Sauce - Issue 79, 15-10-08 by David K Q Williams

ON THE STREET EVERY SECOND WEDNESDAY

Free Edition #79

15/10/08 - 28/10/08 Made in Tasmania

SAUCE #79

“his biz t n i … rain t t ’ n a c u yo tution, i t s n i n a in eet it’s all strge… knowled

DANCE – SYDNEY / LONDON // PNAU

The World According to PNAU

”

a fun song about finding something that changes the way you see things… to enter a new space like playing on the fields of the nephilim,” says o“It’s Nick Littlemore of PNAU of their hit single, Wild Strawberries, dodging the suggestion that we think it’s a euphemism for nipples, like Ween’s Push Th’ Little Daisies. “Most of our songs are based in reality but get twisted somewhere along the way and always with a hint of sexuality or humanity.”

Your current single, Embrace seems to be about someone in particular. Who is that? Or if I’m off the mark, how did the song develop? It’s a duplicitous song, both the love for a friend and the greater love for the world outside, in those moments when you seek the night out and your energy levels rise from nowhere to take you on a flight beyond imagination, mission to the heart stars

It’s not like that. There are more people over here so there are greater collections of things like art and artefacts. Also shows that won’t come to Oz are on here every other week. I just went to see Merce Cunningham Company, a mind-blowing 20th century dance performance, his last one. It was only showing in New York and London. Things like that we never get the chance to see in our sunny side of the planet.

In any artist that inspires me there is a competitive spirit, though all I have seen from Sir Elton is support and kindness. The will to create is extremely strong within him and we have been lucky enough to learn much more about this enigmatic man. Being around artists - real artists - is like going to university. Because in this biz you can’t train in an institution, it’s all street knowledge.

At the moment, you’re touring through the UK. What’s surprised you about touring there? How small England is. To get around Australia it was always flights. Over here we can drive to the top of the UK and then drive to France the next morning. The world over here is much closer together than like what we have experienced in Australia.

What souvenirs will you be bringing home? Well, London is our home now so it’s more a case of packing our cases full of cuddly koalas and seafood. We have often lived half-half between Europe and Oz, but these days we are UK residents.

Lily Allen, 23, also said that she’d still (make passionate love with) Tony Bennett, who is 82. How freaky is that? And has Lily given you a call yet? Well I think sometimes you have to wonder why people make such ridiculous statements. I’ve not yet encountered Ms. Allen. Who knows what the future may bring?

What do they do better than us, and what do we do better than them?

At the GQ Men Of The Year Awards, Sir Elton John said to Lily Allen, “I could still snort you under the table”. Sir Elton has taken a shine to Pnau, but how much of a competitive streak have you seen in Elton?

How about Rolf Harris? Well, Mr. Harris is a weird one. No fear in his eyes,

we Aussies are on odd bunch, I can’t imagine what the picture is of Australia to most people over here. If nothing else we do achieve a kind of supreme individuality unlike our Kiwi neighbours who seem to be much more European in essence When will you be working on a new album? And when do you think it’ll come out? We are as I write this. It sounds like Burt Bacharach, all lovely piano and melancholy, the music will reach the people when the time is right that’s all I can say… sDAVID WILLIAMS Join PNAU at the Soundscape Festival: 0 January 17 @ Hobart’s Regatta Grounds (Limited earlybird tix available!) Go to www.sauce.net.au to listen to an in-depth interview with Peter Mayes.

SAUCE #79

NEWS

Contents 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 17 18 19 20 21 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30

PNAU News & Fat Lip Muph & Plutonic City Riots / All Fires the Fire Woof Woof / Sara Jane The Drones DJ Spin Easy Phil K Dan Murphy / Hermitude Noiseworks / Rosie Burgess Andrew McSweeney / Rob Richards Entertainment Guide Augie March / Chase the Sun / Clinker field The Kaiser Chiefs Gig Reviews CD Reviews Slipknot / Pig Destroyer Comedy Hot Mods Zzapped! Screen Stencil Art Jamin Street Fashion

Contact:

Phone: Advertising: Editorial: Editor: Email: Sub -Editor: Email: Graphic Design: Email: Accounts: Email:

03 6331 0701 advertising@sauce.net.au editorial@sauce.net.au David Williams david@sauce.net.au Chris Rattray chris@sauce.net.au Simon Hancock simon@sauce.net.au Lisa-Marie Rushton accounts@sauce.net.au

Opinions expressed in Sauce are not necessarily those of the Editor or staff. Sauce Publishing accepts no liability for the accuracy of advertisements.

Contributors Dave Venter, Steve Tauschke, Michael Blake, Lex Diamonds, Lalani Hyatt, Roo Davies, Natasha Anderson, David Walker, Dorian Broomhall, Leann Kaczmarski, Tom Butler, Tiarne Double, Mike Wilcox, Clayton McIntosh, Gabriel Solomon

Next Edition Sauce #80 - 29/10/08 to 11//10/08 Deadline: 214/10/08 @ 3pm

FALLS PLAYOFF WINNERS

Shining a light on the high calibre of Tasmanian musicians last week was The Edge Presents, The Falls Festival Showcase. With five bands showing their musical prowess in Launceston at Irish Murphy’s, and five bands rocking out at The Republic Bar in Hobart, it was a true best-of-the state showcase that proved, once again, that the Apple Isle is bursting at the seams with pure unbridled talent. No-one would’ve envied the difficult task the panel faced in selecting five bands to play at The Falls Music & Arts Festival in Marion Bay. With so much incredible talent on offer, and a superbly engrossed and welcoming crowd filling the venues with dance and applause, both evenings were hugely entertaining and successful, thanks to the performances of The Stoics, Nathan Wheldon & the Two Timers, Invisible Boy, The Staunches and the Muddy Turds at Irish Murphy’s (Launceston); and at The Republic Bar (Hobart), Lincoln le Fevre & the Insiders, Ivy St, Bone Rattlers, mdusu&dameza and Enola Fall.

Satanicus - Final Vocals A few weeks ago we attempted to track the final vocals for the Satanicus EP. But, due to a stuffy nose and sore throat, We didn’t capture much magic that day. Macca (singer) returned this week with a full recovery. He basically unleashed hell into the studio microphone, resulting in raspy, brutal vocals. The project is almost complete. Hang in there... it’s gonna be good! THURS, OCTOBER 9

Show Day - Vulgar Sessions No show rides this year... Any public holiday has the potential for a good studio day (except Christmas) - straight into the Vulgar recording sessions that day. We worked on pre-production for two songs, closely studying guitar harmonies and vocal melodies. Next day came the pain, with recording the final drum takes. Both songs were quite lengthy deriving from their traditional thrash metal influence. The drum sound is great, with a meaty snare and buoyant toms. No drum samples or editing for these guys... they want to keep it raw! Stay tuned...

These acts will be sharing The Falls Festival stages with the likes of such brilliant international and national greats as; Franz Ferdinand(UK); The Hives (Sweden); Sharon Jones and The Dap-Kings (USA); The Cat Empire; The Kooks (UK); The Grates; Gomez (UK); Tegan & Sara (Canada); Fleet Foxes (USA); Blue King Brown, Ash Grunwald; Donavon Frankenreiter (USA) and Augie March with many, many more. A huge thanks to the bands, to Edge Radio, and for those that came and supported such great, state-grown talent. Tickets to the Falls Festival in Tasmanian sold out in less than five days. There are still limited tickets available for full festival ticket holders to the hip-happening Bayside hustle, The Falls Funk’n’Soul Revue on December 29th. Spinning the platters that matter comes this country’s finest funk and soul DJ’s; vintage 45’s all the way from the Deep South of the US of A, to the deep dwellings of the Apple Isle, for a hip shakin’ par-tay! Come and set-up your primo camp spot a day early and bring those go-go dancing’ shoes!

Jam Music is again proudly presenting your favourite summer party - Good Vibrations Festival 2009! Some of the acts to look out for this year include: Fatboy Slim, The Presets, The Roots, DeadMau5, Sam Sparro, Roni Size, Chromeo, Stanton Warriors, The Potbelleez, Kid Kenobi, Micky Slim, Yelle, Wale, The Cuban Brothers, Rico Tubbs, Mike Relm, and Supernatural. Look out for a festival near you… Sydney, Centennial Park - Saturday 14 February Melbourne, The Nursery, Flemington Racecourse* Sunday 15 February Gold Coast, Parklands Showgrounds* – Saturday 21 February Perth, Heirisson Island* - Sunday 22 February Tickets are on sale NOW and can be obtained from: www.gvf.com.au (All shows) www.moshtix.com.au / 1300 GET TIX (438 849) and Moshtix outlets (All shows) Ticket price: $129.00 + BF For all updates please go to: http://www.gvf.com.au

increasing in profile and popularity among competitors and audiences. The competition is open to musicians under 21. In 2008, for the first time in the history of the prize a vocalist, rather than an instrumentalist, won the first prize. Siobhan O’Rourke was also the first woman to win. For the young vocalist, there were many advantages in being a competitor. “Of course the obvious benefit, if you win, is the money. That’s helpful in lots of ways,” said Ms O’Rourke. “Other than that, it is a great opportunity for your peers to see what you are capable of, that you have reached a certain standard. You are instantly able to interact with a new circle of musicians.” James Maddock, a long time industry supporter of the competition, assisted the finalists by featuring them with his band the James Maddock Swing 4 at the Queens Head in North Hobart. There are also workshops held for performers. “We do as much as we can to get the competitors in a performance mode, so they are playing less in competition style and more to entertain a crowd,” said Maddock. The competition final is held in February 2009 as part of the Clarence Jazz Festival, offering a $1000 first prize and $500 encouragement award. Another addition to the 2009 final will be an Audience Choice Award. Entries close on Friday, 14 November. Competition information and entry forms are available from the Clarence City Council website at www.ccc.tas.gov.au or by phoning 6245 8651. WHAT: 2009 Young Jazz Players Competition WHEN: Entries close 14 November 2008 Final 20 February 2009 at the Clarence Jazz Festival WHO: 2008 winner Siobhan O’Rourke is available for interview

YOUTH WALK AND SUMMIT

A walk and summit will feature as part of this year’s North East Rivers Festival to help raise awareness about preventable deaths in young people. The walk commences at the foot of Mount Stronach in Scottsdale on October 18, 10:30am.

COMPETITION OPENS DOORS FOR YOUNG MUSICIANS

Now in its fifth year, the competition has gradually been

Afterwards, the Summit Youth Concert will commence at 4pm at North East Park, Scottsdale, featuring Daniel Bicanski, Grrr, and Uncommon Energy.

The Young Jazz Players Competition, a centrepiece of the Clarence Jazz Festival, is now open to entrants.

CDs and DVDs

New + Second Hand 37 Wilson St Bur nie ph: 03 6431 6616 SAUCE #79

Lincoln le Fevre & the Insiders

Once at the top, those involved will be able to discuss the issue over a free BBQ sponsored by Rotary. The summit talks will be recorded for delivery to State and Federal politicians.

COLLECTOR’S CORNER

Bone Rattlers

With both the overwhelming response from applicants and the extremely high standard of talent showcased, it was a difficult decision. But without further ado, we are pleased to announce that taking the stage at The Falls Music & Arts Festival 2008 are; the musically evolving, catchy pop from The Stoics; the formidable folk rock sound and pulse pounding stage show of Enola Fall; the perfectly potent & engaging indie-rock-roots collective Lincoln le Fevre & the Insiders; rockin’ the 50’s rockabilly revival, the Bone Rattlers; and the melting pot of acoustic pop-roots from Nathan Wheldon & the Two Timers.

GOOD VIBRATIONS FESTIVAL LINEUP WED, OCTOBER 8

Enola Fall

392 - 394 Elizabeth St. North Hobart Ph: 03 6234 5975

#79 - October 15 to 28

Nathan Wheldon & the Two Timers For more information visit: http://www.neriversfestival.com.au

NAVY SONG BATTLE – SAVE US FROM THE VILLAGE PEOPLE!

The Australian Navy has a new mission on its radar: to create an inspiring new Navy anthem and unearth exciting new Australian talent. The Navy Song Battle invites Australian musicians of all genres to write a song that evokes the emotion, adventure and camaraderie of a Navy career. The winning song will underpin the Navy’s new recruitment campaign to be launched early in 2009. The competition is open now and songs can be entered up until 27 October 2008. Throughout the entry phase of the competition fans can vote for their favourites. Carl Riseley, former Australian Idol finalist and member of the Australian Navy, said the Navy Song Battle is a fantastic launching pad for Australian talent. “My own experience is an example of how things can change with a single opportunity. My music career was given a kick-start by Idol and I have recently released my debut album, The Rise, which entered the national ARIA charts at Number 5,” said Carl. “As a member of the Australian Navy, the Navy Song Battle is close to my heart. We are calling on Australian musicians to save us from the tired association with the Village People’s In the Navy!” “The winning song will be a modern anthem to inspire my Navy colleagues, celebrate their courage and dedication and pay tribute to the vital role they play both in Australia and internationally.” A panel of industry professionals will judge the most popular song entries and select the winning track, which will be announced in early November 2008. The artist will fly to Melbourne and spend time in studio with a top industry producer to develop the selected track into the new Navy recruitment anthem, with the chance to be broadcast to Australians across the nation via a major ad campaign. For more information go to: http://www.myspace.com/navysongbattle

HIP-HOP - MELBOURNE // MUPH AND PLUTONIC

Sobriety its Own Reward

of people do the ‘’n’ like Bliss ‘n Esso. That’s been an ongoing o“Heaps thing. Heaps of people think it’s ‘’n’,” says Dan, otherwise known

as Muph (sometimes) from the frequently improperly titled Muph and Plutonic. But there are more important things to worry about. “I used to care. I don’t care anymore. I get called Murph heaps. Murph and Plutonic. I’m used to it.” SAUCE thinks that it’s a strangely melancholic to say, despite the smile in his voice.

