edgemag.com.au | summer 08/09 I始m an old scholar, better looking now than when I was young. That始s what sitting on your ass does to your face. Leonard Cohen
Hunters & Collectors Martha Wainwright Amy Newton-Banks Cut Off Your Hands James Reston Jr. Jos茅 Gonz谩lez The Audreys Jack Colwell Everlast Josh Pyke Tim Finn Camille + more
NICK CAVE and the Bad Seeds invites you to their party island this summer
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summer 2008/09
editors ramble
José González Sultry singer José González is Swedish. Well his parents are Argentian, but José was born and grew up there. González grew up listening to Latin folk and pop music, and has named Cuban singer-songwriter Silvio Rodriguez as a favourite artist. His trademark sound is solo classical guitar with soft vocal melody. His work, although mostly original, also includes acoustic covers of such hits as “Heartbeats” by his fellow Swedes The Knife, “Love Will Tear Us Apart” by Joy Division, “Born in the U.S.A.” and “The Ghost of Tom Joad” by Bruce Springsteen, “Hand on Your Heart” by Kylie Minogue, “Smalltown Boy” by Bronski Beat, “Teardrop” by Massive Attack and “Last Snowstorm of the Year” by Low. His second album, In Our Nature, was released internationally in 2007. The album’s lyrical content was in part influenced by his reading of books like The God Delusion by evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins and Practical Ethics by ethicist Peter Singer. José González will be in Australia in February as part of the Playground weekender.
Samantha Patrick
edgemag.com.au
First artists announced for the 37th CMAA Country Music Awards of Australia
Kasey Chambers & Shane Nicholson Editor Samantha Patrick General Manager Leigh Harris 0411 003 311
Picture Nick Cave. Here for All Tomorrow’s Parties. www.atpfestival.com Nick Cave. Artic Monkeys. Neil Young.The Kooks. Eric Clapton. Suko. Jose Gonzalez. Leonard Cohen. Quality. Who cares if the rest of the world is facing financial ruin if it means this level of music greatness hits our shores? I’m not one for sticking up pictures up around my desk, maybe the occasional flyer but not pictures. Except this one I have of Bob Dylan. It was taken of him a few years ago stretching back in a white leather bean bag, with his feet up on a stool reading the paper. Words do not describe how cool that man is. Recently I added another picture and if you’re reading this then you’re looking at it. I love Nick Cave. I’m trembling with anticipation for Cockatoo Island and I’m pleased to hear the first four albums are about to be re released. My favourite album this year was the highly speculated about Konk from the Kooks, it’s tight, it’s fun and I’ve constantly gone back to again again. The Kooks are playing Falls Festival in what will be the line up to beat this summer. The Artic Monkeys are playing BDO, I’ve got high
win
expectations as they impressed the hell out of me at Splendour last year. British India impressed the hell out of me this year though and are about to leave our shores for dreary old blighty - I’m willing to bet those boys come back as super stars The Kaiser Chiefs and Snow Patrol also released albums high on my favorites list and both have just been announced for V Fest, and there is another line up that could be the best of the summer. Playground Weekender in early Feb is also building itself a good reputation with The Streets, Jose Gonzalez and my favorite DJ Ewan Pearson playing in the dance tent is well on it’s way to taking the baton from Splendour as the ‘boutique’ festival with the fabulous Byron Bay festival moving to a new ground and much bigger capacity. But lets not get ahead of ourselves we have ATP, Big Day Out and Playground all to enjoy before the next issue.. It’s a hard life. :-)
Contributors Liam Casey Lucy Vader Liz Giuffre Barry Bissell Andrew G Jono Coleman Luke Nutley Mark Boere Bethany Harris Ben McKenzie Kirily Suggett Marija Zeko David Collins Design Mark Boere Layout Leigh Harris Contact us: info@edgemag.com.au PO Box 476, Darlinghurst NSW 1300
Kasey Chambers & Shane Nicholson, John Williamson, Adam Brand, The McClymonts and The Slim Dusty Family are the 1st artists announced to perform at the 37th CMAA Country Music Awards of Australia, at Tamworth’s Regional Entertainment and Convention Centre (TRECC) on Saturday January 24, 2009. This year’s ARIA Award winners for Country Album of The Year, Kasey Chambers and Shane Nicholson, who are finalists in 5 Awards categories and recently performed on the finale of Australian Idol, will be joined on stage by 6 time finalist, 23 time “Golden Guitar” winner and country music icon, John Williamson. Also joining them will be 4 time finalists The McClymonts including Group or Duo of the Year, the Award they have taken home for the past 2 years; Adam Brand, who has taken home 11 “Golden Guitars” in the past and The Slim Dusty Family who will perform at the Awards for the very first time. Further performer & presenter details will be announced for the 37th CMAA Country Music Awards of Australia, presented by Jayco, over the coming weeks. Tamworth Regional Entertainment and Convention Centre (TRECC) on Saturday, January 24, 2009. Tickets for the Awards are on sale now and can be purchased from Tourism Tamworth www.visittamworth.com or (02) 6767 5300 www.country.com.au
two tickets to 2009 V FESTIVAL
The Killers // Snow Patrol // Kaiser Chiefs // Duffy // Elbow // The Temper Trap // Louis XlV // The Do // Tame Impala // Canyons & more to be announced. Saturday March 28, Sydney Centennial Park Sunday March 29, Gold Coast, Avica Resort Saturday April 4, Melbourne, Showgrounds Sunday April 5, Perth, Claremont Showgrounds To win, just email us win@edgemag.com.au or write to PO Box 476 Darlinghurst and in 25 words or less, tell us why you deserve to go to V Festival and which location (one per entry). Entries close March 20th 2009.
edgemag.com.au
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summer, 2008/09
edge recommends All Tomorrow Parties Jan 15-18th. Sydney - Vic - Brisbane. ticketmaster.com./www atpfestival.com Named after the Velvet Underground song and described as the “ultimate mix tape”, All Tomorrow’s Parties is a boutique festival that goes against the grain of the larger, more commercial music festivals. Each new All Tomorrow’s Parties invites an artist or band to headline and then handpick their favourite performers to play at the festival. And who else could they ask for the inaugural Australian series of ATP than Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds. The line up so far includes: Australian punk band, The Saints - featuring original members Ed Kuepper, Chris Bailey and Ivor Hay performing their first Australian shows (outside Brisbane) since 1977. Spiritualized, James Blood Ulmer (US); Harmonia (Germany); Fuck Buttons (UK); pioneering Silver Apples (UK), Afrirampo (Japan), Laughing Clowns (Aust), former Go-Between Robert Forster (Aust), The Stabs (Aust), Bridezilla (Aust) & the sublime ambience of The Necks (Aust). Location! Location! Location! Not a single sign of a dusty old field or monstrous stadium. Instead, ATP has taken the time to present the festival goer a whole newexperience. In Victoria, All Tomorrow’s Parties is to be held over two days, with 30+ bands performing over 3 stages at Mt.Buller Ski Resort. Punters will have the option to
The Killers
Snow Patrol
Kaiser Chiefs
either stay on the mountain in a selection of ski-chalets, lodges or hotels, or down the mountain in nearby Mansfield. The events runs January 9th & 10th and tickets are on sale now. In NSW, All Tomorrow’s Parties is to be held in conjunction with Sydney Festival on Cockatoo Island over the weekend of January 17th & 18th. It will be a one day program on Saturday January 17th, which will then be repeated on January 18th. In Queensland, All Tomorrow’s Parties will present a series of one stands between January 12th – 16th. Featured acts will include Fuck Buttons, Afrirampo and Harmonia with more to be announced. ATP will also present a larger afternoon/evening show on January 15th at the picturesque Brisbane Riverstage headlined by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds and featuring Spiritualized, Robert Forster, & James Blood [SP]
win tickets
All Tomorrow’s Parties, Curated by Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds Cockatoo Island - January 17 & 18 To win, just email us win@edgemag.com.au or write to PO Box 476 Darlinghurst and in 25 words or less, tell us why you deserve to go to All Tomorrow’s Parties on Cockatoo Island. Entries close January 9th 2009.
V Festival 2009 Saturday March 28 -Sydney, Centennial Park Sunday March 29 - Gold Coast, Avica Resort Saturday April 4 - Melbourne, Showgrounds Sunday April 5 - Perth, Claremont Showgrounds Tickets on sale Friday November 28 www.vfestival.com.au V Festival will again mark out our turf in late March when we present our four Aussie events in Sydney, on the Gold Coast, and in Melbourne and Perth. With more synth-laden hooks than an angling store and the mesmeric charms of front man Brandon Flowers comes Las Vegas’s THE KILLERS, sure to slay Aussie audiences. Anyone who’s seen their incredible performance on the MTV Europe Music Awards knows we are in for a sonic and visual treat! With an Antipodean following as large as the population of their native isle, Ireland’s SNOW PATROL return with an enchanting blend of pop genius that is nothing short of compelling. No-one in their right mind would question the work ethic of Leeds quintet KAISER CHIEFS who having produced three albums in four years, have proven an ability to write more than one Festival anthem and will no doubt be welcomed by V Festival’s very own truly Aussie mob. ELBOW received this year’s Mercury Music Prize for their album The Seldom Seen Kid, and
their beautiful take on indie melancholia continues to sustain their fanatic following on the live circuit. With comparisons from Aretha to Dusty, DUFFY’s soulful tones have catapulted her album Rockferry reach to number one in a dozen countries - catch her Aussie debut here. Named after the French King, Sandiego quartet LOUIS XIV will further bang the rock drum with their irresistible riffs and existentialist punk lyrics. Continuing the Gallic flavour of this musical General Assembly, also welcome THE DØ, a new music sensation who draw from every genre of music, meld them together and thrill audiences with the eclectic avant-guarde result. To help you say it right, they take their name from the note–scale ‘Dø- Rei-Mi! Rounding off the first announcement, TAME IMPALA’s adolescent yet modern take on psychedelic rock will make kaleidoscopes cool again, and they are joined by other home grown heroes, THE TEMPER TRAP and CANYONS.
New Album Out Now Includes 'The Lighthouse Song' joshpyke.com | ivyleague.com.au
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with Barry Bissell
summer, 2008/09
edgemag.com.au
Breaking the drought.
THE SPORTS DON’T THROW STONES (1979) What’s the best song ever written about the radio? Well, it just might be The Sports’ classic “Who Listens To The Radio”, which was featured on their second album, “Don’t Throw Stones”. This Melbourne band survived just five years, but they released four albums and they still sound fantastic. With the addition of Martin Armiger, The Sports had a three-pronged songwriting attack, with Armiger contributing the opening track on “Don’t Throw Stones”, “Suspicious Minds”, as well as “Hit Single”, while singer Stephen Cummings teamed up with guitarist Andrew Pendlebury to write the title-track, “Live Work & Play” and “Who Listens To The Radio”. This is the album that should have broken The Sports worldwide. Michael Gudinski recognised their talent and the band got deals with the Stiff label in the UK and Arista in the US. But, unfortunately, The Sports didn’t make the most of their opportunities. Gudinski later said: “I gave up management for 10 years because of Stephen Cummings. He was traumatic to manage. But he’s great now.” Stephen is still making music, recently releasing a great solo album called “Happiest Man Alive”. And he’s just written a book about his life in the music business, which will be published in May 2009. It’s called “Nice And Evil”.
