condition.

Who/what influences you as an artist? I am influenced by the conflict, dislocation, and eventual desire for belonging in a new place, and found inspiration in 20th century minimalist design, in particular the aesthetics of Bauhaus and De Stijl. Drawing upon these diverse influences, I aim to produce works that reference my experiences of living in Australia while offering a unique perspective from which to evaluate my complex heritage.

Of what are you proudest so far? Always, my next show!

What are your plans for the future? Travel to Europe late next year.

Apply for residencies.

What makes you laugh? I laugh easily, especially when my partner dances in the kitchen.

What pisses you off? There are too many openings on the same nights each week, which dilutes audience attendance.

What about the local scene would you change? Canberra needs several more serious commercial galleries leading towards generous philanthropy in future.

What are your upcoming exhibitions? Memoria, platea (latin: memory, place) is an investigation into place, memory and identity at M16 Artspace. I will be giving floor talks on Sunday November 13 and Sunday November 27. The exhibition runs from Fri–Sun November 11–27.

Contact info: saritcohen.com.au, sarit67@hotmail.com, 0424 408 039

‘Tableaux 8’, 2016, porcelian, perspex and aluminium tub, 17 x 50 x 32 cm. Photo by Brenton McGeachie

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SHAUN HAYES

When, how and why did you get into it? My first experience making ceramics was when I was fairly young, my grandma used to take pottery classes in Perth and she took my brother and I to choose a piece of bisque ware we could decorate and get fired during a visit. I got some dragon hatching out of an egg and thought it was great.

Who/what influences you as an artist? Many things influence me as an artist; I play in a couple of bands and music has always been a pretty big influence for me. Plastic toys, little sculptures and knickknack items like windup robots and stuff I have always been intrigued by. Cartoons and other general pop culture garbage, and of course other ceramic artists both contemporary and ancient.

Of what are you proudest so far? My solo exhibition last year at ANCA Gallery is probably the proudest moment to date.

What are your plans for the future? Continue making work, try to get into more interstate and international shows, set up an online shop and try to continue to make a living from my art.

What makes you laugh? Narrated conspiracy YouTube videos and pranking my housemate on Halloween.

What pisses you off? I hate listening to or watching the news.

What are your upcoming performances/exhibitions? Most recently I am in an amazing group show curated by Anja Loughead and Sabrina Baker, Habitual Ritual at ANCA Gallery Dickson.

It opens on Wednesday November 9 and runs until the Sunday November 27. Next year in March I’m part of a group show of ceramic artists in Sydney, curated by Sean Morris called The White Room – opening in March at Stanley Street Gallery in Darlinghurst.

Contact info: shaunhayes1312@gmail.com, facebook.com/shaun. ceramics, shaunhayesceramics.tumblr.com, Instagram: @bad__art_

Kids and Guns, 2015, slip-cast stoneware, tissue transfers, 42 x 40 x 17 cm

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IN REVIEW Othello Canberra Theatre Centre Thu–Fri October 14–22

Photo by Daniel Boud

A deeply uncomfortable aura settles in over the crowd as Iago pontificates about the heinous acts he has committed. He explains with glee how he has deceived the once noble Othello, leading him to believe that the virtuous Desdemona has betrayed her husband and country through infidelity. The crowd recoils, disgusted yet mildly amused at every line Iago spits through his deceitful monologue …

For those more than a couple of centuries late to the party, Othello is the story of a young Moorish general who marries a high-born Venetian lady, Desdemona. Through the course of the play, Othello becomes increasingly suspicious of the fidelity of his young wife

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due to the constant devil in his ear, Iago. Iago convinces Othello that his wife has been unfaithful to him, causing a rift between the two parties that eventually ends in tragedy (who woulda thunk it?!).

It’s incredibly difficult to review the Bard’s work, simply because it has been critiqued hundreds of thousands of times before. The real truth is that the quality of a production of this kind shines through the performances of the main actors, namely those who portray the roles of Othello, Desdemona and Iago. From the very beginning, it was clear that Yalin Ozeucleik’s suitably vile portrayal of the two-faced Iago, would be the centre point of the play. Through every scene he was in, he captivated the audience, causing inappropriate laughter and audible hisses as he plotted the downfall of the once noble Othello. Ray Chong Nee’s titular performance graduated from captivating to menacing with ease, showing the audience the downward spiral of Othello’s mental state. Finally, the sweet, angelic composure of Elizabeth Nabben’s Desdemona was made all the more tragic by the final scenes of the play. Her cries of disbelief at the accusations hurled at her ran chills up my spine, proving that while the character has little development throughout the story, she plays a pivotal role in showing Othello’s final descent into madness.

The music and lighting design were effective, if not slightly offputting at times. Scene changes were often punctuated with music and lighting you’d expect to find in a ketamine fuelled London rave.

The furniture and set design were used to great effect, primarily focused around a single wheeled table that was utilized for all manner of set dressing.

The story of Othello is not a story of noble heroes and villains.

It is the story of a man driven mad by a devil on his shoulder masquerading as an angel. It is a story of betrayal and lust, and the Bell Shakespeare company have once again used their venerable name to create a captivating production of the tale.

SCOTT BATUM

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IN REVIEW Sophocles’ Antigone Canberra Theatre Centre Thu–Sat October 27–29

Matt Cox’s lighting design is illuminative with its use of shapeshifting shadows that mark the revolving power struggles between characters. Thomas Royce-Hampton interweaves live percussion with Bryce Halliday’s industrial sound design to emotive effect. The most moving and telling aspect of the work is the design by Melanie Liertz – the cascading delapidation of her crumbling columns sprayed in pink political graffiti, and performers donned in dust masks and angel wings is outstandingly eloquent.

The resonance of the chorus’ speech is innovative and articulate, creating a flow of sound that is music within itself.

Photo by Dave McCarthy

“Justice is not the whim of a traumatised girl.”

Amidst decades of continuing conflict in many areas of the world, Sophocles’ play Antigone, first performed 2,500 years ago, seems more relevant than ever. This adaptation stays true to the story while contemporising it with innovative flair. Sydney-based theatre company Sport for Jove creates an accessible atmosphere for those less inclined toward the tradition of classics.

As a symbol of the individuals’ fight against judicial systems during times of war, Andrea Demetriades is incandescent in the title role – the only fault being that we don’t see enough of her. Other standouts for me were Fiona Press as the Leader of Chorus who injects humour and tragedy seamlessly. Likewise, Janine Watson as the Sentry delivers a potentially prosy character with passion, authenticity and excellent comic timing, sending ripples of giggles through the audience.

Overall, Antigone provides rich and relevant fodder for the senses.

CHENOEH MILLER

Antigone is the third instalment of Sophocles Oedipus trilogy. It takes place in the kingdom of Antigone’s uncle Creon, who raised Antigone and her siblings following the death of her brother/father (remember Oedipus misfortunately married his own mother).

Antigone’s brothers Eteocles and Polyneices lie dead at the gates of the city after a gruesome battle against each other. Creon declares that while Eteocles will be buried with honour and ceremony for his service, Polyneices will receive the most undignified punishment for his war crimes – to remain unburied and await the vultures.

But feisty pocket rocket Antigone believes that the dead are just dead – enemies to no one, and therefore both of her brothers’ bodies should be treated respectfully. She takes it upon herself to bury Polyneices and is therefore dutifully sentenced to death by her uncle.

Naturally, as with all good tragedy, nearly everyone dies at the end.

I have glanced at other reviews of this work in the past week or so and the stars are many and the praise is large – ‘powerful’ and ‘gripping’. There are many good things in this production. But for me the ‘guts’ of Sophocles’ version is missing. The script seems more cerebral than emotive, giving the actors little to work with despite their impressive efforts. Opportunities to connect with the audience seem to be missed or avoided, as in the swift undramatic death of Antigone.

Having said that, the acting across the board is sensational. The aesthetic of a multicoloured cast is exquisite, and perhaps the first Australian production that I’ve seen representing our own cultural diversity.

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the official Israeli entry for this year’s Best Foreign Language Film at the Academy Awards. It follows a Bedouin woman attempting to cope with the introduction of a second wife into her marriage, as well as the complicated, layered relationship she shares with her daughter.

HAVING THE LAST LAUGH INDIGO TRAIL The JEWISH INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL, a new Canberra event, runs for ten days in the middle of November at Dendy Cinemas, with a huge variety of films on show. I spoke to festival director Eddie Tamar about the selection process, which this year has resulted in a vast catalogue of films that stretches across country, ethnicity and genre.

“Every day I sit down with my morning cup of tea and my morning movie. I’ve watched about 300 over the course of [curating this festival],” Tamar says. He’s also travelled to festivals around the world, a dedication that is intent on inclusiveness. “About half the films we show are Israeli, and then the rest are about showcasing that international Jewish experience,” he says before launching into his particular favourite picks on offer. There’s Denial, the opening night film about historian Deborah E. Lipstadt (Rachel Weisz) taking on notorious Holocaust denier David Irving (Timothy Spall). Then there’s Sand Storm, the film that won a host of Ophir Awards and is

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There are, of course, many more, but one of the films Tamir is most enthusiastic about is a documentary called The Last Laugh.

Directed by Ferne Pearlstein, it’s an attempt to get at when, if ever, it’s possible to make jokes about the Holocaust, one of history’s most unfathomable tragedies. Pearlstein, a Jewish filmmaker who lives in New York, interviewed several famous comedians – from Gilbert Gottfried to Sarah Silverman to Mel Brooks – as well as survivors such as Renee Firestone. For her, the film is a real labour of love; a friend had given her the idea in the ‘90s, and it took almost two decades to complete it. So, after such a long process, are there things that continue to surprise her? “Oh, yeah!” she says – she has a lovely enthusiasm to her voice that infuses everything with a kind of passionate reverence – “Three different teachers came up to me [after a screening] of the film, and said ‘I’m going to teach this to the kids in my school.’ And one in particular, he taught on an Indian reservation, and he said, ‘I want the kids who live on the reservation to understand what it’s like for other people who’ve lived through a genocide – and how they can process this through humour.’ So that was a pretty incredible response.”

The film itself is both poignant and timely; its discussion of political correctness feels relevant given the current political climate both here and in the US. But it is, above all, daringly, warmly funny – a story of profound gratitude for the most resilient, surprising survival tactics: humour.

The Jewish Film Festival is on at Dendy Cinemas from the 10th to the 20th of November. Tickets can be purchased from dendy.com.au.

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outcome the book can be, so that they are proud of it and it has the best chance of selling and achieving what they want to achieve for themselves and their readers.”

TIPS OF THE TRADE ZOE PLEASANTS To write her book, Writing Tips and Tricks – More Than 40 Ways to Improve Your Writing Today, local author KIM LAMBERT took her own advice. Tip number 14 reveals that you may have a ‘hidden’ book in material that you have already written. “I say to my clients all the time, you’ve got most of what you need, you just don’t realise where it is,” says Lambert. “So I took my own advice. I basically sat down and took a lot of material that I had, [material] from discussions with clients, tips I’ve put up on a writers’ Facebook group that I run, and I used it to put the book together in 24 hours!” And it worked, Writing Tips and Tricks has won three awards this year: a bronze Readers’ Favourite Award, a Pinnacle Book Achievement Award and a gold eLit Award.

When Lambert set out she thought that authors would come to her with finished manuscripts to publish. “But when I really started engaging with people … over and over again the question I got asked was, ‘how do I get [the book] written?’ So I kind of went, ‘okay, let me revise my entire feel about how this is going to work’, and I got more focused on helping people create.” Tip number 2 in Lambert’s book is to write about what you know and what inspires you. What may be obvious to you may be a revelation to others. “To me, [the tips] are a bunch of obvious things that I use in my own writing all the time, and have passed on to my clients,” says Lambert.

Dreamstone have been publishing books for three years, and in that time they have published more than 45 books. Lambert learnt the art of publishing by publishing her own books. She started with cook books and branched out into books about photography, business and now, writing. Close to two thirds of the books Dreamstone has published are Lambert’s books. I asked Lambert what her best tip for a budding writing is. “It really comes down to: just write,” she says, “because even if you have the best ideas in the world, nothing happens if they’re just inside your head.” And write a book plan, “which is a brain dump of what things have to be in your book for it to deliver the outcome you want.” Then start writing what is clearest in your head against your plan.

Writing Tips And Tricks – More Than 40 Ways to Improve Your Writing Today and other books by Kim Lambert are available at amazon.com.au.

Lambert runs Dreamstone Publishing, a collaborative publisher that assists authors looking to publish their book on Kindle, and as a print book available through Amazon and other similar channels. Lambert works with authors, “to publish their book to the best quality

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

LITERATURE IN REVIEW

Crimes of the Father Tom Keneally [Penguin Random House Australia; 2016]

“The soul had to dominate the base meat of human existence as Europe had dominated the African darkness. That was a dangerous and destructive division to introduce into the one planet, and above all the one human being.” Father Doherty is a progressive priest in a sluggish institution. Banished from Sydney for suspiciously pink views on Vietnam, he returns in the 1990s to deliver a seminar on child abuse and the Catholic Church.

In his fiction and non-fiction both, author Tom Keneally (Schindler’s Ark, The Chant of Jimmy Blacksmith) hands a megaphone to the ignored, marginalised and vulnerable, and seeks to represent those damaged by the society or institutions of their time. Crimes of the Father is no exception; as Father Doherty noses out adult survivors of sexual abuse in Sydney, he is drawn into complex moral territory.

Amongst the pain, rage, and fear of stigma, he finds himself trying to catalyse some kind of justice, without turning his back on a church he still believes in.

The characters step – or storm – fully formed from the page.

