FREE
. ISSUE 81 . NOV 12 - NOV 25 2008 . TASMANIA’S STREET PRESS
Matt Nugent
Mammal PLUS THE WHO, WHAT & WHEN OF TASMANIAN MUSIC PINKY BEECROFT & THE WHITE RUSSIANS SOLAR THORN GOODWILL SAM COLE AND HEAPS MORE!
GRADUATE FROM THE SCHOOL OF HARD ROCKS! WIN TICKETS TO
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NEXO Em (Top Box)
HOTEL NEW YORK Cosmopolitan flavour for new club
NEXO Em (Top Box)
RCF 525 RCF 525 NEXO PS100 (DJ Fold Back (DJ Fold Back (Room Fills) + Drum Fill) NEXO PS100 + Drum Fill) NEXO PS100 (Room Fills) (Room Fills) NEXO B1-18 (Sub)
NEXO B1-18 (Sub)
NEXO B1-18 (Sub)
NEXO B1-18 (Sub)
EAW 215 (Band Foldback)
Launceston’s newest club is set to be unveiled this month! You may have noticed the construction on York Street, as busy builders and tradespeople beaver away to bring much more than just a fresh lick of paint to the location formerly known as The James Hotel. In fact, the entire space is in the process of being made over, as if Jamie Drury and his Outdoor
RCF 800IAS (Drum Foldback)
Room team had descended to bring a taste of the US of A to Launceston night life. Manager, Andrew Joyce, gave SAUCE a sneak preview of the venue as it was under construction. The entire front bar has been refitted, to provide more room for patrons. LED lighting and more couches will provide ambience and colour. Out the back, themed booths will give punters the
EAW 215 (Band Foldback)
opportunity to relax amongst memorabilia sourced from Broadway, Fifth Avenue, and other iconic New York items. The stage will be repositioned to face front on, and the entire sound system has been rebuilt from the ground up, featuring NEXO speakers, and a state-of-the-art PA. The DJ Booth will be modernised, giving it a much more contemporary flavour, and repositioned to
the stage so clubgoers and DJ can work together to create that special dance synergy that makes a night truly special.
Take a bite of the The Big Apple when The Hotel New York opens to the public, featuring Grafton Primary, Kid Kenobi, and MC Shureshock: 0 November 15 @ Hotel New York, Launceston
392 - 394 Elizabeth St. North Hobart Ph: 03 6234 5975
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NEWS #81 - November 12 to November 25
Contents 4 6 7 8 9 11 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 24 25 26
Hotel New York News / Fat Lip / Competitions Grafton Primary Pinky Beecroft Mammal Matt Nugent / DJ Kir Potbelleez / DJ Stirlo First Harvest / Timeline Entertainment Guide Gig Reviews / Surf Martha Wainwright Peter Hicks / The Statics Solar Thorn / Top Shelf Sam Cole / FATsmalls Dialectrix Hot Mod Zzapped! Screen / Comedy Street Fashion / CD Reviews
Contact: Phone: Advertising: Editorial: Editor: Email: Sub -Editor: Email: Graphic Design: 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
Opinions expressed in Sauce are not necessarily those of the Editor or staff. Sauce Publishing accepts no liability for the accuracy of advertisements.
Contributors David Walker, Jason Hoggett, Tiarne Double, Mike Wilcox, Clayton Macintosh, Laen Deakin, Jayson Morrison, Feathers Mulgoon, Michael Blake, James Young
Next Edition Sauce #82 - 26/11/08 to 09/12/08 Advertising Deadline: 21/11/08 @ 3pm Editorial Deadline: 20/11/08 @ 3pm
SOUNDSCAPE FESTIVAL SELLING FAST According to the organisers, early bird tickets sold out in five days! Get a ticket soon, or miss out seeing Pnau, Cut Copy, British India, The Getaway Plan, Muph and Plutonic, Behind Crimson Eyes, Mammal, Bomba, Phrase, D’Opus and Roshambo, Let The Cat Out and The Frets. Part-proceeds go to The Save The Tasmanian Devil Appeal. Hobart Regatta Grounds, 17th January, 2009. http://www.thesoundscape festival.com JOSÉ GONZÁLEZ AT WREST POINT The music of José González is hardly reminiscent of fireworks and confetti, but that is exactly how his last two albums have been received all over the world. His low-voiced, serious and introverted music has been hugged to death by everyone from the indie crowd to grizzled old folk fans, resulting in gold record sales, festival appearances and several sold out tours in Australia. In the live setting, José and his band are nothing short of mesmerizing, and they return to Australia in February 2009 for an exclusive show at Wrest Point in an intimate Theatre setting. Tickets go on sale Friday November 21, 9am Wrest Point Entertainment Centre, Plenary Theatre Wednesday, February 11, 2009 Tickets from Wrest Point Service Centre - 1300 795 257 THE FALLS FUNK’N’SOUL REVUE AND A FINAL, LIMITED RELEASE OF TICKET S The Falls Festival is full of good news! Not only are they releasing a limited and final batch of tickets for the Marion Bay event (on-sale Monday 10th Nov via www.fallsfestival.com), but they are hosting an exclusive hip-happening bayside hustle on December 29th! Introducing, The Falls Funk’n’Soul Revue….
HOBART’S REPUBLIC IN ITS ELEVENTH YEAR Hobart’s favourite Scorpio is about to hit puberty! However, don’t worry, it won’t start sprouting hair from strange places. What it will do is put on a fantastic birthday bash, and… yes, the stars confirm it… you’re invited! Venue owner and manager, Tony Heath, got all misty eyed as we looked over the baby photos…
COMPETITIONS The Falls Funk’n’Soul revue is an afternoon and evening of the finest funk, soul, bossa-nova and boogaloo from the very best specialist DJ’s this country has to offer, not to mention a couple of very special guests from farther afield. Getting the party started in Marion Bay and swinging it comes; DJ Mohair Slim of PBS Radio Blue Juice fame bringing his eclectic collection of original 45’s in a multitude of styles; purveyor of fine and obscure funky gems, DJ Kano; Tassie native and the original and first lady of go-go, DJ Emma Peel (The Girl Bomb); funk, soul, hip-hop (and everything in between) party starter DJ Manchild; maestro of groove DJ Chris Gill of Northside Records, and Anna from Anna’s Go-Go Academy, to teach y’all to hip-shake and do the mash potato! Festival Tickets: a final and limited number of tickets (30th Dec – 1st Jan) for The Falls Music and Arts Festival in Marion Bay, Tasmania event go on sale via www.fallsfestival.com, Monday 10th of Nov at 9am. Tickets for The Falls Funk’n’Soul Revue (Dec 29th) are on sale now via www.fallsfestival.com. 29th tickets are nearly sold out and patrons MUST also have a Dec 30-Jan 1 ticket in order to attend The Falls Funk’n’Soul Revue on Dec 29th. http://www.fallsfestival.com.au THE DEBUT OF THE SWELLTONES On November 15th at the Alley Cat Bar (North Hobart), Hobart will bear witness to the reverb drenched surf instrumental rock n roll sounds of The SwellTones.
IS THIS YOUR REGO? YOU WIN! Congratulations to our first winner!
If this is your car, email a pic of yourself in front of your rego to competitions@sauce.net.au, with ‘Sticker Winner’ in the subject line by Friday, 20th of November @ 5pm to win two new release CDs. In the body of the email, let us know what two genres of music you’d prefer the CDs to be from. If you don’t let us know in time, the prize will JACKPOT, so next edition there will be four CDs to be won. And so on… To get in on the action, get a SAUCE sticker and whack it on your vehicle! One vehicle with a sticker displayed will be chosen each edition to win the CDs. Check each edition of SAUCE to see if you’ve won. It’s that easy!
This trio of keen musicians consisting of Sam Tilley on skins, Tara Edmondson on the draw bar organ, and Dave ‘Eddo’ Edmondson on surf guitar, draw their surf instrumental rock n roll influences from a style of music made famous in the late 50’s and early 60’s. This genre of music was brought to light by the reverberant twanging guitars of such greats as Dick Dale and Link Wray, and such great bands as the Ventures, The Atlantics, and The Surfaris. The SwellTones play with fellow instrumentalists, and purveyors of fine vintage mystery and horror film sound tracks, The B Circuit. The SwellTones kick off the night at 9pm, so be there to catch their saturated sounds of oceanic madness.
WIN SOUNDSCAPE FESTIVAL TICKETS! We have 5 tickets to The Soundscape Festival to be won. To enter, email the following details: name, age, gender, location, and Top 3 friends on Soundscape’s MySpace page to competitions@sauce.net.au with “Soundscape Comp” in the subject line, by 5pm, Friday, 20th of November. Winners will be chosen at random, and announced in the next edition of SAUCE (26/11/08).
Happy birthday, Republic Bar! What’s been some of the most outstanding nights you’ve had, personally, and why? Well, there have been many. I booked Daron Hanlon as a solo act to play in a couple of month’s time at a new artist price. By the time he played here he had a No.1 TripleJ hit. We had no cover and turned away three hundred people. When Little Birdie played there was a queue going down the street to Tasma Street. The best music has to go to Finis Tasby, a black bass player from John Lee Hooker’s band and an Italian guitarist, Enrico Carvolaro, from LA with band. Finis, who was 70 at the time, was the singer. It was the best blues I have ever heard. How do you think the bar has contributed to the local scene over the years? The Republic has given local bands the opportunity to play on a regular basis and other hotels have began to do live music after seeing how well we have done. Plus we have taken the risk with national and international bands and acts, bringing them to Tasmania when before they wouldn’t have come.
STUDIO DIARY
WED, NOV 5 & 6 Zion’s Hill - CD Mastering Zion’s Hill Church recorded a live concert earlier this year with producer Andy Sorenson. Andy works at the Grove Studios in Sydney. He has vast experience recording live worship events, and is well known for his work with Darlene Zschech and Hillsong Church. The end result was a two-hour length production. My job… The mastering. Zion’s Hill wanted a different sound to the usual everyday humdrum. They wanted the chorus parts to be intense, and the verse parts very intimate. That’s what they got!
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What’s been some of your proudest achievements with the bar? We have a great mix of music, food, art, poetry, and politics across all age groups. We have won Best Bar twice, Best Entertainment Venue six times with Amplified Awards and restaurant and AHA, and The Adventure Tourism and Backpacker’s Award for Best Bar. I was also proud of the support we got when we had a benefit for the tsunami victims and raised $15000. We also have put banners on the hotel supporting David Hicks, anti-pulp mill rallies, and Ralph’s Bay and other environmental issues. How are you planning to celebrate? We are having a free BBQ - cheap pale ale, lots of giveaways, music in the beer garden, music inside and two free tickets to Soundscape and some free tickets to some of our other shows: Epicure, Magic Dirt, Stoneking, and Diesel. Who are some of the people who’ve helped you get to this point? The kitchen staff and head chef, Richard Hensens, and all the other staff… but most of all, our customers. Get down and help celebrate The Republic Bar’s 11th Birthday: 0 November 16 @ The Republic Bar WWW.SAUCE.NET.AU
DANCE - SYDNEY // GRAFTON PRIMARY
Frames of Reference
their new album, Eon, getting groovers moving all over the country, SAUCE caught up with Grafton Primary to find out what has set their oWith hearts and minds afire over the years. Or Eons. The whole movement of electro dance rock is steamrolling along. Do you see yourself as part of that movement? To an extent. I suppose I see it as a movement set to continue. I can’t imagine it going back the other way. I see it as a logical step that flows on from the technology that we have now and people’s pallets broadening as far as sounds go. Obviously, Australia’s kind of blueblood rock territory at heart, so the fact that it’s moving very openly into a more electronic sphere, in addition to the more traditional rock bands and so on, sort of really means that people’s ears are opening up to what’s around the world. I certainly think that we consider ourselves part of something that’s going on but, at the same time, I don’t see it as kind of a phase. I do think it will continue on in that direction for those bands that want to have that kind of sound.