Taasha Coates, Tristan Goodall (sitting), Toby Lang, Michael Green, Lyndon Gray. photographer: Peter Fisher
Adelaide blues/folkies The Audreys have pathed a lovely path for themselves so far. Their debut album, Between Last Night And Us, earned them an ARIA for Best Blues & Roots album in 2006, as well as lots of airplay and critical acclaim. Their next offering, When The Flood Comes, will no doubt satisfy existing fans and pick them up a few more newbies. Liz Giuffre
with Andrew G
“We sort of stayed on the road [after the ARIA win], we ended up being on the road for about 18 months all up. So it was nice to stop touring and start working on the next album,” songwriter Tristan Goodall says down the phone. Along with partner Taasha Coates, he faced the difficult problem of second album syndrome head on, and the two have overcome it easily with a gorgeous new offering. Although pure talent always helps, the two also decided to get a little help from the musical gods, spending some time in the Chelsea Hotel in New York, a place where muses have visited the likes of Arthur Miller, Mark Twain, Jack Kerouac, Tom Waits, and countless others. It’s also the place where Leonard Cohen and Janis Joplin also famously had an affair (as documented by Cohen in his song, Chelsea Hotel #2). “We had some time to write, we had a space of about 3 months where we had time to sit down and write. And Taasha, the vocalist
and other songwriter, and I have a place in the Adelaide Hills, it’s beautiful and we love it, but when we sat down a to write there it turned out not to be the best place to write. So we thought let’s get back on the road, so we went over to New York, and the Chelsea happens to be the cheapest place in town, despite all it’s colour and history. So we hauled up there for about a week and a half a wrote the first few songs for the album there, it was inspiring and lots of fun. A lot of hard work there too, but there’s a history to the place that you can’t help but absorb there.” Weren’t there lots of tourists and things floating around the place too, given it’s place as such an inspiration for so many amazing artists? “We sort of arrived at the last minute, and said ‘do you have a room?’ and they said ‘yes’, even though everywhere else was booked out,” Tristan laughs. “And it’s got a certain shappyness that is probably what puts other people off from coming, but it’s in
a good seedy way. There was a dog that was walking around the halls a bit, but that didn’t bother anyone. And at around 5 o’clock we’d duck down to the downstairs bar and have a couple of martinis, then get into writing. It was great.”
The Audreys, When the Flood Comes/ Warner/ ABC/ Kybosh Records
Hey, Andrew G here, keeping you up-to-date with what’s going on here at Take 40 HQ! We’ve been so busy over the last month or so interviewing all the biggest stars to hit Australia! I caught up with Daniel Craig and Olga Kurylenko, the stars of the latest James Bond film ‘Quantum of Solace’, plus we spoke to Rob Schneider, and Ben Stiller and Chris Rock for ‘Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa’. I also caught up with the wonderful Pink (who’s gearing up for a massive tour next year), and of course Mr. Chris Brown! All those interviews, tour details and much more are online now at take40. com! Don’t forget that you can now get Take 40 on your mobile! If you’re a Telstra Next G customer, you get the chart, the latest interviews and fresh new music direct to your mobile - all the details for that in the mobile section at take40.com. Now, just because you’re busy planning summer parties and working on your tan doesn’t mean you should forget to tune in every weekend for the biggest 40 songs in the country on Take 40 Australia! I’ll see you then!
with Jonathan Coleman G’day everybody, it’s Jono Coleman here and welcome to My Generation. All summer long, My Generation will continue to look back at our favourite classic hits and talk to the artists about the stories behind them. It didn’t matter how weird or wonderful they were – we still can’t get enough of them!! Did you know that My Generation is entering our 13th year and has become the biggest classic hits program across Australia? My Generation is now being heard in over 90 markets with nearly 750,000 listeners enjoying what we do every week. So thanks for your support!! Multi-award winning My Generation is the quintessential guide to the times that shaped a generation. From news to movies, politics to fashion, all the seminal events and memories are covered, along with the most important ingredient of all - the music. My Generation takes the audience on a musical
journey through time; it truly is ‘the soundtrack of our lives‘. Over the past month on The Jonathan Coleman Experience Julia and I have interviewed many music legends, such as Sheryl Crow, Paul Stanley and Chris Isaak. A definite highlight was speaking with one of my musical idols, Billy Joel. We’ve also been giving listeners the chance to win $100,000 everyday (Monday through Friday) in our $100,000 Birthday Game!! This is one of the only competitions where all you need is a birthday to win. It’s been a very busy year, but it’s not over yet! There are still plenty of big name guests and great prizes to come, so don’t forget to tune into The Jonathan Coleman Experience every weekday across Australia. The Jonathan Coleman Experience every weekday 5pm-7pm across Australia.
edgemag.com.au
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summer, 2008/09
View From the Lighthouse With second long player Chimney’s Afire, Sydney singer/songwriter Josh Pyke focuses in on language, both good and bad. All this has meant courting some pleasant (and unpleasant) sailor talk. Liz Giuffre The press release accompanying Josh Pyke’s second album, Chimney’s Afire, mentions how whaling inspired the album’s title. And not whaling as in ‘a strange type of singing’, but whaling as in, well, killing Free Willie. The Chimney that was afire is a reference to bloody water coming out of a whale’s blowhole as it was being attacked. It’s an interesting, if somewhat highly unlikely topic to help kick off a contemporary album. And that Josh Pyke boy always seemed so nice… “It’s not about whaling as such, but it’s about what whaling represented at that time in terms of the language how they used it,” Pyke begins. The ‘they’ in this instance are characters in maritime history, like those that inspired the story of Moby Dick. “I was reading a lot of maritime history, and that ornate language was how people spoke in every day life. These people who could barely read and write, these sailors, they had an amazingly descriptive way of speaking, and the language was what intrigued me. It wasn’t whaling; it’s not about that, it’s about language and how we describe things, and how we think about the things that are much bigger than ourselves. But there’s obviously some pretty explicit whaling terminology in the references, so I know it’ll come up,” he continues. Following last year’s Memories and Dust (and album that earned Pyke an ARIA for ‘Best Adult Contemporary’ release), with this next record Pyke has clearly aimed to move out of his comfort zone. First way to do this was to get in there and assume the role of producer. It was an experience he relished, but was clearly challenged by. “The very first song that I produced myself, I actually finished it and was like ‘this is such a piece of shit!’ I was really stressed out about it, stressed out of my mind. So I got home and was listening to it and played it to a few people they said ‘yeah, it’s good’, but in my own head … it wasn’t that it was bad, it was just that it wasn’t right. And I was really worried that I’d bitten off more than I could chew and I didn’t have the objectivity to produce my own record, but [then] I realised that I’d thrown everything at it.” He explained. So, was power of producing and having all those effects and tracks at your disposal a case of ‘just because you can, doesn’t mean you should? “Yeah, exactly. When I’m making my demos it’s just really organic and I just do what my gut tells me, and (when I was producing first up), I’d kind of moved away from that. So I went back to the demo and listened to that, and it was way more back then the produced track. So I just stripped it
back again and just tried to reapproach it and get back to that instinctive vibe that was there in the first place.” In addition to his own production work, Pyke also employed the co-producing services of Wayne Connolly (who worked on Memories and Dust, as well as iconic indie albums like You Am I’s Hourly Daily), and Paul McKercher (also Hourly Daily, as well as Augie Mach, Eskimo Joe and Something For Kate). With a mixture of experience as well as fresh ideas, Pyke happily called in the big guns to help do his songs justice where if felt he’d hit a wall. “In the same way that you choose five or six different musicians because you want to get their kind of aesthetic or sensibilities, it was a matter of wanting to work with all these different types of people because I wanted to get their take on particular tracks,” he said. “For the album I recorded 17 tracks in total, and I produced 13 of them and for those 13 I felt confident that what I was bringing to the songs was what the songs needed. But then there were fours songs that I thought I couldn’t bring to them that they needed, I felt that I just couldn’t get there myself, that they needed some objectivity. So in the demo stage these particular songs weren’t as developed as the others, and I’ve worked with Paul in the past and just love his work, and worked with Wayne of course and I just knew that these were the right guys for stripped the job.”Now, back to the language. While this album, like much of Pyke’s work, shows a love of lyrics and careful description, the first single from this album, “The Lighthouse Song”, has drawn some controversy because of a different type of sailor language. With its pretty melody and folkie delivery, when Pyke drops the ‘f’ word in the chorus, it’s at once endearing and a little shocking. What would his mother say!?! “I swear all the time, I have a pretty bad potty mouth, and you know, everyone swears. And I just thought there was no better word to describe what I was trying to describe, than that word. Again, I try not to think too hard about these things, it’s just the word I would have used. And in retrospect I think it’s kind of nice to have a word that people aren’t expecting, a swear word against a pretty melody. My Mum’s always said (to try and make me swear less) that if you swear less, then when you do swear it really has an impact. And I think song shows that.” Josh Pyke’s Chimney’s Afire is out now on Ivy League Records
Hunters & Collectors “…trucks and beers and memories…” HUNTERS and Collectors fetishised the road. It held arcane codes for them, but it also held firm logic - it took them to the people who wanted to hear them play. They were a rock ‘n’ roll band from Melbourne between 1981 and 1998 who did nine studio albums, three live records and three EPs. The band’s life spanned Bob Hawke, the new one-dollar coin, Crocodile Dundee, Keating and Kennett, Mabo & Wik and the beginnings of John Howard. The country prospered, recessed and then matured. It was also an era of great Australian music: Midnight Oil, the Angels, X, INXS and Paul Kelly. Mental as Anything. The Hoodoo Gurus, who formed in the same year. .But Hunters and Collectors had something else, right? Something extra. Some aspect or other. Hindsight is only now beginning to
show us a few things about why they were perhaps the most powerfully Australian band of all, the Hunnas, expressing a genuine Australian sensibility and set of ideals. The shows were intense and definite. At their peak the band could fill every molecule of air in any venue in the country with a noise that was louder and clearer than anyone else. They were an orchestra: simple, strong and powerful yet suspicious of undue ceremony or fanfare. These are very Australian attributes. The trumpet from the famous brass section even played the The Last Post. But the biggest link they had with this immense, merciless country was the road around it. Discipline and logistics were important, so the road was untroubling. A heightened Australian-ness emerged through their explorations – physical and mental - of
the paths they travelled. It was a deep well of subject matter as well as a kind of talisman. The trucks which took their gear around were integral to the way their minds worked and how their songs sounded because trucks are democratic and infallible. The band’s art came to be defined by the size of that truck. A three tonne show, an eight tonne band, a thirteen tonne tour. These were their charts. They exerted control over Australia by having it covered. The rhythm of the road settled them. There’s a school of thought
now, from the inside, that they didn’t make it huge overseas because the road felt different. It unsettled them. They had adapted perfectly instead to Australian conditions: the tarmac and line, the thirst and furnace of the pubs, the “…trucks and beers and memories…” This is an edited extract from an essay commissioned by Hunters and Collectors for it’s 14-CD/two-DVD box set, Horn of Plenty, released November 22 through Liberation.