Keneally dedicates serious literary real estate to constructing then dissecting the inner lives of his cast – abusers, victims, enablers and family. Keneally himself studied to be a priest but left the seminary before being ordained. He brings to bear his own personal observations on “the deranging Catholic addiction to guilt” and the stunted emotional growth that can occur when celibacy (or the pretence of it) encourages clergy to view an entire gender through the lens of vice and temptation. The resulting inability of many ordained to integrate their sexuality into their identity has a catastrophic effect on their own psyches and on the people they purport to be teaching. “Unless the spirit somehow welcomed the flesh as its brother, neither could happily survive.”

In dealing with some inherently uncomfortable subject matter, Keneally stolidly marches the line between unflinching and offputting, without either squeamishness or gratuitous melodrama.

His writing style is uncluttered and absorbing, although some of the religious terminology is likely to set non-Catholics to Googling.

In a novel that is rife with social justice issues, he manages to depict a protagonist who is highly moral whilst being only minimally irritating. And although Crimes of the Father is fiction, the emotional journeys of the characters have a definite quality of authenticity. A nuanced and relevant book, Crimes of the Father is an excellent example of fiction’s capacity to pull apart and explore polarising contemporary problems.

CARA LENNON

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bit PARTS PHOENIX PLAYERS PRESENTS SPRING AWAKENING WHAT: Theatre production WHEN: Fri–Sat Nov 11–26 WHERE: ANU Arts Centre Spring Awakening celebrates the unforgettable journey from youth to adulthood with a power, poignancy and passion that you will never forget. Spring Awakening takes its inspiration from one of literature’s most controversial masterpieces – a work so daring in its depiction of teenage self-discovery, it was banned from the stage and not performed in its complete form in English for nearly 100 years. It’s Germany, 1891, and teenagers Wendla and Melchior must struggle against all odds to build a world together for their child. Tickets start at $35 and are available to purchase at the box office before the show or via phoenixplayers.com.au.

ART FOR HEART WHAT: Art auction and sale WHEN: Fri–Sun Nov 25–27 WHERE: Commonwealth East Space Building Join Heart Foundation ACT for the auction and sale of prestigious prints and artworks and raise funds to help fight heart disease.

Works by artists include Ken Done, whose work has been described as the most original style to come out of Australia; Mandy Martin, an award winning practising artist with an international reputation for conservation and landscape; and Judy Watson, an Aboriginal descendant of the Waanyi people of northeast Queensland who has gained wide international recognition. Gallery sales will include works by well-known Canberra based artists including Chan Dissanayake, Isla Patterson and more. Runs from 10am to 3pm.

REBUS THEATRE PRESENTS ALL IN WHAT: Variety show WHEN: Fri–Sat Dec 2–3 WHERE: Tuggeranong Arts Centre Canberra is the home of many spectacular artists, many of whom are also people who live with a disability. That’s why Rebus Theatre is producing All In, a variety night for International Day for People with a Disability. All In will feature a range of performances including music, theatre, circus and burlesque. There will also be a wide variety of themes and genres, from comedies about anxiety, to heartfelt music, adapted fairy tales and tales of family woe. Features several well-known Canberra performers including Ruth O’Brien, Katie Senior, Daniel Savage, Cara Matthews, Ben Drysdale and more. More info and bookings available from trybooking.com/NJSQ. POPULAR PET SHOW WHAT: Art exhibition WHEN: Until Mon Mar 13, 2017 WHERE: National Portrait Gallery

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We all love looking at cute cat videos on the internet. It’s what it was made for, right? For every cute pupper, big doggo, silly bird and goofy lizard. But did you know you can also look at animals on canvases?

The Popular Pet Show will express the joy and warmth that many of us derive from our animal companions, and will celebrate their trusting, unpretentious ways. The exhibition will include portraits of famous and obscure Australians and their pets by contemporary artists, including Nicholas Harding, Lucy Culliton, Darren McDonald, Anna Culliton, Fiona McMonagle and more. Many works have been created especially for the exhibition. Bookings are essential via portrait.gov.au.

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GINNINDERA LABOR CLUB THE BUNKER COMEDY

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the word

on albums

Their contemporaries like Camp Cope and Ali Barter have recently taken up similar agendas, but not like Glitoris do here. The Disgrace is a real punch in the face … the good kind.

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album of the issue GLITORIS THE DISGRACE EP [BUTTERCUP RECORDS] How do you introduce the uninitiated to Glitoris? A sensationalist would probably say something like, “four local feminists who do punk rock, get naked and throw glitter around at gigs.” Looking at Glitoris in the larger contexts of punk rock and the many levels of the music industry however, the four-piece have infinitely more power and appeal than what some may disparage with the word ‘gimmick’. In fact, even alluding to the idea that what Glitoris do is ‘gimmicky’ is, to be honest, pretty insulting and demonstrates little else than that the band’s message shot straight past your head – or perhaps straight through it.

Running the risk of turning this review into a lesson on Feminism 101 (in which I don’t pretend to be qualified), I think it’s fair to say that it makes so much sense that we even have Glitoris right now. To sum it up quickly and unjustly, Australia is a country that pervades misogyny in whichever gaping crevasses it can shove it; on one level, with severe underrepresentation in a list of sectors – music among them – and on another, with the strict expectations and rules we’ve set up around women’s sexuality, their bodies, behaviour and even aspirations. There’s another level that deals with domestic violence and sexual abuse, and to some extent Glitoris explore all of these in just 14 minutes, taking the fundamentals of punk by the horns and using them to charge at these social regimes and rip them to shreds.

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‘Paradise’ kicks off the EP talking about exactly what one would expect from a band called Glitoris: genitals. “You think your junk is paradise? / Well I think it’s cold as dry ice”. It doesn’t get much more punk than 1 minute, 45 seconds; this track packs everything in and keeps the shredding set to maximum, conjuring a beast that’s energetic and just good fun. It’s brought around with a crescendo of screams that’s sure to solidify the track as a favourite at gigs, if it isn’t already.

The self-referential ‘Disgrace’ follows and sends the band’s message home: are Glitoris a bold group of naked, sparkly women singing out society’s injustices and doing whatever women should be free to do, or are they just a big disgrace? For those still wondering, this is how you introduce Glitoris to the unexperienced: “We are here for one night to taste the fear and celebrate distaste.” But enough about potential non-believers, what about the fans? “I know what you’re thinking, could this last forever? Is it transferable outside the festival?” Thankfully, ‘Disgrace’ is a ripping anthem complemented by a wild guitar solo, and it’s catchy enough to transfer to your head for hours on end.

Speaking of heads, ‘Off With Their Heads’ is the punch in the face I mentioned earlier. It starts off with a marching beat while the band ironically question the place for modern feminism, calling and responding, “Where are the women? I thought we fixed it?” Suddenly we’re thrown into a fire like ‘Killing In The Name’, and it burns, oh so good. The EP closes with the six-minute ‘Pole’ – one part burlesque, another part furious punk rock, and all things entertaining, it’s complete with maniacal laughing, heckling and even choir chanting of the word ‘pole’ at its close – a witty comment on our society’s religious subservience to phalluses.

Ultimately, The Disgrace is as much a celebration of women as it is a heart throbbing ‘fuck you’ to the things holding women back. In that sense, this is required listening for everyone.

TASH SULTANA NOTION EP [INDEPENDENT RELEASE] Thank goodness Tash Sultana ditched her catering job and braved the wild world of music recording, touring and performing.

Notch another gold medal for the Melbourne music scene.

Self-taught muso Tash has said she now “feels the love” from radio, despite not chasing the attention or even focusing on studio work. Her initial and ongoing focus has been travelling and performing live. She claimed that she picked up a guitar at the age of three; the natural relationship she has with it emanates from latest album Notion.

Her sound is along the lines of raw, nature-loving, rootsy Michael Franti and Spearhead, Blue King Brown and even a hint of Australian country heartbreak sounds.

The loopy, echoey guitar and percussive handclapping, foot tapping beats will also appeal to any fan of John Butler Trio and Butler’s wife, Mama Kin (Danielle Caruana).

Like aforementioned bands and performers, Tash Sultana is a no-nonsense, heart on her sleeve lyricist and singer. She is also a festival stalwart and hones her songwriting on the road.

Notion began with the lyrics and days of “jamming”, before solidifying with this titular single that has gained so much traction on Triple J and indie radio more broadly. It was, according to Sultana, recorded in one single take.

Just 21-years-old, Sultana’s artistic sense and instinctive writing and performing style could convince an uninformed listener she is twice her age. There’s undoubtedly a long and fascinating career of recording and performing ahead. Get on board this wagon now and travel along with her.

CAT WOODS

ANDREW NARDI

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TKAY MAIDZA TKAY [DEW PROCESS]

LISA MITCHELL WARRIORS [PARLOPHONE]

SKEPTA KONNICHIWA [BOY BETTER KNOW]

My South Australian heart swells with pride when I think of rapper/singer powerhouse Tkay Maidza. Zimbabwe-born and South Aussie raised, Maidza’s first release at the age of 17 with Brontosaurus blew me out of the water. It went straight onto my No Lights No Lycra go-to playlist. She quickly followed it up with a number of killer singles, and a couple of years later her debut album has dropped. Like the singles that preceded it – TKAY is fun, loud and oh so catchy.

It feels an age since we last heard from one of Australia’s ethereal pop princesses, but the warm lyrical embrace of Lisa Mitchell still feels so familiar. A decade on from her start in Australian Idol, Mitchell has again offered up dreamy melodies and enchanting lyrics throughout her latest album, Warriors.

Mitchell took her time with this third album, letting songs form organically over the past four years. It seems patience is a virtue, delivering oft heart-wrenching tracks laden with sweet innocence and honesty.

This is classic UK grime, in the spirit of Wiley and Dizzee Rascal. Personal, political and cultural affairs are all mined for killer lines. A truly skilled poet and wordsmith, Skepta rose on the UK grime scene – a potent mix of jungle, rap, dubstep and drum ‘n’ bass – via pirate radio stations. Unafraid to embrace dance and electro into the mix, Skepta managed to progress UK garage sounds closer to the “Eskimo” dance style Wiley and Dizzee had introduced to the mainstream in the early 2000s.

Whilst Mitchell’s youthful optimism still carries through the album’s blissful floaty tracks, there are elements of a darker, heavier side. The title track, ‘Warriors’, and second single, ‘Warhol’, hint at what lies beneath a seemingly untroubled exterior with a heavier bassline and biting lyrics.

Ever the storyteller, there is a heavy leaning on the 26-year-old’s personal experiences, though some more abstract tracks lend themselves to infinite interpretation by the listener.

Konnichiwa is Skepta’s fourth studio album and amongst the many notable grime-scene guest artists is everyone’s favourite fashion, music, production guru, Pharrell Williams.

Several of the tracks made the Top 40 charts in the UK, including bangers ‘That’s Not Me’, ‘Shutdown’ and ‘Man’.

It’s all in from the first beat of the opener ‘Always Been’. I don’t know why this surprised me – I knew it was gonna be a cracker. The first half of the album gave me strong M.I.A vibes, though Tkay is really above comparison, so I’ll leave it at that.

Overall, the album’s production is slick and the vocals are excellent. The fourteen tracks show a well thought out journey and for what is essentially a dance music album, it’s nice that it’s not all over in half an hour.

Standouts include ‘Carry On’ (the first single), ‘Tennies’ (much swag) and ‘You Want’ (a more chill moment). I’ll eat my proverbial hat if ‘Simulation’ isn’t the second single from this album. What. A. Banger. That’s not to say there are lesser moments on the album (‘Monotone’, ‘State of Mind’), but these are few and far between. I think it says more about how great the good songs are, really.

Welcome to the soundtrack to your summer festival season kids, I have a feeling TKAY is going to get a bit of airtime. Lucky, cos it’s a doozy.

LISA SAMPSON

The LP sees more modern pop production, with gentle synths edging Mitchell out of the folk-pop niche. Warriors is a cohesive album, with plenty of industry heavyweights adding to the finessed tracks – producer Eric J (Chet Faker, The Rubens, Flume) drummer Matt Johnson (Jeff Buckley, St. Vincent), bassist Rob Calder (Angus & Julia Stone, Passenger) and fellow singer Ben Lee all lending their talents.

A solid addition to any breezy summer afternoon album rotation.

JESSICA CONWAY

It sounds like Drake’s slow grinding RnB, meets Dizzee Rascal’s angular, sharp, rebellious, whip-smart one liners and deep bass rolling and roiling under every track.

If you only have limited time or you want to sample three tracks as a taster for this album, make sure you do the Pharrell-spiked bouncer ‘Numbers’, which is just a fun, danceable kick in the guts to accountants, music management and haters generally who put data over delivering authentic art.

And this is authentic art. This is, as haughty as it sounds, the UK underground meets the mainstream. In the spirit of the most mindblowing and memorable music, Skepta has skilfully adopted flavours from many musical styles and knitted them together seamlessly. Ragga, jungle, oldschool RnB, disco sirens, two-step, dubstep, rave.

“Look sharp, fix up.” Get your mitts on this kit.

CAT WOODS

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album in focus

DAVID BOWIE WHO CAN I BE NOW? 1974–1976 [PARLOPHONE] David Bowie had arrived at a crossroad when he recorded the Diamond Dogs album in 1974. The glitter coated hard rock of the preceding years worked its magic on the two standout songs on that album, ‘Rebel Rebel’ and the title track, but Bowie had become immersed in the Orwellian dystopia comprising the theme of earlier album The Man Who Sold the World with sombre, less punchy meditations. When Diamond Dogs came out it appeared the glam rock mission was nearing completion with all avenues explored to their fullest. At this point, Bowie’s goal was to make waves in the US but his interest in further pursuing the glam rock experiment had waned. Instead, he began to focus on the rich tones and soft-funk rhythms of Philadelphia Soul. In his usual meticulous fashion, Bowie wanted to create a perfect version and was thorough in the songwriting to ensure authenticity. The result was the Young Americans album in 1975 that is suitably funky and soulful with the title track and pristine ‘Fame’ emerging as standouts.