Sounds like you’ve been battling a few inner demons… Yeah, it’s an ongoing thing. I guess a lot of people have their own inner demons so hopefully they’ll get something out of that song too. I empathise with you. I’m also not alone in that sort of stuff. It seems to be a condition humans are stuck with. We’ve been getting “out of it” since they invented red wine… Yeah, I know, and it seems to be increasing these days as well. Not to be too negative, but with the way the world is these days there’s a lot to worry about and stress about, and I guess it has even more appeal these days to just switch off for a moment and not think about it. But unfortunately it can get kind of addictive so, yeah… There seems to be a lot of double standards in our society as well, in terms of what’s a legal and an illegal way to escape. Just a couple of days ago here, some brothers were sentenced to twelve months jail for growing a marijuana plantation. One of the things the judge said was that they had “intent to profit from harming the community.” What the heck is the difference between that and an alcohol brewer or a cigarette company? That’s exactly right. It’s just the government need to be

able to put a tax on it and make some money out of it. It’s all drugs really. To me, they’re all on a similar scale really. They can all have a big impact on someone’s life and take over, so I don’t see any difference between that and selling at your local bottle shop. I guess, if it can’t be governed, then they wanna ban it. There’s a great Public Enemy song called 99 Bottles and it was about a drug store and liquor store on every corner in the black communities and how they were systematic institutionalised ways of keeping people in line… subservient. These days every drug is readily available anyway and it’s in your face so. For me, it’s kind of like gambling. It’s unfortunate that some of us have addictions to certain things but at the end of the day it’s gotta be our choice to actually change that. You can’t avoid it these days, there are temptations everywhere, so… you’ve gotta work out for yourself what you can handle and what you can’t handle and deal with it that way. How do you find strength to resist temptation? To be totally honest, it’s been the last four years I’ve had this roller-coaster ride with alcohol, in particular. I guess, now, it’s got to the breaking point with me where it was almost at the point where I could be pissing away my whole career… for a while, it was like I didn’t want to let other people down, but then I realised it was me that I was letting down, so it was me that had to make that change. I’m getting help as well. I can’t do this by myself, y’know? I don’t wanna wake up in five year’s time and have wasted a whole possible career so; I guess it’s the music, in the end, that’s actually keeping me focussed. It’s a vicious cycle – you feel guilty or frustrated with yourself for doing these things and that predisposes you to drink again, I guess… Yeah. Guilt is a big part of it. There’s a lot of guilt involved with being a musician. Even after the shows, if

“… in Th vo er lv e’ m ed s a l us wi ot ic th o ia b f g n… ei u ” ng ilt a

In that vein, where did the track Beautiful Ugly come from? That song started with the beat first… It’s pretty upbeat and I guess it’s got that pretty bouncy vibe to it. I thought, with the subject matter, it kind of contrasts with that [so] I could do a more serious topic but do it in a more playful way. It’s about the effects of alcohol and drugs – any form of escapism that people crave and how ugly it can make us, and yet it has a beautiful appeal, that escapism, and that numbness has a beautiful appeal but can make things quite ugly. There’s a big part of myself in that song.

you don’t go and talk to the audience and hang out with them you can walk away from that show that you didn’t show them the attention that you think they deserve and so forth. You feel bad, so you have another drink and so forth, so it’s just a matter of dealing with that.

totally sober and am looking forward to continuing that throughout the rest of my career. And you get much more of a buzz and an adrenalin rush as well. I kind of like that nervous energy before shows these days. sDAVID WILLIAMS

It’s a lot of pressure, isn’t it; to do what you think is the “right thing?” Yeah, but at the end of the day, the music in itself, and the audience, are rewarding. For me, it’s better to enjoy that from a straighter perspective. But you know, it’s a lot of fun and games touring and that, so I’m just looking forward to the last few shows [which] I’ve done

Catch Muph and Plutonic on: 0 October 17 @ The Batman Fawkner 0 October 18 @ The Republic Bar Listen to more at www.sauce.net.au

SAUCE #79

THE AGONY AND THE ECSTASY With Adam of All Fires the Fire

“Carl and I have been playing music together for a few years, in and out of bands, punctuated by stints of travelling and studying,” says Adam Ouston of Hobart’s All Fires the Fire. “It’s difficult to keep a group of young people together - everyone’s restless. But this band has a different feel to it. More settled, I think. We have certain ideas that we’d like to explore and we’re going about it slowly and practically. We all have different tastes in music that intersect when we’re writing songs.” And you’ll get to hear the results on their new album, The Longest Night, coming soon. What was the most challenging thing about creating your new album? We wanted to record an album as opposed to an EP, so there were two major challenges for us. First was getting the songs to a stage where we were happy to record them in the timeframe we gave ourselves. The second came from the fact that we wanted to do it ourselves - record, produce, everything. So we had to get our heads around that. The main thing was settling on a sound we wanted to go for. And that didn’t come until after we’d recorded all the tracks. We were amazed at what could be done in the studio. Well, some of us were. Chris did the production, so he knew what could be done. We tried lots of different things that changed the songs completely. We thought about each song so much that we ran the danger of losing perspective on the whole thing. So, in the end, we decided to stick with the sound we knew, what we knew worked given the feedback we’d received at our shows. Ultimately we did away with many of the tricks we were thinking of using. I guess it’s a confidence thing. As our belief is the songs grew, our need to tinker endlessly with them diminished. What particular track are you most proud of and why? We each have our favourites. I think mine is I am a Strange Loop. It’s incredibly sparse but has this tribal beat behind an eerie keyline. There aren’t any cymbals in it either, which gives a trance feel to it. It’s interesting to see when we play it live how people dance differently to it than any of our other songs. When you take away that pop drumbeat by removing the cymbals, it effects the way people move. What was the lowest point during the making of the album for you, and why? The lowest point was when we’d done all the tracking and realised how much work lay ahead of us. We knew a lot of things would be trial and error. And mixing and EQ’ing is so time-consuming. Chris and I would sometimes spend a whole night just getting the bass sounding right. So I guess when we emerged from the studio and looked up at the mountain of work we had to do, it was daunting. There were times when I thought we’d never get it done. What was the highest point during the making of the album for you, and why? Doing the recording ourselves meant we had full control and that we didn’t have to explain what we wanted to an outside party, which, of course, has its pro’s and cons. But we did our best not to indulge ourselves and listen to the mixes too much during this time. Naturally, we listened to them in the studio, but we left them there at the end of each day. So the highest point, for me, was when we burnt the mixed, but unmastered tracks onto a CD and I took it home and listened to it in full. Suddenly we had this thing that I thought was going to turn out like some kind of glossy, tarted-up demo, but which came out as what we’d all been hearing in our heads over the past few months. Describe to me the journey you hope people will go on as they listen to the album? We were pretty particular about the order of the tracks. There are definitely two sides to it. And there’s a definite beginning/middle/end. As for a journey I’m not so sure, but hopefully the album as a whole creates some sort of impression where each song adds another piece to the overall mood. What were some of the things that influenced you (as in other literature, music, art, culture) during the making of the album? I’m influenced a lot by literature. I’ve spent most of my adult life writing stories and novels, mostly unpublishable. Somehow, when I read something great, I want to capture it. And given that it’s already been done in prose I try to let it influence my part of our music. Music often comes to me when I’m reading. Not sure how it happens. So I try to grasp it when I can. All Fires the Fire’s launch The Longest Night on: 0 October 17 @ The Brisbane Hotel 8

SAUCE #79

CITY RIOTS // RIOTS BY THE NUMBERS

he indie four-piece from Adelaide flew overseas in May of this year to play the Great Escape Festival in the UK. The band was part of a stellar line up including The Wombats, Vampire Weekend, and The Futureheads, as well as playing sideshows at the Camden Barfly, and international pop festival in Liverpool. Following the three-week British tour, the band came back to Australia for ten days to play three shows before heading across the Pacific to play a five-week tour of the United States, taking in Milwaukee’s Summerfest with The Bravery, Wave Gathering Festival in Asbury Park, New Jersey and a load of side shows along the east coast. Driving over 12,500 km’s in five weeks, the band struck it lucky with their 20-year-old Dodge van with salmon pink interior, breaking down just the once.

were recorded while staying at a Value Inn motel in Wisconsin while the van was getting fixed after it broke down in the middle of nowhere leaving two members having to hike to get help.

The first track from the EP Burning Me Out was recorded in the US at Dragonfly Studios, Virginia and has just been added to rotation on Triple J and has helped the band grab the feature artist spot on Triple J’s Unearthed. The keyboard and synths tracks

City Riots have just signed on with New Jersey-based artist management company The Underground Management. The band will be heading back to the US in January 2009 to record the debut album. City Riots will be on the road with SomethingWith Numbers in

October and November. The new EP from City Riots will be out November 1st 2008. City Riots tour dates with Something With Numbers: 0 16 October @ Batman Fawkner 0 17 October @ Siroccos 0 18 October @ Brisbane Hotel, 018 October @ Brisbane Hotel (U18s) 019 October @ Batman Fawkner

There’s Always Something ... WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 15 Mick Attard Sara Jane *

WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 22 Glen Moorehouse The Stoics *

THURDAY OCTOBER 16 Brief Illusion

THURSDAY OCTOBER 23 Tash & Caz

FRIDAY OCTOBER 17 3 Some

FRIDAY OCTOBER 24 Pocket Rocket

SATURDAY OCTOBER 18 Long Way Home

SATURDAY OCTOBER 25 Captain O'Brien's Craic

SUNDAY OCTOBER 19 Ben Castles Nathan Wheldon Long Way Home

SUNDAY OCTOBER 26 Ciaran van den Berg, Glen Moorehouse Pocket Rocket

MONDAY OCTOBER 20 Carl Fidler

MONDAY OCTOBER 27 Ben Castles

TUESDAY OCTOBER 21 Hamish & Sara

TUESDAY OCTOBER 28 Nathan Wheldon

... Happening At Irish Murphy’s L I V E M U S I C 7 DAY S 3 BARS / FUNCTIONS AVAILABLE / RESTAURANT WOOD FIRED PIZZAS / LOG FIRES / ROOFTOP BAR OUTSIDE

211 BRISBANE ST LAUNCESTON 6331 4440

PUNK – LAUNCESTON // WOOF WOOF

Cartoonish Crooners Churn out Choons what might be the peak of their musical career, Launceston’s “experimental punk-rock” band, Woof Woof, oAtgraciously stopped laughing and hugging each other in an experimental way to answer a few questions about their

history and sexual proclivities. “Some random guys calling themselves DFFW asked us to play our first real gig,” says Matt Hyde, lead vocalist and monkey-wrangler. “They didn’t seem to like us. And it’s all been down hill from there.” Who has the most groupies in your band? Matt + Saward: BREWER!! To what do you attribute their success with the ladeez? Matt: Dreads! Saward: And a cracker ass! (Quotes gathered from “actual” women: “Animal magnetism, lovely, lovely smile, well proportioned, lovely body, nice/lovely ass.”) What’s the most obscene thing anyone’s ever threatened/promised to do to you? Brewer: Once upon a time we were invited to attend a vegan BBQ. That was pretty obscene. Can’t remember what happened there but don’t remember attending… Thanks Sarah V., you hippy! Matt/Saward: Well I don’t know if it counts but we were once forced to watch a man lovingly fellate/eat an entire ice-cream... that was rather obscene.

What’s a random fact about each member of the band that nobody really knows? Brewer: Saward has a hideously disfigured chin under that beard. Matt: Saward has a REALLY hideously disfigured beard over that chin. Saward: Brewer has a hideously disfigured head under those dreads. (Everyone laughs gayly again) Matt: Brewer is unnaturally hairy. His pelt is like that of a wombat. Hmmm... When I was seven I stayed over at the house of a girl I liked. I stole her pillowcase. I still have it! Finally, which 80’s cartoon character most closely

relates to each member of the band and why? Matt: Brewer is definitely Spotty from Super Ted. Don’t ask me why, but he is! Saward would be Yosemite Sam, same beard, same love of firearms, same dress sense and the same political views. And me? That’s obvious, Josie from Josie and the Pussy Cats. She was a lead singer in a band, I’m a lead singer in a band, she wore a skintight one-piece spandex leopard suit; I wear a skin-tight one-piece spandex leopard suit… Exactly the same in every way. sCHRIS RATTRAY

IN THE BAR

Wednesday October 15

Nick Warren Thursday October 16

Live music Friday October 17

Mick Attard Saturday October 18

Get scared with Woof Woof: 0 October 25 @ The Hub Bar

Sara and Hamish Wednesday October 22

Marita Mangano Thursday October 23

Sara Jane and Nathan Wheldon

When was the last time you ever attended an event in costume? Matt: Ahh... The good old days! Actually, quite boringly, the last time was probably last Halloween... But it was definitely our thing for a while there.

Friday October 24

Mark Vincent and Glenn Moorhouse

What was the event, and why did you choose that particular costume? Matt: It was the ever-colossal DFFW Halloween party! (Happening again in conjunction with Hobart’s Halloween Havoc at The Hub October 25). We went as old ladies, in theme with our hit tune, Old Lady, complete with rather droopy boobies.

Saturday October 25

The Titz

Wednesday October 29

Open Mic Night

THE FIRST AND LAST With Sara Jane

Thursday October 30

Mick Attard

aunceston born Sara Jane’s always been singing and performing in some capacity since, well, forever. You might have seen her around town solo or as part of the duo, Sara and Hamish. You may also see her around soon with a whole bunch of other people. The collective noun for a group of musicians, “band”, could possibly be applied to the latter. What else does a muso do after releasing an EP but form one of these? But what shaped Sara Jane? And why do I always think of Doctor Who when I hear her name?