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movie news
summer, 2008/09
edgemag.com.au
film
Australia wins locally but gets beaten by a doggy in the US Not surprisingly the most expensive Australian film ever made - Australia – is set to be the highest grossing Australian film at Australia’s box office during 2008. In the US however the film pulled in less than doggy hit, Marley And Me took in its opening weekend.
Is 2012 the end?
If you’ve been to the movies in the last few weeks you may have seen the teaser campaign for Sony’s next big smash, 2012. Never before has a date in history been so heavily discussed by so many cultures, religions, or scientists as 2012 which is apparently the end of the world as we know it according to the Mayan Calendar. Sony look to be the first out of the gate with what they describe as “an epic adventure about a global cataclysm that brings an end to the world and tells of the heroic struggle of the survivors”. Directed by Roland Emmerich who was responsible The Day After Tomorrow, 2012 is already looking to be a box office smash given the marketing spend being thrown about by Sony. Check out the trailers on web.
Oscar Tips
It’s never too early to start making Oscar forecasts, especially when fall rolls around with films that may as well have “Oscar bait” on their posters.. A Ron Howard movie about Richard Nixon? Meryl Streep in a tense drama? Kate Winslet & Leonardo DiCaprico. But sometimes the movies seem to come out of nowhere, like Mickey Rourke, whose performance in the Wrestler has to put him up front.
Danny Boyle’s Slumdog Millionaire set to be the ‘indie’ hit of the year. Directed by Danny Boyle (Trainspotting, 28 Days Later) Slumdog Millionaire is the story of Jamal Malik an impoverished Indian teen, who becomes a contestant on the Hindi version of “Who Wants to be A Millionaire?”, wins, and is then suspected of cheating. Following its break-out international box office success, the movie is continuing its winning run in Australia with 5 star reviews and sold out sessions across cinemas nation-wide. The closest comparison is last years Country For Old Men whose initial box office takings have already been beaten by the little Indian tale. With an ever increasing swag of award nominations and wins, Slumdog Millionaire is appearing as the favourite to win ‘Best Picture (Drama)’ and ‘Best Director’ in Januarys Golden Globe® Awards.
We love Free Books! Win one of 5 copies of Bob Dylan’s latest and previously unpublished collections, HOLLYWOOD FOTO-RHETORIC or one of three prize packs of Leonard Cohen’s acclaimed novels, EAUTIFUL LOSERS and THE FAVOURITE GAME in Australia for the first time. by Text Publishing.
For the chance to win one of 3 sets of books valued at $50 just tell us in 25 words or less why you deserve this prize. Email win@edgemag. com.au or post to PO Box 476 Darlinghurst NSW 1300. Entries close March 1st 2009
The Wrestler
Twilight
The Curious Case Frost/Nixon of Benjamin Button
Release date: 15/01/2009 Distributor: Hopscotch Genr: Drama Director: Darren Aronofsky Starring: Mickey Rourke
Release date: 11/12/2008 Distributor: Hoyts Distribution Genr: Romance/Fantasy Director: Catherine Hardwicke Starring: Kristen Stewart
Release date: 26/12/2008 Distributor: Paramount Genr: Drama Director: David Fincher Starring: Cate Blanchett & Brad Pitt
Release date: 26/12/2008 Distributor: Universal Pictures Director: Ron Howard Starring: Michael Sheen & Frank Langalla
If like myself you have been caught by the blockbuster teenage vampire romance series from Stephanie Myer, then this film is must see for you. The books are cross between Sweet Valley High and Anne Rice, with vast amounts of chaste love and gothic vampires. Edward is very bit as cold and as handsome as you would expect from the books and the film portrays the grey, rainy strangeness of Forks to perfection. It is interstingly shot, romantic and whimsical and yet gothic and dark. The film is every bit a angsty as the books and is a sure bet to be loved by teenagers, and those of us who still haven’t quite grown up yet. [SP].
Based on the 1920s short story by F.Scott Fitzgerald, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button weaves back in time from the death bed of an elderly woman. As hurricane Katrina howls all around them, the daughter reads from an old diary of her mothers to tell the tale of Benjamin Button a man who grows young, rather than old. The the make up and effects are nearly as impressive as the performance, with Pitt yet again delivering a powerful character. Blanchett is captivating, beautiful and magnetic opposite Pitt. A truly exquisite movie, that you can’t help but gasp at, Benjamin Button imparts a sense of fairytale but with a delicate, subtle touch. [SP]
Angsty. 3.5 stars
Captivating. 4 stars
In 1977, 45 million viewers switched onto to see disgraced former President Nixon be interviewed English talk-show host David Frost who put everything on the line and risked everything to secure the interview. This calm yet riveting movie captures everything in and around the story and builds steadily towards the crescendo. Sheen who I thought could be forever type cast as Tony Blair given his performance in The Queen was as convincing in his role of Frost as Frank Lagella was in his powerful portrayal of Nixon. Peter Morgan who also wrote The Queen yet again manages to capture an era through clever use of ‘behind the scenes’ footage and narration. A must see for current affairs junkies and sure bet for Oscar nominations.
Mickey Rourke returns from the wilderness with an Oscar-worthy performance as aging wrestler, Randy “The Ram”. Randy is a broken man, passed his prime, estranged from his daughter, behind in his rent and a wrestling has-been. This is the story of a man at the crossroads. Yet despite his best intentions, Randy is often his own worst enemy, and you will ache with him as he blunders through his attempts to connect with life and love. The raw emotionality (and physicality) of this movie will remain with you for days afterwards, as you follow Randy’s quest to mend his body, his relationships, his career and ultimately himself. They say, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, but sometimes, it is broke and we simply don’t know how to fix it. Magnificent. 5 Stars
Magnificent. 4.5 stars
dvd
In Bruges
The Mummy
The Duchess
In Bruges follows hit men Ray (Colin Farrell) and Ken (Brendan Gleeson) who are in hiding after a bungled contract. Out of place amidst the historic architecture, picturesque canals, and cobbled streets, the two Irish lads fill their days living the lives of tourists. The gags are simple and funny (no small feat these days), the theme is dark and many of the scenes are downright nasty, and that makes this film a winner. [SP].
The strength of the Mummy movies has been their old B-Grade style, but with a twist of humour and individuality. However, this latest installment seems to be taking all the worst elements of these action adventure movies and somehow making them even worse. There is just so little that works here. It’s an unfortunate end, but surely this is the last of the Mommy. [NP]
On the surface, this is yet another tale of true love denied by a society wearingpretty outfits. But while Knightley who gives one of her better performances as a young woman trapped by her situation does get to wear a lot of stunning costumes and wander through some amazing sets, the real centre of interest in this film is The Duke himself. Fiennes performance makes The Duchess a far more thoughtful and interesting film than your average costume drama. [CL].
Underbelly Based on real events in Melbourne, Victoria, between 1995 and 2004, Underbelly tells the story of the gangland war, between rival factions of Melbourne’s criminal underworld. The series was banned from being broadcast in Victoria, until the conclusion of an upcoming gangland murder trial. Filled with great aussie actors, hilarious charaters and gruesome violence Underbelly is compulsive viewing. Out now on DVD. [SP]
Spaced “Spaced” revolves around two idle twentysomething flatmates - immature skateboarding wouldbe comic artist Tim (Simon Pegg), and moody, responsibility-shy Daisy (Jessica Stevenson), and their self-induced lack of success in employment, relationships and life in general. Together with their oddball assortment of friends and neighbors, they exist in a world perched precariously on the edge of normality. Fans of Pegg’s films such as Hot Fuzz will love these 14 episodes of english silliness. [SP]
Dexter Based on Jeff Lindsay’s novels Darkly Dreaming Dexter and Dearly Devoted Dexter this crime thriller follows Dexter Morgan - A forensic blood spatter expert for the Miami Dade Police Department. He is a psychopathic serial killer and a really nice guy. Dark, funny and full to the brim with edgeofyourseat moments Dexter is crime for clever people. Series one is one TV now but both are available on DVD now. [SP]
No Country for Old Men Winner of Best Picture, Best Director(s) and Best Adapted Screenplay, Country For Old Men is the Coen brothers’ adaptation of the Cormac McCarthy’s novel. Nothing short of a masterpiece, this film is the perfect blend story and storyteller. The Coens don’t explain, they show in meticulous detail with evocative and creative flair, slowly unraveling a story that seems to be spinning out of the control of everyone but the filmmakers. The resulting film is subtle, yet intense, thrilling and beautiful. [SP]
Hustle A UK drama now in it’s 3rd season here and 4th there, Hustle is a classy tale of grifters working the ‘long con’. Funny, clever and filled with smart little details and twists that keep you guessing till the end this is a series well worth adding to the collection. A must see for anyone who is keen on bank robberies and carefully planned hold ups! [SP]
edgemag.com.au
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summer, 2008/09
books
Melting ice-caps, eco-terrorists and the apocalyptic end of the human race. Australia’s Ian Irvine takes a new direction in ‘thriller’ writing. What’s your book about? The Last Albatross is the struggle of two ordinary people (Jemma and Ryn) against a group of bitter, twisted eco-terrorists who believe the only way to save the planet is to erase humanity from it. The background is a world like our own but a little way into the future. It’s a time when, because no one managed to control greenhouse gases, climate is changing disastrously. You’re a scientist and expert in marine pollution. How much did this inspire you? A lot, and when I write about such issues, I do a huge amount of research to make sure that the events of the story, large and small, could actually happen. Many years ago I studied ancient climate changes from evidence found in deep sea sediment cores from the bottom of the Tasman Sea, and I’ve tried to keep up to date with the research on climate change ever since. You first published The Last Albatross in 2000 and quite a bit of it has already come true. Did you think that would happen all those years ago? Not at all. At the time, I merely thought it was an interesting and different idea for a book. At the time, few scientists believed that any of the ice caps could
James and the Giant Impeachment
melt in less than a thousand years. Now, suddenly, the huge Greenland ice cap is shrinking rapidly and there’s a real chance that it could melt completely, which would flood every coastal city in the world. It was great to get the chance to bring the book up to date.
Lucy Vader
What scares you about the world we’re living it the moment? Do you think we can still make a difference to our environment? Climate is approaching a number of ‘tipping points’ which, if crossed, mean that the world will change drastically in a short space of time. This is very scary. It won’t just be bad for the environment, but also for us. One big problem is the oceans becoming acid because of carbon dioxide dissolving in seawater. A lot of sea creatures, including much of the plankton at the base of the food chain, have limy shells. These will dissolve when seawater becomes a little bit more acid than it is now, and if the plankton goes, everything that relies on it, up to whales, could disappear. This could happen within fifty years. We can still make a difference but we have to act quickly. We have about twenty years to stop the levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere from rising. Even if we succeed, there will be drastic changes in climate
and sea levels will rise by several metres within the next hundred years. This would create hundreds of millions of climate refugees who would come flooding into the west, with terrible economic and political consequences. But if we fail, climate change will be absolutely disastrous.
