Forte #581 by Forte Mag

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Monique Brumby

British india

ballarat // bendigo // geelong // surfcoast // warrnambool // werribee

Fatty Phew

OOD ARTS F C I S siness MU re bu cultu AT ONLINE US OUT .au CHECK ag.com m forte

pete murray

d oper

new years revolution

issue 581 // 6 MARCH 2014 // next issue: 20 MAR

featuring

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ANDREA MARR BAND BLUE EYES CRY

BLUES MOUNTAIN BROOKLYN BLUE CHRIs Russell’s CHICKEN WALK

CLAUDE HAY

GEOFF ACHISON JIMI HOCKING JOHN MCNAMARA

LLOYD SPIEGEL

LOUIS KING & THE LIARS kLUB SPOONFUL SWEET FELICIA & THE HONEYTONES

WAYNE JURY FRIDAY ALISTER TURRILL

CHOCOLATE STARFISH CROWN OF THORNS DIEHARD DOLLS GEORGE KAMIKAWA & NORIKO TADANO

NICK BARKER

PALACE OF THE KING RAW BRIT

TEX MILLER

SATURDAY APPETITE FOR DESTRUCTION

Absolutely Live The Doors Show

THE AUSTRALIAN QUEEN TRIBUTE SHOW KISSTROYER MARCO GOLDSMITH BAND

MISS LIZZY & THE NIGHT OWLS MR BLACK & BLUES PEARL - THE JANIS JOPLIN SHOW

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THUNDERSTRUCK SUNDAY

BOOM CRASH OPERA BRIAN FRASER

CHANTOOZIES DARYL BRAITHWAITE GLITTER GANG

JASON SINGH (TAXIRIDE)

MICHAEL STANGEL

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A WORD FROM THE TEAM

FORTE mag is published by FORTE PUBLISHING p/l abn 64 054 589 641 pHONE: 03 5229 7969 fAX: 03 5229 0318 po box 1388 GEELONG VICTORIA 3220

PUBLISHER...........................Anton Ballard general..............................enquiries@fortemag.com.au EDITOR/SALES MANAGER....Luke McNamara

Heyo! Well, another Soundwave Festival has come to pass and what a year 2014 proved to be. Again this festival has delivered another cracking line-up. It is one of the world’s most prolific international events and let’s hope next year is just as huge! In this edition of Forte we have a double page guide to this year’s New Year’s Revolution that is happening at the Courthouse again in 2014. The event is in its third year and it continues to grow. This year NYR boasts the talented Asta as its headline act and we spoke to her ahead of her performance. We also have all the info you require on everyone else who is involved. We have the Stafford Brothers on the cover ahead of their performance at Future Music Festival, and Pete Murray as our local feature. If the crowd photos from Pete’s tour so far in other locations are anything to go by, the Wool Exchange Entertainment Complex is going to be packed for this show! Forte Magazine would also like to welcome two new contributing columns into the fortnightly mix: Monde Entier, which is our travel piece and Blues News, which will be a regular write-up coming out of the Sleepy Hollow Blues Club. We also farewell ‘Blank Thankless Air’, and we would like to thank Blair Hall for his year’s worth of wild gibberish we all came to know and appreciate. Thanks Blair.

luke@fortemag.com.au

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CONTRIBUTORS................... Anthony Morris, Adem Ali, Ben Schultz, Chris Cruz, Chris Lambie, Cyclone, Daniel Meagher, Lucas Skinner, Natalie Rogers, Nekita Roberts, Nina Bertok, Ophelia Symons, Paul S Taylor, Phil Hickey, Renee Abbott, Sam Eckhardt, Sam Fell, Stephanie Zevenbergen, Tex Miller, Wylie Caird, and Tony Montana PRINTED BY......................... RURAL PRESS PRINTING (VIC) BALLARAT 30-32 Grandlee Drive, Wendouree ADVERTISERS AND AGENTS ARE ADVISED THAT ALL ADVERTISING COPY IS THEIR RESPONSIBILITY UNDER THE TRADE PRACTICES ACT. ADVERTISEMENTS ARE PUBLISHED IN GOOD FAITH AND ON THE UNDERSTANDING THAT THE CONTENT IS LEGITIMATE AND LAWFUL. ADVERTISERS AND OR AGENTS SUBMIT ADVERTISEMENTS AT THEIR OWN RISK. THE EDITOR AND CREATORS HOLD NO RESPONSIBILITY WHATSOEVER FOR THE CONTENT OF THE MAGAZINE IN THE CASE THAT IT MAY OFFEND. FORTE ACCEPTS NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR ERRORS OR OMISSIONS. FORTE RESERVES THE RIGHT TO EDIT ALL ARTICLES AND LETTERS.

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ASTA

CASTLECOMER

Winning the 2012 Triple J Unearthed High, ASTA has proven herself as an exceptional contemporary artist. Asta first caught our attention with her electro-pop inspired tracks ‘My Heart is on Fire’, and follow up ‘Escape’, but she is quick not to pigeonhole her sound. Coming from an acoustic background, with tracks affectionately known as the Bedroom Recordings available online, Asta has drawn on a range of influences and is continually evolving and pushing the genre boundaries. Yet is her passion to deliver strong sounds, full of heart and soul, that shows a belief in herself as an artist and strengthens her connection with her fans. Recently jumping on the Pyramid Rock and Soundscape

Hailing from New South Wales, the lads from Castlecomer are regulars on Triple J with the hit Rosie having people all over the country tapping their feet! “Lone Survivor, the second EP from Sydney band Castlecomer, is one of the catchiest, freshest, most original releases on the Australian music scene this year.” – Sydney Morning Herald (2013) Castlecomer boast a high-impact live show with their 5-part harmonies, and have shared the stage with such acts as Ball Park Music, Last Dinosaurs, The Griswolds, Faker, Winter People, Underlights and Mitzi among others.

THE STACKSHOTS

RESIDUAL

Three piece locals, previously known as The Crunch, have released a debut album named Cause for Concern. Think The White Stripes mixed with the Beatles. With a rocking female drummer, these guys seriously impressed at the 2013 Geelong Battle of the Bands, and took away the Peoples Choice!

Soon to be representing Geelong in the Grand Final of the Push Start Battle of the Bands, after taking out the regional finals late last year these fellas are on the up and up! Just announced as the British India support for their tour later this year, currently recording their EP and soon set to launch their first tour this band is one to watch!

DAVE GRANEY

GENGHIS CANT SWIM

THE LARSON EFFECT

PRETTY LITTLES

Recently dropping their first EP Fairweather, late last year, which was produced by Tom Iansek from Big Scarey, these Melbournians are high energy rock at its best.

Forged in the stampeding hills of Jan Juc, the Larson Effect are a trio of extremely energetic and finely dressed young musos with a passion for creating incredible music. Without the need for a two page long description of their style or genre, they simply aim to rock out and captivate their audiences with their powerfully electrifying presentation of music.

ASTA written by Tex Miller

He was awarded 'Best Male Vocalist' at the ARIA Music Awards of 1996 for his work on The Soft 'n' Sexy Sound, while "Feelin' Kinda Sporty" won 'Best Video' in 1997 and he has received seven other ARIA Award nominations. Dave also was a guest in our 2013 A Conversation in the Key of… series, pairing up with local boys Genghis Cant Swim, who are also on the NYR lineup!

A lot has happened since Asta Binnie won triple j unearthed in 2012, and next week she will make her debut gig in Geelong as part of this year’s NYR event at Courthouse ARTS which takes place over the 14 th and 15 th of March – which is very exciting indeed. Although at the moment she only has three singles to her name, a mini album is not too far away on the horizon, as she related to me, when we caught up for a chat ahead of her Geelong show. Currently on the road playing a few shows with The Jungle Giants for some O-Week parties in South Australia, it feels good to be back out on the road after taking a break over the Christmas period after a stint at Falls Festival. “I am really excellent at the moment and to be back out on the road once again is just simply fantastic. Starting out this run of shows with The Jungle Giants is awesome, because they are one of the best live bands around in Australia at the moment. I’ve played a couple of shows with them already and they certainly know how to party. The great thing about these

Hitting the scene from 2011, with catchy licks, punchy riffs and toetapping beats, these boys bring a fresh and funky sound from the Bellarine Peninsula to your ear-holes. Not to mention that the lads have some seriously amazing moustaches. Gotta love a good mo.

more info at courthouse.org.au

uni shows is that they are heavy triple j listeners. I’m expecting a few fans there, which makes these shows a lot more fun.” Reminiscing on the day that she found that she was announced as the Unearthed High winner for 2012, Asta still remembers it as one of the most nerve-racking moments of her career thus far; a life-changing moment that has since catapulted her into the Australian music charts. “That moment was really surreal, and I could see my future flashing right in front of me. It’s hard to explain, but I definitely think there was some stomach pains and nervous energies in the room before the call came through,” Asta relates. In the wake of winning triple j Unearthed, Asta has released three singles to date, and ‘My Heart’s on Fire’ was voted into the Hottest 100. To top off a big 2013, Asta rounded out the year with a show at Falls Festival over the New Year’s period. The experience of playing in between three festival sites within three days was a hectic one, and although she didn’t really get to meet MGMT or Vampire Weekend,

she did get to meet Solange Knowles. “I’ve always dreamt of playing at Falls and to be on the Valley Stage alongside these artists was like walking through my own dream. Solange is a very cool chick that I have been looking up to lately and to be able to meet her was a really pinch yourself moment.” To be leading the female charge in a male-dominated music industry is a very good feeling and Asta cannot wait for her fans to hear the new material that she has been working tirelessly on. If you’re headed along to the Courthouse ARTS show, you are more than likely to hear some new jams. “It may take a while yet for the album to be released but I definitely think it will be worth the wait. To be playing in Geelong for the first time is fantastic. I’ve heard some great things about the music scene, and the setlist will be a mixture of older and newer stuff. Come out and boogie at NYR, Geelong!” When&Where: NYR (formerly New Year’s Revolution) – March 14 & 15 FORTEMAG.COM.AU

the HIGHLIGHTS

THE LATEST ON international & national news & tours The Highlights: Where we’re only happy when it rains. Coming up you have… .........................................................................

I Know Leopard Hold On You may have heard a little single by ’70s-inspired pop outfit I Know Leopard called ‘Hold on Tight’. You may have caught a little clip of the little single by the band. And now you can catch them on a little tour in support of the little single. The former Adelaidians, now Sydneysiders, recorded the song in the early hours of a sunrise in the tranquil waters of Parsley Bay, Sydney. Workers Club – March 27. .........................................................................

Push Over Cancels As you no doubt know, Push Over has cancelled 2014’s event. Push Over is currently Australia’s longestrunning all-ages music festival; however, being the competitive music market that it is, 2014 meant ticket sales were lower than expected. Refunds are available through point of purchase. * Note: The FReeZA Push Start Band Comp Grand Final will now take place as part of Moomba’s Beats event. .........................................................................

Gallipoli in Melbourne In a big win for the city of Melbourne, an epic television mini-series about the 1915 Gallipoli campaign has begun filming. The production will shoot over three months, with the series set to screen on the Nine Network in 2015. Minister for Innovation, Services and Small Business Louise Asher: “The Victorian Coalition Government is pleased to support this important retelling of a tragic and momentous part of Australia’s history.”

In the Key of Lana Del Rey In December 2013, Lana Del Rey announced that her new album would be called Ultraviolence. Further details have emerged since, including that she is working with The Black Keys’ Dan Auerbach on the album. Although the extent of his input is unclear, a spokesperson for Del Rey confirmed to Rolling Stone that the pair had spent time recording together in Nashville. .........................................................................

The Fratellis Return Scottish indie-rock darlings The Fratellis return for a wham-bam tour in April. The band’s latest release, 2013’s We Need Medicine, marked the band’s first album since their return from hiatus. Playing their first show in 2005, the band released two albums before taking a breather in 2009. Members did their own thing for a while, most notably Jon Fratelli who released a solo album in 2011. The Prince – April 4. .........................................................................

Songman Chet Faker’s fan base soared upon the release of his debut EP Thinking in Textures; now he is thrilled to welcome his debut full-length album, Built on Glass. Recorded and produced by the man himself across a two-year period, the album is a seamless blend of “RnB vocals and pop melodies with a youth spent making house, disco and intricate beats”. The album hits shelves next month.

The Disarming Killswitch Engage

Moomba Goes Pop

In 2002, Massachusetts metalcore outfit Killswitch Engage released Alive or Breathing. Today the album is considered a defining moment in metal and is widely credited as introducing metalcore. With original singer Jesse Leach returning to the fold in 2012, the band set about making a new album. That came last year with their sixth studio effort, Disarm the Descent. The Palace – April 13.

Moomba’s Beats stage sweetens the deal in 2014 with the announcement that the FReeZA Push Start Band Comp Grand Final will take place as part of celebrations. Alkali Fly (Croydon), Baking Blind (Dingley), Residual (Geelong), Darcy Fox (Moe), Listerdale (Wodonga), The Rims (Alphington), Bel Air (Ballarat), Worship The Fallen (Mildura) and Great John Himself will join The Smith Street Band, Chance Waters and Remi. Speakers Corner (Birrarung Marr) – March 10.

40 years as a band is a fine innings indeed, particularly if you’ve gone through what The Angels have gone through. In celebration of this milestone, The Angels are hitting the road with a very tidy number of shows. They will also release two compilation albums: The Angels – Volume 1 - 40 Greatest STUDIO Hits and The Angels – Volume 2 - 40 Greatest LIVE Hits. The Corner – March 27. .........................................................................

Jeff Dunham’s Disorderly Conduct

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Jai Courtney Terminated

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Jai Courtney (A Good Day to Die Hard – don’t hold it against him) has been given the nod to play Kyle Reese is the Terminator reboot. Set to be directed by Alan Taylor (Thor: The Dark World), the film, Terminator: Genesis, is being described as “the first film in a standalone trilogy”. Emilia Clarke (Games of Thrones) and Jason Clarke (Dawn of the Planet of the Apes) have been cast as Sarah and John Connor respectively.

Alien, Psycho, Clockwork Orange, Silence of the Lambs, Fight Club – these aren’t exactly movies for the little ones. But thanks to Pixar artist Josh Cooley, scenes from these movies and many more have been restyled in cartoonstyle children’s books mode. Prints start at $US25 and are available via cooley.bigcartel.com. Other movies getting a makeover include Donnie Darko, Die Hard and Fargo. Good luck choosing just one.

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Chet Faker Welcomes Debut

With a lazy 55 million albums sold, Robbie Williams knows how to write a song or two. His latest album is Swing Both Ways, a followup to 2001’s Swing When You’re Winning. The album, which debuted at the #1 spot in the UK and #5 on the ARIA charts, features collaborations with Lily Allen, Rufus Wainwright, Kelly Clarkson and Michael Bublé. Rod Laver Arena – September 16.

The Angels’ 40th Birthday Bash

Ventriloquist Jeff Dunham has a resume as good as it gets. For starters, his television series are the highestrating in Comedy Central’s history. He also has DVD sales that exceed seven million, while his YouTube videos have over half a billion views. Bringing all his favourite characters to town, Dunham’s Disorderly Conduct show will take in the Rod Laver Arena on May 16.

A Night with Robbie Williams

You Can’t Spell Children without an R

I Have a Poison Idea Self-proclaimed “Kings of Punk”, Poison Idea, will finally step onto Australia shores shortly. It hasn’t taken them that long – well, if you consider they formed in 1980 being not that long. Their original run came to an end in 1993 but they got things going again in 1998. Founding member Jerry A (Jerry Lang) continues to lead the band that inspired names including Nirvana, Pantera and Machine Head. Bendigo Hotel – May 17. .........................................................................

It’s Time to cosplay Attendees of Supanova and AVCON (Adelaide) have no doubt been busy working on their outfit for some time, but there is now extra incentive with the pop culture expos set to host the Madman National cosplay Championship 2014. Madman Entertainment is behind the competition and is currently accepting entries into this year’s preliminary rounds. The winner of the Grand Final scores two tickets to Japan. More can be found at madman.com.au. .........................................................................

Tony Hawk Rides Again Tony Hawk: Ride and Tony Hawk: Shred didn’t exactly do Tony Hawk’s standing any favours, but it seems like those games didn’t turn the skateboarding legend off the gaming world altogether. Speaking on his Demolition Radio show, Hawk teased merely with “We’re working on a game, we are working on a game. It’s pretty cool.” If you’re looking for a more chilled out game than one that involves death and carnage, be sure to keep an eye out.

Australia Turns Japanese Featuring the best of Tokyo’s alternative nightlife and culture, the Japan Music Festival will bring something very special to the country next month. Promoter Sonny King: “Having been to Japan three times myself and played at a music festival over there, I realised that it’s time for Australia to see some of the great stuff coming out of Japan.” Bands showcasing are Jill, 101A, Kaimokujisho and Sparky Quano. The Espy Front Bar – April 3. .........................................................................

Something for Kate Need You

35 Years of The Scientists

Think back to 1996 for a moment. Are you there? A Melbourne band by the name of Something for Kate released their debut EP The Answer to Both Your Questions. Limited to 500 copies, each double 7” vinyl came with its own handcrafted artwork by the band. Now, in celebration of their 20th birthday, they are calling on the lucky owners to submit a photograph of their piece of history. Hit their website for details.

In May of 1978, The Scientists were born out of the Invaders. In 1979 they would release their first single, ‘Frantic Romantic’ / ‘Shake (Together Tonight)’. They would then go on to influence New York’s downtown indie scene of the early 1990s. Now, in 2014, they hit the road to celebrate 35 years in the music game. The line-up will consist of original members Kim Salmon, Rodney Radalj and Boris Sujdovic. Howler – March 29.

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Tori Amos is Unrepentant This May, Tori Amos will release her new album, Unrepentant Geraldines. Speaking to Rolling Stone, Amos says the new album portrays her experiences and appreciation of visual arts. Amos: “I’ve always been inspired by visual artists of all mediums because, as with music, art is not a job you can go to and leave from, but it is something that defines who and what you are. Visual artists shake up our brains and force us to look at everything.”

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The Afghan Whigs’ Sweet 16 Cincinnati post-punk legends The Afghans Whigs will release their first album in 16 years next month. Originally active between 1986 and 2001, the band announced in 2012 that they were getting back together for a series of reunion shows. Back in ’09 Mark Lanegan was among those who appeared on a tribute album; this, however, is a little cooler for fans. Their new album is titled Do to the Beast.

Ella Hooper is on a High The charming Ella Hooper is hitting the road in support of her new single, ‘Low High’. When she is not lighting up the screen as one of the judges on the revamped Spicks & Specks or cohosting The Aus Top 20 radio show, Hooper still finds time for her greatest passion: making music. The single will appear on her forthcoming Jan Skubizewski-produced solo debut, In Tongues. NSC – April 4.

Yeezus, it’s Kanye West! So, Kanye West is coming to town. Although Kanye took on the Big Day Out in 2012, he hasn’t performed an official headlining tour since 2008. 2014 also marks the 10-year anniversary of his debut, The College Dropout. He has been giving that album a workout at his shows in the US, so chances are fans will hear a bunch of material off one of the most acclaimed albums of its time. Rod Laver Arena – May 6 & 7.

Lady Gaga Returns There have been some big names rumoured to be touring Australia before the year is out, and one of them has come true: Lady Gaga. In the world of pop, few names (if any) are as big as Lady Gaga. Her Australian tour will follow a run of shows in Europe and North America and will shine the spotlight on Miss Stefani Germanotta’s latest album, ARTPOP. Rod Laver Arena – August 23.