GREAT FOOD

OPEN MIC NIGHT

THE LAST WEDNESDAY

OF EVERY MONTH

OPEN 7 DAYS

14 Brisbane Street, Launceston 6331 5346

The first album I ever bought was… I am pretty it was No Doubt’s, Tragic Kingdom. and I had to buy it because… it was awesome! It’s probably one of my most-played albums! The last gig I went to was… Gyroscope and Shihad! and something I’ll never forget about it was… how captivating and crowd-pleasing they were. I hadn’t heard much of them really; only bought my ticket at the last minute, but they had so much energy and charisma. I was entertained so much even though they weren’t probably someone I would normally listen to. Now that I have seen them live however I will buy their CD’s. It is so important to captivate people and relate to people when you are performing, no matter what the genre. Well, [that’s what]I think anyway! The first music video I remember seeing was… Goodness, I really have to rewind the brain for that one! I think it was either Don’t Speak by No Doubt or Wannabe by The Spice Girls… [Laughs] Talk about chalk and cheese there! and they made an impression on me because of… how much fun it looked! It made me want to make a film clip one day! That would be awesome! The last movie that made me cry hysterically or laugh maniacally was… Forgetting Sarah Marshall. and it really got to me because… it was the funniest thing I have seen in a long time! The first mixtape I ever made had on it… a mix of oldies and the newbies at the time, most likely ranging from Metallica to Savage Garden to the Grease Mega Mix to The Beatles. Wow, that’s broad! and I gave it to… I didn’t give it to anyone! I made it for myself! The last time I ever did something special to music… I was writing a new song yesterday.

and I was with… me myself and I. generally always write by myself! The first band I was in was called… Friction. and we’re not together anymore because… we all moved to different states for study and work thus unable to continue playing together. The last three tracks I listened to were? 1. Starlight – Muse (I’m learning it to teach to one of my high school vocal groups) 2. We are the Champions - Queen 3. UFO – Sneaky Sound System Which track holds any kind of significance for you and why? As far as other artists go, I guess not so much hold a significance, but maybe just that, at the time, I can relate to or that it makes me feel a certain way would be

Imagine by John Lennon. Some people think this song is about death and sadness but to me I think it shows faith and trying to find peace at a time when everything is going wrong in the world and living in hope and in the moment. Great song! Also, Master Blaster by Stevie Wonder – that song just always make me wanna groove. The funky bass line and overlapping melodies - it’s just cool and I purely just enjoy it! Fields of Gold by Eva Cassidy - one of my most influential artists. Makes me think about life and not to be too critical. No one is perfect and we all make mistakes - it’s how we learn from them. Catch Sara Jane (with her new band!): 0 October 15 @ Irish Murphy’s (Launceston) 0 October 24 @ The Hub Bar http:// www.myspace.com/sarajanemusic SAUCE #79

“vilah” a …“H is in Hebrew gold’… ‘plates of ”

ROCK - MELBOURNE // THE DRONES

Latest Album a Real Rush

Drones are far from a drone to listen to. Inventive and original, their latest album, Havilah will be on show, as will their single, The Minotaur, oThe when they play their upcoming show in Hobart. Guitarist Dan Luscombe gave David Williams a glimpse into the making of the album… What parallels are between your single The Minotaur with the greek legend of the minotaur? I didn’t write the lyrics .. The song is called The Minotour because there’s an analogy drawn between the mythical beast and Generation Z kids who’ve grown up ... pause ... sorry, I’ve just woken up. You can ask me a question about guitar ... Hah. hah Yes, the mythical beast the minotaur, who was sentenced to imprisonment in a maze. And there’s a parallel drawn between kids who’ve grown up with the internet as part of their life, and certain parts of the generation who’ve decided to lose themselves in the maze of media and internet and become relatively anti-social as a result. Where does the word “Havilah” come from? It

sounds Judaic. It’s Hebrew, but it also happens to be the name of the town that we recorded in. Gareth and Fiona rent a property up that way. It’s in the sub-alpine region of Victoria. It’s about a 25 to 30 minute drive from the nearest town, the nearest shops and there’s no mobile phone reception. No electricity. We had to record the whole album with a generator. It is an old gold mining town. In the 1860’s, for only about five or six years, it was a gold-rush town and they set up shanties. So how did the recording of the album in those conditions affect it? Well, the house itself was incredibly conducive to recording. It’s an open plan house with lots of room going off to the side, so we could isolate everybody, see everybody. And it was just the four of us and Burke, our

engineer, stuck out there for two weeks with an album to make. It was a great thing in a lot of ways, that there weren’t any distractions. Any cabin fever? Absolutely. At the end of it everyone was dying to leave. Mike even left early. We had to call him back because there was a drum part that he forgot to finish. It was hilarious. He drove three and a half hours back to Melbourne, went out partying with his mates and we called him up and said, you’ve got to come back in the morning. I bet he was happy about that. No, he wasn’t. Not at all. It was fun to make, though. Just a long time to be hanging out with the same four people, and no one else.

When you say, “fight”, to what degree this manifest? Heated discussion. No fisticuffs. Not an all-out melee? No, we’re not that kind of band. sDAVID WILLIAMS Go get droned: 0 October 7 @ The Republic Bar

BRIAN MCFADDEN

NOISEWORKS SATURDAY NOVEMBER 1 WREST POINT ENTERTAINMENT CENTRE* TEX PERKINS

How did you avoid issues or tensions escalating? Well, we didn’t. But we generally get along pretty well. We’re pretty honest with each other and everyone can take a degree of honesty. I think we only had one fight during the album. It wasn’t too bad.

SCREAMING JETS

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SAUCE #79

*Over 18 show only

DJ PROFILE: DJ SPIN EASY

arlem-born, DJ Spin Easy’s resume reads like a who’s who of stardom – he’s opened for Snoop Dogg on his 2006 world tour, opened for Ice Cube’s Aussie show in 2007 and was the official DJ for the Hip Hop Honeys Tour in Europe and and Australia. He took some time out from the honeys and writing his new book to let us in on his funtastic life ahead of his visit to Tassie this month…

How’d you get into DJ’ing ? I was in Brazil and I realized the DJ was horrible and I got to think ing, “I could do this myself!” – and the rest is history. What residency have you had lately that’s really rocked your world and why? Darwin – Discovery Club – wow! Also Buenos Aires, Argentina – Culture Club – off da hook. Brazil is always bangin’… What’s the thing that most blows your mind about DJ’ing? The love that people all over the world have for music. It sends chills through me when the hot song or a classic

comes on that I play and the crowd ooohs and aaahhs.. Where have you gone that you thought you’d never go as a result of being a DJ? Ummm - a lot of travel – I’ve spun in like forty countries around the world – every liveable continent. I also met my better half on tour as well… and yes, she’s an Aussie… once you go Aussie you never go back, J! What was the most insanely wild thing you saw or did during the European tour with the Hip-Hop Honeys? A lot of half naked women having fun with each other… How does someone get to be classified as a Hip Hop

Honey anyway? Hahaha – well they have to be able to shake their ass to hip hop and be a cutie! What’s the craziest thing you’ve done opening for Snoop Dogg? Nothing crazy – but exciting was opening up for him in front of 30,000 South Africans. What’s the most random thing anyone’s ever asked of you in your capacity as a DJ? Strip while you play…! Out of everything you’ve been doing lately, what’s been the most challenging and/or rewarding?

My book, titled My Life is a Paid Vacation, has been great to write with my writer – reflecting on everything. Also I am starting a weekly night on the Gold Coast – a NYC style party at Club Twenty1 – for the grown and sexy. What was the last album or track you heard that you can’t get out of your head and why? Dope Boys, The Game – wow! It’s insane. The beat is crazy… classic Dr. Dre style beat – and the game is flowwiinnggg… Get into Dj Spin Easy’s floooowwwwww… 0 October 16 @ Irish Murphy’s (Hobart)

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SAUCE #79

DJ PROFILE: DJ PHIL K

e saved enough cash from work at a fast food chain for his first turntable in 1984, and now his name is whispered on the lips of his peers, from Sasha to Meat Katie. Phil K, one of this county’s most talented D and VJ’s brings his unforgettable creativity to Syrup this month.

How’d you get into DJ’ing – I believe it involves a lot of hard graft and fast food? I used to carry my records to local gigs in the 80’s in a Coles trolley... hard graft, I guess. I had the most records at school and turntables so I was the kid that played at all the parties. What residency have you had lately that’s really rocked your world and why? I have been playing monthly in a city called Ciudad Juarez in Mexico over the last year, which is probably one of the most dangerous cities in the world right now but one of the most incredible audiences you can ever imagine. What release have you been working on lately and how would you describe it? Last track I did was with Habersham and it was a

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remix of Pellet by AMB from Hungary... I would call it “awkward techno”.

“The universe and stupidity are infinite…” - Albert Einstein.

What’s the most random thing that happened to you on your recent overseas trip? Meeting “Mr Nice” Howard Marks at Glastonbury festival UK and hanging out for hours listening to his old war stories

What’s the most culturally different thing you’ve ever seen on a dancefloor? When I was touring China I was regularly going to places where there was not any westerners anywhere. It never ceased to amaze me that the only way I could ever truly communicate with any of my audience was only when I was playing music. I guess it’s not culturally different but just proves that music and the beat is a primordial instinct and that we are all the same.

What was the oddest request anyone made of you while you were away and what did you do? “Can you play some Irish folk music?” I asked them if they had heard anything in the last hour that vaguely resembled it... they said no, so I then asked what made them think they I would be carrying any of it and what were the chances I would play it...

Where’s your home-away-from-home and why? London... coz I can get around and have amazing friends… Juarez Mexico coz I love those people and they love me... Greece, coz I can communicate and my family is from there.

Out of everything you’ve been doing lately, what’s been the most challenging and/or rewarding? Getting engaged to an incredible woman called Georgia. What was the last album or track you heard that you can’t get out of your head and why? Sylvester, Rock the Box 1984... coz it’s real electro with an amazing voice and soul. Who do you hope to see in the crowd at your gigs? Friendly faces, which I love seeing smile!

Go smile at DJ Phil K on: 0 October 25 @ Syrup

HIP HOP – BLUE MOUNTAINS // HERMITUDE

Change is Instrumental on New Album

Threads we wanted to change up our style of production a little - playing a lot more instruments on the album and less samples from records,” o“For says Hermitude’s Elgusto, speaking about the differences to their earlier work punters can expect on their new release, Threads. “I played more drums, bass and guitar while Dubs went further into synth-land and even some vocals. This, in itself, changes up the sound quite a lot I think.”

How much of an effect do you think the current love of electro in Australia has had on your work on this album? Electro has always been a part of Hermitude in a kind of way, but probably more of the older TR808 kind of stuff. We aren’t so into the new trashy electro-rock that’s around at the moment. If there’s any type of sound that’s influenced us a little more this time around it’s Dubstep or the Future beats stuff coming out of LA and the west coast of the States. Why did you take off to Shanghai and China, just when the album was released? It was just a timing thing. We were in Japan on a joint tour with Urthboy and then all of a sudden an offer comes up from a crew called Free the Wax in China, so off we went to China. It was interesting having the album come out and not being in the country for it, but we’ll be back in a couple of days now to do the national Threadbare tour, it’s always sweet coming back to Australia and rocking home shows. How did the trip to Asia affect you, professionally? It’s always a learning experience touring internationally and I enjoy it a lot. It was our third time to Japan and each time we manage to take another step in furthering ourselves “professionally” over there – both with performances and potential release opportunities. And personally? Personally, it’s inspiring for me. I always come back oozing with creative thoughts and just can’t wait to get back to the drawing board. What is your favourite track on the album and why? It’s hard to listen to the album straight after it’s been completed cause you’ve just spent months in the studio creating and then mixing it and by the time you’re done you’ve heard each track 3000 times. But I’d have to say for me the one track that I have listened to every now and then is Frayed. It is the first time that I wrote a track

from scratch just sitting in front of a piano (some song writers probably find that really strange) and I love Steve Clisby’s vocals on it - he’s got an amazing voice plus it has a very personal meaning for me and in a quiet way is dedicated to my uncle who left us last year. To what extent did you guys have a master plan for this album? There was definitely an urge to make this album different to any other Hermitude release. We didn’t want to make another album that people would expect from us and we wanted progress personally in our arranging and production styles. Both myself and Luke have grown up playing instruments (drums and keys) and we wanted to reveal that side of us a bit more this time round. How did the finished product match the master plan? It’s funny when an album starts taking shape and those sketches of ideas start turning into whole songs and pieces. For me it’s never quite what you imagine in the first place. I like that though - it’s really interesting to see what you end up with because in the end, that’s your creativity in a neat little package. How will your gigs be performed, on this tour? It must be hard to re-create the tracks without all the MC’s. It does create some limitations but out of those limitations you can usually find a creative way to deal with it. We are predominantly instrumental so the show is actually built to be performed without MC’s – so, in essence, the show is actually different with the vocalists. The limitations of instrumental music are also its strengths – we’ve had to learn how to put together an engaging set that moves and even more importantly, makes your body move. It’s great fun. sDAVID WILLIAMS

Catch Hermitude on: 0 November 1 @ The Brisbane Hotel

DJ PROFILE: DJ DAN MURPHY

ith international experience and a classically trained musical background, DJ Dan Murphy has played some of the biggest dance events and most exclusive private parties in the country… and he’s coming to Tasmania to rock your box at TasPride’s Halloween Party!

How’d you get into DJ’ing ? My best friend taught me to DJ when I lived in London back in 2001. I moved to Sydney just over five years ago and got a big break at Arq Nightclub, then things have grown from there.

you and why? The Bangles’ debut album and John Farnham’s Whispering Jack were the first ever cassettes I bought, and Prince’s Diamonds & Pearls was the first CD. I still know them back to front to this day!

What residency have you had lately that’s really rocked your world and why? In August I had the privilege of playing at a friend’s wedding in Ibiza. The wedding was beautiful, the weather was perfect and the people were absolutely fantastic. It was fun from start to finish!