On November 4, 2008, the world collectively exhaled relief as Barack Obama defeated John McCain (and McCain’s farcical and truly scary running-mate Sarah Palin) in the US campaign to become the successor of the Most Hated American President of All Time (George Dubbya Bush). And it was in the lead-up to this historical moment that a certain James Reston Jnr was preparing to release a book on another Most Hated American President of All Time: Richard Milhous Nixon. It is an account of Reston’s climactic role in the preparation for the nowfamous interview between Nixon and the cheesy non-confrontational interviewer David Frost, which would be heralded as Nixon’s crucifixion. An unwitting Nixon agreed to be paid one million dollars (in 1977) for his final interview after his heavy Watergate fall from grace.
Ian Irvine’s, The Last Albatross is published by Simon & Schuster
“There has always been a branch of thrillers dealing with doomsday scenarios, but, considering that climate change is such an important issue today, surprisingly few novels have been written about it..”
the edge recommends
People of the Book Geraldine Brooks, Harper Collins On Sale 1st February 2009 Inspired by the true story of a mysterious codex known as the Sarajevo Haggadah, People of the Book is a sweeping adventure through five centuries of history Geraldine Brooks is author of Pulitzer Prize-winning March, Year of Wonders, and non-fiction works Nine Parts of Desire and Foreign Correspondence. Born and raised in Australia, she divides her time between Sydney and Martha Vineyard, Massachusetts, USA.
1
Without Warning, John Birmingham: Packed with action and plenty of food for thought as America disappears
2
Brisingr, Christopher Paulini - Dragons and magical myths. A must for fantasy readers.
3
Forgotten Garden, Kate Moreton - a book of dark fairytales and long hidden secrets.
4
Me Cheeta, a quirky and creative look at Hollywood through the eyes of a celebrity chimp.
Richard Nixon (r) and David Frost (r) Photo Denise Leary
The Gargoyle Andrew Davidson, Text Publishing On Sale now Near to death and recovering in a burns unit, our central character is perfectly flawed and delectably cynical. His only visitor comes down from the psych ward claiming to have known him for 700 years and that he has been burnt before. Totally compelling. Visceral detail catapults the reader into the mind of a wayward playboy trapped in a horrifically burnt body. Strong and unique Gargoyle is a beautiful tale of love, endurance and belief. Drawing heavily from Dante and dancing backwards and forwards between stories and times, this gentle tale is just too good to read quickly and demands slow enjoyment. If you loved the Time Travellers Wife you have to read this.[SP]
Breath Tim Winton, Allen & Unwin
It’s funny, but you never think much about breathing. Until it’s all you ever think about.
It is an art to write so beautifully, to tell a simple tale in such a way that an ordinary life becomes extraordinary. In Breath, Australia’s preeminent writer tells the stunning story of a teen age boy coming-of-age, discovering surfing and discovering himself in far weste. There is not a single wasted word in Breath, sparse and rich with emotion. Beautiful, yet never indulgent this book as in all of his previous work sets Winton apart as a writer and adds yet another Australian modern classic to the bookshelves. [SP]
Perched beside the crocodile pit in Melbourne’s zoo, James Reston chatted to me about his integral part in chasing down the hot documentation that led to Nixon inadvertently impeaching himself on television, in front of millions of viewers. Nixon was never officially impeached for his grubby actions in while in the Oval Office; instead he sheepishly resigned via a generous pardon from his successor Gerald Ford. “The commission from David Frost to research material for the Nixon interview came completely from leftfield,” said Reston, eyeing a peacock as it catcalled from its enclosure. “I was just a writer living in rural America, off the radar, writing my novels. But they came and got me and made me an offer I couldn’t refuse. What I suppose they didn’t reckon on was I quite loathed Nixon and would endeavour to use such an opportunity bring him to account at least in the public eye, if not the legal fraternity.” There are parallels between the current President Bush, who will be leaving office January 2009, and Nixon. Reston reasoned that the time was nigh to release his Frost/Nixon memoir because: “It’s a question of timing,” he said. “We have today a president in America who is at least at the same level of criminality as President Nixon. In the Frost/Nixon tapings, when Nixon said, ‘If David Frost (l) and James Reston Jr. (r). the President Photo Denise Leary does it, it’s not illegal’, I don’t think it really caused a ripple in the viewers. … . But today when people hear those words, it brings the house down. And that is because of President George Bush’s behaviour in Iraq.”
James Reston Jr’s intriguing new book The Conviction of Richard Nixon is out now in bookstores, published by Scribe.
8
summer, 2008/09
edgemag.com.au
reviews charts
albums ing, unapologetic pop. The album opens with the fun love song, ‘the one thing I know’. Kate’s sense of humour is evident throughout fun tracks such as ‘God’s gift to women’; as we
top albums 1
Funhouse Pink Sony BMG Music
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Black Ice AC/DC Sony BMG Music
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Only By The Night Kings Of Leon Sony BMG Music
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The Annual Various Artists Universal Music Australia
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Gurrumul Gurrumul MGM
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Darkhorse Nickleback Warner Music
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Apocalypso The Presets Universal Music Australia
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Hits Of Spring 2008 (CD/DVD) So Fresh Sony BMG Music
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Things Jason Mraz Warner Music
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The Promise IL Divo Sony BMG Australia
top singles 1
Florida Jessica Mauboy Sony BMG Music
2
Sex On Fire Kings Of Leon Sony BMG Music
3
So What Pink Sony BMG Music
4
Poker Face Lady Gaga Universal Music Australia
5
If I Were A Boy Beyonce Sony BMG Music
top dvds 1
Mamma Mia! Meryl Streep UPA
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At Home In Ireland Daniel O’Donnell Sony BMG Music
3
To Kill A Mockingbird Gregory Peck Sony Pictures Home Ent..
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Sex and the City - The Movie Sarah Jessica Parker Roadshow Home Entertainment
5
Just My Luck Lindsay Lohan 20th Century Fox Home Ent.
the verve Forth Once considered the most influential band on the English indiescene, Urban Hymns (1997) was always going to be a hard act to follow. Seminal albums tend to be a bit like that (just ask Oasis) and most Verve fans didn’t expect to ever see another album given the very public fighting between the group. To be fair, neither did vocalist Richard Ashcroft. Maybe the more cynical among us might suggest that a lukewarm solo career helped Ashcroft reassess that statement.The resulting album is Forth. And it’s not Urban Hymns. It’s not even close, it sits closer to their earlier stuff with it’s psychedelic, long drifting tracks, both tantalizing and melodic. Which isn’t such a bad thing unless you like your indie to be, well indie and then it’s possible that you might find Forth a little wishy washy. I enjoyed Forth, but I thought it was indulgent (7 min tracks), it lacked the raw passion of Urban Hymns, it felt numb. And a little bit safe. [SP].
British India Thieves Thieves is the follow up to their first album Guillotine (which in a fit of stupidity was ignored by record labels and had it’s first release independently) it’s an album that shouts the indie pop which has characterised British India’s initial success, but the album also demonstrates the band’s growth. A tight and cohesive album, by a band who were hands down the best performers at Splendour in the Grass this year. There can be no doubt that this is a band that are outclassing their peers and have a long future ahead of them. [SP} Kate Miller-Heidke ‘Curiouser’ Kate Miller-Heidke’s second album breaks from her previous works which were more closely related to the folk genre. This album contains pure, 80s sound-
follow her on her journey of wishing she’d been alive in the 60s, and lamenting her lack in dance ability. This album is not without the beautiful songs that the Kate and Keir Nuttal writing team manage to produce so well. ‘Our song’ is up there with ‘In and out’, while caught in the crowd is an open and sincere remorseful song. For lovers of pop…and Kate. [KS]
his long solo career of 5 years. Well, they say the music industry is all about longevity! Look, Shazza pulls out a great rock ballad. He’s finally shaved off that ridiculous bit of hair under his chin and looks good; and let’s face it, his songs can be damn enjoyable, and make us want to clench our fists and sing along with a look of pain on our faces. When a singer has a good writing team to help him along, a good collection like this is possible- it plays through well, with your fun basic rock songs, and good old loveable power ballads. An enjoyable album is an enjoyable album, whether you love the person or not. [ KS]
Jasmine Rae Look it up’
Scouting for Girls Scouting for Girls’
Pussycat Dolls Doll Domination When you are a fan of popular music, and aren’t ashamed to enjoy music for the sake of its sense of fun, there is nothing more disappointing than coming across a pure pop album like this one that simply does not deliver. There is only one really catchy song on this album; and we’ve all heard it on the radio. With so many artists contributing to the songs, it is surprisingly bland. It tries to move in an r’n’b direction, but without the solid writing to carry it there. Reading the album credits leads to the question- when it is one girl doing all lead vocals and back up vocals, are the others simply glorified back up dancers? Save your pennies for real pop. [KS]
Shannon Noll No turning back: the story so far Sony BMG has put together a Shannon Noll compilation. It’s an adventure that spans
Vines were back. The Band are upbeat and confident about the new album. And they should be, Melodia is no departure in style for The Vines, it is The Vines, it is the sound they have always made. It’s the album they should have made since Winning Days. Leaping between ripping,screaming rock and melodic ballads with a few dirty guitar riffs thrown in for good measure, it has the haphazard raw feel of a new band. Melodia by the The Vines is out now on Ivy League [SP].