FRI 7 MAR 2014

REST

AURA N

TS – BARS – ENTER TA I N M

ENT

The Regular Boys SAT 8 MAR 2014

James Carrigg FRI 15 MAR 2014 Friday night drink promos 5.30 til 6.30 and 9 til 10.30 Saturday night Bulmers and Carlton Draught promos

Trojan

SAT 16 MAR 2014

Dear Ivy

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THE

FORT-NIGHTLY

CALENDAR & GIG GUIDE Thursday March 6th BEAVS BAR: Dave Anderson Live BIRD ROCK CAFE (Jan Juc): Live and Local, $13 Pizza night EUREKA: Thirsty Thursday with One Love’s Song Boom Box Tour featuring, Tigerlily, Zoolander and resident DJs fro Back to School Party from 9pm. ELEPHANT & CASTLE: $20 Asahi Seafood & Chips Night THE MAX HOTEL: Parmi All Day All Night $14, InnQUIZitive Trivia from 7.30pm till 10.30pm, amazing prizes, call to book your team’s spot THE LIGHTHOUSE THEATRE (WARRNAMBOOL): Rotary Voices for Peace THE SPHINX HOTEL: Schnitzel Night from $13 EDGE: Edge Thursdays 80s music and 80s Cocktails

Friday March 7th LAMBY’S BAR & RESTAURANT: Test Pilot Molly & DJs Mainroom and Terrace. Open from 6pm ELEPHANT AND CASTLE: Thank Guinness It’s Friday HOME HOUSE: Homehouse Fridays Party with DJs, Steve Camp, Simon One, Keith Evans, Marcel & more BLACK HATT: Off The Hook BARWON CLUB HOTEL: Culzean, Odd + Royal Cut Throat and Co. Entry $5 BARWON HEADS HOTEL: Cam Bryce BIRD ROCK CAFE (Jan Juc): Locals Night, Spinning Vinyl from 4pm BEAVS BAR: Hayden Scott CITY QUARTER BAR: Friday Unwind with live music then DJ EDGE GEELONG: Live music MOTOR CITY MUSIC FESTIVAL (Geelong Showgrounds): Andrea Marr Band, Blues Eyes Cry, Kisstroyer, The Australian Queen Tribute Show, Boom Crash Opera, Daryl Braithwaite, Glitter Gang and many more! KAROVA LOUNGE (Ballarat): Electric Sunkings THE CAPITAL THEARTRE (Bendigo): The Foggy Mountain Jam : Featuring Kasey Chambers, Busby Marou + more THE GROVEDALE HOTEL: The Regular Boys

THE GROVEDALE HOTEL: James Carrigg OLD HEPBURN HOTEL: Cream (Chillout Festival) ODYSSEY TAVERN: Samsun HOME HOUSE: Upstairs, Nic Westaway (Home and Away) plus Rimmy (Cloud Nine) vs Madeleine (Tramp) till late Downstairs The Best Hip Hop and RnB DJ Reque THE MAX HOTEL: Frequency WHISPERS: DJ’s including from Matt Watkins, Frazer Adam, Jungle Jim, Courtney Mills, Zoolander, Generik, Jack Love, Damon Walsh, Some Blonde DJ

Sunday March 9th BARWON CLUB HOTEL: Live band in the front bar. BARWON HEADS HOTEL: Craig Sayer WHISPERS: Massive Labour Day Weekend Party with Cosmo’s Midnight Chardy, Andy Murphy, Max McKay Simon One, Isaac Fryar, TVB, Shorty J, + more KAROVA LOUNGE (Ballarat): DJ Seamus & Mistafixit (AV Show) BIRD ROCK CAFE (Jan Juc): SUNDAY SESH: Spining Vinyl from Noon, DJ RJ from 5pm MARTIANS CAFE (Deans Marsh): Josh Goddard MOTOR CITY MUSIC FESTIVAL (Geelong Showgrounds): Andrea Marr Band, Blues Eyes Cry, Kisstroyer, The Australian Queen Tribute Show, Boom Crash Opera, Daryl Braithwaite, Glitter Gang and many more! HOMEHOUSE: Upstairs, Katie Valentine and JDG, Downstairs with best Hip Hop & RnB with Georgia Sinclair BEAVS BAR: Jack Harmen live BLACK HATT: Andy Pobjoy from 4pm CITY QUARTER: Perfect Sunday Sesh Live music and DJ from 4pm EDGE GEELONG: Live entertainment ELEPHANT & CASTLE: Live jazz with 3pm – 6pm GEELONG RSL: Bob Patties Chicago 5 Live Jazz LAMBY’S BAR & RESTAURANT: Live entry $10 Student & Industry Night. Live band Snack Attack & DJs in the Mainroom and Terrace OLD HEPBURN HOTEL: Michelle Parsons ODYSSEY TAVERN: Cal Young

THE MAX HOTEL: Adventure PLayground ODYSSEY TAVERN: Guy Perkins OLD HEPBURN HOTEL: Nat Allison

Saturday March 8th

ELEPHANT & CASTLE: $20 Steak & Drink night

Tuesday March 11th

BARWON HEADS HOTEL: Resident DJ’s

GEELONG RSL: Steak Night $13

LAMBY’S BAR & RESTAURANT: Live Band Stella & DJs Mainroom and Terrace. Open from 9pm BEAVS BAR: Steve Pianto Live BIRD ROCK CAFE (Jan Juc): Retro Vinyl and live music from Noon, DJ from 8pm CITY QUARTER BAR: Live entertainment and DJ EDGE GEELONG: Live music and DJ

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BARWON CLUB HOTEL: $10 Parmis

BARWON CLUB HOTEL: Fatty Phew, ConS1ence &2see, Bernard & Flip featuring Jam Jam & Hybeam plus C-Kwuns. $12 + B/F. $15 at Door GPAC: Marty Rhone’s Rock n Roll Spectacular

Monday March 10th

ELEPHANT & CASTLE: $20 Steak & Drink night GPAC: Neil Finn - Dizzy Heights tour BLACK HATT: Bachata Dance Classes BARWON CLUB HOTEL: Osaka Monaurial plus Sweethearts. Entry $30 + B/F

Wednesday March 12th BEAVS BAR: Dave Anderson, Karaoke Open Mic

MOTOR CITY MUSIC FESTIVAL (Geelong Showgrounds): Andrea Marr Band, Blues Eyes Cry, Kisstroyer, The Australian Queen Tribute Show, Boom Crash Opera, Daryl Braithwaite, Glitter Gang and many more!

GEELONG RSL: Pot and Parmi Night $13

ELEPHANT & CASTLE: Live Band 9.30pm to Midnight

THE CAPITAL THEARTRE (Bendigo): Pete Murray

BLACK HATT: Cuban Salsa Dance Classes ELEPHANT AND CASTLE: Trivia Night from 8pm. Have fun win prizes book a table

Thursday March 13th

ELEPHANT AND CASTLE: Thank Guinness It’s Friday

BIRD ROCK CAFÉ: (Jan Juc): Live and Local, $13 Pizza night

THE GROVEDALE HOTEL: Trojan

THE MAX HOTEL: Parmi All Day All Night $14, InnQUIZitive Trivia from 7.30pm till 10.30pm, amazing prizes, call to book your team’s spot

CITY QUARTER BAR: Friday Unwind from 5pm. Live with live entertainment and DJ

ELEPHANT & CASTLE: $20 Asahi Seafood & Chips Night THE REGENT MULTIPLEX (Ballarat): Pete Murray KAROVA LOUNGE (Ballarat): Fatty Phew BEAVS BAR: Andy Forster Live Main Room EUREKA: Thirsty Thursday with Some Blone DJ plus Simon One, Shorty J, Pinky, Max McKay, TVB, Aybakez, Michael Cameron Paul E, Rogers. Free Entry before 11pm when using a guest list. BARWON CLUB HOTEL: Green Thief, Audemia, Altitude, Alithia. Entry $10 EDGE: Edge Thursdays 80s music and 80s Cocktails

Friday March 14th

PIPING HOT CHICKEN SHOP: Claude Hay

EDGE GEELONG: Live music LAMBY’S BAR & RESTAURANT: Live band Great Faces For Radio & DJs Main Room and Terrace, open from 9pm THE MAX HOTEL : 3 on the Tree THE WOOL EXCHANGE ENTERTAINMENT COMPLEX: Pete Murray

LAMBY’S BAR & RESTAURANT: Live band Stella & DJs Mainroom and Terrace. Open from 9pm THE MAX HOTEL: Wooshka TORQUAY HOTEL: Mi Casa Su Casa Tour, with Pierce Brothers, Tales in Space, Gen Rose Bruce WHISPERS: DJ’s including from Matt Watkins, Frazer Adam, Jungle Jim, Courtney Mills, Zoolander, Generik, Jack Love, Damon Walsh, Some Blonde DJ ODYSSEY TAVERN: Guy Perkins

ODYSSEY TAVERN: Eric Stribley

Saturday March 15th

THE BARWON CLUB: “The Two Piece Feed” feat. King of The North, Sons of the Sun, Dead, Spirit valley, Divide and Disolve, The Hight Drifters, Agonhymn, Spermaids, The Mudge Brothers. Entry $15 BAROWN HEADS HOTEL: Resident DJ’s BEAVS BAR: Steve Pianto Live

AT THE HEADS: Live music from 5pm till 7pm (Barwon Heads)

BIRD ROCK CAFE (Jan Juc): Retro Vinyl and live music from Noon, DJ from 8pm

THE BARWON CLUB: Gay Paris, Sherriff, Kansas City Fagots. Entry $10 +B/F $15 at Door

COURTHOUSE ARTS: New Years Revolution (NYR) - Featuring: Castlecomer, The Stackshots, The Pretty Littles, Genghis Can’t Swim + Artist Market

HOME HOUSE: Homehouse Fridays Party with DJs, Steve Camp, Simon One, Keith Evans, Marcel & more

(WARRNAMBOOL): Reece Masten

GPAC: Next to Normal

Sunday March 16th BARWON CLUB HOTEL: Sunday front bar with live band BIRD ROCK CAFE (Jan Juc): SUNDAY SESH: Spining Vinyl from Noon, DJ RJ from 5pm BLACK HATT: Bergman & The Balladeers live from 4pm Singles Afternoon from 3pm CITY QUARTER: Perfect Sunday Sesh Live music and DJ from 4pm GPAC: Next to Normal, Sweet - Satisfaction Guaranteed - The Hits Tour MARTIANS CAFE (Deans Marsh): Tom Richardson LIVE ON THE LAWN (Werribee): Pete Murray EDGE GEELONG: Live music and DJ

Monday March 17th

ELEPHANT & CASTLE: St Patricks’ Day Party, with Mongolian Fishmongers, Aine Tyrell, Arthur from Fat Pizza (free before 6pm) GPAC: Next to Normal LORD NELSON HOTEL: /Parmi & Pot for $15 on presentation of student I.D THE SPHINX HOTEL: Meals for $11

Tuesday March 18th GEELONG RSL: Steak Night $13

ELEPHANT & CASTLE: $20 Steak & Drink night GPAC: Next to Normal BLACK HATT: Bachata Dance Classes

Wednesday March 19th BEAVS BAR: Karaoke and Open Mic and Luke Biscan

GEELONG RSL: Pot and Parmi Night $13 GPAC: Next to Normal ELEPHANT AND CASTLE: Trivia Night from 8pm. Have fun win prizes book a table BLACK HATT: Cuban Salsa Dance Classes

Thursday March 20th

BAROWN HEADS HOTEL: Dave Johns

CITY QUARTER: Live entertainment

ELEPHANT & CASTLE: Live Jazz band + from 6pm Parmi Night 6 Great Parmis $20

BIRD ROCK CAFE (Jan Juc): Locals Night, Spinning Vinyl from 4pm

ELEPHANT & CASTLE: Live band Hey Charger 9.30pm to midnight

BEAVS BAR: Butters Live

THE GROVEDALE HOTEL: Dear Ivy

OLD HEPBURN HOTEL: Sugarcane Collins with Andy Vogel

EDGE: Live music plus DJ

THEATRE ROYAL (Castlemaine): Daniel Champagne Live in the Brickyard 5pm

GPAC: Next to Normal

COURTHOUSE ARTS: New Years Revolution (NYR) - Featuring: Asta, Residual, OK Sure, Dave Graney, The Larson Effect, Ok Sure

THE GROVEDALE HOTEL: Trojan

GEELONG RSL: Moonee Valley Hot 5 Live Jazz

HOME HOUSE: Upstairs, Joel Fletcher 4am to 5am last show before world tour. Supports, Harry Mullins, Scott Lee, Kieth Evans, Steve Camp, Downstairs Australia’s best Hip-Hop & RnB with DJ Surrender

LAMBY’S BAR & RESTAURANT: Student & Industry Night (Free entry all night) w/ Live band Tryst & DJs in the Mainroom and Terrace

BIRD ROCK CAFE (Jan Juc): Live and Local, $13 Pizza night

THE LIGHTHOUSE THEATRE

ODYSSEY TAVERN: Mojo Corner

KAROVA LOUNGE (Ballarat): King of The North GPAC: Next to Normal THE LIGHTHOUSE THEATRE (WARRNAMBOOL): The Australian Bee Gee’s Show

THE SPHINX HOTEL: Carvery from $17.00

EUREKA: Thirsty Thursday Foam Party plus Shorty J, Pinky, Max McKay, TVB Aybakez Michael Cameron Roger E and more. Free Entry before 11pm when using a guest list KAROVA LOUNGE: Baltimore Gun Club

THE MAX HOTEL: Parmi All Day All Night $14, InnQUIZitive Trivia from 7.30pm till 10.30pm, amazing prizes, call to book your team’s spot ELEPHANT & CASTLE: $20 Asahi Seafood & Chips Night

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Stafford Brothers written by Natalie Rogers

Sadly the summer festival season is drawing to a close, but rather than staying in, early nights and re-runs, it’s time to look to the future – viva la Future Music Festival. This year, organisers have promised that the production will blow our minds, and they’ve managed to wrangle some of the world’s most electrifying acts, from Eric Prydz to Pharrell, Deadmau5 to Phoenix. Fold Aussie-born EDM darlings the Stafford Brothers into the mix and you have yourself one helluva farewell to summer.

show though, because I can actually hang out after that one and the Adelaide show. So I’ll be kicking it around the festival and definitely checking out all the acts I want to see. “Eric Prydz is an artist that we love; we’re definitely looking forward to seeing him. Pharrell will be cool; we always enjoy Sven Vath, and this year he’s set up the Cocoon Heroes stage. They’re definitely the ones to watch.”

Fresh from deejaying at an Oscars event, the brothers have cemented their reputation in the US and internationally as perennial party starters, but also as exceptionally hard workers.

The same can be said for the fun-loving boys who call the Gold Coast home. Together they’ve built an empire, making them undoubtedly two of Australia’s hottest exports. Some of their extracurricular activities include their own clothing line ‘Sushi Radio’, two seasons of a reality TV show (that followed the trials and tribulations of touring across Europe and re-locating to the US), a weekly radio show, part-owners in two Gold Coast nightclubs (Platinum and Love), the development of innovative DJ training software ‘DJ Master Course’ and a healthy stake in Australia’s thriving 360 Agency.

“We’re just happy to be home and love being part of the Future Music Festival,” said Matt, one half of the brotherly duo, ahead of their big weekend. “We’ve been so busy with our spring break club tour in the States, we haven’t had time to do much else but go crazy! I’m hanging out for the Melbourne

It seems the Stafford Brothers were always destined for big things. Although they’re proud Queenslanders, they were born and raised in Upper Hutt City on the south island of New Zealand – not far from trendy Wellington – coming to Australia in their teens. Older brother Matt, the markedly

more outspoken of the two, tells me they were both heavily into sports growing up and believes that keeping fit helps them stay one step ahead. “My brother and I do have a lot of commitments, but we’ve become used to them and we’ve learnt how to balance it all,” Matt says, speaking like a true entrepreneur. “As we speak, I’m on my way to a meeting with our clothing company; then we’re off to play another show tonight! It gets a little crazy but we wouldn’t want it any other way.” Breaking into the US market is as hard now as it ever was, but thanks to television exposure, nonstop touring and the prestige that comes from being the first EDM artists to sign to influential US label Cash Money, the guys managed to catch the attention of the right people. “Moving to L.A. was the best thing we’ve done for our career. Being able to play all the clubs and really get noticed – it was a real coup to join Cash Money. Thanks to them we have so many more opportunities.” Their first release with the label was the smash hit ‘Hello’ (featuring label mates Christina Milan and Lil Wayne) which rose to take out the #1 spot on iTunes dance charts. The now notorious clip shows the Stafford’s doing what they do best – livin’ it large! “Right now we live in Newport Beach on the Californian Coast. We love it. It reminds us of home,

living on the beach like we did on the Gold Coast. The place is beautiful and has a good vibe. Don’t get me wrong – Americans are definitely different to Australians. There’s no place like home.” So this year’s Future Music is like one enormous welcome home party for the Stafford’s, and we’re all invited – best part is they’ll provide the tunes! “We’ve got a massive set planned for the punters. We’ve just dropped the new re-mix of ‘Like a Drum’, with Guy Sebastian, that came out exclusively through Future Music – we promise you won’t be disappointed. It may seem like we have a lot of other interests but music is what we love. It’s what it all relates back to and what it’s all about for us. “Back in the States we’ve been working with Christina [Milan] again and some other guys from Cash Money. We also have a new single called ‘This Girl’, with an American rapper that I can’t announce yet. I can tell you we filmed the clip in Australia in January this year. We’ll also be releasing a track with an Australian artist very soon. We’ve got a couple of big radio singles and then we’ve got a few more club singles ready to go as well.” When&Where: Future Music Festival, Flemington Racecourse, Melb - Sunday March 9

Staff and Management of the EMC Group Geelong strongly enforce a no-drug policy. Enjoy great music & drinks whilst staying drug-free.

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British India written by Tex Miller

British India are currently on tour with Hunters and Collectors and Something For Kate and things are “groovy” in the world of Declan Melia, lead singer and guitarist for the band as he talks from their rehearsal room in Preston whilst in the writing stages for the follow-up to their highly successful fourth album Controller, which is most likely to see the light of day towards the end of 2014/2015.

From Guillotine to Thieves and Controller, the process that the band takes to writing and recording hasn’t changed all that much over the years. “Sometimes you need to get into your element, and of course we approach every song differently. It’s got to be basic and achievable though so you can pull it off live. If you can’t cut the mustard when it comes to playing live, then you have to do something to drastically change it so you can,” Melia said.

Since the release of the new album midway through last year, the band has supported Fall Out Boy on their national tour and done a lap of the country themselves in support. At the time of talking with Melia, he feels positive about the next stage of the band’s career after taking it to the next level on the DOTG tour.

The songs at the moment are coming quite quickly for the band and we are likely to hear new music in the latter part of 2014. That said, there is a small fear within the band that if the material isn’t good enough and the success doesn’t come, they might call it a day. “When we were touring Guillotine we saw a lot of bands break up and quit because they released a bad single or a bad album. If you f*ck it up in the early stages, there is no second chance and there is no going back. We are aware that it can slip away at a moment’s notice, and so we are writing for our career as we speak,” Melia said about the new album.

“In the past we have been these scungy dudes hanging out on the sidelines but now with this tour we feel like we have been accepted into adulthood. There are no outlandish tour stories though, because Paul Dempsey and Mark Seymour are both pretty refrained on the road. On a tour like BDO, there are hundreds of young bands looking to get up to mischief, but because we are the young band on the tour, we can drink other bands’ riders and get away with it!” Melia laughs. “Supporting Fall Out Boy was great and a little different to other shows, as British India has never really supported any band before. With a lack of drunken patrons, it was a little hard to get into the mould, but having the appreciative audience was a positive of those shows.”

Converging on the Wool Exchange Entertainment Complex on the 21st of March, you can expect to hear a plethora of material from the band. With four albums under their belt, they ain’t gonna play their b-sides. “We’ll be sure to play some new jams for the kids that come out and all the old favourites. Our shows are still really punk and there are no fancy walkways or costume changes and we’re on a good thing at the moment. See you there, and expect to hear some new tunes soon!”