Who is the most famous person you’ve partied with most recently and where was it? David Guetta and Bob Sinclar at Pacha in Ibiza. Sure, they had absolutely no idea who I was or that I was even there, but they were DJing up a storm.

What have been some of your greatest achievements behind the decks? Being able to consume my body-weight in alcohol while remaining standing is a big one... just kidding! I’m very lucky to be able to work as a DJ full-time, and I love it so it’s great to have a job I love to go to each day. What’s the last place you played where the crowd went completely off the planet? Phoenix Rising in Sydney. It’s a day-club and the crowd is always up for a great time. What three albums have the most significance to

What are three random facts about the city you’re currently in, or the last city you’ve visited overseas? I’m currently in London, random facts, hmm... 1. It’s been sunny for the last two days which they keep telling me is not normal and not to get used to it. 2. The tube smells exactly the same as it did six years ago. 3. The American tourists are the loudest of the lot! What’s the oddest thing or request anyone’s ever asked of you in your capacity as a DJ? “Can you play something significant?” or the girl that was gurning so hard that she just came up to the booth

and chewed her face for a while before looking very confused that I was looking at her before wandering off without saying anything. Out of everything you’ve been doing lately, what’s been the most challenging and/or rewarding? It’s always challenging playing at new venues or parties, but the most rewarding when the crowd enjoys it. What was the last album or track you heard that you can’t get out of your head and why? And I Try by Bimbo Jones. The vocals are fab, the lyrics are perfect and it’s like an electric shock to the dancefloor. What are you most looking forward to about playing at the TasPride Halloween Party in Hobart? Last time I was in Tassie the people were so friendly and fun and I had an absolute hoot, so I can’t wait to play in that atmosphere again for a pride function.

Go have a hoot with Dan Murphy at the TasPride Festival Halloween Party! 0 November 1 @ Hotel SOHO

SAUCE #79

ROCK - SYDNEY // NOISEWORKS

MORE THAN A MOUTHFUL - EDWARD GUGLIELMINO

A Rock Band With the Works

the band’s rockin’! Just being with the guys again, it’s good,” says Jon Stevens of iconic Aussie o“Mate, band, Noiseworks, about what’s great about being in the band right now. “It’s not like when we were in our twenties, it’s a lot more easy, a lot more communicative, a lot more sober, you know what I mean?”

“… in Yo ho , a u pe nd sho th yo w u u co at p pl p, m eo ay plu e… pl a g ” e w nd ill

A lot of bands break up – you guys haven’t. Why do you think that is? Because we’ve been broken up for like, sixteen years, so coming back together is still quite fresh. We came back together last year and did a bit of a tour… so there’s still an enthusiasm. It seemed like a good idea at the time. We did a charity gig out in Newcastle, which Barnesy was meant to do, but he got a bit sick and he couldn’t do it, and they called me, and I said I’d try and get Noiseworks together, because it’s a charity. You want to get as many people as you can get and raise as much money as you can raise. Fortunately, the other boys in Noiseworks went yeah, so we played the gig and decided to move on and do some more shows together. That’s pretty much where it started and that’s pretty much where it’s at now. We’re playing because we wanna play. Some people out there look at bands who’ve gotten back together after a long time and are cynical about it – do you bother addressing that sort of cynicism? Mate, it’s the Australian way, isn’t it – to be cynical about everything but sport! I really couldn’t give a shit. That’s just irrelevant. I just want to make music with the people I wanna make it with. I’m fortunate. I do what I do because I want to – it’s as simple as that and I count my blessings and I’m very fortunate and grateful to be a working musician in this day and age… after all this time, to still be working, it’s a blessing. What plans do you have? For the future, we have a new album on the back of this tour – Noiseworks, Live ‘n Loud, which is our first live album, it’s coinciding with this tour. We have one new track on there but it’s a live album we recorded towards the end of October last year in Melbourne. We’re working on new tracks with the possibility of doing a new album next year, but again it really depends on everyone’s commitments and level of commitment to the band, because we’re all doing other things. Noiseworks aint the be-all-and-end-all. We’re doing other stuff. So what other stuff are you doing? Making music, mate! I play. I play, I write, I perform.

I’m doing what I do. Noiseworks, when we were a band, we lived and breathed it for twelve months of the year. Then we broke up and now we’re back together, we’re playing, as I said, because we want to play together, and it’s fun. How does it differ town-to-town, or state-to-state, for you guys? It doesn’t really differ. You show up, plug in, and you play and hope that people will come. There are great highs and great lows, but after all these years, for all of us, it’s about what we’re doing and if people come, then great! I think that Noiseworks has a credible history and respect out there in punter-land, and certainly the last two [gigs] have sold out and people have come along to see a band from that era, rockin’ hard, you know? It’s a

different entertainment industry today. Back in the 80’s you had bands like the Gurus, INXS, Cold Chisel, The Angels… you name it, they were all out there playing. Nowadays, you won’t see Powderfinger playing at pubs. You won’t even see The Living End… they’ll play an entertainment centre. It’s a different entertainment industry. The bands were more collective in their approach, but for the bands today it’s a marketing, money-making exercise.

Self-described troubadour of the 21st century, Edward Guglielmino, is coming dangerously close to touring once more. Set to launch his latest album, Late at Night, Ed. G. has been described (by others) as someone who “knows the world will continue to fall whether he plays a part in it or not.” (Joshua Kellher – 4zZz) Whether you play a part in watching him knowing that the world’s falling apart is entirely up to you, but we suspect that mutual nihilism is much more fun when shared.

sDAVID WILLIAMS We tell no lies! Catch Noiseworks on: 0 November 1 @ Wrest Point Casino Listen to more at www.sauce.net.au.

Share the glimmer of your existence with Ed on: 0 November 27 @ The Hub Bar 0 November 28 @ The Brisbane Hotel http://edg.ug

ACOUSTIC – MELBOURNE // ROSIE BURGESS

Album Endures Catastrophic Recording

once had this incredible red, tartan, flannel dress, which I probably o“Iwore through a whole summer when I was seven or eight,” says Rosie

Burgess, down the line from Melbourne. “I just thought it was the best, most phenomenal piece of clothing I had… and I got caught on a barbed wire fence and ripped it up. My Mum gave it to me, and I loved it… but that’s what kids do,” she laughs, unaware that at least one more of my questions will, predictably, revolve around the name of a track from her new album.

What are three random facts about your new album, Wait For the World, we won’t find in the liner notes? Every piece of equipment I used to record it is now broken. The drums were recorded in a church. Everything was recorded separately, at different times – some of the musicians never even met.

great sound for the drums.

In relation to point number one, did you just go all rock ‘n’ roll at the end of each song? Apparently! And someone told me this last Saturday night; Mercury was going through retrograde, which apparently affects a lot of electronic equipment. Everything just keep breaking and busting, like the hard drive died on the day I took it in to get mixed… I dropped the microphone and, for some reason, the soundcard just got a ghost inside it. It was just really weird – everything just totally fell to pieces. But I managed to get the album recorded.

Is that how possibly many of your songs occur – to what extent do you craft your songs? Yeah – I probably should craft my songs more than I do. Most of them tend to flop out. The next thing I know I’m standing there with a song. I don’t really consciously craft them that much. In terms of arranging them, once the song’s written, I’ll craft the arrangement. But usually the song just sort of fizzes out and it’s there, in front of me. Often, I’ll write at night and wake up the next day and I’ll have recorded in the studio and think, “What was that song? How did that come about?” And I won’t remember, and I’ll go back and listen and it’s like, “Oh yeah, okay!”

What about the drums – did you feel, perhaps, you needed to record those in a church because of the sanctifying properties of a church? No, it was a bit more random than that [Laughs]. The drummer just had them all set up there, so we decided to do it in there because it was such a good sound, so it was like, oh yeah, let’s not bother to shift ‘em – that looks good. It was a great room, a huge room; really 14

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When was the last time you ate “humble pie”? I reckon I do it all the time. I have a tendency to put my foot in it or go off on something before I’ve really understood exactly what’s going on… I just find myself backtracking a lot going, “Ohh, sorry about that!” Yeah. It does happen. Probably quite often.

sCHRIS RATTRAY 0 Rosie’s new album, Wait For the World, is out now. Catch the rest of this interview at www.sauce.net.au.

Friday October 17 Rob Richards Saturday October 18 Oﬀ The Cuﬀ Friday October 24 Rob Richards Saturday October 25 Darren Lloyd

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UNDER THE COVERS With Rob Richards (soloist and Off the Cuff)

THE BIGGEST IMPACT… With Andrew McSweeney Melbourne’s Andrew McSweeney started out playing with his brother in their band, imaginatively called McSweeney. Their third album featured former Crowded House and Split Enz drummer, Phil Hester, who also played on Andrew’s latest solo record, The Love Frequency, which was recorded over a four-year period. “It started off as the next McSweeney album but ended up as my first solo album due to the band calling it a day,” Andrew says. “Paul was a great friend and a fine musician and I miss him.” What album has had the biggest impact on you, both personally and as a musician, and why? There are a few. Bruce Springsteen’s Born to Run, Ry Cooder’s Bop ‘til You Drop and Coldplay’s Paruchutes. And I have to include Kiss’ Dynasty. There is also World Party’s Private Revolution. But Mark Gillespie’s Only Human still excites me 25 years later. I consider him one of Australia’s great songwriters and the musicianship still stands up today.

Having played in numerous cover bands over the years, including two Melbourne-based Iron Maiden tribute bands in the late 90’s (Australian Maiden and Powerslave), Rob Richards has a passion for music that finds an outlet in many different areas. Whether he’s writing another chapter of his science fiction novel, or mixing a new track for his “cyber” band, Hidden Temple, Rob’s never short of something to do… under the covers!

Which gig has had the biggest impact on you, as a punter and that you’ve played, and why? Until earlier this year, World Party only toured Australia once and it was a promo tour only. They played a 45-minute set at IDs in Prahran which was supposed to be for media only. IDs sold tickets and I got one. Karl Wallinger was sick but the gig was still amazing.

He demanded the pub refund tickets because it was supposed to be a media gig, not a gig for punters. He played most of Private Revolution with a drummer and bass player. Another one in mind is Little Feat about six years ago in Melbourne. Two hours of the coolest music I have ever heard. The gig with the biggest impact that I have played was in Mexico with Kutcha Edwards at the El Tajin festival in 2000. It was like nothing else I had done before. We were guests and were treated like rock stars. It was great. What impact do you hope your music will have on people? If I can assist people with their own healing and recovery

through listening to my music or assisting them with theirs then I feel I have had a positive impact on them and their lives. What’s an example of the impact you’ve made on people through your music? I often get calls from people saying that listening to my music has made them cry. It is usually something that I have written about or the tone in the music that has resonated with them and allowed them to express their own feelings. Luckily they are glad the music has allowed them to do this. Get moved by Andrew McSweeney: 0 November 1 @ The Royal Oak 0 November 2 @ The Republic Bar

Who do you play with and what do they do… under the covers? After I returned to Tassie (around ten odd years ago) I started playing solo in the pub scene around Launceston. At this time, sequenced music performances were relatively new. I quickly realised that there was potential to carve out a meagre living doing it. I’ve been living meagrely ever since [Laughs]. I play twice a month at the Commercial Hotel in a duo, Off the Cuff. We enjoy an appreciative fan following. The other member of Off the Cuff is John Collighan, who is well reputed for his superb guitar playing in and around town. John is also a member of the band, The Rogers. What style of music do you play… under the covers? The covers I play both as a soloist and in Off the Cuff I refer to as “Top 40 Radio Hits Surprise”. The era of music tends to gravitate around the late 70’s and 80’s but there are certainly no limits on what, where or when. Indeed something left of field or unexpected can generate great results… and then sometimes not… but you gotta go with your gut instinct. The name, Off the Cuff, refers to the fact that John and I never practise and will try at least one song every performance that we have never played together... just to catch the other out. It’s a bit of fun that the crowd enjoys and a point of difference that makes us who we are and helps to define us musically. What led you to pursue a career… under the covers? You know I have pondered this question relentlessly over the years and once believed that I couldn’t help being a musician and that I was born to it. However I soon realised how foolish, arrogant and potentially dangerous this way of thinking is. I no longer believe anyone is born to anything. Conversely, I think people click onto something at an early age and work very, very hard to become good at it. What do you hope to get out of it… under the covers? Respect for my musicality, and a modest financial return certainly, but above all I would like to think I helped someone who perhaps found something positive in my original music, be it written or auditory based. On a smaller scale, if people have a great time at a gig then that is also a gift worth giving. What was the last, best time you had… under the covers? Maybe not what the readers are expecting but the feeling when my children were born involved a very personal indescribable happiness and a totally humbling experience on the most basic of levels. That feeling will never be beaten. Gig wise, any time I enter the “zone” where I finish playing a song and realise I blanked out totally and can’t remember what I just did. On the best of nights it can happen a lot and is at the end off a set that I realise. What sort of journey will you take people when they join you … under the covers? In the pub scene the crowd can expect to be totally rocked with songs that inspired the world to grow long hair, wear weird clothes, fight for justice and party like there was no tomorrow. It’s nice to start a song and see someone mouth the statement “Ooh yeah…I used to love this song!” Go groove with Rob Richards and Off the Cuff: 0 October 10 & 17 @ The Commercial Hotel SAUCE #79

SAUCE #79

ENTERTAINMENT GUIDE WEDNESDAY 15

The Brisbane Hotel Random Order + Lost Hope + Eztizar

The James Hotel DJ Joycie 10:00-12:00 DJ Cam 12:00-2:00 DJ Buff Star Delux 2:00-Close

Hotel SOHO 8PM Tom & Nick Wolfe

The Royal Oak Mick Attard in the P/B

The Greenhouse @ Irish Murphy’s Mischa’s Night Ballpoint & The Turnaround

BURNIE

HOBART

Recording Mixing Mastering Production Bookings Essential

Call Dave Venter for a quote 0408 373 066 or email fatlipstudios@gmail.com Launceston Studio www.myspace.com/fatlipstudios