This album is great fun. Bringing back the old school sounds reminiscent of the mid-1990s Scouting for Girls pull out a great pop/punk album that has strong vocals, a good collection of piano driven songs, and plenty of wit and sincerity. The songs are diverse enough to keep you interested, yet keep to a solid soft rock genre with a pinch of punk sprinkled in. Vocalist Roy Stride sometimes sounds a bit like Counting Crows frontman Adam Duritz; is this how Duritz would sound if he joined a punk band? I’m sure we’ll never know. For now, this album will certainly keep the punters pleased. [KS]
Who is Jasmine Rae? She’s a 20year-old from Melbourne who won the Telstra Road to Tamworth early in 2008. Her voice is strong and well trained, she writes her own music, and visually she is a marketers dream. Australian country is ready for a fresh makeover, and Jasmine seems to be just the one to do it. Her songs are country, yet there is not a prominent slide guitar in hearing. She writes with humour, and her songs are fun and catchy. She does sing with an American twang, but we’ll forgive her that if it helps to forge herself a good career world wide. Keep an eye on this one! [KS]
Ting Tings We Started Nothing
The Vines Melodia It’s 6 years since they smirked at us from the cover of Rolling Stone above the words: “Rock is back, meet The Vines” and their debut album Winning Days sold 2 million copies. But since then the band who were once touted as the next Nirvana has been on a rollercoaster ride of break ups and break downs, of drugs and tours, of gigs and groupies. In 2005 the band made it back into the studio, releasing Vision Valley which whilst good missed out on the magic of Winning Days. The
Is it pop? Is it Indie? Who the f*** cares to be honest, it’s pretty good screechy pop that tips its hat at punk but otherwise skips on past quite content to be loud, happy and decidedly silly. The biggest hit from the album is the quasi punk track, “That’s Not My Name”. A fun catchy album from a group with plenty more music left in them. [SP] Dido Safe Trip Home Expectations are high for Dido’s 3rd album following the huge success of the albums “No Angel” & “White Flag”. “Safe Trip Home” is a slightly
more upbeat affair than her previous albums, and it marks a welcome turn from the established formula, although
her trademark melancholy folk infused pop style doesn’t stray too far. First single “Dont’ Believe in Love” is probably the most obvious pop track on the album, but repeat listens offer quality songwriting. You pretty much know what you’re getting with an artist like Dido, so there’s little point in expecting it to sway those who haven’t liked her previous releases, however fans will most certainly welcome this new offering. [LN]
Ladyhawke Paris Is Burning ‘Paris is burning’ has batered our ears with it’s high rotation play. it’s a great song, but, it’s been played – a lot. The album leads in with the single and then to be honest, it falls on it’s arse a bit with a couple of dull statement.The resulting album is Forth. And it’s not Urban Hymns. It’s not even close, it sits closer to their earlier stuff with it’s psychedelic, long drifting tracks, both tantalizing and melodic. Which isn’t such a bad thing unless you like your indie to be, well indie and then it’s possible that you might find Forth a little wishy washy. I enjoyed Forth, but I thought it was indulgent (7 min tracks), it lacked the raw passion of Urban Hymns, it felt numb. And a little bit safe. [SP].
Crazy P Stop Space Return UK funk/house collective return with their 5th album, and it’s hands down their most impressive to date. What began as
edgemag.com.au
9
summer, 2008/09
“Leonard Cohen was the first artist I discovered by myself. He is the symbol of my musical independence. The sadness of Cohen was inspiring; it gave me a lot of energy. I always remember all this when someone says that my records are morbid or depressing” Nick Cave
dvds a studio project has turned into a fully fledged band style set up, and this new energy - and sound - is apparent throughout the album. Vocalist Danielle Moore features on all 11 tracks, and the album is also their most cohesive “song” orientated, with each track stamped with Danielle’s soulful & seductive vocal styling. Standout tracks include “Caught Up”, “In & Out”, “Wishing For” & “Love On The Line”, and look out for the hidden bonus track – a 70’s soul ballad “Say Goodbye” that truly showcases their evolving musicianship. Longtime fans will know what to expect sleek, funky and uplifting vibes mixed with 80’s throwbacks & feel good vocals. An essential album of 2008! [LN]
a pop sensibility mixed with clever lyrics, sweet melodies and Tim Freedman’s love of the sentimental. This disc serves as a good isc serves as a good reward for the faithful, with many of the really old tracks getting make overs (“Gough” gets a real piano overdub, for example), which the newer tracks are given a little more context. Interesting too is the inclusion of live favourites like “Shining” (written by founding member Stevie Plunder) and a couple of “live with the Sydney Symphony” tracks for good measure. [LG].
I love this album. I love that it was so spontaneous: They had a few songs ready and Mark Ronson wanted to work on them, then Eliot James got involved and then suddenly they had an album. I love all the collaboration: Lily Allen doing vocals on one track and New York Pony Club on another and Andy Wallace (Nirvana) mixed the album. Most of all I love the feel of the album, the lightness, the flow, it bounces along, having fun, not taking itself too seriously but offering up some really great tunes. I hear a lot of music yet the sounds of Tomato in the Rain are still bouncing around inside my head.Out Now on Liberator Music. [SP]
Urban powerhouse Beyonce returns with her 3rd solo album. Thankfully, this new 11 track 2-disc set places more emphasis on her impressive vocal prowess and songwriting skills than her previous efforts. Each track is cowritten and co-produced by Beyonce, and disc 1 - “I Am” is a more mature laidback ballad set. Listen out for the surefire hit “Halo”, written with One Republic’s Ryan Tedder (also responsible for Leona Lewis’ “Bleeding Love”), along with current single “If I Were A Boy”. Disc 2 “Sasha Fierce” is the more R&B/funk side of Beyonce, with “Sweet Dreams” & upcoming single “Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)” highlights. Contributions from the likes of Stargate, Babyface & Tricky Stewart round out her most satisfying album to date. She’s yet to deliver the career defining album that she most certainly will at some point, however this offers a hint that she’s more than capable of doing so [KS]
The Whitlams Truth Beauty & A Picture Of You: Best Of The Whitlams 15 years into a band’s career is about as good a place as any for a ‘best of’ compilation. And Sydney’s The Whitlams certainly have plenty of material to draw on. From their days as indie Sydney icons to achieving national acclaim, and finally breaking into the mainstream and major record company land, they’ve maintained
effort, contrasted beautifully by the anti-love song “Givin’ Up and Gettin’ Fat”, the ideal act of rebellion for these modern times of tummy tucks and airbrushing. Closing it all with “The Piano Up the Tree”, a washy guitar story mixes vivid lyrical imagination with some equally as unlikely instrumental jams. Just captivating. Recorded quickly, as usual, so as to maintain the band’s original energy, Dilettantes is also a little rough around the edges, which gives it charm. [LG]
End Of Fashion Book Of Lies
Beyonce I Am
Kaiser Chiefs Off With Their Heads
talism. Debut album, EON is full of their signature sound of synthy, layered sound and melodic beats. Beautifully written and composed their music does stand out technically, although I’m not sure it take me to the heights of ‘aural bliss’ promised in the press release. But it is an excellent album. [SP]
Grafton Primary EON This is Electro-noir according to the press release, now I have no idea what that actually is, but it sounds great and I guess it is a fair description of the sythny sounds of Grafton Primary or similar groups like the Infusion, PNAU or Digi-
Book of Lies jumped off the CD and tore it’s way through the speakers with more force and anger than I had expected. Whilst capturing the pop punk sound of the moment it also manages to hold onto it’s indie cred, the resulting album is tight, fast and really fun. Book of Lies was recorded in Perth with local producer Magoo (Midnight Oil, Powderfinger) and was mixed in LA by Tim Palmer (INXS, U2, The Cure). Book Of Lies Out Now [SP]
You Am I Dillitante You Am I remain on of Australian music’s best keep secrets, and I still have no idea why. There is no way these boys’ work should be secret, it’s just too damn good. Having formed in the very late 80s out of the indie rock scene, their indie contemporaries like Regurgitator, Silverchair and Powderfinger have all enjoyed major success. But You Am I, have remained on the banks rather than in the flow of the mainstream. Video Hits probably won’t be playing You Am I’s tune “Wankers” any time soon. And what a shame that is. New album Dilettantes is a more than worthy addition to the brimming back catalogue. As album number eight for the band, it’s a demonstration of their devotion to 60s style rock with contemporary stories. With song “Frightfully Moderne” Rogers tells audiences that they haven’t “seen the best of us yet”, and so driving is the simple riff that it’s hard not to believe him. The album’s starter, and title track, is a gorgeous sentimental solo
Leona Lewis Spirit 2008 has been a massive year for UK sensation Leona Lewis. Her debut album “Spirit” now ranks as the fastest selling debut album of all time, and the worldwide smash “Bleeding Love” has broken numerous chart & sales records. This deluxe edition includes a handful of brand new tracks, including the current single “Forgive Me” (written & produced by Akon), along with a stunning rendition of Snow Patrol’s “Run”. She’s been touted as the new global superstar and it’s not hard to see why. And though she’s yet to reveal her own distinct musical identity, there’s no doubting her stunning vocal talents & confidence as a performer. [LN]
Jewel The Essential Live Songbook The first DVD concert starts with Jewel alone with her guitar for the first 30 mins. Like many solo artists, Jewel can sometimes rag on the songs she performs unaccompanied. The presence of a band can sometimes make songs more enjoyable for audience members when reining in an artist, as with this performance. Jewel does not lose any audience connection for having the accompanying band; the sound is more enveloping and the performance more accessible for audience members to enjoy. it’s amazing to watch Jewel
execute her vocal range which can go from a child-like whisper to a deep drone executed from the back of her throat. Jewel performs songs from all of her albums; from the slower more melodic songs she’s loved for to the more country and rock based songs. In a live show, Jewel shares stories from her childhood, insomniac anecdotes, and enjoys drawing audiences into her music through her animated performing of her music. The second DVD is even more of a treat. Jewel performs for 2 hours; one and a half hours with a guitar, before introducing the orchestra to heighten the beauty of songs such as Hands and Satellite. Jewel further shows off her range with Cole Porter, a classical aria and a yodel to finish off the show. Even for people who have not previously been fans of Jewel, this DVD shows her strengths as a performer through her song writing, singing and stage presence. [KS]
Kaiser Chiefs Live At Elland Road Kaiser Chiefs prove to be one of North East England’s most popular bands as they fill out the Leeds United home ground with the maximum capacity of 40,000 rock-loving punters. Performing an hour and a half set, the band are full of energy through their set list of songs covering all of their albums, including new tracks from ’Off with their heads’. The venue size and sound doesn’t allow for much legible chatting with the audience between songs, however the momentum of fast paced 3 minute songs and excitement continues to the end of the show. For a different spin on their favoured tracks, the Kaiser Chiefs recorded 6 tracks for the BBC Electric Proms with classical orchestra, ukulele orchestra and percussionists to bring a greater sound to their already loud and enjoyable tracks. The sound of this show enjoys greater depth to the musicality to the songs, and allowed the band to experiment with broader sounds to compliment their music.. Fans of the group will really enjoy the quality of live performances, and the interesting development of the songs at the proms. [KS]
tech