When&Where: Wool Exchange Entertainment Complex, Geelong – March 21

Dub Inc written by Natalie Rogers

Rumour has it there ain’t no party like a Dub Inc party! These French reggae roots revivalists are credited with single-handedly reviving the dancehalls across France, so it makes sense their Australian debut is part of the world’s biggest party: Peter Gabriel’s WOMAD Festival. We caught up with drummer Grégory “Zigo” Mavridorakis ahead of their first show. “Australia is a new audience for us so of course we’re going to give everything and show the energy we’re known for live. We love to make people jump, dance and have a good time with us. We’ve been told that Australians are very good fun, and I’m excited because we’ve been wanting to play in Australia for a long time now.” Joining forces in 1997, Dub Inc is a seven-piece band of brothers who came together over their love of dancehall, dub, roots, ska, reggae and hip hop. The lyrics are a mixture of French, English, Arabic and Kabyle (spoken mainly in the north of Algeria). “We have so many influences – we’re truly a world band. I love traditional music from Africa and all roots music. “We listen to a lot of different music – it helps with our energy and creativity. Bob Marley, Ben Harper, Jamiroquai and Run DMC – from hip hop to freestyle to reggae, we love to integrate it all. We try to show all these different tastes to the audience and we always give 100 per cent – and we have for nearly twenty years now! Their unique story was recently chronicled by French indie filmmaker Kamir Meridja. Titled ‘The Rude Boy Story’, Meridja sought to document a band that was not

afraid to go it alone, becoming fiercely independent and demanding to find success on their terms. “We were not experienced. When we started, many people told us we would not be successful doing what we loved. I remember the first time we played in Paris we were warned that the people there are cold and would not understand our style … It was the same the first time we played in NYC and everywhere in the world.” Seventeen years and five albums later, Zigo and his Dub Inc have well and truly proved the naysayers wrong – and now he says they simply plan to enjoy themselves. “The dancehall originated in France and we can’t wait to bring some of that culture to other parts of the world. “For the last two, three years we’ve been travelling all over, and now that we have a chance to visit Australia and New Zealand, we will definitely come back. This is just our first step. We’re only able to stay for three or four days before we go to New Zealand and that’s not enough time to do everything we want to. Hopefully you like us and we come back again very soon. “At our shows we plan to play new songs and also others from our older records, to give people a taste of our history and as an introduction to us. We’re very happy to be part of this event.” Get ready – WOMADelaide kicks off this Friday inside Adelaide’s glorious Botanic Gardens. For four days, the inner city venue will be taken up by world-class traditional and contemporary musicians, dancers and DJs. Organisers also promise street theatre, visual artists and around 100 food, retail and charity stalls.

When&Where: WOMADelaide, Adelaide Botanic Park - March 7-10

Allday written by Natalie Rogers

That hair, those eyes, the rhymes – it’s safe to say Melbourne-based rapper Allday is pretty hot right now. His busy schedule will take him to four different states over the next couple of weeks, so during some rare downtime we caught up for a chat. “I’d love to have a chat. At the moment I’m just sitting around twiddling my thumbs. The Push Over festival got cancelled, which sucks. But a few of the bands and acts that would have been on at Push Over will be at the Pop Up Stage at the Moomba Festival. People who were going to Push Over can now go there for free, so it’s not all bad.” Presented by the City of Melbourne, the Moomba Festival aims to bring Melburnians together to share in the vivacity and diversity of our much-loved city. Also appearing on the Pop Up Stage will be innercity punks The Smith Street Band, triple j Unearthed Artist of the Year Remi and the nine finalists in the FReeZA Push Start Band Comp Grand Final (including local hopeful Residual). “The Push Start Comp, and Push Over festival in general, has done a lot for Australian youth trying to break into the industry. Hopefully Push Over will be back next year. It’s really unfortunate that some festivals haven’t made it. “But Moomba should be a lot of fun. I love living in Melbourne. I’ve been here for just over two years. I moved around my twentieth birthday, in February 2012. I’ve just turned twenty-three and birthdays always make me reflective. Looking back, I realised

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that I wasn’t really taking music seriously then, so in the last two years I’ve gone from nothing to what it is now.” Allday grew up in the town of Blackwood, a south-eastern suburb in the foothills of Adelaide. Interestingly, it’s also the hometown of hip hop superstars Hilltop Hoods. “I wouldn’t say moving to Melbourne was a culture shock, because I’ve always been surrounded by music and art, but it was kinda an ‘Aha’ moment!” he laughed. “Everything just clicked right away. “I see people from bands in the cafés and on trains around my area and it’s very inspiring. I’m a vegan, and my local café is a hive for creative people. But you can find artists in any city, and Adelaide has a wonderful artistic landscape. I love going back to see friends.” This past weekend Allday was back home to play alongside Bliss n Eso at Adelaide’s Clipsal 500. “I’ve been to the shows lots of times before. My friends live close by and everyone that lives nearby gets free tickets. It’s always incredibly loud but so much fun, so to actually be up on the stage doing my thing was pretty surreal.” If you’re anywhere near the city this long weekend, you can catch Allday “doing his thing” – and it’ll be well worth it. “I’ve been working on a lot of new stuff and I’m driving myself crazy trying to make it perfect. I’m just working hard, trying to do my best and taking it as a blessing that I don’t have to go back to work at the call centre just yet!”

When&Where: Birrarung Marr Park – March 10

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TALK OF THE TOWN! Talk of the Town: Where we had to leave a little girl in Kingston Town. Coming up you have… .........................................................................

The Reign of King Gizzard

Last month, King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard announced a bumper run of shows in support of their new album, Oddments. The newie, set for release tomorrow (March 7) via the band’s own label Flightless Records, is the band’s fourth album in eighteen months. So, how do they come up with so many ideas? Dare I say some kind of … wizardry? Whatever it is, the garage rockers (or “band that refuses to be defined by genre or bound by time”) is ensuring that fans need to reserve an entire shelf for the band’s CDs. Their accompanying tour, which kicked off at the beginning of the month, will take in venues of all sizes. Once they have fulfilled their Australian dates, the seven-piece will make their way abroad for a string of US dates – including the legendary Psychfest in Austin. The Bridge, Castlemaine – April 4; The Karova, Ballarat – April 5; The Barwon Club, Geelong – April 6. .........................................................................

Funkify with Osaka Monaurail

Japanese funk?! Hell yeah, you gotta give me some of that. Part one of Osaka Monaurail’s journey started in 1992 when students of Osaka University’s jazz society began trading sounds. Originally holding more than 20 people, numbers were whittled down to 13 before the group began playing Osaka’s clubs and bars. Part two of the band’s journey kicked off in 1997. Despite experiencing several line-up changes, the band soon started promoting a regular bi-monthly soul and funk club party titled ‘Shout!’, a name that would become the record label we know today. Several more chapters have followed (check the band’s website for a full history), with the band currently celebrating what they call Part XII: The Recent Years. Celebrating their 21st birthday last year, the band sounds as funky good as they ever have. The Barwon, Geelong – March 11. .........................................................................

The Revelations of Alithia

With their debut full-length release entering the cosmos this month, Melbourne’s astral space rockers Alithia thought they would take it to the streets. The album was recorded in one of Europe’s most highly regarded studios, Metropol Studios Budapest, and features Cvetan HadzsiyskI (smallman) playing the traditional Bulgarian Gaida (a bagpipe-type instrument). Other guests on the album include New York-based MC Illspokinn, violinist Matisz Glora, Grand Mexican Warlock’s Undos and exPoison of Marvel/Exe frontman, Locsei Bence. Formed in 2004, the band’s fan base describes the outfit as “Astral anthems from the future”. They have released two EPs (The Rising – 2008 and A Realm O Null – 2011) and in 2012 performed across eight countries in Europe. If astral space jams are your thing, The Barwon Club, Geelong on March 13 is the place to be. .........................................................................

Pistol Pete

Pistol Pete’s Food n Blues venue is opening on the 13th of March. Nestled in Lt Malop Street amongst cafes and late night clubs, Pistol Pete’s Food n Blues will be the haven for those that have a cravin’ for Southern style food and for those that like their tunes a little blue there will be a heaps of Blues artists dropping by to entertain. This intimate venue is a welcome addition to the musical offerings around Gtown. Pistol Pete’s is also open from lunch to late Tuesday to Saturday at 93A Little Malop Street. .........................................................................

Behind the Wheel with Shaun Kirk

All the cool kids are doing the crowdfunding thang. Some are successful; some not so. In the case of Shaun Kirk, the blues/soul troubadour smashed it out of the park. Over 120 people got behind Shaun and the result is new album, Steer the Wheel. One of the exciting things about this new release is that it will be the songman’s first to feature a band, with ARIA award-winning rhythm section of Danny McKenna (drums) and Grant Cummerford (bass) joining him in The Wick Studios, Melbourne. Also a good soul, the successful campaign has allowed for Shaun to donate a portion of the funds to Orphfund, a not-for-profit charity working with abandoned children across the globe. Old Hepburn Hotel, Hepburn Springs – March 21 & Babushka, Ballarat – March 28. .........................................................................

Motor City’s Musical Panel

Just an extra tasty morsel to go with our Motor City Music Festival bits and pieces. Music Victoria’s professional development panel will offer aspiring musicians some grade-A tips about making the most of opportunities. This crew knows the ins and outs of the game and will cover everything you need to know. Panellists include Jimi Hocking (Screaming Jets), Wayne Jury, Tex Miller, Hugo T Armstrong (MCMF Director), Luke McNamara (Forte Editor) and Desiree Armstrong (Festival publicist). Music Victoria’s Patrick Donovan will moderate. The panel will take place on the Live and Local Stage on Saturday, March 8. 3.15 p.m. – 4.15 p.m. .........................................................................

The Failure of Propaghandi

In support of their latest release Failed States, Canadian punkmen Propaghandi will swing by Geelong as part of their Australian tour. We’ve heard many stories of bands coming together after responding to a flyer, and such is the case with this motley crew. After finding their feet, the band performed a show with NOFX way back in 1992. Impressed by their take on Cheap Tricks’ ‘I Want You to Want Me’, NOFX frontman Fat Mike signed Propaghandi to Fat Wreck Chords. The band would release their debut, How to Clean Everything, in 1993, spending the next few years on the road and releasing smaller

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RüFüS Search for New Worlds Motor City Music Festival So, the big day has arrived. The Motor City Music Festival has gone shopping for a brandnew wardrobe and is looking to come out in style this weekend. Sure, you probably know all about it by now, but we’re going to keep shoving it down your throat like a fat kid at McDonald’s. Taking place from March 7 through March 9 in Geelong, the inaugural MCMF is serving up a glorious combination of good music and good times. We’re going to focus on Sunday’s family day, but if you check out the website listed at the end of the blurb you will be able to check out what else is happening. The Sunday line-up includes Boom Crash Opera, Brian Fraser, Chantoozies, Daryl Braithwaite, Glitter Gang, Jason Singh, Michael Stangel, Rick Price and The Tuff Tones. What else? How about classic rides including The Zipper, Dodgem Cars and the Cha Cha. Food? You betcha! They have everything from tacos to fairy floss, wok-fried noodles to snow cones. There is even a kids’ area with stage shows, roving performers, workshops, face painting and much more. And to cap it all off, a monster fireworks display will take place – the biggest ever seen at the showgrounds. Family day kicks off at 10.30 a.m. and will close out with the fireworks display at around 8.45 p.m. Hit motorcitymusicfestival.com. au for everything else.

releases. Failed States, their sixth effort, was released in 2012 and won the band some of the best reviews of their career. If you’re a punk kinda guy or girl, you know what to do. The Barwon Club, Geelong – May 31. .........................................................................

The Bushwhackers’ Golden Rush

Over forty years old and still going strong, The Bushwhackers are Australia’s most cherished bush band. In their time the band has homed over 70 members, released 20 albums, released four books and has played more shows than they can remember. And it all started in 1971 when a bunch of Melbourne university students decided it would be a good idea to perform music based on the traditional working songs of the 20th Century. Their new show, Gold Rush, shines the light on the men and women hell-bent on making their fortune in gold. “Join us, The Bushwackers, on a fascinating journey back to the roaring days of the Gold Rush. The Bushwackers music will bring to life stories of struggle and triumph from Australia’s turbulent past.” It will be a night full of songs, cheer … and a little history lesson for good measure. The Bridge, Castlemaine – March 29; The Capital, Bendigo – April 11; WCPA, Ballarat – April 12. .........................................................................

Having kicked off 2014 with shows at Falls and the Big Day Out, not to mention taking up three places in triple j’s Hottest 100, RüFüS figured they may as well keep the good times coming. The Sydney indie-dance darlings will spend time in the US and Europe this March and April before returning for a generous run of local shows. And if you’re thinking you may skip the gig this time around, think again. Once the lads wrap up things here they will be relocating to Berlin to start work on a new album, so this is your final chance to catch them give their #1 album Atlas another run – at least for a little while. The Australian: “Atlas is credible, accessible dance music, blending up-tempo, synth-heavy 4/4 beats with an indie-pop flavour, ably finished by some great songwriting and brilliant soulful vocal performances.” The Wool Exchange Entertainment Complex, Geelong – May 16.

Rock in the Vines Over 25 acts across three stages is the short and skinny of the Rock the Vines music festival, a sweet little festival founded by local Bendigo music guru Steve Saxton. The line-up includes Jackson Firebird, Lachy Doley Group, King of the North, Davey Lane, The Sky Vendors with Pat Powell, The Spazzys, Grim Fawkner, John Lingard, My Left Boot, Aimee Francis, Jordan Allen, Talisa Jobe, The Electric SunKings, Rabid Zulu, Nat Edith, Virtue, Berlin Postmark, Jack Kennedy, Min Miles, Veludo, Liam Thorpe, The Brodie Glen Show, Lowpoint, Bel and Jon Marland, Ryan Gay, Mez Whittle and DJ Larrabee. There will even be a super-duper mystery guest. It all takes place at the Big Hill Winery this Sunday, March 9. A shuttle bus will be running from the Bendigo Railway Station to the venue, with an after party taking place at the Black Swan Hotel. Tickets are available for $30 through J’s Music, Muso’s Stuff and Music Man. Alternatively, they will be available at the gate for $40.

BallaRatCat Comedy

BallaRatCat Comedy is delivering another cracker of a show this weekend, with Elliot Goblet, Kate McLennan, Michael Williams and Alasdair Tremblay-Birchall set to perform. Elliot Goblet has been a rich part of Australia’s comedy scene for years. Created by Jack Levi, the Goblet character is often likened to American comedy legend Steven Wright. He has made over 60 television appearances and has even written a best seller. Widely regarded as one of Australia’s funniest ladies, Kate McLennan has made appearances on several TV shows including The Project, Offspring, Live From Planet Earth, Studio A, The Mansion, The Nation, Let Loose Live, Stingers and MDA. You’re always assured of a good night out at BallaRatCat. The Lounge @ The George – March 7. .........................................................................

Mick Daley’s Country Heart

Quick bite: Mick Daley has been touring our country as the frontman of The Re-Mains for over a decade. From outback sheds to city dives, there are probably more places the band has played than those they have not. He has been in the game a lot longer, however. For some 25 years he has worked as a freelance journalist and musician, as well as a landscaper and youth worker. His life of music and words has given him a unique perceptive on music, which you will be able to see (and hear) for yourself at The Bridge, Castlemaine on March 23. .........................................................................

King of the North Sound Off

One day you’re just a couple of guys kicking out the jams; the next you have Kyuss’ John Garcia saying “You guys are an incredibly hard act to follow.” If you haven’t heard of King of the North by now, then something has gone wrong somewhere along the way for you. A two-piece comprised of Andrew Higgs (guitar, vocals) and Danny Leo (drums, backup vocals), KOTN is driven by Higgs’ “three from one guitar technique”, whereby the sound of two guitars and one bass is delivered from a sole guitar. Yep, when it comes to King of the North, we’re talking rock without the toss. We’re talking style with substance. You wanna little piece of their action? Well, Sound the Underground is the name of their debut. The Karova,

Ballarat – March 14; The Barwon Club, Geelong – March 15; The Bridge, Castlemaine – March 21; The Newmarket, Bendigo – March 29. .........................................................................

The Stiffys Get Groovy

There are two-piece outfits and there are two-piece outfits. Most will tell you The Stiffys are one of “those” two-piece outfits. And they would mean it in a good way, of course. Hell, they dress like sailors and they play rock and roll – what more could you ask for? The combined talents of Jason Leigh (bass) and Adam Stagg (drums), The Stiffys formed for what was meant to be a one-off warehouse party. Well, something was in the air that night, my friends. Some say magic; some say the stale smell of alcohol. Whatever it was, it was enough for the lads to keep the train rolling. And so here we are in 2014, with the two-piece thrilled to welcome EP number two, We Are Groovy Boys. They have even become all fancy, recording the new EP in a professional studio. La-de-da. Music Man Megastore, Bendigo – March 27 & The Loft, Warrnambool – March 29. .........................................................................

Echuca-Moama Celtic Festival

Say hello to The Ramshackle Army, one of the very special guests of this year’s Echuca-Moama Celtic Festival. With their debut album Letters from the Road Less Travelled available for your hot little hands, the band is in party mode. But there is a lot more taking place at the Echuca Showgrounds this March 14, 15 & 16. Also lined up are the Australia Welsh Male Choir, Red Cat, Claymore, Janette Geri, The Bad Penguins, The Go Set, Anair, Saoirse, Irish Rose, Pure Drop, Platform 9.75, Simon Marks, The O’Shea Ryan Dancers, Britannia Morris Men and the Cobram, Benalla and Wangaratta Combined Pipe Band. There will be plenty more taking place across festivities, including a Guinness World Record Attempt for the Most People Dressed as Leprechauns in one place at one time. The record currently stands at 1263 (Bandon, Ireland). Hit celticfestival.com.au for more.

Christopher Coleman Collective

Round the Block with Magic Bones ‘Round the Block’ is the first single of 2014 for Melbourne-based outfit Magic Bones, and around the block they shall go. The band formed out of Melbourne in 2010, brandishing a garage psych-rock sound that was quick to find love from print and radio. They have found a lot of love from their peers as well, supporting names including Kingswood, The Murlocs, The Money Go Round, The Pretty Littles, Horror My Friend and The Harlots. Last year the band upped their game with the release of two videos: ‘Once You Forgot’ and ‘Fire Song’. The clip for Fire Song is about as Melbourne as it gets, with footage shot on the main stage of The Corner Hotel. ‘Round the Block’, meanwhile, is described as “an ode to Aussie punk rock and good summer lovin’. Flashback to another decade and give into the insistent sound of scuzzy garage punk”. The Loft, Warrnambool – March 22.

Cloud Control in Control

Blue Mountains outfit Cloud Control not only charm your pants off, but they kindly wash them, fold them, and return them to you with a sweet note. It is just the kind of band they are. In February the band performed at Laneway where their sets proved an absolute smash. But while they were performing, they were hatching other ideas. They were hatching big ideas. Big tour ideas. And so here we are, with a March/April calendar chockers will Cloud Control dates. They’ll be laid-back affairs too, with the band kicking back acoustic style in support of Dream Cave Unplugged (out now). Speaking with FasterLouder at the time of the release, frontman Alister Wright said: “When we were writing the album most of the songs would start off on a laptop, writing beats and gathering ideas. But when we were getting closer to recording the album, we spent a lot of time playing the song unplugged, as a fourpiece, in my living room in London. We wanted to do that to make sure the songs worked in a really classic way – that the lyrics and the chords and the melody were holding them together before we added everything else to them.” The band will perform two shows in one day along the Surf Coast: Lorne Hotel, Lorne (3 p.m.) and Torquay Hotel, Torquay (6.30 p.m.) – March 30.