Both Diamond Dogs and Young Americans are included in the box set Who Can I Be Now? 1974–1976, focusing on Bowie’s American years.

The set documents a significant period in the Bowie story, particularly with the inclusion of two different mixes of his 1976 masterpiece Station to Station.

As with the Five Years 1969–73 box set from last year, the packaging, detailed

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hardcover book and remastering is excellent with the sound much closer to the warm analogue that Bowie deserves. However, not all albums included in the set are essential.

The two live recordings aren’t exactly revelatory and although the set’s selling point, the ‘unreleased’ 1974 album The Gouster from 1974, is a good entry point for anyone interested in Bowie’s transformation into a soulful groover with bright orange hair, it is nevertheless the Young Americans album in embryonic form. However, the bonus disc of single rarities makes for a good, concise overview of Bowie’s ‘soul’ period and the beautifully remastered inclusion of the sublime Station to Station justifies the investment.

I am not that much of an audiophile to easily explain subtle distinctions between the two included mixes of this superb album, but the remastering does open up the sound in full technicolour on both versions, with the instruments and vocals sounding crystal clear.

Station to Station is a key Bowie work as it looks forward to the experimental electronics that defined his ‘Berlin’ trilogy, but also refines and advances melodic and rhythmic ideas that took the music beyond the quest for perfect imitation. This is what happens on the song ‘Golden Years’, on which the foregrounding of voice and instruments invests the music with an ultra-modern sheen, making it sound otherworldly.

Bowie had not particularly enjoyed his US experience, falling prey to bizarro hangers-on and mountains of cocaine. He made the decision to return to Europe around the time he was also developing an interest in German alternative music, particularly the precise electronics and repetitive syncopation of Kraftwerk. The tenminute opening title track on Station to Station is indebted to German music, as is the edgier funk rhythm that kicks in around the halfway mark.

The album closes with the beautifully emotive ‘Wild is the Wind’ that closes the door on glam and modern soul and opens another to Brian Eno and Berlin – possibly Bowie’s greatest period that should be expertly covered in the next set.

PLACEBO A PLACE FOR US TO DREAM: 20 YEARS OF PLACEBO [ELEVATOR LADY] A Place For Us To Dream takes a look back at 20 years of Placebo’s classics, hits and that unique sound that made the band stick out like a sore thumb even among the rising number of rock, techno and alternative bands of the ‘90s. Giving fans a chance to take a journey back to the start, the latest offering from Placebo offers two decades of their highly distinct sound, mixing old and new to give fans something full of favourites, such as ‘Pure Morning’, ‘Nancy Boy’ and undoubtedly the band’s biggest hit, ‘Every You Every Me’.

Alongside a catalogue of well-known and loved songs comes the newest single from the band, ‘Jesus’ Son’, which brags an anthem for living life to the fullest and is full of those honest and relatable lyrics that Placebo have long been known for. The album also features a couple of well-known songs in which Placebo have famously collaborated with other impressive artists, including David Bowie, Allison Mosshart from The Kills amd Michael Stipe of R.E.M. Despite the fact that much of the content from A Place For Us To Dream can also be found on Placebo’s Once More With Feeling: Singles 1996–2004, the latest offering from Placebo contains enough new content to keep fans satisfied and undoubtedly nostalgic for those early days.

A Place For Us To Dream is a more than fitting celebration of a milestone that not many bands can claim successfully and is definitely worth investing in, particularly for any diehards whose collections won’t be complete without it.

NICOLA SHEVILLE

DAN BIGNA

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KORN THE SERENITY OF SUFFERING [ROADRUNNER RECORDS]

GREEN DAY REVOLUTION RADIO [REPRISE RECORDS]

JENNY BROKE THE WINDOW FEELS GOOD [INDEPENDENT RELEASE]

For those who remember the late ‘90s heavy metal/rock powerhouse that assaulted and also deduced the senses, it will be with a great deal of trepidation that you approach a new album – but fear not. In fact, rejoice.

The Serenity of Suffering is on form and more.

After a year of lows in 2012 followed by four years of silence from Green Day, the lads are back with some of the best content they’ve produced in the last decade. On par with the band’s 2004 success American Idiot, Revolution Radio sees the band back to their famous punk sound with power chords and calls to action all led by the instantly recognisable vocals of Billie Joe Armstrong.

With the 2011 launch of debut EP Another Summer, four-piece indie poppers Jenny Broke the Window from Sydney demonstrated how the band likes to pack a lot of energy and variety into its music. Now they’ve taken their already hyperactive song constructions to another level with a second EP release.

A notoriously depressive and macabre personality, Davis has admitted much of the lyrical content is about feeling violently dark and hopeless. The rumbling rage and haunted vocals are classic Korn. But it doesn’t sound recycled or hackneyed in the least. It sounds raw, authentic, fresh. This is a throwback in the finest mettle. ‘Rotting In Vain’ and ‘Black Is The Soul’ are standout tracks. Just as Slipknot have reformed and hit the touring circuit – both acts are irrefutably killer at delivering on stage – so Korn are bringing their magic back. In fact, Corey from Slipknot makes a guest appearance. Old dogs, not so new tricks, but since they were on top of their game over two decades ago, why go flipping the formula that works?

James “Munky” Shaffer and Brian “Head” Welch are still on board and looking much the same, scarily enough. Perhaps Welch will give away some anti-ageing tips in his book on returning to Korn (With My Eyes Wide Open: Miracles and Mistakes On My Way Back To Korn). It’s a safe bet this is one for fans only.

The album artwork is a good indication of what to expect from the sound and the lyrics: a nightmarish carnival where a teenage fan carries a demented version of the doll that appeared on 1999’s Issues album artwork. A harking back to the peak of Korn’s prowess, in the dark, dystopian way only they can deliver.

CAT WOODS

The heaviest track on the album comes in the form of ‘Bang Bang’, in which the band tackle the issue of mass shootings from the perspective of the shooter, a move that boasts the political edginess and commentary on the state of America that the trio previously brought to the attention of the world with ‘American Idiot’. Fifth track on the album, ‘Outlaws’ shows that Green Day claimed the title of one of the most talented pop punk bands for a reason, particularly when it comes to the soft rock power ballad.

Lyrics on the album touch on a number of political issues, including the #BlackLivesMatter movement, and the possibility of Trump as president. Alongside the political come lyrics about Armstrong’s struggles with addiction, giving the album a personal feel.

The album is a testament to Green Day’s longevity as a band. The reason that fans keep flocking back every time there’s a new release is because the guys know how to put out some of the best punk music today.

Revolution Radio sees Green Day, once again, at their best, and it looks like there’s no slowing them down anytime soon.

NICOLA SHEVILLE

Package together boldly struck guitar strings (with echo chamber effects), a bouncy bass, a bold synth bow wave, swarming electro bugs, fuzzy tones, morphed heartbeat like sounds and vocals that seem to rise from deep in a well, and you have the sonic smorgasbord that is ‘Skinny Dip’. This opener has enough features for several tracks. Follower ‘Bleachers’ is similarly overloaded with calories. A hip swiveling rhythm carries needlepoint synths, leaving soft edged vocals to fight through a dreamy curtain, before breaking out with hard edged percussion.

With this mish-mash of sound, you have to ask how much is too much. The EP would be overwhelming if the entire tracklist followed this complex recipe. Fortunately, the band knows when to break the pattern, as the EP moves on to the hushed, whispered delivery and molten caramel synths that hum and flow in highlight track ‘Airport Love’. The beats grow stealthily before breaking out with pseudo disco ball glam, dressed up with faux strings and bubble wrap electronica.

‘Black Skeleton’ accelerates away with tempo changes, layered vocal arrays and as many varied electro sounds as the band can conjure up. Another highlight, ‘Number 1’s’ encapsulates the catchiest melody on the disk. It’s a case of ‘less is more’ as, by avoiding the temptation to flood the song with too many features, a strong focus on the beguiling core tune is achieved.

RORY MCCARTNEY

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FEUDS STAY LOST [INDEPENDENT RELEASE]

SOFT CORPORATE GOOD THINGS WILL HAPPEN [INDEPENDENT RELEASE]

CLIENT LIAISON DIPLOMATIC IMMUNITY [DOT DASH / REMOTE CONTROL]

Brisbane indie-rock four-piece Feuds came together in a concoction that resulted from the gathering up and casting aside of members over a period of four years.

Plus, there was a name change to go along with the shifting line-up. With this sort of pedigree and the fact that the band lists outfits such as The Mars Volta as influences, it’s easy to see where their liking for the more free-ranging and adventurous arrangements come from in this debut EP.

Remember Melbourne indie rock outfit When We Were Small? They were finalists in Triple J’s Unearthed High competition in 2013 and released a pair of EPs including the intriguing Asleep on Winter’s Edge.

Members Troy Sheehan, Jack Cross and Madeline Booth have now gathered up drummer Reuben Dyer and gone on to launch a new indie band, Soft Corporate.

Client Liaison’s new release Diplomatic Immunity kicks off with a distinctive kookaburra call echoing over Flashdance style beats and, believe it or not, audio from Parliament. Yes, ‘Canberra Won’t Be Calling’ will have you lamenting Australia’s political theatre while also pulling shapes on the dancefloor. Possibly in legwarmers and slingback stilettos.

Still avoiding trendy surf inspired tones, the new lineup and band tag bring a smoother sound, less lo-fi and more nuanced than the offerings of When We Were Small. The EP does not start strongly. Opener ‘Comets’ employs a synth aurora as a backdrop to sparkling pinpoint keys, with singing confined to atmospheric vocalisations.

It’s OK, but really only a fluffy filler. The genuine start comes with ‘Wait, Stay’, whose smiley face keyboard tunes bounce along, backed by syncopated percussion and decorated with subtle guitars. Sheehan’s fuzzy delivery, with its semi-yelled vocal hooks, places a frosted glass screen over the singing. Lyrics emerge slightly morphed, with veiled meanings.

‘A Foreign Affair’ invites Australian icon Tina Arena to make a classy guest appearance.

This is a Genesis-meets-Darryl Braithwaite synth pop masterpiece. Bananarama would be crying into their Cornflakes that they didn’t create this. “Get set, feel this foreign affair!” Indeed.

Feuds’ unorthodox genesis as a band flows through its songs. With hints of prog rock in their patina, tracks tend to be longish, allowing the band to fully develop its material as the songs change in mood.

Tracks combine forceful melodic waves with ragged-edged rock. Guitar rich, there are plenty of attractive hooks and long, spirited guitar solos. The powerful, high toned voice of Jeremy Hunter delivers the fruit of some refined songwriting, with opener ‘Each Other’ exploring the endemic violence of human societies as he sings, “Sign your name in the ink of your brother’s blood”. Scorching choruses rise on an audio tsunami in ‘River of Wine’ while highlight track ‘Incinerator’ delivers the most beautiful melody, buttressed by distorted guitars. Echoing vocals stack themselves to the ceiling as the track builds to a climactic finale. The alluring ‘Sandcastles’ starts soft and smooth, giving way to the loveliness of a long guitar feature. This epic five-and-a-half minute journey sees the instrument shed its inhibitions as it goes, moving on from chilled to wild, a mood which is passed on to the jam-fest title track at the close.

Slightly unorthodox in approach, it takes a few listens to get into Feuds’ debut, but it’s worth it.

RORY MCCARTNEY

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The strongest pair of tracks emerges with ‘Downward Sea’. More syncopated drumming elevates a beguiling keyboard tune, framed with sharp licks, whose appeal underscores the band’s strong sense of melody. Sheehan has a great edge to his voice, producing an occasional androgynous tone. The second disk highlight comes in ‘We’ll Be Alright’ with its keys hanging in the air, casting off sparks. The track surprises with a big burst of guitars at its close. A more sedate start to ‘Slipped’ breaks out to intricate crisscrossed guitars, while the closer ‘Boats’ comes with a distinct Snakadaktal vibe. Good Things Will Happen shows how Soft Corporate can weave an attractive sound without over-complicating it, leaving a fresh taste.

RORY MCCARTNEY

‘Where Do We Belong’ is bleepy, early ‘90s computer dance beats and surprisingly thoughtful lyrical reflections on what it means to be Australian in 2016. Could this be the anthem to indigenous recognition in the constitution? Perhaps not, but the didgeridoo sample and the toe-tapping goodness is surely a contender for Aussie icon status.

Is this a one-note joke? Can a power-suited, power ballad band with more style panache than authentic musical authority stand up to real scrutiny? It doesn’t really matter.

Client Liaison has a dedicated following that will get their sequin-gloved mitts onto this without a second thought. Whether it will win over new fans will be an interesting prospect. Those nostalgic for a bit of Bowie, Young Americans and public servants who don’t mind mixing parliamentary sittings with a drum beat will lap this up. Unless, of course, they lived that era, moved on, and would rather their music without the smarmy satire and a bit more sincerity.

I can’t provide any sort of immunity here.

This is good, but not killer.

CAT WOODS

@bmamag

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singles in focus WITH CODY ATKINSON THE PEEP TEMPEL ‘RAYGUNS’

ELEANOR MCEVOY NAKED MUSIC [MOSCODISC]

FLEETWOOD MAC MIRAGE (DELUXE EDITION) [WARNER BROS RECORDS]

Folk artist Eleanor McEvoy is credited with having the highest selling LP in the history of the Emerald Isle. No mean boast, considering how good that nation is when it comes to singing. Her twelfth album Naked Music is well titled for a few reasons.