The Republic Bar 9pm Ejecter + Jonis Plastic Sunday LAUNCESTON Irish Murphy’s Mick Attard and Sara Jane The James Hotel Front Bar DJ Joycie + Friends The Royal Oak Nick Warren in the P/B THURSDAY 16 HOBART The Alley Cat Bar Argus $5 9pm The Brisbane Hotel Hell Raising Riff Hogs The Greenhouse @ Irish Murphy’s EPC, DJ Spin Easy The Republic Bar 9pm Coby Grant $5/$3 Syrup Mesh - Hobart’s longest running club night DJs: Adam Turner, Mylestone, Soundwave, Kyle

103 Elizabeth St Hobart 03 6231 5578 "Tasmania's own"

REDLINE Coach Services

DISCOUNTED STUDENT FARES University Student Semester Special $12.50 per sector * Hobart to Launceston $55.60 (Return) * Devonport to Launceston $39.10 (Return) *Conditions Apply

Reservations/Credit Card Payments 1300 360 000

LAUNCESTON Batman Fawkner Something With Numbers w/ City Riots & Cruel Like That Irish Murphy’s Brief Illusion The James Hotel Uni Night DJ Joycie 10:00-1:00 DJ PD 1:00-Close The Royal Oak Live music

The Brisbane Hotel All Ages: Something With Numbers + City Riots(Adl) + Novella 18+ Something With Numbers + City Riots(Adl) + Novella

The Alley Cat Bar Coby Grant(Melb) & Let the Cat Out 9.30pm $6

The Commercial Hotel (The Mersh) Off the Cuff The Hub Bar Cocktails and Dreams + Most Triumphant + Chris Burrows + Sunday Something Ruined Irish Murphy’s Long Way Home The James Hotel TBC TBC TBC

HOBART Hotel SOHO Open Mic 9pm

The Alley Cat Bar REBEL MUSIC

The Alley Cat Bar Ronan Ronan (France) & Charles du Cane 9.30pm $15 conc / $20 The Brisbane Hotel The Roobs, Ballpoint, B-Circuit Hotel SOHO No FOTO 8pm The Metz Show Day Eve Party w/ Camo

Irish Murphy’s Glen Moorehouse, The Stoics The Royal Oak Marita Mangano in the P/B THURSDAY 23

The Brisbane Hotel Pig Destroyer (usa), Ruins, The Ghost and The Storm Outside, NowyourefuckeD The Greenhouse @ Irish Murphy’s Lakoda (acoustic), The HighLows (acoustic) The Republic Bar 9pm Chase The Sun $5

LAUNCESTON Batman Fawkner Something With Numbers w/ City Riots & Novella Irish Murphy’s Ben Castles, Nathan Wheldon, Long Way Home MONDAY 20

The Brisbane Hotel Mortal Sin(nsw) + Space Raven + Vulgar + 17htz The Republic Bar 10pm Sugartrain $4 Syrup DFD @ Syrup pres: Phil K (melb) With DJs: Corney and Gillie LAUNCESTON Batman Fawkner Launceston Blues and Roots Festival The Bondi Cigars + Chase The Sun + Marshall & the Fro

The Hub Bar Helloween Havoc Featuring Pheonix Lights + Zero Degrees Freedom + Woof Woof + Wizard + Lost Hope + Bum Tuck + Maverick & The Allstar Chaos Irish Murphy’s Captain O’Brien’s Craic Lonnies Gangsta Party (see ad. For details) The Royal Oak The Titz in the P/B SUNDAY 26

LAUNCESTON

The Republic Bar 9pm New Retro Club

The Royal Oak Sara Jane and Nathan Wheldon in the P/B

HOBART The Alley Cat Bar Drive West Today 9.30pm $5 The Brisbane Hotel Ejecter + Chi-Roh + Melodic Candy + Lakoda The Republic Bar 10pm Bondi Cigars $12pre/$15door Syrup Syrup Presents: Some New DJs Fresh Local talents, busting their cherry on the Syrup decks!!

HOBART

The Greenhouse @ Irish Murphy’s Crystal and the Middle Sea

LAUNCESTON Batman Fawkner Launceston Blues and Roots Festival The Bondi Cigars + Chase The Sun + Marshall & the Fro

The Republic Bar 8.30pm Joe Nuttall + Charles Du Cane + Martin Blackwell LAUNCESTON Irish Murphy’s Carl Fidler TUESDAY 21

Batman Fawkner Something With Numbers w/ City Riots & Cruel Like That The Commercial Hotel (The Mersh) Rob Richards

HOBART The Greenhouse @ Irish Murphy’s David McEldowney, BAT (solo), Sam Bester

The Hub Bar Sara Jane + Eileen + Grettle Templeton + Franklie Irish Murphy’s Pocket Rocket

Venue Guide DEVONPORT

The Alley Cat Bar

The Warehouse

381 Elizabeth St 6231 2299

20 King Street Devonport 6424 7851

Wrest Point 410 Sandy Bay Road Sandy Bay

HOBART

6225 0112

Brookfield Vineyard

www.wrestpoint.com.au

1640 Channel Highway Margate 6267 2880

LAUNCESTON Batman Fawkner Inn

Hotel SOHO

35 Cameron St 6331 7222

124 Davey Street 03 6224 9494

Commercial Hotel

www.hotelsoho.com.au

27 George Street Launceston

MONDAY 27

Irish Murphy’s

HOBART

21 Salamanca Place

Country Club

6223 1119

Country Club Ave Prospect

The Republic Bar 8:15pm Quiz Night

www.irishmurphys.com.au

6335 5777

LAUNCESTON

Metz On The Bay

Irish Murphy’s Ben Castles TUESDAY 28 HOBART

Batman Fawkner Launceston Blues and Roots Festival The Bondi Cigars + Chase The Sun + Marshall & the Fro

ph: 03 6331 1344 fax: 03 6331 2191 e: thenewsteadhotel@hotmail.com

Irish Murphy’s Ciaran van den Berg, Glen Moorehouse, Pocket Rocket

LAUNCESTON Hotel SOHO Smashers 10pm

Live music Woodfired pizzas Extensive bottleshop

The Commercial Hotel (The Mersh) Darren Lloyd

HOBART

Irish Murphy’s Tash & Caz

160 Elphin Road L a u n c e s t o n TA S 7 2 5 0

Batman Fawkner Something With Numbers w/ City Riots & Cruel Like That

Syrup Mesh- Hobart’s longest running club night DJs: Adam Turner, Mylestone, Soundwave, Kyle

FRIDAY 24

The Republic Bar 10pm The Drones + Rocket Science $28pre/$32door

Irish Murphy’s 3 Some

HOBART

HOBART Batman Fawkner Something With Numbers w/ City Riots & Cruel Like That

The Republic Bar 9pm Clinkerfield $10

The Hub Bar Friends of the Blue Tier Benefit with The Muddy Turds + Hindrum + Sprodulator

HOBART

LAUNCESTON

Hotel SOHO Manhattan 7pm

The Commercial Hotel (The Mersh) Rob Richards

WEDNESDAY 22

Syrup Syrup presents: Dirth F’king Dancing DJs: Gillie, Adam Turner + Tristan

The Greenhouse @ Irish Murphy’s Jam Jar

Batman Fawkner Something With Numbers w/ City Riots & Cruel Like That

SATURDAY 25

The Republic Bar 9pm Wild Turkey + The No No’s $3

Country Club Casino Tex Perkins & His Ladyboyz

St Mary’s Hotel Chase the Sun

Irish Murphy’s Hamish & Sara

The Republic Bar 10pm Muph & Plutonic $18pre/$22door

The Brisbane Hotel All Fires The Fire (CD Launch) + Elvis Christ + The Native Cats + Joe Nuttall

Batman Fawkner Muph & Plutonic

ST MARY’S The Hub Bar Open Mic

Hotel SOHO Title Fight 10pm

LAUNCESTON

The Royal Oak Mark Vincent and Glenn Moorehouse in the P/B

LAUNCESTON

The Greenhouse @ Irish Murphy’s The Overview, Ejector, Hannah (ep launch)

SUNDAY 19

LAUNCESTON

$9 ENTRY - FACEBOOK GROUP: SHORT BACK AND SIDESHOW

The Alley Cat Bar The Needle & the Damage Done COMEDY (Melb) $15 9.30pm

HOBART

Wrest Point Casino Tex Perkins & His Ladyboyz

UPSTAIRS @ THE NEW SYDNEY, BATHURST ST

HOBART

FRIDAY 17

UniBar Little Red

Wednesday 29th of October

SATURDAY 18

The Royal Oak Sara and Hamish in the P/B Clinkerfield

Syrup Syrup presents: La Casa Hobart’s HOME of HOUSE Chicago Swing-house, Tough Disco, and Big Room House

The Biggest Variety Of Comedy In Tassie! Stand up, Sketch, Physical, Musical Comedy, Burlesque, Sitcom. Next Show:

Sirocco’s Something With Numbers w/ City Riots & Cruel Like That

The Republic Bar 9pm Dali Srhoj And The Paper Band

The Greenhouse @ Irish Murphy’s Ryan Kinder, Linc Le Fevre The Republic Bar 9pm G.B. Balding (Finger Picking Blues) LAUNCESTON

03 63313868

www.countryclubtasmania.com.au

217 Sandy Bay Rd

Irish Murphy’s

6224 4444

211 Brisbane St 6331 4440

www.themetz.com.au

www.irishmurphys.com.au

Syrup

James Hotel

1st Floor 39 Salamanca Place

122 York Street

6224 8249

6334 7231

Raincheck Lounge

The Newstead Hotel

392 -394 Elizabeth St. North

160 Elphin Rd 6331 1344

Hobart 03 6234 5975

The Hub 1 Tamar St

The Hub Bar Open Mic

Republic Bar

6334 9288

299 Elizabeth St 6234 6954

www.tamarbackpackers.com

Irish Murphy’s Nathan Wheldon

www.republicbar.com The Royal Oak The Brisbane Hotel

14 Brisbane St 6331 5346

3 Brisbane St 6234 4920

myspace.com/leapinlimpout

thebrisbanehotelhobart@ gmail.com

SAUCE #79

ROCK – MELBOURNE // AUGIE MARCH

New Release is Poetry

DRUNKEN PIRATE CONVICTS - CLINKERFIELD

was all work and no play for Augie March this winter as the Melbourne alt-rockers spent five conscientious oItweeks in New Zealand crafting their fourth album, this month’s Watch Me Disappear. “There were no shows, no sightseeing, no bungee-jumping,” laughs keyboardist Kiernan Box of the sessions at Neil Finn’s Roundhead studio in Auckland.

So did Neil Finn drop in? Yeah, he was headed off on a Crowded House tour and he was there for the first week, sticking his head in every now and again.

over budget and all that so we did have to do a bit more work when we got home. But we did spend more time getting ready to record this one. Several versions of the songs were recorded and by the time we actually recorded them in New Zealand we knew them pretty well.

How would you describe the experience recording at Roundhead? It was a studio we were interested in working at. The decision was based on an idea to do the recording outside of Melbourne and outside everyone’s comfort zone to create a different mindset for the band while it was recording - rather than just turning up in the morning and going home in the evening. It became an around-the-clock sort of activity for us.” And how did that impact on the songs and your performances? I don’t really know how if affected the recording. We didn’t have any release valve; we were very there in the thick of it throughout. Was it was a positive move overall or did it create unwanted pressure? There was a bit of pressure that we put on ourselves to get it where we were happy with it. But I think it’s ended up sounding a bit more disciplined and a bit more focused and consolidated but there could be other factors such as how we and the producers approached it. What did you get out of working with producer Joe Chicarelli who has previously worked with one of my favourite songwriters Stan Ridgway? Yeah, he goes right back. His first big job was a Frank Zappa record in the 1970s. He’s got many miles on the clock and a lot of experience and I think overall his main contribution was instilling a sense of discipline in us. He likes you to really consider what you’re doing before you do it rather than just play for the sake of playing. And he liked to sculpt an arrangement and a mix around the lead vocal part. Unless you were enhancing the lead vocal, then it was not suiting much of a purpose.

Did you attempt anything out of character in the studio? We started planning for this to do it quite differently with different sounds like digital drums and a more synthesizer approach with keyboards. But as it went on we probably did go back a little bit on that and maybe use a more traditional sound that we were use to. But there was a little bit of experimentation sonically with the instruments we were using but it’s still drums bass two guitars and keyboards most of the time.

“…Australian rock music probably does have a tradition of masculinity…”

Glenn obviously has a quite a poetic approach to lyrics and songwriting - is there an awareness in the band that it’s possible to be too poetic for Australian audiences given our pub rock history? Australian rock music probably does have a tradition of masculinity and a very unpretentious, down-to-earth, knockabout sort of attitude and we’re very different and that the primary genesis of that does come from the way Glenn approaches songs and particularly lyrics. But we seem to have found a lot of people who appreciate that. I don’t think that just because you have beautiful words attached to it that you can’t have muscular music but look there’s no doubt he’s one of the most poetic songwriters that comes to attention in Australian music history.