GPAC in March

Hailing from happy Tasmania, the Christopher Coleman Collective has been making a big impression. No awards for guessing that the collective is led by Christopher Coleman, a recent winner of Telstra Road to Discovery and a guy who could probably charm the skin off a snake. Anyway, Chris and his music-makers are hitting the road in support of their debut album. The album features fan favourite ‘Dandelion Flower’, a track theripe.tv called “a rambling, bluesy, folky narrative – full of whimsy and guitar wails. The idea of searching for a flower is kind of intriguing. Christopher takes the listener on a journey – from Melbourne to North Vietnam to Bangalore to Berlin to the Middle East. The lyrics are clever and surprising, and punctuated by those aforementioned bluesy guitar wails – make this an absolute gem of a song.” Music Man Megastore, Bendigo – March 20. Christopher is also part of a big show at Ballarat’s Babushka Bar on March 19.

There is a little for the young and old and everyone in between at GPAC this month. Marty Rhone brings his Rock ‘n’ Roll Spectacular to the venue on March 8. Rhone will perform his own hits (‘Denim and Lace’, ‘Mean Pair of Jeans’) as well as those of Buddy Holly, Roy Orbison, Del Shannon, Elvis Presley and many more. Believe it or not, the Sweet continues to tour some 45 years since their inception. They haven’t been out this way for a decade and have a show lined up at GPAC on March 16. Conductor Diego Matheuz and violinist Ray Chen will perform Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony on March 21. Of course, the most anticipated date at GPAC in March is when Neil Finn gets cosy on March 11. Finn will perform in support of his new album Dizzy Heights. Accompanying him will be Joshua James. For further information hit gpac.org.au.

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The Unusual Raymond Crowe

Aireys Inlet Open Mic Festival

In around a week’s time, Aireys Inlet comes alive with the 2014 Aireys Inlet Open Mic Festival. The gorgeous little costal inlet and town hosts the festival for the seventh time in 2014, an impressive feat considering the current festival climate. Sure, great music is always going to bring them in – some 5000 visitors, in fact. And sure, free entry to the venues help (although donations are gratefully accepted help), but what makes the Aireys Inlet Open Mic festival so successful is its community spirit. It’s just a very cool way to spend a day or two. Okay, the line-up. You have: Berlin Postmark, Amber Isles, Gavin Wright, Kyle Taylor, Tristan Bird, Serena Moon, RDZJB, Imogen Brough, My Friend Matt, Famous Will, Ivory Lights, Audemia, Brother James, Mellissa Ramsay, Relatively Speaking and The Electric SunKings. That is just for starters, with over 160 performances set to take place across the festival. Don’t forget about their Special Mystery Guest who closes out the festival – previous Special Mystery Guests include Colin Hay, Dan Sultan, Tim Rogers and Mark Seymour. 2014 also welcomes a new stage, situated on the Great Ocean Road in the bottom shops car park. The Aireys Inlet Open Mic Festival takes place from March 14 through March 16. Take a gander at aireysinlet.com.au for further information. .........................................................................

Roku Music Change Their Gaze

In support of their debut album Collider, Brisbane’s Roku Music will spend much of March and April on the road spreading their shoegaze magic. Blossoming from the core duo of Donovan Miller (No Anchor/Butcher Birds) and Innez Tulloch (Tiny Spiders/Pastel Blaze) – whom released a limited edition cassette (yes, cassette – awesome!) – Roku Music is a four-piece these days, with Tom Roche (Rational Academy/O) on drums and Jody Gleeson (The Madisons) helping to buff things out a little. In their short but sweet life the band has supported Daylight Robbery (USA), The Nation Blue, Violent Soho, Sounds Like Sunset and Yes I’m Leaving. The Bridge, Castlemaine – March 26; Eastern Station Hotel, Ballarat – March 27; The Barwon Club, Geelong – March 30.

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There is some pretty magical about a show that can make everyone in the audience, no matter how old, feel like a kid again. Originally from Adelaide, Raymond Crowe is considered Australia’s only ‘Unusualist’, a term derived from Crowe’s show that combines mime, ventriloquism, hand shadows, physical comedy and illusion. He has been performing for many, many years, over which time he has performed on David Letterman and Craig Ferguson. He has also performed in front of Queen Elizabeth as part of the Royal Variety Performance. However, the wider Australian audience was perhaps introduced to him as he made his way through the stages of Australia’s Got Talent 2013. Spare a couple of minutes to check out his hand shadow work to the tune of Louis Armstrong’s ‘What a Wonderful World’. Lighthouse Theatre, Warrnambool – March 30. .........................................................................

Dreaming of Hug Therapist

Melbourne punksters Hug Therapist have a few shows lined up in support of their Tearjerker EP. Hardcore/ metal/punk website ‘Chucking a Mosh’ wrote: “it’s a mosh-inducing yet measured work. It represents a sharp, punchy offering that will not only please their existing fans, but that deserves to win them plenty of new ones … I am sure we will be hearing more from Hug Therapist, and I for one look forward to that.” The Steam Dream tour takes the band to The Loft, Warrnambool on April 18. * Note: Hug Therapist will be joined by Max Goes to Hollywood. .........................................................................

Soft Gold CD Launch

You have duos that are husband and wife. You have duos that are brother and sister. And every so often you have duos made up of mates. Sarah Carroll and Marcel Borrack fall into the last category. The pair met in the winter of 2006 while on tour with Dan Warner, hitting it off as if they were kindred music souls. So they did what any two music lovers would do: they recorded a bunch of original songs, and Soft Gold is the result. The Piping Hot Chicken Shop – March 21.

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TALK OF THE TOWN! The Live Sounds of Tom Richardson

When you love music and are a bit of a restless soul, becoming a musician just makes sense. And so it is that Tom Richardson performed in 14 countries in 18 months. One of these loop pedal fellas, Tom creates a wall of sound. His four-part harmonies, percussive grooves and lead and rhythm guitar parts are fused together to form one big sound live on stage. He has appeared at the Woodford Folk Festival, Port Fairy, National Music Muster, Queenscliff Music Festival, Bridgetown Blues Festival and Blues on Broadbeach and has shared the stage with the likes of The Waifs and You Am I. He has also picked up a string of awards and nominations along the way. As for his tunes, he kicked things off with 2011’s double-disc Guide Your Ship. Tom Richardson LIVE is his latest and follows a stretch of successful shows abroad. Martians Café, Deans Marsh – March 16. .........................................................................

Festivus for All of Us

“Art stimulates different parts of our brains to make us laugh or incite us to riot, with a whole gamut of emotions in between. Art gives us a way to be creative and express ourselves. For this reason it is important to have Art in our lives. Art is important for well-being of a community and stimulate people to look at things differently. Some people will make Art, some people will enjoy Art. This festival is for both of them.” That is the pretty fantastic introduction to Festivus, a new annual music and urban art experience on the Bellarine. The hands-on interactive experience is a celebration of different kinds of art; an experience to inspire people’s imagination. The line-up includes Eddie Perfect, Strange Tenants, Carus Thompson, Kite Machine, Julien Wilson and Band, Murdena, Mark Grunden’s Samba School, Dave Palmer Band, Michelle Nicolle, Alister Turrill, Jesse Leaman and Forte’s own, Tex Miller. The visual art line-up, meanwhile, features Festivus Piano, Thongaphone, Milk Lights, Short Theater, John’s Weatherstation and Giveashit among others. Festivus takes place at Ocean Grove Park on April 12. We’ve only really touched the surface about how cool Festivus is, so for further information be sure to spend a few minutes taking a look around festivus.net.au. .........................................................................

Recycled Roots Revolution

We gave you a small taste last issue, but have decided to give it a bigger run here. This April Bendigo will host the Recycled Roots Revolution festival, an event that celebrates the glory and imagination of homemade and handmade instruments. US songman

From Little festivals, bigger festivals grow!

Justin Johnson leads the way, with Jarrod Shaw, Kim Volkman, Stackhouse, Jamie McPherson, Captain Tricko, Blind Kiwi and Billroy Buzzard completing the line-up. Dubbed “The Wizard” for his mastery of stringed instruments, Justin Johnson has a style firmly rooted in blues tradition. His list of honours is varied. He is one of a select few guitarists hand-picked to perform at the Woodstock International Luthiers’ Showcase in the USA and the Deloraine Stringfest in Australia and he has a first place Slidestock International Slide Guitar Competition to his name. As well as being of virtuosic talent on one-string diddley bows, acoustic and electric 6-string guitars, 12-string guitar, resonators, mandolin and percussion, he is widely regarded as being one of the finest exponents of cigar box guitars going around. Workshops will also feature: ‘How to build and play a one-string Diddley Bow’ and ‘How to play a three-string Cigar Box guitar’. It all takes place at the Goldmines Hotel on April 19 for the bargain price of a fiver. This should be something pretty cool (and interesting) indeed. .........................................................................

Time to Join the Baltimore Gun Club

Do you often find yourself thinking ‘I’m Bored?’ Well, have I got the answer for you. From the same team who brought you Rock in a Can comes the Baltimore Gun Club. They have you in their sights, ladies and gentlemen – now join the club. Letting loose a “barrage of mind-blowing rhythmically raw and sonically-driven surges of rock”, BGC is the brainchild of songwriter, vocalist and guitarist ‘Psymon Psymons’. After searching high and low for those worthy enough to accompany him on his mission, he discovered bassist ‘hRyma’ and drummer ‘Dano’ and the BGC beast was born. They have been dedicated to making melodic, hard-hitting grooves ever since. Added pub trivia: The Baltimore Gun Club is a post-American Civil War society of weapons aficionados made famous in Jules Verne’s 1865 novel, From the Earth to the Moon. The Karova, Ballarat – March 20. .........................................................................

The Best of Fatty Phew Halfway through January, Geelong hip hop wordsmith Fatty Phew announced his Best Things in Life tour. Now the tour has arrived. The run of shows, in which Fatty will venture out on his first national tour, is in support of part three of his Best Things in Life tour, with the newie appropriately titled Best Things in Life are Three. Fatty intended to release the EP last year, but when things didn’t fall his way, he returned to the drawing board for a fresh crack. Discovering his love for hip hop at the age of thirteen, Fatty’s foray into the game began in the early 1990s as a guest on Formula Radio Station with live ciphers and the much talked-about Watch Ya Step vs Battletown Battle. The Barwon Club, Geelong – March 8; The Karova, Ballarat – March 13; Yahoo Bar, Shepparton – March 14; The Newmarket, Bendigo – March 15. * Note: a local support will warm up the crowd at each gig.

Please Sir, I Want Some More

Okay, there is a lot more happening but not enough room. So here we go: Carus Thompson is at Babushka, Ballarat on March 7. Destroy She Said and a bucketload of others are at Music Man Megastore, Bendigo on March 8, while Atlantis Awaits is at the same venue on March 13. Pete Murray is at the Wool Exchange Entertainment Complex, Geelong on March 14, while British India hit the same venue on March 20. Touching the Bees are at Junkyard Restoration, Kyneton on March 15. The Holidays are at The

The Electric SunKings

Karova, Ballarat on March 21. Saint Jude is at The Loft, Warrnambool on March 21 and the Old Hepburn Hotel, Hepburn Springs on March 23. Monique Brumby is at Martians Café, Deans Marsh on March 22. Mark Wilkinson is at Beav’s Bar, Geelong on March 23. Jebu is at Haida Bar, Ballarat on March 29. Special mention: ChillOut takes place in Daylesford, March 7 through 10. Extra special mention: The Deans Marsh Festival takes place on March 23. A big write-up on that one next issue.

written by Brendan Dando

musos to give them that stage.” Mr Maher says he is passionate about live music and gets great satisfaction from being able to bring so much of it to Aireys Inlet. “Music is such a good community binder because everyone pretty much has it ingrained in them,” he says. “It means a lot of work for me, but as soon as that first guitar starts playing in that first act and it starts going off I just absolutely love it. I absolutely love live music.

The annual Aireys Inlet Open Mic Music Festival is coming into its seventh year and it’s going stronger than ever. This free event has become the biggest weekend of the year for the small coastal town in the heart of the Surf Coast. It is a fantastic community event that brings the whole town together to watch awesome live music. The festival is the brainchild of local real estate agent Marty Maher, who takes it upon himself to organise the whole thing each year. He says he just wanted to give something back to the town he has lived in for most of his life. “I had the idea that I wanted my kids to grow up in a town that had live music, so to start a music festival was ideal,” he says. “We didn’t have any money at all so we wanted to get a model that was sustainable financially. So the ‘Open Mic’, where people just play for the love of it, and that gives people who love music the opportunity and a stage to play on, has worked really well. People have really embraced it.” The festival began in 2008 and featured 50 acts across three stages. That has grown to around 140 acts across nine stages this year. Each act has between 30 and 45 minutes on stage, and the open mic format means that anyone who wants to play will get a slot. Each year, a Special Mystery Guest closes the event. Mr Maher says the whole purpose is to give non-professional musicians a stage on which to perform. “The biggest demographic in the world is not people trying to earn a living from music,” he says. “It’s people who just love to play music who have got regular jobs. So there’s no other festival that gives that type of demographic a stage, and that’s where it’s quite unique. There are plenty of open mic nights, but we’re the only open mic festival in Australia that I’m aware of.” “There’s a big gap in the market for people who are just plugging away but struggling for exposure. A lot of people don’t know where to go next, so it gives these guys good exposure. Otherwise they’re sitting in the corners of pubs somewhere. I think it’s great for these

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“In the first few years, people couldn’t believe it was happening in the town. They just couldn’t believe that something like that could happen in Aireys Inlet. I think that expectation’s now grown so they expect it to happen and they embrace it more and more. The feedback I get is that they love it.” The festival also provides opportunities for younger musicians to perform their first gigs. A great example is local indie band Altitude, who performed for the first time at the 2010 festival. Since then they have won the state Battle of the Bands, recorded and released their own EP, and played at other festivals, including Push Over, Homebake and Big Day Out. Mr Maher says seeing young musicians starting out at the festival is a source of personal pride. “They’re [Altitude] doing great things and they may not have started if I hadn’t given them that stage and the confidence to start at the open mic. So I think it’s fantastic for that. There’s a lot of kids coming through now who are playing music, and I want to give those kids a stage.” Joining Altitude as headline acts at the 2014 festival are such performers as Geelong rock band Audemia, Imogen Brough, Nicolette Forte & Friends, Sarah Carnegie, The McQueens and the Special Mystery Guest, who Mr Maher says will be different from previous years, but still “fantastic”. Previous Mystery Guests have included Colin Hay, Dan Sultan and Mark Seymour. The Festival dates are March 14, 15 and 16. For more information you can visit the website aireysinlet.com. au/music, which will soon feature a donate button where you can use PayPal or a credit card to contribute. Mr Maher encourages anyone to attend the weekend, promising a great time for all. “Come down for the weekend and support it. You’ll always find something that you like. So come, put some money in the bucket and give some aspiring artists a stage. That’s what it’s all about.”

When&Where: Aireys Inlet - March 14 - 16

Hard work is the foundation for any up-andcoming band to begin to reach their full potential, and it is with this theory that Ballarat post-classic rockers The Electric Sunkings have started getting themselves noticed. “People are beginning to understand who we are musically and what to expect from us as a band,” explains guitarist Chris “Barbz” Barbetti. “We’ve changed our line-up slightly in recent times, which has given us a new dimension to the way we play collectively and the feel we have together as a whole.” It’s as a result of this that Barbetti feels they are appealing to fans on a global scale. “We’ve found our niche sonically, and it’s reflected in our live shows by how we interpret our own songs. They are never quite the same twice, not to mention that with the speed in which music overseas moves we seem to be caught up in the process of a bigger fan base offshore than in our own country.” With a resume that boasts international airplay and sharing the stage with acts including ARIA award winners The Whitlams, Jericco and King of the North, the band is currently working on their debut album, with plans of a release around May. “It’ll contain a mass of ideas and planning that we have conjured up over the past two years,” says Barbetti. “We’ve dropped a lot of material from our original live set, so we finally have the opportunity to experiment with it on the record

and stretch the boundaries of how we would like to listen to them ourselves.” So, has the recording process been stress-free? “We’ve had a few hiccups along the way, but I would be concerned if we didn’t come along any problems at all,” says Barbetti – with one of those hiccups he refers to including a switch up in the original line-up last year. “That all hurt and was really quite a hassle, but looking back it’s been a blessing in disguise because we’re now better than ever.” Despite having to restart the entire album process, Barbetti ensures that things are right back on track: “With this current line-up, the album has been in the works for about four months solid. Most of the musical work is done. We only have a few pieces to drop in here and there, but it’s the mixing and mastering that will take the longest process as we are doing it all ourselves.” Along with this news, fans can be excited to know they’ll have the chance to hear some new tunes soon rather than later. “We’ll be releasing three singles in the coming months, but apart from that we just want to keep jamming on stage the same way we always have, without any real plans or ideas of what we’re really doing. It’s more fun that way.” LIKE: facebook.com/the.electric.sunkings When&Where: The Karova, Ballarat – March 8 & Rock in the Vines, Bendigo – March 9

Pete Murray written by Natalie Rogers

He is arguably one of the best singersongwriter’s Australia has produced, an avid surfer, restaurateur, a doting dad – and he certainly knows how to rock a shirt vest – but what you may not know is that Pete Murray has a cheeky sense of humour to boot. “Bernard Fanning is a really good mate of mine and I’m looking forward to when Bern’s playing so I can throw some eggs and tomatoes at him!” he teased when I asked about playing at Werribee’s Live on the Lawn Festival on March 16. “Only kidding – the show is going to be great. I’ve got good friends on the bill, and it’ll be a special one. I’ll play songs from all my albums, not just Feeler.” Pete is referring to the fact that he’s currently on the ‘Feeler – 10 th Anniversary Tour’, which has already seen him play sold-out shows across WA, QLD and NSW. “I’m back together with my old band The Stonemasons. They’re such a great band – I always have heaps of fun with those guys. I’d been really looking forward to getting back to play with them again. It’s like old times, but that scares me a bit actually… They’re pretty wild boys!” Along with the nation-wide tour to celebrate the anniversary, Feeler has been re-mastered at London’s Abbey Road Studios. The restored version contains a bonus disc featuring the Bulgarian Symphony Orchestra performing the breakthrough album in its entirety, mixed with original album masters. Sony has also released a ‘Deluxe Edition’ that includes a third disc – a DVD with original footage of Pete and his band in the studio during the recording sessions. “Personally, I was really impressed with the remaster of Feeler, and the bonus disc with the orchestra is incredible. It sounds fantastic and I’m really happy with it. I didn’t think it would make that much difference, but it really does. “What surprised me the most are the solo tracks like ‘Freedom’ and ‘No More’. With the strings on them now, they sound really powerful! ‘My Time’ is another song that sounds really beautiful, but they all sound amazing.” Speaking to Pete now, his pride regarding his definitive record is obvious, but he admits that was not always the case: “It’s funny. After I finished Feeler I fell into the post-album blues and I lost all confidence in it. I didn’t think it sounded very good – I thought my career was all over,” Pete said. “Anyway, we put it out and the singles began getting radio play – it really started to take off. But I still didn’t really like it. I struggled with it and I couldn’t listen to it from start to finish. I could only get three or four songs in before I had to turn it off! It wasn’t ’til about two years later when Darren Littleton from Powderfinger texted me saying

what a great album it was, and I kind of went, ‘Wow! What is it about this album that people love so much?’ I didn’t know because I hadn’t listened to it properly. So I put it on for the first time in nearly two years and listened to it from start to finish. That’s when I became really proud of it. It was a good feeling to get to that place.” I replied that I never would’ve thought that was the case, to which he responded, laughing, “I know, but that’s me! That’s coming directly from the man himself!” Not surprisingly though, Pete had a lot of encouragement from the people around him and he credits them for helping him to continue pursuing what he now believes was his fate. “I believe in fate, I really do. “When I was younger, I loved playing rugby but I kept getting injured. Soon I started thinking to myself, ‘I don’t think the big fella up there wants me to play – there’s got to be something else for me’. So I believe it [the injuries] was meant to happen. I was meant to meet my friend Charlie who told me to go pick up a guitar. He got me into it, so I named my first boy after him. “I also had a lot of support. My sister and brotherin-law would constantly tell me I had potential and soon other people would see it too. This was back when I was just starting out, before I’d ever made an album.” In 2002 Pete released an independent album called The Game soon after he moved to Melbourne and began actively pursuing a career as a singer/songwriter. “That was around the time I realised that here was a chance it would happen for me. Not long after, I began writing ‘Feeler’.” Although he’s candid about his struggle after its release, Pete maintains that he had a clear goal during the writing process: “I really wanted the songs to be timeless – I didn’t want it to be here today gone tomorrow. I really wanted it to last a long time, and I think it’s doing that. It’s such a nostalgic album now that it means a lot to a lot of people, and getting back with my old band will create a lot of great moments.” Before the gig at Werribee, Pete and The Stonemasons will be in Bendigo, Ballarat and Geelong. “I’ve always had a lot of support in those areas, and I’m looking forward to going back. What I find now is that mothers, fathers and their kids are coming to the shows. I have families rocking up! It’s been really incredible”

When&Where: The Capital, Bendigo – March 12; Regent Multiplex, Ballarat – March 13; The Wool Exchange Entertainment Complex, Geelong – March 14; Live on the Lawn, Werribee – March 16

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BENDIGO [live review]

Path of Destruction, Greenthief, Arcane Saints & Chase the Ace Music Man Megastore, Bendigo – Saturday, February 22 written by Darlene Taylor

Given how reluctant audience members are to dance these days, it is probably unfair to say a gig’s success can be measured by the willingness of punters to break the no dancing code. For example, at a recent gig attendees stood around like statues on Easter Island even while the best act of the night delivered an exciting and energetic performance. Nevertheless, there was a vibe at the Music Man Megastore on 22 February 2014 that must bear some responsibility for people getting on the dance floor and moving in time to the music.

last year they have added another guitarist, and strengthened considerably as a result. Meanwhile, frontman Tom Liddall has developed more confidence in his physicality and the power of his vocals.

the big smoke too. Lending the night an indie rock feel, the trio pumped through tracks like ‘Gypsy’ with authority and an enthusiasm that perhaps came from playing for the first time in a town that came out in reasonable numbers to see them.