When Fleetwood Mac convened to record Mirage in 1982, the group was in need of serious rejuvenation. Heavy touring, cocaine binges and lashings of emotional turbulence had taken their toll after superstardom hit with the release of the 1977 mega selling album Rumours. The group could have ended then and there, but guitarist Lindsey Buckingham was on a hot songwriting streak and kept everyone together for the superb 1979 double album Tusk, which showcased unexpected detours into hardwired new wave alongside gorgeous tunes from vocalists Stevie Nicks and Christine McVie.

Firstly, it was deliberately captured in the studio as if she was playing it live, without the special touches that production or studio effects can add. Secondly, the instrumentation is kept to an absolute minimum. The melody flows strongly through the singer’s voice, with little need for complex accompaniment as McEvoy bears the responsibility for carrying the tune. There is beauty in her simple guitar play, both acoustic and minimalistic electric, with the subtle addition of a little kick drum. Lastly, the unadorned arrangements give some songs a conversational feel, as though she is unburdening herself to you as an individual, in a chat over a cigarette (although I’m guessing she probably does not smoke).

She’s at her bravest and barest in ‘The DJ’, performed a cappella with only her voice under the sky. McEvoy’s songs carry spiritual hooks at every turn, as she invokes the name of Jesus, asks heaven for assistance or offers up a prayer to the moon. That beguiling Irish accented edge, emphasised on scattered syllables, is a major attraction.

There’s a lot of gentle beauty in her work, and many and varied themes as she spins her emotional compass, but I really like the tracks where she exhibits a bit of quirkiness, such as the aviation disaster flavoured ‘Land In The Water’, and the closing ‘The Thought of You’, where she unrolls a little more attitude in this rock tinted song.

RORY MCCARTNEY

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The outcome was more touring, more coke and more emotional strain. So when it came time to record Mirage, the intention was that the writing and recording process would be looser and more relaxed like it had been when the group was working up songs for the 1975 self-titled album, and before that annoying fame had kicked in. The result was a low key, somewhat breezy affair that nevertheless features some first rate tunes such as the Christine McVie penned opener ‘Love in Store’ and the Stevie Nicks gem ‘Gypsy’. The music is totally slick, but beautiful melodies burst through the glossy production sheen. The remastering on this new edition does inject a little warmth into the sound and the bonus tracks can be filed in the good, but not great category.

Mirage is a much less epic adventure than previous album Tusk and a gentler ride as a result. Maybe that is what the album title intended to convey – all that excess had turned the group into a misty version of what it had been.

DAN BIGNA

One of Australia’s lesser known musical treats, The Peep Tempel have been pairing gritty reality with gritty rock and roll together for years. ‘Rayguns’ hits at the more political end of their spectrum, with frontman Blake Scott going off the long run lyrically.

Screaming guitars fighting for attention with hard hitting drums and Scott’s vocal fury. Recommend strongly.

KIM GORDON ‘MURDERED OUT’ M8. Kim Gordon. Come on. Of all the former members of Sonic Youth, Kim Gordon might be producing the most vital music of all of them.

‘Murdered Out’ has a bloody killer bassline, which drives through the sludgy guitars and propulsive drum loops. Gordon’s raspy vocals just put the cherry on top of this one.

HIDEOUS TOWNS ‘VALUE’ Dream pop has a tendency to get a bit sickly sweet at times, but Hideous Towns seem to have balanced ‘Value’ quite nicely. The guitars have just enough of an edge to them, and Alana West’s vocals have a bit of force behind them. A slow burner, and a track that grows on you over time.

KINGS OF LEON ‘REVEREND’ Hey, you remember when the Kings of Leon were good?

Not great – but solid enough. They had big beards and played scuzzy incoherent rock and Channel 9 used to play their infomercial when you got home from the pub at 3am? Anyway, this isn’t that and it isn’t good. This is way too overblown, like it misses the days of being able to get home from a dive bar closer to dawn than dusk.

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the word

on films

WITH EMMA ROBINSON

When I look at Benedict Cumberbatch all I can hear him say is ‘bite it, you have to bite it’. Yes, the man has demonstrated terrific range and added an excellent interpretation of the character Sherlock Holmes to an already impressive catalogue (like Christopher Lee whom, it seemed, played every character in his 70-year long career). Nevertheless, Cumberbatch’s scarily accurate representation of a predator from 2007’s Atonement has staying power.

Doctor Strange has quite a different impact (think House meets Inception) but you’ll still enjoy his one-liners.

quote of the issue “I don’t believe in fairytales about chakras or energy or the power of belief.” – Benedict Cumberbatch (Doctor Stephen Strange), Doctor Strange

DOCTOR STRANGE

HELL OR HIGH WATER

THE NEON DEMON

Doctor Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) is a neurosurgeon with a God complex (an arrogant surgeon?!

What are the odds?!). When a violent car crash renders his magical hands useless for his industry he travels to Nepal in search of what Western medicine has failed to give him. What he finds instead is an ancient sorcerer (played by the exquisite chameleon Tilda Swinton) who teaches him what he needs to become the most powerful sorcerer in the world and frontline the battle with the forces that threaten to destroy reality (incidentally, there is no baddie Mads Mikkelsen can’t nail).

The grinding sound of turning windmills echoes throughout the seemingly endless graveyard of metal skeletons, rusted industrial equipment and dilapidated dwellings in David Mackenzie’s expertly crafted modern Western, Hell or High Water. While the film is top-notch action-thriller fun (as Westerns should be), there is also a distinctly poignant social justice element to the story that simmers beneath the surface until the inevitable showdown between our antihero outlaws and veteran lawmen.

How to make a Nicolas Winding Refn film in the comfort of your own home:

So, obviously, it is not the super original plot that is going to draw audiences in; rather, the incredible special effects (think Inception but with epic battles between good and evil, i.e., awesome). Cumberbatch as the arrogant and initially very unlikeable Doctor is fantastic as always, as he gradually grows the character into a person invested in something other, and ultimately more important, than himself.

Look, it’s a Marvel movie. It’s great but it’s nothing new (except maybe the fancy special effects which, to the director’s credit, are completely justified and not just a cheap ploy to move the plot forward).

Everyone knows by now what Marvel gives us; stay for the credits, yadda yadda. If you like what they’ve done before, go and see it. If you don’t, then don’t.

You do you (like Doctor Strange).

Mic drop.

EMMA ROBINSON

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With the banks threatening to foreclose on their family land, Toby (Chris Pine) and his reckless ex-convict brother Tanner (Ben Foster) scheme to rob a series of small banks in order to take back what is rightfully theirs (in uber-amateur Robin Hood fashion). They aim to secure the future of Toby’s children, while speaking to the wider metaphor for breaking the vicious cycle of poverty and lack of opportunity in post-GFC rural America.

HOHW is Justified-esque in its humour and synthesis of old and new, light and dark, as our flawed protagonist cowboys ride “piece of shit” cars instead of horses while Texas Rangers Marcus (an incredible Jeff Bridges) and Alberto (Gil Birmingham) pursue them. It also contains two sets of the most appealing ‘bromances’ to hit our screens in recent times. With an excellent original soundtrack from Nick Cave and Warren Ellis, coupled with the skills of the writer of last year’s excellent Sicario, you know you’re in safe hands. Don’t miss this one.

MAJELLA CARMODY

One-part sultry neon colour scheme, one-part ambiguous character development, onepart dreamlike, self-indulgent art scenes, one-part stilted dialogue, and three parts senseless violence.

Shake really hard. Strain until it sort of makes sense. Voila: The Neon Demon.

Winding Refn’s follow-up to Only God Forgives continues a trend of dreamlike, visually striking thrillers somewhat light on substance. The Neon Demon plunges us into the vacuous world of fashion in L.A. Elle Fanning is Jesse, a 16-year-old aspiring model who, due to her looks, is the envy of her peers.

Handed jobs and contracts easily, this jealousy starts to corrode the world around her, and she begins to learn that the luxurious appeal of her profession isn’t all that it seems.

There was such a good premise here, and I really feel that it was wasted. I was looking forward to a black comedy/horror film critical of vanity and our own culture’s obsession with image and self-aggrandisement. We don’t really get that. There’s a lot of strobe lights, pulsing synths, glitter and body paint, as well as orgies of blood and sex and a lot of ambiguous supernatural imagery. I know that sounds interesting on paper, but for some reason it just falls flat. Just another film with a shiny package and nothing underneath. Maybe that’s the subtle commentary…

PAT JOHNSON

@bmamag

ELLE Director Paul Verhoeven has taken his audiences on an epic journey throughout several genres since the 1980s. There was 1990’s mind bending Total Recall (let us not speak of the remake), 1992’s Basic Instinct (which I maintain is a legitimate guilty pleasure and not pure trash) and let’s not forget 1997’s Starship Troopers (satire at it’s most ridiculous and accurate).

Verhoeven is back with the deeply uncomfortable and utterly compelling Elle, an excellent character study of the life of a powerful, textbook psychopath.

Michelle (Isabelle Huppert), the CEO of a prolific video game company in France is being stalked and raped by masked man. As the story unfolds, Michelle tried to uncover the identity of this man. Instead of feeling panicked and violated however, Michelle is reflective and considered in her reaction.

It’s almost as though she is dispassionately observing a horrifying incident happening to someone else and is unable to feel any empathy.

As the story progresses, the audience is invited to draw their own conclusions about the state of Michelle’s mind.

Is her psychopathy the result of a traumatic incident in her childhood involving a murderous father? Or is this a trait she inherited? Her ability to compartmentalise her fear while she balances the not small minutia of her personal life (such as her hapless son caring for a child that isn’t his) makes for compelling viewing. A study in power and degradation.

JOE CINQUE’S CONSOLATION Hey Canberrans, check it out, it’s a movie set in our town!

Right, now for the actual review.

Firstly, I should point out that while the tagline states that the film is an adaptation of Helen Garner’s book published in 2004, the film focuses on the build up to the death of Joe Cinque rather than the trial. Helen Garner’s perspective is missing from the film and the audience is invited to play the role of dispassionate observer. As such, the story is told in a scattered, jarring fashion.

It’s a story familiar to most Canberrans. In 1997, Joe Cinque (played by Jerome Meyer) was injected with increasing overdoses of heroin and killed over a period of 24 hours by his girlfriend Anu Singh (Maggie Naouri). It was a case that defied logic – there was no discernible motive and, perhaps even more chillingly, there were a group of people who knew of Singh’s methodical plans to kill Cinque and chose not to intervene.

Told through a series of snapshots that skip through time, the film shows different stages that lead to two dinner parties that are supposed to be Cinque’s farewell to the world.

Unfortunately, the film skips several crucial milestones that would help explain the eventual dissolution of the relationship as well as Singh’s (alleged) deteriorating mental health.

Still, the novelty value of seeing a film with Canberra’s major landmarks is pretty great.

EMMA ROBINSON

EMMA ROBINSON

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?

Questioning Giving It Away

Every year, people search for the worst article written about music in a given year, far and wide, and usually it is something written by Cody Atkinson. But this year, a Fairfax journalist from Tasmania steps up to the plate and takes BMA off the hook: Should musicians get paid for playing live (spoiler alert: yes) and is this article really as bad as everyone says (spoiler alert: also yes)? Cody Atkinson investigates through words.

CODY ATKINSON So what is all this about? Well, this month, a journalist (Elanor Watt) in Launceston asked the question about whether bands should play at major gigs for free. After several detours around hairdressing and entitlement, the Fairfax journalist stated that a band should be honoured to play a Fairfax Media event for free because of the exposure it would give them. Why, the Fairfax Media journalist continues, they should be grateful that Fairfax Media would give them such an opportunity.

Go on… Well, the Fairfax journalist then goes on to question whether the band will ever truly “make it” if they are so willing to pass up such a good opportunity to expose themselves. The writer goes on to state, “because we have all seen the movies, anything can happen.”

Indeed we have all seen all the movies… She then goes on to ask whether the countless hours of effort should be rewarded by payment, before concluding that in the “trade industry” you often used to go many years without payment, so it’s OK for musicians too!

The trade industry? I know, right? She then compares the plight of musicians to that of university students, who have to pay to learn but are cruelly forced to churn out word after word in order to do so. BIG GOVERNMENT IS CONNING STUDENTS OUT OF THEIR PRECIOUS WORDS! Holy false equivalence Batman. But at the end, she states (verbatim): “Hundreds of people would be honoured to play at such an event that draws in thousands of people, but hey, obviously royalties are more important to some people.”

Those damn musicians and their damn royalties…

So damn greedy…

So what’s your major problem about a band playing for free? Well, ultimately, I’m radical when it comes to labour rights.

Let me get serious for a second, and put my serious hat and glasses on and smoke my serious pipe. Are we in the serious mood yet?

And of course you are getting no income from gigs, because you are only playing for exposure these days. Mostly at Fairfax Media events as well. Which will help with promo coverage down the track. And think of the huge exposure you’ll be getting while being drowned out by punters asking when their fucking Pad Thai will be ready.

And physical music sales are also down… Yep, physical music sales are down at nearly record low points. So if you don’t get paid from people listening to your music at home, or from gigs, then it’s nearly impossible to not only make a living from music, but increasingly hard to just break even.

But are there good reasons to play for free? Yep, there are plenty of good reasons to play for free. You could just like playing music, which is perhaps enough of itself. Or you could like the bands you are playing with. But it should be on the musician to determine the circumstances in which they will play for free, and they shouldn’t necessarily give their hard work away for free.

You mean it should be artists determining the value of their own work and not journalists? A crazy concept, I know. If a band genuinely believes that playing for free is worth it due to the exposure they will get from playing, that’s up to them.

And isn’t playing for free not really that? Exactly. When an artist plays for free, it totally discounts the other costs that are involved in playing a free gig. The petrol money for the car that drives them to the gig. The cost of the instruments that they play. The time it took to write all the music that they will play. Any free gig an artist plays is actually them taking a financial hit.