“…I was definitely exposed to some very fine songwriting from a very young age…”
To what extent do you have to keep an ear out that you don’t start sounding like someone else currently putting out music? I think it’s the opposite. I think the key really is that you keep mostly to what you’re doing and to what sounds good to you. I think if people think you sound like somebody else, then that’s their opinion… I guess, the way I look at it is, if you say that one band sounds like another then that’s sort of a frame of reference for somebody, or possibly, simply the fact that you know they’ve got a similar instrumentation… the amount of bands in the world that have got, say, bass guitar, two guitarists, vocals and drums, and play chords based on twelve-bar blues, well you could insinuate that the whole rock movement was self-referencing as well. I think, for us, we’ve been doing what we do for a long time. We’re not little spring chickens anymore. We have a pretty strong sense of who we are. I’m 29, my brother’s 31, so I think we’re definitely cruising along doing our own thing. But, you know, comparisons are inevitable. That’s sort of the nature of it I suppose. I was looking at the influences you’ve listed on your MySpace page. Did you have a hand in who was listed in that section? To be honest, no. The main reason being that my brother does most of the MySpace stuff, so I think he came up with a list, so you could say that that’s perhaps what he’s more influenced by. I think my list would be something quite different, but at the same time I could definitely relate to some of the acts he’s put up there. I suppose I’m also very into singer-songwriter type stuff, and very moodier, spacious kind of stuff. I’m really into Goldfrapp and Bjork, and really older artists like Neil Young, so I guess I’ve got about a fifty percent stake on the influences on the website. Plus, obviously, there’d be more, but I suppose it’s a bit of a frame of reference for people who’ve never heard our music before, a frame of reference for what it could sound like. At the same time, it’s probably a bit more diverse than that. If you were to rewrite the influences, who would be your top three? I’d probably have to say my Paul McCartney would be well up there; and then, as far as electronic stuff goes, someone like Giorgio Moroder would be fair enough. At the same time, I could equally say Queen! Let’s just say Queen, The Beatles, and Giorgio Moroder. That’s today’s top three. Did you, as a kid, have times riding along singing along to Bohemian Rhapsody, like in Wayne’s World? Yeah, absolutely. Probably not with the head-banging… I definitely recall listening to that song and, even more so, I remember listening to Peter, Paul and Mary, The Beatles on cassette tapes on long trips to the North coast and stuff . I think, yeah, I was definitely exposed to some very fine songwriting from a very young age. That’s why I put someone like Paul McCartney up there because I think he’s an amazing craftsman of songs and that’s central to what we do with the band, is we want to write very beautiful songs that have a really nice structure to them, a really nice flow to them. It’s not about simply creating some electronic sounds and howling over the top of them. sDAVID WILLIAMS
Put Grafton Primary in your top three! 0 November 14 @ The Republic Bar 0 November 15 @ The New York Hotel Listen to more at www.sauce.net.au. WWW.SAUCE.NET.AU
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TRACKBAK With Pinky Beecroft & The White Russians Pinky Beecroft’s new outfit, The White Russians, have released a new album, the meditative, Somethin’ Somewhere Better. We crawled inside Pinky’s brainspace to see where his head was at, track by track, to see what was behind some of the songs on the album. PROSPERITY’S PURPOSE - What makes someone prosperous? I’m not totally sure, I’ve never really been prosperous, but I think lots of cash helps. And I’ve heard that owning the street press is a good way to make pots and pots of cash. SCARLETT - When was the last time you saw red? I see red all the time. It’s a good colour. I like it. I make sure there’s plenty around me. THIS SONG HAS ONLY GOT HAPPY WORDS What words make you happy? Thank you. Hello. Luscious. Bedtime. SUNFLOWERS - Who gave you flowers last, and why? Somebody sent me flowers when I was in hospital a month ago. I reckon they were being kind. REAL GOOD TIME - What has to happen for you to have a real good time? That depends. Mostly a little sunshine and five minutes with nothing to do. Maybe some music. SOMEONE FOR EVERYONE - Who was your first love? Carmel Ellsmore. She was stupendously lovely. And probably still is. FABULOUS DRIVING - How do you attain the status of “fabulous driver?” You get good at it. Obviously. You get better than good, you get fabulous. That’s the answer, I guess, or at least it’s the answer
if you want to take everything literally… Which is fair enough, I suppose. And in any case if you start to allow things to go beyond the literal, beyond the prosaic, then where will you end up? Things’ll get complicated. Small things that should be easily grasped, easily handled, simple to define - these things might suddenly become difficult to take hold of, they might slip from your reach, or they might mutate, grow, bend or break into thousands of other things, all requiring effort, all consistently resisting the kind of wrangle-proof enclosure we’re looking at here. And it’s not the time for that to happen. It’s not the time to say, for example, that this song’s not really about being a fabulous driver, it’s really about mental illness, the suffering of and the battling against and the times in between. Which, in terms of the current context, this framework of titular word-association, seems wholly inappropriate even to mention. So. In short, to answer your question: you attain the status of “fablous driver” I guess by practising, regularly. CALL ME - And say what? Hey I listened to your record, I like it. I might even buy it. And I’m thinking of you. Luscious. MY HAIRCUT WILL COME BACK AROUND when, and why? Well it won’t. Not any time soon. That’s the point of the song, mostly. It may not be apparent unless you listen to it in the context of the other songs, and “My Haircut...” is deliberately placed last on the record for a reason, because once you hear the other songs, and ingest all the other lyrics you kind of then know where I’m coming from... I don’t know what to say. Except that my haircut will probably not come back around. Unless I’m very, very lucky. Unless the swings and roundabouts of public opinion swing and spin back in my direction. Then maybe I suppose it’s possible that a haircut like mine might become fashionable again. And that’s kind of what the song is saying on a very literal level. But it’s also saying a bunch of other stuff. So. I dunno. I don’t know whether to keep trying to explain, or whether to just quit now, while I’m behind. Grow your hair like Pinky’s: 0 November 20 & 21 @ The Alley Cat Bar Somethin’ Somewhere Better is out now.
SENSIENT & ONE TASY MORSEL DUAL ALBUM LAUNCH Melbourne’s Sensient (Tim Larner) and Brisbane’s One Tasty Morsel have teamed up to launch Illogitechnicallity at the end of this month. The Sensient sound ranges from dark minimal, to deep tech-trance, to funky minimal, to smooth morning progressive, but always with a psychedelic bent and an increasing emphasis on pure musicality. It steers clear of the generic cheese trance so prevalent in today’s psytrance scene, instead offering deep, intelligent music whilst maintaining the dance floor factor. Sensient absorbs the influence of many other musical styles (breaks, glitch, jazz fusion etc.) and incorporates them into his productions. He has played worldwide at some of the biggest festivals including Boom, Voov, Universo Parallelo, RainbowSerpent and Fusion. He is also the owner and manager of Zenon Records, one of the most respected minimal/progressive labels around. One Tasty Morsel is the solo project of 23 year-old Paul van den Brink, from the hills of far north Australia. The project kicked off in early 2005 after a passion to express his musical views could not be found as an artist within the live band scene. Drawing influence from many forms of music and combining an eclectic taste in electronica with a passion for minimal psychedelic trance, the One Tasty Morsel sound lies somewhere in the middle grounds of Sensient and Krumelur.
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Get yours on: 0 November 29 @ Halo, 11pm start http://www.myspace.com/zenonrecords
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ROCK - MELBOURNE // MAMMAL
DIY Band Gambles With Balls a perfect Melbourne’s Cup day when I hear from Mammal’s axeoIt’s man, Pete Williamson. “Actually, our band name was influenced
by a horse,” he says, circumventing the usually embarrassingly obvious question. “There was a horse named Mamoul, and Nick, the bass player, said that was a cool name, and that’s how Mammal came up out of that a few years ago. It just happens to be the day that stops the nation so I can talk about it!”
“None of us are really gamblers,” he continues. “I don’t know what he was even doing, watching a horse race. Just one of those random things. If he was in front of a race, he might’ve been there more for the alcohol and party vibe than the actual race.” Gambling can be a temptation for a touring band on a budget. “Well, look… me and the drummer actually have a bit of a problem,” confesses Pete. “On the tours, we pay ourselves thirty dollars a day for food and everything. It’s not much, with restaurants and such being expensive… one day, the drummer and I were down to our last ten dollars and we’d only just had breakfast in Bondi, or something, and we were like, let’s get some cash out and go to the pokies! One thing led to another… I think we were about forty dollars up, and we should’ve walked away, but then we lost it all. Then, feeling hungry for the rest of the day made me rethink my gambling habit. I’ve given up since then.” Just as well, as there are other ways to fill your belly. Mammal’s latest single Smash the Pinata provides a clue. The last time Pete ever took to a piñata was “probably during the making of the film clip! We went smashing it quite seriously,” he says, enthusiastically. “There were heaps of props there on that day. We took a bunch of them out on tour and put these little red eyes that lit up in them on battery power, and they looked really cool as stage props. At a gig in Brisbane, I smashed my guitar through one, and then yelled out to the crowd, and some punters were fighting over it and someone ripped the head off… it was pretty funny. It was a pretty full-on moment of childish piñatasmashing!” “At the launch for that single, our drummer had got creative – it was probably one of the best things I’ve ever seen anyone do – he built this piñata mirrorball, like one of the gym balls you do sit-ups on, and anyway, they filled it with candy and everything, and we had it hanging there by the stage, and on the last song, Zeke smashed it, and Zeke’s up there swinging wildly with his mic stand, it’s bending, I’m ducking out of the way trying not to get my head taken off, as this twotonne, lolly-filled ball swings out over this crowd. I was thinking, ‘Oh geez, this can’t be good for occupational health and safety!’ Finally, there was broken lollies everywhere and everyone had lost their mind… it’s times like that in rock ‘n’ roll when you’re like, ‘Please don’t fall on anyone’s head!’”
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That really adds a new dimension to the old cliché of smashing your instruments up on stage after a particularly good set or a bad relationship breakup. “That’s it! I reckon if you’re gonna smash your instruments, you may as well get some candy as well after it, y’know?” And, the historically non-clever drummer made the mirrorball piñata? “Yeah! I think he really hates his day job so he’ll do anything to take days off, if possible. He made up the factor that we really needed to get creative and make this mirrorball… it must’ve taken him ages to papier mache this thing around a balloon… it was a good effort.” This DIY ethos infuses the band’s other practices as well. “It’s massive,” Pete explains, “It’s what a lot of our whole morals have been based on, and for us to have any success and move forward, it does come down to us being creative and having our creative control, but also it comes down to, financially, being able to afford what we need to do, so if we keep it real simple, like we look after our own gear, we don’t travel with stage techs; our crew is simple, just a front-ofhouse engineer and a merch person, and we just do everything ourselves.” “That’s meant that we’ve been able to build a successful business, that can pay us a little bit of money, whether that’s thirty dollars a day or get flights and hire cars and accommodation and all that, to move forward and make independent records. We paid for our record. We had the fans help by doing pre-orders and stuff, and by the time we’d finished the record, we’d paid for it before the time it came out. It’s not like we were in a record deal position where we had to recoup [the costs], we were already kind of done and anything else we made we could put back into marketing and afford to do the next record. It’s definitely a new model that a lot of people are taking.” sCHRIS RATTRAY
Get smashed with Mammal! 0 January 17 ‘09 @ The Soundscape Festival, Hobart Regatta Grounds Listen to more at: www.sauce.net.au
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DJ PROFILE: MATT NUGENT
Beetroots and it will be huge. Another week someone like Bart B More, or it will be all local DJs and still be a great night. What would you play (and why) to...
Matt Nugent, one of Australia’s most in-demand DJs, holds down a high-profile residency at the massive Syndey club night ONELOVE @ Tank as well as various guest spots around Australia. Originally making a name for himself in Brisbane, with residencies at Family, The Empire, Monastery and Viva as well as playing at pretty much any club or one-off party worth going to. Matt has mixed it with the cream of the crop at his club gigs and during the national summer festival circuit at Good Vibrations, Summerfieldayze, Vibes on a Summers Day, Two Tribes and more. What was the first party you ever played at? The first big party outside of a club environment was a Headfunk New Year’s Day party at the Tivoli in Brisbane. The Headliner was Roger Sanchez. How did that first experience compare to where you are now? It was wicked. I got such a rush playing on such a big sound system in the middle of the stage even though I played the first set of the night. Now, I still get a rush but luckily I get to play a little later on the bill. What residency have you had lately that’s really rocked your world and why? ONELOVE @ Tank in Sydney has been rocking all year long. It’s great because every week is different. One week we’ll have a guest DJ like Crookers or Bloody
Fill the dancefloor? MGMT – Kids (Soulwax remix), this is the biggest tune for me at the moment at clubs. Make someone feel loved? Pnau – With You Forver (Dirty South Remix), great vocal all about love and an amazing remix from Dirty South. In my opinion the best remix he has ever done. Induce sexiness? DJ DLG & Erick Morillo – Where Are You Now, I guess it induces sexiness! Destroy the night? At the moment my favourite track is DBN feat Madita– Asteroidz, so if you mean destroy the night in a good way then it’s that, but if you mean to clear the place, probably something by Celine Dion. She is the epitome of evil and makes my head hurt. What’s one thing, non-musical related, that you make sure you have with you during a set? My mobile phone, it doubles as a clock and a torch. What’s the strangest request anyone’s ever asked of you in your capacity as a DJ? If they could have two bourbon and cokes and a corona, they thought the DJ booth was the bar.
What was the last album or track you heard that you can’t get out of your head and why? I’m loving the Booka Shade, MGMT & the Empire Of The Sun albums at the moment. Who are you most looking forward to seeing at your set at Syrup on November 29?