While they appeared to lose a bit of focus midway through their set, overall it was a tight presentation of songs such as ‘Call the Authorities’. The fivepiece outfit later joined with fellow Bendigonians Chase the Ace to close the night with a raucous cover of a heavy metal standard, although the stage struggled to house both bands at the same time.

Schweitzer is a charismatic lead singer/guitarist, while the bassist, who moved around the stage in the way only gangly guys can manage, helped provide the means to give their music a trippy and, at times, funky feel. While facing some competition, the band won the prize for the best band of the night (with the prize being this mention that they were best band of the night).

Before proceedings were handed over to a couple of bands from Melbourne, the night started with local heavy metal group Path of Destruction. Since seeing them play at Regional Roulette

The lead singer of Greenthief, Julian Schweitzer, noted that there were people in the audience doing more than standing around with their arms folded, which evidently is a common occurrence in

Given it is the promoter’s policy to always end gigs with a local act, headliners Arcane Saints were

Greenthief will return to Bendigo on 15 March as part of a tour in support of their album Voyage.

actually the penultimate act for the night. It was a clear, coherent and cohesive performance by the Melburnians that was bolstered by some great tunes and a wealth of experience. Chase the Ace probably bristles at references to their youth; however, it should be noted that the band is mostly made up of high school students including brother and sister Jack and Tara Crosbie. With a microphone that recalled radio mics of old, the band had lots of fun on stage with songs like ‘Massacre’, and continued their progression to a harder sound. Jack, lead singer/guitarist, is growing into the role of leader, although he is surely capable of using his rather formidable presence to greater effect. Incidentally, while it is debatable it is my contention that part of the reason for the “vibe” at the aforementioned venue is that it is a live music venue that sells alcohol, as opposed to a pub that puts on live bands.

What’s On in the Rat?

Thursday 6th March to Thursday 20th March written by Daniel Lock Good morning, good afternoon and good evening to all you beautiful live music supporters out there. There’ve been many great gigs to speak of this year already. I’ve just seen the last band on my short-term bucket list and it was every bit amazing as what I imagined. There’ve been big, well-advertised festivals and smaller, more locally advertised festivals enjoyed – and fortunately for us, it doesn’t look to be dying down anytime soon. So here is the spread for the next few weeks, and I believe there’ll easily be a couple of gigs anyone can enjoy. At the Babushka Bar on Friday the 7th of March, the acoustic singer-songwriter Carus Thompson will be gracing the stage, playing his country/folk tales for the Babushians. Entry $10. Saturday the 8th of March, the Karova Lounge will be hosting local Ballarat psychedelic rockers The Electric SunKings. After taking some time in February, they’re looking to come into March kicking and screaming with some fantastic venues and support gigs booked. Supporting TESK will be Waltz. Entry $6. Skip ahead to Thursday the 13th of March and Babushka Bar will have James Hickey on stage performing. The same day over at Karova they’re having a hip hop night with rhythms and rhymes being laid down by headlining artist Fatty Phew and supports MC Esvee and DJ Impede, Rex Mundi. Entry $10. Friday the 14th of March has local favourites Gus and Bags returning to Babushka Bar. Both guys have a long career on the Ballarat music scene and know a long list of catchy original tunes you’ll be singing to yourselves for days afterward. The same Friday at Karova sees the return of King of the North to Ballarat. These guys know how to rock a venue and come highly recommended by anyone who has had the good fortune to see them play (including yours truly). Supporting them will be Def Faux and Tartarus. Entry $10.

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Sunday, March 16th sees Babushka hosting an ‘Open Comedy Mic Night’. So if you see yourself as funny enough to try it on an audience get to Babushka and jot your name down for the line-up. Wednesday, March 19 th at Babushka Bar will see Christopher Coleman, Joe Oppenheimer and Birahny Lawrence playing for whoever is out to break up the monotony of the week on hump day. Entry $10. Thursday, March 20th Babushka will have Tom Dockray playing some bouncy tunes in the lead up to the weekend. And Karova Lounge’s Thursday 20th will have Baltimore Gun Club playing with Hipster Kill Team and Gonna Ball supporting. Well, that ends the wrap for the next fortnight. I hope you’ve caught some awesome gigs and festivals already this year. Always remember to support the local live acts as well. You might just be one of the lucky people who befriend a band that makes it big. Then YOU can legitimately say “I liked them before they were famous”.

Motor City Live N’ Local written by Tex Miller Without a doubt one of the coolest stages at any music festival is the Live and Local stage. If you’re a true festival head you will know that this stage holds the biggest chance to discovering your new local artist. With Motor City Music Festival ramping up at the Showgrounds tomorrow and certain to show Geetroit how to rock, the purpose of this article is to give you the buzz on the great local acts showcasing over the weekend. During the course of the three-day festival, 16 artists (both bands and soloists) will showcase their talents throughout the Education pavilion, showing that there is a plethora of talent throughout Geelong and the region. On the Friday night, the bill features local blues legend Alister Turrill, who has been wowing audiences all around Australia with his lap steel guitar. Releasing his debut album entitled Resonance and Reverence last year, a heavy twelve months of touring has allowed Turrill to refine his stage show and become one of the most acclaimed young performers today. Like all of the artists performing over the weekend, Turrill feels that this Live and Local showcase, as well as Motor City, will have huge benefits for the Geelong entertainment industry. “Having the opportunity to get up alongside Wayne Jury and Brooklyn Blue and showcase my stuff is great. Motor City has been a long time coming for Geelong, and I think that Hugo has got the show rockin’ and exactly right with who he has programmed,” Turrill said. On the Saturday, there is a lot of different variety around, kicking off with Ocean Grove local John Willard at 12:30

p.m. MBAS Youth in Blues participant Jarrod Shaw is set to let loose after John, and after being put on to this local lad by Wayne Jury, I heavily suggest that you check this kid’s talents. Having played on the Bendigo Blues Tram, he channels a sound that is somewhere between Eric Bibb, Lloyd Spiegel and Geoff Achison.

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Local music mentor and creator of the Blues Boot Camp workshops, Wayne Jury, who also co-curated the stage, feels that one of the main aspects to maintaining a thriving music scene is giving the local artists a chance to showcase their talents. “We have a good music scene in Geelong and I think that the best way to ensure that for years to come is giving the local artists and the next generation a foot in the door, and that is what the live and local is all about.”

Looking for talented singers, male and female, who would like to collaborate and record on a project for submission to labels. We are coming close to completion of the 31 track demo and are looking for people who can sing (all styles) to contribute to certain tracks, please don’t hesitate to call for more information. Call Matt on 0468 632 012

Midway through the Saturday programming, Music Victoria is set to run a panel discussion on career development in the local industry. If you’re wanting to gig and get your name heard in the industry, there’s no better way to start than by heading to this panel. With expert advice from the likes of Screaming Jets guitarist and all round good guy Jimi Hocking and Motor City founder Hugo T., there is certainly something there for everyone to take something away from. Having just played shy of fifty gigs in 2013 and recently been snapped up by a major agent, The Kite Machine are set to storm the stage on Saturday night. Frontman Levi Anderson had this to say about their performance ahead of their live DVD being released in March: “Anything that helps real local musicians make their noise heard by real people with music loving ears gets a tick in our books. Come on down to Motor City and check out what Geelong has to offer!”

Drummer Available - Geelong. 20 years + live experience to play in a working/near working band. I have pro equipment & transport. Can play a range of styles from Rock, Blues, Jazz & Funk. Please contact Matt on 0404 543 416 or email mattgroove@gmail.com

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when&where: Motor City Music Festival, Geelong Showgrounds - March 7 to 9

Drummer Wanted for original punk rock band around Ballarat. Influences include NOFX, The Offspring, Millencolin and AC/ DC. If you enjoy jumping around and making noise - phone 0417566478 Lead Guitarist with Vocal Ability wanted for a 70’s/80’s Cover Band. Age: 30 -35++. must be reliable. Gigs waiting. Contact Phil: 0410465634 or 0352758691 Guitarist & Keyboard Player Wanted for pop/rock originals band. Looking for experienced musicians who can also sing harmonies,

are easygoing and reliable. Contact Phil 0421 901 530 www. zeffamusic.com 30ish year old trumpet player, looking to form or play in jazz group. Ballarat area. Contact Mel 0435360076 19yo Male singer looking for funk/ rock musicians: Want similar aged guys who like Led Zeppelin, Hendrix, Beatles, and ANYTHING funky bass! i love ANY music prior to 1950s all the way back to classical and beyond! I also play trumpet, Contact Sam 0407 347 444 Lead Guitarist, Bass Player and Vocalist are looking for an experienced drummer to complete a Geelong based Blues/ Rock outfit. Influences include : Jimi Hendrix, Cream, The Doors, Pink Floyd, John Lee Hooker, Van Morrison, Black Keys, Ash Grunwald, Stevie Ray Vaughan etc... Also have originals to develop together as well. If interested contact - Craig: 0404 054 045 or email transform_pt@ yahoo.com.au Screaming Vocalist wanted for metalcore band. Vocalist required between the ages of about 17 - 19. Live experience not necessary. Influences include Parkway Drive and August Burns Red. Email andyw14@live.com.au

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Fatty Phew Within every city there is one name that springs to mind when it comes to rap/hip hop. That’s not to say theirs is a lone name in the game, but due to talent (and a share of hard work), theirs is a name highly regarded. For Geelong, that name is Fatty Phew, and we were lucky enough to share a little Q & A with him. For those people out there who don’t know who you are (very few I would suggest), can you please introduce yourself and specify your craft? Name is Fatty Phew and I am the real Mayor of Geelong, haha. Nah, I guess you can say I am a songwriter/performer, but most people know me as an MC/rapper. It’s been a minute since we have caught up with you. What has been going on over the last year or so? I have recently just come off a brief hiatus of music to focus more on working and fatherhood, and I put a lot of energy the past couple of years working with a lot of different artists on their shit and learning other sides of the bizzo like filmmaking. Recently I stepped back in and gone hard to finish the third instalment to the Best Things in Life series… and I am pumped to be back to music.

believe I have grown into. I’ve brought on some new heads on this one too. Got Bwiv, Alter Ego, Spit and Dan Murphy beats, DJ Immaculate on the 1’s and 2’s, and a burners from Flu (aka Fluent Form) and Maund. I also got some beautiful vocals from local girl Steph Chang and some gritty vocals by well-known bluesman Pugsley Buzzard. For an EP, there is a lot of depth in here. Most artists are loath to give away their material. What is the philosophy behind the free EPs? Fans that love my shit will always wanna give their hard-earned for the music, so that option is there. But there is people out there that wouldn’t usually go into their pocket and pay to listen to my music. But if it’s there for free they will click it and grab it, and maybe that way I might make a few new fans. It’s also given back for all the dubbed tapes and burnt discs, haha! Forte has noticed you have just launched news of a national headliner tour – your first. We are also led to believe this whole tour is self-managed. That must be a massive undertaking?!

You are back again this coming month with the third instalment of the ‘Best Things in Life are Free’ series. Can you tell us a bit about this EP?

Massive! Musos aren’t built for ringing and promoting shows, I don’t think, haha! But, I am happy I have done it this way for my first. I have gotten a chance to see the time and effort it takes to build a venture like this. It will definitely give good basis for future tours when I pay someone else to do it, haha!

I always wanted to make it a trilogy – the best series are always trilogies! I wanted the series to be a growing experience and the third one definitely shows the growth. This one is definitely the “me” I

Whilst it’s been a number of years since your last full-length release, you are always working. What features and bits and pieces have you been working on lately?

I don’t think there is a single rapper in this country that has featured on as many and a variety of shit that I have …don’t know if that’s a good thing!? Everyone from Funkoars, Rates, Deece, City Wide, Strike Won, Autism… and that’s just in the past six months! You have been running a comp to put up-andcoming support acts on your shows. What was the inspiration behind that? Have you uncovered anyone dope through the process? I have been checking a few that have been interested and some have been crazy good. I find that it’s the people that have everything to be grateful for that end up putting the most amount of energy into their craft. This way, it gives those that usually don’t have the opportunity the chance. I’m as keen to watch these sets as I am sure they are to perform it. It reminds me of where I came from. What hip hop are you listening to at the moment? It changes all the time. The albums I have been playing lately are Pusha T, Split Prophets, Underachievers, Chino XL, Joey Bada$$, Meyhem Lauren. I also cannot stop playing Plan B’s Ill Manors (favourite album ever I think). There has been talk about an LP for some time now. What are the plans there? Is it going to be more ‘Best things in Life are Free’ for the foreseeable future, or do you think you will step to another LP at some stage soon? This is it for EPs. I am going to put all three onto the one disc in the very near future, with maybe a

When&Where: The Barwon Club, Geelong – March 8; The Karova, Ballarat – March 13; Yahoo Bar, Shepparton – May 14; The Newmarket, Bendigo – March 15. few bonus cuts. After that, it’s the LP finally. I have some very exciting news regarding the LP, and what is going on with it that I will be letting everyone know soon. Exciting shit! People from Geelong should know, but in case they don’t, why should people get along to your gig at the BC, The New Market or the Karova in March? You want to see a picture perfect performance choreographed and rehearsed a million times? Don’t come to the shows. You want to see a group of people who are passionate about what they do and love every second of it? I’ll see you there! Anything else? As always, thanks to the street press magazine that supports the music scene! See you at the BC – come say what up and share with us! P.

Boom Crash Opera written by Tex Miller

When I mention to Peter Farnan that Boom Crash Opera is in fact back, he has a little chuckle himself and then admits that it is a welcome return to the stage for the band. “I think that we were away for long enough. When we went into rehearsals and I turned on my VOX AC-30, the dust burnt off the valves. I can only speak in clichés, which obviously doesn’t help for the press, but it’s like riding a bike. It’s like opening up Tutankhamun’s tomb and there’s a party going on inside. We are a lot older and we can control the energy on stage better,” Farnan said in the lead up to the tour and their upcoming Motor City Music Festival performance on the Sunday night. The tour, which kicked off on the 22nd of February, is an extensive run of shows, which sees them doing a lap of the country and also features some Day on the Green performances with Jimmy Barnes. Although quite a few years have passed since the band last took to the road, Farnan is happy and looking forward to getting back out amongst the scene. “It’s not like the old days where we were playing six nights a week and having a day off here or there. We head out and play a weekend here or there and fly between cities and gigs. In terms of a logistical sense, although we are playing in some far-flung places, all I have to do is pack an overnight bag and my guitar. There are no loading concert rigs into pubs anymore and the sound quality of the performances is a hell of a lot better than it was in the eighties and nineties. “This tour is about us celebrating what we have done

and the fact that we can still put it on. We sound exactly like we did back in the day – and the live show is just as electric.” On the back of this tour, the band has just released a greatest hits album The Best Things as well as a four album box set, which evolved from the outtakes of their previous five studio albums. “There was a lot of great material from our old record sessions and the record company didn’t do anything with them, so they have just sat there in a vault. It’s like a new Boom Crash Opera album, out twenty years after the last one. There’s b-sides and a whole heap of different things to keep everybody satisfied. Just for shits and giggles, we recorded some new songs and hey presto! here you have two new tracks to our greatest hits,” Farnan said. On the back of their infamous sound, Boom Crash Opera is headed to Geelong and are excited about hitting the stage at Motor City. “There are shows on this tour in which we will play the b-sides as well as the classics. Coming to Geelong is about playing to a big crowd in an open space, and we aren’t precious about it. We want people to connect with us and not be misconstrued by what we are doing. Expect the hits and get ready to have a boogie!”

When&Where: Motor City Music Festival, Geelong Showgrounds - March 7-9

Saskwatch written by Natalie Rogers

We’ve all heard the stories and the legendary tales, and this Saturday we have a chance to catch the phenomenon first-hand. No, I’m not talking about the large, hairy mythological creature. I’m delighted to announce that Melbourne’s own soul sensation Saskwatch will be appearing at Melbourne Zoo as part of the Twilights Series. “We’re so happy we’ve been asked to play!” admitted the congenial trumpet playing virtuoso Liam McGorry. “We’ve never played the series before and I think it’ll be a great experience.” On March 7 the sizzling nine-piece will be joined by retro-soul singer Charles Bradley – and the honour is not lost on McGorry. “We’ve been fans of Charles Bradley forever. We’re stoked to finally play a show with him, and hopefully I’ll get a chance to meet him.” The chance to meet a hero is not the only exciting event on the horizon for Saskwatch, with the release of their swinging new single, ‘Born to Break Your Heart’, revealed as just a taste of what’s to come from the upcoming LP. Nose Dive is the follow-up to their critically acclaimed debut, Leave It All Behind (2012). “The new one is definitely a representation of the album, so hopefully everyone likes it. We’ve been writing and working on this release for almost two and a half years. All that hard work culminated in a three-week recording session in November last year. “We were invited up to Queensland to work with [established Aussie producer] Magoo. It was a really awesome experience and a total change for us – last

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time we only had days to record our album! More time was a luxury, and we learnt heaps while we were there, too.” Liam told me that Nose Dive is scheduled for release around the 11th of April and that they couldn’t be happier with the result. “We’re all in a really good mindset at the moment. We’ve been playing together for a fair while now. We met at Uni and it’s just been a natural process. We’re are all very different, but we come together so well.” Saskwatch fortified their cult following after winning a sought-after residency at The Cherry Bar, Melbourne’s inner-city live music mecca founded by former Cosmic Psychos drummer Bill Walsh. If the last few years are any indication, Saskwatch are destined for big things, and it seems that the rest of the world has taken notice. Their touring resume includes a rigorous series of shows at The Edinburgh Fringe, Spain’s Black is Back and the world’s biggest music festival, Glastonbury. “We’d love to get back to the UK this year. We’ve been there twice in the last two years and going back with the new album, that’ll be great … Hopefully later on this year. “In the meantime, besides Zoo Twilight we’ve got more one-off shows leading up to the album release, and we’re playing at WOMADelaide as well.” If you miss out on the fun this weekend, Liam promises a full-scale album tour in May or June – so stay tuned.