If a band believes that playing for free is worth it, that’s up to them

Indeed. Right. Here we go. PEOPLE WHO DO A JOB DESERVE TO GET PAID FOR THAT JOB. There are always limited exceptions to that – and nothing is ever black and white in life. But generally, if you do something that demands payment, then you should be fucking paid for it.

I mean, yeah, that makes sense? I know! And we are hitting a spot where musicians are being paid less than ever before for their music.

Explain further, using colloquialisms if possible. Well, streaming songs is apparently the new buying albums, and streaming works as a source of income about as well as baying at a full moon once a month. Currently, artists get around 0.6 cents per stream on Spotify, which is officially two-fifths of fuck all.

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Yep, that’s the official measure… ACOSS has calculated that the Australian poverty line is an income of $426.30 a week. To earn that much from streaming as a four-piece band, it would take 284,200 streams each and every week to achieve that. For a solo artist, it’s merely 71,050 streams a week to just get to the freaking poverty line from streaming. And across a year, that would be 3,694,600 streams for the solo artists just to keep their head above water – and only barely at that.

Absolutely – but there must be times that an artist should play a free gig for exposure? But they should also know that the benefits of just exposure are limited at best, and more often than not it’s just another free gig.

I bet no one else gave away their time at the Night Noodle Markets for free… Yeah, everyone else would have walked away with cash out of the event, especially Fairfax. But it’s only the musicians that should make do with the exposure, not literally everyone else there. I bet even the journalists covering the event would have been paid for their words.

So what’s the moral of the story? Bad articles are bad, all artists should get paid for their work and Fairfax shouldn’t cheap out on bands.

@bmamag

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63

the word

on gigs

PHOTO BY THE BROTOGRAPHER

Bad Manners, The Porkers Transit Bar Sunday October 30 Fans were happy to see The Porkers back in town after a nine year absence, with the skanking starting from the opening song. Pete Cooper took to the floor during ‘Bush Turkey’, getting punters to do the bird call and leading them in the turkey dance. While shiny brass dominated, there was some funky guitar work and a heavy rock interlude in ‘Buds for Brains’. Songs about beer dominated with Pete describing one number as a ‘metallish ska song about brewed hops’.

Buster Bloodvessel may be the only original member of Bad Manners on the band’s 40th anniversary tour, but he is the one who really matters with his riotous enthusiasm and unruly stage behaviour. Buster was quite a sight in his oversized faux snow leopard coat and baggy shorts. He launched into the anthemic ‘This is Ska’ in a fluid performance that saw his body in constant motion, limbs and expressions constantly on the go as the mic orbited his lips. Loving every minute, Buster told the crowd, “I’m going to go silly, and I hope you do too.” A man who likes a drink on stage, the Peroni bottles were falling like nine-pins. We were only two songs into the set before he did an about turn and mooned the crowd. There was a mysterious absence mid-set (with the band playing on and the punters dancing on regardless), possibly so he could check if his first grandchild had arrived safely. His cheery patter flowed through the songs as he exhorted the audience to greater efforts. Big bellies were celebrated in ‘Fatty Fatty’ and that famously long tongue, which makes a 90-degree turn on the way to his chin, was frequently displayed.

RORY MCCARTNEY

the word

on gigs

PHOTO BY GABBY MARSHALL

Capture The Crown, Arkive, Lions of the Underground, Kitten Hurricane The Basement Sunday October 23 October saw the final shows of the beloved Buried In Verona. Whilst the main show didn’t come to Canberra, Capture the Crown and Arkive made sure to stop in, supported by local bands Lions of the Underground and Kitten Hurricane. First for the night was local band Kitten Hurricane, who opened the show with the sound Canberra has come to enjoy from this young band. Next for the evening was the band quickly becoming prominent in the Canberra scene, Lions of the Underground. Bringing a big local crowd, the Lions exploded onto the stage performing a solid set with creative originals and an excellent Day To Remember cover, which has become a regular for the band.

Supporting from Melbourne was Arkive, and their two vocalists performed flawlessly. The energy they bounced off one another had the crowd mesmerised, as both had a unique style and showed fans why two is better than one. Finishing out the night was Sydney band Capture the Crown and they hit the stage with energy reminiscent of the night before in Sydney. The band played fan favourite, ‘You Call That A Knife? This Is A Knife!’, taking the audience back to 2011, as well as a new track off their upcoming album, which will be released in 2017. Capture the Crown showed that whilst they may have been down, they certainly aren’t out, and we can expect big things from them in the future. However, the Canberra locals shined the brightest on the night, with amazing support from their strong network of fans. A promising sign of things to come from the nation’s capital.

GABBY MARSHALL

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GINGERFEST

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65

the word

Regurgitator, Jeremy Neale, Glitoris UC Refectory Saturday October 22

on gigs

“I’m not disappointed,” sing Regurgitator on ‘Mountains’, one of many great songs they didn’t perform on the night (but I would need three hours to hear all I want). Nevertheless, it was certainly the feeling we all left with as Gurge gave us all the hits and more, also choosing top support acts for us to explore.

Locals Glitoris showed why they are starting to gain attention and airplay, entertaining us with some well-crafted tunes, fine guitar shredding and shiny jumpsuit coordination. They had a political edge (how Canberran) with a song about Donald Trump, and another about refugees. Here they praised Regurgitators’ initiative of donating a portion of ticket sales to the Asylum Seekers Resource Centre.

Brisbane’s Jeremey Neale was a quirky guy who also knows how to write great music. He opened with ‘60s ballad inspired ‘Darlin’ and continued on with a set that included great new material. Other highlights were his cover of ‘Errol’ and closer ‘In Stranger Times’.

PHOTO BY TIM BUTLER

The climax of the night however, came when Regurgitator entered stage and Ben pronounced, “Is this thing on? Are you on Canberra?”

Their awesome set and energy indeed turned everyone on. Opening with ‘I Sucked a Lot of Cock’, they continued with all killer and no filler. Crowd participation included frantic hand claps during ‘My Robot’, a mega scream during ‘I Will Lick Your Asshole’ and a crowdsurfer during ‘Blubber Boy’. Their mash of Nirvana’s ‘Come As You Are’ with ‘Modern Life’ was perfect. Then before we knew it, it was encore time. Again, they didn’t muck around returning within minutes after a costume change. Ben faked us out on the count in for ‘I Wanna Be a Nudist’ before finishing us off with ‘Kong Foo Sin’ and ‘!

(Song Formerly Known As)’.

JARROD MCGRATH

the word

on gigs

The Delta Riggs, Gideon Benson, The Vanns Academy Wednesday October 19 Besides the fact that The Delta Riggs were finally back in Canberra, the best thing about the night was seeing more live music at Academy. The sound and viewing options are perfect for live music and we can only hope that more rock acts choose to play here in the future.

The Vanns were a fine choice for support tonight. Their classic sound could draw comparisons to a variety of great bands across the musical landscape in a similar fashion to our headliners. They had good energy and warmed up the crowd well. Unfortunately, Gideon Benson’s performance lost some of this momentum. He appears a little lost since his departure from The Preatures and despite a couple of followers on the dancefloor, he lacked the energy to motivate the crowd.

PHOTO BY LEO KACZMAREK

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The Delta Riggs picked the pace back up immediately and set the vibe I had hoped for by opening with ‘Baddest Motherfucker in the Beehive’. They kept the vibe going by performing other songs from their latest album Active Galactic, early in the set. Singer Elliot Hammond introduced ‘Get Right’ by explaining how they wrote the song with Sticky Fingers, reminding me of yet another great act to compare them to. The second half of their set contained more of their older material and was more on the rock side. ‘Rah Rah Radio’ was a crowd favourite as we all chanted along. The Riggs pulled out their ego for the encore, proclaiming that they would “show you why we are the best live band in Australia”, before local boy Citizen Kay joined them on stage. Whilst they had given us a great show, I’m not sure I agree with this claim, especially when Regurgitator were in town three nights later.

JARROD MCGRATH

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the word

on gigs

The Vacant Lot, Red Red Krovvy, New Age Group, Little Lunch The Phoenix Pub Saturday October 15 Catching the last few songs of the Little Lunch set provides a worthwhile taste of the relatively new band on the Canberra scene, with the three-piece laying some vivid rockish riffs on the early punters. I hadn’t seen Little Lunch before, but their set made me want to check them out again.

New Age Group don’t play much around Canberra anymore, and that’s a bit of a shame. The four-piece, fronted by Dom Shanahan (née Death of The Fighting League), play a heady blend of punk infused rock and roll. You know, short songs played fast and well.

Songs to drink beer to. Good shit. The short set went down a treat, with the band well and truly hitting full flight.

I’m not sure what the name Red Red Krovvy means. Not even remotely. But they can certainly turn a decent tune out of nowhere.

Red Red Krovvy sound familiar but different – short bursts of punk rock that do some damage but don’t hang around for long. If you were lazy, you’d say riot grrl meets ‘70s punk, but I’m not, so I won’t.

The highest points of their set were the more expansive ones.

NEW AGE GROUP, PHOTO BY MEGAN LEAHY

About three-and-a-half decades ago, The Vacant Lot started bashing out tunes in this very city, tapping into the burgeoning punk scene of the day. Although more post-punk than straight up punk, the band have found a new life in a new millennium, behind a set of ultra-tight riffs and straightforward lyricism, as demonstrated on the night. The music of The Vacant Lot’s set didn’t sound out of place with the garage punk scene of today, and the vocals echoed some of today’s same disaffection as well.

CODY ATKINSON

the word

on gigs

The Hard Aches, Foley, Azim Zain and His Lovely Bones, Green Bricks Transit Bar Saturday October 15 The night’s showcase of punk rock was kicked off by two locals, Green Bricks and Azim Zain and His Lovely Bones. Whilst these acts follow similar genres, they didn’t quite have the same impact as our interstate visitors tonight. This may have been partly due to the sound mixing, as at times during their sets it sounded and felt as though they were in sound check, as opposed to performing to a live audience.

Melbourne three-piece Foley upped the ante, bursting onto the stage to give us their breed of punk. They seemed even more frenetic following Azim Zain, and the striped propeller hat adorning their frontman was a fitting piece of fashion for their sound. They gained momentum over their set and built the crowd up for their closer ‘Friends Who Are Lesbian’.

PHOTO BY THE BROTOGRAPHER

The Hard Aches were in town not too long ago supporting Luca Brasi at The Basement, but this night was their night and boy did they own it. The recent release of EP I Freak Out meant they had a bigger repertoire of songs and they were better suited to this venue. As a two-piece they appeared bigger on the tiny stage, and the smaller venue meant we were all cramped in and part of the mosh. This created more of a punk vibe, with crowdsurfing and other shenanigans ensuing. At one point, Ben had to ask the crowd a “huge favour” to “try not grab the mic stand”. Current hit ‘Glad That You’re Gone’ came mid-set, which was a bit of a surprise but still a highlight.

Overall, The Hard Aches set was tight, the sound was solid and the crowd were fun, making for a great gig.

JARROD MCGRATH

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67

the word

Emma Louise, Fractures, Mezko The Street Theatre Thursday October 13

on gigs

Sydney female duo Mezko consisted of two women with guitars and synths plus a laptop. Their style combined grungy licks with electronica and simple, sparse lyrics. Dangerous beats blew strongly through the seated punters as the girls settled right into their set a few songs in, rocking out. They morphed their guitar tones into noises like fuzzy, spikey Pokémon critters, as pre-programmed keys chittered and growled.

Mark Zito, a.k.a. Fractures, settled the mood of the evening. A selfconfessed sad song addict, he sang heart on your sleeve songs with soft vocals accompanied by hushed keys. The man literally made his guitar sigh along with the emotion, as he road-tested a few new tunes on us, etching stories of jealousy and abandonment. There was a delicate beauty in set highlights such as the gentle ‘It’s Alright’.

(Photographed elsewhere.)

Emma Louise, looking good in her shiny gold suit, settled into the zone immediately, a picture of concentration. Rather than being projected, her high, floating voice drifted over the audience like glowing mist. In an unusual opener, she sang to recorded music as her band stood statue still. ‘Talk Baby Talk’ brought them to life as Emma Louise moved constantly, doing her own jerky interpretive dance over the whole stage, including dark corners outside the grip of the lights. ‘Boy’ got some people up and dancing, braving the narrow gap between the steeply tiered seats. Chatting frequently, but curiously detached, she rarely looked straight at us, totally focused on her material. A brief solo bracket, including ‘1000 Sundowns’, was a set highlight, and she gave a song to her keys player so she could join the dancers in the gap between the seats and stage.

RORY MCCARTNEY

the word

Stonefield, White Bleaches, Moaning Lisa Academy Friday October 7

on gigs

Academy presented a different atmosphere for these bands with its huge disco balls. The split level dance floor might have created a moat between the audience and the stage, but the punters fortunately trickled down and filled the gap. Locals Moaning Lisa were a late addition, opening with some sweet edged indie rock built around a pillar of ringing lead guitar in ‘Shoe In’, before going hard-edged with staccato bursts in a cover of Wolf Alice’s ‘Fluffy’.

The set evolved from there, with some clever, cutting lyrics in their own material and a closer that began atmospherically and injected tempestuous bursts of guitar.

Self-described garage psych outfit, White Bleaches delivered a set that was uniformly appealing with strong rhythms and lots of slightly scratchy guitars. There was a certain similarity to the set list (apart from the closer, which possessed a spaghetti western dramatic flair), and the slightly drawled vocals were hard to discern against the music. The punters did not care however, as the songs possessed great swing and were good to move to, in a set that was pruned by one song due to the lack of a capo.

PHOTO BY TIM BUTLER

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Headliners Stonefield set the scene with a long opening jam from the four Findlay sisters, which created a smooth psychedelic mood.