Looking to finally meet Gillie after years of emailing back and forth and also catching up with friends Sam and Jade. If your name is Sam or Jade, catch Matt Nugent (but everyone else can come too): 0 November 29 @ Syrup
DJ PROFILE: DJ KIR Illness has seen DJ Kir resting up and taking it easy in recent months, but she’s now ready to get back behind the decks to get the party jackin’ along with The Aston Shuffle this month at Syrup! What release have you been working on lately and how would you describe it? A couple of tracks (a little way off being released though). One is CFK and the other The Green Jacket... CFK: I thought my life was pretty crazy before the advent of glandular fever followed by chronic fatigue mononucleosis at the beginning of last year. When I started writing this track I was in unknown territory of rest 24/7, bedridden for most of that time, close to no social life and was strictly ordered to (what felt like) have no fun! I’d cut my resident spot at Syrup, played a couple more events with the Bumblebeez and The Scientists of Modern Music and decided that DJ’ing had became really challenging as I literally had no memory and my ears and head had become super sensitive to sound. At this time, resting up, I realised my lifestyle was no longer going crazy… but I was! So this track is in parts: dark demented fidget with quirky fun nu disco, a lot of broken beats and liquid tech sounds and vocals as well as “whiney” indie electro vocals, as St Nick would say. CFK is definitely a positive track about feeling lost in life but never losing the beat! THE GREEN JACKET: This track represents impromptu good times. Slip the green jacket on and be prepared for a wild journey of unexpected surprises and loose shenanigan activities. In the style of indie disco/nu disco - you can expect to hear fun twisted comical cartoon sounds, upbeat rounded basslines, fat low frequency hums and nu disco pop vocals. Anyone that knows my sets knows that I don’t mind swapping music styles and changing the direction of the set for a bit of fun and this is how I’d describe The Green Jacket. What would you play (and why) to get in the mood for… Romance? Devotion by Ten City, who was a Chicago dance pop, house music band from the late 80s early 90s. Original Chicago house at its finest, Devotion is about devotion to someone you love, sharing the good times, getting through the difficult times yet always having “someone by your side”. Gorgeous vocals - this song makes you melt. Starting the party? Depends on the party... At the moment, I am pretty fond of Gameboy/Gamegirl at the beginning of the
night, Zero Cash or U-Freqs as all tracks are fun and very easy to dance to. Busy P, Stupid Fresh or DJ Fame could definitely “start the party” if not already cranking... Sexy times? Like Something for Porno by Felix da Housecat (slowed down to 120bpm). Puts you in the mood to strut on the dancefloor, swinging your hips as if you are on a catwalk in Milan… SEXY. It’s also a good party starter. Ending the set on a high? Usually a track that the crowd knows and loves. It might be an intelligent dance remix of a familiar track played on the radio which will always fill the dancefloor and add a euphoric feeling as the crowd sings and passionately move to the beats, taking home with them great memories for the next time they hear that same track. Describe a time to me where you felt like the music took you to another place? Every time I listen to good music it takes me to another place. Underworld live at the BDO 2003 is very memorable - the music was A1 and sound production five-star. The frequencies surrounding and fibulating throughout the body were full and intense, no holes or gaps in the heavenly soundscape. Hitting the point of
euphoria (body and soul) in music, when the sounds have taken over all awareness of what’s going on around you, your feet, your hands, all of your body and all your senses know what’s going on... it’s the total connection of mind, body and sound and there is not a more magical feeling in the universe! The Aston Shuffle know well how to take an audience to “that place”. What’s the oddest thing or request anyone’s ever asked of you in your capacity as a DJ? To DJ a four hour vinyl set on the second floor of a pub that had bouncing floorboards and loads of dancers who didn’t mind a dance, (as you do when you enjoy music and are there to dance). Obviously I tried to fix the problem of jumping records with every turntable stabilizer/padding I could find. I completed every mix by holding down the turntables with my elbows and stretching my fingers somehow to move the crossfader from side to side. I didn’t play CDs at this time! Out of everything you’ve been doing lately, what’s been the most challenging and/or rewarding? Challenging: Sitting on my arse trying to rest and get back to full health. Rewarding: Slowly closing the door on chronic fatigue, and making music. It has taken me a long time to convert tracks in my head to the digital form. In
the last few months focusing on making, playing and performing music has been extremely rewarding for me. I am constantly reminding myself to follow my dreams and anything is possible. What was the last album or track you heard that you can’t get out of your head and why? Jack U by Felix da Housecat. This is Felix jackin’ it hard - electronica, techno, acid, electroclash. It is a remix of the all time Jungle Brothers track, I’ll House You. Growing up in the late 80s/early 90s, I’ll House You was one of the most highly played tracks of my youth. I love the JACK YOU remix of the track. Dirty deep and demented - All remixes of this track are filthy. Jack music all night long! Who are you most looking forward to seeing at your set? Everyone... including myself as it’s been a while since I’ve been well enough to hit the decks at Syrup... but The Aston Shuffle, obviously. I played with The Aston Shuffle on their last tour and I was stoked with their performance! These two gentlemen produce mindblowing frequencies that allow the body to experience inner/outer body euphoric mayhem! Get euphoric with Kir and The Aston Shuffle: 0 November 15 @ Syrup
For local information about: HIV/AIDS, Gay Men’s Health, Safe Injecting & Needle & Syringe Programs 1800 005 900 / 03 6234 1242 Hepatitis C 1300 HEP ABC (1300 437 222) WWW.SAUCE.NET.AU
www.tascahrd.org.au 319 Liverpool Street, Hobart - Open 9am - 5pm Mon- Fri (Tues 12:30pm - 5pm) . ISSUE 80 . NOV 12 - NOV 25 2008
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. ISSUE 80 . NOV 12 - NOV 25 2008
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DANCE - SYDNEY // THE POTBELLEEZ
Bananas Make Killer Live Show
Potbelleez, an interesting ménage consisting of two Irish DJs and two Australian vocalists, is slated to rock the Good Vibrations Festival oThe next February. Last year’s breakthrough single, Don’t Hold Back, was certified platinum recently, cementing the quartet’s reputation as adept
pop purveyors.
Their new eponymous album is out now, featuring lead single, Trouble Trouble, which singer Ilan says represents the party half of the album perfectly. “The album is almost split into two parts,” he says, “one part is ‘let’s party, let’s go crazy and get into trouble,’ whereas the other half has a more introspective storytelling element to it. One of the songs is about a break-up, another song is about the economic infrastructure gone to hell and back and then there is a really intimate song that tells the story of Johnny Sonic having to go to hospital and deal with that, but meeting his beautiful girlfriend there. It crosses over, a lot of it is about partying and a lot of it is about dark tales that turn into light. “The other tracks we’ve released, Don’t Hold Back and Are You With Me, we put them on there because they were so liked and they did fit the mould with the big hands up-in-the-air stuff. What we really like about those two tracks, as singles, is the subject matter. It’s not your down the road sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll sort of stuff that you get so much of on the dance floor. It’s more about an individual’s journey from somewhere quite heavy to somewhere quite uplifting and emotive.” Ilan says much of the success of the band thus far comes down to the unique blend of influences that come to the fore when he writes with the two Irish lads, Dave Goode and Johnny Sonic. “I’m new to the dance scene. I come from a more rocky/folky more cabaret way of music. These guys are into heavier electro house, so the combination of the two elements and the way they cross over really
DJ PROFILE: DJ STIRLO “I left Hobart in 2001 for an overseas European adventure and stayed away for nearly three years taking in sights for UK, Mediterranean Europe, Egypt and Turkey. I spent a whole winter season in Austria working as a cloakroom attendant in a night club and snowboarding throughout the day,” says DJ Stirlo, former chef ’s apprentice and footy player. “After returning to Hobart I started playing around with music on guitar and with computer software. After about a year I got my first set of decks and started DJ’ing at parties and functions. Just recently I’ve picked up several slots at a few venues round Hobart.” How’d you get into DJ’ing ? I’ve always been into all sorts of music from piano and trumpet lessons or just muckin’ on the guitar. But my passion for DJ’ing started when I got Traktor DJ studio for my computer. I mucked around with that for a while just blending tracks together, which helped me pick up a few basics. Then, itching for more about a year later, I splashed out on my first set of decks, Pioneer CDJ 200’s. I’ve been hooked ever since. What residency have you had lately that’s really rocked your world and why? After playing at Tackyland, Syrup for about six months now, I was given a chance to DJ a set upstairs at Roundmidnight. It was a good opportunity to play on a sound system with some real kick. What would you play (and why) to get in the mood for…
The ensuing tour to push the new album should be enticing – these guys have earned the mantle of ‘killer live show’ over the past couple of years. “Yes and we really rock it out. The two guys, Johnny and Dave are on the decks using live elements like Ableton and throw things in, there is always a little improv involved. Then there are MC Blu and I up the front and we jump around like bananas and get everyone involved. One of the things we love so much about it is that we try to bring traditional Aussie rock into it as a sing-a-long to get the crowd involved.” sCARLISLE ROGERS
The Potbelleez is out now through Vicious Vinyl, and don’t miss them on: 0 January 17 ‘09 @ The Soundscape Festival, Hobart Regatta Grounds
name says it all. Everybody Hype!! Driving bass with a fun rap by The Ragga Twins to get you movin’. Seduction? The cruisy tunes of Salmonella Dub can set the mood perfectly. Ending the set on a high? Gotta Have More Cowbell by NAPT. Chunky and fun to keep you going all night long. When was the last time you felt you’d been taken out of yourself? Playing Hack with Syrup lads Sunday Sesh. What’s the weirdest thing or request anyone’s ever asked of you in your capacity as a DJ? I get asked for a lot of stuff I would consider weird at Tackyland - John Farhnam to Belinda Carlisle, so it would take something pretty weird for me to raise any eyebrows. But there’s alway Cows with Guns! Out of everything you’ve been doing lately, what’s been the most challenging and/or rewarding? Playing six plus hour sets at the Metz Sunday Arvo/ Evenings is challenging. Moving from genre to genre, pacing yourself so you don’t play anything too hard, too early. Reading the changing crowd over six hours and finally playing some club tunes if the crowd gets going towards the end of the night. What was the last album or track you heard that you can’t get out of your head and why? Headthrash by the Plump DJ’s. Really good album with dirty plump bass-driven breaks, to funk and even down tempo chill.
Getting ready to go out? Well, usually my favourite tracks of the moment. Soulwax’s remix of Gravity’s Rainbow by Klaxons. It’s got BIG sound with a super funky beat.
Who are you most looking forward to seeing at your set? Jennifer Hawkins!
Starting the party? Everybody Hype by Aquasky and Ragga Twins. The
Catch DJ Stirlo (and maybe Jennifer Hawkins?): 0 November 23 @ The Metz (Hobart)
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interests people. For a couple of the tracks I sketched stuff up at home and presented it to the guys. With other things, they might do some backing tracks and I might write some lyrics over it and we’ll edit the lyrics a bit together; it’s different every time.”
. ISSUE 80 . NOV 12 - NOV 25 2008
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FEATURE - HOBART // FIRST HARVEST
First Harvest to Sort Wheat From Chaff
The History of Tasmanian Music: An Incomprehensive Guide
1970 1980
1988
1990 THE TROLLS
THE SAXONS
1992 1993
1994 NATHAN WHELDON & THE TWO TIMERS
JONI’S PLASTIC SUNDAY
1991 1999 2001 EJECTER
DALI SRHOJ & THE PAPER BAND
Harvest is the culmination of the work we’ve put in to get o“First the Greenhouse established – Growing new music on Hobart’s
Waterfront,” says Dane Hunnerup, about the latest local music initiative he’s helping pioneer. “We’ve been stoked to host a whole lot of excellent Tasmanian original music and we’ve been able to secure sponsorship from Diageo, Fosters Group and SingSing Studios to assist one local band to get a high quality EP produced. The format we’ve decided to use is an “invitational” band competition whereby we’ve selected six prominent bands whom we feel are ready to gain the maximum benefit from our support and who have been putting in the hard yards to produce excellence in local music.”
How did the concept come about? I’ve worked for quite a few venues before, all of which have been great but there is a major difference with the environment at Irish Murphy’s. When we have our weekly Greenhouse meetings, the number one topic on the agenda is not, “how much money are we making”, it’s, “what else can we do to grow local music,” and, as a result of this positive environment, we are continually coming up with ways to support and grow local music. The First Harvest Invitational is a by-product of this mode of thinking.
This is probably as good a place as any to announce who our candidates are:
“…what else can we do to grow local music?”
To what other endeavours of its kind could it be compared? We reckon that this band comp is very different from the other ones out there. We’re certainly not charging money to participate or even for people to get in to the venue to watch. We’re not doing heats and finals and we don’t even have an application process. This is by invitation and we’ve done this to minimise what can be quite negative elements of competing in music. The other aspect in which it differs is that the winner will not be announced on the night, the decision will be made based on the recording that we make in consultation with the engineer at SingSing studio.
What are you looking to achieve with it? Ultimately we’d like to see the band that we select get the most out of the prize by releasing it, getting great attention from it and going on to achieve their dreams. Also by presenting it in this format – six bands performing in one night, we’re working on our audience. Being on the waterfront we get a lot of “accidental” punters, people drifting in to get a drink, and a lot of the time they are choosing to stay when they hear what’s on offer. Having a night of bite-sized, excellent local music is a great way to get new people engaging. Who can benefit from being involved? Well obviously one of the bands will be benefiting the most from the major prize and we’re also delighted to have a second prize on offer, which is four days of tracking at Hobart’s newest studio, Stormy’s Room Studio. Another fringe benefit is that this show will be a part of our Live at the Greenhouse project. Each act will be recorded and we are selecting a dozen tunes from our recorded nights to go on our Live at the Greenhouse compilation out mid next year. 14
. ISSUE 80 . NOV 12 - NOV 25 2008
*drum roll* Dali SrHoj and the Paper Band, Ejecter, Joni’s Plastic Sunday, New Saxons, Nathan Wheldon and the Two Timers, The Trolls.
2002 2003
2004
2005 2006
We’re offering a $7500 recording package at SingSing Studios in Melbourne to fully produce an EP.