Sony Video Walkman By Mark Boere If the thought of owning an Apple iPod turns your stomach but you still seek an attractive and capable audio player, Sony’s new line of Walkmans provides a good alternative. - the E436 is a compact unit that manages to offer music, photo and video enjoyment - as well as radio - in a simple package. The player, while slightly larger than its competition, is still quite compact and only 50g light due in part to its mostly plastic body. While this does give a slightly ‘cheap’ feel, the player is of sound construction with no detectable ‘creaking’ when squeezed. Numerous colors are available to suit a range of personal tastes. Solid color on both front and back of the device with the outer edge being a different shade - a nice touch. Sony has minimized the learning curve by using a variety of tried and true control schemes. Like almost every mobile phone available, Sony’s E436 uses an icon based menu with a five-way navigational pad making the various functions easy to access. There are also dedicated volume controls, back button and an option key which keeps the more complex features out of sight until required. Previously, Sony’s main failing was in their Sonic Stage transfer software. Thankfully this has been completely eliminated in their latest offerings. Your media is easy transferred to the device by drag and drop, or you can sync your music library through Windows Media Player. The software provided are similarly painless - utilities for transfer and conversion to formats recognized by the player. Sony has opted to support a small range of the most popular of audio and video formats. Audio quality is surprisingly good compared with competition which is useful considering Sony’s claim of a 45 hour battery life. The supplied earphones, as expected, are a far cry from mind blowing, but are sufficient. The 2 inch display is quite clear and okay for the occasional video or image, but doesn’t make for comfortable viewing over longer periods. Sony’s E436 video walkman offers little to break the mold when compared to its competition aside from it’s impressive battery life. What remains true however, is that the E436 is a more than capable unit, delivering well in all areas. Competitively priced, compact and attractive - the Sony E436 is an option that should not be overlooked in the search for a portable media player. RRP: NWZE436 (4Gb, $129), NWZE438 (8Gb, $179) www.sony.com.au
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music
Everlast Marija Zeko
Erik Shrody otherwise known as Everlast has just done a concert yet has found the time to fit in interviews despite being a little tired. The publicity circuit is on a roll in ode to his latest album “Love, War and the ghost of Whitney Ford”. Fortunately Everlast is content with the direction of the album and is no stranger to taking the reins of his own work. “I’m most definitely (content with album), otherwise it wouldn’t be coming out! I’ve never had any time in my life someone dictating what to make, as far as the records go. I do what I wanna do! I’m a fortunate man I guess!” This good fortune has extended to Everlast’s career that has reached heights beyond his expectations. “I accomplished so much more that I ever thought I would do. It’s not even funny! I never thought I’d own a home. I don’t have this deep seeded urge to own my own private jet,it’s not my thing!” The passion lies with the music and a penchant for making music mixed with hip hop and rock. The creativity is derived from a desire to recreate what he likes to hear, “When I hear a sound that I like, I want to recreate it, be it rock, jazz or punk. I just do what I want with it, it’s just a matter of being able to do as I please without it being forced”. Everlast may best be remembered for his duo with Latin rock musician Carlos Santana on the hit single “Put your lights on”, from 1999’s “Supernatural” album. This performance earned him a Grammy for best Rock performance by a Duo or Group with vocal. The experience was “cool, I worked with him on a song that won him a Grammy. We toured a little bit”. There’s apprehension in getting close with stars. “I don’t really get involved with big stars, they tend to disappoint you. You get super friendly with them, its fine. It was great working with him on his so called comeback album”. Perhaps Everlast’s humbleness and protective nature stems from his Irish roots, although he views it “as more just a personal thing, personal pride”. The humbleness and tiredness he is feeling can also stem from being Muslim. At the time of interview, he has been fasting for 15 days, abstaining from food and water at designated times courtesy of Ramadan. The fasting “makes you more humble and appreciative, having no water and little bits of food. For me it’s a case of religion being a personal thing. It gives you humility and graciousness”. There is no desire to become neither spokesperson nor poster child for Islam. “I don’t feel like I need to be a spokesman, God does not need me to stand up for it! I live my life the way I think I should and do the things I think should do”. The mistreatment of the religion sets in as he retells meeting “more nutbags in Christianity than I have with Muslims but they’re the ones who get on the news cause they scare everybody”. The mistreatment and misinterpretation relays to the media’s treatment of the fued with Eminem. Bringing up old wounds and more precisely playing on the facts have left Everlast weary of the media. “For me there’s so many silly media outlets for information that don’t have any credibility, that 10 years ago after the event, they still mention it!” Everlast Love, War and the Ghost of Whitey Ford Out now Liberator Music
summer, 2008/09
edgemag.com.au
Martha Wainwright Martha Wainwright has spent a lot of time in the shadow of other people’s songs. Both happily as a devoted music fan covering everyone from Leonard Cohen to Pink Floyd, and as the daughter and sister of a family of songwriters. Her self-titled debut album gave her a rite of reply, and now its follow up gives her a bigger platform again. Liz Giuffre. Martha Wainwright sits in a hotel room in inner Sydney, the epitome of professionalism despite a grueling schedule and terrible bout of hayfever. As it rains outside (seems she’s helped break the drought), she’s got nothing but praise. “We’ve had such a horrible winter at home that this is lovely,” she says, dressed in a suit and Aussie footwear, the humble thong. Her new album, I Know You’re Married But I’ve Got Feelings Too, is yet another insight into her world and the music that has inspired her so much. While song titles like Tower Song and Hearts Club Band obviously harp back to Leonard Cohen and The Beatles, her choice to cover Pink Floyd’s See Emily Play and The Eurythmics’ Love Is A Stranger also show her tastes to be well outside what you’d normally expect. “I guess it shows I’m a child of the 80s more than anything,” she laughs. “But I also love music from all different music, I love singing standards and rock songs all different things” she says, referencing a cameo she also did for brother Rufus in his Judy Garland tribute shows.
“I have one husband, and that’s enough. I don’t need any more.” “The title of the album was about having a sense of humour too, it’s not all that bad, it’s all going to be fine,” she laughs. Has anyone missed the joke yet? “Well there were a couple of people in Europe who were like ‘so, you like other people’s husbands?’,” Martha begins, still smiling, putting on a funny voice. “But I have one husband, and that’s enough. I don’t need any more. When I named the album I never thought I’d be perceived as a home wreaker,
it’s just fun, provocative. And this album felt like a debut for me in a lot of ways because I was able to just approach it as a musician and an artist rather than as someone making a statement.” Although with a lighter side, darker issues like suicide and cancer also make it onto the disc, both from a very personal viewpoint. “The George Song is about a friend of mine who committed suicide, but it doesn’t sound like a sad song. It’s just to let him know that he’s well loved and he’s missed,” Martha says. Are songs about things like that hard to perform? “It’s a fond memory of him, and I sing it a lot. And it’s a song that’s got a lot of energy live, it’s taken off. It feels nice to sing a song about something other than myself and find that there’s a wealth of things that are difficult and hard to reflect upon, and I’m enjoying that song-smithing and flexing that muscle.”
CUT OFF YOUR HANDS Guitar pop band, Cut Off Your Hands are due back in Australia in November to tour in support of their new album, ‘YOU AND I’ which has been produced by Bernard Butler (The Verve, Manic Street Preachers) which is released on October 4th. The Edge took a few moments of Phil Hadfield’s (Bass) time and asked him to introduce the band: We checked out your MySpace page, where is home? London or Auckland? We are from New Zealand - but we live in Hackney in London, we signed a record deal with a company from London called 679 who did The Streets, The Futureheads, Death from above 1979 and Mystery Jets among others. They kinda requested we move here, but that was what we always wanted to do anyway. We get to visit home a lot too which is good How did the band form? We were the best of friends as kids, our mothers always used to joke about us playing in a band one day, as we’d always be together inseparable, there are baby photos of mikey doing a guitar solo while I climb up a lighting rig. Listening to your tracks I could hear just a little sound of The Cure in the early tracks and the YouTube clips reminded me of Joy Division. Is that fair? Who do you think has inspired your sound the most? Definitely early on in the song writing for us those bands you mention were huge influences, but lately- and I think it’s evident in the new record we are about to release- we’ve been obsessed with great pop writers and producers and performer, the likes of Phil Spector and Joe Meek, Everly Brothers, ROy Orbison etc, the classics are king! [SP]
Martha Wainwright’s I Know You’re Married But I’ve Got Feelings Too is out now on Shock
www.edgemag.com.au
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summer, 2008/09
Tim Finn
music
50 Years since the day the music died.. Buddy reopens in Sydney On 3 February 1959, as the world was perched on the most exciting musical decade in history, the young genius who made it all possible was tragically killed, aged just 22, leaving behind a legacy of over 30 timeless hits. Buddy Holly started as a country and western singer in Texas, and with his two friends, formed The Crickets. With the support of local radio D.J. Hipockets Duncan, Buddy Holly shot to stardom in 1957. He was the first white artist to ever perform at the “All Black” Appollo Theatre in New York. Buddy Holly died tragicallyin a plane crash, alongside Ritchie Valens and J.P. Richardson (The Big Bopper). It was a tragedy that shook the world, and as the legend says, “it was the day the music died”. With a multi-talented cast, BUDDY, The Buddy Holly Story, tells his story, presents his music and features two terrific hours of his greatest hits including That’ll Be The Day, Peggy Sue, I’m Looking For Someone To Love, Rave On, Heartbeat, Maybe Baby, Everyday - songs that inspired the Beatles and helped trigger the whole 60’s revolution; songs that despite their countless cover versions and enduring airplay have never lost their magic. The Buddy Holly Story first opened in Australia in 1991 and is still performing, having played over 5,000 performances in London’s West End. Productions have also been staged in New York on Broadway, throughout the U.S. and Canada, New Zealand, Japan, Germany, Scandinavia, the Netherlands, Finland, Ireland, South Africa, Singapore
In Conversation Liz Giuffre As the older of The Finn Brothers, Tim Finn is to blame for the whole thing really. Had he not packed off to uni and joined a band, that Split Enz thing wouldn’t have happened, nor would that little brother Neil joining in, nor would that Crowded House thing or solo career and brothers thing and even that whole New Zealand national treasure thing. Yes, Tim Finn, you are to blame. Thank you. By Liz Giuffre Tim Finn’s taller than I thought he would be. In some ways more confident than his more commercially successful brother Neil, he looms but in a boyish way rather than with any malice or need to assert authority. He also seems a lot more comfortable than the younger Finn, a lot more zen, for want of a better word. Perhaps just those couple of extra years have given him a key. As the father on young children and doing the stable family thing for the first time, his music also shows contentment, not quite a loss of spark but an evenness that it’s not really had before. With new album The Conversation, fans get closer again to what makes the older Finn tick, with some playfulness, directness and old- fashioned sentimentality for good measure. Add a play in the new year to be based around his music, Poor Boy, and it seems the ball he started rolling all those years ago is still going strong.
“Being an ex-catholic it’s quite easy to make an apology, I feel guilty all the time as it is,” he laughs, talking about songs that are about his own experiences and things in his life. The song in question in this instance is “The Saw and the Tree”, a child-like song that Finn that is at once catchy and sweet but hints at something bigger. In typical Tim Finn style, however, it refuses to be too bleak, but just the right amount of melancholy. “Yeah, it’s got that Grimm’s Fairytale-like aspect to it. We’d done this big car trip with the kids up north in New Zealand and we saw these big trees, and lots of this type are quite rare now because they take so long to grow … so I just felt like it was a good metaphor, a good idea to use for an apology, and it was a nutty idea that just stayed with me until it made it into this song. I was so glad to finish it, the day I finished it I was like ‘yes!” It’s heartening to know that a veteran like Finn still gets a thrill from finally finishing a puzzle of a song, and when I ask more about songwriting, particularly if it’s easier to write just about something, and someone, other than yourself, the answer is both ‘yes’ and ‘no’. “Lots of times a song needs something quite personal to make me finish it, otherwise it can just float around as ideas. It needs something to tie it together, you use your life to find that final focus.”