With faces obscured by long locks, there was no showboating or tricky stagecraft, as they focused on grinding out the sounds of a ‘70s fantasy, illuminated by the soaring vocals of drummer Amy. ‘Put Your Curse on Me’ brought some appreciative headbanging from the front row, and new song ‘Stranger’ maintained the serious rock mood. A cover of ‘Venus’ applied the psych touches of originators Shocking Blue, and not the ‘80s synth bounce of Bananarama.

RORY MCCARTNEY

@bmamag

ENTERTAINMENT GUIDE November 9 – November 13 Listings are a free community service. Email editorial@bmamag.com to have your events appear each issue.

WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 9 ART EXHIBITIONS The Waterhouse Natural Science Art Prize 2016

On show until 13 Nov.

NATIONAL ARCHIVES OF AUSTRALIA

The Popular Pet Show

Chicago Charles 9pm. Free.

KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

Stu Tyrell

HARMONIE GERMAN CLUB

ON THE TOWN

TRANSIT BAR

THE FRONT GALLERY AND CAFÉ

Portraits of famous and obscure Australians and their pets.

4 Nov-13 Mar. $10/$8.

John White

AVIARY ROOFTOP BAR

Thomas Foundation Artist in Residency.

Until 23 Nov. CANBERRA GLASSWORKS

COMEDY Chris Endrey Stand Up Night Or Something

8pm. Free. The gold standard for tough Texas shuffles, Chicago blues, and greasy Louisiana-style swamp pop.

With Georgia Davis & Dylan Hekimian.

7.30pm. Free.

The Thursday Games

NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY

The Groove Kings

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

SOMETHING DIFFERENT Empire Global Art Award

6pm. Canberra’s newest art awards, featuring $4000 worth of prizes. $40 entry fee.

I Exist

With Lord Sword, Disavow and Wretch 8pm, $15 on the door.

ON THE TOWN Fridays From Five

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

AVIARY ROOFTOP BAR

Amelia Arsenic (from Angelspit) & Snuff

VAMP Alternative Music Club. 7pm12:30am. $10/$15.

LOBROW GALLERY & BAR

4th Degree 10pm. Free.

KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

Jordie Lane

GLASSELLLAND tour. With The Sleepers. Tickets at thestreet.org.au.

THE STREET THEATRE

Weird Frontier

A one-day music festival that celebrates the new wave of alternative and experimental Aussie music.

AINSLIE ARTS CENTRE

Rick Price

You Are Not Alone tour. With IVOR S.K. 8pm. $20/$25.

HARMONIE GERMAN CLUB

Suburban Haze

With Azim Zain & His Lovely Bones, NTL Landmarks and Mercy Seat. 9pm. $10/$5.

THE PHOENIX BAR

TUGGERANONG ARTS CENTRE

SOMETHING DIFFERENT

TOYO

7.30pm.

THE PHOENIX BAR

TALKS

FILM

Feminartsy

Art Underground Wide Open Mic Night

AVIARY ROOFTOP BAR

BBC First British Film Festival

GORMAN HOUSE ARTS CENTRE

25 Oct-16 Nov.

PALACE ELECTRIC CINEMA

LIVE MUSIC Bayside

An evening with CBR feminist artists.

7pm. $10.

FRIDAY NOVEMBER 11

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

BEYOND Q

SATURDAY NOVEMBER 12

ACADEMY NIGHTCLUB

Doug Anthony All-Stars

The Waterhouse Natural Science Art Prize 2016

THE PLAYHOUSE

NATIONAL ARCHIVES OF AUSTRALIA

THE BASEMENT

Switched On

The Popular Pet Show

Improvised comedy and acting by Lightbulb Improv. 7pm. $15/$10.

SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE

Future Possible: futuring the arts

Jewish International Film Festival

THURSDAY NOVEMBER 10 COMEDY Doug Anthony All-Stars

A Near Death Experience. 8pm.

THE PLAYHOUSE

Info at dendy.com.au.

DENDY CINEMA

Iranian Film Festival Australia $14/$12. Book online at nfsa.gov.au.

NATIONAL FILM AND SOUND ARCHIVE

LIVE MUSIC Jo Meares

Info at facebook.com/societyofbeggars.

Chicago Charles 9pm. Free.

KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

DANCE

Society Of Beggars

8pm. Free.

HARMONIE GERMAN CLUB

Rumblr

With Society of Beggars and Signs & Symbols. 9pm. $10/$5.

THE PHOENIX BAR

Rock Or Be Rocked 8pm. Free.

THE BURNS CLUB

SOMETHING DIFFERENT Christmas Fair & Open Day

Craft, food, music + workshops. 10am3pm. Free entry.

ALLIANCE FRANÇAISE

Open Day

Celebrate 25 years of ANCA Mitchell.

ANCA GALLERY

THEATRE Spring Awakening

11-26 Nov. phoenixplayers.com.au.

ANU ARTS CENTRE

SUNDAY NOVEMBER 13

THE PLAYHOUSE

Urban Clan

Friday Night Live – The Groove Kings

MUSE: FOOD, WINE, BOOKS

A Near Death Experience. 8pm.

Heats on 11th & 18th Nov. Final 25 Nov, 4pm.

THE PHOENIX BAR

6.30pm. $95 includes dinner and show.

Doug Anthony All-Stars

FILM

LIVE MUSIC

THE PHOENIX BAR

GINNINDERRA LABOR CLUB

KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

WODEN YOUTH CENTRE

9pm. Free.

7.30pm. $16.50 on door. With local supports.

CANBERRA THEATRE CENTRE

DENDY CINEMA

Lok Up Your Daughters

Chris Wainhouse

1pm & 7pm.

Lift Off Band Comp

THE PHOENIX BAR

COMEDY

Jason Hart/Oscar

Jewish International Film Festival

Boisterous choruses, jagged hooks and upholding their well-known reputation to cause mayhem.

NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY

THE FRONT GALLERY AND CAFÉ

5pm/10pm. Free.

Mesa Cosa

Portraits of famous and obscure Australians and their pets.

4 Nov-13 Mar. $10/$8.

Dance Central Presents Wild Hearts

7.30pm.

FILM

Info at dendy.com.au.

CANBERRA GLASSWORKS

On show until 13 Nov.

FILM

GORMAN HOUSE ARTS CENTRE

Thomas Foundation Artist in Residency.

Until 23 Nov.

A Near Death Experience. 8pm.

TALKS

6pm. $15/10 includes a drink. agac.com.au

NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY

Matthew Mitcham: Twists & Turns

COMEDY

With Belle Haven and Stepson.

Choral music. 4pm. Free.

John White

CANBERRA GLASSWORKS

Saviour

Evensong

ON THE TOWN

Ookay

WESLEY UNITING CHURCH

HARMONIE GERMAN CLUB

ART EXHIBITIONS

THE BASEMENT

Every Wed from 12.40pm-1.20pm.

8pm. $20/$25.

Art After Dark

With Inner South Arts Hub. 5pm. Free.

Lunchtime Live

Rick Price

ART EXHIBITIONS

With special guests Young Lions & Far Away Stables. Tickets at tickets.destroyalllines.com.

Australia and NZ Tour.

TOYO has kicked off his Summer Tour + will be hitting the rooftop when he heads back home to CBR. $10.

FILM Jewish International Film Festival

Info at dendy.com.au.

DENDY CINEMA

Iranian Film Festival Australia $14/$12. Book online at nfsa.gov.au.

NATIONAL FILM AND SOUND ARCHIVE

Directed by Michelle Mahrer, rated G. 3.00pm. Free.

LIVE MUSIC

NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY

Evensong

Jewish International Film Festival

Choral music. 4pm. Free.

NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY

DENDY CINEMA

Two good friends who love to make some good acoustic tunes and sweet harmonies. 5-7pm. Free entry.

Info at dendy.com.au.

Iranian Film Festival Australia $14/$12. Book online at nfsa.gov.au.

NATIONAL FILM AND SOUND ARCHIVE

BBC First British Film Festival 25 Oct-16 Nov.

PALACE ELECTRIC CINEMA

LIVE MUSIC TOBIAS

A-Z

A BITE TO EAT CAFE

Geoffrey Potter

Flamenco Guitar. 7pm.

THE FRONT GALLERY AND CAFÉ

Irish Jam Session

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

KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

8pm.

THE FRONT GALLERY AND CAFÉ

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ENTERTAINMENT GUIDE November 13 – November 20 SUNDAY NOVEMBER 13 LIVE MUSIC Aviary Live Sessions

3pm. Free. Local musicians step in to entertain us for a Sunday Session. Beer & Cider specials.

AVIARY ROOFTOP BAR

Grainger meets Gershwin

Classical concert. 5pm. $40/$25 including refreshments.

TUGGERANONG ARTS CENTRE

WORKSHOPS Chemical Free Cleaning

6pm. $20. Learn about simple and inexpensive natural cleaning agents.

CANBERRA ENVIRONMENT AND SUSTAINABILITY RESOURCE CENTRE

WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 16 ART EXHIBITIONS John White

SOMETHING DIFFERENT

Thomas Foundation Artist in Residency.

Until 23 Nov.

Country Fair

The Popular Pet Show

Enjoy a day of country fun! Inspired by our Summer exhibition, Popular Pet Show. 10am. Free.

CANBERRA GLASSWORKS

Portraits of famous and obscure Australians and their pets.

4 Nov-13 Mar. $10/$8.

FRIDAY NOVEMBER 18 FILM

Jewish International Film Festival

Mozart’s Cosí fan tutte

DENDY CINEMA

Captured live from Covent Garden, London, Oct 17, 2016.

PALACE ELECTRIC CINEMA

LIVE MUSIC Little Wise

7pm. Info at smithsalternative.com.

WODEN YOUTH CENTRE

Dana Hassel/Code Red 5pm/10pm. Free.

Rainbow Story Time

BBC First British Film Festival

8pm. Free.

PALACE ELECTRIC CINEMA

Abbe May

LIVE MUSIC

TRANSIT BAR

LIVE MUSIC 2XX Presents The Bootleg Sessions

With various artists. 8pm. Free.

THE PHOENIX BAR

TALKS Nicolas Rothwell: Quicksilver

6pm. $10. Quicksilver begins on a quiet day in contemplation of a lizard deep in the heart of the outback. 6-7pm.

MUSE: FOOD, WINE, BOOKS

WORKSHOPS Producers Toolkit #6: Communicating the arts

6pm. $20/$15 online or at the door.

Scholarships available.

GORMAN HOUSE ARTS CENTRE

TUESDAY NOVEMBER 15 FILM Entering the Work

6pm. $10/$5. A selection of film and video works by Australian and international artists.

GORMAN HOUSE ARTS CENTRE

Andrea Kirwin 8pm.

THE FRONT GALLERY AND CAFÉ

Deströyer 666 Tickets at Oztix.

THE BASEMENT

Springtime Delight Trivia 7.30pm.

THE PHOENIX BAR

Info at abbemay.com.

Caligula’s Horse

Hands Shape Stone Australian Tour.

Tickets at wildthingpresents.com or Oztix.

THE BASEMENT

Rock Or Be Rocked

It’s rock in its purest, least bastardised form. 8pm. $12 + bf from Moshtix.

THE PHOENIX BAR

Heuristic

10pm. Free.

KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

Laura Jean

Our Swan Song national tour. Tickets on the door.

THE FRONT GALLERY AND CAFÉ

Gingerfest 2016

With Clowns, Grenadiers, Lamexcuse and more. $30 from Oztix.

TRANSIT BAR

THE PHOENIX BAR

Inner West Reggae Disco Machine

WESLEY UNITING CHURCH

Tickets at moshtix.com.au.

Feat. MC The Mighty Asterix & more.

1pm.

ANU BAR AND REFECTORY

OLD CANBERRA INN

ON THE TOWN

SOMETHING DIFFERENT

8pm.

Fridays From Five

Canberra Roller Derby League

THEATRE

AVIARY ROOFTOP BAR

Every Wed from 12.40pm-1.20pm.

SOMETHING DIFFERENT BAD!SLAM!NO!BISCUIT! THE PHOENIX BAR

WALSH’S HOTEL

With Imperial Broads and Richard Cuthbert. 8pm. $10/$5.

British India

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

Spring Awakening

SOMETHING DIFFERENT

ANU ARTS CENTRE

The Salt Room

11-26 Nov. phoenixplayers.com.au.

THURSDAY NOVEMBER 17 LIVE MUSIC Copy & Paste 9pm. Free.

KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

Info at smithsalternative.com.

Lazy Eye

NATIONAL PRESS CLUB

The Baudelaires 9pm. $5.

THE PHOENIX BAR

ON THE TOWN The Thursday Games

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

AVIARY ROOFTOP BAR

7.30pm. $10/$5.

Bob Log III

9pm, $15/$10.

THE PHOENIX BAR

Save the dates. Info at crdl.com.au.

VARIOUS LOCATIONS

THEATRE Noises Off

17 Nov - 13 Dec. THEATRE 3

GORMAN HOUSE ARTS CENTRE

Inside & Out

THEATRE

CANBERRA THEATRE CENTRE

Inside & Out 7pm & 1pm.

CANBERRA THEATRE CENTRE

SATURDAY NOVEMBER 19 ART EXHIBITIONS John White

Thomas Foundation Artist in Residency.

Until 23 Nov. CANBERRA GLASSWORKS

The Popular Pet Show

Portraits of famous and obscure Australians and their pets.

4 Nov-13 Mar. $10/$8.

7pm & 1pm.

Spring Awakening

11-26 Nov. phoenixplayers.com.au.

ANU ARTS CENTRE

WORKSHOPS Sculpting Mythology Workshops 10.30am. $80.

TUGGERANONG ARTS CENTRE

Introduction to Preserving

1pm. $80. YMCA Bush Capital Lodge, $80.