How would a band get involved? Bands can’t get involved this year, as mentioned this is by invitation. But as this is the inaugural ‘First Harvest’ we will be offering it again next year and by becoming part of our band roster at Irish and engaging with us then you will become part of our consideration. sCHRIS RATTRAY The first First Harvest kicks off on: 0 November 26 @ Irish Murphy’s (Hobart)
2007 2008
1970’s: Fred Spitiri - One of 1st to advocate Tasmanian Original Music Airbourne (‘70’s), Shifters, Bigger Than Texas, Room Service 1976: ACDC play in Hobart, Launceston, Devonport, Burnie & Queenstown 1970’s - 1999: Basin Concerts, Launceston 1984-ish: Shifters move to Sydney 1986: Syrup Established 1987/88 : Bang the Drum have a hit with ‘Only You/Back Tomorrow’ 1980’s - ‘97ish: The Trades Hotel, Launceston - Regular, live, local original music 1988: Hobart’s The Philisteins and the Wild Pumpkins at Midnight were based elsewhere or played infrequently. Rob Clarkson, Fish John West Reject. 1988/89: Anna Waters (Boo Boo Gazoo), “In Your World” - MBF Kickstart Award 1989: Launceston grunge bands play with Hobart metal bands at the Brisbane. One sets fire to the roof fire-breathing onstage. Clarence Lives In A Bucket. 1990: Round Midnight Afternoon shows began. 1991: Hobart ... Fridge. The Little Ugly Girls. Zen Arcade. Prayers In Ashes 1991: The Warehouse, Devonport, Established - local, national bands 1992: The Devonport/Hobart thing begins. Superglue play Round Midnight Afternoon. Skate Punks appear. Mouth start. 1992: TasMusic Established (Tasmanian Music Industry Association) 1993 : Hyperactive All Ages shows begin, Hobart. Pivotal moment for Hobart music. Shows get 500+ people. The band scene was given a huge shot in the arm. Mouth play a lot of these shows, as do 50 Million Clowns. 1993: Spurs Saloon, Devonport, Established,- local, national bands 1994: TasMusic Rock Challenge Established 1994 - 2001: The Sea Scouts 1994: Mouth move to Melbourne, release a CD and implode on tour. 1995: Hobart scene becomes very active with the opening of The Bav Tav. 1996 : Bikini Kill play a massive All Ages show at the Docks, where T42 is now. Lots of small bands in Hobart, rapid turnover and lots of recording and experimentation, largely due to cheap rents and easy welfare lifestyle allowing people to jam and record extensively. 1997: Consumer Productions (Hbt) Label begins. 1998: The Republic Bar, Hobart Established - regular local, national, international bands and DJs 1998: Fell to Erin 1999: Gone South Festival 1st, Launceston 1999: Dreadnaught - Dark Carnival Records’ record deal 2001 : Sea Scouts end after having toured Europe and the US. 2001 : www.nakeddwarf.com.au Established 2002: Gone South Festival 2nd & 3rd, Launceston & Hobart 2002: Andrew Corney and Jeremy Isles buy Syrup, focus on local, national, international DJs, some bands. 2003: 1st Falls Festival in Marion Bay 2003: Sir Veto, The Charlie Parkers and The Dead Abigails Win Triple J’s ‘Unearthed’ with Underneath The Burning Sun 2003 -2007: The Dead Abigails - Oz Music Ambassadors, Tour UK ALMA award for Best Live Band (TAS) 2003: Gone South Festival, 4th event, Launceston 2004: Lonnies established, (local, national DJs) 2004: SAUCE, Street press established. www.sauceonline.net established 2004: The James (formerly St James Hotel) established Regular touring band nights (Launceston) 2004: Edge Radio (Hobart) established 2004: Disconnect Records established 2004: The Commercial Hotel, Local, national bands 2004: Irish Murphy’s (Ltn) New owners, regular local & touring bands 2005: Stage Door The Cafe, Burnie Established, local, national international bands 2005: The Loft, Hobart, Local, national bands and DJs 2005 - 2007: Trout, Hobart, Local, national, international bands 2005 Nov: 1st Amplified Awards - Sir Veto Win major Amplified Award 2006: Sirocco’s, Burnie, New premises, Local, national bands and DJs 2006: Curly’s, Hobart, Local, national bands and DJs 2006: The Brisbane Hotel (Hbt) Re-opens, local, national and international bands and Djs 2006: www.sauce.net.au established 2006: The Embers - National Campus Band Competition (TAS and National winners) 2006: 1st MS Fest 2006 Oct: 2nd Amplified Awards 2006: www.nakeddwarf.com.au becomes www.thedwarf.com.au 2006: A Fine Line Established 2007: The Alley Cat (Hbt) opens (previous Trout premises) Local, national, international bands and DJs 2007: SAUCE FM (87.6) Established 2007: The Scientists of Modern Music - Rubber Records’ record deal 2008: 1st Soundscape Festival 2008: 3rd Amplified Awards 2008: Breath of Life Festival 1st Event 2008: Sir Veto Rename as The Highlows (after many highs and lows ...) 2008: Van Diemen - Reform Records’ record deal 2008: River City Records (NW) Established 2008: The Greenhouse @ Irish Murphy’s (Hbt) Established, local, national original music, Sun to Thurs. 2008: Psycroptic - Nuclear Blast Records’record deal 2008: Hotel New York - The James’ new owners renovate, and change name 2008 - Damo Suzuki plays the Brisbane with a bunch of locals. It’s a great show that takes in people who have been in many stages and eras of Hobart music Compiled by: David Williams, Andrew Harper, Chris Rattray, Simon Hancock, and Carl Fidler. WWW.SAUCE.NET.AU
ENTERTAINMENT GUIDE WEDNESDAY 12 HOBART The Brisbane Hotel Hyperdonia + Random Order + Powerchild
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
Hotel SOHO Beats with DJ Macca 8pm till late The Greenhouse @ Irish Murphy’s The Black Swan, Dali Shroj and the Paper Band The Metz Mid Week Metz 8pm till late The Republic Bar 9pm Wahbash Avenue LAUNCESTON Top Shelf @ Irish Murphy’s The Dog Line, Mick Attard
LAUNCESTON The Commercial Hotel (The Mersh) Karaoke Irish Murphy’s Phil Picasso
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
The Royal Oak Sam Cole & Josh Maizie in P/B 9pm DEVONPORT Devonport Convention Centre Taming the Devil FRIDAY 14 HOBART The Alley Cat Bar The Cumbia Cosmonauts $6 9.30pm The Brisbane Hotel TasPride Presents Ikochi ( jpn) + The No No’s + Jonno Zilber
Licensed cafe open 7 days & late for all events
November 14: Reggae with Kobya - $15, $10 groups November 15 The Sign November 16 Classical African Traditional Song Safari (Kobya) November 21 Folk Night November 22 Peter Hicks & Annie Parsell CD Launch All have meals available. www.brookfieldvineyard.com - info@brookfieldvineyard.com
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Wrest Point Entertainment Centre Army in concert w/ Guy Sebastian LAUNCESTON
Country Club Brian McFadden Irish Murphy’s Victor Charlie Charlie The Hub Bar Jono Zilber + Half Way To Forth Hotel New York Grafton Primary w/ Kid Kenobi & MC Shureshock The Northern Club Kieran & Beau Princess Theatre Taming the Devil The Royal Oak Pete Cornelus and the De Villes w/ FATsmalls @ 9pm in the Boatshed (cover charge) MYALLA Myalla Cricket Club Music Matters Mini Festival SUNDAY 16 HOBART The Alley Cat Tas Pride’s Picnic Afterparty Brookfield Vineyard Classical African Traditional Song Safari (Kobya) Hotel SOHO Open Mic with Christian & John 9pm
Brookfield Vineyard Reggae with Kobya $15 $10 groups
The Greenhouse @ Irish Murphy’s Jam Jar
Hilltop Granton Taming the Devil
The Metz Metz on Sundays, forget about Monday w/ guest DJs
Hotel SOHO Tom & Nick wolfe 9pm Irish Murphy’s Michael Clennett, Selecta The Republic Bar 10pm Grafton Primary + ELF + All Fires The Fire $12pre/$15door Syrup Syrup presents: La CasaHobart’s HOME of HOUSE DJs: Matt B, St.Nick, Timo Wrest Point Entertainment Centre Brian McFadden
Brookfield Vineyard. 1640 Channel Highway. Margate. 7054. Ph 6267 2880
Syrup DFD @ Syrup pres: The Aston Shuffle Support DJs: Kir + Gillie + Adam Turner
The Commercial Hotel (The Mersh) Hard Drive
Syrup Mesh- Hobart’s longest running club night DJs: Adam Turner, Mylestone, Soundwave, Kyle
Coach Services
The Republic Bar 10pm Sparkadia + Oh Mercy + New Saxon $16pre/$18door
THURSDAY 13 HOBART The Alley Cat Bar Suzette Bennett $4 9pm
The Republic Bar 9pm Kobya (African Band) $5/$3
REDLINE
Irish Murphy’s Nick & Tom Wolfe, Dr Fink
Batman Fawkner Inn Bliss ‘n Eso
The Greenhouse @ Irish Murphy’s Crystal Campbell, Trumps
"Tasmania's own"
Brookfield Vineyard TBA
The Royal Oak Live Music
The Brisbane Hotel Jonno Zilber, Front Bar
103 Elizabeth St Hobart 03 6231 5578
Vulgar + Separatist
The Republic Bar Noon REPUBLIC’s 11TH BIRTHDAY - All Day free BBQ, music in the arvo, give aways 2.30pm Conn O’neill (CD launch) + Wahbash Avenue 9pm Tim Husman YouthARC Bliss ‘n Eso LAUNCESTON Irish Murphy’s Ben Castles, Glenn Moorhouse, The Velvet Lounge
LAUNCESTON
MONDAY 17 HOBART
Batman Fawkner Inn Sparkadia
Hotel SOHO The Smashers 10pm
The Commercial Hotel (The Mersh) Rob Richards
The Republic Bar 8.30pm Joe Piere
Irish Murphy’s Long Way Home The Royal Oak Mick Attard and others in P/B 9pm SATURDAY 15 HOBART The Alley Cat Bar The Swell Tones’ & ‘B-Circuit The Brisbane Hotel ALL AGES: Solar Thorn (Cd Launch) + Vulgar + Iciclan + Separatist 18+: Solar Thorn (CD Launch) + Random Order +
LAUNCESTON Irish Murphy’s Nathan Wheldon TUESDAY 18 HOBART The Greenhouse @ Irish Murphy’s Dan Hennessey, Gretel Templeton, Joe Nuttall
Irish Murphy’s Ben Castles
The Royal Oak Jerome Hillier in P/B 9pm
The Hub Bar Open Mic
SATURDAY 22 HOBART
WEDNESDAY 19 HOBART
The Alley Cat Bar Martin Martini and the Bone Palace Orchestra
The Alley Cat Bar The Eddy O Show 8pm free The Brisbane Hotel Hell Raising Riff Hogs The Greenhouse @ Irish Murphy’s Andy Wear, The Vivids, Moe Grizzly Hotel SOHO Beats DJ Macca 8pm till late The Metz Mid Week Metz 8pm till late The Republic Bar 9pm Dom Cooley + Linc LeFevre $5 Wrest Point Entertainment Centre Martha Wainwright LAUNCESTON Top Shelf @ Irish Murphy’s Shoe, Glenn Moorhouse The Royal Oak Tim Hulsman & Nina Grant in P/B 9pm The Northern Club Tapas and Treble w/ Reuben Ellenberger THURSDAY 20 HOBART The Alley Cat Bar Pinky Beecroft and The White Russians The Brisbane Hotel Launnie Showcase w GodRobot + Blind Dead McJones + Yuri & The Vostok The Greenhouse @ Irish Murphy’s Lakoda (acoustic), The Middletones Hotel SOHO The Pumpkin Heads 9pm The Republic Bar 9pm L.S.D. Rock & Roll Syrup Mesh- Hobart’s longest running club night DJs: Adam Turner, Mylestone, Soundwave, Kyle LAUNCESTON Irish Murphy’s Hamish & Sara The Royal Oak Samuel Bester in P/B 9pm FRIDAY 21 HOBART The Alley Cat Bar Pinky Beecroft and The White Russians
The Brisbane Hotel ALL AGES: The Statics (Vic) + The Instinct + The Trolls + Hannah The Screwtop Detonators (Vic) + Red Rival Brookfield Vineyard Peter Hicks & Annie Parsell CD Launch Irish Murphy’s Katie & Ado, Damage Control The Republic Bar 10pm Roy Orbison Tribute with Athol Matcham & His 7 Piece Band $15pre/$20door Syrup Syrup presents: Dirth F’king Dancing DJs: Gillie, Adam Turner + Tristan LAUNCESTON Batman Fawkner Inn Epicure The Commercial Hotel (The Mersh) Woof Woof, Phoenix Lights, The Statics (Vic) Country Club The Screaming Jets Irish Murphy’s In Limbo The Hub Bar Joni’s Plastic Sunday + British Battle Grounds + Sam Cole The Northern Club The Stoics The Royal Oak Live Music TBA SUNDAY 23 HOBART The Brisbane Hotel Sea Shepherd Benefit Festival Hotel SOHO Open Mic with Christian & John 9pm The Greenhouse @ Irish Murphy’s The Chordwainers The Metz Bondi Blonde Launch Party w/ DJs Camo, Stirlo, Woodhouse, & Gillie The Republic Bar 2:30pm Roy Orbison Tribute with Athol Matcham & His 7 Piece Band $15pre/$20door 9pm Lagwagon + Ballpoint + The Turnaround $35+bf pre/$40door LAUNCESTON
The Brisbane Hotel The Statics (Vic), The Turnaround + Phoenix Lights
Irish Murphy’s Nathan Wheldon, Two Stung, PD
Brookfield Vineyard Fri Folk Night
MONDAY 24
Hotel SOHO One for the Road 10pm Irish Murphy’s Jonno Coleman Ep Launch, Dr Fink The Republic Bar 10pm Epicure + Dam The Map $12/$15 Syrup Syrup presents: La CasaHobart’s HOME of HOUSE DJs: Gillie, St.Nick, Timo Wrest Point Entertainment Centre The Screaming Jets LAUNCESTON The Commercial Hotel (The Mersh) DJ Skip
The Republic Bar 9pm 2 Fish
Irish Murphy’s Victor Charlie Charlie
LAUNCESTON
Lonnies MOS: Goodwill
HOBART Hotel SOHO One for the Road 10pm The Republic Bar Quiz Night: 8.15pm LAUNCESTON Irish Murphy’s Carl Fidler TUESDAY 25 HOBART The Greenhouse @ Irish Murphy’s Stan Barnos, A-Roc, Sam J Nicholson The Republic Bar 9pm G.B. Balding (Finger Picking Blues) LAUNCESTON The Hub Bar Open Mic Night Irish Murphy’s Mick Attard
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Venue Guide HOBART
LAUNCESTON
Brookfield Vineyard 1640 Channel Highway Margate 6267 2880
Batman Fawkner Inn 35 Cameron Street 6331 7222
Hotel SOHO 124 Davey Street 6224 9494 www.hotelsoho.com.au
The Commercial Hotel 27 George Street 6331 3868
Irish Murphy’s 21 Salamanca Place 6223 1119 www.irishmurphys. com.au
Country Club Country Club Avenue 6335 5777 www. countryclubtasmania. com.au
Metz on the Bay 217 Sandy Bay Road 6224 4444
Irish Murphy’s 211 Brisbane Street 6331 4440 www.irishmurphys. The New Sydney Hotel com.au 87 Bathurst Street 6234 4516 Hotel New York 122 York Street Syrup 6334 7231 1st Floor 39 Salamanca Place Lonnies 6224 8249 107 Brisbane Street www.syrupclub.com 6334 7889 www.lonniesniteclub. The Republic Bar com 299 Elizabeth Street 6234 5975 The Newstead Hotel www.republicbar.com 160 Elphin Road 6331 1344 The Brisbane Hotel 3 Brisbane Street The Northern Club 6234 4920 5/61 Cameron Street www.myspace.com/ 6331 3568 thebrisbanehotel www.thenorthernclub. com.au The Alley Cat Bar 381 Elizabeth Street The Hub Bar 6231 2299 1 Tamar Street www.myspace.com/ 6334 9288 thealleycatbar www. tamarbackpackers.com Wrest Point Entertainment Centre The Royal Oak 410 Sandy Bay Road 14 Brisbane Street 6225 0112 6331 5346 www.wrestpoint.com.au www.myspace.com/ leapinlimpout . ISSUE 80 . NOV 12 - NOV 25 2008
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GIG REVIEWS ASA WAX LYRICAL @ Irish Murphy’s (Hobart), October 7
BLACKALICIOUS @ The Republic Bar, October 4
THE BEDROOM PHILOSOPHER @ The Brisbane Hotel, November 5
HELLOWEEN HAVOC @ The Hub Bar, October 25
The monthly ASA gigs are picking up a good following at Irish Murphy’s. The turnout this night was especially good for a mid-week gig. First up was Prairie Nischler. New to the music scene, her dynamic voice captivated the audience and her lyrics were filled with humour, originality and potential to grow, in particular her technical music skills. She has been playing for six months now and is starting to pick up a true fan base. She has a bright, bubbly personality on stage and should go far, despite self-confessed nerves. Tim Downey, armed with an electric guitar, played an intense indie feel set creating a broody atmosphere. I’d like to see more variation in his songs though, as it had a “sameness” about the whole set. He may be better going to acoustic guitar and concentrating more on the dynamics of his songs and getting the brighter sound an acoustic delivers in the solo/acoustic format. Patrick Berechree played with enthusiasm and energy on stage and showed true dynamics in his performance. For me, him and Prairie were the standout performances of the night. Patrick displays good stage style and can grab audience attention - the sign of a good entertainer. Seth Henderson played acoustic guitar and I found his voice showed depth, thought and emotion. He normally plays in rock band Hannah, but showed good flexibility in being able to pull back to acoustic and give a good sense of light and dark. Overall, the night showcased original emerging musicians at its best. The crowd were enthusiastic and hungry for more at the end of the night. KEVIN GLEESON