When&Where: Melbourne Zoo – March 7

hardcore punks Hopes Abandoned for an insane show at the Brunswick Hotel. Forte territory represent, yo! The Murderballs and The Fckups round out the bill! Geoff Kresge has parted ways with Tiger Army, citing the bands’ inactivity as his primary reason for quitting. The band hasn’t put out a new record since 2007’s Music From Regions Beyond, and stopped touring in 2008, so his frustration is totally understandable. The band has obviously lost a LOT of monentum, so we’ll just have to wait and see if frontman Nick 13 gets sick of being a solo artist and gives Tiger Army another shot...

written by chris cruz

We’re slowly getting closer to the April 8 release date for OFF!’s brand new album, Wasted Years. It features the first single Void You Out, and will be epic. The always epic Bayside have finally dropped their brand new album, Cult, through independent heavyweights Hopeless Records. Eleven new songs to hold us over til the NEXT album! AFI copyists Energy have released a seven song tribute EP to The Misfits, cleverly titled, erm, A Tribute To The Misfits. No, I am NOT making this up. New Jersey emo/pop-punk pioneers Midtown are reuniting to perform at this years’ Skate And Surf Festival. Here’s hoping they tour! March 28 sees Ballarat Ramonescore heroes The Savages team up with Geelong/Melbourne

Andrew Seward (Human Parts, ex Against Me!) now hosts his own web series. For reals! It’s called Sound Off, and will focus on live in-studio performances by hardcore bands. How cool is that? Already lined up for screen time: Deafheaven, OFF!, Youth Code and Rotting Out! New Jersey Emo rock combo (how many of them ARE there?!) Taking Back Sunday are also back in business with their brand new album, Happiness Is. It’s out through Hopeless Records on March 18. Los Angeles Pop-punk veterens The Muffs are readying the release of their first new studio album in a decade! Yes, it’s been TEN YEARS since they dropped Really Really Happy! It’ll also be their first record for new label Burger Records. Weezer will spend the month of April playing a string of club dates around the US following a free show at Univeral Studios on March 29. The bands’ ninth studio album (ninth!) is due later in the year. It seems like just yesterday that they vanished up their own bums in the wake of the release of their ground breaking second album, Pinkerton album. They’ll never top it, but kudos to them for persevering! Local bands, if you have anything to plug, I’m always down to promote your events and projects! Keep people in the loop, itll be good for you - true story! Get in touch! Until next time, boils and ghouls, stay cool. Seriously, its been crazy hot lately!

BLUES NEWS

Le Monde Entier - T r av e l Colu m n written by Madelin Baldwin

I thought there was nothing more fitting than writing my first piece about my favourite place in the world: Paris. Why is it my favourite? Get comfy, and let me tell you about just a small snippet of wonderful and amazing things you can see and do there. To start off with, arguably the most famous landmark in France, if not the world, is Le Tour de Eiffel, or the Eiffel Tower. No matter how many times I re-visit this city, this spectacular 324-metre high piece of iron never fails to take my breath away. The best time to go and visit it is undeniably at night, when she’s lit up with a multitude of colours, flashing and showing off for the tourists. You can buy a chocolate crepe from one of the many surrounding vendors and sit on a park bench almost underneath and revel in her glory, or you can pay the 14 Euros and take the elevator straight to the very top! There are three different levels of the Eiffel Tower, two of which can be walked up (it is an abundance of stairs, and not for the faint-hearted), and you can look around Paris and see for miles. Up on the top floor, you can purchase an enormously overpriced (plastic) glass of Champagne and pretend you are one rich, elegant lady. If you’re lucky enough to go there in winter, not only are the queues shorter, but Paris turns into a winter wonderland and you can head on back down the ground level and grab yourself a steaming cup of mulled wine to wander the streets with. After this, if you’re ready for another vertical adventure, find your way to the Arc de Triomphe. I’ve been to Paris many times before, but had only climbed this on my most recent visit in December – I couldn’t believe it took me so long! Yes, it is a harder task as there are no elevators and the stairs and narrow and windy, but once you reach the top-floor, it is absolutely worth it. An overhead view of the Arc de Triomphe shows you that all of the streets radiate away from it, like the Arc is the body of a spider and the streets are the legs. When you’re on top, you can see down on all of the

The history of the blues is packed with women who made a lasting impact on the music. Early on, many of them straddled blues, jazz and soul. Hardly surprising – get three blues addicts in a room and you’ll get four definitions of ‘blues’. The first recording of a blues singer was Mamie Smith, who recorded ‘Crazy Blues’ in 1920. Ma Rainey and Memphis Minnie, an amazing guitarist, were also early singers. Bessie Smith is probably one of the best known from that era. Big Mama Thornton made an impression in more ways than one.

list; they’re just the ones that came to mind when writing this. It’s not even exhaustive of the local blues scene, so no conversations will be entered into. It’s part of the richness of the blues scene that there are so many. If you search in the usual places for information about these women, you will find young ones starting out, mature musicians and vocalists who perform regularly in Australia and overseas, award winners, Indigenous singers and recent arrivals to Australia. Some create their own music and lyrics; others rely on their interpretation of blues standards. Anyhow, you don’t need to take my word for the quality. Sleepy Hollow Blues Club is having a double-header at their venue on March 23rd – Chubby Rae & the Elevators, followed by Sweet Felicia and the Honeytones. Iseula Hingano – vocals Stevie Paige – guitar Chubby Rae (Marisa Quigley) – vocals

If you want to listen to one of the most amazing blues singers, search for Sister Rosetta Tharpe on YouTube. The sheer energy of her performances has to be seen to be believed. There’s a video of her and her Gibson Les Paul SG custom playing a gospel number at youtube. com/watch?v=JeaBNAXfHfQ and the image of this woman, hammering it out, with a full robedup gospel choir behind her, is mind-boggling.

Sweet Felicia – bass guitar, vocals

Billie Holiday is one of my favourites, and if you don’t think she is blues, have a listen to ‘Gloomy Sunday’, otherwise known as the suicide song. Definitely not career suicide though: this song has been covered by Marianne Faithfull, Bjork and Sarah Brightman. The legend says it has caused more than 100 suicide cases since its release in 1933, supposedly including the composer and his wife. It made the front page headline of NY Times in 1939.

Eva Bell – vocals

Now, below are listed some Australian women in the blues scene. It’s not an exhaustive

Sandy Brady – bass

Sarah Carroll – Ukulele Queen of the Bellerine Fiona Boyes – guitar, vocals Syvana Doolan – vocals Georgina de Leon – vocals Robyn Green – vocals Olive McGuiness - vocals Renée Geyer – vocals Sonia Valenti – vocals, alto saxophone Kerri Simpson – vocalist Andrea Marr – vocalist Jessey Jackson – vocals, guitar Andrea Nordon – drums Erica Graf – guitar Rebecca Davey – vocals

The Arc is also the centre of a hugely busy roundabout, the best way to enter is an underground passage accessed from the other side of the road. If you have had your site-seeing/adventure fix for the day, you’ve walked the streets and bought your mini Eiffel Tower key rings, stuffed your face with chocolate crepes and attempted to speak a little French at a restaurant, then I suggest you jump on a train in the direction of the village of Versailles. This is where Marie Antoinette lived, and is not to be missed on any visit to France. No words can do this huge Château justice, with an inside tour showing you the ancient colour coordinated rooms in pastels that you rarely lay eyes on these days. And the grounds, well, they are something else. It can take over an hour to walk from one side to the other, and as opposed to the Eiffel Tower, this is something better seen in summer! The ginormous green trees and a huge lake with a feisty goose that might just peck your fingers for a taste of your pastry!

written by PAUL S TAYLOR

written by John (Dr John) Lamp

So, for my first lyric poem addressing the blues, I thought I’d stir some reaction by talking about women in the blues, and list a few Australian blues women that we can rightly be proud of. This should bring a torrent of abuse for not including the favourites of most readers. What can I say? I’ll always take the medicine. Oh, and start your own web page listing and commenting on them!

It’s pretty spectacular down on the main floor as well, as the Arc is a monument to all of the fallen French soldiers and their names and the battles they fought at inscribed in every pillar. There is an eternal flame and a tomb for an Unknown Soldier beneath it.

TOO HEAVY TO HUG

Presented by The Sleepy Hollow Blues Club

"Women in the Blues"

streets individually, including the Champs-Élysées, and get a heap of different snapshots of Paris.

Welcome to THTH, Forte’s premier source of all things heavy, hard, fast and metal.

idea we probably would never have used in early days, but it’s not really what we’re after.’

In case you didn’t hear, Joey Jordison has left Slipknot. Shortly after the departure a statement was released suggesting he decided to leave. Then I saw a lead for an article stating Joey didn’t decide to leave. Intriguing…

‘Yeah, we’re more existential now, not so much angry,’ Shawn chimed in.

So, in a world first Forte exclusive, THTH will continue to dissect the goings-on behind the scenes in the Slipknot camp in the only way we know how: speculation. This is THTH’s Holiday Joey Departs Slipknot Fanfic. Part V A couple of days later, Monte and Slipknot met up again at the New York rehearsal space. Monte clutched an exercise book that was adorned with Slipknot stickers. The guys sat in the rehearsal room. Monte opened his exercise book; the first few pages he flicked through were grey lead sketches of the members of Slipknot and their masks. ‘I just needed some inspiration to write some lyrics,’ Monte explained after seeing the looks on their faces. ‘Here’s an idea, how about a song called Die All’. It goes like this.’ He began, then cleared his throat and continued, ‘When this world is f*cked up, and you’re f*cked up, you’ve sucked up and up and lucked out and out, all you wanna do is shout die all...,’ his singing voice a poor effort to sound like Corey; and the last two words were growled, also poorly. The guys looked at each other, then back at Monte. ‘Wow, that shit is wicked. It’s exactly the sort of shit we’d do,’ Sid said. Monte smiled, his confidence boosted exponentially. ‘No, wait,’ Corey began, ‘it’s not what we’re after at all. It might have been a draft to an

‘Are you all stupid?’ Joey yelled, his booming voice filling the rehearsal room. ‘This guy is a total jerk. His lyrics are shit. His bass skills are shit – probably. He’s a dickhead and it’s no surprise he lost his job. I don’t like him. I know none of us like him...’ ‘...I like him...,’ Sid interrupted. ‘…and I don’t know why we’re wasting our time here,’ Joey finished. ‘You’re right, Joey,’ Monte began, looking down at the ground with his confidence gone. ‘I just thought we were all friends and don’t friends help each other out? Kinda like Bob Rock helped out Metallica...’ ‘Here he goes again with Bob Rock,’ Joey said, then yelled, ‘Monte, you’re not Bob Rock. You’re not even Monte Rock, because you don’t rock!’ Silence filled the room; Monte now deflated more than ever. After a few minutes of silence Monte stood up and declared, ‘I’m going to be in this band and we all know it. If all you didn’t want me here then you wouldn’t have come and you all wouldn’t keep meeting me like this. I know you all know this deep down. I just need to figure out what it is I can do. I used to play drums when I was younger, or maybe I could do percussion and Shawn you could go on bass, but hey, these are just ideas.’ After that Monte left the room, with Slipknot left to consider their position. To be concluded... If you have any news about local metal bands, shows or albums, let THTH know by emailing to tooheavytohug@hotmail.com or get in touch via Twitter at @TooHeavyToHug

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arts news from around town – and beyond! NEXT TO NORMAL

ETCH GALLERY AND STUDIOS – Exhibition Program

GALLERY ON STURT Selected works from the studio of Antonio Balletta & Hand Made Books by Glynis Bryden

Full of humour and heart, but with a storyline that socks you in the gut, Next to Normal is an award-winning rock musical brought to you by Doorstep Arts.   Internationally-acclaimed actress Natalie O’Donnell leads an outstanding cast as Diana, a mother whose bipolar disorder fractures her picture-perfect family unit.   Poignant lyrics and a Tonywinning musical score traverse an emotional wilderness, exploring the issues of mental illness and its ensuing social stigma; drug abuse, grief and loss. A confronting and ultimately rewarding musical journey, Next to Normal challenges us to ask the question ‘what is normal anyway?’    The superb cast features some of Australia’s finest musical theatre talent including O’Donnell, Mark Dickinson (Dan), Zoy Frangos (Dr Madden/Dr Fine), Brent Trotter (Gabe), Kiane O’Farrell (Natalie)and Clay Roberts (Henry). Directed by Darylin Ramondo with musical direction by Trevor Jones - recipient of the 2011 Brian Stacey Award for Emerging Australian Conductors.

IMAGINED LANDSCAPES Bianca Brant; Solo exhibition.   On now until Feb 18. Bianca Brant paints in a visual language that is bright, rhythmic and improvised. This collection of new work examines the romantic notion of the individual artist working in the landscape.

WHERE: GPAC. Little Malop Street, Geelong. WHEN: March 14-15 & 19-22 @ 8pm.

Balletta works in a variety of media, large graphite drawings, oil paintings and bronze sculpture. He creates compositions or settings that generate poetic images that leave traces and balance on the edge of recognition and the subconscious. His works appear as dreamlike images in which fiction and reality meet, meanings shift and the present fuses. His art entices us into its world through optimism for life’s journey. Balletta was shortlisted for the inaugural Rick Amor Drawing Prize (2010.) Glynis Bryden says, “I started making books for my own use but was quickly lead down the path of selling as people saw my creations and wanted to buy them. I am a little addicted to beautiful art quality and decorative papers and continue to collect reams of it as I stumble across retailers here and there. Matched this with my love of natural materials, I search second hand shops and tanneries, fairs and fete’s for beautiful discarded leather items and lovingly give new life to them as cover for my books. I use many materials in my book binding–some new, some recycled-each book is handmade by me in my Ballarat studio and is unique – no two books will ever be the same.” WHERE: Gallery on Sturt. 421 Sturt Street, Ballarat. WHEN: Until April 30. INFO: www.galleryonsturt.com.au

INFO: www.gpac.org.au TIX: 5225 1200.

CALL ME Rachel Hanlon; Solo Exhibition.   On now until Feb 18. Rachel’s installation work explores what happens when an object, once significant to a whole generation as a technological device, has passed its intended purpose and use?

EX LIBRIS – The book in contemporary art IMPRINT Robyn Mackay; Solo Exhibition.   Feb 19 to Mar 11. IMPRINT is a selection of woodcut, mono prints, drawings and paintings by Robyn Mackay, talented local artist, accomplished printmaker and creator of Geelong’s newest artist-run space: ETCH Gallery and Studios. WHERE: Etch Gallery and Studios. 215 Moorabool Street, Geelong. WHEN: Various dates until March 11. INFO: www.etchgalleryandstudios.com

CREATE FROM A CRATE – Backspace Gallery, Ballarat Create from a Crate is an innovative competition aimed to promote recycling and waste reduction. The aim of the competition is to promote the re-use of waste timber that is currently going to landfill. The competition focuses particularly on post-industrial timber packaging waste. Each year 500,000 tonnes of timber waste is disposed of in Victoria. Much of this timber waste is packaging waste in the form of pallets, crates and boxes. Often imported pallets are made of exotic timber species and much of this timber has the potential to be recycled into new and value added products. The competition provides the incentive for individual wood designers and crafts people to design and construct functional or artistic objects from the timbers available from these pallets. Come and be amazed at what can be created from a crate, at the exhibition of objects at the Backspace Gallery. WHERE: Backspace Gallery. Ballarat  Huyghue House, Alfred Deakin Place, 15 Camp Street, Ballarat. WHEN: Feb 27-March 16. Open ThursSun 12-4pm. INFO: www.wasteconverters.com.au

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LORNE SCULPTURE BIENNALE 2014  Showcasing over 100 sculptors including performance art projects, Sculpturscape installations, workshops and community projects, which encompasses the diversity of contemporary sculpture. Guided tours are available led by curator Julie Collins, by arrangement from March 14 to March 30. Tailor-made packages can be arranged that will include a guided tour, a catalogue of the exhibition and a delicious luncheon at one of Lorne’s delightful restaurants/cafes.   Perfect for a full day in the beautiful coastal seaside town of Lorne.  The three-week event spanning four weekends includes the main attraction, the Sculpture Trail, where 41 major, permanent sculptures will be presented along the beautiful coastline from Lorne Pier to the Erskine River.

New and existing works by eight contemporary artists who use the physical form of the book as inspiration. Each artist manipulates the book form, re-purposing and investing new life in publications at a time when the relevance and future of the printed book is questioned.   Chris Bond paints new covers for paperback novels in a trompe l’oeil fashion; Penelope Davis makes silicon molds of old volumes to create luminous photograms; Danny Digby photographs the endpapers and due date slips of library books; with reference to cartography; Nicholas Jones carves the form of remote islands into the covers and pages of books; Aliza Levi photographs the spines of books that reveal early attitudes towards Australia’s Indigenous population; Tom Nicholson photographs title pages and juxtaposes these in compelling ways; Patrick Pound’s archival-based installation brings together publications with references to lightness and darkness; and Kylie Stillman carves detailed forms into stacked paperbacks. Geelong Gallery Curator, Lisa Sullivan said, ‘Books are such tactile and evocative objects—from their feel, weight, smell to their texts, design and imagery. In the hands of the eight exhibiting artists, a range of publications are transformed into creative works in their own right.  Each of the artists imaginatively responds to and uses a different part of a publication— from paperback and hardback covers, title pages, sheets, endpapers, the spine, the fore edge, or the volume in its entirety. As part of the creative process, each artist searches for, acquires, and transforms books reinforcing that the physical form of the published book will always have a significance and relevance, additional to the texts, ideas and narratives it contains.” WHERE: Geelong Gallery, Little Malop Street, Geelong.

PORTRAITS OF ARTISTS – Steve Salo LANDSCAPES – Clive Sinclair Geelong artist Steve Salo found inspiration in artists through history while creating an exciting series of paintings for his upcoming exhibition:  Portraits of Artists. Portraiture can reflect as much about the painter as the subject as we find ourselves looking at the artist in the eye of his subjects. Concurrently, in Clive Sinclair’s exhibition Landscapes, atmospheric light and quiet moods typify Sinclair’s minimalist and expressive paintings. Sinclair paints with attitude and an economy of gesture that evokes the essence of landscape.

WHEN: February 22-May 25. INFO: www.geelonggallery.org.au PHONE: 5229 3645.

WHERE: Metropolis Gallery, 64 Ryrie Street, Geelong. WHEN: March 1-15.

PICTURED: Nicholas Jones. Reflections in the Sea (Possession Island) (detail). 2013.

INFO: www.metropolisgallery.com.au PHONE: 5221 6505.

WHERE: Various venues around Lorne on the Surf Coast. WHEN: March 8-30. INFO: wwwlornesculpture.com

Have an arts event coming? Let us know about it! Email Luke on luke@fortemag.com.au

Arts Advisory Panel written by Amanda Sherring photos by daniel longo

It’s not very often that young people get access to a huge organisation, let alone the chance to curate a whole year’s worth of events, but that’s just what being on the Arts Advisory Panel at Courthouse ARTS is all about. This will be the program’s third year, which has produced such events as the New Year’s Revolution [now NYR], the New Wilderness, various arts workshops, the Geelong Fringe Festival and more. As an organisation, Courthouse ARTS is there to nurture and educate emerging artists whilst creating a place for young people’s voices to be heard. This time last year, past AAP member Soraya Mobayad jumped at the opportunity, realising that it wasn’t a position that came up every day. “When I heard about an opportunity to be involved in creating, planning and running arts events I immediately signed up to find out more,” she says. “I saw it as an

incredible opportunity and one that doesn’t just fall into your lap so easily.” Previous AAP members have reached each corner of the arts world, with graphic designers, playwrights and musicians being among the many who have helped to create such wonderful events. And these events are by no means confined to the walls of the iconic Courthouse ARTS building. The organisation has paired up with other groups to present amazing events like the Blokes Day Out, Pako Festa and various others. The opportunity is really about taking it as far as your mind will let you, with the greatest reward getting to see your own idea come to fruition and the trust put in you to deliver it. “Being given so much trust as a young person within an organisation is rare,” Soraya says. As an artist, Soraya sought joy in creating

visual events where everyone could get involved. She looked back on the New Wilderness as her favourite event from the year, in which she played a pivotal role in creating. “Enabling others to create brings me joy, and the absolutely ethereal and sublime experiences we had working together and taking part in the festival workshops was utterly rewarding,” Soraya says. The AAP experience isn’t just about creating some fun events for you and your friends. It also gives you lifelong skills that will come in handy when you enter the big bad world and life gets serious. Possibly the biggest thing Soraya learnt from her time with Courthouse ARTS is the mammoth amount that she was capable of achieving. “I have been surprised by what I am able to do when I have committed to a project. I have learnt that you have to ask for what you want and go and get it, because nobody is going to simply hand it to you,” she says. “What you gain directly correlates to what you give and how much you are willing to compromise with others.”