Much was made of the perfectionism surrounding the making of Moo, You Bloody Choir in 2006 and how it was delayed for a few months while the finishing touches were added - was this one a more immediate recording? No, I’d say on this one we were more perfectionist than the last one. We were overseas recording it and in that sense we probably had more of a delicate or tight time frame to work in. Of course, we did run over time and

Do the other band members share his literary bent? We have to interpret it so yeah I guess so. If it’s working then we’ve got to have some empathy with that and an ability to relate to it. But we’re certainly not all English literature PHD students if that’s what you’re asking. sSTEVE TAUSCHKE The march goes on: 0 November 8 @ UniBar (Hobart)

BLUES - SYDNEY // CHASE THE SUN

“I don’t think I can ever describe the band being in hell. I don’t think we’ve done any gigs yet that were quite ‘hell’” says Jon “Howler” Howell, skins-man for Sydney blues outfit, Chase the Sun in regards to the standard blues motif of damnation and hellfire. “There’ve been a few gigs where we’ve turned up and thought, ‘Well this is gonna be hell!’ and then it always ends up working out, not least this weekend. We’ve just played three festivals this weekend. It just poured with rain in Sydney and walking into festivals where it’s been raining for three days is like walking into hell…”

I guess Chase the Sun brightened things up a bit… Yeah, I think it’s one of those bands that, when it gets started, is kind of rough and ready music. We can put it anywhere and give it a go and yeah, it tends to brighten [things] up a bit. How was the crowd – how do they respond in that somewhat dampened environment? I think the biggest comment we got from the crowd was about Jan, our lead guitarist and singer. I guess, if you were talking to him he wouldn’t be saying this, he wouldn’t be big-noting himself – but the biggest comment was, “Wow, we just haven’t seen anyone play guitar like that for a long time.” He’s one of those crazy, guitar hero kinda guys, who does it in a way that isn’t too much of a wank.

How true is that of you then, stuck behind a drum kit? How can you engage the crowd? I think everyone in the band has a way of putting across their vibe. Any good band you go and see, it’s not about traditional elements of stagecraft, you’ve gotta do this and you’ve gotta do that, and spin your stick and talk to the crowd in a certain way, flog the CD… everyone in the band has their own vibe that they’re trying to put across to people. For me, I just think dirty thoughts and make funny faces [Laughs]. Talking about thinking dirty thoughts, who was the last gypsy woman you met? It seems every blues band has some obligatory song about some kind of 18

SAUCE #79

“…that’s the first dog I’ve had named after me…” gypsy woman… We had a lovely lady named Spider who turned up at a gig in Cronulla a couple of months ago. She was the Gypsy Woman, dressed like Stevie Nicks and down the front of the stage doing interpretive dance, incense in both hands… later, I found out – my nickname’s Howler – that she named her dog after me... It’s great… that’s the first dog I’ve had named after me, so that’s some kind of claim to fame, isn’t it? Apart from being dressed as Stevie Nicks and interpretative dance, how does a woman become classified as “a gypsy woman?” I don’t know if we’ve ever actually sat down and

In March and April they toured the country extensively, putting smiles on dials everywhere, playing to sweaty packed houses, with circus antics, carnival atmospheres and intense, though often hilarious, performances. There’ve been commando rolls, somersaults, stripteases, nipple-twisting, crab-dancing, firetwirling, strongmen, booty-gals, newspaper pirate hats, sombreros, and muscle cramps. A lot of fun, and a lot of beer and whiskey. Meanwhile, Clinkerfield’s footloose frontman and miserable little bastard bar none, Jimmy Stewart, has been keeping the coals stoked with an endless touring schedule, clocking up over one hundred shows already for 2008, playing all over the place with The Kill Devil Hills, The Gin Club, and on his lonesome. Now, after a smattering of shows at home, the band is heading out again around Oz. Having played around Melbourne and Australia since 2002, with a brief Spanish sojourn in 2007, they’ve amassed a loyal following and hundreds upon hundreds of shows. But disappointingly, this much respected, often perplexing band has failed to sail the bathtub to Tassie (though Jimmy Stewart did play in Hobart with The Kill Devil Hills in August as part of their East Coast Tour). Asked how to describe his band’s music, frontman Jimmy Stewart says, “It’s drunken pirate music for convicts!” sGABRIEL SOLOMON

Naming Pets After Drummers the New Craze

So he’s a bit of a showman as well as a passionate and technically proficient player? Yeah, well I think it’s the passion in what he does that makes the show. It’s not like he’s got all those set guitar moves like guitar heroes do? [He’s] not really a footup-on-the-monitor, look-at-me-Mum kinda guy. But he does get taken away in the performance in a way that people go, “Wow, what a show!” y’know?

Earlier in 2008, Melbourne based band of drunken pirate convicts Clinkerfield released their album A Head Full Of Rain & A Heart Full Of Puddles on their own Waste Management label, through Green/MGM Distribution. Their Victorian rural farmhouse recording (recorded by Aaron Cupples who did Gala Mill for The Drones) had an inviting lo-fi warmth and darkness that sang for itself. Beat Magazine bestowed Album of the Week, Rave Magazine Single of the week, Time Off called it “Brilliant”, and community radio embraced it around the country. It has become a slow burning underground classic, praised and revered by punters and peers, that rewards repeated listens.

discussed what the criteria are. I think, playing the kind of music that we play, which is kind of a blues/rock kind of thing – it does connect with people in a certain way and I think a lot of our crew have a bit of gypsy blood in them… I don’t know much about gypsy women, but I know one when I see one. [Laughs] sCHRIS RATTRAY Check out Chase the Sun on the following dates: 0 23 October @ The Republic Bar 0 25 October @ Launceston Blues and Roots Festival (Batman Fawkner) Catch the rest of this interview at www.sauce.net.au

Clinkerfield’s poor Tassie touring schedule comes to an end on: 0 October 18 @ The Royal Oak 0 October 19 @ The Republic Bar

ROCK - LEEDS // THE KAISER CHIEFS

Same Band, New Album, New Band

a tricky thing choosing an album title. You’ve gotta live with it for the rest of your life,” says Simon Rix of The Kaiser Chiefs, his accent o“It’s coming thick and fast as he tries to sum up the process behind the recording of their imminent third album, Off With Their Heads. “You want

something that means something and kind of sums up the album, and all that. Everyone’s got an individual idea, obviously, of what the album is to them so it’s quite a personal thing…” Album titles can be tough to come up with, especially the third one. Simon elaborates, “With both Employment and Yours Truly, Angry Mob, we had the titles before we went in the studio. We knew we were gonna make an album, so we kind of thought quite early what we were gonna call the album. But this time, we kind of get to the end of the album, we finished all the songs, we were doing the artwork and we were like, ‘Right. What’s it called?’ We didn’t know. The easy thing to do is call it The Third Kaiser Chiefs Album but we didn’t want to do that. It’s a cop-out.” It could also be said that it’s a bit wanky. Simon pauses, considering the wankiness of the suggestion. “I’m sure there’ll be a moment to do it in our career depending on how relevant it is and everything but… not now. I think, third albums, if you look at them, you’ll recall that a lot of them have dud names, like they’ve run out of ideas. Which is sort of [funny]… because we thought of [doing] it. But there’s a line in one of the songs and it said that, so that’s where it comes from.” There seems to be a bit of a theme, however. The titles, Yours Truly, Angry Mob and Off With Their Heads, are evocative of mob scenes and aristocracy, but Simon has another angle. “For me, it’s more about losing our preconceptions… on this album I think we were a bit more relaxed about it. You know how sometimes over-thinking is bad? Like when you scrutinise every single second. We tried not to do that with this album, in fact, we didn’t do that with this album so, for me, Off With Their Heads is kind of like that, a little bit.” The line between thinking and over-thinking is difficult to distinguish. “I think all bands, I think everybody, is guilty of it,” Simon says. “When you do something that’s good and then you live with it for a while and decide that

it’s no good, and then you change it and you change it again and then it’s never as good as it was the first time you just did it and it was instinctive and raw and all that. You can’t slice it up, can you, you just have to do it. It’s like, ‘Is it good?’ ‘Yes, it’s good!’ Right, then it’s good, let’s not think about it too much.” What preconceptions did they dispel in making this album? “Ideas about what you should do in the studio, or ideas about how you should write a song or how a song should sound… just things that tie you down in to doing things a certain way. In the studio, maybe you should do things a certain way, maybe you should start off as a whole band playing, record the drums, then you record the bass, then you record the guitar, you know – you do it in a certain order, and sometimes I think you get quite regimented but maybe you can do it a different way, like recording the vocals first,” says Simon. “The other thing we thought about when we were doing the album was that we’re an established band with fans and all that, but not very long ago we were starting – a new band – and we were going to do a gig and no one would know any of the songs. At the end of the day it was a kind of a rehearsal thing. We played the songs – just new songs – just in like, a set. And we thought, if we played these songs when we were a new band we’d still think that we’d be successful, we’d be signed and all that. It was like going back to being a new band. Established bands can get carried away and think that they’re “established bands” and that they have to do things a certain way because people expect it, but we were kind of thinking that this album is about being a new band again.” s INTERVIEW BY DAVID WILLIAMS ARTICLE BY CHRIS RATTRAY

“u’ve o Y … with gotta live st of e r e h t r o it f your life… ”

0 Off With Their Heads is released October 20. Catch the rest of this interview at www.sauce.net.au

SAUCE #79

GIG REVIEWS

APOSTLES + DUNN D @ The Alley Cat, September 20

THE GHOST AND THE STORM OUTSIDE @ The Hub Bar, October 11

DJ JEFF DRAKE & KELI HART @ Syrup, October 11

LINCOLN LE FEVRE AND THE INSIDERS @ Irish Murphy’s (Launceston), September 25

I made the cold, windy trek up to the Alley Cat Bar to catch some authentic NY-style hip hop, in the form of Griot a.k.a G-Riot from Apostles, with some added local flavour from Hobart regular Dunn D. After a couple of scotches to warm myself up, I settled in to check out Dunn’s set.

An inadvertently late arrival at the gig resulted in missing the performances of Most Triumphant, Blue Team Go! and Woof Woof (really wanted to catch them), but gave a good opportunity to see some of the talent of the recently regrouped The Ghost and The Storm Outside. Right up, I have to say that my comparative ignorance of hardcore might affect my appreciation of this Hobart four piece band.

Syrup was buzzing early in the night as the crowd gathered and people got into the groove as the house DJs set the scene for what was to come.

Saying that, The Ghost and The Storm Outside pack a compelling and original aural deliverance, dominated by the massive vocals of lead singer Sam, backed by the huge, well delivered and at times, frenetic performance from guitarist Sam (two Sam’s in the one band), all held together by the heavy basslines of Max, an expert drum performance from drummer Toby – and the deft work of the sound guy.

Hart put on an impressive performance marked by long sequences of steady beats that were suddenly broken by tempo changes – some of which caught the majority of the crowd by surprise, causing some ad-lib dance fills that were amusing to say the least. Overall, Keli’s set was flawless and superbly executed, much to the enjoyment of the patrons who had well and truly warmed up by the time the changeover occurred.

As Linc and his band set up on stage, the bar had a good relaxed vibe, with a crowd obviously still pumped from the energetic set of the previous performers of the night, WA lads, The Novocaines. With the Insiders consisting of a skilled assemblage - Nicholson on drums, Richard Armstrong on bass, Elliott Taylor on guitar and Robbie Grundel on keys (which gave the band a truly distinctive feel) - I was really looking forward to seeing a performance from the band about whom I’d heard a lot of good hype.

The Ghost and The Storm Outside pack a heavy, thunderous experimental hardcore sound. With huge, feedback-laced breaks and an energetic stage performance from the lead singer (who at one point leapt off the stage to deliver his vocals to a captivated audience) – this band certainly has the sound and presence to capture the right listeners.

Jeff Drake took the helm next and stepped up the pace a notch from the start. His performance could best be described as relentless as he seemed to feed off of the crowd’s energy (as well as copious amounts of Red Bull). Drake’s technique could be seen as a performance in itself as he danced in the booth, his manipulation of the controls never looking out of place. Drake’s performance wound up at around 3:30 am. The house DJs took over at this point to wind things down.

It was a tidy performance from an MC who’s obviously used to the stage. With Dameza fulfilling hype man duties, and Grotesque on the decks, the guys pumped through a set of polished tunes, including some new material to be released on a mixtape soon, which I’m looking forward to catching. Then it was time for Apostles to do their thing. Last time they graced our shores it was as a duo, with Griot being joined by Icon (their third MC, Megawatts, usually stays in the US). This time however, Icon couldn’t make it, so we had to be content with Griot solo. This didn’t detract from the show at all; rather than perform shortened versions of Apostles songs, we were treated to cuts from Griot’s latest solo album, The Griot Files. As the man himself says, it’s “Grown Man’s Hip Hop” – stories of trying to keep a job and relationship together while chasing the dream of being a travelling musician. Serious subjects, but still delivered in a way that made the appreciative crowd get up and dance the night away. A top night all-in-all, and hopefully we get to see the full Apostles experience (complete with live band) on our shores before too long. LEX DIAMONDS

Being a fan of The Butterfly Effect, one of their influences, I could certainly appreciate the chunky delivery of the heavier songs and the poignant, wraithlike guitar compositions of the mellower songs. The skill and originality of these guys is unquestionable, and their powerful sound and deafening energy is something that has to be heard and seen to be appreciated. NATASHA ANDERSON

Soon, Keli Hart took the stage. At first the audience was a little lethargic but they soon warmed up and got into the swing of things with the dance floor being comfortably full.

The venue itself was great as usual with the sound levels being just right with excellent clarity and no distortion. The warmer Hobart weather drove up the temperature making the room rather warm but not uncomfortably so. All in all the night was very well presented with two top-notch performers putting on an impressive set giving the patrons great bang for their buck.