I’ve seen this musical comedy genius four times now and each time is as fresh as the last. I had a mix of expectations and doubts for this gig all of which, to my surprise, bore fruit. Blackalicious found themselves in more intimate surroundings than they’re probably used to. Consequently, these huge dudes could barely stand on the stage and the charming back-up singers were barely visible. The intimacy of the space played in its favour for the public though, and gave you the occasion of standing right in front of the band. The DJ Gift of Gab did an average performance but still managed to perform some of the best tunes of the posse. The entire gig did not last as long as you would have expected considering the clear excitement of the crowd seeing a band of such a calibre as Blackalicious in Hobart. In spite of everything, this gig was a good one. Blackalicious is probably one of the best hip-hop bands in the US part of the Quannum crew featuring blokes such as DJ Shadow. Even playing at possibly half of their potential, these guys still made our night. Chief Xcel and Lateef sure could have done better but the beats and breaks brought by Gabby T are sticky, heavy and sweaty. Their lyrics were flowing at you as a pithy infernal underworld wave of out and out pure hip-hop. Their flow was condensed, terse and forcible and insanely breakneck. Brief and intense and by far too fleeting… a bitter sweet taste. JULIEN LEPOIX
SURFING
With his journey styled comedy, unlike some musical comedy acts, even seeing him more then once the experience never gets stale. Tonight was the launch of his new single, Wow Wow’s Song. The night began with us being introduced to the new clip to the unusual song. The single, along with the clip, makes me think of Play School and Sesame Street mashed together. The song features narration in a deep voice sounding like some kind of Jim Henson creation and a chorus going ‘la la la’. For those who know his previous song, I’m So Postmodern will be intrigued by the direction he’s taking. Go YouTube this song and see it for yourself! The night continued with songs of both old and new and witty comments thrown back to the audience. Gems such as ‘I’m not a human joke box, sir!’ and ‘Does Microsoft Word have Tasmanian spelling?’ were included. Songs about crazy vegans, acronyms and Golden Gaytime ice creams were also a part of the night. The highlight overall had to be a song about the children’s television shows of yesteryears. With a chorus encouraging the audience to go ‘yup yup yup yup uh uh’ like the space muppets off Sesame Street you just know that we were treated to a night of unique
COASTRIDER Surf Academy in conjunction with Red Herring Surf will hold SURF FOR THE EARTH beach/ surf days during November 2008. The surf event will target the learn to surf market through to intermediate surfers to come along and receive surf instruction and participate in beach activities and free surfing to raise money for mother earth. Proceeds from sales, plus fund raising on the day will be flowed onto the Surfrider Foundation Tasmania, helping to support coastal/ocean conservation and awareness. The SURF FOR THE EARTH event will be run statewide around Tasmania with two upcoming separate days held in the North and North West. The day for the South was held on Saturday, 8th November at Park Beach. 0 SAT, November 15, 2008 @ Burnie, North West TAS, 10-2 0 SAT, November 22, 2008 @Low Head, North TAS, 10-2 16
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In addition to everyone having a surf lesson there will be beach activities and games to keep the day rocking. Each participant will get an awesome sticker pack and be eligible to win surf buff packs for standout determination and performance, in addition a surfboard and other surf products will be raffled off at each location to increase the fundraising potential. This awesome beach fun day and surf session, that will help conserve our pristine oceans and beaches, is the perfect way to spend a Saturday, so dust off the winter cobwebs and hit the water all for a good cause and get prepared for a summer of surfing. The event entry fee is $30 with tickets available at Red Herring Surf or pay on the day. For more information regarding Surf for the Earth please contact Jonathon Mereszka on 0419 324 921 or jono@coastrider.com.au .
Never to be outdone, mummified rock was brought forth through opening Woof Woof. A solid base if there ever was one, (short-sighted choice of attire notwithstanding). Akin to their name, Wizard displayed powers perhaps unknown to even them. No fuse, circuit breaker, nor kill switch strong enough to deny them. Phoenix Lights revelled in all manner of decadent hard rock excess, a force apparently only stoppable by the order of paramedics. And thus, so it seemed, that as quickly as it had begun, so it ended. Not with a bang, but with a whimper - a night apparently guilty of partying a little too hard. Though, that being said, one would expect no less for the observance of the Festival of the Dead. Indeed, bonne nuit to us all.
SKYE CROSSWELL
When your voice is laced with gravel, and deeper than the big blue cruel sea, what do you do when you wake up to find your heyday went some other way? Simple. You don’t grovel, and you don’t surrender, because you are Tex Perkins - so you grab a couple of drag queens, some shit-hot musos, invest in ice-cream suits, then hit the road again. It’s an, um, obvious formula… but would it work?
SURF FOR THE EARTH
Familiar ghouls were joined by a gruesome two group contingent (with a shared lineage), previously unfamiliar to this area in BumTuck, a band whose grit was unmatched in both sound and appearance, coupled with Lost Hope, who showered bleakness across the room in tones of red and dark red alike.
CAMERON TYESON
comedy brilliance.
TEX PERKINS AND HIS LADYBOYZ @ The Country Club Casino, October 18
All equipment will be provided on the day or participants can bring their own gear.
Oh! What pomp, splendour and wondrous whimsy All Hallow’s Eve brings forth! (Even if in this case ‘twas a week too soon.) The moonless night failed to cloak the creatures it produced, who emerged all decked out in their most hellish of attire. Zombies, and vampires, and Zorro! (Oh my!) And what ample entertainment provided indeed!
So that is what Tex Perkins did, and that is why I found myself at the Launceston Country Club, watching the ex-Cruel Sea singer take on classic songs like Sweet Sixteen by Billy Idol, and Come Said the Boy, by Mondo Rock. It truly was a thing of inverse beauty. To accessorise the Tex experience we were treated to the ultimate in contrasts, of two stunning and talented drag queens as the support act. The experience was heightened knowing that they were preparing us for a man who was damned as the icon of straight testosterone in the 90s. Their drag show was a visual delight and had the audience doing more LOLs than a newbie on the interwebs. As for the main part of the stage menu, the band that Tex brought along for the ride sent forth every riff and groove, with the delight of hardened musicians having a damn good time. Meanwhile, thanks to their slick sonic canvas, Sir Tex played with the meaning of sentimental faves, with a wicked delight and piss-take swagger. Tex and his Ladyboyz have to be seen to be believed. It’s not a show that will change your life, but it will give you a night of entertainment that you will be struggling to describe to your mates. And it’s inspiring to see this rock god get out there, without sad attempts to relive old glories, while still giving - and getting - a damn good time, with plenty of Tex appeal. CLARA MURRAY
FIRST BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS @ The Alley Cat, November 1
The lone reviewer enters the Alley Cat. She is a little dubious about attending the event alone – would she still have a good time? Her fears would prove to be completely unfounded… The Alley Cat celebrated its first birthday with a bang, and an excellent line up of talented and uniquely individual artists. The first present we were given was the music of Nathan Weldon and the Two Timers of Launceston. These guys can rock. They played some original and well crafted tunes. There were good storylines and you can listen to them easily. I always enjoy listening to a singer who’s not afraid to sing with an Aussie accent. I would liken them most to Paul Kelly and Josh Pyke that you can dance to, laced heavily with lead guitar. Our next present was from Mei Lai Swan of Melbourne, who took it down a notch to a more romantic and whimsical mood. Their female vocalist has a beautiful voice, very emotive with a hint of sexy. Towards the end of her performance, she took out one of the songs by mimicking the pan-pipes with her voice, which I’ve never heard anywhere before and found very interesting. I would liken them to George, and perhaps The Waifs. Finally, we danced the night away with the music of The Woohoo Revue, a six piece instrumental band from Melbourne. They punched out tune after tune, with lightning execution and some good old fashioned polished style. I couldn’t possibly pin any particular influence to them, I was caught up in a whirl of bossa nova slash eastern European folk music slash Cuban slash jazz that would be right at home at Carnavale and quite possibly missed a few more that I missed. In fact these artists were all just as original and enjoyable, that you will just have to go and see them for yourselves. TABITHA FLETCHER WWW.SAUCE.NET.AU
FOLK ROCK - CANADA // MARTHA WAINWRIGHT
New Album Irony-Free
Wainwright has spent a lot of time in the shadow of other oMartha people’s songs. She’s done this deliberately; recording amazing
covers of everyone from Leonard Cohen to Pink Floyd, and has also had such shadows cast over her as part of a family of songwriters. Her mother and aunt, Kate and Anna McGarrigle, are celebrated 70s folk singers, while her father, Loudon Wainwright, is also a much celebrated, if darker, practitioner of the folk arts. More recently her brother Rufus Wainwright has been on a one-man campaign to combine pop, opera, folk, rock, tin pan alley and whatever he can get his hands on, attracting legions of fans from across the genre spectrum.
“…sometimes, it pushes the envelope so far that there has to be some humour in it…” Having so many songwriters around has meant that much of Martha’s life had actually been recorded by other people, not just in the usual family happy snaps, but with songs for the whole world to her. Her self-titled debut album, released in 2005, gave her a right of reply, and reply she certainly did. The single, an ode to her father titled, You Bloody Mother F*cking Arsehole, showed a determination but also a fair amount of hurt there too. Somehow managing to summon vulnerability and real anger, it’s fair to say that with this first record Martha Wainwright was keen to reclaim her stories. Now about to head to Tasmania on the strength of album number two, Martha Wainwright is less of an angry young songwriter and more playful with life. The new album, I Know You’re Married But I’ve Got Feelings Too, shows her daring and also a sense of humour. “I think that fundamentally I’m a happier person than I was with the first record, and I think that I’ve realized over the last three years of touring so much and playing and gaining my own audience, I am someone who can feel sorry for themselves but it hasn’t helped me to do that,” Wainwright says on the phone from the UK after a gig. “And so I think with this record I’ve taken a little bit more control of my emotional state, and not feel completely out of control, and also to have some fun as well.” I Know You’re Married… gives new and established audiences a great idea of Wainwright’s songwriting and singing abilities, as well as a love of pop that’s perhaps a little unfashionable these days. However, this is the perfect medium for her, letting her
WWW.SAUCE.NET.AU
still indulge the odd dark impulse, but [to] do so with a smile on her face. “Some of the lyrics are so potentially dark that I’d never want them to be as one-sided as that, because then people would think I was morbid or goth or something,” she laughs. “But for me it’s difficult because I’m not that ironic, it’s not like I’m an ‘ironic singer songwriter’, it’s not that clever, but in many ways it’s just, I think, sometimes, it pushes the envelope so far that there has to be some humour in it, it has to be tongue-in-cheek in some way.” As for Wainwright’s family ties, brother Rufus does a now standard vocal cameo, a couple of cousins and Martha’s husband have also been part of the touring band. So, despite the problems of a musical family, [it] seems Ms Wainwright can see the odd advantage as well. “I have embraced it. And I’ve always used it completely, I work with my brother, I work with my mother, I work with my father, I take advantage of their talents and we sing together and we have this relationship that is also kind of quite public in many ways. Obviously there are the private things that are not, but it really is turning the mirror on yourself, and that’s probably the reason that I sing so many songs about myself, you know.” sLIZ GIUFFRE
Be part of Martha’s family on: 0 November 19 @ The Wrest Point Casino
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THE AGONY AND THE ECSTASY With Dave Static of The Statics
“The Statics started when Gerard and myself began jamming together after both our former bands fizzed out,” says Dave Static. “We wrote a bunch of songs and about half way through the writing process we managed to acquire the skills of Pat and Coops, completing our line up and with them we wrote the remainder of our debut album. The idea being, to hit the ground running by recording our debut album before a show had actually been played.” What was the most challenging thing about creating your new self-titled album? The most challenging aspect of recording the album was not being able to road test the material. Because we’d decided to record the album before we began playing gigs, we didn’t give ourselves the opportunity to play the material live. In retrospect, outsider’s ears would have been great, but having said that, throughout the recording process we had a lot of input from people around us, which helped give the songs new life.