CANBERRA ENVIRONMENT AND SUSTAINABILITY RESOURCE CENTRE

SUNDAY NOVEMBER 20

NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY

COMEDY A Very Canberra Comedy Festival Christmas

Join the festival’s best comedians as they get youinto the festive spirit.

7.30pm.

CANBERRA THEATRE CENTRE

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Lepers & Crooks

Lunchtime Live

WESLEY UNITING CHURCH

Soulful blues.

TRIVIA

HARMONIE GERMAN CLUB

NATIONAL ARBORETUM CANBERRA

ON THE TOWN

8pm. Tickets at songcompany.com.au.

TRANSIT BAR

NATIONAL LIBRARY OF AUSTRALIA

Kristabelle & The Southern Jubilee Ringers

6.30pm. canberraticketing.com.au.

The Song Company

SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE

6pm. $15.

KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

Sumi Jo

PROM

AINSLIE ARTS CENTRE

#KaraokeLove

Small Great Things with Jodi Picoult

Captured live from Covent Garden, London, Oct 17, 2016.

8pm. $5.

Collected Resonances

Papa Pilko And The Binrats

TALKS

Mozart’s Cosí fan tutte

Classic rock and blues. 8pm. Free.

More information at bandmix.com.au/ mac11943/

KARAOKE 9pm. Free entry.

NATIONAL FILM AND SOUND ARCHIVE

LIVE MUSIC

Heats on 11th & 18th Nov. Final 25 Nov, 4pm.

FILM

MONDAY NOVEMBER 14

Information at nfsa.gov.au.

PALACE ELECTRIC CINEMA

TALKS

MUSE: FOOD, WINE, BOOKS

Radical Reels Adventure Film Tour

Lift Off Band Comp

NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY

25 Oct-16 Nov.

Info at dendy.com.au.

SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE

NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY

To celebrate SpringOUT, bring the kids along for a special rainbow storytelling session. 2.30-3.30pm. Free.

FILM

FILM Jewish International Film Festival

Info at dendy.com.au.

DENDY CINEMA

Radical Reels Adventure Film Tour Information at nfsa.gov.au.

NATIONAL FILM AND SOUND ARCHIVE

@bmamag

ENTERTAINMENT GUIDE November 20 – November 27 SUNDAY NOVEMBER 20 FILM Mozart’s Cosí fan tutte

Captured live from Covent Garden, London, Oct 17, 2016.

PALACE ELECTRIC CINEMA

LIVE MUSIC The Other Side

Original music, acoustic guitars and a handful of covers. 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

Aviary Live Sessions

3pm. Free. Local musicians step in to entertain us for a Sunday Session. Beer & Cider specials.

THEATRE

LIVE MUSIC

Sesame Street Presents

Stacks Of Birthday Wax

Elmo’s Super Hero Fun Show. 10am, 12.30pm & 3pm.

THE PLAYHOUSE

TRIVIA Birthday Trivia with Christo & Jon 7.30pm.

THE PHOENIX BAR

WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 23

Layered portraits from the collection.

10am. Free. Until 27 Nov. NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY

John White

CANBERRA GLASSWORKS

Portraits of famous and obscure Australians and their pets.

4 Nov-13 Mar. $10/$8.

NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY

2pm. $3/$5.

HARMONIE GERMAN CLUB

FILM

Holy Holy

Mozart’s Cosí fan tutte

THE BASEMENT

TALKS Madeline O’Dea: The Phoenix Years 3pm. $10. musecanberra.com.au.

MUSE: FOOD, WINE, BOOKS

WORKSHOPS Sculpting Mythology Workshops 10.30am. $80.

TUGGERANONG ARTS CENTRE

MONDAY NOVEMBER 21 FILM

THE BASEMENT

Black Milk

Master of beats and rhymes, renowned for his top-flight production.

TRANSIT BAR

Special K

9pm on 24 Nov. 10.30 3 Dec. Free.

KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

The Thursday Games

The Popular Pet Show

Tickets at Moshtix.

Tickets at Oztix.

Dissections

Canberra Blues Society Monthly Jams

Marji Curran Band

The Monkeywrench

ON THE TOWN

AVIARY ROOFTOP BAR

HARMONIE GERMAN CLUB

THE PHOENIX BAR

ART EXHIBITIONS

Thomas Foundation Artist in Residency.

Until 23 Nov.

2pm $3 CBS members /$5 nonmembers.

Funk & Soul Sessions. 9pm.

Captured live from Covent Garden, London, Oct 17, 2016.

PALACE ELECTRIC CINEMA

LIVE MUSIC The Phoenix Birthday Part III

8pm. $5. With New Age Group, Lower Body, Centre Negative and Okinawa Girls.

THE PHOENIX BAR

Lunchtime Live

Every Wed from 12.40pm-1.20pm.

WESLEY UNITING CHURCH

SOMETHING DIFFERENT The Sell: Australian Advertising 1790s-1990s A blast from advertising’s past. 10am daily. Free. 23 Nov-25 Apr.

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

AVIARY ROOFTOP BAR

SOMETHING DIFFERENT Poetry Readings 7.30pm.

MANNING CLARK HOUSE

Art for Heart

Heart Foundation ACT auction. 5.30pm.

COMMONWEALTH PLACE

FRIDAY NOVEMBER 25 FILM German Film Fest

PALACE ELECTRIC CINEMA

The 15th German Film Fest Australia More info at facebook.com/ goetheinstitut.australien.

PALACE ELECTRIC CINEMA

LIVE MUSIC The Pigs

Info at thestreet.org.au.

THE STREET THEATRE

Birthday Fiesta

With Los Chavos. 9pm. $10.

THE PHOENIX BAR

Lift Off Band Comp

Radical Reels Adventure Film Tour

NATIONAL LIBRARY OF AUSTRALIA

Heats on 11th & 18th Nov. Final 25 Nov, 4pm.

TALKS

The Sinking Teeth

NATIONAL FILM AND SOUND ARCHIVE

Hugh Watson: Home Grown

THE BASEMENT

Information at nfsa.gov.au.

Mozart’s Cosí fan tutte

Captured live from Covent Garden, London, Oct 17, 2016.

PALACE ELECTRIC CINEMA

LIVE MUSIC The Birthday Bootleg Sessions

Free. With Brass Knuckle Brass Band, Massive Sherlock, Rumshack and Guyy & The Fox. THE PHOENIX BAR

TUESDAY NOVEMBER 22 FILM Mozart’s Cosí fan tutte

Captured live from Covent Garden, London, Oct 17, 2016.

PALACE ELECTRIC CINEMA

KARAOKE #KaraokeLove 9pm. Free entry.

6pm. ABC chief foreign correspondent Philip Williams launches Hugh Watson’s debut novel. $10.

MUSE: FOOD, WINE, BOOKS

THEATRE Noises Off

17 Nov - 13 Dec. THEATRE 3

Spring Awakening

11-26 Nov. phoenixplayers.com.au.

ANU ARTS CENTRE

THURSDAY NOVEMBER 24

WODEN YOUTH CENTRE

TRANSIT BAR

facebook.com/bmamagazine

ART EXHIBITIONS Dissections

Layered portraits from the collection.

10am. Free. Until 27 Nov. NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY

The Popular Pet Show

Portraits of famous and obscure Australians and their pets.

4 Nov-13 Mar. $10/$8.

NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY

FILM German Film Fest

PALACE ELECTRIC CINEMA

The 15th German Film Fest Australia More info at facebook.com/ goetheinstitut.australien.

PALACE ELECTRIC CINEMA

LIVE MUSIC The Phoenix Birthday Part VI 7pm. $10/$5.

THE PHOENIX BAR

Full Swing

Christmas album launch. 2pm. $25/$40/$10.

CANBERRA DEAKIN FOOTBALL CLUB

Beethoven’s Favourite

Tour presented by Maserati. Directed by Lorenza Borrani. 8pm.

LLEWELLYN HALL

Boot and Flogger Revival Party ReBooted Featuring Wailing Cockatoos, Barrocka Bye Babies, Dan Fernandes, Craig Williams, Cassidy’s Ceili + more.

DURHAM CASTLE ARMS

Slim Fits

10.30pm. Free.

KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

SOMETHING DIFFERENT The Sell: Australian Advertising 1790s-1990s A blast from advertising’s past. 10am daily. Free. 23 Nov-25 Apr.

THEATRE

Tickets and info at castlecomermusic.com.

Noises Off

TRANSIT BAR

17 Nov - 13 Dec.

Friday Night Live – Blues Piano Night

Lawrence Mooney - Moonman

THEATRE 3

HARMONIE GERMAN CLUB

The coming of age story of a 50 year old man. 8pm.

The Wailing Cockatoos

Spring Awakening

8pm. Free.

Iconic Canberra band from the days of the ol’ Boot and Flogger will get your reggae mojo happening.

DURHAM CASTLE ARMS

Summer Sessions

THE PLAYHOUSE

11-26 Nov. phoenixplayers.com.au.

ANU ARTS CENTRE

SUNDAY NOVEMBER 27

5pm/10pm. Free. Live bands playing through summer.

FILM

Rock Or Be Rocked

German Film Fest

OJO CAFE AND BAR

The 15th German Film Fest Australia

Classic rock and blues. 8pm. Free.

PALACE ELECTRIC CINEMA

SATURDAY NOVEMBER 26

Castlecomer

German Film Fest

More info at facebook.com/ goetheinstitut.australien.

AVIARY ROOFTOP BAR

NATIONAL LIBRARY OF AUSTRALIA

KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

The 15th German Film Fest Australia

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

Info at thebasementcanberra.com.au.

FILM PALACE ELECTRIC CINEMA

Fridays From Five

ON THE TOWN Fridays From Five

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

PALACE ELECTRIC CINEMA

More info at facebook.com/ goetheinstitut.australien.

PALACE ELECTRIC CINEMA

AVIARY ROOFTOP BAR

71

ENTERTAINMENT GUIDE November 27 – December 4 SUNDAY NOVEMBER 27 LIVE MUSIC Diversity

Jazz, blues and some old staples and some chrissy tunes. 5pm-7pm.

Free entry.

A BITE TO EAT CAFE

Irish Jam Session

WORKSHOPS Keeping Backyard Chooks

6pm. $20. Hands-on introduction to backyard chook keeping with Bredbo Valley View Farm’s Martyn Noakes.

CANBERRA ENVIRONMENT AND SUSTAINABILITY RESOURCE CENTRE

WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 30

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

ART EXHIBITIONS

Aviary Live Sessions

By Sanne Koelemij. 30 Nov-11 Dec.

KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

3pm. Free. Local musicians step in to entertain us for a Sunday Session. Beer & Cider specials.

Colour Forms

ANCA GALLERY

Bipolar Bares a Lot

Julia Jacklin

Don’t Let The Kids Win tour. Tickets through Moshtix.

TRANSIT BAR

Natalie Prevedello Duo 9pm. Free.

KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

ON THE TOWN The Thursday Games

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

AVIARY ROOFTOP BAR

Boot and Flogger Revival Party ReBooted

The Popular Pet Show

THE PLAYHOUSE

SOMETHING DIFFERENT

Joanna Bone: In Depth with Aaron Micallef

DURHAM CASTLE ARMS

Drawn In

Draw while listening to different music each month. 1pm. Free.

NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY

Thomas Foundation Artists in Residence. 29 Nov-13 Dec. CANBERRA GLASSWORKS

NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY

COMEDY

TALKS

Comedy In The Pub

Melina Marchetta

THE PHOENIX BAR

Tell the Truth, Shame the Devil. 3pm. $10. musecanberra.com.au.

MUSE: FOOD, WINE, BOOKS

MONDAY NOVEMBER 28 ART EXHIBITIONS Bipolar Bares a Lot

1pm. Free. 28 Nov-3 Dec.

10:30am, 1pm, 3:30pm.

FRIDAY DECEMBER 2 FILM Tchaikovsky’s Anastasia

Captured live from Covent Garden, London, Nov 2, 2016.

PALACE ELECTRIC CINEMA

LIVE MUSIC

Comedy Gong Night. 7.30pm. Free.

Fairgrounds Festival

LIVE MUSIC

With Rodriguez, The Tallest Man On Earth, Angel Olsen and more. Tickets at fairgrounds.com.au.

BERRY SHOWGROUNDS

Lunchtime Live

Disco Dub Time Machine

WESLEY UNITING CHURCH

THE PHOENIX BAR

Every Wed from 12.40pm-1.20pm.

With Dubba Rukki. 9pm.

Remi

Lakeside at 5

Divas and Demons tour. 7pm. Tickets through Moshtix.

TRANSIT BAR

Live music. $10. 5pm.

TUGGERANONG ARTS CENTRE

Summer Sessions

TUGGERANONG ARTS CENTRE

SOMETHING DIFFERENT

5pm/10pm. Free. Live bands playing through summer.

LIVE MUSIC

The Sell: Australian Advertising 1790s-1990s

ON THE TOWN

CIT Presents The Bootleg Sessions 8pm. Free entry.

THE PHOENIX BAR

THEATRE Vinegar Tom

$30/$20 online or at the door. agac.com.au. 28 Nov-4 Dec. GORMAN HOUSE ARTS CENTRE

TUESDAY NOVEMBER 29 KARAOKE #KaraokeLove

9pm. Free entry.

TRANSIT BAR

LIVE MUSIC Sixteen Alleluias

A blast from advertising’s past. 10am daily. Free. 23 Nov-25 Apr. NATIONAL LIBRARY OF AUSTRALIA

TALKS

THEATRE Noises Off

17 Nov - 13 Dec. THEATRE 3

Vinegar Tom

$30/$20 online or at the door. www. agac.com.au. 28 Nov-4 Dec. GORMAN HOUSE ARTS CENTRE

THURSDAY DECEMBER 1

Liam Gerner and the Sunset Pushers

TRIVIA Impact Records Presents Nerd Trivia with Joel THE PHOENIX BAR

Tickets at smithsalternative.com.

SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE

Mesa Cosa

9pm, $10/$5.

THE PHOENIX BAR

Antarctica Day

Celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Antarctic Treaty. 12.30pm. Free.

NATIONAL LIBRARY OF AUSTRALIA

Matt Bednarsky

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AVIARY ROOFTOP BAR

5-9pm. Niche, eco-friendly Christmas market. Featuring live music, a BBQ dinner and a local wine bar.

Matt Andersen

THE FRONT GALLERY AND CAFÉ

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

NATIONAL LIBRARY OF AUSTRALIA

LIVE MUSIC

With Mercy Seat. 6.30pm. $20/$25.

Fridays From Five

SOMETHING DIFFERENT

Adam Simmons, soprano sax, and Nick Tsiavos, contrabass. $30. 6pm.

NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY

KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

National Folk Fellow Lecture 2016

The Good Old Concertina. 6pm. Free.

PALACE ELECTRIC CINEMA

LIVE MUSIC Fairgrounds Festival

With Rodriguez, The Tallest Man On Earth, Angel Olsen and more. Tickets at fairgrounds.com.au.

BERRY SHOWGROUNDS

Harrison

Special K

Peppa Pig: Big Splash Live!

Featuring Wailing Cockatoos, Barrocka Bye Babies, Dan Fernandes, Craig Williams, Cassidy’s Ceili + more.

Captured live from Covent Garden, London, Nov 2, 2016.

With Dana Hassall, Helena Pop and Betty Alto. 9pm. $10/$5.

1pm. Free. 28 Nov-3 Dec.

Portraits of famous and obscure Australians and their pets.

4 Nov-13 Mar. $10/$8.

Tchaikovsky’s Anastasia

THEATRE

AVIARY ROOFTOP BAR

TUGGERANONG ARTS CENTRE

FILM

Eco Elves Night Market

CANBERRA ENVIRONMENT AND SUSTAINABILITY RESOURCE CENTRE

SATURDAY DECEMBER 3 ART EXHIBITIONS

THE PHOENIX BAR

9pm on 24 Nov. 10.30 3 Dec. Free.

KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

SOMETHING DIFFERENT The Sell: Australian Advertising 1790s-1990s A blast from advertising’s past. 10am daily. Free. 23 Nov-25 Apr. NATIONAL LIBRARY OF AUSTRALIA

Spilt Milk

Artisan street food and drink, cutting edge music and experimental art.

VARIOUS LOCATIONS

THEATRE Circus 1903: The Golden Age of Circus A thrilling turn of the century circus spectacular. 1-10 Dec. $39-$99.

CANBERRA THEATRE CENTRE

Noises Off

17 Nov-13 Dec. THEATRE 3

Vinegar Tom

$30/$20 online or at the door. www. agac.com.au. 28 Nov-4 Dec. GORMAN HOUSE ARTS CENTRE

WORKSHOPS CIT Adult Short Courses: Glasswork

Canberra Glassworks presents a range of short courses. Bookings at shortcourses.cit.edu.au.

CANBERRA GLASSWORKS

SUNDAY DECEMBER 4 COMEDY Disappointments

Judith Lucy and Denise Scott.

CANBERRA THEATRE CENTRE

FILM Tchaikovsky’s Anastasia

By Sanne Koelemij. 30 Nov-11 Dec.

Captured live from Covent Garden, London, Nov 2, 2016.

ANCA GALLERY

PALACE ELECTRIC CINEMA

Bipolar Bares a Lot

LIVE MUSIC

TUGGERANONG ARTS CENTRE

Aviary Live Sessions

Colour Forms

1pm. Free. 28 Nov-3 Dec.

The Popular Pet Show

Portraits of famous and obscure Australians and their pets.

4 Nov-13 Mar. $10/$8.

NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY

Joanna Bone: In Depth with Aaron Micallef Thomas Foundation Artists in Residence. 29 Nov-13 Dec. CANBERRA GLASSWORKS

3pm. Free. Local musicians step in to entertain us for a Sunday Session. Beer & Cider specials.

AVIARY ROOFTOP BAR

Minh

Funky folk guitar and didgeridoo fusion.

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

Info at frontgallerycafe.com.

THE FRONT GALLERY AND CAFÉ

@bmamag

ENTERTAINMENT GUIDE December 5 – December 10 MONDAY DECEMBER 5

WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 7

FILM

ART EXHIBITIONS

Tchaikovsky’s Anastasia

Colour Forms

Captured live from Covent Garden, London, Nov 2, 2016.

PALACE ELECTRIC CINEMA

LIVE MUSIC CMC Presents The Bootleg Sessions 8pm. Free.

THE PHOENIX BAR

James Kenyon

Info at jameskenyonmusic.com.au.

THE PHOENIX BAR

The Wiggles’ Big Show Tour!

10am. Dance, Dance! The Wiggles’ Big Show Tour!’ 2016. Visit thewiggles.com for more info.

AIS ARENA

TALKS The Conversation Yearbook 2016 6pm. $10. musecanberra.com.au MUSE: FOOD, WINE, BOOKS

By Sanne Koelemij. 30 Nov-11 Dec.

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

The Popular Pet Show

Portraits of famous and obscure Australians and their pets. 4 Nov- 13 Mar. $10/$8.

NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY

Joanna Bone: In Depth with Aaron Micallef Thomas Foundation Artists in Residence. 29 Nov-13 Dec. CANBERRA GLASSWORKS

FILM Tchaikovsky’s Anastasia

Captured live from Covent Garden, London, Nov 2, 2016.

PALACE ELECTRIC CINEMA

Switched On

Joanna Bone: In Depth with Aaron Micallef

Improvised comedy and acting by Lightbulb Improv. 7pm. $15/$10.

Thomas Foundation Artists in Residence. 29 Nov-13 Dec.

SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE

CANBERRA GLASSWORKS

Alex Williamson

DANCE

THE STREET THEATRE

Fresh Funk Presents Harry Potter

Tickets at thestreet.org.au or 02 6247 1223.

FILM Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro

SOMETHING DIFFERENT

Captured live from Teatro alla Scala, Milan, Oct 26, 2016.

The Sell: Australian Advertising 1790s-1990s

LIVE MUSIC

Tchaikovsky’s Anastasia PALACE ELECTRIC CINEMA

TRANSIT BAR

NATIONAL LIBRARY OF AUSTRALIA

The Monkees

Another Evening with Josh Pyke and Bob Evans

LIVE MUSIC

Info at thestreet.org.au.

Noises Off

Fridays From Five

KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

17 Nov - 13 Dec. THEATRE 3

THURSDAY DECEMBER 8

Bookings at ticketek.com.au.

ROYAL THEATRE

LIVE MUSIC

Jazz at the Gods

Tickets at moshtix.com.au.

THE GODS CAFE

PALACE ELECTRIC CINEMA

The Surrogates

More info at thebasementcanberra.com.au.

Meals from 6pm. Music at 7:30pm.

Bookings essential. $22/$15.

5pm/10pm. Free. Live bands playing through summer.

ON THE TOWN

Bill Bailey

THE BASEMENT

Captured live from Teatro alla Scala, Milan, Oct 26, 2016.

CANBERRA THEATRE CENTRE

COMEDY

Justice For The Damned

Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro

LLEWELLYN HALL

Graves

THE BASEMENT

TUGGERANONG ARTS CENTRE

A thrilling turn of the century circus spectacular. 1-10 Dec. $39-$99.

LIVE MUSIC Monster tour. Info at bit.ly/GR16tour.

End of year show featuring 250 dancers from Fresh Funk’s programme. $28/$20/$88. 5pm/8pm.

FILM

PALACE ELECTRIC CINEMA

50th Anniversary tour. Tickets at tombowler.com.au.

9pm. Free entry.

NATIONAL GALLERY OF AUSTRALIA

COMEDY

Circus 1903: The Golden Age of Circus

#KaraokeLove

9 Dec-17 Apr. Extravagant treasures from the Palace of Versailles are coming to Australia.

FRIDAY DECEMBER 9

KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

KARAOKE

Versailles: Treasures from the Palace

ANCA GALLERY

THEATRE

Captured live from Covent Garden, London, Nov 2, 2016.

NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY

AVIARY ROOFTOP BAR

Summer Sessions

FILM

Portraits of famous and obscure Australians and their pets.

4 Nov-13 Mar. $10/$8.

The Thursday Games

A blast from advertising’s past. 10am daily. Free. 23 Nov-25 Apr.

TUESDAY DECEMBER 6

The Popular Pet Show

ON THE TOWN

Boy & Bear

ANU BAR AND REFECTORY

Chicago Charles 9pm. Free.

KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

Chicago Charles 9pm. Free.

KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

THE STREET THEATRE

10.30pm. Free.

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

Keith Urban

AVIARY ROOFTOP BAR

CANBERRA STADIUM

SOMETHING DIFFERENT

SOMETHING DIFFERENT

Art Underground Wide Open Mic Night

The Sell: Australian Advertising 1790s-1990s

‘ripCORD’ tour.

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

BEYOND Q

A blast from advertising’s past. 10am daily. Free. 23 Nov-25 Apr. NATIONAL LIBRARY OF AUSTRALIA

THEATRE

SATURDAY DECEMBER 10

Circus 1903: The Golden Age of Circus A thrilling turn of the century circus spectacular. 1-10 Dec. $39-$99.

ART EXHIBITIONS

CANBERRA THEATRE CENTRE

Colour Forms

By Sanne Koelemij. 30 Nov-11 Dec.

Noises Off

College Create

THEATRE 3

ANCA GALLERY

17 Nov - 13 Dec.

A curated exhibiton of stand-out works

by Canberran college students. Free. 8 Dec- 28 Jan. TUGGERANONG ARTS CENTRE

OUT

DEC 14

WE SHARE OUR TOP ALBUMS OF THE YEAR WE HAVE A GOOD LONG THINK ABOUT HOW LUCKY WE ARE TO HAVE SPILK MILK IT’S CHRISTMAS, SO WE’LL PROBABLY ALL FUCK OFF AND ANNOY YOU AGAIN NEXT YEAR

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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

DUCK DUCK GHOST Group members: Alex (vocals), Ashley (bass), Jackson (guitar), Cohen (guitar) and Hayden (drums).

Where did your band name come from? At one stage we were considering calling the band ‘Duck’, but it didn’t really have the band’s full support. Someone suggested calling it ‘Ghost’, but apparently they’re a Swedish metal band. So after a comment by Hayden, we agreed to put them together and make it ‘Duck Duck Ghost’ (genius, right?). The first gig we ever played was the National Campus Band Comp a couple of years back and our feedback was something along the lines of, “great sound but the dumb name won’t get you far”. Most of our motivation as a band comes from trying to prove that guy wrong. Yeah, screw that guy.

Describe your sound. Indie pop/rock? I think that’s probably the easiest way to describe us without making up a genre. Ben from Helena Pop once called us math pop, but the jury’s out on that one. When we started out we were really into writing songs with all of these complex rhythmic layers, but lately we’ve been more interested in writing simpler things and trying to shape them in interesting ways. I suppose it’s us maturing as a band.

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

Who are your influences, musical or otherwise? We all have quite a few influences that are different from each other. Cohen listens to a lot of hip-hop, Ash to neo-soul, Jackson loves Bon Iver, Hayden loves Radiohead, Alex is into heavier stuff – it all kind of comes together to make us who we are. The bands we all really enjoy are Foals and Bloc Party. They’re the ones that always get a spin when we’re on tour. Lately we’ve been smashing out the new Sticky Fingers record and the new one from The 1975 as well, that kind of stuff helped us get a sound for our latest single, ‘Small Town’.

Cole Bennetts Photography 0415982662

What’s the most memorable experience you’ve had whilst performing? We had a great time at our EP launch a while back.

We put a lot of effort into it and had a great turnout. It was down at Magpies right before it closed down and it got pretty wild. Another memorable one would be opening up for British India at the ANU Bar in November. I remember standing side of stage right before they did their encore. They came past and said to Cohen, “so are you coming up? Do you know the song?” It was this crazy, surreal moment watching Cohen and Alex jump up and play ‘Killing In The Name’ with British India. I don’t know whether they actually turned up the guitar, they might’ve just jumped around. The rest of us were kind of too busy freaking out.

Drumassault Dan 0406 375 997

What are your plans for the future? Focusing on new music at the moment. We’re eyeing off a secluded house in the woods for some writing/recording sessions later in the year. So who knows what’ll come out of that.

Johnny Roadkill Paulie 0408287672 paulie_mcmillan@live.com.au

Danny V Danny 0413502428 Dawn Theory Nathan 0402845132 Danny 0413502428 Dorothy Jane Band, The Dorothy Jane 0411065189 dorothy-jane@dorothyjane.com

Feldons, The 0407 213 701 Fire on the Hill Aaron 0410381306 Lachlan 0400038388 Fourth Degree Vic 0408477020 Gareth Dailey DJ/Electronica Gareth 0414215885 Groovalicious Corporate/ weddings/private functions 0448995158 Guy The Sound Guy Live & Studio Sound Engineer 0400585369 guy@guythesoundguy.com

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

What are your upcoming gigs? We’re playing with Lepers & Crooks at Transit Bar on Thursday November 17.

Haunted Attics band@hauntedatticsmusic.com

Tegan Northwood (Singing Teacher) 0410 769 144

Contact details: duckduckghostmusic.com, soundcloud.com/ duckduckghost, facebook.com/duckduckghost, instagram.com/ duckduckghost

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

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Zoopagoo zoopagoo@gmail.com

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