A true lyrical craftsman, Linc engages his audience and delivers his songs with true conviction. His songs tell stories about things most people can relate to, that make you reflect and keep you listening until the last word. Their sound is a very funky blend of folk inspired melodic rock, with lush harmonica, seamless acoustic guitar and very cool keys by Robbie all backing a flawless vocal performance by Linc. About three-quarters through the set, the rest of the band left the stage and Lincoln took the time to chat with the highly entertained audience, even delivering a well received stand-up anecdote before performing two especially cool harmonica-laden solos typical of his unique and charismatic style. At this stage, with the pub occupied by captivated listeners, everyone was getting into the music. Whilst it wasn’t the sort of night where many people were dancing, the band had people really listening and in the vibe - testament to Linc and his crew’s stage and musical skills. NATASHA ANDERSON

RICK MCCULLOCK

ASH GRUNWALD W/ JONNO COLEMAN @ The Republic Bar, October 2 Support gig, Jonno Coleman, started the evening of audio delight. Jonno (of Ejecter fame) was superb. His beautifully toned, immaculately scaled crooning melted every woman (and some men) in the room. His new solo stuff is every bit as good as the previous Ejecter CD, if not better. Tenderness and sweet, sweet love pervaded the room. A personal favourite, The Islands is up there on my special tunes list at the moment. Fans of fine lyrics and gratifying soul-feel singing would be crazy not to catch Jonno on his tour of Tassie and snap up his soon-to-be released-CD, The Small Hours of Morning. This guy is headed to the big pond for sure. Go see him before this happens. HURRY! The crowd started to swell before my eyes and I realised that I didn’t have a hope of getting close enough to the stage to get a snap of Ash Grunwald without getting bitch-slapped by some very ardent fans. I have seen this venue packed before but I ain’t ever seen window lickers outside! Ash was surely born shortly after the demise of some ole man blues singer, cause he got the soul. Being passionate about blues, and a long time lover of the genre, I was rapt. Ash pulsates, literally. His whole being resonates. Every part of him is strumming, tapping and thumping. His voice is blues bliss - original lamenting lyrics and passionate story telling. If Ash is a Fish Out of Water, somebody give me a hose?

JOULIEN POULSON / MARK STEINER / LILITH LANE @ The Brisbane Hotel, September 18

BRITISH BATTLEGROUNDS + NEW SAXONS + DALI SRHOJ AND THE PAPER BAND @ Irish Murphy’s (Hobart), October 08

The evening began with Julien Poulson, of The Green Mist and Chapel of Ease. As one of Tasmania’s finest (though little known) song craftsmen, Poulson did not disappoint.

Opening act British Battlegrounds – with their Mazzy Star-esque instrumentation and interesting, breathy vocal work from Brad – played a competent and enjoyable acoustic set to start the night. I’m interested in hearing these guys with their complete lineup (the violinist was elsewhere).

The room at the Brisbane was lit only with candles, which enhanced the mystique and intrigue of his haunting balladry. If you get the chance to see Poulson perform with or without a band, it is a chance to witness a fine artist at work. American Mark Steiner took to the stage next. Whereas Poulson’s songs had come to life in the venue, Steiner’s were a little lost and sounded confused and out of place in the said ambience. His sound was vastly improved however with the inclusion of Victorian, Lilith Lane on keyboard and vocals. After a couple of numbers together, Steiner retreated and made room for bassist Bill McDonald and drummer Peter Luscombe (of the Rockwiz band on SBS). Lane, McDonald and Luscombe were a fine band and immediately brought back the feeling that this was a night of original music to remember. For a mere few dollars this was a surprisingly hearty reminder that you don’t need much to put on a good show. All you need is a guitar, a story, a candle and a beer. ROO DAVIES

LALANI HYATT

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Then New Saxons took the stage, bursting forth into a passionate and punchy and – unfortunately – prolonged set. The first half was brilliant, powerful, desperate stuff, coming to what felt like a stunning climax with the tremulous romp of Dancehall, and if they’d wound up with that I would have demanded a two-song encore. But what could have been an impressive fortyfive minutes ended up a somewhat difficult hour and twenty. It was sad to see a really exciting body of work being let down by poor set planning. Leave us wanting more and we’ll love you, guys. Finally, Dali Srhoj and The Paper Band rocked up, and rocked out. Despite a backup vocalist looking a bit lost on stage at the start, she soon got into the groove and Dali’s great stage presence. I’ve seen Dali play an acoustic set – he was good – but with a full band the sound was much more rounded, from the solid bottom end to the melodic stylings of the aptly named Julius Schwing, who was in fine touch from his first jazznoodlings to his inhuman soloing. As a frontman, Dali brings to mind a rather more charismatic John Mayer leading a mellowed Incubus. He was in good voice, and showed glimpses of a solid falsetto I’d be keen to hear more of. MICHAEL BLAKE

CATFIGHT @ The Royal Oak, September 20 What a difference a month makes. Or was it two? Between their first gig at The Hub, and, what I believe to be their third gig at The Royal Oak, Catfight had changed, a lot. What I had loved about them, originally, had gone. This time, they looked the same as so many other bands, dressed in black, jeans and t-shirts. Previously, they wore white lab coats, and loud sunglasses, reminding me of a 21st century Devo. They were certainly hamming it up, but it was fun, for me, and, seemingly, for them, too. In terms of their sound, the band had changed a great deal, also. Instead of the industrial, electro, pop-metal sound that got me so excited at their first ever gig, they now sounded like so many other metal-screamo bands. Where they had once sounded unique, they now sounded like a band on the coattails of an established music genre, following, not leading, and I can’t see them having great success from there. The space that had existed within their songs, which had allowed each part to be heard, was now filled up, making it hard to distinguish. I found it interesting that the three songs I liked the most were songs they’d played at the first gig. While given a different treatment now, the songs had the same basic elements, and they had connected with me, despite the arrangement. Though this review may seem harsh, I do care about this band, and so feel it necessary to be bluntly honest. What will their next gig be like? What incarnation of Catfight will we see next? I am waiting to see. There’s greatness here, I think. DAVID WILLIAMS

CD REVIEWS

COLDPLAY - Viva La Vida

MOTORHEAD - Motorizer

REASON - The Tides Are Turning

THE STARTING LINE - Direction

The latest offering from English pop-rockers brings a more commercial gloss whilst keeping in touch with their musical roots.

1975 was the beginning for one of Britain’s most earshattering and arguably loudest rock ‘n’ roll bands. The band’s back catalogue features many respected and highly acclaimed albums such as Ace of Spades, Overkill, Bomber, and No Sleep ‘til Hammersmith which launched the band to rock god stardom. The powertrio, consisting of front-man bassist, Lemmy Kilmister, drummer Mikkey Dee and guitarist Phil Campbell remain the same as from their beginnings, with this being their twenty-fourth release, full of the powerful, meaty rock that you have come to expect from a band like Motorhead.

If anyone in the Australian hip hop scene deserves to be called a veteran, it’s Reason. With a career that has spanned three decades, he is one of the reasons (no pun intended) that hip hop has become a truly national affair. After nearly twenty years of educating Australian heads, he’s dropped arguably his strongest effort yet, in his latest EP The Tides Are Turning.

Direction is, at its core, the best parts of everything The Starting Line have to offer - the youthful joy of Say It Like You Mean It coupled with the brooding maturity of Based On A True Story. The sound blends together beautifully through its sequence to tie the listener up in melody while helping the album remain playful yet sombre. The songs are strong first and catchy second.

Being an elder statesman of the scene, Reason has no doubt got a wide range of friends to hook him up with beats, and this release confirms that, with tracks coming from DJ VAME, Trials, Lazy Grey & Ghost (UK) amongst others. Even with a range of producers, the EP still has a coherent sound to it – proof that these producers know the MC well.

The album’s opener, and title track, set the direction for the entire CD. The album moves between tempos but maintains a distinctly Starting Line sound. Kenny Vasoli’s vocals sound stronger than ever. Stylistically the album varies by track. We have the pure-summer hit in 21; a fast paced pop-punk tune. The half-ballad of Are You Alone? featuring cleverly layered vocals. And the almost folk-like and largely acoustic Something Left to Give. The meat of the album is within Birds, Way With Words, I Could Be Wrong, and Somebody’s Gonna Miss Us - all tracks that maintain a light-hearted feel braced by duelling guitars and Kenny’s curiously poetic lyrics. It’s within the heart of the disc that it truly shines.

The themes of the album are well summed up with the opening lyrics to 42 – “Those who are dead are not dead but just living in my head.” Most of the songs deal with death, and moving on. However they often have a certain positive edge to them. The first track on the album, Life in Technicolor, has a broad soundscape that easily captures attention whilst at the same time makes the listener wonder if it really is Coldplay. Painstaking recording is apparent here, and indeed right throughout the album. Everything seems perfect and deliberate, without seeming like a pure pop record. This is because it has what many pop records lack – real musicality. The album continues very much in this fashion, somewhat spacey melody rich tunes infused with a commercial sheen. The title track is real radio material whilst still holding on to a feeling of musicality, as is Violet Hill. The highlight of the album comes in track nine, Strawberry Swing. In many ways this track is truer to older Coldplay, with Martin using the falsetto voice he is well known for here.

From previous albums to their latest, the sound of the band persists on keeping with the up-tempo anthems, producing songs that will repulse the elderly in your neighborhood and piss off any Britney Spears lover. Runaround Man opens the album with a full force jolt of rock with slight punk aspects that come through Lemmy’s smoky vocals. Phil Campbell pulls off some catchy blues riffs on One Short Life that drive the lyrics, a track worthy of repeat.

Whether you like Coldplay or not, give this album a listen, even if you pretend you don’t know who it’s by. The thick musicality with great use of instruments and dynamic variation is something that is quite rare in most mainstream music today.

People complain that bands like Motorhead decay with the same monotonous offerings, one after another and, yes, it’s been the case since their commercial peak of Ace of Spades, with nothing ever coming successfully as close. Motorizer is an album that will still be highly sought after. It’s still music that makes you go senseless in a good way. Motorhead is one band that always raises the two middle fingers up to following trends, which is why they still have a respected fan-base. Go Lemmy you good thing!

9/10 DORIAN BROOMHALL

7/10 DAVID WALKER

A wide selection of MCs also grace this EP, with Ciecmate & Newsense, Briggs, Pegz, Pressure, Benny Kidd, Flak, Fraksha, Level Headed & Aires stopping by to drop knowledge from two continents. While this is a lot of MCs for a ten-track disc, the fact that the EP is on a positive tip gives all the guest appearances a bit of a party vibe, even on the more serious tracks. With a classic old-school flow, Reason seems to spit with even more passion than ever – not that he lacks passion on his previous albums, but he seems to have taken it up a level on this one. My personal favourite track would have to be Cloud Surfing (ft Pressure), an ode to missions to the UK (my homeland!) This is one for the heads - classic tracks from a classic MC.

Many loved the fun atmosphere that surrounded the band’s first release. Others were impressed by the different pop sound the band created for their second. However, it’s within their third that the band actualises their sound to its full potential. The music sounds natural while the songs contain enough to be instantly satisfying yet hold back enough to ensure rewarding repeat listens. It’s rare that an album classified so strongly as “pop” can contain something more beneath the surface. 5/10 LEANN KACZMARSKI

7/10 TOM BUTLER

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“ is …I he th a i al vie nk bu r th m tha is a by n lb fa the um r… la ” st METAL - IOWA // SLIPKNOT

Knot Like the Last Album may help in attracting legions of devoted fans and provide welcome anonymity in a celebrity-obsessed world but wearing a horror mask for oIta living isn’t all gravy. Just ask Corey Taylor, vocalist with American metal creeps Slipknot, as Steve Tauschke discovered. “They’re very, very uncomfortable,” says 34-year-old Taylor of his own Vincent Price-esque stage mask. “They tend to chafe and cut into your face.”

Moulded by a professional prosthetics designer and attached with a series of tight buckles “so they don’t fly off”, Slipknot’s evolving series of death masks have been the Iowan nonet’s signature schtick since their inception in the mid-90’s. However, for Taylor there’s a theatrical dialogue that runs parallel to them as eerie marketing gimmicks. “They’ve always represented more of the artistic side, the expressive side,” says the singer who joined the band from Stone Sour in 1997. “Sure there’s the shock value at first but then you really get into the mindset and the reality behind it and then you’re like ‘ok I see it now’. “For me, it was more about getting in touch with the person inside that just needs to be heard because we all have different sides to us. I’ve sat on a lot of anger and a lot of rage for a long time so for me it’s the best way to get that out.” Cathartic as ever, Slipknot’s newly released fourth album All Hope is Gone unleashes all the blood-thinning sonic rage you’d expect from their foreboding metal

melange of chainsaw riffs and Halloween aesthetics. This despite sections of the media suggesting the band had lost its metal mojo due to a reliance on acoustics and vocal melody. “See I think this album is heavier than the last album by far,” reasons Taylor on the phone from Des Moines. “Volume 3 was a lot more melodic and mellow but on this album there’s a lot more attitude. I think people wanted this album to be mellower and I don’t see where they get that from.” A first in Slipknot’s spectacularly successful career, All Hope Is Gone was recorded in their home state of Iowa having cut most of their back catalogue in Los Angeles, epicentre of extra-curricula distractions, specifically “drugs, booze and women”. “When you’re a band like this that takes everything to an extreme you tend to jump wholeheartedly into that stuff,” says Taylor, now father to a five-year-old son. “And that city is just built out of that so it’s hard to fight it when you’re there. But this time around we were able to focus on the music and the recording.”