TURN THE DIAL TO 11 With Peter Hicks
travelling on a mainland “tour” of folk clubs in Sydney, Canberra and Wollongong with the blues CD. Teaching harmonica to Adult Education classes in Kingston.
Ahead of their new album launch at Brookfield Vineyard later this month, Peter Hicks (the male contingent of folk duo, Peter Hicks and Annie Parsell) reflected on the memorable moments over the last eleven years that has shaped who he is now…
11 days ago… Teaching guitar to Grade 4/5’s in Geeveston. The Big G is still a bit of a challenge but we’re getting there. The Drunken Sailor is a huge hit in Geeveston.
11 years ago… Performing regularly around Hobart with country blues duo, Shake Sugaree, performing folk rock with Celtic flavoured band, The Ranters getting dragged back into the teaching game because Centrelink was hounding me off the dole. Performing at rallies for democracy and the forests and organising protests against the wood-fired power station, Southwood. Protesting John Howard’s Industrial Relations Laws. 11 months ago… Getting the repertoire together for this bracket. Performing Country Bluegrass and hillbilly swing with Coyote Serenade - Friday nights at the Lark Distillery in Hobart. Performing at Maldon Folk festival in Victoria with a CD of original and traditional acoustic blues covers. Celebrating the removal of Howard and hoping - breathing huge sighs of relief for the future of this country and my own sanity. 11 weeks ago… Still performing with Coyotes -
Downloading lyrics of rap songs to teach to a “songwriting” class of year 9’s in Bridgewater - never played a rap song in my life but I do understand why young people choose to want to sing/perform it. Just hoping they’ll pick some local themes to rap about and not slavishly copy the gangsta rappers with their mindless obsession with guns. Checking my rapidly diminishing superannuation on-line and wondering why I gave up full-time music to settle for a safe career so I could “save” for my “retirement”. 11 hours ago… Performing in our Tasmanian Folk Federation of Tasmania’s Cancer Council fundraising benefit concert with some of the top quality folk acts that are part of the Tasmanian folk scene. 11 minutes ago… Preparing the Drumbeat Magazine our Folk Federation has a local magazine to promote folk and dance events and I’m the bunny who prepares it. www.folktas.org has up to date information on folk in the state.
11 years from now? Probably still preparing the Drumbeat Magazine. Picking on my old banjo with a bluegrass band, singing songs in Irish music sessions. Hopefully still writing songs that are worth listening to with even more wisdom gained from years of… picking banjos. Peter Hicks and Annie Parsell pick banjos for you on:
0 November 22 @ Brookfield Vineyard
What particular track are you most proud of and why? I’m probably most proud of the first single, Any of This. We knew from the moment we wrote it, it was going to be the single. It spun in your head and we had heaps of fun bringing it to life in the studio. We took extra time with this track and I think it definitely shines on the album. What was the lowest point during the making of the album for you, and why? I don’t think there were any low points in particular. At no moment were we bummed out or not enjoying the sessions. The vocals became testing at some stages, but really the whole process ran really smooth. What was the highest point during the making of the album for you, and why? Personally I really enjoyed the opportunity to record the drums at Sing Sing studios. Seeing all the Living End, Jebediah, Motor Ace and Delta Goodrem gold records on the wall was really inspiring and I couldn’t be more satisfied with the sounds we got on the day. Describe to me the journey you hope people will go on as they listen to the album? I don’t know that our album would take the listener on a “journey”, so to speak. But hopefully when people listen back to the album they will appreciate a solid rock record. We didn’t get too fancy with the production and the tracks are pretty raw, but I think the listener will appreciate the honesty in the recording. What were some of the things that influenced you (as in other literature, music, art, culture) during the making of the album? Other than the obvious music influences of our peers and bands we look up to, I think the general state of “rock” music was inspiring to us. We really wanted to keep the album as simple (without being boring) as possible. So many so-called “rock bands” have albums that are so heavily produced, it’s hard to believe there’s an honest note on the entire disk. So we were really motivated to get back to basics and record an album that was what we wanted it to be. What other albums could this one be compared to? I think this album could be compared to early You Am I or even an early Gyroscope sound. Under what conditions would this album best be experienced? I don’t think the location is important, but it needs to be played loud. No doubt about it. The Statics play: 0 November 21 @ The Brisbane Hotel 0 November 22 @ The Commercial Hotel The Statics is available through Candypants Records/ Green Media at JB Hi-Fi and all good indie record stores. 18
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WWW.SAUCE.NET.AU
THE AGONY AND THE ECSTASY With Chrissy of Solar Thorn In 2005, Chrissy Paplos discovered she had a throat built for screaming. Like little death’s head moths to the flames of a funeral pyre, the rest of Solar Thorn gathered around from near and far, and most likely performed some kind of arcane occult ritual involving entrails, as Chrissy continued to scream, banshee-like, from the very depths of her soul. In an effort to drown out the noise, they plugged in their various instruments, cranked up their amps, and began to play. Strangely, the screaming and the music went so well together that they hit record on their cassette decks… and Shadowing the Light, their new album, is the result. What was the most challenging thing about creating your new album? The most challenging thing about creating the album was probably everyone turning up! We had a pretty smooth run recording the album actually. We’d go into the studio a couple of nights a week and record our bits, one by one. Very simple! Not to mention the fantastic Brett Collidge who recorded, mixed and mastered us made it easy and non-stressful. What particular track are you most proud of and why?
Personally, it’s a toss up between Shadowing The Light (the title track), and Dreams Of Murder. Dreams Of Murder is a new one that we have never played live, so we’ll be releasing that at our album launch on November 15th.
The highest point for me was putting echo effects on the vocals! It was very exciting to hear all of the different sounds I could choose. There are not a lot of effects over them on the album, so I promise you, it’s not fake.
Shadowing The Light is very fun to play. It’s fast, hardhitting, very loud and screechy. It’s about my feelings on religion (I can’t say any more, so read the lyrics!) Whereas Dreams of Murder is, forgive me for saying this, cute! - but very, very angry. It’s about murdering someone I really don’t like. It brings up a lot of emotions for me, so I feel like ripping people’s heads off when I sing it! Thankfully I’m not a violent person so there’s no need to be scared children!
Describe to me the journey you hope people will go on as they listen to the album? Hopefully they won’t fall asleep! But seriously, I hope they feel the energy that we all put into it. I suggest the listeners read the lyrics through at least once while listening to the songs; it’ll help to understand what each one is about. The album was a lot of fun to record and I very much hope our listeners enjoy it.
I advise people to read the lyrics that will be on our website and MySpace while they listen to Dreams of Murder to feel the full effect. What was the lowest point during the making of the album for you, and why? I’m not sure there was one! Not for me, anyway… It was all very relaxed and fun. We don’t tend to make the band feel like “work”, so there aren’t really any low points! What was the highest point during the making of the album for you, and why?
What were some of the things that influenced you (as in other literature, music, art, culture) during the making of the album? Well, nothing of that nature really! I had quite a bit of anger in my system while we were recording the album (not because of the album!) A few personal things had enraged me, so screaming my lungs out at that stage was very helpful. What other albums could this one be compared to? No clue! I have no idea who we sound like! There’s a lot of different genres/styles reflected in our music. A bit of something for everyone! Except rappers… and country lovers… and all the rest of the music we’re not into!
LITTLE MISS
MUSIC T A S M A N I A
Event Management
PA Hire
Under what conditions would this album best be experienced? Good ones! As I was saying, there are many different styles of music on the album - for instance, The Flames of Time is a slow instrumental piece that brings up all different emotions and feelings (relaxation, sadness, passion, and totally awesome guitar wank!) Then you have a song like Shadowing The Light, a nice doomy, slow keyboard intro, followed by eerie guitar, bass and cymbals… and then blast beating! It tends to make people go nuts when we play it live, so I hope it’ll have nearly the same affect on people when they’re elsewhere. Bottom line for this question anyway is, listen to this anywhere and create your own emotions.
Get pricked by Solar Thorn’s Shadowing the Light at their album launch: 0 November 15 @ The Brisbane Hotel http://www.solarthorn.net
THE CREAM OF THE TOP New original music event at Irish Murphy’s Launceston Launceston local scene stalwarts, Carl Fidler and Glenn Moorhouse, have cooked up a potent new brew of live, original music to kick off at a little pub on the corner of Brisbane and Bathurst in Launceston. We gave them the classic who, what, where, when, why and how… they gave us answers. Cheeky monkeys. What’s it all about? Essentially we’re lifting the profile of the original music night at Irish Murphy’s. We’re endeavouring to provide a professional vibe for Tasmanian bands so they can perform their show to the highest level. We’ve drawn on our knowledge and contacts within the industry, such as Frontline, to enhance the overall experience for musicians and the audience alike. Who’s involved? We’re attempting to maintain a high standard of music, so we’re only interested in quality bands. It might seem a bit harsh, but we feel the way to improve our local scene is by setting a standard. We’ve got Jason Howard (Primary, Superjesus, Billy Thorpe, 7LA producer) on board as our in-house sound guy as well as support from SAUCE Magazine and Scarab Design. We’re also looking into radio and television. Where’s it happening? WWW.SAUCE.NET.AU
Booking musicians for festivals, events, venues, corporate and private functions 0407 270 257 jsdix@tasmail.com www.myspace.com/littlemissmusictasmania
Top Shelf At Irish Murphy’s hasn’t settled on a venue yet, but we’re thinking about a little pub on the corner of Brisbane and Bathurst. When’s it on? Top Shelf At Irish will be held every Wednesday night. We’re aiming to build the reputation of the event so that people will know, that on any given Wednesday, they will see and hear a great band. Why do it anyway? Because this is what we do! We’re simply extending that to other bands, and the venue, to give back to our community and to turn more people on to the unique sound of Tasmanian music. How can a band get involved? Contact Glenn or Carl at TasMusic, or talk to Irish Murphy’s and they’ll put you on to us. As we’re insisting on a high standard, we need demo CD’s, or a MySpace address, or a gig to check out. Sending us CDs is a great idea as we’ll be playing only Tasmanian music through the house system. Anything else you want to mention? This scene is still in its infancy and we’re hoping that through this event, along with others around the state, to achieve a new level of appreciation for local music. Climb up to the Top Shelf: 0 Every Wednesday, starting November 12 @ Irish Murphy’s, Launceston http://www.tasmusic.com.au . ISSUE 80 . NOV 12 - NOV 25 2008
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WHAT’S THE STORY? With Simon from FATsmalls There’s nothing quite like the smell of the new – ever opened any new Macintosh product, for example? There’s that waft of “straight from the magic dream factory” scent, promising newness and vitality. And you could say the same for a brand new band, like FATsmalls, a combination of funking greats, who are poised to send you into a magic dream factory somewhere near you. As FATsmalls emerged, blinking into the light, we were there with our email in their face, to ask: what’s the story?
I am the fattest of the smalls and I have a large low end so I am kind of suited to bass. I also lost a Paper, Rock, Scissors best of three challenge with Robwardo and therefore ended up carrying the low end. Of the last time you were in trouble with the law? I am a schoolteacher and upstanding law abiding citizen, and anyway I am way too smart to ever be caught. Of the last famous person you met? I met Bela Fleck of Bela Fleck and the Fleck Tones (along with Victor Wooten, Futureman and their freaky horn player), I wanted to tell him that I named my dog after him but I was too nervous.
Behind your band name? Our guitarist (Robwardo) wanted to call the band Fat Solids and the Flaming Bell Ends. After consultation and much deliberation he was happy with the compromise FATsmalls. FATsmalls is a kind-of oxymoron that personifies the sound of the band; it has nothing to do with any kind of phallic inferiority complex.
Behind your most prized non-music related possession? My dog, Bela Fleck, is really cool, even though she is yet to pick up a banjo. This aside, she does have her own MySpace profile, check her out at www.myspace. com/belafleck. As far as the council is concerned I possess her but she thinks that she possesses me, it’s a real conundrum.
About how the band got together? We are all friends that have played together in various mutations and the time was right for the collaborative juices to be exchanged in a totally musical way. We are all into funk music of some kind and this commonality was strong enough for us to unite for a funky cause.
Behind your most prized music-related possession? I am the proud owner of a 1972 all valve Fender Bassman, and it gives me great pleasure. It jockeys for space in the poolroom with my kazoo.
About how you ended up in your role in the band?
Of the first gig you ever played together?