Sydney - Lyric Theatre, St ar Cit y, Tuesday 3 Februar y at 8pm Ticketmast er 1300 795 267 or online w w w.ticketmast er.com.au Brisbane - Playhouse Theatre, QPAC, Brisbane Saturday 2 May 2009 QTIX 136 246 or online w w w.qtix.com.au Melbourne - The Palms at Crown Complex, Melbourne Saturday 27 June 2009 Ticket ek 1300 795 012 or online w w w. ticket ek.com.au
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unsigned artists
Amy Newton-Banks It’s a fairly innocuous start for one of Australia’s freshest talents, a creative and charismatic singer-songwriter in the vein of Sarah Blasko.
Liam Casey “I had some piano lessons in my early teen years until I found my mum’s old classical guitar, learnt a few chords that I could sing along to, and haven’t really looked back,” Amy NewtonBanks says of her introduction to music. It’s a fairly innocuous start for one of Australia’s freshest talents, a creative and charismatic singersongwriter in the vein of Sarah Blasko. “For a long time, playing and singing was something I did in the comfort and privacy of my bedroom,” she goes on. “It was only a few years ago that I realized it was something I needed to pursue, and began performing to a live audience.” So she got herself a band – The Belle Curve – while carving out a name for herself as a solo artist with the release of her debut EP, Stepping Stones And Pop-up Books. The EP was recorded in Newcastle earlier this year with The Belle Curve’s Dave Tracy, “right around the time I was moving to Sydney,” Newton-Banks says. “It was quite a bizarre process, as a lot of it was done when I wasn’t there.” Uh-oh. The history of contemporary music is littered with artists whose work was savaged by producers once they turned their backs. (In 1981, The Velvet Underground’s Nico spoke of her 1967 solo debut Chelsea Girl. “I asked for simplicity, and they covered it in flutes!” she lamented. “The first time I heard the album, I cried and it was all because of the flute. I still cannot listen to it.”) Fortunately, NewtonBanks encountered no such dramas. “Dave was in tune with the direction I wanted to go in and I had done a bit of pre-production and demo recordings, which helped ease the complexities,” she says. (It’s worth pointing out that NewtonBanks employs a flute, but she knew it was there and it’s lovely.) She says that the experience was “a learning curve and, while there are things I’ll do differently next time around, it’s great to finally have my own CD.” And, of course,
there’s the rewarding feeling of doing it all yourself. “Being responsible for everything on the business end, like booking shows and creating promotional material, can take away from the amount of time I’d like to be spending on writing and developing my music, but I guess it’s just a matter of trying to find a balance. Money, of course, controls your options and how far you can go in terms of production and promotion, but it also keeps you very grounded. Money aside, I have complete control over what direction I want to go in, and the pace I want go at, with no one telling me what to do or placing their own expectations or agenda’s on me.” Newton-Banks is still adjusting to life in Sydney, she says. “In many ways, Newcastle is like a large country town: everyone knows each other, and you rarely go out without seeing familiar faces. There are really only a few music venues that support new original artists, and so you can find a lot of supportive and like-minded people. Being new to Sydney, I’m yet to find that close-knit community, but I can see elements of it coming through. The sheer size of Sydney brings about more opportunities, venues, networks, other musicians, and I’ve been able to do heaps of live shows, which is what I love doing.” Her live shows are certainly where she shines. Aside from her clear and expressive voice, she displays a warm and likeable stage presence. She even laughs when talking about the worst gig she ever played. “They still had the football playing on the TV throughout my entire set, and at one point the crowd cheered and I got quite excited…until I realised their team had scored a try!” Newton-Banks will be performing around the state for the rest of the year. Try to get along to a show…and see if you can ignore the footy for half an hour, alright?
Jack Colwell “The piano’s a big padlock, and you’re the key,” Jack Colwell explains.
Photo: Michael Cassius
Liam Casey
“Guys with guitars take their guitars on the road, and the guitars experience what they experience. But with a piano, it’s different. You’ve got to go out and explore for the piano: you have to go out and cut yourself and shape yourself the right way, and then you’ve got to come back and unlock it.” The eighteen-year-old singer-songwriter is describing how he became the artist he is today. Poised to release his debut EP, White Noise, Colwell creates a musical landscape that is as varied as his upbringing would suggest. Raised on The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan and Peter, Paul & Mary, Colwell then went on to study at Sydney’s prestigious Conservatorium of Music. After spending his early teen years dabbling in hymns and medieval music, a fascination with electronic music brought him into the twenty-first century. “The electronic side allows me to open up a really vicious and angry side to my songwriting that I couldn’t achieve solely with the piano,” Colwell says. Mixing traditional songwriting and organic instrumentation with bursts of static and apocalyptic beats, Colwell draws easy comparisons to artists such as Bjork, Kate Bush and Patrick Wolf. Colwell sighs. “It’s one of the burdens of being an unknown artist,” he says, before his tone brightens. “But if someone can liken me to an artist they like, or a similar artist, then it reassures them. In a way, that’s a good thing: it forces them to prick their ears up and think, ‘I like those people, so maybe I’ll like him as well’. By having those influences there, it creates a net in which you’re caught, but then you bounce back out of it and become your own identity.” It seems awfully brave for a boy still in his teens to front up several thousand dollars to fund his own EP. That, Colwell says, is the burden and the joy of being an independent artist. “I’d call this
my first proper recording experience, and I wanted to maintain full control of my lyrics and my sound. It’s like placing an animal in an environment for the first time. If you have things poking it, prodding it, then it’s going to freak out at some point and scratch someone. But if you just let it be, it’s going to adapt to where it is and be okay with what it’s doing.” Funny and thoughtful in person – not to mention a commanding presence on stage – Colwell certainly seems like an artist sure of his own identity. Beginning studying composition at 13 and recording his own music at 15, Colwell sees White Noise as a culmination of what he has done up to a certain point. “I wanted to put everything on one record, say everything that I wanted to say at once, but I didn’t have enough time: I had to make a decision about what I wanted to do. I picked the key elements for the EP: I picked songs that I still relate to now, and songs that I thought were heading in the direction that I wanted to go in. I think as any kind of artist, you’re always thinking about what’s ahead. Or at least, that’s how I think it should be: whatever you’re doing now prepares you for whatever you’ll be doing later.” If White Noise is anything to go by, whatever Colwell will be doing later is sure to be dramatic, exciting and unexpected. Jack Colwell released his first EP October 2008 and will be performing at the Houptoun Hotel in January 2008.
edgemag.com.au
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Sydney’s Central Coast plays host to the Coaster Festival Bethany Harris
The festival brought The Central Coast to life with a fabulous program of great acts, superb musical talents and the youth of the area. The line up included: The Living End, Kisschasy, Cog, Something With Numbers, Blue King Brown, The Potbelleez, The Matches (USA), Bluejuice and The Lazys and it was easy to see why people travelled from all over The Coast with over 100,000 people attending. The day was filled with bright colors, loud music, hot sun and crowds of people excited for the next band. The Potbelleez rocked the stage and let the crowd know what they were in for. Kisschasy amazed the audience with their greatperformance. As the sun set and night rolled in The Living End showed why they are the preeminent Australian rock act today. From the thundering hit “What’s On Your Radio” to “West End Riot” there was no respite from either of them or the crowd, who screamed along to every word. Coaster 2008 Lineup The Living End / Kisschasy / COG / Something With Numbers / Blue King Brown / The Potbelleez / The Matches / Bluejuice / The Lazy’s / Children Collide / The Seabellies / Snob Scrilla / Angela’s Dish / The Inheritors / The Steel / The E.L.F. / Gin Wigmore / We Are Grace / The Tongue www.coasterfestival.com.au From top clockwise: Riley, KissChasey, The Living End, Blue King Brown. Photography: Ben McKenzie
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SYDNEY FESTIVAL 2009
Tourism NSW Hamilton Lund
Festival First Night
Being Harold Pinter
GRACE JONES / FANFARE CIOCARLIA / SHARON JONES & THE DAP-KINGS / THE CAT EMPIRE / DAN ZANES & FRIENDS / A-TRAK / SANTOGOLD/ JAVA / AUSTRALIAN DANCE THEATRE / AUSTRALIAN YOUTH CHOIR / BANGARRA DANCE THEATRE / MIKELANGELO & THE BLACK SEA GENTLEMEN /THE BIG TASSIE DEVIL / CHUNKY MOVE / THE CYCOLOGISTS / FUZZY STAGES / MUSIC IS MAGIC / SYDNEY YOUTH ORCHESTRA / UBER LINGUA FEATURING FILASTINE, MAGA BO AND DUOUD and still more
Sydney Festival and Company B in association with Q Theatre Company present Being Harold Pinter Belarus Free Theatre, Belarus
On The Domain Stage, the legendary Grace Jones performs her first public Australian concert for 20 years. Jones has recently emerged with a blistering new album, Hurricane, and a visually stunning stage show to match, charting her extraordinary catalogue of hits. Getting things going at The Domain will be one of Australia’s favourite bands, The Cat Empire, entertaining the crowds with their highenergy infectious rhythms. Joyous, celebratory, and loads of fun, this is music that challenges anyone to stand still. Back for 2009 is the DJ collective Uber Lingua creating a maze of global sounds winding around the Angel Place Laneways, while the impossibly funky Sharon Jones & the DapKings head up a celebration of the recent funk/ soul revival. With the full line-up still to be announced, this is an event that promises to be a night to remember. The centrepiece of the Sydney Dances theme is Martin Place. On a series of stages along Martin Place, some of Australia’s finest dance companies including Australian Dance Theatre, Bangarra Dance Theatre and Chunky Move will create short, high octane works. Alongside the professionals the night will include contributions from dance associations, classes and community groups. Festival First Night culminates with one of the largest choreographed events ever staged. They’rre going to teach everyone (that’s an anticipated quarter of a million people) a short dance work, choreographed by Australian Dance Theatre’s Garry Stewart, which will transform the whole of Festival First Night. Stay tuned for further information (and demonstrations) on those dance moves!