Courthouse ARTS is looking for a new bunch of young creatives to join their team. So if you’re under 26 and have some great ideas and want to take part in an amazing opportunity, email Chelsea at youtharts@ courthouse.org.au for more information.

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Supermodel of the World and high-profile drag queen extraordinaire RuPaul has unveiled her long-player Born Naked, a high energy collection of 10 (mostly) thumping tracks that take the formula of Ru’s previous sounds and elevates them to the standards of today. Featuring a slew of guest stars (RuPaul’s Drag Race judge Michelle Visage, electro-pop king Frankmusik, living legend and all-time-icon Martha Bloody Wash and rap royalty Big Freedia, to name a few), the album peaks with the stunning ‘Sissy that Walk’, a high-octane track that sounds like it could have made a killer Girls Aloud single, and a song whose construction is meticulously crafted yet completely bonkers in its conviction. Full of inspirational and affirmational (er…) lyrics, the best appear on the aforementioned ‘Sissy that Walk’ where Ru echoes her mother’s ultimate manifesto about being spoken about behind one’s back: “Don’t forget what my mamma said: People talkin’, since the beginning of time. Unless they payin’ your bills, pay them bitches no mind.” In the immortal words of RuPaul herself, Born Naked is available now on iTunes.

General Admission tickets total to around $170 – the same as they were for the Born This Way Ball. Of the newer style ticket offerings, the ‘Early Entry’ package – which entitles the bearer early entry to the venue prior to others with a General Admission ticket – comes in at just under $400, whilst the Holy Grail of the Meet and Greet packages – called The ARTPOP Zone – secures you a specialised “elevated” seat ON THE ACTUAL STAGE, rather than in front of it, which certainly sounds extremely innovative and the kind of spectacle that only Gaga could promise. On top of all that, you also get cocktails with Gaga in an intimate setting afterward and a professional photograph taken of you with the singer. At time of print all tickets across Australia have sold out, but we predict several more dates will be added in the coming weeks. Naturally, being your Local One-StopShop on all things Gaga, we’ll keep you posted.

“ Why I pretended to be a man for 6 years in order to have sex with Casey Donovan – The Olga Story coming to a cinema near you.” @mikewassmusic casually mentions one of the feature-bits of our mixtape this week...

GAGA’S ARTRAVE

All Australian dates for this monumental concert event have SOLD OUT – expect additional dates to be added in the coming weeks.

MELODIFESTIVALEN

HIT

Written by Adem Ali

RUPAUL RETURNS

LADY GAGA AND THE ARTRAVE

CATFISH: THE CASEY DONOVAN STORY

American pop songstress Lady Gaga has announced she is returning to Australia in August for her much anticipated ArtRave: The ARTPOP Ball tour. The tour will kick off in August, with most of the shows for the first-released dates selling out nationwide within minutes. This will mark Gaga’s first trip back to Australia after 2012’s hugely successful Born This Way Ball tour, in which she impressively sold out four shows at Melbourne’s Rod Laver Arena. The album of the same title fared reasonably well in this country, but as has been proven once more with the quick-sell of the ARTPOP Ball tickets, album sales (or a lack of them) don’t necessarily equate to big ticket sales. Aussies love going to pop gigs, and Gaga has established herself as a killer live act in the two grand-scale tours and two promotional tours she has brought to this country. Regardless of whether the music buying public are ‘over’ what Gaga has to bring to their record stores, they WILL fork money out to see her live. This time around Gaga’s offering her little monsters more variety in way of ticket packages: some tickets in the seated areas are priced at under $100, whilst your

Australian Idol winner and sometime-celebrity Casey Donovan has broken her silence on a six-year ordeal involving a fake engagement and a crazy, lesbian stalker named Olga. Spilling the beans to New Idea Magazine, Donovan explained she was in a relationship with a man for almost six years, only to discover the man who she’d been conversing with for all these years was actually a woman named Olga. Casey even admitted to having sex with Olga at her fake-hubby’s request, claiming to have felt “dirty” and “used” after the event. The story reads in a complicated fashion and feels like there is perhaps ‘something missing’ from the overall narrative, but poor Donovan has put the prolonged Catfish experience down to having low self-esteem. So low that she was beside herself to hear somebody tell her they loved her. It’s a sad, tragic story, but it certainly makes you wonder how this façade lasted for Six Years. SIX YEARS, FOLKS! Six bloody Years. Casey’s autobiography hits shelves next month, but you can read more of her Catfish ordeal in the latest New Idea or – strangely – by visiting the UK’s Daily Mail online.

The Swedish music competition that decides which artist and song they will be sending to compete in the 2014 Eurovision Song Contest. Oh yes; the Swede’s have their OWN EUROVISION FOR EUROVISION. Amazing!

RUPAUL

Her hit TV show RuPaul’s Drag Race is back on the tube and her new album, Born Naked, is available now on iTunes.

TICKET SELLOUTS

SHIT!

mixtape the i n s i de S P L I N T E R S

There is nothing worse than refreshing that bloody Ticketek website only to find your desired ticket package has sold out within 17 minutes.

ROBBIE TICKET PRICES

Come on mate, your stage show will be NOTHING compared to Gaga’s! How can he see fit to charge nearly a full $100 more than for General Admission?

TICKET SCALPERS

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: FCUK OFF.

Monique Brumby written by Zach Broadhurst

Monique Brumby has achieved a lot in her career: she’s a two-time ARIA winner, played shows alongside the legendary Jeff Buckley and The Bangles and written a song with Paul Kelly. But despite all these successes she’s definitely not afraid to mix it up and try new things. The release this month of her 5th (and self-titled) album sees an addition of electronic sounds to her repertoire – something that her fans are embracing. “I suppose you’re always worried when you put out a new release whether people will like it or not, but the response has been really good to this album,” says Brumby. “We’ve sort of fused in some electronic loops and beats with the music, and people seem to really respond to that, which has been really pleasing. “That sound of the drums and the sounds of the production using synthesisers, I’ve always kind of liked that in music, but I’ve never really used it in my own music, which was kind of a weird thing.” Along with her new sounds, Brumby also became a lot more involved in all the stages of the recording process, doing some engineering and producing on the album. “This album has been very different for me because I did a lot of the engineering as well,” explains Brumby. “In many ways I think it makes it easier to capture a sound that you really want to hear in the music, but I think there needs to be a point of stepping away if you are producing and engineering your own work. I do think you need to have other very valued opinions and be able to step away from it sometimes and come back with fresh ears.”

Brumby also revealed her increased involvement in the recording process and producing a record that says exactly want she wanted were factors behind the album being self-titled. “I spent a long time labouring over the mixing and the production, and this is probably the most me of any album I’ve released, hence the title,” says Brumby. “Everything from how my voice sits in the mix, the compressors I’ve used on the vocals, to how the drums are panned, to the EQ on the guitars, all of that stuff is very much hands-on in this album. “But more than that, I think I’ve sort of reached a point now where this is an album saying the things I want to say with the sound that I want, and so that’s why it’s a self-titled album.” Along with her album, Brumby also released a music video for the song ‘All the Way’, a very cool and slightly creepy clip filmed in her house. “We had a house warming party and everyone that came didn’t know that I had this grand plan of shooting this video,” explains Brumby. “Basically I just set up my studio with a camera and they just had to press the space bar on the computer and the sound pumped out and I just said ‘do what you want for four minutes’ … The song’s a really up-tempo song about going out with your friend on Saturday night and meeting that person who completely blows your mind. And it also has the lyric in it, ‘I’m dying inside’, so it sort of lends itself well with people dressed as vampires and mummies and things.

When&Where: Martians Café, Deans Marsh – March 22. Monique also plays the ChillOut Festival in Daylesford.

Mojo Junction with Aurora Jane written by Tex Miller

If you’re a creatively-minded arts junkie, you could do no wrong by checking out the new and fresh website, Mojo Junction. A combination of arts, music, food and culture, as well as a stack of other things, it is quickly becoming one of the most talked about pages on the Australian interwebs today. Jane Hole, or Aurora Jane as she is better known, is the creative brain behind the project, and I recently sat down with Aurora to find out a little about it and where it is likely to develop to into the future. Billed as “not your average music website”, I think it is fair to say that it is somewhat a cross between FasterLouder and Lonely Planet, and altogether an online portal where creatives can meet from all corners of the world to share their story. Starting out in November last year, the website has developed to previous unknown heights that still surprise Jane to this day. “It’s a creative experiment really, and there are many possibilities as to where it could develop to into the future. I think that is one of the most exciting aspects about it. There is already quite a back catalogue of content on the website for people to check out; from short films to podcasts and recipes to reviews,” Jane said. One of the coolest articles on the website that I was lucky enough to stumble upon was an interview with now legendary DC comic illustrator Dale Eaglesham, which is a definite highlight for Jane over the first few months of creating content for the website. “I think the point of difference about Mojo Junction is the way that we approach our interviews. Apparently

Eaglesham always gets asked who would win a fight between Superman and the Incredible Hulk, and so we are really looking at what creatively inspires people. It’s a great insight to how the drawings flow from his pencil and something a little different for the site,” Jane relates. A world traveller herself, the idea for Mojo Junction was spawned after several trips to India and the surrounds whilst on tour with her band. Despite a small group of journalists from around the world working on producing content for the website, there is an opening to broadcast your story as well: “If you look through the community tab on the website, you can submit your idea, and we will be picking one idea each month to develop into a different medium of content,” Jane said. With around 2500 people checking the site out a month at the moment, the growth of the website for the moment has purely been through social media. Although there hasn’t been a massive promotional push just yet, over the next few months Mojo Junction is definitely going to be a name you will be hearing more and more. A target demographic of 25- to 40-year-olds, the variety in content and different stories from all around the globe is what makes Mojo Junction an innovative look at the world arts, food, music and culture scene. Over the next few months, Mojo Junction talks to the director of the new Wolf Creek film; Jesse Bear, a Grammy award-winning producer; and underwater photography from Stu Barry (bass player for Bobby Alu), so be sure to keep this website in your bookmarks and check back regularly for what the buzz is.

Where: mojojunction.com

Josh Dance He had the dream and now he is living the dream, with all the “romantic” trappings of an artist that goes with it. Still, he loves what he is doing and we were thrilled when Josh Dance signed on for a little Q & A with us. Hey Josh, it has been about 12 months since we last spoke. What have you been up to? I’ve had some ups ‘n’ downs; met some good people; done some recording; played some gigs … pretty much the usual! Tell us about your journey with music so far. When did you start making songs? I started playing violin at age nine, but I wished it was a guitar. I got my first guitar at age 12, and started writing songs at fifteen. First off I wanted to be Ace Frehley, then Keith Richards. Keith was closely followed by Mr Springsteen, then James Hetfield. The good news is that right now I just wanna be me.You latest offering to the people has been released titled ‘I Think I Need a Personal Assistant’. Tell us about the title of this one; we are all wondering. The title was meant to be ironic but ended up coming across as a bit facetious perhaps. Having said that, penniless musicians need personal assistants too, not JUST wanker celebrities. I need someone to sign on for me down at Centrelink because I find it too bloody depressing doing it myself. And on occasions I need someone to scratch me when I get an itch. Maybe a girlfriend would do the trick…Girlfriend/personal assistant … I can see that working. I might have to advertise – a full page advert in Forte, maybe?! How did you find recording at Basement Sound? And tell us about Jayne Martin, whom you have

doing vocals on a lot of the tracks. Recording at Basement Sound went well. They get a great sound down there and they’re versatile. Live stuff or layered recordings, bands or solo stuff. Fair prices and in the centre of Geelong – what more could you want?! Jayne Martin is pretty cool. Her voice is lovely – it has a unique kind of quirkiness to it. She doesn’t over sing either; just finds a nice groove and steps into it. She’s got a bit of an Emmylou Harris vibe, I guess. People seem to like the blend of our voices on this recording. You went through a unique process recording this album – it was laid down in a matter of hours. Talk us through that. I love listening to musicians like John Lee Hooker, Tony Joe White and Ted Hawkins when they’re just playing guitar and singing, with no other instruments or production. Sometimes it’s like they’re sitting right there in the room with you. For some reason I find that comforting. Simple stark sounds can be so effective – the less is more approach. I’m not sure if I achieved that, but I was going for it. My tracks were all recorded live and we overdubbed Jayne. The recording took six hours, then another six hours for mixing and mastering. Yeah, I’m really happy with the basic performance, and also the quality of sound. You are from Geelong. How do you find being a solo artist from around this area? Everything has a positive or negative side to it; it just depends on your perspective! There aren’t many venues to play in G-town, with regards to original toons. And the gigs that are on offer are highly soughtafter. But Geelong is a beautiful place. That’s why I

When&Where: Sandbar, Ocean Grove – March 14; Zebra Bar, Ocean Grove – March 22; Prince of Wales, Melbourne – April 15 live here. I love the Waterfront and the Barwon River. I just wish there were more venues to play – it can be frustrating. So you’ve gotta think about other places and other ways. You have some live dates coming up about the place. Tell us about the Josh Dance live show? I play solo acoustic, but I also play with a drummer, Nat Depalma. Nat’s great. We are looking for a bass player, so if you’re our bass player please email me at joshdance23@hotmail.com For these next few gigs I have it’s gonna be solo acoustic. Nat might join me at the Sandbar, we’ll see. I play mostly originals, but I

enjoy chucking a few covers into the mix as well. What is in store over the next 12 months? The next 12 months are going to be challenging but hopefully interesting and enjoyable as well. I’ve just started getting into a bit of spoken word stuff, so that’s been a different kind of thing for me. Anything you would like to add? Josh Dance ‘I Think I Need a Personal Assistant’ is available on iTunes. I will also be appearing on Chanel 31(Pulse TV) in the next few weeks! YouTube: Josh Dance, hard working man/nervous

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FILM REVIEWS

by anthony morris

All Is Lost

Non-Stop

A nameless man (Robert Redford) is on a solo yacht voyage across the Indian Ocean when there’s a crash – his yacht has collided with a shipping container that’s (presumably) been washed off the deck of a cargo ship. The damage to his ship is significant but not fatal, and after some solid effort to patch the hole and pump out the water he’s back on his way again. But while at first it seems like he’ll be able to shrug off the incident, as his trip wears on each small problem leads to another one, each one just that little bit bigger and more serious than the last, until… well, that would give it away.

Liam Neeson works as an action star because he’s always the best thing in his action movies. Sometimes he gets lucky and the story holds up or the action is well-handled, but time and time again he’s managed to lift an otherwise average project to a higher level with his gruff-bordering-on-comedic charm and totally commitment to whatever unlikely story he happens to be found in. Which is good news, because it means that when he does get a decent project – such as this one – the end result is a film that really is worth your time.

Let’s just say that this almost dialogue-free tale of survival on the high seas focuses largely on the process of that survival – in much the same way as last year’s Gravity focused on the processes of survival in space – and in doing so slowly and carefully builds into an utterly compelling look at a man’s battle to exist in a world that doesn’t care about him in the slightest. Redford’s performance is astonishing: with next to no words to rely on and a character who’s main job is performing small tasks vital to his survival, he manages to build a picture of someone hollowed out by his need to become machine-like; someone for whom an inner life is a luxury right up until the moment it becomes all he has left. This is a brilliantly put together tale of survival that, by avoiding the usual sidebars (aside from one letter, we know nothing about the lead’s past prior to being on the boat; he could be anyone from anywhere) and distilling a survival tale to the bare essentials – it’s no exaggeration to say that all he does from the moment the film starts is try to stay alive – becomes a film that ends up having a lot to say about life and how we live it. Don’t miss this one.

Bill Marks (Neeson) is a burnout drunk who just happens to be an air marshal, so when he starts getting weird text messages on a trans-Atlantic flight about someone dying every 20 minutes unless $150 million is put into a bank account, at first he thinks someone’s trying to test him. Nuh-uh. We’re all used to this kind of thriller starting off with a great idea that rapidly falls apart, but this one manages to hold it together a lot longer than usual, with the initial death both making sense and putting Marks in a very tricky situation, and the ones that follow only serving to make matters worse. Partly a whodunit where Marks’ suspicion logically falls on just about everyone at some stage, partly a ticking clock thriller as the body count climbs and Marks loses the trust of just about everyone around him, this is a surprisingly satisfying thriller that only falters slightly right at the end – and by then the whole situation is dire enough that it doesn’t really matter. Neeson has slightly more to work with than usual for this kind of film as a harried and occasionally paranoid cop, while Julianne Moore as a (suspiciously?) helpful passenger seems to be having fun just being in this kind of film. This is only coming to cinemas because Neeson has drawing power: so long as he keeps making B-movies this good, he’ll keep drawing audiences back.

Three Days to Kill Remember when McG was three letters masquerading as a name you could trust when it comes to action? It hasn’t exactly all been downhill since the Charlie’s Angels movies, but when your last film was the horrible action rom-com This Means War, perhaps it’s time to change tack a little. Three Days to Kill sees McG teaming up with French writer/director/producer Luc Besson, the brains behind most of the trashy action films out of France over the last decade or so (Taken? The Transporter films? He’s partly responsible), and on the surface this seems like a good match: after all, they both like their action over-the-top and less than likely. Ethan Renner (Kevin Costner) is a CIA agent specialising in overly violent takedowns. Unfortunately, his unique set of skills are useless against his current enemy: he’s got a virulent form of cancer that will kill him in a matter of months. Deciding to get his house in order, he sets up a weekend for some father-daughter (Hailee Steinfeld) fence-repairing (as in, becoming a real father to her, not repairing actual fences) – only to be contacted by the astoundingly trashy and awesomely named Vivi Delay (Amber Heard), who says she can cure his cancer if he’s willing to come work for her. And by “work” she means “kill terrorists”. The usual Taken-style action hijinks follow, and by “Taken-style” I mean “torture-heavy”, only the joke here is that Renner often asks his victims for parenting advice because father-daughter bonding isn’t going as well as it should be thanks to all the action. It looks slick, it’s totally predictable, Costner puts in slightly more effort than he needs to in order to make this work, and if it’s a little too hollow at its heart, chances are you’ll be too busy enjoying all the mayhem to mind all that much.

Tracks True story time: in 1977, 26-year-old Robyn Davidson (Mia Wasikowska) set out to cross Australia from Alice Springs to the West Australian Coast by camel. It wasn’t exactly a spur-of-the-moment decision: she’d been training herself for a year to handle camels and then had to figure out a way to raise the money to pay for supplies. That proved to be harder than she’d hoped. Eventually, and reluctantly, she had to take a sponsorship from National Geographic magazine. During her nine month, 2,700 kilometre trip that followed, she faced rogue camels, gawking tourists, poisoned water, sacred land she wasn’t allowed to cross alone, regular and occasionally intrusive visits from National Geographic photographer Rick Smolan (Adam Driver) and days and days worth of very empty desert. Director John Curran has a lot of great scenery to work with here and he takes full advantage of it, making this one of the most visually stunning Australian films of recent times – it almost works simply as a pure travelogue in some parts. Wasikowska fully inhabits the determined, self-sufficient Davidson, whose motivations have less to do with her past (her mother committed suicide) and more with a desire to be left alone. Psychologically and dramatically this is fairly straightforward; geographically though, it’s a journey you won’t soon forget.