Well that’s easy, it was only a week ago. Lots of people showed up, we played, they danced what more can I say? We’ll be writing about your band in five years? In the future people will not write anymore, but if they still did they would say that, “FATsmalls, the most influential funk band to come out of the backwaters of Tasmania has just finished touring with John Farnham
on his “This Is The Very Very Very Very Last Time, Really It Is The Last Time Tour”. Unconfirmed sources have claimed that the FATsmalls bassplayer was nearly kicked out of the band for continually consuming all of John’s fruit and prune juice rider.” FATsmalls will funk you stupid on: 0 November 15 @ The Royal Oak
THE BIGGEST IMPACT… With Samuel Cole
“My taste in music is pretty broad, from Pearl Jam to Salmonella Dub to Incubus,” Sam says. “I guess it’s the honesty in the music that makes it for me. I have been writing and performing music all my life but only started taking it seriously these last couple of years and I’m now focused on working on my debut EP, which I am recording with a band, which will hopefully be out early next year.” What album has had the biggest impact on you, both personally and as a musician, and why? Don’t think I could put it down to one but I would have to say the Alice in Chains unplugged album was a changing point in writing for me. I guess it made me think about not always singing what everyone wanted to hear and more what I felt like saying. Also, seeing myself lead a similar hedonistic lifestyle that they must have lead! Which gig has had the biggest impact on you, as a punter and that you’ve played, and why? Well, as a punter, can I say Falls? Just because [of ] the atmosphere, lots of local talent out in the sun with friends, plus the big acts like Jose Gonzales last year, [and] the biggest audience I’ve ever seen so fixed on the stage. I would love to be up there one day. As for gigs I have played I would probably have to say playing at the Abercrombie in Sydney last month. There’s something about playing away from home and getting a good response from people you have never met. What impact do you hope your music will have on people? I hope it wakes them up in a way, makes them think but also relate and not feel they are not the only one thinking what they are thinking, and in that sense not to worry too much and get on with having fun. What’s an example of the impact you’ve made on people through your music? I get people coming up after gigs telling me stuff and kind of opening up; talking to me about things they think that maybe I have been through also and that’s okay. I don’t mind listening to their stories, its cool knowing that people are listing to what I’m saying.
Share a story with Sam Cole: 0 November 13 @ The Royal Oak 0 November 23 @ The Hub Bar http://www.myspace.com/samuelcolemusic 20
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HIP HOP – BLUE MOUNTAINS // DIALECTRIX
Demons the Same in any Environment “That’s a pretty good analysis actually,” Dialectrix responds to our assessment that his new album’s title, Cycles of Survival, has its origins in his attempts to simply stay alive. “It’s where I got the title from. I’ve actually led quite a few different little lifestyles that led in to making the album and all the experiences kind of affected the songs in different ways so it was a way to kind of cut up the whole theme, and the album as a whole. It’s pretty much hit the nail on the head from where I got the title from.” Pressing him further on the kinds of lifestyles he’s led, he says, “Basically, from the ages of about 17 – like post-high school sort of life, I went from going to Uni and living outta home and being jobless and being cashless to being really domesticated in a really long-term relationship to being single to working blue collar sorta jobs to working hospitality… living in the city to living in rural sort of areas… I guess for, the years spent from 17 to 21, I lived a lot more than what people usually do, and I was searching for a lifestyle that suited me and none of them really worked, so now I just sort of take little bits and pieces from all those different lifestyles. And whinge about them.” “I’m pretty comfortable, considering the fact that, musically, I’m busier than I’ve ever been and I’m starting to get more recognition and more people helping me and so, the music is the main focus in my life and always has been,” he explains further, indicating he’s found a niche now. “I guess I’m happy and not really concerned about all the other mundane bullshit which happens in life… as long as I keep busy and keep productive and I prosper with my music, and I’m happy, man; that’s what’s happening at the moment.”
“…I’m always trying to fight my own little demons…”
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However, it still seems he’s not quite at peace with his surroundings – so where’s he more comfortable, the city or the country? “I dunno, I kind of fluctuate between the two. I’m always jumping back and forth,” he says. “The grass is always greener when I’m in the city, I crave to be a bit more isolated and to get away from the hustle and bustle; then, when I move back to the mountains, everything’s a bit quiet and I just wanna go out with my mates past nine o’clock and have a pub that’s still open. I’ve been living about six months in the city, six months out of the city. At the moment I’m back in the city again, back into the hustle and bustle and the grind.” He says that the kind of music he produces in those separate environments “can actually vary quite a bit. I’ve got a lot of mates that have their own houses as opposed to just a unit, where they can make a bit more of a racket, so they’ve got live instruments and they can jam more and you get this more of a more musical atmosphere when you’re out in the mountains, whereas in the city it’s more listen to headphones in a kind of insulated booth. It’s [has] a bit more technological side to it, if I had to break it down. When I move back to the mountains it’s cranking out the beers, get on the drumkit, do a few freestyles, whereas in the city, it’s download an mp3, write some raps, then go sit in a booth and record it sort of thing. Getting the combination of both is good, I guess.”
160 Elphin Road L a u n c e s t o n TA S 7 2 5 0
And how does it affect the lyrics he might write in either environment? “When it comes to the substance side of it, actually writing the music, I don’t think either place is really concerned with influences and that, because no matter what I’m going through, if I’m going through a tough time or having a good time, it’s not really in relation to where I’m living, it’s more to do with other different circumstances. The substance of the songs is usually dictated by something aside from where I’m living, like whatever I’m feeling at the time.” It sounds like you’re fighting your own personal demons no matter where you are. “Pretty much!” he laughs. “Pretty much,
mate. It doesn’t really matter where I live; I’m usually the same sorta person, so yeah… I’m usually trying to just vent myself through my songs. Doesn’t matter whether it’s in a rural community or a f’kn decked out place in the city, I’m always trying to fight my own little demons and speak my thoughts about pretty much any topic in the world.” sDAVID WILLIAMS & CHRIS RATTRAY
0 Cycles of Survival is out now on Obese Records. Listen to more at: www.sauce.net.au
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. ISSUE 80 . NOV 12 - NOV 25 2008
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LUCAS WILLIAMS’S 1995 SUZUKI BALENO
OTHER MODS Custom Stereo Install (Still In Progress) -2 Clarion Subs -3 Clarion Amplifiers -1 Farad Capacitor -JVC DVD Head Unit -7” and 10” LCD Screens Aftermarket Steering Wheel
WHEELS/BRAKES/SUSPENSION Lowered Suspension 17” Wheels
ENGINE G16B, 1.6L Single Overhead Cam, Naturally Aspirated. Pod Filter, Cannon Exhaust
DRIVER PROFILE Lucas Williams AGE: 19 LOCATION: Launceston CAR CLUB: Velocity
When and where did you buy your car? Bought it from a private ad in the paper about two years ago. What car did you have before this one? None, this was my first one. What would you like to have after this? I would like an AWD Turbo; maybe a GT4, or a WRX. However, I am far
from done with this one. What’s your dream car and why? I wouldn’t mind an S15 Varietta (The Convertible variant of the Silvia), simply because I like the front end of them, and it’s a convertible… What’s a funny story to do with the car? Well, we were out cruising, and my revs started to fluctuate wildly when I was doing nothing at all, so we checked
everything, and couldn’t find the problem. After a bit more driving, the car died completely, so I had another look to find that my engine was no longer connected to the negative terminal on my battery. Why do you love the car? I love my car because it is something different, and I’ve done most of the modification on it myself.
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COMEDY
games, gadgets, and other digital distractions
RPG // XBOX 360
“…There are more side quests than you can poke a twig at…”
Fable II
NEWS THE HOFF BRINGS THE PAIN PAIN Movie Studio, starring David Hasselhoff, is now available for download from PlayStation Network on PS3 for $12.95. It features The Hoff as a playable character in a setting where destruction is the name of the game. Players receive points by stringing together painful collisions and inducing chaos when throwing The Hoff around the movie studio. The Hoff comes with three iconic outfits that players are bound to recognise, different Hoffesque poses, lines he shouts out while flying through the air and his own PlayStation Trophy (GETTIN’ HOFF). The trophy is gold, because that’s how The Hoff rolls. Additionally, The Hoff has commemorated his very own PlayStation Network game by producing a cover of Culture Club’s Do You Really Want to Hurt Me, exclusively for PAIN.
Hang up on your calls to duty and pick up your sword and sandals to set off on an adventure of a lifetime. Hoards of fans of the original Fable game have been salivating since Fable II Pub Games was issued as a precursor to this second instalment. With more than three million copies of the original game sold it’s obviously good business sense to chime in with a sequel. Set in the picturesque land of Albion you get to play through the life of a hero or a demon. Set out as Sparrow, an adventurer out to avenge the death of your sibling with your dog, a shovel and a pack of condoms. Your choices and actions made throughout the game determine what fate befalls your character - whether you walk the path of a righteous hero or a feared demon amongst the dwellers of Albion. The character system is not far from Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas as the gameplay experience is affected by appearance, attire, gestures, weight gain and moral decisions. You have the ability to gain familiarity and renown throughout Albion by gaining affection points, commissioning statues of yourself and toting trophies through the streets from your latest battle. So detailed is the level of interaction your character can establish love/hate relationships with villagers, get engaged and married or hold your own swinger’s party whilst trespassing in someone else’s gypsy caravan. Your character’s physical look is affected by your food and drink intake so your role-playing includes being diet conscious. Non-playable characters are abundant in the land and flesh out the game experience as you believe the world is actually inhabited and not just a void between quest A and quest B. They provide some good giggles with the random dialogue they sprout in game. The only downfalls are the sparse amount of character voices used for NPCs which leads to repetitive dialogue in the same terribly English accents and when they start talking over important plot-developing dialogue. Gameplay is easily picked up with basic action and fighting moves and a meaty amount of spells available at the push of a button. By gaining experience points you can level up your fighting styles, learn new skills to improve your battle moves and build up devastating spell casts. More money obtained means better weapons to choose from such as swords, crossbows, mace, and pistols to dispose of monsters, bandits or villagers. This is a hack and slash without much of the stats
frills of most RPGs so you’re not bogged down with deciding how much INT and STR is a detriment to your DEX. With so much space to roam free and villages to explore you could spend many hours just wandering about Albion. Basically, what you can see is where you can get to if you have the time and the curiosity to find out “what’s over there”. It is quite easy to lose track of quests and suffer from slight agoraphobia, however a sparkly golden trail highlights your current quest direction to lead you where you need to go. Referencing the map is about as accurate as a shot in the dark.
have been wondrous. The environments are packed with detail so you can traverse along rolling dales, jump off cliffs, dive under waterfalls, take a swim in the lake, and admire the wildflowers and the occasional cottontail rabbit.
The menu system is a little time consuming with the drop down hierarchy, no fast sort, and each time an item is used from the menu it returns you to gameplay. Also, with the character customisations such as clothing, face and body tattoos and hairstyles, it’s a pity there is no zoom feature on the character to have a closer look at the effort that has been put into detailing this game.
Fable II promises to flower into a traditional MMORPG, a sparse genre on the XBox 360. Jump on the bandwagon and strap on your lute because this could be the game that sets you up for a decent summer slog if you have the time to pass.
Going on quests is the staple objective and it’s so jam-packed you’ll need to make a diary list of things to do. There are more side quests than you can poke a twig at not to mention the numerous employment opportunities that come up where you can gain a trade as a woodcutter, blacksmith or bartender. Sadly, you can become bogged down with interacting with villagers to gain renown rather than getting on with the job, and by job, I mean hacking and slashing. With your trusty canine friend “Dog”, which you can pimp out with collars and name at any time, you cannot get lost or lonely. You can teach your dog entertaining tricks with books and documents to learn to hunt treasure or play fetch. Even your four-legged pal has an opinion of you. My favourite features are the beautifully illustrated cut sequences that look like they’ve come from the set of a pantomime such as the wedding scene that give this game a quality appeal. Alas, the in-game cutscenes have been limited by the left trigger zoom feature, which makes me feel cheated of sequences that could
0 RACEDRIVER: GRID GIVEAWAY WINNER ANNOUNCED!
PLAYSTATION REVEALS A SACK-LOAD OF CONTENT FOR CHRISTMAS Buy a PS3 during the holiday season and receive one bonus new release game! Choose from LittleBigPlanet, SingStar ABBA, MotorStorm Pacific Rift and Resistance 2, as and when each new blockbuster title is released over the coming weeks.
The online feature means you can adventure with friends, send gifts, and keep track of them with the orb system status. The downside of cooperative play is the fixed camera angles can get you stuck behind objects and you cannot use certain inventory items when you’re not hosting.
sTIARNE DOUBLE GAMEPLAY: 60%
0 Straightforward gameplay lets you bowl right in and get something out of it without all the fuss of bells and whistles. GRAPHICS: 90%
0 Vast environments have been given a welldeserved dollop of detail for an RPG. SOUND: 65%
0 Decent audio to carry your adventurous spirit along with merry tunes and sounds of hobbit thumping. PLAYABILITY: 70%
0 With so many combinations of character building and endings, replaying is a must to see it all. OVERALL: 70%
0 Tidy little RPG that doesn’t go astray if you have a penchant for free roaming and questing your heart out. 0FABLE II IS AVAILABLE NOW FOR XBOX360 FOR RRP $99.95.
All games are exclusive to PS3 and valued at $109.95. WHO YA GONNA CALL? Atari, one of the world’s most recognized video game publishers, announced today the addition of the highly anticipated Ghostbusters: The Video Game to its 2009 release schedule. Working closely with Sony Pictures Consumer Products Inc. and acclaimed development studio Terminal Reality, Atari will bring this completely new story to advanced gaming platforms coinciding with the 25th anniversary celebration of the film’s original theatrical release. Ghostbusters: The Video Game, based on the smash hit motion picture franchise, also reunites original cast members to recapture the unique blend of humour and fright that established Ghostbusters as a pop culture sensation.
Congratulations to CASSANDRA FRENCH – you’ve won a copy of Racedriver: GRID for PS3, just by writing to zzapped@sauce.net.au and telling US your favourite game (Need For Speed: Most Wanted)! Look out for more giveaways soon!