Being Harold Pinter is wild, anarchic theatre at its purest. Splicing transcripts from Belarusian political prisoners with scenes from Pinter’s plays and extracts from his Nobel Prize speech, Being Harold Pinter is both funny and menacing, a powerful instance of life imitating art. Being Harold Pinter premiered in 2007 at a UK conference, Artist and Citizen: 50 Years of Performing Pinter, with Pinter himself joining the post-performance forum. Subsequently, the company was invited to join the European Theatre Convention. The company seeks to perform contemporary works by both prohibited Belarusian playwrights, as well as the best playwrights from around the world. Belvoir St Theatre, January 6–11 & 28–31 Q Theatre Penrith, January 14–17 Belvoir St Theatre 25 Belvoir Street, Surry Hills Bookings Company B on 02 9699 3444 Online www.sydneyfestival.org.au Where Q Theatre Penrith The Joan Sutherland Performing Arts Centre, 597 High Street, Penrith Bookings Q Theatre Penrith 02 4723 7600
Beck’s Festival Bar Hyde Park Barracks Museum January 11–31 The Bug featuring Warrior Queen / Buraka Som Sistema / Canyons / Daedelus / Dappled Cities / Four Tet / Holy Ghost! / Idjut Boys / Java / Metronomy / Pivot / Rhythm & Sound with Tikiman / Theatre of Disco / Totally Michael / Throwing Muses / TZU / Z Trip plus more announced late November JANUARY 14 Java’s (France) multi-instrumentalists mix French rap, hip hop, Brazilian Samba, reggae, ragga, rock, jazz, funk and electro with circus
spirit and manic humour. Java’s woozy accordion, hypnotic rhythmic grooves and modern sampling originate from the streets of Paris and the avenues of Rio, their unique take on urban sounds blending musical references and instruments in an energetic, jubilatory live cocktail. $38* JANUARY 15 POPFRENZY PARTY UK indie dance three-piece Metronomy’s live shows are renowned for their robotic frivolity, ironic light show and synchronised dance routines. Band member Joseph Mount’s remixing catalogue includes Ladytron, Klaxons, Franz Ferdinand and Roots Manuva. Freshly signed to WARP, Australian trio Pivot’s highly innovative post-rock combines dreamy synth patterns and subtle guitar grooves to create a lush, multi-layered sound. US pop maestro Totally Michael joins the party. $38* JANUARY 16 Throwing Muses pioneered a thrillingly raucous form of ‘art rock’ years before the term existed. Their extraordinarily textured, tempo-shifting music, alongside Hersh’s intuitive, dextrous singing, joins the dots between elliptical postpunk, harmonious folk jangle pop and rockabilly thunder. Quintet Dappled Cities blend playful grandiosity with chillier sonic explorations, culminating in an exuberant indie-pop sound that is unique and indelibly catchy. $38* JANUARY 22 Considered by many to be a founder of the mash-up movement, Z-Trip (NYC) has collaborated with artists including Supernatural, Lyrics Born, Chuck D (Public Enemy) and Soup (Jurassic 5) as well as appearing in DJ/music movies with Q-Bert, Mix Master Mike, DJ Shadow and Cut Chemist. Z-Trip is also a master of the remix, with a stand out re-working of The Jackson 5’s ‘I Want You Back’. Eccentric OZ hip-hop crew TZU also join the party, exploring the dirtier sound of 80’s electro with crunchy old analog synths and giant 808 bass drums. Well respected for their high energy shows, TZU fuse a broad palette of live instruments with the classic turntables & sampler set up. $38* JANUARY 23 DISCO NOUVEAU Holy Ghost! (DFA/NYC) is one of the most ex-
citing acts to come out of the current nu-disco scene. They’ve remixed Moby and Cut Copy, have releases on cult labels DFA, Kitsune and Permanent Vacation, and deliver an explosive two-man DJ show. Definitely classy but with an essential dash of humor, Idjut Boys (TIRK/ UK) produce genre-bending dancefloor stormers. Theatre of Disco play their angular indie disco and Nathan Maclay (Future Classic) tops it off alongside psychedelic nu-disco posse Canyons (Hole in the Sky). $28* By arrangement with Future Classic. JANUARY 24 HYPER-DUB Guest curators Inertia and Void program a night of deep, dark and brilliant future dub. Direct from London and Jamaica, The Bug featuring Warrior Queen are set to blow the Bar apart with their explosive mix of ragga, dancehall, hip hop and garage, set to dubstep and grime arrangements. Rhythm & Sound’s (Berlin) superb stripped down, rootsy, hi-tech dub/techno have earned them legendary status – Maurizio and Tikiman (Paul St Hilaire) bring the sound to Australia for the very first time. Joining them will be Mark Pritchard, Sub Bass Snarl, Victim, Garage Pressure and MC’s Ozi Battla and Steve Spacek. $38* JANUARY 28 FBi Night Four Tet AKA Kieren Hebden makes machinebased music with acoustic warmth as evidenced by his remixes of Beth Orton and Radiohead. Drawing on jazz, soul and folk and pitching it against intricate, funky rhythms, Four Tet has created his own genre of music. Live, he improvises in real-time, draing on and feeding back the energy of his audience. $38* JANUARY 30 FBi Night Portugal’s Buraka Som Sistema (DJ/MC set) fuse the wild traditional beats of their favourite South West African sounds, including Angolan Kuduro and Carioca Funk, with modern electronics, drum n bass, hip hop and dance. A revolving cast of talents have completed the picture for Buraka including past collaborations with guest vocalists/MCs Petty, M.I.A., Pongolove, Kalaf and DJ Znobia. Renowned for their captivating live show, the band’s unique and distinctly political sound has been conquering dance-floors all over the world. $38*
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profile
www.sydneyfestival.org.au
Who is Camille? Sydney Festival 21st JanuaryBillboard, Melbourne 22nd JanuaryCity Recital Hall, Sydney 23rd January City Recital Hall, Sydney JANUARY 31 MAD RACKET Daedelus, the eccentric maestro of Ninja Tune, is one of LA’s most daring and prolific new artists. His trademark musicality contrasts intelligent, left-field hip-hop cut-ups with samples from the 30s and 40s, creating honeyed melodies and avant-electronics in a fun, quirky and energetic live set. Daedelus has collaborated with MF Doom, Madlib, Mike Ladd and Taz from Sa-Ra, played alongside Justice and DJ Assault and starred in Erykah Badu’s latest video. The night will also feature sets by Mad Racketeers Simon Caldwell, Jimmi James, Ken Cloud and Zootie. $28*
Hailing from Romania, Fanfare Ciocarlia began life as a village wedding and funeral band and now reign as the world’s foremost Gypsy brass orkestar. Revered for playing their instruments at breakneck speed, they are dedicated to celebrating Romani (gypsy) music. Winners of the 2006 BBC Radio3 World Music Award for Europe, Fanfare Ciocarlia are responsible for fuelling a global Balkan beats revolution. In 2008, Festival Jazz saw the biggest crowd in the event’s history as The Domain reached capacity with up to 100,000 revellers enjoying a beautiful musical Summer evening under the stars.
in Samsung Mobile Festival Garden. Kids will have the opportunity to meet artists and learn about their craft through art classes, dance lessons, acrobatic demonstrations, music workshops, story-telling and more. Interactive, fun and educational, Kids in the Garden offers a unique way for kids to explore their creative side this summer. All events at Kids in the Garden are free however capacity is very limited so ticket vouchers will be issued to the first in the queue. Visit www.sydneyfestival.org.au from December 15 for program information and age suitability guidelines.
Where Beck’s Festival Bar, Hyde Park Barracks Museum Corner Macquarie Street & Prince Albert Road, Sydney When January 11–12, 14–17, 21–24, 28–31. Open 8.00pm til late. Price $28–$48 * Free entry after 11.30pm (subject to capacity). Beck’s Festival Bar is an over 18s only venue. Bookings Sydney Festival 02 9007 0007 Moshtix 1300 438 849 Ticketek 1300 888 412
Grace Jones The Hurricane Tour
La Clique International
In 2009 Sydney Festival continues its investigation into artists who changed the face of popular music with an artist who is truly unique. Model, actress, performer, entertainer, singer, producer, writer – none can claim this combined mantle quite like the enigmatic Ms Grace Jones. For Sydney Festival, the indomitable Grace Jones will perform free at The Domain for Festival First Night, as well as presenting three unforgettable shows at Enmore Theatre. This will be her first public performance in Australia in 20 years – making for a rare opportunity to witness the woman who prophetically blurred the lines between music, art and fashion.
The Famous Spiegeltent, Hyde Park North January 6 – February 1
The Gypsy Queens & Kings Festival at The Domain Festival Jazz The Domain January 17
FREE at Festival First Night, January 10 Enmore Theatre, January 11, 13 & 14 Hurricane is released in Australia by Liberator Music.
Sydney Festival’s annual Festival at The Domain concerts are among the city’s most anticipated free outdoor events. For 2009, Festival Jazz will welcome the royalty of modern day gypsy music, when Fanfare Ciocarlia and friends present The Gypsy Queens & Kings. The stage will be bursting with a musical who’s-who of Eastern Europe, as Macedonia’s Gypsy Queen Esma Redzepova, Bulgarian Gypsy soul singer Jony Iliev, Hungary’s maverick vocalist Mitsou and Perpignan Rumba Gitano band Kaloome, join Fanfare Ciocarlia for a turbo-charged, highly danceable performance.
Kids in the Garden The Famous Spiegeltent Hyde Park North Sydney Festival’s Kids in the Garden program presents a jam-packed season of activities, workshops and performances, all kid-friendly and absolutely free at The Famous Spiegeltent
La Clique is a gem of a show – small, compact and oh so versatile – it’s the raunchy late-night vaudeville act we simply had to have. For their 2008 Sydney season, La Clique will once again present a gathering of the most incredible performers. Returning to Sydney is the much sought-after posterboy of bathtime, David O’Mer; and the Canadian puppetmasters Cabaret Decadanse. Making their Sydney debut are brilliant Swedish comedy magician Carl-Einar Häckner; the spandex-clad comedian, New York underground sensation Scotty the Blue Bunny; sassy hoop act Marawa; rope act Mozes and New York’s bravest and bawdiest duo, The Wau Wau Sisters. There are still more acts to be revealed in the lead-up to the Festival, as well as local and international guests throughout the season. The critics have been unanimous in their praise: amazing, hilarious, exotic, erotic, stunning, mesmerising, breath-stoppingly skilled...La Clique is a rare and unmissable treat. FREE ANNUAL EVENT SAMSUNG MOBILE FESTIVAL GARDEN Please note La Clique contains adult themes. The Famous Spiegeltent is an over 18s only venue.
24th JanuaryBrisbane Powerhouse 25th JanuaryBrisbane Powerhouse She is a Pop/folk chanteuse who attracted international attention as a member of the acclaimed Nouvelle Vague, joining producers Marc Collin and Olivier Libaux to produce bossa nova-influenced cover renditions of new wave and post-punk classics. She contributed four lead vocals to the LP, including renditions of the Clash’s “The Guns of Brixton” and the Dead Kennedys’ “Too Drunk to Fuck,” and was a featured performer on the subsequent European tour in support of the album.
A Camille’s previous album ‘Le Fil’ sold over 500,000 copies across some 30 countries worldwide. Rewarded at the French Grammies, ‘Les Victories de la Musique’ with the coveted Best New Act & Best New Album award, and won the French Mercury Music Prize, “Prix Constantin” Her latest release ‘MUSIC HOLE’ has cemented her as an artist worthy of following in the footsteps of unique female vocalists Kate Bush, Bjork or Laurie Anderson. Camille will perform as part of the Sydney Festival and perform in both Brisbane and Melbourne in January 2009, bringing an 8 piece band of beatboxers, pianists, percussionists and a choir! lovepolice.com.au/tours www.camille-music.com
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Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds Very Special Guests
The Saints Spiritualized Fuck Buttons Robert Forster Afrirampo Laughing Clowns Harmonia James Blood Ulmer The Necks Michael Gira Silver Apples Bridezilla & Much More To Be Announced
Single Day event - You Choose The Day! Ticket Price Includes Return Boat Trip
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