Hunkering down at a remote farmhouse studio outside Des Moines, the band enlisted producer Dave Fortman (Mudvayne) to keep them honest. “The songs still had the same vibe and the same frenetic energy,” says Taylor. “We were able to craft something that, well you know, it’s been four months and I’m still listening to it! And I really tried to get more involved on this record, I did a lot of the arrangements and just wanted to step it up and be there for the band. This time I tried to take the reigns and help lead the project and they’re probably the best vocal performances and lyrics I’ve ever laid down.” And it seems the fans agree. All Hope Is Gone and the crossover appeal of its current single Psychosocial has helped propel Slipknot to the top of the US Billboard charts for their first #1 album. “It was one of those things you hope for in life but never expect just with the way the industry is,” says Taylor. “We were damn near # 1 all over the board and for me that’s bigger than any Grammy, it’s bigger than any American Music Award, it’s the people standing up and

saying ‘we really like this’. “I mean this band has probably done a lot more for me than I can ever hope for. It’s allowed me to put away money for the kids’ college funds, it’s allowed me to buy and own my own house and buy a house for my mom which is the first thing I ever bought. So it’s enabled me to take care of the people I care about.” On a brief hiatus while drummer Joey Jordison’s broken ankle heals – “he was up walking around last time I saw him” - Slipknot head to Japan this month followed by their first Australian dates in almost four years. “I’m trying to take advantage of the time I have because you just never know when this is going to go away. You could wake up tomorrow and think I’m not into this anymore – and you’d have to find something else to do. So I don’t take any of this for granted.” sSTEVE TAUSCHKE

0 Slipknot tour Australia in October. All Hope Is Gone is out through Roadrunner.

THRASH - USA // PIG DESTROYER

The Third Most Dangerous Band in the World

my third try to get a clear line to speak with Pig Destroyer’s Blake Harrison in his hometown of Baltimore, Maryland, the third most dangerous oIt’s city in the good ol’ U.S. of A. “We have a pretty high murder rate. I’ve lived here for 15 years, but it’s home to me,” says Blake, in fairly high spirits despite having just come off a long working shift in his regular job. I suspect it’s his, or the band’s presence in the city that makes it so dangerous. “Not at all man! Pig Destroyer are a bunch of pussycats,” he laughs. “We might make it dangerous by drinking all the beer around, but that’s about it.”

You’ve got a new album out, Phantom Limb, what’s something in your life that could be said to be a phantom limb? [Laughs] Oh man, my job! It’s there when I don’t want it to be and it itches… when I called you first on my way home I’d worked a ten hour day today, which isn’t too bad but, you know, it’s work! I work for a large-scale audio company. We do the design and integration [of audio gear] for stadiums, arenas, churches and stuff like that. I still gotta punch the clock.

was it the chicks? To get the aggression out? If it was for the chicks you’ve obviously never seen our band! A lot of American kids, especially a younger male’s fantasy, is to get on stage and play music. It’s kind of everyone’s dream to think that you’re gonna be this huge f*cking rock star and that you’re gonna make a million bucks and drink jack Daniels by the gallon and have tons of girls around, but, y’know, it’s more just the fashion of it that made me start playing; trying to do something that I liked to do.

How much of being in Pig Destroyer is an escape from that? Honestly, we never looked at the band that way. All of us have full time jobs, Scott has a wife and two kids… since it’s not the way we make a living we kind of appreciate the band a lot more… The idea of full-time touring doesn’t really appeal to us, just because of that. It’s more special to us when we do play.

What is it about American society that peddles that dream? I’m not really sure. Where I grew up, which was a kind of rural town, either that or you wanted to be a sports superstar, like Michael Jordan, and I just really had no interest in that stuff. When I was younger I tried to pursue drawing or painting, and that didn’t really sit with what I wanted to do either. I started getting into music and I picked up a guitar and that’s where it started.

What made you pick up the guitar in the first place,

You’d be one of the lucky ones, wouldn’t you think? Absolutely. Sometimes I think our band is too big for what it actually is. We’re just four guys making the music we wanna make. There’s not really a huge subtext to it. [The other guys] were around for ten years before I joined and that’s kind of always been the idea. If I didn’t have the same philosophy I wouldn’t be in the band right now. sCHRIS RATTRAY Get destroyed with Pig Destroyer on: 0 October 23 @ The Brisbane Hotel Listen to more at www.sauce.net.au

r ou it nk at hi h It rw es fo …” im ig is et o b ly m to al So is ctu “… nd a ba

You mentioned you’re in your thirties and the other guys all have other commitments, so where do you hope to see Pig Destroyer go? That’s a good question, one I’ve never gotten before. We just wanna keep doing music until we don’t wanna be doing it anymore. We don’t want anything to be fake or forced. We’re doing a couple of things… one thing is like a more a doom, slower, wide open release – that’s gonna be an EP coming out sometime, we’re not really sure. That’s something that’s influenced us too. We’re gonna start working on another full-length when we get back from Australia and a couple of EP’s and that’s it. We don’t look too long-term into it.

SAUCE #79

COMEDY

STRUTH BE TOLD

COMEDY – MELBOURNE // THE NEEDLE AND THE DAMAGE DONE

Kitsch Collection is Comedy Sensation

reviewer, and former waitress, Fiona Scott-Norman, is poised to bring her sharp-witted comedy oBroadcaster, show, derived from her own personal music collection, to Tasmania. “Watching an audience experience this show is a pure delight. People cry with laughter,” she says. “And if you’ve never performed to a few hundred people and made them go ‘Oh!’ at the same time, you’ve never lived.” “He hit me, but it felt like a kiss. He hit me, but it didn’t hurt me. He couldn’t stand to hear me say That I’d been with someone new And when I told him I had been untrue

For those yet to experience The Needle and the Damage Done, please describe the show (avoiding any press release style clichés)? I’ll have you know my press release is completely free of cliches. So there. Needle is part lecture, part stand-up, part cabaret show, which takes the audience on a journey through a top ten of the worst music ever released in the history of the world. It is funny, shocking, surprising, and basically gets its comedy from comparing where we’ve evolved to culturally, from where we were before political correctness buggered things up for everyone.

He hit me (da-da-da-ah) and it felt like a kiss (felt like a kiss) He hit me (da-da-da-ah) and I knew he loved me If he didn’t care for me, I could have never made him mad But he hit me (da-da-da-ah) and I was glad.”

“…political correctness has ruined it for everyone…”

To what extent is there room for the addition of material to the show? There’s room - if I find new “gold” to slip in some new material. I’ve recently found Barbra Cartland’s album, and I’d like to find room for that. Probably in the “celebrity” section, I’d say.

Why is a show like this necessary now? It’s a bit of a reality check in some ways. I think it’s easy to romanticise the past, and think that political correctness has ruined it for everyone, but a quick survey of song lyrics and attitudes from as recently as thirty years ago shows that we had to move on for a very good reason. The 60’s and 70’s weren’t just appalling because of the fashion you know… What have been some of the funniest improv moments during the show? Whenever children are in the audience. The show isn’t ‘blue’, but it’s adult concepts, in that I’m talking about racism, sexism, sex, ego, all kinds of fun stuff. Whenever children are in the audience there’s a really delicious tension caused by young people being exposed to what is, essentially, the real world. There’s a section on child exploitation, where I talk about Young Talent Time and performers such as, ahem, Michael Jackson. At one show for the Woodford Folk Festival I asked if anyone in the audience wanted a toffee, and two ten year old boys down the front put their hands up, started leaping up and down in their chairs, and started yelling out. I threw them the lollies and then said, “And that, ladies and

What were some of the songs that didn’t make the cut for the show? I didn’t have room for David Hasselhoff covering the Ted Mulry Gang’s Jump in my Car. Or Burt Bacharach’s Wives and Lovers. But they’re both fantastic.

gentlemen, is the problem. Children will do anything for sweets.” What are some of the worst lyrics from the worst songs you inflict on the audience? So much to choose from here. I’d say the most shocking is a song by The Crystals called He Hit Me (It Felt Like A Kiss), a Motown number from 1962, which is essentially an homage to the romance of domestic violence.

To what extent does the show’s reflection on the past empower the audience to create a better future? How much does any show empower an audience? I know that this show inspires a great deal of discussion on the way home for the audience, so in that sense I think it can create change in people. I’ve had masses of feedback from people saying that they’ve googled artists I mention, or that they’ve been affected by the show. Also, because it’s really funny, I think that that ups the impact of the content for people. It’s definitely not a show that you forget in a hurry. Or, to put it another way, you’re scarred for life. sCHRIS RATTRAY Get some damage done: 0 October 18 @ The Alley Cat Bar

COMEDY – HOBART // THE SHORT BACK AND SIDESHOW

Big Gig With Muppets on the Fringe

a collective of freak hairdressers. Oh if only that were true!” exclaims Mick Lowenstein, creator of o“It’s Hobart comedy sensation, The Short Back and Sideshow. “It’s a variety comedy show. It presents as many different forms of comedy as we can cram together under the one roof. But if we could get more roofs, we would. It’s stand up, sitcom, sketch, musical comedy, burlesque, circus, character comedy, physical comedy all presented at break neck speed and in a sort of one thing flows into the next fashion. It’s kind of like a live action Muppet Show/Big Gig kind of feel. I bet none of you reading this know either of those shows do you? Get on Youtube, discover some classics.”

What led to its creation? Well, it took six days, but then on the seventh day I rested. I just knew there were a bunch of people out there who were funny, but didn’t want to do the whole stand up thing, which can be quite intimidating at times. So I wanted to create a show that had little bits of everything and the audience wouldn’t know what was going to happen next. The performers don’t know half the time either. Chaos = beauty. You describe the show as being “organised chaos” – how does it merit this description? It has a badge, stolen from a dead boy scout. Was that too much? I like the idea of never giving the audience a moment to relax, so it’s trying to create the atmosphere of random things are going to happen and some of it can go wrong, but in doing that, everyone has to be quite clear about when and where everything happens so that the energy never drops. It’s quite audio intensive and Heath our audio guy will often throw random sounds and stuff around to keep everyone on their toes, sometimes on their eyelids, which implies a lot more tension. What have been some of the funniest moments from the last couple of shows? Luke McGregor being handed a half eaten ice cream as he came on and not knowing what to do with it was good. I destroyed another mic stand. I’ve got a bit of a habit of doing that. We did a live cross to ABC radio in the last show on my mobile and the audience thought I was taking the piss until I worked out how to put it on speakerphone… Madam Goulash doing anything is very funny. Gavin Baskerville talking to the living… loads of stuff. Where do you want to take the show – television? Radio play? Touring act? I’ve got a few ideas. I’d like to develop it towards a big Tasmanian showcase show, where we can get loads of 24

SAUCE #79

local performers in all art forms and create a big melting pot show thing. Yes, very specific sounding I know, but it’s still just boiling away. I have a plan to start a side project next year called the Short Short Back and Sideshow, where we do workshops in schools and then the kids involved perform their show before the main show at the end of the month.

“…none of you reading this know either of those shows do you? Get on Youtube…” What is the narrative and who are some of the characters? The narrative bits are between two of the recurring characters, a bogan lass called Dorain and her nemesis, a French maid called Catalogue. Each show they reveal a little bit more about their history and their hopes and dreams. Tit for Tat is the sitcom we have in each show and we follow two bored office workers on various adventures as they try to bring some fun into their lives. They have no names. They are referred to as “Irish guy who’s name no-one can pronounce” and “White Australian guy”. How can a prospective entertainer get involved? Email me (micklowenstein@netspace.net.au). My people, your people, we’ll do lunch. Go to the Facebook group page, which is just The Short Back and Sideshow, do a search, you’ll find it, it’s not too hard. Leave a message or a small present. That would be nice. Just don’t send a Mob Wars invitation. sCHRIS RATTRAY Get chaotical! The next Short Back and Sideshow’s on: 0 October 29, 8pm upstairs @ New Sydney Hotel, Bathurst St Hobart $9

There’s never a more vulnerable time in one’s life than when they step outside the door of the hairdresser’s. As a guy, the thought running through my head is almost always the same – ‘TOOOOO SSHHOOOORRRRTTTTT!!!’ Having abruptly cropped hair leaves your big goofy head exposed, like your face’s version of being caught with its pants down. With the central HQ of a fringe and straggly side bits gone, there’s nowhere for your forehead and ears to hide. You are destined to wander the streets, cheekbones freezing, trying to subtly peer at yourself in shop windows and jiggle your hair about like a crazed Mother setting the dinner table for Christmas. You could be forgiven for thinking that hairdressers just like cutting hair. The initial consultation always goes amiably. They ask what I’d like done, while thoughtfully running thumb and forefinger over the back. I answer them with conviction on par with the lawyer from The Castle - including the word “vibe.” They seem to understand. I take my glasses off, and in my short sighted state I miss the splitsecond glint in their eye as they pick up the scissors, eyes boring into the slice-fest that is my plump, ungroomed head; mouth salivating at the thought of sinking their blades into me, like a blackbird arching its toes as it dive-bombs a strawberry patch. Where does the blueprint go wrong? Part of the problem is the hairdresser’s insistence on multitasking. This involves calculating and implementing precise artistic incisions while padding out inane conversation. You wouldn’t expect your doctor to be halfway through surgery before demanding to know how Uni’s going. The verbal screensaver also gets in the way of the relaxing, therapeutic element. With silence I can let hormones and imagination take over and pretend there’s something faintly sexual happening. (With me, getting change at McDonald’s can be faintly sexual; it’s called “I’m an art-house film” syndrome.) HINT: Get your haircut on Wednesdays as it’s too late for “what did you do on the weekend” and too early for “what are you doing on the weekend?” The hairdresser’s most important training comes into play in the closing “smoke and mirror” phase. This involves a complex array of blow-drying, poofing and fiddling with all manner of hyper-pasteturbo-wax-grit-putty-factor-fourteen products, which are all made from recycled Ghostbuster slime. These are used to achieve the painstakingly effortless “bed-hair” look that is guaranteed to last up to three seconds after you leave. (I’ve found better results by being so depressed about my haircut I stayed in bed for a week.) This leads to the barber’s money shot - the moment when you are reminded how powerless you really are, strapped in a black cocoon, hair littering the floor like a balding shagpile. There is no greater false gesture than the “showing of the back” for approval. As you stare from your bowl head - flat as a burnt match - to the gleaming eyes of the hairdresser, you remember this is one luxury you just can’t afford. For the last two years I’ve been attending one of the fanciest hairdressers in Melbourne, who recently put the price up from $65 to $85. “Is that because of the drought?” I quipped, getting nothing from the girl at the counter. We had been on a good wicket, they didn’t talk much and left my hair at an acceptable Graham Garden / Jarvis Cocker type length. But last week I made the mistake of including the word “shorter” in my description. That’s it. Next time I’m getting my fringe insured. Just call me the indie Merv Hughes. sJUSTIN HEAZLEWOOD