DOMESTIC COWBOY
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COMEDY COMEDY - AUSTRALIA // TAMING THE DEVIL
STRANGER THAN MICKTION
Observations a Bit Below the Belt “I grew up in the outer East of Melbourne born of parents from Liverpool in England,” says Lawrence Mooney, recalling his childhood. “My eight brothers (I’m the youngest) and I all have this very English kind of humour because we were schooled on Dave Alan, The Goodies, Dad’s Army, Dick Emery and Monty Python. My family is where comedy started. It was madness, hilarious, out of control and the only way to survive ten people living in a three-bedroom house was to laugh. I’m actually a fraud because I’m not the funniest one in my family by a long way. My mum is hilarious. Really really funny and everybody who meets her says so. She’s like Tommy Cooper locked in Charlie Chaplin’s body I swear. Which means she’s two men. Wow.” What’s the last, best joke you heard that took you by surprise? A woman walks into the pro shop at a Golf Club and is clearly distressed. The Golf Pro says, “Are you all right?” She says, “I’ve just been stung by a bee between the first and second holes.” The Pro says, “I think your stance is probably too wide.”
One of your solo shows from last year, Where To?, examined life through a taxi driver’s eyes. From where do you derive your fascination with taxis? I had spent so much time pissed in taxis that I thought what an amazing source of material. So I became a driver and that was my mistake. The passengers aren’t interesting; they’re just drunk. It’s the drivers who have the stories.
When was the last time you laughed along at something but didn’t get the joke? I’m a tad deaf due to some early childhood ear problems so I often see people around me light up in laughter and just laugh along like an idiot then pull my partner close for the description of what just went on. It can be very annoying for her.
How did Taming the Devil come about anyway? Well it was the brainchild of two great Melbourne comedy lovers, Dave Tulk and Katie. They thought that a Tassie tour was a great idea and I agree. I’ve been down here before and the people are so up for a laugh.
“…I explained to her that Jenny Taylor sounds like genitalia…”
When was the last time you “tamed” your “devil”? I did a gig at the Deloraine Forest Festival in 1995 totally nude. It was so empowering because you can’t be heckled. If someone wants to hang shit on you they have to get up on stage and nude up too. I wanted the whole crowd to get naked but nobody did. Hippies are so chicken shit. They talk about freedom but they were sooo inhibited. I was the only one naked and I was having a ball.
To what extent does your job preclude you from being able to relax in social situations once people find out you’re supposed to be funny? I only hang out with close friends and there isn’t really that pressure there but I love to make them laugh so I’ll always throw something a little shocking or funny into the conversation so they don’t feel ripped off. You see I was funny around them before taking it to the people so they deserve me.
Who is the most devilish out of the Taming the Devil crew and why? Chris Wainhouse is a very cheeky devil because he is fearless on and off stage. He is so much fun to be around. I love Wainhouse. He is very much like one of my brothers. Mental.
What’s the most awkward social exchange you’ve had in the context of the prior question? I once met a woman called Jenny Taylor. And I was sniggering and said you must’ve gotten very sick of people making fun of your name and she was completely unaware. So I explained to her that Jenny Taylor sounds like genitalia and she was furious and very offended and the angrier she got the more I laughed, probably out of nervousness for what I had done.
sCHRIS RATTRAY
Get your devil tamed: 0 November 13 @ Devonport Convention Centre 0 November 14 @ Hilltop Granton, Hobart 0 November 15 @ Princess Theatre, Launceston
SCREEN HOBART UNDERGROUND Local film spotlight with Andrew Harper With a passion for the undiscovered gems of film, Andrew Harper of Hobart Underground has set himself the task of bringing local, unknown cinema to your attention. We dug up some more information to find out where you can catch his next screenings and how you can get involved. What’s the most intriguing event you’ve got coming up? The Reel will have very wonderful art films from all over the place including some wild stuff from New Zealand. Free Film has an incredible mash-up feature, Pixel Pirate II: Attack of the Astro Elvis Video Clone, that’s totally insane and beautiful by Sydney crew, soda_jerk who use the remix as total art better than anyone you have ever see. It’s going to be my first major screening of a feature. It’s an hour long. It’s really amazing.
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What’s the idea behind Hobart Underground? It’s changing. It was originally to find and screen stuff that wasn’t being catered for by other film bodies and was about being local. This is why I called it Undergound – the content came from underground or outside. I found lots of people just made weird stuff and it was rough and different to what we consider films to be. Now I just want to screen interesting films from anywhere. I like to think it inspires people to make their own films and that’s the biggest goal really. To what extent does it defeat your “underground” mandate by publishing this article? I don’t reckon it does. ‘Underground’ refers to the content I screen. If I wanted it to stay underground I wouldn’t screen it. I want people to see underground films and think about what film is, how they can make it themselves and do so. Where do you hope Hobart Underground will go in the future?
Well, I want to do a bunch of screenings over summer of new stuff I’ve found and in the process of getting. I’ve gone quite far afield this time, which is new for me. Then I’ll look for content again and have an event when I have enough stuff to screen. It’s hard to find things; you have to really trawl the internet and chase things up. Having events helps a lot and I haven’t had one in a while. I guess I’m starting from scratch in a way. How can someone get involved? Send me stuff to screen – GPO box 325 Hobart TAS 7001 or: andrewharper@yahoo.com Check out the following events: 0 Free Film in the Courtyard, November 20, 8pm @ Salamanca Arts Centre 0 The Reel Film Festival, December 12 @ the six_a gallery http://www.hobartunderground.com
I have never been what you might call an average guy. I tend to have this aura of odd about me that tends to attract other, far odder people to me, which is both interesting and slightly frightening. If I’m in a group of people, I’ll be the one singled out by the cheaply dressed man carrying a supermarket green bag with a dead bird in it who will tell me all about the family of possums that he has adopted in Franklin Square. He’ll show me their photos and give me a somewhat rambling biography of their lives. By this time the other people I’m with will have sidled off or are hiding behind trees or are simply pretending they don’t know me. It happens to me all the time. I quite like it (the freaky folk, not people pretending they don’t know me). I can walk about the city and get nods and hellos from all manner of human detritus and it’s kinda cool. I wonder how it all came about? Sure I was always the weird kid at school who would stage elaborate slow motion car crash scenes in the middle of SOSE classes. I thought I was being mildly entertaining, but the overwhelming reaction was one of “That kid is weird, come let us kill him with sticks.” They weren’t the most supportive of teachers. I do tend towards eccentricity to say the least. I tend to do slightly freaky things in public. “There’s a time and a place,” my Mum used to say and I’d reply with, “What? Only one of each? So there is only half past three in the Gobi Desert?” She didn’t really go with my logic there. But she was right. Here are a couple of things that I’ve found myself doing in public that I wouldn’t recommend as, erm, things to do in public. 0 Pretend to glue your foot to the middle of a pedestrian crossing. Motorists aren’t big fans of mime, no matter how brilliant you think it is. 0 Randomly break into a rousing chorus of “Osama in Pyjamas is coming down the stairs” and then discover you’re standing next to a group of women in berkas. They didn’t look impressed, which is quite difficult to achieve in a berka. 0 Try and tight-rope walk along a ship’s mooring rope. Especially if you’ve never tight-roped before. Hobart’s docks look nice, but taste like diesel (the fuel, not the singer). Oh, and if you do find yourself floating in the docks, don’t count on any of your friends to help fish you out. They’re too busy laughing or avoiding the dude telling everyone about his family of possums. It’s a blessing that I have things like the Short Back and Sideshow and Impro Vice and The Diamonds of Burlesque to keep me sane. Do bizarre things on a stage in front of an audience and suddenly it is “entertainment”. How I love the absurdity of life. The performance hit is quite addictive too, until a heckler yells, “That guy is weird, come let us kill him with sticks.” I’ve been killed with sticks at least nine times now. True story. MICK LOWENSTEIN
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STREET FASHION
Name: Elsa Age: 18 (soon) Favourite Band: Death Cab For Cutie What’s your favourite food on a stick? Choc-coated strawberries on a stick What’s the nerdiest thing you own? My graphics calculator What are your favourite kind of pants? Jeans
Name: Lachlan Age: 19 Favourite Band: A tie between The Kings of Leon and Interpol What’s your favourite food on a stick? A Golden Gaytime What’s the nerdiest thing you own? The lightsaber app on my iPhone What are your favourite kind of pants? Stretchy pants. Stretchy pants are fantastic.
CD REVIEWS
Name: Elliot Age: 19 Favourite Band: Animal Collective What’s your favourite food on a stick? Kebabs What’s the nerdiest thing you own? A complete Star Wars Fun-Fact-File What are your favourite kind of pants? Jeans
Name: Michael Age: 19 Favourite Band: Spoon What’s your favourite food on a stick? Fondue What’s the nerdiest thing you own? Tough call. “Granger’s Complete Index To Poetry” What are your favourite kind of pants? Light-Gauge Corduroy
Want your music reviewed? Send your CD to SAUCE, PO Box 5094, Launceston, 7250
IVY ST. Flicker On
LINCOLN LE FEVRE AND THE INSIDERS 30-Watt Heart
MYBLACKSON Spiels
THE HIGHLOWS No Space, No Time
I hadn’t heard of Tasmanian three-piece band Ivy St until listening to their album Flicker On. My initial thought when hearing the opening seconds of the first track was ‘these guys would sound great live’. With the rhythm of the drums and the rawness of the guitar, the result is a very fresh, alive and most of all, loud sound.
Let me begin by saying this album does not sound like it was recorded and produced (mostly) in a spare room in South Hobart. It’s a polished, high quality record with production values to match the songwriting prowess. From the opener Morning (I Gotta Go), we’re given a feel for what the rest of the album will be like; slick instrumentation, good lyrics, and solid vocal work.
The debut release from Hobart trio, myblackson, is not quite what someone may expect.
No Space, No Time will not change your life. It won’t challenge you to think deeply, or enrage you with messages of great social and political import. It will not demand you rock out in your living room, air guitar threatening to have an eye out. This Hobart-based power pop-rock trio plays it safe, plays it well, and just bloody plays it – more than competently, and with the kind of polish Mr. Sheen could only dream about in his little bald head.
Lyrically, Morning also sets the scene for the rest of the album. This is an album about girls. Excluding one song about returning to a childhood home to find it changed (How Did We Get it So Wrong?), this is twelve tracks of relationships crumbling, and the slow move on to the next one. Not that that’s a bad thing – it’s what Lincoln does best.
The second track, Borrow and Steal, shows how well they use what they have in their band. There are no extra parts overdubbed other than the title shouted. It is a very raw take of a song that would work very well live.
Although, once the singing started I had trouble with the general loudness of this album. The drums, guitar and bass are far louder than the vocals, which results in the lyrics being hard to focus on and at times they sound muffled. Each song on this album is slow-paced rock so the mumbling of the vocals results in a droning effect. I know for some people it’s about the overall sound of a song and that lyrics aren’t something they worry about. However, I find lyrics a major part in liking a song and hearing the straining sound of the vocals was a problem for me. The song that stood out is the third track, The Producers Of Tripe. This track begins with bass, then the guitar and drums slowly follow as the vocals ease in. It’s a basic close your eyes and bang your head slowly to the bass and guitar type of track. Overall, this album was not a stand out one for me. The songs failed to really grab and hold my attention even after a few listens. I still believe that Ivy St. would sound good live but in order to stand out their work needs polishing and the ability to offer something different. 4/10 SKYE CROSSWELL
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He keeps it all varied enough to keep you interested, from the bogan princess in all her foul-mouthed glory on Hey Alright! (killer harmonica), to a slightly pathetic ex on September (“I’ll give you this one more time” indeed). Acoustic-and-banjo driven crooner Sweet Sin is a standout, losing the bravado of others, and gaining a pleasant intimacy from the sparse instrumentation. The Insiders are great, with Robbie G getting the most chances to be noticed. That said, some songs stray a little into samey-ness, particularly Where the Poppies Used to Grow and How Did We Get it So Wrong? (Poppies is better), and Miami starts promisingly, before turning into a nonevent only saved by some passionate vocals. All up though, this album is excellent, well worth your hard-earned dollerz. 9/10 MICHAEL BLAKE
The music they have created is quite unlike that of any other local bands. What they do to set themselves apart from the rest is their use of space as well as sound, giving the listener a break from constant pounding on the ears.
Topfer Spiel, the fourth song on the EP, is probably the most “out there” and is also the best. The two vocal lines are quite different, and the music bed itself is unusual in that it is basically just “junk noise”. The fifth and final track holds the most disappointment. The lyric “numbers/ attached to people” is a very intriguing concept and it would have been great to see the song develop further. One and a half minutes in it breaks down to a two-note vamp, similar to a skipping tape. It feels as though it will come out of this passage and into a new section of the song, but instead it went on for another four and a half minutes. It seemed like the easy way out and was the only downside to an otherwise very creative and interesting first EP from a band that shows a lot of potential. The sooner they put out a full-length record the better. 8/10 DORIAN BROOMHALL
Things kick off to a rollicking start with the energetic One of a Kind, with a chorus like something from a montage scene in any number of 80s feel-good movies. Four tracks in, and we’re on the Other Side of the Sun, a Powderfingeresque fave, which could have opened an entirely different album, and has the kind of hooky sing-a-long chorus that threatens to have you singing into the nearest hairbrush handle. We dip into down-tempo territory on the following track, the triumphant Feel, before hitting some more peaks around track eight, No Escape (with a riff that can only be described as “rambunctious”) and track eleven, the languidly easy-listening Fade. Album closer, So Long, with its urgently casual strings, soothes us out of this extremely well crafted album… but, before you know it, you’re hitting the play button again. Nope – No Space, No Time won’t change your life. But it’s one of those annoyingly listenable albums that can be played over and over, in a variety of settings. Make some time, and give it some space. 8/10 CHRIS RATTRAY
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