Lone Survivor When

a Navy SEAL kill squad is sent into the heart of Afghanistan to assassinate a local Taliban leader, it all goes wrong, they all get shot a lot, and then they fall down a cliff before being shot again. If you can get past the flag waving, this is a pretty decent look at small-scale combat that manages to raise a few questions

about the wider war in the process.

Endless Love Two

teenagers – who really should be old enough to do what they want with whomever they want – instead find their summer love forbidden by her grumpy possessive dad. It’s kind of refreshing to see a teen romance that doesn’t

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involve vampires, the supernatural or a repressive dystopian future.

Are We Officially Dating? Zac Efron stars

in this feature-length sitcom about a trio of dudes trapped between hook-up culture and finding a girl they actually want to settle down with.

Robocop This

humourless and

needlessly complicated remake of the ’80’s classic is not a classic. Not bad CGI in some scenes, though.

Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom This look at

the life – the entire life – of Nelson Mandela rarely reaches higher than a decent telemovie, though Idris Elba as Mandela is pretty good before the aging make-up kicks in.

Wolf Creek 2 Wolf Creek 2 opens with a pre-credits bit of fun in which murderous nutbag Mick Taylor (John Jarratt) is pulled over and harassed by a pair of thug-like cops. Of course, they get their comeuppance and then some. It puts the audience on notice: Mick might be a rapist and serial killer, but this time around he’s the hero of the tale. And why shouldn’t he be? John Jarratt is extremely charismatic as Mick, and he gets all the good lines, throwing out the Aussie slang and swearwords at every possible opportunity. In his own likable way he’s someone we can cheer for – apart from the murdering, of course. We then meet a pair of German backpackers, Rutger (Phillipe Klaus) and Katarina (Shannon Ashlyn), who are wandering around the outback, having fun and hitch-hiking all over the place – which in a Wolf Creek film isn’t exactly the most reassuring thing. So far so average, and when Mick turns up and swears at them a bit, the tension isn’t really there. Then our focus changes to British jeepdriver Paul (Ryan Coor), and surprise, surprise, we know even less about him. He’s got a girlfriend and he’s got a Jeep. That’s it. There’s only so far you can go in a movie that features no human characters, and aside from one scene late in the film, Paul’s work here largely consists of looking and acting terrified. Mick gets a truck, Paul finds some farmers to take him in, Mick kills a few more people, there’s a moderately interesting face-off between Paul and Mick involving a deadly quiz on Australian history, and if you’ve ever seen a horror movie sequel in your life you know the territory writer/director Greg Mclean is mining here. In the first film Mick seemed like a believable rogue killer. Now he’s become a cartoon, complete with massive lair and near-supernatural speed when he needs to get one over an old homesteader. He’s a wise-cracking monster and everyone else is merely fodder. Where’s the tension there?

MUSIC REVIEWS

4AM

Falling Up the Stairs

Kerri Simpson & The Belmore Playboys

Lime Cordiale

Waterfront Records

MGM

Reviewers risk sounding like broken records when talking about Kerri Simpson. It’s just that the Melbourne-based singer is so bloody good at what she does, we want everyone to know. She’s one-of-a-kind. She’s paid her dues – with interest. She’s worked with virtually every artist of note from the local blues and roots scene. Here she’s backed by a selection of long-time mates in music, including Belmar studios producer Steve Purcell. This third release in her ‘Knockin’ at the Backdoor’ series follows Maybe My Midnight and Fortune Favoured Me. There’s a distinct blues bent gracing the smoky late night mood here, with all nine tracks Simpson originals. The production is gloriously lo-fi and it’s easy to imagine our ‘Queen of the Blues’ laying down tracks at Stax or Chess in another era. No rehearsals were required for this experienced combo. When Simpson sits in on a late night session in New Orleans, this is what you might hear. The title track strolls in with a sultry swagger; Shannon Bourne’s sassy guitar barely restrained. ‘Sam Pine’ swings with a retro funk groove while Simpson has some fun at the mic. ‘Twanging a New Tune’ gets fingers snapping and hips swaying. Opening horns tantalise ahead of the queen’s assured crooning. Next, a N’awlins shuffle with Andrew Ogburn’s juke joint piano sees her happily kick a troublesome man to the kerb. Balancing the jubilation, Simpson shows how heartachingly sweet a soulful slow-burner can be with ‘Come on Babe’. Dean Hilson’s silky sax walks right beside her. With lyrics assembled in the studio, you believe the stories. You feel those blues. She tells us that “I work ’til my soul is crying”, yet assures us on ‘All My Tomorrows’ that ’til the day her story is told, she’ll “still be standing proud and tall”. No doubt. Another favourite for my collection. Written by Chris Lambie

I made a special effort to check out these Sydneysiders in Melbourne at AWME in November. After all, they’d been touted as the newest prized addition to the Chugg Entertainment stable. And if Chuggy is prepared to put his proverbials on the line for an act, they’ve gotta be worth a listen. Since that successful southern showcase gig, there’s been a bit of a buzz around Lime Cordiale. They’ll head to SXSW in Texas next month alongside a US release for the EP. The five tracks here give a pretty good indication of the band’s range, blending layered high energy pop/rock and surf ‘n’ sun harmonies with punch. Horn sections are enjoying a purple patch in local line-ups of late, and brass is one of the tastiest ingredients in Lime Cordiale. All songs are originals by frontline brothers Oli (guitar, baritone sax) and Louis (bass, trumpet) Leimbach who share vocal duties. The rest of the band comprises Tim Fitz (keys, guitar), Brendan Champion (trombone) and drummer James Jennings, though the Leimbachs have been known to adopt local musos in their place when on the road. The EP was produced and mixed by Daniel Denholm (Washington, The Whitlams, Billy Thorpe, Midnight Oil) with mastering taken on in NYC. Opening track and single ‘Bullshit Aside’ is a catchy, pumping declaration. Along the way there’s fun with light and smoky jazz/ rock and electrified soul. ‘Everything Else’ is my pick for best track, with retro-yet-fresh melodies, complex and unpredictable beats and a rapid-fire refrain. The whole release suggests classically trained musical know-how and songwriting possibilities just starting to let fly. Written by Chris Lambie

Far Beyond Driven Pantera

American Hustle Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Various Artists Sony Since it’s more or less a music director’s mixtape, a movie soundtrack is bound to be at least good. Sometimes you get something great (The Breakfast Club, Top Gun); sometimes you get something… not so great (Alvin and the Chipmunks, Britney Spears’ Crossroads). Fortunately, American Hustle tends towards greatness, with a selection that includes hits like Elton John’s ‘Goodbye Yellow Brick Road’ and Tom Jones’ ‘Delilah’, as well as tracks like Mayssa Karaa’s Arabic cover of Jefferson Airplane’s ‘White Rabbit’ and an unreleased Jeff Lynne track called ‘Stream of Stars’. While I haven’t seen the movie, this soundtrack really captures the era it is set in (the late seventies and early eighties), or at least a version of it. While not all the music is from that particular era (I’m looking at you Tom Jones, and especially you Duke Ellington), there is still a particular feeling to the tracks. And you really can’t go wrong by opening with a little Duke Ellington. Also, there are two Electric Light Orchestra tracks on here, which is definitely a win in my book.

He’s currently playing around the country for WOMADelaide and some sideshows, and if you’ve got tickets to any of these gigs you will certainly know what I’m talking about when I say that Mr Paskalev can bring the party. Life Without Losers features some high-class Norwegian crooning, and the highlights for me would be ‘Hey Joseph’ and ‘Sayonara Saigon’, as well as ‘I Spy’. In about the last week, ‘I Spy’ has been getting considerable airplay on commercial radio, and it’s not going to be long until he is a big time affair.

Written by Tex Miller

GIRL

Pharrell Williams

Lockjaw

The four-time ARIA winner and seven-time platinum artist Katie Noonan is back with another solo effort. You’ve loved her voice since she was in george, so check this one out. Available now on Festival Records.

If you’re under thirty, you love one of these guys. Possibly both. So they’ve gotten together on a nice little three-track EP. Available now on Future Classic.

Flume and Chet Faker

Hey Daydreamer

Holiday

Produced with her husband David, this will be the Australian singer’s fourth studio album. That’s not including her album with Seeker, Lover, Keeper, or the massive international hit single she cowrote with Feist, ‘1234’. Available now on Caroline Label Services.

Sydneysiders Jackie Onassis are back with a new EP. It features the single ‘Holiday’, which they recorded with fellow members of the One Day crew, Spit Syndicate. Available now on Sony.

Sound the Underground

Record Store Day

Melbourne-based rockers King of the North are releasing their debut album this month, and they’re touring the country to promote it, including a number of Victorian shows. Available March 14 independently.

He’s touring Australia at the moment, and finally after tantalising our tastebuds with a three track EP, Norwegian Mikhael Paskalev has released his debut LP in Australia. You most likely will have heard the track ‘I Spy’ doing the rounds on the radio – and it is definitely a highlight to this record. The catchy upbeat hooks and carefree lyrics make me optimistic that Mr Paskalev may be coming back for a festival appearance – hopefully sometime later in the year.

Written by Cameron Brogden

Fierce Hearts

King of the North

Dew Process

So pick it up if you liked the movie, or if you love a good soundtrack. Hell, pick it up anyway.

After collaborating and/or producing dozens of hits for other artists Pharrell finally delivers the long awaited follow up to his 2006 solo debut. Featuring the hit single 'Happy' and guest appearances from Justin Timberlake, Daft Punk, Alicia Keys and Miley Cyrus. Available now on Columbia Records.

Sally Seltmann

Mikhael Paskalev

Head out and buy this record, because it will help you through the winter months. Top stuff and a stellar debut – well done; and thank you, Mikhael .

Has it been twenty years already? Apparently so, which means they’re trotting this old girl out for another pay day. Of course, there’s a second disc now, with a live set from 1994. Available March 21 on Rhino.

Katie Noonan

Life Without Losers

Jackie Onassis

WHAT’s NEW!?

Albert Productions

Albert Productions, through Sony, will be re-releasing four seminal Australian albums on vinyl to coincide with Record Store Day: Hard Road by Stevie Wright, Face to Face by The Angels, The Best of The Easybeats + Pretty Girl by The Easybeats and Rose Tattoo by, you guessed it, Rose Tattoo. Available April 19 on Albert Productions/Sony

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Grog Watch So, stocks of booze have been running low at my place over the last week or so and let me tell you, it’s not a fun feeling waking up in the middle of the night not knowing where your next drink is going to come from. Well, obviously I know where my very next drink is going to come from – the bottle beside my bed – but I also know that in the not too distant future I’m going to have to make some very tough decisions about my booze-fuelled lifestyle. No, not whether I should give up the booze or not; what are you, nuts? Though on that subject, I was recently reading a really interesting study that said that pretty much all the hard data on just about every kind of addiction there is (booze, drugs, etc.) says that a much larger percentage of people than usually assumed manage to give up on their own – basically, they just grow out of it, and the reason why they get

PULP. >>>>>> By Cameron Urquhart & Alastair McGibbon

Cameron: The Beautiful Thing That Awaits Us All is a master class in short fiction. Laird Barron proves that with only a few pages he can conjure up some of the greatest cosmic horror and fill this terrifying world with believable characters. While Laird may indulge in similar themes as Lovecraft, especially the idea that the more knowledge one has the more danger one is aware of, to call his work Lovecraftian is to insult how incredibly original he is. I am an enormous Lovecraft fan – a fact I’ve made quite clear over a few of these columns – but even he had some pretty glaring flaws in his prose. Most notably, his characters never really felt or talked like real people; a side effect of Lovecraft mostly staying indoors and avoiding people at all costs. Born and raised in Alaska, Laird Barron is no stranger to the isolation that breeds horror, but having worked multiple jobs he also has an affinity for creating a realistic setting for his supernatural terror. Astoundingly, there is no dud in the whole book. Almost every collection of short stories will have one or two stories which fall flat, or at least don’t match up to the quality of the surrounding fiction. Here, however, Laird proves he is a capable and consistent writer. It excites me to read such an incredible author at such an early stage in their career. From this one collection of short stories, I have a feeling Laird Barron will go on to be one of the most important names in the history of horror fiction. It’s an electrifying feeling to be alive at the same time as such an incredible author, but it also makes my wallet rather empty. At least I have all these books to keep me company. Alastair: As a rule, I try not to talk about the same author’s work two columns in a row. When it comes to Ten Grand, however, I figure I’ll make an exception. Written by J. Michael Straczynski (Superman: Earth One) and illustrated by artists Ben Templesmith (Fell, 30 Days of Night) and C.P. Smith (Wolverine Noir), Ten

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zero press for doing so is because what media attention addiction does get focuses on the people who announce themselves as addicts by checking into treatment. Which makes sense if you think about all the crazy guys you know in high school who manage to get their acts together (to some extent at least) as the years go by. So, the good news is that “addiction” isn’t some life-long prison you’ll never escape from for many people: it’s a phase that you go through then grow out of. Unless you’re me, of course, which is why the tough question I’m going to have to face isn’t whether to give up the booze or not, because that ain’t gonna happen, it’s where am I going to find any more bottles of 50 per cent alcohol content vodka. Yes, I’m back on this particular horse. Sorry. Regular readers will know that for a long while 50 per cent alcohol content vodka was the holy grail of my boozing (why? More booze than the standard 40 per cent alcohol content, and I’m too lazy to merely drink, uh… let’s say 20 per cent more of the 40 per cent vodka), and around this time last year I finally found it with the arrival of Absolut 100 in bottle shops. Unfortunately, it soon turned out that Absolut 100 was some limited edition crap that was all-too-quickly pulled from our shelves, prompting me to wonder aloud what exactly is the point of late-stage consumer capitalism if it only provides goods and or services for a limited time? They brought out a new product, it was embraced by consumers – well, it was embraced by me because

I bought up every bottle I could find in Geelong and in Melbourne – and then suddenly it’s like “nup, we think you’ve had enough of that”. Look, I have money and I am willing to give it to you for this product – why don’t you want to sell it to me? Yeah yeah, I know we’re all used to this kind of thing thanks to years of fast food places putting out “limited time only” versions of their burgers and so on, but the reason why those places do that is to lure back customers to give them another shot. Does anyone really think bottle shops are thinking “we’ve got to lure customers back on the grog – but how? Wait, I’ve got it: a limited edition extra-strong version of vodka!” Because that is a stupid business strategy! Stupid, I tell you. Presumably the real reason has something to do with the higher rate of tax on alcohol over 40 per cent, plus vodka isn’t really seen as a “high end” spirit where people will pay more for quality (you can find gins and whiskeys over 40 per cent alcohol content without too much searching). All I know is that there was a brief window where suddenly there was a whole range of 50 per cent vodkas available (well, three different brands at least) and now there’s nothing. In part because I bought them all – yes, even the Smirnoff version, which was, uh, somewhat challenging to consume – and now the stockpile is running low. The good news is that supposedly there’s a bottle shop on the edge of town that still has a couple of

over-priced bottles of the good stuff on the shelves (why yes, I do spend my space time online hanging around bottle shop websites), but even if I do make the journey out there, what then? All I’m doing is staving off the inevitable, briefly delaying the moment when the booze finally runs out and I’m forced to choose: go back to the 40 per cent stuff and spend weeks drinking without getting drunk until my system adapts to the lower strength booze, or jump over to a stronger brand of, well, probably whisky and spend weeks being hungover until my system adapts to the different kind of booze. I’ll be honest: neither approach holds too much appeal at the moment. But what can I do? Our economic system has, for whatever reason, decided to dangle a carrot in front of me then yank it away, creating a need that it then refuses to fulfil. Why they would do this – if there even is a rational reason behind it and not just a blatant malfunction – I cannot even begin to understand. It’s not like I refused to pay full price. It’s not like I didn’t keep buying it until the shelves were empty. I’ve said it before but I’ll say it again even though you could just as easily look back up the page and re-read the part where I said it the first time: “Look, I have money and I am willing to purchase this product – why won’t you sell it to me?” Tony “Desperation is not a pretty sight” Montana

Grand is yet another fantastic supernatural horror title from the talented folks at Image. Ten Grand is still relatively new, but as far as I’m concerned it’s worth keeping an eye on. It follows the trials and tribulations of Joe Fitzgerald, a former mob-enforcer turned undead demonologist/ occult detective. Yep, you read that right. He promised his wife Laura that he’d quit the hitman life after one last job – except that job turned out to involve demons that kill Laura and mortally wound Joe. As he dies, he is offered a deal by an angelic force: in exchange for his services, Joe will be allowed to see his wife for five minutes every time he dies for a righteous cause. Once the five minutes are up, however, it’s back to the land of the living to continue the fight. Ten Grand really is a wild ride. It reads like a mix of Hellblazer, R.I.P.D. (the good bits) and DmC, the latest entry in the Devil May Cry video game franchise. Templesmith’s art is fantastic; it’s dark, gritty and perfect for the supernatural horror story. After Templesmith’s spot-on start, C.P. Smith’s flatter, grit-less art just seems bizarre. This dramatic change could be deliberate, however: Joe is entering Limbo as Smith takes over. Art gripes aside, Ten Grand has a story that screams anguish and could easily hook a horror fan. While the change in artists is jarring, it’s worth sticking around.

POrPe! cultu By An th on

y M or ri s

Underbelly’s back! Only it’s not called Underbelly anymore. It would be both unfair and inaccurate to suggest the name-change came about because of a slow but steady trashing of the brand thanks to a long line of sub-par series over the years. (Reportedly the real reason why they changed the name was to do with claiming the Federal Government’s 20% Producer Offset tax rebate. The money-back offer cuts out after 65 episodes of a series and they couldn’t persuade the Tax Office that each Underbelly series was its own stand-alone show, so no money back for them unless they made a different series.) But the fact that it seems reasonable to assume they changed the name for promotional reasons underlines just how far the Underbelly brand has fallen. The first series back in 2007 was smart, sharp, based on current events and – in a move that’s easy to overlook these days – wasn’t afraid to push the envelope a little style-wise. Unfortunately, the series that followed tended to lean more on the style – which rapidly became a code-word for “naked ladies” – and not so much on the other attributes. It also tended to look to Sydney for its crime stories, which proved problematic: while Melbourne’s crime scene has traditionally been about stand-alone operators and hard men in fringe areas such as the docks, organised crime up north has actually been organised – and tales of systemic corruption tend not to work quite so well in a series aiming itself at glamorous crims and their evil ways. Underbelly’s attempts to look at crime back in the 1920s and 1930s with the Sydney-based Razor and the Melbourne-focused Squizzy had their own problems: Razor’s storyline was repetitive

and unfocused, while Squizzy’s production values were so low it would have been a more realistic evocation of Roaring ’20s Melbourne if it had been filmed at Sovereign Hill. So having the series – with some surface alterations and a name change to Fat Tony & Co, which describes the contents without adding much of anything as far as atmosphere goes – return to the same turf as the first series was good news for fans of local crime drama. But a lot has changed since the first Underbelly series, and not just that many of the old familiar faces now look ten years older but are playing characters ten years younger. The first series was content to let the facts speak for themselves, showing the cast of characters as petty thugs with big ideas who wiped themselves out over the drug trade in Melbourne; this one opens with Alphonse Gangitano (Vince Colosimo) at a bar telling us the Carlton Crew run Melbourne and he runs the Carlton Crew. Which, considering he’s dead before the end of the first episode, seems a little beside the point. But that’s this series all over: it’s fallen for its own hype and thinks the violent brutal losers whose story it’s telling are really giants deserving of our respect and awe. It’s what killed the franchise in the first place: you don’t have to keep telling us how great these criminals are. Just show us what they’re like warts and all and we’ll make up our own minds.

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